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We walked right by a local resident and I told lil man we have to give him a name. Everyone...I would like to introduce you to Chic-Fil-A:

Too soon it was 12:45pm and time to head back to the real world. The barge returned victims back to the excursion boat. With that we were off towards Tortola.

Day 6 - St Thomas After a short overnight ride over from Tortola we arrived to a rain storm in St Thomas at Crown Bay. Fortunately it's the Caribbean. If you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes. This is a work day for me. Gotta pay for these cruises somehow. I stayed on the ship. #boring I was curious where we went last night since it's a very short distance. Looks like we just puddled around for a bit then made our way to St Thomas.

Reading this thread as I sit on hold to book a drink package..... eep!

Where did I leave off? Oh yes, Blue Lagoon. After the dolphin encounter it turned pitch black outside. We decided to catch the 2pm boat back to the ship because if we didn’t get that one we’d be stuck there until 4pm. Good thing we did. It started lightning and thundering. On the way back we even saw two water spouts. The ride back was fun. It was a very lively crew that got everyone up to dance.

Drink sale of the day, half off Margaritas! My plan for this visit to San Juan was some photos during golden hour after sunset so I waited for the WJ to open at 6pm and had some dinner before venturing off. Walking up hill I found a view that included Empress in the distance.

We took an Uber to the beach here in Ft. Lauderdale. My crab phobic son decided to snorkel again. He saw fish and even a stingray! That made his day. For some reason stingrays are on the okay list. 🤷‍♀️ The water is just BEAUTIFUL!!!!! We swam/snorkeled for a couple of hours, then went to have pizza right across the street. Best pizza crust ever and I’m not a crust eater. Now we are taking Lyft back to the hotel to swim some more. Looks like a storm is rolling in.

I still have 9 days to go before I can do mine. Hope it's sorted by then. I want to be able to check in the very nano-second it opens up! 😜

It became really dark and overcast, but never ended up doing anything. We enjoyed pool time, the bbq and also smacked on mozzarella sticks and funnel cake. We met one other local, but decided the name giving business wasn’t our thing so we let him remain nameless. We headed back to the ship to take advantage of the water slides while it wasn’t busy.

Sailing from Miami was very smooth in Terminal A. Day 1 was just a quick swim, muster drill and dinner. We went to the Suite Lounge and met some very nice people. Had some drinks and pre dinner happy hour foods. We didn’t do much after dinner. We were pretty tired. Below is a pic of the Suite Lounge and others of our first night.

I'm going to have to see a picture of this tent when it's not compressed down to the size of a large coffee table book. I'm assuming you're buying not just for compactness but also ultra-lightweight. Otherwise hauling all of that to the beach every single time would be quite the workout! I was always the one required to wheel the beach cart around through the sand on every family vacation, so I've come to appreciate going to a place with nothing more than my bathing suit, my towel, and a small backpack to hold the sunscreen and other essentials. I don't consider it being an amateur, more like valuing the convenience over the pay-it-there costs. Kind of like Kathy Bates' character in that one scene from Fried Green Tomatoes, where the young girls cut her off and steal her space in the parking lot and comment, "Face it, lady, we are younger and faster." So she deliberately crashes her car into theirs several times and deadpans to them after they've run back out, "Face it, girls. I'm older, and I have more insurance." 😂

Dogs are the best. I love my dogs and I already have pangs of regret at the thought of having to leave them for two weeks. It would be lovely to have your dogs with you everywhere, but sometimes it is in everyone's best interest, including their own, to leave them at home, with a reliable carer. I wouldn't consider bringing them on a cruise. I think they would be better off at home. We live on a farm, so they have lots of company and room to move about and sleep inside in their nice warm pet beds.

