JLMoran

@ladydiinflorida and @Tammy Smith, for the discussion about what Tammy's husband may or may not know I'd recommend moving the discussion to direct messaging, available here on the forums. Just hover over the name of the person you want to contact and you'll get a "Message" button to privately email them. Not saying this to mute the conversation here, just thinking that with Tammy's husband being a lawyer, this might be getting into potentially sensitive information that shouldn't be discussed in a public forum. Working 20 years in the financial industry makes me a little paranoid about these things.

@bcarney, I had heard about their crazy pricing as well. But it was also pointed out just last week or the one before on the Cruise Radio podcast that this price is a bit misleading, because Norwegian offers a free drink package as a selectable perk with a lot of their cabin offers (maybe all of them?). So while the price is astronomical relative to the other lines, most people don't actually pay that out of pocket (unless they're packing it into the price of the cabin somehow).

Judy, if the specific TA from MEI isn't working out for you as far as responsiveness or level of service that you are looking for, you can always request another. MEI has many agents, and I'm sure you can find one who is more to your liking. Just call their general number, let the rep know what issues you have with your current agent and what exactly you're looking for, and they should be able to find you a better match. Failing that, you can certainly change agencies. There's nothing holding you to MEI, and Matt won't be offended if you find a different agency / agent meets your needs better.

@Lauren, if the others in your room simply don't drink out of personal preference, or have other reasons that Royal has marked "valid exceptions" -- recovering alcoholic, unable to drink due to medications they take, cannot drink due to religious restricts, or pregnant -- you can call the toll-free number given on the Cruise Planner and specifically request that only the one person buy the package. That person will still get the discounted rate, but they will most likely come back and say the others in the cabin need to buy a Refreshment Package. Since that's now $18 per day per person instead of the usual $26, this is not at all a bad deal. I had just made this call last weekend and it went very smoothly. Others have done the same, and with a little pushback even got out of having to buy the Refreshment Package for the others in the cabin (see this link, which shows an email stating clearly that no additional purchases are required of others in the cabin if an exception is granted).

@ekaiser0328, sorry -- I got so excited about actually seeing discounts for the first I forgot to actually reply to your question. Clearly no, I'm not seeing problems with the web site (for a wonder!!) and saw real savings today. But... I remembered the tip that others here have shared, and logged in using a Private Browsing / Incognito Mode tab. I don't know if that guaranteed I'd see the right thing, but it's been observed here many a time that doing this does tend to properly show you the latest web site updates. Not clear if it's because of caching, cookies stuck in the browser, or what; but it really does seem to help.

I logged in and saw the sale banner on my Cruise Planner... wait, what? I actually have a sale showing on my cruise planner now!!!! GASP!!!! Even more amazing, I have actual discounts showing vs. what I paid at original booking, for both Refreshment Package and our shore excursions: Refreshment Package dropped from $26 per person per night to $18, which is indeed the advertised 30% discount. ($84.52 savings after recalculated gratuities). The Dragon's Breath zip line on Labadee went down from $104.75 per person to a more reasonable $83 each ($65.25 savings on 3 tix) Dolphin push/pull/swim on St. Kitts went down from $149 pp to $134 ($60 saved on 4 tix) So, just called up Royal, did a cancel and rebook of all of the above, and bought Refreshment Packages for the girls. The two new refreshment packages were $339.84 total, so after my total rebook savings of $209.77, I'm only out of pocket for an additional $130.07. Can't beat that with a stick!!

On Explorer, the specialty ("one off") restaurants are Giovanni's Table (Italian-style cuisine), Chops Grille (steakhouse), and Izumi (sushi and hot rock meals)*. I want to say Giovanni's is about $23 or $25 onboard, while Chops is typically $30; hopefully someone else here who's been on Explorer recently can confirm that, as I haven't sailed her. Izumi is a la carte, and the dining package description should say how much credit you'll get if you dine there; an earlier thread in the Dining forum here seems to peg a typical (quite filling) sushi meal at Izumi will run between $35 and $50 a person, depending on your tastes in sushi and your appetite. So that 5-night dining package for $105 pp could be worth it on a 23 day trip, just to give some variety. That's $21 a meal per person, which is definitely a savings vs booking on board. You'd just have to decide how much those three cuisine types appeal to you and how many times you think you'd want to dine at each over the three weeks you'll be on board. All three venues get pretty consistently high marks both here and on other sites, as well as on podcasts I've listened to. * There's also Johnny Rockets, but that's not a specialty restaurant, just a casual burger joint that happens to separately charge for meals.

My hat's off to @Sweety, @Sabrinaklai, and @Boston Babe's husband! You all have really important jobs and I really appreciate how much you and all the others like you do for the kids you teach and have taught.

