Tin can

This isn’t my first rodeo with Royal so I should know this but do all sofa’s convert to sofa beds. Our son is getting older now (and bigger) so I think it needs to be a pull out sofa hence the question but I don’t know how to choose one. On the deck plans some rooms have an asterisk or a triangle, is that the distinction? Thanks

No, I'd draw the line at that 😆😂

Fair enough, I actually like experiencing a different crowd and culture. It's one of the reasons I shy away from UK cruise brands such as P & O as being from the UK I don't want a cruise specifically tailored for UK tastes attracting a mainly UK market. Too many new people out there to meet 🙂

Sounds good to me, I'm not sure if you have been before but Hong Kong is great. Our BA flights from Heathrow to JFK were pretty good for August for Liberty from Port Liberty but after that Bermuda and the Dominican Republic will be ticked off the list so running out of new ports and looking for something new. Thats my problem, always looking for something new 😀

Short sailings is the way it's going generally with Royal even from the UK, the way I see it is I might as well have a change of scenery from the same old Med/US ports.

There is value in sailing from China even with airfare (UK airfare anyway). I regularly sail from the US as I have done the Mediterranean too many times now but even I am getting a bit tired of Coco Cay/Nassau itineraries so I am seriously thinking of giving China a go. If nothing else it will be a bit different and If they are trying to attract new passengers with two ships then with us its working.

I was looking at Easter 2026 and there is nothing for Spectrum out of Shanghai between April 2nd and the 18th April but she has two Shanghai sailings afterwards. I notice that itineraries haven't been released for Hong Kong or Beijing yet so do you think it might be a possibility that she may change departure ports during these dates. China departures are all new to me 😳😀

Everyone has to make their own decision with this if the sailings continue according to their circumstances - cancel the cruise, stay on the ship or carry on regardless. Myself personally I’m just an average Joe from the UK the wrong side of 50 but I’m not going to be intimidated by lawless thugs. On our sailing if it calls at Labadee 100% I’m getting off to spend the day there. Foolhardy it may be and I respect everyone else’s decision but that’s the way it is for me.

it was very easy on the ship buying the transfer tickets and in fact you had to confirm your departure plans to your stateroom attendant. The actual shuttles were very well run. Not long lining up or sat on the coach before we were on our way.

It was really bad, very uncomfortable and quite a few were left at Ravenna as they couldn’t physically get on and believe me they tried 😀. It might have had something to do with the very high numbers of Italians on board our particular cruise which apparently was unusually high so more travelling domestically rather than to Marco Polo airport.

You are making the right choice getting the shuttle, the train from Ravenna to Bologna as the above poster states was very crowded. Our times were very similar to the sheet posted and everything was really well organised. Enjoy the cruise, we had a great time on Explorer last summer and really enjoyed the atmosphere on board with the mainly Italian crowd.

This is a bit tongue in cheek, but UK insurers are taking a risk when we depart our 'small European Country' to Haiti so the odds are against them for us meeting a grizzly end. The murder rate in some US states though is significantly higher than Haiti, even allowing for under reporting US insurers have better odds for some of you walking around in Port au Prince than being at home.

Perhaps but I think more curiosity, from my experience of meeting and being in their company the accolade seems to exaggerate behavioural traits. Not good or bad…. just interesting 🙂

I’ve perhaps worded that badly, I wouldn’t say formal attire was being enforced but a certain standard was being enforced (no shorts). This was on one of the first sailings out of Southampton May 2022 to the Fjords and was all nights not just formal night.

I think it's more of a cultural thing.

In our experience Royal often interprets things very differently world wide. In relation to what you have found above we have often seen people in bare feet in the MDR on Florida departing cruises but also then experienced formal attire enforced in our native UK and the Far East with Royal.

Not exactly the same but we were on Splendour of the Seas last sailing before she was sold and experienced no difference at all. I can't imagine pre dry dock would be any different.

I know this is going off topic a bit but I was wondering if US passengers get hassled at Nassau more than English (in my case) as I just don't get the general safety concerns as I certainly have never felt unsafe. I have been all over the States - LA, New York, Chicago, San Francisco to name a few and yes there are a large variety of areas just like the UK. Every time we have been to Nassau though since our first US cruise in 2002 we have met US folks who live in these cities who will not under any circumstances get off at Nassau. Each to their own of course, I just find it strange, and to be honest whilst I know there are some recent specific warnings for Nassau I'm starting to question myself whether I am missing some obvious every day danger there as we always have a great time.

I know there are some current warnings about Nassau but I think historically it may have suffered a bit from 'chinese whispers' about what lies beyond the port gates. We were in the diamond lounge discussing our plans on our last cruise and mentioned we were going to spend the day at Junkanoo beach and it rapidly turned into a full longe discussion of 'crazy Brit and you can't take your wife and son out there!'. We had a great time, yes I did have to be firm, very firm a couple of times with people but we had a great day. Perhaps our experience being English is different than if we were from the USA and the local touts and people up to no good target you folks more. Either way I have never felt unsafe or hassled in Nassau

We have done the Cape Liberty to Port Canaveral, Coco Cay, Nassau a couple of times now. We get off at every port as it’s still relatively new for us being from the UK. What I found is not many others get off and in fact next to no one at all got off at Nassau as on both occasions safety seemed to be a concern with most passengers (we have had great days at Junkanoo beach). Not a problem, everyone is free to do what they want but it seemed to create a strange atmosphere on the ship with people staying on board for 7 days especially during the two sea days on the way back. For that reason personally I would go to Bermuda.

I did the same once and just let my deposit and the payment date lapse when we couldn't sail. I had a call from Miami after a couple of weeks (bearing in mind I am UK based) to check to see if I had forgotten to pay and if there was anything they could do to assist. I'm nothing special in C & A so was quite surprised by this, maybe its because we have different booking conditions here in the UK?

I think RCI have in the past based a ship in Europe over our winter but it was a long time ago and short lived. That market now is pretty much MSC’s.

Not really recently but we were on her last summer and had a great time. She was in great shape and crew, food and entertainment we couldn’t fault. Internet though was shocking and always logging you off if that’s important to you.

Interesting, we like crepes and always keep a look out but have never seen them even on French night. Maybe we have been eating elsewhere when they have been on 😐

We have made three bids all maximum and nothing. Maybe they were offering cabins that were not available, who knows..