recogneyes

We just returned from a cruise and while in Cozumel we visited Paradise Beach Resort.  It was incredible.  The resort itself is lovely and the staff are incredible.  Drink variety is amazing and the food is better than some of what was available on the ship.  I would highly recommend.  It's $69pp and that's all inclusive.  Taxi is about $20 each way.  

3 hours ago, Penguin said:

Just booked Breezy Bay at Chill Island as it was $100.00 cheaper.  However when I called RCCL to ask where these bed rentals were located - they couldn't tell my what the difference was between  Chill Island full Day beach Bed Rental and (the one cheaper) called Breezy Bay at Chill Island.  Does anyone know are they close to one another?  I have a hard time walking but also want to swim in the Ocean.  Which one would be the better location  - close to dock and/ or Swimming?  If i have to pay the extra 100.00 not a problem but need to know which is the better deal.  Any help is greatly appreciate.  Thank you

We've enjoyed daybeds at both locations in the past.  Up until the last few months, anytime I've looked, they've always been the same price.  Now, on any sailings we have booked with a stop at CocoCay, the prices all show $100 more for Chill Island.  We prefer Chill Island to Breezy Bay as it's a little more secluded with very little noise.  Breezy Bay has a basketball court near it and a few more things to do.  You can walk into the water from both spots so I don't think there is any advantage there.   Chill Island day beds are closer to the pier (not by much, just a few minutes walking time).  That, combined with being a bit more secluded must be what is driving the price difference.  Both locations will provide you with a wonderful day.  If you look back to the first page of this post, you will see the map of CocoCay and where the various beds are located.  

We sailed on the 9 night Oasis this past August and it was a great mix of kids/teens/adults/seniors.  Since driving to Bayonne is an option from many parts of Ontario and Quebec, there are lots of Canadians on the ship (not just in the summer but whenever ships are sailing from Bayonne).  In Ontario, schools are out until early September so that certainly increases the amount of kids onboard in July and August.  We had a fantastic time and 9 nights is just perfect.  Oasis has so much to offer with the 4 sea days on this itinerary.  I'm sure your family will have a wonderful holiday!

Walking off with your luggage is something Royal has offered for many years.  We opt for this every time as it saves having to pack the night before and looking for your luggage once off the ship.  I hope you are all feeling not too sick with covid symptoms.

Another thing to try is to have him keep checking the check-in times as a few days before sailing, I've found that earlier times open up.

3 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Well last night we are at 150 Central Park and we have a new absolute favorite restaurant! Holy cow that was amazing, so amazing we booked it again for Thursday. We have the 3 night dining package but hadn't scheduled a 3rd restaurant because we were between a few. 

We were thinking of Port side but that's not my thing at all. That's a la carte so that to me would be a waste with the dining package. Do you agree with that? 

Yes - Portside BBQ is only $10-14pp so definitely not worth it to use your dining package.  Should you wish to try it, just pay a la carte.

5 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I honestly didn't know you could do that. I thought reservations didn't begin till on board. I will check the app. for our next cruise on Oasis in May.

We just sailed on Oasis for 9 nights returning yesterday.  The MDR lineups were excessive each time we went there.  We did book times for all 9 nights in advance (which you now know you can do) and then we cancelled as we opted to dine elsewhere certain nights.  As people do cancel, definitely check for reservations through the app as your week goes on.  With reservations, we found we waited about 10 minutes to be seated as opposed to people who were waiting 45 minutes without reservations.  I would suggest Playmakers and Port Side BBQ as options on a few of the nights where you don't have other specialty dining booked.   We had a terrific week and found the crew to be spectacular.  I hope you have a great vacation!

21 hours ago, Scatmanjack said:

 

Asking specifically about upcoming trip to Maya Chan but I guess the scenario could apply to other resorts as well...

 

Taxi ride is included in pricing of resort...

Would you still tip the taxi driver a few bucks coming and going?

Personally leaning in that direction but just wanted thoughts from others...

