ARandomTraveler

Just go to the muster station as soon as you board the ship, before you go to your room. Very easy.

It's probably like Southwest Airlines, you can set an alarm and click "check in" as soon as the alarm goes off, but still get put in group B. Some people are probably picking their time before they input any info. They may be limiting the number of 10:30 slots to account for the number of "The Key" they've sold, or the number of suites or pinnacles boarding etc. Who knows. But like everyone said, show up when you want, they'll let you on.

Hmmm, good question. Since it's a transpacific coming back to the US, it might be more "typical" in the cruising experience (meaning, shows and activities and food will be similar to what you'd find on European and Caribbean cruises). I did an Asian cruise last summer and it was definitely geared more towards the Asian market, most notably to me was that the food in the windjammer was much more geared to the way Asian people eat. For example, not a lot of American breakfast items, there was a lot more food that I would consider lunch or dinner food put out for breakfast, and it was mostly Asian food (a lot of soups and noodles and meats for breakfast). Also, the only real sodas were Coca Cola and Fanta orange. And you won't find the same array of salad dressings (I can't recall if they even had ranch). However the fruit is amazing, always ripe and sweet (and you'll get some different, more exotic fruits like rambutan). There weren't as many activities, but the activities they did have were done in English. There were a lot of arts and crafts (like jewelry making and napkin folding), and a TON of trivia (trivia was done to death on that sailing), but not a ton of shows. No comedian. No quest show or anything like that. Karaoke was all in Chinese (even the songs that were supposed to be American had Chinese subtitles 😂), and it was a HOOT to watch because unless you speak Chinese, you can't understand a word and won't recognize any of the songs (and perhaps I'm just immature but I found it hilarious). Tons of room on the pool deck loungers, as Asian people don't like to tan. The people onboard were very friendly, respectful and much quieter than what you'll find on typical sailings. And there's no smoking onboard (but that may have been because we started in Singapore, where smoking isn't allowed). The staff is mostly Asian (instead of Caribbean or European). Signage on board was in English and Chinese, but coming from Japan, I'm not sure how things will be. I definitely recommend doing an Asian cruise if you're looking for something different. It's familiar enough to get by without knowing an Asian language (or being able to read kanji (Japanese) characters), but different enough to feel like it's a distinctly different experience.

The longer cruises tend to have lower prices, because the total price ends up being so high (when multiplying over 12-14 days). Asian cruises are also typically priced very low, because that market doesn't drink much alcohol. My 12 day Asian cruise last august had the alcohol package at $43/day. I still didn't buy it though because over a 12 day period, that's still a lot of money and I don't drink that much. The transatlantic cruise I have booked for next year has had the alcohol package listed as low as $57/day, but again, over a 13 day period, that's a lot of money, especially once you add the 18%, and when you have to buy for 2 people.

No worries, it was a poorly written paragraph. I'm not sure about the Macau thing, I guess ask @bonsai3s because we were in the same cruise and they went to Macau (I didn't). I just remember a bunch of announcements being made about notifying the ship if you planned to go to Macau and turning in your documents etc.

They didn't take our passports for Hong Kong, but they did keep them when we went to Taiwan. At least when they gave them back we got the stamp in our passports. We also got a stamp in Vietnam. No stamps for Singapore or Hong Kong. Japan gave us a "landing sticker" in place of a stamp.

I've used Starlink (the new high-speed satellite Internet they started introducing about 2 years ago) on Symphony, Spectrum and Allure. On symphony it worked perfectly everywhere on the ship, including in our room on the 9th floor near the music hall. We even streamed football games with no delays. That was a western Caribbean itinerary out of Miami. On Spectrum it worked great as long as we weren't near Chinese airspace, where they blocked or slowed our signal for several days, so badly that the ship refunded 4 days of our Internet money. When it was working, it was great, I was able to make phone calls to the United States from the middle of the South China Sea, during a storm, including on FaceTime, On Allure (Bahamas/Cococay itinerary) it was atrocious. It worked only in some areas of the ship, and when it did work, it was really slow. I even had trouble getting it to work from deck 16, just above the pool deck. I couldn't check emails and social media would load at turtle speeds, if at all. I never could have gotten away with bringing work with me on that one. So it's a crap shoot. Technically, it should work, and for me, I was able to do work 2/3 times, but the other 1 time I was thankful I didn't need to do any work, because I wouldn't have been able to do anything.

