FionaMG

That's crazy. Did you book direct or through a travel agent? I think you need to be proactive with this and speak to Royal or your travel agent to do something about it because if your cabin is showing available on the website then it is entirely possible that someone else could book it.

I hope you're not holding your breath... 😂
 

Good to know.  depending on what we see for flights might influence the hotel.  time of arrival and flight costs.  much appreciated

My go-to hotel in Fort Lauderdale is the Best Western Plus Oceanside Inn. We have stayed there twice before and will be back for the third time in just over two weeks from now. It's fairly basic but it does have a pool and a bar and breakfast is included in the room rate, if that's something that might make a difference to you. It's close to the beach and walking distance to restaurants and shops along the seafront. I seem to remember Lyft to the port being around the $12 mark but the last time we were there was pre-pandemic so I'd expect it to be more now.

I hope you're not holding your breath... 😂
 

Yeah I about choked when I saw it, but nabbed it quick. Have not seen it like that since. 
Caveat I book 2 yrs out so it was a 2021-2022 price for a 2023 sailing. My next one is at the $131.99 showing at 20% off. I booked it as it is still a $80 savings on 3 dinners for 2. I will still be watching for a better sale.

Got repsonse, no they do not cover it. Oh well. I will survive losing 400$ even if it is super annoying, and I think RC should have covered it. But the fact that they cancelled the trip, and offered no other same itineary is sad. Oh well. I am still doing 1 (my first ever) cruise this year in July from Barcelona so at least I have a week on Oasis with my kids and my mom to look forward to 🥰

Fingers crossed for you. 🤞

October 12-19 greece and adriatic ravenna-kotor-athens-santorini-split-ravenna. I was also going to do Slovenia and Venice before Ravenna on my own.. I  lost 400$ on airfare that wont be refunded (I chose to csncel, since none of the itinearies they offered suits me). 

Got the same for my october 12 sailing. So sad 😭

What does everyone think about the "deals" RCCL is offering when they cancel a cruise currently?  I just got notified that the "October 1st, 2024 Quantum of the Seas sailing has unfortunately been cancelled." The offer is to book a 4 day shorter cruise for the same price.  The last cancellation I had were two back-to-back cruises which they offered two non back-to-back cruises. It seems like a terrible way to treat your customers.

Got this e-mail today. Checked from royal website and there is no sailings for Oct 2024 for sale at the moment. Probably preparing new itineraries for web.
 
