KJones

Overall we enjoyed it. The salmon was good - both with and without the sugar glaze. The salad/sides are buffet style outside, so the food has either been out for awhile or is fresh out the kitchen - it seemed timed to with when an excursion bus was arriving. Service was good. The small gift shop is was a step above the usual trinket shops, but fairly standard. The short walk from the food area to the back with the waterfall and "gold mining" was scenic (it was in September, not sure what it'll look like in spring). We felt we got our money's worth, though I think if we paid ship pricing we might have felt different.

We went to the Salmon Bake in Juneau but we just drove there ourselves (not a ship excursion, we had a rental car). It was like $20+ per person cheaper and you have more flexibility on how long you stay, but you'll have to get there and back on your own.

On 12/6/2023 at 1:24 PM, smokeybandit said:

It's the third party companies setting the age limits though.

I should have been more specific - I meant a 3rd party company that is not providing excursions via RC sponsored excursions. They might have different age limits than those companies that Royals contracts with.

3 hours ago, KevinJ said:

Just be aware that you have to go collect your card, usually from Café Promenade. If you order a venti they may check off the card twice.

Is having to go to Cafe Promenade just a Symphony thing? On our Radiance sailing last year it was in our cabin in the same envelope as our shore excursion tickets.

And they may even double punch for the 16oz, at least they did on Radiance. 12oz was 1 punch, 16oz was 2 and 20oz was 3. It was actually "cheaper" to get (2) 12ozs than a single venti.

48 hours prior to embarkation day

If the dolphins are a preferred option, you can try booking directly with the company rather than through Royal.

Can't comment on the Sip Tour Brunch, but those lunch prices look pretty good to me

7 hours ago, Mike T said:

70+ year old woman in our group, very active....wants to do Snorkeling in St Thomas.  How hard line is RCCL about the 70 year old age limit?

I doubt they will make any exceptions. If she's absolutely set on snorkeling, you should look for a 3rd party company.

1 hour ago, LoyalRoyalist said:

One question for y'all. I'm traveling with another person, and we both want to get internet. If I add 1 device for each of us, the price is $240. If I add 2 devices under my name, the price is $200. 

If I buy 2 devices under my name, could I make my companion's phone my second device? Or does it not work like that?

Thanks!

Yes, that's totally fine

Personally, I would use an ATM on shore rather than ship machine. Fees are going to be much higher onboard.

My guess: weather. With all the hurricanes / storms / wind this time of year, they likely don't want mass cancellations the day of, so they just dont' want to allow reservations in advance. It might be available to book at the shore excursion desk once you're onboard. Again, just a guess.

I usually purchase policies with Allianz via AAA portal. I will usually buy insurance for any trip that has non-refundable costs of $1k or more (personal preference/limit), whether it's a cruise or big vacation. I almost always book refundable hotels, so I never include that in my trip value being covered. For cruises, I usually will only insure the value of the cruise fare, airfare and any 3rd party non-refundable excursions/ prepaid things. RC Cruise planner purchases and gratuities would all be refunded if I couldn't make the sailing for some reason, so I don't include those.

Cost will vary by: level of coverage, cost of trip(s) being insured, age of person(s) insured, etc.
If you're cruising 6-8 times per year, you would definitely want the annual policy rather than per trip. It will also cover non-cruise travel.
There's different levels of coverage, so you would need to look up each policy to see what they offer for flight cancellation/ delays, baggage loss/ delays, etc.

I don't think there are any

And if the med fridge isn't in your room when you first board, check with your room attendant or make a quick trip to guest services.

4 hours ago, FionaMG said:

However, there really aren't that many of them and keeping one in your cabin could certainly have the effect of leaving someone without one in the gym when they need it.

Seconding this. There were only maybe 8 mats on Radiance last September, which was not even enough for the people that signed up for yoga class.

There are both bus and train options from Vancouver to Seattle, or rent a car. If you do decide to fly out of Seattle the day of disembarkation, I would recommend flights in the evening in case of any delays in your journey south.

@Schookie yes

What about putting your dad and GF in the same room/reservation since neither of them are getting the drink package. Once on board you get extra room keys so you call can change your sleeping arrangements as you want.

My suggestions:

• Skagway: White Pass Yukon Train
• Juneau: We rented a car and toured the town on our own

Find a cruise compass that's similar to your sailing to get an idea:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass

You have to call RC (or your travel agent if you used one). To receive double points you'll have to essentially rebook the cruise, I believe, at current pricing, which may or may not be a higher rate than your original booking.

The other downside besides potentially higher fare, is that should you find someone else that wants to join as your 2nd occupant,  you would have to "rebook" again at whatever the current rate is then. Just something to consider.

Unless you're super picky about your water, you can also bring your own refillable bottle(s) and fill them for free at various points around the ship

By "Panama City airport" do you mean Tocumen International Airport? Google maps says that's about 40min from the cruise port, assuming no traffic. I would assume it'd be safe for flights departing after 12pm, maybe even 11am depending on how early the ship allows disembarkation.

We rented a car in Juneau last year so we could visit the glacier at our own pace. You will likely get a much older model car, but we highly recommend Juneau Car Rental

@Phillip Cyour RC invoice should list the arrival/ departure times of all your port stops