TX_Atlantis_Cruiser

In August we used the Royal transfer via bus to Bologna train station which was easiest and likely cheapest as we didn't have to take a taxi to the Ravenna train station 

I was on Wonder last July and spent several evenings at the Trellis Bar in CP and wasn't bothered by the big screen at all so even if it presents some noise during the day, I think it is not a problem after dark. I have stayed in CP Balcony cabins on other Oasis ships and have loved it each time, looking out on the park while sitting on the balcony is unique to these ships and to me almost as enjoyable as an oceanview balcony

Happened to our August 27 Explorer cruise as well which is a bit disappointing as original itinerary was a fantastic one.  We're making lemonade out of it though as we're embracing the visit to Athens since it's a new port for both of us and to make up for it we're going to fly to Mykonos for a few days post cruise.  Actually it is now a fantastic vacation trip so we're not the least upset about the change.

I have been on Allure and Harmony and now Wonder and by far loved Wonder for the Suite Neighborhood!  Nothing can beat the setup in the suite area that comes with all of the other fun stuff on an Oasis class ship. Out of all of my many cruises, my cruise on Wonder of the Seas in the Med this past July was my absolute favorite

I guess my friends and I should count ourselves very lucky as we are booked on the July 3rd cruise out of Barcelona and got notice last week that our side by side 1 bedroom Grand Suites on Deck 10 on Allure were switched to Grand Suites 1714 and 1716 on Wonder so we're still next to each other and got what appears to be the slightly larger balconies due to the curve on that deck.  Haven't gotten the new pricing invoice but expect with the price hold, we should be looking at the same price tag.

All in all, we're super excited about the switch and experiencing the Suite Neighborhood life!

17 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I thought that since the ship does not leave the EU, you pay VAT throughout the cruise (in port and at sea). And that you should purchase pre-cruise to avoid taxes. 

I'm on a RC Allure cruise from Barcelona this July and have pre-purchased the bev package for exactly this reason--the package and/or any drinks bought on board would include the VAT but pre-purchasing avoids it

Another vote for Schooner Bar with a party of that size

As others have said the OP likely is not returning to read any more of this thread, but just for the record someone just posted on the Carnival boards that they are set to sail this coming Sunday and their father was just put in hospice not expecting to make it Monday. Their options are the same with Carnival as the OP's were with Royal and the advice on the thread reads almost the same as this one. Shoulda bought insurance because now you are out of luck as Carnival likely won't make an exception to their policy. Regardless of what you think about "big corporations being heartless" and all of that, bottom line is you always self-insure whether that means you buy a policy or you risk losing your entire vacation. 

I pre-purchased my drink package for my Med cruise out of Barcelona this summer when I found out that if purchased on board, the VAT tax would be added so it is definitely cheaper pre-cruise.

I've used it several times and never had a problem, luggage showed up on the carousel every time. Just make sure that you don't pack something you need for the flight home like clothing items (one traveling companion forgot to leave out socks) cause you don't see the bags from the time you put them out until you collect them at the destination airport.

I've done ziplining twice on cruises, once in Mazatlan and once in St Lucia three years ago and I agree with all who said that the standard procedure was either to not hookup the next person or to hold the next person physically until the person in front was clear of the platform. Don't recall how this was communicated but it was--likely two way radios. Given this, there apparently was a mistake made that allowed the second person to go when the first wasn't clear which is an unfortunate accident.

For those who are pointing fingers at Royal Caribbean for not ensuring passenger safety on this excursion, you might want to consider that even if RC did vet this company based on a verification visit, it is possible that the company relaxed their procedures or employees weren't following procedures. I'm not defending RC but as an auditor of safety systems myself, I've seen many times where everyone is on their best behavior for an audit and then accidents happen afterward.

Regarding restocking the bars at port: Up until a few years ago, it was very common for the ship to run out of at least one type of alcohol on the gay charters at some point during the cruise. One cruise it was Grey Goose, another it was several brands of gin and on one it was weirdly Jagermeister. When I first started cruising the gay charters in the early 2000s the running joke was that we had to stop at port to restock the bar and the excursions were optional.

