Cruising_Figure_Skater

This is a really interesting program! My friend and I would love to do a suite but at Royal's prices and with us being in the UK (so limited to 7 nights unless we do a trip over to the US) it's cost prohibitive. We've bought the internet and drinks package on both the cruises we've booked together, so this may be worth investigating if it rolls out to the rest of the fleet. Thank you for the live blog and the information, it looks like you had a great cruise!

Packing has commenced! With a busy week ahead, including a trip to London on Saturday, I needed to get ahead with the prep. So, the main suitcase is 90% packed, the carry on suitcase will be packed shortly with a couple of days worth of stuff for while we're in Athens, and then the rest will happen over the course of the next week. I found one of my really nice formal dresses and tried it on, and it fits great so I've obviously lost some weight since last time I wore it in 2022! I'm bringing a lot of "nice" dresses this trip - I really enjoy dressing for dinner on a cruise. I keep feeling like I'm missing some important stuff - going to go through some RCB videos to make sure I'm all set haha!

Thank you! I'm very excited - I think I posted in your thread we did almost the exact same itinerary as you in the Med last year and loved it. Very much looking forward to this one. Friday is 14 days til travel day and I'm slowly getting the stress under control. Had the skating competition today - not the score I wanted but I got out there, and stayed on my feet. The university assignment is getting finished tonight as best I can and submitted - I may need to resubmit in the summer but I'm OK with that at this point. I totally forgot something important in my first post: Our cabin! We booked, as we did on Oasis, a Guarantee Oceanview Balcony. We also put in RoyalUp bids for a spacious oceanview balcony, and a junior suite. Well, we got our cabin number at around 30 days out and we got the spacious balcony, but not through RoyalUp! Jamie got an email saying the bid had been cancelled due to a change in our reservation. So we got it through pure luck. We are in 6516, couldn't be further forward if we tried! I don't mind, neither of us suffer too much with motion sickness, and it's close to the forward elevators, and above the promenade, so easy to grab coffee in the morning or a drink to enjoy on the balcony. I can't find much about the cabin, good or bad, online, so hoping it's OK! Another new thing for us is we've purchased the Key - we have 2 tender ports and aren't doing excursions through Royal so the priority tendering will be useful. We were planning on getting internet anyway, and we got it at a price where the difference was minimal. We'll see how we get on with it. I also only have to work one more Monday before cruise time thanks to next Monday being a Bank Holiday (public holiday) here in England.

Alright, figured I'd get this blog started seeing as I've got a couple of busy weeks ahead! The cast for this adventure is again myself and my friend Jamie - he agreed to another cruise before we even got off Oasis last year! This cruise was booked via NextCruise on that sailing - we paid the deposit then picked the sailing once we knew Jamie could get the time off work. Here we are, ready for formal night on Oasis: Just over 3 weeks until we board Voyager in Athens for a 7 night Greek Isles cruise. We're flying out from London on June 6th and will be spending 3 nights in Athens pre-cruise. So, the itinerary is as follows: June 5th - Jamie is driving us to London, we're staying at the Sofitel at Heathrow and are leaving his car there for the duration. The plan is to drop the car off then get the Tube into central London and see where the day takes us. June 6th - We fly with British Airways to Athens, checking into the Coco-Mat Athens hotel. Once there we'll get our bearings, and again see where we end up. June 7th & 8th - 2 full days in Athens. No plans set in stone but the aim is to eat, drink and wander around the city, taking in the sites. June 9th - CRUISE DAY!!! We have an 11am arrival time and I've arranged a transfer, with the same company I've used for our transfer from the airport to the hotel. June 10th - Kusadasi, Turkey. No plans here, Jamie has mentioned he's done a Turkish bath experience before in Bodrum so this may be something we investigate. Otherwise we'll get off the ship and wander, as we're not super interested in visiting Ephesus. June 11th - Mykonos, Greece. Again, the plan is that we have no plan. We may explore the Old Town, before getting back on the ship to enjoy Voyager and all she has to offer. June 12th - Santorini, Greece. We have a tour booked with a local company - just the 2 of us and a driver. Really looking forward to this one, as I think it's a beautiful island. June 13th - Sea Day June 14th - Messina, Sicily. Again, no excursion booked, but a work colleague was born in Messina and suggested checking out the town, and enjoying some local foods. June 15th - Naples, Italy. We have a tour booked here with ItalyTours to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. I need to check in with them to see if we have met the minimum numbers for it to go ahead. If it doesn't, I've researched and we can get a ferry from Naples to Sorrento. June 16th - Rome, Italy. Disembarkation day and travel back to London with British Airways. Post-cruise blues will be setting in... So that's the itinerary. I've also got a skating competition this Wednesday and a trip to London with a friend on May 30th to see Starlight Express, so I'll post about those along with my prep. Currently planning to pack next weekend, and still need to exchange some currency, but unsure how much cash I'll need. There's some stuff in my cart at Mr Bezos' establishment that I'm planning on ordering tomorrow. I've got my final Open University assignment for the year due on Friday too. So feeling a tad stressed at the moment! The final countdown is on!

Oh the food looks SO good! I've not tried Giovanni's, that's definitely on the list now! Oasis was my first (and only, until Voyager next month) RC ship. These photos are making me want to get back on an Oasis class - ANY Oasis class. No cruise planned for 2026 so 2027 may be the next one

Wow, that's a big group! I'm getting excited now, got our cabin number yesterday - 6516! Right above the Promenade which I'm happy about, although a little worried we'll get noise from the Star Lounge. Go faster time, tomorrow it'll have been a year since the last cruise!

Ohhhh all these pictures are making me realise I need to go back to Barcelona at some point! The food is so good - we ordered paella for 2 as well and my family back home thought we'd gotten greedy and ordered a portion for 4!

Looking forward to following - I did this itinerary almost exactly a year ago (May 12, 2024) on Oasis, minus Marseille (we had a second sea day). I hope you enjoy the ports and the ship! I'm cruising on Voyager in 4 weeks... is it too early to start a blog of the prep???

Ah man, I was counting down to my check in day on the 24th so I could use this trick to see where they've got us on Voyager in June. Disappointed to hear they closed the loophole

We are starting in Athens and then going to Ephesus, Santorini, Mykonos, Naples and Messina, before finishing in Rome. Very much looking forward to it!

I agree with this. I liked Southampton when I cruised from there, but given the choice I'd spend some time in London then get the train on the morning of the cruise.

I'm due to call at Santorini in June. I've booked a tour with a local company who aren't taking payment until the day, so that's one less worry. I think we'll have to wait a little longer and see how things pan out. I'm on Voyager so if needed hopefully an alternative can be found (although I wouldn't say no to a 2nd sea day...) I hope things calm down soon and the people of the island can get back to normality and not have this worry over them.

Excellent, thank you for confirming, I was kinda worried as there's not a ton of options right now. Hoping for something out of Port Canaveral as a relaxing break amidst all the theme park fun.

Hello everyone! Didn't see a roll call for this one so thought I'd start one. My friend Jamie is joining me again for his second ever cruise, after our Oasis sailing in May. Our second cruise with Royal, and something very different this time. I've never done a Greek Isles itinerary, so it's all new ports for us apart from Naples and our disembarkation port of Rome. Will be interesting to see how we find Voyager after Oasis too.

OK, real newbie cruise question here as we normally only book around 12 months out. Friend and I are looking for May 2026, something short out of Florida, to combine with a Universal/Busch/SeaWorld trip as we're over in the UK. Is this what's being released in February?

Oh we absolutely do that - I was keeping an eye on the price and it never got this low, so we decided we were happy and booked it. Considering our cruise appears to be a sold out sailing, I'm fully expecting prices to go one way only - UP!

My friend and I did the same thing we did last year and waited for the UBP deals on Black Friday, and this time got an even better deal. Last year (Oasis 7n Med cruise) we paid £64/around $82 each per day. This year (Voyager 7n Greek Isles) we just paid £59/around $79 each per day. Had some on board credit to spend this time as well, $100 so used that towards it and paid even less. Hoping for the Key to drop, and am eyeing up some specialty dining as well.

One final post on this thread to say: The next one is booked! Voyager of the Seas, June 9th 2025 from Athens!

