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2 hours ago, Skid said:

I had saved this picture a while back because it was the most unique I have ever seen. I'm sorry I don't remember who originally posted it to give them credit. Imagine walking into your cabin after a few drinks and seeing this!

What is the best towel animal/sculpture you have gotten or seen?

I enjoy the bats or monkeys hanging from the ceiling with my "lost" sunglasses!

1 hour ago, VinceC said:

Well I will have a $250 OBC that will be available and I need ideas of what to spend it on....

I have excursions paid for, I have 3 nights of specialty restaurants paid for, I have Deluxe Drink Package & Internet paid for.

What else could I treat myself to?  No into SPAS....

 

You might want to check whether it is refundable or not.  If refundable, you don't need to spend it on this cruise (I am always thinking of the next one!).  To spend it now, the other suggestions have been good. Personally, I like Matt's idea of shore excursions.

19 hours ago, BeckyH said:

I live near Houston and am retired.  Is there any type of list you can join to be contacted...like the day before...when a ship is set to sail with empty cabins and sail cheap?  I would only need a few hours notice.  Thanks in advance

I would look also for the "off-season", which Matt mentions in his videos.  Those sailings may not be sold out, so there is more likely to be a 'sale" price.  I have noticed that Galveston is a little cheaper than Port Canaveral, so some of your savings may already be "baked in".    The Crown & Anchor Society and the RCCL website both provide information on special deals, but only you can judge if they are special enough.  From my perspective, anytime the posted price is less than $100 per night for an inside stateroom (less than $700 for a 7 night cruise), you are getting a good value.That is, the value of the room, food, entertainment, port calls, and other amenities will be less than a standard hotel/resort vacation.  Just my opinion.  Hope you are able to find a great cruise that meets your needs!

Update:  I forgot to mention you can check old cruise compasses for show times.  For example, in a recent June trip there was a 9:30 Movie at the Aqua Theater on Day 1.   Have a great cruise!

9 hours ago, KimS said:

Whelp, 21 more days for our 1st Symphony of the Seas & really looking forward to it. Got the Grand Suite, know there’s “hopefully “ movies in there!  Haven’t seen any movie theaters on the ship?  Know about all the live stuff, just wanna know if there’s any actual movie theaters on Symphony?

As always Thanks

KimS

Here is the link to the deck plans for the Symphony.  We always do a little research on our ship before the cruise.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/symphony-of-the-seas/deck-plans/1856/03

There have been other discussions about outside movie screens (Aqua Theater)  vs. the small inside cinemas on Radiance class ships.

51 minutes ago, princevaliantus said:

But what would you do if you found an itinerary that is never offered on Royal but it's offered on another cruise line? Do you switch for the  moment or do you sob and miss out on the awesome itinerary? 

I think you go with the itinerary.  We really want to see French Polynesia, and the only practical way is with a smaller vessel, so we are looking at other cruise lines.  The Royal itineraries don't visit enough ports there (e.g., they are relocation itineraries).

9 minutes ago, FManke said:

The MDR must have been a circus that night!

And it occurred to me that P&O may still have the "midnight buffet"....

I am not tracking how the ship's dining room would be occupied in the wee hours of the morning (Friday).  Is anyone else puzzled?

2 hours ago, RickinSTL said:

I was just diagnosed with PCE.. as of right now I’m unable to travel. The doctor said it may get better in the next 43 days, I have a follow up appointment on September 8th with Doctor HOTS . please help me through these trying times.. Pre Cruise Excitement is a disease lol

Entonces, hasta Septiembre!  I am also counting the days until the 8th, but there is only so many times I can re-read old cruise compasses to optimize our calendar/schedule, which will inevitably change on the ship.

11 hours ago, KathyC said:

Does St. Martin have set taxi rates to take you to the tourist spots or is it something you are expected to haggle?  

The water taxi is a fixed price.  Don't know about the automobiles, but someone here surely has that info.

46 minutes ago, Biff215 said:

Is Columbus appropriate/good for kids?  We're sailing on Harmony next week.  Thanks in advance!

Yes, it's "ok" (not bad for kids), but it has a strange plot, and it is mostly musical numbers (obviously).  So depending upon the age of the kids, it may not be that interesting.   It does have a surprise ending, but I found the most impressive part was the ship itself.    As an adult, I would say I don't need to see it twice.  So I will skip it on my next Harmony cruise. 

I think the ice shows are probably more interesting to kids, as well as the 2nd aqua show at the end of the cruise (no reservations).

