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Sunday, March 10, 2024

Be in the Know Before You Go on Wonder of the Seas

A fellow on YouTube recently complained that when he boarded Wonder of
the 
Seas, he went to the ticket booth, only to find that all the shows were sold out. Yikes! How did this happen? Clearly, a lot of people knew something he didn't.

Read on for important tips on what you should do and what to expect in the lead up to your Royal Caribbean cruise.

Once You Book

·     

Save on eat, drink and surf packages – If you’re looking to buy a package, know you’ll have plenty of opportunity to get it at a discount before your trip.  Royal Caribbean will barrage you will promo emails—ours started four months before the trip—even before we made final payment.

About a Month Before Your Cruise

·        Download Royal Caribbean’s app. Then, when you do online check-in, (available beginning about 45 days before the trip), you’ll get a digital boarding pass called the “SetSail Pass.”

Main dining room on Wonder of the Seas
Check out the app periodically; the closer you get to the trip, the more stuff you’ll see for your cruise, such as activities, menus and even loyalty club events.

Print luggage tags – You’ll get a “Guest Ticket Booklet” PDF via email, with the luggage tags on some of the pages. You can print the tags in black and white, but Royal Caribbean prefers color. We loaded the booklet onto a thumb drive, took it to a local Office Depot and for a few dollars, printed the luggage tags in color on the self-service printer.

       Sign up for shows now – In the “Manage My Cruise” section of Royal Caribbean’s website, you can make reservations for the date and time you prefer. The longer you wait, the fewer choices you will have. 

      Dine your way – You can also make reservations for the main dining room if you’re on My Time. It’s a good idea to do this, especially for formal nights, to reduce the wait at the MDR doors.

·    

Keeping track – Your booked shows and meals will be listed in the Calendar section  of  the app. Also, consider making a paper  chart and mounting it on the cabin wall with a magnet. It’s a good way for you and your  roommate to see your schedule at a  glance. I list for each day what port we’re in, where we’re eating and what show we’re seeing.

Before Leaving Home

·       Print your boarding pass – While you’ll show the SetSail pass on your phone at the port, it’s a good idea to also bring a paper copy, just in case the wifi in the terminal is down, you left your phone in your suitcase, you run out of battery juice, you dropped it in the toilet…

·        Ban the banned stuff – Double check that your carryon doesn’t include banned stuff. My spouse forgot he had a Swiss army knife in his toiletries bag and it was taken from him.

If something does slip by you, you’ll get it back at the end of the trip. A table was set up outside the cruise terminal in Port Canaveral on disembarkation day. Your possession will have plenty of company—our knife was nearly obscured by a vast collection of irons, steamers and power strips.

Musing’s Top Tip: If you’re doing a specialty restaurant, do it on the first night. Chops Grille was nearly empty, the service was attentive and it was just plain lovely. It was the opposite experience a few days later!

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Beyond the T-Shirt: Shopping the Islands

After 27 cruises and a whole lot of shopping, my home office looks like a shrine to the Caribbean.

Some of the stuff is the usual, like key chains, magnets and snow globes. And I even have a t-shirt. But the souvenirs I really love were made by hand or unique to the island. They’re harder to find than ever, but they’re there.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Woven baskets from Dominica – The specialty of this Eastern Caribbean island makes a terrific souvenir or gift because it’s portable and practical. And handsome.

Wood art from Roatan – Honduras is known for its wood creations – especially those made from mahogany – and you can find cups, bowls and carvings at the cruise port at Roatan or Mahogany Bay.

Peasant tops from Costa Maya – There are a number of shops and stalls at the pier that sell locally made clothing. I bought a delicate, one-of-a-kind colorful hand-woven blouse there for a very reasonable price. 

Painted shells from St. Kitts – Walk through the cruise port towards town and you’ll pass an aisle of small vendors in covered stalls. One of the first vendors, is an artist selling her own work—magnets, small boxes and other objects hand-painted with tropical scenes, including the island’s wild vervet monkeys.

Paintings from Labadee – Royal Caribbean’s private part of Haiti has a thriving artisan market (see left), with dozens of stalls selling paintings of many sizes, and painted boxes and magnets. Some of the paintings can even be purchased without a frame to make it easier to get them home. Note that bargaining is expected!

