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Royal Caribbean Cruisers'
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Introduction of Officers
Freedom of the Seas
Image by Lois A. Evensen
September 26, 2011

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Subject:  Calendar
Date:  Monday, August 6, 2012 8:37 PM
From: "Carolyn Richardson" <debbyrich@hotmail.com>

August 12 - 19, 2012 - Freedom of the Seas - Port Canaveral to Port Canaveral - James & Carolyn Richardson
- debbyrich@hotmail.com - James's Birthday - A well needed trip & vacation. Celebrating hubby's birthday



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Date:  Wednesday, February 8, 2012 10:04 AM
From: "Cheryl Kirby" <kirbyville63@yahoo.com>
Subject: Calendar

February 13 - 17, 2012 - Majesty of the Seas - Miami to Miami - Charles G , Cheryl, Erika and Charles R. Kirby. Second time for us parents, FIRST time for kids. We are all so excited! We hope the weather is good. Looking forward to some warm sun. Weather where we live has been in the 20's. Hope this are other kids looking for friends and Fun for the week! - kirbyville63@yahoo.com - Cheryl Kirby - First Cruise for KIds! We are looking forward to this trip, our last cruise was kidless and I felt quilty when i spied the first family with kids. Anywho~ we had a great trip (Jan. 2007). Now able to take the kids 2 out of 3. The oldest one didn't want to go~ can you believe that one? Can't wait till Monday Feb 13-17th 2012 for sailing!


Date:  Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - 8:01 PM
From:  "Cheryl" <cheryl@newman-cahn.com>
topic: Allure of the Seas

Does anyone know of a group cruise on the Allure.  I am interested in a group cruise as the rates are usually cheaper.  When I say group cruise, I mean a sponsored cruise.


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Date:  Sunday, January 1, 2012 8:06 PM
From: "Jason Griffiths" <jasongriffiths@bigpond.com>
Subject:  Review

Rhapsody of the Seas - December 17 - 27, 2011

As a first time cruiser I was hesitant about cruising instead of going on a 'normal' holiday to a specific location. We used this as a family Xmas for the whole family to get together(3 families). To my surprise this was one of the best holidays I have experienced and would recommend it to others. The Cruise was fantastic from the friendly crew, great food, very well maintained suite (Thanks Michael), excellent waiter service from Bozi & Claudio, to the varied and many activities on board. We could do as much as we wanted or as little and also could spend time with family without having to live in each others pockets as happens at Xmas time when families get together. We went on the 10 night South Pacific Cruise and the port stops were good. For those unsure a few tips would be:1. Excursions: pre-book your shore trips before departure to avoid missing out. Once on the islands it becomes limited to what you can experience and they book out quickly once on board.2. Currency:For French islands have Pacific Franc (XPF) especially Noumea. All other locations take Australian dollars. Don't take US dollars. Lost money converting from and back to AUD. You can exchange currency on board as well. Don't need cash on board as have seapass card. Would recommend using Visa or like as those with cash constantly had to go and top up their account and settle on last night. You get receipt for everything you purchase so you can stick to your budget or not.3. Islands: Noumea - Polenesians welcoming, remainder rude. Avoid cafe/takeaway shop near market as owner extremely rude. Noumea Least desired location. Next time I would remain on board. Villa - Unfortunately it rained when we were there and a lot of tours cancelled. Nice place, get bombarded by taxis when depart ship. negotiate price first. They will offer you tours to other areas as soon as you get in the cab. Mystery Is. - Small island with snorkelling, take some gear with you on the ship or buy it in Villa for $12 AUD. Take some cash as locals do offer reef trips etc from as little as $30 PP,which was not detailed on board as it is not part of liners shore excursions. Very nice people with some interesting photo opportunities. Lifou - Fantastic snorkelling about 15 min walk from where dropped off, lots of coral, clams, turtles and varieties of colourful fish. Local dancers and food good. Isle of Pines - Very picturesque with fantastic beaches and swimming. Have a half Lobster on the beach for $15.4. Pricing of drinks. I was surprised at cost of drinks. To compare, went to King Pin Townsville and wife had a cocktail at $12.50 on board range from $6.95 to approx $10 depending on what you get. Coronas at about $6. Very well priced for where I thought you would get hit hardest. I would only recommend soft drink package for kids not adults. Drink machines avail in Windjammer restaurant and other locations throughout ship for free at all times of day/night.5. Kids club activities were well enjoyed by my nephew who really enjoyed it.6. Shops - On board shops had all your basic toiletries that you would require if you forget to pack it. Also lots of jewellery, watches etc. Cheap duty free alcohol. 2 ltrs Bacardi for $20.7. Laundry - $15 for a bag of underwear, shorts and shirts.Boarding/Departing - Boarding took approx 1.5 hrs to get through customs and registered on the ship, departing was less than 20 minutes.Overall, rate it has one of our best holiday experiences and suffering from PCD "Post Cruise Depression" as we get back home to normal daily life. Already looking in to cruise for next year with Royal Carribean. Thoroughly recommend it.


Subject:  Calendar
Date:  Thursday, December 22, 2011 4:35 PM
From:  "Regine" <Ladysaw404@aol.com>

March 9 - 19, 2012 - Explorer of the Seas - Cape Liberty, New Jersey to Cape Liberty, New Jersey - Regine Gordon(me), Owen Gordon(husband), Janine Landais(mother), Rodney Landais(brother), Marie Pierre-Canal(cousin) & Karl Kerlegrand(cousin) - Ladysaw404@aol.com - My birthday 3/12/12  I will be celebrating the big three five!!!!!!



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Hello Everyone,

Please join us over on my blog for cruise pictures and information. 

When you reach the bottom of the first page, be sure to click "read older posts" for even more information.

All the best,

Lois



Date: Sunday, October 23, 2011 3:41 PM

Subject:  Independence of the Seas Photologue

Hello Lois!

I thought I'd share the latest publication to my web site, this one for the Independence of the Seas : http://www.shipcafe.net/shipcafe/id/id11.htm

See you on the Freedom in a week!

Steve



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Good morning,

We send thanks to Doris Steele for sending us some updated pictures of Monarch of the Seas.  Click here to see them!

Thank you, Doris!

Lois


From:  Steve J. Garrod (info@shipcafe.net)
Date: 
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 2:51 PM
Subject:  Radiance of the Seas Sail Away from Vancouver

It has always been an aspiration of mine to view the ships setting sail from Vancouver, BC, from atop the Lions Gate Bridge. I've provided a link to the phtoos that I took of the Radiance of the Seas setting sail this past Friday, 2 September, 2011.http://www.shipcafe.net/shipcafe/rd11/rdsail_2Sep11.htm



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From: "Steve J. Garrod" <info@shipcafe.net>
Date: July 1, 2011
Subject: Calendar

October 30 - November 6, 2011 - Freedom of the Seas - Port Canaveral to Port Canaveral - Steve, George, and Rayetta Garrod - info@shipcafe.net - Steve J. Garrod - Just to get away!  Coming from Seattle, I will be meeting up with my parents from Illinois for this sailing and hopefully bringing friends along as well.


