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We were scheduled for a September 2nd cruise on Navigator that was shortened by hurricane dorian. RCI went above what would be expected in this situation, and made switching cruises fairly simple. We are now heading out of Port Canaveral on the 9th. I can't imagine the stress the customer service reps have been under and everyone was very kind, patient, and helpful. The only issue was the amount of time spent on hold, but that was to be expected under the circumstances. I will absolutely be sailing and recommending RCI in the future.17 points
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Empress Bahamas Relief
Fuzzywuzzy and 8 others reacted to AshleyDillo for a topic
9 points -
Empress Bahamas Relief
Fuzzywuzzy and 5 others reacted to twangster for a topic
James Van Fleet Tweet this morning:6 points -
Yes- my kids wanted to name him! ? We got the internet today so I'll give a quick update. We explored the ship a little and registered for Adventure Ocean after we ate. We changed for dinner And my bag still had not arrived by then. Turns out my curling iron has an exceptionally long cord and looks like an extension cord. When they ran it through the scanner in front of me the guy at the monitor was pretty sure it was just the curling iron, so I guess there's lot of room for interpretation. ? Here are some photos of our room. The kids' room has the standard shower6 points
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Ovation of the Seas // 7 nights // August 30-September 6, 2019
The Cruise Junkie and 5 others reacted to PG Cruiser for a topic
Now this needs some explanation... I originally ordered Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream but I changed it to Baked Alaskan. My waiter brought me both. Then he also brought me a serving of “Leche Flan” (Filipino Custard). Plus they were celebrating Royal’s 50th so they also gave us the 50th cake... that is why I got a dessert spread.6 points -
Navigator - Our Cruise to Nowhere
Sarah and 5 others reacted to WannaCruise for a topic
Final Thoughts You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned the cruise director. That's because we barely saw him and he's not really that memorable. Had we come 2 weeks earlier, we would have seen Hugo, who we loved on Mariner. He was hilarious. I actually had high hopes for this guy, Cory Rogers as he introduced himself on the facebook page and he seemed enthusiastic. It's not that he was bad...but again, all he did was introduce the shows (or come out at the end such as the ice show). Never saw him around the ship, didn't run the belly flop contest, etc. I'm guessing he did Quest but DH and I didn't make it to Quest this time. So again, he was fine, but definitely not memorable. But...I will say that we really loved Navigator. I think DH said that his favorite is still Mariner. DS and I love Symphony for the ship size, shows, etc, but DD said her favorites are Mariner for Skypad and Navigator for the slides. I also really love what they've done with the pool decks and the different seating available to everyone, which is what puts it ahead of Mariner for me. Service was great. Every meal in MDR was pretty good, and lots of activities going on. The promenade too is beautiful with the lighting that they do (probably all ships have that, but I don't remember), and the "sculpture" or whatever you call it going up the centrum near guest services. So overall, my ship order is: Symphony Allure Independence Navigator Mariner Voyager Grandeur Am curious too where Anthem will fall in the ratings. We don't necessarily need hot weather so I don't think that'll be a problem, and it seems different. It's a shame about the Tropical Depression that turned into Hurricane category 5 (DS has a story to tell), and very scary with the damage it did, especially to the Bahamas, to the homes and even some lives. This cruise turned into a cruise to nowhere as it was all sea days for us. Next summer we have Mariner booked (if no weather issues) and that one is the opposite with no sea days (it's one that got 2 stops at CoCo Cay). Funny how things turn out (not funny ha ha...but you know what I mean). I'll leave you with one last picture....one of my favorites (not including ones with my family of course)6 points -
Empress Bahamas Relief
Jmccaffrey and 3 others reacted to PatsFanBrian for a topic
