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I came across this blog about 2 weeks ago as I was researching RCCL. I’ve been reading daily and finally booked a SC room on Symphony in 10/2022. I know it’s still 21 months away but we’re pretty excited about the cruise. @Sharla made it super easy to book the room. I’ve never used a TA before but she’s definitely a keeper! @WAAAYTOOO @Lovetocruise2002 @Jax your posts have helped tremendously. Thanks for the tips and can’t wait to get specialty dining fatigue. btw, you guys are way nicer than the posters at disboards.

Please add October 27, 2022 --- Explorer .... Nothing like Halloween on a Cruise Ship. ??????

As a long time member of the disboards, there are many nice, helpful people there. But I feel like this is a smaller community and they are all VERY nice!!

Dawn was slow to break through the cloudy mist on this morning. The sizable city of Panama appeared through the mist. Then a bridge appeared. Not just any bridge. The Bridge of The Americas connects North and South America. A nod towards yesteryear on display. A ship ahead of use is jostled into position for it's journey. While we may our way towards our path. This will begin our day going through the Panama Canal, a marvel of engineering.

Too bad there's an intermission, It wakes people up from their Cats nap.

I'll hold out for an Oasis Class. ?️

I'm hoarding cash to bid on a slightly used Voyager class ship ... wont be much longer at this rate ?

Except for Junior Suites, which again begs the question if they are really suites!

Attend CATs on OASIS (unless you feel like a nap) I’d say eat or drink too much but that’s what cruises are for!

We are all waiting to see what will happen with pandemic protocols. Many of us suspect check in times will be enforced but it's not clear if suites or C&A status will be allowed before the official check in time. We just don't know right now.

I understand the storyline. I've also learned to not tilt at that windmill on this forum, lol.

@Pooch you’re totally right. I get all my Disney tips from disboards. There are many nice, helpful people but there are also many sarcastic, argumentative posters. I have yet to come across a snarky poster here. ?

OCT 27th 2022 Allure. Three nights Mediterranean.

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I managed to get the concierge to book my dining! He said he will email me the welcome email on 18th instead of 7 days prior.

Please add my dates! thanks August 20, 2021 Ovation December 12, 2021 Anthem February 5, 2022 Symphony February 12, 2022 Symphony March 26, 2022 Odyssey August 19, 2022 Ovation

The one I'm going on next.. and the one I was on last..

Well that sale kicked in a few days ago and I just paid off what was in my cruise planner, Kennedy space center excursion, 2 adults 1 kid, 3 night dinning package for 2 adults, internet for 3 devices, helium balloon ride at Coco Cay for 1 adult, 1 kid for 655 and change, it was close to 900 I think, high 800's. I'm happy that price very much. Please Lord allow us to sail.

So they’re getting ready to start up again after holiday lockdowns in Italy have been relaxed. It’s a positive sign. https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5827/

We did this on Navigator in Feb, and I have to say, it was a great time and totally recommended. I wont spoil it by giving you all the details, because we each have things we all enjoy etc. But it was very much worth it

June 11 2021 (Ovation) Dec 19 2021 (Grandeur)

Not a great market right now in which to sell a cruise line.

The figure I saw for Pursuit was 150M GBP, which would have made them closer to $600M. And you thought the depreciation on cars was bad!

Does anyone think that $201M for three cruise ships and all the branding sounds rather cheap? I know they are smaller/older ships, but still.

Just thought of another thing I won't do again, that is actually on a cruise ship (actual thread topic) as opposed to on a cruise in general -- Getting a thermal suite pass. The thermal suite on Anthem was nice, but the amount of time my wife and I spent there felt like "forced" time; we'd paid the money to go there, now I felt like I had to go most days, even though I didn't always particularly want to go. And while it was nice, it wasn't great or anything that left me glad I'd got it and spent all the time there.

We are in the same position, and additionally have not seen cruise planner refunds to the credit card, although we have the emails to say they are happening. This morning I emailed Royal to ask for a status update. The first step in the chase. I will give it another 7 days to see responses then will expedite by phone if needed.

RCG's CFO said that's not the case at all. From WSJ

BTW, some cruise planner options are available today. I purchased the DBP+Voom ($54 PP/PD. YIKES !). Dining is still not available.

We stayed in the JS for many years for some big reasons. Full bathroom instead of standing in the tube shower, Walk in closet, a little more room and double points. Now that we are diamond plus the double points don't mean much. Due to age getting to the next level is out of the question. When the price was right we got some GS and LS rooms and it will spoil you living the suite life. We are staying in another LS this June and like Twangster said if you can swing the price Loft Suites are highly recommended!

There's a lot of pent up demand and people are grabbing anything that might sail right now. Grandeur has limited suites and balconies so some categories sell out quickly.

I booked my own on the website last week for Dec 2021. They are out there...

Correct, however even with Cruise with Confidence if you cancel before Royal Caribbean does you do not get a refund, you get FCC. That has been a factor for some people, burned by non-refundable deposit.