1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Ok something very, very strange just happened. I was Platinum and have been. Haven't been on any cruise, next cruise is Sept. 5 nights on Anthem and another booked on Oasis 7 nights in May 2020. Somehow I gained points and moved up in the C&A program. Anyone else find this strange or had this happen to them because I'm super confused but yes happy. 

We haven't had that experience--gaining points.   We "lost" a point once, and when we complained, we were told it was the result of an audit (it went back to the loyalty program conversion).  There have been posts here about records being messed up, so it is also possible there was a mistake.  I hope it all works out in your favor, and enjoy your next cruise.

12 minutes ago, Rick and Eric said:

We are going on The Ovation of the Seas April, 20, 2020 out of Sydney for 18 nights. Does anyone know how many formal nights there will be and on what nights?

We had 3 formal nights on a 14 night NZ-Australia cruise in 2018, so that would be my guess.  But I haven't been on the cruise you've selected, so standby for comments from others.  Have a great cruise....

19 hours ago, ashley said:

my husband and i are planning on buying the soda package. I seen on other blogs that when your on port you don't really use it. Is there anyway that we can take the soda package on port days as well? maybe areas that are still connected to RC?

@WAAAYTOOO is correct, but the advantage I see to foreign ports is the ability to try a local beverage, whether alcoholic or not.  I've always found myself returning to the ship at a decent hour to enjoy the perks of my purchased packages.  Enjoy!

14 hours ago, JLMoran said:

And breakfast, too!

@JLMoran has a great point about breakfast, because the WJ can get crowded quickly, especially on the Harmony.  We really enjoyed breakfast in the Solarium.

12 hours ago, kittysoul said:

I have never seen any Mayan ruins before and so I am sure I will be impressed... I like that at Tulum excursion, i can fit in some beach time too!

As I recall, the hike down to the beach occurs toward the end of the tour.  Some people on the bus wore swimsuits with cover ups/shorts so they could quickly get some water in the time remaining after seeing the ruins.  I don't know how it is being run today, but that was my experience.

3 hours ago, kittysoul said:

Has anyone done both of these?  Are they near each other?    I am leaning towards the one with beach time but my son will want as much history and adventure as possible lol

I would go to Tulum.  I believe the best way to see Chichen Itza is through a land vacation, which is on my bucket list.  I enjoyed Tulum, but it was hot (June), so plan on lots of bottled water. 

1 hour ago, foxrunner said:

We will be sailing on Allure on December 29, 2019 and just received the dreaded email that because of the propulsion problems, we will no longer be going to Roatan.  We were going to snorkel there, and it was, truthfully, the reason we chose this ship and itinerary.  We will now be going to Nassau instead.  We will also still be stopping at Cozumel and Costa Maya. We are traveling with our two sons, ages 17 and 20 and as a family our priorities are snorkeling, zip lining in the jungle and visiting Maya ruins.  Right now we have a reservation for Xplor adventure park when we are in Cozumel. This would check off our zip line activity.  But we are wondering if we should snorkel in Cozumel instead.  We also have booked a visit to Maya ruins in Costa Maya.  This is our first cruise as a family, and we are a little confused about what to do now.  Any ideas on where to snorkel, zip line and view ruins would be appreciated.  Also, any ideas about Nassau excursions, not shopping, would be appreciated.

 

At Costa Maya, we have visited the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben and enjoyed it very much.  I was too old to snorkel at Cozumel, but we had a great time at the Amazing Secret River, which involved taking the ferry to Playa del Carmen.  The tour is "wet" --- swimming/hiking through a cave system.  Have fun whatever you choose to do, but I love snorkeling whenever I can get the chance.

1 hour ago, Superman47 said:

Do I have ware a suit or can I ware Khakis and a dress shirt

You'll be fine (you'll be comfortable and you'll contribute to the ambience)  if you follow the advice of @JLMoran .  I wear a suit because it's left over from my days at work.  I mean, since I'm retired, I really wear out my shorts and khakis, so my business clothes are in better shape.   Have a great cruise!

10 hours ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

Hello, 

My BF and I are not huge beach people and don't like spending a TON of time on or near the sand... 

Does anyone have any suggestions for an excursion in St. Thomas? We thought about doing the Boss Underwater Adventure but that seems pricey...

There used to be an excursion through Royal going to St John's, which required a ferry ride.  I believe it involved doing volunteer work at the National Park.  Might be worth checking out...

We have also done the "tour" of the island by bus; it gives you some views and gift shops, but it's not very exciting.

9 hours ago, Kingk92 said:

Only 18 days until Harmony cruise. Any tips for the boat or must dos?

I was also wondering if there is any specialty restaurant we needed to go too? I got the drink package so I can indulge in the booze, but didn't get the dining package because I  want to eat the food I already paid for. 