Madras from Martinique – Ramble through the streets of Fort-de-France – or go no further than the cruise pier – to find examples of the local colorful fabrics. In town, you can buy fabric to make clothing. Or, you can get souvenirs made from madras, such as a little parrot I bought at a pier shop (see left). 

And then there’s rum. Everywhere!

In short, when you cruise the Caribbean, there’s plenty to buy beyond the T-shirt, but you’ll need a sharp eye to find it. Happy shopping!

 

 

 

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Cruising a Classic

A trip on Holland America’s Rotterdam is to harken back to the good ol days, when a ship was a ship and not an amusement park. If it’s an amusement park you’re after—stop reading here. 

For this is a review of both a new ship and a classic.


What you’ve heard is true. Let’s start with the demographic, which is most likely on your mind. Yes, HAL’s guests trend upward; mostly 50+. If you fall in this category, you’ll love the Rotterdam. If you’re younger, but want a tranquil, laid back trip, you can love it too. 

Winsome and whimsical
Atrium artwork
. The ship is handsome, with muted colors, and music-themed and funky artwork.

All the right notes. It’s hard not to find something to like on the “Music Walk,” which featured venues with bands playing rock (Rolling Stones Rock Room) and blues (BB King Blues Club), two pianists singing oldies pop (Billboard Onboard) and a classical music quartet (Lincoln Center Stage). 
On our trip, there were also several performances by the ship’s dance troupe, a singing group, comedian and magician. 

With our comfort in mind. The staterooms have lots of storage—especially satisfying were two very deep drawers under the bed that still provided ample space to shove in two large suitcases. There are also reading lights mounted next to the bed that can be positioned perfectly, and outlets and USB ports on each side of the bed and by the desk. 

A morsel of food. In short, the food is typical of cruise ships—no better or worse. The meals in the main dining room were decent and the buffet was varied (standouts were the “Distant Lands” dishes, such as Beef Sumatra and Pork Vindaloo). We ate in specialty restaurants Pinnacle Grill (filet mignon) and Canaletto (osso buco), which were very good. 
A sweet end to the meal at Canaletto

Having it all. Holland America’s “Have it All” promotion is similar to perks packages of other lines. You pay one price and get a beverage package, wifi, specialty restaurants and excursions. Though it added a lot to the cost of the trip, we felt it was worth it because it enhanced the experience. 

Service with a smile.
A second 
cabin cleaning per day is now available on request only. Yet, our room stewards were so wonderful that they did the second cleaning even though we passed on it. And they took the time to create elaborate towel animals most nights. In fact, throughout the ship, we found the vast majority of the crew helpful and friendly.

Special and welcome. The Rotterdam has a Grand Dutch CafĂ© (it’s on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam as well) with Dutch snacks and other treats, as well as a bar and specialty coffees. Also, we loved the unique event in which BBC nature documentaries were shown in the nearly surround-screened World Stage theater, with a dramatic live soundtrack provided by the ship’s classical quartet. 

The bottom line on HAL’s Rotterdam?
It’s hard to argue with a classic. It’s got the basics—pleasing dĂ©cor, comfortable cabins, decent food, pools, spa, casino, entertainment, shops. No, you can’t ride a carousel. But it delivered a relaxing, rejuvenating vacation.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Cure for Chaos

If watching the news about cruising is making your head spin, know that you’re not alone. Who knows when and how it will all shake out, but in the meanwhile, we can nurture our passion in any number of ways. Here are a few:

Don’s Family Vacations – If you want to know what’s happening on a daily basis, you can get it from Don. His lively reports will have you grimacing and laughing, as you experience the full craziness going on right now.   

How to find it: Don posts regularly on YouTube. Just search for “Don’s Family Vacations.”

Nova, Season 44, Episode 4, “Ultimate Cruise Ship” – This is a fascinating look at what it took to create Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer, from its bronze propellers lovingly calibrated to avoid vibration to its funnel of aluminum, designed to counterweight the ship’s decadent marble suites. We may not all be able to shell out more than $650 a night, but we can vicariously enjoy—at least for 53 minutes.

How to find it: You will need to purchase PBS Passport. It’s inexpensive and provides a vast array of programming.

