cruisellama
Captain
ALLEN
Joined 03/2018
30
Cruises28
Reviews408
Helpful VotesWe cruise for the experience: Food, relaxation (Spa), and ports. It's great when the hotel moves and you only have to unpack once.
Upcoming cruises
Past cruises
March 2024 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip) Cruise on Harmony of the Seas
Star Class experience provided the most comprehensive and enjoyable cruise we've experienced.
A fantastically appointed Oasis class ship. Great for families. Star Class provided an exceptional experience that allowed for priority access to dining, and entertainment venues. No lines.
November 2023 - 8 Night Mexican Riviera (Los Angeles Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Eclipse
Mexican Riviera - Solid cruise experience but Celebrity cutbacks are evident
Solid cruise, nice ports of call. Ship is a bit tired and perks once associated with SkySuites have been curtailed - and it's noticeable. Food quality and selection is reduced from years past - pretty clear cutbacks. Crew remained a high point of the cruise.
June 2023 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip) Cruise on Allure of the Seas
From Galveston on an Oasis class ship
Itinerary offerings from Galveston tend to be fairly limited to what was offered so this was about sailing an Oasis class ship from the new terminal. We had sailed Allure in the past from Florida and found it a solid experience. However, after sailing the other Oasis class ships, it's obvious Allure is behind the times for on-board offerings in the water and dining venues. Service was great, food was standard new RCL fare. If you've never sailed an Oasis class ship, Allure will still provide you thrills, but if you've sailed the others, you'll find it a little underwhelming. We had about 6700 passengers on-board and it was comfortable. We were amazed at the "lack of pool chair hogs" that stake out a claim in the early day. Just didn't have them on this sailing and it was amazing to see such a cooperative passenger complement. Allure will be rotating back to Florida in the fall to do 3-4 day cruises from Port Canaveral and will be replaced by Harmony in Galveston. Looking forward to improved easter Caribbean itineraries being introduced 1/month from Galveston and the upgraded amenities Harmony brings.
March 2023 - 7 Night Puerto Plata St.Thomas & St. Maarten (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Beyond
Beyond - Nicest in the Celebrity Fleet (at this time)
The best in the Celebrity fleet at this time. Outshines Edge and Apex. Service was superb. I don’t think the food is at the same level as experienced prior to Covid (menus are weaker). But I believe that’s probably across lines and ships. I would sail Beyond again and look forward to Ascent. Footnote: If you want a real balcony room on an Edge class ship, you have to book a suite. All other outside rooms use what’s called an infinite veranda which encloses and integrates the balcony area into the room. Instead of an open space, the window can be opened to the outside. As someone who’s used to balconies, I would not book an infinite veranda. On Edge class we’ll bite the bullet and book a Sky Suite.
January 2023 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) Cruise on Wonder of the Seas
A Wonderful Experience but not Perfect
Loved the ship and suite services. About 6200 guests sailed. Elevator performance stressed and there were long waits. Up to 20 minutes. Abled body cad use stairs but many with strollers, walkers and wheelchairs. RCL needs to fix this on next Gen ships.
November 2022 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Apex
Apex - Not a strong Performance
A solid itinerary with island stops. Thought the ships eating venues are trading quality to cut costs. Service was solid. Entertainment adequate. Not spectacular, but worth watching at least once. Ship was at full capacity which was notice on the elevator wait times. Very long waits. Some bars also were easily overwhelmed. Retreat area was properly staffed, but some food service employees excited little enthusiasm for keeping up with requests.
June 2022 - 10 Night Italy Croatia & Montenegro (Rome Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Reflection
Fantastic Itinerary and Ship
Very enjoyable vacation. Incredible stops on the itinerary - you could take a picture almost every step. Ship was in great shape and crew fantastic. Service was the best we've seen since starting back cruising. Only negatives - Masks required in theater and casino at the time we sailed. Europe was open for business.
March 2022 - 8 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Allure of the Seas
Very Nice Cruise - Allure still has life
Overall, a relaxing Caribbean cruise. Nice balance of quality dining, entertainment, and loads of ship activities. Watching/listening to the on-board bar entertainers/musicians was one of the best things to do at night. Most bars were well attended by a lively group. Lots of energy throughout the cruise. RCL did its best to make it home for the week.
December 2021 - 15 Night Caribbean Holiday (Miami Roundtrip) Cruise on Azamara Quest
Great Experience Despite Protocols
Our first Azamara cruise. Started with the worst embarkation experience we've ever had, but ended as one of the most enjoyable cruises. Top end food and service. This line does not do heavy selling/add-ons/packages when you board. Lectures/seminars on excursion locations are very education and give a good framework of a destination before visiting. Discussions entailed history, politics, culture and economics of a destination. No seminars on where to buy Tanzinite or diamonds, just discussion about the culture. Depending on location, cultural immersions are offered. Since we sailed the Caribbean, they brought a Caribbean band, dancers, and singers on-board as the evening entertainment. Very enjoyable. Entertainment every night. Each show unique over the 15 days. Outside entertainers were brought in to augment the ship's entertainment team. When not attending shows, the bar venues hosted music (live or DJ) while enjoying libations. Traditional pool deck with 2 hot tubs, shuffleboard, ping pong are available. Small jogging track and sufficient sun deck space to accommodate all the guests. Lounge chairs are large and offer great cushions. Pool bar was very busy, but never much of a wait. Staff was fast. Smaller ships make it easier to socialize and meet people. Majority of passengers were US, but UK and CAN made up about a 1/3 of the guest rolls. Many of which were repeat Azamara cruisers. Definitely a mature demographic. Not a line for kids - simply no toys for them. Noticed 1 family with 3 teens, but that was about it for the youth. Easy to get between the decks, rarely did we use the elevators as there is only 2 flights of stairs between decks. In all a very good cruise, high value (we had a package that included drinks, internet, gratuities, and some OBC), great food and service. Its kind of a throw back to 70s-80s when cruises were more inclusive (less a la carte) - and less retail shopping push. Enjoyed the included 24h full menu room service. If it were not for rona protocols, they would set up a table setting in your room or balcony prior to your meal arriving. Will definitely go back to Azamara.
