DMLM

I know the Port Of Galveston is rapidly developing the new terminal in preparation for the Allure later this year. Part of that location will include parking near the terminal. However, Galveston can flood during really bad storms and I'm not sure if I want to park that close to the pier. Does anyone know if the existing parking will shuttle down to the new terminal or if there is any new parking raised garaged parking being developed as a result?

Last update: The credit was applied and cleared. I'm glad it happened but took way too long to work through. Should never have been that difficult but thankful that it is now behind me.

I agree that there are way too many companies losing sight of true customer service as well. Nickel and dime everywhere. This has been eroding for years (like our social norms) and it is very sad. What happened to the days when a company would charge a fair price and leave you very excited when they did something above and beyond for service? That to me grew so much loyalty. It has gotten to the point (at almost every company I can think of) that even when you need to call about an issue you can only call Customer Service that knows nothing about Customer Service.

I would agree with the fact that it extends across most generations. I do not see it from what is left of the great generation and the most of the one right after. It appears to be getting progressively worse from there. Not any one generation but clearly getting worse.

We stayed at the Miami Hilton Downtown. The hotel had a view of the port but was a little tired. I'm not sure we would recommend the hotel as a result. I'm also not sure there was a shuttle service. Now, we were a family of 4 and found that using an Uber (large SUV) was a better option. Price (~$50) was not that much different than the shuttles at $10 a person that we herd about and have seen. The driver was on time, courteous, and we had a nice comfortable ride. No issue with getting an Uber at the port either when we returned. There is a section in front of the terminal (clearly marked) to direct a shared service to pick you up from. I just cant remember the number (maybe section 4?). Good luck!

I'm an old school believer. Once there is an agreement you adhere to it unless there was something outrageous. I have tried to follow a philosophy of "say what you mean and mean what you say". While not exactly the same it is still applicable to what others have indicated. If I agreed then I should adhere to it. It also applies to what Royal should practice (and sometimes struggles). I'm hopeful that we start to see some of the values that the earlier generations held so highly.

We have eaten at both and would echo the comment from Ryan79. We really have been disappointed by JR most of the time over the years (some times much better than others). We have eaten at playmakers once and we were pleased overall. We will be trying that again and see how it goes over time. For us it was not the difference in the money as much as it was about the tastes/experiences. Don't let me mislead you, I would also not go if the price was outrageous for the food/drink. Enjoy the experiences!

I tipped $20 at Wonderland and $10 at playmakers. Service was much better at Wonderland but it was also likely due to the overall experience.

Latest update: It appears that I have now made progress with Allianz. I called again yesterday and spoke with another supervisor. I again demonstrated they have the documentation showing the positive Covid test and my canceled flight (for weeks now). The dates of the flight are the same dates of the policy. I also reminded them of their policy and that I was operating within that policy. I also closed with saying this has been way too long and will be looking to escalate to corporate if this si not resolved this time (not trying to be threatening but rather look for alternate resolution paths if needed). Within 5 minutes after the call I received an email yesterday that has lead me to believe they finally understood my points. The proof will come when I see the refund on my credit card.

You are correct that the insurance would cover items that are not reimbursed (for a claim). But they also have a provision that indicates they will cancel/refund you if you do not take the trip, and do not file a claim, due to Covid. I did not need the policy for that trip as it never happened.

That is good info. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I did not realize that when I rebooked my cruise for 2 weeks later (while recovering from Covid) and then paid for that cruise and insurance premium as well. It would have been nice to roll it over but did not catch that at the time.

Sorry for the long post. I had a cruise booked in May and was unable to go because of COVID. It took some time but Royal did refund my money in full (thanks to the persistence of my TA). I also received future flight certificates from the airline and refunds for all other booked activities pre and during the cruise. All worked out so far. I always book travel insurance in case of the unforeseen events that could be devastating. I did the same this time with the same travel insurance company (Allianz). Their policy indicates that they will cancel/refund your policy if you have COVID and the trip is cancelled. Unfortunately this is turning into a bit of a challenge. I have provided the proof of Covid as well as the flight cancellation. They are now asking for the proof of cancellation of the trip (guessing Royal Caribbean). My travel agent worked that and was able to get the refund from them through my credit card but there is no real email or letter stating anything. When I asked the TA she was not optimistic I would get that from Royal. Any suggestions and has anyone had a similar situation they had success with?

