jbrinkm

You are not the only one this has happened to - I'm on another forum and there are several people that have experienced this lately. There is a definitely glitch in their system between the planner and cruise fares! RCI is definitely making the case lately for using a good TA.

You can purchase special protectors to help hold the band together if you are worried about it coming unclasped. Do a search for magic band protectors.

UNLESS you also drink the extras often - the Freestyle sodas, milkshakes, smoothies, coffees, bottled waters for room or excursions, etc... those can really add up! There are other places you are allowed to ask. I often frequent a blog specific to this cruise line that also has a message board. Called (cruise line name) blog dot com. Both PMs and TA discussion are allowed there, and there is definitely a TA group that is highly recommended. The thing about using a TA for cruising is that you don't give up that much control. Yes, the TA would have to communicate directly with RCI for any major payment or scheduling issues, but that stuff is really a PITA to do yourself. As long as you use a REPUTABLE TA that you can trust, it is only a benefit IMO. You still get to book all of your excursions, your packages, your meals, etc. yourself, as well as the flights and hotel and other travel that you'll need to line up. Using a TA for cruising is different than other types of travel. The pricing on connecting cabins irritates me. I know... dynamic pricing... but it stinks for families that want these, and they are higher priced than other cabins, but then families decide to do next door or across the hall rather than pay extra for connecting, and then connecting go to people who aren't traveling together and don't like the connecting door We've gone to two balcony cabins since we have teens and just walk back and forth through the balcony. We love having the connected balconies and two bathrooms, as others have said. When our kids were younger, we did Freedom class interiors that have two Pullman beds from the ceiling and dark so they would sleep longer. Two years ago, we did have the connecting door, and our room was on the side that the c-door swung away from, not the side that the door swung into, so we couldn't "block" it with a chair or suitcase or anything. I remember trying to rig up some sort of rope or tie to connect it to our cabin door, or our bathroom door, to keep the c-door closed during private time so our teens wouldn't walk in! But back to the original question. We paid $3658.62 (including port fees & taxes) for each of our 8th floor balcony rooms (aft but mid-aft if that makes sense, not too far back) for our upcoming cruise on Symphony of the Seas. 1. We used a TA and got group rates. 2. This was a refundable fare (more $$ than non refundable). 3. It is an 8 night cruise rather than 6 or 7 nights, also going to Southern Caribbean which is more rare and usually more $$. 4. We're on a fairly new, Oasis class ship, cruising during a peak time. My parents decided to join us and booked several months after we did. They paid $2944.40 for a GTY oceanview (not balcony) when all the OV rooms that the ship had left in the category were down on the 3rd floor, also non-refundable, not group rate (they used TA but they were sold out of the group rates at that point). However, there was one day during November when the balcony category prices dropped significantly and we were able to upgrade them to a GTY balcony for only $60 total. They were assigned forward deck 6 and the TA was able to swap the room, no fee, with the same category on deck 8 aft, right near our rooms. So they ended up paying only $3,004.40 for their ocean balcony at the end of the day.

I've seen a few reports very recently (in the last week) that the Royal Up program may not be recognizing GTY rooms appropriately. There was a post on another forum where the person with a GTY was sent options lower than his GTY balcony room - title of the post was "Beware of the RoyalDown Program." Not sure if this is what's happening to you. I agree though, if you were allotted obstructed from the GTY pool, and that is a different category/class of room than unobstructed, that an upgrade would (should) put in you in a different/higher category.

P.S. This might help, from cruise spotlight. I *think* this is updated because I found an earlier version with no slides before Navigator was amped, but apologies if something has changed since this.

I've never been on a RCI ship older than Freedom class, but my teens love Oasis class. There is just so much to do. Plus you get an aqua show and Broadway show on Harmony! I don't know anything about the West Coast stops, but we've done the Harmony itinerary twice and I think Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan stops fit your needs: Perhaps: Cozumel: Beach Costa Maya: Mayan history tour Roatan: Snorkeling

@h20skibum Is there one next to each of the nightstands, or just the one?

I don't think you could go wrong with Oasis class, but Freedom class was also a big hit with my kids when they were that age. Personally, I'd just reach out to my TA and ask for whatever might be a good deal in your time frame on Freedom, Oasis or Quantum class.

I have used them on hard seltzer which is not listed but that is about at the same price point as beer. The cocktails are more expensive.

This was a big complaint in the reviews for the Homewood Suites that we booked as well - some people saying that no shuttle came in a 2 hour window. I also really hope it isn't that bad. I feel like for almost $400/night, the shuttle should run often & reliably!

