vanelli56

Could you elaborate? Did they do something above and beyond? Refund or credit? Etc.?

#Stillgoing Ovation OTS, Seattle to Alaska, May 22nd.

Thanks for the insights. We went ahead and booked a rental with the rental company that rhymes with Mavis, to go out on our own while in Juneau. While I was reservation happy, also booked a rental in skagway with them as well. In Skagway, there was a substantial savings over the other company that promotes jeep style rentals on your own. But by all means... please feel free to leave any tips and tricks you may have for Juneau... or Skagway for that matter. Thanks, Gene-o "Same Ship, Different Day"

Ok RCB peeps.... looking for your advice again. This will be our first time going to Alaska and we immensely looking forward to it. Our group of 4 consists of my wife, my mother, a family friend, and myself. We are sailing Ovation OTS out of Seattle on May 22nd and have just under 90 days. With that.... I wanted to get peoples thoughts on doing Juneau on our own. We mainly want to go to Mendenhall glacier and the Gold Creek Salmon bake. We see all the excursion deals from RCI or other vendors; but from different reviews it seems that you are fairly rushed, despite having a decent amount of port time. Plus I think we would like the freedom to come and go as we please; hence us wanting to do it outside of a tour group. So we are weighing the options of Taxi, Uber/Lyft, or a car rental for the day. If anyone has experience with each along with ball park pricing, that would be greatly appreciated. Or if you have any other thoughts or tips you feel like sharing... that would be greatly appreciated! Best Regards.... Gene-o "Same Ship, Different Day"

Solarium and Solarium Bistro is your friend! The solarium is a great place to relax, and the bistro is highly underrated and usually under utilized for its meals.

Oh.... this may have to happen!!! As I am going with a group of guys who may or may not like to get into mischief.... typically good-natured mischief though. But yes.... If we come across any bridezillas... I will make sure to capture the meltdowns!!!! :-)

Nothing too fancy.... went with the new DJI Osmo Mobile 3, and pairing it with my Samsung S10+. Just messing around the house the last week or so... it gives some GREAT vid/quality. Just need to get used to the controls and different modes.

***warning... I have been drinking tonight..... (cough, cough).... I mean... training for next week, so my typing may be a little off**** ? Ok folks... I am going to try my hand at filming and posting some video of my upcoming cruise on Harmony of the Seas. We leave from Port Canaveral this sunday on Harmony for a week of fun in the sun. I love watching others vids on youtube and sites like these... so they have inspired me to try my luck at potentially making some sort of video myself. I have a few pet peeves regarding other vids I have watched... mainly the lack of STABILIZATION while filming. Nothing worst then watching someones review, and getting sea sick at home b/c they cant hold the camera still. With that.... when I plan to do something new, such as this.... i typically go a little overboard*. (*pun intended) So in preparation I have invested in a few new toys.... including a gimbal and camera set up. But I digress.... I plan on just filming tons of footage, and then making a few different vids... perhaps a review of the ship... food, drinks, etc. But really, I would love to hear some other idea from the folks here. It seems there are tons of videos out there.... but what is something you would like to see? Is there something you have searched on youtube and just could not find a video for regarding cruising? I would love to make something new and different for everyone here. Hopefully I can finally give back and help others... as they have helped me for previous cruises. Post up what you would like to see! Thanks Gene-o

That is not a bad price.... seems lately that it doesn't go much below $50 /day. Lately it seems to be the trend for Royal to up drink prices. $52 would be a good point to buy it. But keep an eye on it, and if it by chance it goes down, cancel and rebook at lower price.

You don't have to follow the time shown on your set sail pass. It's more of a recommendation than a rule. Not sure what your travel plans are to get to the terminal... but be sure your kids are well rested. I'm sure they are going to be excited, but all to often you can tell when someone didn't sleep enough. Also, include your kids in planning... set their expectations ahead of time. Explain that they're going to be traveling with lots of people, and there are going to be some lines and wait times. Explain the muster drill, dinner expectations, ect. Enjoy your cruise. Cheers

Welcome to the addiction! Lots of great advice to be had from this and other sites like it. For flights, typically prices start to fall around the 120 day mark. (120 days from proposed travel day) This is not set in stone, but a general guideline. Don't limit yourself to non stop flights or your closest airport. We live in Colombia, SC and have the airport here that is literally 3 mins from my house... rarely do we fly from here. Lol We have two other airports about 1 hour away that gives us more options at cheaper rates. But typically means we have to make at least one connection. I use Google flights, where I can check multiple airports and different variables, such as stops and layover times, and then save those flights to track the prices. As far as cruising... it's a great time. You can do as Much or as little as you want. Just make sure to mentally prepare yourself to be around a variety of people. I enjoy people watching and chatting with new people, so its fun for me. Do your research, have a plan, but also be flexible to adjust that plan as needed. Cheers

I'm not 100% sure, but I think Verizon may charge an extra fee to activate "wifi calling" on their devices. But don't hold me to that, I haven't been with Verizon in a few years. But, you can always use an app instead of the in phone wifi calling feature. I think a lot of people use face time, or Google hangouts. But if staying in contact is a must, then def test what ever you plan on using ahead of time, and maybe have a backup.

