canuckgal

Consider not only embarkation day, when you drop your luggage off first thing, but disembarkation, which can be a painfully slow process with long lines sometimes. For getting off the ship, I would recommend traveling with a suitcase with good wheels, not a duffle that you may have to pick up a hundred times to move it forward in the line up. You can put your bag out the night before disembarkation to avoid this line shuffle, in which case you need a good sized carry on for your morning needs. 

Thanks everyone!

If we want to get off the ship early, can we eat breakfast on GSC after securing great chairs?  or do we have to eat first on the ship because food service only starts at lunch. I can't remember! Thanks!

If we want to get off the ship early, can we eat breakfast on GSC after securing great chairs?  or do we have to eat first on the ship because food service only starts at lunch. I can't remember! Thanks!

Four of us, in 2 cabins, are embarking on the Encore out of Port of Miami next Sunday. I got my e-docs filled out first and choose a 10:30 port arrival time. Other 3 people are at various stages of filling out their doc, my husband got a 2:00 arrival time (but we are in the same cabin).  Other cabin (my son and his wife) will get a 2:00? 3:00? Check-in, depending on when they fill out their docs.  Will they really split us up and make us board at different times? We want to get on as early as possible, but I also can only nag so much!  Thanks!

Ok, thanks everyone for the helpful info. My sister in law reminded me last night that because we are all from the west, an 8 o'clock dinner reservation will still be like eating at 5 or 6 for us, so we might go with the late seating  so it is easier to accommodate us. I will definitely make sure the travel agent links our reservations. Thanks again!

Hi, we are going a Symphony of the Seas New Year's cruise with my husband's family. My in laws booked the cruise through a travel agent, but it has fallen to me to think through some of the  on-ship details.  I have never sailed Royal Caribbean before. There will be 22 of us- what is the best way to ensure we have 2 large tables in the MDR each night at the same time. We would prefer to eat at 7pm, we find the early seating too early, the late seating too late. I know this makes it a little more difficult to arrange than just using the traditional dining.

Can the travel agent arrange this for us? Can I contact somebody on the ship ahead of time? I am worried if we aren't proactive, it will be impossible to accommodate our unique needs once we step on the ship with such a busy sailing.  Also, how do I book tickets for the water show for all of us? Again, can the travel agent do this for us? Can she book a break out room for us for an afternoon? We would like to have a card game tournament. 

Thanks for any help or advice regarding planning for a group!

Thanks- that's what we'll do!

Our family has connecting cabins on our upcoming Alaska cruise. It shows my husband in one cabin with our two boys, me in the other cabin with our two girls. I have made Palo reservations for my husband for brunch, but now when I try to make a reservation for me, that time slot is no longer available- how do we go to brunch together?? Is a reservation assumed for 2 people? If I show up at Palo half an hour early or he shows up half an hour late, will that be ok? Will it be risky as far as availability to fix it on board? Thanks for your help!

More, more!!

The ceaser was better, I really liked the dressings flavor and I put the anchovie in the lady next to me's drink when she wasn't lookin. JK LOL

 

kev:cool:

TOO FUNNY!! that reminds me of this scene from Mr. Bean's Holiday!

Yes, that is what struck me about this story- trying to save a couple of hundred bucks to not have the night or 2 stay, but then having to spend HUGE bucks to get to the ship. (of course for some they are trying to save time off of work, which is a bit different).

Some friends of ours flew Calgary to Vancouver and then next day were off to Europe. But when they got to Vancouver, they discovered the passports were back home in Calgary. A friend had to break into their house and buy the passports a last minute plane ticket ($$$$) to get them there on time. But what "cost" them the most, was that they spent the rest of the trip fighting over whose fault it was!!

Ugh- this is the thread now when a noob asks "is this flight plan okay?" !!!

i will chime in with my "usuals":

-Febreeze- for stinky sneakers, freshening up clothes you don't wants to launder yet, and the bathroom

-Tide stain pen- cruising=eating, it's inevitable, and the onship laundry service might not catch something that might stain

-Ginger candies from the Ginger People (no they don't pay me!!)- for when you're queasy, but not enough to take meds. (also yummy!!)

-small bag or backpack to drag sun stuff and book to the pool, and for shore excursions

-and YES!! to small bills