On Saturday I’ll be boarding the MSC Divina out of Miami for seven days in the eastern Caribbean. I’ve been invited by the cruise line to check out their one and only ship here in the United States and write about my experience onboard.
As a cruise line that predominantly sails their ships in the Mediterranean, MSC is testing the waters here to see if their “Mediterranean style” cruising will be a hit with Americans. So far I’ve read mixed reviews on all aspects of the ship, from crew to onboard services, so as usual I’ll give my own perspective of life on board during my daily updates starting Sunday.
I hope you’ll travel along with me!
Speaking of traveling along, my daily updates from onboard the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas continue to get thousands(!) of views each week from visitors all around the world curious as to what it’s like onboard the newest ship to sail the seven seas. Along with all those views, came tons of questions from people who never cruised before to seasoned veterans (who I hope aren’t members of the gold nameplate wearing brigade who were a bone of contention with me on Quantum).
I’ve done my best to respond to each one and continue to work my way through some that are still in my inbox, so hang in there if I didn’t answer your question yet. In the mean time, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about cruising I’ve gotten over the past two weeks:
My husband and I are looking to book our first cruise. We will be bringing our two boys, age 7 and 9. We’ve looked at Disney, Carnival and Royal Caribbean and still haven’t narrowed down which we want to go with. What would you recommend for us? We don’t want to drop our kids off at the ship’s day care and not spend time with them, we want to make this a family vacation for all of us.
Honestly, for families with young children, I don’t think you can go wrong with a Disney cruise. I’ve been on Disney and there are plenty of activities for the kids, for all of you together and of course for mom and dad who want some alone time – including an “adults only” restaurant if you’re looking for a romantic dinner for two.
When I was on Disney, I was worried about being bombarded with kids at every turn, but I wasn’t. They have their own areas onboard and adults have theirs. Their ships are among the most gorgeous at sea and the service, well after all… it’s Disney, so expect service above and beyond. Disney also has family-friendly staterooms as well, which is a big plus.
If Disney isn’t your thing, my next recommendation would be Royal Caribbean. Again, there are plenty of activities for mom and dad and there are camps and activities for your kids as well. You won’t see Disney characters on board, but you will see Dreamworks characters like Shrek and others on Royal Caribbean ships.
We are booked on Quantum of the Seas in January and are looking forward to it even more after reading your blog. I have a few questions I hope you can answer for us. First, we are not one to dress up for formal night, are their formal nights and if so, what did you see people wearing? Second, we didn’t make our restaurant reservations yet, what would you recommend we try? Third, on sea days, how hard was it to find chairs around the pool? Thanks for your time.
I think you’re going to love Quantum! If you’ve sailed on Royal Caribbean before and are used to some of the “staples” – go in with an open mind. This is the future direction of cruising on Royal and some of the frequent cruises weren’t too happy with Royal 2.0, but I enjoyed pretty much everything onboard, except the lack of pillow chocolate every night!
On Quantum there are no formal nights. Dress code every night is smart casual, a move I applaud them for. Luxury lines, Regent Seven Seas and Crystal have had the “country club casual” dress code forever while others have been reluctant to move in this direction thinking people actually enjoy dressing in penguin suits to have their picture taken in the lobby. It’s old school and unless you’re on a transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2, there’s no place for it in today’s age. The only “formal” dining experience is in one of Quantum’s free restaurants, The Grande. In there you can wear a tux and a cocktail dress, but most men on my cruise (including me) wore a sport coat and collared shirt. If your husband wears that and you wear a nice dress, you’ll be fine. Or you can skip The Grande completely and be casual throughout your vacation.
As I wrote in my Day 8 recap of Quantum, my recommended, not-to-miss restaurants onboard were Wonderland (my favorite), Jamie’s Italian and Silk (if you like Asian-fusion). Least favorite was unfortunately, The Grande, where I thought the food was just “ok” and didn’t live up to the hype of being the ship’s glamours restaurant.
