KimA75

Royal Caribbean has ultra spacious rooms.  These have the regular bed, a sofa bed, and a set of bunk beds.  So, technically, it could sleep six.  The class of ship determines if they are interior, ocean view, or have a balcony.  You could look online for the rooms, indicating that you have four in your group.  However, for some reason, in order to book five in a room, you have to use a travel agent or call Royal Caribbean.  You can't do it online.  These rooms are pretty big, but can get pricey, depending on demand and sailing.  There also aren't a lot of these, so you need to be willing to book early.  Or, hope to get lucky and find one if you are close to your desired sailing time.  We were in one of these rooms once and loved the space.

I will admit though, even with just four of us, I prefer two connecting rooms so that you get a second bathroom.  It's something to think about, especially depending on how old your kids are and if they spend a lot of time while showering, etc.

17 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

So if you're in the pool, hot tub, slides, or bathroom, you should do what with your towel?  😉

I still think Royal would help matters if they put "cubbies" in a couple of different spots near the pool deck.  Then people have someplace to put their stuff while using the amenities. 

 Cubbies would be nice.  However, if I'm planning on using a pool or hot tub and then moving on to go do something else, I just look for what would be considered an unpopular chair.  I looks for areas that are void of people and put my stuff there.  And, even though I typically have my kids with me, we only use one chair instead of one per person.

Waterslides, Flow Rider, mini golf, and ice skating are free.  I believe the only attraction that costs extra right now is the Crown's Edge.  If they have the escape room or laser tag up and running there may be an additional cost for those as well.   

15 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Our profile is set to receive emails, but the only one I've ever gotten is "checkin is now open". Never anything else.

Same here.  I have unchecked it and rechecked it.  I have also called in to verify that I should be receiving emails.  I still never do.  I get the ones from Celebrity, but not Royal Caribbean.  I have given up by this point as I don't know what else can be done since I have reached out to the company themselves.  

Get your invoice and in the second blue box it lists the pricing and fees that you have paid, or still owe.  I have attached a copy of mine here. You should see a specific location that lists gratuities if it is prepaid.

I get it because I also enjoy the mocktails.  Also, if you use their cups at the drink machines, you can get flavored waters or flavored teas if you don't want a soda.  You can grab bottles of water or gatorade/powerade (I can't remember which they have) as you head off ship. So, for me, it is completely worth it.

I was just looking up information since we will be flying in/out through FLL for an Icon sailing out of Miami.  You could look into an Uber XL or even two ubers.  That seems to be the cheapest route. Check with you hotel as well.  Ours does not offer a shuttle to the port, but has a shuttle company they often call and are willing to call for us.  That is $8 per person.  Uber is still cheaper, but this will work. It looks like Intercontinental can help arrange transport to the port. Maybe they can recommend a company for airport transfer as well.

Other recommendations from people on the Florida port boards mention Jiffy Jeff and SAS.  Other than renting a car, those were the most expensive options, much more than I expected. Uber for all portions is around $230 for us and the private companies were around $520.  (There are 5 of us total.) I know this will be different for you since you are flying from Miami and you have two additional people, but this is just to give you an idea.

I typically, but not always, see the best deals on Black Friday.  You have enough time that you can wait for the upcoming one this year.  As others have mentioned, you can always get it, or excursions, then cancel and rebook later if it goes down in price.  Just be aware that sometimes it takes a while to get the refund from the initial purchase that is cancelled.

3 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I don't think so -- what would they gain by saying NO to people who want to sign up /want to give them money today?  

 

Because they can charge more once people are on board and there are always people that wait until they board to book these.

I believe they keep some spots for booking while on board, but I'm not completely sure.  I do know that for our Alaska cruise we tried to book an excursion for my ex-husband and his father.  At the time, there was only one space left to book it online.  We called in and they were able to get it booked for both people.  So, it may be worth a phone call to see if there are some spots available on the excursion you are interested in.

I book on my own, as far out as I can. For Icon, I booked opening day in October 2022.  Prices have been fairly consistently rising since then due to demand.  Booking early out often gives the best price. But, it also gives you time to check prices as often as you want. If you see a price drop before final payment, you can call in to get your booking adjusted to the lower price.  If it drops after final payment, you won't get the drop, but you can check to see if the next category also dropped.  If it did, you can get into a better room for about the same price, maybe a little less, or sometimes for a little bit more.  

