Melbae9

Hi friends!
We're on Symphony in December for a Southern Caribbean itinerary. I'm having trouble finding something we want to do (two 30 somethings 🙃) in Aruba and Curaçao. What are some of the unique excursion you've done? We've been to both islands but not in several years and are willing to do it on our own.  
Thanks! 

You can read about my day at Tortola here:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/14700-empress-8-night-eastern-caribbean-?-oops-i-booked-it-again-?/&do=findComment&comment=148350
I rarely give up a chance at spending some time at Jost Van Dyke.

So true. For us it was gradual. First a balcony cabin, then a Junior Suite, now our "standard" is a Grand Suite. 

Hi, cruise buddy. See you in June! 

I'm not necessarily mad.. just a little bummed. Certainly seems like nothing they can do about the situation. We booked the trip with a specific room preference not available on Adventure (forward JR suite). My only real concern aside from the obvious is that the email stated we have until 8/18 to potentially receive a full refund.. I'm just hoping we have timely notifications to consider changes is all. 

Hello friends,
 
Heading on the Adventure in 3 short weeks, and we will be in the grand suite for the first time  :D ! Just wondering if anyone had any inside tips for the the concierge lounge. I'm pretty sure we will get free drinks, but what other benefits are there? We are not heavy drinkers, so aside from a pre-dinner drink, not sure what else we will use it for, especially since other members of our party won't have access to it. We will be celebrating a 30th birthday, just trying to make the most of the trip!
 
Thanks!
Mel

Hi Everyone,
 
Looking to make a reservation on Harmony. As much as I would love an ocean view balcony, its not in the budget. :angry:  :( Has anyone stayed in boardwalk or central park balconies? Advantages? Dislikes? Recommendations? 
 
Looking forward to hearing from you! 
Thanks!
Mel  :)

I took a TA on Anthem from South Hampton to Cape Liberty at the end of October. Leaving South Hampton was cold and rainy (as expected). I think the high was maybe in the 50s? Waves and wind were so bad we were confined inside for the first two days, with many things cancelled on board (bumper cars, shows), due to all the movement. Personally, I found it to be quite enjoyable. Something strangely scary, yet peaceful.. out in the middle of the ocean like that. There was still plenty to do though. Definitely warmed up a bit coming into NY despite it being early November and how far north the route took us.
As far as the internet goes, we had a terrible connection in our room. Deck 6 JR Suite, mid ship. I dont know if we were in a dead zone on the ship, or if it signal wasn't the strongest out in the middle of the ocean. I wasn't able to FaceTime or stream video when we were on the middle days, but able to check email and Facebook just fine. This was about 3 years ago though. 

Hi Everyone,
 
Looking to make a reservation on Harmony. As much as I would love an ocean view balcony, its not in the budget. :angry:  :( Has anyone stayed in boardwalk or central park balconies? Advantages? Dislikes? Recommendations? 
 
Looking forward to hearing from you! 
Thanks!
Mel  :)

On my Anthem cruise in October, our mattresses were so hard, it was almost unbearable. Our Navigator cruise in February had a pretty hard mattress as well, but we were in one of the new rooms on deck 12. I never had these problems on our first few cruises. 

Thanks Everyone! And thanks for the reminder Jerel, have no fear though, we are excellent beach loungers! 

We always bring our passports and a credit on the islands with us, just in case. We usually try and get our passports stamped for some fun memories. Sometimes, however it really involves quite a hike. In St. Maarten, there's a small post office by the taxi line that will stamp your passport for free. As far as keeping our bags safe, we usually cover our bags with a towel and just keep an eye on them while in the water. We are never that far away and have always felt safe keeping our bags on shore. 

We always bring our passports and a credit on the islands with us, just in case. We usually try and get our passports stamped for some fun memories. Sometimes, however it really involves quite a hike. In St. Maarten, there's a small post office by the taxi line that will stamp your passport for free. As far as keeping our bags safe, we usually cover our bags with a towel and just keep an eye on them while in the water. We are never that far away and have always felt safe keeping our bags on shore. 

I know some guys who went to college at the University of Miami in the 1970's. They used to talk about how they would go to the port and figured out how to walk up to the desk, glance at the guest list and pick a name, then tell the agent they were visiting that person. They easily received a guest pass for an afternoon of excitement on board. I'm not sure they broke any laws, but I guess the statute of limitations has expired just in case. Some things have changed forever.