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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/23/2020 in all areas

  1. This will probably sound pedestrian compared to the cool adventures already posted, but the first thing that popped into my head was, on our last cruise on Lady O in 11/18, after dinner my wife and I would just go straight into Central Park, enjoy a beverage, and listen to the fantastic piano/violin duo play classical music. Now, I like classical, but am nowhere near an aficionado, but it was so serene and relaxing with the warm breeze blowing and very few people walking around. Hoping to have repeat performances when we sail on Harmony in Nov.
    16 points
  2. Resurrecting an old thread. I wanted to report on a GREAT experience with American Airlines and itinerary changes. I had to change a flight NOT once, but TWICE. For both calls, AA made the necessary changes quickly and without charging a dime in change fees. I am thrilled with this new policy. The first time I changed it, there was an increase in fare (which I absolutely expected) so I just paid the increased fare. The second time I changed it, the fare went DOWN by over $350 PP so I got credit vouchers for that fare difference. After so many bad experiences trying to change air itineraries, I was happy for some good news. I hope they NEVER change their no change fee policy !!!
    12 points
  3. I went to town and purchased everything we wanted at these amazing prices. Thinking positive. I know the refunds do come so I did it! We will hopefully sail a 4 night on Mariner Thanksgiving week 2020. Just going to the private island 2x so feeling just maybe....
    7 points
  4. Hi all! I don’t want to jinx things but I am feeling slightly encouraged that the 2020 holiday cruising season may actually happen. ? The new cruise planner sale has some really good deals but I am hesitant to buy anything (and have a bunch of $$$ tied up) until there is some indication that cruising (though limited) will resume in November. I plan to be on the 2020 Oasis thanksgiving cruise. I foresee that if cruising does restart, many of the cruise planner items are going to go up in price and/or be sold out pretty quickly once the news is announced regarding cruise resumption. On the other hand, I don’t want to wait (and wait and wait) for a refund if the 2020 holiday cruises are cancelled. Are any of you planning to YOLO purchase cruise planner deals for your 2020 holiday cruises or are you holding off until we have word that cruises will resume in November/December?
    6 points
  5. No way! That is one of my favourite parts of every cruise on Oasis class.
    6 points
  6. I believe this is 100% likely. I fear that onboard prices are going to be sky-high. At some point, the Cruise Planner prices are going to shoot up and stay there. I really don’t see any downside to purchasing CP items on sale. The worst that can happen is that you get a refund or FCC if the cruise is cancelled.
    6 points
  7. My last Bermuda sailing on Anthem, I got to see Joyce Kuo (lead guitarist for We Will Rock You) perform acoustic guitar in the Schooner Bar on our first night out. But the really memorable part was that I got to spend about 10 or 15 minutes after her set just chatting with her about her background in music, the experience of auditioning for WWRY and learning the music, and what it was like to be a performer on board. All from the context of my daughter being a musician (singer) and looking to find a career performing. She was so down to earth and friendly, and more than happy to talk about her career and offer tips to relay to my daughter. I felt bad when I realized how long I'd been talking with her when she needed to get to another performance that night.
    5 points
  8. The memory that brings me to tears with joy is my daughter enjoying our balcony on the Harmony November 2019. No electronics, my mini me! (and yes we had the VOOM!!) Hair up, just sunscreen enjoying the sound of the ocean, pure joy! My second picture is the "POLE" in the cabin @WAAAYTOOO warned me about, how I hated that darn pole. (yes face first into it late at night) While I have zero fond memories of that pole I sure miss it, I would love to visit her again, just saying ? Loved the Harmony for Thanksgiving, the happiness was palatable. Our entire week was a true wonderful family event, we miss sailing together....sailing takes me away to where I want to be!!! LET. US. SAIL!!!
    5 points
  9. Not just river cruises in NA - I once looked up that train tour through the Rockies and wow that's pricey. Wouldn't mind doing it but I gotta win the lottery first.
    4 points
  10. Still clinging to that strand of hope for Nov 9 on Grandeur, I just said screw it and booked my 1st cabana at Labadee, price is just too good (and I'm promoting social distancing...I'm a responsible citizen after all!) ?
    4 points
  11. It was a family cruise (Liberty of the Seas) with my grandson (4). He loved escargot - had it every night. He also loved waving the napkins at the final dinner in the MDR when all the staff starts their parade.
    4 points
  12. We cruised the Freedom to the ABC islands last October. My favorite memory was the day we spent at the Renaissance Aruba on their private island! I hand fed flamingos and when we were at lunch, we were entertained by the tiny birds helping themselves to the fruit garnishes left on drink glasses after guests left nearby tables.
