mnovak61

Does anybody know if I buy the shore excursion for the wave runner tour on GSC if that would get me priority tender time?  I've been reading that the tender situation does not go very quickly at that port.

That link doesn't work for me.  Don't they do meet and greet's on the Sky? It looks like they don't have any scheduled for any of the cruises on that ship.

1 additional question. We will have to switch the bottles to a carry on bag to take them on the ship, correct?

They have bags specially made for flying with wine. It can carry as much as a full bottle if broken. I wrap wine in that, then wrap them in a towel. For this situation, you could also buy in the airport duty free and carry it on the plane, or my #1 suggestion, buy it when you get to Miami. Save the hassle and concern.

Where would I buy it duty free? In MIA? Do you know of any big liquor stores on the way to Port Everglades?

I know the policy is 2 750ml bottles per stateroom but my question is how does everybody pack their bottles for the trip? We are flying in to MIA so I would assume they would have to go in my checked luggage. Any tips on getting this done safely?

I received the offer yesterday too and yes it is a Casino Royal offer. I don't know why they sent it to me because besides playing the blackjack tournaments I don't really gamble on a cruise. I called to check it out and was told that yes you have to pay the taxes and port charges (and gratuities $13.50 per day) which came out to $110 plus ($94.50) for Allure on a western route. Since you only are paying taxes it is FULLY REFUNDABLE up until the day of the cruise. Airfare from Chicago is running around $350 - $400 so for less than $600 all in I have a 7 day cruise!

We just got off the ship Sat 2/4 and we had Star Wars The Force Awakens, Star Trek Beyond was cancelled with no explanation so every body showed up and waited but nothing happened they pulled it off of the Royal IQ Cruise Compass too, Ghostbusters(The new one with the girls that flopped at the theaters), and Sully.

Sabor is a la carte pricing with no cover charge.

One on deck 15 at Mini Bites another in the Windjammer on deck 15 and 2 machines by Sorrento's on deck 5.

OK, Day 5 was a sea day. We woke up around 8am and went down to Johnny Rockets for breakfast. They have made to order omelets and it does not cost any extra for breakfast. I ordered an omelet and some pancakes. The omelet came out a little better than warm but it was really cooked through. The pancakes unfortunately came out so cold that the butter would not even melt on them so I asked the waiter for another order thinking they would make an effort to get them a little warmer this time. Wrong! Cold again so we just got up and left. I just can't find a good place for breakfast! We headed for the pool after that to lay out and get a little more sunburned. They had the belly flop contest this afternoon. Kind of different with no fat hairy guys but there was a girl entered in this one. Didn't see who won though. Played a couple rounds of trivia and went to get dressed for our 2nd formal night and it was Lobster night too. Dinner was very good and like everyone else does, I think we have the best waiters on the ship! Stopped up at Trellis bar for a couple of great drinks and then went see the Love and marriage show. HILARIOUS! 4 couples and the older 2 couples just cracked us all up! Went down to the casino to donate some more money after that while we waited for the 10:45 headliner act. Greg London. If you just read my previous post you know I didn't think he was very good. The theatre was pretty empty and he had no problem letting us know about it more than once. Went up to deck 16 and walked around a little bit before calling it a night.

Headliner on this cruise was Greg London and I didn't think he was any good. Broken down Vegas lounge act. (In my opinion.)

I will check on Sabor tomorrow.

OK back to the day by day. Yesterday was Falmouth, Jamaica. We decided to try the main dining room for breakfast this morning. Big Mistake! I think half the ship had the same idea and we waited at our table with our menus for about 20 minutes before the waitress took our order. Then it took so long for the food to come out some people at our table almost had to leave for an excursion before they ate. The food finally came and they ate really fast and headed out. Made to order omelet that I ordered was cold by the time I got it. We are not having much luck with breakfast so far. (Wait for tommorrow!) We finished and went ashore. Nice little port but if you want to do any sightseeing or go to a beach you have at least a 30 - 45 minute drive to get there. We just walked around the port checking out the shops. $27 bucks for a t-shirt at Harley Davidson and $29 at Margaritaville. That's my souvenir shopping knowledge. I was looking for a deal on a watch and they try to make it look like you get a great deal (especially the ones on the ship) but I can find those cheaper on the internet and have them sent right to my door. We got back on the boat and went to Windjammer for lunch. It was pretty good so maybe things are looking up on the food front. Finished lunch and got a drink walking back to try out The Ultimate Abyss. Are you scared thinking about it? It wasn't bad at all. From the looks of it you can make out the drop to be much scarier in your head than what it actually is. Now I can say I did it! We hung out on the back of the sports deck and watched the ship sail away from Jamaica. Next we found the trivia in the schooner bar. We joined in with some other people to make a team and played a couple of different rounds coming up 1 point short both rounds. I don't want to spoil the surprise about what the fabulous prizes are though. After trivia it was dinner time in the main dining room. It was the BEST dinner of the week so far! The Thai Curry Chicken was very delicious! I really like having the same table and waiters for the whole week. After the first night they always had our drinks coming out as soon as we sat down. They really make an effort to get to know you and it really makes you feel good! After dinner we sat out in Central Park by the trellis bar and had a couple of drinks before heading down to the casino and donating some more money. Then we had the 1887 ice show rescheduled for tonight after one of the performers got hurt the first night of the cruise. Good show but I think i liked the first one (iSkate) a little better. We walked around the ship some more after that and made another. They have the coke machines, 2 of them, right outside of Sorrentos Pizza on deck 5. Now we don't have to keep going back to deck 15 to Mini Bites or the Windjammer. Called it a night at about 1am and slept like a baby! Sea Day tomorrow!