Good morning!

What's new aboard Freedom of the Seas?

Check out our blog to see lots of pictures of Freedom of the Seas including changes that have recently been made in dry dock.  I am aboard Freedom as I write this and am blogging every day.

Enjoy!

Lois



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Sunday, April 24, 2011 6:14 PM
From: "Steve J. Garrod" <info@shipcafe.net>
Subject: Oasis of the Seas Photologue

Hi Lois,

I've posted my photologue from the Oasis of the Seas when I sailed exactly one year ago today. Feel free to share on your discussion group if you would like!

http://www.shipcafe.net/shipcafe/oa/oa10.htm

Steve


Date:  Saturday, April 23, 2011 3:28 PM

Subject: Calendar

May 4 - 14, 2011 - Independence of the Seas - South Hampton to South Hampton - Steve J. Garrod - info@shipcafe.net - Early Birthday Celebration - It is just myself cruising and I look forward to meeting any others joining on this sailing.



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Date:  Friday, March 25, 2011 4:07 PM
From: "Audrey Zwiefelhofer" <ssipres2@hotmail.com>
Subject:  Type of engines on the Majesty of the Sea cruise ship

My Grandson is doing a paper on cruise ships for school and we would like some information on the engines of the Majesty of the Sea.

Vessel information can be found courtesy of Det Norske Veritas.


Date:  Sunday, March 20, 2011 12:15 AM
From:  "Sherry" <Sherryrn7@aol.com>
Subject:  Canadian Customs

Has anyone ever had issues with Canadian customs when disembarking the ship? If you were sent to immigration did they just send you directly to the airport? A friend has concerns due to a past situation that Customs may question. Thank you.



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Subject:  Calendar
Thursday, March 10, 2011 12:23 PM
From:  "Bonnie/Emil" <lubueu2@aol.com>

March 28 - April 8, 2011 - Jewel of the Seas - Ft Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale - Emil and Bonnie - lubueu2@aol.com - Birthdays - Anyone from North East going on this sailing?


Hello Everyone,

We have just added images of Mariner of the Seas February, 2011, repositioning cruise to the Images of Mariner of the Seas section of this web site. 

To see even more images of Royal Caribbean ships, click here.

Thank you so much, Doris, for sharing your images with us!

Very best,

Lois
Web Anchor



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Subject:  Calendar
Date:  Sunday, February 20, 2011 9:46 AM
From:  "Doreen" <Viveiros70@comcast.net>

January 21 - 28, 2012 - Serenade of the Seas - San Juan to San Juan - Doreen, Manny, Melissa, and Mike - Viveiros70@comcast.net - Anniversary - 2nd Cruise and I can't wait!!!


From: "Tracy" <tlw3184@aol.com>
Date:  February 3, 2011
Subject:  Calendar

March 6 - 13, 2011 - Freedom of the Seas - Port Canaveral to Port Canaveral - Tracy - tlw3184@aol.com - Can't wait for the cruise. This is the first cruise for us and we are very excited!!



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Hi Everyone,

Doris Steele has shared images of Allure of the Seas with us.  Thank you, Doris!

You will find images of all Royal Caribbean ships on our Images of Ships page.

And, I've posted many images of Christmas aboard Freedom of the Seas on my blog.

Enjoy!

Lois


Good morning,

I am publishing images and articles about cruising aboard Royal Caribbean ships on my blog.  Click here to come over and take a look.  There are more than 100 posts about cruising so be sure to click "older posts" when you get to the bottom of the each page to read as many of them as you wish.

Best,

Lois
Web Anchor



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Date:  Monday, November 8, 2010 10:05 AM
From:  "Kathy" <xkb2@psu.edu>
Subject:  Calendar

November 8 - 13, 2011 - Explorer of the Seas - Cape Liberty to Cape Liberty - Kathy,Randy, Gary & Winona - xkb2@psu.edu - Third time to Bermuda, second time on the Explorer, love this ship and Bermuda!


Date:  Wednesday, October 6, 2010 10:34 PM
From:  "Sophia" <Sophiasdrapery@yahoo.com>
Subject:  Calendar

October 10 - 17, 2010 - Freedom of the Seas - Port Canaveral to Port Canaveral - Alex Sophia - Sophiasdrapery@yahoo.com - no special occasion - From Atlanta



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Date:  Wednesday, August 25, 2010 8:03 PM
From: "Nancy" <kattioli@gmail.com>
Subject:  Calendar

November 7 - 14, 2010 - Serenade of the Seas - San Juan to San Juan - Brad & Nancy - kattioli@gmail.com - Eastern Caribbean


From: "Jo" <chayermj@hotmail.com>
Date:  Monday, August 23, 2010 at 19:24:07
Subject:  Calendar

April 24 - May 1, 2011 - Freedom of the Seas - Port Canaveral to Port Canaveral - Chayer Family, from Montreal, Canada  - Jo - chayermj@hotmail.com - First time cruising.



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From: "Dan" <chefboyerd@hotmail.com>
Subject:  Liberty
Date:  August 10, 2010

That's it! After five cruises with NCL, and a horrible experience on the NCL Jewel, and from reading posts and information on your website...I've decided to book my first cruise with Royal Caribbean on the Liberty of the Seas. Sept 19-26...next month!Thanks so much for the help!


From: "Doris and Harry" <hmsdos@msn.com>
Date:  July 27, 2010
Subject:  Welcome

Sorry for the delay.... but.... welcome to your new "home"..... we checked it out the week before, as you know :-) And all is wonderful! Hope you enjoy!!! We will miss you on your "old" home.....



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From: "Jill Marek" <jmarek84@gmail.com>
Date:  June 10, 2010
Subject:  Calendar

June 18 - 21, 2010 - Majesty of the Seas - Miami to Miami - "Jill Marek" <jmarek84@gmail.com> - I will be traveling with 23 other women on a "girls" cruise. - Anxiously looking forward to the trip!



From: "Sheila Watson" <sheila1956@sbcglobal.net>
Subject:  How to change itinerary
Date:  Saturday, April 10, 2010 9:29 PM

I posted that I will be traveling on Freedom from 9/26/10 to 10/3/10. My plans have changed and I will be going on Serenade at that time. Can you change that for me or delete it? Thanks you.P.S. I love your website. This is fantastic and very informative. Thanks again.

Hi Sheila

No problem.  I can change your listing.  To add your new information to the calendar, just submit another calendar posting by clicking here.  I have deleted the other calendar listing already. 

Thanks for your kind words about the site. 

Have a great cruise!

Lois



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Hello Everyone,

Recently all the files on five of my domain names were moved to new servers.  There were a few glitches that have now been resolved regarding the pages where you can post comments, reviews, calendar listings, and greetings.  If you had difficulty posting to this site recently, I hope you'll post again and I'll get your post on line right away.

Thanks so much,

Lois
WebAnchor


From:  "D" <goofymom1955@yahoo.com>
Date:  Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 16:06:54
Subject:  Calendar

May 29 - June 5, 2010  Oasis of the Seas - Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale - P&D - goofymom1955@yahoo.com - We're excited!!