 “Love Boat” reruns – This will date me, but Gavin MacLeod’s recent passing reminded me of the first time cruising hit my radar. For a time, on Saturday nights, I had a date with the “Love Boat.” It made cruising intriguing, if you could get past the PA announcements.

Fast forward to 2021, with 26 cruises behind me, I can enjoy comparing Hollywood’s version to the real thing. I imagine you will too.

Regal Princess' shrine to the TV show


How to find it: You can stream it from Paramount, but you need to be a subscriber. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, it will cost an extra $5.99 a month after the free trial.

 Don’t want to spend anything? There are plenty of Love Boat clips and trivia on YouTube. You can even find a Princess ship or two playing the show’s theme song with its horn, as it pulls out of the harbor with some very excited cruisers.

 

Sunday, July 19, 2020

What is it About Cruising that Makes Us Love it So?


And miss it so!

“Cruise Fans Yearn to Ship Out,” declared a recent Wall Street Journal headline. “Landlubbers who wrote this industry off for dead just don’t get it…it seems hard-core cruise goers can’t wait to climb back aboard,” the article went on to say.

And then the WSJ handed us a responsibility as big as the ships we sail in:  it’s the “hard-core cruise goers” who are going keep the industry afloat.

Now, back to my question: why do we love cruising so?

Could it be because of the view? The ocean’s gradations of blue, the Technicolor sunsets or vast unbroken horizon?

Saying "Bon Voyage" to Ft. Lauderdale under an ever-changing sky


Maybe it’s the dancing in the piazza or bodega, or outdoors under the stars.
 
"YMCA" on the Royal Princess

Or, melting into a massage, sharing secrets at The Marriage Game or gambling the night away.
 
Healing on Harmony of the Seas
It could be the island hopping, each day bringing a different vibe—from the peaceful Mahogany Bay to the frenetic streets of Aruba to the fanciful Curaçao skyline.

Colorful Curacao

Perhaps it’s nabbing front-row seats at “Mamma Mia,” then hitting a comedy club, followed by jazz—without paying a cent or stepping outside.



Then, it could be all about the food. Whether it comes to our door or we actually have to walk to it, the food is there whenever we want it. From burgers to bruschetta, fries to fajitas and cupcakes to mousse cakes.

Sweet sampling from Harmony of the Seas
For many, it’s the sunning, drinking, grooving to music and people-watching at the pool from sun up to sun down, topping it off with a hot tub dip.
 
Fun in the sun on Allure of the Seas
Or, is it the chance to do flip-flops 24/7? And unpack just once.

No wonder we can’t wait to climb that gangway. And we’re willing to do it even if it means wearing face masks, keeping our distance, taking our temperature and getting served in the buffet.

If we’re being charged with keeping the industry going, we’ll do it with the passion only a veteran cruiser can understand. So, dear reader, the time has come for us to do the only decent thing—book our next cruise!


Saturday, March 21, 2020

Cruise Deprivation and What to Do About It


We’re all reduced to arm chair travelers these days.

I don’t know about you, but I took comfort from the Sky Princess blazing “We will be back” in lights across the ship.



But in the meanwhile, how can we satisfy our insatiable appetite for cruising?

Well, here are a few suggestions:

Book it. Not the trip, your photos. Do something awfully old-fashioned—create a photo album. Yeah, having them on your cell phone is great. But seeing them in print, laid out in a slick coffee table book is even better. It’s cheap to put together and it will keep your mind off the vacation you didn’t have.

Stack the deck. Put your favorite photos onto a deck of cards, a mouse pad or luggage tag. Do what you never had time for. We had Shutterstock make up luggage tags with our faces on them. It would be hard for someone to take the wrong suitcase now.

See a disaster. Watch “Titanic” or “Poseidon Adventure.” Not something you’d want to do while you’re cruising. But now, while we’re all in dry dock, why not? Heck, you might even check out the YouTube videos on the sinking of the Concordia.

Root for Royal. And Carnival. They’ve been heroes, letting us off the hook while facing large losses.

Plan your next one. You know there will be a next one. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but at some point, your ship will sail again. And you want to make sure you’re on it.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

You Gotta Love it: Highlights from Harmony and the Western Caribbean


No matter how many cruises I take, there are always a few things that stand out from each one. Here’s a batch from our recent Harmony of the Seas to the Western Caribbean:

Port Canaveral’s easy on, easy off. Never has getting on and off the ship been better or faster. The baggage drop-off wasn’t crowded, there were no lines into the terminal and because we did online check-in with our phone and Royal Caribbean app, we showed our SetSail Pass and were climbing the gangplank in minutes.

