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Just an update... 12 days before the cruise and the onboard credit was applied to our cruise planner! I turned right around and applied it to the deluxe drink package. (still on sale by the way) . I'm a happy cruiser.

No problem with the questions.....happy to help. Chefs table.....I am trying to raise a couple of great home chefs, so originally planned to take the kids, but a fellow star class cruiser said "they'll be bored silly......send them to CK". We followed her advice and I'm glad I did. The kids would have been bored by the length of the service, and as entertaining as Andrej was, it wouldn't have been enuf for my two. Plus, I think their presence might (ok, likely) would detract from the experience for my fellow diners, some of whom paid some pretty big dineros to sit at that table. you know what would be fun? A kids chefs table! I don't mean the standard kids menu fare, but a great menu with very entertaining service and a kids-level introduction to each of their courses.......how awesome would that be for kids? I think I'll make that suggestion to someone.....

Day 2 (and the end of day 1) Ok... Just wrote a ton and lost it... Argh... We were tired and full after sabor so we sent Madison to the teen center (successfully thank goodness) and went to vintages for an hour. We love vintages as it is never crowded and we can try some wines. It was a bit frustrating how much the glasses have gone up...we were paying a fair amount over the drink pkg. Not sure if this is an oasis vs freedom class or just another year and prices rise. After vintages we headed to the aqua show. Amazing tumbling and diving but the show made no sense...at all lol. I really enjoyed it though, just like I usually like the ice shows. They say no pics so I just took a preshow one. We finished up the night in the champagne and schooner bars. I love the music in the schooner bar, but not really the bar menu. I know you can order other drinks but I never remember any! It was a fun evening and we got back to the room about 1230 to wait for the teenager to show up at the 1 curfew. For those interested, the 16 year old said it was super awkward at first in the teen center but she ended up with a group of girls playing dodgeball and wandering the ship. Must have gone well because we haven't seen her today. Day 2 started icky weather wise. I don't have a single pic because all I have done is lay on the deck chair! We got to the solarium at 830 and only a few chairs were saved... Probably because it was cold and drizzly. We got two chairs and huddled under towels. The solarium bistro was not crowded and great for breakfast, even when the crowds picked up at 10. The towel hogs weren't in force today, or they cleared them because most seats were filled. There are still empty chairs here and there but they don't have towels or they haven't been empty long. I predict tomorrow with better weather will be tougher. It is perfect today in a the solarium which means tomorrow will be too warm and I will probably do the sky deck. The weather finally cleared and the ? came out around 1. I will finally be warm after the Midwest winter!!!!!!!! Jane

First, a little background, for my first post here. I have been a lurker here for about a year, and greatly appreciate Matt and everyone who contributes here with so much great information. My first cruise was a last minute (well, two weeks before) booking to Alaska last August, joining my sister and her family...where I caught the cruising bug big time (the Casino Royale offers helped). Last week I booked for myself the July 4th Anthem group cruise, which looks really good, and I have a few questions about that. Is there a area here for discussion for group members here? I have seen the FB posting with some comments. I have purchased the DBP w/ Zoom (no Surf). I have read here a few times that people say that the internet on Anthem is very good. I do not do streaming much (maybe a some youtubes), but do check email, FB, and websites often. Will I go crazy with just Zoom, without Surf/Stream? I have also purchased the BOGO 2 Night Dining package (for the first two nights). Does anyone know if I could choose Wonderland as one of my options? I believe when I get on board, I can adjust the first nights restaurant. Thanks Ken (from NJ)

It is a ridiculous amount if storage. I overpacked and we still fit everything! And have empty shelves Jane

If you are on Facebook join this group Bermuda Bound https://www.facebook.com/groups/886000204754846/?ref=group_header. They have a number of locals on the page that do all different types of tours and will customize them just for you and your schedule. This group is a wealth of information. Since it is your first time to the island and you are only there for 1 day I personally think this is they way to go. I think @JLMoran is also on the Bermuda Bound Facebook group. My family has spent many summers (a month to 2 months) in Bermuda back in the 70's & 80's (Dad's work sent him there very often) and still try to spend at least one week a year. We have rented houses, stayed with friends, stayed at resorts & have cruised. My next trip I will be at Grotto Bay on April 7th for a week & I'm looking to do Anthem in Sept or Oct 2019. You will love the island no matter what you do.

