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Since it seems to come up a lot, and although Twangster's detailed blog is far superior, I thought there may be one or two who might be curious about a recent experience. I purchased it for my 4-night Mariner of the Seas cruise to Nassau/Coco Cay. I was a solo traveler and I had a $25 onboard credit, so the price came to $55. Between Voom and lunch on embarkation day, I'd already gotten my value, so it was really a no-brainer purchase for me. Embarkation: They called The Key people with the Pinnacle/Diamond/Diamond Plus members when they opened up the doors. I suspect they just threw us in with them because it was so early and there were very few people in the terminal yet. Delivery of carry on luggage to stateroom: A few of us wandered around trying to figure out where to drop off our carry on luggage when we first boarded - they were a little behind and didn't have a sign on the theatre door, or anyone in the theatre to take the bags yet. In about 10 minutes we all figured it out (all 5 of us at that point) and someone did show up to start the process. Unfortunately that person hadn't been provided with any luggage tags, so anyone who hadn't tagged their luggage had to wait a little while - I had my luggage tag on my one rolling carry on. They also had business cards with Voom codes on it - but none of them matched the names of anyone who was there, so staff was confused. In the end they just gave us a card for whoever (sorry Adam Davis, or whoever's I had), and we were on our way. I assume they managed to work it out in the end, but it was never an issue for me. Lunch at Chops - was a nice treat! Reserved seating section at shows - I only went to the comedy show really late on Embarkation day and on the last night. There was a section roped off for The Key next to either higher C&A or suite folks - it really didn't matter at this show because there was really hardly anyone in the theatre. The first night I sat in The Key section, the last night I sat somewhere else - it didn't matter. But this is Mariner, not a Quantum or Oasis class ship, so I imagine it would make a difference on one of those ships. Reserved times for Flow Rider/Rock Climbing Wall/Sky Pad/Perfect Storm - they had at least 2 hours set aside during the week for each activity. They weren't at the most convenient hours, but, at least on my sailing, it wasn't necessary for a separate time - there was never a line at any of those activities - I never saw more than a few people in line for any of them and most of the time nobody was using them. Apparently this was a "sit by the pool and drink" cruise for folks. On the 2nd day, I happened to stop by my cabin to pick something up and someone knocked on my door and delivered a fruit plate that was complimentary for The Key people. That was unexpected. Priority tender - We only tendered at CoCo Cay - I went down to get on the tender about an hour after we anchored and there was a line (not a ridiculous line, but a line as you'd expect there to be). There was no staff along the line at all to ask about The Key benefit, and I'm just not the type to walk past a bunch of people who are waiting to also get on the tender to get in front of them, so I just got on with everyone else. I was able to get on the tender right away anyway, probably because I wasn't trying to get on the first tender of the day, so it was just fine with me. I could have been more assertive, but that's just not me. And the ending result would have been exactly the same in this case. Disembarkation Day - it was nice to have a quiet, unrushed breakfast in the MDR. It was the only time I'd sat with other people during a meal - almost the only time I'd spoken to any other people all week (I did talk to the iguana and the chickens on CoCo Cay earlier, that's a whole different story #retiredzookeeper) and I did enjoy that. After breakfast, I ran back up to my room, grabbed my carry on, and went down to Deck 4, where there happened to be a staff member manning the line. I asked him about The Key disembarkation, and he personally escorted me to the gangway past a long line, which was REALLY nice. I liked the program, and it was defnintely worth it on a short sailing. I was getting Voom anyway, and there were just enough things that I was going to enjoy along the way that it made it worth it to me. I very much doubt that I'll get it on my Ovation sailing to Alaska in June - I will be going with my husband, who has no interest in Voom, and we will be meeting up with old friends, who will not have The Key, so we won't be taking advantage of reserved seating with shows and special times for activities since they won't be able to partake with us during those times. We'll evaluate it again on our Symphony sailing in Feb 2020 - things may have changed with the program, or the hubs may decide he wants internet access, so we'll see then. Hope this helps someone out there!

Wrong cruise line?

