CrimsonCruiser

I've done it three times so far. my TA isn't a top star so i've had to do it myself 2/3 times. this last time, she was finally able to do it without issue. Just make sure you add the points ASAP after booking because the staff's understanding of the cut off for the "new" bookings requirement is all over the place. I've heard 7 days, 14 days 3 months, and 1 year after booking lol

I can say that ones booked through Royal will have you back pretty much exactly when they are supposed to. I think it's part of the terms the excursions companies have to adhere to be in good standing with the cruise line. That said...life happens. Accidents, flat tires, getting stuck waiting for other passengers, traffic etc. Plus you're not giving yourself much time to get back on the ship which could take 10 -20 minutes depending on the crowds at the time and on the elevators. Non-royal booked ones, also to be in good standing and good rep, will also usually do their best to get you back on time, but you are taking a bit more of a risk as those are always a YMMV type of thing, Either way though, I would suggest that if your dinner is MDR and you aren't tied to the menu, skip that reservation and do the Windjammer or something else so you're not as pressed about time. Or, if you have My time dining in the MDR, push it back. If you have a specialty on that night, see if you can move the dinner later or to a different day.

very interested! I tend to forget to price check daily and actually just posted about missing out on the most recent sale so having something like this would be much appreciated.

Through the hecticness of the end of the year and the dreaded return to work, I ended up missing buying the slightly lowered 100 photo package during the New Year sale. I still want to snag that price as $220 is probably the best I'll get in this era of high pricing so I'm wondering...when do we think the next equivalent sale will be? I'm hoping there's bound to be something before 4th of July....any ideas? Maybe a presidents day sale? (or is that only for mattresses? lol)

Actually important to note the post doesn't say they GOT new fleet, policies, procedures or training but rather that the existing ones were examined (and through implication deemed safe enough to allow reopening)....not to say anything about a place I've never been (Blue lagoon) but I just thought I'd put a little fly in the ointment cuz...why not....

10 drinks total or 10 drinks a day?

What is/are the arcades like on Harmony? Size, location, games available? How do young-at-heart adults feel about them? I am an adult who loves going to Dave & Busters and playing arcade games for a while and I always look longingly at the arcades but walk away knowing I don't have any credits. Was thinking of getting a small pre-cruise package so I can finally say I did it. Is $25 a good enough amount to play for a bit on one day? Too much? Too little?

As far as I understand it as well, most of the additional discounts (senior, residency etc) aren't stackable or combinable with C&A. and some aren't even combinable with the normal sales Royal does...

This would be so much easier if I got a reciept consistently...I don't make it a habit to carry cash on the ship since everything else is seapass only...

I didn't visit it on Allure, but did on Harmony, and I really liked the Trellis Bar and the seating in Central Park. I got a drink from the bar and went over to the little bronze tables they have in the area and just enjoyed the ambiance by myself. I liked it because I could enjoy my fruity drink in peace while people watching or catching up on my phone. Allure specific - the Champagne Bar is one of the only ones left in the fleet so it's probably a good idea to swing by before it's shut down for good (it's set to be replaced with the Bionic Bar when Allure gets her amplification). Views - there are apparently great aft views behind the aqua theater. Ben and David (@cruisewithbenanddavid) visited. It doesn't have any seating though, from what I hear, so it's nice for a lean or a stand Lol

yeah it is weirdly full-light vs the colorful low light of the main. That plus the silence gives a very different vibe. Even though I enjoyed the experience of being able to gamble without choking on the air, I did feel like I needed to tip toe around when I bounced machines. Lol

we joke but I do think this is the direction they're going overall. Dropped Jaime's for their in-house Giovanni's; dropped b&J for their in-house Ice cream; starting to serve more Starbucks at cafe promenade so I imagine the kiosks will be going away soon....and yeah..JR probably going next.. Which really does suck when compared to whale-tail line or the house of mouse that really lean into brand deals and theming to pull people aboard.... I don't know if having their own stuff is really going to entice new cruisers to pick Royal over the other options out there... Sometimes people need that taste of the familiar to pull them to try something new

According to the article, the theming and benefits went away a little bit ago. Guess it was in preparation for the end of the partnership

Part of the reason it suck to have the casino smoking is that the stench also gets in the surrounding areas. On Oasis Class ships (at least Harmony and Allure) the casino opens face to face with the dining room on deck 4 with the elevator banks in between. As a result, the hallway, dining room entrance and even the elevators end up smelling like smoke. It becomes a problem for people who just want to get some dinner or go to their rooms.

