Va4fam

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.

20 hours ago, Linda R said:

My choice would be Anthem

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

1 hour ago, tjcruisers said:

I think I'd be able to do Vision if it originated int he island and had a port stop every day, also if it was just me and wife.

 

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?

2 minutes ago, tjcruisers said:

Given the number of sea days, I'd myself would be doing the Anthem out of Bayonne. 

5 sea days on Anthem, 6 on Vision. 

Will be cold leaving/returning to NJ or MD that time of year

1 minute ago, twangster said:

Who is cruising?  Kids?  

I also like Q class so I would be predisposed to going to Bayonne, but that's me.  

Vision is a fine ship and I sailed on her for 16 nights but I can find things to do on any ship.  

No kids for this trip.

Have been on Anthem but not Vision.....is there a huge drop off in food options and entertainment?

Help us choose!!!   Looking at 2 cruises in early 2024:

San Juan-St. Thomas-St. Maarten-St. Lucia-St. Kitts on Anthem out of Bayonne for 11 nights OR

St. Croix-St. Maarten-Antigua-Barbados-St. Kitts on Vision out of Baltimore for 12 nights.

Bayonne is a 6 hour drive, cruise is more expensive,  (3 new ports for us)but really like Quantum class ships

Baltimore is a 90 minute drive, cruise is less expensive (4 new ports for us) but smaller/older ship.

Can't go wrong with either choice, but appreciate any thoughts you have about the itineraries and ships.

We were on Odyssey last month and stayed on the 12th floor.   Just 2 easy flights up to pool deck, activities, WJ, and El Loco Fresh.   Easy to walk down to the Esplanade or take elevator.   Take the 10th floor if you still have that option.

Sorry @Lombert that the trip has been disappointing.  Seems like you were patient, asked for help, and some things didn't work out.   It happens but still frustrating.  

Just my opinion........Several posts suggested bringing your tea if it's essential.   Should you have to do that?  No....but might be a good idea.   Personally I have issues with the app during check in and bring a printed version of all documents just in case it happens again.  No more headache. 

I agree the MDR food and service has declined significantly.  Maybe Royal's plan is to prioritize the Key, Specialty Dining, and Suite guests?    Our Chef's table was phenomenal but MDR was horrible.   Do we have to pay more for better service?  It shouldn't be optional. 

The crew and attendants seem to be working harder than ever .....many have admitted they are tired.   I watched the airline industry go through this since the pandemic.  They have had high profile meltdowns.   Are the few extra dollars on the bottom line worth the impact on the people you trust to take care of your customers and assets? 

I have cruises booked on Princess next month and Celebrity next year.  Curious to see if they are faring better. 

Again, wish you had a better experience.  You can always vote with your wallet and try a different cruise line or a land based vacation.

We have been loyal to Royal since 2017.   We enjoy the perfect mix of festive and fun over o stuffy/formal or party/party.   

Now that we are D+, two of our next three cruises will be on different lines....Princess in Alaska, and Celebrity for partial Panama Canal.   We are excited that some of our status will be enjoyed on Celebrity.  

At least those are in the ballpark.   Cabana prices and Coco Beach Club have gone through the roof.  As a stockholder, thanks to everyone paying the higher rates.

I'll stick with Resort for a Day or Nachi/Mr. Sanchos for reasonable rates. 

We just sailed Odyssey a month ago.   It was Easter/Spring Break and most likely near full capacity.  Many cruise planner activities were never made available before the cruise.   The Book was sold out and unavailable during the entire cruise.  We were able to see some of it from where NextCruise is located.

13 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I have seen these prices, and lower, prior and early on in the restart. I doubt we will see any of these prices, so I figured I wouldn't mention them as it set unrealistic expectations for someone who reads this.

Someone will see these prices and assume they may eventually come about and when they don't, miss out on other savings. Like currently the Beach club is $269 on most sailings. Royal has raised prices across the board, so "sale" prices are higher as well. If you go over to the Premier pass thread, there are still people who are calling about a product that doesn't exist on Royal because they only read so far or saw the title only.

Agreed that many of these prices are unrealistic right now.

We booked the prices I listed for internet, soda, refreshment and dining packages last summer. 

I've seen the key at $18.99.

Internet for $11.99

Soda package $ 6.99

Refreshment package $18.99

Drink package $18 !!  (but $59 was best we ever used)

3 night dining package $ 89

And the one that irks me the most because I never got to use it.....Coco Beach Club $49.   It's probably double or triple that now.

@Twangster......your remodeling example works but a more accurate scenario is having a rental house that you remodel to stay competitive with other rental houses or perhaps charge higher rates to get a better return on investment.  

We've noticed ducks being placed or dropped into sculptures and artwork.  

We won't touch those, but others we find get adopted and released on our next ship.

7 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

THANK YOU @Va4fam

 

Great pic.   Glad Mr. Odyssey bear made it safely to his (or her?) new home!  

52 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

I miss the books they had in each stateroom which detailed the port information, shopping exc. Some of the books had interesting facts about the ship or detailed the ship building process which was a nice touch. I haven’t seen the books in years. I don’t really watch TV in the staterooms but I used to like the video showing the ship building as well (not sure if that’s long gone as well). 

The shipbuilding video is still on Channel 1 or 2.   The videos vary but I saw one with the original ships like Song of Norway and Empress to the latest video for Wonder.

I think it comes on the same channel that the cruise director uses for the morning updates and activities.

10 drink punch cards.

Skypads.

Paper Cruise Compass.

Plastic straws even though I agree with why we don't use them anymore.

Reasonably priced drink packages.

We always leave cash at the end of the trip.

But on port days we always ask if they would like anything.  Most politely decline.   Sometimes they will ask and the most frequent request is chocolate/chocolate bars.

Always get a great response when we give them the chocolate!

Just sailed Navigator in February and flew in/out of LAX.  

We walked off the ship at 7:45, in parking lot at 8, waited for UBER about 25 minutes, and were at LAX by 9:00 AM. 

No major issues with ship delays or traffic that day.

10:30 AM is doable, but you might be cutting it close.

Does your airline have additional flights in case you arrive late that day?

You can't go wrong with port or sea day.  It's a great experience to be so high up and looking at the ship, or port, etc.

We did ours on Anthem in Port Canaveral during sunset and highly recommend.