letscruise

I was on Liberty last month, and though I only needed 1-2 seats per show, we could easily arrive 10 minutes early and have seating available. However, that was unfortunately not the case for Air (I think that's the name), which was on the last night of the sailing, and I couldn't get us any seats so we had to leave. That was disappointing. Also, I was surprised the 2pm ice show on the sea day was packed. I was lucky I only needed a single seat. Agree with a prior poster, do arrive early if you need seating, especially for more than 2 seats together.

I don't have a full answer for you, though I'll share that I booked it for a cruise last month and ended up canceling it because I couldn't justify the cost for 1 cupcake per person. I happened to walk by when the cupcake class was in session (Liberty) and it looked like a pretty small cupcake for the $30+ class. I was happy I passed on the opportunity. I'm sure it's something nice to do though, so maybe you should give it a try!

July 30 - Wonder

BTDT = Been There Done That I'm considering the 9 night Spanish Flair cruise on Anthem out of Southampton Aug 2, 2024. Ports include: Vigo, Seville, La Coruna, and Bilboa (Spain) and Lisbon (Portugal) If you've done this cruise, I would appreciate hearing your feedback on the overall experience and ports. Will be traveling with 2 teens; originating from the U.S. I've read that August is a hot month and also a month where Spain "closes down" for vacation for a period of about two weeks (though I don't know when that occurs). I really don't want to pay to go somewhere if excursions and businesses aren't open, though I can't imagine RCL would schedule a cruise to destinations that are in the midst of an extended holiday. Does anyone have experience with this cruise and at this timing? I'm less concerned about the heat (we'd otherwise cruise to the Caribbean, so hot regardless) than I am about the potential for businesses to be closed. Thanks!

Just returned from a cruise at Port Liberty this morning. Be sure to use this address: 4 Port Terminal Blvd, Bayonne I had no trouble using Waze to find the port. Hope you have better luck next time! This was my first time driving to a port and it was so nice to be in my car heading home instead of in transportation to the airport for the journey home.

This is our first cruise where we'll have additional family on the trip, including first time cruisers! My hope is they have a great week of cruising and enjoy it as much as we do. December isn't a time of year we've ever cruised before, so getting home on Christmas Eve will bring some logistical challenges, for sure. I guess that adds motivation to finish shopping and wrapping extra early!!

I decided to start this roll call as it's the only week that appears skipped for some reason! We're getting close to sailing and I just reserved our entertainment this morning. We haven't book an excursion in St. Maarten - does anyone have any walking "must see/do" recommendations? We usually need a port day where we walk around, check out the souvenir shops, and find a brewery, so that's what this stop will be for us.

I finally received my GTY balcony stateroom assignment this morning! I was wondering how close to the sail date it would be until we knew. I think we did well, we're on deck 8, mid-ship, and a short walk to the elevators. I've only ever flown and sailed from Florida, so Bayonne will be a new experience. It's also a dry run as we are sailing Anthem in December, and I'll appreciate having the process of NJ under my belt. I'd be happy to meet up and say hi in person; this is my first time participating in a roll call thread, actually! Hopefully others from up thread come back to read and express interest!

What brewery(ies) do you plan to visit? I would love to hit at least one...I read on the FB group for our cruise there is a brewery close to the port area, but the poster didn't remember the name, so I may try to find that one on the way back from our excursion. Congratulations on reaching your 10 year anniversary! What a great (and unplanned!) way to spend your special day!!

Hi! I have continued to check and just scanned again and the last 4 digit number that I see doesn't correspond to a room that's listed on the deck plan. We're in a GTY balcony, and I'm still receiving the option to do a RoyalUp, so perhaps there is still movement in the balcony category. That said, new travel docs were posted and I'm able to print off luggage tags, so this trip is quickly becoming a reality. I have been back and forth on the deluxe drink package, but just caved and bought it. We've always had the package, but I was really on the fence this time. At the end of the day, I just can't get past paying for every soda or water bottle or latte that I may want on top of a few alcoholic drinks each day and with dinner. What has everyone else purchased in the cruise planner? I also have purchased Chops+1 and a Peggy's Cove excursion.

