DRLPP

I have used multiple types of cabins depending on who I am with, # of port stops, and most important my balance of cost/return on investment. I have done inside multiple times for two reasons. 1)my one daughter is prone to motion sickness and with her we do mid ship, middle and lower level. 2) with the kids we were never in the cabin but to sleep, shower and dress. Also there has never been a curtain in any of our inside rooms. As a side note, depending on the amount of work the cabin steward has (how messy things get), you may want to tip a few extra dollars mid cruise. Seemed to give us a lot of extra attention from him/her. Actually, once/twice I was so embarrassed on the state of the room, I asked him to bypass us.

4 adults in a room for 7 days ? Very tight quarters, likely to be very stressful, would not recommend unless you are looking for a way to get rid of your daughter's boyfriend?. I would agree to look at an inside near your balcony room and share amenities. Talk to RCC or your travel agent and see what options there may be for you and the cost associated with the changes. As for the Key, IMO I don't feel it is worth the cost, use the $ for another room or excursions.

Will be sailing out of Sydney B2B in 2020. Looking forward to your post. As much info as you can please and I may have a few follow up questions. Hope you have a great time and beautiful weather.

They sure can. My granddaughter loves salmon and often orders that off the adult menu. Also don't be afraid to ask your server for any special request for the kids or yourself. Made a special request once for my child and even though they were not able to provide it that night they did for the next night's dinner and even the night after that. Staff can't meet your needs if you don't speak up and let them know. If nothing else they will say "sorry".

I would pick Deck 3 if there is a concern about motion sickness otherwise deck 10 for ease to pool and kids club

I have been to Labadee and Nassau many times with family. I think that Labadee is a great family stop, nice beaches to choose from and you will not be hassled by sellers. Nassau is a bit different. If you are uneasy about new locations then stay away from the straw market and vendors. Consider an excursion booked thru RC. Maybe after the excursion get a taste of town by walking in the main shops. Just expect to be asked to have your hair braided even if you are bald. No worries you will have a great time but as always use common sense and stay in your comfort zone esp. the first visit. Research the sites and mappings on the cruise boards and TripAdvisor.

Often after late MDR I will get my desert to go and have it later with coffee or tea at my leisure. Another option I will do is hit the WJ after dinner and look for one or two(maybe three) tidbits of food or a desert to save for later.

My daughter is a single parent and her child's birth certificate only has a mother listed. She had no problem getting passport for child. No letter from other parent was needed as per the US there is no other parent. Now, as the grandparent when I have taken my granddaughter on cruises without her mom, I needed her passport and notarized letter from her mom stated she was allowing me to take granddaughter. Also had a notarized letter allowing me to temporarily make medical decisions if needed with dates of application,

With my children and then my grandchildren they were rather accommodating if space allows and that days activities are appropriate. Sometimes they will even combine age groups for some activities. As stated before, stop in at first registration opportunity and discuss it with staff. Even if first denied, check back after the first day and recheck as they will have a better idea of actual number of kids. Once they moved my one child to a different group due to maturity level.

Thank you for sharing your trip. We need more European posts. Glad you had a great time. Agree with you on what time of year to head to the Mediterranean. We did the 12 night Venice out of Barcelona a few years back in October and soo much more comfortable temps. Did one in July out of Rome and OMG the heat !!! Was barely tolerable.

On Oasis this past December and the app actually had the menus listed for MDR at least a week ahead. Gave me a chance to plan out my eating strategy !!

Radiance !!! Love the Radiance class ships. It is a "sit back and relax ship". Great ship to start cruising on. We spend a lot of time in the solarium area and eat often at the Park Café there for breakfast and lunch due to there being no crowds. Have a great time.

For us: As to the slides, the kids pool area was open as we boarded. The larger slides did not open for use till about 1:00

When I travel with the kids, age 10 and 8, we often do late dinning. We take the kids to the windjammer and let them eat what they want (often I will dab a little into the buffet as well), then it is off to the children's area for drop off. Then we go and have a nice long dinner for ourselves.

Since you will be on an Oasis class ship I would board early. Pack swimsuits for you in carry on. I avoided the crowds at the windjammer and ate at Park Café one time and at the Solarium on another. Much less crowded. Also explore the ship if you want. Check out the Promenade, Boardwalk, Central Park.