About Your Upcoming Travels
http://www.creative.rccl.com/e-lite/RCI/2014/Masters/email_temp/html/images/spacer.gif
Dear Guest,
Due to an adjustment in itinerary planning, we’ve made some changes to our upcoming Explorer of the Seas, October 26th, 2024 sailing. We will now sail a 6-Night Greece, Italy & Spain itinerary. We understand this is not an ideal situation, and we’re truly sorry for the impact this has on your vacation plans. The time and effort you took to plan your cruise is important to us, so we’ve put together some alternate options that we hope will work for you and those in your party.
Option 1: Stay on our new Explorer of the Seas 6-Night Greece, Italy & Spain sailing on October 27th from Athens (Piraeus), Greece and disembarking in Barcelona, Spain
What you’ll receive:
You’ll remain in the same stateroom on our new Explorer of the Seas October 27th, 2024 sailing. Your cruise fare will either be adjusted to the new cruise fare rate OR prorated for the change in sailing nights, whichever option results in a lesser fare, and any overage will be refunded. This applies to the cruise fare only. Taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items will be at the prevailing rate. To sweeten the offer, you’ll receive a credit to spend onboard per stateroom: $100 USD for Interior, Ocean View, and Balcony staterooms | $200 USD for Suites Plus, an additional $50 USD for each third or more guest to spend onboard. And, you’ll also be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as a flight, train ticket, or rental car). We’ll cover up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes. Please email your receipts and booking information to [email protected] for review and reimbursement. Option 2: Re-book one of the below 2024 itineraries onboard Explorer of the Seas:
Roundtrip 7-Night Greek Isles Cruise from Ravenna (Venice), Italy:
Sailing on September 7th and visiting: Santorini, Greece | Mykonos, Greece | Athens (Piraeus), Greece | and Olympia (Katakolon), Greece Roundtrip 7-Night Greece and Croatia Cruise from Ravenna (Venice), Italy:
Sailing on September 14th and visiting: Dubrovnik, Croatia | Athens (Piraeus), Greece | Mykonos, Greece | and Split, Croatia One-Way 6-Night Greece, Greece, Croatia & Turkey Cruise from Ravenna (Venice), Italy and disembarking in Athens (Piraeus), Greece:
Sailing on October 5th and visiting: Split, Croatia | Mykonos, Greece | Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey | and Santorini, Greece One-Way 8-Night Greece, Italy & Cyprus Cruise from Athens (Piraeus), Greece and disembarking in Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy:
Sailing on October 11th and visiting: Santorini, Greece | Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece | Bodrum, Turkey | Limassol, Cyprus | and Naples, Italy One-Way 8-Night Greece, Cyprus & Turkey Cruise from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy and disembarking in Athens (Piraeus), Greece:
Sailing on October 19th and visiting: Santorini, Greece | Mykonos, Greece | Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey | Bodrum, Turkey | and Limassol, Cyprus What you’ll receive:
Your original stateroom category price will either be protected at your original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower). This excludes taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items. If you were already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for any difference in pricing. To sweeten the offer, you’ll receive a credit to spend onboard per stateroom: $100 USD for Interior, Ocean View, and Balcony staterooms | $200 USD for Suites Plus, an additional $50 USD for each third or more guest to spend onboard. And, you’ll also be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as a flight, train ticket, or rental car). We’ll cover up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes. Please email your receipts and booking information to [email protected] for review and reimbursement. Option 3: Re-book any other Royal Caribbean International sailing.
If you prefer to re-book another sailing, we’ll waive any non-refundable deposit change fees. Please know, you’ll be responsible for any difference in pricing for your cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items. If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference. Option 4: If you can’t find a new itinerary that works for you and choose to cancel, we’ll be sad to see you go, but hope you’ll come back soon. You’ll receive:
A full refund of any paid portion of your cruise fare (including non-refundable deposits) and any pre-paid amenities to the original form of payment. If you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount and we’ll reinstate your original certificate. Please know, if you choose this option, we will not provide additional compensation. Any refunds due will be credited to your original form of payment within 14 business days after your decision – kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution.
It’s important to us that you find the best vacation option. Please call us at 888-281-9344 or contact your Travel Advisor by February 15th, 2024, to let us know your decision. And please know, hold times may be longer than usual. If you decide to go with Option 4, there’s no need to call us. If we haven’t heard from you by February 15th, 2024 your reservation will default to Option 4 and will be cancelled.
If you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately or contact us at:
1 888 281 9344 in the U.S. or text us at 800 256-6649 1800 754 500 in Australia / 0800 102 123 in New Zealand In the UK only, by using our webchat service or by calling 0344 493 4005 All other countries, please visit http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contactus for your local Royal Caribbean International office phone number. Thank you for understanding. We hope you find another cruise vacation with us. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or looking to explore, relax, and recharge – we have no doubt your time with us will be nothing short of amazing. We look forward to welcoming you onboard.
Sincerely,
Aurora Yera-Rodriguez
AVP | Guest Experience
Royal Caribbean International

I find it  hysterical that people get all worked up over lobster night.   It’s one tail.  I’ve got people in a FB group for one of my sailings going  bonkers because they don’t see it listed in the app.  I keep trying to explain how the app is not accurate because the ship is currently on longer sailings than the 7 nights we’ll be doing.  If people are basing their happiness on a $2k (or more) cruise on a lobster tail they’ve got problems.

It does on Coco Cay but not Labadee.

It does on Coco Cay but not Labadee.

It does on Coco Cay but not Labadee.

Thanks all.

It was day three and for the first time, I started to feel a little self-conscious walking around in my shorts and sweatshirt all evening, while everybody else was dressed to the nines. Obviously, I skipped the main dining room and just did a Buffet dinner, which is why I felt completely comfortable staying in my normal clothes. But I think people in casual clothes at dinner time is maybe about 20%, with the other 80% opting to dress up every night. 
 
