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OK, just a heads up. I know we were booking entertainment 45 days out, 30 days, and the latest was the first of the month, the month before your trip. Well, my trip is late May and I put April 1st on the calendar to start checking in planner. Decided to play it safe and started looking multiple times a day two weeks ago. Well, today it opened up for May 21st. Days before the first day of the month, the month before. Everything was available for any day and time I wanted. The lesson is 2 1/2 to 3 months in advance make it a ritual to check entertainment in the planner minimum twice a day. I personally checked morning, noon, evening, and bedtime. The official word on when to expect the bookings to open just isn't worth the paper Royal refuses to spend money to print on. LOL. Once we hit 60 days out I started checking 5 times a day and it paid off. Well worth 2 minutes here, 2 minutes there.

But we're nice here!!!!

In our case it wouldn't really matter. My kids are very lucky. They will reach D+ on their own by this summer. We've taken them this far, they're on their own after this lol

We’re on board! Boarding was a breeze. Kids are content with the quality of pizza in Park Cafe and have already consumed an ice cream cone each and their very first free Diamond drinks ever and really their first drinks onboard. I never buy them. D16 is shockingly planning her evening around the teen club activities. She has never in all our cruises been inside the teen club. Having extroverted S12 in there with her helps. S7 and D4 are enjoying some pool time until the rooms open up. The first night’s menu didn’t seem to change much with the menu changes and has never been one I particularly enjoy. So we have reservations at Izumi for dinner, again a first time experience for all of us. With how cheap the cruise fare was I made up for it splurging on a few things we don’t usually do.

I can speak from experience on this subject as on a recent cruise (Symphony out of Miami) i somehow FORGOT our passports?!? I still shake my head at that but i did. 20 cruises under my belt but brain farts can and do happen to us all i guess?!? Didn't realize it until we were literally stepping out of the Uber car in front of the terminal. Of course, i panicked but thought surely we'd get on since we had copies of passports in our phones, plus global entry cards, plus valid drivers licenses. Nope was the firm answer. You either have to have the ORIGINAL passport OR a copy of your official birth certificate. Well.....we didn't have copies of our birth certificates....but thankfully were able to contact someone near home who went in to our house, located our bc's, took photos of them and sent those to us. And RC accepted those so onboard we went! I think you'll be fine, just be sure you have those birth certificates!

My daughter turns 18 in a year and a half. On a recent all to C&A to make my D+ amenity request (for the toiletry bag, which I do not recommend), I also asked them to check the points for both my kids to make sur4e they make my records. Anyway, the C&A rep did tell me that in a year and a half, she would retain our status but keep her own points.

I'm the CEO and principal shareholder in a company. If his reps are going to call me by my first name instead of Mister ******** or "Sir" (Which I don't mind). I'm going to return the favor. My dad was a Fortune 500 CEO and he preferred people to call him by his first name. Old habits are hard to break. We have enough formality in our world. Easing up facilitates effective dialog.

Hi @MKSglitz! @Sharla from MEI-Travel recommended these compact rechargeable motion sensor night lights (3-pack). Thanks again Sharla! They have a magnet on the back and will stick to the walls (and ceiling) of the cabin so you can place them anywhere to light the path to the bathroom, etc. We used them on our January sailing and found them to be really effective. They don't stay on too long if they stop sensing motion, so they don't disturb others in the cabin. You may find that these will do the trick for you! Amazon Link: WYZE Rechargeable Night Lights with Dusk to Dawn & Motion Sensors

Just make sure to make reservations WELL in advance as they sell out all the time. People were turned away at the meeting place outside the port area who thought they could go on a whim. The look on their face was like someone slapped their momma!

I appreciate you bringing this up because we just sent out a memo to our flight attendants warning them that we are now seeing increasing wait times for passport renewals. Right now on average we are seeing a wait time of 8 to 9 weeks for normal processing. (Doesn't make for happy flight attendants when they have 40+ years are use to flying only international trips and now have to fly domestic trips for at least 2 months.) However for people with cruises especially European cruises this coming summer please check your passports now. If you think your passport is expiring or know it is expiring and you have a cruise especially European cruise the time to renew your passport is now. Even if you choose expedited processing your are probably looking at 4 to 5 weeks. The airline I work for didn't give us a reason why we are seeing this increase in wait times after seeing wait time decrease dramatically over the past year but here we are at 8 to 9 weeks for normal processing for passport renewal.

It's a great opportunity to teach them about tipping and creating a relationship with the bartenders/wait staff.

Leave the bathroom light on and close the door, light leaks out problem solved

Definitely a personal preference. I prefer the website. After snagging a check-in time on the app first though.

