Cruise Debate

[AccountingDrone]

OK, we are looking at a cruise vacation ... on Royal Carribean Oasis of the Sea, one of their newest boats. Oddly enough we picked the ship for the places to eat on it ...

Anybody have any input on the particular company? Either as an employee or as a customer? We want to avoid any SC behavior .... so any clue on tipping the staff cleaning the cabins and doing room service? I have emailed for the handicapped accessability information already but would like a bit more info =)

[MaggieTheCat]

I've never been on a cruise so I can offer no advice, though I would be interested in any that is provided as well. My husband and I want to take a cruise someday, from what I have heard they are a ton of fun. A friend of mine and her husband saved up and took a cruise last year and LOVED it. I can't remember where they went, I think somewhere in the Caribbean. I just remember her highly recommending it as a potential way to take a vacation.

[AccountingDrone]

I've never been on a cruise so I can offer no advice, though I would be interested in any that is provided as well. My husband and I want to take a cruise someday, from what I have heard they are a ton of fun. A friend of mine and her husband saved up and took a cruise last year and LOVED it. I can't remember where they went, I think somewhere in the Caribbean. I just remember her highly recommending it as a potential way to take a vacation.

well, the ship leaves from Fort Liquordale\\\\Lauterdale and we are considering having me drive down, leave the car on the air force base and drive back up while rob flies so I can bring back the souvenir booze without having to deal with TSA garbage. I think what really appeals to us isn't really the different port calls quite so much as the chance to sit around reading, enjoying some ocean breezes and swilling coffee and tea. Rob will probably touch ground at the ports, he was all over the area when he was still in the navy and so we sort of have a shopping list of stuff to bring back. We are seriously interested in the tasting menu in one of the restaurants on board [wagyu beef .. squeee] that is $35 per person ... you cant get a tasting menu like described stateside for under $150 each ...

Well, we also really have never gone on what most people would consider a vacation in teh almost 20 years we have been married. Generally oour vacations are 'working' ones like helping out at my moms house after my dad died, or fixing up stuff around the house. *sigh* so this is actually sort of a very belated honeymoon as we never actually had a honey moon.

[Darkwolf]

Never cruised with Royal Caribbean, but on the Holland America line tips for the room stewards are automatically added to your room account to be paid at the end of the trip. Drinks and what not are all charged to your room so no cash is needed on the boat. Beyond that, enjoy your trip!

[NightAngel]

Hmmm... I guess my hubby and I were lucky. We paid a flat fee and all our meals, snacks, basic beverages, etc. were included and we could eat anything we wanted. Beer/alcohol would have been extra if we had consumed any- which we didn't.

The cruise was a ton of fun- loved it, would do it again in a heartbeat.

It's been about 10 years ago and I'll be darned if I can't remember the name of the cruise line we went on.

[taxguykarl]

Cruise Critic has message boards that can answer whatever query you have.

[Amina516]

Cruise Critic is TEH AWESUMNEZZ when it come to cruise questions and etc.

Ive never done Royal Caribbean before, but ive been on a few cruises. The tips are usually added onto your onboard account. You can therefore add or subtract (DONT SUBTRACT!!) as you see fit. I have NEVER had an issue with cruise ship employees being less than great. We tipped our dining room staff (usually a team of 2 waiters/waitresses) an extra $40 before we left b/c they are GREAT! They'll remember your drink preference as the cruise goes on, and have it waiting when you get there. They always put out an extra tub of butter for us on this last cruise when we went to dinner b/c my husband and father would fight over the butter. lol

The cabin stewards are GREAT! They will hook you up, keep fresh ice in the cabins at all times and make your bed, make towel animals and give you nightly chocolates. They will not however pick up your clothes, fold your clothes or anything of a personal nature. People get disappointed on cruises because they think they can leave the room a mess and it will all be neat and tidy once the steward comes, with clothes folded and etc. They tend to recognize and remember your face right away, so dont be surprised if they know who you are and are speaking to you in the hallways, but you cant quite place their face.

Room Service is usually free, and 24 hrs a day. It may be a limited menu depending on the ship.The standard is to tip a dollar or two per person ordering. Breakfast is a popular thing for room service, and it you got a balcony room you can have coffee and croissants on the balcony will staring at the ocean going by. Beautiful!

Can you tell i love cruises? lol

[AccountingDrone]

Thanks for the suggestions and answers ... I am seriously pumped at the idea as we really have never gone on a layabout vacation [camping at Pennsic for 2 weeks is actually a lot of work, the kitchen crew cook for anywhere from 12 to 60 people pretty much every day which includes making a full on medieval dinner every evening except for the night of the cooks list pot luck, which occasionally gets held in our camp as well...]

