JohnK6404

Thank you! I didn't check today... just cancelled and re-purchased online... so did the couple we're traveling with... I'm not ashamed of taking another $16.52 off my bill! ? Cross your fingers it drops a little more!

We're on Allure on 5/19... fingers crossed no impact or repaired!

It's just not available yet... we were able to book our Nellie's Beach (over the water) cabana in Labadee, almost 10 months out... we're on Allure next month. Just keep checking... we booked it right away when it first appeared to play it safe (had heard on the forum that they sometimes sell out quickly). It went on sale later this past JAN (10% off) and we cancelled and re-booked immediately! We decided to splurge since we're going with another couple. I would be happy with any cabana or structure that provides some shade... can't wait!

I agree 100%! We loved Disney (our first cruise - honeymoon back in 2004 on the Wonder) which set the bar very high, but we have never been disappointed with RC. Not worth the premium and limited ships/itineraries offered by Disney IMO too (and we love Disney/Disney World)... we'll try them again one day for sure, but not until we've sailed on a few more RC ships! Slight tangent... it's crazy to think that an Oasis class ship (225-228K tons) is larger than the Wonder or Magic (83K tons) plus the Dream or Fantasy (130K tons) added together in total displacement!

For our upcoming May 2019 cruise on Allure, the entertainment/show reservations opened up 96 days out from our departure date... The general consensus seems to be that there is no set schedule/pattern across the fleet, even on the same ship... no rhyme or reason, to when options become available in the Cruise Planner! Keep checking and have a great time!

Our dining options (both specialty and My Time) opened up in the Cruise Planner for us 14 months prior to our upcoming Allure, May 2019 sailing (big surprise)! We were able to book excursions, including our cabana in Labadee, 9 1/2+ months out... entertainment/show reservations opened up 96 days out from our departure date... The general consensus seems to be that there is no set schedule/pattern across the fleet, even on the same ship... no rhyme or reason, to when options become available in the Cruise Planner! Keep checking !

I keep it quick and simple and use the Snipping Tool that comes with Windows when I'm on my desktop/laptop...

Oh, sorry for the confusion! I was looking at the OP @Publix1310's itinerary!

I would still try to find a cruise compass with your itinerary and/or find someone that has done your itinerary before to be sure... maybe RC customer service will know... Your Harmony itinerary is a little different than the typical/more common Oasis class, Western Caribbean itinerary (Labadee, Jamaica and Cozumel), since it includes Perfect Day/Coco Cay and other ports. We're going to have to consider that itinerary on Harmony down the road!

Here's the general formal night schedule taken directly from RC website:

Yes, it's one of the formal nights in the MDR, usually the last. On 7-night cruises, you have 2 formal nights... the first usually includes Prime Rib and the second includes Lobster tails. I always get 2 or 3! You would probably like the series "Mega Food" available on Netflix. Season 1 - Episode 6 is about Oasis of the Seas and the planning that goes into prepping food for a week long cruise. I love the segment on Lobster night!

Buy online pre-cruise through the Cruise Planner for the absolute cheapest rate. From what I understand, the only way you can get a better deal for alcohol onboard is if they decide to offer drink cards during your cruise (no guarantees). You really don’t get any C&A drink perks until you really get up in standing... my wife and I have a looong way to go for those perks! Also, you’ll realize that BOGO 50% off is effectively 25% off the package for 2... not that great a deal. Look for at least the 30% off Cruise Planner sales for a better deal. For our upcoming May cruise on Allure, BOGO 50% came in at $49... 30% off sale comes in at $46... the underlying full price is around $65... I’m also guessing that the underlying package price changes occasionally if they really are trying to drum up more sales.