Yes, you use your set sail pass that you print out at home and bring it with you to board the ship. They scan the barcode on that like it is your sea pass card.

Yes the Labadoozee is included in the drink package. They had it pre-made in a cooler and they just added rum to it so I'm not exactly sure whats in it. I'll check that out tomorrow and let you know. So far every drink we have ordered has been included in the package and there have not been any extra charges added to our bill. Best drinks by far have been at the Trellis Bar in Central Park.

We have traditional dining at 6pm and so far the food has been pretty good.

We got on the ship at about 12:30pm and the rooms were opened by 1pm.

Today was our stop in Labadee. We started off with breakfast in the windjammer lounge again and I'm still amazed at how rude people are. I am trying to just let it slide and not let it get to me on vacation but it just doesn't stop. Besides the people the windjammer it was a good breakfast this morning. We are going to try the main dining room tomorrow morning though. When we got off the ship we took the water shuttle over to Columbus Cove and spent the morning over there. I have 3 words of advice now everybody. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! If you haven't guessed it I got a little sunburned today and we had SPF 15. Columbus cove was very nice with a sandy beach and the lunch was right there across from the beach. The bar there was a little light on what they stocked in liquor. Just rum, vodka, and beers. The labadoozee was pretty good! If you want a float for the water they charge $20 for the day plus a deposit so you bring them back. We left a little early to beat the rush back to the boat but the tram back was everybody for themselves to get a seat. When we saw it coming people came in from all sides jumping in front of everybody that was waiting. Some people that didn't get the last one missed this one too! I'm still trying! We got back aboard and showered off all the salt water and went up to deck 15 for a drink and to ride the Ultimate Abyss. Nice ride, not too scary. Now I can say I did it! Maybe the waterslides tomorrow. Had a nice dinner in the American Icon main dining room and went to see Grease tonight. Very good show. A little different than the movie but that was good because it wasn't the same thing that we all have already seen. Recommend this one for everybody. Donated a little money to the casino after that then went up to deck 15 to watch out on the water for a while, and called it a night. It's only day 3 and after waiting for this vacation to come for almost a year I am now dreading it being over and going back to the cold again. We might have to see the Next Cruise people and get something else set up to make the last couple months of winter back home a little more bearable! See you tomorrow after Jamaica!

Yes we are on the western route. I think you mean the cruise compass right? I will scan them in when I get home and post them on this thread for you

One more thing I wanted to mention to everybody that has been watching the threads about drink packages. In the 2 days on the ship so far we have never been charged anything extra above the package for a drink (you can check your account on the tv in your room) and the bartenders are using some pretty good liquor, (Crown Royal, Patron, Kracken Rum) and they have been delicious!. We also have never had to sign for any drinks except in the casino bar and Boleros.

I forgot to talk about the fact that we had to turn around yesterday evening and head back to Miami because a passenger had a medical emergency. We never found out what it was but I hope they were OK. Day 2 started with breakfast in the Windjammer Buffet. It was as good as you would expect but I would suggest an omelet or fried eggs if you want your eggs to be hot. We had our meet and mingle this morning and it was fun with Hugo from the activities staff talking to us and handing out the raffle prizes. We did a slot pull after that with about 40 people participating in it and we ended up with $230 when we were done and part of the slot pull was to take whatever winnings we had and put that all on black at the roulette table. We won and everybody decided we should let it ride for one more spin so we did that and won again! We turned the slot money into over $900 and we all cashed out with $22 and the top 2 winners each got an extra $5. It was a very entertaining way to spend some time with new friends. We went to mini bites to grab a little food to hold us over until dinner and that did the trick. After that we laid out by the pool until it was time to get ready for dinner. The first of 2 formal nights. Dinner was much better tonight except for the fact that I forgot to bring a pair of dress shoes and had to wear my gym shoes with my suit! What a dork! After dinner tonight we had the ice show that was supposed to be 1887 but during last nights show one of the skaters got hurt and they had to do a different show tonight called iSkate. It was very good! Short (30 minutes) but good. Next we went back to the room and changed clothes then went to do a little more exploring. We played some ping pong and miniature golf before we went down to the comedy show. The comedian was Al Romas and he was pretty good. A lot of picking on the crowd so don't answer back to any questions he calls out or it could be you getting made fun of all show long. Walked down the promenade after the show and it felt deserted again. Got a couple drinks at Boleros and called it a night after that. Labadee tomorrow.

