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Saturngrl

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  • Posts

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About Me

  • Location
    Central Florida
  • Interests
    Cruises, volunteer work, wine, my job
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Celebrity, Royal Caribbean
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Cozumel

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who fail to do their homework in advance. This website, along with RC and other travel sites, provides a plethora of information, including advice to keep your watches on ship time at all times. I do my homework to learn the time zones for every port and document the difference in times. I also make sure we return to the ship at least two hours before "all aboard". This being stated, we love to watch the pier runners. On the rare occasions we've witnessed passengers being left behind, we do feel sorry for them to the extent they missed out.
  2. We go to the Crown Lounge for the free lattes in the morning. I am curious if the pastries include lox, bagels and cream cheese. We hope to avoid Windjammer on our Allure cruise and my DH wants his schmear fix, lol!
  3. For those who have purchased this perk, will you please answer the questions below: 1. "Early terminal access" -does this mean you can enter the terminal when it opens at an early time? And/or does this gain you priority boarding after suites and handicapped/assisted? 2. Does this include disembarkation on the final day at a time of your choice, similar to the Key?
  4. You didn't say what day of the week you disembark, nor the month you plan to cruise. On a good day, you might make it to the airport in time for an 11:30 flight. However, this is Central Florida and traffic is becoming more and more of a nightmare these days. I would wager at least one hour drive from the port to MCO. You may want to purchase an extra perks package, like FTTF on Carnival or The Key on Royal, that includes priority disembarkation. Another idea: You may want see if your cruiseline has an excursion that includes driving you to MCO after the excursion. My friends and I did this with Celebrity after a Bermuda cruise. We did a NYC tour from Bayonne to Newark for our 4:00 p.m. flight. The tour was great and we made it to the airport in plenty of time!
  5. It's really up to you to decide if the Key is value-added perk for your cruise. Personally, I think it's worth the following perks (sailing out of Port Canaveral): Separate line for security and check in Separate pre-boarding waiting area close to the gangway Priority boarding behind suites and assisted boarding Drop your carry on at the MDR and enjoy lunch from the Chops Grille lunch menu. The menu is limited, but it sure beats fighting the crowds in Windjammer, Solarium buffet, Park Cafe and the added-fee specialty lunch venues. Your carry on is delivered to your stateroom Key seating in the shows IF you made advanced reservations. They open seating there for everyone else right before showtime, if there is any remaining available seating in that section. We don't use the special activity hours, like Flow Rider or rock climbing. We LOVE the disembarkation breakfast in the MDR! It's a nice way to end your cruise. After breakfast, a crew member with a Key sign escorts you off the ship whenever you choose and your baggage is waiting for you in a Key section at baggage claim.
  6. Agree with the above posters. Additionally, if you order a beverage higher than the Classic limit, you will be charged the balance of that drink. You may want to consider upgrading your package to Premium, which should be done via Cruise Planner.
  7. Great summary of the webinar! I was irate at the inane questions allowed for the President to reply with no real answers to any of them. Why bother requesting questions from CC Elite and above members? Additionally, what outcomes are expected from the President's cruise? Probably none, just the expected satisfaction members feel from spending 6 nights on the same multi-thousands passenger ship with the President.
  8. We are sailing Allure in May 2024 and have been to CoCo Cay numerous times. We are Floridians, so a beach/pool day holds no interest to us. We plan to stay on the ship that day and enjoy the onboard amenities. I know many of the ship's crew will work on the island that day, which leads me to ask what will be open on board? Windjammer? Pool bar? Park Cafe? Solarium? TYIA.
  9. We always sail Concierge and are Elite level members. We considered the Premium Pass, but: 1. Basic wi fi for one device is fine with us. We cruise to disengage from the constant phone disruptions 2. We enjoy the embarkation luncheon in the MDR as Concierge class passengers 3. The PP offers early terminal access, but fails to mention any priority in boarding the ship 4. Despite a dedicated area for luggage on disembarkation day, this pass does not offer the exclusive breakfast in the MDR and an escort off the ship at a time of our choice. Hope this helps in your decision-making.
  10. On our last Reflection cruise from Port Everglades, we had an 11:00 assigned arrival time. They were not monitoring assigned arrival times and we were herded into the crowded waiting area waiting for disembarkation to finish. It was a stormy day and Reflection was late in docking. Once we were allowed into another waiting area, we were seated in the handicapped section (DH had a rollator) and were allowed to board the ship after Zeniths and Suites. No Concierge priority, so my guess is your better bet is to splurge on the Premium Pass.
  11. Allure is an Oasis class ship with the neighborhoods like Central Park and the Boardwalk. Anthem is more like a traditional cruise ship but has the North Star observation pod/ride. I will take the Allure over Anthem any day!
  12. I don't know if RC does, but you may want to explore excursions offered via Viator, or Shore Excursions. The only caveat is you are responsible for ensuring you are back on board on time. I book excursions with a guaranteed ending at least two hours before "on board" time and never more than a few minutes away from the port.
  13. Our last cruise in May 2023, we had The Key and an early scheduled arrival time. We went through the Key line and were seated in the The Key section of the terminal. Passengers were then seated in sections based upon their assigned arrival times, i.e. 11:00, 11:30 and on. Boarding started with Suites, and the Pinnacles, then The Key and then arrival time groups. It worked well.
  14. I like getting my free scoop of gelato, handing it over the barista and having the barista pour espresso over it to create an affogato. Heaven!
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