SoCA6ft5

The Universal Hotels that include Express Pass (Front of line access) are Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific. Although the upfront cost may seem much higher at these resorts than the others at Universal, once you factor in the cost of having to pay for an Express Pass for 2 people (~$220-$300 a day), the overall cost is often less. 

I wouldn't suggest trying to do both Universal and Disney in just 2 days. There's just too much to see in each park.

I think you made a wise decision.  A 11:05 am flight will probably start boarding at 10:35. Then you have to factor in waiting in lines once you get to MCO. First to check in your luggage then,  unless you have TSA precheck, lengthly security lines at MCO, which can get quite long as they serve multiple airlines (about 59 gates each).  Then there's time for a people mover ride out to the terminal, followed by a sometimes long walk down a crowded concourse to your gate (we were there in July and because of weather related flight delays there wasn't much walkway left as folks gathered around the gates).

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Check in open for Jewel exactly on schedule 90 days out

Same for Odyssey.  App says our 10/17 cruise will be available for checkin on 7/19.

10/17

The old "upgrade fairy" appeared when we were moved from from the Indy to the Odyssey. Seems we hit the jackpot when RCI assigned us a cabin on the Odyssey and we went from a 2-BR Grand on INDY to the Royal Loft Suite. I'm assuming our suite benefits will stay at the originally booked "Sky" level and not also be upgraded to "Star" level.  It would be helpful for planning purposes to know for sure. Has anyone experienced an upgrade like this?  Definitely not complaining, just don't want to purchase anything that might be included if, by chance, the benefits do get upgraded. Also wondering, what happens to the Royal Genie in this case?

Just started following Chris on You Tube.  Look forward to saying hello on our 10/17 sailing.

14 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I got the new assignment today for our October cruise. I called and used the automated message because I didn’t get a confirmation email for it. When I received the email the price was $2,800.00 more than I originally paid. I called and talked to someone and she said the prices haven’t been adjusted yet, but they will be by the 18th.

I certainly hope so.  We also were upgraded from our original October cruise's category (2BDR GS) and received our new invoice from our TA showing an increase of $17,000!!!

We got moved from the Indy.  Same October dates, similar itinerary (one port change). No email as of yet, just an update on the RCI C&A website under "Upcoming Cruises."  I had been concerned that we would not get our same category, as the Odyssey only had two of them.  I was right, we scored a major upgrade. Woo Hoo!

1 hour ago, coachmike1959 said:

i have a cruise on the Indy in october and i believe it has been moved to the odyssey. MY ta is trying to find out if RCCL is just transfering us at the rate i paid or at the current price. Did they move you at the price you paid???

We checked the RCI Website yesterday evening and it's now listing our (formerly) 10/17/21 Indy cruise as on the Odyssey, with a major upgrade in cabin.  The move was automatic and did not go through our TA. I believe RCI is treating this as a vessel substitution, rather than a rebooking, so your price will stay the same.

Just a few thoughts. Expect a totally different experience. We've been on the Oasis and recently the Symphony. Both of these ships excel in entertainment. Yes, you need to reserve in advance and show up early to get the best seats, but the variety and quality of the shows is among the best out there. On the Symphony, we opted for the Ultimate Dining Package, so we ate at specialty restaurants each night, our favorite being Wonderland. For a ship this size, both embarkation and debarkation went relatively quickly. The only real feeling of "over-crowded" was during the $10 sale in the promenade, which was quite a madhouse.  Other than that, folks tend to distribute themselves throughout the ship so most areas don't seem all that crowded.. On the down side, wait times for the lifts often could be lengthy.

Of course, now that song is stuck in my head!  Look forward to your review.

1 hour ago, blueridgemama said:

Where did you get the information that it is now 200?

I would only say it's likely. Our March 30 Symphony sailing reopened the previously sold-out bookings for The Key, with a  "20% Discounted Rate" of $24.95.

4 hours ago, blueridgemama said:

 

I have read that it is suggested to wear long sleeves as some have suffered abrasion/burns on their arms from contact with the slide.

Also, try to remember to hold the mat you're sliding on with the palms of your hands up. Although this seems unnatural, it forces your elbows towards your body and away from the slide walls.

3 hours ago, mrsgthatsme said:

Thanks! Yes, this April. We are aware the water park will not be open until May... do you think there will be significant construction issues that would impact April cruisers? Also, approximately what is the cost of the zip line and coaster on Labadee? Thanks!

Hopefully others who have visited more recently can answer about the current situation at Coco Cay.  Last I checked the zip-lines at Labadee were $99  & the coaster was $26 for 1 ride, $36 for all-day access, but again, these prices may be out-of-date.

Are we talking this upcoming April?  If so, be aware the target date for the "new" Coco Cay is May 2019, so last minute construction may still be going on and not all facilities may be open. The port at Falmouth is somewhat self-contained with shopping and restaurants within the gated area. 