    4 points
  13. My best memory is taking my sister on her first Caribbean cruise. Now she is completely addicted - we've been on several together. and can't wait for our next!!
    4 points
  14. The last cruise I took was a quick 4 night on Brilliance with my youngest son on January 30th. We homeschool and took the cruise to see the Mayan ruins at San Gervasio (I wasn’t comfortable heading to the mainland without my husband with us). We had the best field trip ever. The other highlight of the cruise was our assistant waiter, Mauro. He did magic tricks each night and took care of my son like his own. He was awesome!
    4 points
  15. My favorite memory was shocking Mr. SpeedNoodles when we were on an ATV tour in Puerto Rico last February on our Symphony sailing - It was only the 2nd time I'd ever driven an ATV (the first time being the day before, mostly on paved roads), and the mud was up to a foot deep in places. He didn't think I"d even try to go through some of the big puddles or mud, but I just dove into them the entire time and never got stuck - he was shocked! It's not easy to shock your husband after 26 years of marriage!
    4 points
  16. I've purchased my items I wanted for my December 12th cruise on the Symphony. I have HIGH hopes!
    3 points
  17. @Neesa I really wanted to do the thrill and chill too! If Oasis is not one of the ones that will resume sailing in November, but Mariner is, I will likely be switching over to Mariner ? These cruise planner prices, especially on the cabanas at Perfect Day, are just too good to pass up!
    3 points
  18. Me either. We get calls on 911 all of the time that go something like this: 911: "And the female that you saw, can you describe her, please?" Caller: "Yes, she was a white female, brunette, blue jacket, elderly" 911: "And can you give me an idea of what you mean by elderly, sir?" Caller: "Oh, you know, about 35." 911: ...... bangs head on desk .....
    3 points
  19. My 6 year old son, who was 5 at the time, wears a little captain's hat around the ship - and him meeting the actual Captain. Man, it was like meeting the REAL Santa Claus.
    3 points
  20. Navigator four night in February earlier this year, just before everything started going haywire! Booked a GTY balcony with DX bev on a whim and stayed on the SW side of Florida with some family for a couple nights on either side of the trip, was a very easy drive over to Miami. As many others have mentioned, so impressed with the brand new upgrades on Navigator and at CocoCay - it was all just so great, especially enjoyed the escape room (set the best time on our cruise but who knows, maybe they say that to everybody) and the schooner bar, best memory probably the last sea day where patience paid off in getting a casita on the upper deck hanging there most of the afternoon and then won big in the casino that night. Just perfect. Reaffirmed my love for the voyager class, for me and what I like to do it's just the right size of ship, hope to try Freedom or Indy someday soon as well.....
    3 points
  21. Was our second annual birthday cruise in January and we decided to decorate for others. Unfortunately we were in an end cabin and almost no one saw it. We will be back and bring it and others to change it up daily for the amusement of others.
    3 points
  22. Have to include two because it's a complete toss up. Freedom Southern Caribbean June 2019 (SO long ago!) 1) Experiencing sunrise on deck every morning with our 1.5 year old grandson (his first cruise). I had done the same thing with his sister on her first cruise at 11 months and it's a really special time. Sunrises are beautiful but nothing compared to sharing the wonder with a young one. 2) Eagle Beach in Aruba with our 3.5 year old granddaughter. Expected a timid response to the crashing waves (as reported about a previous trip to Myrtle Beach with her parents and other grandparents). It took about 2 minutes before she wanted to "go out more, Gramps" - into water over my waist and waves cresting over my shoulders. The feeling of having one so vulnerable trust you so completely is priceless.
