Starry Eyes

People’s land vacations get spoiled by hurricanes, too. Several years ago we were vacationing in Florida when a Hurricane developed. Our planned accommodation closed after the storm as did others; power outages were widespread. We went online and felt fortunate that Royal Caribbean ship embarking the next day was still open for booking. We booked an inside gty and took a cabin somebody else had to cancel due to the storm.

Captain said we might get some wind and rain from outer bands/ influence of Idalia in CoCoCay tomorrow, mostly in the morning. Trivial, I’m sure, compared to those who were/are really in the path of the storm. I will post if I hear rumors of itinerary changes.

The Captain’s noon announcement discussed the impact of Idalia on weather in CoCoCay tomorrow. I have not heard any discussion further than that. Storm course, speed, and strength are difficult to predict multiple days out. I think it is currently too soon to know if our itinerary will change. I want to sail even if our itinerary changes. You?

I’m on board Mariner now and will stay on for the next cruise. Personally, I am not particularly concerned about Port Canaveral on Friday; the port should be fine. I will be watching Idalia’s predicted path next weekend and early next week. It is just too soon to know where the storm will be or how powerful she will be, but it is possible Idalia will be in the ship’s path from PC to Bermuda or over Bermuda. I think there is a chance our itinerary could change (of course that would not be unusual during the peak of hurricane season).

There are a few tables for two by the rail on Jewel…not a whole line of them like oasis.

Remember you can only win once, so make sure you only bid on categories you sincerely want to win. For many people that means every category, but others may feel differently. For example, if you really, really, really want a full suite, think carefully about whether you want to bid on the JS. You want to be happy if you win, rather than disappointed that you no longer have a shot at the cabin you truly wanted. Then bid the highest those cabin upgrades are worth to you.

I know several people who would wake up feeling great if the visit with their in-laws was canceled, allowing them to go straight to the cruise, LOL. Not necessarily your husband, of course. Safe travels and stay well.

Several years ago, we enjoyed dinners in Solarium Bistro. Back then, the service was good and the food options were more plentiful. Since the restart we have been disappointed in dinners in Solarium Bistro un Wonder and Harmony. It is now buffet only; menu options disappeared as did some of our old favorites from the buffet selections. Service also declined on the nights we visited. Hot dishes were empty in the buffet line. Beverage glasses were not refilled at the table. Multiple nearby tables were not bussed. We probably won’t bother for dinner again.

Happy to help. Let me know if you think if more questions.

We will sail on Mariner on August 26 and Sept 29. We will look for MDR embarkation lunch option and report back.

It is nice to hear your experience. I book gty fairly often (we are not particularly noise sensitive). So far, we have not been assigned deck 14 on Oasis class. It is apt to happen sometime and I’d like to have a positive attitude when it does. It would be a convenient deck. We have been below the pool deck on other ships (different classes/ lines)..

As others have suggested, check to see if there are more desirable available cabins in your exact category. If so, ask to switch. If there are not any right now, do mock bookings now and then; one might open up if you are lucky. We have not had any issues due to connecting doors on multiple cruises (knock on wood). Sometimes we hear a noisy neighbor in an adjacent, non-connecting cabin. Pack earplugs whether you have a connecting door or not; be happy if you don’t use them. Some deck 14 cabins (Oasis class) will have more noise issues than others. Look carefully at the deck 14 and 15 deck plans; see what is above your cabin.

Yeah, I don’t understand why they made that link hard to find.

If possible, I suggest signing in on a computer (rather than smart phone). I think you may find it easier to find the option. Sign in to the Royal Caribbean website. Under “my cruises” hopefully you will see “bid status” for that cruise. Click it. Below the box for your current bid hopefully you will see (small print) “Don’t miss out. Click here for other upgrade options…” Try that. If it doesn’t work for you, come back and we can try something else.

I’d definitely go Oasis if I were in your shoes. Port Canaveral is my closest port, so I might make a different choice for my family.

Availability up and down? Suite availability certainly just went for your cruise; don’t hold your breath waiting for suite availability to go back up again. Of course someone might need to cancel, which might allow RoyalUp bids to be accepted.

Your posts on social media sites may yet reap dividends; little time has passed. Even if you get approval to mail the ring to a Chargerback warehouse, you might consider waiting a short time before mailing the ring in case the owner contacts you via social media. Imagine the owner’s frustration if they heard about your social media post from a friend and contacted you to discover their heirloom is in the mail (where it could get lost) enroute to a big warehouse (another place it could get lost). Just a thought.

As you can see from Royal’S FAQ pages (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/lost-forgot-item-onboard), Royal uses a company called Chargerback to re-unite people with lost items. So, the owner of the ring likely has contacted Chargerback by now. If your social media campaign has not been successful, you may want to contact Chargerback as well. https://www.chargerback.com/contact.asp?topic=Support

Wow, next she’ll want to come on the cruises, too.🤣🤣🤣 All kidding aside, my husband has never ventured onto message boards. It would seem strange if he did. It is even surprising when he reads cruise news online first.

We all have bad days and I’m sorry if I inadvertently made your’s worse. Would planning a cruise help?

It was a joke…a classic… kids & tech. And, by the way, “shouting” with caps in your previous posts is rude. So look in a mirror when asking, “what’s your problem?”

Sigh. Then there was a glitch. Perhaps ask an eight year old to help next time; they always seem to succeed.

OK, you said the numbers were not there. Were the letters “gty” there? If so, RCI simply had not assigned your cabin. That’s rather common; it is not “jinxed.”🙄

If the barcode reader you selected played well with the set sail pass barcode, you should have either seen GTY or a cabin number to the right of the -. If you did not see either of those, perhaps next time try a different bar code reader app. The barcode trick does not always give early info about the cabin number; sometimes the barcode says gty until the cabin is officially assigned.