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From: "Dan Farquhar" <dafarq@comcast.net>
Date:  Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 21:37:00
Subject: 
Embarkation

We recently booked a cruise to Mexico next month. What is the procedure for tagging luggage at check in? We did not get any attachable tags as on past cruises to identify our luggage and get it to the right place.

Any suggestions or advise?

thanx


From: "Sherry" <marrs01@comcast.net>
Date: Monday, February 15, 2010 at 13:11:33
Subject:  Cabin 8352 on Adventure of the Seas

Does anyone know if this cabin that we are booked in is a good cabin? This is my first cruise. We are not sailing until 4-24-11 so will have time to make a change in our cabin.



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From: "Chris" <chrisasay@hotmail.com>
Date:  Friday, January 22, 2010 at 06:04:51
Subject:  Cruise

Hi dearest Lois, I am resting up for my next cruise on the Majesty in February. I wanted to send my sincere gratitude for the special little starfish you gifted me with. He always brings a smile to my face and my 3 year old grandaughter said "he is soooo adorable"! She did however decide she should have him for a sleep-over, hahahaha.
Cant wait to see both of you again real soon.
Chris


From: "Steve J. Garrod" <info@shipcafe.net>
Date:  Monday, January 18, 2010 at 17:38:07
Subject:  Calendar

April 24 - May 1, 2010 - Oasis of the Seas - Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale - Steve, George, and Rayetta Garrod - info@shipcafe.net - Newest and Biggest - Just had to book this in order to experience what the World is talking about!



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From: "Georgie" <robgeorgiekennedy@hotmail.com>
Date:  Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 20:52:23
Subject:  Calendar

March 5 - 12, 2010 - Radiance of the Seas - San Diego to San Diego - Georgie, Susie, and Pete - robgeorgiekennedy@hotmail.com - Family get together - Mom and "kids" traveling together after many years!


From: "Sheila" <sheila1956@sbcglobal.net>
Date:  Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 14:09:12
Subject:  Calendar

September 26 - October 3, 2010 - Freedom of the Seas - Port Canaveral to Port Canaveral - Just me (Sheila) - sheila1956@sbcglobal.net - Birthday - My birthday is the last full day of the cruise and it is a sea day. I love sea days.



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From: "theresa ann morin" <theresa.morin@comcast.net>
Date:  Monday, December 28, 2009 at 19:47:05
Subject:  Calendar

February 12 - 22, 2010 - Jewel of the Seas - Miami to Miami - Terry & Don  - theresa.morin@comcast.net - 45th wedding anniversary - this will be our second time on the jewel, very excited to return


From:  "bob laskowski" <bobski96@yahoo.com>
Date:  Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 14:57:26
Subject:  Great photos of Key West boats

We are looking forward to seeing you and your husband in just a few days. What do you know about renting a small boat and doing some small fish fishing. Maybe Kjell or you would like to go with me? See you both soon.



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Hi Everyone,

I've added some images of the Key West Historic Dockside taken last Thursday. 

Take a look!

Enjoy,

Lois


From: "The Browns" <attnydad@aol.com>
Date:  Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 20:09:46
Subject:  Calendar

January 24 - 31, 2010 - Liberty of the Seas - Miami to Miami - The Browns - attnydad@aol.com - 50th Bday - Cant wait lets go now!



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Hello Everyone,

Our thanks to Doris Steele for sending us our first images of Oasis of the Seas!  Doris and Harry were among the very special people who got to preview Oasis a few days ago.  Click here to see Doris' pictures. 

Lois


From: "Doris Steele" <hmsdos@msn.com>
Date:  Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 11:19:46
Subject:  Jewel of the Seas - November 6 - 9, 2009 - Cruise Review

Jewel of the Seas, short weekend cruise

Ports: Key West and Nassau
This was our first cruise on the gorgeous Jewel. This ship was launched in 2004 and is one of the Radiance class. The ship layout is wonderful and the use of glass and open vistas to the sea are awesome.


Embarkation:
We were already on a Majesty cruise so just packed our bags and walked over to the Jewel check in at “category F”. Check in was the usual “easy” system using our pre-printed SetSail pass. The delay was with the machine that takes your picture. That seemed to be a problem, which caused a line to form for a few minutes.


The Ship:
We boarded on deck 5 and began a tour of the ship. The staterooms are ready at 1 PM so if you board early be prepared to keep any carry-on luggage with you.
The main elevators are glass located on the port side of the ship. The “inside” elevators overlook the Atrium and the “outside” give you an awesome view of the sea. Be sure to go to deck 13 using the outside elevators…. There is a delightful surprise… think Flamingo’s! Speaking of deck 13 there is a Vortex bar at the level that rotates! It is really pretty at night. Another interesting item on this ship is on deck 6, in the Safari Club… there are self-leveling billiards tables. Also located on Deck 6 are Portofino’s and Chop’s Grill Restaurants, The Schooner and Pit Stop Sports Bars. The Schooner has a delightful ship shaped bar and a number of tables and chairs all with a panoramic view of the sea. Another interesting thing we spotted on deck 13 was the slide that went down to the pool. This was between the rock climbing wall and the putting green. The Solarium/pool located on deck 11 and is beautiful… don’t miss it.


Dining:
Dining rooms, called The Tides, are located on decks 4 and 5. We had requested a small table for four… but, as often happens we were assigned a large table of eight. Meeting with the Maitre’D/Head Waiter was useless. Their suggestion was to move from the 8:30/late seating to the first seating. This is a major weakness we keep experiencing with RCCL. The Windjammer Café is located on deck 11 so that is where we had our lunch and dinner meals. They were surprisingly good. We did have breakfast in the main dining room. The chandelier is beautiful and is visible whether you are on either deck 4 or 5 for dining. Of course the “My Time Dining” is available and being strongly “marketed”.

Entertainment:
There was a production show, comedy show and, of course, the Farewell show. The Comedian was Steve Shaffer whom we have seen on several ships so did not attend this time. The production show was City of Dreams. We have never seen this on other RCCL ships so really wanted to attend… however we got involved in other activities and missed it so can’t give you any feedback. The Farewell show had another comedian we had seen before, Michael James so we went in towards the end of the show just to wave goodbye to the Officers and Crew who come down for that event. Other activities were resented by the Activities Staff such as bingo, trivia quizzes and Quest, the adult scavenger hunt.
On the second night which was formal night there was the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party and also the Dancing Under the Stars on deck 11 from 11 PM until 1 AM.

Ports:
The ship first stopped in Key West, arriving at 7 AM. This is one of our favorite ports so we got off as quickly as possible since boarding time was 2:30. We went to several “local” attractions and made sure we were back in time for “sail-away” with the band playing on deck 11. On Sunday we stopped in Nassau. Arrival time was 10 AM with boarding scheduled for 5:30 PM. We have visited this port so many times over the years, and many of the shops are closed on Sunday, so we decided to stay on board and enjoy the ship.


