PhillyLady

Well, I signed up for Celebrity's list for upcoming information about the river cruises, and I am really looking forward to see what they offer. My parents did a number of river cruises, including the Mississippi decades ago, as well as all over Europe, and I used to think about river cruises as something one did when much older. However, husband and I finally took a Viking Danube river cruise a few years ago, and we did enjoy the experience overall. It is great to see castles along the river, and look at little towns, and other lovely scenery. Yes, a stop every day means one has to be prepared to do a fair amount of walking on tours, and we usually had time to go off on our own for a while as well. It is fun to be "parked" right next to a city or town, and be able to return to your boat for lunch every day (unless you go on an all-day excursion). I do agree that evenings are dull and limited in entertainment, people fight for table spots and reserve for friends, and because it is more casual, some (grown) folks walk around in their pajamas at breakfast (Just sad!). I did dress up a bit for dinner, but no long gowns or sequins (which I miss!). There are also no pools or spas. I hope Celebrity can address some of these issues. I think of the Christmas markets cruise as the least intense for touring--it is more like a "shopping" cruise and designed to get you in the mood for the holidays. So, I would never allow a river cruise to replace my ocean cruise passion, but they will be a nice addition to my travel repertoire. There are some places a person MUST see by river (Danube, Rhine, Nile, etc.), so I am already making my bucket list. Bon voyage!

I agree that sending complaints about road travel will probably (and sadly) not make a difference. Miami is a hub of tourism way beyond cruising, and the cruise area is very crowded! When we were much younger we even used to drive from Philly to Miami for cruises. Nowadays it is easier to fly and find a nearby hotel for a cruise. I happen to love the Miami vibe, especially South beach hotels, great for shopping and relaxing, and party time at night. However, I have made sure to avoid Miami completely during Spring break times. The worst cruise experience for traffic I ever had was leaving out of NYC around 4th of July a few years ago. When we got to the port area all parking was gone because they had converted the area into a race track since they were having some performance race car events for the 4th of July celebrations. YIKES! What a mess! After finally getting the car taken care of, we waited in along and slow line for hours in the heat to board--older folks were seriously suffering. I am cruising out of Florida in another two months, but leaving out Tampa--in my opinion, one of the most convenient ports for departure. We have left out of FLL and even Jacksonville as well, but not yet Port Canaveral. I always build in HOURS and often DAYS before departure at ports anywhere in the world!

Welcome to the Royal Carib Blog forum! People share here about all their personal cruise experiences. I am sailing out of Tampa in April! I like the port--it is not as busy or crazy as Miami. We are on the Radiance to the Western Carib, a different port every day. I do not care if the ship is smaller because we get off at every port and do shore excursions (beach, snorkeling, scuba, Mayan ruins). It is a very nice and relaxing getaway cruise experience. I prefer larger ships when I have less port stops so I can enjoy all the ship amenities.

Traveling in the Winter means the air is very dry and cold and it is much, much easier for viruses to circulate. Being inside all the time also means a lack of fresh air, and more people nearby spreading germs. Your immune system may not function as well, either, in the cold. One sick person can infect a lot of others! Although I rarely cruise in the Fall/Winter, I am married to a skier and we go to many very, very cold weather destinations. Yes, I often pick up a sniffle or a cough as I am inside the hotel most of the day, and even though he is out skiing in the freezing cold, he rarely gets sick because he is breathing clean, fresh air! (And he wears a ski face mask and helmet, etc.) That is one reason why I like hotter, more tropical climates and cruising in warmer weather--the air is too humid, heavy and wet for viruses to travel as well. I can also avoid more people by sitting on the deck. I have never gotten sick on a Summer cruise, only a Winter one! Be sure to lubricate a lot when in dry climates--drink plenty of water and consider using a gentle nose spray to keep out the viruses! Best wishes for a full recovery!

The tremors and the recent earthquake have supposedly been caused by the shifting of tectonic plates, not an upcoming volcanic eruption like that which originally destroyed much of the island in 1600 BC. Santorini (Thera) suffered a tremendous earthquake as well as a tsunami in 1956, and many of the island's buildings collapsed. Since then it was rebuilt, and has become a hot tourist spot to visit. Right now a state of emergency has been declared, and many inhabitants have been evacuated. Of course if this kind of activity continues, no cruise ships will be allowed anywhere near the island, and the cruise line will have to substitute a different location. Hopefully all of this will be resolved soon, and Mother Nature will allow stability to return. There are many parts of the world that are subject to potential disaster, and it is important for travelers to be aware. A few years ago (2019) twenty-two people perished while on a RC cruise shore excursion in New Zealand when a volcano erupted--just horrific. Iceland and Hawaii often have volcanic eruptions. Stay safe!

