Chadster

My ID doesn't expire until exactly a year later, so they won't renew mine. But they will send me an exact duplicate which is RealID compliant -- but still expires in 2021. ?

In addition to the above, I'm just really looking forward to experiencing smaller-ship cruising. I don't need all the bells and whistles or a floating amusement park! I hope you have a wonderful time on Grandeur if you decide to sail her -- I know I'm looking forward to my days and nights aboard!

"Tipping is not a Chinese city." Annnnnd swing and a miss on humor. ? If you're the kind of person who has to announce to a huge group of strangers how much you (supposedly, per you...) are giving to the staff, you're not being a good person -- you're tipping for you, no matter what you try to tell yourself. And the tips were in the casino? Oh, look...yet another way to say "look at me -- I have oodles of money to throw around and make a spectacle of myself..." ?

The awesome thing I discovered while comparing the cruise value (not just the price) was that if I pick the right 3 perks (classic beverage package, $300 OBC, and prepaid gratuities), I actually come out ahead, since as a solo cruiser, I'd get the entire OBC amount added to my account. I can do the upgrade to the premium beverage package and still have plenty left to put toward excursions or a specialty dining experience or something! ? I'm not sold on unlimited internet, simply because Alaska is port-intensive, and I'd have at least some semblance of mobile data and the ability to make calls in port. I honestly like the idea of "disconnecting" while I'm on the cruise, and just doing brief check-ins in ports. The one school-related thing I'd need connectivity for, I can simply do offline aboard ship, and then send it when we get into port using either my mobile data or wifi. And I may book the refundable fare just because it's a bit further out than I want to chance, and then change to the nonrefundable fare later, like shortly before final payment. So, I'm settled on X for sure. Now, to just decide between a 9-day journey or a 7-day journey (using the extra savings from the 7-day toward excursions or my airfare/hotel for one night each before and after the cruise). I really appreciate your answers and insights! ?

I've repriced my May cruise to New England and Canada 3 times in the two weeks since I booked it. Two of those times saved me a total of $150, which I got back from Royal Caribbean the other day. The third time, though the price was lower, my TA alerted me that the lower fare would mean losing OBC that was basically equal to the third fare drop. I decided to just keep the OBC since it was basically a wash. I never used a TA before I came across this blog and have started looking into cruising as often as I can; I'm definitely already a believer in having one! ?

That 11-day Ultimate Alaska itinerary would be fantastic! Alas, my only real free time in May of this year is spoken for by an early-season Canada/New England cruise on Grandeur from out of Baltimore, which means not having to spring for airfare! If I do pull the trigger on Alaska next year, it'll definitely be in May. And as of now, I'm leaning heavily toward spending the extra money and taking the 9-day cruise on Eclipse, simply because X's prices seem really filled with value right now. I saw Ovation when I originally started looking at Alaska cruises before I decided I wanted to sail out of Vancouver. That "virtual balcony" they include with most interior cabins looks fascinating, and an interesting money-saving alternative to an actual balcony!

I was lucky enough to snag the 3-night package for my 9-night May cruise on Grandeur for $79; at that time, the UDP was $199. Now in CruisePlanner, the UDP is up to $216. I have some extra OBC, so I decided to also buy lunch at Chops for embarkation day, both because $22 for their lunch menu sounds like a fabulous deal and it'll help avoid the chaos that will be the Windjammer on Day 1, if my previous cruise on another line is any indication of what normal embarkation day hunts for food look like!

Thanks for the links! The 9-day itineraries I'm looking at are Vancouver round-trips that go to (in varying order) Sitka, Ketchikan, Skagway, Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Juneau, and Hubbard Glacier. The one big difference between the two is that Eclipse stays in the Inside Passage both directions, while Radiance swings out west of Vancouver Island on the northward leg -- something that actually docks a few points for Radiance in my mind. There are 7-day versions round-tripping out of Vancouver as well, with one going cutting out Skagway and Icy Strait Point, and the other removing Sitka and Skagway. I'm contemplating a 7-day cruise to save a little cash that I can put toward excursions like flightseeing in Ketchikan/Misty Fjords or whale watching/Mendenhall Glacier touring in Juneau. Plus, that gives me other things to look forward to on future Alaska journeys. Though 9 days cruising Alaska and the Inside Passage sounds heavenly, too. ? I'll be taking my first 9-day cruise in May when I take Grandeur to New England and Canada, so I'll see how that many days of sea life suits me; my longest cruise previously was 5 days.

