DonnaK

I am very disappointed that they took away the antipasti selection in Sorrento's. That was my favorite!

WE really like Nellie's Beach!

Yes. It is unlimited. If you get it for one device, you need to switch log in and off in order to switch users. We usually just splurge for the two device option so my husband and I can each stay logged in.

If the interior room is directly across from the balcony room, Royal allows you to book your kids into their own room even if they are underage. You have to call to make the arrangement to book minor children in their own room, and the rule is that their room must be directly across from your room.

I always bring a hairdryer; it is not on the disallowed list. There is a hairdryer in the room, but it isn't a strong one, and it doesn't have a concentrator nozzle, and you have to hold the button in the on position while you are using it. So much easier to just use my own. PS: I also bring a hair straightener.

OP here! Wow there's a lot of good and detailed advice written here. With the current sale, the "inclusive" fantastica balcony is only ~$225pp more than that without, and we would get the internet and bottled water, soft drinks along with an occasional glass of wine, so its worth it, I think we will splurge for the YC interior. Thanks for everone's input

How much is the daily service charge

even with sacrificing a balcony?

are there shady outdoor spots for lounging?

I'd like some information: We are experienced cruisers (usually with Royal Caribbean) in our early 60's looking for a change. We like good food but are not huge foodies (I am pescatarian), we drink very little, don't have special requests or need a lot of attention. We do love a balcony or a relatively quiet space on deck in the shade. And, we love to play trivia. We are not put-off by European style cruising or entertainment, and understand that it will be a different "feeling" than RCI or Celebrity or Norwegian. I cannot decide between the Fantastica balcony or an interior YC cabin. Is the no-YC experience so bad that it's worth giving up a balcony? The YC cabin is $1100 total more than the Fantastica balcony that includes the Easy Plus and the browse internet. (A balcony YC is out of the question). For us, that could be another cruise! Even though I've sifted through reviews, I am still not clear what is included with YC, and what the extra costs are (include extra people I would need to tip). I should add that we are considering a week during school holidays, so there might be a lot of children onboard Please share any of your opinions or insights to help with my indecision.

How much does the HOHO bus cost?

We will be on Liberty at the end of August. I wonder who is taking his place?

Does anyone know how long Mario will be on Liberty?

We haven't sailed from the Brooklyn pier in 10+ years (on Princess), but we didn't find it to be terrible at all.

We always order "lower sodium" meals, even French Onion soup. It is usually arranged with the waiter the night before - they show us the menu and we order in advance for the following night..

We love Labadee - our favorite port in the Caribbean! We usually go to Nellie's Beach, find two loungers under an umbrella or in the shade, and spend many hours floating in the water. We get there early, and then reboard the ship in time for a late lunch, as the BB choices on the island are just OK. We like CocoCay too, but not as much as Labadee.

WE had the same experience as the two posters above. No response to our email, but all our requests were fulfilled.

We went to Alaska last August on Ovation and was very disappointed. It rained heavily and consistently the entire time, we saw zero wildlife, and the scenery was not much different than other mountainous places. The mist and fog obscured and limited our vision, and it was nowhere near as spectacular as it was built up to be. We will try again earlier in the season and hopefully the weather will be clearer. Ovation is a wonderful ship, and it was the most fun we've ever had on a cruise.

I'm with the minority, but we prefer Quantum class. The solarium tips the scale for us!

We were able to just barely make a 9:30am flight from SeaTac when the airlines moved our flight up after our Ovation cruise. I have to admit it was a close call and we had to hustle, and security lines were very long and slow. It might be worth investing in TSA-precheck, which we ended up doing after this event.

We didn't see them on our Ovation cruise in August. We brought cheap throw blankets from Walmart along with us, and they were very useful on our balcony.

WE were on Harmony 5 weeks ago, and I though she was in "like-new" condition. I didn't see any signs of wear and tear, or anything that would make it seem old or in need of updating.

Thanks for clarifying. Mitch was a great CD. Happy for him that he has moved up, but will miss him.

Welcome back Delta Blue, and I hope you feel better soon. Mitch Merucci just posted on IG that he is joining Anthem today cruisedirectormitch Joining Anthem of the Seas today in Cape Liberty! Excited to be leading my first Seminar at At Sea for Royal Caribbean International with our awesome Travel Partners! Haven’t been on Anthem since 2020 and have some great memories here. Looking forward to the ship, Perfect Day and seeing the Anthem crew! I’ll be posting a lot this week!

DaKahuna - we will be joining you onboard! Looking forward to reading about our cruise from someone else's prospective!