KWofPerth

That is a brave call.

Terrific, thanks!

Hello cruisers, My next sailing is 2 Jan 2020, Quantum OTS out of Singapore. I have just found out that the Solarium is only available for Suite guests (Asian sailing rules). Mega bummed about that. I have discovered that Quantum has the option of the Key and I am wondering if Solarium access might be available as one of the benefits. However I need to know where in the Cruise Planner does one find The Key? Is it under the Onboard Activities tab? Nothing appears there as yet, since it's 7 months till sail date. Any information much appreciated.

That makes perfect sense M2MB, very much appreciated.

I've never purchased through the Cruise Planner before. My next sailing is 7 months away and there is an excursion I would like to book. Do I need to provide my credit card details at this point if I go ahead? Or does my onboard account (even though it doesn't really exist yet) get debited? And if I wish to cancel because a better deal comes along, what is the process? A direct refund back onto my credit card/onboard account? Thanks team ?

As @KristiZ hinted, the SP is a bit more "rustic" (not primitive, lol) than the Caribbean. It has its own charm, but just expect things to be done on "island time". Holiday Inn at The Rocks I can recommend. Great location near the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge and a very short walk down to the Overseas Passenger Terminal. I recently also stayed at the Amora Hotel, which is also walking distance (but with luggage a short taxi ride is the go). Mystery Island - a small, uninhabited, reef-fringed island that you can walk around in under an hour. Excellent snorkelling. The ship will anchor in a channel between Mystery and the (much) larger Aneityum Island, where locals make there way over to Mystery to provide offerings to the cruise passengers of the day e.g. fresh-cooked fish, beers, soft drinks, hair-braiding, various tours (e.g., glass-bottom boats, snorkelling, also fishing from memory). I really loved this stop, but my brother missed out on it once due to tidal conditions not allowing the ship access to the channel. Mare - Yedjele Beach is the main stop here for cruise passengers. After tendering, there will be a section where you can pay for a bus pass/ticket. The ride is 15-20 minutes with glimpses of gorgeous, clear, turquoise rock pools. At the beach, there is great snorkelling, plus all the usual fare offered by the locals. It was very windswept when I was there back in October, but that barely diminished the enjoyment of the place. If you're not keen on visiting this beach, once you tender you can simply walk along the road until you find a rock pool of your choice, but be aware there are no beaches in the immediate vicinity. Noumea - as KrisitZ mentioned, Noumea is the most developed of the island stops. We paid for the hop-on/hop-off bus pass from the main terminal. We got off at Lemon Bay (Baie de Citron). Lots of cafes and restaurants along the waterfront. We also visited the aquarium with the kids. If you get this pass, the timing between bus arrivals can be somewhat fluid ? Lifou - I've been here twice and both times I have snorkelled the Baie de Jinek. If I return a third time I will do the exact same thing once again. Highly recommend. You have to pay for it these days, as they have to control the numbers of people. It's a ten minute walk from the tender boat. There are also plenty of stalls and places to get some local food and a drink. At the jetty where the boats tender, have a look out for a turtle swimming around. Feel free to jump in and have a snorkel with it. You will probably have time to also visit a cave grotto which is a 15 minute walk in the opposite direction from Baie de Jinek. There is a small rock pool inside that you can jump in and have a quick splash about in. Isle of Pines - if you feel like something other than a beach day, there are local bus/van tours that take small groups for tours around the island. You will see them just before you reach the main beach. Be sure to make yourself known, as last time we were there we were waiting for the van to come back, only to find out another group had already booked the next tour and there was no room (we had to wait another hour if we were willing to commit, which we didn't, since we had done the tour on a previous visit). Of the above islands, if memory serves, Noumea was the only one that you may have an issue paying for things in US dollars or Australian dollars. We also carried A$150 worth of South Pacific francs just in case. Now, something to be aware of on the islands (which I was happy to let fly because I was dealing with people of a much lower standard of living that I am privileged to enjoy) is that sometimes when you pay in US dollars you will get change in Australian dollars. Or something will be offered in Aussie dollars and they will gladly take the same amount in US dollars without bothering to do the conversion. Like I said, I was happy to let it go because we are only talking a few bucks here and there, but some passengers got irate with the locals over this. So be aware. Auckland - lovely harbour city. You can take a ferry out to one of the islands. Another good option is to visit the Sky Tower and go up to the viewing level with glass-bottomed walkways. If you're particularly adventurous you can harness up and do a jump from the top. Great fun! That just about covers it. All the best ?