We found the zip-line and Alpine coaster at Labadee a lot of fun.  The more "aggressive" merchants are confined to a single area that is easily circumvented or transversed by tram.  They also have an indoor venue with "local" merchandise where aggressive haggling doesn't seem to occur.  

2 hours ago, SouthernAccent said:

The Key post is pretty saturated so I wanted to ask quickly - for my wife and I for Symphony cruise in May we just booked, would THE KEY be worth it for us? We will not use the flow rider stuff, or rock climbing. For the VIP shows can you book those seats pre-cruise? Is the priority boarding, ports, etc worth the time? 

The questions I would ask myself to determine if it's worth it:

• Do you plan to get the higher speed Surf & Stream Voom Internet? If yes, how much is it currently going for? (hint: price against 1 person, 2 devices)
• If it were available, would you opt for a relatively less hectic lunch at Chops on embarkation day? If yes, that's a $22 pp value.
• For the remainder of the cost ask yourself if it's worth that amount to you not to have to line up 30-45 minutes early to get a good show seat (reservations are for show times, but not for specific seats or section).
• Do you want to get on the ship as early as possible to explore, sit by the pool, experience the slides, etc.?
• Are you the type that wants to get off the ship in the ports as soon as possible?
• Do you plan to take your carry-on luggage with you when you board? If so, would you like to at some point before cabins are available (~1:00) to drop them off for cabin delivery?  The advantage here is, from reports, your carry-ons will be in your cabin when you get there, your port checked baggage can take some time before arriving.
• Is it worth it to you not to have to stand in a sometimes long line on debarkation day?

Life holds no guarantees, but our one experience with an Oasis class ship was an Eastern Caribbean itinerary and we didn't notice any motion.   Stick with itineraries that don't pass through the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, choose lower decks and mid-ship and hopefully you'll be fine.

16 minutes ago, marcg125 said:

If you are doing The Key on Symphony please comment on your return on the process especially embarkation day. Going this summer and I feel it will be a crazy day during embarkation.

I will get back to this after the trip.  I had already made reservations prior to The Key being offered, but will see what I can find out.

25 minutes ago, Blondiemomm said:

So apparently the reason you need the reso is because they know how many rows to reserve for key etc...if you just walk in and sit in key area you are taking up seats from ppl who reserved..I am not completely sure how it works but thats what im told...will find out for sure in 4 days!!!

This remains a big point of confusion.  The Cruise Planner for my 03/30/2019 Symphony sailing still states in its description of The Key:

• Reserved priority seating at shows in the Main Theater, AquaTheater and Studio B. No reservations required pre-cruise or onboard.

BTW: The Key apparently is sold-out for this sailing

I've only seen the financing option come up once while checking bookings and I believe it was back in October when RCI was first partnering with Uplift (a 3rd party vendor).  It was shown first on the "Select Your Room Type" page as an option.

Deck 5 jogging track port and starboard forward I believe. "In sun" may be a relative term here.

Per Cruise Planner for 3/30/19 sailing: Chops $53, 150 CP $45, Jamie's $46, Hooked $39 and Wonderland $55

Menu on Cruise Planner for Hooked is not showing an up-charge for the Whole Lobster Dinner.

I wonder how much of this is related to the purchase of DreamWorks by Comcast/NBC Universal

This is from an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article of June 13, 2018:

Volunteer.

• Connect Relief: Food distribution, home reconstruction
• Join Mission 500: Security industry professionals interested in assisting families during a Oct. 31-Nov. 4 service trip
• All Hands: Gutting, mucking, debris removal, mould sanitations, cement and CGI roofing. Two-week volunteer commitments in Barranquitas and Yabucoa available.
• Para La Naturaleza: Cleaning and taking care of ecological gardens; help endangered species
• Visit Rico: Farming, agriculture experts 
• Amigos de los Animales: Help local animal shelters find homes for abandoned cats and dogs. Volunteers can also help clean shelters and photograph animals for the organization website.
• Instituto Nueva Escuela: Help paint schools, repair playgrounds and mentor children affected by school closings and budget cuts post-Maria.
• Americas for Conservation and the Arts: Social media experts, digital/web proficient workers to help with volunteer coordination
• Chef José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen: Help cook and package fresh meals from one of the #ChefsForPuertoRico kitchens to deliver to the territory’s recovering communities.
• Explora PR: Adventure travel company with internship and volunteer opportunities geared toward outreach, summer camps, camps for children with autism spectrum disorder and more.
• Vamonos: Student-focused tour operator with volunteer opportunities related to service in orphanages, foster homes, soup kitchens, construction, environment, schools and more.

Keep watching the airfares. Sometimes flights from FLL-LAX are cheaper, but more often than not, the direct flights from MIA-LAX are less.  You will find the morning flights on the weekends (when most cruise ships are arriving) are the least expensive, but that's because few cruise passengers book them.  Although some will tell how they made it to the airport with time to spare, other can tell of times when the ship was late, when the ship took longer than normal to clear, customs was slow, etc.