KristiZ

While I'm a US citizen, so it might be different, I can attest that Royal got my visas both times when I cruised to Vietnam. I believe the "cannot guarantee" is the disclaimer they will always use, just in case there is some issue. For example, if you have a criminal history in Vietnam, they won't let you in regardless of your citizenship. In general, the Vietnam government has been very supportive of the cruise lines, making it easy for tourist.

Type C or F fits, if that helps.

Get a couple of outfits that don't wrinkle just for cruising. Or as @sk8erguy1978 said, just embrace the wrinkles. Personally I have a few tops in some sort of poly-blend fabric that I enjoy and I have no problems. Of course, I'm also #teamNoMakeup for cruising, so maybe I'm not the best one to give advice ?

If you do end up in multiple rooms, make sure they are all GS or better, or none of them are. It would be frustrating to not be able to use the suite benefits for everyone.

Yes, we seem to be pretty much out of luck with the sales for our Spectrum cruises ? I guess the ship is too new!

The bus is a city bus, but yes there is one. I can't remember if the bus stop had the stop names on the route map in English, but I think so. However, I really do think you will not have trouble getting a taxi -- there are so, so many and they will know the ship arrival time so they'll be waiting!

There is also a bus. Or it is a 45 minute walk. But I doubt you will have trouble getting a taxi. All the large Japanese cities have an insane number of cabs!

Most airline websites will allow you the access your reservation using your ticket number instead of your record locator, if you can find that in your paperwork. I often use that hack to check on my seat assignments.

That email is from a different company. Caribbeanpaddle vs caribbeanpaddling. The first one is out of business, yes. The second appears to still be running.

Sadly no. It will have to be in your checked bag on the plane. Or just swing by a store on your way to the port after landing and buy two bottles.

You can go from either station -- it's about the same distance (depending on exactly which pier you dock at). If you board at Hakata it's 5 stops instead of 4; adds about 3 minutes ? I will say that the taxi will likely be lovely. All the mini-van ones are! If you're looking for ease and comfort, do the taxi tour. If you want a more authentic experience, take the train. Enjoy!

That would certainly be convenient, as long as you only have 4 people (assuming a regular taxi). Then you're basically talking about $100 per person. Not cheap, but very very easy!

It's a train, but they're all interconnected. Yoshizuka is a big enough station to have staff on duty, so they can either teach you to use the ticket machine or sell you the tickets directly.

This is actually an easy 30 minute train ride (cost about $5 per person) from the station fairly close to the Port. Grab a cab (or 2 or 3) from the Port to Yoshizuka Station and then take the express train to Kidonanzoin-Mae Station (4 stops). From there the walk is just a few minutes. You would need to go earlier rather than later, as the Buddha closes at 5p. After that, head back and spend time exploring the port area. If you want to avoid crowds, stay in Keelung town instead of heading into Taipei. If you're up for walking, you can see Khoo Tsu-song Old Mansion and Keelung Zhongzheng Park, and just wander about seeing the neat stuff. There are lots of twisty roads, hills, and stairs, so only do this if you want the exercise!

I know they have chocolate syrup and also milk, so I'd say yes! ?

Annabelle's!

Viking Serenade!

Not on this cruise, but I live in Japan. What sort of things are you interested in? Food, culture, adventure, etc? Do you prefer a Royal excursion, a 3rd party, or an on-your-own thing?

^^^ This! Personally I would say your advantages far outweigh your disadvantages. I have cruised Alaska 3 times, twice with HAL and once with Royal. While I enjoyed the smaller ship (HAL) very much for this particular itinerary, I was NOT trying to entertain teens. And absolutely don't put it off. You never know what life will throw your way!

Yes they do! Sometimes (rarely anymore I think) the DotD is in a souvenir cup, which means no discount. But you can ask for it without the cup no problem. All the bars will also advertise both items, or at least tell you about them if you ask.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the 10-drink card. It's a great deal and can be shared. Hopefully it'll show up in the middle of your trip! Also, the Drink of the Day is a decent deal. If you're not too picky ?

Thinking back, the $16 bottles might have been on Explorer a couple of years ago when they were trying to "clean out" their cellar in advance of a refresh. I remember they had one or two bottles that were "the last one on the ship". So I apologize if I got your hopes up, @ncnickel But hopefully you'll be able to find some interesting options, at least!

Not dumb at all! I would recommend buying by the bottle in the dining room (once you've guzzled up your own, of course! ? ). That way you have far more choice than you would with the gift packages. They will store your bottle if you don't finish it and pour more for you the next night. Unless you want to take it with you back to your cabin. You can do that too. Bottle prices will run you $16ish to $more-than-you-can-ever-want, just like restaurants on land. As I recall, when we got gift bottles in the past they were marked, so no fees. Not sure how it's handled these days, but I'm sure there's some kind of plan. Someone else will likely know the answer!

Yeah, they don't actually celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Mexico. It's pretty much an American deal. (The date is of a fairly minor victory over the French in 1862 during the Franco-Mexican war.) ?

They can likely at least seat you at tables next to each other. To be honest, 2-3 tables might be preferable -- it's too hard to talk to people if you're all in a long line at one table! You could rotate each night so you get a chance to visit with everyone at least once. Just my opinion ?