Pima1988

I agree. For our 7 night, we have 4 stops, and 2 sea days, 3 if you count embarkation day. However, 1 stop is at Labadee and 1 at Coco Cay. In essence, it is 5 days that anything I purchase drink wise will be thru RCL.

@Dimension I actually probably drink more water when at sea than at home, especially if you add in the 1 or 2 glasses of water (tap) that I have at every meal. It might be just me, but I tend to get really dehydrated on a cruise, thus, I try to get in 64 oz of water everyday on a cruise.

May 15 2021 Symphony of the Seas

Just remember to include every drink, not just the alcohol. For example on port days if you take a bottle of water with you off the ship, than add that into your cost. If you get a cappuccino after dinner, than add that in also. I am not pulling the hammer on the drink package yet because it is unlimited in the amount they offer and I do believe it will come down to at least the high 50 marker. However, even at 67 I would still break even. For me this is my avg: 1. Iced Coffee in the a.m. $5 2nd drink at the pool around noon. Total now = 17. 3rd drink is soda at lunch =20. 4th alcohol in the afternoon =33. 5th drink is bottled water or soda late afternoon.= 36. 6th drink pre-dinner. 49 is my total. 7th drink glass of wine with dinner =57. 8th drink is cappuccino and amaretto shot. = 75. 9th drink is bottle of water at a show. 78. 10th drink is a bottle of water to take back to my cabin. 81. My husband is higher because he goes to the gym every a.m., He gets 2 powerades (1 for working out and 1 for after work). Otherwise he is identical to me. As you can see, 50% of my beverages are non-alcoholic.

@Salem I agree with @Bakerette Typically a refundable will run higher than a non-refundable. The web site does non-refundable. Contact your TA and ask a few more questions, such as, if it is a refundable. I also believe on this side of the pond, the mock booking does not include grats, but instead port and tax fees. (won't swear to that). Ask your TA if they included all the fees. If your TA included all of the fees, and a refundable it would make sense of the price differentiation.

@Dimension I think it is because you are still so far out. My May Symphony is still sitting at 67. I am not biting yet. I know from another forum, the sailings that are early 2021 (Jan/Feb) are running in the high 40s low 50s. Are you sailing spring break time frame? Maybe that is why.

I just tried on mine and got all the way through to is the credit card you want to use. I already have the beach club pass. Good on you for getting beach club ay 52, we are still sitting at 79.

T Yes that is an option. We have done it several times. I think for simplicity purposes, we purchase on our other passenger account. IE If we originally purchase it under my husband's name, than when we book the newer one at the lower price we do it under my name. It is just so was are sure we don't by oops cancel the wrong one (lower price)

Sorry to read that. The one thing I have definitely learned is always purchase at the lower price and than go back and cancel the one you purchased at the higher price. I have read many times how things that have a limitation on the amount available people actually lose it. IE The Key, Cabanas, Chef's dinner, etc. All of those items have limited numbers, between the time you cancel and rebook the last one left sold out.

Not Covid, but funny to me...if you remember the show The Office.

one more.

We always take a private water taxi. It maybe more expensive, but to us the cost is worth it because it is basically hassle free. Plus, it is a neat thing to do. I don't know where you are staying. We always stay at the Splendid Suisse. It is an ideal location, equal walking distance to San Marco and the Rialto. It has a beautiful rooftop terrace. The majority of the rooms overlook the canals, you will hear them sing constantly from the gondoliers. One thing we learned the last time we were there was that all properties have a street and canal entrance. We took the train from Milan to Venice. There are water taxis are right there outside. Venice is our favorite city in the world. That being said we try to avoid it during the summer months...lots of tourists and sometimes there is a stench that comes up from the water. Remember that their garbage trucks are barges that use the water ways to take it to their landfills. One of our favorite places in Venice is Harry's Bar. Venice is where the Bellini was created and it was created at Harry's Bar. You will find Bellini's everywhere in Venice, it is their signature drink. For keep sakes this is where you want to buy Murano glass. Anywhere in Italy you will find amazing leather. Understand it is not cheap. Many people think it is, but what you get is much higher quality (butter leather) compared to the same price you pay for low end in the U.S. While in Venice anything you purchase you can get your taxes back. We would just go to the local American Express and file the paperwork there. If memory serves me, it is in San Marco Square, or right off it. There is a beautiful Best Western located near it. In Rome if you have not looked into it, try to get a private tour for the Vatican if you can afford it. It is done by a licensed operator. You enter through a different entrance, and do not have to wait in line. They will take just your family, and go as fast or slow as you want. If you go to the gift shop, you can have whatever you purchased blessed by the Pope. They will than deliver it to your hotel. If I recall correctly, he blesses everything @4 p.m. and they will have it at your hotel by that night or early morning the next day. We actually also paid for a private car for the 2 days there. It may sound expensive, but it was worth it because we had him from 8 to 6. We had 3 kids in tow and knew that from all the "must see" things there would be a lot of walking and traversing the city. He dropped us off in front of the buildings, something that they allow for "private car drivers" When it was free to enter, such as, the Pantheon, he would come in with us and than be our tour guide, pointing out the little things. He took us to every where you could think of and than some places the typical tourist never goes to. At the Trevi, there is a small church which we would have never visited without him. The interesting thing about this church is it has bronze plaques marking all of the great floods that occurred in Rome over the last 500+ yrs. showing exactly how high the water rose. He explained little things like the reason there are bronze bees on some of the buildings. We felt the Spanish steps was a pure let down because it is so crowded. It felt like okay, it is a bunch of steps! NEXT! The Art Museum has an outdoor restaurant which we truly enjoyed for the food and the ambiance. We laughed because we felt like we could see the Oceans 12 scene where they steal the Faberge playing in our mind as we took it all in. Beware if this is your 1st time to Italy, the food varies greatly, region to region, just like in the US. It is like ordering pizza in NYC compared to Chicago. In Venice it is obviously more fish oriented in my opinion compared to Rome. Tuscany had the best pasta with attention to vegetables. Last tidbit about Rome. Rome has a ton of "pan handlers" By the Trevi they will try to force roses into your hands, keep them in your pockets and keep walking. Place your wallet in your front pocket (pick pockets) Keep your purse criss crossed across the front of your body. If you are training it out of Rome to Florence, at the train station HOLD ON TO YOUR LUGGAGE at all times. They will act like they are there just a friendly person helping you to get on the train, as if they are taking the train too. They are not! They will take your bag and than as they place it on, they hold out one hand while the other hand is on the bag waiting for a tip holding your luggage basically as hostage. The trains are amazing, Amtrak should take a page from their books, heck, airlines should too! Hope this helps. I am jealous because our 1st cruise ever was out of Venice (Yugoslavia, Greece, Sicily, Elba Naples, Portofino, Nice). Without a doubt would do it again!

