ckruetze

I think the bigger question is: Is it worth the risk? Easy to solve if the bartender says sorry but your partner has to go up to the bar. But what if the bar tender gives you the drink and then you are on video drinking it yourself (there are not many public places that are not video recorded on the ships). It is braking the rules and would you risk a lifetime ban on cruising or even being escorted of the ship at the next harbour? Not saying that either of it will happen but using someone's card to get yourself a drink makes only sense if you couldn't get the drink (either due to age or since you don't have the drink package) and that is then breaking the rules so there could be consequences.

Oh, I sought you meant like a porcelain thing with butter in in it you get at some of the speciality restaurants. I didn't know that you meant one of those small plastic things for butter that you also get on airlines and other places.

I actually like that change. Out of my family of 4 my wife would be the only one using butter. So if we have 4 containers on the table 3 would be wasted every time we sit down. I try to avoid food waste wherever possible and if you can ask for as much butter as you want and get it quickly then I think that is a good thing.

I think there is only one solution. The Ultimate Family Suite on Symphony or Wonder (I don't know how big it is on Icon). On Wonder the additional bedroom could even fit your in-laws. On the other had if you are star class and the in-laws have an inside room that could also be an advantage when they sadly can't join you at coastal kitchen or the suites sundeck or ...

There is a solution to the suddenly stopping people. Overtake them and do it to them too. Like everybody else they will hate it.

We have been on one Cruise with Royal and have already booked one for this year and one for next year. All three of then are B2B cruises. 14 days. I think that is the perfect length. And actually the disembarkation day on the first cruise is somewhat cool. You can sit back and watch the stress/sadness around you knowing that you can stay in your suite and have another full week to go.

This summer on Symphony the paid excursion was done by the tour guide and no questions were answered by an officer. The star class tour on the same cruse was much better. The Star class tour was done by the Genie and an office came over and explained a lot of things in details.

In theory you don't need to worry about the B2B protocols. You could disembark on your own as early as possible and then check in for the second cruise as late as possible. But the usual B2B protocol makes it easier as you don't need the full terminal security and check in. Earlier this year my wife had an excursion on the turnover day in Barcelona, Spain. She got her new sea pass the day before and was told to leave the ship with the old one and scan the new one when returning. I'm not sure if that only worked because we travelled in star class or if it always works like that. But in general if you book a Royal excursion on the turnover day they will ensure that you can actually go on the excursion.

Good, then I know who to blame if the ship is trashed or out of food/drinks when we get on board. Congratulations on the anniversary!

Not sure about Canada but here in Germany I always pay my TA and never Royal. Actually for my last cruise this summer the payment through Royal wouldn't work before the cruise it showed an open balance but when I tried to pay it I got a friendly message indicating that I should pay through my TA. The main advantage for people in Germany paying through the TA are: * pay in local currency not USD. This is especially useful with currency fluctuations. I won't have a situation where I paid 50% a year ago and then 3 month before the cruise I find out that due to fluctuations the last 50% would cost me a lot more then then expected. * If something goes wrong, I never paid an American company, I never signed a direct contract with them. So I will meet my TA in court and not Royal - not that I ever expect that to happen. * If Royal goes bankrupt, nothing I would expect, but still I don't care, I paid my TA and I will get a refund from them. So I would say at least in Europe a honest TA never makes you pay directly to Royal but the TA handles that for you.

The "It's only required by a few select countries most cruises don't visit part" is questionable. There is this big country south of Canada, north of Mexico that requires a 6 month valid passport - at least for people from Europe. I think a lot of Caribbean cruises start in that country.

What week will you be on the Symphony in April 2025? We are on a B2B cruise from 13th of April to 27th of April 2025 on the Symphony.

You forgot: Ride with a nice, half-naked person early 20th and opposite gender: 4999.99

I can also confirm that we never had any trouble with our kids in the Coastal Kitchen. It was great experience for them. Very friendly staff, very accommodating. We loved it. Sadly I can't compare it to the main dining room as I've never used that one.