I group and photograph all my clothes using Pinterest. I had a brain injury and can be forgetful and get tired so have to pack in stages . This meant I was forgetting what I was packing But now this really works for me. I use Pinterest to save it . And make notes in the description like “ can wear black heels with 4of8 dresses “ etc. I wish I’d read about packing cubes before I packed . They seem awesome but not really a UK think I don’t think. I will try them for my next trip though. This is my first cruise so I’m just hoping I’ve packed enough and I’ve packed the right stuff. We fly in 4 days so time will tell. Very excited though. My other half hasn’t even started packing yet an dit’s stressing me just a tad but I’ve made sure he does have everything when he finally decides to pack it !!!

My Max is 50 a day not because I can break even with 5 terribly overpriced drinks but because over 7 days plus 18% I feel that's the max where I personally find value in the benefit. Drinking to drink because you have a package is a chore and with all of the food its not all that fun.

From what I’ve heard the acquisition rate for the DX is somewhere around 20% on average. Royal is totally into data analytics. This increase wasn’t done to make up for this or that, it’s because the numbers support it or there is other reasoning behind it. They will constantly test to see what the market will bear. It also creates an opportunity for sale events that appear to be really great deals which will increase acquisition rates. If the new normal is $85 on board then a cruise planner sale comes along at $56 that will appear to be a great deal and large numbers will be motivated to jump on that deal where as today $56 is or was on the high end. Plenty of new, never cruised before make the mistake of buying drinks as they go and having large bar bills. That’s not a bad worst case scenario for Royal. The majority of cruisers are not Diamond or higher. The acquisition rate of DX for this small segment of their customer base will likely not change very much. However people may be motivated more for a push to achieve Diamond for the free happy hour drinks which are immensely popular. Another worst case scenario is the trial proves to be in error and they lower prices again or offer more sales promotions. Perhaps they have plans to offer Celebrity like perk bundles which are popular on Celebrity. By raising DX prices the perks will appear to have greater value.

Okay...I’m done laundry and they’re done at the barber already. We can’t check into the Renaissance until 4pm but we’re gonna see if we can at least give them our luggage. UberXL is pricing out at $74 from here but our driver from this morning gave us his number and he’s going to take us for $60. It’s a win win. I hate that we have so much luggage. This little laundry mat was great. Nobody speaks English, but the owner, operator does and was very kind and helpful. I almost kidnapped an adorable old grandpa from here. He spoke to me in Spanish and I have no idea what he was saying. He left and smiled and waved bye to me. So stinking cute...

Chops was $48 plus 18%. Since I'm D+ I used a C&A BOGO offer to get a second visit for free. The Café menu:

I'm adding that to my list as Bailey's on the rocks with a shot of espresso, and I'm having it with lunch.

Sabrina, I just found this one and of course read it all in one sitting! You do an amazing job providing all of us the opportunity to share your trip! I might just try to return the favor on our January SC cruise. The title will probably be "I'm not Sabrina but....". Thanks again for taking us along.

I promised I wasn't going to say anything!

I don't think I would be in favour of this. While on the surface it sounds like a good idea it would ultimately devalue the loyalty program as there would be many more people at higher levels in the scheme. The cruise line would then need to make it harder to obtain different levels as it would be to easy go get points. You saw the same thing with airline loyalty schemes where they made it easier to earn points from credit cards and other sources. As a consequence they had to increase the number of points you needed to get a free flight.

Today is the day for your Allure! Have a wonderful trip and thanks for taking us along.

Hello everyone! I've been doing research on San Juan too. We'll be in port from 7 am - 4 pm. We've never been there before and this is the port I'm most excited about. I can't walk too much, so I was hoping for a guided city tour (in an air conditioned van). I'd like to spend about 4-5 hours max and I'll be taking pictures as well - not sure what to expect ... There are so many tour operators, so if anyone has a good recommendation, I'd appreciate it. I'd rather not walk out and randomly pick a tour operator since I like to read up about them first. @JLMoran - those are some nice pictures!