We spent an amazing day at Maya Chan a few weeks ago.  We were in a large van with approx 10 people going but then just a taxi for the 4 of us upon returning to the port.  We tipped the driver in both directions.  You will have a lovely day at the resort - the staff are incredible!!

Yes, the beach beds are a canopy design so lots of shade.  There are so many loungers on the beach and umbrellas are everywhere.  I don't think you would have any issue finding shade from what I recall

We were just on Symphony - no other ships in port.  Lots of empty chairs to choose from and if you get off the ship early you will have choice of which section of the island you want to set as your base.  If you plan to do the waterpark, then chill island is nice and close.  For some activities, breezy bay might be the better choice. Beach beds just offer a little more comfort so have to decide if you feel that is worth it.

I think it is totally worth it - if you can get it at $149 and no more than $199.   They do "limit" you to 4 wristbands but I don't think they would give you too much trouble about having a young child there.  Likely you won't all be there at the same time as there is so much to do on the island.  I would especially book if there is more than one ship docked the day you visit as that just saves you having to look for chairs.

We've rented beach beds at chill island and breezy bay and chill island is closest.  It's nice and quiet ...so... you can enjoy the activities at the water park and then walk over to your comfy beach bed and relax.  If you want to have activities nearby then breezy bay has more going on and is still a comfortable walk to the water park.

Keep checking your app - we had 11:00am boarding and closer to sail date 10:30am was available so we changed to that.  Every half hour is one step closer to actually getting on the ship.  

10 hours ago, spacejam_on_vhs said:

This schedule was sent to us from our suite concierge today! So I imagine, if all goes according to plan, you should have the show for your sailing too! 

Thank you so much for sharing.  We are on Symphony next week as well.  Enjoy your cruise!

9 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Of course the more you play the more you get. I was demonstrating the choices given. The casino host stated the offers would be valid through September (not the case, for all the offers).  No where does it say “must book onboard” until you get the actual offer.  It’s a bit misleading.  
 

That is misleading and different from what we experienced in our three cruises this year.  Each time we either received an offer in our room upon checkin in and/or departure and nowhere did it indicate it needed to be booked while onboard.  Some did require booking within a short timeframe but not before leaving the ship.   I will verify that next week when we board Symphony.  If you've earned the offer, you shouldn't lose it for not booking while onboard IMO.  Thank you for sharing.

We've enjoyed having the shareholder's credit applied to some of our cruises.  I have been advised by the shareholder dept that complimentary sailings / casino sailings are not eligible for the credit but I'm wondering if anyone has had any success when paying to upgrade a casino offer.  Does paying to upgrade now change this from a complimentary sailing and thus allowing for the credit to be applied?

The cost to rent the day beds covers for yourself plus 3 others.  If you were travelling solo, the bed would just be assigned to you.  You get to decide who, if any, joins you for the day.  Upon check-in, you and those in your party will be given a wristband and assigned your bed.  Your name will then be written on a little board at the side of your bed.  This way, you can come and go from that area and enjoy other spots on the island.  You will absolutely love having the daybed - they are so comfy.  Enjoy!

7 hours ago, Yanna said:

If your unvaccinated but have been tested and the results come back negative, would that not be enough to be able to board?? 

Vaccination has been required since RCCL ships started back in service ... along with a negative test in order to board.

3 hours ago, anxiouscruiser said:

yes when i spoke to them again yesterday they said what the THREE reps told me was wrong and that it has the ability to be fully booked if needed. i feel really misled as i actually wouldnt have booked a cruise if it was full or above 50%.

While it certainly is odd that RCCL reps would share current capacity numbers, it is even more odd that they would commit to capacity of cruises weeks or months out.  Even if a sailing was at 50% as of today, the coming weeks could see that changing drastically as closer to sailing bookings are made.   We've sailed three times this year and had no idea how many passengers were sailing until we got to the pier to board. 

