Crown&AnchorEsq

Hmm, its an interest point though.  Based on the location of the sun deck I assume this is wonder? Does seem particularly silly there, if only for basic common sense with maintaining the lounge.  Oasis sun deck is a ship-length away from the lounge so I can sort of see the issues there. The 11-11 drinks are only beer and wine, it cant make that much of a difference revenue-wise.  Besides every time Ive gone the sun deck has been pretty empty because its not exactly an ideal location.  I suppose on Wonder people would never leave if there were free drinks...

As a further note, they generally ask that children not in swim diapers not swim/play in the baby splash zone.  I have never seen this written as a rule somewhere but there is usually a monitor in the baby splash zone preventing older kids from going in.  I assume they are trying to avoid cross-contamination between the baby zone and the splashaway bay zone but if your 6 year old likes to play with the almost-2 year old it is something to be aware of.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/44437-2-adults-3-young-kids-room-options/

We are 2+2 soon to be 2+3 so I have spent a lot of time on this topic.  As mentioned above, it breaks down by ship class(and even specific ship within the class).  With 2 under 2 I would strongly recommend something with both a baby splash zone and a nursery which limits you to Quantum Class, Oasis Class, Freedom Class and Navigator of the Seas.  For purposes of your inquiry I will exclude the ultra-expensive suites (RL, US, A1, A2) I'd note that GT and VP suites can be relatively reasonable with KSF promotions. 

Icon is curiously relatively limited on 5+ cabins with only the family cabin or connection cabins as options. 

Oasis has GT suites plus the aforementioned "ultra spacious (fka family rooms) staterooms 1A (balcony) 1k (oceanview) or 1R (interior) there are also some junior suites and balconies on certain ships that will allow 5 guests (see e.g. Oasis 8626 or 8714) but they are limited and I have never actually heard of someone successfully booking 5 people into them.  Then obviously there are two connecting rooms.  Note that many connecting rooms are only 2 person rooms so you will need to work with a TA to actually get a connecting 2 room and 3 room. 

Quantum is very limited with pretty much just GT suites and the ultra-expensive suites or connecting rooms.  Certain ships have a 3-room "Junior suite" block which is really an interior, balcony and junior suite all off of its own little corridor but that is probably overkill for a family of 5.

Freedom and Navigator have the VP suite and GT suites plus 1K and 1R (but no 1As)  

We played this game a bit in the rumors section during the phase 2 deployment.  Wonder is rumored to be shifting to 3-4 day like Utopia leaving Symphony to shift up to Bayonne.  It is also worth nothing that an Oasis class ship is usually only there during the summer. Shoulder season usually sees a Spectrum class ship, mostly likely Odyssey running the Bayonne-South Route.  If I were betting I would Expect Odyssey/Symphony for the NJ south routes, Liberty for Bermuda/New England and one other voyager class to run an additional leaf peeper.  Shot in the dark but I'll say Voyager.

Budget and needs will play a big part here, as will timing.  You say you are flexible but some of the options are in very low supply and sell out during  schedule deployment.  

We regularly travel with multi-generational (i.e. 2-4 grandparents, 2 parents 2-3 kids).  The GT/OT/A1/A2 suites would all be great options for you provided you dont mind sharing what will still be a relatively small space.  It's definitely doable, but your mother would probably end up on the pull-out couch and would not really have her "own space."   However, everyone would get suite benefits (or Star benefits if you are in A1/A2).

3 connecting rooms will be cheaper and end up giving you more individual space.  2 Rooms could be possible and will give you the best bang for the buck but will be...cozy. 

One of the "family style" rooms is of limited benefit to you unless one or more of the grandparents want to share an (admittedly larger) space with your immediate family. 

I would recommend setting an overall budget (and also checking individual budgets of anyone involved, if applicable) and then pick a ship based upon what it important to your family.

With a similar crowd we have tried: One GT + 1bedroom balcony on a voyager class (this actually worked great but only because the suite concierge gave my in-laws suite perks) One GS with a connecting balcony on Oasis (again worked because we put kids in the connecting room and therefore no one really missed out on perks).  We had an A2 booked but it was a COVID casualty but we had a chance to view the A2 and it definitely had the space for 7.

We have a cruise coming up with a GT + GS on another Oasis class.  They are side-by side and should be able to connect through the balcony

We have stayed at the Home2 Suites in Dania Beach twice both times with a crew of 7.  First time in 20 (before the dark times) it was great, listed airport shuttle on their website, called and they picked us up.  Free breakfast and walking distance to kmart for last minute supplies that we did not want to pack (aka diapers) and some restaurants close by.  We booked a van to take us to/from the port, it was about 100 round trip (to the port, port to airport) Uber would have been cheaper but I like the certainty of knowing someone will pick you up at a specific time.  The extra $20 is worth the piece of mind. 

