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On 4/23/2022 at 11:25 PM, LCWind said:

We are booked on Ovation for a Feb 12, 2023 cruise.  We plan on arriving in Sydney on Feb 3. I would greatly appreciate your advice on the following:

1. How many days should we plan on exploring Sydney?

2. We would also like to visit Melbourne.  How many days should we allot?  What airlines would you recommend from Sydney to Melbourne ?

3. Any other places we must visit as this will be our first time to Australia?

Thanks in advance. 

We enjoyed Brisbane and went to Australia Zoo! We found that cruise got us to Melbourne so we could do land stuff after. Trains are great! Can buy cards at airport or train stations.

PS. We took Qantas between Sydney and Brisbane, and to return to US.

Our son ordered proctored test kits from Royal/Optum.

I believe we waited a month on our changed itinerary.

On the first day, I've tried the paella for lunch, which is a special treat for me.  Mostly the food is OK, but as others have said, I favor the desserts.   

For breakfast, find an omelette station, which on some ships has moved from the Windjammer.  Recent travelers can update you on that.

14 hours ago, Anabelle said:

If I bring my own snorkel gear (Mask and fins), would I still have to purchase the leisure snorkeling excursion for a life vest?

No, but we broke down and bought vests on Amazon.  It all started after a day when the current was strong, my son and I had to swim hard to get back, and I had to bail out at the rocks by Chill Island. He made it to the beach, but he was 44 years younger.  That day kayakers and divers were also caught unprepared and needed to be towed back to shore.  Soooo, now I take a vest to make swimming easier when current is a factor.

I am on 18 June cruise out of PC, which goes to the ABCs, and I haven't heard anything, either.  Bonaire was a swap for Dominican Republic, as I recall.

5 hours ago, Aron_Ross said:

I understand one can reprice excursions and dining packages.  I notice our Thrill Waterpark excursion and 3 Night Dining Pkg shows it has been reserved.  Should the price decrease, will that show up on the "plan my cruise" page?  Or does it just display the price you booked it at?  Is there another page I need to click on to see the price change?

We see current prices of excursions when we search excursions, and when our particular selection is displayed, the planner shows we already booked it.  Now when we are looking at Order History, we see what we paid but not the current excursion price.

3 hours ago, greenline627 said:

You have to buy 6 tests if you do that can another couple use three of the test or if you order must you use all of them.

Yes. Each user sets up Navica account regardless of who bought tests originally. 

Our ABC cruise in June was originally 4 ports including DR. Now just 3. I was disappointed at first, but I can't control Royal. I now have more sea days for dancing...vacations are about going with the flow. I guess that is why it's called cruising!?

At some point skipping package saves $ you can use for cruises to get Diamond status.

Pre Covid we saw such groups on longer cruises different classes.

2 hours ago, FloridaMac said:

We just discovered a future sailing has been cancelled, it appears because the ship is going to drydock earlier than planned.  I called RCCL and they said to wait for an email with instructions on what to do and what options we'll have.   Does RCCL usually offer the same level of cabin at the same price on an alternate sail date?  Is there anything else we should expect?

When Royal arbitrarily cancelled our Feb cruise, they gave us a choice of extra FCC or cash.  I now wish we had taken the cash, because we can't spend all of the FCC.  The FCC won't apply to taxes and port fees, just base fare.   At any rate, we received an e-mail after the actual "sail date".  Thus, I don't think you will hear much until your intended sail date has been reached.  

3 hours ago, SewerUrchin43 said:

Newbie Cruiser here, A colleague and I were chatting about different vacations and his family is an avid cruiser so I thought, Why Not and booked a cruise a few days after.  I literally went to the RC website and just found a date and destination that worked for us and booked it right then.

 

My questions or concern is: Am I missing out on anything by not using a TA?  I honestly never knew they existed before i found this Blog about two months after booking. Should I contact one now to ensure I didn't screw anything up or would it even matter at this point?

 

Thank You for taking the time to read this and possibly help out

TAs are especially useful when your travel plans are complicated.  We had airline baggage problems on a 3-week trip to NZ/Australia, and we were thankful we could rely on a travel agent.  Ditto for COVID cancellations....An agent can save you hours on the phone.    If you are ever dissatisfied with your TA, just change to someone else.

13 hours ago, Matt said:

Grand Cayman is known for three things:

Seven Mile Beach

stingray city

A tourist trap called “hell” so you can say you went there. 

And I still have the postcard I mailed home from Hell!

On 4/21/2022 at 11:04 AM, Sherryg said:

I am very new to this site.  First time RC cruiser.  WOS from Barcelona in July.  Can someone explain how and where to get affordable required test in time to meet protocol when traveling from US the day before sailing (departing on Fri cruise embarkation Sun)?  So far my research shows an unbelievable price at airports ( $250/person)  There are 17 of us traveling with 2 children unvaccinated (children require a 24 hr test if I understand correctly)?

If you are fllying 2 days before the cruise, vaccinated adults could test prior to flying, right? That would allow you to use Emed as mentioned or a local test provider.  Then you would take care of the children on arrival day.   In addition to the online proctored testing, our agent has told us that hotels generally know where you can test nearby.  So that would be an option for Saturday - use a local test site rather than the airport.  Still, online testing is going to be less expensive.

Before a cruise, I just envision the joy I will experience as I walk up the stairs on the ship and admire all of the artwork.That soothes my nerves...

