MTNeedsAVacay

On 9/19/2022 at 3:04 PM, Jill said:

To my knowledge there have been NO Odyssey or Wonder blocks distributed.

We sailed Odyssey October 2021 and a family member was due a block. Filled out the form to have it shipped, but still haven't received it over a year later.....lol.

On 7/23/2022 at 9:35 PM, AshleyDillo said:

Do you have any different last names on your reservation?  If so, try them all!

Not all bookings are eligible for RoyalUp also. For example, if you booked through something like Costco, those bookings will not be eligible for RU and you would probably get an error message if you tried.

Kids drink vouchers can also be used for smoothies at the vitality cafe or promenade cafe, bottles of water, or specialty coffees. My kids are pretty young, so they maybe had 1 sugary drink a day, so my husband and I used the kids vouchers for our morning iced espresso drinks and save the adult drinks for alcohol! Any extra vouchers at the end of the day we used to stock the room with bottles of water.

We were on Oasis 3 weeks ago and there were no reservations needed for AO. They did say they could turn kids away if a particular session was at capacity, but we never had that issue when we took our kids.

9 hours ago, HillaryG said:

There was a computer glitch a week or so a go when automated emails were not being sent correctly. Like the previous poster said, if you ever take a rapid test at a pharmacy and they tell you you should receive your results in 2 hours and you don't get them in the time frame, call them.  They can attempt to resend or they can be printed at any store and picked up.

This happened to us twice this year- first time in April, my husband and I took our tests and the same time; he got his results back in less than an hour and mine never came back. Called the Walgreens and they said I could pick up a physical copy of my results. We were lucky the Walgreens is just down the street from us. The second time was a few weeks ago, 3 of us tested at the same time. My daughter and I both got our results back in about an hour, but nothing for my husband. He called the next morning and finally got a hold of someone who told him he didn't get results because his test was inconclusive. Why he didn't get an email with that information too is weird. Then he went back to retest, and after that a few hours, still didn't get an email with results. So he called and we were able to pick up the physical copy. 

All this to say, testing was free (unlike the proctored at-home tests), but be prepared for some possible glitches! Have a backup plan just in case, and test as early as possible to give you time to pick up results or retest!

Another tip - bring lots of things to keep your kid entertained while waiting for the results! Snacks, toys, activities, tablet, whatever. It's literally just a bunch of rows of chairs to wait in, so it's not much of anything to keep them busy!

We sailed on 6/17 from Cape Liberty on Oasis with an unvaccinated 3 year old as well. We had 11am boarding times, but to be honest, I don't even know if anyone was checking boarding times. We arrived around 10:30 and it was just a massive line of people. Eventually, someone went around and split the lines up - one line for families with kids under 12 (didn't matter if vaccinated or not), and one line for anyone without kids under 12. That seemed to work to get the line moving, but I really don't think they checked boarding times. My father-in-law had a 12:30 check in time, and he was with 3 other adults all with 11am, but he was still able to board with them. 

When waiting for results, we had no problem getting service (we have verizon). I refreshed my email every 5 min or so, and within a minute or so of getting the email, I also got a text saying the results were ready. Even if you miss the email, I believe they had employees calling out names when results were in if you hadn't seen the email.

Thanks!!

We’ve got a sailing on Enchantment in November 2022 and a sailing on Harmony in Feb 2023. In the app, I’m unable to select/view the November sailing - just says “Check back later for more details.” However, I’m able to select/view the Feb 2023 sailing, despite it being 4 months later. Any ideas why this might be or others experiencing the same thing?

Yes- we are a family of 4. All had 11am check in time but 2 days ago both of my kids randomly had their times changed to 10am but my husband and I still show 11. 

I think ultimately you'll have to decide which factors are most important to you- the ships with less children will likely be smaller ships. However, you will also get plenty of singing/dancing/entertainment on smaller ships as well. If you decide a bigger ship with the extra bells and whistles is what you want to experience, try to find a sailing during the school year, as those also will generally have less children than a summer or holiday sailing.

I think you'll have a great time regardless of what you decide! Good luck and happy sailing!

Yes- we had no problems asking for pureed foods for our littles when we brought them. Our waiter or the head waiter would come over every night and ask us what we wanted for the baby that night. We usually asked for peas, carrots, or sweet potato. Be clear when you order if you only want the veggie pureed. Some times I felt like there may have been some added salt or butter (or maybe they steamed/boiled it in salty water), but it wasn't that big of a deal for us. Also, they also gave us huge portions (like full adult size soup bowl), so just gauge it after the first day to see if you need to just order one for the babies to share.

As a previous poster said, if your grandbabies are also able to eat soft foods instead of purees, I have no doubt the kitchen would accommodate that as well!

I am really enjoying this blog! Great work and enjoy the rest of your trip!

Following along! We will be on Oasis in a few weeks!

Another vote for Oasis with the kids! We have 2 kids and are doing both Oasis AND Enchantment this year (we live in VA, so like you, also all about saving money on flights). I already know the kids will like Oasis more, but Enchantment for us was a "mattress run" where we booked a super cheap suite under the double points promo to get us over the edge to Diamond+. 

But in all reality, I'm sure you all will have an amazing time with whichever option you choose!

I am really enjoying reading about your experience so far! We will be on Oasis next month and we can't wait!!!

Enjoy!!! You will have a blast! Sending good vibes for a fun, relaxing trip with good weather!

Same as Matt said, in October last year, we took our 2 year old to an urgent care to get tested. Very easy! 

I have been cruising since I was a little kid (I'm in my 30s now), and this duck thing is all new to me! I found my first (and only) duck on my Mariner sailing last month and thought it was absolutely adorable! It was just me and my husband on that sailing (left the kids at home), so we re-hid the duck, but I'm definitely going to be more vigilant with my duck hunting on our family cruise on Oasis next month!

18 hours ago, PMPMarty said:

Day one at Freeport:  Why are we here!!  There is nothing in Freeport.  A fenced in area with a pretend straw market.  It was also during this time that we were hit by another ship while tied up to the dock.  The whole boat rocked!  Luckily it was high up on the rear of the ship.

We were on this sailing too, and this experience was definitely a first for us! We supposedly went to Freeport for "scheduled maintenance" but it seemed like such a last minute change, there's no way it was "scheduled." Then we ended up with more damage than what we came with! Also agreed that the port area left much to be desired and was quite a let down.

As for the noted comments about the ship being short staffed, we also noticed it, and were a bit disappointed. Most notably, Johnny Rockets was closed for the entire sailing, but I never once saw a note about it or heard any announcements about its closure. The lack of some staff was also very evident at Playmakers and The Bamboo Room, with food orders taking around 45 minutes. 

Otherwise, despite the ship being pretty full, it never felt miserably crowded, and we still had a lovely time! Boarding and leaving the ship were a breeze.

Thanks for sharing your review!

Same experience as above! We would all just take turns using our Diamond drinks to buy a round- no secret about sharing them at all!

I agree with ChessE4. There are so many complimentary options available, even that can be overwhelming to new cruisers. I'd stick with the food that's already included, or maybe just purchase one or two specialty dinings to switch it up. They usually offer a Chops+1 package, which would be a good balance with a shorter 4-night cruise- you can do 2 nights in the Main Dining Room, and 2 nights of specialty dining.

Either way, you can't go wrong and your bellies will be full!

The kids wristbands will be waiting for you in your stateroom on boarding day. Make sure to tuck in the end of the strap, or cut off with nail clippers so it's not in the way. We've also been able to find scissors at Adventure Ocean or Guest Services to cut off the excess if needed.

Booking this sailing this week! Can't wait!

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!