Roll your clothes when packing if possible instead of folding... and downy wrinkle release spray when you unpack. Steam in bathroom can help some too. You can make DIY wrinkle release spray too. It's basically watered down fabric softener. Just google search and some instructions should pop up.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to have 2 or 3 ideas and days in the back of your head... just in case something doesn't pan out... such as the weather or crowds, etc. Some suggestions.... book a ride in the up up away balloon at coco cay. (Weather dependent) Central park at night is very beautiful. Maybe book a specialty dinner, and ask the manager to help set something up with you. Maybe take a ride on the carousel, and then ask as you get off on the board walk. Maybe go down the abyss slide.... but arrange it with the staff... to give you a head start.... then be waiting at the bottom with the ring? One of the beachs at one of our ports of call? Lots of possibilities.... maybe something that relates to what you two like. But no matter what you choose... congrats! P.s. myself and 5 friends will be on this sailing with you! Counting down the days!

Good stuff so far. Thanks again for everyone sharing their experiences. Seems the theme so far is that Royal does try to make the best of it where they are able to.

Totally with you on this. Completely understand that every situation is different from ship to ship, storm to storm, cruise to cruise, etc. More of a general curiosity to get a feel for what each person's thought process was. Like, I think Matt opted to just go on a later cruise. But he's close to the port. So maybe that was his deciding factor. I read somewhere else that some folks weren't even notified of an extended cruise until they were getting on board.... and had to decide right then. (Might of been a carnival ship that did that) I would love to know what those folks thoughts and decision making points were. Just to get a feel for what helped guide people's decisions is all. 6 cruises so far... and haven't had to worry yet. Hopefully, that trend will hold true in 13 days. ?

So.... with Dorian out of the way, I wanted to ask about folks experiences with any cruises that were changed... mainly ones that were canceled or shortened. I've browsed some of the previous posts, but they are kind of spread out. What options did royal give you, how much notice did they give you, what was your deciding factor for the option you chose, do you feel Royal did the best they could, etc.? The reason I'm asking is we have an upcoming cruise in 13 days... and the long range models are showing the potential for a storm somewhere in the Atlantic / Caribbean / Bahamas. Granted, this far out... there is no telling if this will come to fruition let alone where. BUT.... I would love to hear what people did recently and what options the cruise line gave them. Just to give a little insight into our upcoming travel arrangements, We would be driving from South Carolina, leaving about midnight sat. night / sun morning.... to arrive in port Canaveral early AM. (est. 6am). This should give us plenty of time just in case for our sailing on Harmony. So, we have the option to change our driving arrangements at a moments notice... its just a matter of timing. Thanks in advance for any info and thoughts on what some of you just went thru. (fingers crossed we don't even have to worry about it)

I'd say go for both goals! Sailing on each class would be the one that seems to be a little more attainable in a quicker time frame.... but it could be a part of the larger goal to sail on all the ships. Personally, not an overt goal I have specifically set... but in the back of my head I have thought to myself how cool it would be to of sailed on all the Oasis class ships. In a way I feel like they have redefined modern cruise ships and set a new standard right around the time I really got into cruising. So far I have sailed the Allure and Oasis... with a sailing on the Harmony in 14 days. But by all means... GO FOR IT!

A midnight walk inside and out. Nothing like exploring the ship when its mostly empty... and then venturing outside to see the night sky over the ocean. It's amazing!

Sun, sand, crystal clear blue water... best beach day ever! ? But just like everyone has said... the new pool is great. The beach is beautiful. Some sports courts available with organized competitions too. (I enjoyed the beach volleyball). Just a great all around experience.

Just go to guest services. They can arrange for the extra keys for you.

you can check your account on the Royal app on your phone at any time. Dont need the internet package to connect. Just wifi turned on, on your phone. You wont be able to use the internet, but will be able to use the app. Also, should be able to view your account on your stateroom TV.

While glass in general does provide some protection, and tinted glass provides a little extra protection... sunscreen is still highly recommended. Ever been on a long car ride, and when you get to your destination... your left forearm is slightly burnt? If you were on the driver side, it was next to the window... and still got burnt. The sun at the lower latitudes is no joke. No matter what my plans are each day on the ship... I always apply some sun screen before I venture out of the cabin for the day. Granted, its for two reasons... i've had some REALLY bad sun burns in my time; and I want to enjoy all 7 days of my vacation. Getting burnt on day 2 or 3.... really really really makes days 4-7 miserable. ?

Welcome to the board, and the addiction.

If they mention getting sick from the food... ask them where they last went out to eat at. (then look at them with a very judgmental look) If the mention getting stranded... tell them, you would much rather get stranded on a luxury cruise ship than stuck on the Tarmac of an airport. If they mention people missing... tell them happens everyday on the city streets. Rarely on cruises. If they mention crime and sickness... same as walking into a Walmart. Stuck in a storm.... Cruise ships will avoid storms... they have something called navigation. lol Finally... ask them how many cruises they have been on. Then stare at them in judgement again. :-)