nimbex1970

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sure if I called customer service to book, this would have been smoother, but I am used to just using online with other lines, where you input it and it automatically reduces the price. Not so here, now I need to wait until the 45-day mark, to ensure I get the Florida discount, a slight aggravation.

For those new folks to virgin voyages like me, who book online, this is what I found out. I hope this helps save you money. We paid in full for the 10 % discount, then had a Florida resident 10 percent discount. When we received the email, those discounts were not applied. So I called today, one day later and the full payment discount will now be applied within 7-10 days and the sailing discount for Florida residents will be applied 45 days before sailing. If I didn't ask, it was not applied. Maybe this is well-known to experienced virgin voyagers, but for us new folks, I would have missed the savings. Happy cruising all!

can I use the spa, without booking services for free?

After almost 20 cruises, I needed something different to plan after our upcoming May Wonder of the Seas. So we booked two NCL Transatlantic to new to us ports. Still wasn't feeling a huge change in the cruising style after reading about NCL, but we are keeping those for the new experience. Now I needed something for this November and somehow selected the Virgin Voyages link. I have read through so many pages, then came across Sid's review of the cruise he won (thanks tribe). I knew right then and there it was time to book Virgin Voyages. So today, we are now booked and hope this is our new "go-to" cruise line. I want to thank everyone here on these boards, your input and time spent really help others and I find you all Magnificent!

Thank you, I require both a renewal and a name change, When I called, a birth certificate is the remaining document thats needed for some dang reason. I'm still fighting with Albany NY to get one, so I'll run out of time. Luckily I'm good for may, after a name change on my cruise documents. Next sailing is November. These delays are being blamed by covid when I call NY, it's crazy. Appreciate the update.

hoping the time change from Alaska will keep me moving shall see.

I have gone six months with three cruises sitting in my completed list on crown and anchor and they haven't been able to update me from emerald. I don't know how many calls, emails, and whatnot I have done. Their customer service stinks.

ok, so slightly off the topic, yet similar... If I am on the cruise with my adult children, can I just put a set amount from my credit card on to their account at boarding, or do I have to go to guest services, and wait in that dang line? Thanks in advance.

I appreciate the heads-up. This is crazy though. Without online service, I have to physically fly to Anchorage, because there is not passport service in my town, then I have to stay overnight. Plus food and uber, added about 600 bucks to my renewal/name change. I just called RCL and had my name changed back to my passport name. (I have been fighting to get my birth certificate from NY without luck for over 3 weeks), so no way can I get this all done by May. You saved me on the May cruise, Yet the headache will still be waiting for me!

is there a pickle ball for kids?

This is unfortunately common with RCL, customer service says one thing, the website another, then real life experiences are a crazy train in between the ship and servers. It's frustrating.

There will be fewer kids, especially on the Radiance of the seas, as she is smaller with less offerings. This is a different type of cruise where you are out all day exploring, tired from the physical activities that, well aren't in OUR normal cruising. So the ship tends to be like a river cruise, where there is less to do at night, or the folks tend to hit the bed earlier than caribbean cruises. Just be aware that the excursions are very expensive, well worth it.. but expensive. It's a fabulous cruise no matter what ship, as Alaska is the true destination, not the ship. Doing the land/sea is a must if you are flying to get your money's worth. The train is amazing.

I tip $5 per bag at the port, well everywhere basically. My bags are heavy and roughly 70 to 75 pounds each. I live both in florida and Alaska. I drive to the port with the heaviest bags, hopefully only 3 and when we fly from Alaska, Alaskan air lets us do 75 lb bags. So those babies are a toll on a persons back. 3 bags, I round up to $20 bucks.. I'm NOT lifting those suckers, lol. That's me and my tipping practice, to each their own.

Chef table CAN sell out before you sail. What the genie can do then, I don't know. You will get refunded the cost on the cruise if you go this way. While I love chef table, it is the same menu and they will accommodate allergies and preferences through the genie. I don't know if I would do this twice in one cruise. We did it on both legs of a B2B and while the service and familiarity with the staff were great, it just wasn't for us to repeat the second time. Food for thought.

yes, aussie still requires testing, not the european TA's.

I agree with this, we brought many friends of my children through our past 19 cruises. Some we paid for, some they did, it all worked out and they managed to find a group of folks to hang out with. Our oldest with social anxiety really benefited from this, and they had their own room, which was a perk for them. See if this is an option.

I understand the frustration. Traveling with the grandkids in May on the WOS and no way 645 would work for them. That puts us in the Windjammer every night for dinner. We enjoy the dining room and would be frustrated to miss it. Plus we would need the earlier shows, which would be a no go, if we just sat down at 645. The specialty dining is no different, I pay extra for 7 people and we still can't get the times we want. It really affects the entire cruise planning. I have two NCL booked for transatlantic as I didn't want to mess with RCL dining mess for 20 days. Still love RCL, but I hope they figure this out soon. Me, I think it's staffing, because this worked pre covid, but that is me guessing.

we did NCL for Hawaii, no sea days. Just an option

join the meet and greet on this site for sailing and have your "kid" make an intro. likely same age folks on there to "meet" up with prior to sail.

we have a 19 day coming up. The laundry service on board is boil and toast. seriously, so I won't consider using it as I have with B2b. So we are just taking 3 suitcases and paying for the extra bag each. You are going to need walking shoes, a jacket that is lined with a water breaker layer to not take more than one jacket.. a sweater to layer... all with bathing suit, dinner wear... bring three slacks of the same color and 5 shirts... wash them in your tub. Hang dry.

we rented a jeep to explore. The beaches to the west and desert to the east. google jeep rental near the port, for 4 people its a bargain compared to anything royal offers in excursions. Mind you gas prices are like 6 to 7 a gallon, it's still worth it. The driving is on the same side as the US and it's failry well marked. We stayed in Aruba for a week and never got lost. Best way to have control over your day here... motto is one happy island.. and it's true.

NAILED it! I would be satisfied not enthralled, but satisfied with a 3. I want better, I pay for specialty dining... which I could debate to the nth degree with the price point of the cruise.. keep it low and now provide mediocre food. So for a lower cost of cruising (which seems crazy to say, If I wish for a better meal quality, I am paying for specialty dining), I have to be at the whim of getting the time I want for specialty dining. As the ships are moving more to this, I would happily pay for it, provided I wasn't eating at 8 pm at night, vying for an open reservation. There has to be a better solution as folks are obviously flocking to pay more for specialty dinning that want it, and they can't handle the sheer numbers.

I missed the alternatives. I know they are trying to speed up time, which is MUCH needed. Not all of us want 2 hours for dinner and asking for a quick dinner is still 75 minutes. Food is subjective and I found better luck with the appetizers, ordering two of them, then if I didn't care for dinner, I picked at it enough to be full. I don't eat dessert since the cheese platter was tossed. I don't like sweets. So dinner was quicker.. but the mains? meh! Thats me and my pallet I hate, hate buffet, but went twice and it was barely luke warm. Would have happily microwaved it myself if it was available. So meh for me on it.. I miss the alternative menu.. but alas it's gone.

I live in Florida and cruise out of Miami, FLL, and port canaveral... rarely jacksonville. The port of Miami is the worst with the baggage handlers at the port. They are sometimes assertive, and sometimes aggressive. I pack VERY heavy bags as I don't fly, like 75 pounds each, and tip $5 a bag, They still balk sometimes. It's a racket and I agree with the OP that this could happen. This is reported to the port authority I believe, although unless folks complain in droves, I don't see things changing.

THis is the most true statement of the port of miami.