I like booking on my own so that I have control over it.  I book online and call in for any changes. I've seen postings where there was a price drop and people were trying to find other ways around their travel agent to get the lower price because their agent wasn't available. Royal Caribbean won't talk to you if you used an agent. And, if yours happens to be on their own vacation at the time of a drop, you could be out of luck on accessing that drop.

I admit, I'm not familiar with Carnival cabins.  I can say that we enjoy any of the ultraspacious rooms on Royal Caribbean.  A lot of floor space, bunk beds are in the room and there is a pullout sofa.  These are larger than standard rooms and book quickly.  The category of interior, ocean view, or balcony vary depending on the class of ship that you are booking. 

     Also, junior suites are a great option.  These also have more floor space and many of them have a bathtub for the kids.  They give you access to the suite restaurant for dinner as long as there is space available. 

     We have also done connecting cabins and leave the interior door between the rooms open.  On most ships, if you have a balcony, they can also open the connecting door there and give you a larger overall balcony.  Plus, this gives you two bathrooms.

I would go with connecting rooms or, if you are sailing Royal Caribbean, an ultra spacious room.  The ultra spacious are different locations depending on the class of ship.  Some are interior, others are ocean view, and some are balcony.  These have a lot more area in the room and have a bunk bed area along with the bed and pull out sofa.  Granted, the bunk beds generally only have a curtain to close between the areas and not an actual door, but it does allow for some separation and gives a ton more floor space.

Connecting rooms are great because you get two bathrooms.  That way there isn't a concern about someone needing to use the bathroom while another person is showering, etc.  Plus, it can give the adults a little more privacy.  You book these as one adult and one child in each room.  Once you are on board, you can go to guest services and have the keys arranged however you want.  Kids have keys to one room while adults have keys to the other.  

11 hours ago, emeraldcity said:

It's annoying, I agree. I've "aged out" of a number of excursions ... particularly in Mexico. Seriously, why can't a 70+ person ride in a "go fast" boat?! And then there was the segway somewhere in the Caribbean I was too old for ... but apparently I wasn't to old for one in Bermuda. It's all about the vendor and there is no way around it. Believe me, I tried.

My dad (83) was just excluded for a trolley tour at a port.  He is too old to ride a trolley... I am still shaking my head at that one.

Northeast and Canada don't return until September and are often still enjoying vacations at this time.  I also admit, I have no problem taking my kids out of school to go on a vacation.  The only time I found it to be an issue was when we tried to do it the last week before school break in December, due to exam scheduling.  Otherwise, we ask for school work ahead of time and work on it in the cabin throughout the week and finish it when we are home.  This year I will be taking them out in September to sail on Icon of the Seas.  I booked it on opening day and literally looked for the lowest priced sailing.  Sailing during school breaks is way over my budget, so this is how we are able to go and enjoy.  Oh, and we also always book 7-8 night cruises to get the most out of it.

No matter when we have gone, there have always been plenty of kids on board.  If you don't want to be bothered with teens running around, I would suggest looking to one of the adult only cruise lines.  Otherwise, there is no guarantee that there will be few kids (pre-teens/teens) on board.  

We stayed in Seattle for our 2019 cruise.  Granted, that was several years ago, but I have relatives living there.  It is fine as long as you follow the standard rules while traveling- don't walk alone at night, etc, etc.  We thoroughly enjoyed Pike's Market and the Space Needle the day before the cruise.  It really is an amazing place.

We used Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas for the amenities on the ship since we had 9 & 5 year old boys.  I believe your kids would enjoy this ship as well.

Pros and cons that we immediately noticed:

   Flights in and out of Seattle were cheaper since it was not an international flight

   On a larger ship, and leaving from Seattle, the ports were not as intensive

   Plenty of activities to keep the kids busy on the cruise

While we had an amazing time and loved the ship, your kids are old enough to do a one way cruise, either north or south.  It means ending in a different port from where you started, so it could deeply impact flight costs.  However, the ports are better since the ship does not have to return to the same port.  It also means that you could include a land tour before or after the cruise, depending on which direction you are heading.  Smaller ships can get into ports that the larger ships cannot.  I admit, I am really looking forward to another one when I can do one direction and add a land tour.

So, it all depends on budget and what exactly you are looking forward to.  If the kids get bored easily, go with a larger ship that does a roundtrip out of Seattle.  This is also the better option if you are on a tighter budget.  If you have a larger budget and more time, go with a smaller ship, heading one direction, and throw in a land tour if possible.