Yes I just thought it was “chummy” of you to call him Mike.

Went through this exact scenario for our March 12th Wonder cruise. Got off Odyssey late Jan, submitted renewals for my wife and son. Expedited said 3-5 weeks, we had six till Wonder. After 5 weeks and no change in status, we used the Online renewal process, we really started to panic. We had no idea where our marriage certificate was and to further complicate things my wife had been married before and we had nothing showing that. Several hundred dollars spent getting certified copies expedited to us and off we went to the port. Meanwhile we drive 3 days to the port my son flies down and meets us the day before. His passport came in the day before he left so he was all set. Check in went very smoothly. They only looked at my wife's birth certificate, but having everything else was for safety as you never know what a particular agent might want to make an issue of. My wife's passport came in while we were on our cruise, so 7 weeks total.

The fitness centers on every ship I have ever been on have been top notch. Very similar to a commercial gym. The only thing they lack are squat racks and free weight machines. They are all cable machines and each ship generally has at least 1 Smith machine. They do have plenty of dumbbells. Still, I have never had an issue getting in quality weight training on the ship. And they have tons of cardio machines, so that's never an issue. As to water bottles - no. They have a water fountain, but you will need to grab a water bottle prior to going to the fitness center. And, if you're an early bird, I'd say plan ahead the night before b/c most of the bars are not open at 6 am. I've had to go to the Cafe on 5 to get a water to trek back to the Fitness Center on 11 many times.

this type thing would drive me batty. On principle I would likely spend whatever time it took to feel I'd reached a satisfactory resolution. (BTW I dont advise you have the same viewpoint on that I do lol) I have a semi-humorous FCC story. We had a couple of cruises cxd during covid, all of them with multiple of our kids on them. One had my sons friend (both minors). *As far as I can tell* (and I looked pretty closely because I'm like that) they issued the friends FCC in my sons name. Now, whether or not I got the full 125% I am not really sure. It was issued in what felt like 20 different credits between fare/packages. The semi-humorous part just happened last week or so. I sent my C&A numbers of my wife and I to their social media thinking they could see if we had any FCC left. They replied that all FCC had been used. I then got one of their 'why not use your FCC credit on one of these great cruises!' emails. That email had a certificate number and an amount of $212. I was able to call in and get that FCC applied to a booking I have for this August.

battery operated tea lights?

Sailed on Anthem the second week of February, just after they started the new menu. They seemed to have temperature-control issues. Had French Onion Soup the second evening. Burned my tongue and roof of my mouth on it, so it was hard to enjoy the food for the next several days. Apparently, the crock bowl and the complete cheese cover held the boiling hot heat in. The head of dinning came to my table and told me they must make it extra hot or they are criticized by the Europeans… They should warn us uncultured Americans before we scald ourselves. French Onion Soup is on the menu several times during the week. I was informed that now you can order steak and prime rib ONLY either medium rare or medium well. The trouble is that the medium rare was mushy and bloody and extra rare every time. Ate a special lunch in Wonderland also and the steak was supposed to come from Chops. Same problem. Either their thermometers are wrong on the Anthem or the chef doesn’t know the correct temperature to prepare medium rare. The roast beef was cooked properly, however, and the seafood dishes were all very good.

There was an old thread that recently resurfaced with old cheaper prices. Going rate is closer to what you already stated for 12 bottles, but prices will fluctuate based on ship, sailing, and any sales. I bought a 24 pack yesterday for $64.88. Today, I got an email on a cruise planner sale, and the price had dropped to $48.36. I canceled my order from yesterday and rebought it at the cheaper price. Long story short, exact pricing is volatile and changes up and down often -- even for water. KevinK is right that you can bring on 12 bottles of water and potentially save some money, but I am not a big fan of that because you can't put it in your checked bags and have to lug it around the terminal and on the ship until your room is ready. Imagine taking a case of water with you through security, then onboard, then to your muster station, then to the Windjamer, then to the pool deck or bar, and hopefully finally, then to your room. I am on vacation and am ok paying a premium for not having to lug it around.

Just give Crown & Anchor a call directly at (800) 526-9723. They should be able to fix you up.

Costa Maya for a day at Maya Chan! Hands down.

You could try reaching out to your US congressional representative and/or senator. They can submit an urgent inquiry on your behalf. Have you checked the status of your passport by going here: https://passportstatus.state.gov/ Finally, I read that it is taking ~7 weeks for expedited requests. It sounds like to me that your passports were submitted 7 weeks ago. You should be fine with the documents you listed above.

Email CEO?