Yes, they usually actually have a station on the dock or on the way off the ship to check out blue pool towels. Be cautioned, they will be checked to your Sea Pass card, however many you take, you have to bring that many back and check them back in, if not you will be charged for the towels. I usually go by the pool deck and get them and already have them packed instead of trying to do it while you walk off the ship.

You can see the beach/snorkel park along the right side of the photo .... this is the one that's an easy walk from the ship.

I take a shawl for the evening on deck. Then I leave it in the bar or the dining room. Then my husband has to go back and ask for it. Then I have to go to the customer service desk and see if it has been turned in. Then my husband tells me not to bring a shawl again because all I do is lose it. It's all part of the cruise experience for us.?

I'm hoping I'm on the right track here ...... We're on Freedom late March of 2020, and I know the "Amping" of Freedom is supposed to occur sometime near this time ... So, I was just on the web site and noticed that the month of February is completely unavailable ..... Hmmmmm, it would seem logical that this is the month for the AMP. I hope so, we'll be one of the first sailings after the amp. Check out the pic.

This is the same way we do it, that way there is no speculation. We take our DL and leave the passport in the room safe. 1 credit card and some cash.

I don't think you said, but I don't think it really matters with Royals fleet except on some of the smaller ships. Usually the main seating and MTD are in 2 different dinning rooms. On the bigger ships there are 3 dinning rooms, 1 per floor on floors 3, 4 and 5, so in this example 1 dinning room is reserved for MTD and handled with reservations or walk ups, the other 2 floors are for traditional dinning times. As far as times, traditional dinning is usually busier at the early seating, for MTD it is usually busy around peak times at a land based restaurant, IE., 7, 7:30, so if you reserve early you should be OK. If you go early and get hungry later there are plenty of places to get a snack at, if you go late go get a snack early to hold your group over, most people on here call it Windjammer reconnaissance.

We booked another cruise at NextCruise on Sunday 3/10/19. I left NextCruise and went into either MyVegas or MyKonami app on my phone and used 50,000 points to get a voucher for $100 OBC. I received the email immediately with the voucher code. I forwarded that email to [email protected] with my name and reservation number. I got home the evening of Monday 3/11 and went into the cruise planner and my $100 OBC was there already. Easy-peasy....

$399 - sorry!

The perfect expensive day ?

My guess is the space those large characters took up in the promenades will be replaced with more SALE tables of junk from china that people go bonkers over.... /end sarcasm

255 now.

I have not been on Brilliance but have been on Radiance and Jewel several times, both sister ships of same class. It is our favorite class of ships-classicly beautiful, not too large, and a "more mature" crowd without a lot of small children since it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the huge megaships. They have everything you mentioned except I can't guarantee Quest. I am just not sure about it. They are great ships for kicking back, enjoying a glass of wine in the schooner bar and dancing in the Centrum where the music drifts upward and you can look downward and watch the action. I spent 12 nights on the Jewel recently and they had a great Halloween party and some top notch shows in the theater. I don't think you will be disappointed.

@Ken23 Royal Caribbean offers a service that will shuttle you from one terminal to the next for free. We just did this when we got off Indy and boarded Serenade that same day. Just ask about it at guess services. This service is only for Port Everglade & Miami.. They will take you from one terminal to the next within the same port & different ports like i mentioned above. Only to RCCL ships...this includes Celebrity, Azamara and Silversea.

I remember taking a cruise out of New York City quite a few years back. I thought I was pretty smart trying to find a cruise that didn't coincide with a bunch of student holidays. We got on the ship and it was packed with Canadian kids on their school holidays. I guess I wasn't so smart!

OMG, I hope that I can find a pet sitter for all of these!!!