We have had the platinum. For military members AMEX waives the fee. You pay it, and than prove your military. The next month they credit the fee back to your account. If you are diligent and remember that it has to be paid in full every month, it is amazing. We have used it to pay almost everything....cell phone, cable, utilities, gas, food, even paid for the deposit for our car. We had sold the car and had the cash in our checking account. Put 10K on the card. Got home and transferred immediately the money. If you have college age kids we also were able to pay their monthly tuition bill using the card instead of having it pulled from our checking account. We even put our deck of one of our homes on the card, than transferred from our home equity line the amount to pay it off. You'd be amazed how much you can tally in a yr. if you use it like your ATM. For us the only way it works is we immediately deducted whatever we purchased in our check register, the balance of the bank account in our mind was always lower than if you looked at the atm receipt. Thus, not only were we getting points with AME, but our checking account is still making interest (minimal, but a buck is a buck).

I don't know when you did your cabana, but last July we had a cabana and were told they no longer allow this. The cabanas are now assigned by the purchase. IE if you are the 1st person to purchase it on the planner you will get cabana number 1. If later on you cancel and repurchase at a lower price you move to that new number, and the number 2 person moves to cabana number 1. The theory behind this does make a lot of sense since with the new Coco Cay they can take 2 ships. Their system cannot work with 2 or more ships. For example, I could be on Anthem and you could be on Lady G. We both go to Guest Services at the exact same time. I decide I want cabana 10 while you are debating between 9 and 10. By the time you decide, 10 is gone. Now you say 9, but another passenger on Lady G has taken it while they were putting in 10 for you. You are out of luck on both. Thus, even if they lied to us about the system not being able to handle it. It does seem logical and a very straight forward way with fairness all around, because the system would be even worse if you think about. I did an 8 night out of Bayonne on Adventure, Coco Cay was day 6. We were the only ship. but what is Navigator was there on a 4 night. They would have been given the leftovers to select from since they embarked at least a few nights after us.

My husband is someone that gets how to circumvent a ship easier than I can. I admit to being navigationally challenged. The thing with big ships to me is it can be difficult to navigate if you don't want to utilize the elevator. Try whenever not to use it during peak times (dinner/shows), unless you see the stowaway in the elevator. We do everything to avoid elevators. Have to burn off those calories somehow. I swear on Anthem he had us take 2 staircases down, went through the casino, than had to take a staircase up on the opposite side of the ship to the MDR. Not sure, that was it, but pretty sure. The funny thing is my 1st cruise with him I complained. I learned quickly we got there faster than the elevators. 3rd cruise with family. Their reaction was where are you leading us, the elevator would be faster! They too quickly learned that the people we saw waiting at the elevator on the same floor arrived a few mins later., and we did not speed walk. The best part of taking the staircases to me is the amazing artwork that you will never see in the elevator. To illustrate how bad I am navigationally. The only way I knew which floor I was on, or which way to turn on our deck was the artwork. (that and cabin decorations!). I will also say on big ships I refuse to do less than 7 nights. Not because there is so much to do, but because it will take me 5 days to figure out the fastest/easiest route to my cabin. Husband on Day 3 when we return from a port, will say; go ahead, take us back to our cabin! Who knew that in my 50s I would still be given a pop quiz? I always get us there using his route, but luckily it is not timed. Only the artwork keeps me on point.