November 2021 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day (Miami Roundtrip) Cruise on Oasis of the Seas
Oasis - Great Cruise Restart - (The indoor mask requirement was a negative)
A well appreciated restart cruise for use. Enjoyed a great Crown Loft suite on deck 17. Easy access to Coastal Kitchen and Suite Lounge. Did not like the on-board mask requirement. Found it cumbersome at times. Lots of un-vax kids on-board which drives the requirement for all the vaxed folks to mask up indoors. There are some inside vax only areas (like casino), that allow for removal of mask indoors. But it was something you always had to be wary of. Less selection of various dishes and desserts from pre-shutdown. Smaller food inventory being held and offered in dining venues. Wouldn't be surprised if things stay that way a while. Ship was only at about 60% capacity - that was a pleasant artifact of the times. This was our second cruise on Oasis, and the Amplifications to the ship are a definite positive to the experience. Playmaker sports bar is a great venue to watch the games while enjoying some pretty affordable and tasty bar food/drink.
March 2020 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip) Cruise on Liberty of the Seas
Excellent family cruise. Much to do. Crew did stellar job keeping the ship healthy!
Our second cruise on Liberty, this time with family with grandson. Had 4 continuous cabins on deck 9 and able to open all our balconies for a great experience. Ship stayed healthy with all the cleaning and screening of passengers. The crew was in good spirits despite the extra work. Food was very good and eating areas kept clean. Seems all passengers got the message about washing hands and sanitizing. There's a soft serve ice-cream machine on the pool deck that gets a lot of use. The crew worked overtime keeping the area and machine clean and kept that thing operational the whole time. It would break, but they had a maintenance team that would have it up and running in minimum time. Took in a few pool side movies which was nice as well as the theater performances and ice show which is very impressive. I was disappointed in the Royal on-board APP - while it did a good job with calendar events, it did not offer on-board chat or account review. For us, it did not carry over calendar events we planned prior to boarding, nor could we update the calendar on board. I don't like carrying my phone on vacation, and this app did not make it worth it (other than I did purchase the internet package - Vroom. Spotty performance and not useable on day 7.) We used the spa a few times, found out they were charging people 2x on tips for a while - new person didn't know how to use the system. One lady had been billed a tip that was more than the treatment - so need to watch those things.
November 2019 - 9 Night Southern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Edge
Edge Delivers Innovation
The Edge delivers. Its a new concept that redefines main dining areas, new types of entertainment and an architecture that provides notable private space if you want it. The Retreat Lounge area for suite dwellers is an all inclusive area providing a private pool, hot tub, bar, and pool food/drinks. Great staff look forward to giving you a great vacation experience.
June 2019 - 7 Night Alaska Northern Glacier (Vancouver To Seward) Cruise on Celebrity Millennium
Our 3rd cruise to Alaska, first on Millenium. Freshly updated - nice where the implemented the upgrade, but didn't do entire ship. Cabin great - new arrangement worked well. But Tuscan Grill and Luminae didn't get the upgrade. We ended up on the same menu cycle as when we sailed Equinox 3 months earlier, so had the same food. Solid service, good food but no "wow" factor. Superb itinerary loved every port except Vancouver. Backward city without Uber. Icy Point is a true frontier town. Ended cruise with a rail Denali tour. Celeb transfers awesome.
March 2019 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Equinox
Wonderful ship and exceptional crew and service. Ship is well maintained. Entertainment is top tier. Plenty of activities to keep you busy. Thought closing sit down dining venues for lunch on port days is a negative. While nice, we're not fans of buffets. ( a change since we sailed previously) great drinks but garnishes were not done consistantly. Ship will get an update in 2019. We'll sail her again next year.
November 2018 - 7 Night Southern Caribbean (San Juan Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Summit
Aqua Class 1128. Just disembarked in San Juan. We really enjoyed this ship. Crew and service best in its class ship (4 of 5 because of age). It’s an older ship but will be going through update in January. Capt and staff very visible and interactive with guests. Itinerary was great and positioned for a strong B2B (which we did not do). Entertainment great with strong on board activities. Spa staff service superb and we did not experience the usual strong sell of products. We did a chefs table - small intimate event with a gourmet menu with wine pairings.
July 2018 - 7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip) Cruise on Symphony of the Seas
Not a ship - its a floating resort!
Symphony is a great floating resort (more than a cruise ship)! Beautifully designed and constructed ship, but the overall experience is becoming less "inclusive". Lots of add-ons required to buy-into inclusiveness. We cruise for an "all inclusive" experience. RCL is inching to more al la carte experience, which is what you can get on a "land" vacation. The day is past where there is exquisite cuisine and service in the main dining room, the better meals and service are in the specialty restaurants. And even those have common presentations that are on parity with on-shore restaurants. If the experience offered an "all inclusive" high end experience - then I would rate a 10. We've booked Jr. Suites (now Sea Class) on our 3 cruises, but the perks that go with that level are very low when comparing to Celebrity or your competition. Sea Class isn't considered a full suite, so Country Kitchen is restricted to dinner (and you have to knock on the door for access), Although authorized dinner reservations, you can't get in the door without meekly knocking. As the doors are all electronically controlled, access could be enabled during authorized dining periods. Carousel was broken for the entire cruise. Some hand washing stations were inoperable in Windjammer and Solarium Bistro. Food is average except for the special restaurants. Service definitely better in specialty restaurants.