I sailed on Symphony back in June and the reservations were in the app the day of the cruise. That was the first time I had to do that (used to be online pre cruise). There was actually a spot on the ship that you could meet with the crew (it was like at 11 am) where they could tell you how to make reservations in the app. I would start to look in the app for the activities (prior to cruise day) and find if/when/where they offer that. For us it was a great location. We got on the ship, went to the location & got all of our reservations, walked out and finalized the muster. We were done with the admin and off to eating & drinking!

I just wanted to provide an update. We finally received our remaining balance last week. The good news is that we received the funds within the time defined by the resolutions desk. Glad the TA continued to work this for us.

I have not been on Independence of the Seas but have been on several with Broadway shows. I would absolutely recommend making a reservation for that show (otherwise you might end up with a less than desirable seat if you can get in at all). You indicated you want to relax then suggest you relax in the Solarium pool (no kids allowed). For a little fun (and I'm not a kid) I enjoy the pool slides. On many ships that I have been on there are always interesting pieces of art that you can explore (which can be relaxing and keep you cool). Some ships will have the interactive app for the art (not sure on Independence). Regardless, I suggest that you take some time to walk the ship and see what it has to offer. Regardless, enjoy!

We found that the only place acceptable was on the islands. We were happy our younger adults were understanding and happy to have the opportunity at all. Happy sailing.

We sailed on Symphony of the seas June 18th and had a great time. This was our first cruise back since you know what came around so we really looking forward to this trip. This was our first trip that we elected to reserve Wonderland, Hooked, and try playmakers. Wonderland was an amazing experience as many posters have said in various posts. The food was mind blowing and very tasty. The decorations and the way the service was set was very entertaining. On Symphony the restaurant overlooks the boardwalk and the seats we had also enabled us to see past the Aqua theater and Abyss out to the aft with sunset. What could be better there? Hooked was not my favorite and that might be based on the fact we ate at Wonderland the day before. The location was fine (overlooked the front of the ship and Solarium) but the service was not as good. It was fine but lacking the details. The food did not meet the high expectations we had. We grew up in the northeast and really wanted to have great seafood. I will say the Oysters were fine as was the clam chowder. Unfortunately the biscuits were dry and the Lobster was lacking. While not great in the MDR, we actually prefer the tails there compared to the tail or whole lobster in Hooked. I'm not sure if it was the butter that was provided but the entire thing was tasteless. I had the perception the lobster was not fresh as the meat had shrunk in the shell and was bland. Maybe it was just overcooked. Playmakers was really fun and we enjoyed the food. Really lived up to what they were trying to create. We enjoyed wings, burgers, and the campfire cookie dessert. I would say that we enjoyed our lunch at playmakers far more than dinner at Hooked. We will definitely be back to Playmakers and plan to try Chops and an Italian specialty on an upcoming cruise. Any preference between Jaimie's or Giovanni's? I know they are on different ships but curious if they have the same menu (and recipes) or are there differences. Do any compare to really good Italian food?

Any of the selected cruises sound great. The experience will largely depend on what you make of it. The ships are different, the ports are different, but they all offer the backdrop for what can be a great adventure. A few thoughts regarding activities. Jamaica has Dunn's River Falls (which can be fun to climb) and I believe a different trip we did the horseback ride that also went into the water which was fun (caution on horse poop in the water), Grand Cayman is supposed to have amazing scuba and snorkeling (we have done the sting ray sand bar excursion and that was fun), Coco Cay has Thrill water Park, and most islands will have the beaches to get the Kayak/Jet Ski type activities. I think you will find what you are looking for on any of these trips. Enjoy your planning, but more importantly, have a great cruise on any of them!