    3 points
  23. ROYAL CARIBBEAN ANNOUNCES UPDATES TO 2021 SUMMER CRUISES Royal Caribbean Press Center News Feed 3min//keep unread//hide MIAMI, Sept. 23, 2020 – Royal Caribbean International today provides an update to its 2021 summer cruises, announcing upcoming changes in itineraries and homeports. Tapping market research and valuable feedback from guests and travel partners, the cruise line has adjusted its schedule with the goal of providing guests with greater variety for their 2021 adventures. Highlights of the updated summer cruises for 2021 include new 4- and 5-night Mediterranean getaways from Barcelona, and more island time in the Caribbean with ships sailing from additional, popular U.S. cruise ports next summer including Tampa, Fla. and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The new itineraries combined with Royal Caribbean ships and crew will deliver the signature vacation experience that guests know and love. Most importantly, the global cruise line is applying the best available public health, science and engineering insights to deliver a safer and healthier cruise vacation. Guests with confirmed bookings between April and November 2021 and whose cruises are affected by these changes are being notified directly. These existing bookings are covered by Royal Caribbean’s Cruise with Confidence program. New Itineraries and Homeports Europe Adventure of the Seas, which was previously scheduled to sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm, will head for Barcelona to sail a mix of new 4- and 5-night Mediterranean itineraries to historic destinations like La Spezia and Rome, Italy; Ajaccio, Nice and Marseille, France; and Palma and Ibiza, Spain. Jewel of the Seas, originally planned to homeport in Amsterdam and Barcelona, will now sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm on 7-night cruises calling on Northern Europe’s picturesque ports of Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; and Visby, Sweden. The Caribbean Independence of the Seas, originally sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. offering 3- and 4-night cruises, will now make the neighboring city of Miami her home for the summer season and offer a combination of 6- and 8-night cruises to the Southern and Western Caribbean, visiting far-flung islands including Aruba and Curacao. Vision of the Seas¸ previously planned to sail from Barcelona, will sail from San Juan, offering a new summer program from the island of enchantment. She will offer 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries to exotic destinations like Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; St. John’s, Antigua; Castries, St. Lucia; and Bridgetown, Barbados. Brilliance of the Seas will stay in Tampa for the summer offering a new drive to port for guests. She will sail 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises to the Caribbean, elevating Caribbean summer sailings from Florida’s west coast. Royal Caribbean’s other summer 2021 cruises will sail on as planned in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Visiting more than 200 destinations in over 50 countries with 27 ships in 2021-22, the cruise line’s summer 2021 highlights span the globe. In Europe, new ship Odyssey of the Seas will join Anthem and Harmony of the Seas and make its debut in Rome to kick off its inaugural Europe season. Over in Alaska, the region will see the cruise line’s biggest season yet with four ships, including newcomer Quantum of the Seas. The warmer temps in the Caribbean bring travelers variety in itineraries, destinations and ships with newly amplified favorites like Mariner and Navigator of the Seas sailing 3-night weekend and 4-night weekday itineraries to The Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Oasis of the Seas cruising from the New York area for the first time. In Asia, guests can sail aboard the region’s newest ship, Spectrum of the Seas, offering 4- and 5-night sailings from Shanghai and visiting Japan. Royal Caribbean’s full list of 2021 summer cruises can be found here. About Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean International has been delivering innovation at sea for more than 50 years. Each successive class of ships is an architectural marvel featuring the latest technology and guest experiences for today’s adventurous traveler. The cruise line continues to revolutionize vacations with itineraries to more than 270 destinations in 72 countries on six continents, including Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, the first in the Perfect Day Island Collection. Royal Caribbean has also been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 16 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards. Media can stay up to date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers can call their travel advisor; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.
    2 points
  24. SO you can use (1) FCC per cruise so if you will have $160 left over after you sail then I would hold on to that $160 if you can. They "may" have to extend some of these so you might get more choices once the rest of 2022 is released, but you may not - so that would mean sailing on something by April 2022 but redeeming the $160 by 12/31/21
    2 points
  25. For us, me especially, the last one we did was Harmony in late January and coming down from Maine, we appreciated the warmth and humidity! That first time stepping onto the ship, hearing the loud music, feeling the warmth on your face, knowing you don't have to shovel for 7 days, and then look for a bartender...it's a wonderful feeling! ? And on that particular sailing our daughter's birthday was our day in St. Maarten, so swimming and enjoying the ocean and beach with her, in that setting, was something I'll never forget. Too many memories to pick a best! Can't wait to make many more!
    2 points
  26. Favorite memory of the last cruise, the entire cruise! From Port Liberty to Canaveral to Nassau to CoCo Cay and back. And Can´t wait to go back! But especially our perfect day at CoCo Cay. My wife and I just chilled all day. Perfect
    2 points
  27. One thing I'll say, Bermuda is one of the friendliest islands and trusting people. They are very easy to work with and most tourist guys who own a bus will do whatever you want. Not always the fastest to answer emails but that's their style, don't think you're being ignored. Cheaper price and a more custom experience, especially if you're traveling with a group.
    2 points
  28. Of course, Black Friday/Cyber Monday is coming up and historically there have been good sales around that time, but who knows what will happen this year. Last year’s holiday sales were a dud.
