TessOR

If you use a TA - there is still a selection spot for us in the backend of your reservation.  I do not see that anymore on the client facing side.  But - as other suggested if you do not use a TA, you can call Royal and they will fix it for you.

9 hours ago, Cruiser70 said:

Hi Everyone 

Going on a 11 day cruise in January. We will be going to ports we have not been to before. Wanted to know if any of you have suggestions of things to do at these ports. The ports are San Juan Puerto Rico, Philipsburg Saint Martin, St. John’s Antigua, Castries St Lucia and Basseterre St Kitts.

Thank you all

Pat

St Martin - We have hired Joyce Prince several times for a tour of the island.  She will take you to the various places of interest and provides a lot of history at the same time. We went to Moro beach, Orient beach, shopping, local food sites.  St Lucia - there is a tour that takes you to the waterfall, volcano site, snorkeling and local eateries that we really enjoyed. St Kitts - we rented a car one time and had a blast - but they do drive on the opposite side of the road so that was interesting.  We also have done a private and a ship sponsored tour that took us out to the Fort and Batik factory - which was interesting as well. 

12 minutes ago, Marathon Man said:

Four couples are booked on the Mariner in January.  How important is it for us to link our reservations in the app?  I know that it allows one of us to make reservations for all of us, etc.  Does it allow one of us to check all eight of us in so that we all get the same check in time?

The other benefit is they will seat you at the same table for MDR as well. 

They have these little squares in the promenade cafe that are addictive.  They have layers of nuts, toffee and I believe chocolate (I've been on a 3 year cruise haitus) They are so yummy!

The other thing is something that I think may no longer be offered.  I have been looking at MDR menus and I an not seeing the fruit soups.  I always enjoyed these and would order whatever flavor was offered every night.  28 days to go!

We have always stayed at hotels near the port.  There are great places to explore that are then within walking distance.  The hotels can be pricey, but I’ve done well with Hotwire or Priceline bids.  We generally arrive a couple of days early to enjoy San Juan before sailing.  

We did a private group tour that took us here, but I know others hired a driver off the docks.  These are absolutely NOT interstate highways   There is also a bus that shuttles there every few hours.  Traffic is an issue because it is two-lane road all the way. Technically it is about 20 minute ride, but I would allow at least an hour for traffic on the return.

Hi Lisa- You did not mention where you wanted to sail from, but based on the ships you mentioned - it looks like you are planning on embarking from Florida.

The ships vary in size which also make a small difference in amenities.  The disparity of these used to be a lot more - but with all the upgrades of recent years - there is plenty to do on all of the Royal ships.

I always suggest people figure out where they want to visit first - the ship will take care of itself.  As others have said - the Caribbean will be warm in February.  That is my favorite time of year to go.  Once you get to April, it starts getting warmer and by May, it's a bit too warm for me. 

The way embarkation is handled now, you will sign up for a time slot and these are limited by the cruise line.  This makes lines not a huge issue.  Plus, keep in mind these ships are completely turned over in passengers every 7 days.  They know how to move people along quickly.  Nothing like waiting in line for a Disney ride

We have traveled with large groups on several cruises now as I arrange friends and family to go together often.  In most cases, we have had a grand suite and are the only ones in the group with this designation.  We enjoy getting together at the end of the day with everyone as often we split up during the day for different excursions or activities.  We tend to eat in the MDR and get our tables close together.  We forego the separate dining area as that has never been a big deal to me. As for  priority boarding, when we had just one other couple with us, we just had them stand in line with us and it was not questioned.  The things like taking the tour of the bridge, when it was offered, we have taken different people with one of us. 

One nice thing - because of the size of the suite - we would generally host a get together in our room. 

After cruising for 20+ years I heard about the duck hiding in a couple of groups I am in.  We are taking our first cruise after a three year hiatus so I am ready to do it all! 

