DunkelBierJay

You know, dude...I used the term speculation because I thought the video was interesting. So sorry for sparking your snark ass comment.

I just saw this YouTube video speculating that the starboard azipod is crushed due to the list. There are also reports that the dry dock failed causing a domino effect leading to the collapse.

I'm sitting at 40 points, and I am always considering an inside cabin on two Grandeur 8 night cruises to get me within striking distance...

The only benefit I see to a cab is walking out of baggage claim and getting in the taxi line -- it may be worth the extra $4-5 just to be on your way instead of waiting for a Lyft Uber to make the distance from the Tampa waiting lot...I found this in Cruise Port Advisor: Tampa Taxis -- https://cruiseportadvisor.com/port/tampa/transportation/ – from TPA to the Port of Tampa or downtown Tampa is a flat rate of $25. – Yellow Cab – United Cab

I really comes down to the excursion(s) you book. If you are booking an all inclusive, you will most certainly have changing facilities. If you plan on going to the beach at any point, it's a good idea to wear swimming clothes under your street clothes, or some people just wear their swimming clothes with a wrap or cover up. You will see all kinds. If you know your excursions already, list them, and I am sure you will get some helpful tips.

I am going to wait for more reviews and hope upon hope that it goes back down to $19.99 pp per day

Today, on the CP for my upcoming sailing, the 3 night package is $89.99 pp or $29.99 per meal. The 2 night package is $52.99 pp or $26.95 per meal. I really want a 4 night option which disappeared a couple months ago. Has anyone had experience two separate dining packages on the same sailing. I would rather pay $105.98 for 4 nights of specialty dining than a 3 nighter and adding one on board, which would end up being about $149.99.

I thought I would post this vlog link in this thread as it shows MDT on Jewell recently by a dancer on that ship. I think it gives a good idea of what to expect. https://youtu.be/mFnMa_Zw-6k

Two-ways work ok depending on the size of the ship...however, I haven't seen them on board all that much...if your ship supports the chat feature in the app, I would go for that, or go old school with a magnetic message board put on the stateroom door(s). Unless people use earphones, two way radios tend to be irritating to others, not to mention getting your tweenagers to use them, especially if they are in one of the kids programs. It will probably be best simply to have set times to meet for dinner (as an example). One thing is for certain, they will always return to the stateroom, and will enjoy being off the tether so to speak while on board. Unless they are actively trying to hide from you, even on an Oasis Class ship, you will be able to find where they like to hang out if you need to find them.

Go to Tampa and explore Ybor City

It looks like The Key is pretty popular. It has consistently been priced at $19.99 every time I checked. I looked today and it jumped to $31.99 on my next sailing! Here's to hoping for a sale on it soon. Otherwise, I'll pass.

On a similar token, I wonder if Playmakers is open on embarkation day on Symphony. If I don’t buy The Key, that’s where I would want to go.

I never saw Sabor packed during lunch on sea days.

Enchantment Best -- Pool deck in the fleet and the Oasis Bar is a great place to hang out, has a big feel to it Worst -- fitness center is just, meh Freedom Best -- Royal Promenade, grand feel to it Worst -- the features near the aft seem out of sight and out of mind Navigator Best -- for me, the perfect size, similar to best features of Freedom Class Worst -- there isn't much I can say I don't like about this ship Empress Best -- Boleros, the adjoining coffee bar and the aft seating area are my favorite I have experienced at Royal. LOVE this ship Worst -- Not a fan of the seating style in the theater, but that is minor. There is sort of a fitness center on the second floor of the Viking Crown... Brilliance Best -- I love the pub and movie theater spaces and their proximity, the outdoor seating at the Windjammer is my favorite Worst -- the MDR seems a little cramped and over busy. When I sail on Radiance Class again, I will do more specialty dining Allure Best -- Aqua Theater and Mama Mia (I admit it, I liked it), the Solarium and Central Park Worst -- way too big for a port intensive itinerary. I would love to do a TA on her

He was recently interviewed on Independence by a Youtuber...very interesting...

Here's an idea...maybe it's crazy, and I am not sure about Royal's policy, and if there is a travel agent involved who could help...but the first thing I would try to do in this instance is limit my losses by offering my sailing to someone on this or another forum for a small finders fee, such as $0.50 on the dollar. Maybe it's transferable...not sure about that, but it's an idea. I resonate with the risk of not taking out trip insurance for an unfortunate circumstance, and definitely don't see Royal as being at fault. They had a passenger pull out after final payment date without a guarantee that they can sell the inventory in time for the sailing. Contracts are contracts.

When all of our kids were under 21, my wife was booked in one room, and I was booked in another across the hall. One room was a balcony and the other was an inside room. My wife and I both got extra keys from guest services for the room we weren’t booked in and stayed together in the balcony room while our kids were in the inside room. When one child was over 21 on our last cruise on Allure, we had adjoining Central Park balconies, and the state room attendant opened the barrier for a very large balcony for both rooms. They won’t care who sleeps where especially since you are a family. One note is that if you book two rooms instead of a jr suite, you get two bathrooms. That’s huge. It may also be cheaper with two rooms, but that depends on a lot of factors. I don’t see a need for an extra tip unless you think they give better than expected service.

There always seems to be some on board credit to make it look like Royal is giving you a deal. It tends to lessen the final blow a little, however, I have been more inclined lately to use it towards a dining package or something like that in the cruise planner.

That’s the beauty of it in my opinion. Buy it if you value the entire package. Some may see it as a rip-off, others see it differently. In some ways, you can think of it as getting some suite perks without the cost of a suite.

This is what I have been thinking in that the net cost ends up being $4-$5 per day if you were going to get VOOM anyway. Lunch at Chops is $21 on its own, so rationalizing further makes the total additional cost about $14 for everything else. The reserved seating would be worth it to me at that cost. Another question is that if one person in a cabin gets it, do all others have to get it? I think that if you value what you get, it's well worth it. I also like the idea of not schlepping a bag with some water and wine all over the ship on embarkation day before 1:00 pm.

The Key popped up on my Cruise Planner this morning, and I am curious if anyone has used it yet. It seems like a no brainer at $19.99 with embarkation day lunch in Chops covered along with VOOM and the other perks.

There isn't a consistent rule for Oasis and Quantum class. Just keep checking your cruise planner to get ahead of the line. I think the comedy shows fill up the quickest. If you are sailing another class of ship, you don't need to make reservations.

Great fares on Oasis out of Port Canaveral right now...easy to find if you search by port.

I have used Allianz, RoamRight and TravelGuard for everything from cruises to land vacations. I had a medical claim with RoamRight last June, and it went very smoothly. The key is to read and understand the coverage. I may try what AAA offers on a future cruise.

We went to Daniel Johnson Monkey and Sloth Hangout on Roatan in June and paired it with an island tour. We had a great time. You can email them here: [email protected] Here's their website: https://monkeyandslothhangout.com/home/ You can also find them on Facebook