JasonL

We stay at the Marriott which is next door to the Doubletree. Those two hotels are connected to a mini-mall that separates them. In the mini-mall is a Starbucks, few restaurants, hair salon, deli, fruit smoothie shop, etc

Once you add your wife's reservation info while you are logged into the cruise planner log out.  When you log back in you should see your reservation number (with names in your room) and under that should be your wife's reservation number (with names in her room).  You can click on your reservation or your wife's but they will not be "linked" as one reservation.  Purchasing things in the cruise planner while logged into yours does allow you to add other people from other reservation numbers.  By adding your wife's reservation number to your cruise planner at least allows you to look at hers or look at yours but not at the same time.

We cruised with our son for Thanksgiving a few years ago.  It is best to buy dining package for adults and probably 14 yo, then pay for the 10 year old's meal a la carte.
You will just need to be sure that when you make reservations to let them know your total party number.
 

I was just excited that I could answer a question.  🙂

Sounds like a good trip.
I have stayed at Caribbean beach and have it booked for the Disney World 50th anniversary weekend later this year (pending non-cancellation of festivities due to extended springbreak 2020), I know it just got upgraded/refurbished so it should be nice and it has the skyliner access to Hollywood Studios which is something different.

Normally I'm indifferent to vaccinations, but I am going to get this one for my family as soon as possible. Not because I think it's right or wrong, but because I wanna get back to travel as soon as possible. As long as it doesn't kill us, I'm down for it, if it means I can cruise and travel again.

Thanks for the info everyone. I ended up extending my stay after the cruise until Wednesday because the airfare on thanksgiving weekend is crazy expensive so it worked out better.  The Disney property hotels basically dictated itself based on my family of 5(over 4 people closes a lot of options) and prices based on availability. Ended up with Caribbean Beach Resort and bought and reserved Magic Kingdom & Hollywood Studios for Monday and Tuesday. 
Fly into Miami the day before and will stay at the Hilton Doubletree. Cruise. Then rented a car which is supposed to be from the Doubletree Hilton location. Drive to Orlando Hotel. Disney 2 days. Drop Rental at Orlando Airport. Cry because vacation is over.
I imagine it should be easy to get back to the Doubletree for the car rental, especially because I can check it out before the cruise?

Yes..the Doubletree is a good choice for this.  Inexpensive to Uber/Lyft from the airport and to the port.  You can walk to the grocery store to pick up any last minute things you didn't want to fly with (wine/water/toiletries/sunscreen).  It is a Publix so you can also go online and order fresh made subs for a quixk, effortless meal. There's also an attached shopping area to the hotel with some restaurants and cafes if you prefer that.  

Traditionally there has been a pre-cruise meet up. We don't usually make plans until much closer to the sail date.
All are welcome, even those not sailing.
Just like my group cruises, I want them to be as inclusive as possible. 
Renting a car will almost certainly be cheaper than ubering to Miami from Orlando.
I'll defer to @Sharla or @michelle for hotel recommendations.
What I do is look for Priceline Express deals with at least 4 stars near WDW. You will almost always come out with a nice hotel.

Whenever we cruise from Miami, we fly to Fort Lauderdale. We always rent a car to do a 2 or 3 day trip to Orlando. Takes the hassle out of looking for transportation. However, the last time, I was surprised that now, there are no toll booths so check with the rental agency for a way to get a sunshine pass for the duration of your trip. 

Miami is a reasonable trek from Orlando area, might make more sense to look at Amtrak or car rental depending on the size of your party and timelines.
Again depending on the size of your group there are a couple of decent "suite" hotels near disney that let you fit a larger number of people in a single room (I use BlueHeron Beach) but there are others ... Doubeltree Downtown Disney is also nice since you get a couch in the living room to complement 1-2 beds in the bedroom.

I'm a Hilton snob lol... Doubletree by Hilton Biscayne Bay would be my bet..  

This hotel is almost directly across the street from Bayside.  So yes, really close.

The Miami Kimpton Epic is really beautiful, and is where we always stay.  It's right next to the Intercontinental but without hefty price tag.  Most (all?) of the rooms have balconies, some that overlook the river and/or the port.  And the wine happy hour is a bonus!

 

Oh this cruise would be really great! I love cruising and I love Hawaii. Nice long days in port which is awesome.

