TessFromFlorida

You will need Voom to keep us all updated on your amazing trip!

My two youngest will be off to college soon, the time we have with the kids just zooms by (as a mom of a 30 year old I know this to be true!). Having the family camp out in one room, in tight quarters, is a good- a great- thing! You will have an amazing time. Alaska is a destination cruise, so your focus will be on the ports and I am sure you will be exhaused at the end of each port day. No regerts with your original booking- spend some of the money you have saved on excursions, or a great meal together as a family... or put it towards a future cruise

Hi! I will be on Anthem this summer with my two youngest (teenagers) and it will be our first time on a Norway cruise - this thread is very timely! Based on one of the posts Matt shared and @FionaMG's and @cedricmr great advice, I booked direct. From what I understand, the Flam rail times do sell out so I booked through Norways Best to ensure I have my first choice of time slots because we have a RIB tour that afternoon. It was also a fraction of the price Royal is offering. Unless you have a tender port, you may not need the Key unless you get a fantastic deal- especially if you get the dining package.

Correct. It was a hot mess. I was double charged, then over credited, then they were refunding to the wrong card somehow (I used 1 card for the cruise, 1 for excursions). I was very surprised that a company in 2023/4 could even run a system that makes such errors. I called resolutions and worked with a woman named Hazel.

This happened to me with a recent Allure sailing and I wasted hours dealing with it. Long story short, they (RCI) did not keep my excursions/add-on ons separate from my cruise fare. My cruise was paid in full but each time I would adjust the add ons the final price of my cruise was impacted. I think they are running things on Windows 3.1.

Very true! Sorry you hated it. Given that my previous experience with ice shows was limited to Disney on Ice, perhaps I had set my expectations too low

Depends on your budget, but I believe with the junior suite it is the same set up with the kids on the sofa bed. The real advantage is the half bath. The shower has one of those creepy frosted glass panels, which may be awkward with the kids. Perhaps connecting cabins if you are looking for the space and the price is comperable to a suite.

We loved our Breezy Bay beach bed, the location was perfect and drink service was consistent. I paid $240 about 5 months before our sail date.

We've been on dozens of Viator tours. Get Your Guide is another option. We also use Airbnb Experiences which has some unique offerings. If you book through the app for your first purchase, you may be able to save 10%.

Just saw this show last week, it was fantastic IMO. I felt the choreography and sound design/music selection was top notch.

You may want to check out Viator and Get Your Guide for each port so you have an idea of the various options. I did this and found the tours similar to those offered via the Royal app once they went live. I did pay a bit more for us to go on "official" RCI excursions in case something happened along the way to make us miss the ship. The exception was Santorini where I did go with a guide I found on Viator. We had the Key so we were able to get off the ship early in tender ports.

THANK YOU! I really appreciate you sharing your experience. The in-room TVs on Allure are already pretty small in standard cabins, but I did notice the placement wasn't ideal in this cabin. Not a big deal- it is a port intensive itinerary, so we will be wiped out come evening time. You answered my big question regarding noise. Compared to booking two cabins, this came in as a much better deal and I take advantage of 10% off Royal Caribbean gift certificates through AARP so it comes in just several hundred more than the OVB we booked last summer. If I have any cabin-specific questions, I will message- thanks again!

Grew up in Union, been there. Good stuff!

So, I priced out 2 cabins but both kids are under 21 and even if I could get around that, it is >2k more, which I would rather spend on excursions. I hit the 24 hour back out now or you lose $100 ticking clock in just a few hours, so I think I will stick with the 1K- how bad could it possibly be? Appreciate the advice- I have learned a ton from this community.

We sailed Odyssey last summer and the sound didn't travel in the same way it did on our Ovation sailing. The bass was PUMPING late into the night on that ship. It was most likely the sound tech who was to blame on Ovation and not the acoustic panels (or lack thereof), but we were in a 10th floor ocean view starboard balcony and the bass kept me up pretty late each night. Because they are sister ships, it may come down to the person running the soundboard.

$20 well spent when it comes to managing 2 teenagers and their drawn out shower routines

Thanks for chiming in, two rooms may work. I will price this out but there will be a single suppliment to consider with two rooms. There are only three of us and we all share one bathroom now, so that is nothing new, but a great point! I did watch a few videos but they don't really dive into the negatives- just tour the room, which looks perfect, but I am leary. I am reading Lovetocruise2002's Independence blog now to learn about their experience in a 1K.

Hi there I've just booked a post-amplification (2025) 7-night Med cruise on Allure, room 11128. Up until this point, we have only stayed in ocean view balcony rooms. However, with two teenagers, we definitely need the space, but a suite is a bit too expensive for my taste. Does anyone have first-hand experience with these rooms on Oasis class ships, particularly the port or starboard facing ultra spacious ocean view rooms? I'm specifically curious about whether the bridge noise is noticeable and other potential downsides with this category/location. Appreciate any insights from the community!

Viator and Get Your Guide will have plenty of options and they have a good cancelation policy.

100% worth it if you have tender ports. Book before the price jumps

This past summer we disembarked at 7am and the hired car was already there waiting for us to take us to FCO for an 11:20 flight (boarding 30 min prior I believe). I feel that was just enough time to get through screening. You won't have much wiggle room at all if there is a delay, as the others have said

$219 per person for a spring break sailing on Allure. They sold out months ago (Oct maybe)... either they pulled them or they went quickly.

Hot Dog Heaven in Winter Park is worth the trip! https://g.co/kgs/pEdGSdm

Allure on the 11th