PatsFanBrian

Adventure has been Amped, so it should be in excellent condition. Explorer needed some TLC when I was on it last June. Nothing major, but I didn't find any issues to complain about.

I've never seen the Beach Club only pass for my Jan 20, '24 sail on Odyssey (been checking for months now). Given the prices that have been reported here, it won't be happening even if they eventually get posted.

We'll be on Odyssey in Jan '24. we chose it solely for the itinerary (Coco Cay, Aruba, Curacao). The only other time we were on a Quantum class ship was way back in December of '14 when Quantum was just beginning it's life. There were technical glitches to work out and an over-abindance of D+ and Pinnacle travelers who were not happy that their privileged venues were overcrowded. It will be difficult to compare week 1 Quantum with Odyssey. There were some things we liked and some we didn't at the time. We did not care for the no MDR, restaurant concept, but that has since been discarded and Odyssey has an MDR. The location of the pub is odd and we didn't find it as inviting as the standard pubs on other class ships. We missed the skating rink. And the Music Hall is an interesting space, but we found that unless we got one of the premium spots on the floor or right along the balcony, we couldn't see the entertainment. We liked the Two70, the SeaPlex, the Northstar and the simulated skydiving and Wonderland. I'm looking forward to Playmakers as that will be in the middle of NFL playoff season and I always love a good sports bar. We have not yet been on a ship with a Playmakers. When we were on Quantum way back then, the only place to watch a game was on a small TV in the Schooner bar or at the pool on the big screen for Sunday Night Football. Ship aside, we're looking forward to the stops, our 3 favorite destinations in one trip. We would have taken any ship with this itinerary.

Up here in the Northeast, late May/early June temps will generally run in the low 70's during the day, 50's at night. Temps can vary quite a bit along the coast compared to just a few miles inland. If there's a breeze coming from the ocean, it will get quite cool. Ocean temps that time of year are pretty cold unless you're right in the Gulf Stream. Even in the summer, water temps will probably max out at 70. So on the water, expect to have cool breezes even on a sunny day.

The Aquarium is a short walk from Charlestown where you can visit the Bunker Hill Monument and Old Ironsides (USS Constitution). You're also at the North End which has Paul Revere's house and is know for it's Italian restaurants. As was already mentioned, you'll also be a short walk to Fanueil Hall/Quincy Marketplace. You can also pick up the Freedom Trail there and explore some of the rich history of the city.

Not listed yet for Odyssey in Jan 2024. But at that price posted above, that's a hard pass. I'll go with a beach bed for half the price. The high price may be due to it being Icon, I'll see how they price it for my sail, whenever they post it.

We were at the Beach Club last June (2022). We were there due to an itinerary change while we were at sea. We took the refund on our cancelled Aruba excursion and put it towards the beach club. We made the reservations at the excursion desk. I believe our total was $160/pp. We enjoyed it a lot. We really liked being able to go back and forth between the ocean and the Infinity pool. The meal was exceptional and the bar service was excellent. We have nothing to compare it with since that has been our only time to Coco Cay. We'll be going back in January 2024. Currently, the passes are not listed, only the cabanas which are very far outside our price range (we would have no one to split the cost with). If the passes, when they are posted, are under $200, then we'll likely take it. The sail will have 3 stops instead of 4, so we'll be saving on at least one excursion. For now, we'll be reserving a beach bed and will hope that the passes get listed soon.

We are going to Coco Cay in late January, 2024. Passes for the Beach Club are not available yet, just for the Beach Club cabanas. Since cabanas are far outside our price range, we'll book one of the beach beds and I'll keep looking for the passes (sans cabanas) to be posted. The only other time we've been to Coc Cay was due to an itinerary change that was made while we were at sea. We were able to book the Beach Club on the ship. But for our sail coming up, Coco Cay is the first stop, so if we don't see the passes prior to the sail, we'll just keep the beach bed at one of the other beaches.

This topic has come up recently. It's very disappointing that Royal doesn't sell the models online. I decided last year (while on Explorer) to start collecting them for a newly finished basement in our house. My kids ended up getting me two of them on eBay for Christmas and Birthday. They told me they weren't cheap. They arrived in the original packaging never having been opened (shipped from Florida). That means some entrepreneurial crew on these ships are buying them up and reselling on eBay at a nice profit. I now have three, still six more ships to collect, I'll need to put them on my list for my next B-Day/X-Mas.

We New England sports fans are pretty hard core when it comes to our pro teams. As long as your not wearing Yankees, Jets, Canadiens or Lakers gear, we'll be happy to chat you up. Like any fan base, there will be idiots, but we're mostly proud of our teams accomplishments this century (12 Championships, many more finals/Super Bowl appearances). Those trophies came after years of sports misery, so we savor all the success that has come since (we'll hopefully be adding a Stanley Cup to the trophy case this year).

Steeler fans are good people. I've never met one that I didn't get along with. They don't have a lot to celebrate these days, but they do have a great history. Just don't get caught wearing a Ravens jersey around them.

Correct.

There's a ship for everyone. We were on Serenade back in '19. It was our first time on that class of ship. We had a great time. The ship needed some TLC, but still provided plenty of fun. The pool deck screen was not working and there was visible wear and tear in places. Perhaps those have been dealt with in the 3.5 years since we were on her. I missed having a Promenade. But overall we enjoyed it. Radiance class is not my first option going forward, would do it again for the right itinerary. But any ship will do if it means getting away from the real world for a week.

