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That was me, and if I recall correctly, it was @Ogilthorpe who helped me out with that, so I'll pay it forward. ? If you call 1-888-305-4626, they can expedite the availability of the reward OBC and put it right into your cruise planner. I just contacted them last week with another redemption, and it was in my account within 15 minutes of hanging up the phone. ?

Fires in shipyards happen often. That's why they have their own fire departments. When Monarch of the Seas was being built in 1990 a welder's torch caught some insulation on fire. She was nearly lost. They ended up taking a section of Majesty who was being built in another slip and replaced the damaged section of Monarch with the section from Majesty. She went on to enjoy 22 years of service with Royal. AIDAnova, Norwegian Joy, Costa Smeralda and Carnival Mardì Gras all recently had fires during construction at the various shipyards involved.

No clue! I gave up counting, it’s too depressing lol

I'd love to cruise over Christmas! I'll have to wait until retirement, though - no way would I be able to get Christmas off from work. BUT, that's only 4 more years!!!

As they say in German SCHEISSE!!!! ?

I do agree with you, FCC should be more flexible to recognize the source of the funds that were applied in the first place. I myself have experienced this more than once. It's approaching money laundering from some perspectives, but completely unorganized and random. The fact that they give minor children hundreds of dollars of credit is incredible. If I give my sister $2,000 technically there should be tax implications. I can do it through Royal and she evades taxation. Nice. Try again with a different contact center agent or escalate to a different manager. If that doesn't work wait a bit and try again. Unfortunately everytime time you deal with Royal customer service there is a "spin the wheel to see if you won a prize" game involved.

So is this the record of earliest blog start?

We spent Christmas 2019 on Anthem and loved it! There was a good balance of Christmas/non Christmas themed activities and entertainment. Ship was nicely decorated. Sailing out of NYC in December, weather was cooler at the beginning and end of the cruise so it didn’t feel like the pools were overly crowded and there is so much to do indoors. The ship was full so it’s best you prebook activities like Ifly, Northstar where you can. There were a few last minute schedule changes on the holiday cruise that we were told was not the norm but they were manageable. We sailed star class so our experience may be a bit different but I think it will be great!

Don’t know at this point if I am sad, or happy to announce that this blog is officially, “To be continued in 623 days!” Our journey back to Oasis is taking a detour in the form of Plan C, 8 Night Symphony next summer in 1744 ? and Oasis now will be 2022. ?

Icon would be great. If alternate fuel, Port of Galveston would be prime location.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! We are in 8724, because I read some of the posts here before booking. This site is a great resource. I appreciate all of the advice and expertise. I’m sure I’ll come up with lots of questions over the next 22 months!

If you are thinking about doing it on the ship, and I can not stress this enough, GET THE CRUISE DIRECTOR INVOLVED! They live for this kind of thing and are really good at it. I proposed to my wide on Enchantment of the Seas nearly 20 years ago now. The director managed to lure her on stage between acts in the main theater on formal night after finding her SeaPass card that she had "misplaced." While doing a really funny bit with her about why it's important to never lose it, blah blah blah, the Assistant Cruise Director had met me at the back of theater, rushed me through backstage and had me appear on stage to propose. She had NO IDEA it was happening, and we got copies of the whole thing on tape from the ship's videographers. This was the plan we arrived at, but he had a number of ideas and possibilities: everything from quiet and romantic to a huge public declaration.

While it's not a mass-market cruise line and it doesn't stay out to sea for more than a few hours at a time, this may give some hints to how casinos might operate on the big guys when sailing resumes! Doug Parker, from Cruise Radio, took one for the team and went for a little sail to check it out. https://cruiseradio.net/florida-casino-ship-offers-preview-of-cruise-gambling/

I have a problem with the way RCI issues future cruise credit. I paid for a family cruise, I paid for the whole cruise myself on my credit card. Not all family members will ever be comfortable cruising in the future, for some it was to be their first cruise. I will definitely cruise in the future sometime. Seems really unfair that i have to eat the loss on those family members that will never cruise, it amount to thousands of dollars i will lose. If nothing else let us transfer FCC to other individuals second problem, as long as I'm at it, I also seems unfair that i can only apply my cruise credit to my part of the fare and not my wifes. I mean Royal your still getting the money, why not make it easy and fair. this is just my opinion, and has developed after all the recent cancellations

got my refund on friday w00t!!

