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After being SC a few times I felt the need to try and mimic the SC amenities when we were not SC. For YEARS I purchased the DBP, the internet package and the UDP. All I was missing were the Genie and the extra large suite. I was sure that this was the way to go ! Then, we began to realize that the UDP was just too much food. Not just that it was too much food, but that we were forcing ourselves to eat at specialty dining venues when we really weren't hungry AND going back to the same restaurants again and again. It finally occurred to me that if I only had a 3 night package I would have the freedom to eat just a snack at lunch time or even better, just skip lunch altogether ! No more guilt about passing up a specialty restaurant at lunchtime when I had already paid for it. Then, when the 5 vouchers for D+ started, I KNEW that we no longer needed the DBP since I rarely drink any alcohol to begin with. I still purchase the 2 person internet package b/c Dan and I don't share well LOL. But I no longer purchase the UDP or the DBP and I haven't missed either of them. SC is a wonderful treat. I am going to return to using it as a [rare] treat. Hopefully that will bring back some of the WOW that has gotten somewhat tarnished - at least, for us.

Funny WJ story... I told Marla right after we boarded that the goal during the week was to keep my parents out of the WJ. My parents are both early risers and it's part of their cruise routine to head to the buffet before 7am. I told them leading up to the cruise that CK is way better and more calm and they should take advantage of that. First morning of the cruise, I woke up around 7am to find my parents gone. Got a text from them that they went to the WJ because they complained that CK opened too late for them. I got ready and headed to CK myself around 7:45am and texted them back that I was there. They ended up meeting me there and "tried a few things". Still unwilling to admit that CK was better. Second morning I asked if they wanted to go CK with me, they said they would "check out WJ first". They ended up doing a walk around but didn't eat anything. They joined me in CK for breakfast. By Day 3, I woke up at 7am to find a text from them saying they went to Starbucks to get coffee and were waiting in the suite lounge for CK to open up. They never went back the WJ after that.

I have never had an issue with UDP dining reservations through the concierge. When I get the concierge email, I email back with everything that I would want to reserve once on the ship. The only thing the concierge has not been able to reserve are escape room times — that you need to do on the ship. On Odyssey, the concierge found helpful times for iFly and the thing that goes in the air as well. Given our great experiences with the concierge, Sky Class is a great option for a smaller group. For my whole extended family, Star is great, but without priority for activities, it loses much of its appeal.

Seems like I'm in the minority so far , but I had a blast on it on Odyssey. I would definitely have done it again if I was on a ship that had it. That said, I can see how it may have issues. My "blast" was partly because I ended up using it wrong. Easily swayed by the VR I kept my legs curled and used apparently quite a lot of force when jumping. On lookers said I was twice as high as other participants and swinging all over the place. I SWEAR I tried to follow the rules and keep my legs straight but the virtual rocks and mountains I was jumping over sent signals to my brain to duck, tuck, dodge and swerve lol. I apologized profusely to the staff monitoring me and while he took it in good humor, I think I could tell he definitely had had a hard time. I'm sure to him it looked like I was intentionally doing whatever I wanted. I'm sure the staff are in worse position to get kicked in the face or worse, not to mention other issues such as what @Ampurp85 mentioned. I'll be sad to see it go, glad I got my chance, and interested to see what comes next

Sea day today and it’s finally a looovely day. This ship has rocked way more than any cruise I’ve been on, even worse than the Pacific! Even people we’ve been meeting with 50+ cruises under their belts agree it’s the worst. But today we’re cruising along as expected. Back to Cozumel! We met our excursion at the Royal Shopping Center across from the International cruise terminal. The other group never showed so we got another private tour! We were riding in a vintage Meyers Manx dune buggy that would NOT have been sanctioned by Royal due to the lack of speedometer and the gear would pop out after big bumps. Still super fun and we made it back in one piece. We cruised south past all the resorts I see you guys mention on these blogs, Paradise Beach looking best from the front gate impression alone hahah. We made it to the Southern most point, Punta Sur, and entered the Eco Park on a hunt for crocs. Unfortunately none were to be seen since they don’t actively feed them, better meals to be found elsewhere! Still beautiful though. This is essentially a Mayan speaker! Wind would whistle through the top acting as a navigational tool. After this was a trip up the Faro (lighthouse) Ceralain. Suuuuch nice sweeping views after the strenuous hike up the stairs. The door at the lantern is tiny so you have to squat down on all fours to get outside at the top. Worth it! Please enjoy the Marry Me driftwood with the NO response. Two $11 tequila shots later we were driving to the beach for lunch and hanging. We were also going to snorkel but the water temps left something to be desired. This combined with rainy skies led us to say no thanks to the snorkeling which we’ve done plenty of times. The fresh salsa was amazing! Lunch was good as free lunches go. Spent some time in the water after lunch when it warmed up and then we went back on the road seeing the east coast of the island. We went through the center ciudad where most of the locals live and made it back to the cruise port around 2pm.

