steverk

There are lines that do river cruises in America but they aren't Celebrity and they are expensive. You can also do Great Lakes cruises, but it's a similar story. I've considered both before, and decided a great American road trip would go to better places for less money.

Whoa. I downloaded it just yesterday and they have changed it already!

I respectfully disagree. First, the US and Canada have long allowed a small quantity of goods to be imported from anywhere in the world duty free. It's unlikely either country wants to be bothered with changing it now. Second, it's pretty likely this will be settled one way or another, before the summer sailing season. I plan on enjoying all of my upcoming cruises and will deal with any hiccups if they occur.

I spoke with NextCruise just yesterday about Serenade. She expects Serenade will do short Caribbean out of Florida. I don't believe NextCruise had any inside information, so take it with a grain of salt. Regardless, short Caribbean is due out in a couple weeks, so we'll soon know.

I've found it best to self assist off the ship to beat the surge pricing on Uber, but never really had much trouble with Uber anywhere

So I take it you're sailing out of Miami. That helps us give more specific advice. I've only sailed out of Miami a couple times, so others will probably have better advice. In my limited experience, the biggest issue is getting to the correct terminal. Royal typically sails out of terminal A (closest to the sea) and terminal G (on the city end of the port). On the morning of the cruise, I go to cruisemapper.com and search for my ship. Then I determine the terminal. Be aware that traffic at the port can be really bad.

Great earnings report. Stock up 12% today! The market hasn't even been open for 2 hours yet.

I'm on my third agent. The first was independent. The second with Cruise Planners. And now I'm with MEI. the one from MEI is by far the best. She pays attention to details and gives fast service. MEI has group rates on most of the sailings that interest me.

According to Google, the MV Astoria was built in 1944 and is still operating. The SS Badger entered service in 1953 and is the oldest operating coal fired steam ship on the great lakes. So they can operate as long as the owners want to keep spending money on them. However, 30 years seems to be the point where most owners give up and scrap them.

I don't have anything coming up, but I stopped there in late November. I didn't have an excursion, but those that did enjoyed them

The things that stand out to me about Adventure is the golf course that spans 2 decks and Izumi on the Pronenade. She's a fine ship and I've enjoyed sailing on her.

I'm not sure that's really true. I've heard statements from Royal captains that range between something the size of a vision class to something slightly larger than Voyager. Celebrity Edge is at the high end of this range

So I'm on board now and asked the room steward for a mattress topper. His response was he would try but that's to be requested pre cruise. New a to me! I can't find how to request it. Does anybody know?

As far as other options, I've grabbed an UBER to the airport and rented a car. Then you're free to explore to your hearts content. With a 5:30pm departure, you'll probably have about 6 hours to kill. I believe Biscayne Bay National Park is about 1.5 hours south of the port, so you could probably check it out. To enjoy that park, you need to schedule a boat tour well in advance as they sell out. I'm sure the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area has tons of other things to do, but I'm not the best person to ask.

Talk to guest services during your first cruise. On the B2B cruises I've taken, we had the option to explore for a few hours. In fact, one of the cruises even had a cruise line based shore excursion as an option. For those that wanted to get off (I never did), they would issue a new card first thing in the morning and then get you off the ship ASAP. You were expected back during regular boarding. But be sure to ask during your first cruise. The procedures could change depending on the port or whims of the cruise line and immigration officers.

I think your analysis was spot on for the company and well written. From the perspective of "should I invest?" I'm a bit less convinced. Stocks move on the difference between expectations and reality. Expectations are very high for RCL. If it meets those, then it will hold its value and probably be a good investment. If it fails to meet them, then it will decline. My guess is that it displaces CCL as the industry leader and is a great long term investment. But there are as many guesses out there as there are investors, so don't take my word for it. I hope this is helpful and good luck on your doctoral studies!

Not sure of all dimensions, but Royal doesn't have any ships that are sized for the new locks. Celebrity does, but Royal does not

At the Captain's Corner on Adventure the subject came up last week. In fact, the Captain brought it up without really being asked. He said it will be sailing by 2028. As people have already mentioned, this isn't definitive, but it's encouraging!

Let me try to answer these. Discount for 15 people? Yes! Contact a travel agent about a group booking. They'll get a better rate and the organizers get a credit towards his/her travel starting at 8 cabins When is cheapest time to book? Hard to say. Some countries allow repricing if the price drops. (In which case the answer is now) some do not. Your travel agent should be able to help with this. Any chance of Oasis or Icon ships coming to Australia? This has been widely discussed on this website with no real resolution. FWIW I seriously doubt it. Most of the ports aren't set up for ships that large. I don't see anyone making that investment anytime soon.

On question number 2, I'd suggest doing the math. I think One day internet on board is about $26, so that's probably cheaper than buying an unlimited package.

A few ships have a power outlet bear the bed. In my experience, most don't. As mentioned, Royal will provide an extension cord. However, I recommend buying an extra long cord for your device if the cord is detachable.

I think you're limited to Uber or lyft.

I'd take an Uber. If you're planning to spend a day or 2 in the area around NASA, I'd strongly recommend the Boardwalk hotel in Kemah instead of Hobby. There's much more to do, it's more pedestrian friendly and it's much safer. Enjoy your cruise!

I'm sure they do share the list. However, I've often wondered how it is enforced. After all, you can request a new passport with a new number at any time. You can move and, if you're really determined, even change your name. Skip entering your C&A number. That would only leave your birthdate to identify you. Not exactly deterministic.

I'm thinking Hola Mohalla. That's the festival that follows Holi.