I've been on both Allure and Harmony as well as Mariner, sister to Adventure, and would say that I would go with Harmony. Harmony is a different cruise than Allure and is worth doing even if you've been on Allure.

Also note that there is a strict deadline to participate which is usually mid-week. Keep your eye on the cruise compass and make note of the cut off day and time. I was planning on using Luggage Valet on one cruise as a way to get rid of the bags so we could have a relaxing morning in Ft Lauderdale and unfortunately missed the deadline so was stuck shlepping bags.

From personal experience and also from many comments on cc, Oasis class tend to have more to see and do than can be reasonably done in one week so a b2b on an Oasis especially the newest would be the ideal way to go. I've been on Allure twice and Harmony once and I still see stuff here on cc that I didn't see/do/participate in on those three cruises on Oasis class

For the gay charters, we have to follow all the same rules as the general public sailings including no public sex. Seems unreasonable to me then that charters like the swingers cruises or this one would allow public sex since Royal Caribbean should be setting the rules regardless of the charter company.

On Harmony in Jan I ate at Mini Bites for breakfast and lunch quite often. Breakfast for the made to order omelette and lunch had make your own nachos and other Mexican (Taco Bell type) offerings that were good for a quick bite without any lines and with tables with a view of the ocean.

Atlantis and RSVP gay charters have a minimum age of 18 so there are no "kids". Also these charters are usually contracted at least a year out and are very lucrative for the cruise lines as there is typically a guarantee of minimum revenue from the bars which has to be met by the charter company. On several Atlantis charters, the owner has given a free happy hour/drinks once we cross that bar revenue threshold (about halfway through the cruise week LOL). Also the charter company handles all of the reservations and then syncs up their system with Royal a few weeks before the cruise in order for passengers to get their RC reservation number to register. So the charter company does all the heavy lifting AND the cruise line is GUARANTEED certain revenue IN ADDITION TO the contracted price--definitely something a for profit company can't pass up.

I always do extensive internet research on all of the ports we are going to even though about 50% of the time I use the Royal excursions. That being said, many times folks here in the port of call boards recommend books like those by Rick Steves so even if you don't like the internet, your local library or bookstore is a ready source of DIY info for ports. Depending on the cruise line to tell you everything is not an effective means of getting info.

Another vote for the highly romantic setting of 150 CP--the experience was exceptional!

Celebrity Summit was just upgraded two years ago with some nice new amenities and even though it may be older, it is still a very classy ship with some very nice touches to make your cruise fantastic. I've been on Summit and her sister Connie and they rank among my top five ships in all of my sailings

My traveling companion and I used Luggage Valet for our chartered Harmony cruise in Jan through Port Everglades mainly because we both had late afternoon flights and this was a way of getting rid of the luggage so we could go into Fort Lauderdale to kill time before heading to FLL. This was the fourth time I've used the service and as others have said it is well worth the rather nominal cost

Also agree with using an ATM, but keep in mind that your bank may have a transaction limit on the amount (typically about $400) which carries through the weekend. Thus if you take out the max amount of Euros on Friday, you may not be able to withdraw any more until Monday.

Was just on a full-ship gay charter on Harmony last month and even considering the guys LOVE their sun, always found loungers available. Like Bob said, you may have to go up to Deck 16 but I saw quite a few open at any given time throughout the day. Harmony is so big that there is plenty of space to put loungers and thus plenty of loungers.

Not unless the steam from your shower will set off the smoke alarm, too. It's water vapor.

My cabinmate on Harmony last month was cleaning her ecig and accidentally "vaped" in the cabin. The "water vapor" lingered just like the smoke it is. I quickly opened the balcony door and had her open the cabin door to flush it from the room before it set off the smoke alarm. It is NOT water vapor, it is chemical smoke--as a chemical engineer, I know the difference. For it to be water vapor, the "juice" would have to water only.