On my Quantum cruise, we had 5 days of rain and cold weather, so being out at the pool wasn’t much of an option. On two days where it was nice enough to hang out, there were more than enough chairs around the outdoor pool and on the upper decks for you to work on your tan. The Solarium pool was busy most days, but there was still plenty of space for more and so was the ship’s other indoor pool.
When you book a cruise, what kind of cabin do you get and would you ever take a “guaranteed” room?
My first cruise on the Sovereign of the Seas, my travel agent recommended an inside stateroom low and mid-ship. That was the one and only time I ever stayed in an inside. For me, they just feel small and confining. I know you don’t spend much time in your stateroom, but the time that you do spend in there should be enjoyable, and I felt claustrophobic.
I’ve stayed in many types of staterooms on different lines. From the largest penthouse suites on Holland America ships that feature balconies with a hot tub that have more square footage than most staterooms and the two-level Crown Loft Suite on Allure of the Seas, to standard balcony and window staterooms.
For me, I have to have at least a balcony, since I do like to have breakfast out there on warm mornings and I enjoy spending time out there just watching the world go by in my own private space. Aft balcony cabins are my favorite, as you look out over the back of the ship and usually have a larger balcony, although some ships have significant vibrations back there which some may find aggravating, as I did on Seven Seas Voyager and actually had to be moved to a different suite.
As far as guaranteed stateroom as concerned, these are often offered at a reduced rate where you are “guaranteed” a room in at least the class you booked. You don’t get to choose your stateroom, as this is done a few days prior by the cruise line, or when you check in at the pier. You may get the room in the class you booked, or you may get an upgrade if you’re lucky. If you don’t care where your stateroom is located on the ship, this is a way to save money, and yes… I’ve booked guaranteed rooms many times and have gotten upgraded from the original class each time.
Have you ever tried those wrist bands for sea sickness?
Luckily, I’m not one prone to mal de mar, although I did get a little woozy on my second day on Quantum of the Seas. I think my stomach was fighting me more from watching two people sitting next to me in the Windjammer Marketplace turn green from the rough sea, than the sea itself. For the most part, I don’t take anything for sea sickness, but if I do feel a bout of it coming on, I usually pop a Bonine which does the trick. I used to see a lot of people wearing the bands you mentioned, but not so much anymore. The prescription patch behind the ear is pretty popular, although it does cause side effects which include dry mouth, which is easily remedied by a trip to one of the ship’s bars.
I’m a frequent flyer, frequent cruiser and mile hog and stick to one airline and one cruise line for the perks. Why don’t you? You’re missing out on a lot of benefits.
When I was flying over 100,000 miles a year I was loyal to one airline so I would be sure to get first class upgrades with each flight, but since I only fly a couple times a year now, I’m more loyal to my wallet than the airline and really don’t care who I fly on as long as I get there.
As far as cruise lines are concerned, I do like to rack up days/points for the benefits their loyalty programs offer and try to stick to one line. But, I also like to explore different ships and see what other lines are like. A 737 is going to be the same no matter what airline you fly on, a ship isn’t like that, so I definitely like to mix it up a bit.
Your review of your Panama Canal cruise on the Zuiderdam convinced my wife and I to take the same trip last month and we both loved it. We have been on Holland America line before on both the Statendam and Westerdam, and noticed on this last cruise service was off. Our wait staff in the dining room seemed overwhelmed and sometimes it took a long time to get a drink at the bars. Have you noticed this as well on Holland America?
I’m glad you enjoyed your cruise through the Panama Canal. I have to say, out of all the cruises I’ve been on, that was my absolutely favorite so far, and I recommend it to everyone. As far as service onboard ships is concerned, I’ve noticed cutbacks on both Holland America and other lines and I think it’s just a sign of the times.
