Podcast Cruise 6.0!!! Official Info

[disneysteve]

Also- update to the roster... Cabin 8640
I am still on this cruise, however, my DH John, is not able to join us this time.
My new roomie is Phyllis DeMaio (pal_mickey)! Her first Podcast cruise. And we are both new to RCL.

Sorry John can't make it. Happy to have Phyllis along. This is our first Podcast cruise and first RCL cruise also.

 

[Cherinva]

I am wondering...has anyone heard if Corey is going to have a design made up for Tee Shirts on this cruise? I still have the one from PCC 2.0 and wear it.

 

[Jobie]

Here are some pointers I have for this ship and cruise. I have cruised on the Allure of the Seas (same class as the Oasis) and have done this exact itinerary on it.

On the Ship

1. When you first board, most people go to Windjammers (the buffet) for lunch. I recommend going to Park Cafe instead. It is a small eatery in the Central Park neighborhood of the ship. They have great roast beef sandwiches here and is a little less crazy compared to buffet during this time.
2. If you did not make reservations before hand, do not get too worried about it. During boarding day they have a large area where you can get your reservations in order (when we went it was at Studio B, the theater with the ice skating rink). Also, you can make reservations throughout the cruise. The most important thing we found for reservations was for the main show at the Aqua Theater (only took place during first half of the cruise) and the main show in the main theater (which is Cats on the Oasis). Also, reservations for the comedy club seemed like a must, because it is a small venue. However, the comedy club does pretty much the same set every night, so just make sure you get in one night. Everything else you can usually get day of, in the morning.
3. Try the hot dogs at Boardwalk Dog House. They have several different types and it is a great grab-n-go snack while you are walking around the ship.
4. Find the hidden public balconies on the ship and enjoy them! There are a few public balconies in the aft of the ship (back) on the higher decks. You must walk through the long hallway by all of the cabins, but at the end is a door that goes out onto a balcony that has chairs, tables, and wonderful views. Very few people know about these, and they are a great place to relax and hang out. It's my wife's favorite spot on the ship. I think they were on decks 11, 12, and 14, but I might be wrong. Explore!
5. On Air (the sports lounge on Deck 5) turns into a karaoke bar at night. Even if you do not like to sing, check it out. We had a lot of fun there, and it seems like the same groups of people showed up every night. The good singers would get cheered while announced to go on stage due to people seeing them the night before. It was a lot of fun.
6. Go the the Love and Marriage show. It is RCI's version of the Newlywed Game, but with more than just newlyweds. It is always a great time.
7. Do the Quest! Near the end of the cruise, they will have an event one night called The Quest. This is an adult rated scavenger hunt, where the items they are looking for are what you have on you or your body itself. It is a lot of fun, and could be a great way for us Disers to bond, lol.
8. If you like to drink, take one of their cocktail making classes. You will get to make several cocktails (5 in the class I took) and drink them all. You also get a glass to keep and a certificate. It was cheap when I did it (I ant to say $18), and when you figure that you are getting 4 drinks out of it is a deal. At the one I went to, it also turned into an impromptu tequila tasting where the host was pouring shots of all types for whoever wanted some. Best $18 I spent on booze.
9. Make sure you take a ride on the Rising Tide bar. Sure it is just a fancy elevator, but where else can you order a drink while on an elevator? It was a fun experience.

Labadee, Haiti

1. This is a great beach day! If you did not know, this is RCI's private peninsula and it is a tropical paradise. It is probably not as good as Disney's (never been), but it is really cool.
2. If you like adventure you can zip-line and ride a roller-coaster here for a price. The zip-line does have a weight limit (250 lbs, I think) and I have heard issues for people getting a refund if they bought tickets before hand but were over the limit. Just a heads up.
3. Have lunch on the ship. I just find the food on the "cook out" here is not as good as you can get on the ship.
4. If it is open, take the path to Dragon's Breath Point. It is a really neat area to walk to and if you listen closely, you can hear why the place is called Dragon's Breath.

Falmouth, Jamaica

1. This was are least favorite place, and the only place I have ever felt unsafe at while on a cruise (we had some guys following us while walking outside of the port's gates). I would only advise leaving the port area if you are taking a taxi to a place that you know outside of the area.
2. The port area has a lot of shopping here with several places with free wi-fi. We will probably only go out to this area briefly and then go back to the ship, unless I can talk my wife into doing the Bob Marley House excursion with me.
3. Last time we went back to ship and they had half off cocktails for several hours while in port.

Cozumel, Mexico

1. Best shops seems to be outside of the large port area. Inside they seem to be pretty pricey compared to other places.
2. We rented a car last time and will probably do it again. There are places to rent a car right off of the ship and you can also reserve ahead of time online. The island is really easy to drive around. One side is pretty much just beach, with bars/shops/taco spots scattered about every few miles. The road will cut through the middle of the island, where you can tour ruins. Then the other side is where the city is at. We spent the entire day driving around the island and then exploring the ruins, stopping every now and again at the shops and bars at the side of the road.
3. Tour ruins! The ruins were really cool. Just make sure you have bug spray (lots of mosquitoes when we were there) and water. Its a lot of walking though a humid, jungle like environment. It was worth it though!

Those were just a few tips/suggestions I could think of off of the top of my head. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[jacstangler]

First Jobie thanks for all the information.
next: I understand you can have 2 bottles of wine brought into each stateroom. Is that still correct? also I hear you can bring to dinner table and their is no corking charge. Is that correct?

can't wait to see and meet new people.