12 hours ago, someguynick said:

My wife and I are going on our first cruise May 9-13 to Nassau and Perfect Day at Cococay. Departing from Cape Canaveral. We have been doing a lot of research and watching Matt's videos on YouTube but we would appreciate any advice. We have shore excursions booked for each stop and have a pretty good idea of what the ship has to offer (Independence of the Seas). If there are any must haves, must dos, etc, it would be much appreciated.

Coco Cay may be enjoyed for free -- we avoid the pricey items (no little kids to take to the Thrill Park).  But if you don't have snorkeling equipment, you can rent that on the beach and have a nice time.  Get your chair and umbrella early for a good spot!

Nassau is not our favorite spot.  We have tried walking around for a little shopping (straw market and local stores) and had a mediocre snorkeling excursion.  I would advise looking carefully at the excursions that may be offered on your cruise.  It would also be fine to stay on the ship and enjoy its amenities.  On a first cruise, it really takes awhile to learn all of the things your ship has to offer.

20 minutes ago, CJS2766 said:

Curious to see what everyone's habits are when it comes to cruise planner purchases? Do you buy the 1st day it's available for your cruise regardless of the price or do you "hopefully" wait for the next holiday sale?? Of course I know that you can buy and cancel and re buy, but that at times seems annoying as you are potentially tying up funds on your credit card until that is all sorted out.

Anyway, what are your habits when cruise planner items go live for your upcoming cruise???

I don't buy anything until my wife and I decide what we want to do.  For us, it is mostly excursions.  We don't get WIFI unless our son is traveling, and we use Diamond vouchers instead of a beverage package.  Now if I can talk my wife into an excursion and the price is reasonable (e.g, $50 for half day, $100 for full day), then I will book it.  I always keep in mind there may be a Black Friday Sale near Thanksgiving.   We have repriced excursions a couple of times when prices dropped, but seldom save more than $5-$10 per person.  The Coffee Card is usually a fixed price that never changes, so I will order that when I am ready.

So sometimes there is a reasonable pre-cruise discount when CP is first loaded, and we pull the trigger.  But only if we are clear on what we want to do.

Generally, by 6 months out we are locked into our desired purchases.

Also consider that on the smaller ships with track on pool deck, you will experience wind resistance while sailing.  I actually enjoy this.  I find that walking against the wind, rather than jogging, allows a calorie burn with fewer collision risks.  On Oasis class the track is sheltered for the most part, so walking/jogging is a different experience.  There are also many doors to watch (some crew/cargo doors), especially when passing someone.  What others have said about using the gym makes sense on the larger ships.

9 hours ago, CTKaren said:

I heard along time ago that you could purchases a book of 10 coupons for beer/wine/cocktails. Does anyone know anything about

this? We are not drinkers, except on cruises and then maybe one or two day. This would be something we would be interested in.

 

Thanks in advance

Remember to check a Cruise Compass to see about the various drink promotions offered throughout a cruise, like cheap mimosas, liquor tasting, wine tasting, Crown and Anchor receptions, etc.  When you average these low-cost drinks with what you may purchase a la carte at a special moment, the average price per drink will drop.  I know it's a work-around and not exactly what you are looking for, but it plays into the total cruise experience.  Don't forget the Art Show (but don't buy anything) for the free champagne!

COVID Testing for Galveston.  My son tells me that in the Elgin/Austin area, CVS has only reduced testing, PCR rather than antigen, over $130 per test.  I guess the presumption is that folks will get reimbursed from insurance.  So for our cruise in December, we plan on Emed/Abbot online tests.  I am curious if others sailing out of Galveston have found free or reasonably priced COVID tests.

16 hours ago, Revo1776 said:

Just got off Adventure of the Seas on April 17th from my 20 yr anniversary cruise. I decided to book another for my 45th birthday on July 19th. The only one available during that day out of Galveston was Grandeur of the Seas. Since the family has to work, I will be going solo. Any comments on the ship? Tips or activities recommended?

Thanks

James

We sailed the Grandeur several times out of Baltimore, and we loved the Centrum.  Specialty dining is more limited, but we always eat in the MDR or other complimentary restaurants, so nothing lost for us.  We also liked the show, especially the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers.  It's fun to walk deck 5 on sea days to get ocean views.

On 4/16/2022 at 7:36 AM, kimberleymarsh said:

I’m on the Harmony of the sea right now! Worst cruise for Royal I’ve had.  Nothing seems to be on time, dining room staff is very confused at our table it seems and food isn’t that good. Ryde classes are a joke!  Heading to Coco Cay currently, booked a cabana, paperwork says get it at 9:45 , staff says not til 10:45.  Lost an hour of a very expensive place.  Frustrated overall. 

The post-cruise survey would be an opportunity to give Royal feedback on specific items.  In the meantime, try to take note of the crew members who give you good service (get their full name) and be sure they know they made your day.  At Coco Cay, we avoid the cabanas and enjoy a spot on the beach, lots of fun in the water at no extra cost!.

On 4/13/2022 at 1:02 PM, Lorachintz said:

Sailing on liberty of the seas May 1st don't really want to do a shore excursion in Jamaica what else is there to do?

We enjoyed the port shopping.  Not sure if it has changed post-Covid.

As an aside, our travel agent always sends us a packet with all of the documents, including luggage tags.  Another reason for having a TA.