Va4fam

Many of our cruises have been booked for 2-3 years. One of them has been rebooked/rescheduled 3 times due to the pandemic. We will be D+ in mid April and hoping they don't change the points tier before we get there.

Yes @Atlantix2000, that looks like the same video we just watched. The room and location are fine, but the extra glass enclosing the balcony would be new to us. We can either try it out or take our chances with Royal Up.

We are booked in a J4 Junior Suite on Navigator. It's really close to the front of the ship, which is fine but I have questions about the balcony. The balcony is huge....probably the largest we have ever had with room for two loungers, a table, some chairs, and probably a dozen friends over with no issue. But the extra plexiglass (or glass) above the balcony railing is concerning. I understand it is there to block the wind but it looks like our view over the rail will be through green tinted glass instead of a clear unobstructed view. Has anyone stayed in a balcony cabin with a similar design? Is it a dealbreaker or not a big deal?

I will use my Amex Platinum next time I book a cruise.....but we are probably going with Costco travel for Alaska and they don't take AMEX.

@DoomSayer.....what type of travel insurance does the Amex Platinum provide? Is it just for travel related issues or will it also provide coverage for injuries/illness for yourself and traveling companions?

Related Casino question....is the casino on Navigator smoky or is it pretty well ventilated? Which are the better slot machines to use for getting comped? We've tried 1 cent, 25 cent, and 1 dollar slots but lost money quickly and ended up with no status.

Free cruise!! Interns strike again?!!! Maybe it's time to implement a Royal DOWN program where Royal makes bids to get you to downgrade your cabin.

Just a personal preference from my wife and I.....Really a Combination of things.... -It was our first Oasis class ship -Also our first cruise back from the pandemic -Everything seemed modern, new, updated, clean .....the ship is only 4 years old, it felt more upscale than other ships -Don't know if technology has improved in a decade but the ship moved through the water silent and gracefully....many times we weren't sure we were moving until we looked outside -Love the Piano steps coming down from deck 16 (?), fun art in the bathrooms, great fitness center We have sailed on amplified Oasis twice, she's a great ship, but the rooms and some of the common areas are not as modern. More smoke on Oasis in the casino too.

Symphony is our favorite ship so far....would be great from Bayonne. Wish she would sail from Baltimore......

We started sailing with Royal in 2017 but have managed to sail on most classes. Our roster so far: 2017-Enchantment of the Seas (Vision Class), Freedom of the Seas (Freedom Class) 2018-Navigator of the Seas (Vision Class) 2019-Anthem of the Seas (Quantum Class) 2020-Empress of the Seas (Retired class!) 2021-Sympony of the Seas (Oasis Class), Oasis of the Seas (Oasis Class) 2022-Oasis (again), Brilliance of the Seas (Radiance Class) 2023-Navigator, Odyssey, Allure scheduled Our embarkation ports have been: Miami, Bayonne, Barcelona, Ravenna....with Galveston, Port Everglades, and San Pedro/LA in 2023

We will be in Labadee in April and signed up for the zip line in the morning and spend rest of the day at the beach.

I wouldn't do it. Lot of noise early in the morning, mid day, and during dinner time. Probably clean and move furniture around after that. Lot more motion in the front of the ship than midship or rear especially on older ship like Enchantment.

We did a post cruise excursion with Royal on the HOHO (hop on/hop off) Bus. They took our luggage to the airport on one bus and we reunited later in the day.

We will be in Houston in January and tempted to book a cruise on Allure. Is it chilly that time of year in Southeast Texas and Mexico? How long does it take to travel from downtown Houston on a Sunday afternoon to the Royal cruise terminal in Galveston? I think all aboard is 4 pm. After the cruise, flying out of IAH, how long does that typically take?

Following along.........we are doing B2B cruises (7 night/4 night) on Navigator in February and looking forward to it. Concerned about the comments about understaffing that have popped up on several trip reports. Can you tell us more about the golf cart taxi and what type of experience they offer and the cost?

We are doing this Itinerary on Odyssey in April and booked an excursion to Saona Island.

You can get a pitcher of beer from Playmakers for $17 dollars (earlier this year). Grab a couple of pitchers and some glasses and you will come out way ahead of the buckets of beer price.

No luck with the app or website until last night.....both started working at the same time. We have 3 cruises coming up Feb-April and booked the following: -a case of water for $13.99, -3 night dining package on Odyssey for $120 p.p. (most we've ever paid), -booked the Labadee zip line for $49 p.p (about 50% off), -cancelled and rebooked a beer excursion in Ensenda for $15 less p.p, -rebooked internet package for $2 less per day on 2 of the cruises -booked excursion in the Dominican Republic for 20% off p.p. Spent a lot but saved on most of the items.

We had better luck purchasing TS tickets!!! Royal site is not working for us.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions @CruisingNewb. I am watching a few of JT's videos on Youtube and one of them shows he booked a SOLO Balcony room on Ovation. Does anyone know how many rooms are like that on Quantum or Ovation, and if the price is better than paying for a single supplement in a regular balcony cabin?

If it were me, I would go with Barcelona. It's a fantastic city to spend a few days pre/post cruise and the port is a lot more convenient than catching a cruise outside of Rome.

Sorry for the schedule issue.....is the price difference because Easter takes place the first weekend in April?

That's good advice about the types of beds. I haven't even considered bathrooms yet, not sure if the suites have more than one bathroom? My wallet prefers we book 3 balconies even if one of them also pays the single supplement.

Correct. The minimums were lowed by 40% during a special promotion Royal did to possibly encourage more bidders.

Since it's my Mom's first cruise I want her to have a balcony, my daughter also is now a balcony snob after getting relegated to an interior and a virtual balcony on previous cruises (they were in JS this Summer). Seems like I need one of those 2 story suites with multiple bedrooms and a slide! Looks like a Royal Loft suite can accommodate 6 people.