Traveling Mike

I got this information from an article that is 2 years old.  I know on RCL Stream Package I can do anything I want including WiFi Calling.  Your Cell, Texts & Wifi On A Cruise: This Is What You Need To Know (familycruisecompanion.com)

You can also use wifi calling over the cruise ship’s wifi provided you sign up for the right internet package. Specifically, you’ll want one that’s sufficient to support VoIP and streaming.

The Voom Surf Voyage Package covers basic internet usage. You can text on messenger services, browse the web and send emails using high speed internet.

The VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package lets you message and video chat on messenger services, browse the web, send emails and post on social media, and video chat live. Plus stream your favorite videos, movies, music and shows.

When I have problems with the app I try doing it on my computer.  If all else fails you can do everything at the port in person.  You just need all the documents.

I booked a cabin with a grey area next to it and found out it was the working area for staff.  When the ship started rolling in the middle of the Atlantic things started sliding across the floor and hitting the walls.  It was not a good night's sleep.  Sence then I do not book with grey areas unless I know for sure what they are.

The message is from the automated computer program that could not process the image.  I had that trouble and the next day it was approved when someone looked at it.

7 hours ago, TonyKa said:

New to this blog.  Hope this is in the right place. Can anyone recommend a hotel in Fort Lauderdale thats reasonably priced and near the port?

I found the Airbnb are very nice in Fort Lauderdale and I got mine for $80.  When I go to Miami or Fort Lauderdale I stay at Airbnb because hotels are so expensive.

On 3/7/2022 at 5:20 PM, Luca said:

Are they for 12-17 or 13-17? I've read conflicting stuff.

There are kids' area that goes from toddlers to 18.  They will change the age breakdown based on how many kids are on the ship.  I just got off one ship that had 18 kids on the ship.  They were allowed in all the kids areas that were open.  If they wanted in one that was closed, they just needed to ask.   On the other hand, I was on one where they took all the 12-year old's and put them in a meeting room with Lego and building blocks because the ship had 600 kids on the ship.  I do not think there is a clear cut answer to your question.

On 3/9/2022 at 12:06 PM, workwithme said:

if you could have 3 wishes granted by a Royal Genie, what would you wish for

If I had a Royal Genie, I would go around the ship and find 4 very young people and 4 very old people and invite them to dinner in my Royal Suite.

On 3/9/2022 at 12:06 PM, workwithme said:

I was wondering if people had any other suggestions/ideas

I am not the one to be booking the Suites, but I have been to a few dinners and cocktail parties in the Royal Suites.  I just got off the Celebrity Reflection and attended a cocktail party in their large suite.  Talking to the person that was in the cabin the butlers are wanting things to do.  His wife and the butler set down and planned the entire cocktail party.  The butler arranged to have 4 of the top officers from the ship attend.  I am just thinking when my son was 13, he would have loved to invite new friends from the ship to a dinner party in the large cabin.  His dinner party would have been more pizza, hamburgers, candy and Ice-cream.  Maybe you let your son set down with the Genie and plan his own party and send invitations to his new friends.  Ov course with mom approving everything.  

11 hours ago, burbuja0512 said:

I'm just wondering whether I can do everything we need from my single app.

Can you do everything for them on your phone?  Yes

Will your kids want the app on their phone?  Yes  

Explanation:  I started cruising with my son in 2004 when he was 8 years old.  For years we cruised disconnected.  I am a computer programmer, and I used the cruises to get away from electronics.  My son would go spend the day in the kid's clubs or running around with his new friends.  I would carry the paper daily schedule highlighted with the things I wanted to do.  Jump ahead 16 years.  Everything I do on the ship is done of the cell phone.  I look for actives on the app.  I look to see what eating places are open on the app.   I look to see where things are located on the ship on the app.  I look at menus on the app.  I have gone from being disconnected on a cruise ship to being lost without my phone for daily/hourly items on the ship.  The other thing the app is good for is keeping track of the ship time of day.  Some of the ports the time changes but the ship time does not.  You can always look at the app to see the ships time.

I would say if your kids did not use cell phones they could do without the app.  If they are cell phone kids, they will want the app to stay informed.

9 hours ago, Raj said:

If I find the person I'm sharing a room with snores, is it possible to buy another room whilst on the actual cruise?

I do not know if it is normal but on my 2019 Trans-Atlantic cruise one of the girls on the cruise switched to her own cabin.  Two women were cruising with each other, and I am not sure what happened, but they no longer wanted to be in the same cabin.  One of them moved into an unused cabin to finish the cruise.  They were just two people in the Solo Group on a NCL cruise, so I do not know what they had to do.  It was just the gossip of the day.

6 hours ago, nmauldin19 said:

Got a surprise gift for a trip to the Bahamas. Depart from Port Canaveral and come back to Port Canaveral. I am vaccinated but do I need a passport? 

You do not need it for this cruise.  You must have your State Issued ID and Birth Certificate.  The question is... are you going to be traveling much.  If there are more travels in your future, you are better off getting your Passport.  

I am sailing on the Vision in April and am planning the Sail-Away party for our CC and Facebook group.  Can someone that has been on the Vision of the Seas recommend the location.  Just looking at the deck plan it looks like the Viking Crown Lounge?

