SLJ

Thanks @Matt   I think we're going to pick Deck 8 adjoining. My husband likes that it's close to Central Park.  

@Matt Oh that's good to hear. I had a bad experience with adjoining rooms before and assumed all adjoining rooms are evil. :)  So what you're saying is Deck 6 would potentially be louder right?

We're in the process of booking our second cruise for next year on Symphony. Not many options left because of the KSF promo. My dilemma: Deck 8 ocean balcony adjoining room, or Deck 6 not adjoining. I know adjoining rooms will be louder than regular room, but will Deck 6 be loud since it's on the Boardwalk? Which would you pick?

Thanks!

@Rose City Cruiser  and @UnknownAce  Thank you! I will surely look into that. :)

@bobroo That's a great option. Thanks!  I'll give them a call. 

Thanks everyone! Is there free wifi in FLL Airport?  We're from Canada and will not have data plan in the States. Not sure how we can order Uber after we land. So maybe taxi is easier? 

Hi cruisers, 

I found out our flight into Miami is $200 more per person(x4) than flying into Fort Lauderdale. Is it easy to take a taxi or Uber from Hollywood Airport to Port of Miami and vice versa?

Thank you @SpeedNoodles !

We've booked an excursion to Blue Lagoon and am wondering where do you board the boat that will take you there?  Is it within walking distance from the cruise dock?

Thanks!

4 minutes ago, Matt said:

Yes. I have two kids, 8 and 4. Did not pay for the 4 year old but she was included with benefits.

Thank you @Matt !  By the way, I JUST came across your Youtube channel. (Yes, I know, a little late to the party). So I binge watched a lot of your videos and now I'm all prepared for my first cruise on Allure in May. So thank you thank you!!!

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Check out this recent blog post from @Matt who runs this site:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/03/26/royal-caribbeans-the-key-worth-it

Thank you Twangster for the link. It's super helpful. 

Has anyone purchased The Key?  I just read that kids 6 and under don't need to pay. My 2 kids are 3 and 5. Does it mean that we only need to pay for 2 adults and all four of us get the same benefits? Do you think it's worth it? 

39 minutes ago, klc317 said:

When our daughter was 3 on her first cruise with us we brought a compact fold up stroller.  We just gate checked it at the airport and it folded up fairly compactly in the cabin on the ship.   It came in pretty handy on the islands as a beach bag/child bag cart when we didn't need it for her.   The small wheels are completely useless to try to push through sand though.   As for the naps....we traded every day as to if myself or my wife would stay in the cabin with her for an hour or so in the afternoon.   By that point she only needed about that much time for a nap during the day.   

Would the umbrella stroller would under the bed?  Ours is the Summer Infant 3D Lite, which is still considered an umbrella I think.

19 minutes ago, melski94 said:

If you can get through the airport without a stroller, then I wouldn’t bring it.  The ships are big but not that big.  Storage is really tight in the rooms.  You won’t see kids those ages in a stroller on the ship,  babies and toddlers yes but not preschoolers.  If you do chose to bring one, don’t bring anything bigger than an umbrella stroller. 

I bought them each a kid's spinner luggage hoping they'd be too excited to push their new luggage around that they wouldn't mind walking through the airport. But my 3 yo still naps during the day so not sure if having a stroller would make that easier. Unless we all go back to the room for his nap.  

I know it really depends on the kids and their physical level, but I want to see if other parents can help me out here. I have a 3 and a 5 year-old who are not opposed to walking. We made them walk short trails with us. So my plan is to either bring one stroller for them to share, or bring none. I really want to avoid bringing one if possible. Since this is our first cruise, I don't know how much walking is involved. The excursions we booked involve us getting to a taxi and staying at a beach. Is it even reasonable to have them walk when we're onboard, given that there are plenty of places to sit down if they get tired. What would you guys recommend?

Thanks everyone for the info!

What did you guys do for the security photo during the check-in process?  Did you leave it blank and show them the passport at port?  Or did you just take a picture at home and upload it?

Hi cruisers, I've recently participated in the Royal Up program for the first time. I bid on a Jr Suite on Allure. Anyone bid and won before? How long before they will inform you whether you got the upgrade or not? If I do end up getting the upgrade, will it affect my online check-in that I'm planning to do soon?   

Thanks in advance!  :) 

Hi fellow cruisers!  Does the MDR offer complimentary tea/coffee, juice and iced tea like at the buffet? 

@Andrew72681 Thank you!! And your photos made us even more excited :)  My kids are no strangers to teppanyaki and we're all looking forward to it. The mochi balls look massive and super yummy. Thanks for the recommendation!

We plan to book the Hibachi table at Izumi with our 3 and 5 yo. But I don't see a kids menu for it. Are they required to order a combo each? Or can they eat off of our plates?  Any notes would be appreciated since this is our first cruise.

On ‎3‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 6:17 PM, rtread said:

Thanks all! I'm way beyond being embarrassed by my ignorance but I'm wondering if I will hit OVERLOAD before the big date gets here. What's funny is my cursor has been less than an inch away from CHECK-IN hundreds of times and I missed it. There is a wealth of knowledge here and friendly, helpful people so maybe this steep learning curve will eventually level out. Thanks for the help!

I'm on the same boat! My last cruise was fifteen years ago and oh my, SO MUCH has changed (for the better) in cruising so now I'm like a newbie. Part of the fun for me is the research :) Builds anticipation. Also, you don't HAVE to check-in online, but by doing so it'll speed up your embarkation process (so I was told :)  Have fun on your upcoming vacation!

Thanks for the replies!!  It's a relief to know we can ignore the check in time provided. I will heed your advices to get there early so we can start our vacation early!! 

Hi all! This is my first post on this blog and I must say I find this community super helpful and friendly!  :)  I'll be going on Allure in May. I'm wondering when do you guys usually check-in online? And do you get earlier boarding time if you check-in earlier? I'm about 60 days out, should I check-in now?

Thank you!