Thanks!

The food in the MDR is excellent, but Matt's videos point out you don't need to limit yourself to just one entree.  You are able to sample, and don't forget lobster night!

I liked Sabor, but the menu is limited, and I was eating with a "voucher".  Chops was OK, but the tables for two seemed crammed together, so our dinner wasn't very romantic.   I find the single-meal prices high for the specialty restaurants, but the folks who really love them tend to order the unlimited dining package online at a sale price. To get away from the crowds at the Windjammer, you might try the Solarium or Johnny Rockets for breakfast.

For the ship itself, I strongly recommend catching a late afternoon or evening concert in Central Park.  That is my must-do for September.  I also intend to try more of the slides.  The zip line is very short -- it took more time to suit up than to go across, but it can be a real thrill.

Whatever you choose, have a great cruise. 

9 hours ago, Cool cruiser said:

hello we are new to this group. I know this is a very basic question that I should know the answer to. We were on the anthem years ago when you had to book all your main dining  room choices. We just want to do early seating in the same dining room every night. Do we have to make arrangements for this or is it like the other ships we have been on and it is all set up when you board. Thanks for the help. 

 

 

 

@tmp916 hit the nail on the head.  And If you are booking a new cruise, it is also possible that you won't get your first choice right away.  We book through a travel agent, and sometimes we are put on a waiting list for the traditional dining time we want.  The default seems to be My Time Dining, but if at first you don't get what you want, be persistent. Also remember to indicate to your agent or Royal whether you want a "group table" or a table by yourself.   Have a wonderful cruise.

4 hours ago, Pima1988 said:

@Zacharius  I tried to write antipasti but auto correct just kept changing it, so I decided to leave it alone.  Even now it keeps placing the red squiggly line.  

I laugh because we live in VA, but NJ/NY raised.  Proscuitto to us is pronounced proscuitte ---no O.  Calamari is pronounced Calamar, no I. Mannicotti, is mannicott, no I, and they are crepe shells. There is no such thing as sauce, it is gravy.  If you are a true Italian, you know that meatballs are made with multiple types of ground meat.  A true parmigiana is done on lone heat for hrs.  Christmas eve is 7 fishes.  You are also a pro at stuffed artichokes.

My husband and I are unique.  He is 50% Italian.  His mom was jewish.  I am 50% polish.  My kids were raised with all 3.  Lox and cream cheese smeared on an everything bagel or bialy is heaven for breakfast.  Kielbasa and sauerkraut for dinner on a summer night is perfection.  OBTW in the Polish world kielbasa is  actually called in my family kielbas.  My Mom is 100% polish, her folks were 1st generation.  Manicotti, bresciole, sausage and meatballs that has stewed for a day in the gravy makes them smile until that manicotti filled with 4 different cheeses hits their stomach like a 10 lb weight.

During the fall I do not make dinner on Sunday.  Instead, my coffee table is filled with sopressetto, prosciuitto, salami, cheese, olives, and home made focaccia, stuffed artichokes, and of course balsamic and olive oil while we watch football.  

Not trying to be offensive.  Just saying that most people that don't have that background will pronounce it in a  certain way, which as a society we accept as the norm.

Back on topic.

Thanks for the cultural note!  Not to disparage other cruise lines, but I saw a video from another line with a coffee card that spelled out "cappuccinos" instead of "cappuccini".  Now my Italian is really weak, but even I took notice....
 

1 hour ago, allardja said:

I searched on YouTube for tricks on how to pack my clothes while avoiding wrinkles.  I found a video that shows you how to wrap your clothes into a "burrito" so they all fold into each other and end up in a giant mound.  This avoid any wrinkles or creases.  Anyway - I'm wondering if I were to do this, would the airline or cruiseline unwrap it all looking for contraband?  I don't want to spend all the time making it perfect if it's going to get ripped to shreds and shoved back into my back.  

Thanks!!

Julie

Have you ever had a TSA inspection paper placed in your suitcase?   I have several times on business trips, but I was carrying a lot of teaching aids that could look funny on the X-ray.  If you can keep the odd items separate and easily accessible, I think you could go for it.  I am kind of intrigued by the idea you suggested...

3 hours ago, Pima1988 said:

Just got off this past weekend.  4th cruise with Royal in 3 yrs., 1st time on Adventure.

 

Day 2:  Sea Day 1st Formal night

I was shocked at how many people were really dressed up.  I would compare this to our Med cruise.  Usually on the Caribbean it is common to see people in open collared shirts and slacks.   I did not see one man in shorts.  

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your detailed summary!  Your observation about formal night is consistent with what I have observed, that most people dress nicely.