TexanTwoStep

Update — booked a 6 night out of LA on Quantum with my certificate. Total out of pocket cost for the cruise fare? $301. And the drink package is on sale for $49.99

Mariner of the Seas - Sept 11 - 15th 2025 Quantum of the Seas - Jan 21st - 27th 2026

Used our instant casino certificate to check out a new departure port & new Mexican ports! Never been in the Pacific before, super excited!

you can get up on your knees and even do tricks!

I don't want it, but I would love to be a fly on the wall of the "Pinnacle Pin Wearers" club if it happened. Pearls will be clutched! Seriously though, I don't see Royal doing this -- they know that they have the best loyalty program in the business and (arguably) the most loyal cruisers. We are fairly new to cruising and I've only cruised with Royal and don't see that changing. Seems like Carnival is going the route that most hotels and airlines go with their loyalty programs where you can earn "points" by using a branded credit card. In theory, you could get to Carnival's highest status without ever stepping foot on their ships. Is that really loyalty?

Hah, thanks! The rest of the cruise was absolutely perfect and Royal made it right!

glad you like the panoramic view room!

Not one to complain much, but this one was a doozy. We booked the named excursion through Royal and from the time we stepped off Symphony, I knew it was going to be bad. We arrived on the pier and our "meeting" spot was complete chaos. People from Blue Lagoon running around, lining people up, putting people in wrong lines -- you name it, it happened. *Cue two hours of standing in the heat with no shade later* Now that we've wasted two hours on Bahamian Queue Simulator 2025, we finally are finally (over)loaded on to the crappiest catamaran I have ever seen....You would've thought that the hefty law suit and them literally killing a lady from 2023 would have taught them, but nope. I (an ex-coastie) made it a mission to count everyone on board. They stuffed over 300 people on this vessel. Yes, I spent the 20 minute ride over counting. Max should've been 150-200 at most. But wait, the fun doesn't stop there! To relax, I decide to go to the death vessel catamaran's bar and try to purchase a Kalik beer to help ease my nerves (or at least be a tad bit tipsy when fighting for my life when we sink). That'll be $15, sir. So I nope right out and go sit next to my family with a scowl on my face. We finally arrive to our "deluxe" and "exclusive" Blue Lagoon Island and (you guessed it), it was packed. I am talking nuts to butts. No chairs, no seats, no umbrellas, everything packed. These people then have the gall to give us *one* drink voucher and *one* food voucher and tell us where to go. I go to the bar with my new golden ticket like I'm Charlie heading to the chocolate factory, but way more disappointed. The bartender looks at me and points at the two options I have. Delicious ice cold water (tap water) OR powdered lemonade! Spoiler alert, I drink the lemonade because I'm dehydrated at this point and guess what I have when I get home! An immigrant from the Island named H. Pylori! YAY! I wish this was the end of this grand tour, but alas, it isn't. The food we were served was akin to that of what I would receive on Riker's Island -- absolutely awful. Think the saddest hamburger you've ever seen in your life, double it, give it to your enemy, and it's somehow worse. By now I've already turned on my phone and paid the $10 to let Royal know exactly how I feel about their deluxe offering via email. During this time, I again attempt to get a mixed drink in hopes of salvaging what little patience I have left of this godforsaken place. I ask for a margarita on the rocks, no salt. That'll be $25 please! I loudly decline and ask how much a simple bottle of water will be. You're in luck, it's only $10! By now I *hope* I dehydrate so that they'll be forced to take me back to the beautiful ship with unlimited beverages. Finally, the straw that broke the figurative camel's back was when my 16 year old asked me to "follow him" with a grin on his face. He's a down-to-earth kid, so I knew this was gonna be good. He directs me to a lovely beach on the north side of the island that is a little more quiet and had 3 lifeguards. He then proceeds to tell me that the lifeguards asked him to get out of the water because he went in over his knees (it was a calm day). As we walk toward the beach and near where the lifeguards are sitting, the smell hits me. That sweet, sweet smell of the Jazz Cabbage (also known as the Devil's Lettuce). Cheech, Chong, and Snoop were sitting under the only umbrella on the beach, passing a joint at work like it was 4:20 in Denver. Back to the ship, and the lovely hotel director has already called my room (see email above) and asked to meet me. He apologized, thanked me for letting him know (I also let him know about the stoners), and immediately used his super duper bat phone to call the excursion desk to refund me. Too long, didn't read?: Avoid anything Blue Lagoon like the plague. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

would this be considered a..... *puts on sunglasses and dad pants* SEMICOLON day?

This is the way, plus your ugly bag is easy to spot in the pickup carousel!

Hi, got the certificate and this is indeed the list. Quick question -- do they update the list periodically or is this the list I have to choose from? We were hoping to cruise in late June or July because of our work schedule and PTO.

Not *that* lucky — this happened to me in the blackjack tournament on the last round. I didn’t have enough chips to split because I was in 2nd…wish this would happen in a real round! It was rare enough the host let me take a pic

22 pages! Holy crap! I was expecting a couple of cruises to choose from, not hundreds lol

Hey gamblers! This is my first time ever hitting prime, and I did it all in one nights on Symphony. I’ve earned between 4-5000 points due to a very nice machine (Karma Kat in non smoking for the win!) When do your points show up on the website? From what I can tell, we should be eligible for a free balcony or junior suite. I went by next cruise and did the $200 deposit, do I need to call the casino rep to link that reservation once I get the free cruise? Thanks for the assistance!

Yeah, no sitting there anymore (just took this from CK haha) We were here when it happened and was easily the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Someone gave Nitin a Superman cape.