March 2018 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Equinox
Day1 lunch in Luminae - lobster bisque a tad off. Little too fishy. Other menu items very good. Excellent heirloom salad. Duck confit pudding.
4
November 2016 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip) Cruise on Liberty of the Seas
Wonderful ship - solid Caribbean itinerary
Very enjoyable cruise. Had a Jr Suite which has a lot of storage. Great room steward kept everything stocked. Enjoyed breakfast on the balcony. Itinerary has a lot of "port shopping" pushes. But its all fun. Thought the entertainment and dining all well balanced. It was enjoyable and relaxing. WIll do this again in a year or so. Gotta watch disembarkation with "duty free" items (liquor, or tobacco products). The port has a tax station as you exit the terminal to pay the local tax. If caught - big fines. Never seen this at a US port. The tax kills any saving you may have thought you had.
November 2016 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Reflection
November 2013 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Oasis of the Seas
Fantastic ship on great intinerary
First cruise on an Oasis class ship and we were sold. First thought it would be intimidating and crowd - neither the case. Ship is well designed allow for separate areas (neighborhoods) that hide how many people you're actually sailing with. Food was great - highly recommend the chefs table. Plan to a sail her in the future.
October 2012 - 6 Night Bahamas (Norfolk roundtrip) Cruise on Carnival Glory
We sailed this ship during hurricane Sandy. Was an experience to remember but not repeat. The only port we made was Nassau and departed early to the churning seas. Had to skip the other ports. We just did circles off the Carolina coast listing at 15 degrees. Made it back to Norfolk a day early - shaken not stirred. Older ship. We did enjoy the piano bar. About the only thing.
July 2009 - 7 Night Alaska Hubbard Glacier (Seattle roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Infinity
Great Alaskan Family Cruise - Salmon were running
Alaska is truely the last frontier. We brought our family including parents and inlaws to enjoy with us. Celebrity did a great job. We were amazed by the sights in the rainforest especially the size of the dandelions. Had a great zipline tour and saw a bear fishing in a creek. Salmon were running and it was abnormally warm that week - 80s!
June 2008 - 7 Night Alaskan Explorer via Hubbard Glacier (Seattle roundtrip) Cruise on Oosterdam
Really nice tradition when approaching Hubard glacer. The staff serves hot split pea soup on deck as you view the cruise the glacer bay. Also hot chocolate for all.
July 2004 - 7 Night Hawaii (Honolulu roundtrip) Cruise on Pride of America
November 2003 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale roundtrip) Cruise on Costa Mediterranea
Nice Thanksgiving Cruise - Interesting Take on Turkey
Overall a good cruise. MDR did a great job entertaining. Hosted a toga party on the last night and formal nights were fairly respected by the passengers. Food quality was fairly high - Mediterranean flare. Superb cruise director.
July 1998 - 4 Night Bahamas Maiden Voyage Cruise on Disney Magic
Symphony of the Seas
Sail date: July 01, 2018
Not a ship - its a floating resort!
Symphony is a great floating resort (more than a cruise ship)! Beautifully designed and constructed ship, but the overall experience is becoming less "inclusive". Lots of add-ons required to buy-into inclusiveness. We cruise for an "all inclusive" experience. RCL is inching to more al la carte experience, which is what you can get on a "land" vacation. The day is past where there is exquisite cuisine and service in the main dining room, the better meals and service are in the specialty restaurants. And even those have common presentations that are on parity with on-shore restaurants. If the experience offered an "all inclusive" high end experience - then I would rate a 10. We've booked Jr. Suites (now Sea Class) on our 3 cruises, but the perks that go with that level are very low when comparing to Celebrity or your competition. Sea Class isn't considered a full suite, so Country Kitchen is restricted to dinner (and you have to knock on the door for access), Although authorized dinner reservations, you can't get in the door without meekly knocking. As the doors are all electronically controlled, access could be enabled during authorized dining periods. Carousel was broken for the entire cruise. Some hand washing stations were inoperable in Windjammer and Solarium Bistro. Food is average except for the special restaurants. Service definitely better in specialty restaurants.
Liberty of the Seas
Sail date: March 08, 2020
Excellent family cruise. Much to do. Crew did stellar job keeping the ship healthy!
Our second cruise on Liberty, this time with family with grandson. Had 4 continuous cabins on deck 9 and able to open all our balconies for a great experience. Ship stayed healthy with all the cleaning and screening of passengers. The crew was in good spirits despite the extra work. Food was very good and eating areas kept clean. Seems all passengers got the message about washing hands and sanitizing. There's a soft serve ice-cream machine on the pool deck that gets a lot of use. The crew worked overtime keeping the area and machine clean and kept that thing operational the whole time. It would break, but they had a maintenance team that would have it up and running in minimum time. Took in a few pool side movies which was nice as well as the theater performances and ice show which is very impressive. I was disappointed in the Royal on-board APP - while it did a good job with calendar events, it did not offer on-board chat or account review. For us, it did not carry over calendar events we planned prior to boarding, nor could we update the calendar on board. I don't like carrying my phone on vacation, and this app did not make it worth it (other than I did purchase the internet package - Vroom. Spotty performance and not useable on day 7.) We used the spa a few times, found out they were charging people 2x on tips for a while - new person didn't know how to use the system. One lady had been billed a tip that was more than the treatment - so need to watch those things.