RCL has always been generous with their humanitarian efforts. When Irma tore through the Caribbean in 2017, my former manager was vacationing with his family in St Maarten and got trapped. Adventure of the Seas arrived there to rescue stranded vacationers including his family. It was quite the ordeal for them, from surviving the actual storm to being in fear for their lives as looters and gangs roamed the resorts (they heard many gunshots). After nearly a week, they were finally picked up by a police caravan who escorted all the guests to the port. They were told not to stray and above all, have their passports because they would not be getting on the ship without them. Needless to say, he was overcome with gratitude to the crew and RCL for their efforts.4 points -
Closing Thoughts I hadn't been on a cruise in 14 years but I’ve already got another one scheduled for this December! It’s through Holland America (Oosterdam) so I can leave from my home port of SD.. just a 5 minute Uber from my apartment, but it means no live blogging! Get an RC ship back to the West Coast and I would be Riviera cruisin’ every month! We ate every night in the MDR (aside from one night of Windjammer due to laziness) and I would say it was perfectly adequate. Our Assistant Waiter Mithun was leagues more attentive and friendlier than our main server. I warmed up to her distance later in the cruise, she just does not GAF! I like that, haha. Mithun would always ask how our day was and knew our drink orders right away. The food was all just okay. I didn't have anything that was a true standout – wait! I take it back. I fell in love with the Baked Alaska. I also came to enjoy a 2-3pm afternoon cheeseburger in the WJ which could account for some slight cruise weight gain! ? I enjoyed every excursion we went on and could go back and do the same things again but of course would want to see new places next time. In St. Lucia, for example, we only saw the port and the rainforest and I would love to go to Marigot or the Pitons next time! Although I could do Magen's every time I visit St. Thomas with no qualms. The RC See Antigua by Sea excursion was great, I highly recommend it if you're headed there! I liked seeing all the varied coasts of the island (one side was all yucca trees?) and getting to experience some real ocean waves on the Atlantic side. The junior suite was well worth it to me, the huge balcony was amazing. We would lay on the loungers in the afternoons post-Solarium pool time and sit at the table with drinks to watch sail away. We were up for every docking as well, the port side seemed fruitful in seeing a lot of action. Just sitting on the balcony in the evenings and as we entered each port was so relaxing, I would never be able to go interior. We would leave the balcony door open a bit at night to hear the "waves" and to battle the ridiculous AC! Even when you turned the dial into the red zone it was still freezing in there. Pre Purchases #TeamDX all the way! It was so so easy to blow through the $44 a day. Even on all our many port days I was still enjoying upwards of 6 cocktails once back on board plus a water bottle with every drink order. I loved the guys with water/vitamin water carts in the WJ and Promenade at breakfast, it was so easy to scan and pick up a few drinks for port. The one sea day made up for any abandoned cocktails on the port days! We had drinks brought by a funny pool server who was sassing us for ordering them at 9am. He said people get the DX and don't get their money's worth and seemed pleased we would be using it to our advantage. Even with all those cocktails we must've been hydrating perfectly because I was never too drunk or hungover at all!! The Voom I would say was not quite worth it for 2 devices since it only worked in major common areas like the MDR and pool decks. We would set up instagram posts/blog posts in the room and then have to remember to open the phone and set it to upload while dining or nothing would ever go through. I would probably buy Voom again for one device next time and we could share the all important insta-posting capabilities. Amazon Purchases The Dock and Bay towels worked WONDERS. @JennyJenny I can absolutely recommend these to you now after putting them through their paces fully in the Caribbean. I liked them before but after using them 7 days straight, after battling full body dries of both sea water and pool water, they weren't crinkly or smelly! Still soft, probably could've worked another week or more before needing a wash. After washing, back to full bright white and extra soft! New favorite beach towels, hands down, not even going to be relegated to travel-only usage. The beach tent was great! We used it in Magen's Bay (St. Thomas), Cockleshell Beach (St. Kitts) and Brandon's Beach (Barbados) and it went up easily every time and was not susceptible to wind. We brought stakes but didn't need to use them anywhere, as adding items to the tent easily weighs it down. Photo included for @JLMoran although this is from this weekend in Ocean Beach as I forgot to capture its glory amongst