I looked around in the shops tonight and got a high pressure pitch to buy a $300 wristwatch I really don’t want.
 
The shop was having sales on those port of call T-shirts, the same ones they carry on Oasis and were selling last week. On Oasis last week, the shirts were two for $40.  Here, the same shirts are two for 50.
 
For me, this ship has a country club feel. It feels upscale. It feels like the clientele expect it to be upscale and there are high expectations just in general and those expectations are being met.
 
I feel a little bit like Oasis was good old Disneyworld, and the Ascent is a trip to Martha’s Vineyard in your best khakis and summer resort wear. Very different vibes, very different energy and focus on the ship.
 
Also, there seem to be so much larger groups traveling together here. There are plenty of couples and small families, but there are so many big groups doing everything all together. Like hanging out at the bar together and doing the dance floor together and showing up at trivia all in a big group. 
 
Dinner is such a huge event here. As I said, people get dressed up, if you try to schedule any appointment, they ask you right away what time is your dinner reservation, the masses really disappear at dinner time and re-emerge in mass all at the same time to go to the theater or whatever.
 
The ship does not have quite the same amount of spread out, ‘everybody doing something different’ feeling that Oasis has. 
 
This ship is just beautiful. And it is definitely designed to be a warm weather ship. The pool deck is very inviting. Yes they only have one pool, but so far it’s been plenty big enough for the few people willing to get in. The pool chairs surrounding the pool are filled every day, but not many people actually swimming. There are many many lounge spots in the ship, and they are beautiful, plenty of specialty dining, but if this was a cold weather cruise, or it rained all week, that pool deck being taken out of commission would put a cramp on spreading out and really maximizing the enjoyment of the ship. Not only is the pool deck something worth spending time on, but the rooftop garden and Sunset bar area are very valuable real estate areas here, and not be able to spend time in them would be a real shame. They are really really wonderful. Ideal cruise deck spots that aren’t pool-related.
 
I would say the number one activity the ship is designed for (aside from eating and gambling and drinking,) is lounging around, drink in hand. That might be indoors or outdoors, but it feels like this is most definitely a ship designed for just hanging out.

Limited choices on dinner tonight. Didn't like anything on the menu for the main dining rooms, and for some reason, the buffet was half the size as usual. Baked potatoes and pasta and bread and some grilled meats.
 
Played a game in "the club" which is kind of their spotlight lounge. Really fun, too hard to describe here but lots of fun and lots of group participation.
 
N'Kenge did a one woman show today and she was fantastic. Lots of Broadway tunes.
 
The massage was nice. Overall the spa feels somewhat deserted so far this cruise. I noticed they added a spa special into the app for tomorrow. That wasn't there this morning. 
 
There's a solo performer this evening, Andrew Derbyshire. Getting ready for the show to start. Remember I mentioned the lack of reservations, as in reservations are not required. I'm not seeing rows of front row prime seats reserved for concierge or suite people either, I wonder if they are supposed to claw their way to a seat like everybody else? That can't be the case, that feels offbrand for this ship.  Interesting.

We are at sea today. I got up early and did some filming and photos on the lower decks. By 9 o'clock, all of the breakfast seekers were out. So many older folks, I believe I've mentioned that a few times but it's just a bit of a wake up call for me as I've never sailed a non-family line that had this many elderly folks on it. You need to be careful where you walk because there are scooters and walkers and people shuffling along the best they can with canes and you just generally have to be careful. I guess that goes for life in general, don't go crashing into people, but just in general on the ship it feels like you really need to watch where you're going. And to also be patient. A lot of folks here that are hard of hearing who try to give a coffee order or a pastry order for example, and it just takes a little longer than maybe you might think it would. 
 
The film crew is out taking up half of the main pool and there's a lot of folks sitting around in swimsuits looking unhappy about it. I have no doubt that Celebrity is going to get a slew of angry surveys and emails demanding some sort of compensation for the film crew being here and taking out prime spots on the ship for 1 to 3 hours at a time.
 