I also think if you can do both and want to do both then book both! Great price on the cabana!

For years now there are sites that display a ship without explicitly naming it. They slap some arbitrary price on the posting and sit back and wait. If someone comes along and expresses interest (some rich oil prince maybe?) they'll connect them with the owner for a smallish multimillion dollar finders fee. If anyone is referencing these sites are proof of something it's leaves a lot to be asked about the legitimacy of said person. These sites have been out there for years now and every couple month someone finds one and thinks it's breaking news.

The 360th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring how Ryan proposed to his girlfriend while on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Ryan took his girlfriend on Oasis of the Seas, and shares what steps he took to plan the perfect proposal. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/podcast/episode-360-ryan-proposes

We saw a proposal on Anthem in December and the cruise staff was definitely involved. Everything took place in the Music Hall and the cruise activities director did a great job of making it a total surprise for the bride to be and the audience. She said "YES".

After canceling our July 4th cruise, we also booked the Nov. 21st Apex cruise. Now, I'm wondering if that cruise will happen. We've decided that we will not cancel this cruise, it will have to actually be canceled by Celebrity.

It doesn't matter. @Matt is still the one who started the trend and forever carries that cone of shame around his neck. ?

Royal has call centers offshore and they have a history of not internally communicating changes well or proactively. If you received a letter with that verbiage I think you are good as long as you apply it before 12/31/2021 and sail before 4/30/2022 as it says.

Hi , Here you can see 3 live blogs on the same routes , feel free to ask any questions , in Capri there the top of the mountain location were you take a cable car , they have a nice coffee shops and wonderful view , it is most of the time more quire from the other places in Capri .: The first one you can find a tour to Rome using the bus and coming back with a train Here you can find travel to Capri , I do suggest to take the tour from the ship , you can do it cheaper by yourself but the lines will kill you

I am actually shocked that excursions have already popped up. My May 2021 cruise on Symphony did not have any excursions pop up until about 400 days out. We jumped on the Coco beach pass the day it came up. It is only 2 of us, so that was the best option for us, we too are like @Ogilthorpe, usually like Chill Island cabana when in a group. When we purchased the pass in late April, the only other Coco Cay excursion on the planner was the beach bed. Mid May the over water and Chill cabana came on line. It was only a week or two ago that Thrill came on line. Oasis cabanas came on line that day too. If I knew I was going in a group I would jump on that price, especially with children since the cabanas have a water slide attached. I could see doing the water park since you are on Anthem. If you said to me you were on Oasis, I probably would have said that the water park is not worth it since the ship has water slides. I get Thrill has a bigger slide, but to me, even when I was a kid, a large slide like on the ship is a large slide. The only thing that would sway me is the fact that I am a beach girl and love jumping waves. I could live all day in a wave pool. FWIW, if you do not know this, if the cabana price drops (I highly doubt since that is such a low price), purchase the new cabana at the lower price and than go back and cancel the higher price one. There are limited numbers of cabanas, however, unlimited number of people looking on the planner. They could have only 1 left. By the time you cancel and come back to rebook at the lower price it can sell out. I have seen this occur multiple times. ~ The way my husband and I have done this is: 1st purchase would be under his name. 2nd purchase (re-pricing) would go under my name. Went back in and cancelled his purchase. We do this so we don't mistakenly cancel the cheaper cabana.

Really want to try Anthem so definitely good attitude. But it's my kids (long line ups) and DH (hates crowds) that i'm questioning. However, after losing 3 cruises this year (2 for sure..most likely this one), I think they'll get over any waits...ha ha.

@CynBeth welcome to the forums! I've only heard this when people use big consolidated TAs. For those of use who have used MEI Travel, they have saved us so much time and hassle. I'd never book a cruise again without using them. That being said, they typically don't deal with Cruise Planner items.

Vision of the Seas 6/7/21 Where can I find the master list?

First cruise in 2002 was us and the two kids in an oceanview cabin on Empress. Our reintroduction to cruising in 2018 was in a GS on Majesty. Earlier this year we did a quick 4 day with our grandson on Mariner & said yeah a balcony stateroom will be fine. Well NO! Both hubby & I said never again. We are already suite snobs. Happens fast ?