I am always solo also and I book a lot of GTY cabins.  I would come unglued if they gave me a solo cabin as a GTY.  If I want the Solo cabin I will pay for a solo cabin.  Most of the time I look for the solo cabin and they are all taken, or the price is as high as a full-size cabin.  I am like you if I pay for two people let me have the cabin of two people.

You are not booking correctly if the price is higher for a solo cruiser.  I have seen where the price is higher for one person than when I run it for two people.  I then get on the phone and call and tell them and get the lower price.  Often, I see much cheaper GTY rooms for 2 people.  I have always got those prices for solo when I call them.  Very few times I book online without calling the cruise line or my travel agent.  Often the cruise line will have lower prices for Solo than I can see online.

I just watched a video on this that made common sense.  The cruise industry is trying to get people back to cruising so they will most likely not be adding the fuel supplement.  They will most likely be increasing the price for new bookings but a couple of hundred dollars.  By doing this people are not upset about being charged an additional amount and they will just say the price is going up because more people are cruising.  I know all of my booked cruises have gone up a couple hundred dollars in the last month.

I just got off the Symphony with the soda package.  I was able to get Diet Coke and Sprite Zero at all of the restaurants and bars.  I would go to the free style machines to get my Diet Root beer with vanilla.

6 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

I booked my first Transatlantic from Southampton England to NY for October of ‘23 on Anthem

I’ve sailed Anthem, so I’m familiar with the ship.  any hints/tips/tricks I should be aware of regarding a transatlantic?  I suppose I should start with …how to get to the port  in England (closest airport)? And then anything related to the seas…packing, etc?

thank you!

Make sure you get on both the Cruise Critic group and Facebook Groups for your cruise.  The Trans-Atlantic cruises often have very active boards with planning and additional activities on sea days.

4 hours ago, bryresangel said:

Good evening!

We are EXACTLY 21 days out from our cruise. I know people have had a lot of success with the .pdf form and emailing it in, but I would prefer to try to use the online system first, because I am a sucker for punishment it would seem. Will it cause issues if I submit the request both via the e-form and emailing the .pdf? My current plan is to submit the e-form, wait a week, then submit the .pdf. I welcome any suggestions or comments as to how solid of a plan this is.

They will see that it is already applied and not post a second time.  With all the cancelations and rebooking I was not sure what I had submitted so I just resubmitted all of my bookings.  They gave me the ones they had not posted already.

On 3/3/2022 at 5:34 PM, TKinRock said:

So good to hear! When these pop-up sales happen I don't want to wait on a TA. I prefer to do it all myself. Thanks for the quick response

The other thing to keep in mind.  You can cancel any purchase and repurchase at the lower price, but they charge your credit card now and reimburse in a week or two.

2 hours ago, TwoTexans said:

I've read previous posts that say that running isn't ideal at Coco Cay. Options are running the coastline or the tram path or the nature trail. I saw that the distance is minimal as well.

 

That said, is it possible to run the entirety of the island, going past the guest areas and around the coastline? I think the answer is know, but I'm curious if anyone has tried.

 

Thanks!

I walked the paths and some of the time there were people in my way.  That is walking.  I would assume running would be much worse.  Also, the ships were at 40% compacity when I went.

5 hours ago, Paula Benson said:

Hello,  we are long time RC cruisers but are just finding out about onboard credits for having RCCL stock.  What do we need to

use this benefit on a cruise coming up in May of this year ???  Any forms or email addresses we need would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any help.

Paula Benson

Here is the link you need.  You can do everything in about 3 minutes online.  You just need a PDF or screen print of your stock page.  You will fill out your cruise information then upload a copy of the stock page and they will credit your OBC with $50, $100 or $250 based on how long the cruise is.

Shareholder Benefit | RCCL Investors (rclinvestor.com)

I know because we did it wrong last month.  The Symphony will be at Terminal "A".  When you are 2/3 of the way to the terminal the road curves to the left.  If you go straight you will go into the truck terminal that does not have an outlet.  I was in a Lyft car that had not been there, and we have to drive the wrong way on a one-way street to get out.

15 hours ago, Allen2 said:

Doing laundry in sink or shower works - but the issue is drying clothes.  There is a short clothesline in the shower; take a few clothespins to hang clothing.  If you shower in the morning, wash clothes then, and hang until next morning.  Vice versa for night showers - although days with two showers change the picture somewhat. Most clothing will be dry.  As Traveling Mike stated, the hair dryer is always available for stubbornly-damp clothing.  You can also consider bringing a short length of light weight clothesline.  We traveled an around-the world cruise doing this.  If still a fringe benefit, limited free bags of laundry are available, depending on status. Several other cruise lines offer laundermats on some ships.

The other thing that helps is I get a couple of extra towels.  Then I roll the wet clothing up in the towels for a couple of hours.  The dry towels will pull the moisture from the wet cloths.  Then I hang them up on cloth hangers to finish drying.

1 hour ago, AlmondFarmer said:

Is this the “Tide pod challenge” that was a popular a while back?

yes, well sort of.  The challenge is to get all the food droppings off of my shirt after dinner.  I can not seem to hit my mouth very well some of the time.

Symphony on Feb 12 out of Miami they did not check our times.  They just checked shots and let us in.

Celebrity Reflection on Feb 19 out of Fort Lauderdale they did not check our times.  They just checked our shots and let us in.