Disembarkation:
We did the Express, which means we had to be able to handle all our luggage without help. The advantage is that you do not put your luggage out the last evening. The expected disembarkation time starts at 6:15 am, but is dependent on the ship clearing the US Authorities. We were allowed off at 6:35 am, went down the escalators, cleared customs and were headed to our car by 6:45 AM…. A very smooth process. We find this is the “normal” process we experience at the Miami Port.


Cabin:
Our Cabin was a Junior Suite, 293 square feet, on deck 10. The cabin was very clean and comfortable. The only “surprise” was that we could hear every word spoken in the cabin that was adjacent to the head of our bed???? Additionally we had told our Cabin Attendant that we would be leaving early for express departure. Our bill did not arrive in time to meet the stated departure so we went to Guest Services and very quickly received a copy.


Final Comments:
The Crew is used to much longer cruises. We thought that they did an excellent job dealing with this short schedule. We met a number of Crew we had met on other ships and many of them recognized us before we saw them and came over and introduced themselves, which made us smile and feel welcome.
We are already booked to take one of the longer cruises on this ship!


Ed note:  Doris has submitted images taken during this cruise for our Images of Ships section.  Click here to take a look!

Cruise reviews can be extremely helpful to new and experienced cruisers by giving the cruise vacation consumer's view of various RCCL ships and ports. If you've sailed aboard an RCCL ship, we hope you'll write and tell us about it by using our special form here.  Sincere thanks to those who take the time to do this so that others can have the benefit of shared information and experiences.


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From: "Anna Berberich"
Date:  Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 19:14:46
Subject: 
Hi!

Hi! I love your home page. I probably won't be visiting it again soon because I was looking for my name on Google. Thanks for putting my pictures on here and I can't wait to see you again.

Your granddaughter,
Anna

Hello Anna!

I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise and thank you for letting us see your pictures here on this site.  Your pictures are terrific!

See you soon!


From: "bob laskowski" <bobski96@yahoo.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 11:26:00
Subject:  just saying hi

Hi Lois, I have finnaly got to get on your web page and it is very well done. It was a great pleasure to sail with you and your hubby. Thank you for being SO nice to us. I look forward to sailing with you both again.I'm not big on using this computer so don't expect me to write much ,but I will read it and Libby will tell me everything I need to know.H ave a GREAT vacation and we will stay in touch.

Hi Bob,

It was great seeing you and Libby, too.

Thanks for the magazine.  I've had time to read more of it since we got home.

Kjell and I are enjoying our vacation and look forwad to seeing you again in December.  :)

Very best,

Lois



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From:  The Miami Dock Side Gang
Date:  September 28, 2009
Re:  Alturo Shelton

We are sorry to report that our friend and entertainer Alturo Shelton died of a heart attack on September 23.  He was a regular on RCCL ships and was a well-liked, wonderful spirit.

We will miss him.

The Miami Dock Side Gang


From: "Allan" <aclow@havelockeuropa.com>
Date:  Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 10:05:44
Subject:  Adventure of the Seas

Not sure when you should arrive for embarkation - arriving from Newark at 11.30 am and not sure that if we head to pier straightaway we will be too soon and have to wait for hours.



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From: "Barry Brown" <bbrown@uark.edu>
Date:  Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 14:04:15
Subject:  tour of Normandy at Cherbourg for Independnence of the Seas

Ten of us are taking a transatlantic cruise on Independence of the Seas leaving Southampton on Nov. 23. We stop at Cherbourg on Nov. 25th and are booking a private company (recommended by several past cruisers) for a tour of the Normandy Beaches (Omaha, Utah), the museum, Pointe du Loc and other World War 2 D-Day sites. The total cost for all of us is $2,000 whether we have 10 people or 40. The tour includes a driver and guide. If you would like to join our group (or want more information) please contact Barry Brown at bbrown@uark.edu.


From: "Shirley Hood" <cliveo@ntlworld.com>
Date:  Sunday, August 30, 2009 at 10:21:09
Subject:  Calendar

September 7 - 19, 2009 - Brilliance of the Seas - Barcelona to Barcelona - Shirley and Clive Hood - cliveo@ntlworld.com - Silver Wedding anniversary - This is our first cruise, and we are looking forward to celebrating our anniversary whilst aboard.



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From: "Karen" <karen.warren99@yahoo.com>
Date:  Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 13:47:05
Subject:  Calendar

September 17 - 29, 2009 - Legend of the Seas - Rome to Rome - Barbara Snowdon, Karen Warren - karen.warren99@yahoo.com - Long over due holiday - It all just looks Fab.


From: "H. Steele" <hmsdos@msn.com>
Date:  Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 11:26:13
Subject:  Majesty of the Seas - March 2 - 6, 2009

Majesty Officers and Crew deliver the WOW

Around noon we drove to the Port of Miami without incident, quickly arriving at the Terminal, dropping our luggage off with a waiting friendly porter, parked the car and entered the Terminal smoothly and quickly. There we presented our passports and on-line documents we had prepared on-line at the RCCL site and printed out. Then up the escalators, through the scanners, shoes left on belts with buckles off, and right to the check in counter to make arrangements for how you will be paying, credit card for us and then were presented our SeaPass card. This is used for your entire cruise for payments for all on-board purchases. Next up more escalators a walk down a hallway, pictures taken (if you want, and you can buy later) then the “official” picture taken and inserted in your SeaPass, this one you don’t see, but all the ships Security can. Now you are ready to board! This was all done in about 20 minutes, with no stops during the process.

This ship has a very large number of “first time cruisers”. With the four/three night itinerary it is an excellent way to have an introduction to cruising without too much commitment.

The room/cabin/suite is available at 1 PM so we headed off to the Windjammer for lunch. This is located on deck 11, the same deck you will find the pools, the teen disco, the sports deck, and the Pool Bar. The Windjammer has a pasta section, Oriental section, two hot stations, salads, dessert station and drinks which include coffee, tea, lemonade, etc. There are employees walking around selling cokes, beer, wine and liquor. Our group had a variety of the various offerings including the honey stung chicken, delicious, the pasta… today they had spaghetti with meat sauce, which was great, also the fried plantains (bananas) were great, the vegetables were al dente and delicious. There are several very comfortable booths and lots of tables. The Windjammer covers the entire front section of the ship, both sides, so lots of windows. During the very crowded times all sections and you can go up the stairs to deck 12 where there is lots of additional seating available. The management and staff in the Windjammer are excellent, offering drinks, help in finding a table and just providing a “welcome”.

You can take stairs from the elevator lobby or the stairs within the Windjammer leading up to deck 12 where you will find Johnny Rockets, which has a $4.95 cover charge plus a charge for drinks, Sorrento’s (Pizza) and the Compass Deli (sandwiches, salads, etc), there is a charge for drinks here. On deck 12 you will also find the rock climbing wall and sports deck.

After lunch we headed to our Cabin. The Superior Ocean View has 157 square feet. The “View” means we had a very nice porthole type window and the life rafts did not block the view. There is also a little shelf under the window that you can sit and look out. You can have your bed made up as twins or together. We chose to have the beds together. This gave us a walk space around both sides and the end of the bed. We had a couch, 4 drawers and a large number of shelves, also a refrigerator. Even though it is small we had no problems finding places for everything. There was a safe in the closet and about six feet of space with hanging space top and bottom in ½ of the area.

