ChessE4

Each sailing is separate, for what that is worth.

I have never locked suitcases and only one was stolen, that from Royal at disembarkation. Nothing valuable is ever inside.

The primary requirement for a room is to enable restful sleep. So noise should be avoided. We once had a perfect balcony room, but our loud, drunk neighbor was a spoiler. As long as no noisy venues are above you, you're OK.

Brilliance, 8 Feb 25 from New Orleans.

As a US citizen, I take my passport.

We are a year out from our 26 cruise in eastern Caribbean and there are a few excursions for each port. Not complete, but getting there.

You can skip the specialty restaurants, drink ship water instead of plastic, and get a soda package if you want to splurge. Save $$ for a nice excursion.

We got one about 26 days before our cruise--the 2nd attempt.

Suggest a Google search for port maps, which is what I do. My recollection of Spain is that there were shops near the ports. Didn't visit Lisbon. Royal has some interesting excursions in Vigo and A Coruna.

Probably only things worth checking are show times, port arrival, and dining. If one of these is super important, you'd want to avoid conflicts. But multiple show times accommodate most plans. Then packing clothes is affected by theme nights, which few care about because it doesn't matter what you wear. Don't over plan as things can change. My Canada cruise ended up in Bahamas as an example.

And another point, it doesn't like VPN. If you have it on your phone, disable it during the cruise.

I was able to book about 5 to 6 months out, but others may have different experiences.

I have snorkelers at Labadee and Nassau, through Royal. However, I don't know their current offerings. +1 for the falls, but watch your valuables and avoid aggressive vendors.

14 hours ago, Jonathan Hardwick said:

We just finished a 7 day on Brilliance out of NewOrleans, this is our second time on Brilliance and first out of New Orleans. First, NewOrleans is a great port... lots of hotels close, quick check in, and sailing down the mighty Mississippi is a treat. This was our second time on Brilliance and we love this ship......it's smaller, feels less crowded that other ships, lots of cool woodwork and old school RCL vibe......and the windjammer has a back patio that is a perfect place to have coffee and get lost in Caribbean sun. This time though we noticed a big drop off in service, specifically in the dining room and Giovanis. We have had great experiences in the standard, good ol main dining room. My kids think it is very fancy, dressing nice and having food selections that they would never try at home. They also love the interactions with the waiter staff.....and the week long connections we have made with the staff. We got used to the Waiter and the Assistant waiter telling us about the different selections, keeping our drinks filled, and remembering the preferences of my family each night..... and also telling us at the end of the meal what was to be expected the next day both for food and the port offerings. This time, our wait staff would barely say hello, take our order with no suggestions, and fill our drinks when I would get up and ask for help. It was a very underwhelming experience. The food on the ship also seemed to be lower quality this time..... it was just an experience that differed from what we are used to. I'm guessing the boat is understaffed? Whatever the issues, it needs to be fixed and I detailed the experience on our survey.  Has anyone else seen a drop off in service specifically with the dining experience? I'm hoping this is an anomaly...... this was our 11th RCL cruise. 

 

Happy sailing!

Jonathan (Emerald)

Memphis,TN

Sailing next month and appreciate what all cruisers have said. Sometimes wait staff are new and pressed by workload, but we imagine we can build rapport with them. We focus more on port experiences, anyway. Our service on Vision in September was very good.

There are atrocities around the world everyday. It is appropriate to take a a moment to think about this as we plan our lives, balancing what we contribute to worthy causes with what we spend on ourselves. But having chosen to cruise, I'd try to enjoy it fully. Frankly, I am more worried about the fate of women in the US...

This is something our TA did for us after we furnished passport info.

My experience with Royal suggests the value proposition is declining, and will eventually be reflected in stock price. I took long term gains that will offset  potential OBC and dividends in my remaining years (had I kept the stock).  Each of us makes his or her own decision.

And there is going to your room when others are out. Some of the foreign TV shows are interesting.

1 hour ago, Dad2Cue said:

Is this discount on a one device package for internet service that can be purchased onboard for the remainder of the cruise?  We like the D+ internet benefit.  We usually activate it on a daily basis but that is sometimes a hassle because the person at the internet desk isn't always there.

You don't  need the rep to activate free days, just use your device. We use the App. There will be prompts. We go noon to noon so one free day spans two. Others have posted that you can purchase plan and free days are deducted. We haven't bothered with that, taking advantage of ports with international coverage. So the free days are enough for us.

Mariner has Boleros, which wasn't on Voyager when we sailed her 20 years ago. Look up deck plans if you want to know more. We enjoyed Mariner.

I prefer longer cruises, so Symphony has my vote. We were in Nassau when our Canada cruise was redirected. The new port area is nice, so you can take advantage of shopping and spend time on the ship. The Cozumel itinerary offers a chance to visit the Amazing Secret River on the mainland. But that requires the ferry ride some guests don't like.

52 minutes ago, ScottD said:

Going back and forth- help me out. 

3k for three of us on Odyssey Thanksgiving 2025, Interior with the fake window thingee.  From NJ, so no flight neeeded

4k for three of us, neighborhood view room on Icon August 2026.. flight\hotel involved- Much better itinerary. 

 

Was leaning toward the Icon cruise in '26 since we have the B2B cruise on MSC in August of this year, but that Thanksgiving deal with no flying involved on a ship\class we haven't done, does sound tempting.   

I'd  go for Thanksgiving cruise. Icon just doesn't appeal to me. Too much like a theme park, not a cruise.

Yes, the casino is just for entertainment and not competitive with land casinos where an alternative is right next door. My Time dining is problematic because it's hard to predict when other diners will finish. Thus, reservations are encouraged. We prefer traditional dining. The only way to get a larger shower is to try a junior suite or handicapped room, if available. Pool deck is mostly for relaxing, not swimming. For better food, one can pay for specialty dining or an upscale cruise line. A good travel agent can explain all of this and manage expectations. Hope 2025 is better.

I am over 70 and snorkel on cruises. That is considered strenuous, as is kayaking. I picked Maya Key once but Royal cancelled our cruise. Water currents can complicate even swimming, so I use a vest in open water 

To try out a specialty restaurant, I'd suggest prebooking a lunch, if  available. Lunches are less expensive and still a lot of food.