We love the Intercontinental Miami!! That is our go-to hotel when sailing out of Miami. We always book the Bay View rooms and we also book Club level since that gives you access to their lounge (well worth the extra cost IMO). 
 
The hotel is a 5 min walk to Bayside Marketplace where there are tons of choices for dining and shopping. It’s a 15 min ride to South Beach if you want that. And best part is that it takes less than 10 mins to get to the port of Miami. 
 
Love that hotel, I miss it. 🙂

I have news !!
Called earlier today.
1.  Quantum of the Seas HNL-YVR is not showing up on the website but is eligible for booking.  It is a 13 night itinerary.

2.  The OV HNL-YVR sailing is showing up on their system but is NOT eligible to be booked at the moment.  This itin is only 10 days.
3.  All of the Star Class and Owner's Suites on the QN sailing are already booked (even before the itin went onto the website !!).
So, if you are currently on Ovation and are interested in the 13 nights vs 10 nights, you would need to get off in Honolulu, spend the night and catch Quantum the next day.  This is what we are doing.  I do not know what the OV itinerary is (not sure where they cut the 3 nights).  I didn't get that information.  All I know is that it is only 10 nights vs 13 nights and so I went for the QN.  I wish we had more than just 1 day in Hawaii, but it is what it is.  1 night or stuck with a 10 night itin.

Just a note to those who are L&S’ing their bookings...if you have a refundable deposit on your 2021 bookings and want to keep a refundable deposit for 2022, be SURE that you verify this fact before you get off the phone with them (or make sure your TA does if you are using a TA).  Royal has a very bad history of changing refundable deposits to NRD when they L&S a booking. Once they complete the transfer and you get off the phone it is next to impossible to get your refundable deposit reinstated once you notice the change.  Do NOT assume that your refundable will shift over.  They will almost certainly convert it to a NRD unless you insist that it remain refundable.  