"Bermuda" and "Cheap" aren't really synonymous. Since it sounds like you have an overnight, you could do the Crystal Caves and/or Fantasy Caves; those are $24 per adult and one of the less-expensive things my wife and I did there last October. Definitely a "one and done" item, but interesting nevertheless. From the caves you could take the #1 or #3 bus to St. George's, then take the Orange Line ferry back to the dockyard. (see the last paragraph for more on this) You could also go to Horseshoe Bay beach for a good chunk of the day, although instead of the transit pass you'd want to just use the small shuttles / minibuses located just off the pier, right by the booth where you buy the transit passes. Costs $7 per person each way, and once at the beach you're under no obligation to rent a lounger, chair, or umbrella; you can bring towels (just don't lose them!) and then go in the ocean for no extra cost. Take the shuttle back to the ship when you get hungry and eat on board, since anything you buy food-wise will definitely not be cheap, at least at Horseshoe Bay's only on-site restaurant. If it's available (wasn't yet posted as of yesterday), you can use the transit pass to take the Orange Line ferry to St. George's; it's only available weekdays, but that shouldn't be an issue on the 5-night Bermuda as long as it's back in service for the summer months. In St. George's you can wander around and window shop, as well as walk the half-mile to Tobacco Bay Beach and just hang out there a while for nothing. Once again, when done you can take the next ferry back to the dockyard and eat on board to save money. This option really is only viable when the Orange Line ferry is available, as otherwise you have to take the other ferry (Blue Line) to Hamilton, and then deal with a 1-hour bus ride to St. George's.

Wow, for our May sailing on HOS our Chill Island Cabana is $1299

What the hell is that?

Small umbrella stroller for naps and to carry your stuff around. The big ones get in the way for you and others.

That stinks... milk shakes are cheap compared to alcohol! ? Poor business decision... RC should encourage drinking milk shakes as they will fill you up like a meal and prevent you from having too much of the more expensive food or alcohol! ?

Fresh off Navigator in March 2019 here is the latest version of the drink menu found on many ships. It's largely unchanged from 2017 but prices have been updated.

You know, that could be directly related to vast consumption of alcoholic beverages!

I will second the recommendation to get the $7 taxi to Horseshoe Bay. I walked from there to Warwick Long Bay and back again, stopping several times along the way to just enjoy the shoreline and all the lovely little coves. Simply stunning! I was there for two and a half days on my cruise last summer. As well as the beach walk, I also went over to Hamilton on the Ferry late afternoon early evening. On day 2 I took the ferry to St George's and had a wander around the town, walked up by the Unfinished Church and went to Tobacco Bay. On day 3 I stayed in the Dockyard area.

Hi Kyle, a group of us did the Snuba at XCarte Mexico about 8 years ago. Super cool experience, you have a very heavy dive like helmet placed over year head and it sits on your shoulders. Due to the weight you sink/ climb down a ladder to the bottom, about 20 feet down. Your air hose floats up to the top for air and is monitored by many snorkelers and scuba people. You WALK the ocean floor with full view due to the round glass like helmet as the fish swim all around. They feed the fish & the fish swarm all around you, and you buy an excellent photo if that is still done. The group of us walked the ocean floor in a large ne, between parallel bars to keep steady and high fived each other around the bend/ turns. It was expensive, but we were already in the park & paid extra for it. Highlight of our trip and the only photos we were willing to pay for.

YES ! And on Anthem, it was very good although they had that thick nasty gravy instead of au jus.

Last time we did this Uber was about $40 between Miami and FLL. If they drive in the left lane though, Uber added $11 to the CC charge after the fact. Ask ahead of time. Your plan is very doable though.

The Deluxe beverage package with Voom is the Surf and Stream version. Even if you're not streaming web browsing will be a more responsive with the Surf and Stream package. Welcome to the group on both accounts: message board and for the group cruise

That’s a major hassle w/ traffic. Just hop in an Uber and go from port to port.

I think Uber or Lyft would be your best option. Enjoy your cruises !

I have zero answers, but I'm totally envious - I'd love to go!

Me too! ? It makes it easier to compare the overall value especially when they start throwing in OBC to muddy the waters!

