Itchy&Scratchy

pretty much all of the island stuff is free. a lot more info here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/308-private-islands/ https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/51-royal-caribbean-international/ some of my photos and info: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2930782-oasis-april-2-9-2023-a-wonderful-cruise/page/2/#comment-65236966 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2816746-a-short-review-of-thanksgiving-2021-harmony-cruise-with-food-pics/page/2/#comment-62242549

the "free" part only applies to those 12 and under... 😞 sadly. Mine's about to turn 13 next week and is considered an adult by RCI. We've been on RCI ships many times, mostly during school holidays, and never encountered any hoards of kids running wildly and behaving badly.

On Seascape it's included only with the Minor's package. And even then the staff wasn't always aware and tried to charge our kid for it. We only managed to get soft serve about 3 times on our 7 day cruise in November on Seascape. All sorts of issues... It was available for free for about an hour each day in the buffet - long lines..... Otherwise, it was not free. The good news about the soft serve is that it was delicious all three times.

just so that everyone is aware what OP is complaining about.... https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992020-suggestion-on-flight-after-arrival-in-rotterdam/ his family wants to get off the cruise earlier, in a different port, and HAL won't let him.

so, you PREPAY the gratuities on Virgin. And if Virgin pays their staff a fair wage, why the gratuities?

"Are we back to three evening dress codes again?" just one is enough.

I am 5'6 and when my kid was sick on a cruise and wanted to sleep in my lower berth, I had to climb into his pullman bed. That was painful. I am not a fit person. And I have to use the bathroom at night 2+ times, so no. Not for me. So, while the kid loves pullman beds for now (he is 5'5 now, but will soon be 6'+, so we'll see about that), I prefer sofas for the ease of getting into. ETA: I am 5'6, <200#, and I just couldn't fit comfortably on one of those lower single berths with my 4 yo. I can't imagine climbing up into a pullman with him and being comfy.

we literally cruise only during the holidays....

please don't remove it. Use the parents' credit card when checking-in for the baby, and his grats will hit THAT credit card instead.

not to me. First time I see or hear about it.

Did you feel much movement? Where did you sail and was it stormy at the time? I booked a far forward inside cabin on Reflection (I am sure this one will be very bumpy), and on Ascent and Beyond as well (DPV balconies, forward).

tried what exactly? Moving the booking to a different date? You didn't say that in your original post. Like this:

but it shouldn't be for a March 24 sailing. I already checked in for our March 30 sailing on Feb 13. make sure Celebrity didn't cancel your reservation...

only to wear them 4 nights a year on a cruise? Nah. I am good. Thanks.

I prefer to look at my food in the restaurant instead of other people's toes. Or feet in general. The only time my DH wears flip flops is to the pool and the beach. Other than that, he wears fisherman sandals - athletic for every day use and nice leather ones for dressier occasions. I make him wear comfy slip-ons by Skechers to MDR on chic nights:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/35-bahamas/ more info on Bimini.

fun. It was a little scarier on Harmony according to my DH. Our kid enjoyed both, but thought Harmony's was a little more fun. I did the one on Oasis once - it was ok, but I am not a fan. DS does not like water slides. DS would have liked to use a water slide on Harmony, but they prohibited him from using goggles. He absolutely hates water in his eyes now, so using goggles was a must. But all the other kids had a blast.

that's Oasis. Prices at the "rib place" went up ~50% since April 2023. I would pick Harmony. We don't care about the Solarium since we travel with a kid who is not allowed there, and Harmony is newer and better.

I love that song.

imho, people who are 80 probably don't have the strongest immune system to begin with.

but you are in an inside cabin, right? We smelled it a lot while trying to enjoy balconies on cruises.

I doubt it. But for the first couple of years I burst out laughing every time I saw them somewhere in the house. My poor husband didn't expect such treachery from a seemingly nice local guy. In our defense, it was our first time in Jamaica...

honestly, the only time we get to smell it is while cruising. It is a terrible odor, indeed.

wow, sounds like you went on quite an adventure.... Way worse than getting duped into paying $20 for a carving of our names on some really ugly wooden sticks, lol.