Wifi is free in when booking certain Suite rooms, but not in a non-suite room unless it's from a travel agency. If customer service told you that..have them send it too you via text or email to ensure you have it on paper for proof later on. Not all customer service reps are aware..like previously mentioned document it and if that agent doesn't honor it with proof...talk to another agent. Not all agents are aware or easy working with. In this day and age documents aren't sent out anymore...their on the website for you to download after you check-in via on-line. As for the passport issue.. you have to have a passport or original birth certificate to travel. This should have been in the paperwork for your cruise when you received your receipt. I would recommend that you book with a reputable Travel Agency and you will be much happier as they will give you correct information to ensure you have a great trip. They will fight for you so you don't have to.

Thank you! Jake keeps the puppy in Bella alive for sure! Bella was starting to get a little chunky... Jake now has her at ideal weight. We refer to her "exercise routine" as "Body by Jake"! 😊

Kind of growing up on cruise ships, my son has been adventurous since the age of 9 (ordering adult food) and as a college student has now acquired a taste for fine sushi. One never knows how a cruise experience will shape a child's life! Have a great cruise!

Once the sea depth is over 10 feet what's the difference? :)

If you are coming in that many days early, just go with whichever is lowest cost as far as airport to fly into. Factor in the cost of the rental car from whichever airport you choose into the final price. Car rentals from Orlando often are much, much cheaper. I've never priced airfare using the Melbourne airport but Orlando is such a huge airport that there's more competition and should have low prices. I don't see that traffic should make a difference between Melbourne and Orlando for airports. It's roughly the same amount of driving time between them. The other Orlando airport (Sanford) is just a little further than both but more possibility of traffic issues.

I know the feeling. I love laying in a hammock but I always feel like I’m going to flip. Sometimes I do !

Your son is adorable!

It does get quite hot as there is no air flow in CP and the AC in the ship is quite cold so the contrast is even more when you go outside.

You only posted half of the report from the link i attached, the part where it states RC is one of a number of cruiselines which dont have this system in place yet. The part you omitted for reasons unknown clearly states the reasoning behind RC decision not to have this system in place until it actually works.

Both are Sky Class so benefits are the same. OS - Large balcony; able to dine out there - Large dining area inside the stateroom CL - Smaller balcony, loungers only - Dining area inside the cabin is smaller than the OS - 2 Full Bathrooms - "Wow" factor of the loft - Exclusivity of Deck 17; close to Coastal Kitchen and Suite Lounge I personally would pick the Crown Loft any day over the Owner's Suite. Some love the Owner's suite though and would think the complete opposite. Unless you have a mobility issue and the stairs pose a problem, there is nothing that can quite compare to Deck 17.

Usually A Drunken 🙂

Cabin Tour! As we waited for cabins to become available at 1:30pm I was waiting in the elevator lobby near my cabin. As the hall door was opened by crew moving luggage, James my new cabin attendant spotted me. He was servicing the block of cabins right beside my last cabin so he recognized me. He waved me through telling me my cabin was ready. Nice touch. Junior Suite 9600 Starboard. This JS is the reverse layout from my last JS. Pretty much identical with the same "efficient" bathroom and shower. Walk in closet. I waited until we had left the port to take balcony pictures. This cabin is the most forward JS on deck 9 so the balcony doesn't have a divider on the forward side. You do lose a small corner and the elevator lobby can see this balcony but the forward view is better. The better sea views can also be enjoyed when sitting on the sofa inside the cabin. The pool deck above narrows so the overhang is slightly smaller. The view aft. The view down. Something I forgot to mention in my last Empress thread are the USB outlets. They are found on the bottom of the lights on each side of the bed. It's a great hidden feature. It's really nice having USB outlets on both sides of the bed.

It's in the pan..it's officially pie-ella!

