whitsmom

We feel the same way!  We get the refreshment package to get bottled water and specialty coffee.  We just order drinks when we want one and we have never paid even close to breaking even for the UBP for one person let alone two people.  

We will be on the Jewel in August for the British Isles!  Now we are trying to decide on excursions (lots (castles) and etc to choose from.

The UK, Ireland along with all of the  islands are classed as the British Isles 

With all apologies to anyone that enjoys smoking, count me in for the permanent banning of smoking in all indoor areas of the ship, including casino.
 

Thats ok imagine how we feel trying to work out how 1 country (USA) can have over 50 different rules depending what state you are in ( for me its usually a drunken state when on holiday lol)
For easiness England, Scotland and Wales make up Great Britain, when you throw in Northern Ireland then it becomes United Kingdom.

I completely agree with you!  It was so much better spending time in the casino without having any smoke lingering in the air.  It would also be a health benefit to the crew who work in the casino.

I hope they make the casino non-smoking permanently. 

We feel the same way!  We get the refreshment package to get bottled water and specialty coffee.  We just order drinks when we want one and we have never paid even close to breaking even for the UBP for one person let alone two people.  

You might still find it cheaper a la carte if 2-3 drinks per day.  Keep in mind there are various specials throughout the week, free Crown and Anchor drinks, sampling the booze in duty free, or even buying into a "wine tasting activity".  

I always get the soda package so I subtract that from the cost to see if the DBP is worth it. It rarely is, to me. I don't drink liquor or beer and I can bring wine onboard, so I usually just do that and purchase any extra glasses of wine that I want. 
The one time I did have the DPB I felt like I was drinking non-stop. Which I was, and I didn't enjoy that.

I am normally good for about 8-10 drinks a day but my wife is only good for maybe 4 or 5 tops and some days she does not even drink. With that being said in order for me to get my money back I have to drink 15-20 drinks a day. I do my best right out of the gate by ordering spiked coffee from Cafe Promenade but after about 8 or so drinks I am normally full and getting tired of running to the bar every so many minutes. Overall it is not really about trying to get my monies worth out of packages but more about getting some value out of it. Do you know how much liquor I can buy at home for $870? My god I could get my entire neighborhood drunk on one Saturday night for $870 and still most likely have money left over.

It was our first time too so I was really worried. The only thing that struck me was the phone number had a really scratchy voice mail message where I couldn't hear it. I was trying to call to confirm I didn't need to do anything. But as long as you don't try to call them, it was great. Very easy to figure out where to go, pick up was very quick too.

Glad to here this!  This will be our first time using GoPort. 

Glad to here this!  This will be our first time using GoPort. 

We booked GoPort for our family July cruise.  We chose to stay at the airport and transfer to the port the next day.  The prices were better (there are 8 of us) and coming in on two different flights.

We also used goport.com. We also stayed near the airport and had NO ISSUES getting to the port in time for our boarding time (which was noon). The hotel we selected was very nice too with decent food options close by. The return was equally seamless and even though I mad a slight mistake and booked a pretty early flight, everything worked out. We are definitely using this service again if we cruise out of Port Canaveral.

We booked GoPort for our family July cruise.  We chose to stay at the airport and transfer to the port the next day.  The prices were better (there are 8 of us) and coming in on two different flights.

I would treat those tests like you'd treat any medication you take on a daily basis.  Carry it on with you.

You still get two 50% off beer/wine coupons, each.  That's four for a couple.
That's effectively the same as the old BOGO but better.  You don't have to buy both at the same time now.  Under the old BOGO you technically had to buy one and get one right then and there and in some cases they made you get the same drink for the BOGO.
Now with two 50% coupons each you can use them whenever, one for beer, one later for wine.    

No.

