DMLM

I also use Michelle.  I had three cruises booked and she has helped me navigate each one.  She is responsive to the point of even telling me she is unable to help at that moment but can the next day.  Most of these changes I made in advance of any cancellation and yet she still found the time to help.  She has also been a superstar navigating the ever changing interpretations from Royal.  Thank you Michelle!

I reached out a few times and @AnnetteJackson responded not only on this blog but also via the private message. I am so sorry we are loosing some very fine individuals that we have learned to count on, they will be sorely MISSED. I wanted to publicly shout out to Sharla Manglass of MEI and the countless others of MEI TA's who are still sticking it out for us, I can't imagine how this situation has upended their lives as well. I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for continuing to take great care of us during these unprecedented times. I for one appreciate every single thing they do for us, please know you ARE appreciated Sharla, more then you know! Thanks for sticking it out with us, you are the BEST this industry has to offer.
 

I also use Michelle.  I had three cruises booked and she has helped me navigate each one.  She is responsive to the point of even telling me she is unable to help at that moment but can the next day.  Most of these changes I made in advance of any cancellation and yet she still found the time to help.  She has also been a superstar navigating the ever changing interpretations from Royal.  Thank you Michelle!

I would agree on the Quantum class ships.  We sailed on Anthem (first Quantum for us) and found that the solarium was a big reason we love that class now.  The solarium is laid out effectively with nice loungers and pods.  It also has a little swing in front of the pool.  My wife and I enjoyed a little swing and chat like we were kids (we are in our 50's).  I do not think you can go wrong on that class or that solarium!

Quantum class have the best Solarium.  
The layout, size and design gives it visual appeal with different water features and quad-ish hot tubs with awesome forward views. 
The pool isn't suitable for laps, it's more of a sitting pool so the only drawback is for folks looking for a deepwater pool to swim in.  

Hey I feel for you, we have had 5 cruises cancelled since April and two more For this year are not looking good at this time, however, my TA, Michelle at MEI has been right on it every time. Realizing the burden all this has put on all TA’s I’ve been amazed that she always replies to my requests within a couple of hours or less. She is amazing and I highly recommend her if you want quick, accurate and up to date information. Although this situation is hard on everyone it’s sure nice to have someone like her in your corner. 

We sailed to Rome and Florence last year and specifically used the cruise excursions in those ports since the sights were far.   We were happy we did as the trip in Rome barely got back to the ship in time.  Experience was awesome and worth the extra in both cases.
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Went to Cozumel's Paradise Beach last December, and the service was low-key but attentive. Menu prices were reasonable for casual but very competently made food.. 
You'll see lots of towels hanging on beach chairs from the different cruise lines represented, and lots of loungers in the shade, or sun. Water was fine with just swimsuits and water shoes.
The pricing for beach toys at $18/day also moderate (for cruise comparisons) https://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/team-post/beach/
 

The week of Nov 11th, but it could be released later on today, if it continues to follow what happened last weeks time frame.

We were at Paradise Beach in September. The beach on the left side, by the pier, is rocky in the water, and it is sandy in front of the inflatables. It was a nice day for our family. Our kids are a little younger than yours, 11 and 7, so we didn't want a "spring break" atmosphere. There was music, and it was a fun atmosphere without being raucous. We're going back in February. My husband and I have dived in Cozumel in early January, and the water was fine. I wore a short wet suit, but didn't really need it since we only did two dives. The water was perfect at the surface. If you're sensitive to water temperature though, you can't beat the heated pool. Have a great time whichever you decide on! 

You can always see your charges throughout the cruise (on TV or asking at the desk).  additionally, they provide a statement on the last evening and the charges will be applied to your card if you authorized that type of set up.
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You can always see your charges throughout the cruise (on TV or asking at the desk).  additionally, they provide a statement on the last evening and the charges will be applied to your card if you authorized that type of set up.
D

My kids (b/g twins) starting cruising at around 3 years old and have now been on 10 cruises with Royal.  My daughter stayed with the kids menu longer than my son and occasionally will order something from it (as a teenager).  On the other hand, my son was so excited to try the adult menu and the variety of cuisine (around 7-9 yo) and loved it.  He would order multiple items every night and try many different things.  He always ate it and I could not believe how much he consumed. 
My son always indicates that was one of the best memories he had when he had that opportunity and loves cruising ever since.   

I have sailed both Oasis and Anthem.  I can tell you that we found Oasis too big for us and until we sailed Anthem we were the Freedom Class fans.  I can now tell you that we love the Anthem and find we have two favorite class ships now (Freedom and Quantum).  As stated by Gregg above, there is so much activity and places to enjoy yourself.  We also found that we loved the Quantum Solarium over the other solariums on the other ships.  The only time it felt a little crowded was on the Esplanade.  I think Anthem is a great choice.
D

Hi there Joe. Fellow Joe here. ?
First, thanks for your service!
Regarding the luggage tags, I've only ever put one on each bag. I use a plastic holder with steel cable that I bought on Amazon. I only put the tag on after my flight, basically on embarkation day before heading to the port, to minimize the risk of any damage outside of what the porters might do to it. Haven't had them fall off / get ripped off, and the holders are going on their third cruise so far with no visible wear and tear.

