bourbon52

I reserved a Cabana at the Beach Club, my reservation indicates Cabana A, does anyone know where this is located, compared to the pool and restrooms? I have a bad hip and knee. Thanks for any info.

On 4/6/2022 at 3:30 PM, moreland281 said:

Yes Allan Fajardo

 

awesome I’m glad to hear he is a good one ( not that there are bad ones lol )

 

I will download what’s app now so I have it ready to go 

How do I download the what's app? Is it the same as the Royal App with the ship and cruise planner?

Thanks

On 11/8/2021 at 8:35 PM, MountainHubby said:

Day 1 Daily

This is great, I will be sailing on Oasis next year!

6 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

May I ask what room you started with and if your bid was substantially more than the minimum? We are starting from an owner’s suite which will be perfectly wonderful if we don’t win our bid. We know our bid is weak, but we are hoping that we have shot given the lower capacity. But maybe that works against us. Hard to guess

I started with an Owners Suite. Got 3 different requests to Royal up which I chose not to because I would would only want to got to a Star Class, and the ones available were 2 floors. Then the last time a two bedroom Aqua suite became available and at that time I I said what the heck. So I bid and it  was more than the minimum. I did not know until the day before I sailed that I won the bid. I was a little nervous, but so glad we won. We had such an awesome time.

7 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

I am currently booked in a sky class suite but have bid on a 2 bedroom Aqua theatre suite which is in star class with the royal genie and all the bells and whistles. If I win the bid will I also get the star class amenities that go with the 2 bedroom Aqua theatre suite? Any input would be appreciated. If it goes to come with the star class amenities I probably would cancel the bid. Thanks

I went from Sky to Star on a bid for the two bedroom Aqua Suite, got all the perks and was the greatest time. Our Genie was wonderful. We were on Symphony of the Seas August 21- 29th. Deck 10. Have fun!!

On 8/30/2021 at 8:44 AM, jgalley said:

"Crown & Anchor Society members! Members will receive double Cruise Points on bookings made through September 30, 2021 for sailings departing January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022."

 

I just got off a cruise mid-August that I did not get double points for. 

The room was also a suite, so I was expecting to get double points for suite + double points offer. 

 

 

Has anyone gotten double cruise points for their recent cruises?

 

Yes, I did, just came back from Symphony of the Seas 8/29/21. New Diamond status took about a week to show up. Very excited!

52 minutes ago, g8rchick said:

I wrote up something about our first day and it didn't looks like it didn't post! Ugh! I'll try recap quickly. 1700 people onboard. Feels very empty in a good way. Staff very happy to have passengers and we brought our cabin attendant a care package of toiletries and he was SO moved. Highly recommend doing so if you can. Masks need to be worn in general spaces though it is so worth it to have a ship to yourself like this! Activities seems a little more limited than usually but I noticed they just added more to the planner so we'll see how the week progresses. We weren't able to book entertainment for this cruise pre-cruise and it seems to all be taken now so heads up to get on that. Casino was awesome on first night, no wait for tables.

That never crossed my mine about toiletries for the staff. I would love to do that, what should I put in the package?

On 8/5/2021 at 11:11 AM, jcc1025 said:

You can make an appointment at any CVS or Walgreens for either test and they send you the results in a text and email. Would suggest you make an appointment as soon as possible. They have about a two week rolling schedule and they fill up fast. We are scheduled on a Sunday Aug. 15th cruise and got appointments for Aug. 12th a  couple of days ago. If we had waited all the appointments for the next 4 days are full in all the locations near us. They ask if the test is for travel so i expect they understand the reporting needs by now and they say the PCN test results will be back in 1-2 days and the Rapid test results will be back in a few hours. 

Thanks for the info, just made my appt for 8/18/21, did know I could get an appointment this early. Thanks again.

11 hours ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

 

I have always requested one from the cabin steward.

I did too a longs time ago, but lost it. I ordered 3 bottles of wine to be delivered to my cabin, just wanted to make short I could open the wine or I'd have to use my my teeth or break the top over the side of the balcony rail. LOL

37 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I've had it applied in the past to a bottle of wine my TA sent. Was a bottle royal provided left in my cabin. Like $13? Seems like a affront to charge corkage for their own bottle of wine.

I brought my own travel corkscrew.

15 hours ago, HicksRA said:

Look at your SetSail pass. If it says “Suite” you’re good to go. 
I’ve never been denied suite boarding when in a Jr Suite before. 

My Set Sail Pass says Sky not suite, so that should be fine, right?

2 minutes ago, bourbon52 said:

Where does that info come from? I'm in a suite and my boarding time is 1pm. Should I just show up early? Thanks

Thanks

3 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

There have been threads that talked about suites being given 90 minutes either side of their checkin time.

Where does that info come from? I'm in a suite and my boarding time is 1pm. Should I just show up early? Thanks

2 hours ago, Host Anne said:

THE CRUISE BEGINS!