Hi Guys, I've never booked an excursion through the Cruise Planner. I have two questions. 1. Is the payment simply added to your onboard account? 2. Can you cancel and rebook when/if the price drops? Thanks in advance!

Can confirm this. Sailing in the South Pacific, my wife only wanted to WhatsApp her parents and sister in Mauritius, and so we only bought the daily Surf package twice, at a daily rate of $18 (Australian, about $25 US). Was perfectly sufficient for this purpose.

We just bought the photo package for $225 and got 147 photos (digital, not prints). All very high quality, so we're happy. As well as onboard, every time we stepped onto one of the islands the photographers were there ready to take our photos so we took every opportunity to have our snaps taken.

Grammar nazi alert! It's versus, not verse ?

I rang up with a similar problem last week. I was advised to click on Already Booked at the top, and then on the Online Check-in icon. It takes you to the old-style website but it worked. I entered my reservation number and details there and was able to print my SS pass.

27 - Explorer

27 - Explorer

Nice. I'm sailing Explorer in late October and the thing I am most looking forward to is the FlowRider. (followed by rock climbing and ice skating). Never had any surfing experience so I'm sure it'll be a barrel of laughs.

Haha, I love this paragraph - " When I read the description of the SkyPad, I don’t know what to think. Seeing a picture of the SkyPad does nothing to clear things up. I have no idea what to expect out of the SkyPad except that I will have tried out the SkyPad. What I do know about it is: trampoline, bungee cord, virtual reality (?). Sure. I’ll do this. " Great attitude. One of my favourite sayings - "Always say Yes, unless you know better."

Dear Guest, We wanted to update you on a change in our programming. Our Sitters at Sea program will be discontinued beginning on September 30th , 2018. We are dedicated to offering a variety of children's and teens' activities, but unfortunately we'll no longer offer in-stateroom sitter services. We are sorry for any impact this may have on your vacation. If your sailing departs on or before September 30th and you were planning on using this service, we will happily accommodate your request if sitters are available. Once onboard, please visit Guest Services regarding availability. Our kid programs, Adventure Ocean and Royal Babies & Tots, remain unchanged, and we still offer our "Late Night Party Zone" group sitting by our Adventure Ocean Youth Staff for children between the ages of 3 through 11. To learn more about our Youth and Teen Program, please click here. Thank you for understanding. We look forward to having you onboard very soon! Sincerely, Royal Caribbean International

Thanks Matt

Thanks guys. Appreciated. Oh and the ship is Explorer

Thanks for your responses Matt and others. As a follow up query, is it common for kids to fall asleep in AO in the evenings? Is there a designated area where they can crash until their parents arrive? Thanks ?

Are cocktails able to be ordered from any bar onboard, or just certain designated bars? e.g. if I feel like having the cocktail of the day and I'm in, say, the pub, will it be made there?

Got my first cruise as a parent coming up in October (Explorer out of Sydney, 27/8/18) and was wondering what parents do with their kids' Seapass cards. My children are aged 3 and 5 and prone to, how shall we say.... carelessly misplacing items of importance. So the plan is for wifey and I to look after their cards while they are with us, however what do people do when the rugrats are in AO? Is it a requirement that they have their Seapass card with them? And if so, does anybody have any tips for making sure the cards do not go walkabout? Thanks all!

I find chicken to be very therapeutic. Especially after a big night out, a couple of spicy wings really put me at ease ?