New Cruiser...Lots of Questions

[lisareneeo]

I am a first time cruiser on RC and have lots of questions. We will be flying into Ft Laud. How far away is Port Everglades? We did not book transportation yet. We are all arriving within an hour of each other. The last group of people should arrive at 1:15 pm

We will be cruising on Navigator of the Seas (4 night)
Is there a dining rotation? I have only been on the Disney cruise and there were 3 main restaurants. I gather there is one on Navigator and one night is formal. Is this correct?

Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated

Can you eat in the main restaurant for breakfast and lunch? Are you assigned times based on your dinner time or can you go whenever?

Sorry. I have never been on RC It is a group of 8 friends. We are all very excited for our trip,


thanks in advance,
Lisa

[Spiritfilled]

Welcome to Cruise Chat lisareneeo you will get lots of help here and I am sure many will be able to answer your questions again welcome.

[drlivingston]

Welcome to Cruise Chat, lisareneeo. Your first question is easy. Port Everglades is very close to the Ft. Lauderdale airport. It's only about 2 miles away. Be prepared for a huge place. I believe it has 11 cruise terminals and is one of the top five busiest cruise terminals in the world.
On board, since it's a 4-day cruise, you will have one formal night. There is a wide array of dining options on the Navigator. Their main dining room is a three-tier beautiful site. The bottom floor is called the Nutcracker Dining Room. The second floor is called the Coppelia Dining Room. And the top floor is called the Swan Lake Dining Room. I am sure that you will have assigned seats and dining times. I understand RCCL is testing the flexi dining option but that is on another ship.
You also can opt to eat in one of two "premium" restaurants on board. You have Portofino's which is Italian based. And you have Chop's which is basically traditional steakhouse fare. Both of these restaurants will cost an additional $20 per person and my recommendation would be to make reservations as soon as you board the ship.
You also have the Windjammer Cafe for buffet style food. Plus, you can go to the Jade Restaurant which is a no-fee restaurant serving fusion cuisine from southeast asia.
Usually breakfast and lunch are open seating in the main dining rooms.
Let us know if we can be of further assistance.

[Dave]

Hello Lisa,

Welcome to cruise-chat! Dr. Livingston has done a complete job of answering your questions. There isn't much more to add, other than there is also Sorrento's Pizza and the Cafe Promenade. The cafe has extra-fee coffees and some extra-fee desserts, but it also has great little sandwiches, cookies, and pastries, which do not cost you extra. The cafe is open 24 hours. Sorrento's is open most of the time. Pizza and other Italian snacks are available - included in your cruise fare. While there are three separate names for the levels of the dining room, it is really one big dining room and you are assigned to a specific table on a specific level for dinner. They usually only open one level for open seating breakfast and lunch...this seems to be the lowest level most often. Dining room breakfast is always a great idea since it isn't as hectic as the buffet.

And yes, it will only take a few minutes to get from FLL to the port. The airport is essentially across the street from the port, but then it isn't a straight shot either.

[penny3333]

Hi lisareneeo, welcome to cruise-chat. You're in for a wonderful experience. You can eat in the main dining room for breakfast and lunch. However, the buffet has some really nice selections as well. The cab fare should not be over $10 to get to the port. You should have already been assigned your dining seating, either for early or late, and you will find your table on the first evening. Have a wonderful cruise!

[lisareneeo]

Thank you so much for your help. You did a great job answering my questions.

I do have one more question. Will we be on the same level each night for dining or will that be roated? Ex, one night we will be in the Nutcracker then the next night in Swan Lake, etc...? Thanks again.
Lisa

[Dave]

Only Disney does that rotational dining room thing. On RCI and the other lines with assigned seating you stay at the same table (on the same deck) for the whole cruise. There is no difference in the menus or decor from one level of the main dining room to the next. It is three decks high because it has to be to accomodate all those passengers.

Of course, during open seating breakfast and lunch you will be seated wherever there is open space at that time.

[drlivingston]

Your seats in the main dining room should remain the same for the entire cruise. Like Dave said, it's three separate names but not three separate enclosed dining rooms. They are connected by a grand staircase and you can see them if you look up or down. Your food will not take forever as each dining room has it's own galley.

[18andacruiseaddict]

Beautiful picture drlivingston

[lisareneeo]

Another question,
is it the same menu each night or does that change. Will be on a 4 nighter Navigator.
Thanks
Lisa