USCG Teacher

Absolutely correct. In answering OPs question, I'm guessing that they would handle excess cash on his account at the end of the week in the same manner they handled my refundable OBC.

Not sure if it's the same in this scenario, but I'm guessing so: I had some leftover OBC at the end of my last cruise and it was just credited back to my credit card on file.

My 9 year old turns into Hugh Heffner on cruises. As soon as we get back to the cabin, whatever he's wearing comes instantly off and it's robe and slippers 100% of the time.

That is fantastic. If you don't mind a personal question, how much was it?

Looks likes there's lots of random stuff on sale today. Our July '25 Symphony cruise had the lowest Beach Club prices we've seen since we booked. Thanks to Royalpricetracker.com for the heads up-mail!

That depends. If you're on a ship with Sky Class suite amenities, then yes, everyone in the suite gets one complimentary device on WiFi. If there isn't Sky Class on your ship, then there aren't any WiFi perks.

A good overall approach. I'd rather have something and not need it than vice versa.

Sure is! It's great choice on port days, too. The turn around is pretty fast if you've got to get going for an excursion, but it's way more relaxed than the Windjammer.

Same here. Enjoyed the tour in the past, but hard pass at that price!

This was my assumption, but figured I'd ask those with actual experience. Thank you both!

I always like CK, but it's essentially an elevated MDR IMHO. The menus vary wildly from really good (the aforementioned Day 1 fillet is always an automatic for me!) to just meh, but even at it's best I just don't think CK is quite at the level of the specialty dining venues. So, of Chops and 150CP, I'm 150CP all day, everyday. As @WAAAYTOOO & @Geezer Of The Seas have both mentioned, Chops is fairly nondescript. Good food, don't get me wrong, just very generic. CP150 has some much more interesting dishes (my wife really liked the Lobster Thermidor and I loved the Lamb Wellington and the Roasted Tenderloin), the bread is absolutely todie for, and the fried cheesecake is just killer. Finally, and this may sound silly, but the Garden Martini (made table side) is worth the price of admission alone. It may not be the best drink on the ship, but my wife and I both think it's top 3 at the worst! IMG_9118.heic

Dumb question that I'm 99% sure I know the answer to, but are Next cruise certificates good on Celebrity or SilverSea?

Starting to do some VERY early research for a 2027 cruise to Alaska to celebrate my 50th birthday/25th anniversary, so I'm very much looking forward to this blog. Can't wait to read about your adventure!

NY's 2025 "Midwinter Recess" is Feb. 17-21. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/calendar/2024-2025-school-year-calendar

That makes perfect sense. Royal & Carnival used the piers just down river closer to the mouth of the Schuylkill River when they shifted operations to Philly out of NYC for a while post-9/11.

Unfortunately, Pier 82 is not a viable site for a cruise ship for a myriad of reasons (cargo/warehousing on site, lack of parking & infrastructure, upriver of the 135ish foot Walt Whitman Bridge, etc.).

Highly recommend as well! So easy to get to Horseshoe Bay from the Dockyard on the #7 bus (which also goes to Elbow Beach as well!). They run about every 15 mins. all day and the ride take about 30 minutes.

On one hand, look at all of that space! On the other hand, I've heard the hours are not terribly reliable.

Starting out with $500 OBC is a strong argument!

It has been my experience that the staff are not only willing to allow your kids to explore the menu, they actually encourage it and seem to enjoy seeing kids trying new things. My older son is very adventurous, my youngest not so much. A personal anecdote: a few years back we were at 150 Central Park, and our waiter heard my oldest musing about never having tried duck before, but wasn't sure if he'd like it. He encouraged him to try it, and it turned out it wasn't a hit for him. The waiter checked in about 90 seconds after delivering the dish, and when he heard my son wasn't a fan, he had his backup choice on the table in what felt like less than a minute later. This was one of the only cases where it turned my son didn't like what he tried (and the only one in a specialty restaurant), we have lots of other examples of the waitstaff allowing him to try things he ended up loving, but either way your kids will be good!

FYI, the fan @Bluesmom is recommending is the one that @Sharla provided a link to in her post. So that's two votes for the Venty!

Same. My CP also has a bunch of new excursions added today, so I'm guessing that might be related, too.

Good luck!

Wow, that's a wrinkle I'd never considered, but it makes sense. Out of curiosity, does the translator have to be present while you are with the notary, or is there a document they can provide indicating their certification along with the translation? Either way, obviously inconvenient (and probably somewhat pricey)!