shipgeeks

On 3/9/2024 at 7:59 PM, Pudgesmom said:

Take a small sprayer of air freshener or perfume. The bathrooms are small and your traveling companion will thank you. 

Or....find the little drain in the floor of the bathroom (not the one in the shower), and pour a glass or two of tap water into it. That will alleviate most odors. (And personally, I wouldn't appreciate the use of a freshener or perfume. But that is a personal preference.)

Royal Caribbean Vision Class - Vision, Grandeur, Enchantment.  The very front is usually closed, however, as it is a work space for crew, so we walk as far as we can, and then double back (or cross over via the inside lobby).

A real promenade deck is a must for us (and I don't mean the indoor Royal Promenade).

I have never been interested in a pool, nor packed a bathing suit for a cruise. But even I find it curious.  Interestingly, one of the complaints I've read about some MSC ships is that the pools are too deep for standing around with a drink; only good for swimming.

Misconception:  "I'm going to book a balcony cabin so I can leave the balcony door open and have fresh air all the time."

Reality:  Leaving the balcony door open, even a bit, is not allowed.  It will shut off the cabin 
AC, and on some ships, the AC of neighboring cabins.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!  I hope we will be helpful with any questions that come up for you.

I don't know if budget is a concern for you, but in any case, one of the things I've noticed over the years is that so many people say you must have a balcony cabin.  We do not agree with that. When we cruised to Alaska, we booked an inside cabin, for $$ reasons, but we ended up with a balcony.  We only used it for part of one afternoon, out of the entire 10 days, and it was not a comfortable experience.  We did spend virtually all of our waking hours up on the top deck, watching the scenery on all sides.  If we were to do AK again (it was a great cruise), we would book an oceanview, primarily to see the weather conditions and scenery from the cabin, but would still spend all free time on the open decks.

I agree that HAL and Princess are good choices.

Well, since some first time cruisers are reporting that they're budgeting $200 or more a month for Amazon cruise items, someone is making something.

Today, I learned that Amazon not only has a marketing genius, they have "associates" who earn a commission every time someone buys a cruise product they recommend.  Typical post:  "Hey guys, I just got back from my cruise, and I wanted to share with you how much I loved all the Amazon things some of you recommended!  They made my cruise 100% better!  Here are the products I used all the time......"

We sail Vision regularly, and there has always been free lobster on the menu one night.

Misconception: The little outlet above the bathroom sink is the one to use for the hairdryer.

Reality:  That outlet is for shavers only. Using a hairdryer there could harm the hairdryer.  Use the outlet in the cabin.

1 hour ago, teddie said:

Guest Services supervisor on board made it very clear that my confiscated items would not be returned to me for use during the cruise. Firm. 
 

The misinformed part was the security person in the terminal who told me that once onboard, someone from security would examine and return them to me. Nope. 
 

teddie 

Items that are confiscated are put on a table in the terminal, beyond Customs and baggage pickup.  I believe one has to hand over the receipt to claim things.  Always lots of irons, cooking things, and a mixture of other items.

SeaSpray, there is pm service if that is what you want.

Haven't seen chocolates anywhere for years.

I see things like this on the "Confiscated Items" table at the end of every cruise, along with a number of "cruise approved" irons and other appliances.

Essential: required documents, toothbrush, hairbrush, undies.

Fun: nice outfits for every evening.

We have a lot of "things" at home.  On a cruise, it's wonderful to have nothing visible in the cabin except the furniture that's already there.

Or not use anything, and let the cabin lights turn off when we are not there. (Why should lights stay on when we're out??)

As Chief Engineer confirms, not inserting a card does NOT turn off the cabin AC.

April 23 through May 21, 2024.

Does your booking show your dining assignment?  There could be Early, Late, or My Time.  If you have Early or Late, the exact time will be on your ship card, along with the table number.  If you have My Time (or whatever name HAL uses), you can just show up, or you can reserve times in advance.

14 hours ago, Laplayaperson said:

Wait?!  WHAT?  What does this trick even do?  Fill us in!!

See the post "what are light cards?"

Chief Engineer confirms that not using anything like this will NOT turn off the AC.  In other words, just another unneeded product.

17 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Biggest must have for 2024, under $2. Please do not bother your steward for a blank card. Always keep lights and A C turned on, never come back to a warm or dark cabin...... Disregard the remove from slot warning, it is only for tree huggers

I think you just proved my point, lol!

.....and apparently, lots of people are falling for it.

I see posts (mostly elsewhere!) mentioning Amazon's "Royal Caribbean Cruise Essentials".  Then I see posts such as "Is everyone in my family required to buy and wear this lanyard?",

"Do I need to worry about my luggage if I don't buy these luggage tag holders?"

"I'm putting aside some $$ every month so I can buy the extras that RC requires."

I understand there are dozens of items on the "essential" list...and growing.  Appliances, electronics, bedding...

On 1/23/2024 at 12:01 AM, jlawrence01 said:

 

In Mexico, MOST vendors prefer to be paid in USD.  Ditto in many parts of Canada.  

In Mexico, yes.  In Canada, I have yet to meet anyone who prefers US dollars. Why would they?

We have done the spring TA three times.  We always find it quite cool out on deck, due to the wind.  I almost always wore two or three light layers on sea days if I was going to be on an upper deck.

Vision was RC's Ship of the Year, 2023.  She had the highest passenger reviews in the fleet.

One of the things we like is the views of the sea from all over the ship, including a real Promenade Deck (as opposed to a Royal Promenade, aka inward-facing shopping mall).

One more Amazon "must buy for a cruise" thing?

51 minutes ago, loman said:

I dont bring any extra crap. I like to travel light .

Cash and a credit card on hand if anything comes up .

Toothbrush and hairbrush.

Not much else.

Vision of the Seas, from Baltimore, does a nice 9-night C/NE cruise several times each season.