We have done one over Christmas, we were not on Anthem but on a MUCH smaller ship and I can tell you that even though the ship was at capacity and much smaller there wasn't a big crowd feel whatsoever. To be honest I was actually impressed, I got onboard with the expectation that it was going to be absolutely insane and did not expect much at all, and by the time we were done we all agreed that the service that we received and the whole experience was one of the best cruises we have ever had. The ship we were on was Majesty of the Seas, and like I stated earlier I came onboard expecting the worst and it turned out being one of the best we have had. So my advice? Book the cruise and get onboard with a good attitude and I almost guarantee you that by the time you get back you will have had a great time! ?

We have cruised over Christmas and New Years many times. I completely agree with @twangster. Everyone always seems happy. More kids ? Yes, but it is not overwhelming. I highly recommend holiday cruising. It especially takes the stress out of the Holidays, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.

Guinness is almost a diet beer given it's relatively low calorie count. At least that's how I justify it.

The only problem with applying the ban to all of the U.S is that includes regions or states that are doing quite well, as good or better than the EU. The U.S. is pretty sizable both in population and land size. The EU is made up of a number of small countries that are easier to apply labels to and definitions. I get it, it's easier to create definitions based on a passport compared to driver's license but if we stop for a moment and try to reimagine changes to better determine how to move into reopening we must think beyond traditional measures. This applies to domestic policy within the U.S. as well. I get it, it's easier to label people from their state of residence rather than their county but in so doing we prevent areas that are less impacted from reaping economic gains. Expecting government to be dynamic and agile is an act of futility but that is exactly what we need to minimize the economic impact and hardship caused by the pandemic. It's a shame that it's governments that are causing as much or more pain than the virus itself. We need to find a way to allow commerce when there is less potential impact from spread regardless of the state or country or continent or hemisphere. The virus doesn't know borders and neither can our response.