This topic was brought up recently. I'd never heard of it, but after reading the comments, I looked into it and booked it for my upcoming allure sailing in a couple weeks. The link to the thread is below.

I didn't say that Macau was on mainland China, I said Macau is an Island. I was saying that Hong Kong is located on mainland China (and Macau is an island off of that area). I didn't go to Macau so I don't know what the documents were but the ship made notifications multiple times the day before, and the day of, docking at Hong Kong, letting us know we needed to submit whatever special documents and visas were needed if we planned to go there. I know that we (as United States citizens) were told we couldn't go unless we had applied for whatever special thing it was (visa or otherwise) that was required. My point was really to point out that you don't need any visa to go to Hong Kong, but that if you're going to any stop that is close to Macau, where an excursion could be taken, you do need to apply for something special in order to go there (I assume visa, but if not a visa, it's still an application that needs to be filled out in advance).

Definitely make sure you get your own visa if it's needed for China. The ship will not provide if for you. For Japan you do not need a visa, but you will have to fill out a form when you arrive in Japan that asks some questions, including whether you have a criminal history, and will be denied entry if you do. They take your photo and your fingerprints and run it through their system before they let you into the country. I think it's probably just for their records, in case you commit a crime while there, and to make sure you've never been there before and committed any crimes. I went on an Asian cruise last year, but it started in Singapore instead of China, because China's port was still closed. We stopped in Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. We (United States citizens) were required to have a visa for Vietnam, and we were required to show it in order to board the ship. We did not need one for Taiwan, Hong Kong or Japan. However, if you wanted to go to the island of Macau from Hong Kong (which is on mainland China), we had to have a special visa. Getting onto the ship that trip was a much longer and more complicated process than the typical Caribbean cruise, as they had to check all of the documents, make copies etc., so I had the opportunity to overhear multiple passengers exchanges during their check in processes. There were a lot of nationalities on that trip, and holders of different passports had different requirements. It was surprising how many people showed up without knowing what they needed, or assuming the ship would take care of it all for them. One family was denied boarding completely for not having the required visas, while another family was told they could board, but would not be allowed to leave the ship in certain countries. Be very sure to find out what you need before you leave, and know how long in advance you can (or are required to) apply in order to get the paperwork you need. That's not a trip you want to screw up.

Get on the ship at 11:30am or earlier and make that the first thing you do and you'll be fine. You might have to be flexible with your dining times, but everything (except hibachi) will have availability. The other thing you can do, if you don't get a restaurant you want, is to throughout the cruise and check for cancellations. The one thing that sucks about having to make all your reservations on the first day is that you really don't know what you'll feel like eating on any given day, or at what time you'll be hungry, so there's always people who decide they don't want to go to their reservation.

It's been a few years (pre-covid) since I've been to St Kitts, but taking any island tour there (whether pre-arranged or by asking a taxi driver at the port to drive you around for the day) provides a pretty full day. Some places to visit, assuming they still exist: Batik Factory (it's basically a store that sells cloth and things that are made from cloth) with tie-dye type designs that are made using a handmade wax process. I really like their fans. brimstone fortress (just an old fortress that you can walk around on and take some cool photos) Carambola Beach Club (this would be a beach stop after touring the other 2 places) If you're in really good shape and want some adventure, you could do the Liamuiga volcano hike instead. I've done this and it was great, but not for anyone with mobility issues or who doesn't workout regularly. I went with a company called Grey's Island Excursions who was very reputable and has been recommended a lot. They also provide day tours, which will likely take you to some of the above locations.

Hamilton!!!?? Good luck! That's by far the best Broadway musical out there, no way they're getting the rights to that. Besides, their set has so many mechanical and moving parts, and it wouldn't be nearly the same if they removed them in order to accommodate a cruise ship stage. I just saw Wicked for the 2nd time a couple weeks ago, and am seeing Hamilton for the second time in November. Both great musicals.

Spectrum doesn't have a playmakers. I was on it last august, so unless it's been added since then, that's a no-go.

