TwinMamainMN

We paid $208 (plus grats) for UDP on Harmony. Sailing on 09.18.22.

On Odyssey in March, we heard the Captain tell us the weather and some random trivia fact. Then the CD came on and gave a quick highlight of some activities. That's about it. Short and sweet.

We bought 3 different kinds for 5 people. I thought it was reasonable. We did have ice cream almost every day though too. LOL!

I would first consider what the people in the group want to do. A bus/train ride might be great for my 70-something mother, but my kids (ages 14, 14, and 10) would be bored after 10 minutes. With a group that large, maybe it's easier to have a city/island tour option (if people are interested in them) and a more active option like snorkel/Scuba/zipline/catamaran/sailing. I've read San Juan is super easy to do as DIY. Walk to Old Town, see some sights/eat/drink, walk to the fort and watch people fly kites and explore. That's we will do in March with the kids. In St. Maarten, we will take the kids to Maho Beach to see the planes land/take off. Hubby and I have seen them there before and enjoyed it. Such a rush. Nothing like it in a similar atmosphere anywhere.

The APP might not always be correct, but neither was the paper version. Times change, shows get cancelled, etc. Nothing is foolproof unfortunately.

Oh! I need to try that Pretty n Pink! Always thought I didn't like gin until this summer when I had a drink on Mackinac Island made with gin, guava, lime juice, pomegranate juice and soda water. YUM! Thanks for the tip!

Radiance was perfect for Alaska. Views everywhere and easy to get around. Odyssey has 270 for a quiet, away from the WJ madness breakfast, and a great place to watch a docking. Lots of cool art too. Sailing on Harmony very soon and anticipate liking that ship also. I guess I just like to cruise. 🙂

We are going to St. John on the ferry when we are there in September. Our port hours are noon-8pm, so all aboard is 7pm. Yes, the travel time cuts into our beach/exploring time, but at least we can still go for several hours. From what I've seen online and heard from others, St. John's is stunning and I think it will be worth the effort. We are not a fan of cruise ship excursions. So much time on their schedule and not on ours, and no option to stay longer in the places we enjoy. We DIY everything.

No. I prefer to save the paper and ink, but if I do print anything it's the final payment confirmation and itinerary that's only 2 pages long. I save everything to a folder in our email so I can find it quickly.

Instead of buying a washable mattress pad, you can buy a box of "chucks" or disposable waterproof bed liners like @Exit6cruisers suggests. It's basically a waterproof backing, with an absorbent middle layer and soft top layer similar to a panty liner, but they are about 24x36". You can just put one on top of the fitted sheet and the kiddo can sleep over it. They use them all the time at hospitals. They are inexpensive, fold flat and easy to pack. If your kiddo moves around a lot at night, you could put it under the sheet. I would use that in addition to the pull-up/diaper you normally use.

We did Alaska in August of 2018 with our kids aged 10, 10, and 6.5 and my mom in her young 70s. It was amazing. Best vacation as a family ever. The excursions made it even more special (crab fishing on a Deadliest Catch boat, watching 9 humpback whales bubble net feed 20 yards in front of our private charter boat and feeling their calls vibrate the boat hull, riding a cart pulled by a team of sled dogs, etc.). Expensive but worth every dang penny.

Our situation complicates matters some, as our daughter needs an accessible room and we are a family of 5. Daughter and twin brother will be almost 15 when we sail over spring break. Youngest son will be 11. We couldn't get side-by-side connecting or even neighboring cabins with an accessible cabin being one of the rooms when we booked a year out. We have an accessible balcony and one across the hall. Parents and daughter in the balcony cabin, and the 2 boys in the interior across the hall. Will also have some ground rules including a curfew time and nobody else in the cabin except parents, sister, or cabin attendant.

@Cruise-mom- How many people are you, and what did Happy Hour Shuttle quote you? I don't see any prices on their website.