Since I live in a landlocked state well away from any coast I have to fly to cruise. With the extra cost and time burden of flying if I'm getting on an airplane to cruise I might as well cruise twice or more. Consequently I look for opportunities to stay on the same ship or move to another ship before flying home. The latter is sometimes called a side-to-side while staying on is called back-to-back. Royal calls such guests "Consecutive Cruisers". You will often see terms like B2B, B3B or B4B used in internet forums like this one to indicate a back to back or staying on for three or four in a row. Less commonly you may see S2S for side to side. From Royal's perspective each cruise is an seperate event. When staying on for the next cruise certain things are treated like you are a new guest on the next cruise. Different onboard account, different seapass card, different reservations for meals and entertainment. For these items it's as if you never did take the last cruise, the cruise you are on now stands on its own. You need to check in for both cruises online ahead of time as if they are different cruises which in fact they are. The most desireable B2B often means booking the same cabin for both cruises. There is no check box for this when searching for cruise, it's up to you or your travel agent to find a cabin that is available to book for both cruises. This is easier to do when booking cruises that are far in the future. When booking the cruises closer to sail date it's often harder or impossible to book the same cabin for both cruises. The cruise line offers no assistance in this effort and they will not ask someone to change cabins so that you can stay on for the next cruise. Sometimes a B2B involves changing cabins one cruise to the next. This typically involves packing your suitcases of all your belongings except for items hanging in the closet. The cabin attendants will facilitate moving your suitcases and hanging items from the first cabin to the next. There are exceptions to this where the onus is on you to move all your belongings but those are rare. Because a B2B involves two separate cruise bookings there are numerous times when changing cabins between cruises is required or is simply appealing. For one cruise perhaps a balcony or suite is available at an attractive rate but on the other cruise the same cabin is unavailable or cost prohibitive. Perhaps you want to try different cabins to sample each type or location so you know better in the future if a specific cabin location or deck makes a difference for your personal preferences. The cheapest rates are sometime "guarantee" type rates where the cruise line selects your cabin. In the case of a B2B with two guarantee type bookings its very unlikely they will assign you the same cabin for both cruises as the cruise line views the two bookings as unrelated until you step onboard. For one cruise a balcony might be cheaper than an ocean view but on the next cruise a balcony is very expensive and a suite is only a few dollars more. There are a number of scenarios that end up with a cabin change for a B2B. When you book two consecutive cruises you or your travel agent needs to notify the cruise line that you have booked two in a row. Until you do the cruise line has no awareness you booked two consecutive cruises. Once on board the first cruise it's always a good idea to stop by guest services and ensure they have you on the list as a consecutive cruiser otherwise they expect you to leave like a regular guest at the end of the first cruise. In America, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) dictates the process for consecutive cruisers. More often than not they will require all guests disembark so that the ship reaches "zero count" before they allow guests for the next sailing to begin boarding. For consecutive cruisers near the end of the first cruise you'll get a letter in your cabin describing the process. This generally involves meeting at a designated location and time when all other guests are disembarking. Once the bulk of all other guests have left the ship as a group consecutive cruisers are led off the ship to meet with CBP. Once inspected and cleared by CBP there is often a short wait while CBP confirms zero guests remain on board (zero count) before they allow consecutive cruisers to return on board. Boarding of the next cruise starts with consecutive cruisers followed by wedding parties, suites and high ranking members in the loyalty program. CBP will sometimes board the ship and inspect consecutive cruisers on board at the designated meeting location. No one knows how CBP decides if guest must leave or stay on board. I suspect they look at the guest list and depending on the names and details they make a game day call. For example if only US citizens are B2B and they all have passports on file then most of the inspection work is done ahead of time and they already know if there are any standouts that require more investigation. If there are foreigners or a name that matches a watch list or comes up matching someone with an outstanding arrest warrant they are less likely to allow the group to remain on board. In my experiences only once have I remained on board. All other times have involved 30 to 55 minutes off the ship going through the process. In other regions of the world different border authorities have different processes and often you can stay on board. For mediterranean cruises often these itineraries stay within the European Union and with the open borders of the EU there is no customs or immigration process between cruises. Side to side cruising is another option to consider. This could involve moving to another Royal ship or a different cruise line. In Florida a side to side can involve different cruise ports. I've cruised from Ft. Lauderdale then flew the same day to a ship in Tampa. I've sailed from Miami then rented a car and boarded a ship in Port Canaveral the same day. The easiest side to side involve changing ships at the same port like Miami, or moving from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale as these two ports are less than 30 miles apart. In the case of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale on two occasions Royal saw that I was moving between ships and they offered complimentary shuttle service for me. This is not standard and should not be expected but sometimes it happens. Sometimes the ship schedules don't align perfectly and there is a need for a hotel stay between ships. One thing to consider is laundry. You'll need to pack wisely when your overall journey is longer. Some items can be repeated such as formal wear for both cruises. Some items like bathing suits can be rinsed and hung to dry so they work for both cruises. Sometimes you just need to bring more clothes and more suitcases to last for both cruises or just plan to pay for laundry services on board. A side to side with a night in a hotel in between provides an opportunity to book a hotel with a laundry. Sometimes consecutive cruisers are offered a special lunch or sometimes they are offered sparkling wine and mimosas upon reboarding. This varies from ship to ship. Here are some cruise trip reports I've done involving a B2B or S2S: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/14213-empress-b2b-14-nights-on-the-biggest-little-ship-july-2019/ https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5068-anthem-112517-712-b2b/ https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/17015-an-amplified-agglomeration-of-oasis-pictures-post-amplification/ Here are two cruises as a S2S with a car rental between them: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/9391-recap-mariner-4-night-bahamas-sept-21-2018/ AND https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/9359-recap-enchantment-ots-3-night-bahamas-92118/ This is an example of a S2S with a hotel stay in between: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/14700-empress-8-night-eastern-caribbean-?-oops-i-booked-it-again-?/ AND https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/14968-the-magic-of-majesty-august-2019-and-then-again-in-october/ Personally I love doing a B2B and if I had more time and money I'd do more of them.

Our end cost was about $1800 less than what I had originally booked the cruise at. It's currently 10% above final cost. L&S might be the quickest and of course easiest course of action. Like I stated above, waiting on the FCC might just be eaten up by increasing fares. My head is spinning. I just want to cruise. I need some escargot and a lamb shank!

I'll add that if your cruise is in a country that doesn't use the dollar as its currency (basically Europe / Asia / Pacific), going through the Cruise Planner ensures that if you need to cancel you will get back the full amount as originally paid in USD. Booking an excursion directly will probably save you money, but because it'll ultimately be paid in the native currency it'll expose you to exchange rate variability that could make canceling painful.