I sent an email last night and received a response this morning. I sent the following email to [email protected]:
Hello,
My name is Kenneth Johnston, date of birth mm/dd/yyyy and Crown and Anchor Number xxxxxx.
I have two Future Cruise Certificates that I would like to transfer to family members:
1-xxxxxxxx in the amount of $1,486
1-xxxxxxxx in the amount of $250
I would like to transfer these to my daughter, her name (DOB mm/dd/yyyy; Crown and Anchor number xxxxxxxxx). She is going on a cruise with my wife, wife's name (DOB mm/dd/yyyyyy; Crown and Anchor Number xxxxxxxxx) and I would like the FCC to be sharable between the two of them. Reservation number for Susan and Megan is xxxxxx.
Thanks!
Ken Johnston
 
Here is the reply I received:
Hello Ken, Thank you for your time. My name is Cat and I will be happy to help you today. Thank you for much for taking time to send us your consent to allow for your daughter Megan Illg and your wife to be able to utilize 1-xxxxxxx and 1-xxxxxxx on their upcoming cruise res number. While we are unable to physically change the name on the certificates, I have notated each certificate with your direct consent to allow for advised guest to be able to use them. For security reasons, we are unable to make changes on a booking with anyone other than the Travel Advisor, if listed on the booking, or directly with the guests booked on that cruise. We kindly ask that they reach out to us or their possible advisor for assistance with application of the certificates. Thank you for considering Royal Caribbean International. It is my hope that we can welcome you back onboard with us in the future. Sincerely, THANKS AGAIN @michelle!!!!

We just returned from sailing on Oasis Jan 9-16. It was a fantastic cruise. There is much to be said about a ship, especially and Oasis class, being at less than capacity and in our case, just at 50% or a little less. The boat never felt deserted but was a nice capacity to have no waits. We were able to port at all our ports (Western Caribbean) and all of the shows were going on as scheduled except for the second half of the Aqua theatre shows. The chief safety engineer responsible for making sure all safety equipment for the shows is up properly to keep the divers safe tested positive and without him they could not go on. I always felt there was plenty of room to distance ourselves from others, even in the bars and lounges but enough people to enjoy a group type atmosphere. Having done the whole cruise experience, we felt our greatest risk of contracting Covid was probably at the Miami airport. We were in an area were there were throngs of people and that was our most uncomfortable moment for the week. Whether to sail or not is a personal choice and we stressed about the testing and boarding during these times for about 2 weeks unnecessarily as we look back. Boarding was very easy and smooth. I hope if you feel comfortable enough, you will sail, as we had a fabulous time. Understanding and flexability is key but there is much to be embraced about sailing now. 

I’ve done nine since September, number ten is this Thursday. Oasis in Sept and Oct…the rest on Anthem. All out of Bayonne, NJ.  Here are some of my pros and cons. These are just my highlights and I’m sure each passenger has their own personal list.
The Pros:  Reduced capacity and everything that goes with it…easy boarding, less lines onboard, chairs available on the pool deck and solarium;  Easy peasy safety drill on the app…love it! No more herding like cattle waiting for those selfish late arrivals before the video starts;  Knowing every adult is vaccinated and tested…and every child is PCR tested prior to arrival and tested before boarding;  Knowing the crew is vaccinated and boosted when eligible;  The food, entertainment, venues, service and crew are fantastic as always.  Biggest pro, I’m on a cruise!
The Cons:  Getting the Antigen test…always a bit nerve wracking knowing a positive test is a personal cruise killer. Wearing a mask, although for me it’s no big deal and makes me feel safer.  A major con is the uncertainty…anything can change at a moment’s notice. Entertainment or itineraries changed or cancelled…port delays or denials…venues changing access times or limiting capacity. Changing protocols. And of course the biggest con…I may get quarantined.
So far…after nine cruises, I’m used to it and feel like it’s just normal. I’m an optimist and I love cruising. I usually sail solo and do my due diligence. I know what the requirements and protocols are. I’m also flexible and know that anything can change. I guess I’m lucky that I am able to cruise often and feel bad for those who plan a family vacation just to be hit with unexpected changes. It is a challenging time to cruise. Hopefully we can all get through this in good health and get back to pre-pandemic cruising. I’m looking forward to it. But not the chair hogs…I’m not looking forward to them. You know who you are! Good luck!😎

This might work or something like it (from Amazon):
https://www.amazon.com/Vaultz-Locking-Tether-Medium-VZ00724/dp/B00P45FXGW/ref=sr_1_28?crid=12UEXPJF7U4WN&keywords=small%2Blockable%2Bpouch&qid=1642513813&sprefix=small%2Blocka%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-28&th=1
 

Crown and Anchor onboard offer letters for all levels - Odyssey of the Seas, January 2022
Gold:

Platinum:

Emerald:

Diamond:

Diamond Plus:

Pinnacle: