LuCruise

1 hour ago, ajtaylor29 said:

You can ask to be seated at a two-top for dinner and i'm sure they'll accommodate your request!

We always request our MDR dining preference at booking time.  We simply ask for a table for just ourselves and never had an issue.  This is true whether it's just DH and me for a table for two, or if we are with our kids for a table for four.

3 hours ago, Tlbecker1 said:

To me it is the Windjammer that has the best flow.  Everyone is not in the same sections and it isn’t as crowded due to the layout.  

We just got off Odyssey and this is the first time we never had an issue finding a seat (including departure morning).  Not sure if people were elsewhere, but it was a nice change.

Been on both (just got off Odyssey) and loved both. My favorite is Symphony, but since you've been on Symphony, and also on Harmony, I'd recommend giving Odyssey a try for something different. It's very modern beautiful ship. For outside spots, it's mostly pool deck and one above but you also get beautiful views from Two70 and Solarium. Odyssey is missing the Aqua show and ice rink (and Broadway show) but still has two very good production shows, plus tons of activities. 

Let us know what you decide. 

This might be a bit of a strange question but I'm reading the details of the Tail Coaster at Labadee, and it says that long hair must be tied back in a bun.  Can anyone confirm they have this rule when you are there?  My daughter does have long hair but doesn't typically wear it in a bun so just checking as she'll need to  figure out how to hold it up as such if so.  Thanks.

CoCo Cay is a stop on a few of our cruises.  We've been there twice and we purchased it for the last time for our upcoming cruise.  Our kids aren't big beach people and we'll be on Odyssey (without slides) so it's a fun day for them for something they can't do on the ship.  Having said that, the price hit our limit but we bought it on Black Friday last year so when it was 50% off.  Going forward though, unless prices come down to what it used to be, they will enjoy the big pool and a bit of beach time.  It is a fun place for them though. (For DH and I, we go in the wave pool but not the slides but don't mind sitting in the area).

We had a specialty restaurant booked for our March cruise.  I noticed the price went down so I cancelled and then tried to rebook but it's not letting me for the same time (which now shows again) or for another time within the timeframe.  Although the order history shows cancelled, it's still showing as Reserved so it thinks there is a conflict.

Does this normally take time for it to drop off?  Hoping we don't lose the time that we wanted.

12 hours ago, Tlbecker1 said:

It also depends on when you book.  If you are looking for lower prices, than make sure when the ship/itinerary is released, book it!

That was, and probably still is, true.  Unfortunately the starting prices for the newly released cruises for 2025/2026 are also way up there.  We ended up booking an older ship with no bells and whistles with our kids (who will be 16 and 20 by then so they say they are ok with it) as ships like Harmony, Oasis, Adventure, Independence, etc were 2k more and up to over 7K CAD for a family of 4 in an inside room.  Mind you, this is xmas but still insane as the OP's thread.  I know since it's xmas it doesn't help but still, it's a lot.  Sadly, I think  your comment is true as well as even from starting price, it will only go up (and has already).  

P.S. - We will also check the shorter cruises as an alternative when they are released in Feb, but not expecting any different.

26 minutes ago, texmex.ferr said:

We've had problems with the app for previous cruises.    The solution was to uninstall and reinstall the app on our phones, and it should resolve the issue.    There may even be an update required too.

 

We had an issue with the app whilst we were onboard one of our cruises.   I could only see spending for my account, and not for DH (I am usually main account holder).   Visited Guest Services they tried to rectify problem, and couldn't, then called IT Manager onboard, if we used her phone, I could log into my account and see all the info, but it still had the issue using my phone.    She tried everything to correct the issue, we were there for over 3 hours, and still didn't get a solution.    Later that day, on checking my app, it was all working fine!!!!     The wonders of Royal IT systems.   😂

Uninstall and reinstall didn't do anything.

Ugh...that's horrible that it wasn't working on the cruise.  Sounds like something on your phone.  Thank goodness it worked for you later that day.

For us, it is definitely account  related...and only on the app.

DH actually managed to re-install the previous version of the app on his phone as he was able to tell that a new version came out this past Friday and that's when it stopped working.  The previous version worked for him.  I didn't do so and low and behold, it worked Monday afternoon.  Who knows...why.  I did email them with all the details as suggested, but have not gotten any response.  Hopefully it stays working.

56 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

appfeedback@rccl.com for any issues

Thank you!  Let me try them.  Now DH can no longer sign in either. 😞

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

Did you try and update it? Some had to uninstall and or download it to get to health questions in my group boarding today.

Yes we did all that.  But don't think that mattered as my husband can sign into the app on my phone no issues.  It's something with my account on the app (i.e. my account doesn't work on my phone or on his phone).  And I can sign in to the cruise planner on the computer no problem.

