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Yes. They usually have a "bundle" kind of offer where you can choose 3 services/procedures from a list of several and they package them together for a bundled price. As you suggest...facial, back massage and foot massage (this is usually what I get !!). As @RestingBirds mentioned, the best deals (IMO) are on port days since most people get off the ship and I suspect business is slow at those times. That's usually when they run their bundled deals. They also tend to vary by times of the day. The earlier appointment times are the hardest for them to fill (I guess) and are often cheaper than those for the afternoon or early evening. I'm not a huge spa person but I recommend that you wait until you're onboard unless you see a pre-cruise special online (I never have except when they run the very scarce cruise planner specials) as they tend to offer better discounts onboard - at least, that's what it seems like to me ! If you ever go to Costa Maya, be sure and get the beachside massage in Mahaual. They are very very affordable (like $20 for an hour...you have to haggle though !!). We always get them when we go. In fact, we sometimes cruise just to go to Costa Maya just so that we can get a $20 beach massage. How sick is that ??

Here's an explanation that someone posted in the comments on the blog post and why it may take a while to fix

My allure sailing from November 2013 had an issue with one of the azipods but our itinerary was not affected (Western Caribbean). It happens.... Isn't the first time, won't be the last. Like KLA said sure it's disappointing at first but at least the sailings haven't been cancelled. One thing I learned is that when it comes to cruises I never book with my heart set on I have to go to this port. Things can happen and the itinerary gets changed and that's when you get the people who say my cruise has been ruined because I wanted to go to this island

You'll have to let us know your NZ itinerary. Depending on schedules etc we might be able to give you the locals experience We did Ovation in January which include New Caledonia, Vanuatu and then a few days in NZ (Auckland, Tauranga and Bay of Islands. It was interesting seeing you home country from the prospective of a cruise ship. Living here day in day out you kind of forget how beautiful it actually is.

Wow. You sound like one of those late night "feed the children" spokesperson. ?

The Quest...go to, and participate if you want, The Quest.

To be fair, we don't know what dish it is, if it is a kids dish, or if they asked for it to be served like that.

I collect pictures of the builders' plaque on ships I've sailed on. Unfortunately I failed to take a picture of the Kvaerner Masa shipyard plaque (showing build number 1347) when I sailed on RCL's Navigator of the Seas years ago. Does anyone have a picture of the plaque and is willing to share it??? It's just a keepsake I'd like to have -- no commercial purposes whatsoever.

Odds are the final decision won't be made until you are underway, and it will be at the discretion of the captain. Generally speaking they are less concerned with whether they can dock as they are whether they can leave once docked. Rough seas can push the ship against the dock and cause damage, and getting stuck and not returning on time to disembark (and more importantly embark on the next trip) is far worse than missing a port of call. Also if tendering is required rough seas are going to nix just about any chance of visiting. (Don't think I heard that podcast, so apologies if I repeat anything Matt said) Someone was taking a Disney cruise last week and concerned on another board I follow. I reminded her that cruising is the best way to visit the Caribbean during hurricane season. She was worried about missing Cozumel, but I told her if she does she will either get a different port or an extra sea day. On the other hand, if you plan to fly in to Cozumel and a hurricane hits then you either cancel the trip or you get stuck on an island experiencing a hurricane. As it happened, they did miss it, and while she was unhappy about that she did have a great cruise. She did get a bit seasick due to rougher seas, her recommendation is to pack a couple seasick remedies just in case. Ginger, dimenhydrinate , meclizine, whatever you think might help. Trust that the captain and crew are going to do what they can to avoid the worst of the rough seas, will take care of you the best they can if they do hit some rough patches, and go in to it with the "I'm going to enjoy this no matter what" mindset. Enjoy your trip and best of luck that Nine doesn't affect you too much!

Oasis Class - Oasis, Allure, Harmony, soon to be Symphony.

No --- it would be Oasis, Allure and Harmony .... these are Oasis Class Anthem is Quantum Class

here in Canada at Costo, Xmas decorations/trees/wrap etc out in August....snow suits out in July....its crazy.. Would love to do a Christmas cruise one day when I am rich!

If you're thinking that Oasis class ships are crowded, they are not. At least not any more crowded than any other ships. Oasis class has been designed with the best passenger flow that I've ever seen on any ship anywhere. You would never know there are 6k+ passengers on the ship.

If you don't make this, it will be on TV for the rest of the cruise.

Big job...and a big cost I am sure!

Navigator, primarily because it has Sabor and a few other updates, and it's likely to be cheaper and offer a more varied itinerary.

Think Navigator was refreshed to include more "stuff" than Indy but I haven't looked too closely at either one in a while. More similar than different so price/itinerary as mentioned would probably be large drivers for me.

I liked Indy a little better than Navigator......CD's were better(but gone now), pool deck area seemed to be bigger....nightlife was better(two level night club).....but I wouldn't worry too much between either...for me would come down to price and itinerary......all things being equal there I would prob pick Indy.