Still waiting to leave in Grand Cayman, we’re 50 minutes late so far. Saw someone get disembarked to a waiting flashing vehicle on shore. Hope they’re okay! I actually saw the family waving her off from their cabin. They seemed cheerful and no one was in a stretcher when the tender landed. (Thank you, binoculars)

I asked Bard, Google’s new answer to ChatGPT, to write a blog post about my upcoming cruise on Ovation OT Seas. Here it is. I recently had the pleasure of taking a cruise on Ovation of the Seas from Hawaii to Vancouver. It was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious and relaxing vacation. The ship itself is absolutely stunning. It's one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and it's packed with amenities and activities. There's something for everyone on board, whether you're looking to relax by the pool, explore the onboard shops, or take part in one of the many activities. I especially enjoyed the ship's two theater shows. The first show, "The Music of the Night," is a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals. The second show, "A Chorus Line," is a classic musical that tells the story of a group of dancers auditioning for a Broadway show. Both shows are incredibly well-produced and feature talented cast members. I also enjoyed the ship's many restaurants. There's everything from casual buffets to fine dining restaurants on board. I especially enjoyed the Italian restaurant, Jamie's Italian. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. The cruise itself was a great experience. We stopped at several ports in Hawaii, including Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai. Each port was beautiful, and there was plenty to do and see. I especially enjoyed hiking in the rainforest on Kauai. The cruise ended in Vancouver, and I was sad to see it go. It was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious and relaxing vacation. Here are some tips for planning your own cruise: Book your cruise well in advance, especially if you're traveling during peak season. Choose a cruise line and itinerary that fits your interests and budget. Pack light clothing, as you'll be spending most of your time in the sun. Don't forget to pack your sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Enjoy your cruise!

Update: I received and email announcing the cancellation of the PP on my 5-26-23 Mariner sailing. It is showing "refunded" in the purchase history. Still showing the $100 OBC so it seems to be going as planned. Still have 3 or 4 more refunds due...but I don't expect them immediately.

I will admit, this is the first live blog I've actually read from start to finish. I LOVE YOU @Lovetocruise2002, and your family, and your writing style, and all the other comments mixed in. You may have started a new addiction for me - reading these live blogs! (or maybe I'll just search for your other ones, lol)

Yikes ! That dock/pier where you did the croc hunt looked a bit ricked-ish. I'll bet if someone went through the floor boards of that, you'd've seen a croc soon enough ! LOL Glad that didn't happen.

Apparently too many lawsuits. Found this on CC

@WAAAYTOOO You are right, treat star class as a special treat! It is and can be special. I’m with you regarding the food. After a few days of star class eating, I’m sick of food, that’s why I think a three night speciality package would be perfect!

Well we just booked a bucket list cruise (11 night Panama Canal) the end of January '24 on the Celebrity Beyond. Way more than I'm used to spending but we got lots of perks and OBC to make it a bit more palatable. It may be the only cruise we do next year so there's that to consider.

As you know, hubby and I just got off star class on Anthem. Best room ever, and genie was awesome. He did make the trip extra special, but do I really need “extra” in front of the special? The cost has gone beyond the reach for many, and services offered are declining. I’ll admit it was pretty neat to be made “more special than I really am” for a week. Flip that coin, then it’s kind of silly that I’m paying thousands extra for someone to make me feel special. I’m afraid there are many people spending their yearly savings on that one week. I know that all that extra monies spent is giving you more than feeling special. It’s neat NOT to have to worry about shows or dining, but I felt I did have to worry about a genie. We decide not to go to the show, we gotta tell the genie. And, it can be a bit odd to know that someone on that ship is kind of following you by you using your room key. We do have our kiddos for a star class on Harmony next January. After that, if it is just hubby and myself then we are going to “sky class” it, unless we get a really good deal. (Our first star class was in the 8th floor two bedroom aqua suite on Allure, five of us for just over seven thousand). I’ll buy a three night specialty restaurant and use our four free drinks per day for being diamond. I’ll sit in the reserved suite area for shows, and eat at Coastal for their steak night. I’ll check in at their suite entrance and make my specialty dining as soon as I board. Sounds very doable! The main (ick) about not being star class is the laundry service, which we used every single day.