Last update I saw on the shipbuilder’s Facebook was they were making the anchor chains.

Hello just a new update. Our family just received our renewal passports yesterday it took 122 days to get them - We went to the post office on Feb 24 2020 and just got them in the mail on 6/25/2020 Something now not to worry about

That's right friends, it's time to (pretend to) cruise again and you're all invited! I can't believe my (non-existent) cruise is finally here, and I am headed back on my favorite ship of all time, Harmony of the Seas! First, I'd like to point out that I did not start my live blog many months in advance, as @Lovetocruise2002 always does. Second, here are the details for this sailing. Because I didn't pay anything to go onboard, I'm going big time! We have the Royal Loft Suite booked for this sailing. After all, nothing is too good for my family (especially if it's all pretend). Having stayed once before on Deck 16 in the suite area, I am looking forward to the suite enclave onboard and enjoying more time in the Suite Lounge. Who knows, I might just go to Coastal Kitchen! Our cruise is a 7-night itinerary, with visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Cozumel, Costa Maya and then back to CocoCay again! It will be 4 ports of non-stop sun, surf, and eating. I managed to pull some strings with the government, and got some friends onboard with me for this sailing. I'm cruising with @Big Dawg Ron, @JLMoran, @AnnetteJackson, @Lovetocruise2002's husband & @Galveston Steve! Who knows, more may fly during the cruise...because why the heck not! My plan is to take the stretch limo over to Port Canaveral on Saturday, and be in the terminal (and subsequently onboard) as soon as I can!

For what it's worth, I found this petition on a group I follow...it was started earlier this evening and has a long way to go. If you are inclined, please sign and share. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/cdc-going-destroy-cruise-industry?fbclid=IwAR2TguDcOHEQNgbnWmRPs_fW4TdDaLF1kaV4rp_3BdoAIKjgJm_5oOzc48w

Thanks so much. I remember following along at the time. ? Just did a re-read. Great cruise! Seems like they had non-Christmas stuff too as you mentioned. This is the same 8 night we currently have booked for this December (except I see that your itinerary got changed). Next year's is a 7 night but still would be similar. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks so much!

Thanks for the great links. DH and I were on Adventure in December (before Christmas) and they also had a nice tree up in the Promenade. The indoor pool area looks really nice. Good size. And Anthem seems to have a great Solarium. Thanks for sharing.

Oh wow! Ok I booked it figuring I can always cancel if I change my mind. I have almost two years to think about it, lol.

Edge - Nov 2020 (Fingers crossed) Reflection - Mar 2021 Infinity B2B - June 2021 Oasis - Nov 2021 Allure - Mar 2022

I have nothing to say, cruise related. Just wanted to say cheers, and hope everyone is having a great weekend. I'm spending the week at the beach with the wife and kiddos...NO WORK. It's not a cruise...but things could be worse..... I hope everyone takes a moment, in the near future, to reflect on this time, and hopefully come away from it with a better perspective. Easy for me to say, I know, but all the same....hope we can all approach this crazy time with some positivity and optimism.

This is exactly why one of my children chose AF. Subsequently they are finding themselves aerial being refueled where the saying is... There are two types of people: Those that have already vomited and those who are about to. Service is service and we thank you both for it.

If your cruise meets the L&S guidelines, you can certainly do a L&S with just the deposit paid to date. We just did the same on our 10/4/20 cruise with only the $500 deposit paid and moved it to 10/3/21. The deposit transfers and the final payment due clock also resets to the new sail date. There may be an adjustment to the port fees, expenses and taxes charge based on your new sailing, but you should not have to pay any additional amount at the time of L&S. Also, remember that anything your purchased through the Cruise Planner will automatically be cancelled and eventually refunded to original form of payment since the CP does not transfer to the new sailing. We actually just got our CP refund today... it took about 2 weeks from the time we did the L&S. I'm sorry I can't speak to FCC scenario with a NRD from experience, but I'm sure someone will be able to chime in shortly!

Workarounds? This is why the country is in the state it is.

So in other words... we're dealing with Schrödinger's Cruise? ?

Ok good because now I can just say it was a bad dream! I didn’t really see it! ?