We got back from Mexico in February. Sent renewal forms and passports to State Department same week. Expedited. Should have received them by now. But don't have them and most likely won't in time for our trip. Our Odyssey sailing from Fort Lauderdale is a week away, and we are without passports. We have birth certificates with raised seals, driver's licenses, and a marriage certificate to show my wife's name change from 30 years ago. What else do we need to show RCI at check in to be allowed to board? Anxious we might be turned away. Could use some suggestions or even reassurance everything will be ok.

Long time Royal Caribbean fan here.. super proud and excited that my daughter will be performing as part of the next cast joining Wonder of the Seas for the shows Voices, Effectors II and Tap Factory. We are from Australia and she has recently travelled to FIU in North Miami for rehearsals. Her name is Chloe, so if you see her on there from May-2023 onwards say 'Hi' to her for me! Currently planning several trips over there to see her! Can't wait!!!

It seems like contract length varies but in this case it is 7 months on ship. 9 months in total including rehearsals.

That much. I don't eat ice cream that much.

I'm not usually one to repost unverified stuff, but under the circumstances... Somebody who regularly posts port schedules over on CC has just posted this (my underlining): "Funchal, Madeira Port Bookings (Correct as of 31/03/23) A new booking has been made for Freedom - most likely a stop on her way to dry-dock? I see she has port of origin marked as Lanzarote and a gap in schedules between 9th November and 29th December, so this seems likely. Also, the port call for Odyssey has been removed, as this is not a port on the final transatlantic itinerary. Odyssey OTS - 30th April 2024. *CANCELLED* Anthem OTS - 5th May 2024 Anthem OTS - 10th June 2024 Anthem OTS - 12th September 2024 Anthem OTS - 24th September 2024 Anthem OTS - 10th October 2024 Adventure OTS - 5th November 2024 Odyssey OTS - 10th November 2024 Voyager OTS - 16th November 2024 Freedom OTS - 21st November 2024. *NEW* Adventure OTS - 29th November 2024"

Some adults benefits don't map well to youth so they are trying to find something in place of an adult benefit for youth members. The program has to have limits. The bulk of members are adults so the program has carefully crafted a selection of perks and benefits mostly tailored to adults. Not everyone will see the same value in a particular perk. Some may never use the Diamond free picture. Someone else may have no interest in a theater tour. In the end the free program offers a cross section of perks and benefits aimed to please the majority. I don't use the free picture and I don't eat ice cream so both are or would be wasted on me. I'd rather have a free specialty lunch but that isn't part of the program. You want some ice cream. Someone else wants a haircut discount. Someone else wants a Playmakers discount. Someone else wants... The program is what it is and the substitutions for youth are just a way to try to offer something that age group may appreciate.

We've used the following motion sensor lights from Harbor Freight Tools store - bright blue light, however, not too bright. We've used one on our last 3 cruises as well as have them around our home for every day use. LED Motion Sensor Light (harborfreight.com) Enjoy and happy cruising!

I will second this. You can get these on the cheap at any Dollar Tree store and they come two in a pack. I'm not sure which ship you are sailing on, @MKSglitz, but newer ships (Oasis/Quantum class) have an automatic nightlight setting in the bathrooms.

I mean, I'm not educated enough to know if you're right or wrong. All I know was every member of our party (five rooms) brought a simple "cruise approved" surge protector which had two USB outlets and three additional plugs and not one of us had any issues. Now clothes steamers...that's a different story!

Birth certificates and ID is all you need... take the marriage license to be safe, but likely won't need it. You're good to go- you will not be turned away, three of us just did this exact thing, no passports. BC for the kid, BC and DL for us and thats all we needed. Lines were no longer, took no extra time to get on the ship day one or off the ship at the end. We were told since we were travelling together and our names matched on the IDs, that the Marriage license wasn't needed..but I'd take it to be safe. Have fun, stop worrying....and once you board on day one, throw all the certificates in the safe- you don't need it again until the last day

Well I'm sure you'll be missed in September, but at least someone will be representing the family for the cruise.

Had my first ever experience on Radiance yesterday. I have nothing to compare it to as I’ve never been to a Brazilian steakhouse. I did not copy the menu so I’m unsure which meats I am referencing. I felt most of the food tasted the same. It was the spices that were the same on practically everything served. It was a turnoff to me. One cut of meat was inedible, very chewy. Lamb, something I’ve never tried, was not my thing. Service was incredibly slow, the 2 people at my table had eaten at Samba on a different ship and also commented how slow it was. They forgot to bring us the final meat which they had previously skipped over. We were seated at 6 and walked out at 8:30. There is no salad bar on Radiance but the appetizers were delicious. The grilled pineapple at dessert was fantastic. Overall I would consider to do this again, perhaps on another ship, to see if it’s any better. Having the D+ BOGO was great as I technically only paid half of the cost, so it took the sting out of the repetitive taste of the spice and the delay in service.