When I had the Celebrity Reflection booked for the Mardi Gras cruise next year (I have since cancelled it) we chose the Best program. It did a nice job of bundling all of the packages together.

I've done this before, and it was a $30 Uber ride for a car of 4 of us to get from the FLL area to Port Miami. Highly recommend!

Don't see it on sept. 3-10 Oasis cruise. Probably a good thing. I think I would eat myself into misery if I had the ultimate dining package.

I live in California and did a California Coastal cruise on Celebrity a few years ago. It was on of the best cruises and fun just exploring my home state. I'll let you know how it goes. I also agree with you regarding Disney. There last cruise I proceed through them was a 3 night cruise from San Diego. For the three of us, it would have been $1700 for an interior cabin. That's what I paid for a week on Liberty in a nicer room.

I think we're making up our own little culinary tour... Mofongo lunch at Mojito's Pina Coladas at Barrachina Dessert at Senor Paleta ... any other suggestions? A good place to stop for rum drinks? We were thinking about cancelling our island tour at St. Maarten in favor of a beach day, but I think we've decided to keep it and spend a couple hours in the afternoon after the tour at the beach near downtown and walk back to the ship around 3:30.

I would also recommend Indy over Enchantment mainly because of the teen club. More to do on Indy for the kids than Enchantment, aka Flowriders and skating rinks!

Hiiiii thank you and for the comments, we definitely want to go on Oasis some time for now we only have 4 - 5 days so looking at Indy agein thank you!!!!! ???????

Welcome to Royal Caribbean Blog! We have done all 3 ships and loved each of the sailings. I would agree with the others and recommend Indy or Navigator and especially with the kids. However, if there is any way you could pull off 7 nights on an Oasis class I would go that route.

How about RC keep the Rhapsody, cut it in half and add another section like they did with the Enchantment and then sell the Majesty of the Seas for scrap. Its an old dilapidated ship and my wife and I are furious that they based it in Port Canaveral, which we live very close to. We refuse to go out on that ship and its really slowed down our weekend cruising!!! At least we got the Oasis for week long cruises.

Indy, lots more for kids to do.

Since Indy is getting a refurb (if I'm correct in that thought), I'd wait to go on her and sail Enchantment now. For 4 days Enchantment was great. Then again, I don't have teenagers, and wasn't one when I was on Enchantment, twice.

Essentially. I think it was a little more than your description, but not much. It is ironic that while the industry is going less all-inclusive, Celebrity, Princess, and NCL are running specials that add it back in (e.g., gratuities, drink packages, specialty dining, etc.). While I'm okay with unbundling the costs so that only those who use the services pay for them, this isn't happening. Look at the airlines. They charging for baggage supposedly to reduce airfare yet they're making record profits. It just doesn't add up in the end.

I purchased the dining combo back when it was $168 a head. I also have the drinks package with voom for myself and just the drink package for the wife. It's cheaper to hold on to what I originally booked vs switching. Like the combo offer tho.

Agreed

I always use CRUISETT.com

Well, I guess this answers the question about whether or not Allure fixed the propulsion problem(s) it had been experiencing the past couple of sailings.... Personal opinion - I would WAAAY rather visit San Juan than St. Thomas. I think the schedule change is a GOOD thing but that's just me.

Out of curiosity I wanted to look up the other major players in the North American cruise market to see how they stacked up: Carnival: If one adult in a cabin purchases the package all adults over 21 must also purchase it Celebrity: Does not require everyone in room to purchase package Disney: No drink package offered Holland: If one adult in a cabin purchases the package all adults over 21 must also purchase it Norwegian: All passengers sharing a cabin OR using the same payment method must purchase the beverage package INCLUDING guests under 21 (only charged for soda package) Princess: Does not require everyone in room to purchase package but is only available on 7 night or longer cruises So I was incorrect saying RCL is the only line currently allowing only one person in the room to get a package, but you do have to move up a tier price-wise to find it elsewhere.

I agree with a previous poster who said they're likely always for sale. For the right price, I'm sure Royal would offload an older ship if the profit from the sale requested to more than they'd make operating the ships minus expenses.

Yes, do this.

RCL is the only line that has a drink package and doesn't currently require all adults in a room to purchase it together, so I'm thinking that if there was anything unlawful about it they would have been called on that long ago. Nobody that chooses not to drink is being forced to drink, and nobody is being forced to purchase the package. If this is happening (a single anonymous source on Cruise Critic is not enough to convince me) they are being informed before handing any money over, so I'm not sure where anything illegal could even be considered to be happening. Anybody has the option of purchasing drinks individually without the package. Not to say I'm a fan of the possible change, though it won't affect my wife and I as we will both be getting the package I know others this would negatively affect. But I firmly place ALL of the blame on the people abusing the system. Yes, there might be bartenders who are letting people get away with it, but those people are still knowingly abusing the system. If someone walks up to the bar with the intent to get a free drink for someone who does not have a package then they are the problem, whether a bartender wants to cause a fuss or not.