Alaska was beautiful and our multigenerational group thoroughly enjoyed this trip.  I would have absolutely no hesitations on booking another cruise as I feel like there was still more we could do and see.

Legend was the first cruise I went on in 2016, before it was moved out of the fleet the next year.  That cruise got me hooked!  It didn't hurt that this was the first, and so far only, time I made it to Australia. I would definitely be willing to book another Legend.

I tried to do a search, but could only find something from 2002.  Is there a service that will transfer luggage after the cruise to the airport?  We are flying in/out of Ft. Lauderdale with a cruise out of Miami on Icon in September.  I would love to be able to set the luggage outside the last night and not see it again until we get to our final destination.  I know some cruise lines offer this service, but I'm not sure if Royal Caribbean does.

I am also a planner.  I book at least a year out.  For my upcoming cruise on Icon I booked on opening day in October 2022 and won't be on it until September this year.  So, almost two years.

Booking early often gets you the better prices.  But, once you do book, keep an eye on any price changes to call back in and get lower prices, better cabins, or more onboard credit.  It also gives me the chance to wait for sales on excursions, drink packages etc.  I was able to book everything through the Black Friday sale last year and got almost everything at much better rates than I had seen before and am definitely seeing now.

Popular excursions can sell out ahead of time, so booking those early can help.  Plus early booking allows me to manage finances better.  I split the amount over the months and make smaller payments.

We take noise control headphones/earmuffs for when the cruise is leaving port.  The horn they blow can be loud, but we also enjoy being outside for it.  My food limiting child has always been able to find options at both the buffet and main dining.  At main dining he will sometimes order from the adult menu with some modifications and often orders from the child's menu.  They are more than willing to leave off sauces, etc, as needed for him.  Buffet always has burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc that are always a good stand by for him. 

I encourage each of my boys to try kids club at least once while on board.  My oldest, who is diagnosed as on the spectrum, has loved it and asked to go back.  My youngest, who hasn't been diagnosed but wouldn't surprise me with his food aversions, noise sensitivity, etc, will argue about going.  But, he will generally agree to go once and try it.  So far, he has never really taken to it and I haven't forced him to return.  I figure that vacation is supposed to be relaxing for all of us.  If I force him into the club I may get more time to relax, but he will be miserable.  That isn't really fair to him as this is his vacation as well.

My kids have always found enough activities on board that they enjoy.  And kids club has always been great with them on their cruises.  We have only cruised Royal Caribbean, but Celebrity is under the same company and I would imagine the people on board there will be just as good.

My ex and I cruised on an older and smaller ship for our first cruise in 2016.  All we cared about was that it went where we wanted.  I never even noticed any issues or thought about it being older until we started cruising more and booking newer, bigger ships.  For our first cruise, the older, smaller ship was absolutely perfect.  We had such a great time and I am now addicted to cruising.  Ever since then, the kids have joined in.  Because of what they like, I am booking the bigger ships.  But, I am looking forward to cruising on my own later and returning to the smaller ships to experience more port options.  I have only cruised Royal Caribbean, so I can't give any advice on the itineraries you are looking at.  All I can say is that I would definitely not hesitate to book one of these.

On 4/14/2024 at 11:26 AM, molly361 said:

I have been cruising solo since my husband passed away 2 1/2 years ago.  Everything has been great.  The only part I am still not good at is eating alone.  Not sure why that is.  I can usually find folks to chat with at the bars or trivia.

I know pre-Covid you were able to be seated at a larger table with various other passengers. I'm not sure if that is still an option.  If it is, we met some really interesting people that when we did this.  I've read that some others made lifelong friends this way.  I am recently divorced and while I am cruising with my kids now, I fully expect to cruise solo later.  I am hoping this will still be, or will become, an option.   

I did the passport renewal on February 20 for my youngest and we did not expedite it.  We had it back within four weeks.  If you expedite it, you should get it back in time. I'm not sure if location matters, but we are in metro Atlanta, GA area.

I usually get it at $21.99 per day or $23.99 per day.  I usually see the lower price on Black Friday.  

9 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

why not sail in the Caribbean where it's quite a bit warmer?

We have been on several in the Caribbean and love it. However, I want to get the boys over to London to see some sights. I figured that since we love cruising so much, we could do several days in London and then move on elsewhere. I gave them a choice between the train to Paris to spend a few more days there or take a cruise and they both agreed on cruise. It is rare to get them to agree on anything, so I take it when I can. I think we have it narrowed down to the Spain and Portugal cruise though