JC Pats

13 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said:

I'm sorry I cannot stand people who defend cruise lines like they can do no wrong. They expect top dollar from me and I expect top service from them. And if you have a problem with that it's yours, not mine.

I don't think anyone has said they can do no wrong, they do plenty wrong, every day - they're not perfect entities. I think the point being made by most everyone else, is that Ship happens. Planned, Unplanned. doesn't matter. It happened. Could Royal learn from their mistakes, sure! Do they, not always. To me, life is too short to worry about it. If the Solarium is closed, it's closed. Find somewhere else to go. If they run out of my favorite drink (which happens ALL the time), I'll order something else. I'm on vacation. Not doing a ship inspection. 

By the way, they don't expect top dollar from you. YOU made that choice to pay what Royal was offering. If Royal is not up to your standards, move on to something else. 

Life is too short to worry, about anything. YMMV.

I was able to book on board entertainment for my Wonder cruise on 12/18 (Effectors II and 365 Seasons on Ice) - inTENse was unavailable to book.

Wow. a lot of @mpoole3 fan club members here..

10 hours ago, Mike n Ky said:

My first block is going to be on the Odyssey cruise in January and I will be going to the C&A desk early to see if I can get one while on board.

If you're flying home - be careful carrying that block - almost certainly will cause your bag to get searched going through security. Not mention it's got some heft to it. 

For a much easier way to get your block, they can ship the block to you for no charge via UPS (at least that's how I've gotten two of my blocks). Takes 2-3 days if it's all in stock. 

Disregard all that if you're driving.

Yes and No - Yes - Because that's what pays the bills - Kids want all the things bought for them, so families, from a financial perspective, pay the bills more than "loyal" guests or solo guests. Also, new = flashy. Which gets eyeballs and sells cabins. 

No - there are neighborhoods to spread out the passengers. Adults can chill where they want, just have to be aware of where the kid areas are. 

I cruise solo, but also have a lot of friends who cruise with their kids, so I don't mind the kids so much. Do I care about solo cabins, nope. They're overrated IMO as they don't show any price value. Would I like more solo/single services, sure, but I don't need them. 

Cruise VACATIONS are what you make of them. Doesn't matter if it's Enchantment or Icon - I'm on a cruise - that is all that matters to me. YMM (and will) V

I received my Wonder block (280 pts) from my March sailing, 2 weeks ago (early October) so they ARE going out - slowly. 

On my recent Oasis cruise, there was no QR code paper in the room, but it was on the Compass TV channel and on screens all over the ship. No paper Compass for Day 1 & 2. Day 3 on, had a paper Compass in my room every night without asking. YMMV.

Not yet - I don't expect to hear anything until May/June 2023 at the earliest. 

Welcome to the boards Lisa!

We were all cruise newbies once so don't hesitate to ask questions!

The Caribbean is warm year-round - summer is HOT, winter is 70s/80s so you should be fine, unless you live in a warm (southern US/West coast).

Oasis class ships (Oasis/Harmony from the ships you mentioned) have what are called Boardwalk Balconies and Central Park balconies which are open air and look out into the specific neighborhoods - Boardwalk has more activity, Central Park is quieter & chill. Oddesey of the Seas does not have these types of cabins as it's a different class of ship.

As for the Promenade being "Dark" - I've never heard of it being considered "Dark" It is inside and can get quite crowded at peak times, but it's also the hub of an Oasis/Quantum class ship. 

I agree with Vancity above - crowds, outside of Day 1 and shows letting out, are usually a non-factor.

I hope you find a great cruise for your family! Cruising is a vacation that becomes addicting.

I'm on Oasis next Sunday (10/9) and up to today, i wasn't able to view my setsail pass on the website (can in the app). I switched browsers from Edge to Chrome and had no issues seeing my setsail pass on the website. So if you're not seeing your setsail pass on the website, see if changing browsers helps.

My 1st travel agent was my mom. I learned alot from her, about what to expect service wise from other agents. My next TA (who I still use sometimes) I met via a group cruise and became friends with him. Service is great and no complaints. I also use Jennifer from MEI for many of the same reasons everyone above has listed, i.e., price drops, level of service and of course Matt's group cruises. 

While getting OBC would be nice, I value service over everything. I value a KNOWLEDGABLE and RESPONSIVE agent over perks. Both my Travel Advisors are online and do not work/live anywhere near me and I have had zero problems.

What works for you, will differ from what works for others - do research, experiment with different agents until you have found what you're looking for. 

Darla Fox - on par.. maybe even a little better than Kieran. She was the pub singer on Mariner during the recent Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise and played EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. (We had a lot) of our requests and even learned several songs the within a couple of days. 

And Billy Pando is the King of the Schooner Bar.. 

Two favorite bands.. Phoenix and Switched On

On 9/14/2022 at 7:26 AM, Pooch said:

Can one obtain AAA travel insurance without booking through AAA?  We are members but use a different (MEI!) TA.

MEI sells Allianz policies. You can also use policies regardless of who your TA is. I don't know if there's a price difference tho.

No. it's not a requirement. That being said, I think it's easier to print out my SetSail pass and have it ready to present to the check in agent.

