Jasukkie

Think of the size of the rum runners people walk right through those scanners with. The agents are not paid enough to inquire about someone's humps and bumps.

There were some Icon sailings available in the going going gone sale flyer a few days ago. In the $1800+ range per person if I recall correctly.

At those prices I'm happy to wait a long time. Though I'm sure a lot of people paid more. No OV and interiors which isn't surprising since the prices were so high and many just want to be onboard.

I'd say the de facto policy is now don't ask, don't tell. Anyone going on a cruise should understand they will be exposed to covid. Keep enough sick time on the return side if you have a job that won't let you work with covid.

I wouldn't risk it, and no, they don't exist in scheduled form due to the passenger vessel laws that have been around for a long time. The Seattle to Seattle cruises were a special exception permitted by Congress due to the economic impact of the pandemic on Alaska.

In my experience, location matters a lot. What works adequately by the pool won't work in your cabin. Sometimes just stepping outside the cabin door could get a page to load, otherwise things timed out. So if you need streaming video for work, in a private location, it may be hard to find.

It's so interesting that there are only 41 pinns. I would think they would be all over this. I know there are some pinnacles who book inside cabins on cheaper itineraries and just cruise a lot of the year. Maybe just a lot of people seizing the day with this rare opportunity.

The inventory isn't costly though. Meat is very expensive. Beans and grains are cheap and shelf stable. I think if they did a better job with meals that just happened to be vegan more people would order them. Ultimately it could save the kitchen money. Maybe people could get their multiple lobsters back with the savings.

I've commented on every cruise survey about the size of the vegan portions. I'm not vegan but I generally eat less meat, just my preference. Some of the options are okay taste wise but they are appetizers, not full dinners. Why not a big bowl of pasta/rice with veggies and beans? Just keep it simple. I'm surprised the Windjammer wasn't better. They usually always have rice and some sort of plain steamed vegetables. Then there are the Indian options which may or may not be vegan. There is a vegan veggie burger that they will cook upon request (at least in the past). There's usually peanut butter. I know this is just scraping by. Other cruise lines do a better job. I'd recommend Virgin Voyages for an all-around better food experience, especially for vegans and vegetarians.

I'm going to live vicariously through these fine folks because I know Royal will never do this again. Was this kids sail free? 60 is an impressive number of kids doing the whole way. How wonderful for them. As to people coming onboard mid-cruise, it may turn out that people are hungry for new people to interact with. I'm very curious about the social dynamic on this cruise actually.

With you in spirit and looking forward to following along. I would do this in a heartbeat if I were retired. Wondering if there are any knitters/crocheters planning special projects, like the row a day temperature blankets, or some sort of geographical version of that. Or maybe buy yarn in ports as you go and do something creative with that.

It's something Royal has not caught up to compared to other cruise lines. There just aren't enough tables for playing games. The best are the long tables outside of 270 on Quantum class, but that can be a busy area.

I've done this a couple of times on other ships and never regretted it. I think it's a nice extra especially if you have a lot of sea days on a longer voyage. It's definitely for cruise nerds and logistics people. They give you an ear piece to hear the guide better which I really appreciate.

It's hit or miss depending on how many smokers are onboard. The Greenland cruise was very light on smokers, I could even go in the casino which I usually never do. I've been on other sailings on Radiance class where it permeated the Centrum and was annoying.

I've wondered if the higher sticker prices for Royal is a step towards a modified all-inclusive pricing strategy like many competitors have. For example, Virgin has wifi and gratuities included, and the bar tab feature to pre-pay alcohol and more reasonable prices than Royal. Norwegian has their perks, Princess has something similar. Could be a strategy to an eventual change.

Yes, once, said to have been a mistake, sent back to bed. I was already down five flights of stairs in my PJs. Quite a shot of adrenaline out of a deep sleep. I think we were out of the cabin in five seconds lol.

You have to give them your seapass card in exchange for a locker key. That's the sum total of service. The towels are stocked and you help yourself. I've never been offered a robe or shower shoes (Radiance class thermal suite). No one comes by to see if you need a drink of water or whatever might be called service. I consider it no different than using the fitness equipment in the gym. There's no gratuity there. As I understand it the spa workers are not Royal employees but I could be wrong about that.

I made this mistake once and will never do so again. I felt so bad for the crew. Always check January dates.

@orville99 regarding the temp of the Solarium pool on Radiance class. The pool felt like hot tub temperature on one of the days in Greenland on Jewel. Absolutely lovely on a cold day. The second time we went it was definitely cooler, more what one would expect for a pool. I have no idea if that capability varies between ships in the class.

They are reporting the news, not making it. A bit salty but that sort of detail adds life to a review and conveys the stress and frustration going on.

I've got nothing booked at the moment, which hasn't been the case since the restart. I'm researching for a family cruise and while Royal would be my first choice, the price is not justified. Literally twice for a comparable ship from another brand. Five free drinks is not enough to tip the scales.

I've never done it either. I usually use one of two online travel agencies and they always have lower prices than Royal and at least $100 of OBC. I see they do a good business though. I guess people like sitting down and talking with an agent face to face.

I have a feeling the OP isn't coming back. File a claim, get the cash, use that money to cover your road expenses for your trip to South Carolina, retrieve the suitcases, take your new friends to lunch, drive home with a good story.

There are too many variables to make a judgement from other people's experiences. I've sailed out of Bayonne into hurricane remnants and been fine. I love a rocking sea and never get seasick. The stabilizers are amazing anyway. Barely any movement to me. I'm quite sure your daughter would perceive the same situation differently though. I would focus more on strategies to minimize seasickness.

Any video? Seems hard to believe there wouldn't be in this day and age.