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It's just like ex-girlfriends. Nothing gets you over the last one, like the next one!

Thank you all so much for helping me organize our cruise!  We returned from Harmony last Sunday (Feb 16), and had a great time.  We had a few bumps along the way, and the sea was quite rough for the first three days – just goes to show that you can’t predict a cruise by the weather/month of sailing!

I’m experiencing vertigo (trying to get my land legs back) so still not feeling 100% (lasted two weeks last time).  I’ll keep this short ... just wanted to give my appreciation to everyone who answered every little question I had, no matter how big, small or silly!

Oh, and the best way to deal with post cruise depression?  Book another cruise! 

Thank you all so much for helping me organize our cruise!  We returned from Harmony last Sunday (Feb 16), and had a great time.  We had a few bumps along the way, and the sea was quite rough for the first three days – just goes to show that you can’t predict a cruise by the weather/month of sailing!

I’m experiencing vertigo (trying to get my land legs back) so still not feeling 100% (lasted two weeks last time).  I’ll keep this short ... just wanted to give my appreciation to everyone who answered every little question I had, no matter how big, small or silly!

Oh, and the best way to deal with post cruise depression?  Book another cruise! 

I think limiting your exposure for a defined period of time prior to cruising is very wise.  I actually never thought about it but it makes sense.

For our ultimate sailing enjoyment,
We have 11 sailings under our belt (discovered cruising late in life, always thought the motion would be problematic) and while my entire family used to roll their eyes at me now they appreciate the following; (I think)
I have a desk calendar and when the sailing gets closer at 14 days all extra activities pretty much halt. Besides work and school of course we don't go to movies, restaurants and take a 2 week break with notice from our volunteering in the Community. We are hyper aware of our surroundings and self "quarantine" each and every time to the best of our ability. We have been doing this since our first sailing in 2016 when we realized the discomfort for everyone an illness would result in, and we want to enjoy to the fullest potential what our monies have purchased. Now it is old hat and my family doesn't bat an eye, okay maybe the teen when she wants to go somewhere but too bad, so sad! We are going on an expensive cruise and you will not ruin this for me!! Hahaha, 
So reading this you may be like well that's a pretty good idea OR crazy lady glad I'm not her family!! Either reaction I just wanted to share something that seems to have been working for us, enjoy your day everyone, stay safe and stay well :)

I know catchy title but the worst happened this week. I have a cruise for this Sunday, 8 March 2020 on Oasis of the Seas. We booked this cruise a year and half ago and was really looking forward to it. I woke up Tuesday morning with the room spinning out of control and feeling very nauseous. I knew that feeling, it was the flu. Knowing I couldn’t just ride it out I had to go to the doctors and get a note indicating my status to inform RCI.  Under the rules I had to be 14 days well to sail and I was well within that window.  
So off I went to the walk-in clinic where they jabbed a cotton swab so far up my nose I thought they were hitting brain. Nurse puts it in a container and says I will be back in 10 minutes to let you know the results. PA walks in next and says what I already suspected- Influenza Type A....UGH! There goes the trip. At this point I send an email to @michelle at MEI to let her know what was going on. 
Michelle let us know our options - Go to insurance (always get insurance people) and get the money back or she would TRY and rebook us but no promises. She had me choose 3 cruises by priority and she would give them a call. This morning I woke up to a new cruise in December 2020 and all the previous items for the Oasis cruise will be refunded and the cruise money itself will transfer over to new cruise. I just have to replan the cruise for what we want to do. I love doing that already so I’ll have fun doing a new cruise planner. 
I found about MEI from this blog, as I have never had an agent before, and this is a classic case of why they are so important. I have learned so much from this site so thanks to @Matt for starting this blog forum. 
Plug for Michelle - she did an awesome job in a very short amount of time and I am so thankful for her help. If you ever thought of an agent but said no, I could do it myself, think again...I would still be on the phone with the flu trying to fix this mess. Instead I was home in bed taking Tamiflu and getting rid of this flu without having to rebook or fight the insurance for a refund!
Thanks again and maybe this thread can help someone else in the future if the worst happens to you pre-cruise week. 
 
Oh BTW - someone should be getting a Royal-up for Junior Suite 12636 soon since I had to cancel. And, I did have a flu shot this year so It didn’t work so well. 
 
 
 

I think this is super important to note, that "all GOOD TA's" should do this.  We have TA (not an MEI agent), and I had to repeatedly reach out to her, to ask her to re-price when I would see others saving money on our fb group.  Once she acted like it wasn't a thing. Finally after pushing her, she did it and saved us a few hundred.   But, I am certain if I had another agent, we could have saved more.  And, she only did it after me practically begging her to do it.  She also didn't know how OBC worked.  SOOOOO, I have learned a lesson! I will only use a TA in the future who comes recommended from this blog!!

Thanks so much Ashley!  

You can still book all your own shows and dining and have control of the reservation via the Cruise Planner. 
The only things you need to go through your TA for is if you want to change rooms, get a quote to upgrade/downgrade, add people to the booking, change to a different sailing date, etc. 
While your TA can assist you with the Cruise Planner and special needs request, you will still have your reservation number and be able to do all of that online.

Thank you all so much for helping me organize our cruise!  We returned from Harmony last Sunday (Feb 16), and had a great time.  We had a few bumps along the way, and the sea was quite rough for the first three days – just goes to show that you can’t predict a cruise by the weather/month of sailing!