We are looking at Osis of the Seas in Feb ... Just about perfect timing for an escape from winter =)

[AccountingDrone]

Room Service is usually free, and 24 hrs a day. It may be a limited menu depending on the ship.The standard is to tip a dollar or two per person ordering. Breakfast is a popular thing for room service, and it you got a balcony room you can have coffee and croissants on the balcony will staring at the ocean going by. Beautiful!

Can you tell i love cruises? lol

We are definitely wanting a balcony stateroom or suite [not sure which, still waiting to hear from the cruise people on my question about what ones are gimp accessable =)] because one of our favorite things to do together is split a pot of coffee and read ... and we are not entirely into large crowds so breakfast and coffee on a balcony is perfect for us.

From surfing their site, it looks like there are several restaurants that are specialty, you pay for your meals [like the one with the tasting menu] and others that are included [there is one buffet that looks nice for brunches] and since we really dont tend to drink, Im not too worried about the extra costs

Although one thing I am planning on doing is taking along my katadyn to filter drinking water. I go through a LOT of water daily, and I dont tend to trust water either out of the country or on boats [too many stories about boats with health issues in the water supplies]

I did Mexico with my katy and had no tummy issues at all, and I filled it everywhere, and carried it around with me.

[Amina516]

We are definitely wanting a balcony stateroom or suite [not sure which, still waiting to hear from the cruise people on my question about what ones are gimp accessable =)] because one of our favorite things to do together is split a pot of coffee and read ... and we are not entirely into large crowds so breakfast and coffee on a balcony is perfect for us.

From surfing their site, it looks like there are several restaurants that are specialty, you pay for your meals [like the one with the tasting menu] and others that are included [there is one buffet that looks nice for brunches] and since we really dont tend to drink, Im not too worried about the extra costs

Although one thing I am planning on doing is taking along my katadyn to filter drinking water. I go through a LOT of water daily, and I dont tend to trust water either out of the country or on boats [too many stories about boats with health issues in the water supplies]

I did Mexico with my katy and had no tummy issues at all, and I filled it everywhere, and carried it around with me.

They have a few handicap accessible rooms, theyre first come first serve though. And some will require documentation that you actually need it b/c people will try to book them for the bigger rooms and bathrooms.

The main dining room, which is included in your fare, imo, has food more than good enough that I never went to the specialty restaurants looking for something to eat. Might as well get my moneys worth. Besides a specialty cappucino once in a while, I ate and drank what was "free" on the ship. You seriously can not go wrong that way. Theres always somewhere to go to eat that doesnt cost extra money.

Otherwise, thats awesome! Youll have a great time. If youve never been on a cruise, youre going to love it. And even if youre not a seasick kind of person, I recommend some bonine, and ginger tabs. Take the ginger prophalactically every morning and the bonine in case you hit rough seas.

[ta2ooed1]

Take the ginger prophalactically every morning and the bonine in case you hit rough seas.

That can't mean what it sounds like!!

[AdminAssistant]

That can't mean what it sounds like!!

Actually, it does. All it means is 'taken as a preventative measure'.

[AccountingDrone]

They have a few handicap accessible rooms, theyre first come first serve though. And some will require documentation that you actually need it b/c people will try to book them for the bigger rooms and bathrooms.

The main dining room, which is included in your fare, imo, has food more than good enough that I never went to the specialty restaurants looking for something to eat. Might as well get my moneys worth. Besides a specialty cappucino once in a while, I ate and drank what was "free" on the ship. You seriously can not go wrong that way. Theres always somewhere to go to eat that doesnt cost extra money.

Otherwise, thats awesome! Youll have a great time. If youve never been on a cruise, youre going to love it. And even if youre not a seasick kind of person, I recommend some bonine, and ginger tabs. Take the ginger prophalactically every morning and the bonine in case you hit rough seas.

We picked that specific ship because of the tasting menu in one of the restaurants. Most meals will probably be in the free places [and we arent into foofy coffee drinks so we wont have the added cost of those, and we dont drink alcohol]

I *dont* get motion sick, I spent my youth on sailboats in the summers. Actually the only time in my life I have been motion sick was when my dad was flying my mum and I home from the hospital when I was 3 days old and he hit turbulence. I luged used milk all over the cockpit of a piper cub. My dad decided he needed to upgrade to a comanche to have room for us kids right after that ... Funny how that worked out!

[actually, Im the one that will make boiled bacon for breakfast on rough seas]