I usually do later dinning times but will often check out windjammer to see what's there. May pass or just get a snack to hold me over. Once though I hit the jackpot and they had out huge sea scallops and other fresh seafood. Need I say that I was a very happy guy and ended up skipping MDR. Have also done it the opposite way if I have early MDR. Will check out fresh fruit and deserts and I always seem to find a better selection to choose from.

Did a 12 night Venice cruise in 2017 out of Barcelona. Main tips are: 1) Make sure you arrive a few days early to see the sights of Barcelona and also not have to worry about flight delays, also gives you time to reset your body clock. 2) No real advantage of staying near cruise port as you will need a taxi or Uber to get there, not walkable. 3) Wife and I did the Hop on Hop off bus,2 day pass, and used it to hit the major sights. Get a good guide book with a map. 4) Pre-purchased tickets to attractions online before going which saved a lot of wait time. 5) We did RC bus transfer to airport after cruise and had no problems. Our flight was about 12:00 and we had plenty of time for check-in. 6) forgot about arrival from airport when you fly into BCN, used a taxi which was about the same for two people as would have been for shared shuttle. 7) Don't be afraid to walk around the areas, just use the same common sense you would at home. English is spoken just about every where, was never a problem. Signs in English as well. Know a few basic phrases as it seems to make a difference on how you are treated. You should have a great time just be aware that summer time is crowded and usually HOT. If you have any other specific questions, let me know.

Need some suggestions for our 2020 B2B cruises to NZ and SP out of Sydney. Planner just opened up for our Brillaince cruises. Was hoping to get some recommendations/feedback from excursions you may have actually taken in this 2018-19 season. Have looked at CruiseCritic and TripAdvisor reviews but looking for blog member thoughts. Also if any other facts or hints you want to add, my ears are open. Greatly appreciated.

I vote Margaritaville and just go al a carte. With in gated area, rather easy to walk to and if someone wants to stay longer or shorter its easy to return to ship. Lots of shopping as well.

Twangster hits it out of the park with advice here. Go cheapest for Alaska and use the money for excursions. Done two Alaska cruises, one with balcony and another inside. Seldom used the balcony. Spent most of the time on upper decks with my binoculars and camera taking in the sights. Go upper midship near stairs if possible. Just to add, we always tried to go up early for a nice breakfast spot. Saw so much wildlife and scenery while eating, Also the Radiance class ships have a nice solarium view, so we did the Solarium's Park Café for breakfast and lunch many times.

If you only want to have the kids linked to your credit card and they are not going to have access to your room then you can just link them online. If you want them to have access to your room and sleep their with you then you need to go to guest services on ship for them to redo their seapass cards.

Wife and I did the Blue water beach transfer and it was ok for quick access to a rather decent beach. There are facilities there and DJ music. Pros: low cost, quick bus ride, open time return unless you get a AI band package, relatively clean with some seaweed, was not bothered by trinket sellers. Cons: not the highest quality beach, only to shoulder depth at deepest part. Had an OK time but maybe should have just stayed on a less crowded ship and enjoyed. Brought our own water bottles and snacks. I think chairs and umbrella ran $15 with tip.

Pima1988, Love the way you approach this, we do late dinner and have drinks and snack at the Diamond lounge before hand but the WJ seems like another nice option. Don't know if I can just stick to a light WJ snack/appetizer. I have asked MDR to pack a couple deserts to go (Key Lime Pie, Cheesecake) for late night with coffee on balcony as well.

My wife and I have experienced great attention and food from the later MDR slot. More relaxed and staff seemed more available. Since we are Diamond the lounge allows drinks, apps and social interaction to meet most needs. Must agree that MDR tables are not consistent with people showing each night. Last cruise our table of 12 was usually 4 to 8 and staff said it was to be full table. Tried MTD and found it didn't fit well with entertainment available on ship.

Agree with self disembarking. Also wanted to add if you are unable to self disembark consider letting cabin guy/gal know about time limit and he/she will likely get you a lower number to get off ship. Then if lot of luggage a nice idea would be to get a porter at luggage pickup area as they usually have a quicker line thru customs. Tip him a bit extra (the porter that is, not the custom agent) and away you go.