Having just come off my first RC cruise - I love this idea! I don't mind kids (apart from in the hot tubs - it's not a kiddie pool!) but I was cruising with my best friend and we had a table with 3 kids next to us who were loud, and at one point were play-fighting on the floor next to my chair. I would love adult-only dining areas. Mine are: move Chef's Table on Oasis. The Solarium Bistro area just doesn't work - we had music bleeding in from outside, and it ruined the atmosphere a little. Have set prices for stuff - we're looking at our next cruise but trying to budget for drinks package, internet etc is impossible until we book because of the dynamic pricing. Change how the post-cruise surveys work - I hate that anything less than a 10 is seen as a failure and can impact on crew members. They work so hard, but sometimes things outside their control mean that a 10 isn't deserved.

I'm home, I've picked up a stinker of a cold and my ears are unhappy after my flight. But I had the best time. Let me recap where I left off from: So, I left you all in La Spezia. We picked up a car from the Hertz place there, and drove to Pisa, to take the obligatory tower photos, and then decided, as we had a lot of time, to go to Florence, via Lucca. Oh, this was a fun adventure - Lucca is a walled city and we got totally lost and trapped in its one way system trying to find parking. After an hour or so, we managed to escape! Once we got to Florence we only really had time to grab some lunch after parking, before heading back to the ship. Dinner that night was the Mediterranean menu, which we enjoyed, and then One Sky. We actually got chatting to the boyfriend of one of the dancers, and he pointed her out to us afterwards. Really fun show, I love that kind of performance, and this was one of the best I've seen, second only to Burn the Floor on NCL. Although, for technology, this has Burn the Floor bear in my opinion - although it was over 5 years since I saw it so my memory could be playing tricks. We were in the front row, so some of the performers got very close! The next day was Rome - a day I'd really been looking forward to - and we had a small group tour booked with Driver in Rome. There were 8 of us on the tour, and I think we hit pretty much every key sightseeing location, all in the air conditioned comfort of our van. My favourite was the Colosseum, and also the Trevi fountain, although this was SO busy it was a melee and I was very aware of my phone, which was the only thing I took out of the van with me. I did also throw a coin in, so hopefully I'll return to Rome one day! When we got back, it was a quick turnaround as we had reservations for Frozen in Time. WOW. WOW. WOW. As a skater, I was blown away by the level of difficulty and the complexity of the skills being performed. I enjoyed the theme, and particularly the sand artist. I actually never ended up skating - forgot to pack any leggings and lived in shorts and dresses for the week. However, seeing the rink in person, I'm not too upset! The last thing I need is an injury from being taken out by a new skater! After the show it was dinner - our final one in the MDR and it was Italian night. We tried a few different things, some good, some not so good, but again great service really helped make our evening. Naples was the next day, and the day of our last minute excursion. I have to say, it was great getting back to Pompeii but I really struggled getting around the place. The guide took a while to realise she was going too fast at points, and Jamie had to help me a lot. It was enjoyable, but HOT! We were then taken to a restaurant on the way to Vesuvius where we enjoyed a "light" lunch and wine tasting. If this was the light lunch option I dread to think what the heavier option would be! I was so full after this. We were then driven to Vesuvius, and were able to hike to the crater. This was mentally and physically tough for me - the ground was loose underfoot, the incline just kept going and I'm out of shape. Jamie got me through it though and really proved himself as a friend. I was so tired after this, and possibly a little dehydrated. A nap on the bus back to the port helped, as did taking it slow when we got back to the ship. We spent some time in the hot tubs, healing our aching muscles! Then it was time for dinner - Chef's Table. I have mixed feelings about this, the food is good, no doubt there, but knowing it's the same menu constantly, and across the fleet, it felt like the chef and waiter/sommelier were just reading off a script - there was no passion there. The company was good though, got to chat to some cool people from various places. The next day, was a much needed sea day! We didn't surface until 10, and managed to make brunch in the dining room. This showed just how lucky we'd been with our waiter, the service felt rushed an impersonal. However, the food was tasty and that's what we needed. After brunch, that's when it happened. We went to NextCruise. Short version, we went away and after some research, went back later to put a deposit down - hoping to get the actual itinerary locked in this week. We then spent the afternoon at the pool, and solarium, then packed our bags ready for them to be collected. Then it was time for 150 Central Park. I enjoyed the food and think the menu is interesting, but the experience felt rushed (as a Brit, I do prefer a break between courses - we found this in Orlando too, there weren't the pauses we're used to back home) and the comments our server made, plus having the bill dumped on the table while we were still enjoying drinks just left a bad taste in the mouth. After that, we grabbed a drink, took it up to the balcony and enjoyed the still of the night and the sound of the sea. Today we disembarked after one last breakfast at Park Cafe, and flew home. So that's it. My Mediterranean Oasis has come to an end. Thanks for sticking with me