Not vastly. The CK menu is a bit more limited, IMO, but at least the CK menu still has a "favorites" menu that is always available. One difference that I noticed is that the food is much hotter from the CK than from the MDR. I often got tepid to cold food from the MDR. ...and of course, the atmosphere and pace of the service is far more appealing than the madness of the MDR. Frankly, breakfast is where I truly appreciate the CK the most. It is sooo nice to have a place to go where you don't have to fight or hunt for a seat. Yes, the breakfast menu is static but I never leave hungry and I am grateful to have a reasonably quiet and sedate place to start the day. The evening menu changes but the "favorites" are always available.

Basically, they need extra time to wipe down surfaces and sanitize more than they normally would because likely there were more cases of Norovirus or similar gastrointestinal illness. Not to worry, it's something we've seen over the years. The good news is the ship will be super clean. Wash your hands!

Me too. I might have to make (and bring) my own personalized Out Catching Thrills magnet.

It matters to me. I don't know why that angers you. I'm entitled to feel the way I feel. I never asked anyone to join me. Just don't feel great about a company I am currently doing business with. Thought I could share how "I" feel. Apparently not.

I could be wrong, but I thought I had read that any cruise lines that were using E-muster were having to pay Royal Caribbean a royalty, since RC had patented the process. I also read that this is why NCL had gone back to the manual muster. Maybe they got so much blow-back that they decided to bite the bullet and pay the royalty ?

Being married to a former salesperson for years, I'm pretty dead to pushy sales people.

That is exactly what we do when we sail Sky. 3 night dining package or just all meals in CK and use our D+ vouchers. I stopped getting the beverage package when those vouchers came out. Aww...thank you for following. I've been trying to blog all my sailings since 2018. It's a good way to pay it forward. I learn a lot from other people's blog. I linked each one in my signature below so no need to search too far lol

Onboard and working on drink #1 — no cream available at Schooner Bar for a Mudslide so l “settled” for a Kraken and Coke! I walked my suitcase over at about 8:45; had to wait until about 9 to find a porter to take it off my hands, then walked back to the hotel for a shower, fresh Keurig coffee and a scone, and charging my phone. Walked back over at about 10:15 and hit my 10:30 checkin time on the nose;-). Queuing for the initial passage in to the Security tent was a little kluge-y, as there were actually three lines set up in the tent but nothing to indicate you could use any of the three. After crawling under the ropes two times -getting snagged once on my backpack! — I found one that was relatively clear and showed my boarding pass to get ito the queue leading into Security. THEN, of course, the X-ray machine in my line decided to give up the ghost just as I put my stuff on the loading counter; as I mentioned, flexibility is key — and an extra dose of patience helps as well. i made a beeline fore Shore Excursions to enter my request for a single kayak in Ensenada, and then went to the MDR to check on my table. I put in a request for a 2-top, but am not optimistic. My “assigned” table is a 6-top by a wall on the 4th deck, which sounds like a “fill-in-a-family” size scenario which I’m not too wild about. We’ll see. Lunch was a chicken burrito and a chicken taco at El Loco Fresh — no line, and the burrito was obviously freshly made. I was trying to find a 110 v outlet to charge my phone — no luck in the Star Lounge or Schooner Bar or R Bar — so it’s on my mini battery pack for now. BTW, I have found several UK 220 v outlets in Schooner and in the R Bar. Next up — my plans for dinner with appetizer in the MDR and then dinner in Izumi!

Just got an email stating that my 7/16 Allure sailing's Premier Pass is canceled/refunded. It is showing "Refunded" in my Cruise Planner and I still have teh $50 OBC. It has not refunded to my credit card yet. Still have the pass booked on my 1/2024 sailing, so nothing has been canceled/refunded there yet.