The majority of guests boarding Mariner have never been on a cruise before. Perfect Day is proving to be immensely popular for good reason. Combine the two and I can understand why they are trying this. If the feedback is positive they'll likely continue, if not they likely won't. The idea of two stops is appealing. That's taking me two cruises, one last week and another next week. Let's examine this concept that the new Perfect Day is a money grab compared to the old CocoCay. Thrill water park is a small section of the island. Beyond the water park the same excursions are available that always have been at CocoCay, except... Remember the old Aqua Park? $37 for one hour. That's it in the distance. Yep, that's what you got for one hour and $37 back in 2017. Remember the old slides from 2017? $26 for a day pass. Not included in the Aqua Park. Now for roughly the same price of the old aqua park and old slide you get an entire water park with wave pool and multiple slides that are incredible. Thrill water park is $62 in most of my upcoming stops at CocoCay. To me that represents pretty great value compared to the CocoCay of yesterday. BTW - see all those loungers in the top picture? Notice anything missing? The $20 umbrellas! Here is a Perfect Day picture from last week. Now, umbrellas all over the place and they are free! If you just want a relaxing beach day without spending a dime that describes 90% of Perfect Day including a free fresh water pool and now Perfect Day is so much nicer than the old CocoCay. If you want a water park, the price today has so much more value compared to the old Aqua park and inflatable slide of yesterday's CocoCay at the same price. Plus no more tendering! Come and go from the ship as much as you want. What's not to love about Perfect Day?

Rather than going straight to the top of the company and spamming his inbox, the Crown and Anchor Society can also be used to questions,, concerns, compliments or complaints that don't warrant involving the CEO. I try to save that email address for when I really need it. crownandanchor@rccl.com

@ellcee Thanks! She truly was a once in a lifetime dog for us. Unfortunately, we lost her a couple of years ago. Here's Kuka on the morning of Jan 21, 2016 - her eighth birthday. Such a sweet girl. We still miss her.

Just catching up on a sea day. Great trip report and love all the pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Yes, your child can order off the adult menu and you can order off the kids menu.

Day 5 - Laundry/Barber/Hotel Day Disembarking we super fast and Uber was there instantly. You are all caught up now. We are currently in the Uber heading for the Renaissance Inn in Ft. Lauderdale. Final thoughts on this past week and forgotten tidbits: On day 3 we awoke to no running water in our cabin. We called guest services and was told it was a broken water pipe that was affecting a lot of the ship. No flushing toilets, no washy washy...nothing. We went to the WJ and same thing. No washy washy so they were squirting everyone with antibacterial. Ewww guys...just ewww. 🤢 Back in the cabin, my hubs asked our cabin steward if we could have a bottle of water. He said no and that we were only entitled to one. Hubs explained he had medical issues to attend to and our cabin steward said he would check with his supervisor. The water appeared and all was well. Our cabin steward was not the greatest at all. No connection, no warm ness and not wanting to make any effort. It was disappointing but I don’t let that bother my vacation...except today when he really rubbed me the wrong way.....

For something adventurous and fun at Cozumel, try the Amazing Secret River in Playa del Carmen. You will need to take the ferry to the mainland, then a bus ride to the underground caverns. You will swim, walk and once or twice crawl through openings in the cavern. You will get wet, but it's fun. It isn't good if you have a bad back or difficulty walking. You are up close and personal with stalactites and stalagmites. There are showers, changing rooms, and lockers at the base camp. Whatever you choose, have a great cruise! (We will actually be on your itinerary in Sept.) We used Viator in Australia, so I like the suggestion by @MDIAZ72 .

The price that is posted on the website is the “base” price for the UDP. On top of that you must prepay the 18% gratuity. Once you pay the full price (base + gratuity) you are fully paid. If you purchase drinks one at a time (no package) you will pay the cost of the drink + 18% gratuity.

