RG306

As generous as Royal is being about cancellations, airlines and hotels are not and insurance isn't covering it so many people like ourselves are out a fair amount of money if they don't cruise.  I'm more frustrated by the significant price drops on our sailing that are available to new bookings only.  It would be nice if Royal actually allowed us to upgrade or gave onboard credit for sailing.  We'll see what the upcoming weeks bring and will make a decision about our April sailing.

1 hour ago, KenCP said:

Canadian Government now saying we should avoid cruises all together.  They are not paying for the charter flight for the Princess Cruise ship departing California.  I have a feeling they will not be doing many more of these repatriations.  They will no longer be travel agents. 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ottawa-says-canadians-should-avoid-cruises-as-it-prepares-to-airlift/

This is what had my husband concerned and while we can easily cancel our cruise portion for FCC.  Westjet isn't allowing cancellation without penalty and loss of points redeemed.  We have some time so we're going to wait on making a decision. 

On 1/11/2020 at 12:25 PM, Lovestotravel said:

Did you use porters for embarkation and disembarkation?  I have read that they will help get through the chaos, but cost a fraction of the Key.  We will take any tips you have, as we are cruising for the first time in May with Freedom. 

We used porters on disembarkation and it made a world of difference. I think it may be that we had bad timing so there were too many people. I think we’ll show up early and leave early too. 

Has anyone purchased the Key on the Freedom? What was the experience like?
 

we were on the freedom last December and were a little disappointed because we didn’t utilize the ship much, we couldn’t get into the ice show at 45 minutes before, embarkation and disembarkation was pure chaos. I’m wondering if the key is worth it or if I save money since it is so port intensive and people can offer some tips? 

They had mini bottles on Symphony too (Not sure if they get replenished but there was also the shampoo/conditioner/body wash combo in the shower). However, I have very curly hair and between the ocean and pool there’s no way that would do the trick. Conditioner is very much needed. I find it easier to bring what I like than fight with my hair all week.

We paid almost double what we usually pay for our Florida flights in November (and they've gone up exponentially since) and cancelled Barcelona for the May 2020 because of the insane price points of flights.  

On 2/19/2019 at 1:50 PM, tiny260 said:

+1 on this, we had the same experience, loved the proximity to Central Park and it didn't seem like it was a long walk to any place.

+2 We loved Deck 8 on Oasis and booked deck 8 again on Symphony.  We have cabin 8190 which is supposed to be slightly larger at the end of the hump. 

11 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

You can't book on cruise planner, but when you board you can book a time for Laser Quest (and can also do standby for other times if you want to play more than once).

That’s not actually true. I just booked the escape room for our nov cruise. It popped up under activities 2 days after the entertainment was released in our case 

10 minutes ago, Lovestotravel said:

This sounds PERFECT.  Any suggestions on the best company to rent through for snorkeling on Bonaire?

Woodwind

On 7/2/2019 at 2:10 PM, Lovestotravel said:

Thanks for the tips!  These are great.  I have a document I am compiling with all of the helpful suggestions!  Right now I am trying to decide if we book all excursions through RC, or do them ourselves.  We have never cruised before, so a little nervous branching out on our own.  Feel a little safer using RC.  Is that good logic?  Or am I wasting money? 

The ABC islands are actually very easy to navigate and we never felt unsafe or like we didn’t have enough time to get back to the ship. If you’re using independent tour operators they are also dependent on cruisers for their income. They’re diligent about getting you back on time and protecting their reputations. 

In Aruba, we spent the morning at eagle beach (just took a bus there and back $5) and then in the afternoon booked a utv excursion with ABC tours which was sooo much fun! It was a highlight of the trip! 

In Bonaire, we did an island tour in the morning through Bonaire Vista tours. This allowed us to see parts of the island we never would have through the cruise line or on our own and it was great. Afterwards, we snorkelled with Woodwind which is just fabulous. If I was returning to Bonaire again I would likely just take a water taxi to Klein, lounge on the beach and snorkel on our own.

Finally in curaçao, we rented a car through Celestino at advanced car rental and this was probably my favourite island and way to spend the day. He gives you a gps, a very detailed map and recommendations and you’re off! I would 100% do this again! 

