JasonD

Anyone have experience sailing out of Southampton? I am wondering if there will be VAT on the drinks/purchases like there is on sailings from other Euro ports.... 

I was trying to stay quiet on the topic, but guess it's not going to happen... 
 
First off, tip your people, especially if you have kids.. These folks bend over backwards to make sure that you and your family are taken care of. I've cruised as a kid with my parents, on spring break with just friends, as an adult no kids, and now with my young children and I will tell you never once have I doubted tipping anyone. Frankly, I generally give my room attendant an extra $20 at a min every trip. Not because I have to, but because I see how hard they are working for me. 
 
I will by no means say that myself and my family are messy people, but when you have 4 people living in a 200 sqft space for 7-9 nights as we have done, things can get disastrous quickly. There are toys, clothes, diapers, bottles, clothes, toys, clothes, strollers... you get the point i think... The space gets pretty small, and pretty tight.. And every morning when we leave the room, we think about how we should clean it up before we grab breakfast, because as those of you know who have kids, standing in the way of a 2-4 yo and their breakfast can be a fatal mistake. But I will tell you this, that room is always impeccably clean when we get back to it.. Often times we find the kids toys are set up in little scenes, like Toy Story is coming to life in our room.
 
Another great example is things like diaper changes... Royal unfortunately does a TERRIBLE job with diaper changing stations in public restrooms throughout the ship.. Generally the only ones are up by the pool deck.. God forbid that the kid needs a new one during dinner service, you have to make the long haul back to the room to take care of it.. But I will tell you what.. I think i can count the amount of times on one hand that we've come back to the room to find a stinky diaper in there.. It's like they know that you've come in for that purpose and they sweep in and take care of getting it out.. I've always thought they had ninja skills in so many ways, this has always furthered that notion. 
 
And the dining staff, I could go on and on about how they are with the kids.. From making sure their drinks are there when the arrive, to having snacks on the table to the napkin art and the list goes on and on.. The majority of these people are their family behind, many with small kids of their own.. They so much enjoy taking care of the kids on board and will do just about anything.. One last side note, and I can go on and on and on and on about these little experiences, we've even had wait staff take our children on walks if they were done and not enjoying the sitting, just so we can enjoy our meal.. They take them for tours, yes my daughters have seen more kitchens on ships than most will ever see in their lives, and give them the attention so we can have an enjoyable experience... 
 
 
Tip the staff.. and hell, give a little bit extra at the beginning and see how wonderful of an experience you have.. Let them know you value their service, cause I'll tell you, if you get a bad egg it can turn your whole trip into a bust. 
 
And one last side, side note... Advice I always give people before they take their first trip... Talk to the staff.. Get to know them... They have some amazing stories and love to share!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

She's everything we hoped for.... A few minor glitches today, but nothing that isn't to be expected for the first passenger cruise.
 
 
Clean, sleek interior. Crew is excited to be here, drinks are flowing and already I feel I've eaten my weight. I'll randomly post thoughts as the trip goes on... B2B on the Harmony and then headed to the Navigator... Stay tuned folks!

We've got two cabins for both sailings ;)..... I'm going to call Royal tonight to see what they have to say... Not that what they say on the phone means anything dockside... .

I would love to see the ship models available for sale off of the ship.. esp those that I went on before I started collecting...

Aye aye, Loyalty Ambassador will get a visit on the first of the three sailings... Then again on the second, in hopes that we can get it on the third... I hope it works...

Norway is my favorite destination.  I've done Bergen, Tromso, Trondheim, Geiranger, Flamm, and Stavanger.  Out of that it seems like the one crossover is Bergen, which was probably my favorite port.
 
As mentioned, lunch at the fish market is a must, but also take time to just walk around the market as it's an interesting set up with a few things you may never have seen.  The shops along the water are actually interesting (and I'm not a big shopper) as some (though not all) feel less touristy and have some unique offerings.  
 
For Stavanger, I remember the houses right next to where you doc (or just across the water from it, depending on which side you berth) being very neat, looking like something out of a movie...or the end of Maelstrom in Epcot. 
 
The people in Norway are amazing.  I recall that once we asked for directions and the gentleman started to tell us, then turned around and told us to follow him.  He guided us a good 5 mins out of his way.  
 
Much like Alaska, you'll spend hours on your verandah or on deck just watching the fjords go by.
 
I'll have to dig up some dusty memories and pics and come up with some 'must do' attractions, but wow do I want to go back now.

I was trying to stay quiet on the topic, but guess it's not going to happen... 
 
First off, tip your people, especially if you have kids.. These folks bend over backwards to make sure that you and your family are taken care of. I've cruised as a kid with my parents, on spring break with just friends, as an adult no kids, and now with my young children and I will tell you never once have I doubted tipping anyone. Frankly, I generally give my room attendant an extra $20 at a min every trip. Not because I have to, but because I see how hard they are working for me. 
 