Celebrity Edge
Sail date: November 15, 2019
The Edge delivers. Its a new concept that redefines main dining areas, new types of entertainment and an architecture that provides notable private space if you want it. The Retreat Lounge area for suite dwellers is an all inclusive area providing a private pool, hot tub, bar, and pool food/drinks. Great staff look forward to giving you a great vacation experience.
Celebrity Summit
Sail date: November 17, 2018
Aqua Class 1128. Just disembarked in San Juan. We really enjoyed this ship. Crew and service best in its class ship (4 of 5 because of age). It’s an older ship but will be going through update in January. Capt and staff very visible and interactive with guests. Itinerary was great and positioned for a strong B2B (which we did not do). Entertainment great with strong on board activities. Spa staff service superb and we did not experience the usual strong sell of products. We did a chefs table - small intimate event with a gourmet menu with wine pairings.
Harmony of the Seas
Sail date: March 03, 2024
Star Class experience provided the most comprehensive and enjoyable cruise we've experienced.
A fantastically appointed Oasis class ship. Great for families. Star Class provided an exceptional experience that allowed for priority access to dining, and entertainment venues. No lines.
Celebrity Apex
Sail date: November 19, 2022
Apex - Not a strong Performance
A solid itinerary with island stops. Thought the ships eating venues are trading quality to cut costs. Service was solid. Entertainment adequate. Not spectacular, but worth watching at least once. Ship was at full capacity which was notice on the elevator wait times. Very long waits. Some bars also were easily overwhelmed. Retreat area was properly staffed, but some food service employees excited little enthusiasm for keeping up with requests.
Celebrity Millennium
Sail date: June 07, 2019
Our 3rd cruise to Alaska, first on Millenium. Freshly updated - nice where the implemented the upgrade, but didn't do entire ship. Cabin great - new arrangement worked well. But Tuscan Grill and Luminae didn't get the upgrade. We ended up on the same menu cycle as when we sailed Equinox 3 months earlier, so had the same food. Solid service, good food but no "wow" factor. Superb itinerary loved every port except Vancouver. Backward city without Uber. Icy Point is a true frontier town. Ended cruise with a rail Denali tour. Celeb transfers awesome.
Celebrity Beyond
Sail date: March 05, 2023
Beyond - Nicest in the Celebrity Fleet (at this time)
The best in the Celebrity fleet at this time. Outshines Edge and Apex. Service was superb. I don’t think the food is at the same level as experienced prior to Covid (menus are weaker). But I believe that’s probably across lines and ships. I would sail Beyond again and look forward to Ascent. Footnote: If you want a real balcony room on an Edge class ship, you have to book a suite. All other outside rooms use what’s called an infinite veranda which encloses and integrates the balcony area into the room. Instead of an open space, the window can be opened to the outside. As someone who’s used to balconies, I would not book an infinite veranda. On Edge class we’ll bite the bullet and book a Sky Suite.
Celebrity Equinox
Sail date: March 09, 2019
Wonderful ship and exceptional crew and service. Ship is well maintained. Entertainment is top tier. Plenty of activities to keep you busy. Thought closing sit down dining venues for lunch on port days is a negative. While nice, we're not fans of buffets. ( a change since we sailed previously) great drinks but garnishes were not done consistantly. Ship will get an update in 2019. We'll sail her again next year.
Oasis of the Seas
Sail date: November 21, 2021
Oasis - Great Cruise Restart - (The indoor mask requirement was a negative)
A well appreciated restart cruise for use. Enjoyed a great Crown Loft suite on deck 17. Easy access to Coastal Kitchen and Suite Lounge. Did not like the on-board mask requirement. Found it cumbersome at times. Lots of un-vax kids on-board which drives the requirement for all the vaxed folks to mask up indoors. There are some inside vax only areas (like casino), that allow for removal of mask indoors. But it was something you always had to be wary of. Less selection of various dishes and desserts from pre-shutdown. Smaller food inventory being held and offered in dining venues. Wouldn't be surprised if things stay that way a while. Ship was only at about 60% capacity - that was a pleasant artifact of the times. This was our second cruise on Oasis, and the Amplifications to the ship are a definite positive to the experience. Playmaker sports bar is a great venue to watch the games while enjoying some pretty affordable and tasty bar food/drink.
Liberty of the Seas
Sail date: November 20, 2016
Wonderful ship - solid Caribbean itinerary
Very enjoyable cruise. Had a Jr Suite which has a lot of storage. Great room steward kept everything stocked. Enjoyed breakfast on the balcony. Itinerary has a lot of "port shopping" pushes. But its all fun. Thought the entertainment and dining all well balanced. It was enjoyable and relaxing. WIll do this again in a year or so. Gotta watch disembarkation with "duty free" items (liquor, or tobacco products). The port has a tax station as you exit the terminal to pay the local tax. If caught - big fines. Never seen this at a US port. The tax kills any saving you may have thought you had.
Celebrity Eclipse
Sail date: November 17, 2023
Mexican Riviera - Solid cruise experience but Celebrity cutbacks are evident
Solid cruise, nice ports of call. Ship is a bit tired and perks once associated with SkySuites have been curtailed - and it's noticeable. Food quality and selection is reduced from years past - pretty clear cutbacks. Crew remained a high point of the cruise.