Thank you for the offer, but we are fine. We are using Princess for this cruise, as I really like their Discovery excursions--a bit pricey, but very comprehensive, and always include lunch at a nice local restaurant. We have used Princess in the Baltic (great lunches in St. Petersburg with all the vodka you can drink! HA HA), and in the Mediterranean, as well as Alaska, etc. I like RC for the cruise experience and onboard entertainment, but for serious itineraries I often select lines like Princess, Celebrity, HA and Cunard. I had to twist DH's arm for this cruise, because he has Scottish heritage, and we have driven all over the UK as well as Ireland multiple times (staying in castles!), and he is convinced that a cruise will not measure up to a land trip, but I need to pull out my long gowns and dress up a bit! He used to hitchhike/train all over the UK when he was young every Summer back in the 1970's/1980's, and he remembers when traveling in the UK was very cheap! By the way, I would recommend a Nile river cruise to see all the Egypt sites rather than trying to approach from the Med--too long. When we were much younger we took the trains all over Egypt and saw a lot--we would love to return on a Nile river cruise, but we are awaiting a bit more stability in the area. You could combine that cruise with a visit to Petra, or a tour of Israel, as we were planning to do before the recent war. Knossos is fantastic, but I think I like Mycenae, Delos, and Delphi better--they are not quite as overcrowded with tourists. Happy travels!!

Luckily for me I have already experienced my dream itinerary, which is where sailing on the water is a way of life--beautiful Greece in the Mediterranean. Throw in a departure from either Venice or Rome (yes, I have done both), swing by Naples (Pompeii, please, and yum, Amalfi), a few stops in Turkey (Istanbul and Ephesus, oh my!), and then each island that you see is even more marvelous --Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos (Delos), Santorini, add Katakolon (to see Olympia), and maybe even one or two cities in Croatia (Split, Dubrovnik). If the world were at peace I would say go through the Bosporous strait and head to the Black Sea to visit Constanța and Odessa (the Potemkin Stairs!) as I did when much, much younger. Athens is where you finish, so spend a few days here as well. It took me multiple cruises to accomplish this fantastic itinerary, but I have created the most wonderful memories. The Med water is brilliant blue, the sky is clear, the stars sparkle at night, and the ancient history found everywhere is indescribable. For 2026 I have booked a British Isles cruise (we have already driven around all the countries), and I hope to soon add a Japan cruise. Of course I love my Caribbean cruises, but there is nothing more meaningful to me than sailing in the Mediterranean.

Have a great cruise, but I will be rooting for the Eagles.

I wish I were there to enjoy a slice! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ICON!!

Last year I wrote this on this blog to somebody complaining about a purchase they made in the Effy shop on their ship: "As you are the consumer, it is your responsibility to educate yourself and feel comfortable with jewelry purchases. Buyer always beware! In my lifetime I have spent a lot of money on jewelry, and I will say retail prices are often 75% more than actual metal and stone value. Never expect the piece to rise in value or be worth what you paid for it. You should only buy an item if you really love it and want it, and price point is not that much of an issue. " Now, I would never buy a diamond without verifying all the stone information in the store, hopefully with a GIA certificate and a microscope to see the number laser-inscribed on the girdle. I have to admit I can easily tell the difference between a .5 stone and a 1.5 stone. By the way, store clerks are not necessarily gemologists --they are just salespeople, and I would never take anything at face value about jewelry that a salesperson tells me, sorry. Well, obviously your wife liked the ring since you bought it. Instead of going through all the back and forth with stone size, just see if they will give you a refund, or if not, start a dispute with your credit card. Since you do not seem to know that much about diamonds, remember that they can always sell you a big diamond that has lousy clarity, cut, and color, so size is only one component of value. I always go into the DI stores on the islands, but I rarely purchase there, because I can get better deals in the NYC diamond district.

After more than fifty years of cruising, as well as traveling around the world in other ways, I am (sadly) astonished at the number of travelers who vent and rant over the most insignificant things and act as if their trip was ruined because of one or two changes (which may be beyond the control of the captain or the cruise line!). You are paying for the CRUISE, not a guarantee of definitely arriving at every port. And yes, I have been to more all -inclusive resorts than I can remember as well, and that experience is not better, it is just different (rainy days at a beach can certainly disappoint). And if you don't know what life is like aboard a ship, that's your fault, because Youtube is swamped with cruisers posting every small detail. Only two more months and I will be on my next RC cruise (Yippee!! Also my birthday, and I ordered and paid for my own cake to be delivered to my cabin.). I have gone with my husband on four ski trips the past three months (No, I do not ski), and being in snow, ice, and minus 10 degree weather for days at a time makes me dream of the sea and the sunshine on the ship! (And dancing in the disco is always free and fun!). By the way, I am more well traveled than most travel agents, but I still always use an agent, because more help is always better! Bon Voyage!