    2 points
  29. @WAAAYTOOO and since these cruises are quickly approaching the 60 day countdown, I am not sure if there will be too many more big sales like this, especially if cruising begins again in November. I am really leaning toward YOLO booking all of the items I want in hopes that our holiday cruise sails.. .
    2 points
  30. That must explain why I need a bigger screen for my phone! ?
    2 points
  31. Feb 2020, Allure of the Seas, just love hanging out on the balcony listening to waves.. enjoying the fresh air. miss it..
    2 points
  32. My thoughts: When you finish the first cruise of a b2b, you will be in the bubble. All Royal Caribbean has to do is maintain that bubble during the between cruise period. I'm guessing you won't be able to disembark and reboard, and clearing immigration will be tightly controlled.
    2 points
  33. My fave memory from my last cruise was also from the Royal Caribbean Blog NYE cruise on Freedom -- the Sunset Catamaran excursion. It was just our entire group on the short sailing but it was such a fun time!
    2 points
  34. That is hard for me. It is a tie. Coco Cay Cabana and Chef's table....oh maybe I should add the 70s party....oh, but was that better than Quest? Okay, let's just go with my favorite memory of my last cruise was walking onto the ship so I could have all those memories! What is easy for me to say, is my biggest negative memory, not because of RCL, but because of crazy passengers. We loved doing the trivia in Schooners. It was fun and let's be honest, what did you win... a key chain you never used or a highlighter? On our last 2 cruises people were acting like they were going to win a million dollars and pulling out their phones to google/bing the question. They lost site of the fact that is suppose to be fun and laugh at the crazy answers thrown out when they ask for people to scream out the answer before they gave the correct answer, instead it was I have to win! We stopped going by day 3 of our 10 day cruise. Back on topic.
    2 points
  35. Last Cruise was last September on Anthem to Bermuda (5 day). The Bermuda 2 days was shortened to one due to Jerry, which is hysterical because my wife and a few of her friends have an inside joke and call each other Jerry. A bunch of friends came along (invited themselves) and having them join us was the single best memory because the shenanigans that occurred all week long (even the stuff that annoyed me) wouldn't have happened without them. It just wouldn't have been as fun. I'd give anything to be annoyed at my friends right now. ?
    2 points
  36. Visiting Chichen Itza on our Harmony cruise in February Always been on my bucket list and despite a long traveling day , it was just incredible!
    2 points
  37. It was our 7th wedding anniversary and we decided to take the 2019 holiday cruise on Mariner since we never had a honeymoon. We had so much fun but one of our favorite things is the unlimited dining package! We are foodies so we tried every restaurant. We went to Izumi Hibachi twice because the food was soooo good!
    2 points
  38. The card I got from the cast of Grease on the Independence. I do production photography for the actors and this is the first time the cast did anything like this. What a great bunch!
    2 points
  39. Took our grandson on his first cruise in February- 4 day Mariner out of PC. Love the picture of him in a “Superman” pose on the flowrider!
    2 points
  40. Our last cruise was the Anthem cruise that was truncated due to suspected COVID cases (which proved to be completely false). We were supposed to go to the Bahamas and ended up in Bermuda instead. The nice part of the cruise was the reduced capacity - I think we sailed with around 60% capacity. It was nice, even though shorter than it was supposed to be. We had a great time. We were supposed to receive OBC for 50% of the cruise fare and receive an FCC for the other 50%...essentially a free cruise...but somehow we came out ahead by about $650. No idea how that happened. We went out with a bang !!
    2 points
  41. My (then) 19 y/o son did the second leg of my back to back with me back in Jan-Feb. I encouraged him to go Quest even though I was too tired to go. He went and ended up being a team captain. The next day we kept running into people he knew from the night before....he was very chatty with everyone, high fives and fist bumps all around....and this is a kid who struggled with anxiety through his teen years. Ever since that week on Adventure, he has been able to deal with his anxiety in a much more positive way.
    2 points
  42. Well I would not say they are a waste of time. There are other contaminants that need to be cleaned off surfaces that have been prevalent for much longer than Covid-19. Noro, E.Coli, Salmonella and other bacteria have been around for a lot longer and the crews have done a wonderful job of keeping those at bay for years due to the cleaning that goes on all the time that i see while on board. Just make sure to do your due diligence clean your surfaces, don't cough on folks, and please please wash your hands. It's just that simple.