a Caribbean backdrop. Easily fit two adults sitting or laying with legs sticking out. Last but not least, 2 Swimways Spring Floats which we used in all port beach stops, including a few times once we were back in Puerto Rico! They fold up so small for easily taking everywhere (you can see it closed and in its blue, net travel bag in the pic above) and inflating the exterior ring only takes about 5 breaths of air to blow it up fully. We even brought them on the catamaran rides in Antigua and Barbados and the other boat guests were questioning where we had gotten it during our swim breaks! Freedom never ever felt crowded, even after the ice show let out, the flow leaving Studio B and through the On Air Club moved super quickly. I will say that RC should not let you book MTD between 5:30 and 6:00 on embarkation day with the muster as it is at 5:45. Muster gets out at 6:10 and everyone with a reservation that had been at 5:30, 5:45, 6:00, or 6:15 is in line at the same time on deck 3 and the hosts are frantically trying to fill the dining room. Will know to book dinner much later than muster next time. Overall, we loved cruising. Looking out over the water every day was so relaxing, like having the best available hotel room on land! And the sexy sky pics did not disappoint! There are more on my instagram @daryldaley. I sent my Cruise Compass to Matt, so any future Freedom-riders can look for that soon. Thanks for hosting these live blogs! I enjoyed writing it. ? Cruise Compass 8/18/19 Edited to add my Caribbean magnet and Christmas ornament haul:4 points
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Halloween
ChessE4 and 2 others reacted to coneyraven for a topic
3 points -
Ovation of the Seas // 7 nights // August 30-September 6, 2019
The Cruise Junkie and 2 others reacted to PG Cruiser for a topic
3 points -
Ovation of the Seas // 7 nights // August 30-September 6, 2019
Skigoofy and 2 others reacted to PG Cruiser for a topic
3 points -
It was mentioned that those plans were extended free of charge. I believe people were asked to pay additional days of the normal daily gratuities though.3 points
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Navigator - Our Cruise to Nowhere
Guy Gadwa and 2 others reacted to WannaCruise for a topic
Day 5 - A few Hours Before Flying Home We woke up nice and early (well, not so nice) and headed to where else; the Windjammer. I'll say that this was the only day that it was nuts. It was hard to find a table, and even the ones that didn't have anyone sitting there, were dirty. We eventually found one though, and grabbed breakfast. We let our kids have a donuts as part of their breakfast as it was the last meal (not that their Windjammer breakfast ever included anything healthy). We returned to our staterooms and hung out there until our luggage tag time and then sadly, headed to MDR spot to get off the ship. It's such a great feeling when you first walk on, but such a yucky feeling walking off. Our flight wasn't until 8:45pm that night back to Toronto, so we had rented a day hotel at The Regency. I had looked for a place near the airport, with a pool and with restaurants and stuff in walking distance. The pool was actually pretty large, which our kids were happy about so they swam there for the rest of the morning. The hotel had wifi so we connected for the first time since Sunday. I had 847 emails....I think 842 of them were from this site, or the other cruse site...lol. In the afternoon we found lunch in the area and stopped at KMart and Walgreens for some items to bring home. Got home with no issues and 3 loads of laundry later, shopping, cleaning, prep for school, etc etc...back to reality. ?3 points -
Navigator - Our Cruise to Nowhere
cdixon22 and 2 others reacted to WannaCruise for a topic
Day 4 - Last Evening Filled with Lots of Fun Stuff It was our last evening, but at least there was still lots to do. DS and DH left dinner to catch the Star Wars trivia. After that, I think they caught the Millionaire Game Show. DD and I went to see Royal's other production show "Showgirl: Past, Present Future". Guess where we sat? Yep...front row again. So much easier to get great seats on Navigator compared with Symphony. Again, the show was ok...at least they had some modern music such as from Greatest Showman. I do miss the Broadway type shows that they have on the larger ships. After that, DD and I went to the Hush party. It was hilarious. Everyone gets headphones that are not necessarily playing the same music as the person standing next to you (you can change the color...which changes the music). My daughter was really getting into it and was quite cute with her dancing. She loved it! We stayed for a bit and then met DH and DS at the Schooner