mbk999

3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

I think it’s a bit of a statement bit to modern technology and workplace norms, plus Royal’s investment in WiFi on board their ships.

Definitely.  It's a different (potential) reality out there now now.  Good for him as he's made it work.

On 5/7/2019 at 9:41 AM, coneyraven said:

Ludicrous (Speed)

Well I just spent a few minutes on YouTube watching SpaceBalls....

6 minutes ago, RickinSTL said:

That's almost 22 years at sea.. Hats off to Mario

Yeah, that's incredible.  Nice life if you can swing it.

1 hour ago, hayley_bopp said:

Thanks for the input - I'd not even thought about the weather factor (although we are scheduled to arrive 3 days before the cruise)

@Lovetocruise2002 and @WAAAYTOOO give sound advice.  I avoid transferring in Chicago at any time of the year if I can possibly avoid it.  I'd pick Option #2 as the best of the worst.  I'm not as familiar with that airport but Chicago would be a no-go for me.   

On the Allure we were able to get one bottle/per card/per bar visit and I believe we were able to get more than one as we were exiting the ships for port call.    There was no limit so we would stockpile bottles for the room.  There are plenty of recycle containers on the pool deck.

1 hour ago, FManke said:

I'm sure they were dress shorts and sandals. 

They at least weren't gym shorts.

That should be fine.  I've seen T-shirts/Shorts/mens' sandels in Chops and Giovannis

3 hours ago, Matt said:

So it ends up being vague as to if it's allowed.

4 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

What about shorts on a teenage boy in MTD?

It's all very nebulous.  As Matt says, shorts aren't specified as either allowed or prohibited in the MDR, it's more of "we'd rather not see them".  But I saw shorts and t-shirts in the MDR, in Chops, in Giovannis.  So I think you'd be good.  There's always the possibility that an individual ship/MDR may say no but we haven't heard much of that on the boards.

I know it's a very wishy-washy response but it's a vague "code" to begin with.

1 hour ago, JerseyJoe said:

Sure, it is not a small cost, but I didn't have to stress out about how many sodas the kids were having, or have to say "no, you can't get another virgin pina colada because they are expensive"

That is my opinion too.  For me, even if I'm paying a little more than I would have ala carte, I'm okay with that if I don't have to think about it while I'm trying to relax.  I know everyone doesn't share that opinion but it works for me.

My first thought wasn't actually the crowds, it was:  that's gonna confuse some passengers.  It's weird to me but I know there are people that have no idea of what  ship they are on.  They just think the name is "Royal Caribbean".   To have two or three docked at the same time?  

Here's hoping there's not two Oasis class ships at the same time.....

As everyone else has said:  it depends, both in how much you drink and what you paid.  Guesstimating prices here but say a morning latte ($6) , glass of fresh squeezed oj ($3) , and one virgin frozen pool drink ($9).  Roughly $18.   If you throw in 2-3 bottles of water a day, you're around $25-26 so you're at the break even point.    My wife did not break even on her refreshment package but since it was pre-paid,  she just ordered what she wanted and didn't overthink about the cost of anything.  I treated that as a convenience fee and, to me, it was worth it.

14 hours ago, Virgie said:

I booked central park stateroom on the 12th floor.  My mom is on the 14th floor.   Has anyone who has stayed on either the 12th or 14th floor experience any noise from the pool music during the day or chairs moving in the morning due to staff cleaning?  How was your experience with the Central Park Balcony in the 12th floor or 14th floor?  

We had a cabin on the Enchantment once that was right below the pool deck and you could hear the chairs being moved and dragged across the pool deck.  Not enough to wake you up but you'd definitely hear it if you were awake.  We just booked a cruise on Oasis of the Seas and our TA originally booked us on a 14th Floor Central Park room but I had him switch it to an 11th Floor as I was worried about the noise from the pool   

15 hours ago, SLJ said:

So our May 12th cruise on Allure has changed its itinerary to now stop by San Juan instead of St. Thomas. But we'll only be there from 7am-2pm. My cruise planner hasn't even updated to show San Juan excursions. My questions are:

1. what can we do on our own that can kill a few hours? (We have 2 young kids)

2. Is it safe to wonder around town by ourselves?

3. How much are San Juan taxis? 

I think you got a good feel for the other responses that San Juan is a great port to walk around and do on your own.   The little legs might get tired with all the walking but it's an easy, safe place to explore.  It's our (new) favorite tour stop.   The kids should like the forts, at the very least enjoy running around on the wide open grass space.  The Old San Juan gate is a great picture spot too.   

I found a bunch of pictures from our honeymoon cruise in 1993.  We were on Premier's S/S Atlantic (one of the Big Red Boats).  We were docked at Nassau at the same time as the Empress (was it the Nordic Empress at the time?).  I just remember being awed by how big she was.  I think the Atlantic was ~30,000 tons and their S/S Majestic was ~17,500 tons.    The "Big" Red Boat is off on the right (with the life boats on the top deck).   I have no idea what the little ship on the left is, I just know my wife will never get on that ship unless it was a tender vessel....

Apologies for the non-twangster image quality, a scan of a crappy 25 year old print.

53 minutes ago, ama537621 said:

AVOID WINDJAMMER the first day. It's a madhouse in here. I suggest park cafe instead. 

