CORKY_Q

1 hour ago, sellwingri said:

Call me an optimist but I still think Royal will start cruising again in July.  I know of a couple of staff who received a contract beginning in May.  After quarantine and test cruises, July sounds reasonable to me.

I'm not sure that that optimism is good in this case.  Mr Fain has already suggested that all staff will have to be vaccinated.  Between that requirement and travel restrictions on crew coming in to US, I expect that our August cruise will have to be cancelled.  We are now looking toward Sept of 2022.

Sea ya!

3 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Lift and shift ended 1/31/21

Thanks, I think I knew that...........sorry I gave out bad info.

Can you Lift and Shift to the cruise you are interested in?

7 minutes ago, shadbrew said:

Doesn't Diamond Plus cruisers get a free laundry "perk"?

It is not a self service perk.

Sorry, you are out of luck.  Royal doesn't offer any self-serve.

We almost exclusively sail the East/West Caribbean because we live in the SE United States.  (Now in SE Florida.)  However, responding to your post, we would definitely suggest sailing on Freedom and enjoying the Southern Caribbean ports.  Spend a couple of days in San Juan pre-cruise and while there visit the Bacardi Rum distillery and spend a day visiting the Fort and Old San Juan.  Some really great restaurants there.

Enjoy and Sea ya!

Quoting AC STEW: "By the way, we need to remember that all these much loved performers are cruiseline contract workers, out of work and hurting just like the rest of the crew. We need to show a lot of love when we finally get to see them once again!"

If you know the names of your favorite entertainers, look them up on Facebook.  Many are doing daily/weekly entertainment on FB Live with links to their Virtual Tip Jars.  

Always like the Ice Shows and , on Oasis Class, the Aquatheater Shows. One of our favorite in the Schooner Piano Bar is Kelly Goodrich.  He has been a featured Schooner Bar entertainer for 10 years.  A great guy!

Sea ya!

On 7/29/2020 at 1:52 PM, reallyitsmema said:

 

How is Stuart an hour north to Port Canaveral?  It is over 100 miles away?

 

I sail on occasion with my Mom who lives in Sebastian and we are almost an hour to Port Canaveral from there.

I miss spoke....1 1/2 hrs to Port Canaveral.  Thanks for the catch!

3 hours ago, piercetc4 said:

when i looked up lift & shift,   it sounds like you have to shift to a sailing a year later and within 4 weeks of old sail date?  we are wanting to move to the sailing the week before our current one if we dont loose visa points $ off or the fcc.....

Me thinks that you will have to give up the sea day and just stay on the ship in St Maarten.  Sorry.

Sea ya!

Oh heck, we are tucked down here on the coast in Stuart, FL. On I-95 its 1 hr North to Port Canaveral, 1 hr South to Port Everglades, 1 3/4 hr to Port Miami and 3 hrs across the state to Port Tampa.  We are quite pleased with our location!

Sea Ya!

20 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

^^^^^

2 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I think he was concerned about making final payment. I have a cruise In October and I am hesitant to make a final payment as well. He can get a FCC for a future cruise or S&L to next year (with restriction). 
 

@TEGL

He is concerned about final payment because:

" I know not much information is out yet on what the requirements will be which is what is making me nervous.  Will the pools be open?  The kids water park and slides be open?  Will face masks be required? Will the kids club be open?  Will we be able to get off at all the ports? " 

I was trying to respond to those questions which are making TEGL nervous.  

You are correct that he can get FFC and/or L&S.

Not an expert on this but, I believe with the Cruise w/ Confidence you can cancel without penalty until quite shortly before sailing.  By then you should have your answers about Kids Clubs, masks, etc.

Stay safe.

On 2/8/2020 at 11:38 AM, Blondiemomm said:

Who do you recommend?

From the Cruise Critic Guidelines:

This means you should not ask about someone's travel agent, nor should you respond in kind. Offering to email someone your travel agent's name or info is also not allowed, nor is asking members to email you for the information.
 

1 minute ago, brillohead said:

Thank you for providing a perfect example of the concept I've been trying to explain but some people just don't seem to be able to wrap their brain around.  

It's absolutely a medical need for you to have a scooter, and it's absolutely not a medical need for you to have an accessible room, and I thank you for not taking one unnecessarily!

Can you also comment on the fact that the scooter DOES fit through the doorway of a standard room?

I have only rented "Standard" scooters and I can verify I have always been able to get them into the cabin.  (Even without removing the arm rests.)  I cannot, however, speak to whether the Heavy Duty or Bariatric will be able to enter the standard cabins.  

On 1/10/2020 at 10:11 PM, Dancingnurse79 said:

Sorry, but this still sounds judgy. I feel like if someone needs a scooter, they are some level of disabled and qualify for an accessible room.

I am 5'8" and weigh 155 pounds.  I look perfectly fit.  I cannot walk the ramp to get on the ship because of the incline and have difficulty walking any length at all.  (I am a lung cancer survivor and have had a portion of my left lung removed.) I sure do need a scooter, but I have no need for an accessible room.

I have a level of disability, but I do not qualify for an accessible room.

I wish you and your mother well as you prepare for your cruise.  

We are almost "Loyal To Royal," but we have strayed a few times.  We have done a few cruises on NCL, and were not disappointed.  We took one cruise on the Pride of Hawaii about 10 years ago.  That cruise was because we did not want to spend so much time at sea as we would have with RCI. 

The biggest difference we noted was with the crew.  Being an American flagged ship, the majority of the crew were US citizens raised in the American culture.  The crew was not as "servile" as you have grown to experience.

That being said, the cruise itself is wonderful.  Your ship is, as has been noted before, becomes a floating hotel which takes you from one island to another.

We do encourage you to take a couple of extra days in Hawaii.  Oahu has a tremendous amount to offer.  We rented a car and went on a couple of day trips of discovery.

We wish you well,

Sea Ya

I'm going to go against the crowd.  Lady Di and I especially enjoy Izumi Hibachi.  However, whichever you choose, we enjoy them all.

Enjoy your cruise.

Sea ya!

If you see an advertised price of, for example, $57.00 pp/pd, you will be billed for $57.00 PLUS an 18% gratuity.  Tipping is not added on a per drink basis unless your drink is in excess of the $13.00 limit.  Then you pay the excess and gratuity on that portion.

On 11/27/2019 at 12:36 PM, John&LaLa said:

 

I liked Kelly Goodrich from our Freedom days

^^^  He will be on Symphony starting mid-December through mid-April.

If you are sailing from a US port, you will not have a problem.  Enjoy your cruise.

25 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

The same ones who'll pay $1000+ for a cabana at CocoCay.

^^

3 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

We won't go to another, that's for sure.

Been there and done that.  Don't need to be there again!

On 10/22/2019 at 8:06 AM, jakeil7 said:

 but with 3-4 people per room I would still strongly suggest taking a couple of non-surge protected power strips.

 

 

Royal is getting more and more restrictive regarding power strips. The people who inspect your luggage can't differentiate surge protected from non-surge protected. We saw an awful lot of them (of all kinds) when we got off the Allure last month.  They are waiting at a table when you debark for you to re-claim.