PK34

2 hours ago, rhuntington3 said:

Enjoy the cruise!  I'll be doing the same in two weeks!

Thanks!  I never done the ABC’s, so pretty excited!  Enjoy yours also😄

19 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

It's listed on the front page.  Bottom right corner above 50 Years Bold.

 

Google: freedom of the seas cruise compass (click 2nd link)

Thanks!  I looked twice and missed it!!

I haven't cruised for a year (gasp!) and was just looking through Freedom cruise compasses from a month ago with the same Southern Caribbean itinerary that I'll be doing in a week :).  I could not find the suggested dress for the evening anywhere, it used to be listed with the dining times.  So I thought it might be an anomaly and pulled up recent Allure compasses and did not see it there either. 

I know people are dressing down much more than 3 decades ago when I started cruising, which doesn't bother me at all, but I might dress up one night if there is a formal(ish) night.  I'm assuming day 2 would be formal because that's when the captain's reception is.  I'm curious as to how Royal notifies its passengers about suggested dress if it's not in the compasses?  Or is it just not a thing anymore?

Soooo.....I just realized I should have called C&A to make our requests for our first cruise as Diamond+.  We are less than a week away and it says you need to request 10 days in advance.  Anyone know what happens when you don't specify an item?  I'm guessing we'll get an "Elegant" fruit or cheese tray?😂  We have the deluxe beverage package so I'm not too concerned about missing out on some wine, but curious if anyone knows what happens if a choice wasn't made.

Our genie's email was SY_GOTL02@rccl.com, so I would say you are on the right track!  I'm guessing the other genies email is SY_GOTL03@rccl.com.

4 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Challenge yourself to 'Christen' all 4 rooms. 😁

And dont forget the hot tub and dining room table. 😉

You have a week. 😉

Oh my...now my DH says we have to bid on it😂

Just curious how many are in your travel party?  We are a group of 2 being given the same options (Villa or Royal suite).  I'm not sure what we would do with the Villa which has 4 bedrooms and 4 baths!

But they do not need to be used on the same cruise 🙂  Have fun on your girl's cruise!

We also met him on the Symphony TA and absolutely adored him!  He is a very private person.  I do know his name, but I don't feel comfortable sharing it as it was given in strict confidence.  I can confirm, however, that the last we were in contact a month or so ago, he was not with RCCL.  A truly great loss!  Has anyone been on the Symphony lately and know if there is still someone in that position?

19 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Ovation does have the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery. I'm sure the Genie can help with snacks and small items you may need..including assisting you in reserving days/times in the Nursery...but more than likely you won't have any problem attempting this yourself when you board. Enjoy spending time with your grandchild...but I'm not sure we would opt to cruise without Mom & Dad having them there with us when we did made for a great time.

Mom and dad are also cruising with us 🙂  Our room sleeps 6.

I'm not sure where the idea of the Genie watching the child came up🤷‍♀️  My question was in regards to securing daycare  services.  Now that I think about it, I thought I heard Royal discontinued in room babysitting services.  Did they also discontinue care for under 2 year olds in their kid's programs?

We will be cruising on Ovation of the Seas in a star class suite with our granddaughter who will be 1 year and 8 months old.  We have had a genie a couple of times before, so I am familiar with their services on an adult level.  I would be interested to hear from those that have had the help of a genie with an under two year old.  Were they helpful in securing daycare when desired?  What other things were they able to help with?  TIA!

Any estimates as to when they will start boarding? I am working on setting up our transfer.

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My first Tokyo Tea, but definitely not my last! Thanks Rick! Always looking for a new drink!

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I think the shirt speaks for itself[emoji39]

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Thank you so much for your response, that’s good to know :) I guess we’ll hold off, but try to get an idea of what we want. Hope you get her again :) Just wasn’t sure since this cruise will be a bit different. We did the crossing on Harmony and it was crazy with the number of C&A members

Hi Mitzi!

She said we will be fine. My thought is if there is something you want on a specific night at a specific time, let the genie know in your precruise correspondence. Happy planning and see you soon!

Amy

We have had Star Class a couple times and we have it again on Symphony's TA. It's too soon to be talking with our genie. Would you mind asking yours a question? Since the TA will one of those cruises where tons of C&A onboard, should we pre book out dining and them have it reimbursed once we are booked through genie? Does that make sense? lol

We are also in a Star Class suite on the TA. I have been in contact with our Genie from last December who is now on the Symphony. We are hoping to have her again! She has said to not worry about dining. I think this is one trip I will be grateful for having a Genie (not that I'm not thrilled to have one at any time :) )!

Hi PK34, our Genie on SOS next month is Maria, how did you find her, communication so far has been brilliant.

Thanks

John

Hi John! Marla is AMAZING!!! Her communication is definitely spectacular! When we were getting closer to our cruise I would email her frequently late at night (11pm-midnight CST). Many times she would answer within 1/2 - 1 hour. I swear she doesn't sleep!