Yep.  Try the Solarium Bistro for breakfast and lunch.  It has items you would find at the windjammer (though not as big a variety) but fewer crowds.

14 hours ago, JerseyJoe said:

I will never use American Airlines again after feeling lied to so many times.

Not to sidetrack the cruise discussion but this is the same experience my sister had flying out of Philly to Key West on American.   Delayed, delayed, cancelled, rebooked 3 days later  on a 5 day trip .  At least they were able to get to Florida later that day (Orlando) and then do the 8-10 hour drive to Key West.    Next time, if it's practical, Southwest out of Baltimore has lots of options to Florida.  Driving from Orlando or Tampa to Miami would have been more palatable than Philly to Miami.

Glad you had a good time.  I feel the same way about the drink package.   Comparing costs for us, I would have broken even but it would have been cheaper for my wife not to have gotten a package.  I just look at it as a convenience  fee to not worry about it during the trip, why add stress to vacation?!   

The Enchantment was our first "real" cruise ship back in '06 and we were on her again 2 years ago.  It's perfectly fine, as long as you know you're not getting the zip lines, aquashow, 5 different specialty restaurants, etc.  It is older but still comfortable and a good introductory cruise ship for adults.  I thought the food in the MDR was decent and we thought the Windjammer food was the best we had experienced.  We did MTD and were able to secure a table for two by the window every night.  

The main theater entertainment was so-so, the head liner was good but the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers shows were just okay.  The Schooner bar on that class of ship is better than any on the big ships as it's right along the windows.  The casino seemed (to me) to be smokier than other ships so if you're smoke sensitive that might not be the place to hang out.    We didn't have any issues with getting a seat at the pool(s).

While we prefer the bigger ships, I would have no problems with an Enchantment of the Seas cruise.  Have fun on your trip.   

22 hours ago, Ogalthorpe Haywood said:

I’ve been told by multiple representatives that if someone in the room has the UDP than at minimum any others must have the refreshment package. 

This was my situation back in October but it took a few phone calls to even get that.   Keep trying is the only thing I can say.

8 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

This whole thread has been eye opening.

To say the least...   I have bought trip insurance from Allianz for our previous cruises but don't think I will the next time.  (thought they probably are all the same).   Thanks again @twangster for posting this information.  

15 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

Do you think you could spend a day at Disney Springs?  Or its just a couple hour event?

You can spend a good amount of time at Disney Springs, but it's predominately shopping and eating. It's usually quite busy too.   Disney is brilliant, they have turned a shopping center and restaurant area into a pseudo-5th theme park destination.   

43 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

I did the calculation for a family of 4 including Disney transportation and 1-day park ticket (picking high cost...not sure about OP but when they are coming)...The cost for the day is $1100 CAD

Plus you don't have a full day and one key to doing Disney is to be at the parks prior to them opening for the day.  Say the ship docked at 9:00 you were off by 9:30 and on the bus/uber/etc by 10:00.  Maybe you could get to the Magic Kingdom by 11:30-12:00, right at high noon for crowds and lunch.  You'd probably have 6 hours before having to turn around and repeat the trip (guessing the ship is leaving at 9:00 PM).  If you wanted to hit the big rides during that 6 hours, you might be able to do 3, maybe 4.  

The only way I'd do Disney as a Port Canaveral excursion is if I was a season pass holder, had my fastpass(es) lined up, and just needed a Disney fix.    As someone else mentioned, if you want to do Disney, you'd be way better off doing a dedicated trip. 

41 minutes ago, twangster said:

1 hour ago, mbk999 said:

Question:  you mentioned that you have an annual policy with Alianz.  Do you know if the coverage is similar to a "cancel for any reason" plan?  THat's what I have purchased the last few times but luckily have never had to use it.   

Good luck, I hope the news gets better.

 

I don't think Allianz offers CFAR, at least not with annual plans.  

Thanks.  Definitely something I will  look at more closely going forward.  

Thank you for posting updates on this process.  

Question:  you mentioned that you have an annual policy with Alianz.  Do you know if the coverage is similar to a "cancel for any reason" plan?  THat's what I have purchased the last few times but luckily have never had to use it.   

Good luck, I hope the news gets better.

I just went back and looked and we were in 10590 which is akin to 8190 that you circled.  The balcony was slightly bigger and if i remember correctly, you could note the angle in the railing.  Even though we were at the front of the hump, the wind wasn't bad.  If you want to look behind, you do have to crane your neck some.  I can't say that particular balcony blew me away but it was certainly fine and we enjoyed it.

We had a very similar cabin on the Allure.  The balcony was slightly bigger but nothing dramatic (at least for us).   I thought there was ample room on the balcony.

San Juan is one of the easiest ports to explore by yourself.  YOu dock right in Old San Juan and there's plenty to see and wander around in the city.  The Forts are really cool.

It's been several years since we traveled with out underage nephew but we had to get a notarized letter of permission from my sister to bring with us.  I don't recall anyone actually checking it but we were told we had to have it.  If you read the boards (this one and others), you 'll see differences of opinions on passports but imo a Passport would be preferable means to travel.  Our nephew had a passport when he traveled.  Not required but I just think it's easier and safer.