Two more work days until we leave! Grandson was born yesterday, and I get to meet him today! We are flying to MCO from LA on Friday and staying at Universal. DS loves Universal, so it should be fun. We plan to enjoy two days at the parks and then head to the ship on Monday. Renting a car for a week with my work discount ended up costing less than a shuttle or Uber from MCO to Universal to Port Canaveral and then back to MCO even with parking at the port. The car also makes logistics far more simple (we have found). We have had so much rain this month! And, for us, its been cold (weeks of days in the 50s). I know, many cannot relate. We are, however, looking forward to warmer weather. We are packed. I do not get home from work until late on Thursday, so advanced packing will make Friday morning less hectic. We managed everything for the trip in carry-ons so no need to worry about lost baggage (or waiting for said baggage). I'm hoping for the bag of laundry deal on the ship! The big carry-on issue for me involves shoes. I managed a different dress for each cruise night, but only one pair of dress sandals. The difficulties of vacation . . .

You don't explicitly use OBC. It just is applied as a credit to your onboard account expenses. For instance, I had $400 in obc for my current cruise. It's applied to my account and despite the daily gratuities starting to add up, I still have a negative balance.

The first cruise that I have where I purchased the PP is Mariner 5-26-23....so I am still waiting for a refund for this one. Got the $100 OBC right away but the purchase is still showing and has not been cancelled. I still intend to do nothing and let them cancel it, eventually.

There's usually a T-shirt sale and some kind of $10 sale for items like jewelry ("costume"), cover-ups, sun hats, beach bags etc in the promenade/esplanade or shopping centrum. They're announced in the Cruise Planner and, if your Cruise Director does the morning or evening announcements, they tend to mention them there as well. Otherwise, just wait til you see the mobs in the aforementioned areas and you know that's the day.

Gf toast is available, though the quality of the gf bread varies from ship to ship. I have never seen gf bagels or English muffins on board

I think the main difference is that the food in CK is not mass produced like MDR. So the food will just taste better.

Wow, a dismembered dog & a satellite dish! I wanna watch you board, just don’t want to be behind you! Seriously I think you would be expecting too much “cutting edge” from the port staff. And I don’t think Royal would allow a dish to circumvent their paid internet service. JMHO

I was shocked flying over Canada last week at how white everything was!

Who cares what the email or cancellation notice says? We all know what happened; there are news articles in industry publications outlining the error, it’s not a secret, they can’t hide from it. I have not received one single piece of correspondence regarding this issue. I have however received over $400 OBC across several reservations-AND my CC has been credited after I took the initiative to click the “cancel” button in the cruise planner. I can’t imagine wasting time or energy concerned about verbiage in a mass email campaign.

Likely old data cruise mapper forgot to purge. In 2018 these trademarks became "dead": Apex of the Seas Emblem of the Seas Passion of the Seas Joy of the Seas Emblem of the Seas Vantage of the Seas It's unlikely IMO that Royal would resurrect old trademarks they abandoned several years ago.

Princess for example. Princess doesn't employ per user caps that throttle bandwidth.

It's not completely unusual, but you can't start guessing at the reason. Maybe they're swapping out all the bed frames? Maybe there was a horrible case of norovirus on board? Maybe they decided to do a giant song and dance number that requires all crew for 30 minutes when there aren't passengers on board? I wouldn't worry too much about it. Enjoy your cruise!

@Matt always refers people to MEI Travel. You can get assistance from them by filling out the yellow block on the right side on the homepage (the "Get A Quote" part): https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/ . My TA is through MEI as well. Highly recommended.

All COVID testing requirements and entry restrictions for Canada were lifted back in October 2022.

I blame everyone here for my new suite life obesseion. Last June, we enjoyed a grand suite on our Alaskan Ovation cruise. Like GatorCruiser, we really enjoyed the suite lounge. In July, we were in a balcony on a cruise to the ABC islands. It was fun, but I sure missed the suite life. So, this June we are trying out a crown loft suite. OP I hope you enjoy your junior suite! After the Costal Kitchen, you may be ready for the next step.

The docs won't be available until around 30 days, which will have your luggage tags.