Here are some first impressions of Harmony of the Seas since boarding yesterday. Security was the biggest wait time while boarding. We arrived at the terminal around noon and it took about 15 minutes to get through the screening. They had 5 or 6 scanners but were only using 3 and I don't know if they opened the other ones as the lines got longer or not. Check in took only a couple of minutes and we were off to board. They must have just started the boarding and were still calling boarding numbers but we joined the end of the line and we were on the ship in about 10 minutes after snaking through the line. BEAUTIFUL SHIP! We headed to Park cafe for some lunch and there was a little bit of a line but not too bad. When we were finished the line was all gone. Right next to Park Cafe is the Trellis bar and we went there next to get the vacation officially started. This should be everybody's first bar to get a drink at! See Cat the bartender and ask him for his special Miami Vice. You won't be disappointed! We had the announcement that the rooms were ready so we dropped off our carry ons and went exploring. Next was the muster drill and we had A2 which was in the vitality spa and had NO seating available. They wanted you there about 30 minutes before the most boring video of the emergency procedures started and it was very hard to stand there and watch! When that was FINALLY over we checked out some of the ship and ended up on the wing in front of the solarium for the sail away. Nice spot to watch everything. We were number 3 to leave of 5 ships leaving port. Watching the other ships was one of the best parts of sail away. After a couple of sail away drinks it was time for dinner. Now I have to do my complaining. The line for the dining room to open was crazy! People are so rude! They all seem like they have to be the first ones to get a table and look out if you're in their way. The waiter showing us to our table didn't know where he was going and when we finally found our table it turned out to be very bad news. I ordered the baby back ribs and it was like chewing on rubber. Everything else at dinner was great but those ribs were the worst! After dinner the ship was like a ghost town. I don't know where all the people went but there were no more lines for anything! It was great! We ended the night with The Fine Line show and except for watching a guy twirl around in a circle for 20 minutes at the beginning it was a pretty good show. All in all a pretty darn good first day.

Does anybody remember the times for the food service? We were there once before and by the time we went for lunch they were cleaning everything up and we ended up with a couple of burgers that were like leather!

Thanks for your answers but I was looking for an e-mail address to try and get this taken care of before we board. Is there a hotel/cabin e-mail for guest requests?

Does anyone know the e-mail for royal caribbean cabin configuration? We have a small group in 3 cabins and would like to make sure the beds are split apart in 2 of them.

Thanks!

I just noticed on my cruise planner that is says we have traditional dining with an 8:30pm seating time. I would like this changed to the early seating time and was wondering if this is something I can contact guest services about or does it have to go through the travel agent?

If your biggest fear is weather preventing you from joining the cruise on time pick one with a strong "missed connection" benefit. For example, this is from a TravelSafe plan:

 

"MISSED CONNECTION

If You miss Your Trip departure because Your arrival at Your Trip destination

is delayed for 3 or more hours, due to:

a. any delay of a Common Carrier (the delay must be certified by the

Common Carrier);

b. documented weather condition preventing You from getting to the

point of departure;

c. quarantine, hijacking, Strike, Natural Disaster, terrorism or riot.

We will reimburse You, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount shown in the

Confirmation of Benefits, for:

a. Your Additional Transportation Cost to join Your Trip; and

b. Your Prepaid expenses for the unused land or water Travel Arrangements."

 

So you'd have $2500 per person for the cost of catching up with the cruise plus the value of whatever days of the cruise you missed. Any additional hotels/meals/phone calls/etc would be paid by a separate travel delay benefit.

 

This plan would let you cancel for an illness in the family that's serious that you have to stay home and take care of the situation. TravelSafe does not apply the pre-existing medical condition exclusion to NON-traveling family members, which is nice. And your diabetes, if the medication you're taking has not changed in the last 180 days and the doctor would call you "stable" you're probably not pre-existing either.

 

http://www.travelsafe.com or through insuremytrip and the tripinsurancestore.com also offers it.

I've been on 10 cruises but they were all in the summer or spring break with the kids. This time it's Jan 28th and who knows what could happen. I think for the most part we are both pretty healthy but you never know what can happen. I talked to Steve again and we can have everything covered for something like $138 total for both of us so I think that's the price for peace of mind and it should be worth it. Thanks to you all for the quick responses and great help!

Today is final payment due date and I still don't understand this travel insurance business. I talked to Steve at the trip insurance store and I still don't understand. Maybe some seasoned traveler here could make a suggestion and I will look into it further. We are both 55 years old, I have type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent) no other medical conditions. We have one parent who is older and could have something come up that would make us cancel the trip. My biggest fear here is the weather because our cruise is scheduled for Jan 28th and we will be flying out of Milwaukee. Does this give enough info for somebody that understands trip insurance to make any suggestions?