Also following. What would people recommend to do if we wanted to walk around the city after dinner on the ship (early dining)? Interesting places to see?

My kids were also about 5 years old the first time in pullman beds. They were safe, and the kids loved them. We did have our bed in the pushed-together configuration underneath, so even if they had been able to roll over the rail (which they really wouldn't accidentally do unless their sleep is pretty wild), they would have landed on the big bed. I would say the only concern for a bigger kid would be how uncomfortable it would be to climb up and down the ladder (bigger feet don't seem to fit as well...) but that is such a small, temporary discomfort. We were on Royal Caribbean Freedom class ships, interiors, the years that we cruised with the pullman beds. I really loved that configuration when they were young.

Has anyone used a Priority Pass membership to access a lounge at MIA? We'll have a bit of a wait and I'm thinking about getting a Priority Pass membership to allow us to wait in one of the two lounges in terminals D/E. I'd love feedback on either/or (pass and/or lounges). Also, any problem with our teens in the lounge (not adult only)?

Adding to the data: on Allure from Galveston last spring, our earliest was 11:00am.

Yes, you must have the app and it will connect to the free wifi on board, but the app is the only thing you can do for free without paying for an Internet package. Within the app, you can message each other, also for free. You cannot use another program to text each other - only the messaging within the app. The two downsides are that the app may not (probably won't) notify you that you have a new message so you'll have to keep checking it, and children under 13 years old are technically not allowed to have their own account. People find ways around it - when my son was 12, I logged him in with my account and we both used my account. I could not have sent him a free message but my husband could have sent it to "me" on his phone.

As @Biker19 was mentioning, however, is that if you order any of the coffees with more than 1 shot of espresso, you'll be charged more than 1 punch on the card. Two shots = two punches of the card. So the card may not go as far as you hope.

I feel like the comparison would be more like drinking well/house alcohol vs premium alcohol. Cruise fares have gotten so expensive that if we do any cruise beyond our upcoming cruise in March, I would not want to spend any additional money on dining (except maybe a few inexpensive lunches, as have been mentioned, particularly on boarding day). We've always done the MDR and will continue to eat there - I really like having the same wait staff each night. With early fixed dining, we can grab additional food at another (complimentary) location if we don't like what MDR offered that night. Hopefully the MDR lunches won't ALL turn into brunch because I also enjoy them.

For these ships, the booking window is usually at the beginning of the month, the month before your cruise. If you are sailing mid-March, your window would open near the beginning of February. Not always the first of the month, but within a few days of the first.

@pcur Do you know how late these trolleys run? Do they go into the evening?

Has anyone stayed at the Homewood Suites by the airport (2061 Griffin Rd)? Thoughts?

We used Dayuse once in Fort Lauderdale. Gave us a place to leave luggage and rest in AC with wifi. Also we were able to rearrange our suitcases between how we needed it for cruise ship vs how we needed it for flying. But it was just a place to wait for us that wasn't the airport - it wasn't to give us something else to DO. Some of the cruise lines offer disembarkation excursions that take you on some type of tour and then drop you at the airport at the end of the tour.

Thank you for this! I have a reservation with Top Drive for our March cruise and we want to do some of the same activities that you did. Could you say more about which of your stops you really enjoyed, and also what the current entry fees are running?

Was this in the MDR? I'm wondering if Symphony has moved to "brunch" instead of separate breakfast and lunch seatings on sea days. I LOVE cold fruit soup and it is my main disappointment with the new menus - that there are no cold soups.

I also hate the layout at Boleros - a long, skinny dance floor with furniture along the side. The dance class I tried to take there ran out of room and there was no place to spill over. On Allure, they held the Silent dance party in Studio B.

I have a separate packing list for basics - what we take on almost every trip (i.e. clothes, toiletries, etc.) but I think @CruisingInFebruary and others have covered that well. Here is my "extras for cruises" list (we don't take all of these every cruise, but like to leave them on the list): Distilled water request Pur Water Filter Pitcher Clips & magnets for curtains & shower (no suction - does not work) Lanyards Starbucks Gift Card(s) European outlet adapter HDMI cable and universal remote (Samsung tv clone remote) Hammocks Tray and/or beverage holders & carriers address labels for the tags for return home bathroom spray pump soap (2) Pop up laundry hamper (2) Get cash - small bills included Gallon plastic bags water shoes Towel bands or clips for chairs Go Pro Stevia drops