Disney Magic
Sail date: November 04, 2000
Our first cruise. Superb family cruise with kids ages 12 - 5. Food was superb as was service. Shows geared for families, but there were also places on the ship that were "adults only" with sufficient buffer space. Kids got to participated on an end of cruise show in the theater with the characters. Thought it funny on the last night as the crew was looking for tips, the matre'd showed up next to our table with his hand out (first time he ever said boo to us). Disney does it right - but believe their price point is too high.
Allure of the Seas
Sail date: June 04, 2023
From Galveston on an Oasis class ship
Itinerary offerings from Galveston tend to be fairly limited to what was offered so this was about sailing an Oasis class ship from the new terminal. We had sailed Allure in the past from Florida and found it a solid experience. However, after sailing the other Oasis class ships, it's obvious Allure is behind the times for on-board offerings in the water and dining venues. Service was great, food was standard new RCL fare. If you've never sailed an Oasis class ship, Allure will still provide you thrills, but if you've sailed the others, you'll find it a little underwhelming. We had about 6700 passengers on-board and it was comfortable. We were amazed at the "lack of pool chair hogs" that stake out a claim in the early day. Just didn't have them on this sailing and it was amazing to see such a cooperative passenger complement. Allure will be rotating back to Florida in the fall to do 3-4 day cruises from Port Canaveral and will be replaced by Harmony in Galveston. Looking forward to improved easter Caribbean itineraries being introduced 1/month from Galveston and the upgraded amenities Harmony brings.
Celebrity Reflection
Sail date: June 03, 2022
Very enjoyable vacation. Incredible stops on the itinerary - you could take a picture almost every step. Ship was in great shape and crew fantastic. Service was the best we've seen since starting back cruising. Only negatives - Masks required in theater and casino at the time we sailed. Europe was open for business.
Wonder of the Seas
Sail date: January 15, 2023
A Wonderful Experience but not Perfect
Loved the ship and suite services. About 6200 guests sailed. Elevator performance stressed and there were long waits. Up to 20 minutes. Abled body cad use stairs but many with strollers, walkers and wheelchairs. RCL needs to fix this on next Gen ships.
Allure of the Seas
Sail date: March 05, 2022
Very Nice Cruise - Allure still has life
Overall, a relaxing Caribbean cruise. Nice balance of quality dining, entertainment, and loads of ship activities. Watching/listening to the on-board bar entertainers/musicians was one of the best things to do at night. Most bars were well attended by a lively group. Lots of energy throughout the cruise. RCL did its best to make it home for the week.
Azamara Quest
Sail date: December 23, 2021
Great Experience Despite Protocols
Our first Azamara cruise. Started with the worst embarkation experience we've ever had, but ended as one of the most enjoyable cruises. Top end food and service. This line does not do heavy selling/add-ons/packages when you board. Lectures/seminars on excursion locations are very education and give a good framework of a destination before visiting. Discussions entailed history, politics, culture and economics of a destination. No seminars on where to buy Tanzinite or diamonds, just discussion about the culture. Depending on location, cultural immersions are offered. Since we sailed the Caribbean, they brought a Caribbean band, dancers, and singers on-board as the evening entertainment. Very enjoyable. Entertainment every night. Each show unique over the 15 days. Outside entertainers were brought in to augment the ship's entertainment team. When not attending shows, the bar venues hosted music (live or DJ) while enjoying libations. Traditional pool deck with 2 hot tubs, shuffleboard, ping pong are available. Small jogging track and sufficient sun deck space to accommodate all the guests. Lounge chairs are large and offer great cushions. Pool bar was very busy, but never much of a wait. Staff was fast. Smaller ships make it easier to socialize and meet people. Majority of passengers were US, but UK and CAN made up about a 1/3 of the guest rolls. Many of which were repeat Azamara cruisers. Definitely a mature demographic. Not a line for kids - simply no toys for them. Noticed 1 family with 3 teens, but that was about it for the youth. Easy to get between the decks, rarely did we use the elevators as there is only 2 flights of stairs between decks. In all a very good cruise, high value (we had a package that included drinks, internet, gratuities, and some OBC), great food and service. Its kind of a throw back to 70s-80s when cruises were more inclusive (less a la carte) - and less retail shopping push. Enjoyed the included 24h full menu room service. If it were not for rona protocols, they would set up a table setting in your room or balcony prior to your meal arriving. Will definitely go back to Azamara.
Celebrity Infinity
Sail date: July 03, 2009
Great Alaskan Family Cruise - Salmon were running
Alaska is truely the last frontier. We brought our family including parents and inlaws to enjoy with us. Celebrity did a great job. We were amazed by the sights in the rainforest especially the size of the dandelions. Had a great zipline tour and saw a bear fishing in a creek. Salmon were running and it was abnormally warm that week - 80s!
Oasis of the Seas
Sail date: November 02, 2013
Fantastic ship on great intinerary
First cruise on an Oasis class ship and we were sold. First thought it would be intimidating and crowd - neither the case. Ship is well designed allow for separate areas (neighborhoods) that hide how many people you're actually sailing with. Food was great - highly recommend the chefs table. Plan to a sail her in the future.
Costa Mediterranea
Sail date: November 23, 2003
Nice Thanksgiving Cruise - Interesting Take on Turkey
Overall a good cruise. MDR did a great job entertaining. Hosted a toga party on the last night and formal nights were fairly respected by the passengers. Food quality was fairly high - Mediterranean flare. Superb cruise director.
Celebrity Equinox
Sail date: March 10, 2018
Day1 lunch in Luminae - lobster bisque a tad off. Little too fishy. Other menu items very good. Excellent heirloom salad. Duck confit pudding.