I’m experiencing vertigo (trying to get my land legs back) so still not feeling 100% (lasted two weeks last time).  I’ll keep this short ... just wanted to give my appreciation to everyone who answered every little question I had, no matter how big, small or silly!

Oh, and the best way to deal with post cruise depression?  Book another cruise! 

Thank you all so much for helping me organize our cruise!  We returned from Harmony last Sunday (Feb 16), and had a great time.  We had a few bumps along the way, and the sea was quite rough for the first three days – just goes to show that you can’t predict a cruise by the weather/month of sailing!

I’m experiencing vertigo (trying to get my land legs back) so still not feeling 100% (lasted two weeks last time).  I’ll keep this short ... just wanted to give my appreciation to everyone who answered every little question I had, no matter how big, small or silly!

Oh, and the best way to deal with post cruise depression?  Book another cruise! 

Thank you all so much for helping me organize our cruise!  We returned from Harmony last Sunday (Feb 16), and had a great time.  We had a few bumps along the way, and the sea was quite rough for the first three days – just goes to show that you can’t predict a cruise by the weather/month of sailing!

I’m experiencing vertigo (trying to get my land legs back) so still not feeling 100% (lasted two weeks last time).  I’ll keep this short ... just wanted to give my appreciation to everyone who answered every little question I had, no matter how big, small or silly!

Oh, and the best way to deal with post cruise depression?  Book another cruise! 

Thank you all so much for helping me organize our cruise!  We returned from Harmony last Sunday (Feb 16), and had a great time.  We had a few bumps along the way, and the sea was quite rough for the first three days – just goes to show that you can’t predict a cruise by the weather/month of sailing!

I’m experiencing vertigo (trying to get my land legs back) so still not feeling 100% (lasted two weeks last time).  I’ll keep this short ... just wanted to give my appreciation to everyone who answered every little question I had, no matter how big, small or silly!

Oh, and the best way to deal with post cruise depression?  Book another cruise! 

Thank you all so much for helping me organize our cruise!  We returned from Harmony last Sunday (Feb 16), and had a great time.  We had a few bumps along the way, and the sea was quite rough for the first three days – just goes to show that you can’t predict a cruise by the weather/month of sailing!

I’m experiencing vertigo (trying to get my land legs back) so still not feeling 100% (lasted two weeks last time).  I’ll keep this short ... just wanted to give my appreciation to everyone who answered every little question I had, no matter how big, small or silly!

Oh, and the best way to deal with post cruise depression?  Book another cruise! 

No need to ever apologize for that.  This is why this forum (and website) exists!

That's great, thanks for explaining everything Ashley!  I take it your emoji was for the porter taking our bags ...lol
That's what we plan to do as well.  Thank you!

I always have my tip for them ready and folded in my pocket so it’s super quick to slip to them. The way I have done it is wait until they are either done or on the last bag and normally there is a moment when they pause and ask if there’s any other bags you have or wish you a good cruise and that’s the best time to slip them the tip IMO. I also say “thank you so much!” While holding out the folded bill(s). Since tips are so widely expected for this service, they will normally hover around to give you the opportunity to tip. I wouldn’t stress about it too much! Worst case scenario you can always run after them or call them back if they start to walk off without tip. They won’t be mad you interrupted them to shove money at them lol 

Giving your luggage to a porter is less risky than checking it on to an airplane.  Since there will only be one ship at the specific terminal there is virtually zero chance of it finding its way on to another ship, as opposed to it ending up on the wrong plane at an airport with dozens of flights leaving every hour.  While being able to speak the local language is never a bad thing porters are just putting the luggage on the carts and pointing you towards the check-in area.
That said, there are some standard tips: important medication and anything you need for the rest of the day in your carry-on.  Errors happen but those are typically of the "luggage ended up at the wrong room so will be a couple hours late" variety.  I second Twangster on the luggage tag holders, they will hold up to most anything your luggage might endure.
Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your cruise!

You never need your passport on an excursion.  You may be required to provide "other" identification (in addition to your seapass.  Driver's license is the easiest to take, IMO) but you never NEED to take your passport out of the safe.  Many disagree....it's very divided here...so while some WILL take their passports, you do not NEED to take your passport.

We had a port call in San Juan last week. Things were fine.  
 
I did a two tank dive, my wife and the other couple we were with went exploring. They had a ball as did I.  None of us noticed any problems because of natural disasters. 
 
There is a Walgreens right across from where we docked that was great for the odds and ends we forgot....hair things for my wife, charging cord for one our friends phone, shampoo, etc. 

Thank you so much for your insight.  It sounds like the drapes remained the same in your suite ?
I read many complaints about the mattresses on Harmony and Symphony.  Thankfully, I like firm mattresses ...lol
That is a real shame, I do find the decor in the older ships is very dated ?

I'm so sorry that I had to laugh when you told me you were on Mariner recently and nothing had changed since your honeymoon ?
I was very excited to see the differences between Oasis and Harmony.  The larger sink and the separate closets are brilliant!
I still have a picture of my husband washing his hands while sitting on the toilet (make believe of course to show how small the sinks were, and how tight the area is) ?

That's our problem too! We started off with Oasis due to severe motion sickness (was fine with meds), now it's Harmony, and deciding on Allure or Symphony. I personally cannot book anything other than Oasis class now!

That's our problem too! We started off with Oasis due to severe motion sickness (was fine with meds), now it's Harmony, and deciding on Allure or Symphony. I personally cannot book anything other than Oasis class now!

Thanks so much for explaining it all ?
 

Thank you so much!