Ryan79

Sabor was NEVER close to capacity on my last sailing. I wouldn’t worry about snagging a reservation too much

It wasn’t working in July either. It’s been out for a while and not going to be back up anytime soon

22 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Didn’t we just have National Margarita Day a couple of months ago ?  

Shhhhhhhh!!  

Park Cafe has pizza, but there is no Sorrento’s. Rhapsody is a very small and very old ship that will predate a lot of what is offered on newer and larger ships

MEI is used by a very large number of regular contributors to this site and the overall experience has been very good….self included. No complaints at all. With that said, agents aren’t going to really save you money, other than maybe a $50 to $100 OBC here or there. They exist to save you hassle and stress. Generally the discount agents will give you discount service, which isn’t a good thing when you need them to come through for you. 

Much smaller group size

Magnetic hooks!

I’m still too full from lunch and afternoon libations to eat earlier than 7pm. I may adjust a day or two depending on entertainment times that I really don’t want to miss.

The only port I’m aware of that really enforces these times is San Juan. 

Summer transatlantic cruise isn’t going to happen.

If they do have them for sale (can’t remember if I saw them or not), expect them to be 2-3x the code of bringing your own. One general rule for PDCC is if it isn’t free, it isn’t cheap! LOL

Just be flexible with when you want to eat. Prime dinner times will most likely not be available. Once you nab a spot, 0% chance you get bumped. That isn’t something RC or any cruise line that I know of does.

@happy cruisers 2 good idea!! This is where any good TA earns their pay. After many years of doing these same types of changes myself, I was recently converted to TA living and probably save myself hours of being on hold each year.

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

 My guess is, that relative that is hemming and hawing about finding a "deal" is really just using it as an excuse to NOT book.  I hope I'm wrong but that has been my experience.  Good luck !!

This is exactly what my wife does when I’m looking to book! She is always thinking that there are 50% off sales (true 50% off, not a Royal 50% off….not sure where this comes from)every few months so we just have to wait. I just go ahead and book anyways and then tell her down the road when the prices go up that we are going. It’s a strategy that has served me well.

On my Alaska cruise last summer, I saved $4k on 2 balcony cabins by booking 18 months in advance versus what the price was less than 6 months out.

As for your specific questions…remember that these excursions are outsourced to 3rd party vendors and not operated by RC staff. Therefore they may not be able to answer your questions, depending on how specific you are getting. You are MUCH better off trying to ask those questions here and get answers from people who didn’t excursion or do a little research online to find the vendor and ask them directly. 

You can make a request when you board, but it’s just that…a request. 

As of right now, this is not possible and there is no definitive timetable for when/if it becomes a reality.

For refurbishments, they don’t really do things like make cabins or balconies bigger or smaller. That’s a lot more involved 

Pure honey is not the same as the cheap stuff with preservatives and other crap in it. If your heart demands your honey, you bring your honey!! 

11 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

I've not read of negative consequences for arriving after your boarding time-except for Puerto Rico.  

I’ve heard the same thing about San Juan. They are very strict about not only showing up late, but will also make you stand by and wait if you show up early. Part of me hates this and part of me loves this.

Just know that you will need to check in each reservation individually. Checking in your reservation will not automatically check them in as well. 

I’m not an apple pie fan AT ALL, but that apple blossom is amazing.

It’s absolutely not going to happen. 0.00% chance. It’s not something that they, or any other cruise line does. 

They can be anywhere from $50pp to well over $500pp. It all depends on what you want to do and how much “Alaska” you want to experience. The more unique to Alaska the excursion is, the more the cost is going to be in general. Not many other itineraries give you the option to take a sea plane tour or take you for a hike on a glacier. These kinds are going to be $$$