According to CruiseDeckPlans.com's info on Majesty of the Seas, the closest you'll get to a regular balcony is a Junior Suite. There are apparently 50 of those, and they are not at all comparable in price to your inside room. I did a mock booking for a Dec 10 4-night Bahamas itinerary (lowest price of all dates), and for your first room with two adults and one kid under 12, I'm seeing $535 per person for a JS, total price $1,605 after port taxes and fees. With one adult and one kid (second room), it's $803 per person for the JS, and still a total cost of $1605 after port taxes and fees. I'd expect the room with 3 to cost more, but Royal's site is final-pricing both exactly the same. Maybe because all prices are always based on double-occupancy, and with the Kids Sail Free promo you have "only two" in the first room, and a "solo traveler" in the second who's getting hit with the "solo traveler" surcharge? Anyway, if you want a balcony room, this is the closest and "cheapest" you'll get. At least it nets you double C&A points!

And there's some question here on the boards about whether this is truly a sale, or merely a kind of "cover up" to make the fact that now all adults in a cabin must purchase the package if just one of them does. Multiple people, including me, have reported other sailings (like mine on Freedom next March), where there is no advertised sale, yet the price still dropped from $55/day per person to $43.

Regarding tips: What @L454S said is correct. I'd also add that you are free to tip any additional amount you feel is merited to specific individuals like your cabin attendant or your waiter if you feel they went above and beyond. There are several here (count me among them) who do this, as these staff members are paid a minimum wage and depend on the tips they receive to make enough for an adequate living. Beverage Package: Any package you purchase (alcoholic or not) has the gratuity added when you purchase the package. So that will be all covered by the time you board. I can't speak to the individual costs of sodas as I don't drink soda at all; I don't even know what a can of soda at a land restaurant costs nowadays. But I would say that if you drink 3-4 per day that you should definitely come out ahead with a package cost of $10 per person, per day. Regarding your question about discounts on the soda package -- I've never seen one in months of looking at the cruise planner ahead of our first cruise, and others here have posted that they also have never seen a discount on that package or the Refreshment Package. It seems only the alcohol package is ever discounted; and now that might be going away as well, with a recent price reduction following the new requirement that all people in a cabin must buy that package if one person in the cabin buys it. One other question -- do either of you drink espresso beverages regularly, or expect to drink freshly squeezed juices with breakfast regularly? If yes, you may want to consider the Refreshment Package instead of the Soda Package, as the Refreshment one covers those other drink types and would even cover the odd "virgin" (no alcohol) cocktail if you chose to try one. Bringing your own soda: Officially, Royal does not allow this. But many here have brought on bottled water or a case of soda in their carry-on bag and the staff at the security checkpoint have turned a blind eye to it. Not to say that it will always happen; you could end up with the overzealous guy who follows the rules 100% by the book and would make you throw it out before boarding. But if you were to each bring an unopened case of soda in your carry-on bag and were willing to take the risk of getting that one overzealous guy, you'd probably be fine. Do note that you must not put the sodas in your checked luggage; that will be flagged during the X-ray, they'll hold your luggage and make you come down to the security area to get it, and odds are that you would absolutely be told to get rid of it. Just keep it in your carry-on and be willing to lug it around until your room becomes available (usually around 1 PM). Dining: In addition to the Windjammer buffet and the main dining room, you also have Cafe Promenade as another dining option included with your cruise fare. If you find the Windjammer to be extra-crowded, that can be a good alternative if you're looking mainly for a sandwich or snack or something else that's quick and basic. Additional costs: Be sure to bring some small bills to tip the porters at the cruise dock, as they do not get included in the automatic gratuities. Recommendation is $1-$2 per bag being checked. Also be sure to check your final bill statement the night before you disembark to make sure there are no erroneous charges for things like pool towels they claim were not returned, or beverages purchased through the room mini bar (which could happen if you do bring your own soda and then the room attendants see the cans in the fridge). Have a great cruise! I've heard lots of great things about Explorer and the Voyager class in general. I see it's your first cruise on Royal, but I'm guessing this is not your first cruise ever? If it is -- Wow, you're really diving in full bore with a 23-day trans-Pacific!

Thanks for the heads up! I’ve followed you so I’ll get the alert when you’re broadcasting.

No worries there. I’m still 360 days away from that sailing! 360... really... LONG... days.

@Sabrinaklai, that could work too! Long as it’s cancelable and just credited as OBC, that’ll work for me. Maybe that’s what I was thinking of when I first asked about getting OBC, and just kind of got things backwards.

Well that’s good to hear! I had upgraded to one of these back in June for an October 2018 sailing, and I’m really looking forward to it. Had briefly considered bumping up to a J1 with the current WOW sale, but my J4 is right in the center of the hump on deck 7 (cabin 7238, port side), and every single J1 on the ship is right smack in front of the hump with what appears to be a MASSIVELY obstructed (dare I say nonexistent?) view aft.

Only if I don’t beat you to it and become the next “Super Mario”... umm... “Super Giuseppe”? “Joey”? “That IT dude”? ??

