twangster

That's a good point. They ran a trial on an OA ship once making Starbucks (standalone) covered by the drink package but nothing ever came of it. With the drink package going up over 8% recently you would think they could include the standalone Starbucks. They are probably afraid of crazy long lines every morning creating a bad experience. The new Mariner Starbucks appears to be standalone-like but differs in operation compared to the Starbucks on OA class. Who knew? Another inconsistency with it's implementation. A new classification of Starbucks. "Standalone-Light"? "Pseudo-Standalone"? "Quasi-Standalone"?

It amazes me how some bottled water companies do very little other than bottling city tap water in their local plant while some might pass it through a very basic filtration system. I have drank the 'tap' water on many ships and never had a problem. Bottled water is great to take into a foreign port off the ship on an excursion and know you can trust it. Freestyle machines on ships that have them are a source of filtered water that anyone one, with or without a drink package or special cup can use to get water.

In order for notifications to work on Apple devices, Apple servers on land have to be able to reachable from Apple devices on the ship. Apple devices reach out to the Apple servers on land. Once that communication path is established notifications work, but iMessage piggy backs on it. If they block Apple devices from ever leaving the ship without paying for Voom, notification don't work and you will never know someone has sent you a text message in the RoyaliQ app. Anytime your Apple phone has a notification go off, such as a news alert or weather alert, that comes from the Apple servers in one of their data centers. If you block that communication, you will get no notifications.

Yes. For the most part booking early yields best results but be diligent about checking the fares each time any sales or promos are announced.

The power cord for a CPAP should not ever be banned. That would be a violation of the ADA. ( I think medical equipment is covered by the ADA or possibly a similar law) A common extension cord to use with your CPAP can and has been confiscated upon boarding but Royal will supply you with an extension cord for medical use upon request. They will also supply distilled water free of charge for use in medical equipment. Ask your travel agent to note it on your reservation or ask your cabin attendant on day one. If they failed to leave one in your cabin simply call housekeeping on your cabin phone.

@Matt 's review of the St Kitts Railway: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/05/23/excursion-focus-caribbean-scenic-railway-tour-st-kitts I've done it. It isn't going to leave your mascara streaking down your face from 140mph winds like on a jet boat excursion but it's an interesting and quite enjoyable way to see the island that is very unique. It claims to be the only operating railway in the Caribbean. It would be good for those that can climb a few stairs to make it to the upper level of the train and then sit for while.

When your kids explain their behavior based on what all the other kids do... what is your reaction?

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EDIT - Title should read "When to sail to get the best price". This is for folks who have flexibility to sail anytime. Booking cruises far into the future almost always will secure the best prices and best choice of cabin. I've often thought of plotting this myself but then I found someone who already did. This is from 2012 and it is specific to interior cabins to the Caribbean but in my experience most other cabin categories track this and it repeats year after year. Want to sail when its cheapest? Want to avoid cruises with a ton of kids? Avoid those peaks. Source: https://www.cruisemarketwatch.com/articles/category/cruise-lines-market-share-marketing-research/page/2/ This research tracks my own experiences very well. Who doesn't like to save money on a cruise? Suite cabins can be an exception but often suite deals can be found in the same low periods simply because demand is lower.

My signature doesn't lie. Sabrina's tells you everything you need to know. BTW - who does that? On a blog dedicated to Royal Caribbean? Seriously?

European single digit dances for other cruise lines don't count around here.

My business is just this annoying thing that gets in the way of more cruises.

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Exactly. Vision wasn't the cheapest fare but I wanted to cross her off my list and I thought I'd be able to try the pier in CocoCay. Now I'll apply those funds to Ovation.

Big Lots and Winn-Dixie across the road.

Yeah, stopping in Miami is a no-go for me. Leaving from there is fine, but not stopping there. I'm probably going to take the $100 NRDB hit and apply the remaining FCC to Alaska 2019. I think a lot will hinge on hurricane seasons and any impacts from storms, even weak tropical storms that run through the Bahamas. If they are on the bubble now and canceling just Vision to get it done, any storm activity of any strength will induce more delays that will impact more stops there. By starting to offer Perfect Day excursion sales they've put themselves between a rock and a hard place. They'd be better to just cancel all ships for January and February and 'Get Ur' Done". I'm projecting a lot of PA announcements... "Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain. Unfortunately due to the weather we will not make our call into CocoCay today". (before and after the pier is complete).

