Matt

As Bryce said, you can opt out by going to Guest Services and asking them to remove it.

When is the earliest they will let us in?

Depends on the cruise but generally you can get into the port in the 10:00 hour and onboard sometime in the 11:00 hour.  Again, generally speaking.

Mark beat me to the punch, but the list of which ships are getting what and when is here: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/ship-upgrade-list-and-schedule

I guess the word "oblivious" suits some people?

Haha.  I sometimes wonder if they are ignorant and don't know any better or if they know what they're doing.  

I've mostly cruised during hurricane season and it's been a positive experience.  I've been lucky enough to avoid having my itinerary messed up but you should know that they can change your itinerary at any time if a storm is going to impact one or more of your ports.

 

I feel like the cost savings for cruising this time of year outweighs the negatives provided you can handle a change in itinerary possibly.

Not to hijack the thread, but I agree with Freedom that it really does pay to be a C&A member

I saw the question and thought "Oh this is easy!" And then I thought about it some more and realized I keep going back and forth  :lol:

 

I think at the end of the day, I pick a cruise based on itinerary but the ship is a major factor.  As an example, my next cruise is to Southern Caribbean and I picked that for the itinerary more than than anything.  But when we sailed on Oasis and Freedom, we picked those cruises for the ship first.

 

So I'll cheat and say "it depends"  :P

 

Listen here: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/podcast/episode-1-welcome

 

Welcome to the RoyalCaribbeanBlog Podcast with your host, Matt Hochberg! This is the first in what will be a weekly series exploring what’s new and exciting at Royal Caribbean, helping you plan your Royal Caribbean vacation,  and sharing our passion for cruising with all of you.

 

On this episode, I will introduce myself and talk about the vision I have for this podcast, including the sorts of shows you can expect as well as how YOU are invited to be a part of the fun every week.

Share with me your thoughts, questions and comments via...

• Twitter: @therclblog
  
• Facebook: /royalcaribbeanblog


• Email: [email protected]


• Leave a voicemail: (408) 6ROYAL6

Great idea!

September 21: Jewel of the Seas

Do you know if we will be able to watch it being built on the shipyard web cam ?

Yes, eventually we will see the "web cam" covering Quantum.  Of course, Meyer Werft's idea of a web cam is rooted in 1996 (still images) :D

My question is do they keep Independence in Southampton as well? Or do they send her elsewhere?  

 

The British cruise market has been probably best aspect of European cruises from RCL's standpoint (financially) but considering we've never really seen more than a ship or two home ported there, that may be an indication of what the market can handle.

At least PLAN to board nice and early, so if anything throws a wrench in your plans, you have buffer time.

Great advice

I really enjoy drinks at Boleros, especially pre-dinner. Good vibe and it's hard to go wrong with a margarita

I'd imagine that it runs differently from the pop package because if you sneak some soda for a guest in your room that didn't purchase, it's not a heavy cost to RCI. If you, however, order drinks for a guest in your room that didn't purchase, as an unlimited package, would cost RCI $$$$$.

Sure that makes sense and that's why they force whomever orders the packages to order it for everyone in the stateroom.  Regardless of how many people order it, it's still a lot of drinks per day to get your moneys worth.

My husband doesn't drink, so it was not an option for me. 

Same here. I think I could make it worth my while but my wife drinks too little to justify the price.

We used to always do late but now we have a daughter (2.5 years old) so we do the early dining....for our sanity :P

Hello, I'm Dawn . . . I have fallen in love with cruising.  As Matt . . . I'm always looking to the next cruise.  I'm "hooked."  We have cruised both times out of Port Canaveral . . . . I keep my eye on http://portcanaveralwebcam.com/ all the time!  

Welcome Dawn and I do love that site.  Every Sunday my wife and I love to watch Freedom sail away

Izumi is by far the best and we eat in the as often as we can.

Amen brotha!  ;)

We have worn shorts on the first night as our luggage generally hasn't arrived to our room. I hate to admit though I do get annoyed when I see others getting away with sloppy dress when I have gone to the effort of conforming. Otherwise Id happily wear shorts and t-shirt ;)

First night is always a "freebie" since luggage can sometimes be an issue, plus all the other things going on that need to be taken care of on day 1.

 

I do agree it's frustrating to see some people clearly not even make an effort.

 

Welcome rekkie!

For anyone that has purchased either of the unlimited alcohol packages that Royal Caribbean offers, did you buy it for the convenience of not worrying about paying for drinks/tipping?  Or did you buy it as a means of saving money on alcohol over the course of your cruise?

I love Izumi, but that's mostly because I'm a sushi addict

Last Friday, Quantum of the Seas had her keel-laying ceremony, which means....construction of the ship has begun!

 

More info: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2013/08/02/quantum-seas-holds-keel-laying-ceremony

Hard to say really.  I know there's plenty of Brits who would love if that came to fruition.

We like to get checked in and get lunch

Yes! For our cruises, I remind my wife not to eat anything once we leave for the port so we can get extra value out of that first lunch onboard  :P

First day of the forums and already a dress code question!  :lol:

 

I wouldn't wear shorts to MDR but I try not to let it bug me. It has no impact on me but then again I enjoy dressing up for dinners.