During my last Veendam cruise, service was bad in many areas and they seemed short-staffed in so many areas. Perhaps it was because it just came out of dry-dock, but I don’t think so. I do recall poor service in some of the bars on the msZuiderdam. I can’t speak for the dining room, as I ate in the Pinnacle Grill each night were service was top-notch.
On Quantum of the Seas, I noticed a sign of cutbacks in the form of no chocolate on the pillow at night which screams “CHEAP!” How much does a piece of chocolate cost? Really! It’s something people like and expect when on a cruise and that little thing stuck with me. Another thing that struck me was the fact that if you wanted shampoo or conditioner, you needed to ask your stateroom attendant for it. Again, screams cutbacks.
You’ve mentioned a few times you’re not a fan of Carnival. Can I ask why? We have been on several Carnival cruises and always had a great time and would not describe them as a “booze cruise” as you do.
Right. I am not a Carnival fan. I’ll admit it. Just like you may not be a Holland American fan. We all have our tastes when it comes to travel. I did sail on the Carnival Libertythis past July and it was everything I expected – glitzy, raucous, fun for those looking for fun, and boozy. While I did enjoy Guy’s Burger Joint, I didn’t enjoy the food onboard, I didn’t enjoy seeing fellow passengers drunk at 10am on the pool deck, I don’t get into the hairy back contests, or the lick-the-whipped-cream-off-each-other contest, it’s just not for me. But I experienced it and won’t be making a return to the fun ships anytime soon. However, like I said, experiences vary by itinerary. I would not expect this type of behavior onboard during a Canada/New England or Alaska cruise. My advice, stick with what you like and enjoy!
I am Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean and I’ve booked Quantum of the Seas for February. What were Crown & Anchor members been complaining about the most during your cruise?
First off, please don’t wear a nametag and cut in front of people in the bacon line like some of your fellow high-status people were doing onboard my sailing! But congratulations for reaching Diamond Plus, you’re obviously pretty “Loyal to Royal.”
Biggest complaint from those who have sailed many times on Royal was the lack of the main dining room! I’m surprised that this many people would let that ruin their vacation. Many I spoke to enjoyed having a set time each night to eat with the same wait staff taking care of them each night and learning what they like and dislike on day 1. These same people did not like having to make reservations for dinner every night, something I could not really comprehend. Yeah, if you like the dining room situation, I can see that, but come on… making a reservation for dinner is not that inconvenient.
Second biggest complaint was the ship itself. They said it felt “more like Celebrity” than Royal Caribbean as the design was a major departure from other Royal ships. Many were not comfortable with self service Royal iQ kiosks where you made reservations or booked shore excursions, and some said they would never sail on it again. I asked several complainers what their favorite Royal Caribbean ships were and without question, they all said either Oasis or Allure of the Seas, which are bigger than Quantum, which surprised me… the reason? They liked Central Park. Go figure.
Like I said earlier, go in with an open mind and just enjoy yourself and don’t let anything ruin your fun.
We love Holland America and have sailed with them many times around the world, most recently to Alaska where we did the land/sea option and it was beautiful. I prefer their smaller ships and am sad to see they are getting rid of them and coming out with an even larger ship in a few years. What ship is your favorite in the fleet?
Alaska is on my to-list, and honestly, I wouldn’t do it with any other line than Holland America specifically because they pretty much dominate the Alaska market and offer great packages like you just took.
I thought I would enjoy the small ship Holland America experience when I was on the ms Veendam, but the trip was marred by so many issues which started before we even boarded. I would not sail on the Veendam again for that reason, but would like to be on the Prinsendam at some point as I do enjoy smaller vessels.
My favorite ship in the fleet has to be the ms Eurodam. I’ve been on her several times and may be back on her in January. I enjoy the fact that she has private cabanas, expanded dining options which include the always awesome Tamarind, and the service has always been top-notch each time I’ve been onboard. In fact, during my last trip the manager in Tamarind recognized me from Tamarind on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam and took very good care of me at dinner. It’s little things like that, that make for a good ship and a good onboard experience.
