ChessE4

Yes, since you are only a few months out, prices can rise.   In particular, there are a limited number of connecting rooms (more adjacent rooms, which could work for balconies).  Right now there has been a surge in demand.  I would stick with the ocean view, myself, as there are plenty of places on the ship to look outside.  I like the space of balcony rooms but find I don't actually spend much time on the balcony.

The contrast effect makes a big difference -- has been studied by psychologists since the 1920s.  So when you know you are on an older ship, you do need to refocus your expectations.  That's no excuse for poor service, but experienced cruisers have learned to ask for a supervisor.  Sounds like you tried that at least once.  I actually prefer the shows on smaller ships - more singing and dancing.  I agree that MTD often doesn't work the way it is supposed to, which is why we request traditional dining.  It locks in our dinner time.  There are always some ports that are less appealing than others, which is why some preparation is helpful when visiting a new country.  I find that I can always learn something special about a new culture.  I hope your next vacation, whatever you choose to do, is more enjoyable.  I appreciate your effort in reporting your experience.  

The Amazing Secret River is a walk/ swim through cavern. Requires ferry ride. My son enjoyed horseback riding on Cozumel Island.

31 minutes ago, jbrinkm said:

Do you know of any reputable source that lays out (specifically, in detail) what we should look for in a plan, and how much coverage in certain areas would be good for different situations? I'd love to see someone lay out the different categories of coverage with commentary or advice on what range of coverage would work well for different scenarios!

The sources depend upon such factors as where you are going and your risk factors (age, health).  We sometimes use the cheap Royal/AON policy when we are in popular destinations for which evacuation costs aren't prohibitive.  However, we went overboard on a policy with Allianz for the South Pacific next year (a different cruise line), as we will be in remote areas; travel agents there recommend higher health coverage than the typical house policy provides.  So you can Google numerous references but keep your own risk factors and the destination in mind.

2 minutes ago, Raven said:

Hi!  So we are very excited to go on the Allure out of Galveston on 8/13/23.  I carefully marked my calendar for the check in date which was 6/29.  After listening to Matt, I knew that I could check in at 10pm on the 28th which I did so I could get the earliest time.   Technically it was 10:05pm, but the earliest check in  time available was 11:00 am.  What happened to 10:30? Did I miss it?  I want to be one of the first on board.  

 

Also when does scheduling for the entertainment open up on the planner?  I want to be fully prepared, booked and ready for our vacation! 

Thank you

Galveston ran late when we sailed in December.  I wouldn't worry too much; 11 AM is good....

12 hours ago, CruiseMommyOf3 said:

Hi! I wanted to buy that Coffee Card on Anthem of the Seas. So far, I didn't see any sales on it compared to drink packages but I do see someone mentioned on Black Friday... anyone ever had a discount other than on Black Friday? Is that a usual thing? How many kinds on sizes is there? I haven't seen any menu on the app for my sail. If I buy one pre-cruise, is there an option to buy another one on the ship? I would really want to know the prices of coffees... I'm a coffee person mostly lol

Never seen card on sale. Caps or lattes in December about $5 with 1 punch for a single and 2 for double, etc. So the most savings is if you get a single espresso shot. 15 shots per card buys 7+ doubles for me which might save 10%. You can get different sized cups if you want extra milk or foam. You can get coffee instead of espresso, too. But they have free coffee elsewhere.

5 hours ago, ckruetze said:

I read all the topics about tipping on Royal Caribbean so I figured out I need a bunch of 1 dollar bills for my Mediterranean cruise next month.

Being from Europe I don't have that many US-dollar. So for my next cruise I ordered some.

 

I ordered them from my bank and yesterday they got delivered.
And now the problem. I will be flying to the Cruise port with 100 x 1 dollar bills. They are all freshly printed, unused and most importantly sequentially numbered. How on earth would I convince anybody that I didn't print them myself?

 

Not really a serious question, more a funny story (and even more funny if somebody checks the money)

Easy, no one counterfeits $1 bills.   Now US forever stamps are a different matter.....Foreign counterfeits abound.