Bar for our favorite improv music guy. Tonight he was playing early enough that we could bring our kids. Our son really enjoyed it (I love it when he laughs outloud). There seemed to be less people walking by tonight, which is where his improv mostly comes in, so the show wasn't quite as good as the other nights, but they still got to see him and get the idea. He played until 10pm and our kids went back to the room for bed. DH and I went out to The Promenade for a bit to see the 80s show, and then there was another comedy show by the same guy as the first night, but the adult version. Well....a pretty good full evening....but all fun must come to an end. We returned to our stateroom setting DH's alarm to early the next morning. (Forgot to mention but sometime before dinner we did the dreaded packing - which is always sad....and a challenge figuring out what to keep out for the next morning).3 points -
Navigator - Our Cruise to Nowhere
Guy Gadwa and 2 others reacted to WannaCruise for a topic
Day 4 - Our Last Dinner Boo...it was our last dinner of the cruise. What was annoying is that tonight's show was early at 7:30pm so we had to rush it a bit. We let our waiters know about the show time and they were really good about not having us wait too long. Last food porn of this report... Some meat dish for DD (forget what she ordered), grilled cheese for DS, some battered fish for DH and cheese tortellini for me (not as good as it was on Symphony) And of course, the best part of the meal, dessert. We all had the profiteroles. DS raved about it last time on Symphony so we all had to try it. I'll give it a thumb's up.3 points -
RoyalUp acceptance timing
Neesa and 2 others reacted to Miller Lite for a topic
Less than 48 hours for me, Junior Suite to a Crown Loft on Allure. I'm guessing someone cancelled.3 points -
5th Oasis Class Ship
PRebecca and one other reacted to Jolly Ogre for a topic
I would like to see Rocky Horror or Sgt Peppers. Or Saturday Night Fever, or a stage production of the Album Bat out of Hell.2 points -
Replacing a guest in case of emergency?
ChessE4 and one other reacted to Hoppy2cruise for a topic
Per the website: Names may be changed up to 24 hours prior to sailing provided one of the original names remains on the reservations. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/electronic-cruise-documents2 points -
Yes, the people booked do not have to show up for the cruise, and if one doesn't show up, it has no impact on others on reservation. You can swap names on a reservation up to 72-48 hours before sail date (I've seen both times quoted) as long as at least one name on the original booking stays on the reservation. Swapping names? No. Adding or removing people? Potentially, yes.2 points
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Halloween
coneyraven and one other reacted to T. Andy for a topic
Last year Majesty also had a haunted house in addition to the costume party.2 points -
Excursions: Cruise Line vs 3rd party
JustmeCindy and one other reacted to twangster for a topic
You have to consider the port, itinerary and season. Some ports lend themselves to using a 3rd party, for some ports it's easier to book through Royal. Tender ports are generally better to use Royal excursions. As a solo traveler it's often easier to book through Royal. If you book through Royal you must check prices frequently. Prices are not fixed. They vary from time to time, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly. I've saved hundreds over the years by watching prices and rebooking when prices drop. If you catch price drops they can be cheaper than 3rd parties. A huge benefit for me when booking through Royal are itinerary changes. Cruising in hurricane season in the tropics there is an increased opportunity for itinerary changes. When booked through Royal and there are last minute changes it's very relaxing being able to grab a cocktail and not worry about it. If you book a 3rd party it can be hectic and stressful dealing with it from the ship when there are last minute changes especially if you don't have Voom internet.2 points -
Ovation of the Seas // 7 nights // August 30-September 6, 2019
DDaley and one other reacted to PG Cruiser for a topic
Let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy your cruise and may the Force be with you!2 points -
5th Oasis Class Ship
ChrisK2793 and one other reacted to WAAAYTOOO for a topic
With all of the hatin' out there for Cats I can't imagine them making that mistake again. From what I understand, the only reason it is still on Oasis is b/c of a contract issue or they would have ditched it during the amplification. WWRY would be great ! PLEASE no more Hairspray either.2 points -
Escape Room which ships have it?