Looks like Southwest heard my dilemma and there are noon flights available! *WHEW!* grabbing those to avoid the stress FOR SURE! But thanks all for the feedback!

Gotta love how typos that imply time travel

What am I doing wrong that I don't see that offer....? (not that I think it's worth rebooking as the price for my August 2024 cruise is over $1,000 more) EDIT: Ope never mind I found it

Honestly it doesn't hurt to ask the concierge once you get the email from them. We get a dinner voucher from our travel agent but it can't be applied via the cruise planner and is supposed to be active only once onboard but twice now, we've booked reservations through the concierge via email before boarding. It's great. I think they can do some onboard stuff for you given that they themselves are onboard.

I would say in general, I have confidence in things working well, unexpected not counting. The cruise is in August so less hurricane chances and no snow on the roads. Sounds like it's about an hour and a half to get to HOU from Gal so if I work backwards from boarding (11AM), that means in a perfect world we need to be off the ship by 9:30. Given that we probably will use Royal's shuttles and/or our suite perks of getting escorted off early...I believe we should be off and bags in hand by 8... HOU - sorry, forgot to mention that

I know the rule of thumb is book flights after 12 noon...buuuut what are we thinking of an 11:30 flight? Asking because, at least right now, its looking like our options are either 11:30 or 3 pm...and with 2 huge bags and no plans to rent a car...a 3pm flight means like...5+ hours rotting away in the airport... As a note, we will be suite guests disembarking with the concierge (and that's only if we don't opt for the Royal shuttle).

My tip is ~*~LAYERS~*~ I do a pair of jegging-like leggings, tall socks that I can bunch down later, good gym shoes, a tee under a (zip up) hoodie then my lighter fall jacket (instead of the winter one). That way I can throw that jacket into my checked bag once we hit airport. Recently, we did the leave the coats in the car thing and that wasn't too bad because we had a shuttle from the hotel we park at so there was very little time in the chicago winter. I love the screens here! Most definitely did not have this going when I was Odyssey. So smart! Really does make it look like you're getting an epic view I have to imagine he was sailing with his parents from baby age to make it that fast! Some people have all the luck! THIS! This happened at Jaime's on Harmony for us last year. We turned the pictures down because they did not look good at all, but I was so upset they weren't going to be in our package and were an extra cost...like...WHY?! Also, side note...a local mexican restaurant did this as well and when I saw the roving photographer I had to do a couple double takes out of the window cuz I thought I forgot I was on a cruise Lol Freedom looks so intimidating here for some reason

Hi Lisa! congrats on booking your first cruise! To make it simple - no you do not HAVE to purchase anything extra. It is entirely possible to pay nothing additional when on a cruise and have a fantastic time. Free (aka included food) is available in: the Main Dining Room Buffet Cafe Promenade (a cafe with small bites) the Pizza place(Sorrentos) and other ship-specific places like el loco fresh, mini bites, boardwalk dogs Free beverages are going to be at these places as well and generally include: water lemonade hot tea iced tea various from-concentrate juices basic coffee There are additional For Charge restaurants and attendance at these are completely optional. These tend to include the steak house, mexican, sushi, Italian places onboard. If you are interested in trying but want to save money, all of them offer lunch menus that are significantly cheaper than the dinners. Beverages that will cost you extra are, obviously, any alcohol or mocktails, and any starbucks or specialty coffee (lattes, mochas, etc), and the Soda. Yes, the soda requires at bare minimum the Classic Soda Package (between $8-10/day online and $15/day onboard) because the soda machine requires a chip in the bottom of the package cup to work. No package - no cup - no soda. BUT you CAN bring on your OWN soda! "12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom." You can also bring on your own wine or champagne - 1 bottle per adult per room.

THANK YOU FOR THIIISSSSS!!!! It was my GO TO drink on Odyssey and I even took a screenshot of the recipe from the app after but without the amounts I've just been stuck staring at it and reminiscing

Oh did Oasis add a bar to the top level? That's smart cuz Dazzles on both Allure and Harmony only have the one bar on the main level and the roaming staff was the only way to get a drink if you were on the top level. Not a huge problem but I feel bad seeing them run up and down and up and down for a hour

Music Hall, in my opinion, on Odyssey (and I assume all Quantum class ships) is better laid out to view the stage/dance floor from all areas. Dazzles/Music Hall on Oasis class ships have that long aisle entryway and if you get stuck at a booth by the entrance, good luck seeing anything. Now, both venues do have 2-level lounge-like seating and are used for the same things - cover bands, lounge music, occasional trivia - but the wide space in Music Hall is my preference hands down