Va4fam

The big brains at Royal had to know this C & A logjam was inevitable. If you want a totally out of the box idea, how about creating a few cruises that cost double the current amount with the promise of sailing at 50% capacity. No overcrowding, no elevator waiting, anytime dining would really be.......any time. Or some type of bundled package.....internet, drinks, gratuities include similar to Princess Plus or Celebrity. How about 2 new C & A Levels: Mid Tier-340-350 points to break up the Diamond Plus-Pinnacle void, and 2000 points...... All those Pinnacles need a new goal too.The lounge is not a big deal to me since we get the free drinks. Maybe the new 350 pointers get Free internet or drink package or specialty dining? Big picture for us is that cruising is not the "value" that it was last year or in 2017-2020. Charging for inexpensive and average pizza seems pretty low even for Royal.

Us too!

We were on Odyssey in April. The Book was sold out, but all other entertainment could be booked once we got on board.

The one flight on Jetblue would make me nervous. We flew Alaska Airlines to Anchorage with a return from Vancouver. Plenty of flight options. Seattle is one of their bigger hubs if you choose to fly there.

The recycle/reuse photo sounds like it would be a good solution. Can't imagine how much time and materials it costs to print all of these pictures every day. Seems like a kiosk would be more cost efficient and take up less room than the current set up.

Thanks @TXcruzer and @melmar02...........for confirming Royal doesn't use the same technology for every ship. How much does it cost them to print all those 8 x 10 pictures and throw most of them away? Would it really be that hard to convert the space to the digital kiosks?

Photos. The newer ships seem to use digital technology allowing us to pick and choose which pictures we like, print out, and take home (or download at home). The older ships seem to be using 1989 technology where they take the picture, PRINT IT OUT, and allow you to sort through a dozen or so pictures by the end of the week and choose what you want. Seems like an incredible waste. And what happens to all those pictures at the end of the week? Was on a non-Royal ship last month and they were still doing it this way and not sure if Royal had converted all ships to the new technology. How hard would it be to convert the photo area on a ship to all digital? Wouldn't it save a considerable amount of money?

What is "luggage valet" program....and is it available at every port?

We have done this trip several times and have an 11 nighter on Anthem coming up in January. It can be chilly/cold for the start of the cruise but not too bad. Fun to be bundled up sailing under the Verrazano bridge and seeing NYC at night as you leave Bayonne. I enjoy a couple of sea days at the end of a cruise, but the weather coming back has not been very nice (windy/rainy/cold/choppy) in our limited experience.

Where is a good place to find the magnetic white boards? Didn't see any at Target.

Oydssey is our favorite ship right now (Quantum class). Symphony (oasis class)....but like Aqua 80s and Portside BBQ on Oasis Freedom of the Seas and Navigator are both great ships.

I have an easy solution for you....each cruise go to Nextcruise desk and book another cruise. Maybe two or 3. That way you always have future sailings. Problem solved!

Thank you for the St. Lucia tips @FionaMG....and the reassurance @ChessE4......it's strange that they list San Juan and DR excursions for the same day. I will reach out to the TA to see if we can get any clarity on if there has been an itinerary change to DR instead of San Juan. DR is great but have never been to San Juan.

Looking at the itinerary for our cruise in 2024 (Anthem 1/18), the first port is San Juan. BUT.....take a look at the shore excursions that day and many of them are for Dominican Republic (Puerto Plata). Is this for real, or another intern mistake? The other two trips on Anthem have stops in Puerto Plata, but this sailing goes to San Juan instead. Advice needed for good excursions in St. Kitts and St. Lucia. We enjoy hiking, biking, beaches, snorkeling, atvs, etc. Has anyone done the volcano hike in St. Kitts?

following along.....headed to Alaska in less than 3 weeks. I'm assuming the weather inside the ship will be comfortable, but glacier viewing and sail away could be chilly or wet. I'm bringing layers and a rain jacket.

I'm probably in the minority but my biggest drawback is the tub on Oasis class. I prefer a shower. I've only had the split/separate tub and shower on Odyssey (Quantum clas)...which was amazing!

We also stayed at the Embassy Suites Newark Airport precruise. There is a large mall and very nice multiplex theater reasonably close to the hotel. Drove to the parking garage at Cape Liberty....does anyone know what that costs now? @Teddy, for the stay and park package at the hotel, how much extra is the parking vs. regular hotel rate?

We went last year and stayed in an AirBnB for 2 nights. It was a couple of blocks from the main tourist sites in Venice. Easy to walk to the Square, get food, or catch a water taxi. I think we booked it through Expedia. On embarkation day, we took water taxi to the Venice "bus station," and met a private driver for the trip to Ravenna. Check some of the previous posts about Venice and Ravenna on this site, lots of information.

We really enjoyed our time on Odyssey. Super modern and clean. We had a JS that was amazing. Best located Playmakers in the fleet and the SeaPlex is fantastic. The 2nd pool (under the Northstar) showed continuous movies, plenty of seating in/out of pool. Great fitness room. El Loco Fresh and J Rockets convenient to pool. Cafe 270/Sorrentos/Solarium Bistro all complimentary and nice options. The 8 night itinerary was amazing. Odyssey or Oasis class ship, there's really no wrong choice.

We will be in Alaska in less than a month and debating the coat/rain jacket/poncho and rain pants what to pack issue too. Most likely bringing a small jacket to wear over layers instead of a coat. I have a lightweight pair of rain pants that roll up, dry quickly, and offer protection against not just rain, but wet surfaces too (think about sitting down on wet seats/benches) etc. They are also nice on windy days.

Allure would be similar size as Wonder, just not as new. It would be the least "jazziest" Oasis class ship but still a very nice ship. Radiance will be significantly smaller with less bells and whistles but might be less expensive and less of a party vibe.

Because of the ship.......or the itinerary?

Are you saying Vision might not be ideal with 3 sea days at the beginning and 3 more at the end of the trip?

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses......I think we would be happy with either ship. How about the ports.....we have not been to San Juan, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Croix, Antigua, or Barbados. What are some of the highlights? Can't miss things to see or do?

5 sea days on Anthem, 6 on Vision. Will be cold leaving/returning to NJ or MD that time of year