GaryAA

I bought one on the Symphony February 18, 2024

I was on the Symphony February 10-18th, bought one at Guest Services for $10. I was in a GS so they are not free for suite guests.

Just curious, with the DP340 promo code in use, do you still get an extra C&A point for cruising solo?

I was onboard February 10-18 also. I was surprised the casitas did not face the ocean. They are on deck 16 overlooking the pool. Here is a picture taken from the Coastal Kitchen. 

Just used luggage valet on February 18th. I was tracking our two suit cases with Apple air tag. My wife’s suitcase made it to FFL then loaded on our Delta flight. When we got to ATL around 2:30, my suitcase was still at the cruise terminal. I called Royal while in ATL but they said a 3rd party handles the luggage and did not have a number. I got my luggage the next day. I’ll go back to walking off our bags. My idea of going to the CK in the morning for breakfast and not messing with our bags backfired.

I got that email today also. Our obstruction was the window washing apparatus. I’ve already sent an email to my TA to move our cabin. Lucky for us, there are cabins still available for February 2025.

We just got back from our first Celebrity cruise (10-day cruise). We enjoyed eating in the Blu restaurant, much like the Coastal Kitchen. I used the thermal suite daily, but my wife never went. We were able to lower the cost of our cabin by $1,000 after a few months by watching the prices. We had the “All Included” pricing. Make sure the veranda cabin has the “All included” pricing for your comparison. That said, we booked a B2B aqua class cabin for 2026. I still prefer Royal Caribbean but like some of the itineraries on Celebrity.

I’m on this cruise too

In order:

1. Symphony

2. Harmony

3. Freedom

4. Liberty

5. Independence

I’m going to Antigua on Celebrity Equinox November 30th, haven’t heard anything yet

On 10/1/2023 at 11:23 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

Yes....we can no longer do any SCUBA excursions b/c we are both over 65.  

I just booked a dive excursion in Roatan and Cozumel aboard the Wonder (I'm 68). They could cancel it when I board the ship next year, but for now they are happy to hold my money. Last year I did a ship dive excursion in Aruba on the Explorer, I was 67 at the time. Overall there are not many dive excursion offerings these days, I've been booking directly with dive shops. Just did a Bermuda cruise in August, no dive excursion offered.

We usually cruise 4 times per year and stay in a Junior Suite or Grand Suite. I’ve had a side job in real estate appraising that has funded our cruises over the years. Our future cruises are S2S or B2B to help cut down on airfare from Ohio. 

I’ve brought a 14” electric fan with a travel extension cord with 110/USB outlets on 25+ cruises with Royal, no problems.

Also, ask your cabin steward for a mattress pad or a couple duvets to put on the sofabed. I’ve done this several times in the GS cabins, makes the sofabed more comfy.

We were at 357 points last cruise, don’t remember getting an invitation. Do we need to go to guest services to sign up?

As Pooch said, get a JS on the hump so you have a deeper balcony. The JS comes with 2 lounge chairs so the extra balcony space is a plus. We also like deck 8 with access to Central Park but those cabins book up fast. The biggest con with a JS is you'll want to try other suites eventually 

Try out a Junior Suite once and see for yourself if it is worth it to you. We usually book a JS or GS cabin a few years out in order to get a decent price. We enjoy the extra space & double points. 

On 4/26/2023 at 11:13 AM, Keanoknick said:

We stayed in one of the OS directly beneath the Villa Suite on Symphony in Nov. 2021,   and had no noise issues at all.  Never heard anything from above or either side.    Was the nicest and one of the quietest cabins we've ever cruised in.

Glad to hear that. I was concerned because they have a hot tub and 14-person table on the balcony.

We stayed in the Marriott Stanton last February before a cruise. Anything south of Fifth Street is pretty calm. Most of the action is north of Fifth. You will be close to the cruise ships when they leave port. We usually walk over and watch them leaving starting around 4:00pm. There is a nice walking/bike path next to the hotels.

There’s an 18-day sailing on April 13, 2024. I’d be interested in the 2025 sailing if there is one.

On 4/21/2023 at 2:50 PM, smokeybandit said:

Has anyone actually stayed at the Embassy Suites? The reviews are pretty poor for a typical Embassy Suites.

We stayed there once. It’s a great location but we were not impressed with it, not like other Embassy Suites we’ve been in. Dark and dreary interior. We have  been staying at the Hilton Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort. 

We normally stay in a JS or GS but they are sold out for our Symphony cruise in February 2024. Looks like Pooch sleeps on the sofabed too!

Curious if anyone has stayed in these suites.  I noticed they are below the Villa Suite (sleeps 14). Was noise an issue in the room or on the balcony from the room above? The other option is deck 14 under the pool deck.

This was the sofabed on the Symphony Grand Suite.

We’ve stayed the Radisson near the port. It’s an old hotel but has a nice pool & pool bar. They used to have suites with 2 king beds and a sofa bed. They have a well organized shuttle system. You need to reserve the shuttles in advance. The also have cruise parking.