Ken at the beach

Sea da today so I will post a few photo's from around the ship. last night we had dinner reservations at the steakhouse for 8pm. At 6:30 we went to the buffet to have a snack. King crab legs. You can also get sushi, fresh grilled lobster and shrimp every night. There are a few things that rotate such as the crab legs and oysters on the halfshell that were available tonight. I haven't taken many pictures of food but it has all been delicious including this 28 day dry aged filet that was cooked perfectly. We also had the fingerling potatoes in creme fresh topped with caviar and a caesar salad made tableside.

They might, which is why they stopped. Even allowing a ridiculously high price would allow someone to tie up the cabin while they decided and then cancel and rebook at a lower nrd rate later. Exactly what Royal is trying to prevent.

Just took a quick look at a sailing on the Wonder next January and a JS on the Wonder is about the same price as a suite on the Explora Journey on a 7 or 8 day sailing in the same month. That price on the Wonder also does not include the drinks, internet and specialty dining that you would need to add to even get a somewhat close comparison. It's definitely more than a balcony but if you add the drink package, specialty dining and internet to a balcony you are getting close.

Like I said, despite people thinking they may be refundable, they aren't.

And if you have ever booked one doing that you would know that when you look at the invoice it is still non refundable. Just one of the many quirks with espresso.

It varies by ship but it is the categories with the largest number of coins. On Oasis class for example it's 2D and 4D balconies as well as Central park and Boardwalk. Oceanview 2N and 4N and then inside 2V and 4V. Some ships will have the 2E obstructed view and tje 2T Promenade and some have the 2B and 4B spacious balconies. All double occupancy cabins.

You cannot on suites. JS and above are now always non refundable.

If they are a no show then the insurance will not cover it. In order to claim on the insurance you must call Royal and cancel the guest and get a cancellation letter for the insurance company. Guest ones fare would then be changed to reflect all the money paid on the booking less the taxes and fees for guest 2 I would call your insurance company and confirm that this is a covered reason before proceeding

Yes 4 drinks a day. Just let the server know if you don't want to use a voucher.

Could be anytime up until 7pm the day you board the ship. Very few bids are actually accepted as the ships are now sailing full and bids are just covering last minute cancellations.

That's what I said.

Based on previous delayed cruises, yes but since you are on board you really should ask non board for a definitive answer.

I have not experienced yacht club however with just 530.people on board and 700 crew the service is impeccable. Even full at 800 to 900 guests would not change the level of service thet is provided. When you consider what is provided the cost is actually reasonable if you do some comparisons to a suite on Royal or Celebrity. There are some great rates for 2025 Caribbean sailings.

I will be posting pics from around the ship The one I am in is the entry level suite. All stataterooms on the ship are suites. These are all oceanfront terrace suites and there are 4 categories based on location with the ones on deck 6 having a deeper balcony. All are 300 Sq ft with a 75 Sq ft balcony (larger on deck 6) From there you jump to the Penthouse suites ranging in size from 400 Sq ft to 700 Sq ft and then to the residences which go up to 1600 Sq ft and then the owners suite which has its own infinity pool and is 3000 Sq ft All suites basically have the same perks.

It's been talked about but not implemented.

After boarding and making our reservations for the Steakhouse we went to the buffet. They had to have had more staff in there than they do on an Oasis class ship. We found a table and sat down and immediately a waiter was taking our beverage order which was waiting once we returned with our food, Nothing is self serve with all the food behind glass so you hand them your plate and they add what you want. I'll post pictures another day when it is not busy and by busy I mean 1 or 2 people in front of you at one of the food stations. So many different stations, sushi (delicious), ceviche, fresh grill, pasta, carving station, burgers, charcuterie, pizza, panini, desserts and I am sure I am missing a few. Just like Royal they have a handwashing station as you enter but without the washy washy people and real towels to dry your hands.

Slowly adjusting to the time change, I managed to sleep in until 5 this morning. Our rooms were open at 1 and our luggage was there waiting. A few more pics of the rooms. Welcome aboard bottle of champagne, water bottles and snacks. There was also a letter that listed the choices of a bottle of spirits for your room. A fully stocked coffee bar in one of the cupboards Below this was also a fridge stocked with water, coke and Italian soda. No problems with plugs, USB outlets or charging ports. Each person has their own nightstand complete with all of the above as well as the chargers that you do not need a physical connection. The main desk also had this as well as USB ports in the bathroom. The nightstand has a neat feature. There is a night in the bottom that is motion activated. Very handy when getting up in the middle of the night. Sarah's favorite feature was the make up table that has a Dyson hair dryer drawer. The heated floors and the rainfall shower in the bathroom were also nice touches

OMG!!!! It will be very hard going back to Royal. More details later.

You got that right. I brought a mix of clothes, I know what the dress code says but we will se how people actually dress on board.

You can apply one offer per person. If you have an offer and you companion has an offer you can apply both. If you have 2 offers you can only apply one. Each offer has to be in different names.

Glad it worked out.

Padded loungers, definitely not something I have experienced on a ship before.

Our itinerary. Looks like we will be doing circles killing time on our Sea day getting to Astoria.

Just received a text from Vikki that the Westjet mechanics have settled so our flight home in a week is not in danger.

Excellent!