I hate to do it, but had to "clean up" this thread. It's okay not to agree, but there are two things we do not condone here: 1. Writing about ways to circumvent RC's rules 2. Personal insults/attacks Keep it civil. Consider yourselves warned.

Aruba a couple weeks ago.

Oh, I love this post! Apparently we don't take many photos, but I love seeing everyone elses. Here's Maho beach, which I always think is fun and my beautiful girls at the alligator farm

It’s a beautiful (but windy) day here in Fort Lauderdale. I took the boat out today and snapped some pics of the ships in port. When heading Southbound you are able to get within a couple hundred feet of the vessels berthed along the Eastern portion of the port. Great views this afternoon!

On approach to Kings Wharf. The Norweigan Dawn is already there.

"Civil Twilight" in Alaska. This was around 10:30 PM.

Loving all the pictures, can’t choose just one favorite from our cruises last year. Sorry for the pic overload. Our view from our balcony on the first morning on Allure was nothing short of spectacular. My sons and nephews had the best time cruising together on Allure. We fell in love with the water in SXM The stop in Old San Juan was way too short. Loved the culture and the resilience of the people we encountered there. So sad to see the mark Hurricane Marie left there. Loved the viewof Allure from Columbus Cove in Labadee. Time of our life snorkeling in St. Thomas on our Oasis cruise in December. Cannot wait to swim with the turtles again next year on our Symphony cruise. Our second visit to SXM took us to Pinel Island. Love that place!

Can't book shows on the Navigator, not doing any specialty dining and no excursions planned. Not getting off the ship in Nassau and just a plain beach day in Labadee. We do have the drink package booked, though. ?

Let's talk Passports and Documents Even though I do tell clients what they need to bring with them to board a ship sometimes life gets in the way and they forget or find out last minute they don't have what they need. My rule of thumb is when I make final payment OR you make your final payment CHECK your passport or Documents and make sure they are in order. if not you still have some time> Trust me - I have had to run to DC and get a last minute passport for my husband because we could not find his current passport or His birth certificate and it cost me $500 but I did get it 4 days before sailing so it can be done, lol Don't make my mistake. Here below is what is actually written on your cruise document from ROYAL with links too. Before You Leave: Required Travel Documents and Identification It is the guest's responsibility to obtain all valid travel documents for their vacation. These valid travel documents such as passports, visas, inoculation certificate and family legal documents are required for boarding and re-entry into the United States and other countries. Guests should check with their travel agent and/or government authority to determine the travel documents needed for each destination, including the port of embarkation. Documentation and Immigration Requirements · Guests are highly encouraged to travel with a valid passport, even when not required · For your protection, we recommend that your passport expiration date does not occur within six (6) months of the sailing return date. · Some foreign ports of call require a visa. Please contact the Embassy (Consular Services) of each country on your sailing itinerary or the visa service of your choice for specific visa requirements, information, forms and fees for your nationality. Royal Caribbean suggests the visa provider, CIBT at www.visacentral.com/royalcaribbean or 1.800.858.8579 (identify yourself as a Royal Caribbean guest for discounted rates). · The spelling of the guest(s) name as booked for a cruise must match exactly as their valid passport or proof of citizenship / identification during ship check-in formalities. · Certain countries may have specific travel requirements for your itinerary. Please check any one of the websites below to understand what is necessary for your vacation. · All guests (including children) must present a valid passport when sailing on U.S. Open Loop voyages. These are voyages that commence in a U.S. port, travel within the Western Hemisphere, and end at a different U.S. port. When traveling on these sailings, please take extra caution in understanding the specific documentation requirements. · All guests (including children) require specific travel documents that may include either a passport or other documentation, such as a government-issued birth certificate and laminated government issued picture ID denoting photo, name and date of birth, when traveling on U.S. Closed Loop voyages. These are voyages that commence and end in the same U.S. port without leaving the western hemisphere. Please note that Baptismal papers, hospital certificates of birth, voter registration cards or Social Security cards are not considered proof of citizenship. Please view the websites below for more information. · Should the last names of the parent and minor child traveling with them differ, the parent is required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) and the child's birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy). The name of the parent(s) and the child must be linked through legal documentation. · Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of a minor traveling with them must present an original notarized letter signed by the child's parent(s), authorizing the adult to take the child on the specific cruise, supervise the child and allow emergency medical treatment to be administered. · Guests on consecutive sailings must ensure they have the proper travel documents for their entire cruise vacation and for any port within their itinerary(s). Please refer to one of the following websites for details on documentation requirements as it relates to your itinerary: · WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative): · Royal Caribbean’s Recommended Visa and Passport Provider: · Alien Registration Card · Royal Caribbean International Website: www.getyouhome.gov Website: www.visacentral.com/royalcaribbean Website: http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/greencard_renewal.html Website: www.RoyalCaribbean.com This booking is governed by the terms and conditions of the Cruise/Cruisetour Ticket Contract. A copy of the most current version of that