4
Pride of America
Sail date: July 04, 2004
This is a great primer for a Hawaiian vacation. The hotel moves from island to island. We rented a car on every island and visited the local sites, beaches etc. Gives you a great sample for a longer return. We had a stop at Fanning Island on the itinerary, but the ship had to divert and perform a rescue at sea for a small sailboat. Didn't even miss the Fanning stop.
Carnival Glory
Sail date: October 22, 2012
We sailed this ship during hurricane Sandy. Was an experience to remember but not repeat. The only port we made was Nassau and departed early to the churning seas. Had to skip the other ports. We just did circles off the Carolina coast listing at 15 degrees. Made it back to Norfolk a day early - shaken not stirred. Older ship. We did enjoy the piano bar. About the only thing.
Oosterdam
Sail date: June 07, 2008
Really nice tradition when approaching Hubard glacer. The staff serves hot split pea soup on deck as you view the cruise the glacer bay. Also hot chocolate for all.
Cruise tips
Great selection of restaurants.
Harmony of the Seas
Oasis class ships are very large, its often faster to navigate the length of the ship by using the non-public residential hallways instead of prominade decks.
Just follow the "Blue" line for nice self guided tour.
San Pedro (Los Angeles), California
There is a maritime museum on the port grounds, but the area is mostly a commercial port with a heavy industrial feel.
Celebrity Eclipse
The ship is dated and fine for adult couples. Wouldn't recommend for family with kids - just not enough for the kids to do. Bar selection is generous and well spread out. But ship is dated and in need of a dry dock renovation. The original Michaels club serves as the Suite area, and is terribly small, dark, and lacks the new Retreat amities found on other updated Celebrity ships.
Allure of the Seas
On embarkation day, Park Cafe in Central park is a relatively unknown venue for a quiet lunch. Deck 8.
We visited both Dutch and French side. Dutch side has the most "touristy" opportunity. The French side is more subdued and more residential. Still noticeable storm damage from years ago. They use Euro's on the French side, so use them if you have them. Dollars are still good.
Enjoy. But town businesses still haven't recovered. Things are improving.
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Best Caribbean port area I've seen. Very nice complimentary pool and lazy river accessible by guests. Nice bars, restaurants and shops. Clean and air conditioned rest rooms. Was very pleasantly surprised.
Celebrity Beyond
Edge class ships have a unique asymmetry in deck flow walking from bow to stern so if you wish to go bow to stern quickly, cut through a deck with cabins to have the most level straight path.
Wonder of the Seas
If you’re in suites deck 17/18 you can use your sea pass card to call the right aft elevators on deck 5/6. There are 6 elevators that can service these decks.
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Not much here but beaches.
Celebrity Apex
Eden cafe is a nice breakfast and lunch venue that many miss. Get to major theater shows 30 minutes early to get good seats.
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy
A pleasant port town, but we were there on a Sunday and most businesses are closed. Visited a church which was fantastic.
Visited Sorento which is beautiful, but the drive to get there is fatiguing.
Historical, but not as many sites as the mainland.
Impressed with the historical nature of the Olympic arena. So much to see, so little time.
Every step is a good picture. Clean streets and air. Fantastic destination to explore, shop and eat.
Another fantastic stop. Beautiful not matter where you look.
Fantastic island with many nice restaurants and shops. Very reasonable.
We spent 2 pre-cruise days on the waterfront. Many restaurants to choose and we were pleasantly surprised how affordable they were. Meals were less there than in the states for more quantity.
Celebrity Reflection
Need to visit the "Hide Away" to find a quiet place to read and relax. Also has a self service coffee machine for tea or coffee.
Visit Nevis if you get a chance.
Lots to do but you have to look for it. Charlotte Amalie still has a lot of empty shop space from the pandemic shutdown.
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Awful airport coming and going. Have a goofy rule that you cannot check in your luggage less more than 4 hrs from departure time. Airport can't handle the foot traffic, few dining selections, no lounges yet. I will no longer check bags at that airport and may even just use Miami.
Recovering well. Really trying to keep the tourists happy. Lots of great beaches.
Allure of the Seas
Find the "Sundeck" on the forward port side of Deck 14. Huge deck area the forward part of the ship that no one seems to know is there. Lots of chairs - no people. But it does get really hot - no shade.
Walked the town. Repeat visit.
Great tour. Toured an old look out and some sugar plantations as well as botanical gardens,
This port was cancelled
Cancelled
Cancelled
Not much on this island. Visited the falls and a botanical garden. Very poor roads so difficult to get anywhere. Drives to destinations ended up dominating the tour and the shuttles were not very comfortable.
Beautiful island.
Azamara Quest
There is a free self service laundry on the ship. Very helpful for cruises longer than 7 days.
Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas
Disney of water parks. Lots of free feature and of course some premium activities too. Plenty for the kids on the free side. Teens would really enjoy the high end water slides and zip lines.
St. Thomas has an outdoors mask mandate that made touring somewhat stifling. Cut our island exploration short.
Oasis of the Seas
If you go to Coco Cay, consider booking the Beach Club for a day. Less people, more beach and a very good meal for decent price.
Visited frequently. Always something to elect to see like ruins, or beach excursions.
Like the island. Has a lot of beauty once you get away from the port area which tends to get crowded with several ships.
Less excursions, but Dunns is popular. Falmouth has a new close tourist area that was very clean and not congested, but we were the only ship visiting that week. Locals were very concerned with the lack of cruise ships visiting at this time.
