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I think this is am awesome idea! I am looking forward to future visits to South Beach at Coco Cay being a regatta of rafts, floats, slings, and many cruising queens looking like Cleopatra on giant inflatable flamingoes. TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

I am much more logical and strategic with Royal Up than most folks. When I book, I of course know the price I paid for the cabin I selected. But at that time I also write down the pricing of the other higher cabin categories. When Royal Up time comes, it is real easy to figure a potential maximum bid amount because I know the price level for each category that is already too high. And I need to factor in a discount of any potential Royal Up bid for the shortcomings and downsides of Royal Up. Voila! a reasonable cost and an informed decision for Royal Up bidding.

If I were looking for a fedora like that in Cozumel, I think you'll really have to get on the ferry and head over to Playa Del Carmen. www.maestrotejedor.com More bad news: the unChinese "good" Panama hats........are NOT made in Panama at all, they are imported from Ecuador. On the other hand once you've made your score, head back home to San Miguel and have lunch at one of my favorite restaurants La Choza; where this photo was taken. A photo so inspirational it became a Christmas card I gave out several years ago.

There are five independent cabin reviews on YouTube for this cabin.

I have a curious question or two about staterooms when two additional guests are in a balcony/porthole/ inside stateroom. With the rooms being serviced once a day, what happens to the pullout bed? Is it pulled out once and remains that way for the duration of the cruise? Do cabins with four guests receive an extra turn down service in the evening where the bed/sofa are interchanged? And, when the bed is pulled out, what happens to furniture like a chair or table? ‘Cause there are cabins I don’t think you could have two queen sized beds AND room for a chair or small table, the desk, the chair for the desk, and the cabinetry.

As far as unique and off the beaten path recommendations for Mahahual, truthfully there are not many to be had. Remember, 15 years ago it was a small fishing village that had some hippies living in it. It has come a l-o-n-g way since then. However, one of my favorite restaurants in all of Mexico is located there, it's called No Hoch Kay. I believe they have the best guacamole in the world! And I love chilling under their palapa; all restaurants in the Caribbean should have a sand floor. As far as off the beaten path for Costa Maya, I'd say just enjoy and recognize the port for what it is. It is extremely well designed. And, not every shop is the usual Diamonds International /Senor Fogs/ Cariloha suspects There are shops that are unique and locally owned. Bravo Costa Maya Port Authority!

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/what-etias_en Currently priced at only 7 Euros for three years, but this is how a visa extortion thing starts.

If you are lucky enough to find a YouTube video or other www. pictures of your cabin, the muster station is always in large print on the inside of the cabin door. Maybe you can see it in the background (?).

Sounds like that free $100 gift card you’ll get after your cruise is really quite expensive.

First let me say, I am very positive for Icon as it relates to the company. I think it is a very good move and will be very popular. I also am very encouraged that for behalf of the company, they are using a nearly an entire female team of designers and decision makers. Good Job Royal, Bravo! On the other hand, even though there are many elements to Icon; my attention gets focused to the aft of the ship. I gotta say, Have you ever been on the aft of an open top deck like that before??? It's windy as hell back there when underway. The Freedom, Voyager, and Vision class ships have all added those serpentining glass panels to cut down on the wind and make better use of the aft top decks and those areas are still underutilized. I know people will say I love mini golf or hammock time or the ease of finding a colorful wicker clamshell bed in the afternoon but I think the simple fact is that it is still too windy for folks to stick around. And, the exposed top deck of any ship gets hotter than hell in the intense Caribbean sun. I think we all have done that funny dance on the pool deck when you are walking in your bare feet and you are looking to deliberately walk into the nearest puddle of water just to cool off your soles because they feel like they are walking on the surface if the sun. So yeah, I'm thinking the infinity pool and smoothie bar and the other members only neighborhoods up there are probably undesirable places to be because it's too hot and too windy. Which is sorta good because those conceptual drawings and videos have greatly undervalued the occupancy of 6.000 pax and their pool chairs and restaurant seats. Try doing the most remedial headcount watching them. Now, Royal plays funny games with scale with their conceptuals to suit their advantage as anyone who has seen the conceptuals for the Nassau Beach Club knows. But, rewatch an Icon video and count the loungers, seats and illustrative people, you'll be surprised what a low number you come up with. And I'm just trying to get to like 3,000. Crown's Edge-- you are deliberately suspending passengers off the side of the boat like it's a carnival ride???? There is so much wrong here I can't even write further. I am also the guy who strongly disagrees with the zip line at Labadee which is dangerous and even worse than this Crowns Edge crazy. Here it is 2023 and there is still not a single solar panel anywhere to be found? Honest to God... I'm guessing they still will not have come around to LED lighting either. It very well could be a good part of the reason new ships are $1B + is because they still spec incandescent lighting and ignore the ideal free energy they receive daily. Now I hope they are revamping the entertainment and it gets updated to like 2010. Because 2010 is going to be "old" to the passengers of Icon. Can you imagine if they try to have the Village People thing??? To put it in another context, it's like you go onboard to any other Royal ship and they build excitement about doing the Charleston. Icon needs to be much more urban, much more Hip Hop, and way, way more electronic music.

^^^Cruise Like @teddy ^^^ This is exactly how you plan and execute your European cruise vacation! He has spent some time on YouTube and Google maps. BTW, I suggest taking the vaporetto to get to your hotel, the dock is a short walk from the airport. Anything but luxurious, but when in Venice.....

It makes me smile to see that there are others who are saying "Icon isn't for me" or "Icon not at this time", it's good to see that I am not alone. I have a smallish list of of things that I don't like about Icon that go beyond the current pricing and stateroom offerings that are turn offs, on some future thread I'd like to bounce these ideas off of others here and see what all 'ya alls think.

