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Everything posted by JohnK6404
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WONDERing about a CP Balcony on Easter - April 20-27, 2025
JohnK6404 replied to OCSC Mike's topic in Live Blogs
The horror! -
Have an amazing time! We loved Bermuda! Although we have not sailed out of Bayonne that time of year, late May/early June should be nice... likely high 70's to mid 80's on land (we live just over an hour east of Bayonne on Long Island). Of course, a little cooler on the water. Bermuda will likely be in the same temp range 70's-80's as well.
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Allure of the seas Med cruise with a twist 24 April to 1-May
JohnK6404 replied to Traveler's topic in Live Blogs
Have a great time!!! We'll be following closely as we board in Barcelona on 5/11! -
Just to get an idea of the wines included in Chef's Table... we had a very similar selection between Odyssey & Icon... Odyssey (2/14/22) first... On Icon (5/14/24)...
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"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
Fingers AND toes crossed for both of us! I gave in and bought the UDP for our JAN '26 OY sailing this afternoon... at $290.99 for 11-nights, including 6 sea days, it was hard to skip! The 5-night package was only $100 cheaper pp. Doesn't look like you can book anything yet since they have not uploaded the restaurants to the planner just yet. -
Just a quick follow-up to my earlier post (if anyone cares )... we just rolled the dice and cancelled/re-purchased the 3-night. The process is simple and as described in Matt's article from earlier this morning. I had the other couple cancel their purchase too... We're linked in the CP, so I was able to re-purchase the package for the 4 of us and make reservations for all of us.
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"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
OK... rolled the dice and hope RC IT doesn't screw up on my CP refund and pull it from the wrong account! Please, no e-mails claiming I now owe cruise fare! I cancelled and re-purchased our 3-Night Dining package so we could book our reservations... works well and as described by Matt in his article he posted today: Royal Caribbean extends a fix to a huge dining package problem | Royal Caribbean Blog It will be nice to just board and relax for a change! No need to wait on a long line at Izumi and hope to get a reservation! Unfortunately, the Mason Jar did not appear as an option to book... it is available to book a-la-carte in the CP. We'll just have to stop by the bar during the sailing! We just booked the other side of Izumi instead! We already have Giovanni's and Chops booked for lunches, so I think we're set! -
We also booked the 3-night package months ago and do not have the functionality through the CP to make the reservations. I called Royal (C&A line) and they claim they too do not have the ability to book the reservations on their end since it's an old/existing purchase. They did recommend that we cancel/repurchase and then we can book the reservations. How likely will we receive the dreaded cruise fare balance due invoice e-mail if we cancel/reissue a CP purchase so close to the sailing (20 days for us)? Or is it highly unlikely and we're just worrying for no reason! Every now and then we hear the horror story of someone that gets that balance due notice because Royal allegedly reimbursed the CP item charge from the wrong account. Edit: @Matt just posted an article on this: Royal Caribbean extends a fix to a huge dining package problem | Royal Caribbean Blog
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"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
Thank you! Yes, Christine is her name. -
WONDERing about a CP Balcony on Easter - April 20-27, 2025
JohnK6404 replied to OCSC Mike's topic in Live Blogs
Oooo, as you know, one of my favs along with the PB&J Old Fashioned! -
"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
Thank you so much! -
WONDERing about a CP Balcony on Easter - April 20-27, 2025
JohnK6404 replied to OCSC Mike's topic in Live Blogs
Happy cruise day! Happy Easter! Have a great time!!! -
"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
Thank you so much! Yes, they kept Samba Grill... I believe it's held in the Solarium Bistro for dinner. -
"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
Yes, we enjoyed Mason Jar once for brunch and once for dinner on Wonder. I liked the relaxed vibe and menu, but I'm not sure if our group will want to go again (same couple was with us on Wonder). Loved the bar too and the band that played around dinnertime. I also loved the PB&J Old Fashioned and the Mississippi Moonlight! Will have to at least stop by the bar on this sailing for drinks! The only drink I could not stand was the No Joke, Smoke & Coke. I now know that I'm not a fan of smoke infused drinks. We all agreed we need to go to 150 Central Park... and IF we can somehow book it... Izumi twice (hibachi and table sides). I was willing to try Samba Grill, but no one else likes the Brazilian-style menu. Mason Jar will be the next choice if we can't book Izumi and then we'll have to repeat Chops and/or Giovanni's (we booked lunch on embarkation day and the only sea day at these restaurants). -
