ARandomTraveler

Except that they can't be written off on your taxes 😂

Either way, still wasn't a good enough deal in my case to buy it

Liberty also doesn't have coke freestyle machines

Thank you for all this information, and for the drink recipes 😉 2 great Symphony reviews done this week by "dogs," super helpful and I'm excited for my cruise and my unlimited dining plan in November.

That's a possibility. Both of our passports are the same as when we sailed last time.

That's what mine did as well (went from $35 to $21). I didn't buy it though because I had already bought 1 Internet package at $21/day ($147 for the week), so buying the key would have doubled my price since it has to be purchased for everyone in the room. I could have added a second device to my Internet package for $84 and come out $63 ahead of The Key sale price ($147-84 = $63). I thought about buying The Key for the $63 extra dollars anyway, but after finding out that many of the benefits I thought I'd get didn't actually exist, I decided it wasn't worth it. If the key gave you the ability to make show and dining reservations before getting on the ship (like suites can do), it would be worth it. And if I didn't already have the unlimited dining package, then the Chops lunch would maaaaaybe add to the benefits (but wouldn't be a reason in and of itself for me), and if The Key gave me a guaranteed seat at the shows, that would be a benefit as well. But for $63 more dollars, it did none of that, and therefore would have been a waste of money for me personally, as I saw no benefit in the "benefits" being offered that I didn't already have.

I don't think that was a glitch, I think it was a genuine sale they put out there for a lot of ships they day. Many people saw drops in the price (mine went from $35 to $21), and then later in the day (or for some sailings, a day or 2 later) the price went up again. The price on The Key (and other items) constantly fluctuates in my cruise planner, sometimes changing more than once a day.

You beat me to it, I should have read the whole thread first. Did she actually show you that it shows up on her account as a credit, or did she just tell you that it did? Because if you didn't see it with your own eyes, I think this is the most likely story.

Another possible option is that they may have more money than you (or be willing to spend more) and they think you'll be more likely to accept the invitation to join them if you don't feel awkward about them treating you, so they made up the story about the comp.

I didn't have to scan mine when I checked in on Wednesday. I had to manually enter the passport #'s and expiration dates. I did have a problem checking in, was getting the error message all day on the app and on the website, but at the end of the day it worked.

#1 and #2 aren't really the comparisons you want. What is the cost for 2 people getting the key (#1) vs one person getting the Internet for 2 devices (#2)? The price difference is likely more than $1.08. Next, I think on Independence the only upgraded benefit to the grand suite is a larger room. Now that I'm typing this out, I think I agree with Biker, option 1 is probably the best option, if ANY (I'd probably do none of them), only because it at least gives you lunch at chops, if that's worth anything to you.

I think people in general don't smile very often, not on purpose, but just because they're in their own world and not thinking about it. I smile a lot and have always gotten comments from strangers about it because I guess it makes me stand out. I don't even realize I'm doing it, but it seems to be a welcome difference to people (or so they tell me). The downside is that I never get left alone. I think it makes me more approachable than I want to be, and I'm constantly "making friends" everywhere I go. I went into a store in a state I don't even live in, went back a week later and a worker there remembered me, purely because of my smile. Anyway, my point is just that I think most people's default is to have a neutral face, and some people's neutral tends to look unhappy or grouchy even if they aren't. And as we age, wrinkles pull our faces down into a natural frown and that doesn't help. But a lot of people who look unhappy and grumpy might not really be. But I also don't necessarily think everyone is as happy and smiley all the time as some of us are.

I think the oceans are a little chilly but you can still get in them.

Check-in for my cruise opened today. I tried to do it at midnight eastern time and got an "our systems are down" notice. Tried again at 9am eastern and got the same notice. I wasn't able to try again until 11pm eastern time and the first available arrival time was 11am, all the earlier times were already gone and check-in only opened today. I'm surprised that many people know to check-in (and actually do so) 45 days out.

Try booking a southern route that leaves from Puerto Rico instead of from Orlando.

I wouldn't. Minus a couple exceptions that have been reported in the last couple days for people's friends, In the last 5 years, I've mostly heard that the answer has been no. I haven't heard any reports directly from the person getting the exception.

Just an FYI that I mistakenly referenced Navigator as not having freestyle. I meant Voyager.

I meant Voyager (the ship currently sailing out of Puerto Rico).

Agreed. It takes 10 seconds to lock up your stuff.

Wow, thank you so much for such a thorough and well written review with so many details! This must have taken you forever, much appreciated!!

I think there's a Samba grill on Radiance as well. Though I'm not sure if the Solarium Bistro and Samba grill are one and the same on Radiance the way it sounds like it is on Allure.

If it's for the face, I like to use "Unseen Sunscreen," and I buy this little mini one for touch ups, it's pocket sized. https://www.sephora.com/product/P470255

The pool isn't as much of a problem as the beach can sometimes be. I have heard of people getting things stolen from the beach. I agree that phones are stolen much less often than they used to be for all the reasons Mum2Mercury mentioned. But in some foreign countries, there's more theft on the public beaches than others.

Not hard at all if you have one of these: AUPET Water Bottle Bag Carrier,24oz/32oz Insulated Neoprene Bottle Sling Holder Case Pouch Cover for 1000ML/750ML Bottles with Shoulder Strap for Girls Boys Adults https://a.co/d/fO28y1i

I'm not even a soda drinker, but this was one of the reasons that I cancelled my Navigator Southern Caribbean Thanksgiving cruise and traded it for the Symphony. It wasn't really because I couldn't use the soda machine, but it tipped the scales for making me feel like I was paying the same amount of money for a less equipped ship (the refreshment package cost the same, the dining package actually cost more even though there's less restaurants, and every day is a port day so why are either of those things even that pricey when nobody will be on the ship to use them etc). Made me feel like the ship was neglected and old. I love the southern route though, I've done it a couple times and it's my favorite. But I wanted this trip to be a little more lazy and relaxing, spending more time on the ship. Otherwise those things wouldn't have bothered me.