On 9/16/2022 at 1:16 PM, jeffmw said:

Any knowledge or experience as far as this is concerned?

It's a total crapshoot - technically, you're not entitled to anything. Cruise contract says they can change ports if needed. Goodwill/Customer service says they SHOULD provide something back, but how much, is anyone's guess as it's up to RC's discretion. 

On 9/16/2022 at 12:16 PM, jeffmw said:

It seems NE/Canada is typically the most common reroute, but with it being late September I can't imagine they're going to take people who packed for a beach vacation to Maritime Canada. I assume most passengers wouldn't have appropriate clothing for the weather. With only 5 days and a storm moving north from the south (potentially blocking a path to a Caribbean), any thoughts what they may do? (Complete speculation is fine)

I would say follow James Van Fleet on Twitter (@JamesVanFleet) - he posts daily weather updates for the Royal Caribbean fleet (RC ships only). As you get closer to your sail date, you'll get a better idea of what to expect based on his weather updates. But as others have said, if you do get re-routed, it'll be to Canada. 

11 hours ago, PaintedBunting said:

I checked in to my cruise a few minutes after midnight last night on the first day of check in.  I was surprised to find the earliest check in was 2:30 instead of the 11-11:30 I was expecting.  It is for Liberty of Seas sailing from Fort Lauderdale at the beginning of November.  It is only a 3 day cruise so getting on board in the morning can add a lot to the cruise enjoyment factor!

Any hope that earlier times might become available later?  Would it make a difference if I called Royal Caribbean do you think?  It is an unique cruise, in that it is the only 3 day "weekend" cruise that is actually sailing on week days that I have noticed.

Thanks!

The 11/1 cruise? Could be they are arriving later in the day as that lines up with their repositioning from Galveston (the last Liberty Galveston cruise gets back on the 30th, so that sounds about right (2 days) to get to Fort Lauderdale)

On 9/14/2022 at 3:16 PM, bobroo said:

Without question Colon, Panama is the worst port Royal stops at.

 

For many the upcoming Panama Canal group cruise is going to be an eye opener.

The good news here, is that we're just boarding in Colon - I think most everyone's early plans are to stay in Panama City and travel out to Colon for embarkation. From what I've heard, it's a container port - similar to Freeport/San Juan (Pan American Pier)

Ports (Cruises and Vacations in general for that matter) are what you make, and not make of them. I would agree with Freeport, it shouldn't even be a stop IMO unless it's an emergency. Nassau has a lot to do, but when you've been so many times, the "new" things to do run out. 

Before booking a cruise, look at the destinations (as well as the ship, but that's another thread) and see what they have to offer. If RC doesn't list excursions, look for private excursions, look for things to do within walking distance or even a cab ride. (Google is your friend) But in my experience, no matter where you are, you can probably find things you would want to at least try, if not do.    

Here's the thing.. IF everything works perfectly, yes, you SHOULD make it. If, however, the ship is delayed getting into the port, if disembarkation is delayed, if there's an accident, check in/security lines are LONG (especially if you don't have TSA Pre Check or Clear) - you stand a chance of missing the flight. Someone above mentioned if you miss the flight, they could rebook you - but that only works if there is space on that later flight. Your flight could also be oversold and if you're not at the gate 15 minutes prior to departure, you could lose your seats to people on standby. Lots of variables here. I personally wouldn't book a flight before 11am (and would lean closer to noon) 

If you're taking a direct flight, look at a connecting flight. While inconvenient, that gives you (or should give you) more options. 

Royal Caribbean Ships use ESPN Caribbean, Sport 24, Sky Sports News and another European sports channel that I can't remember - No US Based sports channels. It's difficult if not impossible, unless it's NFL games, or MLB/NBA Playoffs, to know what exactly they will show. Playmakers CAN change channels in the bar when they are open, but they are limited on the number of channels they have, so if they don't have it, they don't have it. Playmakers also has a schedule of what they will (can) show weekly and it should be on each table at the start of the cruise. I have seen them shut off the TV's when they close for the night.

As for streaming on tablets (and smartphones), it's my understanding that unless you have a plan that allows for non-us viewing or (more likely) have a VPN that you can set to a US server, you won't be able to stream it either. I use Surfshark (VPN) and can set my location to anywhere in the US and watch ESPN, NFL Network, etc. via a streaming service (I use YouTubeTV) without issues. YMMV

This is from late January - so things might change, but it's probably a good snapshot

Odyssey of the Seas 8-night Southern Caribbean Cruise Compass - January 29, 2022 | Royal Caribbean Blog

The Diamond Discount is 1 "Free" day which is equivalent to $24.99 (this is the amount used for the discount when you buy on board) and not combinable with the cruise planner. So (some maths) $24.99 times 7 equals $174.93 subtract $24.99 (Diamond On Board discount) and your total is $149.94 if you purchase on board.

Cruise planner at $19.99 per day, times 7 equals $139.93 - so you're basically saving $10 by pre purchasing through the cruise planner. 

11 minutes ago, Floski said:

Okay, so if I was to test positive on the Friday before a Sunday sail, 

can't I go to another place and re-test?   I'm not 100% confident in 

the results of these tests.

Yes you can.