Va4fam

Congrats on booking your first cruise. Warning it can be addictive. Best way to pass the time is to go ahead and book additional cruises that sail between now and June 2021!! Trust me !!!!!!!!!!!

We did a Med cruise on Freedom of the Seas two summers ago. Booked all of our own tours. In Marseille, we took a cab to Cassis and wandered on our own at the beach and shops. In Nice, we walked from the cruise port to the bus stop, and rode to the beach and shopping, lunch. In Rome, we shared a private group tour with another family and did a Vatican/Colosseum tour. At the La Spezia stop, we did a combo Florence/Pisa private tour with the same company. I'm sure I have the info for the company we used for the Rome and Florence days if you need it. In Naples, we were going to take the train but the workers were on strike. Caught a cab to Pompeii in the morning and did a Vespa tour of Naples in the afternoon. No issues with getting back to the ship.

Largest ship we've been on so far is Freedom. Deck 7 or 8 is typically our preference. They are quiet, usually sandwiched by other passenger decks, and an easy jog up or down a couple of flights of stairs to just about anywhere you want to be.

That's a great view. You're right, the windows are rectangular shaped except for the ones at the front of the ship.

Thanks @twangster. I reached out to MEI travel for a 2/23 quote on Empress for OV and JS. Any issues with rooms on deck 4? I think the obstructed rooms are higher up.

Does Coco Cay count? ?

Thanks @bhageerah. That's exactly what I needed to hear!

Definitely have the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome trying to make a decision. Not overly concerned about the C & A points as this 7 day cruise will finally get us past Gold into Platinum (or is it Emerald?). Next meaningful plateau seems to be Diamond once you reach 30 points. I can do Oasis of the Seas balcony cabin (less excited about Labadee/Falmouth/Cozumel itinerary) for 1/3 less than the JS on Empress. We have not done Oasis class ship yet. Really like the Empress itinerary (Key West, Belize city, Costa Maya, Cozumel) but the ocean view rooms look so small and have no additional furniture (couch/chair etc). Should I just not worry about it and enjoy the cruise and hospitality of the ship or pony up for the JS?

We did the HoHO (Hop on/Hop off) bus tour through RCI. South Beach, Art Deco district, Little Havana, and other areas. Stopped for lunch, mojitos, shopping, pictures. They took our bags at the port and we didn't see them again until we were dropped off at the airport.

great trip report @twangster! Thank you for sharing your experience and pictures.

We are Balcony cabin regulars and never tried a Junior Suite. Looking at some of the deals on Navigator and Empress, the JS looks like it might be a good deal. Questions: 1. Do we get double C & A points for booking a JS? 2, Were the rooms updated on Navigator recently? 3. The JS room on Empress looks like a regular balcony room or am I missing something? 4. What other perks would we get on the ship that we typically don't get with our C & A "Gold" status and balcony room? 5. Most importantly, if we book a JS, would we ever be able to go back to regular Balcony room again?

We have had success using this strategy at bars, shows, and the pool. Saves a lot of time giving them both cards at once.

Nice pics @bhageerah. Is that at Cape Liberty before you leave port? We booked our Anthem cruise very late and only got one reservation for 2 people (party of 4) on a sea day. Hope to find availability during a port day as it would probably be more fun.

Looking forward to your trip report @BigBrust. We are on the 12/28 Anthem Sailing and hope to get lots of tips from your experience.

Thank you @emsff02 for the clarification on the tours. PC15 is the 8 hour tour, correct? Looking forward to our KSC visit.

We were at Mr. Sancho's last year and experienced no issues with the frozen drinks. We completed an exhaustive sampling of the drinks offered. No problems. You should be fine.

Family of 4 (2 adults, two kids 20 and 17) cruising on Anthem and looking for best way to see Kennedy Space Center during our stop at Port Canaveral on 12/31. Lot of info on KSC but having a hard time figuring out the logistics of how to do it (too many choices!). We need to get from the port to KSC (either bus tour or uber...car rental was way overpriced!), figure out which tour will show us the launch pads, Atlantis, and other KSC sights, and get us back to the port in time. There are self tours, guided tours, escorted tours, grayline tours, etc. Which is the best one to book? What are the pros/cons of taking the 6 hour tour vs. 8 hour tour? Any other tips and suggestions appreciated.

I pack two to three days in advance of the trip. Some items get grouped together a week before. My kids typically pack the night before or the morning of departure. Typically something gets missed.

Great questions @JustmeCindy. I'm sure you will get answers from people with a lot more knowledge than me. I will chime in on a couple of your questions: #1-Love your idea, but I've never found a drink package that allows you that much flexibility. You either buy it the first day (sometimes the 2nd) for the entire cruise or not at all. Many cruises will offer a 10 punch drink card during the last couple days of the trip which might help. On shorter cruises we bring 2 bottles of wine (allowed by RCI), buy additional drinks as needed on land or the ship, and then keep an eye out for the drink card. #2-if you bring wine on board (2 bottles per cabin that has someone 21 or over) you have to put them in your carry on. Not sure about the other beverages. #4-Typically you are free to come and go when your ship is in port. Make sure you have your SeaPass card and ID/passport with you. #7-Understand about the passport worries. The reason you need a passport when you are off the ship is in case something happens and you are unable to get back on the ship. Can you make copies of the passport and keep them in the safe in your room? You might be able to take the copies with you but not sure how that works if you need help from the consulate or embassy. Our 15 year old did fine with his passport during our Western Med cruise which was very port intensive. Not sure if that makes you feel better!

We have not sailed Grandeur yet. Baltimore is practically in our back yard so I guess I take it for granted she would always be waiting to take us on a trip. Looks like I need to book her before it's too late. No complaints about Enchantment, she was our first RCI cruise.

We signed up for the RCI card a few years ago, got the bonus points, exchanged it for onboard credit, and never used it again. It was a great way to get a couple hundred dollars for OBC, but better cards out there give you greater flexibility for travel rewards (or cash!).

If you win an upgrade bid to a JS or larger, do you still qualify for double Crown & Anchor points?

Thanks @twangster for the clarification. Probably pull the trigger on the drink package this week and hopefully get a better deal on Black Friday. 2 adults and 2 kids (regular drink package) is going to add up quickly!

We've done the drink package for cruises with lots of sea days, and we've done the drink cards for port intensive itineraries. How many days into the cruise do they continue to offer the drink package? If it's day 2 of an 8 day cruise, do you pay for the remaining days left?

We are on the December 28th cruise on Anthem! Less than 10 weeks away. I think this is my first post!