 

Cruising has been a passion of mine since the early 1990s.  I can’t quite tell you why.  Part of it is that I LOVE being on the ocean; part of it is the wonderful people we’ve met from all around the world; part of it is the lifelong friends we’ve made through cruising.  To be able to sail onboard Symphony of the Seas for its simulation cruise brings that passion and excitement back.  My only wish is that all of your could be with us.

 

The drive to Miami was uneventful.  Easy check into the Hyatt Regency Downtown.  Used points and had a nice king room on the 5^th floor.  Walked two blocks to Fratelli Milano for dinner.  Excellent food and service. We’d definitely go back.  Called it an early night and anxious to see Symphony in the morning.

 

Port Arrival & Check In

Our check in time was 11:00 AM (pre-assigned when we did our on-line check in on Thursday).  We left the hotel about 10:10.  We knew it wasn’t far to the port but you never know what Miami traffic would be like, even on a Sunday morning.  Fortunately, we were at the port and parked by 10:20.  There was no traffic heading to the ships at all. There were four other ships in port as well, but none of the terminals had traffic. 

 

By 10:25, we were outside the terminal building (it’s beautiful….hadn’t been here before) and there were already about 20 others milling around.  There were so que lines set up and there were benches along the wall for seating.  About 10:40 the called for the 11:00 AM check-in guests to line up.  Then they placed the 11:30 guests in a separate line.  There were about 25 – 30 people in line behind us and 6 in front of us.

 

 

Within minutes those with the 11:00 AM check-in were allowed inside the terminal.  There were 8 stations set up just inside the door and they checked your boarding pass, passport and vaccination card.  It took about two minutes.  We were handed purple wrist band that indicated we were vaccinated.  We were then instructed to head upstairs where we sat for about five minutes before being directed to another “check in” spot.  This person again checked our boarding pass, passport and vaccination card.  She directed us over to security where we ran our luggage through security scanners (another two minutes perhaps).  Then it was onto the ship! 

 

 

We stepped on board Symphony before our 11:00 AM check in time! Amazing!

 

All staff gave us jubilant welcome back greetings.  It was soooo good to see them again and it was clear they were certainly happy to see us. There’s nothing like stepping back on board a ship. 

 

 

Health Check

We had to complete an on-line health questionnaire once we were within 24 hours of sailing and the staff member who first checked us in said he had to ask the questions again even thought we completed it online, just as a precaution. It was quick and easy.  Other than that, there was not any other health checks for us.  Testing was not required because it was a cruise of less than 5 days (Michael Bayley posted this online today as well).  So getting on board was quite simple and easy.

 

Masking

Knowing when and where to put a mask on was easy.  There are signs noting where they are needed. There are also signs noting where vaccinated guests only could go.  Pretty much, if you are outside, it’s a “mask-free” area.  Once you step in side, you are asked to “mask up.”  It’s really a pretty simply thing to follow and it is well marked.  Masks are not required for vaccinated guests when in a venue or event that is designated for vaccinated guests only.  They are also not required at a Perfect Day at CocoCay unless you are seated in a crowded area.

 

Vaccinated versus Non-Vaccinated Guests

The Cruise Compass is very specific on who can go where and when.  Most of the smaller entertainment venues like the Schooner Bar, the Copper & Kettle Pub, and Jazz on 4 only allow vaccinated guests.  There are show times in the smaller venues like Studio B and The Attic that limit performances to vaccinated guests while other performances are open to everyone.  Nearly all shows are available to all guests at some time during the cruise.  In the main theater, deck 4 is reserved for vaccinated guests while deck 5 is reserved for everyone who wants to sit there.  The adult comedy show and the HiRO water show are the only shows listed for vaccinated guests only.  I imagine all of this will vary on regular 7-night cruises.  There is no designation between vaccinated and unvaccinated guests on the pool deck, the Royal promenade, in larger venues like Dazzles.

 

You’ll find hand washing stations in many places throughout the ship and hand sanitizer stations in even more places.

 

Getting Situated

We had two things we wanted to do before heading to our cabin – check on a cabana at Perfect Day at CocoCay and a dinner reservation at Chops.  We decided to dine in the main dining room one evening and Chops.  Since we were sailing by ourselves, we couldn’t justify the costs of the cabanas at the Coco Beach Club.  The crew member at the shore excursions desk said I could make the reservations on my Royal ap but apparently mine isn’t working at all.  My husband’s is and he was able to secure a cabana at Chill lsland (much less expensive).  We also made a dinner reservation at Chops but neither of these is showing in my ap.  I’ll have to get that checked out.

 

We did a complete walk-around the ship.  We’ve sailed Oasis several time but had never been on Symphony.  Lots of great things and it was very noticeable that every crew member enthusiastically greeted us and welcomed us back on board.

 

Cabin

Our cabin is a lovely Cat 1C on deck 14 mid-ship.  The balcony is deeper than your average balcony and the room has a great couch next to the king size bed I like the two tall closets on either side of the bed better than one large closet in the room.  There is a nice desk and plenty of drawer space (especially for a two-night cruise 😊).  The bathroom is adequate and I really like the rectangular sink.  Much better than the shallow round sinks where watch constantly splashes.  The two balcony chairs also come with a footstool and a small table to coffee or drinks.  All in all, a great cabin.