You are not alone. I'm having a similar situation (just not the same amount or the same length). I unfortunately got COVID 2 days before the sail date and could not sail (so cruise was paid in full). My TA contacted Royal and provided the details to include the test results from the Abbott test. Royal indicated that they would be providing a 100% refund as a result. Now, what actually has been happening is that Royal has been disbursing some of my money in increments and spaced apart by a few weeks. We are now approaching 50 days since they were notified and they still have about 20% of the funds. The TA that we used called Royal again this week and was told that the system had a block on my account for that sailing. Her note indicated that meant it was holding my money as a "penalty" for not going. The TA has escalated to the resolutions desk and another commitment was made to disburse within 10 days. Hang in there! For me I'm still a cruising nut and Royal fan. While this is happening, I have booked three more cruises with deposits. I still want the full refund and I will pay these cruises independently.

Fully agree on this. Royal has been famous (for years) for creative ways to spin the sales, create excitement, and end up with around the same deal. It is amazing how they can increase a base fare and then increase the discount to end up the same. They also lower the base fare and decrease the discounts. They will reduce discounts and offer OBC. In the end all of these things equal about the same. When it first started I was so surprised they could actually get away with the old increase price and discount with heavy marketing on "Sale". Always worth checking though Still love cruising and especially cruising Royal!

My teenage twins (Boy/girl) were both asked a couple of times while we were with them when they were 16 (they did look younger). They were asked to also share their Seapass card for verification. All was fine and we enjoyed the Solarium but that was our experience.

To me this all depends on how fast you get on the ship when at the port. We uploaded ours prior (which was quick) along with all of our documents. When we arrived at the port we had our documents readily available for the agent to confirm they are the same. We got on the ship very quickly at that point. Please not (and you probably know this) that the cruise will need a picture regardless. So if you prefer they will take the picture at the port while you are being processed. Still does not take long but just a little bit longer. Happy sailing.

I would agree with this and recognize it is tough. My kids are in the exact same situation (1 Boy & 1 Girl). My daughter was very concerned as she loves to be very social. We sailed on Symphony back in June and there was a meet and greet scheduled. My daughter went but indicated that nobody really showed up. I can tell you that I was concerned for her but several of the statements from the others who have posted were true. They both participated in activities (Karaoke, trivia, dancing on the promenade, etc) and spent a good amount of time at the pool. When they were in ports of call they were of legal age to get a drink so they got one at the beach. While the trip might not have been packed with the activities like the teen club, they indicated they had a good time. It is absolutely a transition that is a bit lacking from the cruise line but overall it is what you make of it. From a parent standpoint we were happy to spend some really good times laughing with them Make the most and have a great time!

Yes COVID tests are still currently required. The earlier you check in (like FionaMG indicated is around 45 days out) the better. You get a better selection of arrival times at the port. Loading the vaccine cards into the app is recommended (not mandatory)as it speeds up the process (I would recommend bringing them regardless). We uploaded ours and the family in front of us did not. We waited what seemed like an eternity for that family while our family breezed through. If you do not upload to the app I then suggest you have all of the paperwork ready when you get to that portion of the process (passport/vaccination card). I would say most things on the ship are back to normal. I did see that the crew cleans the tables right after you leave them in the Windjammer (always did) and gathering spaces but now they have a sign on the table that gets flipped that says it is ready for use or not. I think that is a good add regardless. Enjoy the cruise!

I completely agree with this. We flew in the day before into Miami back in June for our Symphony sailing (first flight) and had heard later that day that the network was a mess and had the most cancellations on record. We did see people getting on the ship at the next port as I would imagine they missed the ship. The only time we do not fly in at least the day before is when the port is within 3 hours of our location. We then leave plenty early that day for the area and get breakfast and sight see so that we have time in the event of any delays on our route that morning. I would rather be tired and listen to my teenagers complain than miss the ship!