We absolutely loved Pinel Island and definitely plan on visiting again the next time we are in SXM. We visited in December as part of our all day boat tour with Coconut Reef. I think there is an official RCCL excursion there, but it’s a bit pricey. Our all day tour wasn’t much more and we got to visit Tintamarre Island, Creole Rock and Maho Beach as well. We never visited SXM before the hurricane, but Pinel Island is still beautiful even after the storm. Both restaurants have been rebuilt and the beaches are back to normal. If we ever stay in SXM for longer than a cruise visit we will definitely spend a whole day or more on Pinel Island.

I'd like to emphasize this. Here's my experience: Our first cruise was Jan 30-Feb 4 on the Mariner. I STRESSED over debarkation unnecessarily. Against (what I thought was) my better judgement, we put our bags out the night before with the tags supplied attached. In the morning, we went to the Windjammer for breakfast then to the Cafe Promenade for coffee while we waited for our luggage tag number to be called. Our time was 830. Getting off and getting our bags was such a simple process. Our luggage was in the terminal at the numbered section that coincided with our luggage tag. Facial recognition made the CBP interaction seamless. We were outside with our luggage in less than 10 minutes. We were at the Miami airport before 10 am.

This is from the Beach Bungalows in Labadee....one of the best days I've had on a cruise.

You said just for fun.

Symphony, Symphony, Jewel, and Anthem

Hard to pick a favorite so here's a few of Oasis and Grandeur

4 weeks!! @tonyfsu21 i’ll Wave at you from Deck 17! ?

We have booked plenty of JS and have so far been included in the Suite class priority boarding.

Likewise, I think you can bring 2 bottles of wine per room (the.e. if an adult us in each room).

Carambola Beach Club is a short/cheap taxi ride from the port and is beautiful!

Thank you OP for starting this thread. Love it! Keep em coming.

A nice perk of having adults in separate rooms each with a kid on the bookings is you can purchase an ultimate drink package for only 1 person. If me and the wife are in the same room we won't do the drink package because she will not drink enough to even come close to making it worth it.

Unless Ginger and Maryanne are along for the journey than it's going to be ok

He's a bot. What do you expect ?

Whatever you do, do NOT book a "3 hour tour". Those can get you into REAL trouble. ?