You can buy Effy for 65% off occasionally at Macy's. The jewelry is also sold in many other places around the world. Buying Effy on the ship usually means limited discounts, and you have no recourse if any issues arise once you depart. Maybe the Effy cruise staff will just give you a duck if you buy something very expensive!

We also put TSA approved locks on all our luggage. Better to be safe than sorry, and trying to open/dismantle the locks does take a bit of time. You could also put a strap around for additional security. Sadly I have actually heard some stories of some people having their luggage opened and items stolen by other passengers while the luggage was out in the hall!! When I cruise I always have some lovely gowns and shoes. I certainly do not want to lose them! P.S. We have cruised out of Italy multiple times, and never a problem, but we keep our eyes and hands on the luggage while in the airport, and we usually take taxis for additional security. Our big bags are almost at the weight limit, so a little harder to grab. We have also taken the trains in Spain with our cruise luggage, and we also guard everything closely, as there are many pickpockets who just want to grab small bags and run.

Check out Cruise Critic--Community--Ports of Call--Europe--Spain and Portugal ports. You probably meant Seville (Sevilla). There is so much to see and do in all these fascinating, historic, and lovely cities that just walking around looking for a cafe or shopping really means missing out on a lot!

Welcome to your first cruise! I've been cruising for decades, and rarely spend more than I pay upfront (besides tipping) unless I choose to purchase something. We never buy the Internet service, we buy one or two drinks only for dinner and maybe sea days, we infrequently pay for the fancy restaurants, and the same for spa services. Yet we ALWAYS purchase a great excursion in every port, and we always get off the ship, so we splurge mainly for that. I think of cruise ships as floating hotels--they have a lot to offer onboard, but you sometimes want a change of scenery. Okay, I book the Western Carib cruises often--I just really enjoy the Spanish-speaking environment, and visiting (and climbing) Mayan ruins is very fascinating to me. We have visited many of the different Mexican sites, and most of the time when the tours are all-day we receive a typical local lunch as well. Yes, I am bilingual, so we could easily spend the time walking around on our own, but it is much more fun to do something organized and interesting, and husband enjoys athletic pursuits. We have lots of great memories from our many, many excursions. We have swum in the cenotes (cool water with fish!) and husband has scuba dived in the underwater caverns. So many of the best sites are on the mainland of Mexico--being in Cozumel it is a bit of a time-consuming pain to take the ferry, then a long bus ride to see an archaeological wonder like Chichén Itzá for only a few hours, so I do not really recommend it. If you ever decide to spend a week in Cancún you could see spend half the time doing great tours! If you just want to hang out at a beach then in Cozumel the Chankanaab Park is a nice option--I swam with the dolphins there about a decade ago. Yes, the Caribbean cruises are real opportunities to enjoy the sun and the sand, and hot weather. On this cruise husband will scuba dive at the first two ports--on the first day I will do the Salsa tour, and then the next I will take a catamaran tour. Then we are booked port three to go one day to the Lamanai ruins with the speedboat, and the next day the Chacchoben ruins. Since the ship departs from Tampa, we will probably do both a pre- and post -hotel stay, hopefully at a beach hotel. We like Florida, but we prefer four-season states. Right now it is very cold in Philly, and husband skis almost every weekend nearby during Winter. We are heading to Vermont mountains next weekend, and the forecast is for a high of 12 degrees! Hopefully after this cruise you may be interested in other cruise destinations around the world. Have fun planning, and bon voyage!

I am one of the first to NOT travel somewhere if I think it is unsafe, or if the warnings are dire (it took me years to get back to the port of Istanbul after the coup attempt, still waiting to return to China and Russia, and Israel is up in the air), but I have Roatán on my itinerary for my April RC cruise. As others have pointed out, this port is separate from the mainland. I would actually feel much safer in Honduras than Haiti, because crime is a somewhat understandable and avoidable occurrence as compared to a total gang takeover. Yes, they do grab phones out of your hands in mainland Honduras--many folks who live in Central American countries have their "real" phone hidden away, and always carry a cheap "backup" phone to give to thieves. Tourists should always be cautious and plan on knowing exactly where to go, but since the ship is there in the day, and there will be thousands of tourists, I think the crime factor is pretty low. If you take an excursion instead of going off on your own that should be even more secure. I just booked a scuba dive excursion for my husband--still working on my options!

