S0nny

2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine received on 1/19! I have injection site pain (I didn't have any on the first one), but that's it so far. Too bad they canceled my April cruise I was hopeful this little card would be my golden ticket to normalcy ... at least if only for a week or two...

We took a Lyft out of port to the airport! Super ease

Different folks different strokes I guess. We always only booked interior cabins as I had previously fallen into the, "you only sleep there " camp. But generally speaking, I find the double points, full size tub, dedicated table space, and walk-in closet to be incredible value for money. Often times with the Key, one can get similar perks for less. We really aren't in the room all that much, and I would prefer to spend the extra 1000$ on the UDP/UBP anyway. Coastal Kitchen is amazing... I just like the flexibility and variability that the UDP/UBP provide on Oasis class ships. For the OP, I

Hi! Not sure if you have ever taken a train in Europe, but it's WAY easier than you might expect. If embarkation/disembarkation isn't in Venice, the train trip is about 4 hours and 20 Euro pp. I hope it all works out for you! Venice is on my bucket list too (especially since I had read how tourism in the city is changing) Venice Tourism May Never Be the Same After Covid. That Might Be a Good Thing. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Touche! But the sad reality is... large enterprises only respond to large statements. I worked in customer service over the phone (selling auto/home insurance for one the largest in the business)... trust me... even if UKFamily were able to get a hold of someone who cared about their circumstance... the sad thing is they probably can do nothing to fix it. Companies this large have policies in place, and they will only get attention when it's escalated to a higher authority. And nowadays, what gets an immediate response is social media (we had a policy to give people who posted to soci

@steverk beat me to it I use this website when searching because most of the time the work is done for me! This isn't the exact same room, but it's the mirror image. Hope this helps! https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/youtube.php?id=1346

+1 to this... I would start on Facebook and Twitter. Make mention of involving the press in the post. A lot of times they will escalate the issue to someone who can actually do something. What is unfortunate in the video is the recording starting from the middle of the selection process and not the beginning (which I would encourage you to go back and replicate if possible). As others have mentioned... their website is terribly glitchy. Any use of the back button, or reload option can further compound those issues. It's no excuse since it clearly looks like you're paying for 4 people. I hope i

Ahhhh... The good ole' Spring "sale" that turns into the same Summer "sale", and so on... As others have stated, learn to trust your own search history and pay no attention to advertising. You're keeping a spreadsheet... I'd say you're one step ahead of your average cruisers. One thing I didn't see stressed, is your ability to reprice your cruise if there has been a fare drop (What is the Best Price Guarantee Program? | Royal Caribbean Cruises), and the ability to cancel/reprice onboard activities up to 24 hours prior to the activity. So even if you're seeing a better price now, jus

I typically reference the image below when running through this choice. Royal Suite Class | Luxury Cruise Rooms | Royal Caribbean Cruises We CONSTANTLY have this debate every time I start looking at new cruises (which feels like it's at least quarterly). I break it down by cost for amenities that we will actually use. I break everything up by cost (much to my spouse's dismay ). Value can be such a subjective term, so I add some objectivity to the mix. Ultimately I would ask some general question. How many will be cruising in your party? Will you want internet? If so, how many d

Running to the MDR right when we get onboard to book all of our specialty meals with the UDP One day I will not be so OCD or such a worry wart about not getting what I want (that's one of the BEST BENEFITS of getting the UDP). We spent a good hour right when we got onboard to make sure we got all of our dining reservations sorted for the week... Not only did I not realize there are multiple places to make those reservations, but I also forgot that cruising is a fluid vacation... not a static one! Everything ended up changing after plans messed up our first nights' reservation! And we h

One day I will be this bold... but I can barely send back something I didn't even order at a restaurant +1 to this! We did the couples massage on our last cruise, and I almost smacked my husband when I saw the price (to be fair... I am the cheap one in the marriage) The massage itself was relaxing... but no different than any couples massage we've had in the past. The biggest "advantage" IMO is the ability to use the Spa waiting area to relax and decompress from the ruckus that is cruise life. I think that might include access to the Thermal Spa on-board... but I couldn't lo

Harmony has been our favorite ship so far! But the experience we had on Empress sailing to Cuba was one of a kind. Even though we didn't have all the bells and whistles, the group we sailed with, the intimate experiences the crew gave us, and the unmatched service make it our clear favorite cruise! I missed not having a Broadway quality musical on board... but at least it wasn't CATS

I imagine it will eventually, but like @twangster said... I doubt it is super high on the priority list. Cruising into Cuba didn't start until 2016... I wouldn't be surprised if it took another 3-4 years to get back into a change in policy. And by then, we have another election so who knows. I hope they do! I would love to do the Empress itinerary again (this time without breaking my knee )

