CrimsonCruiser

[deleted in light of more accurate information below]

Sadly, can still confirm that no one on staff is checking tags. We've had good luck so far, with the staff able to locate misplaced bags but each close call makes me wonder if we should try hefting our many bags out by ourselves. I hope they're able to get it back to you!

You can also book with the activities team at those areas of the ship once onboard. On day 1, probably best to go to Guest services just because the activities staff would probably be elsewhere tending to boarding day matters. But if you were going to wait (which I wouldn't advise as those activities fill up fast especially the limited free time slots) you can get booked right there at the attraction.

I just looked at it....whoa.... I would HATE to get off in a rush thinking I could walk that!

If he chooses not to use the app (either via your phone or his own) to check-in they will have to do the whole process there - taking the photo, inputting the passport information, linking a credit card. It will most likely be done in the same line as others but you will see others going through faster than you/him. I would recommend doing as much as you can via the app. As Don mentioned not every person in the party needs to have the app as check-in can be done for all parties by anyone on the reservation. it really does make things faster, smoother and easier. They terminal staff tend to move very fast and there's a lot of noise, I fear errors in that kind of environment.

Sounds like we had the same vouchers.

If I had to choose between repeat ports and repeat ships, I'd pick repeat ships. Especially on an Oasis Class. There's just so much to do, see, experience that there's a good chance you didn't really get to do it all the first time around. Plus, you know the ship now so you won't spend time getting lost Lol. Galveston is okay. The biggest drawback to Galveston is that you have to fly in to Houston Hobby and it is an hour drive away from the island. The cost of shuttle/ride share isn't great. Plus lodging. But Galveston is really pretty and nice. It's also an interesting new vibe if you've only sailed from FL because the passengers that leave Galveston are majority Texans. We flew in from Chicago and were in the minority of people who traveled to the port. So the music and atmosphere tend to skew a bit more country. I'd also LOVE a double private island itinerary. Best use of your drink package, free beach/pool day, free food and no regular folks to get in the way of your fun. I think, if you like Oasis, don't go down more than Voyager class. These still have a promenade which means promenade parties, water slides on most, the ice skating rink, main theater production shows, great dining and shopping. Anything beyond that will seem like it is SEVERELY lacking and for your family may be best on a port heavy trip where you spend more time off the ship than on.

It's always important to think about what you and your group will do most often. Deck 6 would put you on the same Deck as Boardwalk and right above the promenade. If you plan to be in the heart of things a lot, Deck 6 is great. Deck 7 is an all stateroom deck so maybe a bit more quiet. It's also between the boardwalk/promenade and central park so you can access those areas without having to fight for elevators. Deck 9 means there are only staterooms above you so no potential public area noise, you're closer to WJ (but not all that much closer if you're planning stairs). But being in the aft-ish is nice because you don't have to go far to get to the MDR and WJ and on port days, the elevators may not be as full coming back since most people load up at the front.

I vaguely recall much of that on our first cruise in 2015 but fortunately we 1 - were in a suite so no waiting and 2- were maybe 40 minutes before boarding ended so no real crowds anyway But I do remember panicking as they did all the scanning and adding the cards and explaining, and the questionnaire and the pictures..... I LIVE for the speedy check-in now.

If I were you - and in some ways I am as I am a planner and big study-er of my vacations - I'd pick Oasis. I'm not sure how you feel about the itinerary since you only mentioned the Wonder one, but it would have to be a bucket list itinerary for me to shell out the money needed for the newest shiniest ship on the block. Oasis is a fan favorite with a great facelift, guaranteed to be easier on the wallet - which means you can enjoy the new dining options added - and still goes to good ports. Save Wonder for, at minimum, until Icon - or even Utopia - show up

Good to know about still having drinks on debarkation day! since we fly home that day it might be good to have water for the airport. Where is best to go for these since so much is closed on debarkation morning?

I second that it probably makes things easier for the check-in staff. I don't know/ remember if they were printed at the check-in desk or if they were already printed and then pulled by name, but either way there would be several minutes there getting all that sorted.

Got a transfer in Orlando back in 2015 and they were waiting for us at the baggage claim with a sign and everything. Felt very fancy (if we weren't so rushed T_T)

Honestly, it may be dependent on the fine print on the voucher. Did you get it from your TA? We get one from our TA and it is limited to: "for lunch for two, one per sailing, at Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table/Kitchen, Jamie’s Italian or Sabor Modern Mexican; or dinner for two, one per sailing, at Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table/Kitchen, Samba Grill, Jamie’s Italian, 150 Central Park or Wonderland."

Cruise approved is a nice marketing sticker but as far as I know there isn't ACTUALLY one that is universally approved across all cruise lines. That said, I just purchased this usb hub for charging items and it went through on our Allure trip with 0 problems: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LHGNRLT?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details With 0 outlet ports, these are almost always cleared without conversation (from what I hear on here). And since almost all modern devices charge with a USB plug, you can grab this and charge nearly everything.

Pretty sure I've seen the rainbow of Johnny Walker onboard. Didn't even know they MADE that many

Did a successful booking from the site Shoreexcursioneer.com for the resort we went to in Curacao. I like that they only require a deposit up front and before fully taking the money they verify that there is indeed space for you on the trip. It was the only non-royal excursion we've ever done but it was a great first time experience.

Yeah after the restart, watching Matt's live on Adventure and seeing all these cruise vloggers together, I subscribed to 4 more channels. @.@ It's a hard job to keep up with them on top of my other 80+ subscriptions but I think they each offer a different take on cruising. LLL is really news focused now, Griff & Alyssa do great non-cruise excursions with a lot of adventure/energy, PDJ show really cool resorts and love the live music on board, AK Adventures feel most like me when I cruise, and JJ have fun story times after the cruises.Not to mention CruiseTipsTV and Matt keeping me armed to the teeth with hacks, packs and tricks!

I'd love advice on good beaches for GC. Last time we went I did a swim with the dolphins excursion (great fun, had a blast, would do again) and mom did a ride around tour that had a not great guide. And what little bit we did on our own was limited and we were surprised to see SO many US brands, restaurants and stores. Actually felt like we didn't see any local food establishments in our rides.

Haven't been to too many but Nassau and Grand Cayman were kind of boring to me. I want to give them another chance, maybe do better excursions or something...

haha. Lucky me I don't gamble. And the only kid I'm worried about is my inner kid. Lol. I did watch Tony's video and watching him interact with Spiderman and Iron Man was great. I wanted to be in his shoes very much. I also still have ParoDeeJay's vlogs on my (very long) list - they were the ones who invited him to do Disney so they pop up a couple times in his videos.

Glad to hear it worked out well for you and sounds like it went through pretty painlessly.

I had a 3-outlet "extension" cord from the dollartree a couple years back, pre-pandemic, and it was confiscated at security. That year there were many outlet extenders on the table upon return. I think it really just ends up being who you encounter, what they've been told/taught and how they interpret what they've been told/taught.

So much same. I keep checking the main site for Aug 2024 sailings but there aren't any yet and I just don't know what to do with myself!

From what I understand, the tour companies that partner with Royal have to meet a certain level and abide by certain rules and expectations. I get the impression that it's hard to get in but easy to get kicked out. So I would imagine the tour operators, for the sake of their companies and pay, would not circumvent the drinking age just for the fun of it. On the same note, however, if the excursion is a tour that happens to stop at a place that sells or serves alcohol...I don't know that it's on them as much to enforce it. may end up being a per-person experience.