Va4fam

We typically do one cruise a year. This fall we have done 14 nights, and have 25 more scheduled between Jan-May.

We have done Mr. Sanchos multiple times. We always catch a cab both ways and have had zero issues getting back in plenty of time. The food is pretty good, the service is frequent and friendly, and the beach area is nice for relaxing but currently dealing with a lot of seaweed (as are other resorts).

We had a cruise in September and another in October and did not see any drink card offers.

I'm in a similiar "boat" as we have a Greek Isles cruise planned in May but concerned about what protocols and restrictions might be in place for excursions. Would prefer to book airfare soon before prices get any crazier but need to find a refundable option in case we postpone the cruise. Is Air2Sea a viable option?

We received multiple bottles of water, a plate of cookies, and our emerald pins in our state room when we first turned Emerald.

Odyssey would be great but we were hoping to see Venice and go to Croatia. Our daughter has a day planned for us in Split since she has been there when she studied abroad.

Thank you @Linda R, good to get feedback about the ports at Kotor and Santorini. When you look at the Royal promotional ads, they always seem to show Santorini and the white buildings/blue rooftops and ocean vistas. I forgot that the Ravenna port is so far away. Thank you for the reminder.

Have you ever sailed on Royal Caribbean with teenagers or young adults? Have you ever taken them on a port intensive weeklong trip? Have you been to Greece and visited the Greek Islands? Are you familiar with Vision class and Radiance class ships? Have you ever been guilty of trying to pack too much into one vacation and feel like you need another vacation just to rest up? If you answered "yes" to any of these, I could really use your help. In 2017, We took our family of 4 on Freedom of the Seas for a weeklong Med cruise. Our daughter had just graduated high school and our son had just started high school. It was a great trip but very port intensive and by the last day everyone was grumbling and tired and didn't want to go see Naples/Pompeii. Even though we did our excursions that day and had a great time, that feeling of grumpy family time has stayed in the back of my mind. Fast forward 4.5 years later and our daughter has graduated college, our son will be finishing his first year in college, and we are returnning for an Eastern Med cruise in May of 2022. We are booked on Rhapsody departing Athens with stops in Mykonos, Chana (Crete), Zakynthos, a sea day, Kotor, and Split before disembarking in Venice. We plan on adding a few days before the trip to explore Athens and adjust to the jet lag from our East Coast US overnight flight. One additional day to explore Venice after the cruise and fly home the next day. We have booked a JS for us and a separate balcony cabin for the kids so everyone has room. We have asked the kids for input on what they want to do and see during the trip but they typically leave the planning to me. It will be a fantastic trip and hopefully one that will bring us many adventures and memories. So what's the issue you say? I am a chronic overthinker/overplanner and a lot has changed since we did our last European cruise. The "kids" are older now and prefer to spend a lot more time going at their pace instead of ours. Frequently that means sleeping until noon and staying up late when possible. My son likes history in smaller doses and said he would prefer to not have to get up at 7:30 AM each day and go from port......to port.......to another port. My daughter loves to travel and take pictures but also not an early riser. They both are world class "relaxers" and would be perfectly at home with a 7 day trip to CocoCay and a lounger at the Oasis Pool. So with multiple sightseeing days in Athens, 5 ports, and more sightseeing in Venice, I may have recreated the not so happy/tired and grumpy family experience. 2nd issue is the ship-Rhapsody. My wife and I just came off of Oasis and Symphony this fall and love the experience but we have also sailed on Empress (also loved it) and Enchantment (not as much). The smaller ships seem to have more of a laid back and relaxing vibe. The kids have only sailed on Freedom and Anthem. This ship is smaller and doesn't seem to have much to do for young adults their age but please tell me that I am wrong and why we will all love it. 3rd issue-the itinerary. Not only are we flying in and out of different airports, but some of the Greek Island ports seem to be similar. What are some of the things we can do and see at each port that will stand out and not seem redundant? This trip also has a stop in Kotor which is exciting but does not include Santorini which even though it can be overcrowded seems to be a real bucket list destination. Again, correct me if I am wrong and let me know these ports are amazing and we will have the time of our lives. Final issue-Travel restrictions/Europe/pandemic etc. Right now there are no excursions listed for this cruise on the Royal Caribbean site. None. The cruise is less than 6 months away. Remember the overplanner syndrome and know that not knowing what we are doing is very stressful for me. Solutions? We don't want to postpone the trip and wait another year. But we could change ships and go on Brilliance instead. That itinerary starts and ends in Venice with stops in Dubrovnik, sea day, Mykonos, Santorini, sea day, Split, and back to Venice. We would gain another sea day allowing everyone to rest and recharge. We would miss out on Athens and Kotor but gain Santorini and Dubrovnik. We are huge Game of Thrones fans and seems like a fun stop. The ship is still small but seems to offer more food options and activities like a sports court and mini golf. What else is there to do that a 20 and 22 year old might enjoy? Am I overthinking this and should I keep the current itinerary on Rhapsody or switch to Brilliance? Appreciate you reading this and talking me down from my ledge. Any suggestions and idea you have are much appreciated.