The RCCL website makes no mention of capping capacity and the news (and this wonderful blog) is full of stories of demand for bookings and high percentage capacity sailings.  Depending on when you booked,  you might be able to cancel under Royal's Cruise With Confidence program.  On a positive note, in our experience Royal has been doing a wonderful job of providing a safe and enjoyable environment.  Good luck with your decision. 

4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

There have been some variations on this "rule".  My experience has been that they disallow Christmas and NY but often don't really care about other holidays.  YMMV

Oh that's good to know....thank you for sharing.  When I called to inquire I was told absolutely no holidays but I guess it doesn't hurt to ask once you have a specific sailing date in mind.

21 hours ago, Divelizard said:

Hi there, do you know on what length of cruise it applies too?, I still have a Tier Benefit available but it doesn't give me a guide as to what itineraries I can book, so do you know if it's 7 days or less or something like that?

My understanding is you can choose a 7 night itinerary anywhere in the world on any ship (other than Wonder until early march when she completes her first full year of sailing).  Cruise cannot fall over any US holidays.

On 4/30/2022 at 9:09 PM, RoHoCruise said:

The last rep mentioned this and we went and looked at it together, but I did notice the CAS membership benefits sheet that this is from was changed in March.   I need to find one from December (she turned 18 on December 29th) and see if it was different.   I just can't believe so many people told us wrong until today.   Needless to say, it's very frustrating.

I just spoke with a C&A rep to straighten out a double points issue. After it was straightened out I asked if anything relating to the C&A parent/child relationship status for points has changed in the last year and was told no.  She verified that if a parent reaches diamond or diamond plus and they have children who have a C&A number and have sailed at least once prior to their 18th birthday then they would retain their diamond/diamond plus status but their natural amount of points earned would be what shows on their profile once they turn 18.  This is how we've always understood it to be.  Hopefully you can get this straightened out with one more call.  Good luck.

The only way I can think of why this would have happened would be if one of your passengers originally qualified for the Kids Sail Free promotion and when you changed their birthdate then they no longer qualified for that promotion?  If that's not the case then I would definitely contact customer service.

8 minutes ago, 1st Mate said:

I disagree, in fact, there is more control getting off a ship than an airplane.  When you get off a ship, they DO scan your card that can have alerts/restrictions placed upon it, if I don't have the proper form, I don't get off, period.  When arriving at an airport, they don't scan anything when you walk off the plane, not that I've experienced.  You don't go through any security unless you leave the secure area and then again when you try to enter again.  

There is NO form to fill out verifying that I'm not carrying any illegal substances into the country. It's the law!  If found that I'm carrying an illegal substance, I'm liable to be charged and imprisoned for doing so.  The same can be said about the form, if I enter Canada and I don't have the legally required forms, including the ArriveCan form, and I'm caught without it, I'm liable to be charged and imprisoned for doing so.  

I sure hope your last sentence is right.  

  

I simply meant when a ship docks for a day the idea is to get people off the ship and onto enjoying their day in the port.  It would be a huge undertaking to be monitoring who does and who does not have their ArriveCan completed.  

17 minutes ago, 1st Mate said:

Well, until just a few minutes ago, that was still an open ended question:  "in another country for a cruise that will enter Canada".  What needed to be answered, if you are on a foreign flagged vessel and you never put one foot on Canadian soil, have you legally/officially entered Canada.  

But, I guess I got my answer, we have to fill out the form before even entering Canadian waters.  But, I can fly into Canada, get off the plane, walk around the secure portions of the terminal, get right back on A plane and not have to have the form.  Imagine that!

Yes, that appears to be what the current rules are.  I suppose the rules are different for the arriving by land/arriving by cruise ship because there is control over who leaves the airplane and where they can go/not go but it would be a huge undertaking to try to set up same parameters for say a one day port stop from a cruise ship.  As you know, the "rules" change constantly so perhaps things will change to make it not necessary to complete ArriveCan for cruise ship passengers.