FloatyBoaty

I was "lucky" enough to have to do the ArriveCan shortly after this blog post came out. It was so helpful to follow the blog post along step by step: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/05/18/how-use-the-arrivecan-app-your-alaska-cruise. (My cruise was not an Alaska cruise, but the steps are still the same).

My last cruise I had both. The non-refundable did seem to get used first. I had something like $4.76 left in refundable and decided it wasn't worth the wait at Guest Services to find out what would happen (since I'm pretty new at this), so I just left it. It was refunded to my credit card on file automatically. Not sure if this is how it always works, but that's what happened in my case.

Oh so good to know! I was seriously thinking about trying lunch in MDR this next cruise. We do enjoy the quiet breakfast service, but see how lunch could be awkward. Thanks for the tip!

I get it - I was on Oasis in June and the lines for Windjammer were the same. They were funneling people in very slowly. It seemed to be in part because of the hand washing stations - making sure people were washing their hands (yay), but not sharing sinks or smooshed up in the sink area. Honestly, I would see the lines and just leave to go somewhere else or do something else for a while, but I was solo on that trip and had more flexibility than a family. So yes, it was more that you couldn’t even get IN to Windjammer to have the chance to go to a further station…. The employees guarding the entry seemed immune (or resigned at this point) to the frustration, but I do have to say, once inside, staff was hustling big time to keep tables clear and keep the food out. And strange, because the ship did not seem overcrowded in general.

Just wondering what you dislike about the Oasis class shows since you called it out. Everyone has their own preference, but the shows on Oasis class shows seem quite varied. Wonder actually has 3 very different shows running in the Royal Theater as well as an incredible Ice Show and Aqua Show. Not judging, just curious and making plans (and I’ve seen the threads on Cats - I know that that is quite widely disliked).

Voted for Oasis class because it's all I've done so far and I've loved it! I was worried about not having enough to do when cruising solo on smaller ships - thoughts?

My TA gave me the choice between a (larger) refundable deposit and a non-refundable deposit for one of my recent bookings and I selected the non-refundable to keep more cash in my pocket at the time. Unfortunately, I did have to change (not cancel) that booking, and although TA tried to get the non-refundable part waived, was not successful. My fault for choosing the non-refundable option and took it in stride/lesson learned for sure.

Chicago area here- Ordered 6-pack direct from EMed. Placed order on Sunday 7/24. Arrived Tuesday 7/26

In my limited experience, I found that once on board the ship the Daily Planner was fully populated. AND it has some great features such as - if you click on a show/performance/performer in the first place you see it, it will show you all of the other times it is occurring during your cruise, which really helps make decisions (I’m sure it is not that way for every watch sale/jewelry event, but I wasn’t looking at those)! I found the only times things were NOT happening that were listed in the daily planner was when it was totally out of their control. Example: We got into some very bad weather and of course the Aqua Show & outdoor pool parties had to be cancelled. BUT they moved what they could indoors and added more activities in the Promenade. In that case, you had to hear the Cruise Director’s announcements. I felt that they did everything they could to keep us informed and entertained.

I was able to do switch my assigned time on my solo cruise in June. There was a long line of people in the lobby of the MDR waiting to make adjustments to their time &/or table assignment. Everyone chatted pretty comfortably while we waited for our turn at the podium. Once there, they very quickly added me to a table of solo travelers at the time I preferred. Probably easier for them with solos?

The mattress in our cabin on Wonder (April) was more comfortable than our mattress at home! Hope they're not too broken in when we get back on in a couple of weeks. On Oasis, I did find it to be pretty firm, but it worked for me.

Will this help the European decision?... Wonder currently ports in France, Italy, and Spain each week. While Italy and Spain had both previously lifted their testing requirements, it looks like France just did: “As of Monday, tourists going to France no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test, according to the U.S. Embassy in France. Earlier this summer, the country required travelers to be vaccinated, or show proof of recovery or a recent negative test. “(https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/08/02/france-drops-covid-restrictions-travel/) I also am waiting to hear if the testing requirement will be listed before our Wonder cruise this month. Hopefully this helps give Royal more of the information they need to let us know!

Pay attention to who’s making your drink so you can go back to them specifically when you get the perfect drink. My last trip on Oasis I had both one of the best Cosmopolitans and the absolute worst ever in the same bar. Same with a Bourbon Sidecar (one of the waiters, though such a sweetheart & super hard worker, was really really not good at cocktails and kinda knew it. He was so worried about how my Cosmo was “because people don’t think he makes a good one” that I had to fib.) DBP to the rescue!

I have had no issues thus far receiving the shareholder OBC through the online form. For my June cruise, I submitted my trade confirmation. For my upcoming cruises, I submitted my June brokerage statement. I downloaded the relevant page of my brokerage statement as a pdf, then used the “redact” tool in preview to black out any information they did not need and saved the updated pdf. They need to see your name, the date/statement period, the stock obviously, and the number of shares you own. I filled out the shareholder benefit online form just shy of three weeks out from my next cruise. You can submit multiple cruises for OBC at the same time on the online form. I got an email response with the OBC posted to my account for both of my upcoming cruises two days after submitting my request. Make sure to have your booking ID’s and travel dates at hand before you start the form: https://rclshareholderbenefit.questionpro.com

I was on my first solo cruise in June (my first cruise overall was just in April) and like you, was a little concerned. I loaded up my iPad with books and …. didn’t have a chance to read more than one. Cruising solo was wonderfully freeing and relaxing without having to meet someone else’s schedule/expectations. I met SO MANY other solo cruisers and talked to lots of couples too! People were very friendly overall, and asking them how many cruises they’ve done/how long they’ve been cruising/what their favorite cruise was types of questions were great conversation starters. I was placed with a group of female solos in the MDR which did make for some very long very chatty dinners, but knew I could opt out and go somewhere else if I chose to. Loved cruising solo and doing it again in October.