All ships of any size can be influenced by sea conditions. If you felt it more on this sailing, it isn't because you were on an Oasis class ship, but because that it how the ocean was behaving on this sailing. There is a lot more to it than just wind or waves. The two are not always coming from the same direction and the direction and speed of the ship relative to wind and the sea conditions are factors in the perception of motion and how it feels on board. It's possible to have wind and following seas (wind and waves coming from behind the ship) but a distant storm in a completely different direction is producing a swell that originates hundreds of miles away and produces a sea condition that causes the entire sea to rise and fall slowly in an almost imperceptible manner. I call that a slow roller because it's like a very slow and gentle rise and fall of the sea but covering a much larger area compared to a smaller wind driven waves that may be present. When the whole sea is rising and falling even the largest ships rise and fall with it. They aren't massive waves that are high and obvious rather just a slow and spread out swell. If the ship was heading perfectly straight into this swell, the motion would be of a porpoising like action where the front and back rise and fall at different times (pitch). When the ship is moving in a direction at an angle relative to this swell it can cause the front and back of the ship to move at different times causing the subtle side to side feeling (roll). Captain Rob recorded some videos played on the Symphony TV system during the transatlantic sailing this past fall. He explained the sea factors that can create a feeling of motion in this video starting around the 7:30 mark into the video: I shot this next video as a time lapse. Even though there were no waves to speak of (the sea looks quite calm) there was a swell coming from the remnants of Hurricane Oscar hundreds of miles away to our North West. When played back in real time the time lapse makes it much easier to see the swell of the sea. When viewed live and in person the swell is nearly undetectable. As Captain Rob explained you might have one swell coming from the North and a second swell coming from a different storm hundreds of miles away to the South. These "slow rollers" can create a feeling of motion and depending on the angle relative to the ship heading, it can cause a pitching movement (front to back) or a rolling movement (side to side). Bottom line - you felt it more on this Oasis sailing because of the sea conditions that you just happened to sail under compared to other cruises. Any ship big or small is influenced by sea swell.

These have to be some of my favorites. Something about the AquaTheater at night I love. Allure Symphony

Mariner

LOVE that pic! Awesome shot!

As a former Air Force guy, I love this view on Freedom:

Who’s Going? The usual crew: Hubby, our 2 girls, D10, D12, and myself. Flight Our plan is to fly from DTW to FLL the day before. I knew I was taking this cruise long before flight prices were released. I tracked air from the start. Regretfully, I did not pull the trigger 11 months out. The price of air did not follow the traditional up/down until the 90-day mark on this one. At around 90 days, when I did purchase, it was still about $20pp higher than at 11 months out. Lesson here? If we are sure of the cruise, I will purchase it at release for Spring Break. Pre-Cruise Stay By now you likely know that we are creatures of habit. Not much new to report here. Valuetrips blacked out Hyatt Place for March 9th (and I was not about to pay $325/night for that property), so we are back at the Holiday Inn Express on 17th Street. This time their suites are ready, and we got a good deal on one over Black Friday. Pre-cruise dinner? You already know it! Itinerary This 7-night sailing brings us to Labadee, Falmouth, and Cozumel. No set plans for Falmouth and Cozumel. May very well stay on the ship again. The exciting thing is that we are renting a cabana for the first time in Labadee! Cabin Star Loft suite!!! That’s all! Pre-Cruise thoughts - This cruise marks the first time our girls are sailing OA class. I am so thrilled to introduce them to my favourite class of ship! - It’s Star Class…No pre-cruise purchases, no reservations, no planning! It was odd not having to check my cruise planner on this one. I barely looked at it. - It’s mainly specialty dining for us this time. Although it pains me to leave CK, we figured we must do specialty to make it worth our while. In addition, although @Matt cannot wrap his head around this, we (Hubby) are frugal and we cannot usually bring ourselves to spend the extra money when there are so many complimentary options available. In the past, we have only ever tried Jamie’s, Wonderland, and Giovanni’s. - The suite snob is at peace on this one. - Once again, in the spirit of a live blog, please do not hesitate to ask any questions. I will do my best to find out whatever I can for you. - When responding to a post with a series of pictures, please do not include the pictures in your reply. It just makes for easier scrolling. - Lastly, I will do my best to bring the cruise to you LIVE through Periscope – you can follow me @LoveToCruise2002.

