Gayle V

"Tachy" is a judgement call. Judgemental people can judge me as tachy all they want. I always wear one. I find them convenient. Lots of really cute ones available these days. All colors, with beads and stones, and themes. I even found a few with sport team logos on them for hubby.

I don't believe you get to enjoy any of the new level's benefits on the cruise where you reach that level. So it would seem to me, not to matter. You could as easily take the three nighter afterward. Still won't get to enjoy being Diamond till the cruise after that either way.

Be sure to check "how much" they cover. The "cancel for any reason" portion of most insurance policies, pays you a percentage of the fare, not the full amount, often 75% or less. Lots of fine print to read.

Found this on the Royal Caribbean web page:

"Waives the non-refundable cancellation penalties and refunds 100% in-cash if you need to cancel for a specified reason

Provides a 75% future cruise credit if you need to cancel for any other reason."

I couldn't find anything that lists the "specified reasons" that they accept, versus what would be considered "any other reason".

If you have signed up their account to the same credit card that you are using, then they need to board with you.

I called to ask this same question in November, when we took our son and DIL with us on the Allure. We'd paid for the cruise, and purchased excursions and some spa treatments for them, but they used their own card for on board stuff. I was told that if they used their own card when filling out the online check in information, they went in the "gold" line. If they used our credit card, they would board with us. We went in separate lines, but that only parted us for 10 minutes at most, as both lines were moving very quickly that day..

If the Oasis is on the Eastern route for your chosen week, then I'd do that. The two ships are almost identical, and you'd have new ports. Besides the Oasis seems to running just a tiny bit less money, (last I looked) , most likely due to being a couple years old, but it's not going to be enough older so as you'd notice.

Can anyone explain how this pre-check thing works. I'm very confused. Hubby and I have never applied for or paid for anything like this, but on our last two flights, hubby's ticket had the pre-check mark, and was able to go through the fast lane, while I stood in the long one. On the second of those flights, I had the pre-check mark too, so sailed right on through the security.

It was very nice, but not worth paying for, for how little we fly. But aside from that, I really would like to know how we ended up with it, without asking or applying? Any ideas?

They did have specials in the jewelry store, throughout the week. Can't remember specifics beyond one: I was looking at a Tanzanite ring on the evening when it was on special. Did not buy it. Stopped in a day or so later, and showed it to hubby. They would not offer the sale price anymore. It was only for that one day. Honestly, we still would most likely not have bought it anyway. Too much $$ for us; but if they say, today only, they did mean it. That time.

Is Nova Scotia considered a distant foreign port? The ship does goes into Canada before it comes back to Boston. I guess I'll call and see what they say.

I believe the general consensus here, has it correct. But please come back and report what you learn when you call.

The reservations just get you in the door. Seats are open seating. So if you arrive together you'll be able to sit together. Just remember you really want to show up early to get good seats, especially if you have a larger number you want together. Also, the reservation only is good till about 10 minutes before the start of the show. At that point they start letting the stand by (those without reservations) people in.

(pretty sure about the "10" minutes, but might be 15. I'm sure someone else will know exactly).

Thank but I'm on Explorer.

Just saying. If you come across old Compasses from the Explorer, Look for "Glow" party, it's the same as a White party.

Both Oasis and Allure have a White Party, (they may call it a Glow Party)

Yes, that's right. Now I remember that from the when we were on the Allure, in November. It took nearly half the week before we would remember to get onto the right elevator. I'd forgotten all about that.

I prefer Deck 8 to be by Central Park but I would take Deck 6 over Deck 7.

 

I would rather be by restaurants than pools for easier breakfast/coffee/snack access.

Hello Marci, Why would you choose six over seven?

A Roaring Twenties themed party. People dress up (a little, or a lot) to match the theme. I think it's $35 per person.