I really like the JW Marriott Marquis. We’re staying there again in November. The Intercontinental and the kimpton Epic are also very good. 

We always stay at the JW Marriott Marquis but have always gotten what we consider really good rates (under $200). 

There are a ton of properties, you just have to shop around and jump on a deal when you see one. 

I always keep a bag with me that has anything I might need before 8pm (swimsuit, change of clothes, my tsa bag with toiletries and meds). 

On 6/22/2019 at 3:54 PM, kmillman22 said:

Kelly's Landing has some fantastic Lobster Bisque, and Southport Raw Bar is a great place to sit outside on the marina (or inside).  Great burgers at Southport as well.  Both are located off of Cordova Road and SE 16th Street, just north of 17th Street 

We also enjoyed Southport - really laid back and good food!

On 6/13/2019 at 10:21 AM, ChessE4 said:

PS.  In the rare event your luggage is lost or delayed, it is helpful to retain receipts from any purchases you made just for the cruise.  Snap a picture of your luggage, too.  Along these lines, always pack spare underwear and top in your carry-on.  Should your luggage be delayed or lost on embarkation, RCI has a team that tracks it down with the ship or airline, and they gave us a "kit" that contained toiletries plus one free T-shirt.  Most of us forget to hold onto receipts for clothing or suitcases, so just a thought in conjunction with trip insurance. 

On this note, my hubby and I cross pack our bags: an outfit or two in the others luggage plus a change of clothes in our carryons just in case. It’s nice to be able to get by for a couple days. 

On 6/14/2019 at 7:03 PM, Skid said:

Wow---thanks to all for the great suggestions (and I'm not even the one who asked the question). We needed to book a pre-cruise hotel for May 2020 out of Port Everglades so just spent some time looking into this. We ended up booking the Renaissance for the craziest of reasons:

1. It was REALLY odd, but I actually looked it up on my cell phone earlier today and when I got home and looked on my computer, it was $30 more. Went back on my phone and it was still less expensive so I grabbed it. No clue why this happened, I looked again after booking and the same thing happened. I did not have to pay in advance and it's refundable until 3 days before.

2. Embassy Suites was out of our budget, but after all this time listening to @Lovetocruise2002 talk about La Bamba restaurant, someone please tell me we can walk there from the Renaissance!!

I really like the Renaissance. It’s a great location and I found it far less hectic the morning of the cruise compared to the embassy suites.

Easily walkable to lots of restaurants including La Bamba and shopping. I also have a soft spot for Gilbert’s burgers. 

25 minutes ago, DDaley said:

I just bought a set of Gonex off-brand compression packing cubes on Amazon and they come tomorrow so I will report back on quality.. 5 sizes + a laundry bag for $36. Couldn't be as good as the Eagle Creek brand but we'll see! I am trying to go to San Juan this summer for Freedom with only a 22" carry-on and a travel tote from Lo & Sons and am planning on packing (aside from clothing) a quick-dry beach towel, float, beach sheet, popup beach tent, cooler bag, reusable plastic bottles and beach bags and really think I can get it all to fit with my new cubes in action. Maybe a trial pack job is in order? 

In cubes name we pray, amen. 

I love my catalina tote from Lo & Sons!  It holds a lot and slides on to my roller carry on.  Good luck to you! I'm not sure I could ever travel with just a carryon, my need for copious amounts of conditioner and sunscreen requires checking luggage.

1 minute ago, Baked Alaska said:

Yep! Cancelled and rebooked yesterday! That made me happy happy!

Me too

On 4/11/2019 at 2:09 PM, Baked Alaska said:

Pull the trigger today on the Ultimate Dining Package $199/pp 7 nights or wait until tomorrow for the Unlimited Dining Package?

it's currently on sale for my sailing $175/pp

On 4/11/2019 at 2:09 PM, Baked Alaska said:

Pull the trigger today on the Ultimate Dining Package $199/pp 7 nights or wait until tomorrow for the Unlimited Dining Package?

it's currently on sale for my sailing $175/pp

Just wondering how you planned dining around entertainment?  Seems to me on the symphony it all starts around 8PM but ideally if we ate lunch at a speciality, we would dine between 7-8PM.  Would we be missing out?