The tricky part is this summer they put drink packages on sale at 50% off for sailings primarily until the end of the year. I don't remember seeing such a deep price cut in the past. Since I don't care about wifi it would likely be cheaper to book cruise only then buy the drink package on sale and pay the gratuities.
But will they continue to put the drink packages on sale in the future only time will tell.
Celebrity increased our bill more than $60 per person. So far Princess hasn't increased our bill for a cruise with them stopping in the Bahamas. Per my TA Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are the only cruise lines passing the added expense on to those already booked.
We've done a Miami SBS that were docked next to each other and just walked. Miami is more of a straight line with little for obstacles.
I've read accounts of people that used the shuttle at Port Everglades and some were fine with it and others thought it was a big hassle and wished they had cabbed it.
Many different cruise lines offer the same excursions. If I want more detail about an excursion I check to see if Princess offers the same excursion, Princess provides much more detail, timing for each segment of the excursion and details regarding the vehicles used.
It doesn’t matter if the ship hasn’t visited a foreign port. If they allow him to board they will be transporting him from one US port to another US port. It would only be legal if your cruise goes to the ABC islands. Or Colombia.
Does the cruise originate in NJ? If so they likely won’t allow him to join in Florida, that would be a PVSA violation to board in Florida and disembark in NJ.
It's quieter, has nice cushy loungers and sofas. Has a bar and table service lunch. Don't remember what kind of water is in the pool. If there are kids in a suite there will be kids.
For me the Beyond could maybe be worth it since I will not cruise in an infinite veranda I'd rather just have a window if that were the case. And the Retreat amenities on Beyond (E class ) are nicer than S or M class.
But at the rate things are going who knows what the amenities of the Retreat will be in 2025.
How do you measure the loss of the Retreat Sun Deck and Lounge. Did you include the cost of upgrading the drink package to premium for CC? And the suite also offers better wifi doesn't it? And the size of the room and an actual balcony.
My guess is that it goes back to when the happy hour was held in a venue and needed to be staffed. The first day of a cruise has so much extra work that they didn't have the staff to offer it. Now that it's done at the actual bars that wouldn't apply much any more. But if they never did it before why would they need to start now?
I have heard of people disembarking early in Naples, so I don’t think Italy has a law similar the PVSA in the US so catching up to the ship in Naples shouldn’t be a problem.