iamjohnbamber

@Matt is the resident everything expert so you're in the right place!

Was single PDF's a suitable format to send them in? I can do that for all future ones if that works for you. You got that uploaded pretty fast, sir. Good on you!

I usually go for an hour before... 5pm sail time, 4pm be back... but that's just me.

Nope - because the AT&T package is just for your phone since you'll be on the ship. When the call comes in to anyone on land, it's just another call it doesn't matter where it's coming from. If you were calling collect, that might be another story.

I'd say yes, because a lot of the activities are similar from ship to ship especially if its on a similar itinerary. Just know it's likely to change or be different than what you're seeing, but you can definitely get a good idea by reading another one.

I'm actually doing my first solo cruise on Anthem of the Seas on June 22nd, so I can offer my interpretations of your questions: 1) Usually in the Cruise Compass there will be a listing of an event or two specifically geared toward Solo travelers. Definitely be sure to attend those, and attend other events (trivia, etc) because you may spot other solo travelers there with whom you can strike up a conversation. 2) Unless you are at a speciality restaurant with a reservation for 1, you'll be placed at a table with as few as 1 other to as many as 5 other people, so you won't really need to ask if you can join a group, you'll just be placed at a table with another group. It's common on cruises to do that since it encourages mingling and getting to know other folks. 3) That's a good question... I'd say strike up conversations with the folks going on the trip as you're standing on the pier waiting for the group to fully assemble. You may find a group that would be keen to have you tag along. I look forward to hearing about your cruise experience, and I'll be live blogging my cruise on Anthem later this month!

I'd still check him out though he was great!

If you have a smartphone that supports WiFi calling, you won't need the cellular package from AT&T if you order voom. If you don't have a WiFi calling-compatible phone, you'll need the cruise package but it's expensive, so check to see if you'll even need it. To answer your question yes you can call ship to shore using Voom as long as your phone supports WiFi calling.

Definitely book it in advance, since there are a limited number of spots. It's a great experience to see how things work... I've done it on Freedom and Majesty... two very different ships but fun to see the similarities, especially the heart and drive of the crew to make everything work seamlessly behind the scenes in order to make for an unforgettable experience.

I'm not in there long enough to even figure out what I'd want to watch. Get in get out and go back to the pool! :-D

Calling all Texas people... I want to get an idea of who's where, and then see about planning some kind of meetup. I'm in Austin.

I was on back in August of 2016... performance was inconsistent at best. Didn't work well in my stateroom, but worked better in public areas.

The only time I'm in my room is to either hang out on my balcony, sleep, take a shower, or get changed, and the only thing I'd be watching on TV would be whatever the morning show is that morning... I'd say leave the TV at home and just enjoy the whole cruise experience! :)

First time cruisers is easy - 4-nighter to Bahamas or Cozumel on a smaller ship like Majesty or Enchantment. You've never been on a cruise before, you don't know if you're going to love it or hate it. You're better off just taking a few days and dip your feet in and test the waters, then go back on a bigger ship. Why start at the top of the mountain, when you can enjoy the trip up and see the sights, and take in the views from different perspectives along the way? Royal is always going to be building the bigger ships, the smaller ones may start to disappear as the fleet grows in favor of the larger vessels. The smaller ships give you a more intimate experience (and I mean that in a good way, not code for "cramped") with the crew and fellow passengers, which is a nod to where cruises used to be. The mega-ships are great but just don't feel the same as a smaller ship. There's something intrinsically special about a small ship that I think everyone should experience at least once in their cruise lifetime.

I definitely don't see them retiring Majesty any time soon. That's always going to be one of my favorite ships... I'm going on Anthem and Oasis later this year so I'll see if my opinion changes (I don't think it will)... my first cruises were on Celebrity's Horizon and Zenith back in the late 90's, and cruising on Majesty brought me back to that time period. It reminded me more of the classic cruising experience, but still felt modern enough and relevant to not feel dated. The ship didn't feel like it was the latest and greatest, but it didn't feel old and worn out. She's got plenty of life left in her, and I think she's right where she belongs doing the 3 and 4 nighters to the Bahamas. I wish I had more vacation time because the little 4-nighter I did in February was such a great little getaway. I'd love to do it again.

When I was at CoCoCay I saw some folks who were snorkeling with gear they rented from the ship, and they said they were required to wear a lifejacket while snorkeling. Not sure if that's a rule or something... I was using my own gear and my own natural buoyancy kept me afloat... I'd inquire at Guest Services or give Royal a call.

When I was on Majesty in February it looked like people were getting around fairly easily, but definitely allow extra time if you need to get to a certain area of the ship by a certain time. The overcrowding of the elevators is unfortunately an unavoidable thing, but there are also good people with compassion on every cruise, so you'll definitely make it to where you've got to be it just might take longer.

I've got mine from February. I sent them to Matt so they should be up at some point. I've been meaning to do it so this was a good reason to finally get them sent over to him.

I'll be on that cruise with my family, so I'm definitely excited to see who's going to be on it. Now I just have to learn how to photograph an eclipse... I've been a photographer for 20 years and have yet to cross that off my list of things I've photographed!

I'll be live blogging all of my cruises at https://johnscruise.live As of right now, next cruise is Anthem on June 22nd, 4-night to Bermuda, cruising Solo in a Balcony room!

Usually it's on the same deck as the lifeboats and/or the promenade on larger ships.

I was on Majesty in February and the comedian was Kivi Rogers... one of the funniest people I've ever seen. Totally hilarious.

Each time I've tried searching for flights it would come up with no responses... is Air2Sea not available at all airports?

Look above the "Of The" in the name on the side of the ship... the little walkway that folds out from the ship... what is that called, and what is it used for? I seem to always see these things folded out when ships are in port. If I had to venture a guess, it would be a look out for when ships are docking, to get a closer look at how close the ship is to the pier etc... but I thought the bridge wings were for that purpose as well. Anyone know what those are called?

Just wondering if anyone's had any luck booking airfare with the Air2Sea website? Seems like it's hit or miss... figure it can't be a bad thing to book air travel through the cruise line so it's all linked up with your reservations, etc...Thoughts?