Here is another. Interesting to see. http://www.cruisetimetables.com/

Oh you guys from NC with your Southern sense of humor

I walked right into that one! (Still hoping for a sale before my January cruise but planning on buying the full-price package once my RC Credit card OBC hits next week)

If I may inject 2 cents worth, at least for your San Juan port of call. Arriving at 7AM and leaving early does present challenges for this port for activities. BUT there are two AWESOME old forts there, that are actually run by the US Parks Dept and are VERY cheap to enter and tour on your own ($5/adult gets you into both). It is actually a nice 20-30 minute walk up to Del Morro fort which is actually very nice in the early morning, and the self-guided tour routes, that you can easily find online, take you along the old City Wall, through the big old City Gate, and up the cobble-stoned roads through the old San Juan to experience the authentic old architecture, a couple OLD churches, and overall feel of the City. It is very safe, and you can save all that money for excursions at another port (or spend it on shopping and eating in Old San Juan). We actually took a taxi from Del Morro fort to San Cristobal fort, which was very cheap for family of 4, saved time and a nice ride. Ending at San Cristobal fort also puts you very close the cruise dock (5 min walk). Just beware that during the week the forts do not open until 10AM to start your inside self-guided tours (and there are no park service-led tours except on weekends), but that also lets you catch breakfast before the start our. And the forts are so impressive. Also the bathrooms at the forts are VERY clean and air conditioned (the family appreciated that). So consider some historical experience options for Old San Juan port. It will be a lot cheaper and keeps you close to the dock. If you do choose to venture away on an excursion, I highly recommend an RCCL excursion at this port. The day we were there a RCCL excursion was late getting back to the ship due to San Juan traffic, but the ship remained at dock 20 minutes past departure, only because it was an RCCL tour.

When you are in Labadee, just go to Columbus Beach. No rocks at all and completely calm water that you can walk into until the depth you prefer. Very nice beach and close to bathroom facilities and a buffet station. Tram service is provided.

Couldn't agree more. The charge for these restaurants is even more ridiculous when you consider that you are not eating in the MDR or Windjammer that evening and you technically already paid for it. I just don't want to see the industry turn cruise ships into a giant strip centers at sea that are specifically designed to generate a certain amount of revenue per square foot. I worry we will have to buy tickets to shows in the coming years. My wife and I's favorite part about cruising is being able to go out to a great dinner, see an awesome show, and then go listen to great live music and dance late into the night all included in the cruise fare. I fear that is going away one small change at a time (Specialty Dining Fee, Room Service Fee, Escape Room Fees, Corking Fee, etc.). If this continues ships might as well have passengers with 1st class tickets that can afford to take advantage of all of the amenities and others with 3rd class tickets that can only access the Windjammer. Obviously this is hyperbole, but I do see this as the general direction that the cruise industry is sailing. I think the question they are all asking each other around conference tables at Royal's corporate office is, "How can we generate more revenue from the passengers on the ship". While this a valid question for a business to be asking, I think they are going about this wrong. I think the question they should be asking is "How can we create the best possible experience for our guests while keeping all of the costs within the standard cruise fare?" In my opinion, the first question will ultimately lead to less revenue and ultimately failure while the second will lead to more revenue and success. Even with all of the changes cruising is still the vacation with the best value. I just want it to stay that way.

All the of our agents do work hard to monitor all pricing and sales for you once you are MEI clients AND we appreciate the support of some many Royal Caribbean blog clients and always are looking for new one's - and sometimes TA don't work out to be a 'perfect" match which is why we have a team of many here! HAPPY Mid-July! BTW a TIP - Alaska Cruises is a hot market for 2017 and 2018. Reminder to book shore tours early if you do have cruises, cause we have seen some start to get full.

Hi, We just returned from Cozumel and had so much fun snorkeling. We did loads of research on which tour operator in Cozumel was the best to do a snorkel tour with, and we came across Cozumel Cruise Excursions .NET They have tons of great reviews, and take you to the best reefs, which are Palancar Reef and Colombia Reef. Sorry if I misspelled those. They are a small family tour operation, and another one of their popular tours that we did the year before was their private jeep tour, which also includes snorkeling but from the shore. The best part, is that they take you to a sandbar called El Cielo, which they said means "Sky" or "Heaven" in Spanish, and if you go here you'll see exactly why. Its probably the most beautiful place we have ever seen in the Caribbean. I attached a photo, and hope I did it right. Just going here is worth the money. They provide beer, soda, water and I think they had some juices for the kids, cant remember. The guacamole was out of this world, and don't get me started on the fresh cut pineapple. They are small group tours, so it was very personalized. They actually pick you up right from the cruise pier which was very convenient. I believe the other companies, make you take a taxi to the marina. But no matter who you choose, make sure to do a snorkel tour in Cozumel that visits El Cielo sandbar. You can get more information by visiting their Cozumel snorkel and el Cielo tour page. The tour was over 4 hours, and cost $50 per person which was great compared to the cruise ship tours. Well have a great time on your first cruise, and no matter what your going to have a blast in Cozumel :)