I think it looks a lot like a pineapple, nice and organized in the front and a great big bush in the back.

Let's remember Royal has the deep pockets here and these civil claims take many years to get to trial. I sincerely hope Royal Caribbean drags this out past the customary 7 years or so to get to the trial date, costing the Wiegand family lots of money in the meantime. Lots of money they can't afford. I also hope they call Salvatore Anello to the stand. Just in case he is still on speaking terms with the Wiegand family, let's make everyone painfully aware what an idiot he is. I'd like this public humiliation to go on for 2 or 3 days straight. That surveillance footage the Puerto Rican news station published is awfully damning to Mr Anello and he did plead guilty in the criminal case. A lot of things happen over the course of seven or eight years, but I'm certain RCI will still be around; I'm doubtful the Wiegand family checking account will be able to afford to keep up.

Direct from the Turkey e-Visa FAQ: "According to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection which entered into force on 11th April 2014, those foreigners who arrive at sea ports and intend to visit the seaport city or nearby provinces for touristic purpose are exempt from visa provided that their stay does not exceed seventy two (72) hours. However, if you arrive in/depart from our country by air for your cruise tour, you must obtain a visa." So real visa question is, Are you flying into or out of Istanbul for your cruise? BTW, It is the port of Kusadasi and city of Ephesus is nearby. We were there in 2015 and I'll tell you, a popular question amongst cruisers is What is the most beautiful port you have been to? I've been to all the usual suspects and I gotta say that Kusadasi is right up there with the perennial favorites Venice and Valletta. It is a stunning port and the Turkish flag on the hillside really puts it over the top. I'm jealous!

Another helpful tip: proposals should always be done during the early parts of a vacation, never the later parts.

Enchantment of the Seas is the ugly cousin of Royal Caribbean. It's the one that does not fit in with the others; belonging in The Land of Misfit Toys more so than in an ocean. Although you've been on two RC cruises Katrina, you are in for an eyeopening experience just as much as your first time guest. When I sail with first timers I always select a big boat with all the bells and whistles. Allow Royal Caribbean to show what they do best. My recommendation would be Anthem, Odyssey, Oasis, or Symphony out of New Jersey. Even though they cost a little more, you don't know what you've been missing. You are exactly right about wanting a 7 nighter or better, there are some shortcomings to sailings that are less than a week long. Bermuda has ceased requiring the $40 Bermuda Travel Authorization thank goodness. Some would categorize it as a visa. I think it was extortion. Let's all be thankful other popular cruising destinations didn't hear what Bermuda was up to and get the idea that they too could collect an additional $40 from every cruise passenger that is headed their direction and there was nothing the passengers could do about it.

Cozumel Bar Hop is a great way to spend the afternoon on the east side of the island!

Let's not forget the Radiance class have gas turbine engines. They are environmentally friendly and have almost zero wake. These are important traits for sailing to places like Alaska, Montenegro, New Orleans, and Norway--just to name a few. They also do not have that shudder other ships have from time to time. My guess is Radiance ships stick around long, long past other classes because of their usefulness. And, if Royal would ever commission another small sized vessel, it will have similar turbines and have a lot of size and weight similarities to Brilliance, Jewel, Serenade, and Radiance.

Very impressive and well done!

AshleyDillo has it exactly correct. You will dock at Crown Bay and want to jump on one “taxis” to Charlotte Amalie. It’s less than $10pp each way. There are not traditional taxis on St Thomas, they use these open air jungle bus/troop carrier vehicles. Charlotte is where all the action is. If there were a world record for nearly identical jewelry shops that sell glittery silver, Charlotte Amalie is the undisputed heavyweight champion. But people have their favorite stores, or more correctly stated; favorite family clan they enjoy buying from; myself included. For something off the beaten path and kinda a ‘those who know, know’ place, try the Taphus Beer House in the back of the Caribbean Surf Co. It’s like a speakeasy and they don’t make any effort to tell you that it is there. For the total lack of marketing dollars, all that money went into the decor and……it’s kinda air conditioned! It’s a very hip, cool place and they have tasty craft beers.

How is the fit with the PFDs that are in every stateroom?

In addition to your request of an upgrade in stateroom category, you've also requested that the balcony cabins be "connecting", a feature Royal charges more for. "connecting" staterooms have an interior door between them. I find this feature useless! A) there is too much furniture in the cabins for the door to be functional B) the width of the door on some ships might be as wide as necessary to walk though it without turning sideways. The cheaper and IMO better solution is to find two regular balcony staterooms adjoining each other and also have a balcony partition that can be opened. There is no "connecting room" surcharge. Now I guess you could throw this "find me two adjoining balconies that the partition opens to one another in you TAs lap" but I suggest you do the homework yourself. Get the ships deck plans, do a mock booking for a new balcony stateroom to see what is available, find two adjoining cabins, and then get on Youtube for a hopeful cabin review that will show you if the partition can be opened. If you happen to strike gold; then take the two stateroom numbers to your TA. Your TA will thank you and YouTube is an indispensable source for all other aspects of any cruise. Whether it is a ship tour, a cabin review, video of an excursion, or some of a show or restaurant; I can't fathom going on a cruise without spending loads of time watching Youtube first.

I hope other readers here find this post as upsetting as I do. <fingers crossed> An FYI: of course you can get a reprinted card at guest services. But also through the suite concierge, the diamond concierge, or the loyalty ambassador.

'Ya know...Señor Frog has been the cause of cruiser delinquency for many, many years and offers an alternative to the cruise ship rules you might not like. The guy gets around, he's nearly at every port. Easy to find, he's the one who plays the loudest music. Don't spend all your money, keep your clothes on, and above all; don't get so drunk you can't tell what time it is.