On disembarkation day, we walked off with our luggage, smiled at Customs, which is now using facial recognition instead of asking to see passports, and were out of the terminal and on the road in a flash. (Note: passports are still needed for the cruise.)

Coco Cay, a fun way to spend the day. The beaches were pretty, there was a lot to see and do, and the food was better than expected. It was very spread out and never felt crowded. (Note: our ship was the only one there.) The tropical foliage was photograph-worthy, there were whimsical sand dunes and people-watching galore. A huge pool with swim-up bar (although there were more drinkers than swimmers). Then there’s the water park.

One side of Coco Cay...
...another side of Coco Cay
Hand-made in Mexico. There were many ships in Costa Maya when we got there, with thousands of passengers descending on the small pier area. But somehow, through the throng, I stumbled on a very special shop, d.origen. Prices were in pesos, so I was initially scared off. But the unique clothing, ceramics and knickknacks—and the helpful and friendly staff (who were happy to convert prices to dollars)—drew me back again. It’s an artisan cooperative, and all items were made by Mexicans, using traditional techniques.

From the “You Won’t Believe This” category. Walking along the busy main road outside the cruise pier in Cozumel, we stopped in our tracks to see an extremely tall man with a tiny woman sitting on his shoulders, reaching up to pick a coconut.



Filet mignon at Chops. I polished off a terrific 9 ounce filet mignon, shrimp cocktail, salad with breaded goat cheese and warm chocolate cake with ice cream. Worth every penny. And beats the main dining room any day.



Dinner with wine. If you’re Diamond Club or higher (Royal Caribbean’s loyalty club), you’ll like this: you can now order drinks off the free Diamond Club menu from restaurants throughout the ship, including specialty dining. Wine with dinner. Sweet!

His and hers. One of the great features of the Harmony balcony stateroom is the two separate closets. It helps having your own space—especially when there’s not much to spare.

A balcony for napping. And here’s another: reclining chairs and hassocks on the verandah, which you won’t find on the Allure of the Seas. You gotta love it—furniture tailor-made for napping!

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Surviving the Wait with a Cruise on the Way


Cruise on the way? You hardly need help getting excited, but here, anyway, are a few ideas for surviving the wait:

It’s a while away
Weight not guilt. Losing a few pounds now will go a long way toward guilt-free eating on your upcoming seven-day orgy.
 
These are calling your name.
Calling all rolls. Join an online roll call to virtually meet your fellow cruisers. You can join one on cruisecritic.com: Boards.

Meet and Mingle. Meet your roll call buddies in the flesh by signing up through cruisecritic.com for a Meet and Mingle event onboard. They can take the form of a party or “Cabin Crawl” (checking out the different staterooms) and can sometimes include drawings for logo prizes.

That’s app. Download Cruiseline.com’s free ShipMate mobile app for a trip countdown, cruise ship and port reviews, photos, roll calls and more.

Do your homework. Be sure to find out if you need to sign up for shows in advance (for example, on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships. Also, watch for sales on dining and beverage packages, and read the forums for ideas on excursions.

You need a reservation to see Ocean Aria on Allure of the Seas.

Throw yourself a party. Give yourself a bon voyage with a Caribbean-themed party to the tune of Harry Belafonte’s “Day O,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” or Arrow’s “Hot, Hot, Hot.” Do up a batch of rum punch and practice your moves.

It’s getting closer
Almost like being there. Get a sneak peek in real time of the ports right from your device of choice with webcams. Here are a few sites:

Ft. Lauderdale in your future? Find your pier at Porteverglades.net, the official website of Port Everglades. It includes a port map and two weeks before you sail, you can find out from which pier by viewing the Ship Schedule on the homepage.



It’s 2 a.m. Do you know where your ship is? Check out where your ship is at any given moment, how fast it’s moving and toward where. This can be particularly helpful if you know there’s a delay. The best site is www.marinetraffic.com.

Weather or not. For last minute packing, check out the weather reports for your ports of call at cruiseoutlook.com. Then ignore it, because we know you can trust the weather reports anyway!