Our luggage arrived around 3:30. We had plenty of space to put everything away and put both of our suitcases in the closet.

Another “point of interest” for some... The ship did check for liquor. After the Muster Drill, or Lifeboat drill, many people were called to deck one to claim their luggage. There any liquor in their luggage had to be removed and retained by Security. We don’t know exactly what happened but the rumor mill was that it was poured out…. Just a note of caution if anyone thinks the Company never checks.

We found the ship to be in very good shape, there were always people visible cleaning and we never found the public areas, including the restrooms unclean.

All public areas are closed at 4 PM for the Lifeboat drill. Everyone is expected to participate and roll is taken. For the first time our station was in Bolero’s which was a treat. This procedure goes quickly and by 4:35 we were headed back to put our vests away and head out for sail-a-way partying.

Live music is all over the ship, and we felt it was fun, varied and the artists were talented.

Our “favorite” places for “Happy hour” were the Schooner on deck five and the Pool Bar on deck 11. This in large part because we located bartenders we had met before and it was fun talking with them. We also found former bartenders in Boleros, on deck 7. Unfortunately we could not spend any time in the “signature” lounge on deck 14. The Viking lounge is now a Cigar lounge. Even though the smoking is only allowed on one side the lounge is open so the smell is everywhere, we had someone in our party who is very allergic to cigar smoking so were prohibited from that venue. We have noticed some increase in pricing but still in line with costs “back home”. Be aware there are local taxes added to any order placed while in a US Port, for our trip this meant Miami and Key West.

Dinner: We were on second seating. Our table was on deck 4 in the Starlight Dining Room. The service was fantastic. We found the Head Waiters were so attentive, both at dinner and at breakfast. We were so impressed with the Maitre’D, the Food and Beverage Manager… we met both and were impressed with how dedicated they are to making sure everyone was being served and satisfied. The food has been discussed in every review and we feel is very subjective. We will just say we were very happy, and never left hungry! And yes, they do offer “My Time Dining”, also referred to as anytime dining.

Shows and entertainment: We love all the “live” music available on the ship. Even on this “smaller” ship there are so many venues, so many choices, from the piano, Karaoke, 70’s music, Latin music, Ballroom dancing, a live orchestra, so many choices from early to late. The Headliner shows are very good. The Production shows are wonderful. If you sail often you will see a repeat, but the cast changes, so we always enjoy. On this cruise we had the comedy of Steve Bruner and Rick Novel. The two production shows were Boogie Wonderland and Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

Activities: There is so much to do. The Activities Staff were excellent and had more activities available than we have seen before. The events included many, many trivia sessions, Sudoku, many, many pool activities, Wii challenges and much more. So much to do in so little time!

Ports: Nassau was our first port of call. We have visited this port since the 70’s and think Nassau is an excellent port. For any first time cruiser we recommend a visit to Atlantis for the water activities, which are great, not the Casino unless you are on a ship that is there at night, it really loses a lot in the daylight. The straw market is great for souvenirs and straw products. It is large, crowded and has anything/everything…. Just don’t “believe” that you are getting a name-brand for $40!!! On Baystreet you will find lots of places to shop for jewelry, fragrances, linens, etc. The ship will give you a map of suggested shop choices. You will also find the Hardrock within walking distance. During the day this isn’t as much fun as the nearby Senor Frogs which is on the water and visible from the ship. This generally is very active especially if there are a couple of ships in Port. There are also a number of tours that you can take. You can book from the ship (which we always recommend just in case something goes wrong… the ship will leave at the posted time!) additionally when you leave the ship you will find a number of taxi drivers offering their services. Also there are a number of vendors selling a horse and carriage ride.

Coco Cay: This is RCCL’s private island. You can see the entire island from the ship and the water is beautiful. There are hammocks, lounges, drinks, food, spa, games, swimming areas, beaches, rental “toys” etc. We had a beautiful day, a great lunch and a super drink at one of the many bars. There is a small shopping area for the locals to sell their products. You will need cash here if you wish to buy. Your SeaPass card is used for any drinks you want to buy on the island. The food/lunch is free.

Key West: One of our favorite ports. Be sure to pick up one of the Maps from the Shopping Guide or as you leave the ship. Another “new” thing on this cruise. In the past we have had to clear Immigration at this port, not this time. Non-US citizens had to “check in” with Immigration as well as those holding ARC cards and those who boarded in Nassau, the rest were cleared without doing anything. We were off the ship just after 10 AM. The weather was beautiful! There is so much to do. Right as you exit there are stores, then two Museums… don’t miss the statues on your left just before you get to the street. Mel Fisher’s is right across the street, with many treasures found on sunken ships. There are bars everywhere and you can carry an “open container” on the street, which isn’t allowed in many US towns/cities. There are lots of shops for T-shirts and other souvenirs, and many places to eat. One of the local items is Key Lime which is done in pies, on sticks, etc. We do suggest you try, at least once. If you are able this is a great city to just walk, also one tourist attraction is to check out where US highway 1 starts or stops, depending on your perspective. Also check out the marker indicating you have reached the southernmost spot in the United States.

Disembarking was easy, easy, easy! You receive all the necessary information on what you need and where to wait in your cabin the night before. The next morning you can eat breakfast either in the Windjammer or in the Main Dining Room. When you hear your luggage tag color called proceed to deck 4 to leave the ship. You may choose to do the “express departure”, if so do not put your luggage out the night before. The ship arrives back in Miami around 7 AM. Once the ship clears the US Authorities there is an announcement that you can hear in your assigned waiting area. We selected express and were off the ship by 7:45 AM and walking to the garage to re-claim our car.

Conclusion: We rate the Majesty A+++… this is directly due to the Captain, Officers, Staff and Crew on this ship. They go above and beyond what is anticipated to provide what RCCL calls their “Gold Anchor Service”.



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From: "H. Steele" <hmsdos@msn.com>
Date:  Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 16:31:55
Subject:  Freedom of the Seas - January 4 - 11, 2009

This cruise went to the Western Caribbean; Labadee, Ocho Rios, George Town, Cozumel, 2 days at sea

Embarkation: We drove to the Port of Miami, dropped our luggage at valet, quickly found a park in the garage and started the registration process around 11:45 AM and were on board by noon. A quick, efficient check in process.

Public Rooms:
Royal Promenade – wide walkway with lots of fun shops and activities. Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream… delicious with lots of choices of flavors and toppings. A beautiful deep dark blue Morgan sits near Vintages Wine Bar. There is Sorrento’s Pizza and the Promenade Café where you can grab a sandwich, pizza or “sweet” all for no fee and from early in the day to late in the evening. Many other stores, a barber shop and the Bull and Bear Pub where you can listen to live music and have refreshment.

Deck 14 you will find panoramic views… and awesome setting in the daylight to watch the world (sea) go by… and at night the lighting is dramatic, sexy and beautiful with live music.