I'm sorry this was your experience. We sailed on Radiance and did NB Alaska Vancouver to Seward in 2018. Hubby, youngest son and I had the first balcony cabin just off the Centrum and my mom and our twins had the neighboring accessible balcony. We were on deck 8. In the hallway we could hear the music, but not inside our cabin.

31 ❤️

We sailed on Odyssey in Feb/March in the Caribbean and really enjoyed it. We had great food in the MDR. I'm sorry you had a different experience. We really enjoyed breakfast from Cafe 270 and then eating in the 270 venue. It was always quiet and calm. Not nearly as loud or chaotic as WJ. What was your favorite port and why?

I am confused too. The info I provided is straight from the RCCL website. Either it hasn't been updated recently, or comments about infant daycare are old/not updated. Either one is possible. Good luck figuring it out!

We have twins also. 😀 It gets "easier" when they are more independent. We felt like we were "in the weeds" all the time when they were babies. After reading the official info from Royal's website, it doesn't look like you are going to get much "alone" time, but I hope it helps. Enjoy your cruise!

I did some digging for you and found this, from the RCCL website Best Cruises for Teens & Kids | Family Cruises | Royal Caribbean Cruises (scroll down some it's on the right hand side of the page): FOR OUR TINIEST GUESTS& BABIES & TOTS PROGRAMS Cruising with your baby was never easier. Our Royal Babies program (ages 6-18 months) offers our tiniest guests and their parents interactive classes filled with enriching activities developed by early childhood experts. Our Royal Tots program (ages 18-36 months) offers 45-minute interactive playground sessions filled with age-appropriate activities and toys. Both programs are hosted by our trained youth staff. A parent or caregiver must accompany child during all activity sessions. (Nursery drop off not available on: Empress, Majesty, Jewel, Adventure, Explorer or Voyager of the Seas. Also this about babysitting: Does Royal Caribbean offer babysitting onboard the ship? Q: Does Royal Caribbean offer babysitting onboard the ship? A: Babysitting services are not offered onboard any of our ships. However, many Royal Caribbean ships feature a nursery where children aged six months to 36 months can be cared for by trained professionals. Please refer to Kids and Teens Activities for further details.

Yes, it's needed. Here's a cautionary tale from our family from late July this summer: we camped in the UP of Michigan and moved locations to camp in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario We knew about ArriveCan and I did all that stuff before we left. It was easy and didn't take much time. Arrival into Canada was a piece of cake. Answer some questions, show passports and go. The next day we crossed back to Michigan to go on the Soo Lock Boat Tour. Tried to re-enter Canada to get to our RV, but didn't even think to create a NEW ArriveCan entry. The Canadian Immigration officer said we had to U-turn, drive back over the International Bridge ($4 fee each way), complete the ArriveCan entry and drive back. No ArriveCan completed, no entry. We didn't care about the bridge fee, or the extra time, but it was annoying and totally our fault. If you FLY to Canada and don't have it done when you arrive, it could be expensive and a big delay. Would the airline prompt you to do it before you depart? No idea. Not worth the risk. Just fill it out at home, answer the health questions when it's time, and enjoy your trip. Better safe than sorry!

We did North Star in Coco Cay and it was a great way to see the island. I think we probably were on for 10 minutes or so and it was enough for us. I wouldn't pay to do it. Adventure Ocean is free, but there might be a charge for babies or those under a certain age. Our kids are older so I don't know those details. How old are your kids?

@Ms411 and @blue_water do the ferry and taxi (safari type group shared taxi) all take credit/debit cards, or should we have cash? TIA!

Do you tip in cash or write it on the receipt? Curious.

Passports, medication, iphone, sunglasses, Kindle, chapstick. It all fits in a small backpack or tote bag. We leave the rest with the porters so we don't have to schlep it around to bar hop or get lunch.

Oh man, that's sad. I get the reason though. I guess we will just have to enjoy beaches, food and drinks along the north shore instead.