12thman and one other reacted to fonemanbob for a topic
All ships have an ESCAPE ROOM. It`s your cabin. You are escaping from the daily grind. Enjoy your cruise and escape to relaxation and rest.2 points -
1. Welcome to the boards! 2. Enjoy your new cruise! 3. Thank you for joining to give a positive experience of customer service. Glad everything is working out for you. A lot of new members seem to join just to vent frustration with customer service or Royal Caribbean in general (often when they themselves are at some fault and want to blame RCCL) and then are never heard from on this forum again. I hope you've also found some other helpful info around here.2 points
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Radiance AMPED
Big Tule and one other reacted to Baked Alaska for a topic
I know that it will be getting a refurb, but I'd doubt being Amped, Radiance specifically, anyway. Guess I like her just the way she is. Note: I've been wrong before.2 points -
Navigator - Our Cruise to Nowhere
Guy Gadwa and one other reacted to WannaCruise for a topic
Day 4 - Original Sea Day Thursday was the planned sea day. I love the cruise compass on these days as there is always lots going on. DS and DH has the Escape room booked for 10:30am on that day. DS was really excited that he was finally old enough to participate. He decided that he didn't want to do any water activities before so after our Windjammer breakfast, they hung out and DD and I went to the pool and slides. We started with the slides. She wouldn't go on The Blaster without her brother, so DD stuck to The Riptide. The lines were really good and she got on quite a few times. When she was done we decided to go swimming. Thankfully the main pools were back in order today so we went there. They were playing Missing Link on the big screen (with subtitles) so we could watch that while swimming. We were meeting DS and DH at the MDR for lunch and we still had some time, so we sat on the hammocks for a bit to dry off, and wandered a bit to the mini golf, watched a bit of the flowrider, and then changed out of our swimming suits for lunch. We met DS and DH for lunch. They did great at the Escape room. They solved it and apparently did it in great time. In the MDR, we did a mix of the buffet, including the tutti fruitti salad bar, and menu. DH ordered the risotto and I had the lobster roll which was not great, but ok. There was a Name That Tune for Musicals going on so DD and I grabbed our dessert to go and headed there. Then, we decided to watch the ice show again as we quite liked it the first time. DS had no interest and there was a Harry Potter trivia going on so they went there while we were at the show. I think in there as well, we played more foozball, etc. We were planning on doing the afternoon scavenger hunt by the pool but DS and I were the only ones that showed up (boo). So that was a no go. Day went quick and it was time for dinner again.2 points -
Who is better for European Cruises? RCCL or Celebrity?
Neesa reacted to ChrisK2793 for a topic
In the summer of 2021, we’d like to do b2b Greek Isles and Baltic/Russia cruises ....... our son will be 9 1/2 then .......... which cruise line would be better between RCCL and Celebrity? And why?1 point -
I would imagine so. They upgraded the control software for Voom on Empress so it acts and works just like Navigator now. You create a username and 4 digit PIN, can switch devices the same, same login pages and it uses the "WiFi-Guest-Empress" SSID so that it can visit CocoCay with another ship present. Once on CocoCay which is covered by WiFi you see both ships SSIDs so you can pick your ship and use your Voom account from on-board. When at CocoCay, Empress was connected to the island wirelessly so that you could swipe your card at a bar and it goes on your Empress account. Last year when Empress visited CocoCay every drink order was a hand written paper receipt. The point is they are upgrading tech on all ships including Empress so I fully expect Empress to be in the app.1 point
