Fairlynew

One thought: keep current reservations until you check in and know your boarding time. As long your boarding time is no later than 11:30, you should be fine. Also we were boarding in Ft Lauderdale. We had 11 am time. They did check times but let anyone with a boarding time before 12:30 line up with us. We got there at about 10:30 and waited outside for about 35 minutes. Process was fast once they opened the doors.

I’m not sure. I’ve never done that. We got all reservations including hibachi easily. Later in the week we wanted to change nights and were actually able to schedule hibachi on the day we were making the changes-i.e. same day reservations. At first they said 8 pm that night then moved us to 7. The ship was full that week and we were in a Central Park balcony so no concierge. I will say that we made an effort to be friendly and polite to everyone which may have led to the hostess helping us with the changes more willing to accommodate us.

I was on Navigator several years ago, and a man proposed right before the desert course on the grand staircase in the MDR. It was really special and everyone in the dining room was thrilled. He had arranged for pictures as well.

If you are really ambitious, you can check in at midnight on the day check in opens to get your boarding time. I was lucky enough to be traveling with someone on West Coast time last year, and they were able to get an early boarding time. I don't know how necessary it is, though.

That's interesting because my October 23 sailing has all menus up.

$219 is not bad for the UDP on a ship that size, with so many options, especially if you have already booked 3 specialty restaurants. You can cancel them and make reservations for all three on board, with the addition of lunch options and other dinner options. You can still book the hibachi with the UDP; you just pay $10 extra-probably still a good value if you plan on doing three. We got an early boarding time and were able to get the reservations we wanted on the nights we wanted at times we wanted with no difficulty.

Generally, I find the suite concierges to be very helpful and responsive, but as with anything, some are better than others. On one trip, we totally gave up on the concierge and started using guest services-the concierge was so bad, it was worth waiting in line. That was the exception, though.

You make your own reservations for the dining package once you get on board the ship. We did not have any trouble getting the times and places we wanted; we were a group of three. Larger groups may have more issues. Also, we did not usually need reservations for lunch. I don't know how it works for holiday meals, but they do make a courtesy reservation the first night, so they probably would reserve something-there might an upcharge though. The only upcharge we encountered was $10 pp for the hibachi, which we did not mind because the experience was really fun. I also imaging that the MDR will have a festive atmosphere on New Year's Eve if you don't want to pay anything extra. There were 2 ships at Coco Cay the last time we were there-a voyager class (can't remember which one) and Allure. Both were sailing at or near full capacity and we had no issues with seats.

Keep checking the prices for the unlimited dining package. We really enjoyed it, especially for a relaxing lunch on sea days. It can be a good value if the price is right. For our 8 night cruise on Allure last spring, we paid $199 each and felt it was well worth it. I have been to Coco Cay twice and never spent anything extra. There are plenty of loungers in the sun and the shade. Both times I have been, we start on the beach, then move to the pool later in the afternoon. No problem finding great spots with shade either place. I also saw lots of seats in the sun. Have a great trip!

Bar Harbor is still showing on my app and in the cruise planner, as well as on the booking site. I wonder if they will substitute another port?

By the way, when did they remove the Bar Harbor stop? I booked on Saturday, and it was still showing, although I did notice there are no excursions listed.

Sounds like several of us will be on the October 23 trip. I will be as well, with my husband, daughter, and son in law. Other friends are also going and staying at the Westin port area. That's probably what we will do as well.

Thanks! I tried to search for threads already written with this information, but I missed this.

Just booked a New England/Canada cruise for this fall leaving from Boston. I am looking for a hotel that is convenient to the cruise port. I am not looking for a luxury hotel; it is only one night and we will arrive late in the afternoon. Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

I am so sorry. We used Emed tests for our flight home from Rome last month based upon advice given to us by friends. If you test positive in a pharmacy, you have to quarantine. At least with the Emed test, you are not in Italy's system. You still can't fly, but your quarantine is not as strict. I am glad that the CDC is ending the testing requirement to fly home. For our trip, the most stressful moments were testing prior to the cruise, then testing to get home.

Glad you could cash out your vouchers. I was on the ovation in August. The North Star was not operational then- we were told due to mechanical issues. I was very disappointed. Sad that it remains closed. I’m also sorry about your genie issues. I would like, one day, to perhaps have a genie, but it will be a real stretch for me. If I sacrificed to book a star class suite and had the experience so severely diluted , I would be crushed, sad,upset, angry, etc. Of course, with the current economy, I’ll be lucky to book an inside cabin unless things improve

I read somewhere that it has something to do with the plants in Central Park-but that's only a vague memory.

Grand suite!

Thank you to all of you! I have purchased tickets for a guided tour. What is the best way to get there? I purchased noon tickets to give us plenty of time. Also, I appreciate the advice about pit pockets. I have a travel safe backpack, with locking zippers and anti-cut straps. It also locks around chairs when not being worn. We will also be in Venice (pre-cruise) and Rome, and I have been told to be vigilant there as well.

We have stop in Barcelona. We would like to see the Sagrada Familia. We do have a ship excursion planned for this port, and they are sold out of that excursion. We are a group of 6. What is the best way to try to do this on our own? Many thanks.

Thank you so much!

We will be sailing out of Civitavecchia. We are flying into Venice, spending a day there, then taking the train to Rome, spending a day there, then boarding the ship. We can test on the day in Venice or either day in Rome. How easy is it to find a test site in these cities? Do we need to make reservations in advance? I know that home tests are an option, but my understanding from others who have been to Italy recently is that the internet is not great, so I am concerned about depending upon that. Thanks for your help and advice.

The prices are in the cruise planner now. Water park cabanas are $699. Single tickets are $79. You can no longer purchase in the planner, but at least you can find out the prices.

In addition to the logistical and security issues, the unique specialty restaurants encourage to book another cruise on the ship with the unique restaurant to try it out. No financial upside for Royal in allowing this, although I think it would be great fun!

I'm on that sailing, too. Hoping to be able to check out the beach club, but no excursions are showing. I even called the excursion office.