Second time no airport shuttle was listed but I called and they said they had one available.  When our flight go delayed I called to let them know and was informed it only ran until a certain time (I believe 11)  it ended up working out but caused a lot of stress.  The hotel was also in rougher shape, the free breakfast was mediocre and half of the restaurants were gone (as was the kmart).  Booked a van again that worked fine.

 

It should show up on your account as a 0.00 charge at whatever bar you visited, it does not reflect how many vouchers remain.  Many of the bartenders are good about telling you how many you have left and they will certainly tell you if you ask.

Step 1: book double occupancy rooms as BigKarl/BigKarli

Step 2: go through security, do a u-turn and go through security again with a wig as Karli

Step 3: rinse/repeat for 80 cruise points

Step 4: collect your drink vouchers

It is definitely okay in the US.  RCL permits minors in their own room as long as it is immediately adjacent or across the hall so I cannot imagine a scenario where being in a room with a grandparent would be a problem. At absolute worst the grandparents might need a notarized letter from the parents permitting the travel (you can find the form here) but that is really only if the children are "not traveling with parents."  That is not the case here, where, as you say, you are traveling with them, they are simply in a different room.  With that said, and understanding some people look to check the wrong boxes, or there is always a risk at being separated, it might not be a horrible idea  to have the notarized letter ahead of time, just as a backup.

I'm more confused by the concept that RCL is apologizing for a "last minute change" which is made 10 months in advance.  Not to minimize OP's concerns but I do not think of something almost a year away as last minute.

The reporting on RCL speaking to Meyer Werft is new info I think? Though the source of that information is conspicuous in its absence.  I have no frame of reference as to whether Schiffe and Kruzharten news is a reliable source of information of German Cruise News.

The last RCL Meyer Werft delivery was Oddyssey I think? Pretty sure they handled all of the Quantum class deliveries if memory serves.

Welcome to the forums, I am unfortunately not joining you, but just happy to see I am no longer the latest roll call for symphony (we're sailing 1/26/25)

Email back the suite concierge with your show preferences letting them know that you "tried to pre-book but everything was sold out.  We were really hoping to go to the following shows and times..." I expect they will take care of you and its one less thing to worry about onboard.

As for the suite lounge, I believe most Oasis class ships have wine/beer/water available 11-11 with a full happy hour bar 5-8.  You should get an email from the concierge detailing the privileges.  If you are really curious to confirm you can include it with your email back to them.  

Similar experience, we frequently travel with extended family and have young ones that our extended family (graciously) help watch after bedtime.  We also tend to prefer suites when possible.  This leads to a scenario where only certain rooms can really serve our preferences perfectly so we book far in advance. In the past we had difficulty adding even a newborn to a reservation after the fact due to timing and (we assume) muster limitations.  That cruise ended up being a COVID casualty so it ultimately did not matter.

More recently we were planning for a cruise (Jan 2025) where we anticipate having a 1 year old.  When making the reservation we worked with MEI and agreed the best solution was to place a reservation for the yet-unborn infant.  Currently the reservation is under the name of "Place Holder [Last Name]."  Once we have name and birthdate we will swap in the new identifiers.  Obviously for people booking more than 9 months out situations can change but I would recommend always adjusting your reservation ASAP because there can be situations where your room may not be able to accommodate additional people even if the stateroom theoretically has the space.  

As an aside, my wife has already vetoed naming the kid "Place Holder." 

I will defer to the reliable sources but my understanding is that the official line is that itineraries are released throughout the week, not necessarily all at once.

Assuming Wonder is 3/4 that likely means we're looking at Odyssey (winter) and Symphony (Summer) again for Port Liberty.  Just through basic process of elimination.  

I dont ever recall filet at Barefoot but I could believe it.  Barefoot was definitely an improvement over the general labadee buffett.  I do recall a steak option, probably a sirloin or maybe the classic strip.  I believe that was still there in Dec last year.  With that said, I do feel like it was slightly diminished compared to pre-covid. Then again we wandered by the regular buffet as well and that seemed similarly lessened as well.  

The Barefoot buffet is definitely a bit nicer but neither the regular Labadee buffet nor the Barefoot buffet really even match the quality of the PDCC offerings at this point.  

When reached for comment the guest registered to the room could not locate their tongue leading the biosecurity inspectors to believe it was still with the cat.

Sorry for the late reply with this, been busy with work.  

