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And don't overlook luggage loss by ship or your own pre-cruise health issue that would force cancellation.

6 hours ago, Macfoot said:

Just wondering if anyone can help as  this is our first time cruising  

is there a kettle in your room so that you can have your 1st cup of tea or coffee in the morning? 
if no what do people do for that first cup to get you going in the morning 
thanks 

Junior suite or higher will have coffee machine of sorts. So new cruisers will trek to Windjammer or coffee shop on promenade or order room service. Ships vary in sources--location/size. Check deck plans for your ship. Usually it's hard to get coffee before 6 am. Cruise Compass will have hours of operation. See link at top of page.

During covid the net was we rebooked at a higher price even with extra credit. This year our 24 Hawaii cruise was cancelled and all we were offered was 50 OBC. The other options didn't work. Last minute cancellations are the worse because of fare increases since original booking. PS. Our travel insurance was rolled over to new dates by Allianz.

While I enjoy the math, I am more concerned with final price. We book in advance, and if refundable is a fair/good price, we get it. Sometimes our TA gives us a good nonrefundable rate, and we take it, too. Example: a balcony room at base price of 100 per night per person rather than 150 is a good deal for us. This is a smaller ship but has the itinerary we want.

4 hours ago, TXcruzer said:

Spectrum of the Seas is sailing in southeast Asia. The information about birth certificates is not applicable. The information equating the passport photos to check in pictures is also not applicable.

I DO NOT have the answer to the OP question, butI  encourage them to contact the proper channels so as not to have a disappointing result. 

My assumption is that the 2 passport photo requirement is valid and the photos will be needed for applicable Visas in the region, and without them there may be trouble.  

Again, i can't say for certain, but this could potentially be a big deal.

 

Another cruise site discusses an upcoming Spectrum cruise from Asia that suggests bringing a copy of your passport because the original is given to Royal staff on embarkation.  Taking extra passport photos in case Royal loses the passport is a possibility for the extra-cautios, but that would be a personal choice rather than a requirement.  Visa requirements vary by destination and cruiser's citizenship, but the one I looked at didn't have extra visa requirements.  In general, the replies previously posted are valid for most travelers.  You are correct that we don't the OP's citizenship so we all gave general replies based on our experience. But that goes for most comments on this forum....

This is just a heads-up that I recently booked a car rental online through AAA for a Thrifty vehicle, and Thrifty didn't honor the reservation price at check-in.  I had to pay an inflated price with no discount. Since many cruisers use car rentals to get to ports or sight-see, I thought I'd post this warning.  I don't believe I did anything wrong in making my reservation, but in the future, I will work directly with whichever rental provider I choose.  Thrifty claims the problem is "3rd parties".

Keep in mind this isn't the authentic island pig experience (it's another island in the Bahamas) but something Royal arranged to mirror the real experience well documented in travel videos.

2 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I haven't uploaded a check-in photo since the restart.  It takes maybe 5 seconds for them to snap a picture when boarding.  It's not worth the hassle of doing it yourself.

Agree, my selfies always seem to add 10 years to my face!

On 8/17/2023 at 1:41 PM, CruiseMsclDad said:

Do you guys lock your checked luggage? I mean with TSA approved locks. On other boards it seems there was a lot of negativity about locking your luggage? Just asking because I pack a ton, so just curious about the pros and cons?

Thanks, Mitch.

The greater threat is the loss of the suitcase, hence some type of travel insurance.  Also, we walk off at disembarkation now.

If your luggage can get on a plane, it can get on the cruise ship.  We try to keep each suitcase to 50 lbs or less, but that is for air travel.

The photo you upload at 45 day check in can be done with the phone App or at the port when you board.  It's all digital for their on-board scanning system.  

My wife had a VPN issue with the App on her phone.  That is only thing that was a problem last cruise. No website issues recently.

On 8/13/2023 at 1:38 AM, amanalo217 said:

@Cruisingmama Depending on the specialty coffee you're looking for one option for you is the coffee machine in the diamond lounge for disembarkation day.

This was shut down my last two cruises Nov and Dec 2022.  I had a coffee card so I used that instead of Diamond Lounge

1 hour ago, WAYNO said:

Again, we have different experiences.  Snacks are mentioned, but I only see them during happy hour.  The rest of the day or night, there is coffee and water, and nothing else.  And when the coffee machine malfunctions, there is only water.

And my most recent experiences are on Symphony and Navigator. 

On my three cruises last year I saw continental breakfast in the AM followed by fruit/cookies around lunchtime and then appetizers at happy hour.

I have found the DL on smaller ships (deck 6 aft) crowded at happy hour and occasionally in the AM, but for the most part I had no problem getting a quiet cup of cappuccino or coffee.  The coffee machine does break down, however, as you noted.

2 hours ago, CruiseMsclDad said:

There is a sea shell ban? I have never been asked, when did this start?

You can buy seashells in gift shops and bring them back, for the most part (save receipts).  You are not supposed to remove shells, etc. from beaches.  I tend to buy stuff in US possessions/states rather than foreign countries just to make sure they are approved by customs.  Having said all of that, years ago I used to bring back "dead" shells and coral for office gifts.  That is a no-no today.  Too much illegal harvesting of live coral out there.....

Been to Cozumel at least 4 times and consider it safe as long as you stay out of jewelry stores! We haven't tried the trolley, but many excursion companies require waivers. That in itself should not be a concern. Enjoy your cruise!

Charging for Sorrentos would be the beginning of the end for me. It would be like charging extra for dessert. Now I eat pizza on a cruise once per week, but on principle I'd oppose the charge.

Not sure about how nuclear-powered cruise ships would be regulated, e.g., inspected and certified.  Not sure cruise lines want to go there -- bad enough to keep up with health issues, CDC, and so forth.  But some day it could come to pass...

150 is supposed to be fancier, but as dining attire has become more casual, I don't think it can make that claim anymore.  We enjoyed our dinner on the Harmony but you need the right seating to truly enjoy the ambience.

it varies with length of cruise and itinerary, but typically night 2 (sea day) of seven-night cruise and then again about night 6.  Check Cruise Compass at link at top of browser and search for similar itinerary for Allure.

i don't see it on the deck plans, but it's been several months since our trip on Vision.  Doubtful.  Maybe someone on it now can answer.  On cruise compass no mention of it.

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Wait so the D+ free days show up as a credit on app? We don't have to visit the wifi desk? 

And does the 48 hours start counting from when you activate the credit or does it go by the calendar date?

And the plan would be to stack all 8 days for one person. That way we just have to pre-purchase a 2 or 3 device plan.

When I used it the benefit started when I signed in, I used App, and when I selected internet I was asked if I wanted to use my benefit.  I gave my password to family member when I was done. So it is a 24 or 48 hour clock from when you start. We typically start at noon to overlap days when checking with catsitter.

5 hours ago, Macfoot said:

Hi we are going on our first ever cruise in September around the Greek islands and I am just wondering are we able to book entertainment for the evening via the cruise app or does this have to be booked on board only ? 

It depends on ship. Smaller ships don't pre book shows. When you do need to pre book you can use app but I prefer laptop with cruise planner.  On ship you can try for better times as they release reservations 15 min before shows. PS. Just saw you meant odyssey.

Forget average since sample is biased. Do what you want. Anything extra is appreciated. Cruisers come from many cultures and lifestyles.

Prepaying gratuities protects you from future increases. When booking far in advance, that can be a small savings. But travel insurance premium might go up if gratuities take you over a boundary. Hence, it may be a wash. My time dining has pros and cons. Main con is reservation time isn't guaranteed. We prefer traditional dining for that reason, having tried both.