I think I’ll be calling the football fan cruise group and inquire about their February cruise... 🤔

Personally, I don’t see it ever happening. Too much local resistance

I figured I should start a separate thread instead of continuing to hijack the DBP debacle thread! 😎 Hopefully, if you have booked a sailing on Harmony in APRIL 2021 you have already received the e-mail from Royal and/or your TA confirming the cancellation of the APRIL 2021 sailings due to the routine 5-year maintenance dry-dock. If you have not been notified, you will probably want to read this thread and reach out to your TA or Royal CS ASAP... *** Once again, I cannot thank you all enough, especially @AshleyDillo, @Andrew3232 and @Skid for giving me the extra push today to inquire now! Long story short, my wife and I booked Harmony of the Seas for the 4/18/21 sailing out of Port Canaveral. While we were still on Allure this past May, we had all discussed booking a cruise on Harmony in 2021. We later checked out the schedule and realized it only was open/available through APR 2021. At first we were going to wait for the Summer 2021 schedule to be released, but we had been told it would not be out until late summer or fall so we decided to book it on 6/21/19. Over this past weekend, the April 2021 schedule for Harmony mysteriously disappeared from Royal's website. We had been checking regularly to make sure the adjacent staterooms were still available while our friends prepared to book their room through their TA. I called Royal CS and sent an IM through the Facebook page TODAY inquiring because it seemed a little odd. I had read a little while ago here on the forum that Harmony was due for the routine 5-year dry-dock in 2021 and that made me a little nervous! Both responses from Royal assured me it was a system glitch and that they can still see all of the APR 2021 sailings on their end for Harmony. I told Royal CS that our friends wanted to book the same cruise and they provided a telephone number for them to call to make the reservation for our sailing! Tonight, I sent another message via Facebook IM explaining what I was told (Harmony dry-dock) and this time they confirmed and instructed me to contact our TA for assistance and to discuss the "compensation" package! We called our travel agent and they called Royal this evening for the details of the compensation package for our cancelled sailing. At first, Royal CS claimed they already sent us the e-mail explaining our options. We explained to the TA we never got the e-mail and he pushed Royal to provide the e-mail address and they finally admitted it was sent to an invalid/defunct e-mail that wasn't even ours! They resent the e-mail which gives us a deadline of 7/11/19 to make our decision. If we had missed this deadline the cruise would be cancelled and the deposit would be refunded automatically, but we would not get the "compensation" package. For those with any interest, here is the e-mail we received and our options: Basically, Option #1 looks to be the most attractive as it offers all 11 Oasis class sailings on all 3 ships (Allure, Oasis & Symphony) in APR 2021 (same month we were to sail Harmony). Oasis and Allure will be amped. The best part is we lock in the current cabin rate for the same balcony stateroom category regardless of the sailing/ship (we got an awesome group rate for that Harmony sailing through our TA... about $400 cheaper than the Royal sale pricing)! They also will give us $200 OBC (non-suite staterooms), plus we can keep the original perks and OBC originally offered from the TA. I believe we may have to pay for additional taxes, etc., for the difference in prevailing rate. Option #2 allows you to pick any available cruise, but you need to pay the difference between the original stateroom rate and the new rate. Everything else, including OBC, is the same. Option #3 is simply to cancel the cruise and get a full refund of any amounts paid. Needless to say, we're going for Option #1! Looking at Symphony now on Royal's dime! Hmmm... I like the 4/17/21 sailing that includes both Labadee AND Perfect Day at CocoCay! The 4/10/21 & 4/24/21 sailings are effectively the same itinerary as our original 4/18/21 Harmony cruise. Wow! The Labadee/Perfect Day cruise is currently $950 more than what we paid for the same cabin on Harmony! Hmmm... OK, the wife is researching and reaching out to our friends... clock is ticking for us to decide... need to make out decision once again by 7/11/19! Fortunately, this occurred less than two weeks after our booking and almost two years before the cruise, so we can't complain as we were not inconvenienced like many others have been with cancellations much closer to their sailing. I just wanted to make sure no one misses out on the nice "compensation" package offered for these APR 2021 cancellations! 😎

I'm torn between wanting to know what's on the menu and being surprised. The problem with knowing the menu is that I usually start to plan my meal ahead of time. I need help.

Good point. Of course, if it was just past final payment, then the equivalent of what would have been there deposit would be lost. I really don't think Royal would be so rigid over a mistake that was made that one tried to correct within 24 hours. Even most airlines allow a refund within 24 hours. Another reason to use a TA?