WAAAYTOOO

Steph, Dan and I will be on the following week (1 Dec) and I do believe that there is a not-to-be-mentioned BOT on that same cruise with us. When I booked this cruise I had absolutely no idea that it was the second cruise after dry dock. I think if I were you and had the very FIRST cruise after dry dock I would be a bit nervous. LOL We are doing a S2S for this one. Brilliance out of Tampa from Nov 25 - 30 (for Thanksgiving). Then the next day we board Oasis (1-8 December). We'll be Star Class on Oasis so I'm not EVEN going to try and figure out dining options at this point. That will be a job for the Genie ! I am certainly not holding my breath that they are going to replace Cats. It's far too late for that at this point unless they've been holding that intel in TOP SECRET and nothing has leaked out yet....highly, highly unlikely. I believe there is a complication with the license agreement and Royal was forced to hold it over...at least that's what I have read. This was a casino comp for us too. I upgraded to SC back before they changed the "rules" and upgrading became not-so-awesome. Anyway, I'm glad you will be on ahead of us. You can let us know what is finished and what they're still working on !!

In that case I would probably opt to book on my own. No real benefit if you don't need the arrival assurance.

YIPPEE !! Sounds awesome. We are only Liberty next week but unfortunately we have the tired old Falmouth/Cozumel/Grand Cayman itin. I much prefer yours. I love Costa Maya. Looking forward to your live blog !

Yeah, the sticker shock is probably the only concern. Holiday sailings are awesome but they are also pricey. I don't know if you must fly to your cruise or not but airline fares are also going to be on the higher side so it's all around more expensive but a great experience if you can do it.

I rarely use A2S for domestic flights but in cases when I MUST fly in the day of the cruise (as opposed to flying in a day early) I normally do use them - especially in the winter. It is just an added "assurance" to getting to the ship on time.

We sailed on Epic a few years ago. That split bathroom was horrible.

You can always reprice. The problem is, since you are inside of your final payment date you would be penalized a cancellation penalty (since a repricing is really just a cancellation and rebooking) and it is doubtful that your fare reduction would be enough to cover the cancellation penalty.

Yes. The only “rule” is that at least 1 name on the original booking must remain on the booking. So you can change the name of your traveling companion but you must remain on the booking all the way through.

So sweet.

The "free" drinks package on NCL (and even X) is a sales gimmick just like everything else. Yes, I think that some people are lured to try NCL b/c they believe they are getting "free" drinks. Then they find out that there are limits and exceptions and realize that they did not really get what they were hoping for. As others have said, if you enjoy RCCL and its experiences then you will stay with them. If you are cruise just for "free" booze then you will probably drift with the sales winds that blow. I do believe that Royal is pushing their luck with the cost of the drinks packages. I'm sure they will find their sweet spot and level off but it doesn't appear to be a happy trend for the cruiser. We have stopped buying the DBP (not due to price but due to Dan's decision to eliminate alcohol). I can still get my drinks in the Diamond or Suites lounge and any time I am in the casino (which is most of the time !) so we haven't missed it so far. So far my charges for alcohol on a cruise have been less than 1 day's charge, for 1 person on a DBP so economically it is definitely to our advantage to NOT purchase the package. We'll see if it lasts !!

Sorry. I passed bad info.

Back when we were purchasing individual cruise insurance we always went with USAA. For the past few years we have been purchasing an annual policy with Allianz. Since we have never made an insurance claim I have no idea if one is better than the other ! We do a lot of business with USAA and I would have purchased an annual policy with them if they offered one, but they do not.

Neither do we.

$46 is a great price these days.

Those little ones are adorable !!

I know the feeling. I love laying in a hammock but I always feel like I’m going to flip. Sometimes I do !

Yep, just like CHOPS !

My experience is that even if one of the specialties is having a special holiday meal, there will be another one where you can use your package. Truly I don’t believe the special holiday meals have been all that successful. They are waaay overpriced and there’s nothing particularly special about them. We cruise during the holidays a lot and always have the UDP. We’ve never had a problem using it somewhere. I think we went to Izumi one NYE but that’s fine with us !

Welcome, raahc !

When we were on Freedom in April we did NOT dock at Havensight.

Maybe it is D+, Marti. Sorry

I love both the OS and CLS. I am not a fan of the stairs so all things being equal, I would choose the OS but being on deck 17 has is own special perks - especially if you plan on spending much time in CK. I think, with the teenager, I would go with the CLS b/c you will all have more privacy and she will have her own bathroom.

The BOGO deal does not exist anymore unless you are D or higher C&A

Welcome to the blog, Scott and thank you for your military service. You are fortunate, indeed to have received a military discount from Royal Caribbean. They are, unfortunately, very rare. It’s one of the few disappointing things about Royal Caribbean. In all of our years of cruising, We have only received a military discount once and that was on Carnival, years ago. They required that I fax the “proof” to them when I booked. I really have no idea how Royal handles it but I would certainly take either the 214 with me or a military ID or something. No sense in having utter chaos ensue at the port by not having some kind of paperwork with you, just in case. As far as tipping goes, it’s completely a personal choice. You are already tipping the room attendant by virtue of your daily gratuity so an additional tip, should you choose to give one, would be on top of that. We always tip our attendant extra but it is not required or even expected, from my experience. I’m happy to hear that your somewhat disappointing first cruise hasn’t spoiled you from the chance to try again. You certainly picked a great ship. Allure is a beauty. If your wife is uncomfortable in crowds I will offer a suggestion regarding the muster drill. That is the one and only time I ever feel crowded on a ship - any ship. Let’s say the muster drill is at 4:30. At around 4:00, go to your muster station and find the person who is scanning Seapass cards and have that person scan both of your cards. Then tell that person that your wife is claustrophobic and that you are going inside to have a seat. Go to one of the bar areas (but not at the bar itself) and have a seat. That is where people who are in wheelchairs or have other physical limitations will sit through the drill. If anyone says that you must go to your muster station, just tell them that your cards have already been scanned and that you are going to sit where you are for the muster drill. You will find others will come and sit there as well. One of the staff will perform the life jacket demonstration for those of you who are seated inside. Then...once the drill concludes and everyone begins to surge towards the elevators, just remain seated and enjoy your seat for a while longer until the crowds clear out. Not only will you avoid the mass of humanity but you get to sit down in the cool bar area while everyone else is cued up outside. Of course, on Allure your muster station might be inside anyway but you can avoid the crowds by being elsewhere.

No, I would not be expect this to work in reverse. If you are dining in a specialty restaurant they will bring a lobster tail to you there (as long as it is already being served in the MDR) but I would not expect them to bring anything from a specialty restaurant (such as red velvet cake) to the MDR.