For my Anthem cruise, looks like we still get the following: Early Boarding Chops lunch in dining room Carry on bags delivered to our room Surf and stream internet Priority tender boarding/activities/ and entertainment Departure breakfast No longer included-25% off dining and free room service.

We have the KEY booked for our January Anthem and February Oasis cruises but are monitoring the benefits to see if it will be worth it. We are Diamond members but this will be our first time using the Key.

We did the Pearl Island beach and snorkel excursion in October. The beach is small but nice and they have lots of water toys (kayak, paddleboard, trampoline) that you can use in the equally small roped off swimming area. They have a beach bar (extra price) and a lunch (included) that was very tasty. The lighthouse is cute and the views of the beach and water are nice from the top. Snorkeling starts near the lighthouse and they have a couple of guides to help you with gear, and point out fish, it lasted about 45 minutes. We saw a lot more fish than we expected including several schools of fish. On the ride pack to port they will slow down and point out the waterfront homes of the rich and famous and historical sights. Overall it was a nice day.

Also a comparison shopper. We used to use Skyscanner but now plug into Google flights and then go directly to the airline site to book the same itinerary. Considering Air2Sea for our Greek Isles cruise next Summer.

Annual policy....can you share more details about how it works, where you get it, and what it typically costs? We buy for each cruise but have multiple cruises coming up in the next 12 months and maybe should consider other options.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are looking forward to gathering with family for food, football, and fun!

@JoeFanif I had 4 people, I would definitely take the cabana over the beach club. @T_Hat, if you can get the beach club for under $40, you should jump on that. Never seen it below $53 and that was precovid. I'm seeing the water park price of $39 and beach club for $89 for my February Oasis trip.

Agreed, it's a nice space adjacent to the Solarium with good food options. Usually less crowded than the WJ.

Refreshment package for our Anthem cruise in January is down $ 4. Booked 3 excursions as pricing was reduced. Coco Beach Club is $89 (down from $160/$169) for our Feb Oasis cruise. Might book that too. Suft/stream is $13.99 a day. ***Update-I saved enough on the 3 excursions to pay for 1 internet package.

I keep mine in a lanyard or in my iphone case. Many cruises ago I would put in my pocket but it had a tendency to fall out.

For the ships that have hibachi, you can order sushi at the hibachi table as well. The sushi area on Oasis ships has a sushi bar and stand alone tables. You can even get it to go and eat in your cabin or balcony!

Izumi hibachi is a good choice. Jamie's Italian also good.

We found out our GTY category room location about 8 days before our October 24th sailing on Oasis. But we kinda knew a week before that by downloading the cruise docs to apple wallet and looking at the number at the bottom.

4 drinks that cost $13 each x 14 days = $ 728! And that's just for one cruise. That seems like a WIN!

You are doing the right thing by asking questions now. Some people just show up unprepared and get turned away at the terminal. In addition to some of the tips previous posters have provided, please monitor your emails from Royal. One of them should be coming soon that outlines the protocols for January sailings. Pay attention to this email and make sure you complete the steps or have the ability to complete them at the port. We are on the same Anthem cruise and happy to answer additional questions about the cruise, the port, and the ship if you need more info.

Diamond is awesome. It really depends on your situation. Is the financial cost to take an extra trip worth the extra benefits that you will reap from being a Diamond member in the near future? If the answer is YES, by all means book that trip. If the answer is NO, then you should give it more thought. We are closing in on D+ and looking at upgrading to a suite for our January 11 night cruise. That would earn us 44 C & A points just for one cruise. Unfortunately the upgrade cost is $2000+ per person right now. Economically it doesn't make sense for us to do it..........even though I really want to!! Do what will bring you the biggest return on happiness.

Can totally relate foxrunner. We try to do it all and frequently overschedule our activities. We need vacations just to rest up from our vacations! Good luck with the relaxing.