We stayed at the Hotel Vasanta last year when we cruised the Mediterranean.  It was a basic hotel that was reasonably priced and the guy at the desk was excellent and friendly.  We did take a taxi to the stadium and walked to other areas in Barcelona.  I remember seeing La Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, The Gothic Area, and a park within walking distance.
We had a car service for the trip to the port but we happened to be there when the taxis went on strike so the car service went on strike in support (and never notified us).  The guy at the hotel warned us and helped us figure out the best solution considering the circumstances.  We ended up walking a few blocks to the metro and then walked a few from the metro stop near the port.  It all worked out but that was not fun with the luggage.  The good news is that the hotel was not that far from the transportation :-)
I hope this is helpful and happy sailing.
D

We stayed at the Hotel Vasanta last year when we cruised the Mediterranean.  It was a basic hotel that was reasonably priced and the guy at the desk was excellent and friendly.  We did take a taxi to the stadium and walked to other areas in Barcelona.  I remember seeing La Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, The Gothic Area, and a park within walking distance.
We had a car service for the trip to the port but we happened to be there when the taxis went on strike so the car service went on strike in support (and never notified us).  The guy at the hotel warned us and helped us figure out the best solution considering the circumstances.  We ended up walking a few blocks to the metro and then walked a few from the metro stop near the port.  It all worked out but that was not fun with the luggage.  The good news is that the hotel was not that far from the transportation :-)
I hope this is helpful and happy sailing.
D

First, enjoy your first cruise!  I expect you will love it and become addicted like the rest of us.
I agree with Bakerette.  I have been on around 14 cruises and always attach a credit card to the seapass account and have not been charged a pre authorization.  We are not really big spenders on the account, and with the OBC we have had,  we typically only have a charge in full at the end of the cruise.
We also have the Royal Caribbean Visa and use that to get double the points for more OBC.  We only use the card for Royal Cruises.  No annual fee so it works for us.
D 

I recommend a  10-12 night trip, as  7 nights moves too fast, and you must account for jet lag.  We enjoyed the itinerary out of Barcelona as well as the Canary Islands out of Southampton.  On our next Med cruise, we'll try an itinerary that includes Venice.  For us, the chief goal was to see some of the places we've read about or seen on TV.  Shopping was incidental.  We sailed on the Brilliance and the Explorer.   Southampton cruises are a little more expensive/day then some of the others.

We did the Mediterranean with Greek Isles August (2018) on the Vision.  Would agree with KenCP on the ship and crew.  The trip and locations were awesome also.  We would definitely do it again.
D

We were on a cruise last year that stopped in Santorini.  What I remember was that there is a tender to the port.  In addition, the line for the cable car was long.  Once you et on the cable car it moves well and then you get off and walk along a sidewalk to tender spots along the route.  You need to find the one for your ship and there is also shopping along that walk.  Can get a bit busy at that point as well.  We did not cut it close to the ship sail time but I seem to recall about an hour for that activity.
Enjoy Santorini as it is beautiful.
D

First, enjoy your first cruise!  I expect you will love it and become addicted like the rest of us.
I agree with Bakerette.  I have been on around 14 cruises and always attach a credit card to the seapass account and have not been charged a pre authorization.  We are not really big spenders on the account, and with the OBC we have had,  we typically only have a charge in full at the end of the cruise.
We also have the Royal Caribbean Visa and use that to get double the points for more OBC.  We only use the card for Royal Cruises.  No annual fee so it works for us.
D 

First, enjoy your first cruise!  I expect you will love it and become addicted like the rest of us.
I agree with Bakerette.  I have been on around 14 cruises and always attach a credit card to the seapass account and have not been charged a pre authorization.  We are not really big spenders on the account, and with the OBC we have had,  we typically only have a charge in full at the end of the cruise.
We also have the Royal Caribbean Visa and use that to get double the points for more OBC.  We only use the card for Royal Cruises.  No annual fee so it works for us.
D 

I have put a credit Card attached to my sea pass account one 4 different cruises and not once did I have a pre-authorized hold on my credit card any of the 4 times that I added a credit card to my sea pass card/account
The daily charge amount is $500 a day per person for 7+ night sailings & $300 a day for 2 - 5 night sailings, if you go over the daily limit the cruise ship will charge your credit card that is linked with your sea pass card once you have reached the daily limit on your sea pass account.
Once you reached the daily limit the ship will call the guest to inform them that the daily limit has been reached and that they need to pay their bill so that you can continue to charge things to your sea pass account & your sea pass account has been paid after reaching the daily limit you can begin charging things to your sea pass account again the same day that you pay your sea pass account once you have reached the daily limit for each day of your cruise.

My family to include two teenage kids (b/g) did the Dunns river + tubing last time we were there.  The family enjoyed all of it but were mixed on which part they liked best.  Either way all of us indicated we would do it again and it was awesome to experience the falls again with the kids since we did it pre kids.  The walk on the falls was not too bad and there were different routes so you can go with the route that is best suited for you.
 
A piece of advice.  You will be hounded to buy the CD, souvenirs, and beverages.  From the time you arrive at Dunns river until the bus departs.  We bought the CD and while it was nice it was really poor quality and not cheap.  Bring a go pro instead.  I wish I had done that.
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