Had friends visit NASA space center for a great tour
Liberty of the Seas
Make sure to catch the ice show in Studio B - impressive what those skaters can do on a small rink on a rocking ship.
Fantastic clear blue water. Great for snorkeling or scuba.
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Very comfortable although the airport is inconvenient
Safe, beautiful port with picturesque buildings and marine structures. Great shops and restaurants.
Toured the whole island on a motorcycle. Fantastic beaches - some with really nice beach resorts to grab food/drink. Some have pools.
Celebrity Edge
If dining at Raw on 5 - recommend the Imperial Tower for an excellent seafood sampling.
Celebrity Millennium
We sailed on the "revolutionized" ship and found the cabin had far less magnetic surfaces. Walls had a layer (maybe sound insulation) that wouldn't allow magnets to hold. Had to use the back of the door.
Made the stingray city trek. The best part of the Grand Cayman is away from the immediate port area (which must requires tendering). Nice housing, and good roads through the island. Loads of water activities, snorkling, diving, boating etc.
Great place for an excursion or just walk. Easy access to port and middle of town.
Did the Secret River in Playa del Carmen. Superb experience, well run by vendor and Celebrity. Seamless travel. Lots of soldiers with guns all over the place so must be some security issues.
Easy to get from airport to port.
Celebrity Equinox
If you want a 5-star dining experience try chef's table. Offered 1-2x/week for an upcharge, but it lets the culinary team show off their stuff.
Castaway Cay (Disney Private Island)
Great visit for the kids
Poorly designed for a ship of this size. Poor traffic flow to drop. Old terminal wait and checkin areas.
Disney Magic
Let the kids have a ball
We walked across town and toured some furiors and places with native crafts (not made in China).
Toured Pikes fish market
Botanical gardens are beautiful
Loved the fresh fish offerings and toured the rain forest. Did a zip line excursion - loads of fun.
Celebrity Infinity
Great views from the forward lounge.
Rented a car and drove the roads. Visited a pinapple and coffee orchard. Stopped at some roadside restaurants
Rented a car and toured the island. Beautiful place - like all of Hawaii. Stopped at a black sand beach.
Beautiful island. Visited the Prince Resort and past the "Fantasy Island" waterfall. Great beaches and local fare.
Did a helicopter tour of the rain forests. Amazing views.
We rented a car a toured the island. Visited all the historical sites - Pearl harbor etc.
Pride of America
Sushi bar is a nice venue
Oasis of the Seas
Chefs Table is a must if you want a 5 star meal with wine pairing. Must reserve, but you meet in the library for champaign, then you're escorted through a non-descript door into a special dining room. You eat the entire evening.
Oasis of the Seas
When you board, go to Park Cafe in Park Central to avoid the crowds. Most people don't find the venue until the second day.
Oasis of the Seas
Opportunity to ice skate - need to watch the daily newsletter as its only open at certain times.
This is pre-hurricane, but found the town nice, walked and poked around the local shops.
Lots to do - we did a snorkeling and Boss underwater cycle excursion. Was a blast, although the water was a little chilly off Buck island. Nice fish and coral to view.
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Spent an overnight. Easy to find a hotel and transportation near the port. Didn't have time to tour the town.
Not much there unless you go to Atlantis or another "pay as you go" resort. Typical Caribbean shopping area swamped with tourists and eager vendors. Nice place for spring break crowd.
Oasis of the Seas
When you board, head to the central park cafe for lunch. Not many people find it until later in the cruise. Good food quiet venue.
Celebrity Equinox
Morning cocktails such as bloody Marys and Mimosas are available at the Sunset bar, aft of the buffet. Not much of a line at breakfast.
Symphony of the Seas
Shuffle board and ping pong tables are nicely tucked into cubbies on on the jogging track
Symphony of the Seas
Wonderland has some cocktails that can only be enjoyed in the Wonderland bar. Good news they're open for happy hour and covered by your drink package.
Celebrity Equinox
The martini bar is the place to enjoy creative cocktails
Celebrity Summit
Early morning bloody mary's available at the sunset bar deck 10 aft.
Celebrity Summit
Good spa deals are available on port days. You'll find it empty and you can find $100 off a lot of treatments
Celebrity Summit
Movies on deck 12 aft in the evening. Comfortable couches available
Celebrity Summit
There are 2 US style outlets near the desk and 2 circular 220V European outlets on the opposite side. While you cannot have a power strip or other multiport adapter, you can use the Euro- US converter plug to pick up 2 more outlets for charging phones or other devices.
Celebrity Equinox
Go to the Martini bar - bartenders are performing artists
Celebrity Summit
Aqua Class room showers include additional horizontal shower sprays in addition to the standard overhead.
Celebrity Summit
Chef's table is not advertised. If interested, contact the maitre d at any of the dining rooms to get on the list. Dinner starts with drinks in at the Cellar Master lounge with dinner in the private Tuscan dining room. You'll also get a tour of the galleys during peak dinner hours.
Celebrity Summit
If you get a classic or premium drink package, use it to do wine pairings for different dinner courses. Don't forget about using it for premium coffees, sodas, and health drinks at the Spa cafe.
Celebrity Summit
You can get great Spa deals on port days. Saw some massages discounted $100.
Celebrity Summit
If you're going on a beach excursion, take the earliest ride. Caribbean beaches get pretty hot and crowded by noon. Beat the crowd.
Celebrity Summit
If you want a bloody mary in the morning, Sunset bar is the place to go. Its the first bar open. Its adjacent to the Ocean View cafe and the tables in that area are the last to fill up.