On Deck 4 is Boleros Latin Bar… a small bar with additional chairs and couches to sit and listen to Latin Music… and anytime the live music is playing you generally will find dancers on the small dance floor.
Just beyond Boleros you will find the Casino Royale. Fun art figures welcome you as you enter. There are a number of tables and lots of slot machines. Also a bar is in the Casino which made some friends with us happy because they could smoke there with the exception of Formal Night.

Forward of the Casino is the Schooner Bar. A nice sized bar and also a large area with comfortable chairs and tables and a piano where there was often someone playing the piano.

On deck 3 is the “On Air” with a number of televisions and a bar… it is just before the entrance to the Ice Center.

There are many other bars and public areas to enjoy.

Art:
Thorough-out the ship you will find various forms of art. We enjoyed the photos in the stairwells, when walking the stairs it was nice to stop and read the plaque’s giving the background of the photo.
There are three full sized traffic signals in the aft end of the Promenade near the elevators. In the forward end of the Promenade there are planes (paper, probably) hanging from the ceiling, very impressive.
Speaking of elevators…. There are a number of glass elevators that give you a wonderful view of the atrium art and the Royal Promenade.

Our Cabin:
We were on deck 6 and in what is known as a “hump” cabin. The room was long and narrow with very little room to walk around the foot of the bed. There was adequate storage/hanging space for two people. The balcony was small but very nice, jutting out so we could see the water and look back at other Cabins. We had a small cooler/refrigerator. The bathroom had limited shelf space and small shelves behind the mirror on one side only. The shower had two small, rounded doors to close and was small but not uncomfortable for a rather large man.

Ports:
Labadee, Haiti: Labadee is reached by tender and is for the use of Royal Caribbean cruisers only. There was lots of construction, but it did not interfere with passengers.. The dock is being built as are additional facilities such as restrooms. There are so many activities… it is hard to get all you want done in the time available. The Haitian Market is very interesting. We found the workers polite and friendly… and yes, they were trying to sell their wares but were not offensive. Lunch was delicious and so many venues we did not have a long line. We also appreciated the “Trams” that went back and forth the length of the area. The water is beautiful, the colors so vibrate!

Ocho Rios, Jamaica: (docks) we were very pleased to note changes since we last visited this port. They have cleaned up the road from the pier and there are obvious local authorities that are friendly and assuring no problems. We went to the Taj Mahal and wandered around, did a little shopping then back to the Island shops right at the entrance to the Port, where there are a number of shops, entertainment and a couple of places to eat or have a refreshment.

George Town, Grand Cayman: (tender) we have visited this port for years so made the decision not to “do” the tender, there were four or five other ships in and we decided to stay on-board and enjoy a “rather” empty ship.

Cozumel, Mexico: (docks) we had just been to this port a couple of weeks earlier so did not leave the Pier area. We did some shopping for gifts, had a bite to eat at the restaurant at the Pier and then re-boarded the ship.

Entertainment:
The most fantastic entertainment was the Ice Show; we went twice to the same show. The Production shows were also very good but since we cruise so often we had seen both several times. Our enjoyment comes from seeing different performer’s delivery. There were Comedians, two we really enjoyed. It is a challenge to provide humor that isn’t offensive to parents and yet funny for adults, it amazed us that two were able to accomplish that. The live music offered in various venues around the ship were diverse, offering something for everyone and we thoroughly enjoyed.

Dining:
We had requested a small table and were very happy to find we had a table for two in the Leonardo’s dining room on deck 3. We were very pleased with the service personnel. We were also very impressed with the breakfast service. Each morning we were greeted by a “line” of service personnel who greeted us with a smile and a quick seating at a table. The food was the “standard” we have come to expect. That means the “gourmet” would be disappointed, we imagine, but we do not expect that quality in this venue. We find the Head Waiters do an excellent job of managing the dining rooms, whether they are your assigned Head Waiter or not. We had a wonderful meal in Portofino’s. We each had the beef. We ordered “medium well” which Chef’s hate to hear… and yet it was so tender and delicious! Oh and the desert, awesome! We had one “sampler” and one Tiramisu.

Officers, Staff, Crew and Passengers
We found the Captain of this ship to be one of the Best of the Best. He did an excellent job on the Public Address system, spoke to passengers as he moved around the public areas and did an excellent talk at the Captain’s Party as well as the “repeaters” Party. We were amazed at the respect shown by each and every employee we spoke to when it came to the Captain. This was true also for the Hotel Director. We met him and he was gracious and made us feel he really cared about the passengers, his staff and the ship. We met so many of the Staff, Officers and Crew who were friendly, competent and completely focused on delivering the RCCL marketed “wow”… and we think they did.

We were also pleased with our fellow passengers. There were a large number of children; all we saw were well behaved with parents who made sure the children were having a good time, but not at the expense of other passengers. We met several new “friends” at Trivia and other Activities provided by the Activities Staff.

The Concierge Lounge and Diamond Lounge:
Both of these had excellent presentations of “goodies” in the morning and in the evening. Both Concierges’ were friendly, polite and professional.

Disembarkation: We did the Express luggage service. The ship was cleared by Immigration and Custom was ready for us by 7:00 AM. We had cleared and were in our vehicle by 7:20 AM and headed on our way home. It couldn’t have been easier!


From: "H. Steele" <hmsdos@msn.com>
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 09:16:18
Subject:  Cruise Review - Liberty of the Seas - June 20 - 27, 2009

Liberty of the Seas, a hot, hot, hot Eastern Caribbean Cruise

Ports: Philipsburg, St Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico and Labadee, Haiti

This was our sixth cruise on the beautiful Liberty. We had a hot, mostly dry and sunny, sunny cruise. The temperatures each day were in the 80’s and we had a couple of afternoon thunder showers. The seas were super calm and the water beautiful, just gorgeous colors!

Embarkation:
We drove to the port around noon, dropped our luggage with the porters and quickly found a parking space in the covered garage (parking is $20. Per day). Check-in was a breeze, be sure you have done your on-line check in and have a printed copy to present to security along with your passport. Once through security you complete the check in process and receive your SeaPass card. This you use for your entire cruise to enter your room and make on-board purchases. From dropping our luggage to boarding the ship was less than 30 minutes. When checking in request, if it isn’t presented to you, a copy of the ships layout… it is very helpful, showing what is located on each of the 15 decks.

The Ship:
We boarded on deck 4 and had a quick view of the beautiful Schooner Bar and then took the elevator to the Windjammer for lunch. There are two banks of elevators, one where you board (forward) and one aft which is near the all the restaurants. The staterooms are ready at 1 PM so if you board early be prepared to keep any carry-on luggage with you.

Even though this ship entered service in May of 2007 it is maintained in excellent shape. The Promenade is awesome if you have never sailed a ship that offers this venue. There are so many things to do in that area…and is great to sit outside the Hoof & Claw Pub, Sorrento’s Pizza, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream or the Café Promenade and just watch people go by, or the Parade which there are several.

Decks 11, 12 and 13 have all the sports and a variety of activities for both children and adults. The famous FlowRider is located aft on deck 13. This is fun to watch even if you don’t get up the courage to try it out.