“I Dream of Genie” – Star Class - Harmony of the Seas – 03/10/19-03/17/19 Dreams…that is how many things begin; that is how this adventure began. But with every dream that comes true, there is always a journey. Here is our journey, almost 3 years in the making. Note: Pulling a @JLMoran here, it’s long winded lol. Back in May 2016, I read with keen interest, a blog post by @Matt that Royal was rolling out a new suite class program. The concept of Star Class intrigued me, but at the time, I knew that it was beyond our reach. However, dreams have no limits, and one can look but not touch. You all know that I am a shopaholic right? ? As the program rolled out, I read reviews, followed blogs, looked on in wonder and envy as I watched the Genies do their thing on Allure in 2016 and later on Harmony in 2017. This was pretty much me on those sailings... In February 2017, I came across a blog by @WAAAYTOOO. I believe it was her first time in Star Class and she had Reyno as her Genie. After that, I knew, without a doubt that this was something that I needed to try. The big question was how? The answer is that I really don’t know how I would have this opportunity without the help of some dear friends along the way, right here in the message boards. Somewhere between February 2017 and January 2018, I read a post by @tiny260 that really was the first glimmer of hope that Star Class could be a reality for us. @tiny260 basically posted that he had recently booked a good deal in Star Class by scouring the calendar week by week. There were only two problems with that idea: I did not have much time to go through each sailing, week by week and ship by ship, and there are only several times in the year that I can sail due to work. So, I set aside Tiny’s idea but made a point to remember his tip. In January 2018, call it God’s will, or good things come to those who wait, or fate, @WAAAYTOOO started a thread in the “Rumours and News” section here about a special STAR savings discount of $1000. I was also off work last year which meant I had all day to look. So, taking @tiny260's tip I went about an all-day effort to find something that would fit our schedule. Trouble was that my schedule was only flexible until September 2018 and I already had bookings for 2018 that I did not want to cancel. This is the point in the journey where sometimes intercession occurs, and you cannot logically explain what follows. During my search that day, I stumbled upon a sailing on Harmony (which I expected to be the highest price second to Symphony) for March 10, 2019. This worked out perfectly since this would be our March break, I would be off work, and Harmony is my favourite ship. For reasons that I cannot explain, this was also one of the lower priced sailings for a Star class cabin (compared to OA/AL/SY). How did I know that? Because up until this point, I had been tracking the prices on Star Class cabins and reading posts on the price that others were paying. Another example of how it pays to do your research. This low price, combined with the additional $1000 STAR discount, made it a no-brainer. I put a hold on it even before I had a chance to run it by Hubby. There are many that I have heard say, “Why would someone want to spend so much on a cabin?” or, “I would take more cruises over such an expensive one any day.” Here are my thoughts on that. We have taken enough cruises to know what we like. We are cabin and balcony people. We do spend time in our cabin, so to us, a nice cabin is important and worth it. My work schedule limits us to certain times of the year that we can cruise. Instead of taking our money and spreading it over a bunch of cruises (which we can’t do any way), we are putting it all into one. It all works out the same. Our original booking was for a Guarantee Star Class cabin. The code on the booking was A2-GTY. This was new to me and I did not even know such a category existed. I ran it by @WAAAYTOOO and a few others and figured that we had nothing to lose as the bare minimum would be an A2 on Deck 10. Hubby got home that evening and, after some persuasion and promises to curb the Lulu shopping, he suggested that if we were going to splurge on Star Class then we might as well go big and go to Deck 17, the “gated community” as some call it, and really live out that “WOW factor”. Ever since our inaugural sailing on Oasis, Deck 17 was always a wish of ours. I warned him that Star Class on Deck 17 could be quite a jump in price. Still curious, we called late that evening and inquired about what it would cost to upgrade. It was $100 extra (total). Done. No brainer. Again, an anomaly that I cannot explain. Since our original booking in January, I have re-priced our sold-out cabin 3 times for a total savings of almost $3000 less than what we originally booked for. The cost was many hours of tracking, but it paid off. We already had a great deal to begin with and it just got sweeter along the way. As we get ready for this grand adventure into Star Class, I must take the time to thank @WAAAYTOOO, @Mindybrite, @tiny260, @CGTLH, and @constable145. Your insight, advice, and blogs have been more valuable than you know. Words cannot express my appreciation. Finally, @Matt, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, thank you for creating this amazing community of people (enablers) who helped in making this a true possibility. I often say to my own girls, and my students, that we should never be afraid or give up in the pursuit of our dreams. Dreams can come true, this being the perfect example. So, without further delay, come take this journey with us, I would want it no other way.

