BrianAlt

Question is posted, "How can I blah, blah, blah...?"

Answered by Matt: "I have a blog post on that!  Click here:" {link}

Awesome.

Perks are similar, but generally a bit better in Captain's Club than C&A.

2 minutes ago, kitkat said:

Our family booked the very first cruise trip in February, and we have a few questions to ask people have done cruise for more than once:

• We need to travel from the Orlando airport to Port Canaveral, is baby under 2 sitting on a parent on the Royal Caribbean coach bus?

I believe so.

• Is there more than one shutter bus travelling between airport and the port?

Depends on the number that book it, but probably.

• Beside Royal Caribbean coach bus, what transportation will you recommend us? 

Rent a car/van and drive yourself and return the car after dropping off people and luggage at the port.  There's a shuttle that will take the lone driver back.

Book a car/limo/van to drive you to the port.

Either of those can be cheaper.

• On the Embarkation date, will we have any accommodation get on ship earlier than others given we travel with a baby?

No.  It's not like a plane where you need to get settled quicker.

• We ordered gift from the website, and they mistakenly charged us twice. How do we cancel the wrong order?

Call Royal Caribbean Gifts and Gear.

• If I order the drink package, is there really water bottles available or just bottled water dispersed at the water station?

Yes, bottled water is part of all drink packages.  No bottled water at water stations, only cups, ice and water.

Many thanks in advance. We try to figure out as many details as possible with our 18-month old coming along.

Answers inline and in BOLD AND RED.

I believe drink prices say the 18% is automatically added and there isn't any way to remove it.

But I could be wrong about that.

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

Add cell phones on vibrate to the list.  With Voom becoming so popular and people being connected I hate it when a phone is ringing or dinging during dinner or at a show.  Mine is on vibrate for the whole cruise. 

Mine is on vibrate always.

53 minutes ago, Koz said:

Speaking from personal experience Brian?

If you mean from seeing others, then yes.

Just now, WAAAYTOOO said:

Now, which end of the horse was it, Brian ?

Hey now!

17 hours ago, chrisd596 said:

Is it difficult reserving a time like 7pm w/ 6 people...?

7 PM could be difficult.  Generally they encourage a little earlier or a little later.  So you should try to grab it when it first opens.  

2 minutes ago, Koz said:

1) Damm!

I think it's specifically frowned upon.

3 minutes ago, Koz said:

1) Yes

2) Yes

A 3-nighter should be pretty busy all three nights.

12 minutes ago, Sabrinaklai said:

So is that going to be a considered a specialty restaurant? Or complimentary like Mini Bites?

Complimentary as I understand.

Allure Always has A+ Adventures.

Isn't El Loco Fresh where Mini Bites is located on Harmony?

I'd be excited!

44 minutes ago, DocLC said:

Japan and Arctic Circle. Royal does Norwsy, but didn't go as far North as other lines. I also haven't seen any Japan summer itineraries. 

Did you see the Viking cruise in Norway on Mighty Cruise Ships?  Looked spectacular!

https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/mighty-cruise-ships/viking-sea/1003687/3451006

I didn't mean YOU were upset.  I meant OP.

2 hours ago, DocLC said:

I still feel Royal provides the best overall fit for my family. Unfortunately, they're not doing the itineraries we want to do. 

What itineraries are you interested in?

St. Thomas is supposedly in better shape than St. Maarten.  Although, I have no firsthand knowledge of this.  Perhaps you'll visit St. Kitts instead?

48 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

It makes no sense to me; they're stubbornly holding out for passengers willing to pay full freight and risking totally losing those cabins, when they have existing passengers saying "shut up and take my money!" to fill that cabin, and then they have a "lower-grade" cabin available again that's easier to sell.

It might make no sense to you, but we don't have all of the information.  We really don't know why they are making the decision they are making.  But to get so upset about it seems a little much to me.

What's so bad about staying in the balcony cabin?  

I used it this morning.  Clear them cookies!

All beer is essentially liquid bread.

I actually disagree about the Carnival food.  I've only been on two, so my sample is limited.  But the food was generally at least on par.  The buffet had a seafood area away from the rest that was VERY good.  The MDR was generally on par with some hits and some misses.  The famed "chocolate melting cake" I found to be mediocre.  The steakhouse specialty restaurant was one of the best experiences we've had in a specialty restaurant on any ship.  Top 5 for sure. 

I agree about the decor and the flow was just about the worst I've seen on any ship I've been on.  

I really enjoy Celebrity. To me it's super similar to Royal (for a reason, I'd say), but just a slight step up on classiness. 

I've been on one Princess cruise and I don't think I'll ever be on another.  There are gaps in the schedule.  What is that about???  I'm not saying I need to do something every minute of every day.  But I'd like to have options!  I've heard this has NOT changed.

7 minutes ago, Neaxan said:

That's what I thought too, unfortunately this has changed. You can still visit parts of the parc free of charge, but for the so-called Monumental Zone (main entrance, terrace, all the parts containing mosaics) you need a ticket (access regulations started in 2013). I had no idea this was the case and when we got to the main entrance at around 2 pm (we started on entrance C and walked around the free part of the parc first) we weren't willing to wait for a 6 pm admission - the only time slot still available that day. From what I gathered afterwards they only admit 400 people at a time to Monumental Zone and they're really strict with admission times - if you're more than 30 minutes late you cannot enter the Zone any more.

Good information!  Thanks.  We will be back there next year.

Quote

Another word of wisdom: if you do hop on/hop off be aware that the walk from the stop to Parc Guell is quite far and steeply uphill. Alternatives are taking a taxi or bus or taking the metro (green line L3, station Vallcarca). We did the latter and while you still have some uphill walking to get to entrance C, the most part is by excalator through Baixada de la Glória. The escalators are quite a sight being outdoors and offering nice views.

That walk is CRAZY!  Especially in the summer.  Whew!

1 minute ago, Neaxan said:

Barcelona: Hop on/hop off is nice to get a good look around town. If you're interested in Gaudi's works be sure to book every ticket in advance with designated time slots - otherwise you won't be able to visit much. This is especially relevant for Parc Güell and Casa Batllo - not sure for Sagrada Familia though.

Parc Guell is just a park, no admission required.  Sagrada Familia, buying tickets in advance is HIGHLY recommended.  Lines can be SUPER long.

Pic #1: Parc Guell.  Pic #2: Inside the Sagrada Familia