Second up would be the Nieuw Amsterdam, although I can’t stand the décor! Way too much red. I am looking forward to seeing the new ms Koningsdam when she comes out in February 2016, although I don’t think we’re going to see her here in the United States.
We are going to be on a 7 day cruise on Oasis of the Seas in a few weeks and will be stopping in Nassau, Saint Thomas, and Saint Martin. Can you recommend things for us to do in these ports?
Absolutely! Stay on the ship and enjoy the time exploring while fellow passengers are off buying cheap crap from pushy vendors.
Seriously, if this is your first time to any of these ports, by all means explore. But please keep in mind, crime rates in these tourist areas are high – especially Nassau, where tourists are easy targets. If you’re going to venture on land, do yourself a favor and book your tours through the ship’s shore excursion desk so you are with reputable tour operators and with fellow ship-mates.
Nassau, you won’t find me venturing anywhere past the port. If you want to do anything there, take a trip to Atlantis for the day. Saint Thomas and Saint Martin are fairly safe and you can walk around town feeling somewhat secure, unlike Nassau.
I’m not one for shore excursions, but by all means, find some you like and get out there and enjoy. Or be like me and just enjoy an empty ship for the day!
We are booked in a Neptune Suite on the Westerdam and we are wondering if you tip the concierge staff when you use the lounge?
While tipping the concierge in the Neptune Lounge (reserved for use by those booked in Neptune Suites and higher) on Holland America ships isn’t required, I recommend it if you’re going to be using the staff throughout your vacation.
I will go in on embarkation day, introduce myself to the lounge staff, confirm my restaurant reservations and tip the staff then and there for the length of the trip. That friendly gesture ensures me that I’m going to get some good service from the men and women in the lounge when I call upon them. Again, you don’t need to do it, but if you’re going to be going in there every day for snacks, drinks, help with reservations, etc., I recommend it.
Of course, what you tip is up to you and you can do it whenever you feel like doing it.
I always enjoy reading your travel stories and try to compare your experiences to ours when we cruise and often find parallels. We tend to cruise on Norwegian for most of our cruises. What is your favorite cruise line?
Thanks for your comments and I’m glad you enjoy my ramblings! Favorite cruise line? Well, I have to break them down based on type of line, so here it goes:
Premium/Luxury – hands down Regent Seven Seas cruises. Expensive, but worth it. All inclusive from drinks to shore excursions, you don’t pay extra for anything and it’s a 5 star experience.
Standard – Holland America. Mid-size ships, good service, good food, traditional cruising without the hype. If you’re looking to relax, go Holland America.
Mass Market – Royal Caribbean, if you’re looking for a fairly affordable, family vacation that’s fun but not over the top, go Royal. Although their prices are creeping upward. Be prepared to be on ships that accommodate anywhere between 3,000 – 6,000 people.
One more thing… this morning I received an email from Royal Caribbean letting me know that after my Quantum of the Seas cruise, I’ve reached Platinum status with them. I wondered how that could be since I don’t sail with them much at all and would not reach that level unless I cruised another time.
Surprisingly, the answer was something I was not expecting!
Unlike other lines, Royal Caribbean gives DOUBLE POINTS, which determine status, for single passengers. Finally, a line that gets it! Solo cruises like me, usually pay anywhere from 150% – 200% because cruise rates are always based on double occupancy. Meaning, a single person pays for two. It’s only fair that if a single is paying double, points should double.
You may recall my tussle with Holland America over one lousy point to bring me to three-star status with them and how they blew me off. All cruise lines should take this cue from Royal Caribbean and give us single supplement sufferers a little extra for shelling out double the fare.
This perk alone has me seriously considering sailing Royal Caribbean even more now.
Got to give that some consideration.
Stay tuned… the next updates will be from the MSC Divina!