We have done CK with 2 toddlers/preschoolers (18mo and ~4yo) The staff are absolutely fine with the kids, many are great.  As many know, a lot of the staff are away from their families and there are not a ton of super-young children on board so they seem to enjoy engaging with the young kids/babies.  This is more so for CK/suite lounge since there are less overall guests in/out of those venues and there is, as evidenced by this question, some hesitancy to bring kids into this slightly more formal environment. 

You will have to gauge how well the youngest will do with a ~90 minute meal and make sure you are getting reservations that work with their nap/bedtime schedules (do not forget to account for time changes).  Kids lose patience fast, there is a reason why so many families end up in the WJ, dinner can be 20 minutes instead of 90.  As long as they can sit still for 90 minutes, it should not be a problem.  If they are getting up and disturbing other guests I do not think you will be thrown out, but you will need to make the decision about whether you are being courteous to other guests.  If you would take them to the MDR or even a quiet restaurant at home they should be fine in CK.   

We had trouble (with the kids, not the staff, they were great) on a few nights that resolved itself, usually with generous application of chocolate cake.  We did have one night when my wife gave up and took both to the carousel.  When the food came they had prepped it in room service plates for us and I brought it back to the room and we finished later.  Ideal? no, but its your vacation too.  Try to work with the kids ahead of time to prep them what to expect for a longer more formal dinner and I bet you can have a great night.  Just remember to be flexible if its going poorly.

We have a 2025 cruise scheduled and we plan to go to CK with a (godwilling) 1yo, 3 yo and ~6yo (plus grandparents, that helps too).  

Drop off service for your reserved timeslots.  When on ship they give you a phone they can call you on if there is an issue.  

As a caveat: I am not licensed in California.  I am an attorney but this does not constitute legal advice nor has any attorney-client relationship been formed.

For right now, definitely document everything and make copies.  If you can avoid it, do not use the FCC.  It is unlikely to constitute a settlement and release of liability but that does not mean someone will not try to make that argument later on.  

As mentioned above, the cruise contract is the first place to look to see limitations on liability and forum selection clauses. For example, RCL requires Federal Court in Miami unless the Federal court lacks jurisdiction in which case it has to be another court in Miami-Dade .  Certain claims also need to go to Arbitration.  From what you are saying it sounds like involved line here requires any and all claims to be brought in LA.  You may want to also check if there is a time limit for claims to be brought in court or for written notice to be sent.  Make sure you comply with those provisions and do not assume that the preparation of a report onboard constitutes the required notice of claim.

As for what you can get, it sounds like you have the goodwill answer already. As a very general proposition you will need to show that the olive pit was carelessly left in the food, that it was not reasonable for the pit to remain in the food, and that it actually caused the injury.  From there the reasonable costs to repair the injury and pain and suffering should theoretically be compensable.

As many have said, its probably best to consult with an attorney (probably a CA-licensed one from the sounds of it).  With that said, involving an attorney is likely to turn the process adversarial quickly so it might be worth evaluating what sort of relationship you want to have with that particular cruise line.  I broke my hand in CocoCay last year, two surgeries, $50,000(mostly paid by insurance) and a year of OT later my hand still is not the same.  Could I have asserted a claim? Sure, but I plan to sail a lot more with RCL and it was not worth it for me.  If you are actually going to be out of pocket 14k or do not care about your relationship with that line, the math might add up different.

Our only successful bid (ironically a min bid) came in 3 days before embarkation.  I had to reprint luggage tags, all the welcome letters in the room were addressed to the old reservation holders, and our special requests were sent to our old room.

We also found some pre-purchased materials (thrill island) were not properly transferred with the reservation.

Not complaining, we appreciated the upgrade, just something to anticipate if you get a last minute royal-up.

Did the separate vegan menu get scrapped when MDR rolled out the new menus this year?  I saw mixed reports of people still being able to get it but that seemed to be during the roll out and I am not sure I ever saw a clear answer.  From OP and Healthy Life's post I have to imagine it is no longer an option?

Years ago we had a Greece and Turkey cruise booked and then Turkey became unstable and RCL swapped in Montenegro.  At that time we were disappointed but Montenegro ended up being a fantastic port visit that we never would have visited otherwise.  

It is unfortunate now but if you are truly trying to visit a bucket-list location a cruise probably is not the way to do it.  Port stops are missed for any number of reasons including political unrest to weather to port-worker strikes.  With that said, if you were visiting Israel directly at the moment (flying in, touring/hotel stays) you would probably have a different host of issues to deal with.

Cruises are, unfortunately, changeable.  If you really really want to cruise through Israel, maybe plan to cruise from Haifa, the Rhapsody cruises that were cancelled did get refunds.