Bars are located throughout the ship. If you smoke check the daily newspaper, The Compass. There is a list of all the bars along with the hours open and whether smoking is allowed. Speaking of The Compass… you will find one in your cabin upon arrival and then each evening for the following day. Be sure to review and highlight all activities that look of interest, otherwise you will find you will miss something you really would have enjoyed.

Dining:
Dining rooms are located on decks 3, 4 and 5. The Windjammer Café is located on deck 11 as are the “for fee” restaurants, Portofino and Chops Grille. On deck 5 there is the Café Promenade and Sorrento’s Pizza. There is a limited sandwich selection and a pastry selection in the Café and salads, desserts and several selections of pizza in Sorrento’s. Coffee is located in both of these restaurants, with specialty coffees, at a fee, in the Café Promenade.

Soda’s.. if you drink a lot of soda do consider buying the coke card, day one! After that you just show your SeaPass card at any bar/restaurant and get your soda at no additional cost.

If you are interested in the “My Time Dining” and did not make your plans before boarding you can make arrangements on boarding day on Deck 5 at the Reservations Desk outside the restaurant. With this program you eat dinner anytime between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm versus the “standard” dining times of 6:30 pm or 8:30 pm.

Food quality… this is so subjective and personal… for us, sorry to say we did not think the food met the standard we have been accustomed to during our many cruises with this line in the past. We did the standard dining room service and found the selections limited and the food much more “spicy” than we enjoy. That said, if you are sailing for the first time and/or you enjoy more “exotic” foods we expect you will enjoy both the Windjammer as well as the dining room selections.

Entertainment:
We really enjoyed the “Encore” ice show! We have seen the Productions shows previously but still enjoyed seeing them again. The costumes were in great condition and beautiful. The cast delivered well and the show “In The Air Flying Show” is awesome! Another highlight was the headliner show starring Charo! She did a great job and then mingled with the audience, a real fun evening!

Throughout the week there were numerous activities presented by the Activities Staff. Some highlights for us were the Trivia Quizzes, The Quest and The Love & Marriage show. There were also the expected bingo games, previously mentioned Parades in the Promenade, many children and young people events… too many to list here… just make sure to check on what interests you, we are sure you will find many things to occupy your time when on-board the ship.

Ports:
Check out the RCCL site to get detailed information on the three ports. We have done many of the ship sponsored tours and have enjoyed each one. It just depends on your interest at the moment. There are wonderful beaches on all three ports; we prefer St Maarten for just enjoying the beach, for water related activities there is everything you might want to do at the Labadee stop… especially an awesome zip-line! For tours of “older” venues we suggest San Juan.

Captain, Officers, Staff, Crew and Passengers:
Kudos to the staff of this ship. We were treated wonderfully and had so many interactions that made us smile and say “wow”! There was a large group of young girls and their families on board celebrating their “Quince”. What a beautiful sight on the first formal evening… with the girls all wearing their beautiful dress and they and their families all posing for pictures! A real, unexpected treat.

Disembarkation:
We did the Express, which means we had to be able to handle all our luggage without help. The advantage is that you do not put your luggage out the last evening. The expected disembarkation time starts at 6:15 am, but is dependent on the ship clearing the US Authorities. We were allowed off at 6:35 am, went down the escalators, cleared customs and were headed to our car by 6:45 AM…. A very smooth process.

Final Comments:
Our Cabin, GS on deck 10, was very nice, perfect size with a couch, two chairs and very comfortable bed. We had a counter and plenty of drawer and closet space. The bathroom had a double sink and a tub with shower over the tub. Our balcony was a nice size with two lounges and a couple of chairs.

Overall we had a wonderful time, great weather, a beautiful ship, great service and nice fellow passengers.



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From: "Steve J. Garrod" <info@shipcafe.net>
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2009 at 18:05:07
Subject: Majesty of the Seas Photologue

Lois,

I have now completed and posted the Majesty of the Seas photologue on my web site (www.shipcafe.net). Feel free to share with your readers!

I hope that this finds you doing well!

Steve


From: "David Handrahan" <dahandra@msn.com>
Date:  Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 16:31:29
Subject:  Cruise Review - Mariner of the Seas - May 24 - 31, 2009

Embarkation: Was a challenge for several reasons specific to this limited time itinerary, so we’ll skip those. I will say that RC worked hard to overcome the challenges and pulled off the boarding as well as possible under the circumstances. An issue that pertains to all cruises out of LA is the terminal. Don’t look for much in the way of seating or amenities; even if you are Platinum or Diamond level guest, there ain’t much. The first on-board disappointment we had involved the soft drink packages. We had paid in advance to take advantage of this deal which we use every cruise. We thought it would help control our end of the cruise bill total, which it did; the problem is nobody briefed the RC folks on how to deal with someone who pre-paid. We could not get the stickers from anyone to put on our cards to get the drinks with our welcome aboard lunch and our insulated cups that came with the package were up in our cabin which was not ready for us to go into…there were no stickers there either. Eventually, a very nice gentleman at one of the bars near the Windjammer found someone who made no less than three phone calls to get us taken care of. We had lunch and by the time we finished, our cabin was ready for us to check out.

Cabin: We got a really good deal on the price of the D1 category balcony cabin on the RC website and our Platinum status got another $100 total knocked off the fare. We met our Cabin Attendant Althea who took outstanding care of us the entire trip. Our luggage arrived later that afternoon after the mandatory lifeboat drill and we started to map out our plans for where/what to eat for dinner. We had been placed in the second seating in the dining room, but decided to skip that and have very good room service meals. In fact, through the entire cruise, we did not even go into the main dining room. More on that later.

Food: I know what you’re saying, how can he talk about food if he did not go near the dining room? We took advantage of all the other eating venues on the Mariner. Our favorite is Chops Grille. We ate there 3 evenings out of the seven we were at sea. The food is phenomenal, the service impeccable and I know some people say “I don’t want to pay and extra $25 per person” but in our opinions it is well worth it. We had already pre-paid for two nights (we added the 3rd night because things were so good the first two) and unlike the soft drink program debacle the folks in Chops had this one down pat. Our servers all three nights in Chops (Vaz and Mihaelea) spoiled us rotten and we were more than happy to present them with gratuities we would have otherwise given to the dining room staff. The Windjammer on the Mariner is very nice, clean and well stocked----it has to be. There were a couple of mornings where trying to find a table was like attempting to locate the Holy Grail---I think they need to have a bigger eating are for a ship of this size. We also had dinner one night (or late afternoon actually) in Johnny Rockets. It was OK, a nice change from the other spots. You have to pay a $4.95 cover charge per person for your food; there are extra fees for drinks and milk shakes.