Celebrity Summit
If you just purchase the classic beverage package - it will not include the Martini bar as the drinks exceed $12. So if you have the classic as a perk - upgrade to premium for $13/day - gets you the daily martini.
Celebrity Summit
If you have a premium drink package and you wish to enjoy wine, ask for the premium wine list. They won't volunteer it.
Celebrity Summit
If you sail Aqua Class, book deck 11. Its a small private cabin area with an aft staircase which gets you to the Sunset Bar if you go down, and up takes you to the Terrace where the movie screen is. Qsine as well as Rendezvous Lounge is also on that deck. Use the aft elevator to move up/down.
Did a Segway beach tour. Five hour excursion, but only about 1 1/2h Segway (approx 2 miles of beach and forest area with some historical military sites. Sites were spectacular, great photo ops. After Segway, took us on a local community tour - both high end and common residential areas. Finally stopped a the St. Lucia Yacht club for a beach stop. Had a restaurant with common US bar food. Beach was way too crowded. Would been happy to just Segway and go back to ship.
Thought this was a pretty nice port. No pushy vendors or taxi drivers. We explored Bridgetown. They've been spared major hurricanes for 60 years so everything is in pretty good shape. Laid back .
We walked Basseterre and its a typical Caribbean tourist collector. Found the vendors and excursion salespeople very aggressive and intrusive. We like going into the historical areas and viewing the buildings/parks.
City and island recovering well. We found island hotels very nice with beautiful views. Old Town remains our favorite. Toured the old city and historical parks/forts. Friendly helpful residents pointed us to the right restaurants.
Celebrity Summit
Ask about Cellar Masters Chef's table. Look at Deck 11 (highest cabin deck) Aqua Spa - private area with easy access to movie venue, Sunset Bar, and Qsine
Bridgetown had the best sidewalks of this cruise ports. Didn’t need to dodge potholes. Didn’t experience aggressive vendors. Pretty low key. Quiet visit enjoyed the stop
I did a Segway tour. Rode along a beach an through the rain forest with many photo ops. Only rode about 1 hour. Rest of 5 hour excursion included a short tour around residential areas and a beach stop at St Lucia yacht club. Crowded and not very nice unless you’re a spring breaker.
Symphony of the Seas
Wonderland has a number of very unique cocktails that can be enjoyed as "happy hour specials" at the restaurant bar. You get the happy hour price (little discount) at that time.
Symphony of the Seas
There is quick access to deck 7 (staterooms) from stairs adjacent to the aquatheater (either side). Avoids going through public areas and elevators.
Celebrity Equinox
The bartenders at the martini bar are outstanding! They can make you an "original" concoction based upon what flavors you wish to taste. Really talented mixologists.
Oosterdam
On Alaska glacier cruises, they Holland America has a tradition of serving hot split pea soup on the deck. Its great
Oasis of the Seas
Chef's table is held in a private dining room that is accessed through a non-descript door in the library.
Symphony of the Seas
Deck 7 is straight from the bow to stern of the ship. Interesting to go to the front and look aft toward aqua theater. Gives you a sense of how large the ship is.
Symphony of the Seas
If you're hungry when you board, head to Central Park. The Park Central Cafe is overlooked by many on embarkation day. Good place to have a quiet lunch.
Oasis of the Seas
Chef's table is a great experience. They have a "secret" dining area through the library.
Liberty of the Seas
Great ship, the port shopping director was great
Caution - duty free isn't duty free when you get back to this port. The local municipality/port sets up a taxation station to collect duty on liquor and cigarettes. If you get caught big fine for each item.
Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands
Wish we had more time. Did a tour - learned enough to want to come back
Long drive from port. Not a friendly city. Lots of history, but hard to get around.
Great city, much available close to the port.
Symphony of the Seas
If you go to Deck7 and take it to the furthest point toward the bow of the ship, look aft, and you will see a tiny light which is the door which opens to the Aqua Theater. Deck 7 is the only deck with inside hall that spans aft to bow. Ends of the hall also has a small seating area to view show.
Friendly city - easy to get around. Took excursion to Tuscany for wine tasting. Found it more enjoyable than a US winery tour
Beautiful city. We toured the Amolfy Coast, Serento, and Pompei - stunning scenery and amazing historical tour.
Historically a 5+ and most educational, but its tough to get around and really crowded. Not Rome's fault, can't fix the roads without damaging the historical properties.
RCL offered free shuttle to take you off the peer into edge of town. Nice place to walk and visit locale cafe or stores. Major attractions are 1-2 hours from the port.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Not a lot to do close to the ship.
Kinda tired - to much like a spring break hang out for us
Costa Mediterranea
Upgrade
Water taxis are a cheap way to get around $4. You get "free tour" on the way to Paradise island/Atlantis. When you get off the taxi there is a bar (under a bridge) that makes mango coladas. The beach behind Atlantis is free.
Celebrity Equinox
Bring magnetic clips to hang on the walls of your stateroom to hold the daily activity letter and other papers. It declutters the desk.
I tire of aggressive vendors trying to sell their stuff. Not much of a shopper, just there to walk around.
Have to tender into the port which adds dead time waiting for tenders. About 20 minutes each way. I find the port area to be crowded especially when there are several ships in place. Sidewalks are very narrow so you feel the crowding. Good place to shop for high end jewelry.
Good place to shop for high end jewelry.
Loved it, would have liked to stay longer. Great bars and restaurants. A lot of historical things to see.
Celebrity Equinox
At prime dining times, sea-pool days, or starting port calls, the aft elevators are the busiest. It can be faster going to the forward elevators to move between decks.
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