Sounds like you have what you need as long as your driver's licenses are not expired. Good luck and have fun on your trip! Do get the phone number for the US embassy/consulate for wherever you are going though. They will be your lifeline in an emergency if for some reason you cannot return with the ship.

My kids love "bellying up to the bar" and ordering different frozen drinks in addition to a Shirley Temple. Strawberry daiquiris are their consistent favorite.

We let my 11 yr old go order mocktails on his own this last cruise. He quickly realized that certain bartenders make drinks differently than others and knew to go back to the one he liked next time.

@Beachgirlwhy go all the way to Venice? Seems unnecessary to travel north for several hours just to backtrack all the way down to Amalfi. Leaving from Bologna would be shorter travel distance, and likely wouldn't involve changing trains.

Follow up q, did the billiards table ever get crowded? More so in the evenings What was the policy in regards to sharing the table? No policy, just common courtesy

Hi everyone! Thank you for the responses! I have only been on 1 cruise but I watch a billion cruise videos and I had never seen anyone talk about this particular issue. I made several errors here! First, when gathering cost info for my family I entered myself and my husband into each room choice (interior, ocean view, balcony facing every which way and the guarantee) on the Royal site, wrote down the total cost for each selection and then for anyone traveling with children I added an additional $154 fees/ $116 gratuity per child and then relayed said total. I did not go thru each person's mock booking with their actual passengers. I did not realize that would alter anything. We will most definitely go on this cruise and have a spectacular time. I'm over the moon that my family gets to do this! I guess my frustration comes from just being surprised by it. I had one expectation in my mind, I voiced that expectation multiple times and at no point did anyone say hey FYI, I think what you think you're saving is not really gonna play out here. I would have booked him differently had I realized the error I was making! Bottom line, we will all pool together on this and its not the end of the world. Lesson learned for next time! I kept telling myself my math was too good to be true! Thank you for your feedback, it's much appreciated and why I love following the cruise community!

I have done the Hampton Inn Cruise port hotel, they had a Home2Home next to it, and also Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Port Canaveral, FL. They are really close to the port; you can see the ships. But I highly recommend GoPort as you can book the hotel and transportation to and from at a fairly decent price.

Its been a few years back when we did Vancouver to Seward then a week long land tour by bus/train to Fairbanks via Talkeetna and Denali. This was done in mid/late August and the weather was perfect. It was truly a trip of a life time and worth every penny. Some high lights included: Seeing Hubbard glacier calve. The narrow gauge railway at Skagway following the gold rush trail Whale watching from Anchorage thought we say more whales, closer from the ship and dock at Icy Point Straight. Luxurious RC train coaches with 360 degree views and on board meals. Seeing bears and wolves in Denali as well as dog sled teams. I do not think RC offers the extensive a land cruise any longer which was exceptional. I think it is cut back to 3 or 4 days and I think they sold the rail road cars that cost over a million each to another company that hosts the land tour. Regardless, if you get good weather, its a trip not to be missed if you can do it.

While it is not as close as it looks, it is impressive to see. Highly recommend getting up early to see that bridge passage. If you are not from the west coast, it shouldn’t be too hard to go to bed a little earlier and to get up early. It should take a little to get from the port to the bridge and with the longer daylight hours, you should have some visibility.

My fiance and I will be on this cruise and starting our honeymoon. Getting married the 17th. I'm so excited for this one because We've never been on Liberty or to Halifax. This is the beginning of our b2b2b2. We will be on Liberty until July 8.

In days of yore they would have had installed a full production of Wicked.

Hi Guys, I know that Harmony (and I guess Symphony when it comes out) has the "best" internet on a cruise ship and many people including Matt has raved about it... I dont know if I just had really bad luck when I went in December, or if it was the location of our stateroom pretty much 3 doors away from the back/ aft, but my internet was not what I would perceive as fast or reliable. Maybe my expectations were a bit too high when I signed up for the Stream and Surf package but streaming definitely was not feasible certain days... I did notice that mid-ship...or at least in the public areas (windjammer at least), the speed seemed to have improved. I was using an iphoneX, iphone 6 plus, ipad air 2... all pretty much had similar issues across the board. Im pretty sure I took a few speedtests, just gotta find them... As much as I would like to just disconnect from the "real" world while on vacation, I actually have to be fairly accessible if work (or family) needs me so booking a cruise, reliable internet speeds is kind of key. IF the internet is about the same as Harmony's, I think I can get away with or just deal with it... I am just concerned if I book anything older than Harmony, that the internet would decrease dramatically?