    2 points
  43. Hopefully the border will be open by May and the Alaskan cruise season will proceed in some fashion.
    1 point
  44. Will add onto @sk8erguy1978's comments with my own learnings after two trips to Bermuda. I'm guessing based on your upcoming cruise list that you're on Freedom, so you have an overnight while docked in Royal Naval Dockyard. IF things go closer to normal and booking third-party excursions or just roaming on your own becomes an option again, then skip booking an excursion entirely. The great part about having the overnight is that there is no mandated "all aboard" time; you could stay out late for dinner in Hamilton and get back to the ship at 10 PM if that was what you wanted to do. You only have to worry about "all aboard" on the second day. ? That leaves you free to get an all-day transit pass that's good for both the pink buses and the ferry, then explore what you want to see at your leisure. There's nowhere you could want to go that isn't reachable through one or both of those, except (sort of) for Horseshoe Bay beach; that's one where you'd take the mini-bus "taxis" that constantly shuttle people back and forth from the Dockyard for only $7 a person, and go right to the beach entrance. While the pink bus will get you there as well, they stop at the top of the rather steep road going down to the beach, and it's not a short walk. But Horseshoe Bay is better as a second-day outing, due to smaller crowds on day 2 and the shorter time you have to wander.
    1 point
  45. We were supposed to be on Oasis this upcoming January, but we have two littles (6 and 5) and decided with the uncertainty to L&S out to January 2022, but we shifted to Harmony as it has an itinerary sailing 1/23/22 that goes to BOTH Labadee and CocoCay, and the day we're at CocoCay will be our daughter's birthday! As an aside, I would welcome any and all advice for Falmouth, Jamaica, with the two littles. Thanks!
    1 point
  46. That is strange to me. How would the pharmacist or the bank teller know? I work retail (specialty) I know many of my customers personally, but someone coming in off the street I would not know if they were a nurse/doc, etc. I have no need to ask, thus, I cannot fathom why the bank teller or the pharmacist would ask since it has nothing to do with the transaction. Honestly, as I said to @Lovetocruise2002 in that theory, they should keep me off the ship since I have a high risk of exposure. That bank teller is probably at a higher risk than you. Think about it, money is not sanitary. I have to visit the bank to make deposits for the store. They are not wearing gloves when they do it. In that theory, they better list a "NO SAIL" order for careers all over the place. IE my DS works as a Bio Chemist, and deals with blood products. He could be infected. My DD is a school teacher. My other DS is a pilot. So, just in my family I would have 4 out of 5 that would be considered high risk. OBTW, thank you and your husband for being there for all of us. It is a calling, and unfortunately people forget the personal sacrifices that you make.
    1 point
  47. I think if you look at it from that perspective, then every time you step out of your house, with so many asymptomatic carriers out there, you have had "possible exposure", health care worker or non-health care worker.
    1 point
  48. April, 2019, visiting Nacional Beach Club in Mahahual, Mexico. We had the best time there. Great staff, great food and even greater drinks.
    1 point
  49. Since our last cruise was our first the entire cruise was memorable. We were onboard the Allure with an ocean balcony. Pretty much the entire cruise exceeded our expectations. Just hoping things will be better for our May 2021 cruise on SOS.
    1 point
  50. This is also why I think wait staff around the world loves the US because we automatically tip. I lived for 3+ yrs in the UK. I have traveled across Europe and Australia, I know they have a VAT, but as Americans we still leave another tip on top of the bill. OBTW, I am a military wife (DH is now retired) guess what? If you purchase groceries on base/post you actually do tip the baggers. They are paid min. wage. They bag your groceries and walk them out to your car, plus put them in. So yep, in some parts of the US we tip grocery workers. They are paid min. wage. We also pay a 5% surcharge for shopping at the commissary. I honestly, do not tip at the bars in the pool. However, we love Schooners and go there for pre-dinner cocktails. We tip there, not to get better service, but bc after a few days they are our "local" bartender. They remember our orders and as we pony up to the bar they ask your usual, followed by the order. They also would go in the back and bring us a cup of nuts or snack for us. Finally, I don't think it is about the tip per se. I think it is about respect. We all forget that while we are having fun, they have personal lives that have to be placed into the back of their mind. They have to smile, and maybe they just heard their parent thousands of miles away was diagnosed with cancer. Yes, they signed up for it, but they are still humans with emotions, yet expected to serve us all with a smile. Let's also be honest. I get the 18% argument, but really, you pay how many thousands for a cruise, not including airfare, and we are now talking about maybe 5 bucks a day for a bartender? I say 5 going with 5 alcoholic beverages. What is that 1% of your cruise cost?
    1 point
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