Chadster

I knew it was you, Pat -- that's why I said it like that. 🤭 Consider it payback for the early birthday shoutout at dinner that one night. 😜
You folks really did make my cruise 10x better, though as I said, I know I would've had fun being much more solo, too.
To anyone reading this thread and feeling on the fence about a solo cruise, I think everybody should try it at least once if they get a chance!

So, I got back from my first RCCL cruise last week: a 7-day cruise aboard Oasis. I was, of course, "Pre-Gold" when I started the cruise. Apparently, per the C&A rep, "Pre-Gold" didn't qualify for the double-double points for solo cruisers, but rather just normal double-points for solo cruisers as if there were no promotion. On all my future cruises I booked before the Sept. 30 deadline, I'll get double-double points as a solo cruiser going forward, but I'm missing out on an additional 14 points because I wasn't at least Gold status when I cruised on Oasis. 😕

Quite frankly, I’m not even going to bother.  I’m just going to make sure that DH is linked to my account as a spouse so he gets the same on board benefits I do.  I really don’t have the patience to try to explain this.  My last call to get DH the deluxe drink package and me the refreshment package (I haven’t drank in 20 years), took well over an hour - most on hold.
 
I wish you the best trying to get yours straightened out. 

I knew it was you, Pat -- that's why I said it like that. 🤭 Consider it payback for the early birthday shoutout at dinner that one night. 😜
You folks really did make my cruise 10x better, though as I said, I know I would've had fun being much more solo, too.
To anyone reading this thread and feeling on the fence about a solo cruise, I think everybody should try it at least once if they get a chance!

Hey Chad! It’s Pat!  We loved you were a ringer but definitely not the reason we “kept you around”!  Great personality means a lot when meeting people, you definitely have that!

I got back from my first solo cruise last week; I was so lucky to meet up with some great fellow solo cruisers at a meet-up event we had on the first day. But even though we did a lot of things together, I also had a great time just doing some things on my own, too. I also struck up conversations with so many other great folks. But even if none of that would've happened, I definitely don't feel like I would've felt out of place even if I spent the entire cruise in full solo mode. Everyone on board felt so welcoming, and it was so much fun to take part in things -- or just to lounge and enjoy the views!
The above activities are just a taste of what we got to enjoy, even though we were all technically "solo". Toss in the carousel, a dance party or two, and it was an utter blast -- even if they clearly kept me around as the trivia "ringer". 😉
Point is, don't let your "solo" status. Make it the cruise you want, whether that's time with others or by yourself. I hope you have a blast, Donna! 🙂

Just did my first solo in September. I left the husband and college age kids home.  Facebook has a groups for most sailings.  I joined the group, saw there was a solo meet and greet/sail away Day 1 at one of the pool deck bars snd met a WONDERFUL 
group of people.  We met the next day for 10am trivia (and every day after) and I think by day 3 we went to the main dining room manager and got ourselves a table and we had dinner together every night.  At 10am trivia people would discuss their plans for the day and some would go together. At dinner plans for the evening we’re discussed, and some would go together. 
I hung out at Beach club at CoCocay  with a pair of women in our solo group traveling without spouses.  
I loved traveling solo so much I booked a few more cruises.  I hope I meet some equally as nice people.
hint: don’t wait for others to create a solo meet and greet….or sail away/whatever. Otherwise it might not happen!

I'm so very thankful for this! I've had some unexpected news that kinda turned everything on its ear, and I was afraid I was going to have to cancel my back-to-back Christmas/NYE cruises, but with this, I'm not going to have to even remotely entertain that thought, and those cruises will be even more welcome as winter holiday escapes!

I am over the moon!
A few nights ago, it was announced that the USA travel ban is lifted for vaccinated travellers with testing requirements. We've planned this cruise aaaages, had to move it, and were waiting with bated breath for this announcement!
We will be coming to Orlando late April 2022 and cruising on the Harmony in mid May, I am the most excited I've ever been.
Here's a shout out to the international cruises who are probably as thrilled as I am!

Got $514.99 refund today for my refundable deposit. That brings my total savings to about $3300 on 3 cruises since June. Pretty much expecting Royal to start paying me to cruise! 😂

I didn't get any price drop on my NYE cruise, but I did save a little bit on my Alaska cruise for next spring, so there's plenty of time for it to drop more. Plus, who knows what will happen to the price for my holiday cruises between now and late November for final payment?

Thank you! Pretty much what I thought. This cruise has been moved 4 times since may 2020 so the refundable deposit just kept getting moved with it. 

So according to Sharla, I actually can change my refundable deposit to a non refundable by Thursday (new final payment for my October 23 Symphony) and Royal will refund to my credit card. 
 
I made final payment back at 90 days. I can get $500 back if I do. 
 
I’m thinking this is a no brainer.  Am I right? Lol I mean I’m 32 days out. CWC is still available. 

I AGREE! Look at my picture. I started shaving my head just so they would stop asking!🤪

Sorry everyone for having to deal with the spammers. They've been dealt with.

Well now I don't feel special that carib_life wanted to fly everyone to the Caribbean! I thought she just liked me!

Next season on 90 Day Fiancée...

I got the email too. Trip booked. Looking forward to meeting her in person. 

We've done 12 nights and 14 nights, and find we are getting a little tired of the cruise.   Annoyances seem to accumulate at that point, such as when the Noravirus outbreak interfered with the buffet and Diamond lounge experiences.   Laundry also begins to be a factor.  That said, I am willing to push it for 3-4 weeks.  Since we lost our cat a year ago, we are less concerned about being gone for a longer period of time.

Interesting, our first was a 7 day Bermuda but we were literally docked in Bermuda for 3 days so it didn’t feel like a 7 day cruise, more like a short (very rocky) cruise with a floating hotel in the middle.  Then. 5 day out of Tampa which hubby immediately proclaimed too short, a 4 day out of PC with the grandson to see if he’d like it.  Well he did and it was WAAAYTOOO (get how I did that😁?) short.  Now it’s a 7 day on Harmony and an 8 day on Explorer for next year.  Working my way up!

Getting to know the crew is fascinating. If the 28-days on Anthem includes B2Bs, be sure to mention to the crew the first week you will be on for 4 weeks. That makes you stand out a little extra to them, and they remember to welcome you back each time. It seemed to speed up the process.
 

Thank you so much for your review; I'm not going to be on Symphony, but I'm considering 28 days aboard Anthem, and it's good to get a peek at what things are like over that time! Getting to know the crew sounds wonderful, too. 

I personally can't get enough sea days! In the 28-day scenario I laid out above, 11 of those days are sea days (not counting embarkation/debarkation days, which are technically partial sea days). The journey would be aboard Anthem, so I think there'd be plenty to keep me busy -- even if I just wiled away some time sitting at the Dog House and enjoying a hot dog or seven, or sampling the bars -- or jumping between doing each. 😄
The awesome thing about these B2B2B cruises is there wouldn't be a ton of repeated ports. I'd get a nice sample across the Caribbean: 8 ports, with only one repeat (Philipsburg, St. Maarten). And there's a day at Coco Cay in there, too. Plus, it focuses on the eastern and southern Caribbean; I did the Western Caribbean on my first cruise, and I was not overly impressed.
 

We have added it at a later date and no issues. We've done it up to 30 days before our cruise. I've called Royal and also have had my agent do it, both methods worked just fine

Only your TA will know that.  I used to be with a TA who gave out a lot of group rates.  It was not worth it.  I was hard to track prices, sometimes it would qualify for a drop, sometimes it would not.  In the end, when covid hit and it affected one of my cruises that there was a group rate on, it messed with the refund process as well.