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Funeegal

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Everything posted by Funeegal

  1. Hi! We cruised in Europe in the summer of 2019. Barcelona, Mallorca, Marseilles, Rome, Florence/Pisa, and Sorrento. 1. I would say the dining room for dinner is about the same minus the Caribbean shirts. Many men wore golf/polo shirts and suits (with and without ties) for formal night. Daytime was about the same. Keep in mind, if you go sightseeing at church's, men's knees and women's shoulders must be covered so there were less tank tops or women would wear a shawl over their shoulders and men were in linen or lightweight pants. Women wore capris. 2. There were far more Americans on board than Europeans! I would say the ratio was quite similar to what you see on any ship. The increase in Europeans was barely noticeable. 3. We did a combination of both. Be careful....some of the ports can be quite far away from the city center (like Rome and Florence). Any reputable company will work and we didn't have a problem getting back to port. Prices can be much cheaper using private excursions. 4. Depending on what you want out of the cruise, I found the European cruise to be go go go and see see see instead of relaxing like a Caribbean cruise. Of course, we wanted to see as much as we could so we did it to ourselves. These cruises give you a brief taste of each port city so you will want to go back and explore more! PS - I will add by saying we took this cruise to show our kids Europe. My husband and I spent 12 days in Italy for our honeymoon many years ago and loved it so this type of adventure was perfect for our teenage kids. PS again - We are going on a Greek Isles cruise next year and can't wait!
  2. My last cruise was over Thanksgiving. We asked for the savory bites in the MDR and it wasn't an issue at all.
  3. Sometimes. I am sailing March 25 and new excursions were added last week and this week. I would suggest if you have an opportunity to book an excursion with RCL that you want to book, book early and you can always cancel. You can also use a 3rd party that has a 24 hour cancellation policy and book and keep watching the RCL site.
  4. Every cruise! On Symphony, Adventure, Anthem, and Oasis. We've never had a problem with the JR milshakes.
  5. I second the virgin Coco Loco's at PDCC! It is also nice to have an after dinner cappuccino! I think one of my favorites is a spicy virgin bloody mary in the morning by the pool! Treat yourself to a milkshake or two at Johnny Rockets since they are included.
  6. I am sailing this summer to Alaska on a B2B. I looked at ship excursions as well as private ones. I have done private excursions in the Caribbean as well as in Europe. I have also done ship excursions in both places. I have found that for Alaska, the prices do not differ much between the two. I think as long as you use a reputable company (no matter where the excursion is), that is key. I think you should choose based on what the excursion offers and if it is something you really want to do. I know our cruise in July has many sold out excursions so you may need to privately anyway if the experience is sold out. We do like private so we can tailor an experience to our needs. We also like ship excursions when the price is right and the experience is something we want. Hope this helps!
  7. Hi - Our itinerary got switched and instead of being at PDCC with one ship (Freedom), we are now going to be there with another ship (Mariner). I was fully prepared to get a beach bed and the day I decide to pull the trigger, the beds are now sold out. I believe they are sold out to have an allotment for Mariner. Has any one had any luck reaching out to RCL to see if they will release a beach bed for purchase? I called yesterday and was told to send an email. I did that. Now I wait. Anything more I can do other than kick myself and not follow my own instructions, which is to get it and cancel later?
  8. Since it was mentioned....proper etiquette on waiting in line....So you have a station that has salads, then pasta, and then the burgers, chicken nuggets, hot dogs....Do you have to wait at the true beginning (salads) or can you scoot in line by the burgers since you want chicken nuggets? How should the line work in a circular station? Where is that beginning? I am being half joking and half serious. Personally, I will jump to the burgers if I don't see anyone specifically waiting for burgers and I will jump in at a random spot on the circular if I don't see someone specifically waiting. If I do accidentally cut someone off, I apologize and back up. All is good on a cruise ship....except of course, the gross people at the buffet!!! I am thrilled to be served at the Wind Jamair to avoid the germs!
  9. Have a blast! I bid on a RoyalUp for Freedom in March! I plan to live vicariously through you!
  10. I saw this somewhere else and I don't have any idea if this is fact or fiction. I don't have kiddos under 12, but I am curious to find out if this is true. Maybe @Matt has heard something? "Royal’s plan is that if they hit the threshold they will go down the list of families with unvaccinated passengers ages 5-11 and make them a “very appealing” offer to move their sailing. You can say no. They will just go down the list. Their thoughts are that the company’s compensation package will be very strong and someone will want to cancel/reschedule." I guess it makes sense, but I can see this as being a problem at certain times where kids on cruise ships is higher (i.e. November and December holidays, spring break, summer, etc.) Thoughts?
  11. Hi! I am a mom of two exceptional kiddos and we have been cruising with them for 6 years. I can speak to my wonderful experiences with RCL as well as Autism on the Seas, who provides volunteers for respite and support on cruise ships. You can check out their website or just Google it. They also have a Facebook group you can join called Autism on the Seas Community. There is also financial assistance available if you qualify. They have over 50 cruises a year where you travel with their volunteer staff who assist you and your family with your kiddo. All volunteers are highly trained (i.e. special education teachers, therapists, BCBA's, etc). RCL staff is also very accommodating. Call their special needs department. My biggest piece of advice as a parent of two extra special kiddos....don't be afraid to ask for what you need politely. This is true especially if you need to wait in lines, which can be difficult for our kids. Politely say excuse me and make your way through if your child is having a hard time. You may get the all too common dirty looks, but just ignore them (we have lots of practice with this) and do what you need for your family. I am happy to go into more details. Please shoot me a private message. I am here to help.
