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As we speak my son is on the Voyager in Copenhagen about to sail, and he booked everything with RCCL/Air2Sea. He was also set until the day of his US departure when the airline delayed his departing flight several hours, which would have led to a missed connection. When he found out, he called Air2Sea and was quickly rebooked for his connecting flight from Frankfort. No fuss at all. He arrived a day early in Copenhagen, which is usually recommended. (Had he flown a day later, he wouldn't have made the Copenhagen embarkation and would have been assisted in meeting the cruise at the next port.) He also had travel insurance with RCCL, although we usually use someone else. So my points are that Air2Sea worked out smoothly despite a last minute airline snafu, and travel to embarkation port a day early to avoid missing anything.

Congrats on selecting a cruise to the Canaries! We sailed there in 2015. We found Lanzarote to be a great place to go to the beach, had a nice lunch at a local restaurant at our expense for an excursion that was essentially a bus ride to and from the beach narrated by a British ex-pat. It was fun! At Tenerife, we took an excursion to the volcano/national park, and my memory is that they only made one bathroom stop along the way, if that matters to anyone. Gran Canaria was pretty, and we took an excursion to a local farm (finca) where wine-tasting was a real treat. We also stopped at a small fishing village. Loved the matriarch who hosted the event! No trip to Madeira is complete without the tabogan ride down the hill! I have to say that Vigo and La Coruna weren't our most memorable ports, but at one (Vigo) we took a bus ride to the Portuguese border for "village shopping". Royal lost my wife's suitcase at the end of this trip, so I urge you to cross-pack with a companion and consider walking off the ship with your own luggage at disembarkation. Again, the Canaries are most interesting, and I find myself wishing to return. PS. For an American, sailing out of Southamption is a bit of a cultural adjustment (UK food in the MDR or performers we couldn't understand), but the itinerary was great. Our British table-mates helped us a lot. Have a great cruise!

It's what you pack in the suitcases that counts, so avoid the prohibited items (power strips, irons, etc.). There are threads on packing tips and cruise tips that go into cross-packing, packing cubes, magnetic hooks, etc. I now pack fewer clothes, no one judges you if you wear the same outfit two or three times!

I think the key is to follow Matt's guidance to be flexible as there will be unexpected events. We just flew to Texas and 10 minutes before the taxi was due to arrive, I discovered I had forgotten my medical insurance card (just in case). So I frantically searched for it, then realized the cab was a no-show. Called him to find out he had us down for 11 PM instead of 10:15 AM. So we hopped in the car even though two weeks of parking is more expensive then the cab. My planning advice is to have a plan B for key stuff, and it sounds like you are already there. Now you can just chill...

All I can tell you is from personal experience and other posts, take into consideration transportation time when you select excursions. In Sicily we are just going to walk on our own and use local ground transportation as needed. For Florence from Lavorno I would prefer a 5-6 hour excursion rather than 3-4 in case of traffic problems (as a Pisa visitor recently posted). (We haven't made it to Florence yet, so my suggestion is general in nature.) Rome excursions are generally 7-8 hours as the transportation time can be an hour, although some folks take an express train from Civi if they are planning on doing Rome on their own. If you are at a French port that has excursions to Eze, that is a trip we enjoyed (from Villefranche). I prefer Royal excursions when "all day" trips because of their guarantee if your return is delayed by traffic. We have encountered accidents and such more than once on our travels. However, other guests regularly use 3rd party operators.

My experience is that the advertised prices are for the cheapest available room, not necessarily what you really are going to want. Our TA knows (or is told) our preferences, and then looks for the best deal she can get. For example, we might see that balconies are not much more than ocean view on a particular cruise, so our TA will get us alternative quotes on a balcony rather than an ocean view. The final quotes are close to the sale price, but not exactly the same because of our room selection and refundable deposit (we book 1-2 years in advance). An immediate cruise doesn't require a refundable deposit so you can get a price break on a "last minute deal". We notice price drops, but when we check with our TA, our selected room is rarely significantly cheaper. We do find that our TA can help us with excursion ideas, if we want them, but a majority of the time we do that ourselves. It kind of depends upon your real goals for the cruise and what you expect. Lastly, it takes time and effort to build business relationships, whether with a TA or a hairdresser. Whatever you choose, have a great cruise!

In our experience ship time will be shown in the Cruise Compass, if you can find one for a similar cruise. Sometimes ships don't change time, sometimes they do, and they warn you with announcements and Compass notes. Often Royal warns guests to set their watches to ship time and ignore "local time". Have a great cruise! PS. Link to a recent Compass: Voyager of the Seas 7-Night Scandinavia Cruise Compass - May 1, 2022 | Royal Caribbean Blog

We, too, loved the Solarium for breakfast. Less crowded and all the food choices we enjoy!

