Matt

3 hours ago, deButler said:

Doesn’t appear that this was a One Off event related change. I would just consider this a permanent change as we all expected.

Incorrect, as Royal just clarified https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/10/30/royal-caribbean-clarifies-why-theyre-restricting-access-loyalty-and-suite-lounges-some

I'm jealous!

Do we know this person is actually being a chair hog? Or are they just being creative so that when they do step away, people don't assume?

They are to be released "The week of Oct 30", not necessarily today.

That means it could be any day between now and Friday.

On 10/24/2023 at 5:27 PM, smokeybandit said:

I'd bet on them getting reimbursed or otherwise paid by the US Gov't for that trip. I don't think insurance would want them going to a potential war zone out of the goodness of their hearts. Reports are that only a couple hundred were on the cruise.

They said during the earnings call last week they are not getting paid by US government

"The evacuation services of Rhapsody of the Seas provided pro bono to the U.S. government, and these costs are included in our financial forecasts."

On 10/28/2023 at 11:07 PM, Train4304 said:

If I book a cruise now (for June 2024) and then qualify for Prime on my next cruise in December, can I use the free cruise for the one I already booked and get my money back?

I dont believe so. You'd have to cancel the original booking and then rebook as if it's a new booking.

I recommend listening to this episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast covering insurance, including annual plans: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/podcast/episode-510-how-pick-travel-insurance-plan

It really depends on how early the ship docks and how quickly it's cleared by authorities. 

More info: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/08/12/whats-the-earliest-time-i-can-get-my-cruise-ship-when-its-over

For Nassau, check out Resort For A Day (contains an affiliate link, but it costs you nothing extra). There's beach resorts you can get a day pass to there.

In Port Canaveral, you can go to Jetty Park or one of the beaches around Cocoa Beach.

20 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm going to assume it just now shows up as one of the payment methods on the checkout screen.

Correct, I don't think you can use it (yet) for Cruise Planner purchases.

One idea we used to do was go to the nursery. They have them there and could warm it up for us.

Another was to get hot water and let bottle sit in there for a bit

20 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I see it the opposite. They're bloating the app so much with all this fluff that doesn't help me with my current bookings when the area of the app that needs the most attention is for cruise prep/onboard use.

I can see where you're coming from, but I think Royal sees so many people relying on the app now that they don't want this "You have to go to the app for this, but the website for that" situation

23 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Do it quickly because like I said, they sold out a while ago for Dec 29-31 already.

The good news is they had availability.

The bad news is it was Coco Beach Club cabana expensive.

If your spouse is in the same cabin as you, no. If one adult buys the Deluxe Beverage Package, then all other adults in the same room must buy it too.

Best you could do is call Royal and your spouse could get the non-alcoholic drink package (Royal Refreshment).

Are we talking about this week? Hurricane Norma could be one reason for an itinerary change

11 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

Pretty sure the entire fleet has it now.

Correct

So who made final payment?

22 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

We will be trying out the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach resort in a few months time. That property came at the recommendation by @Jax. She stayed there last Christmas pre-cruise and it looked awesome. Upon doing my own looking, that property has one, two, and three bedroom suites. The price is not a steal, but it's less than the Four Seasons. I'm excited for my stay there!

I might look to see if this hotel is available. We're going on Celebrity over Thanksgiving and we have 5 people. Right now I have 2 rooms but would love a solid 2 or 3br option!

3 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I'm pretty excited to try her out in a few months. I'll still always be #teamOAclass, but I have hopes for Odyssey.

Odyssey breaks the mold. I love so many of the changes they made to her compared to other Quantum Class ships.

Yes, they added that on Wonder. It's located near the high roller area (anyone can get food).

It's  not so much a buffet as a few snacks, similar to Crown Lounge.

These changes are going to roll out with 2025-2026 deployment. 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/10/18/royal-caribbean-recategorizes-cruise-ship-cabins

Your friends' experience not withstanding, I don't know if it's supposed to show prebooked things in the app until you get onboard.

As long as you see it in your order history on the website, you're good.

10 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Not much is said about Odyssey, it’s like the “forgotten new ship”. 

I agree! https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/07/31/the-forgotten-new-royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-why-odyssey-of-the-seas-worth-your

What you want to do is find another cabin on deck 11 on the same side as 11708 and then look at a deck plan and count every other cabin to figure out the configuration.