bhageerah

I wish they would go out of Charleston, SC.....I know Carnival Cruise launches from there...it would be a lot closer to NC that to traveling to Florida, Baltimore or New Jersey.

More cruises/ships leaving from Baltimore would bring a tear in this guys eye!  Baltimore is less than a 4 hour drive from our doorstep and would be extremely welcome!  About the only thing that would be unwelcome would be I95 traffic around NOVA& DC!

History tends to have a way of repeating.  Remember when most people would only buy American cars?  The big three automakers thought they could make junk and the American people would keep buying them, well now most people swear by Japanese or German automobiles.  Remember when, if you wanted electronics, you would only buy Sony if you wanted the best then they started making sub par items allowing Samsung to dethrone them.  Don't get me wrong, I love Royal Caribbean, I've been sailing with them since the early 80's and have been on most ships at least once, their ships continue to be amazingly innovative (exclusive of the Quantum class) but their continuous downgrading of customer service, lack of appreciation for long-time repeat passenger and the constant nickel and diming grows old after a while.  We sailed on the Adventure this past May (2018) and the Diamond concierge never had us listed as Diamond Plus, we never received any of the benefits and were never invited to any of the events, when we tried to bring it to his attention he said he'd look into it but did nothing.  Like I said we love Royal, and I do understand it's a business and the economics behind it (we actually sail basically for free on a few cruises each year using the dividends from our Royal stock) but little things like good customer service and recognition of loyal repeat customers goes a long way (many people would actually pay a premium for these things!).  So to answer your question HeWhoWaits, we've decided to try MSC, we booked on the new ship out of Miami, the Seaside.  MSC has a loyalty status match program where they'll actually match and reward us for our Crown and Anchor Diamond Plus status.  Will we be back to Royal?  Yes, but if they don't realize they aren't the only option for repeat guests (cruise lines bread and butter) they might just learn what many other companies have when they took their customer base for granted.          

We are willing to pay a little more to have some more activity for our son and us but I not sure about other people. That why I booked Anthem for November instead of Grandeur. Not that I not like Grandeur but 5 times is more than charm for me. Just my opinion, Grandeur is an older ship so not many people would want to pay more for it. 

Wow, that really puts to test Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart..." ?

I'd love to hear from people who tested this rule and won or lost.
Without testing the limits myself, my understanding is.... yes.  The final manifest has to be submitted to the government in order for the ship to receive clearance to leave.  The manifest must be precise.  
I've read accounts from people accusing foul play when they showed up late and were "rudely refused boarding despite paying $$$$$$ for a cruise they saved up for X years... "
However that was likely a suspect review from a disgruntled guest who probably didn't post the truth so it's hard to discern if that is reliable data or not and the exact timing involved.
It's something I never will attempt to test.  Since I fly in, I almost always fly in the day before to avoid testing the results of showing up 'late'.  The only time i don't fly in the day before is when I have used Air2Sea for my flights.

Yeah, I agree.  When they start “fixing” stuff that rarely ends well.

What's a prime member?
I'm assuming this is totally unrelated to free shipping from Amazon. ?

Congratulations!  I know I would have been freaking out! As active as I am, my life is on my phone and it has become an invaluable asset.  Glad you got it back! 

Others may have other ideas but, we have brought a small travel safe to use.  We only take what we need off the ship in a bag and keep the valuables in the safe.  It is not sturdy enough to keep someone that is completely intent on robbing you from the items but it  works well enough to keep you from being robbed while you are in the water.  It features a lock and a cable that you can wrap around your chair or something else to keep it from "walking away" while you are in the water. Its fairly cheap and is just enough to keep our cell phone, passports, a few cards and some cash.  I secure it to the chair and cover it with the bag so it is not too obvious.  You can use it on the ship if you like but we honestly do not carry anything other than our sea pass card if we are going to the hot tub or pool since that is all you will need onboard.  

Others may have other ideas but, we have brought a small travel safe to use.  We only take what we need off the ship in a bag and keep the valuables in the safe.  It is not sturdy enough to keep someone that is completely intent on robbing you from the items but it  works well enough to keep you from being robbed while you are in the water.  It features a lock and a cable that you can wrap around your chair or something else to keep it from "walking away" while you are in the water. Its fairly cheap and is just enough to keep our cell phone, passports, a few cards and some cash.  I secure it to the chair and cover it with the bag so it is not too obvious.  You can use it on the ship if you like but we honestly do not carry anything other than our sea pass card if we are going to the hot tub or pool since that is all you will need onboard.  

You can also get great cruise fares end of season.  I just went on Explorer then I saw Radiance for $499 pp, Southbound.  It went as low as $449 pp.   If you can be flexible and travel on a few weeks notice there are some great fares.

Seeing Denali is almost as good as winning the lottery.  Very few folks get too see it. Going back in hopes of seeing Denali.  The interior trip is pricey but worth the money.  July is best time to go especially if you like salmon.  Otherwise the last cruise of the season is when you will get great bargains on merchandise in the ports and on the ship.  

Alaska is my wife and I's favorite place to cruise!!  What route did you take?  Both times we flew into Anchorage and sailed out of Seward on the Radiance of the Seas on the southern route to Vancouver.  The first time we took the bus to Seward and thought that was the coolest bus ride ever.  The second time we took the train to Seward and were speechless - BEST TRAIN RIDE EVER!!  Sitting at a four top table in a glass topped train car with two very nice attendants serving food and drinks the entire time was an incredible experience.  It was hard to believe it was a five hour ride, it went by so fast.
Next June we will be sailing the round trip route out of Seattle on the Ovation, it has a slightly different itinerary so we can experience a few different stops.  We look forward to your review!

Alaska was such a fun cruise.  It blew past all my expectations.

This is the result of the unnatural integration of bots and dweeb-geeks.
Just sayin'.

Exactly!  And if the ship is your destination (like how it is for some people) and it happens to include Coco Cay, then you're golden, more time on board! ?

@Lovetocruise2002

You forgot something.....Beat Navy!

Go for it, but don't be surprised if they chuckle and politely decline. 
NextCruise isn't what it used to be, at least in my experience.  With so many sales and promos every few weeks Next has become hit or miss.  Now if I see what I perceive to be a good price, I book it even if I have a cruise next week. 
Be aware, Next is only non-refundable deposits now. 
In January I sat at Next while I had my regular travel agent on the phone held up to my ear.  Right there I shopped them, got their best price, asked my agent, took three steps away from Next and booked a refundable fare to NZ cheaper through my agent than Next non-refundable with their OBC factored in.  Plus no $450 deposit.  Same cabin, same sail date. 
YMMV.

Okay..enough is enough! Y'all made me book a cruise and it doesn't look like I'm the only one...fess up, who else book a cruise within the last 48 hours?
Now I'm looking at another cruise ?

Oh BEWARE, for there shall be wearing of sackcloth and ashes,  rending of garments, and gnashing of teeth when it finally happens !  I wouldn't even be surprised if the moon turns to blood and frogs rain from the skies !

I think Carnival Legend has more in line with what your looking for. ?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5402887/Cruise-hell-passengers-blame-large-Italian-family.html

Shamelessly promoting my favourite class of ship again. I came across this video tonight and really wanted to share it. @Matt has some great blog posts comparing the 4 ships but this video was so well put together and gives a great comprehensive visual.  Whether you are a first timer or you've sailed all 4, it's still worth a look, especially if you are deciding between them as I find many people are.  Also, there are some really good shots of the new features on Symphony, including food shots from Playmakers and Hooked.  It's 20min long and there is an ad in the middle but have a look. Can't wait for my next Oasis class sailing! 
 

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