Actually, all room categories can be booked with a non refundable deposit, it’s only the Sky class and Star class suites that require it. On the plus side, a non refundable booking provides a little extra OBC compared to a refundable one, and also carries a slightly lower rate compared to the same room with a refundable deposit. I’m actually asking my TA to change my Anthem JS booking from refundable to non refundable with this current WOW sale, since the price will be about $100-$150 less than my original refundable booking AND I’ll get $150 in OBC. That totally offsets the extra $$ I paid to go from a D1 to this J4 (which I did during a June promo with 60% off second guest, so price diff was way less than when the itinerary was first announced).

OK, so it sounds like I should talk with the missus and see if she does in fact want to do Wonderland that night, or do that a different night and check out the land restaurants mentioned here or see if there’s another place she might to try if there’s a sale (maybe Chops or Jamie’s Italian). And I’ll relay everything explained here so she’s clear about our options and the “risk” that there may or may not be a sale. Thanks, all!

I was drinking my second glass of wine after dinner when I read that. Nearly did a spit take! ??

Thanks for a truly epic blog and trip recap! I don’t know when I will have the chance to take this itinerary or one like it, but it’s definitely on my list now!

Interesting. So since I can't know in advance if they'd offer a special for the overnight, would they give me any difference back as OBC if I made a reservation in advance, and then they did offer the discount? Or would I just have to take my chances and wait until that night to be sure of getting any discounted price? And Michelle, thanks for the steakhouse recommendation! I saved the email with your reply to my "Bermuda Cruise" folder so I don't forget! :)

And now you've pretty much convinced me to only eat in Coastal Kitchen for dinner during our cruise on Anthem next year. I already have the JS booked and get that perk, and if you found the difference that noticeable then I think I'd be foolish not to take advantage. I may still do like you did and try the MDR one night just to compare, but if I'm paying the junior suite price I might as well make maximal use of those minimal JS perks! And I do think that the fact ships are so much larger now is probably contributing to any perceived decline in food quality in the MDR. They only have so many chefs and cooking stations, and trying to feed that many more people in the MDR at once is going to lead to some slips in quality so that things still move in the required time. What would be interesting would be to hear from someone who recently was on an Oasis / Quantum / Freedom class ship and a smaller ship like Enchantment or a Radiance class. Hey @mpoole3, seems to me that you might fit this bill pretty nicely (although I recall from your live blogs that you were pretty much always in a specialty dining venue every night of your two most recent trips). Any chance you could contribute here?

@Sabrinaklai, I was only using CDP to get an easy estimate of how many cabins of type X are normally available. Beats going through Royal's deck plans and manually counting! I guess at least part of this is due to their new price integrity policy, where they can't lower it below the initially offered price. But you'd think that they'd just leave it at the original price from when the itineraries were announced, instead of jacking it up and jacking it up. But here's the thing -- do we really know what that "original" price was? Just like every other week of the year, a promo was active then. So the "baseline" price could still be some higher number behind the scenes than what we ever see publicly. I'm just doing mock bookings on a private tab and seeing what's available for the different classes. Honestly, if I hadn't already been checking the current WOW sale to see if my JS was going to drop any in price or net me some OBC, I wouldn't have likely gone to quite all the bother as that. When you pick a room category, Royal shows you on the room selection page how many rooms of that type are available on which decks, so I just tallied it up and compared to the "total cabins of this type" number on cruisedeckplans.com's page for Anthem.

I was wondering if the specialty dining venues have discounted prices when the ship is docked at a port overnight. My wife and agreed we'd like to try out Wonderland on our Anthem cruise to Bermuda next year, and I was thinking that booking it the night we're staying in port might be a good option. Here's why -- my wife doesn't care for seafood at all, and she's assuming (as am I) that most restaurants in Bermuda focus on seafood since that's what's local. I'm sure we'll have lunch on land each day and that she can at least find some sandwiches or chicken entrees, but she's indicated that for dinner on the overnight she'd rather be on the ship with some more non-seafood options. If she wants to eat on board the ship anyway, then it might be good to try out Wonderland that night and still have a special evening. We'd have a nice view of Bermuda from the windows, ship will probably be emptier for dinner hour, and service might be a bit more attentive with fewer diners to tend to.

OK, statements like that bring out the data checker in me. You've been forewarned. For my sailing on Oct 13, 2018, there's about a third of the JS level rooms left to book; I was seeing about 15 J4's available, out of the 42 that cruisedeckplans.com says are available (although I'd say those numbers are suspect; CDP says there are four Owners Suites on Anthem, but RCI site shows 5 available to book). Interestingly, the rooms that are listed are different depending on whether you choose a refundable or non-refundable deposit for a JS. Basically, non-refundable gets you an on the hump J4 (deck 7 only), or right next to it; while refundable still has you mid-ship but much closer to the aft or forward sections. Grand Suites, I'm seeing a bit less than 50% availability -- 8 rooms left out of 20 total. Everything higher than GS doesn't seem to be sold yet. So maybe when final payment comes, I'll be able to score an Owners Suite for just a couple hundred more than my current deck 7 J4.