The only advantage is price. Onboard you'll pay around $23 per class (includes gratuity). So you'll get a good deal with a 3-pass even if you only go to 2 classes (last I checked the 3-class was less than $40). You can't sign up for classes ahead of time, you have to do that onboard. There will be sign-up sheets in the fitness center and you can usually sign up for the whole week. An old cruise compasses from a similar sailing might be useful if you want to get an idea of what the schedule might be.

BTW, Rhapsody is still doing 2 stateroom visits per day until April. Barbados excursion and transfer to the airport was pretty nice. Got to see different parts of the island, like Bathsheba beach. Got to the airport at least 3 hours ahead of my flight. Waiting for the Jetblue agent took longer than getting through customs. You can buy Mount Gay Rum at the airport. And you get on the plane outside. I mean why not, it's gorgeous weather. I would do this itinerary again, but maybe add Curacao and Tobago. Rhapsody is a great ship for solo cruisers and those with no kids. Overall a great time was had by all!

The dang suite lounge is so intoxicating. It’s hard to imagine now not having it.

Me too! He is currently our only towel art but our attendant Charles has let him stay so far! I put sunglasses on him to show our appreciation which may be the reason why he hasn’t been bussed away yet

One place you may have difficulty with is the hibachi/teppenyaki restaurant. I don't think I've seen a table for more than 10. Even if one for 12 available many book it pre-cruise to lock in the reservation.

I think your issue is that the decision will ultimately be made at the port and you have no idea whether or not they're going to let you, even if you were to call RC ahead of time. It seems like one of those things where you are going to show up with it and the person at the port is ultimately going to be the one to make the decision regardless of anything anyone will tell you before that moment. And there doesn't seem to be precedent for it so it could go either way. So unless you're prepared to show up and not be able to bring it, I wouldn't.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/07/26/royal-caribbeans-junior-suites-what-you-need-know Yes, JS can board in suites line On Oasis and Quantum Class ships that have a Coastal Kitchen, yes, they can go for dinner only. On other ships, there may be a reserved spot for breakfast (usually Chops). Not available for JS guests

This screams a very pushy sales consultation (I'm thinking time share).

Apparently it is a somewhat blustery day as all outdoor activities have been moved indoors or rescheduled (like the Belly Flop). We’re hanging in the Solarium now and it retains the warmth nicely. This morning after a trip to the WJ, we dropped by the Top Tier event back in the Colony Club. Top sailors had 2022 points! Still havent heard a pax count for this sailing.

It is so personal, right? I mean when I woke up early morning of the Icon release credit card in hand I felt like I was punched in the face. The ship's enormous offerings of bells and whistles didn't speak to me. I honestly don't know what I was expecting but I knew even at day one pricing my enjoyment would not equal the price I would be paying. That said my style of cruising at this stage in my life isn't Icon. Clearly though it speaks to many many others and for that I am happy. The company will charge what we are willing to pay for the experience. I personally believe that if you are careful and choose what you know you and your family gravitates to then it is an amazing value vacation. Same with Coco Cay Cabanas pricing. Previously I indulged in a few cabanas, Bare foot Beach, Oasis Pool, Water Park X 2. I loved the experience, I loved the home base as well as the comfort. Moving forward the prices being what they are I will enjoy a beach bed or lounger. Maybe a Coco Beach club pass, maybe. It's about my personal feeling of cost=enjoyment. I'm weird like that, if I feel it's fair I enjoy it more. While I enjoyed my one Star class sailing Sky is my happy place, but again full circle there is something for everyone with Royal and I still feel it's a great value vacation if you know how to make the most of your own choices. Prices going up everywhere, while I am not a Jason Liberty fan at all I get it. I am blessed to be able to vacation once in a while & I choose cruising every time.

@twogeminiboyz As noted above, it is 45 days prior to the cruise for check in to open. You can also see the date check in opens on the app. If you want an early arrival time, you can check in shortly after midnight. That time is the local time of where the ship is boarding. As for the passport, you can scan the barcode…or if there is a problem, or if you are using a device other than your phone with the app, you can manually enter the passport number and expiration date. If you don’t have all of your information available, you can still choose an arrival time and then exit check in…coming back later to complete it. Your arrival time will be saved. Also, if you check in later and don’t get the time you want…you can always go back into the app as available times will usually open up as the cruise date gets closer.