Without a doubt, travel to the port is the most stressful part of the trip. We have always gone out a day early. Last June, even with a scheduled flight 30 hours prior, our trip was in doubt until the evening before. Our late morning flight from Boston to Miami kept getting pushed back 2 hours at a time, with the final push back being 6:30PM. The crew was sitting in the terminal waiting for the plane and the worry was that they were going to timeout before the plane got there (bad weather elsewhere caused the plane to be delayed). We finally made it to Miami at 11PM. If that flight had not gone off, the chances of making it to Miami the next day were slim and none. Our next sail is January 2024. For that time of year, we'll be travelling 2 days early. Worst case scenario is we rent a car and drive 24 hours to Ft. Lauderdale or get as close as we can and drive from there. But we have the extra day of buffer to deal with winter weather delays. The only 2 times we didn't stress were sailing out of Boston (45 minute drive) and Bayonne (4 hour drive).

We have had itinerary changes on 2 sails due to tropical weather, once in Late June, once in mid-September. No one can predict how busy a hurricane season will be. The majority of cruises are not impacted, but it does happen. The most common impact is an itinerary change. The cruise lines will do everything possible to keep the ships out of the path of a storm. Regarding rain, that can happen almost anytime in the tropics even without a large storm. It's a possibility on any type of vacation. The best advice is to go ahead and keep your booking, just be aware that storms do happen and changes are a part of the cruising experience.

Never took that one, but looking at the stops, you’re hitting most of the highlights. The USS Constitution is a good stop as is Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market Place. Cheers is highly overrated and nothing like the bar in the famous show. Boston Common is nice along with the Boston Gardens across the street. If the Swan Boats are still out, you can jump on one of those. The Boston Common is next to Beacon Hill which is a nice area. Another option is a Duck Tour, you’ll get the land and sea highlights of Boston. The drivers make the ride fun, you hit the highlights, but no stopping. Boston is a great city to walk. You can do the Freedom Trail which only requires a map and some walking stamina. And you can then walk to the Common/Gardens and walk around, won’t cost anything but the ride to get there. The North End has amazing Italian cuisine and the Revere house. Charlestown has Old Ironsides and Bunker Hill.

What time of year? You state the 21st and 22nd, but not the month. If it's the winter months, then you have to be aware that there's a greater chance of bad weather being an issue. Not just in Newark, but if your plane is supposed to be coming in from another location. Typically, the day before is perfect. Our next cruise is January 2024. Although we depart on Saturday, we are currently planning on flying into Ft. Lauderdale (from Boston or Providence) on Thursday. If worst case came about, we would have an extra day to figure out how to get down there.

I've watched a lot of Jordan's content. I really like the behind the scenes stuff, especially the ice show prep. I think she's been on YouTube for several years and is about to start her fourth contract.

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect. We've been on every class from Radiance up. This is my personal take on the classes Radiance - My least favorite. I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down. I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group. You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize. Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager. The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded. As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14. RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then. I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail. But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room. I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea. There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only. You can never be bored. I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows. You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship. But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children. Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting. You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

It's more than a bit puzzling that the only place you can purchase RC branded merchandise is on the ships for the exact reason you stated. I guess they just don't want to be in the business of selling merchandise online, but it seems to me they're missing a potential market for those who either want to get something before the cruise, or, as you stated, have regrets after the fact.

I really wish RC would sell the models on their website. I recently decided to start purchasing and displaying models of the ships we've been on (have a new finished room and I'd like to theme it around our vacations). I bought Explorer while on the ship, my kids got me 2 others via eBay for gifts. But they said the cost was fairly high. The ones they got me came fully boxed and unopened, so my suspicion is that crew members and/or passengers are buying them onboard and then reselling them at a good profit. Such is life. I'll count on them adding 1 or 2 a year until I have all 9 models (6 more to go), and from now on I'll make a point of purchasing one when I'm on a new ship.

One year from today.......

Freedom ('06) Independence ('09) Oasis ('12, '16) Quantum ('14) Allure ('15) Adventure ('17) Serenade ('19) Explorer ('22) Booked: Odyssey ('24)

Can't speak to Odyssey, our first time on will be in January, 2024 and we're on it specifically for this itinerary. Everyone's mileage will vary regarding their opinion of ports, but Curacao is one of our favorites. We've only been once, we were supposed to be there this past June until a tropical storm forced an itinerary change. You can do a general search for Curacao on this forum and you'll get lots of info and advice. For me, it's all about the town itself and the walk from the ship to the town. Most Curacao stops go well into the evening because the town is magnificent after dark. The people are great, excellent shopping, there are excursions to choose from (we did the distillery and a beach break), but save time to just walk the town. Don't be afraid to explore side streets and alley ways, you may find some hidden surprises.

This will be our first time back on a Quantam class ship since the initial sailing of Quantum (2014). This is a Southern Caribbean & Perfect Day itinerary. It will make up for our recent June sailing which had to divert from Aruba and Curacao due to a tropical storm. We want to get back to those stops, plus we really enjoy Coco Cay. Only 457 long days to go.