I think it sort of makes sense. If it is really that good. Star Class guests could fill the 38 seats easily. And if it would be included I guess there would be no chance for anybody else to ever go there.

I agree. Due to school holidays we can't travel whenever we want to. And my girls like the Ultimate Family Suite (or the Townhouse on the Icon) but compared to Wonder or Symphony the Icon price is 3 times as much for that one. My travel agent offered me the Ultimate Family Townhouse for Christmas 2025 for just under $190.000 per week. I'm sorry but I don't think we will be on Icon during the Christmas 2025 season.

Nice, if it works with the time. I would be happy to participate. will you organise it here or on another website/forum?

Interesting discussion and as somebody has said already Europe vs the USA are just two different cultures. We don't have to like each others culture but we have to know enough about them that we can conform when visiting the other culture. But there is actually one thing I really don't understand. In a lot of the discussions the tipping in the US is made out to be better since in encourages a better service and at the same time allows the employees to take more money home. That's actually an argument that I as a European can understand even if I don't necessary share it. However, if that is really the case then why is it limited to certain industries? I would love a better service in the department store, at the car dealer, from the flight attendant, from my insurance company or the post office. Are all those services so good in the USA that you don't need to encourage better services through tips and do employees in those industries earn so much that they wouldn't want to earn more through tips?

Apparently it plays what is played on one of the two TVs in the kids room. I guess it doesn't have a tuner. You have to change the input to HDMI something and then it will play the same that is played on another TV. I fully agree. My guess is the fridge part of the furniture is something they use in a lot of other rooms too so they just included in that room. But it really doesn't make any sense. That's impressive that you worked out how to operate the blinds. For me it was a hit and miss. Sometimes it did work. Sometimes it did not. The most annoying thing for me was that you can't stop half way. It is either fully open of fully closed.

And then you post here? Isn't that against the forum rules??? I think that is really strange, why would they care what you do at home. It is not like they can sell you a daily treatment for home or anything like that.

I know the problem. I'm glad that I'm not the only one with that problem. But on the other hand it must mean that the cruise is so good that there is no time to write a blog.

I was really disappointed in Pisa. More tourists then you can count and not really that good restaurants - more expensive tourist traps. The only good thing about going there was I can now confirm the tower is leaning. Not sure about Lucca but if it doesn't have the one and only tourist thing for everybody to see maybe that could be a nicer trip. How to get around, I guess train or private hire car with a driver would be the quickest.

I did that ones and I felt so bad about it. I got the show time wrong by 15 minutes In the second week when you have your Genie, they can provide blankets for the ice show as front row might get cold with shorts and a t-shirt. As for the change in show. The story in the normal one is better (as in there is a story) but I prefer the music in iSkate 2.0 and the skating is more or less the same. When we were on Symphony earlier this month they had two guest skaters (a magic quick change act that they incorporated in the normal show). So you didn't miss out on too much. But maybe you have another time to see the other show. Also if your kids like skating the second week your Genie can help with the public skating times as in possibly get you longer on the ice and if your kids really want to do it there might be the option to book a private skating lesson for the kids (for a small fee). For the Ultimate Family Suite, your kids will have a lot of fun. The only thing that might annoy you is the various TVs and remotes for them. Also we had a lot of people "not in the room" try to connect the phone to the big TV in the living room which always turned on the TV. In the end I unplugged it. I'm curious if this also happens when you are in the suite. If Gloria is your loft attendant please say hi to her from "Christian and family".

I'm with you on the truffles. Mushrooms are ok but truffles no thanks. When eating at the speciality restaurants make sure you read the menu well. On our recent sailing several restaurants had truffle fries with the main course.

Interesting. Yes, star class, but I would have thought it doesn't really matter. On Central park the kitchens are so close to each other who cares where the food comes from. But yes it might have been a star class "benefit" or it might have been that my kids asked very friendly without the assumption that it would actually work. I would go with: Don't demand something ask politely and be happy even if it is declined.