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JennyB

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  1. Can we bring travel iron?

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/prohibited-items-onboard-policy

     

    Prohibited items:

    • Candles, Incense, Coffee Makers, Clothes Irons, Travel Steamers & Hot Plates. (Items that generate heat or produce an open flame. This includes heating pads, clothing irons, hotplates, candles, incense and any other item that may create a fire hazard. NOTE: The only exception to this policy are curling irons and hair straighteners. Matches and normal lighteners are allowed onboard. However ""torch lighters"" and novelty lighters that look like guns are not allowed onboard. Torch lighters emit a powerful concentrated flame, and therefore are prohibited.
    • Electrical Extension Cords

  4. App

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    The app isn't known to be totally reliable...it's best to log into your cruise planner online or book things through the tv.  However, reservations for everything will be less expensive if purchased before you board.

  8. DOH! What did you forget to pack?

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    On 5/30/2019 at 6:39 PM, Baked Alaska said:

    Just a fun, but necessary question to get all of us thinking about packing for our next cruise(s): what was THAT thing that you forgot to pack? 

    For me, it was my slippers. Can't stand going barefoot in the cabin or balcony. Had to dedicate a pair of socks to slipper duty. Needless to say, they were very very dirty on the bottom.

    Oh man... I am the same way...i have a pair of "travel" slippers that I would NEVER wear at home!  Only on vacation.  And i wash them.  I've even been known to throw them away after a trip and just start over! LOL

  9. Diamond Plus

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    On 5/26/2019 at 8:45 AM, BB1 said:

    There is nothing wrong with complaining.  There is nothing wrong with having different opinions. That is not what I'm talking about. Read the first post. It's someone ranting and carrying on like a child having a temper tantrum.

    I think i follow...This has happened several times, where someone apparently signs on, writes a negative/ranting review/throws a tantrum then logs off never to be seen again.  Probably just someone stirring the pot.  But there is always a "good" discussion that follows.  It is good to talk through things.  As long as we all remember, which I think we do a good job of, that it's very difficult to read someones motives/intent/heart when typing on a computer/phone/tablet. 

    I think @Matt and lots of others do a great job facilitating at times like this.  I'm glad this forum is here to help us all plan and have good vacations.

    That is all for now.  Amen.

  10. Diamond Plus

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    On 5/25/2019 at 12:43 AM, Neo said:

    As someone newer to cruising and still only Gold, the thought of loyalty perks is pretty foreign to me.

    Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line I’ve personally sailed with, but at the end of the day after having heard hundreds of reviews and talking with friends and family who have sailed other cruise lines, Royal is the only one I’d want to give my money. Disney is too expensive and RC has an excellent experience-versus-cost ratio that fits perfectly for my family.

    I’d never consider leaving one company over another due to loyalty rewards, my money and time is better spent seeking out the best bang for my buck and sticking with it for that reason. 

    @Neo  We are absolutely the very same... I could have written this.

    I also think vacationing is very subjective and relative.  We all travel/vacation for different reasons, we all have varying WAYS we like to vacation...heck, even MY OWN vacations are all different.  We've done lots of "vacations" over the years and (maybe it's my age and the fact that we will be empty-nesters soon) we are really enjoying cruising.  For the money and the time and the ports and the...everything.  We researched and read this blog and talked to LOTS of friends and family who have cruised, RC and other cruise lines, and decided that RC makes the most sense to us for when we CAN vacation and get to choose a cruise over something else.

    Perks, for me anyway, are just that...perks.  Not requirements for me to continue or discontinue cruising.  I'm gonna cruise anyway, and if I get a perk/free drink/etc...yay!  If not, I'm still cruising.

  12. Royal Caribbean Gift Card

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    Make sure you REALLY understand the fine print.  We do an ongoing fundraiser through our church...we purchased 2 $500 RC gift certificates to use on a cruise...and thought we understood the terms, but then tried to use them and we were wrong...so we sat on $1000 for year before we could use them again on a different cruise.  Our had to ONLY be used to book a new cruise, not to pay on a cruise already booked AND not to use toward OBC.   I do understand that some gift cards/certificates have differing qualifications, just make sure you understand them.  Call the customer service number on it and ask questions. 

  13. When you are on a cruise...

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    balconies are great for getting away from the crowds and sounds.  I have not been on an Oasis Class ship yet. I will say tho that there have been places or A place on each of our cruises where we found "quiet" time.  I enjoy laying in the sun and listening to the ocean also.  On each cruise, there have been places where it was breezy so it made it nice to lay in the sun and drowned out other noise and kept me "cooler" while baking my fair skin.  LOL 

     

  19. Will we break even with DBP?

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    21 minutes ago, Marley said:

    Thanks! It’s an Australian cruise that visits Vanuatu and New Caledonia, but we will just have to make up for it on cruising days. If we do buy the DBP is it acceptable for me to still tip my bartender in cash? What currency would the prefer if so?

    What is your stop in Vanuatu?  My brother and his family live on Espiritu Santo in Luganville.

  22. 1st timer and have a handicap child - questions/advice

    in Royal Caribbean Discussion

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Pima1988 said:

    I have sailed on Anthem.  He will be fine.  

    1.  The bumper cars are free.  At the back of the sea plex is the hot dog stand.  He might like that.  They also have Johnny Rockets on the pool deck.

    2. The arcade costs money, but you can buy it on your cruise planner, usually 20% off compared to buying on board.  The arcade is expensive

    3. On the pool deck ( I believe Port side) is this huge giraffe.  I want to say 15 feet tall  If memory serves me it is on the port side by the bow.

    4. If you go into the Solarium close to the starboard side there is a door.  If you go out there it is a little bridge that juts out.  Great view.

    5. I can't recall exactly the directions, but up on the WJ level there is a small clear floor where you can look all the way down the ship to the Esplanade.@7 floors.  If you are doing a suite, Coastal Kitchen is on the same level as WJ.

    6. For the sail away I would suggest you go to the helipad.  You will go under the Verrazano @20 mins after leaving the dock.  Anthem only clears it by about 30 feet.  The helipad is lower than the pool deck.  However, because of that it is not as crowded as the pool deck.  Due to being so close to clearing the bridge everybody goes up on the pool deck and it is very crowded, in some spots it is shoulder to shoulder.

    7.  Do NOT go to see The Gift.  Trust me, as an adult it is hard enough to follow, and to me the volume was really loud.  We Will Rock You, is a great show if he likes Queen.  They have an upper tier and it is still a great area.  Hint: stay until after the cast takes their final bow.

    8. The WJ is great on Anthem.  It has an outside eating area, which equates to not having to search for a table.

    9.. The Bionic Bar is something he might find cool.  For most people it is a 1 and done, check the box, but he might find it entertaining to watch it for a few mins.

    10. We always do Starboard balcony Bow on deck 12.  It is a haul from the elevators, but it is a cool balcony room because from your balcony you can see the bridge clearly.  So close you can watch them drink their coffee and they will waive to you if they see you watching them.  He may enjoy this.

    11. Anthem has 3 pools.  The one in the middle is enclosed, just like the Solarium.  Unless it is a bad weather day, it is not as crowded as the outdoor pool, easier to navigate.  Plus, it is right next to the Solarium bistro which is open for lunch and very few passengers ever go there.  It has a nice selection, not WJ size, but still you won't go hungry.

    12. They typically will play a movie at 7 for the younger age groups on the pool deck.  It is rarely crowded compared to what you will see in the middle of the day.  You might want to tie in your dinner reservations to coincide with being able to do this.  

    13. I can't recall if NorthStar is handicap accessible, but if it is, make sure as soon as possible you book the earliest time.  NorthStar doesn't always go up.  If the wind is too high than it won't.  Reserving it for later on the cruise may mean you will never get to go up.  If you do early, and it doesn't go that day, you can always book as standby later on.

    14. The 270 is a great place to have lunch.  Like the Solarium Bistro the selection is small, but there is where you will find the famous Kummelwreck.  It basically is soup, salad and sandwiches.  However, the cool thing is the 270 is all about the view.  It is floor to ceiling windows.  This is where the acrobatic show occurs.  If you time it right you will see them practice the show without music as you eat your lunch.  We ate lunch there @ noon, and they were practicing.  We stayed for an hr just watching it.  Luckily we did, bc our reservations for the show was night 4 and the water was so rocky, that they canceled the show that night, and the next night too.    

    15. We did traditional dining in the MDR.  They have multiple MDRs. They are separated into My Time and traditional seatings.  IOWS, My time will go the MDR that only does My Time.  Traditional only goes to the one that does traditional.  We requested a table by the windows.  The table behind us had someone in a wheelchair and they had window seating too.  Ask your TA to request a window seating.  I want to say the early seating was @5:30.  We did late and I know that was 8.  We loved the MDR.  Food was not only great, but the service was spectacular.  I think in part was due to the fact we ate there every night, so the staff really got to know us.  IE, my cousin can only eat fish due to a medical reason, after day 2 since they knew this they would offer him off the menu items.  We were a group of 10, when we sat down they repeated the drinks we ordered the night prior and asked if we wanted them again that night.  We also like traditional because we feel that MTD always has larger crowds.  Traditional dining never feels packed, but it also might be because we are dining at 8.

    16.  Anthem is like most hotels now.  You need to place a key card inside the room to operate the AC and lights.  You can override it by placing something like a loyalty card from your grocery store (credit card size) in the slot, at least that is what we did.  The AC will not operate in a balcony room if the sliding door is open, even if you have the key in that slot.

    17.  If any of you have back issues and cannot sleep on a hard bed, find your cabin attendant on day 1.  Ask for a mattress topper or maybe 2 depending how soft you want it to be. You want to do it on day 1, because by day 2 many that had a poor nights sleep are now asking for toppers for night 2.

    18. I can't recall, and maybe somebody here can answer, regarding the HDMI hook up on Anthem.  Some ships you can connect, some you can't because of how the tv is connected to the wall....in essence unable to get behind to the HDMI outlet.  Since he likes games, packing a PS4 and a few games will not take up a lot of room.

    19. Spend the $$$ and get at least the refreshment package (@$20 pp).  We normally get the Deluxe (alcohol), but I believe the 20 pkg includes the same things, minus alcohol.  The souvenir cup of course, but you also get unlimited water bottles, fresh squeezed OJ, and milk shakes at Johnny Rockets (JR) without having to eat there.  The ice cream machine is on the pool deck (starboard) and it is hit or miss.  Plus, the line is usually long.  JR is on the same deck, but on the port side.  The freestyle machines not only have soda, and flavorings to add, but also Powerade, MinuteMaid juices and Dasani flavored water.  In the WJ they have a Seattle's Best where you can get your specialty coffee.  We typically will always go to the bar and ask for a bottle of water.  We take them back to the cabin and place it in the mini fridge.  We than take the ones we have accrued with us on our port days.  Saves us money.

    20. If he is a people watcher... go and hang out at Sorrentos.  They have tables that are on the Esplanade.  I am not a fan of the pizza, but I do like the area, so does my hubby, especially since it is right next to the pub/bar where they have tvs showing whatever sport is playing.  We stay away from that area when they do what I call the sidewalk sale.  This is when they place tables out filled with shirts, watches, etc.  It is just too crowded.  This area is also where they sell popcorn. 

    21. Check your daily compass for the Belly Flop.  It gets crowded, so you will want to be early to get a good view if this appeals to you.  

    Finally, checking in at Cape Liberty is fast and efficient.  They have a multi level parking garage attached to the port.  By the time you park your car and walk onto the ship,  it has always been around 20 mins for us.  The real problem is getting to the parking your car. 1. NJTPKE can have traffic issues just like MD @ Baltimore or DC.  Plan accordingly.  We live in No VA (4 hr car ride) we always drive up the day prior.  2. The design of how you drop off luggage is poor impo.  It is a bottle neck and it can take 30 mins from the start where you come up to the port to when you drop off your luggage.  3. When you debark at the end of your cruise, you can pay for a porter at the terminal.  They will take your luggage to your car for you once you pick it up from the luggage area.  It is not necessarily faster, but this way you can go and get your car, drive it to the street level,  while your wife and son go at their pace and the porter brings the luggage behind them.   Like embarkation, I want to say it took us 20 mins from the time we walked off until we were pulling out of the parking garage.

    Sorry for the novella, but I hope it helps and that your wife will now be really excited seeing all of the amazing things that Anthem has to offer.  I bet she might be so thrilled that she will want to book again on Anthem, but the next time to NE since you stated you usually go to the mountains.  Or maybe even try out the Oasis when she is there for a few short months in the summer of 2020.

     

    NOW I wanna cruise on Anthem!

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