Well, it’s our last evening on board and I’m feeling blue. It’s been a fantastic week, although I’ve had an experience tonight and I’m still trying to decide how to proceed. Our waiter at 150 Central Park made some comments that I feel weren’t appropriate, although it was only after when Jamie mentioned it, that I realised what was meant (I’m bad at social stuff - currently being assessed for autism and ADHD). Trying to work out if this is something that I mention in a post cruise survey or if an email to someone may be more appropriate. However, not letting that spoil my day - we’ve put a deposit down for the next cruise! All being well we will be going from Rome to Athens on Voyager next May/June! We’ve done a book later deposit as Jamie needs to check he can get a public holiday off that falls during the sailing.

Alright, sorry for leaving you all hanging! The tiredness caught up with me so updating fell by the wayside. I will update properly once I’m home as I’m finding updating on mobile quite tricky, but we’re having a fantastic time and it’s likely we’re booking the next one on board…

I will do that for you tomorrow - we have come back to the room straight after dinner as we’re both feeling the last 4 late nights. Not much to update on today. This afternoon was spent in the Schooner Bar and then wandering the top deck for a bit. We watched some folks on the FlowRider, some had obviously had a lot of practice, others were beginners and we saw some pretty tough wipeouts. Tonight we had a pre dinner drink at the Globe and Atlas. Dinner was good, UK night. Not my favourite menu but everything we had was tasty, at a good temperature and the service was great as ever. Tomorrow is La Spezia, and we’re renting a car and going to Pisa.

Just rolled out of Izumi hibachi. So good but I am so full! It’s definitely wavy today - can feel some movement in our cabin but nothing bothersome, just noticeable. Oh, this morning when we were lying in bed dozing, we had an Alpha call over the address system. I hope the person or people involved are OK and get the care they need. Jamie questioned why it came through into the cabins and I have no idea. Anyone able to shed any light on that?

Some of the afternoon before trivia was spent in the Solarium, which was very relaxing - we got talking to a couple form North Carolina who had experienced crazy flight delays and were lucky they were coming to Barcelona a few days beforehand of they could’ve missed the ship! After trivia we came back and got ready for our first formal night. Dinner was good again - Taste of France menu. I had the French onion soup, which I was nervous about but wanted to try and loved it. Jamie got plate envy and ended up ordering one so I decided to get some escargot again too! Jamie had previously ordered the iceberg wedge and had enjoyed this too. Then Jamie got the beef tenderloin which looked, and apparently tasted, fantastic and I went with the chicken cordon bleu which was really good too! I went into the cruise with zero expectations for food, and although I know it’s not the best, it’s better than I expected so far! For dessert I had the crème brûlée and Jamie went for the apple crumble. I enjoyed mine, the texture has previously been one I’ve not cared for but this time I liked it. Gotta love changing tastes. Jamie said the crumble was good too. Then we went to see Aqua80. Wow!! The best show I’ve ever seen on a ship, and possibly one of the best shows I’ve seen period. Insane that they did all this stuff while on a moving ship!! As an aside, we got there at 10.40 for the 11pm show and were directed to some good seats out of the splash zone after explaining my vision issues. I could see clearly so was really happy - the show filled up in the last 10 minutes before but our side was still pretty quiet. Today is a sea day, it’s a little cool so far (10.20am as I write this) so it’ll be interesting to see how the ship handles the crowds if people are drawn inside. Today we have Izumi for lunch and then white night tonight.