"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
OK, the fun part... I have a few moments before company arrives! Trip details! This will be our second time on Allure… our first Oasis-class experience was on her back in May 2019. Our favorite cruise (all things considered) to date! Since then, we’ve been hooked on Oasis, and now Icon class! Can’t wait to see the updates in person! Flight Information: Departure: Flying out of JFK the evening of 5/7, changeover in LHR (5/8), then finally on to BCN via British Airways (both flights). Return: Nonstop from BCN to JFK on 5/20 thru BA, but on American Airlines. Booked airfare via Air2Sea… shout out once again to @Lovetocruise2002 for answering my many questions! Still planning the transportation to/from JFK… I was told Uber XL should be able to accommodate our group of 4 with bags (6 checked bags, 3 carry-on). I would think we’ll need to check the model/make of vehicle to ensure they can actually handle our needs! Any recommendations when dealing with Uber are greatly appreciated! I would prefer to pre-book of course! Pre-Cruise Information: (5/8-5/11): Barcelona, Spain Hotel: Barcelona Universal (booked via RC/Priceline) Tours/Excursions: Besides the usual wandering… Park Guell & Sagrada Familia Tour w/ Skip the Line Tickets (via Expedia) Barcelona City Tour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus (via Expedia) Post-Cruise Information: (5/18-5/20): Barcelona, Spain Hotel: Hotel Barcelona Center (via Expedia) Tours/Excursions: More wandering… Private Full-Day Tarragona and Sitges Tour (via Viator) Cruise Details: Allure of the Seas, 7-night, Western Mediterranean Itinerary Out of Barcelona, Spain 5/11/25-5/18/25 Itinerary: Day 1 (5/11): Barcelona, Spain Day 2 (5/12): Palma de Mallorca, Spain Day 3 (5/13): Provence (Marseille), France Day 4 (5/14): Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy Day 5 (5/15): Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Day 6 (5/16): Naples, Italy Day 7 (5/17): * Sea Day * Day 8 (5/18): Barcelona, Spain Cabin Details & General Plans/Stuff: Ocean View Balcony Stateroom (Deck 8, Midship, Port side)... LOVE this location! We booked a similar cabin back on Oasis (thanks for that recommendation @WAAAYTOOO!) and loved the quiet of Deck 8 (no rooms across the hall since it's the back of the CP shops and restaurants). Also, we love CP so it's nice to step out of our cabin and before you know it you're in CP! Selected Traditional Dining (6:00 PM) Purchased 3-Night Dining Package Purchased Refreshment Package + VOOM Surf & Stream Combo Purchased 10-Photo Package Purchased a-la-carte specialty dining lunches (Giovanni’s and Chops Grille) Purchased “Easy Palma” excursion for Day 2 Purchased “Scenic Marseille” excursion for Day 3 Purchased “Best of Florence & Pisa” excursion for Day 4 Purchased “A Taste of Rome” excursion for Day 5 Purchased “Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii by Land & Sea” for Day 6 Booked the major entertainment via CP (Mamma Mia!, Blue Planet, Blades, and Aqua80Too) What did we skip this time? The Key… no need to get into details here. IMHO, not worth it at this time especially at the prevailing prices ($30-$40+ pp/day). We purchased the Key numerous times in the past, but will not purchase it again unless there are meaningful changes and/or the price goes down. Unlimited Dining Package… simply due to the fact that we won’t be able to really take advantage since we have 5 ports and only one sea day with some really long (8-10+ hour) excursions in the Italian ports. We did purchase the 3-Night Dining for the shorter port and sea days. Deluxe Beverage Package… Woo hoo! We’re finally Diamond on this sailing! Same reason as the UDP, we would not be able to benefit/take advantage of the DBP with such a heavy port-intensive itinerary (and no Labadee or Coco Cay). We’d rather use the Diamond vouchers and the few 50% discounted wine/beer coupons and pay a-la-carte if we go over the daily limit. Maybe they’ll offer a drink card later in the sailing ! We did purchase the Refreshment Package w/ VOOM at a very good price! We booked all Royal excursions because our party did not want to worry about getting back to the ship on time, etc. I know many people make it work, but we had no desire to take any chances with our group on this sailing. The hope is that we can do a round-trip Rome, Greek Isles sailing down the road and we can then do our own thing in Rome at our own pace since we'll be staying in a hotel in Rome. That should be it for the synopsis... I'm sure I forgot something, but still 3 weeks to go! -
"Amped for the Allure of the Med" - Allure, 5/11/25-5/18/25
JohnK6404 replied to JohnK6404's topic in Live Blogs
So beautiful! -
Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all that celebrate the holidays!!! Wow, one year flies by so fast! Our last cruise on Icon will be exactly one year ago to the day of this upcoming sailing. It’s been way too long! As always, I’m trying to start the blog a little early before the pressure mounts to get everything done. As @Lovetocruise2002 can attest to… one of the most difficult parts of starting a live blog is creating the name! We’re just about 3 weeks away from sail away! I've also had my iPhone lockscreen ready to go! This trip is a bucket list item for my wife (Christine) and I (John)! I’ve never been overseas, but my wife has been to the UK many times as a child and young adult (family in England & Scotland - my MIL is British). She’s also been to Paris, but has not experienced any of the locations we’ll be visiting on this trip. The extent of my travel has been limited to the continental U.S. and foreign ports that we’ve visited together by cruise ship (Bermuda, Bahamas/Caribbean countries, Mexico, etc.). We will be travelling once again with my wife’s uncle and fiancée (recently engaged)! We of course have been living vicariously through the many amazing live blogs posted here on the forum. Recently, I’ve especially loved the live blogs of the Western Med sailings including the more recent ones from @Lovetocruise2002 and @FionaMG! They really ramp up our excitement level and anticipation! Love all of the photos!!! The last few months have been a little crazy for us. My wife underwent surgery on her left foot in mid-December. She did not believe she could handle the demands of this trip without taking care of her foot. She was non-weight bearing for a full month into January (so much fun for me! ), but she’s really coming along now and her surgeon and PT feel she should be fine on this trip with some minor precautions. We're trying to get out every evening to walk a bit. Around the same time in early December our beloved Golden Retriever, Bella (12 years old), was diagnosed with thoracic carcinomatosis which contributed to fluid build-up in her chest around her lungs (pleural effusion). The diagnosis was grim, but we had hoped she would make it comfortably through the summer with routine check-ups and treatment. Unfortunately, she passed away suddenly a little over a week ago in her sleep just one month shy of her 13th birthday. We rescued her at 13 months, so she’s been with us for almost 12 years. Thankfully, we have some time to grieve before our big adventure. Her loss is also affecting our male Golden, Jake (7 years old). If you know me, I have to include pics of our pups… a couple of shots of our Bella (Jake will be "showcased" later of course ). One of my favorites of her at age 3… in deep thought! ... and one of the last taken this year... almost 13... Don't let the pics fool you... she was always smiling! OK, I’m really sorry for the downer … the good news is we're in discussion with our rescue to hopefully adopt a puppy when one becomes available. We both feel this would be the ideal time to raise a puppy now that I work from home (since Covid) and Christine's office is only 5 minutes away in our town. We definitely think Jake will always need a buddy! The 6 years he's been with us, he's always had Bella. I’ll break for a bit and then get into the fun stuff a little later... the trip details!
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Chefs Table $70 and lots more on sale
JohnK6404 replied to Pattycruise's topic in Royal Caribbean Dining
Yes, I'm still thinking about the UDP at $290.99 for our 11-night sailing in JAN (Odyssey), but I'm hesitating because of the folks we're sailing with in JAN... the group may be growing! I might just book it and cancel down the road if necessary... or my wife may need to make the decision! Chef's Table for our sailing next month (Allure) is currently $65.98, but I think we'll skip it this time since the itinerary is so port intensive (only one sea day - last day) and we won't want to spend 2-3 hours eating dinner (we might fall asleep after walking all day ). -
Thanks! I'm assuming when you click on Chef's Table to purchase it, it still prices at the regular prevailing rate and does not reflect the UDP discounted upcharge of $50? I doubt the CP is that smart!
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I know, so much food! We approached specialty dining fatigue the only time we had the UDP (on Wonder). Appetizer(s), wine, entree, dessert, repeat! What makes it so tempting is that it's effectively only $9 pp/day more than the 5-night dining package right now. Quick question... do you know how they handle Chef's Table when you have the UDP now? I know you get a reduced upcharge ($50 pp I believe) with the UDP, but does that reduction come off when you book (doubting CP has capability) in the CP or do you pay full price in the CP and then they make the adjustment/credit onboard? Edit: I see they state to get the reduced rate, the reservation must be made once onboard... hmmm... I would fear it would be closed out if you waited... too many decisions so far out!
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I'm seeing the UDP for our upcoming 11-night sailing on Odyssey next January for $290.99... it's only about $100 more pp than the 5-night dining package... assuming this is an amazing price? I also like that we can book at least some of the meals on the planner pre-cruise with the UDP... Our 11-night sailing has 6 sea days to enjoy lunch as an option as well... should we grab it or does anyone think we'll see a similar sale for Black Friday? Thanks!