I will by no means say that myself and my family are messy people, but when you have 4 people living in a 200 sqft space for 7-9 nights as we have done, things can get disastrous quickly. There are toys, clothes, diapers, bottles, clothes, toys, clothes, strollers... you get the point i think... The space gets pretty small, and pretty tight.. And every morning when we leave the room, we think about how we should clean it up before we grab breakfast, because as those of you know who have kids, standing in the way of a 2-4 yo and their breakfast can be a fatal mistake. But I will tell you this, that room is always impeccably clean when we get back to it.. Often times we find the kids toys are set up in little scenes, like Toy Story is coming to life in our room.
 
Another great example is things like diaper changes... Royal unfortunately does a TERRIBLE job with diaper changing stations in public restrooms throughout the ship.. Generally the only ones are up by the pool deck.. God forbid that the kid needs a new one during dinner service, you have to make the long haul back to the room to take care of it.. But I will tell you what.. I think i can count the amount of times on one hand that we've come back to the room to find a stinky diaper in there.. It's like they know that you've come in for that purpose and they sweep in and take care of getting it out.. I've always thought they had ninja skills in so many ways, this has always furthered that notion. 
 
And the dining staff, I could go on and on about how they are with the kids.. From making sure their drinks are there when the arrive, to having snacks on the table to the napkin art and the list goes on and on.. The majority of these people are their family behind, many with small kids of their own.. They so much enjoy taking care of the kids on board and will do just about anything.. One last side note, and I can go on and on and on and on about these little experiences, we've even had wait staff take our children on walks if they were done and not enjoying the sitting, just so we can enjoy our meal.. They take them for tours, yes my daughters have seen more kitchens on ships than most will ever see in their lives, and give them the attention so we can have an enjoyable experience... 
 
 
Tip the staff.. and hell, give a little bit extra at the beginning and see how wonderful of an experience you have.. Let them know you value their service, cause I'll tell you, if you get a bad egg it can turn your whole trip into a bust. 
 
And one last side, side note... Advice I always give people before they take their first trip... Talk to the staff.. Get to know them... They have some amazing stories and love to share!

I was trying to stay quiet on the topic, but guess it's not going to happen... 
 
First off, tip your people, especially if you have kids.. These folks bend over backwards to make sure that you and your family are taken care of. I've cruised as a kid with my parents, on spring break with just friends, as an adult no kids, and now with my young children and I will tell you never once have I doubted tipping anyone. Frankly, I generally give my room attendant an extra $20 at a min every trip. Not because I have to, but because I see how hard they are working for me. 
 
I will by no means say that myself and my family are messy people, but when you have 4 people living in a 200 sqft space for 7-9 nights as we have done, things can get disastrous quickly. There are toys, clothes, diapers, bottles, clothes, toys, clothes, strollers... you get the point i think... The space gets pretty small, and pretty tight.. And every morning when we leave the room, we think about how we should clean it up before we grab breakfast, because as those of you know who have kids, standing in the way of a 2-4 yo and their breakfast can be a fatal mistake. But I will tell you this, that room is always impeccably clean when we get back to it.. Often times we find the kids toys are set up in little scenes, like Toy Story is coming to life in our room.
 
Another great example is things like diaper changes... Royal unfortunately does a TERRIBLE job with diaper changing stations in public restrooms throughout the ship.. Generally the only ones are up by the pool deck.. God forbid that the kid needs a new one during dinner service, you have to make the long haul back to the room to take care of it.. But I will tell you what.. I think i can count the amount of times on one hand that we've come back to the room to find a stinky diaper in there.. It's like they know that you've come in for that purpose and they sweep in and take care of getting it out.. I've always thought they had ninja skills in so many ways, this has always furthered that notion. 
 
And the dining staff, I could go on and on about how they are with the kids.. From making sure their drinks are there when the arrive, to having snacks on the table to the napkin art and the list goes on and on.. The majority of these people are their family behind, many with small kids of their own.. They so much enjoy taking care of the kids on board and will do just about anything.. One last side note, and I can go on and on and on and on about these little experiences, we've even had wait staff take our children on walks if they were done and not enjoying the sitting, just so we can enjoy our meal.. They take them for tours, yes my daughters have seen more kitchens on ships than most will ever see in their lives, and give them the attention so we can have an enjoyable experience... 
 
 
Tip the staff.. and hell, give a little bit extra at the beginning and see how wonderful of an experience you have.. Let them know you value their service, cause I'll tell you, if you get a bad egg it can turn your whole trip into a bust. 
 
And one last side, side note... Advice I always give people before they take their first trip... Talk to the staff.. Get to know them... They have some amazing stories and love to share!

I was trying to stay quiet on the topic, but guess it's not going to happen... 
 
First off, tip your people, especially if you have kids.. These folks bend over backwards to make sure that you and your family are taken care of. I've cruised as a kid with my parents, on spring break with just friends, as an adult no kids, and now with my young children and I will tell you never once have I doubted tipping anyone. Frankly, I generally give my room attendant an extra $20 at a min every trip. Not because I have to, but because I see how hard they are working for me. 
 
