Carpe Diem

Just a thought, but you could ask Royal Caribbean if "Luggage Valet" is available for purchase.  This is a service in which (for a small fee) Royal Caribbean will print your boarding passes and they will take your luggage directly from the ship to the airport.  You leave your luggage outside of your stateroom door on the last night of the cruise and then you won't see your luggage again until you arrive at your home airport.  I have been to San Juan many times and I love Old San Juan.  So much charm and antiquity!  The food, music, shops, architecture and atmosphere in Old San Juan is amazing!  Enjoy your trip.

According to Royal Caribbean's website the only restrictions to the Ripcord by iFly is
"Must be 3 years old, weight less than 230 lbs. if shorter than 6’ or less than 250 lbs. if 6’ and taller."
There is no mention of an age restriction.  Here's a tip:  Royal Caribbean sells a 2 minute Ripcord by iFly experience for about $49.  But, if you check the app under "daily planner" soon after boarding and then keep checking often, you will see that they offer COMPLIMENTARY 1 minute Ripcord sessions during the cruise. When you see the complimentary sessions offered, be very quick to reserve it.  The complimentary spots fill up quickly. One minute on Ripcord by iFly is enough, you don't need to spend $49 for 1 extra minute, trust me.  Make sure to have your phone handy to video the other person as they "fly" on Ripcord. It's the best vacation experience ever! It is more fun than I can say.

It's sad, but true.  Royal Caribbean uses "Dynamic Pricing".  That's code for "they will charge as much as people are willing to pay".  As long as people keep paying these inflated prices, Royal Caribbean will keep charging them. I suspect eventually they will hit the ceiling where people are less willing to pay these prices and then we might see some relief.  Until then, though, I expect prices to remain high.

The schedule opened right on time:  Tuesday 2/27/2024 at 9:30 PM (ET).  I booked 4 cruises. 

The schedule opened right on time:  Tuesday 2/27/2024 at 9:30 PM (ET).  I booked 4 cruises. 

The schedule opened right on time:  Tuesday 2/27/2024 at 9:30 PM (ET).  I booked 4 cruises. 

Thanks for the info.  I am eagerly awaiting the release so I can book several more cruises out of LA.
 Now that you mention it, I wonder if the delayed release was due to the addition of Quantum of the Seas?  I wonder if they delayed the release because they needed a little more time to work out the schedule of 2 ships in LA??

I know bookings for the rest of 2025-2026 out of Los Angeles will open this week (the week of 2/26/2024). Is there a certain day of the week Royal Caribbean typically opens the new bookings or is it just random?

There are several game shows on board.  Depending on your particular sailing, you might find the Love and Marriage game show, Who Wants to Be a Royal Caribbeanaire, The Crazy Quest and Majority Rules (just to name a few).  You do not need to audition for the Crazy Quest or Majority Rules.  Everyone can participate in those games. You will have to audition for the other game shows in order to be picked.  Be an EXTROVERT.  Be FUNNY.  Be (a little) SEXY.  Be everything that will make everyone else in the room laugh and want to be your friend.  Good luck and have a blast!

If you want to be at the airport 2 hours prior to flight time, that means you would want to be at the airport by 9 AM.  It is a 40-45 minute drive from the cruise port to the airport.  So, you would need to be off the ship, through customs and in a cab/Uber/Lyft by 8:15 AM.  I guess it all depends on what time the local authorities clear the ship for passenger disembarkation. Sometimes it can be as early as 7:30 AM, but sometimes it can be as late as 8:30 AM.    I have cruised to Alaska out of Seattle twice before and I am cruising to Alaska out of Seattle again in May 2024.  For me, when I book my flight home after the cruise, I try to find a flight that leaves at noon or later.   It's all up to you and your comfort level, though.

My apologies.  Not Nantucket, it was Kennebunkport

We did that itinerary out of Bayonne. In Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail.  LOVED IT!  We walked past Paul Revere's house, saw the old North church, the Boston harbor (where the Boston Tea Party was) and so, so much more.  If you like American history then this is a great tour. In Maine, we went on a boat tour in Nantucket.  It was nice, but the best part came after the boat tour.  We had free time to walk around Nantucket.  We wandered into a local restaurant, sat outside on the dock and ate a fresh lobster dinner (lobster caught just 2 hours prior).  It was cheap and delicious.  Enjoy your cruise!

Can't wait!  With the addition of some 6-8 night sailings, I wonder if they might visit some different ports (other than the standard Ensenada, Catalina, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta)??  I love Navigator of the Seas and I cruise on her all of the time (since I live just 13 minutes away from the pier in San Pedro).   Frankly, I would cruise on ANY Royal Caribbean ship docked in San Pedro. But, I welcome the addition of Quantum of the Seas!