Good rule of thumb when it comes to customs... declare something. With my previous job in aviation, it was my job to collect the customs forms for the crew and consult with the customs agent with any questions or inspections they needed to do. Anecdotally I noticed that the crew bags that got inspected, were the ones who never declared anything on their customs forms . Since then, I have always declared

Oh no!! We must've gotten a dud. Cause our last Chops Embarkation lunch in the MDR with The Key was TERRIBLE That steak was dryyyyyy With regards to buying The Key... it really depends on how they handle the different classes and the new rules. We have a group cruise booked for April '21 on Freedom and I plan on writing a Live Blog about the whole thing. Could you possibly buy The Key now at the "cheaper" price with the notion that you can always get a refund/CC before the cruise if things aren't being handled to your comfort?

So I can only speak to what I observed and what I discussed with the instructors, but here's what I learned. You do not have to take another cruise from what the instructor said. We had a girl that couldn't get past her motion sickness, and gave up after her first open water dive. I specifically asked the instructor what happens to her now that she paid for all this, and she indicated that she would be credited with PADI to complete her certification once on land. She wouldn't need to book another cruise. She paid for 4 dives and the lessons. She completed the lessons and 1 dive... she would j

1000%... We packed too much "fun" into this cruise. Really you "shouldn't" be drinking... so there goes the wasted drink package, and if you're on a cruise with friends, at least 3 days will be dedicated to this. While there are no longer didactic classroom instructions (everything is online)... the time in the pool and then early mornings of excursions may be a drag for the other party members. I would 10/10 recommend getting certified on a cruise ship... I would just plan the cruise accordingly. (short 3-4 night, inside cabin, very cost effective) And I say this as someone who we

Looks like you and I are planning similar cruises! I would highly recommend you plan for some time in Rome if you have never been. With that being said, I don't think there is anything wrong with B2B cruises... but I think your instinct for the 10-11 night cruises may be a better way to enjoy the Med AND experience one of the most historical cities in the world. May I suggest planning some cushion days on the back end of your cruise (this way you aren't completely jet-lagged). We were able to see "everything" in the 3 days we had planned there. We are always so tired after our cruise

This defines EXACTLY what is needed. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/qualifications-special-pricing To qualify for a military rate, an individual must be classified as one of the following: Active personnel currently serving in the Canadian National Defense; United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserves. Proper identification in the form of a United States Uniformed Services WHITE Identification Card for U.S. military personnel, and a WHITE N.D.21 Identification Card with a Red Canadian Flag displayed for Canadian National Defens

Also if you get really sea-sick, discuss with your general practitioner a Scopolamine patch. (it is a transdermal patch worn behind the ears). In the UK it's called Scopoderm. As a natural alternative, ginger pills can help a lot! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! (... or in metric... 28.3 grams of prevention is worth 0.4 Kg of cure... doesn't sound as catchy...)

This is EXACTLY what they told me on our upcoming booking. I was attempting to reprice our cruise, and the agent ended up making excuses as to why he couldn't rebook; This went on for DAAAAYS. (he kept saying the "hold lines are super long" and "they aren't repricing cruises right now"... I used the advice from this blog. I called the service number and used the phone routing intended for travel agents (was connected in no time). Then I had to fight with the agent to release the travel agent's grip on our cruise. They said they are unable to do anything about it. I expressed that I HAD co

lol... we had the same trend... and now I can't even THINK of booking an inside stateroom Even though you don't get ALL the bigger suite perks for booking a Junior Suite, you can often can make up the (some) of the difference with The Key. It made financial sense to us on our last cruise because we normally buy internet. (plus... those double points help tremendously if you're like us and only cruise once a year).

We love a good clam shell case! And honestly nowadays... is it really worth it to spend hundreds of dollars on luggage?! That ish is just gonna get tore up. Save yourself the money and get a cheap set from Ross or TJ MAX... they always seem to have luggage on sale. For added bonus, we like using all 3 sizes when we travel! This means that if you didn't spring for the suite, you can shove them all in together like Russian nesting dolls, and toss em under the bed! (just don't be too cheap and opt for luggage that has 4 wheels and preferably ones that look like the one posted above!)

1. Good question... If this is a genuine concern of yours, I encourage you to contact your state and local representatives. Not a lot of people were up in arms when the regulatory agencies were telling me, a registered nurse taking care of COVID-19 patients, to reuse my surgical mask for a week (thereby exposing me and my family to take care of you and yours). If you insist on having a single-use disposable mask... they are selling a 50 pack for $9 bucks on Amazon... that's about 18 cents per mask. 2. Yes, I do realize that the masks are intended to be single use... desperate times call f