JimnKathy

We're all here to talk cruising on RCL...we haven't a care in the world other than helping one another get the most out of their sailing vacations! Happy Sailing!

It's a savvy move to tag everything you carry on...no tellin' how quick those embarkation day cocktails can kick in.

We love the privacy of the Solarium whenever we've sailed in the Caribbean. The only cold weather cruise we experienced (Maine, Canada in October) was too cold to go outside anywhere, so the Solarium exception didn't affect us....we were enjoying views from the heated enclosed lounge on the top deck outside of Izumi.

Pontificating as a Southerner from the great state of Tennessee, the rendition of pork belly found at Chops is an insult to "low and slow" meat smokin' readily found in backyards and great BBQ restaurants in our part of the country. They should stick to filet mignon and other cuts of meat that don't require "low and slow" techniques. Happy Sailing!

We sailed on Allure in May...my 4 & 5 year old grandkids loved that slide!

The good news is that Symphony is an awesome ship with tons of amenities to enjoy no matter what kind of room you have. We've sailed her twice and loved the experiences on each trip! Happy Sailing!

Speaking as a retired restauranteur, an expired passport and/or driver's license is not a legal form of ID in the U.S., full stop. You may get lucky and have a employee in a particular venue allow it on a one off basis, but to rely on it consistently is a big mistake. Happy Sailing!

I 2nd that motion. On our last cruise, there were a few "stragglers" the captain announced by name as holding up the ship leaving the port...needless to say, things were on their way within about 5 minutes. No doubt those scoundrels were properly embarrassed when they approached their muster station.

You'll love both of them...Symphony's Solarium for the win! Happy Sailing!

Yes it is. We sailed Allure a few months ago and were amazed by how efficient the boarding and debarkation processes were. Sailing out of Galveston for the 1st time was a nice experience.

We'll probably take a trip on Icon once the "newness" wears off a bit. In the meantime, we'll just "suffer" with the commoners on Allure, Harmony, Symphony and Wonder until Icon's ready for an oil-change.

The annual plan also covers any travel you do (not just cruise vacations...think rental cars, hotels, airplane, trains, etc.). If you travel anywhere more than 2 or 3 times annually, the cost-savings works to your favor. Safe Travels!

...or you can bring insulated tumblers like we do and drink free water all cruise long.

I would totally recommend an Oasis or Quantum class ship for a 1st time cruiser. The shows, amenities and dining options are extensive and really give folks an idea of what they would prefer on future cruises. We sailed bigger ships on our first few sailings, tried a smaller ship for one and now know that we're "big ship" cruisers going forward. Happy Sailing!

A few years ago I researched the AT&T cruise plan pretty extensively and concur that the Zoom package is the best option. You can enable WIFI calling and talk, text and surf anywhere on the ship with your regular AT&T plan. In Mexican and Canadian ports, you can talk for free (at least our plan gives us the benefit) without buying the AT&T cruise package. You can often find a WIFI hotspot in a port not covered by AT&T (of course, I don't advise doing any personal banking from these hotspots for security reasons). Happy Sailing!

We would as well...too bad it's a 20-hour drive from Ft. Lauderdale / Miami ports from the Memphis, TN area.

Agreed. The Beach Club is definitely a wonderful spot that you want to spend as much time as possible.

As I mentioned in another thread earlier today, the missus and I love Central Park balconies. Central Park is so beautiful at night with amazing piano, awesome lighting and great people watching. While the pool party music is there at certain times in the afternoons, we're usually hanging out in the Solarium on sea days or on a shore excursion on the port days. Happy sailing!

Ditto on an annual travel insurance plan if you travel more than twice a year...particularly for those of us over 60. We use Allianz based on our specific needs, but there are certainly other solid plans out there as well. Just be sure to understand the coverages you need and choose based on that.

We've enjoyed Central Park balcony rooms on both Wonder and Symphony...I highly recommend them. Ditto on the amount of sun exposure for these "inside" cabins...varies on time of day and direction of sailing. You'll really love the balcony at night...Central Park is peaceful with beautiful music and lighting.

This is yet another reason to always use a good travel agent. No point wasting your vacation time on the phone when your travel agent could be handling things on your behalf.

It's really surprising that the State Department doesn't issue an approved digital copy of our passports to be able to download to either our phones and/or Microsoft One Drive / Google Drive as a backup plan to handle these sorts of issues in this thread.

I always love a nice rare cut of Prime Rib in the MDR...extremely delicious!

Yep, it's not like we're eating light meals during other parts of the day!

Using some hot sauce (Tobasco, Louisiana Hot Sauce, etc.) at a meal can help offset some stomach issues as well, but I'd probably chase it with a bit of tequila, too.