Do a google search and you'll see photos of people in costume. Feather boas, flapper style dresses and yards long stings of pearls,glittery head bands. Guys in black suits with black shirt and white tie, topped with a Al Capone style hat. Or if they don't have a suit coat, they guys wear suspenders and a garter on the arm of their long sleeve shirt, etc. Looked like fun.

Ditto on what Marci22 said. Aside from the obviouse worry for your health, it's especially a concern since you don't have the insurance. Being life-flighted off a ship, has got to be hugely expensive.

Sending up some good thoughts, that it all works out ok.

Or you can buy some chips with the credit. Then later cash them in; (provided you haven't succumbed to the temptation to gamble them away.)

Hubby has a titanium hip. The whole body scanner, the one where you have to pause and put your hands in the air, never causes a beep for him . If they have the other, older scanners that you walk through, they always beep.. Most times it just means a quick wave of their wand and we move along. A couple times, when they were short of help, we were delayed for as much as 10 minutes till they could get around to clearing him.

Actually the longest security delay we've ever had was due to an orthopedic foot and ankle boot, that I was wearing for a torn tendon. I offered to take the thing off, but they said no, and pulled me aside to run some tests. They took swabs of various parts of the brace, and tested them in a machine. I think it was supposed to detect explosives.

That held us up about 15 minutes. But it always seems to be the amount of workers they have that determines the delay, not so much what they need to do, once they get around to checking you.

Definitely worth giving yourself extra time when planning your arrival at the airport.

I did a search here on the boards and also at RCCL but can't find anything. I just read that Oasis is going into dry dock in the fall. Does anyone know when that is and what they are planning to do? We are on it the week after Thanksgiving and just wanted to make sure it was not the week after dry dock. I have been on it before so wondering about the changes - hoping they change out the fish to the Mexican on the Allure.

Why would the week after dry dock be a bad thing?

Really ? Where did you see this notice? Are you talking about this year?

I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to Hairspray. I've never seen it yet. I've seen Cats and was totally underwhelmed. I absolutely love musicals, but this is one I can really do without. Doubt if I can make hubby sit through it again.

For the most Caribbean ports, you will not need your passport, just to leave the ship. BUT what will happen if you should miss the ship, and need to fly home.?

Whether to take the passport, when it's not absolutely needed, is a question that gets asked frequently. There doesn't seem to be a definitive answer. It seems to boil down to which gamble to you want to take?

Do you leave the passport safely in your cabin safe, and gamble that you won't have need of it on the island? Or do you take the passport with you, and gamble that you won't lose it or have it stolen from you? (At the beach, do you trust it to a water safe pouch on your person, or buried in the bottom of your tote bag on the sand?)

For what it's worth, hubby and I leave ours locked in the cabin safe. We take with us, our boarding card (of course), and our driver's licenses to serve as (the necessary at some ports) photo ID, AND we take a photo copy of our passports. Whether this is truely of any value, if we were to need to fly back to the US, I don't know. But, beyond being a reliable copy of our passport numbers, I doubt it.

If you can choose your cabin location, pick something that will make it easy to get to the gym/spa area locker room. As Kroozen suggested, if one or two of you can shower in the locker room showers, it'll make getting ready for dinner much easier..

Does Royal allow those little travel clothes steamers ?

Your dinner assignment with table number will be on your sign and sail cards. Be sure to compare the cards, that it is the correct time and that you are all placed together. In our experience, it is not unusual to have to go to the dining room and have errors corrected. We usually go into the dining room soon after boarding, just to check out our table.

Likely the ones on this page are the same that Brandonclan has, from about seven months ago.

http://www.******************.com/cruise-compass

If that doesn't link, google: unofficial royal caribbean blog

Click on the link at the top right of the page.

I always have a small package of cookies, or crackers. (I need to eat something like that in order to swallow my morning pills. Choose something not too delicate, so they won't get crushed in the luggage. As for nibbles when enjoying a drink on the verandah, nuts and Pringles pack well.