We brought an umbrella stroller that had recline for the exact reason that we thought our youngest might nap. It is a Maclaren I think. Folds up nice and small and weighs very little. If you do bring it, the smaller the better given tight spaces on the ship (elevators, hallways). Another bonus to the stroller is airport security always sends us through the family line and at times it has probably saved us 45 minutes to an hour not standing in line! For these reasons I would suggest bringing it if it's small enough.

Wasn't she commissioned right after the Santa Maria? ? Asking for a friend ?Weren't you the Quartermaster @rjac ?

Looks like it’s the same as last year. Let’s hear it for consistency! ? The aquarium and zoo are located close to where the caves are, maybe 10/15 minutes away. I’ve read on TripAdvisor that the aquarium is “meh”, and IIRC neither has much in the way of native marine / land animals. If you can snag it through the ship-hosted excursion then no harm going for it. But as with the caves, that will most likely be all you can do that day aside from wandering the dockyard.

The only port that uses the mobile passport app is Port Everglades right now; however, I used it when we landed in Atlanta from Punta Cana and bypassed a very long line and only waited less that 5 minutes vs over an hour in the other line.

Fantastic! It does help and carpe diem! Thanks!!

Sorry. My mind is old and feeble. I have CRS.

We really wouldn't mind avoiding large crowds of K-12 either, if we can help it.

They had Guinness on tap in the pub on Indy last summer. However it wasn't poured correctly for either of the 2 pints I tried. Maybe I should of had a word with the barman and advised him how it's meant to be poured (rather than just straight up) but the bar was far too busy.

Hey, Emma. Welcome to the boards and to cruising ! Both are GREAT ! Whether or not you need identification (in addition to your seapass card) is a function of the port. Some require personal ID and some do not. We always take our driver's licenses with us off the ship just in case. Whether or not to take your passport off the ship with you is an area of great discussion and disagreement...although it is always FRIENDLY disagreement. We never EVER take our passports off the ship...but many take them EVERY time. It's a personal preference. Security of your items (on the beach or wherever you are going) is always a serious concern. We never go into the ocean or pool at the same time for this reason, when we are off the ship. I will stay and be "gear watch" while Dan swims and he does the same for me. It's just an unfortunate fact of trying to secure personal items in an unsecured environment. Some places will have lockers that you can rent but we rarely do that - only a few times like when we go on an ATV excursion or something like that.

Any discussion about CocoCay right now should start with the question, when are you going there? At present, South Beach remains where it has been, bottom of map, left of center, "29" on map. Today, Cabanas are way over on the far right in area "19". Those are suppose to move at some point. The question is when? The new over water cabanas are projected to land in the general South Beach area but until they are built I'm not confident placing them on any map. The same could be said for non-over-water cabanas. Until I see them in place, I'm not comfortable pointing to any map and declaring X marks the spot. CocoCay is somewhat fluid right now. Once the sand settles over the coming months we'll all know exactly where stuff will be.

Great question ! If you make any precruise dining reservations (except for those that are complimentary already), you WILL be charged.... So if you have a specialty dining package, do NOT make any online specialty dining reservations before boarding. When you pre-purchase a dining package at a discount, you are trading the freedom to pre-reserve your specialty dining venues for a reduced price on the meals. BUT that doesn't mean that you will not be able to get the restaurants that you want on the date and time that you want them. They will automatically make an arbitrary reservation for you at one of the specialty restaurants for the first night. You will not know where or when that reservation is until you board. Once you get on board, go directly to one of the specialty restaurants or to the kiosk that will be set up somewhere on the promenade or the Centrum (depending on which ship you are on) and you can confirm the reservation that they have already made for you or change it to something else if you wish. You can also make all of the rest of your specialty dining reservations at that time. So.....you must wait until you board to finalize your specialty dining plans. It is helpful if you have a good idea of what restaurants and what times you want to eat. That will make the reservations process faster and less frustrating for you and for the person making your reservations !

I feel the same about the men's shaving services in the spa. I always wondered if they cancelled appointments in rough seas. ?

Some of us have two official passports...One for countries we’ve been to that we don’t want known and one for countries we don’t care if it’s known