wordell1

I really hope people won't pay these prices.  Totally out of line with private beach club prices.

I would expect disembarkation to be similar to the US so you should be able to stay until around 9am.  Baggage drop-off is pretty common in Europe so your hotel is highly likely to have it, but I would double check.  There are a lot of things to do in the Las Ramblas area - definitely try the paella.

7 hours ago, juliiahaart said:

How about a luggage storage service at the hotel or train station, so you can explore Rome without any worries?

This is pretty standard in Europe but I would double check with the hotel.

I booked a private tour through a company called Rome in Limo - Rome In Limo.  We did a tour of Ostia Antica, St Paul Outside the Walls, the Appian Way and The Catacombs.  All of those are a little outside of Rome so harder to do from the city.

Congratulations!  Diamond drinks are a game changer for your cruising experience!

One thing to note is that the waiters/bartenders will typically default to using them even if you do not ask.  If you do not want them to use it, you need to make it clear when you order.  

14 hours ago, ScorpioAlicia said:

I recieved an email from concierge welcoming me to my cruise on symphony next week. It only said free drinks 5-8. And complimentary coffee and tea other hours. I'm staying in a crown loft suite and I thought it was wine, beer,soda from 11-11. So I didn't purchase deluxe beverage package.  Does anyone know if it is 11-11? Thank you

What ship?  Oasis and newer are typically 11-11 but the older ships are 5-8.

Termini Station is the main station for Rome.

17 minutes ago, frazer17 said:

Hi , cruise newbie here, so forgive if I go over well trodden ground.

I am on Odyssey of the seas for 7 nights in the Med this summer. Couple of questions

1) does the ship have EU or USA sockets

2) Is it possible to use a two plug adaptor into a single ship socket?

 

Many thanks for any reply 

1.  It will have both

2.  2 plug adapters are on the banned list.  You can use the ones that have one plug and Data (USB or Type C) ports also.

I doubt it.  It's not near a major airline hub and is still 4 to 5 hour drive from Atlanta.

Be aware that you will not be able to store your luggage anywhere until after the rooms open up at around 1 to 1:30.  I highly recommend checking your luggage unless you are arriving late.

On 5/11/2025 at 9:08 PM, Jerry228 said:

The Port – Galveston, TX

We loved the Galveston port — it’s new, clean, and made embarkation and disembarkation super easy.

One thing to know: it’s far from both major airports (HOU and IAH). We flew into HOU, which is closer, about an hour drive to the port vs. 1.5 hours from IAH.

Instead of staying overnight in Galveston (which we didn’t find that interesting to us), we stayed halfway in Webster, near the Space Center. We flew in a day early, picked up a rental car, had an awesome lunch at Killen’s BBQ, and visited Space Center Houston (highly recommend the Mission Control tour!). We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express for about $70 ... much cheaper than the $200-400 Galveston hotels. Plus, there’s a Target and Costco nearby for last-minute shopping or grabbing a nice bottle of wine for the ship.

The next morning, we dropped off the rental car further south along I-45 and Lyfted to the port, easy and smooth.

Heads-up: HOU’s rental car was terrible — we spent almost two hours getting our car. Next time, I’d just use Uber/Lyft or pick up a rental from a less busy location.

For anyone thinking of flying into Houston, this is the way to do it.  I would add that if you are looking for seaside dining like you would get staying in Galveston, Kemah is very close to Webster and has that.

This is very exciting for all of us Galveston cruisers.  I'm most excited about the adult only area - I wish they would add a lazy river there so that it would be truly relaxing.

I would say 60 to 90 minutes would be more normal.  If you want to go faster you could just ell the waiter.

You should book the cabin that fits your situation and budget, which you have already done.  Royal Up is a bonus, and can get you an upgrade at a good price - don't bid more than you are prepared to pay.  You most likely won't win anyway so don't drive yourself crazy thinking about it.

You should be able to board at noon.

Usually your bid should be active until around boarding time and you will get an email letting you know that it has not been accepted.  Cancellations can happen right up until check in that could activate the system.

In practice, very few offers are actually accepted so its best just to place them and keep your expectations low.

The kids will be fine and will have fun.  The will be plenty of other kids and a program for them.  You will have the same options in port as you would on Royal.  

Royal is a great option for families because there is a lot of kids and more slides, etc but you shouldn't feel for one minute that they will not have fun on another line.

You need at least 3 point to qualify as "Gold" and you won't receive any points until after your cruise so your first cruise with benefits will be your next one.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/crown-and-anchor-society-benefit-grid.pdf

We always tip a few bucks a bag at a minimum and have never had any delays past 3pm.  I would also add that I usually go looking for my bag if its not there at 1pm and have often found it down the hall awaiting delivery by the cabin stewards.

3 hours ago, Marree said:

With b2b cruises, do you still complete online check in as per first cruise? If so, does the embarkation time matter?

yes, but the time wouldn't matter

I also like Rony's tours - As mentioned above it is very cheap to hire a driver for the day that knows the island and will keep you safe. Roatan has very good and inexpensive ziplining.  There is very good snorkeling both from the beach and from a boat.  Beaches are very nice. There are also some really good restaurants for local seafood.  

On 4/13/2025 at 3:58 PM, Doug_Texas said:

A friend on our current Explorer sailing this week just got zapped.  $25 + 18% gratuity.  
 

We always just carry generous pour in a glass from the stateroom to remove the issue.

Thier website still says $15

Does Royal Caribbean charge a corkage fee? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

Bed bugs are not common on a cruise ship for many reasons. A simple google search would show that those bites aren't bed bug bites.

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=db757fb3b2a85d69&sxsrf=AHTn8zrWcAZ1QQEiVrQowUmc_O2wsYNDtQ:1744855550732&q=bed+bug+bites&udm=2&fbs=ABzOT_CWdhQLP1FcmU5B0fn3xuWpA-dk4wpBWOGsoR7DG5zJBpcx8kZB4NRoUjdgt8WwoMuwgcVebmzp5FdJBsH8BgTUQgL2XDUIzvaWBCekgCw_2mxxbBQDhpIYGQcqiZDE0lUewHV9KOMtwkae6WfZjLz_jfh8aT8mrZOs44hf_nXnl0_EgzMUoaS-OM1hd9OJ4TkD9IqnV_Vqzj7ipTg3bhQAuZFsEA&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwi0s6S6_d2MAxV7NNAFHXyCKUoQtKgLegQIFRAB&biw=1920&bih=911&dpr=1

You are a treasure @twangster. Thanks for the detailed review!

The airport is roughly an hour from the port.  You should have plenty of time to make you flight. 

If you wanted to book a private driver - you could probably do a quick walk through Ostia Antica - its a pretty cool visit and right near the airport.  

Ostia Antica - Wikipedia

8am - pickup

9am- 10:30 - Ostia

10:50 - check in for flight 3hrs early