  12. Autism Mom here....call RCL's special needs guest line. Accommodations can absolutely be made. We've sailed twice since the bracelets have been in effect without issue and my kiddo didn't have to wear his bracelet OR a lanyard holding it. We just had to show it at certain times. I also have a shameless plug...check out Autism on the Seas. Google it. They provide volunteers for staffed cruises that have many accommodations in place for our kiddos (young and old) if you need assistance and respite. We are going on our 8th cruise with them and we wouldn't travel without them.
  13. From the cruise planner for my March cruise: OVERVIEW Introducing The Key, your premier access to exclusive experiences during your vacation. Start your cruise worry-free with priority access into the terminal within your booked arrival time. Once onboard, enjoy a personal drop-off service that delivers your carry-on bags directly to your stateroom. Follow this up with an exclusive welcome lunch featuring the Chops Grille Lunch menu. Fit more into your vacation than ever before with private time at onboard activities, including Rock Climbing, FlowRider and more. Start your day off right with priority departure from ship-to-shore at tender ports of call. Then score early access for our onboard shows. Share it all in real time with a VOOM® Surf & Stream 1 Device high speed internet package. End your adventure at your own pace with an exclusive à la carte breakfast and choice departure. Summary of your benefits: • Priority access into the terminal (within booked arrival time) on Day 1. • Carry-on bag drop off and delivery to stateroom. Drop-off your carry-on bags in the Main Dining Room until 1:30pm. • Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille Lunch menu. • Private time at onboard activities including Rock Climbing, FlowRider and more. • Priority departure at tender ports of call from ship-to-shore. • Early access at shows in the Main Theater, AquaTheater, Studio B and Two70. • VOOM ® Surf & Stream 1 Device high speed internet. • On debarkation day, enjoy an exclusive à la carte breakfast and choice departure. *When you receive your SeaPass card, it will have an icon confirming your purchase of The Key. The Key must be purchased prior to sailing by each guest age 6 or older assigned to the same stateroom. **These benefits are a part of our healthy return to service, and as such, they are subject to change. Additional Terms & Conditions apply.
  14. Hi - This happened to us as well. We changed our child's name legally before the cruise, but after our airline tickets were purchased. RCL was easy and so accommodating....legal name must match legal identification and all reservations were changed. The airline was a very different story and a pain to change even though we had proof of the legal name change. Also note, forms have not caught up and do not always differentiate sex from gender. There isn't always an option for Other or Prefer not to disclose. I love @Katiemay's sticker solution! Love to all of the supportive parents out there! Our kiddos are amazing and so brave!
  15. My family usually books two connecting balcony cabins. We also have two teens. We LOVE the second bathroom and the large balcony (because you can open up the balconies! Sure...you don't get the suite perks, but you can't miss what you have never had. I wouldn't bid because the RoyalUp only applies to one cabin anyway. You have a much better "deal" with the two connecting balconies.
  16. From the RCL FAQ - https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/topics/royalup-stateroom-upgrade-program Why did I or someone I’m traveling with not receive an invite to bid on a RoyalUp℠ stateroom upgrade? To receive an email invitation to bid on a stateroom upgrade guest must be opted-in to RCI Marketing e-mails. To opt-in, to receive emails guests can sign up on our website, opt-in through the online check in process or within My Reservations section...
  17. My son loves hibachi....the experience and the food. We have some local hibachi places and we go from time to time. I am in the Chicago area so I do live in a place where there are foodie experiences and great food. We tried Izumi Hibachi on the Symphony for the first time last November after hearing reviews of how great it is. Meh is my overall opinion. The entertainment portion was ok....I understand no fire allowed on a ship, but the performance wasn't even that great in spite of no onion volcano (LOL!). There was plenty of food to eat, but all in all, I did find it lacked flavor other than soy sauce. I agree 100% you can have a fun time with fun people. That would add to the experience. I am sure you will hear reviews on both sides of the fence and everyone has different tastes and experiences. You won't truly know until you try.
  18. Hi - We are doing the reverse. We are going from Venice to Ravenna. I found private transportation via car/limo/etc. the easiest, while it may not be the most economical. Try www.mydaytrip.com for some of the more reasonable prices. A more luxury ride can be found at https://www.joebananalimos.net/ . We used them in 2019 for sightseeing day trips from ports of call. They were fantastic, but they are a pretty penny. If you are trying to be very cost conscious, then there are busses and trains that can also get you to/from Ravenna and Venice. While the cost is great, you would need to get to the train or bus stations. You could also arrange a transfer with RCL and go to the airport. From the airport, you can get to your hotel.
  19. We are looking at private transportation. Try www.mydaytrip.com for good deals. I also know of a reputable company we used back in 2019 https://www.joebananalimos.net/transfers/booking?fbclid=IwAR0OqqU_4iLjauKKyQQEdrEYg7rwIIr6KG5BC53o6BwiJ2PaWKLVLwRCECg If those are not in your budget, the train or a bus can be taken.
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