I will by no means say that myself and my family are messy people, but when you have 4 people living in a 200 sqft space for 7-9 nights as we have done, things can get disastrous quickly. There are toys, clothes, diapers, bottles, clothes, toys, clothes, strollers... you get the point i think... The space gets pretty small, and pretty tight.. And every morning when we leave the room, we think about how we should clean it up before we grab breakfast, because as those of you know who have kids, standing in the way of a 2-4 yo and their breakfast can be a fatal mistake. But I will tell you this, that room is always impeccably clean when we get back to it.. Often times we find the kids toys are set up in little scenes, like Toy Story is coming to life in our room.
 
Another great example is things like diaper changes... Royal unfortunately does a TERRIBLE job with diaper changing stations in public restrooms throughout the ship.. Generally the only ones are up by the pool deck.. God forbid that the kid needs a new one during dinner service, you have to make the long haul back to the room to take care of it.. But I will tell you what.. I think i can count the amount of times on one hand that we've come back to the room to find a stinky diaper in there.. It's like they know that you've come in for that purpose and they sweep in and take care of getting it out.. I've always thought they had ninja skills in so many ways, this has always furthered that notion. 
 
And the dining staff, I could go on and on about how they are with the kids.. From making sure their drinks are there when the arrive, to having snacks on the table to the napkin art and the list goes on and on.. The majority of these people are their family behind, many with small kids of their own.. They so much enjoy taking care of the kids on board and will do just about anything.. One last side note, and I can go on and on and on and on about these little experiences, we've even had wait staff take our children on walks if they were done and not enjoying the sitting, just so we can enjoy our meal.. They take them for tours, yes my daughters have seen more kitchens on ships than most will ever see in their lives, and give them the attention so we can have an enjoyable experience... 
 
 
Tip the staff.. and hell, give a little bit extra at the beginning and see how wonderful of an experience you have.. Let them know you value their service, cause I'll tell you, if you get a bad egg it can turn your whole trip into a bust. 
 
And one last side, side note... Advice I always give people before they take their first trip... Talk to the staff.. Get to know them... They have some amazing stories and love to share!

Take it from someone who is desperately searching for the models of one's before I started collecting (Enchantment being one of them) make sure you buy it on board. you dont want to be like me begging people to buy one for you (which never works :-( )

Totally agree. I took two within the past 6 months and they were very different from the 11 other cruises I had taken before that.. The thing that gave the most shell shock was the addition of VAT (value added tax) to everything on the ship! There was no duty free and in addition to the service on the drinks you paid the VAT. (VAT amount differs depending on where the ship begins its journey, i think it was something like 11-15% for the one out of spain and 22% for the cruise out of italy). 
 
As far as courtesy shuttles I honestly don't remember what we paid. 
 
I will say that for some of the ports, the "courtesy shuttle" wont get you into the "city" you are visiting. I.E the shuttle in Rome will take you out of the port and into the city of Civitavecchia where you can take the train here into Rome. 
 
The hardest thing that I have found about cruising Europe (We've visited: Barcelona,Marseille,Nice,Livorno(Florence/Pisa), Naples, Rome, Santorini,Ephesus, Athens, Kataklon,Crete) is that for the most part when you pull into port you are in the little port city and not the actual city worth seeing. We paid a lot of money for excursions and I'm glad we did, in the end I think we got the most out of our trip. 
 
Let me know if you have specific questions.. I'm happy to help.

Totally agree. I took two within the past 6 months and they were very different from the 11 other cruises I had taken before that.. The thing that gave the most shell shock was the addition of VAT (value added tax) to everything on the ship! There was no duty free and in addition to the service on the drinks you paid the VAT. (VAT amount differs depending on where the ship begins its journey, i think it was something like 11-15% for the one out of spain and 22% for the cruise out of italy). 
 
As far as courtesy shuttles I honestly don't remember what we paid. 
 
I will say that for some of the ports, the "courtesy shuttle" wont get you into the "city" you are visiting. I.E the shuttle in Rome will take you out of the port and into the city of Civitavecchia where you can take the train here into Rome. 
 
The hardest thing that I have found about cruising Europe (We've visited: Barcelona,Marseille,Nice,Livorno(Florence/Pisa), Naples, Rome, Santorini,Ephesus, Athens, Kataklon,Crete) is that for the most part when you pull into port you are in the little port city and not the actual city worth seeing. We paid a lot of money for excursions and I'm glad we did, in the end I think we got the most out of our trip. 
 
Let me know if you have specific questions.. I'm happy to help.

Me neither! 

Me neither! 

Nevermind.... I found your write up on it... 

I'm with Matt, we always hold the kids on our laps.. Not the best, but I can't imagine trying to find space in the cabin for car seats and a stroller and luggage and toys and.... 

I posted a quick message on Facebook & Twitter, but I really wanted to thank everyone who posts here, reads the site and listens to the podcast for being such good friends.
 
I use the word "friends" because I really do consider you all my friends.  This site started as an outlet for me to share my Royal Caribbean passion and I've come to (virtually) meet so many new people and I love reading different opinions, viewpoints and concerns that pop up.
 
So I wanted to take a minute to make sure I express to all of you how glad I am that you spend a little bit of your day on this site.  I hope we all get a chance to cruise together some day but if not, we can always dream of embarkation day here.
 
THANK YOU!