Chewie

35 minutes ago, Xaa said:

Wifi and Escape rooms weren't available at all when I started cruising.  I could imagine what Wifi would have cost if they could offer it at all.  Specialty dining at an upcharge has been a thing for at least 25 years in some form.

Those 2 weren't available when I started cruising either, but my point is that the amenities that were available were included.  Personally, I think wifi should be included.  The prices they charge for it are exorbitant.  

The all-inclusive nature of a cruise.  When we began cruising, pretty much everything on board was included except the drink package.  Now, we pay separately for wifi, sauna/steamroom, many dining options, escape room, etc.  To me, it's lost much of the appeal of cruising over regular vacations.  Not to mention, the quality has deteriorated - no more midnight buffets, ice sculptures, shots at dinner, big shows each night, etc.

We have a large group booked on Harmony with stops in Roatan, Cozumel and Puerta Costa Maya.  We have several first time cruisers, so we would like to explore the ports, especially the beaches.  However, money is tight for some of our group, so we are trying to keep expenses down.  As a result, we did not book excursions in those ports.

Are there beaches to close to the port that we can use for free?  If so, what beaches/areas do you recommend?  We are not opposed to taking taxis if necessary.

If not beaches, are there other inexpensive things to do in those ports without booking excursions?  

On 4/2/2023 at 5:33 PM, LeciM said:

Omg first time cruising so excited!! Can’t come fast enough! 

 

Slot pull- what’s that? 

A slot pull is a planned event where people meet up in the casino and each put in a set amount of money (i.e. $20).  All of the money is loaded onto one machine and everyone takes turns spinning the slot.  After everyone has taken their turn, any winnings or money remaining are divided up.  On my last cruise, the group hit some pretty nice payouts and everyone came away a winner.  Hope you can join us!

Thank you, everyone, for such a speedy and informative response.  I appreciate your help.

We are going on Harmony in June.  My 17-year old is taking his 16-year old friend.  We all have passports, but do we need any additional documentation to travel abroad with a child who is not related to us?

We have a group of 8 on this cruise.  I have a slot pull planned for June 12.  If anyone is interested, there are details on the facebook page.

I've sailed on several Royal Caribbean cruises, but only recently have rediscovered them after a hiatus of several years.  A lot has changed since I was gone.  There is now the Royal Up program.  In the past, room upgrades were complimentary and were handed out on a seemingly random basis.  Are those completely gone now that Royal Up allows guests to bid on the upgrades?  Just curious if the cruise line ever randomly upgrades anyone nowadays.

Sailing in December on Oasis of the Seas in a balcony stateroom.  I received an invitation to Royal Up.  Here is my question:  Do the minimum bid offers for Royal Up ever change the closer it gets to the sailing date or will they remain the same?

Just booked this one for our family of four. We’ve never been on the Oasis and can’t wait to check out the ship. 

I just returned from a 3-night cruise.  Overall, I spent about $800.  Immediately upon return, I checked the club royale offers website and saw a ton of free cruise offers, ranging from 2-night to 9 night cruises all over the world.  

On my cruise, I spoke with a lady who said she generally spends $200 and gets free cruises all the time.  The tiers, etc. are confusing because I thought I wouldn't qualify for a free cruise until I earned in 2,500 in points.  I'm just over 2,400 in points but still have the free cruise offers from the casino.

Log into clubroyaleoffers.com and view the available itineraries, you may be surprised.

In 2016, a storm came up just before we disembarked.  As a result, our booked excursion to Horseshoe Beach was cancelled.  After about an hour, the storm passed.  We caught a taxi to Horseshoe Beach.  We had a terrific driver who made arrangements with us on when and where to meet for him to take us back.  He pointed out points of interest along the way, told jokes and was very informative.  We had the beach practically to ourselves!  We had a fabulous time and spent a lot less than the excursion would have cost.  

If you are beach fan, I highly recommend Horseshoe beach.

What is the typical cost of Uber/Lyft from MCO to Port Canaveral?  It will be around 10 a.m. on a Friday, so I wouldn't expect a large surge/time increase.