Quantum has cancelled her 2021 Alaska season.
    ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS    
Dear Guest,
As you may be aware, our industry’s situation remains quite fluid. Despite this, we’re making some positive leaps towards a return to sailing; leaps like our Healthy Sail Panel collaboration, partnerships with multiple medical experts and health organizations, and the launch of Quantum of the Seas’ successful Singapore sailings. Now that 2021 is here, we’re looking forward to welcoming guests back onboard the rest of our fleet.
Following her Singapore season, Quantum of the Seas was set to offer Alaska sailings from April 2021. However, to allow additional time for our preparation, Quantum will remain in the Asia-Pacific region. As a result, we’re suspending our 2021 Alaska sailings onboard Quantum of the Seas departing April 25th to September 27th, 2021. Regrettably, your sailing will be cancelled.
We’re terribly sorry for the impact to your vacation. Our primary goal continues to be a seamless and healthy return to service; we’re hyper-focused on welcoming you back! As mentioned, we’ve assembled the “Healthy Sail Panel” - a multifaceted team of globally recognized experts. The panel continues to work alongside our new Public Health & Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Calvin Johnson, to pioneer innovative ways to guide the cruise industry’s way forward in the pandemic. It goes without saying, we’re all in this together.
While we all wish we were cruising, we do have some options for you; including an option that’s been very well-received by our guests, as it provides a little something extra to use once we all start cruising again! Here are your options:
1. 125% Future Cruise Credit: We’re providing you with a 125% Future Cruise Credit to book a new cruise by April 30th, 2022.
This amount is based on your total cruise fare paid, and we’re giving you a little extra knowing that this is such a unique circumstance.  Your certificate can be used on any Royal Caribbean International sailing that departs on or before September 30th, 2022 and gives you more flexibility to choose a sailing that’s right for you! We’ll automatically send your Future Cruise Credit via email by February 19th, 2021, so there’s nothing for you to do! Taxes & fees and any RoyalUp upgrades will be automatically refunded. Current refund processing is around 45 days. We are working as quickly as possible, and we appreciate your patience. Please note:  If you opted into the Cruise with Confidence 100% Future Cruise Credit, this offer does not apply.   And, if you previously used a Future Cruise Credit (including previous Global Suspension FCCs), you’ll receive a new Future Cruise Credit. This will be for 125% of any new monies paid on this sailing, plus the value of your original credit at 100% of its value, with an expiration date of April 30th, 2022 and a sail by date of September 30th 2022. If you were already impacted by a sailing that was previously cancelled due to a global suspension and paid additional monies on a new booking within this extended suspension period, you are still able to opt in to refund one or both cancelled bookings via the process below. 2. Lift and Shift: If you prefer to move your existing booking to a sailing next year - we’re happy to move you! We will price protect the original pricing and/or promotion on the same ship, itinerary, length, product, and stateroom category as your original sailing within 1 week (before or after) of the original sail date the following year. For example, if you are moving from a Quantum of the Seas April 1st, 2021 sailing, you can move to another Quantum sailing that is the same itinerary, length, product, and stateroom category, and the sail date between March 25th, 2022 - April 8th, 2022. 
Please know, price protection covers your cruise fare/promotion on an applicable sailing only and excludes taxes and fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items, as these may change. You must decide to move to a new sailing by February 4th, 2021. If not, we will automatically issue you a Future Cruise Credit.  Complimentary Casino offers are not eligible for Lift & Shift. 3. 100% Refund: Or, if you prefer a full refund, which is a lower value than the future cruise credit offer above, we’re happy to process this for you. Given how fluid this situation is, and the opportunity to use the extra credit being offered, you have until March 31st, 2021 to request a refund and deactivate your certificate. 
Please contact us to start the refund process, forfeiting the higher value of your 125% Future Cruise Credit. To avoid waiting on the phone to cancel, click here and we will get the refund process started for you. Note: Please know, once we receive your refund request, we unfortunately won’t be able to accept an FCC request if you change your mind.  We’ll then deactivate your Future Cruise Credit and process your refund to your original form(s) of payment, which will include any non-refundable deposits.  You can expect to receive your refund 45 days after you submit your refund request.  Please note: If you used a Cruise with Confidence certificate on this sailing, and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original Cruise with Confidence certificate. And, a special option for those that also purchased Cruise Planner Items… 
You can opt-in to receive an Onboard Credit in the value of 125% of the total Cruise Planner purchases on your reservation.  Click here by February 4th, 2021 to request your higher value credit, and we’ll email you your credit by February 19th, 2021.  If we don’t hear from you on or before February 4th, 2021, your Cruise Planner purchases will be automatically refunded. You’ll receive your refund within 45 days of your booking’s cancellation. We are working as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience during these unprecedented times.  Also, if you opt for a cruise fare refund or for Lift and Shift, you are not eligible for this Cruise Planner Onboard Credit offer.  Questions about how the Cruise Planner credit works? Click here for more details. Guests with air or hotel booked…  
Refundable air or hotel accommodations purchased through Royal Caribbean will be automatically refunded to you within 45 days after we process the cancellation. If you booked non-refundable air through Royal Caribbean or booked on your own, please contact the service provider directly for your options with them. If you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately or contact us at: 
1800 754 500 in Australia 0344 493 4005 in the U.K. 1 866 562 7625 in the U.S. or Canada All other countries, please visit http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contactusfor your local Royal Caribbean International office phone number. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued loyalty. We will all come out of this stronger than ever. Stay healthy and safe. We miss you, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.  
 
Sincerely,

I think the idea of L&S your cruise - especially if you got a good price and it's an itin that you like - is a great one.  Just one problem.  At the moment, you can only L&S through April 2022.  If they extend that date (and I feel sure that they will if this year's Alaska season is kanked) , then you won't have any problem but if it isn't, you won't be able to L&S your May cruise.

I'd like to enter my details like C&A number, state and age on the website ONCE and have it remember that as I look at different cruises.  I dislike having to reenter that over and over again.

I agree it's completely idiotic that you can't put the max number in. You want to book a room that holds 8 pax for 8 pax and you can only put 4 in?! Where's the sense in that?

After listening to @Matt recent podcast about wishes for 2021, I thought of a couple of my own. How about you?
1. Ok I'll put this one in since I'm starting the topic and I'm pretty certain everyone on here wants the same thing..... CRUISES TO START BACK UP
2. RCG to rework their website: Fix some of the weird glitches & ALLOW MORE OPTIONS WHEN BOOKING(or mock booking) like allowing you to put in the max guests that rooms allow.
3. More west coast cruises including more short cruises out of Seattle(this is probably more like an unrealistic dream)

Definitely choice #3...and obviously, you can't have #3 w/o #1. However, in addition to that, a private island in the vicinity of the Mexican Riviera, would be fantastic.

Oooohhh .... I like this idea, Doesn't sound crazy at all! Lunch can be super hectic, this gets you fed and unpacked at the same time. Genius!