I just tried again, and I'm still getting the - GTY. I'm booked for GTY balcony, so maybe there is still enough movement with RoyalUp that some rooms are still in flux. Oh well, I should know within the next 42 days! Good luck on the Grand Suite bids!! Let us know if you are successful.

I Googled the trick and mine still says -GTY, but I'll continue checking. Did yours come up with a number yet?

Hmmmm, I'm not aware of this trick! Are you able to share the secret? Did you do okay?

Hi fellow cruisers! We're getting closer and closer! Are you ready? We did a guarantee room, so still waiting for our cabin assignment. Check-in is this weekend.....exciting!

We're going to be on Anthem in December 2023 and have a wide range of ages in our group of 10 (60's with difficulty walking far distances, teens, and 3 and 5 year olds). Based on our ports, Nassau is the only location we can do an excursion/outing as a full family. Has anyone used a private company and can share their information? What did you do? I envision us in a nice van, driving around to take in the sights, maybe stop at a local brewery for a tasting, pull by a beach for a few minutes so the kids can dip their feet in the ocean (not extended time at the beach), and call it a day. 3-4 hours max. I was also trying to remember the private boat website @Matt recommended on his podcast during a recent Wonder cruise review and can't remember it. I don't think we'd want to go that direction, and if we did, I'd again only want about 2-3 hours at the most. Thanks!

I made a note after our cruise last summer to pack a bunch of snacks going forward - chips, candy, pringles, etc., b/c my kids really enjoy hanging out in the cabin and like to snack. I'm always surprised that chips and pretzels and general snacky-type foods aren't available in the Windjammer at least.

Thank you, @twangster! This is exactly what I needed to know, and I appreciate your helpful response.

We have two rooms booked on an upcoming Anthem cruise in December for our family of 4. I'm looking at the options for Voom and it is cheaper to purchase 3 devices under the parent name in Room 1 than buy 3 individual devices (per person) across Rooms 1 and 2. It seems like booking 3 devices under parent name would work, yet I don't want to make an assumption and up with 3 devices that will only work under 1 name/user name that can't (all 3) be logged in simultaneously. So, will this work or should I buy 1 device per named individual in the cruise planner. Thanks!

Wow, I never realized Royal Up was it's own unique website. I always wondered if it was random or if RC emailed folks directly.

Thanks for writing - you made me chuckle picturing the family fighting over who has to carry the drinks! You make very good points, it's just not worth the aggravation.

Does anyone do this? I have only ever flown to a cruise and never carried drinks or wine onboard with us (also always get the deluxe beverage package). My next cruise is shorter and with a teen so I don't plan to get the deluxe package--I can't imagine walking around for hours and navigating Windjammer with a 12 pack of Diet Coke (though I would love to have those drinks handy through the cruise!). How practical is it to carry on wine and a 12 pack? Any tips?

We are staying at the Westin Jersey City for an upcoming Cape Liberty cruise. Hopefully there is somewhere walkable for dinner nearby.

Have a great time! Your itinerary sounds amazing, and you'll have to report back after the trip to fill us in. I tend to overpack as well, and I really intend to cut down on my next cruise. My advise to you would be to remove at least 2 outfits from your bag; for some reason, I tend to rewear outfits even with fresh clothes available. Not sure why I pack multiple swimsuits and cover-ups when I am not a water person and never even get in the pool/ocean. I will only pack 1 going forward. I did get chilled on our last cruise, so recommend a light cardigan or sweatshirt.

I booked this for myself and DS (13) for an upcoming cruise. Anyone else have a positive experience to make 2 cupcakes worth $70? I'm not exactly impressed by the PP's pics of a cupcake and fondant!

Nice review and glad you had a lovely time! I'm a victim of over-packing too, though I swear to myself the next cruise will be different. I prefer sitting by the pool more than the beach, so if I can do that on the ship when we're docked at Coco Cay, that works for me. I'm usually ready to head back to the ship early afternoon and enjoy the quiet pool there. I do think you may be discounting the option to write in the additional gratuity on the drink slip, so there is probably more tipping than you realize, especially for those that don't want to travel with a bunch of small bills. I do hope the additional gratuity added to the receipt goes directly to that person and isn't pooled. Maybe someone on here knows the answer to that question. That may make a difference when choosing how to tip (cash or add to receipt). Happy planning of your next cruise!