I was fine until Friday but since then i cannot sign in to the app. 

I am fine signing in to cruise planner on the computer.  

My husband can sign in to the app using his account on my phone.

If I try to sign in to the app on my phone...or his phone...it spins and spins looking up our reservations.

Anyone else?  We are on a cruise end of December and I am the main account holder so need to have this resolved.(e.g. My husband doesn't see our kids reservation as they are in a separate room)

3 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

They moved it. On the Select a Different Cruise pane, scroll to the bottom and click "Let's add it now" for "don't see your cruise?"

Then at the bottom of that pane there's the familiar "Browse our ships" link.

Thanks so much!  I saw the "Lets add it now" but figured that was just for booked cruises.  

Wondering if they removed this option from the Royal App, or if I'm just not seeing it.  You used to be able to view the cruise planner for any cruise by returning to the main menu and selecting a ship and then date.  When I try now when in my own booking, if I select the person and then "Select a different cruise", it only lets me open the planner for any booked cruises.  

Did they remove this ability?  Or there is some other way to get there that I am not seeing?  

Thanks for the reply!  Will look up where Adrenaline Beach is.  Sounds like a good location.  And thanks for the warning about the rocks.  Are all areas at Labadee like that?  We have an 18 and 14 year old.

This may be a bit of an odd question but was thinking about logistics for our upcoming visit to Labadee.

We signed our kids up for the Tail Coaster ride early in the morning at 10am.  As a comparison, I know that CoCo Cay loungers go fast so wondering if it's the same at Labdee and have some questions.

Questions

1. What is the best free area for beach time?
2. Is it near the Tail Coaster?
3. Will we have issues getting loungers?  Or should we try and go a bit early to grab a couple? (Also don't want to be a chair hog...guessing the Tail Coaster doesn't take long though).  Originally I was thinking we would just go to the Tail Coaster when we arrive but also want to make sure we have somewhere to sit during the day that is decent.

Thanks.

Anyone been to Wonderland on Wonder?  Sounds like the experience is different by ship.  We have it booked for the experience (food seems a bit weird but wanted to try it at least once).

Only dinner is offered.  Curious what ships offer it at lunch?

6 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

@LuCruise having sailed from Galveston in January I can inform you of one thing.  The first sea day and the last day headed home the temperatures were cooler than a sailing from Florida. We didn't lay out by the pool, but maybe with global warming in the last decade has made this less of a concern.

 

 

Thanks for the note.  I actually didn't realize that from Galveston as assumed it was similar to Florida.  We've cruised on Anthem out of New Jersey before so not a huge deal for us (mind you, Anthem was made for cold weather).

26 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

People will have varying opinions (and to each his/her own) but I would feel the same way. We'll be D+ after our next cruise and I'm looking forward to our new/increased perks.

Congrats on just about making D+

6 hours ago, joeyancho said:

My 2 cents part 2:

If price is a concern,  have you considered a different cruise line?  We are diamond plus on Royal.  So we give up quite a few perks if we cruise another line.  But after our last cruise we took a step back to assess the situation.   We were not pleased with the menu changes and the dining room service and the once per day room attendant and the skyrocketing prices of specialty dining,  etc.   We decided to cancel our next rccl cruise.  The wow factor just wasn't there anymore.   After a bit of research we decided to book a cruise on MSC.  The price was considerably less than rccl.  We have cruised with them once before and enjoyed it very much.   Most American cruisers are not familiar with their product or company.  They are a privately owned company (so they don't answer to stock holders).  They specialize in commercial shipping.  They are one of the largest in the world with over 700 ships.  Recently they have ventured into passenger cruising. They are the 4th largest cruise line and the fastest growing line in the world.   They mainly focus on the European market.  So you will find a more diverse mix of nationalities on board.  It is Italian style cruising.   The pizza is fantastic,  lol.  So if you are dissatisfied with the same old same old,  consider a change of scenery.  You might find that it is fun to "sleep around."  Bon Voyage.  

Lol...thanks. I did do a quick price check on NCL, butt only their most recent ship is released and so it was pricey too.  Can consider MCL too.  However, we just hit Diamond ourselves so feels like we should enjoy the perks. 🙂

8 hours ago, joeyancho said:

The Rhapsody holds a special place in my heart as it was the first ship I ever took a seven day cruise on.  Before that it was just weekenders. Besides the obvious differences between the ships the Rhapsody is more outwardly focused.  Meaning that there is a lot of glass so you always have a  view of the sea.  The big ships have an inward focus.  Meaning they are more centered on what is going on inside the ship.  Not that this is bad, just different.  I prefer the outward focus.  The Rhapsody is more of a classic style cruise ship.  The Harmony is more like a shopping mall or an amusement park.  One additional plus is that on the Rhapsody nothing is a far walk due to its smaller size. Being 69yo,  I like that.  Whichever you choose I am sure you will have a great time.  Being together as a family can't be beat.   