We did that itinerary out of Bayonne. In Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail.  LOVED IT!  We walked past Paul Revere's house, saw the old North church, the Boston harbor (where the Boston Tea Party was) and so, so much more.  If you like American history then this is a great tour. In Maine, we went on a boat tour in Nantucket.  It was nice, but the best part came after the boat tour.  We had free time to walk around Nantucket.  We wandered into a local restaurant, sat outside on the dock and ate a fresh lobster dinner (lobster caught just 2 hours prior).  It was cheap and delicious.  Enjoy your cruise!

Healthcare provider here:  The excursion sounds AMAZING!  But, please put the health of the baby first.  If it were me, I would cancel that excursion and opt for something else.  You can do that excursion on another cruise sometime after the baby is born.

Healthcare provider here:  The excursion sounds AMAZING!  But, please put the health of the baby first.  If it were me, I would cancel that excursion and opt for something else.  You can do that excursion on another cruise sometime after the baby is born.

Healthcare provider here:  The excursion sounds AMAZING!  But, please put the health of the baby first.  If it were me, I would cancel that excursion and opt for something else.  You can do that excursion on another cruise sometime after the baby is born.

FYI:  You will not get double cruise points for staying in a Junior Suite or above if you get it through the Royal Up program.  You only get double points for staying in a suite if you booked/paid for a Junior Suite or above at the time of the original booking. I agree with the advice to "bid what you think it is worth".  That's good advice.  Good luck!

Your best bet is to go to the Next Cruise desk and book the cruise you want.  If you booked your current sailing on Grandeur of the Seas through a travel agent, then Royal Caribbean will automatically assign the new booking on Wonder of the Seas to that same travel agent. If not, the new booking on Wonder of the Seas will be assigned to Royal Caribbean, but you can transfer it to your travel agent when you get home. Your travel agent can give you their best rates and perks.  As a nice bonus, because you book at the Next Cruise desk while on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you will get shipboard credit from Royal Caribbean in addition to any shipboard credit/perks your travel agent may offer.  It's a WIN-WIN!

Can't wait!  With the addition of some 6-8 night sailings, I wonder if they might visit some different ports (other than the standard Ensenada, Catalina, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta)??  I love Navigator of the Seas and I cruise on her all of the time (since I live just 13 minutes away from the pier in San Pedro).   Frankly, I would cruise on ANY Royal Caribbean ship docked in San Pedro. But, I welcome the addition of Quantum of the Seas!

FYI:  You will not get double cruise points for staying in a Junior Suite or above if you get it through the Royal Up program.  You only get double points for staying in a suite if you booked/paid for a Junior Suite or above at the time of the original booking. I agree with the advice to "bid what you think it is worth".  That's good advice.  Good luck!

The safety icon will appear at the bottom of the home screen on the app around 8:00 on the morning of the sailing. You can watch the life jacket instructions and listen to the safety horn before that in the app, but you will still need to watch the video/listen to the safety horn on the morning of the cruise in order for it to be marked "COMPLETE".  I usually just wait until the morning of the cruise so that I don't waste my time watching it twice.

The safety icon will appear at the bottom of the home screen on the app around 8:00 on the morning of the sailing. You can watch the life jacket instructions and listen to the safety horn before that in the app, but you will still need to watch the video/listen to the safety horn on the morning of the cruise in order for it to be marked "COMPLETE".  I usually just wait until the morning of the cruise so that I don't waste my time watching it twice.

It all depends on the ship.  Freedom class ships and smaller do not require or accept reservations for any of the shows.  Ships larger than Freedom class offer and accept reservations for shows.  This is because the larger ships typically accommodate 5000+ passengers, but the theater cannot accommodate that many people at one time.  Entertainment reservations will be available in the Cruise Planner under "ENTERTAINMENT" anywhere from 30-14 days prior to the sailing.  Keep an eye out for them and make your reservations as soon as you can in order to secure seats for your desired times.  If you do not have a reservation for the shows on the larger ships, then the seats of the passengers who "no-show" to that particular show will become available at the door.

I too am Diamond Plus and we always stay in a balcony room. 
* I purchase the internet package when they go on sale. 
*We are not "foodies" and the specialty restaurants are not our thing. 
*There is always reserved seating for the shows for Diamond Plus members.
*The ships dock in most ports, with the exception of just a few ports.  Most of the time (but not always) the concierge in the Crown Lounge will provide us with group 1 tender tickets the night before we tender.  If not, I bring a cup of coffee with me as I wait in the tender ticket line about 1 hour prior to distribution of the tickets and then I usually get group 1 tender tickets anyway.
Given all of this, I have never had the need to purchase the Key.  But, if you are considering buying internet for all people in your family, eating at specialty restaurants and if you really want to impress your cousin with all of the amenities, then the Key might be worth it for you.  Since you usually stay in a grand suite, you saved a lot of money by booking balcony room(s).  Therefore, the added cost of the Key is probably less than the cost of booking a grand suite anyway.