Thank you for the recommendations for places to go in these ports. I've also done these ports multiple times and am looking for something else for my wonder cruise in December. I just looked up infinity bay online and can't find a link to day passes. Are you just booking the hotel for 1 night to get the access, or is there another way to do it? https://www.infinitybay.com/all-inclusive

It might be because your deposit hasn't been applied yet, since it's going through a 3rd party (your travel agent). I had an issue last Friday with a booking accidentally being switched to a non-refundable fare and RC had to re-create the reservation, and then re-apply the deposit I paid back in July. The deposit will take 7-10 days to be applied, so it's been on a "courtesy hold since last Friday (7 days ago). The expiration date was today, so I had to call yesterday to have them extend it. I don't know if travel agent holds have an expiration date, but if it does you might want to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't expire before your deposit is applied.

When I was on Symphony they had a bunch of desks/kiosks set up on the promenade, right where you walk onto the ship, specifically to make dining reservations. By a "bunch" I mean like 6.

That's even better than the deal I got on my Allure 9/30 ($516 for a solo CP balcony). I'd be surprised if they're having trouble filling that ship. The other Oasis class doing 3/4 night cruises out of Miami is generally double the price (or more).

I found a bottle of KY jelly under the bed on Symphony once. I just threw it away.

You probably already know this, but just in case you don't, you can bring 1 bottle of your own wine onto the ship per person (over 21 years old). You'll get the best wine that way. Otherwise I've found that most of the wines at the bars and lounges are pretty basic (stuff you can buy at the store for $15/bottle).

I wasn't really advocating for people to buy expensive luggage. Initially I commented to say that I understood the original posters frustration, and that I also have luggage that I'm particular about, but given it's price, I'm also aware that I'm taking a risk by having it, and am prepared to have to pay to replace it because it's never covered under anyone's policy limits. After that post, multiple people commented about the uselessness of said expensive luggage, to which I replied with my reasons for having it and liking it. I'm not saying other luggage doesn't work, or that other people should buy my luggage. I'm simply saying that it's worth the money to me because it adds extra protection to items inside which cost more than a typical piece of luggage. It doesn't seem to attract any additional attention either. I've never been robbed, or kidnapped, and nobody has ever stolen it (though it did sit outside on the LAX tarmac for 2 days once...got everything back in one piece, no damage).

But the stuff inside is. My luggage has traveled across the world multiple times, and it's banged up all to heck, but nothing in the inside has ever been broken, smashed, or even barely jostled. Aluminum suitcases provide excellent protection of the items inside from all that tossing around. If you pack expensive or breakable things like $400 blow dryers (which I need because I have 27 layers of thick curly hair that can't be dried with an over-the-counter $50 blow dryer ), or expensive high heels, or breakable makeup, those items are often worth way more money than a cheap piece of luggage. So it's worth buying an expensive aluminum one to make sure the stuff inside doesn't get broken. Like I said, I've traveled around the world many times, and my suitcase has been tossed and thrown and dropped and dented, but nothing on the inside has ever gotten damaged or smashed.

Because I like the way it looks, I like the way it latches closed instead of zips, I like that it's hard aluminum shell protects the items inside from getting damaged, even though the outside gets really banged up. I think it handles better then my cheaper luggage and I especially like how it protects things inside like my expensive blow dryer and my diffuser and my flatiron, and other items that would cost me hundreds of dollars to replace if they got broken. So the luggage is worth the expense to me. I will say that it's very heavy and makes it hard to stay under the weight limit, that's one of the biggest drawbacks.

It does. I've had it damaged by an airline once and the luggage company replaced it for free. But I also know that some damage and loss won't be covered beyond $500 and that's just a risk I take in having expensive luggage, and am prepared to pay to replace it if needed.

That sounds really frustrating and probably took up a lot of your vacation time to deal with. Sorry that happened to you. It's frustrating that their paperwork wasn't more explicit in stating exactly what was told to you (i.e acceptance of this obc will not invalidate your right to a reimbursement etc). I would be upset as well, as my luggage is part of a 2-piece set that cost over $2,000, and I'd want it replaced with the same luggage, not something from their spare room. However I do realize there's always a disclaimer on airlines and elsewhere that luggage over $500 isn't covered, so it's a risk every time I hand it over.