I bought 40 teeny tiny ducks with tags and am ready to set sail in 38 days.  I will say that if we enjoy this as much as I hope we will, next time I will get a template to print the tags instead of filling out 40 little forms.  There are lots of templates you can print at home and others that will do the work for you and then just mail/email the tags.  It depends on how much time or $ you want to invest in the game.  In my case, it is less than $20 total.

Navigator on November 11, 2022

First time post-covid!  SO READY!

The issue would be if you needed to fly home for any reason from a non-US port.  For that, you would need a passport.  That being said, I lost my passport in St Thomas a few years ago and while it was a lot of weirdness to overcome, we were still allowed to ultimately come home. 

All of that aside - I always recommend people get their passport, make copies and leave them in the safe and with a family member at home.  I know this is overkill, but again - I am someone that lost a passport once upon a time.  Besides...... you can get stamps in it to show where you have been

10 hours ago, LJay0301 said:

Which sailing are you on if you don't mind. I am 41 days out and did my check in literally at midnight of the 45th day out, i currently cant see my setsail pass or luggage tags, which i have seen is an issue for a lot of people on the boards. 

I’m on Navigator 11/11 sailing. Have you tried looking for your set sail pass in the app?  There were some people in our group that had to uninstall and reinstall the app to update it and be able to do the last health check in steps and see their set sail pass. Luggage tags will not show until 30 days from sailing. 

I just did a guarantee room for a sailing that is 40 days out now.  I did check in at 45 days and was surprised to see I had a room assignment in an improved category.  
 

One thing to note… if a connected room is important to you, it might be worth the money to select your stateroom. These have a tendency to go faster than non-connected. 

I’ll add another site question since I’m fairly new. At what point does the moderation hold go away?  Trying to respond to someone in real time gets cumbersome quick!  I do understand the why behind it, just curious about the when, or IF. 

Does anyone have a current sheet of the Diamond items that are added to your seapass?  I knew about the drink vouchers, but historically there were other discounts as well. It’s been three long years since our last cruise. 

@Caleb W - Is this a first cruise for you or are you a veteran? 

There are ATV tours, snorkeling, catamaran, ziplines if you want those type of activities.  There are also some great taquila and tacos type things to do in each of the ports.

Horseback riding and beach activities.  For silly fun, there is a pirate ship cruise.  In Cabo - there are also sailboats that cruise out into the ocean for some great sights.  It really just depends on what interests you most.

The most recent information I have is that M&M are on "pause".  We have a group on FB for my upcoming cruise in November and are planning several meet ups on our own.

A few thought starters for you.....

We have been to St Maarten 3 times and each time used Joyce Prince.  Depending on the size of your group, she will transport you around the island and show you the sights, take you to great shopping places, and give a little history as well.  It helps to have an idea what you want to see, and she will make it happen.  We went to Maho Beach and hubby enjoyed all the sand in the face you could want while I sat in the little beach bar and watched from afar.  Still a great view of the planes.

St Kitts - we rented a car and drove all over the island on one trip, on the next we took a ship sponsored tour. Both were great for different reasons.  The fort is cool to see whether you drive or take the bus.

St Lucia - we used a private company and had one of the best days ever. There are a couple of them on Tripadvisor.

We have been on more than a dozen cruises and I feel like we have done it differently each time.  Sometimes this has been determined by who we are traveling with, other times just by the locations.  We have tried to "do it all" and participate in as many games as possible, we have also shied away from everything.  We tend to eat mostly in the MDR for dinners, Windjammer for lunch and order room service for breakfasts.  We are headed out on Navigator in November and have booked a specialty dining restaurant for the first time - because the seafood looks amazing.  I don't see us ever being one of the people that book these every night, as others have said - I enjoy getting to know table mates and the dining staff.  I have loved how they quickly learn our preferences and that is when the special service really begins.

That was a lot to say - one of the most incredible things about cruising is you do it your way - every time.  And that can change - each time!