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Cruise Day 2 A Day at Sea Let me back up a little. In reference to check in…My wife is 23 weeks pregnant. RCCL limits pregnancy to 24 weeks on Disembarkation Day, but no one ever asked if she was pregnant, (it would be rude if they did) and most likely no one would if she was 30 weeks either. I guess this is a rule that is only a concern if you go into labor but then again that is too late. Anyone have any experience with this?? Another early day with the baby Zander. We always do breakfast at the Windjammier. I noticed RC is now cooking their bacon to my and most folks and likely everyone’s liking…crispy! Another observation. They do not serve bananas in the Windjammier in the morning….odd. Beautiful partly cloudy day. We are not ‘lay out by the pool’ kinda folks. We attended the Art auction as we occasionally do. Free Champagne is always a plus. Wifey likes the art and I ended up surprising her with a Thomas Kinkade portrait of the American Flag and Statue of Liberty. She completed 30 years in the Navy Reserve last year and I found the portrait to be fitting for her. Lunch at Windjammier then a quick donation to the casino while mommy and baby napped. Many folk complain about the age of this ship. The only things that, to me, make it appear dated in the exterior has a lot of rust and that cigarette smoke has just permeated everything around it. You can smell smoke all the way to the Centum on deck 5 and the forward elevator atrium on 4 5 and 6. Everything else about Enchantment is fantastic. I find it odd that the run movies in the room that are 3 hours long. Today was Aquaman. I never got to see the full movie for it always ran into other activities ☹ Day 2 is formal night and we didn’t overdo dressing for it. Khakis and a dress shirt for me, fancy slacks and blouse for the misses and a Tuxedo onesie for our son. I am an extremely picky eater, but I am consciously trying to “try” new things. This trip it’s escargot eh the garlic Me: Escargot Classic Caesar Salad Filet Royal Chocolate Cake Wife: Classic Caesar Salad Filet Sugar Free Dessert Zander Fruit cup His own Filet Cookie & ice cream After dinner we headed for the pool deck to walk of some calories and enjoy the peacefulness of the outdoors. It early to bed for mommy and baby, and I headed to the casino for some Roulette and had to shower to get the smoke off me upon returning to the cabin. Wifey is highly sensitive to it. PICTURES TO FOLLOW1 point
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Who is better for European Cruises? RCCL or Celebrity?
ChrisK2793 reacted to ChessE4 for a topic
We have only sailed Royal, but in exploring Celebrity I would point out that they have a different loyalty program. There is some reciprocity (explained under Celebrity/Azamara forum), but if you are trying to reach Diamond, you'd rather have Royal points than Celebrity points. The costs for things like drink packages may also vary, as I recall. However, I would look at the ship and itinerary first. The ports may vary because of ship size or other factors. We enjoyed the Med, including Greece, on Brilliance of the Seas. That was a good size for us. Best of luck whatever you decide. PS. Friends who sailed Celebrity in Europe said it was an "older crowd", but that also seemed the case for us when we sailed from Southampton to the Canaries. The time of year would be a factor for college students, families, and kids.1 point -
It’s nearly time! I feel like I have waited for yeeears to set off on my first cruise as an adult! (It’s been… 84 years… ) In reality, I haven’t had to wait all that long as the days between booking and embarkation maxed out at 146 days. Now it’s down to just SIX days! The saddest part was that I had three vacations to go on between then and now and the poor Grand Canyon and Puerto Vallarta did not get the travel-obsessing they deserved. In March, my boyfriend and I were looking into different trips we could take for our birthdays this August (on the 22nd and 25th) and as a Puerto Rican he suggested a trip there to visit his mom who went down to help family after Maria. I was pricing it out to stay in PR for around 6 nights (typical length of a land vacation I can afford) when he mentioned having taken a cruise from there back when he was in high school. The next day I googled cruises from SJ and booked a 7-night sailing on Freedom hours later! The price was pretty comparable and on this itinerary we would get the added bonus of seeing 5 other Caribbean ports! Who could say no? It should be noted that I booked during the 30% off sale but I even got us into a JS for less than every vacation I have taken to Hawaii. After reading about a million fabulous live blogs here I thought I would give it a go because I would love to give back, so if you have any Freedom questions, feel free to ask! Itinerary Day 1 8/18 - San Juan, Puerto Rico Day 2 8/19 - St. Thomas 8am-6pm - Magen’s Bay via taxi (haven’t been since I was 7!) Day 3 8/20 - St. Kitts & Nevis 8am-8pm (only ship in port) - Cockleshell Beach via Shore Excursioneer Day 4 8/21 - Antigua 8am-5pm (only ship in port) - Antigua By Sea (RC Excursion) Day 5 8/22 - St. Lucia 8am-6pm - Rainforest Zipline & Aerial Tram via Shore Excursioneer for MY