DCGuy64

I wouldn't have purchased it, either, if it had only been for the earlier boarding time. But the "Shake for Champagne," the fresh juices, little nibbles, exclusive cocktail hour, and 2 3-hour passes to the spa thermal suite, made it a no brainer for me. Besides, the earlier we get on, the earlier we can go to Razzle Dazzle and firm up our restaurant reservations (I believe they open at 2 pm).

👏👏👏🤣

We've always enjoyed the complimentary Asian restaurants on board, but that being said, they can sometimes be overwhelmed by guests. On our last NCL cruise (November 2023) there were wait times of close to 2 hours. Maybe requiring payment will water down the crowds and make it easier to find a spot.

Wow, 2 hours IS extremely long, yikes!

Definitely sounds like VV isn't for you. We are going on a Royal Caribbean cruise in late December and then on our first Virgin cruise about a week later, so we'll compare the two. We may end up liking Virgin or maybe not. Only time will tell.

Except for that wind whipping the palm tree, 😉

We're doing a MIA cruise on the Indy OTS in December, but also flying into/out of FLL due to the cost savings. I vote with the others in this thread: do early/self-disembarkation and you'll be fine. Enjoy your cruise!

Regarding insurance claims, a few points are in order: 1. Insurance companies, before they will issue payment for a claim, want evidence, as in written documents. They aren't going to pay out because you call them and say "we got stranded at a port and had to fly/drive to the next one." They will demand documentation. 2. In case anyone attempts to lie (for instance, to say something wasn't their fault, etc.), be aware that lying on insurance forms in order to get a payment you aren't entitled to is a felony. You don't want to get into legal trouble because the facts of the case likely wouldn't support your claim and you try to pull a fast one by making things up to appear more sympathetic. When we had to cancel a vacation package in 2020 (including airfare and all-inclusive hotel reservations) due to Covid, the insurance company wanted LOTS of documentation: positive tests, original booking emails, copies of the reservation showing the cancellation policies, proof of our payments, etc. We had to document EVERYTHING. It took 2 months to get our money back, but I'm glad we had insurance. I highly doubt OP is trying to do anything wrong, so this post isn't directed at him/her. It's just a reminder that the process of filing a claim, having it approved, and receiving a payment is quite complicated. It's much more than a matter of "we missed our boat and we want compensation."

Ron knows the breakfast is free in the first place, right? 🤣

OK, I see what you're going for. Here's my take: a 72-inch (aka 6 foot) long inflatable raft might be unsafe if, say, you turned around suddenly and knocked someone's drink out of his/her hand, and having gone to a number of water parks in my day, I know some people can be careless and whack people (accidentally) with them. If VV wants to create a safe environment, they might tell you not to bring it around on deck with you. But I think you've got nothing to lose by bringing it with you, I'm sure uninflated it doesn't take up much space in your suitcase.

According to the blog, it was on 11/9/2023. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/11/09/royal-caribbean-black-friday-cruise-deals

I make it a habit not to discuss US politics while on vacation. I am happy to listen to people from other countries talk about their politics because I learn a lot. Religion can be a touchy subject: I am happy to converse with people who share my religious beliefs, but people who just want to start an argument? No, thanks. I read something online a while back that I liked and I'm paraphrasing here: "it's not that we should avoid discussing religion and politics. We need to find a way to discuss these things in a civil manner." Now, chair hogging, hash browns and bacon? Thems fightin' words! 🤣

Wow, those are really large! You said in your initial post that you don't plan to use them in the pool, did I understand that correctly? How else were you planning to use them? Just to lie down on? I'm not sure I understand how this "completes the look."

I could not agree with you more.

What a nice thing to do! 🥰