Cruisin'4Us

We use Private Internet Access VPN. It worked if we followed these steps: turn the VPN off, connect to Royal WiFi, then turn the VPN on.

We always make sure to use the BOGO offer for the milk shakes. :):)

Before I'm asked, just because I don't like JR burgers doesn't mean I don't like their other items. :)

An additional surcharge is that they force you to eat a burger that is not as good as those offered in the MDR at lunchtime.

(Sorry, couldn't resist.) :D

In our D1 on Anthem, the hair dryer was in a drawer, at the seating area, outside of the bathroom. I've read that some bathroom outlets are not set up for hair dryers due to the current they require. Best to use the outlet near the seating area.

My wife didn't complain about the hair dryer, so it should be fine. I don't believe you are allowed to bring your own.

To be safe, perhaps you could book KSC now, and cancel it within the time frame allowed, if necessary. I don't recall how long before the excursion you have to cancel in order to get a refund (1 or 2 days?). We are going back to the KSC for the second time in April. Royal does offer an excursion there.

I just received this email response from the Royal Special Needs Department:

"We will provide you with a mattress topper and an extension cord, at no extra cost. We do not provide heating pads onboard, however guests are welcome to bring their own as long as it has an automatic shut-off function."

Some consistency on the part of Royal would be nice.

I'll pack our heating pad with our checked luggage at the pier so it will get onto the ship. May require a trip to the (not so) naughty room to show them the email, but at least security at port check-in won't screen it out and pull it.

Thank you. You just saved me from carrying 2 bottles!

Is Champagne available by the glass (<$12)? I did not see it on the lists.

When we were on Anthem, smoked salmon was available every morning in the MDR. :)

For that price difference, I'd give the D2 a try. You can keep monitoring prices to see if the JS price drops.

There were 3 of us in a D1 It was "cozy", but not cramped or super cramped. Bring something with you so that you can put up a temporary partition between the sofa-bed and the bed. We used our strong magnets to stick a king sized flat sheet (from our stateroom attendant) to the ceiling and wall.

What happens when they skip cococay? Do they just take their time returning to NJ to use up that extra day?

Or does the ship stay anchored near the island for the day, just refrain from tendering to it?

Who cares, job done, move on

Pool attendants can make mistakes (they are not perfect) and remove the wrong towels, notes can be moved, etc. Charges may be issued to hogs as well as considerate passengers.

How does the towel removal policy work with the policy of charging for towels that aren't returned?

...Also wondering if the walls in the cabins are magnetic?

We've found inconsistencies between what security at check-in flags, and what ship board security flags as a prohibited item.

For those of you who have successfully taken heating pads aboard (within, let's say, the last 2 years), did you carry it on, or place it in luggage that was dropped off at the pier?

Conversely, for those of you who have unsuccessfully tried to bring heating pads aboard, did you wind up in the naughty room, or did you have the pad taken by security at check-in?

In addition to the things previously mentioned, we greatly missed the vast multi-level dining room. Loved the MDR in Explorer, hated the single level DR's on Anthem.

Also, we had D1 cabins on both Explorer and Anthem. Explorer's D1 had much more usable space and open feel than Anthem. All this said, we'd sail on Anthem again, but she is not our first, or second choice.

Are you actually seeing these prices now on your cruise planner page? I see nothing about a sale on my page for our cruise in August

Which ship are you on? I just logged into cruise planner for our 4/15/17 cruise on Harmony and the Deluxe is still showing $48 per day...

I agree that this sale, so far, is ship specific.

Thank you Ken. The Deluxe Beverage Package is also reduced to $38 from $44/person/day for our April, 2017 cruise.

While I previously booked this price, and the Voom at $8.99, I told people on our Roll Call about it. Thanks again for posting this.

For 2 people, we'd get the balcony cabin. 2+ people, JS.

That's crazy talk. Most travelers can't prove they paid for their clothes prior to arrival. They have to have a legitimate reason.

 

BTW - I view this as a bonus perk of insuring jewelry. If this were ever to come up, it would not be a problem. (but it never will)

I'm not sure if unscheduled items can be listed in (all) insurance policies.

I wonder if insurance covers seizure by CBP? :confused: Only half joking.

I found this on the CBP website:

"Can I register my jewelry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) prior to my travels abroad?

Only serially numbered items may be registered on the Certificate of Registration CBP Form 4457.

A dated copy of a jewelry appraisal, jewelry insurance policy or receipt can be used to prove ownership of the jewelry prior to your travels outside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection may accept a photo taken of you with the jewelry in your possession prior to your travels."

It's a shame that only serially numbered items can be registered. Since we can only register my watch, and not other jewelry, I won't bother with registration. Instead, I'll bring the other documentation listed above (and lots of pictures) in the event we are questioned.

We were stopped once years ago coming through customs in one of the Florida ports. My husband has a Rolex Submariner watch that he wears alot. The customs agent saw it on his wrist and asked if we declared it. We told him it wasn't purchased on the cruise. My husband had to take it off and show him the "scratches" or "wear marks" on the band to prove it wasn't new. That's the only time we were ever questioned.

A watch was the primary reason I started this thread. Since we don't wear jewelry often, some of it looks new. Interesting on the scratches. I'll be sure not to clean/polish/buff out anything until we get back (unless we can register it.)

Has anyone here registered their valuables with the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol prior to your cruise so that your valuables don't get flagged for Duty when re-entering the U.S.?

Were you able to find a CBP agent to sign the form before boarding the ship - if so, how did you find an agent? Or, did you get the form signed before the departure date?

Is it correct that only items with serial numbers can be registered? What do you do if an item has no serial number?

Thank you!

In 2014, the guide took us to an area, spoke about what was there, and then we had a few minutes before we moved on. Then repeat. At the end of the tour, we had time to self explore.

I recall the driver asking each of us what time we wanted to go back to the ship so he could be there. Not sure if this is still done. My guess is that the guided part of the tour was about 1.5 to 2 hours. Hope this helps.

We had a D1 on Anthem.

There are no curtains separating the sleeper-sofa from the bed. If you want a little privacy, bring about 6 strong magnets and ask the room steward for an extra king size flat sheet. Use the magnets to stick the sheet to the ceiling and wall. Some people bring a shower curtain, but less packing space to borrow a sheet.

On our sliding balcony door, there was a lock high up on the door frame. We didn't let our DD watch when we used it. :)

Have a great time!

The rep offices no longer have tickets to KSC. I tried this year and they told me KSC was taken off the approved list! It has worked in past years this is true.

 

 

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Came within 30 minutes of missing the ship due to rush hour traffic and waiting for the car rental company's wheelchair accessible shuttle. No wheelchair needed anymore, but still - never again. We booked with Royal this time. Leave KSC at least 2.5 hours before ship departure if renting a car.