If you mean Coco Cay, you don't need an excursion; just enjoy the beach and free amenities.  Thrill Park is pretty expensive, but there are moderately priced rentals for water activities on the beach.  If Bahamas is Nassau, a ten year-old might like the pirate museum, which is walkable from the ship.  There is some shopping downtown, but Nassau isn't the favorite port for most cruisers.  Some splurge for a resort day pass to get to a nicer beach.  We've tried a snorkeling excursion.  At St Thomas, my young son liked an excursion that included an undersea boat experience coupled with a private zoo.  There are also beach excursions there, and some folks like shopping.  Haven't been to Nevis/St.Kitts.  Try looking at travel videos?!

On the ship remember ice show reservations, right? We enjoyed hanging out by Boleros for music or dancing last year.

17 hours ago, Erin A said:

Is the additional dining option worth it? I am traveling with my husband and our 2 children (17 & 20) plus their friends. 

If you want to try the specialty dining, I'd suggest a single lunch you can book in Cruise Planner.  You would be able to book your time in advance rather than waiting until you are on the ship, which is always a hassle day 1.  Then I'd put the other $$ into excursions.  We have had great lunches at Chops and Jamie's at about one-half the price of dinner.  We have always enjoyed the meals at MDR except for excessive waiting with My Time Dining.  However, we haven't tried the new menu yet.  

I don't think $40 is fair. At that price there should be booze....At 20 I was underwhelmed with my Harmony experience.

Sorry about your experience. My son had a Baltic cruise a year ago, and Air2Sea immediately fixed a travel day snafu caused by the airline. Most airlines still don't have a good track record. Hope your next cruise is smoother.

He/she could order 2 birth certificates so one can be used while the other is attached to passport application.

We didn't authorize our son to charge his SeaPass until he was in high school.  At that point he roamed the ship with his friends and only saw us for meals.  When he was younger, he was usually with us or Adventure Ocean.  We tried arcade prepaid access once, but we couldn't get it to work.  And he had a soda card, so he could get drinks on his own when needed.

28 minutes ago, FSUFAN said:

On the Quantum I picked up my card at the La Patisserie.

I'm normally a regular coffee drinker and I have 2 cups and I am done. I used about 8 of the 15 as I realized the daily Coffee Latte (times 2) was just too rich for me. 

The iced lattes aren't so rich. I liked the Caribbean Coconut but was charged two punches.

You can check periodically. Do also check reviews because this isn't the real excursion in travel videos but a local reconstruction.

When Royal lost my wife's suitcase, we looked up executive emails at another site and made persistent contact. We provided receipts for gifts and clothes. In the end we got about 200 plus Allianz insurance. This blog has published CEO email.

On Allure I went to Cafe Promenade. Barista checked her list and issued the card.

We've seen 1100 to 1200 when we check in next AM. But ship may not load until 11, so arrive 15 min early and you are good. I think it varies by port and other circumstances.

19 hours ago, Cassandra C said:

Hi! 

 

We booked a cruise in July for our honeymoon. Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean does anything special/complimentary for celebrating an occasion like that?

You might have a chance for the Love and Marriage Show, or whatever they call it now.  They take the most recently married couple who volunteers as one of three couples.  Sometimes it's someone who got married on the ship or  close to the day of embarkation.  Whatever the outcome, congratulations! (and don't climb the balconies....)

19 minutes ago, Geronimo said:

So…it looks like a potential 1-2 punch of storms are headed towards the Caribbean. My wife and I are going on our first cruise on Mariner in 18 days. We are west coasters who deal with wildfires and snowstorms, not hurricanes. 
 

Help me with pointers to be ready for these storms and their potential impact on us!  A little freaking out is happening right now!!  Any pointers will be appreciated!

 

Thank you fellow Bloggers!!

Consider travel insurance, as with any expensive vacation.  Try not to worry.  If the storm pass through your destination ports before the cruise, you may find the beaches are cleaner and nicer.  We loved Coco Cay when our cruise arrived there a few days after a major storm.

The ship I'm on is always the best. There are tradeoffs on everything else. I do believe crew performance and itinerary make the most difference.

While we choose our room, we've had situations when we had noise, so looking at deck plans is important. We survived the noise. Wife says my snoring was worse...

On Oasis class we found we wanted to avoid the acqua show the first night due to frequent cancellations and general confusion Day 1.

And it begs the question of whether the Internet is worth it (excluding those who work from ship).