We pick based on itinerary, ship and price (I know, not the answer you were looking for! ?)... Itinerary... since we've been on a few cruises, we like to look for new ports to explore and try not to duplicate ports just yet. So for us, since we've hit Bermuda and the Bahamas a few times, as well as, the Virgin Islands, we went for the Western Caribbean itinerary this time (Jamaica, Labadee & Cozumel). Next, maybe Southern Caribbean. Ship... we're also bigger and newer is better people! We've already been on the smallest ship in the fleet (Majesty) and a couple in between (Explorer and Liberty)... now we're on to Allure in May. We have Anthem in our backyard (and then an amped Oasis for much of 2020), so they will be on the radar too in the near future. Although we enjoyed Explorer, we are now biased toward Freedom, Quantum and Oasis class moving forward. For us, we like what the larger ships have to offer and at this time in our "cruising life" we are not looking for the lower key experience of the smaller ships. Some itineraries/ports of course only can offer the smaller ships (Some of the Caribbean destinations, etc... Alaska is another perfect example - that is definitely on the bucket list!). Price... factors last of the three, but has to be a good deal for us to book. We try to book at least a year in advance to get the best rates and choice of cabin. OK... enough of my rambling! All things equal, I would choose Liberty over Enchantment especially if you are going as a family and/or this is your first RC cruise (unless the Enchantment itinerary is significantly more appealing). We are of course a little biased since we enjoyed our cruise on Liberty back in 2015! Have a great time!!!

I would price it online quickly and call RC and confirm if you notice a potential savings. I'm sure someone with Next Cruise experience will be able to confirm shortly. I may be wrong (I only booked onboard through Next Cruise once, but unfortunately had to cancel that cruise later), but I'm guessing RC customer service would handle as if you booked it online unless you transferred it to a travel agent afterward. This was back in 2015... it comes up as "Vacation Planner USA", not sure if I'm reading it correctly, but I never got the impression that I would be dealing with anyone other than RC when I booked...

Yes, if you booked it online through Royal directly, price it online as if you were booking the same class cabin, etc., on that same sailing. If it appears to be cheaper online, I would call RC customer service to confirm the savings and let them make the adjustment. It has taken literally less than 10 minutes every time I have called them for an adjustment and they are very friendly and helpful in my experience. They will immediately e-mail you the updated cruise invoice/receipt confirming the new rate. As a side note, I always book with a refundable deposit... not sure if that has any impact on the handling of fare adjustments. If you booked through a travel agent, I would call them...

Yes, you still need to make reservations for all major shows (main theater, Aqua Theater, ice shows, etc). The main benefit is that you will be in a reserved section and you can arrive 15 minutes or so prior to the show instead of the normal 30-45 minutes prior usually required (general admission) to get decent seats without the Key or suite/C&A benefits (reserved sections). Definitely read @Matt's article.

That stinks... milk shakes are cheap compared to alcohol! ? Poor business decision... RC should encourage drinking milk shakes as they will fill you up like a meal and prevent you from having too much of the more expensive food or alcohol! ?

Me too! ? It makes it easier to compare the overall value especially when they start throwing in OBC to muddy the waters!

In my relatively limited experience (4 RC cruises including upcoming), we definitely get the best pricing and cabin selection when booking a year or more out. I have also found that over the first few months following the initial booking we’ve been able to make several minor rate adjustments, but once you close in on a year prior to sail date the underlying cabin rate seems to gradually increase. As Matt suggested in the past, I guess it’s simple supply and demand. You learn to not necessarily get excited over the percent discount on any particular sale since a higher underlying rate can wipe out any additional savings. Definitely keep checking... it can’t hurt!

Sounds good! Compiling a list to try!

Will follow for sure (59 days until we’re on Allure)!

Thanks for the link... I'll have to take a look later! I wonder how that hat will travel! ?

I'm in... what me to check for ya?

Maybe I should closely read all of the posts first! LOL! ?

We have been sitting at the 30% off for the deluxe drink package ($46) since 3/6/19... regularly $52 (20% off) and was $49 during the last sale (I think it was BOGO 50% last sale).. this is the current price for Allure this upcoming May 19th sailing...