Everyone is talking about new protocols. I can see shows, and casinos, even Schooners surviving with distancing issues. However, can anyone see The Quest surviving as it is currently? RCL is known from party wise, impo….70s, Silent and Quest. Only the Quest would be a true issue. My husband and I love The Quest. Don't know if we love the show more, or talking with other passengers at the pool that have been to the show, while the "rookies" around us have no clue. Love how people that have been to it keep it a secret. It just builds the excitement and fun! My sister in law tried to wriggle it out from everyone at the Solarium pool since we would not tell her anything about it, except you have to see it. The passengers she met would smile and say if you are easily offended than don't attend. That being said, I honestly can't see how they can do this show as it was pre-CoVid, which will be so sad.

If memory serves me correctly bathrooms are ADA compliant, which means they should have the automatic door opener, no need for a foot pull. I must admit that I can see in the future when they take in the ships for upgrades, bathrooms will be like the airports, no door entry per se. I also see that they may do what they now do on some of their newer ships regarding hand sanitizers. No way you are entering the WJ on Anthem without walking through the handwashing station. On the other ships that do not have that feature I have never been able to enter the WJ without someone right there by the hand sanitizer stations saying washy washy! There are so many Purell stations all over the place, you start to think it might be a wise investment for your stock portfolio. I recall they even had them at every port while we were waiting to come back aboard. However, they were not manic about using it. I would add nor were the specialty restaurants or the venues, albeit there were stations. I am with @melmar02 I don't really know where you would add them. Heck we used the library as a quick cross path to get to our cabin and there were Purell stations in there too. I think what needs to be done is the host/hostess at specialty restaurant needs to be more vigilant. Washy washy works at the WJ because it is cute and fun, Not so sure that works at CK or 150 where diners want that high end feel. They may need to instead prior to offering a menu, what they do when you fly 1st class on long haul flights. After seated before the menu, they give you some type of item to clean your hands. Those that have flown 1st class (please no flaming, I have due to mileage and credit card perks) they bring you a hot towel as soon as you are seated. They can work some way to make that passenger even want to dine specialty that much more from how the approach it. I also think they need to be more vigilant at the shows.

My Symphony May 2021 planner is populating everyday. We are having the same issue with Coco Cay as @melmar02 We thought it was strange that they offered the Thrill day pass, but not the cabana, while at the same time offering the other cabanas. Currently we have 95 items, with every other day or so of 2 or 3 more being added. 27 for OSJ, 27 for St. Thomas, 27 for Labadee and 2 for Miami, the remaining 12 are Coco Cay.

I really do believe that the club passes are limited to the 200-250 range. If you add in the cabanas, you are at the 450 range. As someone that has done cabanas, there is really no need to leave your cabana, unless you want to just go and explore. Your attendants bring you your food and drinks. Just saying that as for finding loungers, or food lines, the cabana passengers are not a factor in that kind of way. Think of the Club like the Key. They want to keep that exclusive and to achieve that goal they limit the numbers.

@ellcee I now have to go to the liquor store and buy it. That is on top of looking up what exactly went into a melon ball. I want to say it was OJ and Vodka!

@WAAAYTOOO Since you like Amaretto. Next time ask for a Vodka and Cranberry with a splash of amaretto. It is sweet and tart at the same time. Kind of reminds me of the drink called Georgia peach. Or even a variety of an Amaretto sour. I am not a sweet type of drinker. Margaritas are as sweet as I go.

@Ogilthorpe those were the days of layered shots and crazy named drinks. B52s, Green Martians, and every sexual innuendo! My husband and I are laughing these days because back in the late 80s it was wine coolers in every flavor...Can we all say Bartle and James? How about ZIMA? Now it is Truly and the Claw. Just like fashion, it all comes back around with a new twist just several decades later! OBTW there is 1 more reason I drink my ritas on the rocks. It is not that pre-made crap that runs and runs out of the slushy type machines. EW gross!

I believe @Ogilthorpe is correct. For some reason I recall them saying the beach club day pass would be limited to @225 people. @Pen I am kind of shocked that they still have availability. We will be there next May and as soon as it showed up on my planner I jumped on the day pass knowing it was limited in number and we would be on Symphony.

@HeWhoWaits I too thought that it was made with Frangelico. I just remember back in my cocktail waitressing days (30 yrs ago), that this was a popular drink. I just can't recall the other name, they are both identical just Frangelico in one compared to amaretto in the other. I like amaretto, but I like Frangelico more. Those were the days of women ordering ….white Russians, Melon Balls, white wine spritzers and of course daiquiris and frozen margaritas. I worked at a very popular club, and we would say to anyone that ordered a daiquiri/margarita the blender was broken. Bartenders couldn't waste their time making it. Their belief was if you want a Margarita go to Chi-Chis (showing my age). It took too much effort which equaled less $$$ making tips compared to a Tanqueray and tonic. Our bartenders would mutter nasty words, and there were times I saw them add "special" ingredients aka the drink mat liquid at the station. From that point on I have always been easiest concoction. such as, Bourbon and Diet Coke and if I have a rita it is always on the rocks! I wonder if they even sell Midori anymore!