Eliza

Thanks Twangster - that's officially my new plan!

Now you've gotten me thinking. There is a small chance that I had the spa pass on Carnival and/or NCL and was misremembering it as on Royal. I think I'm going to pass on the spa for now, and keep that money for shore excursion and booze when the casino is closed.

Thinking about doing a spa passes for my cousin and I on an upcoming Allure of the Seas 7 day cruise. Does anyone know exactly what amenities are available in the female and co-ed areas on Allure? I did a pass many moons ago on one of the RCCL ships (I *think* Rhapsody, but many cruises are blending together) and enjoyed the amenities - particularly the moist heat room, Thalassotherapy pool, and heated ceramic loungers. I know the spa offerings are different on every ship, so wondering if anyone has insight into what exactly the Allure of the Seas spa has (google has not been helpful thus far). Ta!

I was a little concerned about the lower ratings for Quantum ships as well. But, I just got off the Ovation and it was a great cruise! Would 100% sail on that ship again. It is a little different as discussed above (dining rooms, no Viking Crown Lounge, etc), but we found a variety of great public areas and despite the numbers of cruisers on board (we supposedly sailed at capacity) it never felt full. We even cancelled our MTD dinner reservation the last night in favor of one last Alaskan sunset and had no problem walking into the dining room around 8PM with no wait.

I'm on a week-long Alaska cruise on Ovation in September with my father, and I am struggling mightily with whether or not to get the Unlimited Dining Plan. I'm paying for the trip for both of us, so trying to balance having a fabulous vacation with costs. What is most important, to me, is what will make my dad happy. He loves food, but doesn't necessarily care about "fancy" food. He's perfectly happy with Olive Garden/Applebee's on land (I'm a bit more of a foodie, but I'm cheap - so I've never tried any of the specialty restaurants on prior Royal cruises and I don't have a good frame of reference for making this decision.) Questions: Does anyone know if Vintages, Ocean & Amber, and/or Fish and Ships are included with the UBP? I get free drinks in the casino and usually carry a glass of wine with me into dinner in the MDR - is that acceptable in the specialty restaurants? (I'm sure I'll want to try some specialty beverages, but sometimes I'll just want wine.) I'm open to any thoughts. Worth it? Not worth it? Here's what I'm thinking so far - Pros: Not having to worry about costs - prepaid upfront. Sushi! Dad loves sushi. Could theoretically get sushi early and then have a late dinner at another specialty restaurant on some nights. Variety. I find that MDR tends to get a bit repetitive. Lunch on sea days. On my last cruise, I found the MDR lunches particularly unimpressive, so it would be nice to have other options Cons: Cost. ~$350 (for two) could be used for some pretty epic shore excursions instead. Reservations. I currently have MTD/Solarium reservations for every night at preferred times. I'm not sure how hard it would be to get reservations for specialty dining for decent times with the UDP package. Basically, any thoughts you all have would be greatly appreciated. I know this is very much a YMMV thing, but would love to hear what folks think. I've been reading lots of reviews and posts and have gone back and forth so many times now that it's all just confused in my head. Thanks in advance!

Following along - jealous that you are getting two weeks! I'm doing a week on Ovation in September and looking forward to learning more about the itinerary.

Following along - appreciate the suggestions of things to do in Seattle. Doing an Ovation Alaska cruise in September and eagerly enjoying all the early reviews.