The Ship: The Mariner is HUGE! It’s hard to believe the about to be launched (in December) “Oasis of the Seas” will hold twice as many (over 6,000) passengers. The ship’s features are numerous and impressive. From the ice skating rink to the Royal Promenade to more clubs and bars than you can count, you will never run out of things to do on the Mariner. The ship’s Master, Captain “Johnny” is a riot. He works very hard to ensure everyone has a good time and his talents as a “Mariner” were evident on several occasions as he kept our voyage on-time, smooth and even impressively guided the ship under the Golden Gate Bridge with about only 20 feet of clearance (you can watch the short video I took on youtube titled “Golden Gate Close Encounter”). Abe, the Cruise Director, was active and effective without ever coming across as “pushy” like some of the folks we’ve sailed with before. My wife Debi even said for once she went to the spa and had her hair done and nobody tried to do the hard sell on the product they have for sale there; like almost everyone else we met in the Mariner crew, they were focused on customer service and making our trip enjoyable.

Debarkation: Extremely uneventful and smooth. We got up, got dressed and having chosen to handle our own baggage, we walked off the ship and got in our car and were on the road heading home (we drove to L.A. from AZ) before 8 AM.
 

Cruise reviews can be extremely helpful to new and experienced cruisers by giving the cruise vacation consumer's view of various RCCL ships and ports. If you've sailed aboard an RCCL ship, we hope you'll write and tell us about it by using our special form here.  Sincere thanks to those who take the time to do this so that others can have the benefit of shared information and experiences.


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From: "Al Rankin" <alandeloise@hotmail.com>
Date:  Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 14:04:42
Subject:  Calendar

September 11 - 26, 2009 - Radiance of the Seas - Vancouver BC to San Diego, CA - Al Rankin and Eloise Rankin - alandeloise@hotmail.com - Just to be with cruisin friends - We are taking the train from Edmonds, Washington to Vancouver, B.C. Get on our ship to Alaska and down the coast to San Diego.


From: "virginia" <gottagoacruzn@yahoo.com>
Date:  Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 14:52:09
Subject:  11 day 2010 mexican rivera cruise

Hi guys, allow me to introduce myself, i'm gottagoacruzn, and have been on several cruises, #20 cruise was back in Feb, on the mariner, and i had a wonderful time. I know my next cruise is waaaaay far away, but is anybody going on the Radiance ots? Have cruised to alaska, the caribbean and mexico, my favorite cruise line is Rccl, but have cruised on princess.

gottagoacruzn



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From:  "maria a. James" <marierigobe@aol.com>
Date:  Wednesday, april 22, 2009 at 16:43:37
Subject:  Calendar

May 7 - 16, 2009 - Grandeur of the Seas - Norfolk, Virginia - Norfolk, Virginia - terry james, (son) kathaleen reed james, (new dauhter in law) maria a james (the mother) - marierigobe@aol.com - my son got married we are celebrating - we are are exited and can wait for the day i have cruise before on this boat and i love it and it is a happy time for me for this is the first in 20 years that my son and myself will be partying together


From: "arleta faillo" <rfaillo@sbsglobal.net>
Date: Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:25:13
Subject: Review - Liberty of the Seas - April 4 - 11, 2009

it was amazing! this is our 2nd cruise on rccl. the first was on the Nordic Prince. although LOS is a MUCH! larger ship, it was very easy to find everything. Being senior citizens! we did not do alot of the activities, but there was much we could and did do. we were with our daughter and family. the only glitch in the trip was the last few hours on the ship when my son-in-law had a medical emergency. the response from the Doctors and staff was incredible, they transfered him by ambulance in Miami to a hospital, and thankfully he and my daughter were able to meet us at the airport to fly home. the waiters, crew, everyone on the ship made it a pleasure for us. hopefully we will cruise again.thank you so much for a memorable time. Bob & Lee Faillo




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April 3, 2009

Hello Everyone,

Many thanks to Doris Steele for sharing some gorgeous images of St. Thomas, USVI, that she took during her cruise aboard Adventure of the Seas last week. Doris' images are available here.

Lois Evensen
WebAnchor


From: "Sheila" <sheila1956@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 08:55:38
Subject: Calendar

September 13 - 20, 2009 - Freedom of the Seas - Port Canaveral to Port Canaveral - Sheila W. - sheila1956@sbcglobal.net - No special occasion - I'm looking forward to sailing on Freedom. I was on Explorer in 2007 and she was docked next to Explorer, in St. Maarten. When I saw her I knew that I had to take at least one cruise on her. I'm really excited about cruising on her.




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From: "Carolyn Dumas" <rthrryf@localnet.com>
Date: Monday, March 16, 2009 at 15:43:31
Subject: Independence of the Seas - March 7 - 15, 2009

Absolutely wonderful...as always.
If any of the readers were on this cruise and recorded Larry in the Karaoke lounge singing Unchained..or Runaround Sue...I would love a copy.
Thanks, Carolyn at rthrryf@localnet.com


From: "Kim Johnson" <dukeva59@yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 22:42:34
Subject: Calendar

June 13 - 18, 2009 - Grandeur of the Seas - Norfolk, Virginia to Norfolk, Virginia - Kim Johnson and daughter - dukeva59@yahoo.com - 50th birthday - This is mine and my daughter's first cruise. I think that turning 50 this year, cruising to Bermuda would be a great way of celebrating. I was reluctant at first and I am still a little nervous but hopefully it will be short lived. I have suffered with motion sickness in the past and I am praying that it won't put a damper on this trip. I will think positively and bring all forms of motion sickeness meds with me!!!




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From: "judith clark" <judy_digg@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, March 9, 2009 at 22:42:38
Review: Grandeur of the Seas - March 2 - 7, 2009

cruise was great, i had reported earlier that my clothes were stolen, but they were found so i am writing to apologize for thinking the crew stole them, they were miss placed by my husband at home, my cruise was great as i had already said so royal carribean please except my apology for the miss information. i plan to cruise with you again.

Thanks, Judy,

I'm glad you found your clothes and appreciate the follow-up.

Happy Cruising,

Lois Evensen
WebAnchor


From: "Steve J. Garrod" <info@shipcafe.net>
Date: March 7, 2009 at 23:46:05
Subject: Majesty Wonderful as Ever

Lois,

My family, friends, and I have just returned from the 27 February, 2009 sailing of the Majesty and it was truly spectacular once again. I noticed that many of the officers were different from whom I saw in December but many staff recognized me with a smile and greeting. What a family!

I've sent through some photos for you and am going to be soon publishing a ship photologue of Majesty of the Seas on my web site and I will post here when it is completed.

Steve

Hello again, Steve,

It was good to see you and meet you parents on board Majesty. Thanks for sending some of the images you took on board. We will be sharing them with our readers on the images of the day on various pages of this site between now and June, 2009.

Best,

Lois Evensen
WebAnchor




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From: "Ethan" <elinen@unit7.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 15:52:43
Subject: Majesty of the Seas Cruise to Nassau, 2/13-2/16

Hey all,

Enjoyed the Majesty of the Seas Cruise to Nassau...a lot. I know a bunch of other people did as well (you know who you are - FCDS teachers, Pam and John, Jeff and Laura/Miami crew, Mindy and the Chicago girls, anybody who dug Nate the piano player's singing/playing abilities, etc. - don't want to take up the whole page).

I hope to be on another cruise next year if not sooner. Am on facebook if anybody from that cruise wants to give a shout.

Ethan


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