John and Christy

 

[disneysteve]

Jobie, thank you for that great post.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We went to Falmouth on a previous RCCL cruise and had tea at the Good Hope estate through a RCCL excursion, and it was a worthwhile excursion. I do enjoy tea, and it was held on the lawn.

On Labadee we went snorkeling through an excursion, and it was definitely not as good as snorkeling on CC. We were snorkeling through aquatic plants, felt awful. We will not be doing that again!

Got an email today from Tracy going over paying and booking things on line. We've done it all, except fully paying, but we'll be doing that next week.

I look forward to seeing what cruising is like on the Oasis!

 

[disneysteve]

We went to Falmouth on a previous RCCL cruise and had tea at the Good Hope estate through a RCCL excursion, and it was a worthwhile excursion. I do enjoy tea, and it was held on the lawn.

On Labadee we went snorkeling through an excursion, and it was definitely not as good as snorkeling on CC. We were snorkeling through aquatic plants, felt awful. We will not be doing that again!

Got an email today from Tracy going over paying and booking things on line. We've done it all, except fully paying, but we'll be doing that next week.

I look forward to seeing what cruising is like on the Oasis!

I paid our balance today so we're all set for that. Now we just need to figure out when we're traveling and where we're staying on land.

 

[Disney Enabler]

We went to Falmouth on a previous RCCL cruise and had tea at the Good Hope estate through a RCCL excursion, and it was a worthwhile excursion. I do enjoy tea, and it was held on the lawn.

On Labadee we went snorkeling through an excursion, and it was definitely not as good as snorkeling on CC. We were snorkeling through aquatic plants, felt awful. We will not be doing that again!

Got an email today from Tracy going over paying and booking things on line. We've done it all, except fully paying, but we'll be doing that next week.

I look forward to seeing what cruising is like on the Oasis!

I was thinking about doing the tea this year. Can you tell me was there a lot of walking and was it on stable ground? When going on shore excursion I can only use a cane so I am wondering how taxing this trip would be for me. I would love your insight.

 

[bobbiwoz]

i used a cane when we went on this excursion. It was before I had my knees replaced, and walking was difficult. You took a tour of the house, so there were stairs, but I managed.

 

[wdwscout]

I was thinking about doing the tea this year. Can you tell me was there a lot of walking and was it on stable ground? When going on shore excursion I can only use a cane so I am wondering how taxing this trip would be for me. I would love your insight.

Carol, I did this tea on PCC 5.0. There is quite a bit of walking as you tour the house. And as was said, there are stairs. You could certainly go on the bus, and then hang out on the shaded property without touring the house. The tea was in the backyard- some tables were on the patio and some on the lawn. It was all shaded and flat, stable ground.

 

[DSNYDREAMER]

When on a cruise, we always like to venture out on our own. Our last cruise stopped in Falmouth, I like the little area by port. But on our last cruise was told by a few people in the know, do not venture past the gates on your own. Everyone agreed, taking an excursion was just fine, but apparently the area just outside the gates is a little less than desirable!

 

[larry_poppins]

I just paid off the cruise! Wow!
I'm getting excited!

Larry

 

[Disney Enabler]

Carol, I did this tea on PCC 5.0. There is quite a bit of walking as you tour the house. And as was said, there are stairs. You could certainly go on the bus, and then hang out on the shaded property without touring the house. The tea was in the backyard- some tables were on the patio and some on the lawn. It was all shaded and flat, stable ground.

Thanks for the information. Between the walking and the stairs I think I better have a nice cup of tea and a lovely desert on the ship.

 

[disneysteve]

Do any of the ports require tendering or does the ship dock at each of them? We're really not excited about any of the stops. We chose this cruise strictly because of the DIS. If there is tendering, we will probably just stay on the ship.

 

[wdwscout]

For those of you who have sailed Royal Caribbean before, if there ice water and iced tea available on the ship for free? Or do you need a drink package for those?
I know you need a package for bottle water. Just wondering about a cup of water to drink.
And are your non-alcoholic beverages at dinner included? Or do you pay for those too?

Thanks.

 

[corky441]

For those of you who have sailed Royal Caribbean before, if there ice water and iced tea available on the ship for free? Or do you need a drink package for those?
I know you need a package for bottle water. Just wondering about a cup of water to drink.
And are your non-alcoholic beverages at dinner included? Or do you pay for those too?

Thanks.

The included beverages are:

Tap water
Coffee
Lemonade
Iced tea
Milk
Hot tea
Juice at breakfast ( not fresh squeezed)

These beverages are available at all meals and throughout the day

 

[corky441]

Do any of the ports require tendering or does the ship dock at each of them? We're really not excited about any of the stops. We chose this cruise strictly because of the DIS. If there is tendering, we will probably just stay on the ship.

None of the Ports of Call are tender ports. The ship will dock

 

[DVC Kathy]

We're now paid in full as well. Really looking forward to this trip.

Kathy

 

[racefans44]

I am paid in full now also! Yippee......seems like this is finally happening. Anyone else going to MVMCP on Dec. 11?

 

[Jobie]

I am paid in full now also! Yippee......seems like this is finally happening. Anyone else going to MVMCP on Dec. 11?

Woohoo!! I am doing MVMCP on either the 1st or the 2nd. Usually I am tired on the last day of a cruise, so going afterwards I think I will be way to tired.