BIRTHDAY!!!! Day 6 8/23 - Barbados 8am-9pm - Catamaran/Snorkel via Shore Excursioneer Day 7 8/24 - Cruising Day 8 8/25 - Return to San Juan With the added bonus of Day 9 - Extra day in San Juan! With a newly-renovated oceanfront room at my favorite hotel in SJ, the Caribe Hilton. I could not say no to seeing the renovation for myself. I am also a brand loyalist to my dear, sweet Hilton, specifically because I love getting to pick my own room (e.g. north-facing Disneyland Resort room for fireworks every time). We also got a rental car so we can cruise the island and pick up my boyfriend’s mom so she can point us to the best mofongo! Who’s Going - my boyfriend (Adrian) and I (Daryl) Cabin - Junior Suite 9538. The larger balcony is what got me because I am a lanai girl through and through. I get an oceanfront every time I go to Hawaii and even extended the year-round lanai time to include my apartment in downtown San Diego, specifically for sunset balcony-sitting! So suffice it to say I plan on spending a lot of time out there for sail away cocktails and the JS balcony was a major draw. Priority embarkation also sounds nice without having purchased The Key. Pre-Purchases - I got us the DBP for $44pp/pd during the 30% off sale although I can never figure out if it’s on sale or not cause it remained the same price once the sale was over?! Seems like at $12 each it is not hard to get to $44 per day, I can easily drink 4-5 cocktails and will also need 100+ ounces in water to make up for all that dehydration. Hoping to keep track of my drink consumption like @JLMoran! Also got the Voom Surf and Stream for 2 devices for instagramming and live blogging. Excursions St. Kitts - Cockleshell Beach transportation that includes a stop at Timothy Hill on the way. A taxi all the way down there was somewhat comparable but with a drink and chair included, it was worth it for the excursion version of going straight to the beach. Antigua - 80ft catamaran that circumnavigates the whole island! I went back and forth on which beach to taxi to from the port (for the record I had settled on Dickenson Bay - $14, haha) but decided this would be a fun way to see all 365 of them with a lunch/snorkel beach stop on Green Island off the east coast of Antigua. St. Lucia - Rainforest Aerial Tram and Zipline in the Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve on my biiirthday! I almost did the Pitons zip as advertised on the cruise planner but opted for the one with the sweet 45-minute aerial tram ride through the jungle. I am thinking SD Zoo Skyfari x10! Barbados - Catamaran/Shipwreck Snorkeling excursion to Folkstone Marine Park and Carlisle Bay. I am a sucker for both catamaran rides and snorkeling (a must in Waikiki and at Hanauma Bay evvvery single time) so I couldn’t pass this one up! --- I hope I can keep up with this blog as we go. I haven’t been on a cruise since December of 2005 when I sailed HAL Oosterdam with my parents out of our home port of San Diego to the Mexican Riviera. BUT! My very first cruise experience was with my friend's family on RCCL ol’ gal Sovereign of the Seas out of Miami in 1998! We went to Key West, Nassau and the oooolddd fashioned Coco Cay. Would love to try out Perfect Day on a future cruise to see the transformation (besides the fact that I love waterslides). Ahhh! Seeing the logged-in Royal countdown at 6 Days To Go has me feeling near-constant excited stomach butterflies! ? These 5 work days are going to crawl by.1 point
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Symphony of the Seas 10/12/2019 Star Loft Suite! Star class experience!
almondmilktea reacted to WAAAYTOOO for a topic
Welcome to the Blog. Enjoy your cruise !1 point -
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I understand why they did this but there is also a certain feeling you get in the specialty restaurants, a coziness that you dont feel in the MDR. Awesome that the food was good but I think for the people who have eaten in the MDR and also eaten in the specialty restaurants in our heads we will be doing comparisons and atmosphere of a restaurant is a big factor in overall dining experience.1 point
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Unlike all the other ships, AO is basically one large room with curtains in the middle. Odd set up, relative to the rest of the fleet. It’s essentially one large room, separated into three sections. The counselors described the set up as the Aquanauts having a glass door separator, but Explorers and Voyagers are basically together since the space is so small.1 point
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Replacing a guest in case of emergency?