Exactly!  (Your last statement)

It sounds lovely always having a view of the ocean and outside.

Funny enough, one of my favorite things to do on a sea day is to just walk laps (with the ocean going by in the background/next to you).  Guess it will be pretty short laps on Rhapsody...lol

2 minutes ago, karebare22 said:

Just an FYI, our daughters shared an inside cabin Rhapsody. It was smaller than the inside cabins on the larger ships (only a chair instead of a small sofa for sitting, and no fridge/cooler). Cabins are clean but really overdue for an upgrade/modernization of furnishings. 

Thanks for the note.  We actually booked 2 interiors (due to huge cruise price increase overall) and noticed they are tiny.  We looked at a single spacious ocean view, which is a decent size, and for around the same price.  However, a shared sofa bed doesn't work for our kids as they will be older.  Plus figured even if small, we get 2 bathrooms with 2 rooms. 

2 hours ago, Thoenix said:

An hour only sounds far if you're not used to rural areas. For context, it's about the same amount of time as taking the subway and one bus from Yonge street to Scarborough. Very doable and I used to do it every morning for work. Another way to look at it is that it's about the same as driving from Toronto to Hamilton, depending on traffic. 

 

If you want to break that hour up, rent a car for it and stop at the Texas City Buccees. It's a truck stop/convenience store but it's an institution in Texas. Speaking as a Canadian, Buccees is wonderful and should be seen at least once if you're in Texas. It has slushies, barbecue brisket, souvenirs and the cleanest bathrooms you'll ever find. It'll make the hour drive worth it, I promise. Get a photo with the beaver statue. 

So true.  Actually my commute to work is 1hr. 🙂  I think we're just spoiled with Miami and Ft Lauderdale.

Will keep your tips in mind if we end up with booking Harmony.

3 hours ago, karebare22 said:

We had a similar dilemma. My hubby and 20ish daughters are flowrider addicts, so going on a smaller ship without one needs justification 😂! Last NYE we sailed on Rhapsody vs other bigger/newer because: price and new variety of ports (it sailed from Barbados). We made it a 13 day cruise with a back to back (to make the most of the flight).  The family knew what to expect, and we had a great time. A smaller ship was a nice change. The kids made some friends and enjoyed the pool, gym and bars. It helped that the cruise was port intensive. 

Thanks so much for sharing the other side and experience on Rhapsody.  I discussed with DH and he feels strongly they will be fine.  As you say, they know what to expect.  They will be 16 and 20 so can just enjoy the basics. This cruise has 2 ports we've been too but I think if we be sure to do something at each, plus a new port of Belize (which sounds nice), they'll be fine.  And maybe they will meet others too as you mentioned.  Appreciate the feedback.  

From the comments, considering booking a room (we always do refundable) and then make a decision when short cruises are released.  Gonna get so sick of the Roatan, Costa Maya Cozumel itinerary (minus CoCo Cay on this one).  Also dates might make a difference as for Harmony we'd have to select xmas cruise as we can't return on a Sunday before school starts up again (i.e. as in new years cruise).

For Harmony, anyone know if the sofa beds are similar to Symphony where they are more of a trundle bed?  Or are they like on Voyager class where they are a double flat mattress?  

4 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I have cruised our out of Galveston a few times and have my first B2B coming up in less than 3 weeks on Harmony out of Galveston.  The transportation to and from Houston is the biggest obstacle but it's not that big of a deal.  Both Uber and Lyft work fine for transport into Galveston and are the most affordable but there are shuttles available as well.  Ken mentioned Royal has a shuttle too.

 

In the past we have stayed overnight in Texas City.  This way we get most of the way there but avoid the high prices of Galveston hotels.  This time we're actually staying in Galveston the night before the cruise.  I managed to score a Hilton property for $125 a night on Galveston Island. Typically I have been able to find hotels in and around Texas City just over $100 and the Uber the following morning was just around 25 minutes.  

 

I just checked the Home2 suites in Texas city and the price for an overnight on the Saturday the 23rd of Dec is $123.  Even at this late date you still can get a decent price.

 

The difference in experience between Harmony and Rhapsody for kids would be astronomical.  I understand the price concerns.  However, if it was at all possible I'd chose Harmony.

 

 

 

 

Thank you!  This helps and good to know to search hotels also in Texas City.