Well... on a previous visit I never ventured to the undeveloped part of the island and had no plans to do so on future visits so for me that's a moot point. I have six five cruises booked with stops in CocoCay. Three of those are in 2018 including a stop there in a few weeks.

No Kraken for Matt! (it's mine, all mine!!!)

Welcome Jill! Totally understand the geek comment.

I'd say then you have an argument to have the original FCC re-issued, but it will likely retain it's 2/3/19 expiration date. Given the timing and issue date for FCC's you are likely best to cancel the new cruise around the 100 day mark (just before final payment due date). Kids Sail Free - occasional promo that they run.

In these days where non-refundable fares are king, that is little consolation but you are correct, at least they are giving us lots of notice. As more delays happen and they begin cancelling other ships on much shorter notice next year those folks will probably be worse off compared to us.

I noted that as well. Perhaps more ships will be diverted in the coming days. If altering just Vision allows them to launch Perfect Day on time, they must be on the verge of just completing it on time such that a few uninterrupted days of construction will do it. I wouldn't be surprised if more ships divert as more construction delays occur - it's the islands, there are always delays. Look at the CocoCay pier, it's already six months behind schedule. Throw in a glancing blow from a hurricane in the coming months and there will be more delays leading to more ships dropping CocoCay. (in my opinion)

I was NAUI certified as a teenager. Life happened including marriage and kids and I didn't dive for many years. In 2015 I took the full PADI OWD certification along with my teenage dive buddy because things have changed. NAUI is still around but it's harder to find them in the US. Some instructors have become disenchanted with PADI and have dubbed it "Pay Another Dollar In". As a result a few new organizations have popped up recently that are gaining some traction.

So far other ships such as Anthem, Grandeur, Enchantment and Mariner are retaining their January and February calls on CocoCay. This appears to impact only Vision and only January and February. Vision's 1/26/19 and 3/2/19 itineraries have not dropped CocoCay. They've updated the booking engine this morning to reflect the change. Emails went out last night at midnight. Dear , We look forward to welcoming your clients' aboard their January 5th, 2019 Vision of the Seas cruise. Before they embark on an amazing adventure we wanted you to share an itinerary update with them. While we are transforming our private destination, CocoCay, into Perfect Day at CocoCay, we have experienced a minor delay. As a result, we've had to replace their visit to CocoCay with the beautiful Miami, Florida. It's important to us that every moment of their vacation is extraordinary and we're sorry for the change. However, Miami is packed full with great activities and shopping opportunities. Enjoy the Frost Museum for a thrilling educational experience. Or lounge on world-renowned beaches. Otherwise, if your clients are more into exploring nature, the Everglades offer the only subtropical preserve in North America! Whatever they do, there's an activity for everyone. For your convenience, their updated itinerary is outlined below. Day Port of Call Arrive Depart Sat New Orleans, Louisiana 4:30 PM Sun Cruising Mon Cruising Tue Miami, Florida 8:00 AM 6:00 PM Wed Nassau, Bahamas 7:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu Key West, Florida 10:00 AM 7:00 PM Fri Cruising Sat New Orleans, Louisiana 7:00 AM Any pre-paid shore excursions scheduled for CocoCay will be refunded to their original form of payment. Within the next 2 business days, they will receive an email from our Shore Excursions Department advising of their refund details. Then they will be able to book new excursions for Miami online via our Cruise Planner at http://bit.ly/RCCruisePlanner. We thank you for your understanding. We can't wait to welcome your clients' onboard the beautiful Vision of the Seas soon. Sincerely, Royal Caribbean International

I'm not a fan of seafood. I'll eat a shrimp but it's not elevated experience it is for some. Same with crab, lobster, etc. Sushi is meh. I wouldn't pay for it beyond a California Roll with friends that crave it. My son is confirmed allergic to shellfish. Maybe he got it from my dislike of such things. In my case it isn't anaphylactic like it is with him. I'm the opposite of Matt. I'll swim and dive with fishes all day but hate seafood. He will eat them any day but refuse to swim with them.