She's back!

When we used to fly into Orlando for a cruise out of Port Canaveral, we always : 1. Rent a car from Hertz (this is the only time we ever use Hertz) 2. Stay at the Residence Inn Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach - 8959 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral, FL 321-323-1100 The reason is, the Hertz office and the Residence Inn share a parking lot. It is very easy to use the car all day, go and see all of the attractions that you want to see, go and eat dinner at the port (or wherever you want to go), make a trip to the drug store and get anything that you have forgotten, etc....and then turn the car in after hours and walk over to the hotel. Residence Inn offers a shuttle to the port the next morning. I do not recall whether there is a charge or if it is complimentary. Of course, you can always call Uber or get a taxi if you don't want to do a hotel shuttle. The port is very close. It was reported last year that there was construction going on at the Residence Inn so you may be well served to find out if that is still the case. It may influence your decision to stay there. Then, we just do the Royal shuttle from the port to the Orlando airport at the end of the cruise. It isn't glamourous, but it gets you there. You can always do Uber if you don't want to do the cruise shuttle. I believe the price used to be $75 PP to go from the port to the airport.

Now that I'm in the region known for Oranges and Pinnacles I'm getting ready for the next update to this virtual cruise. I'm thinking somewhere the CDC stole from me for the fall of 2021. They might be able to ban the cruise lines from talking about such a cruise but they can't stop me from virtually sailing there...

You won't regret it! We bought a place in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania in October 2019 thinking it would be a weekend place with a couple weeks in the summer. Instead I have spent abut 75% of the time since March at our mountain house! And now retiring in August so will be able to continue to spend a lot of time here. Even bought a 20' pontoon boat for the 28 square mile lake nearby so now I do my own cruises! I am having the best pandemic ever!

Congratulations on your upgrade. It's so nice to have some really fun news in an otherwise gloomy cruise outlook. Delighted to hear that RoyalUp is still around and that it is being utilized ! As @twangstersaid, normally you would get your welcome email about 5 days before sailing. Who knows what the new protocols will be. BUT if you are notified by your Concierge ahead of time....yes, they can make all of your dining reservations before boarding - unless, of course, they have changed those protocols !

Just an update. I’ve received a RoyalUp offer from my March cruise. Fingers crossed I get it

So much for April 2021. Did a lift and shift to April 10 2022 on Anthem

Replace March 27th, 2022 on Allure for March 20th, 2022 on Harmony. Replace April 29th, 2022 on Independence for April 28th, 2022 on Mariner

7700 ppl die each day in the US in "normal" conditions....we don't shut down for that......500/day die in car accidents..we dont shut down driving... CDC should still be pro-actively trying to help and encourage things to open back up and get to normal and realizing that its going to take time to implement and make all the changes required etc.

Agreed. So, this was the second year in a row I've been able to book the Ultimate Family Suite. Aside from promising the kids this room (Ooops), space is essential. really went this route just in case we got/get quarantined on the ship as there many activities in that room. Getting that room is extremely difficult, don't really want to try my luck again.

The Escape Room. I've never done an activity that made me feel so incredibly stupid in my life.

Could my cruise be added as well please? Anthem of the Seas February 11th, 2022

thank you so much for another perspective. my take is the rapid spread in the USA is do to those that refuse to mask, and there are many, just stop by and look at any local bar. I also believe that with like minded cruiser that are courteous and obey the rules i am just as safe as going to the store which we all have to do from time to time

Thanks for sharing that, Jill. If only the ignorant masses who've never seen a cruise ship, much less ever sailed on one, could understand. It's all about personal responsibility.

LOL. Willing to help in any way I can !

@JeffB, as "Chief Science Officer", I just want to say thank you for that clear and straightforward explanation. Much more concise than I could have managed. ?

Lots of good input from everyone, thank you! It has now been over a week and still no response from my TA on what was a very basic quick answer question. I'm done! Well actually, I decided I was done on Saturday. I took a look at MEI, and ended up sending a message to one of the agents I've seen suggested here. I immediately received a response from a different agent - but hey, it was July 4th and frankly I was shocked to get any response at all! Her response included pricing for what I was looking for with different room categories, and then a list of information I would need to provide if I wanted her to move forward with booking the cruise. She explained the FCC to me for the cruise that was just cancelled and what I should expect and then said she could do a courtesy hold on a cruise, etc. I was floored! I have more information now than I did in the year and a half I was working with the previous TA, about my cruise. I booked it and am feeling very comfortable that she'll be there to help me and answer any questions or concerns I have. Just to be clear - the issues I've been experiencing with my former TA were not related to Covid-19. This has been the situation from the beginning and I just didn't know any better - didn't realize that it shouldn't be that way. Now I do!

Are you serious??? the man stood there PRIOR to picking up the child and placed parts of his own body OUTSIDE through the window.