Tin can

Being based in the UK we felt the same with the usual Mediterranean cruises on offer as probably you folks in the States feel about the same Caribbean cruises. We have Anthem booked from New York next Easter and have Harmony booked from Galveston in 2024. Galveston is an 11 hour flight from London but like you we want to get out of the comfort zone a bit and have visited the States many times but not down South. Might be an option to look at a cruise from Europe if you haven't already?

Good point.

Very true about Fosters. Its more what the term ‘black and tan’ represents in Ireland. Absolutely no way would I be ordering a drink called that in Ireland or any Irish bar. To then proceed to tell them how to make it is only asking for real upset, just my opinion.

This drink I gather is popular in America but certainly not in Ireland.

That's interesting to hear, I heard the dry dock in February was just for maintenance and that there was no 'Amping' going on. I hope there is as we are on Explorer around the Greek Isles next summer.

Beginning of April, looks like we just miss the rodeos.

Thank you all for your very helpful replies it is appreciated. I really do fancy a trip that includes San Antonio and Stockyard and maybe a couple of other recommendations and I think that would be a great few days. I just need to conquer my fear now of left hand driving and tacking large American freeways!

I'm not an expert but I think you have to stake $12,500.00 not actually spend (lose it), technically I suppose if you were lucky you could play the same $100 stake over and over if you won a bit/lost a bit to achieve the required level. If the incentives are this good with free cruises I'm guessing the likelihood of this though is quite low.

I disagree slightly that the main focus was on 'free' drinks. It was a ritual to head to the lounge at 5pm or whenever it opened. The lounges or over flows were packed and the atmosphere buzzing, some of this probably due to free drinks but also because it was where you went, it was what we did. This doesn't happen any more as it is more 'convenient' to most to use the vouchers elsewhere. What we had once in the DL is lost for good I fear.

Did that quite often on our recent cruise if having a beer at lunchtime around the pool to save the vouchers for the more expensive cocktails in the evening. I got the impression that for whatever reason some bar staff were not too keen to do this.

It used to be great, buzzing and full and we also met and spoke with many people. I was genuinely shocked late May on Anthem how much it had changed. The C & A tier count on the cruise was 600 odd Diamonds and 240 D+ and no one was in there. Royal will know everyone is using the vouchers round the ship and the lounges days are numbered I fear. Hope I am wrong.

Many seats available and servers standing around was our recent experience on Anthem.

I'm thinking the same to be honest, I've been doing some research and the Dallas farmers market looks interesting and the Stockyards at Fort Worth. I'm almost ashamed to say I also want to go and see South Fork Ranch as I was a big fan of the series 😀

Hi all We are from the UK and planning a cruise from Galveston. We are looking to spend a few days post cruise somewhere near enough to fly home but also to experience Texas. We have visited previously a number of times New York and Chicago and Houston rightly or wrongly looks a similar urban city offering much of the same. I know it will involve a flight but we were thinking therefore Dallas and Fort Worth might be good for 3-4 days to experience a bit of what Texas has to offer. I would be grateful for any local views and having cruised a number of times now from New York we are very much looking forward to cruising with Texans!

I had exactly the same with my two price matches. They wouldn't initially honour what was on the website and it was so frustrating. I also had a slightly higher invoice which I gave up querying in the end. Would you know if you can book a cruise with a Next Cruise certificate through a travel agent or does it have to be Royal direct?

I'm hoping actually booking a cruise is a less stressful and quicker process on the phone than calling to price match.

Thank you for the reply, it was something simple then that I was doing wrong then 😀 It would make sense to me to be able to book it on the website and then enter a code and its done but perhaps that's just me. Thanks again

Hi All I'm actually a bit embarrassed to ask this as I've been cruising on Royal for many years but how do you actually make a booking having previously purchased a future Next Cruise certificate with the $200 deposit. There is an entry in my booked cruises with a booking reference (I presume this is what I bought) but how do I apply this to booking a new cruise on the website. I am completely lost with this and google hasn't been my friend so there must be something very obvious that I am missing. Many thanks

We had them every night on Anthem a few weeks ago but no copies at guest services as someone else mentions above.

We are heading to Ravenna for a Greek Isles cruise next summer so really looking forward to this. Thanks for posting.

Thank you for that, Padua looks absolutely wonderful. I'm going to have to try and fit a night there post cruise as well.

Thats good to know that the service is punctual and changing in Ferrara was simple. Did you stop a night in Ravenna or go straight to the port?

I agree, for Royal this seems very cheap but as also confirmed above I have seen $10 dollars stated a few times now. Maybe it is subsidised as I understand it used to be provided free by the port.

Indeed, there was a programme on TV here (UK) recently though about Venice and how it is really struggling with the number of day visitors. I can't recall exactly but think it stated that sometimes it can be as many as 150,000 per day which is considerably more than live or stay there overnight in hotels. The head of tourism chap who was interviewed basically saying it is good people want to come and visit and spend money but that they simply couldn't cope.

There has previously been a free cruise shuttle that departs from near Ravenna station provided by the Port that was stopped during Covid. It has been discussed in the Royal Caribbean board that Royal have very recently been providing its own station-port shuttle for $10 each way if I recall correctly.