I want to say that I have gone on many family reunion cruises, and it is important to try to make an effort to join together with family at some special dinner occasions and for the family photo opportunities. Your introverted style will be noticed much less if you can participate in a few of these kinds of events, especially since the grandparents are footing the bill. During the day most people are off on their own, either lying in the sun, or at the spa, or taking an excursion, and late at night folks may head to the theater or the nightclub or karaoke or bars, so do not fret too much at those times about being stressed by crowds. Make sure you take some time to look at the ocean waves (very soothing)--maybe walk around the entire deck--and don't forget to look up at the night sky--usually full of stars! Cruises are remarkable ways to interact with others in a pretty safe and stable environment. Have a wonderful and memorable time!

Well, CONGRATS on your marriage and honeymoon! I took a quick skim through the video, as I am not really a YouTube user, and I think you have created a very nice memory for yourselves! We were also married on July 13, but many decades before the two of you (long before YouTube even existed!). I also took my first cruise when RC only had a few ships on the sea--I traveled on the Chandris line, which later become Celebrity, and was subsequently purchased by RC. Yes, you have a great future of cruising ahead--enjoy and celebrate all the upcoming anniversary-moons throughout life. Best wishes!

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2020/04/07/introduction-bringing-toddlers-royal-caribbean-cruise

Dynamic pricing is often the "thing" these days for travel as well as for buying material goods. I did see that the blog on Dec. 25th mentioned all the strong bookings on RC were promoting increased prices and less last-minute bargains. Sometimes you have to be flexible with date, ship, and cabin choice to truly get the bottom-line price. Best wishes! P.S. I usually make itinerary one of my first choices for cruising, and I do not limit myself to one cruise line, but we do enjoy the RC bells and whistles on board. Cruising on different lines can really broaden perspectives, and strengthen your own understanding of what you like and dislike.

Hello Matt, Kudos for such an excellent blog on Thursday, Dec. 26th. The First Time Cruise story was excellent--very good detail, and nice recommendations! The next story by Allie about last-minute cruising was also very interesting, and shared important and timely information. I know this blog has to be sought out by cruisers, but the information here is so helpful for first-time cruisers, that it is too bad there is not a wider way to distribute the reports in the cruise universe. Great job!

I received the email on Dec. 11th (did not open it then), saw all the comments on this website, and then thought about purchasing the gift card, but by then it was all sold out. Did I want to save 20%--of course! Did I want to deal with the gift card purchase stress--not really...which is why I delayed. I agree, not really an organized event--it seemed to be first come, first served, and the terms and conditions were not monitored properly by the vendor. Oh, well. At least I will be cruising with or without the savings!

I booked a July 2026 British Isles cruise on Princess back in early September. I am also looking at 2027 cruise ideas. Sadly, one has to be aware of the world political climate if traveling out of the country. Depending on the destination, sometimes I wait, sometimes I plan way ahead. Caribbean cruises are usually plentiful as long as one has some flexibility with schedule. There are some destinations which should only be visited in high season for optimum experience (example--Alaska and Iceland in Summer). Have fun planning!

Whenever I go to a nightclub, I always go there to DANCE. I have been on many, many cruises, and have gone to the nightclubs on all ships. Once I ask the DJ to play my song choices, I can stay on the floor for a while having lots of fun. Those who attend just to be spectators have only themselves to blame if they are bored. Drinking and dancing on a moving ship do not always go too well together, but some people like being foolish. There is also stargazing--a wonderful experience late at night with the sky free of urban lights. Sadly, many libraries are being phased out on more modern ships. Cunard has the best libraries at sea. RC is a family ship with a focus on children. Other cruise ships may have late night comedy (R-rated shows), or the karaoke squad. Of course, you can always read a good book in your room. I am a night owl all the time, but I always can get up early to go on a great excursion.

Well, welcome to the RC Blog. Yes, you live in a tropical paradise, but cruises are full-service floating hotels that visit many fantastic destinations, and you can cruise around the world. Why would you wait for years just to go on a bigger cruise ship? Cruise ships come in all shape and sizes--I just saw an offer for a yacht cruise in Croatia that has only 35 passengers. RC's biggest ship has more than 7500 passengers--are you sure you can handle that kind of people crush? River boat cruises (Europe, Egypt, etc.) are quite small--everybody eats together in one dining room. Often smaller RC cruise ships are cheaper, and it is easier to learn your way around a ship. If the ship has a lot of port calls, you are on the land exploring for most of the day, anyway. The sooner you start cruising, the sooner you understand the "cruise" lifestyle and what you like and do not like. Children will have a wonderful time on any RC cruise ship--they are designed more for families. Best wishes, and bon voyage!