As someone who doesn't book suites and rotates through brands (so I haven't any loyalty status of significance) it doesn't matter much - plus I need access to scotch in more places and time ? That in mind it's always good to see better whisky options for all. It helps make the world a better place.

Howdy folks!! It is that time of year for our annual trek to Miami for the Monsters of Rock Cruise out of Miami Florida. In past years the event has been held on Brilliance and Navigator. This year it was originally sold as being on the Navigator again, BUT shortly after booking opened it was changed to the newly refurbished Mariner Of The Seas!! This year, like in years past, the cruise will be a 5 day action pack event featuring over 40 bands and solo acts from the heyday of hard rockin' 1980's Itinerary is Day -2 Pre-cruise party at magic City Casino, Miami, Fl.... Bands to be announced Day -1 Pre-cruise party at magic City Casino, Miami, Fl.... Bands to be announced<<<<<<<we are arriving this day!! DAy1 Miami, Fl Day 2 Day at Sea Day 3 Ocho Rios Jamaica 8am - 5pm Day 4 Private Isla of Labadee 10am - 6pm - band to be announced Day 5 Day at Sea acts onboard the ship!! Tesla Tom Keifer of Cinderella EXTREME Queensryche Saxon Skid Row U.D.O Y&T VIXEN KIX KINGS X RICKIE KOTZEN DANGER DANGER NELSON D-A-D THE QUIREBOYS FASTER PUSSYCAT PAT TRAVERS BAND PINK CREAM 69 THE WILDHEARTS ECLIPSE SOTO ROSE TATTOO JOHN CORABI VAIN BULLETBOYS BLCK N BLUE KIP WIND=GER Tora Tora killer dwarfs Brighton Rocks tuff MIKE TRAMP of white Lion FEMME FETALE LIES, DECIET, & TREACHERY JETBOY MITCH MALLOY MICHAEL GRANT AND THE ASSASSINS MATCH 22 GUS G JOEL HOKSTRA - TSO NEIL ZAZA TONY MACALPINE HOSTED BY EDDIE TRUNK LUC CARL, NIKKI BLACK, DON JAMIESON, & JIM FLORENTINE This will be a live/not-so-live blog about this crazy vacation crammed in to 5 days. More to come...

Same here and we'll be "keyed" up!

Nice - thanks for sharing

Pretty good job! I enjoyed your videos and commentary. Hope you load up with sunscreen before you head out into the sun!

I am almost always booked through a travel agent and once in a while that link will appear. My payments are processed by the agency and i can't pay direct using the website even i wanted to. Royal IT... the mystery continues.

Fixed.

I always sail in a junior suite. Typically, I have embarked with the suites and disembarked, very slowly, with the herd. For my next cruise on the Symphony in 97 days (!) I purchased "The Key" which indicates escorted priority disembarking. We'll see!

Make sure you bring all the correct IDs or they wont let you on the ship

I’ll let others tackle the first part of your question though I’m pretty sure the answer is you aren’t missing anything. But as to why you are seeing conflicting information about CAS, it’s because I believe Royal Caribbean changed the way they do it semi recently. It used to be that you could sign up for it before your first cruise and get a “pre-gold” status, but now they have it that everyone is automatically enrolled and there’s no place on their website to sign up beforehand. If you really wanted to, I suspect you could email the crown and anchor email and ask to sign up, but that’s unnecessary IMO. From their FAQ (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/crown-anchor-society-loyalty-program-enrollment) “If you are a new guest, there is no need to sign up for Crown & Anchor Society. You will be automatically enrolled after you complete your first sailing with Royal Caribbean International (applies to US Residents). Membership benefits begin after you have completed at least one Royal Caribbean International cruise. “

Here’s a few from Harmony:

Um, yeah, I couldn't choose a favorite so I went a little "overboard" A few of my favorite pics from 2016, 2017, 2018 on Grandeur OTS -- all trips to Bermuda.

Any you said nothing about @Traveler stirring the pot with adding Genny to your room, Who is she and that's going to cost more in the long run. ?

If Royal Caribbean really wants to build five new private islands, they should probably start building the piers now.

A third party tour company called Thenford Grey is awesome!