I skipped breakfast and I'm planning on making it to the main dining room finally. I'm going to have lunch there today. I was able to get photos of two of the main dining rooms this morning because they were empty. Tuscany and Normandie. Very classy.
 
The focal point chandelier at the bottom of the atrium in the middle of the ship is kind of cool. It strobes throughout the day in different patterns.

It does on Coco Cay but not Labadee.

The show tonight was called Bridges. It was terrific. Really wonderful. The theater has this amazing stretched out movie screen behind it and they projected all kinds of famous bridges on the background while the singers sang and danced.
 
It was a collection of pop songs with dance numbers which is exactly what I just said I don't like. But I like this. That cast was phenomenal, they all sounded like they belonged on Broadway. They had a ton of energy and the songs were familiar songs so they were catchy. Plus they threw in quite a bit of acrobatics which was really fun.
 
I would say at the very least 50% of the crowd on this particular sailing are over 70. Lots and lots of older people. So sometimes they would finish a dazzling high energy amazing number and then stop for applause and the applause would be smattering and light. Hate that for them. I think the cruise demographic might change during the summer but it's definitely a much older crowd, like a Holland America crowd, right now.
 
some of the numbers were aimed for a younger crowd. There was one number where the men were grabbing their crotch repeatedly. I saw a lot of shocked faces in the audience.

The guy at the end the aisle a few seats down for me looked to be at least 92. He was filming the whole show on his phone and he was actually doing a darn good job with a steady hand.
 
And I should mention that before the show they announced that we were encouraged to take video and photos and put it on social media.
 
I went to the 730 show and every seat in the theater was taken. I sat in the front row and there were a handful of empty seats by me. As to be expected, a large group came in four minutes before Showtime and went straight to the front row and then stood there having a long conversation, trying to figure out how they could all sit together. (They couldn't.) That led to another conversation about how they were going to divide. And even though the show was only 45 minutes there were many many people who could not possibly sit through the whole thing, they had to get up and leave and then come back. 
 
I went back, toying with the idea of going to the 930 show and seeing it again, but I went back at the last minute and it was sold out audience.
 
i'm back in my room for an early evening and I'm so thankful the room is not rocking very much. Tomorrow is sea day, and I will be waiting around for my doctors appointment and I hope I come away satisfied.

More photos from around the ship.
 
I went to a complementary stretch class that turned into a sales pitch for some shoe inserts for $200. I did not buy them.
 
I'm making it to the first show of the cruise tonight. I mean there was a show last night but I was up on deck watching the bills game and trying not to throw up. It's called Bridges, I will let you know what I think. The theater here is really nice.
 
I went to the juice bar today and it was not nearly as good as the one on Oasis. Plus they were only open a couple of hours.
 
buffet food is so so. The poolside grill is so so. They have pizza here available for long periods of the day. It is comparable to Sorrentos. 
 
they have tons of desserts and they look so pretty. I heard someone say "the desserts look so much better than they actually taste." That sums it up perfectly. All of the desserts are super bland.
 
we are sailing and the ship is doing that big up-and-down thing again. Not as dramatically as last night but pretty noticeable. Since I was slack-jawed and doped up most of the day I took a nondrowsy Dramamine this evening. Let's hope that does the trick and doesn't leave me in a fog all day tomorrow.
 
The wind was a presence all day today, nothing that ruined anything but most definitely an all day presenceand chilly. Tonight the wind is so fierce I honestly don't think it's safe to be out on deck. 
 
 

Sort of. That's their deck 5. There is Eden at one end, the back end of the ship. That's the earthy large common area I mentioned. And then if you walked from Eden to the front of the ship you would walk what is the equivalent of their promenade. But it meanders. It's not so obviously a shopping area with everything condensed in one long stretch. but that's where the majority of the shops are, and then they have a three-story small round atrium reminiscent of princess ships. At the bottom of the atrium is that chandelier and a bar and then three levels of seating surrounding it. Lots of live music happens here.
 
deck four has casino and specialty dining and main dining all kind of lumped in one area.

It does on Coco Cay but not Labadee.