Has anyone done an Alaska itinerary with Celebrity? With the costs being almost neck-and-neck between RCCL and X thanks to Celebrity's current sale and with me being a solo cruiser (I may pay twice the cost, but I also get twice the OBC! ? ), I'm trying to decide between Radiance and Eclipse. I've read that Radiance apparently has the most glass of any RC ship, making it great for Alaska, but I'm having trouble finding out a ton about the views from public areas on Eclipse -- I won't be springing for a balcony. As a side note, Eclipse will be fresh off its Revolution redo at the time of the cruise in question.

I've heard great things about both Empress and Grandeur! I know Grandeur will be sailing off into the sunset partway into 2021, so I couldn't help myself -- I had to get one additional cruise on her; thanks to a #YOLO booking today, I'll be Royaling it up for Christmas! ? December 18, 2020 -- Grandeur of the Seas to the Bahamas including Perfect Day at CoCoCay by way of Charleston (history nerd alert!) and Port Canaveral (space nerd alert!). I actually chose this cruise not only to celebrate the end of the fall semester, but also so I can visit two places I've always wanted to; the Bahamas and CocoCay were actually just "bonus ports" that will get me my quota of sun for the winter! ?

May 14, 2020 -- Grandeur of the Seas to New England and Canada

Thanks, y'all. Twangster's suggestion is along the lines of what I was thinking, but being new to RCCL and never having booked a cruise on board a cruise in progress, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything!

I'm so excited for my first RCCL cruise in May as I make my way up the Eastern Seaboard and visit all my neighbors to the north that I'm already contemplating future cruises. I blame all of you! ? Anyway, my question is: should I lock in a spot now by paying the standard $250 deposit for the cruise I'm taking for sure with RCCL (Fall 2021), or do you think I'd be better served by booking it on board with the Next Cruise office and pay the reduced deposit? The balance, of course, wouldn't be due until mid-2021, so I'm not worried about that part; I'm just wondering if it's risky to wait 93 days or so (not that I'm counting down to Grandeur...) to try and secure a spot. There are only a couple of dates available. Is there much to be gained through Next Cruise besides a bit of OBC or a discount (both of which are nothing to sneeze at, of course)? I'm also researching an Alaska cruise for 2021, but I haven't settled on an itinerary for that one, so I'm not 1000% sure I'm going to choose RCCL for that. But if I do, is it better to be safe than sorry, since things can book quickly in the span of a few weeks?

Thanks for the additional insight, all! It sounds like Empress would be a great ship for this particular cruise. I also like the fact it's a smaller ship, as of course is Grandeur for my upcoming cruise in May. I honestly feel overwhelmed just reading about some of the "large and in charge" ships in the RCCL fleet!

I decided to get the Deluxe package on my upcoming cruise on Grandeur. The penny-pincher side of me figured out how many adult beverages I'd need a night to make it worth it (I also drink a lot of Coke during the day, as well as coffee now and again). We'll see how close I stay to that line...or how far I stumble over it. ?

Thank you for linking to @twangster's pictures -- Empress looks like a great "little" ship!

I'm new to the forums and new to the world of Royal Caribbean cruising. I'm already booked on a cruise on Grandeur in May, and I feel pretty prepared for that based on my research. However, I'm considering a September 2021 cruise on Empress, which is a cruise along the St. Lawrence River and out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Since it's basically a "river cruise plus", I'm really looking forward to the scenery. If I got an interior cabin, are there plenty of places on the ship where I can sit and watch the scenery with good views? I don't really like the idea of getting an ocean-view cabin and just sitting in there all day -- and a suite is definitely beyond doable for me. I'm just curious to know people's experiences on Empress when it comes to watching the world glide by. Thanks in advance for any insight. ?