 

 

 

 

Dining

Jamie’s Italian – When we noticed Jamie’s was opened for lunch, we immediately made a reservation for today.  I eat a lot of Italian food and I have to say this was some of the best food I’ve had in an Italian restaurant.  I was surprised that a specialty restaurant on a ship could serve food this good for lunch!  We’ve always had great meals at Chops but Jamie’s was top notch. The garlic rolls were delicious….a yeast roll with butter, garlic and rosemary that truly melted in your mouth.  My husband had the carbonara and while it said the pasta was penne, it was really more of a ziti.  Made from scratch and fantastic!!!  Better than similar dishes we’ve had on land.  I had lasagna and while it was very good, the carbonara beat it hands down.  Great first meal and I’d highly recommend dining here.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Only Downside Thus Far

The only negative I found so far was the band on the pool deck was playing SO loud that there was no way anyone could have stayed out there.  Plus, the music was blasted on all the speakers on this deck except for the Solarium.  It was by far the loudest I’ve ever heard a pool band.  It wasn’t possible to even try to talk to each other walking across the deck.  We’ll see what it’s like the rest of the trip.

 

Heading Up to Sail Away

I’ll be back with more later….

 

 

This is awesome. Thank you, but because it's a short cruise, is there a show Hairspray?

11 hours ago, Host Anne said:

In Miami safe and sound.  Staying at the Hyatt Regency Downtown on points.  Walked to a great Italian restaurant for dinner - Fratelli Milano - about two blocks away.  Settled in for the evening and will be ready to head to the port for our 11:00 AM boarding time.  Hoping all goes smoothly!

 

Thanks for following along!

I'll be sailing on Symphony 8/21/21. Will be watching your posts! Have fun.

10 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

If a PCR test is required, I would not expect an antigen test to suffice.  They are different tests.

 

In fact, if they specify a nasopharyngeal test, be sure that's what you get.  That's the deep poke up the nose.  An oral swab is not the same thing.

I saw that they were accepting PCR or Antigen.

On 7/27/2021 at 10:54 AM, Canadian Disney Mom said:

 

Are you using the app or the website?   On the app, click on "Edit Check In" under the View Set Sail Pass button.  Click on Arrival Time  and it will let you change it.

 

 

 

On the site, click on "View Boarding Pass/Edit Check In".  Click on the edit button beside your name (little pencil) 

 

When you get to the next screen click on "Arrival" and it will bring up the screen below to let you change it.

 

 

 

 

I tried but the Check in says checked out try later

13 hours ago, Canadian Disney Mom said:

Jus a heads up for those booked on these sailings that earlier check in times are now available.  Last week when check in first opened upp the options were between 1PM & 6PM.  The options are now 12PM-4PM.  We changed our check-ins from 1M to 12PM.  I am not sure about other sailings.

How did you change it? I'm checked in for 1pm, I went into the Set Sail Pass, but do not see any options. Thanks

3 hours ago, hollon said:

What shows do they have on Symphony of the Seas, did you like them.  Do they have the comedy club, I didn't see it on the website. 

 

Any input on the shows would be helpful - thank you

It use to be Hairspray, I'll be on Symphony in August, guess I'll find out since you cant's book any shows until you board.

15 minutes ago, BillHoo said:

Not really a drinker, I did not venture to th Schooner bar, or Boleros.

 

Was wondering if they have any tasty bar snacks?  Or is it drinks only?

 

Not up to have drinks on an empty stomach.  Would there be popcorn?  Finger sandwiches? Peanuts? Goldfish crackers?  Hot food;  wings, crudites, or 'tater skins?

Schooner Bar and Boleros are a lot of fun even if you don't drink. LOL

On 7/1/2021 at 2:04 PM, 1025cruise said:

I wouldn't risk it.

I have booked Air to Sea and my return flight is 11:15 we dock at 6am, I thought if you book through Air to Sea you should be able to make the flight? Should I be worried? I do have a Suite so I should be able to disembark early? Thanks 

1 minute ago, poocher said:

So an 8 day in a suite will put us at Diamond by the end of next year.  I know nothing about any of these ships.  Can I get your thoughts on them?

 

Explorer out of Miami 8n 10/1, 10/15, 10/29, 11/2, 11/26

Vision out of Ft. Lauderdale 11/16, 11/25 (10 nights)

Grandeur out of Miami 11/18

Jewel out of Port Canaveral 11/19

Odyssey out of Ft. lauderdale 11/19

I'll be Diamond at the end of my 8 night in a suite on Symphony as of 8/21/21. Yeah and I have a cruise booked on Oasis in April 2022 as a Diamond!

3 hours ago, WisconsinFan said:

Symphony Oct. 2 opened today. Earliest time (departure is now at 7:00 PM) was 1:00 to 1:30 PM.

That seems to be the case with my Aug 21st sailing too.

Just now, Tree_skier said:

It appears they are opening them a few ships at a time in batches.  

I just check-in for the Symphony sailing August 21st. YEAH, earliest time I saw for for 1pm

Has anyone been to Spice Mill?