LB_NJ

I am OK with that as long as they let me cancel and give me a full refund.

That is not true. I live much closer to Bayonne than Baltimore however, I just booked a cruise out of Baltimore because I wanted a smaller ship and the Vision had a great 12 day itinerary. For me Baltimore is also leave my house in the morning and arrive in time for a late lunch on the ship. Norfolk does not work for me.

I have a cruise booked on Vision ONLY because it left out of Baltimore. If they move it to Bayonne I'm OK. If they move it to Norfolk I hope they give me an option to cancel and get my money back.

I flew Southwest once and thought they were OK.

I don’t think they would?

Will Royal pay the extra cost of getting to Norfolk and the possible cost of an overnight hotel stay? Or will they let everyone cancel without penalty?

There is a tiny chance that they will overbook and you will not sail. Other than that if the discount is good enough go ahead and book guaranteed if you are willing to live with the worst possible cabin in that category.

FYI, it is of course VERY subjective however I have sailed both cruise lines in the last couple of years and my experience is that Royal buffet is worse than Celebrity and the Royal MDR is either the same or worse than Celebrity depending on the ship and the particular cruise. I think both cruise lines are still trying to figure out how to minimize spending on food while still filling the ships with passengers. Service levels from the crew seems to be similar. Royal is MUCH more likely to have children if that matters to you. Personally, at this point I would spend more for a Celebrity cruise and would only sail Royal if the itinerary was particularly interesting or I could drive to a Royal cruise and would have to fly if I did Celebrity.

I loved the Constellation on the 3 cruises we have done on her and would absolutely sail on her again. A Christmas cruise may be very different because of who sails however, I don't think you would enjoy it based on what you said you liked. She is a smaller, older ship and tends to attract an older crowd.

I have never done it however, I believe you can assign a different credit card to each cabin key, however, unless you prepay gratuities I believe they will post to that cabin key/credit card.

So how bad is the food on Vision in the MDR? The last Royal ship I sailed was a TA on Enchantment and was pleasantly surprised by the food quality in the MDR. Prior to that I sailed on Anthem just after the restart (not happy with food) and Adventure of the Seas (also not too happy). Recently I have been doing Celebrity and I am OK with the food in the MDR. Personally, I like smaller ships. Before it was sold, I loved Empress. Also, Baltimore is a drive to the port on departure day so a big benefit (no flying).

I have never sailed on Norwegian so I am asking more about experience on board like dining, MDR and buffet, outdoor movies, being able to sit by the pool, things to do, etc. Small things like rust spots, some worn carpets, don’t bother me too much as long as it isn’t severe.

I did this trip on Royal in very late April and most sea days were wet and cold. Also some rough seas. Your results may vary.

We like the Constellation however the itinerary on the Jewel looks more interesting. For those of you who have traveled on both how do they compare? We will probably travel in inside or oceanview.

Does this apply if you book a guaranteed cabin? If it does, how?

FYI, sometimes, at some of the bars they don't like to hand out wine glasses and ask that you get them from the cabin steward.

I have always done it.

Is there a reason why you want to prepay?

I realize that if you do a move-up from Aqua to Retreat, and specifically to a Royal Suite you DO NOT get a beverage package or Wi-Fi. However, do you get everything else such as unlimited dining in specialty restaurants; stocked refrigerator with beer, water, and soda; access to Michaels Lounge with evening drinks; etc?

When do they post the summer schedule?

I usually park at the port however, it is getting a little pricey. Any good alternatives? Not staying at a hotel so park and stay is not an option.

Check in means providing information such as passport information, etc. You get a boarding time when you check in. The ap should have an estimated check in time. They also ask that you upload a photo when you checkin. In the US I don’t bother. Not sure if it matters for a European departure. They sometimes enforce boarding times. The earlier you checkin the earlier you are likely to get an earlier boarding time.

While they may not be the same wines if you have the premium package you can create your own wine tasting experience by trying various wines that are included or are just a few dollars more. Plus I know that there are wines I definitely don’t like and I can just avoid them. If they are part of the 6 or so wines that are in the World Wine Tour then I’m stuck.

Given your limited time in port your best bet might be a shore excursion through the ship. It is pretty far from the dockyard to the caves. We did it on our own however we were docked in St. George’s on an overnight.

I sailed in Aqua on Constellation so I tried it out for free. I don't think I would purchase a day pass however, I don't use saunas. As was said it is a heated bench, not loungers, however the couple of times I was there I was the only person on the bench. Also no windows so pretty dark.