I am truly sorry you had such a frustrating excursion. However, I will say that Pisa was not our fondest memory when we cruised the Med. Next time we will choose Florence! But having said that, I must say that just seeing the Leaning Tower was something special. Also, my experience is that the more one cruises, the more one learns which ports are more likely to be inspiring. I've also found it important to research ports in advance of my cruise (perhaps watch a few online videos). For me, when a port requires an hour drive each way, it usually requires about 6-8 hours for an effective excursion. Best of luck on your next port visit!

Yes, that was what we did until our son entered high school.

For our October cruise, the excursions are limited and definitely more expensive than elsewhere (Caribbean)-- about 150-200 USD for a full day excursion, especially in Italy. Could even be more. They still have the usual walk-around-a-village stuff that is reasonable, say $50-$80 depending upon length. Ditto for driving around on a tour bus. These are the Royal excursions.

If you don't have a Travel Agent (TA), I'd call Royal. If you have a cell phone, perhaps download a new version of the App (for Set Sail Pass). We were allowed to print Set Sail passes as soon as we checked in with the App. As long as you have the set sail pass, you can have luggage tags filled out by the Porter. I prefer to have my own tags, though, which our TA provides. Iff you can't get a Set Sail Pass, then it is really important to clear up your check-in with TA/Royal.

I think the surveys are useful though not perfect and probably in need of improvement. I intend to fill them out. However, I have found the Guest Services comment box a good place to put notes during a cruise, such as especially good service, perhaps comments on an excursion (I take those to the Excursion Desk), or an issue about a common area. Room comments can always be shared with the Stateroom Steward, and I have found the MDR staff receptive to suggestions.

All I know is what I read on one of their sites about providing assistance, plus the reports of recent travelers. PS. On their "we'll get you home icon", there is a footnote, which may be want you were commenting on: ^Last modified April 29, 2022. Subject to change. Royal Caribbean will coordinate and assist with the costs of shoreside accommodations for isolation for guests who have fully complied with all Royal Caribbean International and Royal Caribbean Group COVID-19 Policies and Procedures in effect at the time of voyage. Please note that homeports may have different local isolation requirements and restrictions. Additional terms and conditions may apply. See our COVID-19 Refund and Cancellations Policy  and your Cruise Ticket Contract for details. "Traveling Party" means (1) your family members living with you in the same household and (2) traveling companions assigned to your stateroom on the ship. Our CareTeam will assist with daily wellbeing check-ins, and support to reschedule return travel home."

True, I was quoting a crew member circa 2013, and then there are those Angela Lansbury "Murder She Wrote" episodes were "cay" is pronounced "key". Never visited New England, so can't say it has a basis in fact.

My experience is that night 7 in the MDR is kind of a "leftovers" night, so that might be a good night for specialty dining. You've already heard about nights 2 and 6, and you can also check a Cruise Compass for a similar cruise in case there are theme nights that interest you.

Not knowing what sort of travel insurance you have, I'd agree with SpeedNoodles to test on the ship. If you test positive (unlikely thought it may be), you'll want to report the situation to Royal so that they provide assistance to you. If you disembark and test at the airport, you are out of their protection and governed by whatever travel insurance you may have. I think you may want maximum protection if you test positive. Just a thought....

At Labadee leave passports on ship. We always take turns snorkeling. Some excursions have lockers. Phone sized lanyards can hold essentials, eg to photograph underwater. Don't leave items unattended.

For what it is worth, our TA booked us a Royal transfer, but our flight doesn't leave until 2 PM. I don't know if Royal will work for you as I don't know when the bus departs.

So are you putting the eMed test kits in your carry-on? We were thinking the temperature in the cargo hold would ruin our kits if we placed them in checked bags.

And on to Coco Cay, which should be "key" and doesn't rhyme with "day". But in the end, everyone knows what you mean regardless of the pronunciation. We all "err" some of the time. (And this isn't "air".) Maybe words could be a trivia game?

Remember the pickpockets in Barcelona if you find yourself in crowds. On our last cruise there, our dinner companions had passports stolen out of purses. Have a great trip!

Since there is a real risk of catching a COVID variant now, my son will wear a mask flying to Denmark next week. He doesn't want to mess up the required COVID test to board the cruise, etc. We don't fly to Spain until October, so we hope by then being "up-to-date" will be enough to return to the US even if Royal still requires COVID testing for the cruise.

Royal (AON) covers what you insured with them. Now if you bought airline tickets separately, the airline or 3rd party could sell you insurance just for that. Read the AON policy to see what it covers specifically. Check what would happen if you missed the cruise because of transportation to the port. Would it still cover the lost cruise even if the transportation wasn't insured by them? Also, the credit card you used to purchase your airline tickets may offer coverage for luggage and travel delays. When our airline lost our luggage, Allianz covered it, but we included our airline tickets in the original policy (which increased our premium).

We are anxious to go back to Grand Cayman to experience "Sting Ray City", but Royal cancelled our Feb cruise even after an itinerary change. I hope you get to go there!