VillainsGin reacted to FManke for a topic
I've got 13mos and booked last April! ?1 point -
Replacing a guest in case of emergency?
VillainsGin reacted to FManke for a topic
Wow! I thought I was a planner! ? I hope you don't have to find out. Happy Cruising!1 point -
Matt, Thanks a bunch for the info and your continuing support. It looks like a go this weekend!1 point
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Also, see this message thread: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/15294-extended-cruises-packages/1 point
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Adventure Ocean First Timers
Hoski reacted to Andrew72681 for a topic
Be sure to get them registered early and if at all possible get them in there the first night. Even little kids form groups and it’s much easier when everyone doesn’t know each other than trying to join in the next day.1 point -
Any potential problems going from largest to smallest ship ?
Kpak reacted to fonemanbob for a topic
Any ship is a pleasure to be on. Our first ever cruise was on Enchantment. She has since been stretched and refurbished a couple of times. We thought that ship was big. LOL Have been on all sizes since. They are all unique and it is really all about the itinerary. Smaller ships have better food and service. Talking to most employees the majority of them prefer the smaller classes of ships. All of the above posts are spot on.1 point -
You will get everywhere much faster....there is not so much walking involved. Everything is so much closer together... Enjoy your cruise!1 point
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Our first cruise was Oasis of the Seas, the next two were Grandeur and Majesty. We were told we were doing backwards, that we would be disappointed with the smaller ships. This was absolutely not the case. We loved the Grandeur and even the Majesty; these two ships can't be beat for relaxing and enjoying the ship. On the smaller ships you feel more connected to the seas and feel more like you are cruising. The Oasis was great and had lots to do; the smaller ships more laid back. You can't go wrong with either.1 point
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Any potential problems going from largest to smallest ship ?
Kpak reacted to spiralqueen for a topic
I have sailed both Allure and Enchantment and as much as I adored Allure and how many things there were to do, one thing I found was that I enjoyed much less live music than I did on Enchantment. I mean, there were options a plenty to listen to it on Allure, but in my mind I wanted to see the bigger shows I couldn't see on smaller ships. I'm really looking forward to my Grandeur cruise where we can enjoy music in the centrum and Schooner bar without feeling that FOMO.1 point -
We recently had the key on Symphony. We were going to have voom surf and stream anyhow so decided it was worth the extra. I think we paid £24.99 a night. The early embarkation was not used as everyone who had printed off sea pass was straight on at 11 am when we got there. It was good to drop off our carry on knowing that would be in our room at 1pm. The chops grille lunch served in the main dining was fabulous . We attended 3 shows and thought the reserved key seating was ok and saved the worry of having to get there really early and queue but there were better seats. We used the reserved times on climbing and flow rider . The final day breakfast was nice but nothing to rave about. We were escorted straight out on debarkation day ( past a large queue ) and had no problem just asking a steward when we felt ready to leave . So all in all we thought it was a great experience for our first cruise however we have decided not to purchase it for our next one and see how it goes. Feel free to ask anything else and enjoy ?1 point
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I posted this image on my instagram story with a caption about it not being a good idea to dangle children out such an obvious window and so many people wrote me back shocked that that's what it looked like / how high it was. I guess the lawyer's story about it being down at the deck level and in a play area was widespread. ? Staying on a Windows Of Freedom theme, this was our only dinner time that was before sunset! I loved being able to see the ocean roll by - note to self - early dinners next time.1 point
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I initially booked a spacious balcony that departs in August. I received my Royal up bid request for a Grand Suite on June 18th. I submitted it the same day and received an acceptance of my bid the following day ?. It's a surprise for my son's 16th birthday and my nephew is coming along too, so the extra room will be welcome.1 point
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Mariner (1st time) or Navigator (2nd time)
ChrisK2793 reacted to bsilver for a topic
Navigator's staterooms have been updated to that nice blue. Mariner is still the depressing drab green everywhere.1 point