Once on the ship she shined even more :) We had a group of 6 in a 2BR aquatheater suite, my husband and I and 4 mid 20 year olds. Our family absolutely adored her and we are still in contact. I messaged with her briefly a couple weeks ago. We are Star Class on the upcoming TA and hoping to have her again as our Genie.

I am sure you will enjoy Marla as much as we did! Tell her hi from Amy & Dan!

We have been in a Star Loft Suite on OASIS and HARMONY. They are great suites...enjoy! I may be mistaken, but isn’t Marva on Allure?

Are you thinking of Marla? We had here on the Allure in December. She has since moved to the Symphony. We are hoping to have her again in October.

Thanks everyone! I will do some calling today and see what I can come up with. I booked this cruise on the first day it was offered and also booked my flights on the first day they were offered. Although I did not book insurance on the cruise, After going through my documentation, I realized I did book insurance on the flight. It is through Allianz. I’m hoping I can just extend the policy on the flight to include the entire vacation. I had completely forgotten I had purchased insurance for the flight.

It is times like this when I am mad at myself for my procrastination tendencies! I know for best coverage, I needed to book insurance right away when I booked the cruise. Well I forgot to purchase it initially and now I’m within 3 months of the cruise with no insurance.

We are flying to Barcelona on award tickets which are refundable so I’m not too concerned about insuring the flight. However, I do worry about delays and such. We are flying in 2 days before embarkation so do have a buffer built in.

I would love any recommendations for insurance plans. We do have elderly parents with no current health issues. Are there any plans that would cover cancellation if anything happened to them between now and our cruise? I am thinking it’s too late for this. The most important options for me at this time are if one of us gets ill between now and then and can’t travel or if something happens during our travel whether it be delays or illness. We are on a transatlantic cruise if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

We were not charged for the escape room or the wine pairing at the captain's table on the Anthem in August 2017 but did not do any classes. Others have reported on CC that they were charged for Captain's Table wine pairing on other ships. This may be ship specific like some of the other policies so a recent Star class cruiser on Symphony would provide a better answer. Enjoy Star Class - it is wonderful.

Thanks! We sailed Star class on the Allure in December and were charged for the wine pairing. I thought it was a bit odd because all other alcohol we had was included. I know you are supposed to be charged for wine over x-amount per glass, but this never happened when the price was within reason. I would certainly expect to pay the difference if we ordered something really high end. I did not research the wines served at the Captain's Table, but I'm sure it costs more than the allowed amount which would explain the $25 charge.

We did not do any classes and the Allure doesn't have an escape room. We are on the Symphony 12 night TA and are thinking we will have more time to experience some things we don't normally do. However, I am hoping to NOT do a repeat of my Flowrider experience! Let's just say the medical facility and staff on the Allure are top notch!

I haven't found this anywhere and was hoping someone here would know. If you are booked in Star class are you charged for classes and the escape room? Specifically, I'm wondering about the cupcake decorating class and sushi making class. I am sailing on the Symphony. Thanks!

Thank you for all the responses! I have been busy traveling for work and did not call C&A until this afternoon. And honestly, I was hoping I might hear from the travel agent and not have to deal with this mess. So here is where I am at:

1) After talking to C&A, I was given an email to send my request to fire my agent, was told it can take 7-10 days.

2) Final payment isn't due until July 30 so I should be ok.

3) Thankfully, I requested that the travel agent send me the confirmations from RCCL showing my deposit and cabin. So I forwarded those along with my request to fire the travel agent.

4) Yes, I can see my cruise when I log in to my cruise planner and everything looks ok. Crown & Anchor also confirmed that we are 5 people in the suite that I have booked.

5) I should also add that I handled the original booking and deposit myself and then had the agent add 3 others. I knew that RCCL at least had the deposit for my husband and myself.

I am a little sad as I was looking forward to working with a travel agent to minimize my time involvement. After this experience, I can safely say I will continue to handle my own bookings in the future.

Thanks everyone for your input and letting me know I wasn't overreacting :)

This is the first time I have used a travel agent for a cruise. He was recommended by someone we have cruised with several times. He is also listed on Royal's site where you can search for a travel agent. I'm getting a bit nervous as I have final payment coming up next week. I have tried calling him for several days and have not gotten a response.

When calling the main agency number, I get an automated answering system that does not identify it as a business, but rather just lists the number called and to leave a message. I have also tried calling his cell phone and have not heard back. At this point I am nervous about giving him final payment when and if he ever gets back to me. We owe a little over $11,000. My fear is that he would take the money and run. The only basis I have for feeling this way is the fact that he won't return my messages.

Do you think I am over reacting? I'm assuming I could file a complaint with my credit card company if this happens. Since I am so close to final payment, I want to make sure that RCL gets my payment in time. Would it be helpful to call C & A to see if they would take my payment. I would appreciate any advice, thank you!