scooter90

We cruised in a suite & did not wear a suit or dress in Club class dining on formal nights. Some did but many did not. My husband wore a shirt & slacks....no tie & no jacket. Was. Never refused a table in Club Class

Go for it! My husband had a kidney transplant almost 5 years ago. We went for a cruise 14 months after his transplant. We asked about the handicapped muster station. Once we located that, I went to our regular muster station with our cruise cards, told the cruise member we would be at the handicapped muster station. He scanned our cards and I then remet my husband at the handicapped muster location. I would also recommend stay away from the buffets -- our doctor told us that when we cruised. Stick to the dining rooms or room service. We've been on 5 cruises in 5 years and have never had an issue. I hope your cruise does well and your daughter enjoys it!

Thank you for post a report. We are on the Grand in August 2018 for a RT to Alaska; our first time. Your report was very informative and we appreciate it.

This past summer we were in an OS....our kids and grandkids were in JS. I rented two cabanas (there were 11 of us total) and we all enjoyed the beach. To just use the chairs I would say no, but if you rent a cabana, you can bring anyone you want as long as you don't exceed the maximum per cabana.

The Esplanade is also two stories tall....restaurants or stores on both levels...looks at bit like a mall. I prefer the Promenade....but totally like Merion Mom's critique....right on!

We will be on the Summit for the first time in August. I'm hoping to go to the Bistro when we get on board and have lunch there. DH is in a wheelchair and I thought that would be a good place for us to eat and relax a bit before our cabin is ready. Looking forward to giving it a try out!

You have access to Barefoot Beach (you will need to show your gold card sea pass) to gain entry. You can also ask the concierge about renting one of the cabana's (the concierge will contact you about a week to 10 days before sailing and ask if you have any special requests). I was able to request two cabanas (there were 11 of us total -- our kids/grandkids were in JS and we were in an OS). We didn't get over the water cabanas as we had three little ones in our group and they were happy playing in the sand. My husband says this was the best day of the cruise.

In addition, you can have room service (full breakfasts) and even order dinner off the dining room menus (while the dining room is open). We did this one evening as we didn't feel like getting dressed for dinner. Enjoy your GS (if you get one). Its hard to to back

March is always iffy...we sailed in March and it was cool most of the trip (even in FL). Plan on long pants and a fleece top for outside decks. In the ship itself, it is quite comfortable. Didn't make much use of the shorts I packed that trip. Pack a couple pairs of everything and you will be fine (shorts, long pants).

The Solarium is beautiful and you can be quite comfortable in there no matter what you wear.

We sailed the Quantum in February 2015 down to the Bahamas. Yes there was some wicked weather around the Outer Banks of North Carolina and it was sub-freezing when we got back to NJ. The winds around the Outer Banks on the way home were in excess of 90 mph and the outer decks were closed the last two days. It didn't stop us from utilizing the interior of the ship and having a good time -- but rough weather doesn't bother us much.

The weather, itself, in the Bahamas was in the mid-60's. I much prefer sailing from April through November and will probably never cruise from the Northeast during the winter months again....just not worth it to me to take the chance of missing two days down and two days back to cold weather.

No one can tell you for sure what will happen in February 2017, but if you want smoother seas and warmer weather, I'd recommend choosing another month.

You can link cabins for children 21 or under to be part of your photo package. The only other way your friends will be part of your photo disc will be if they are in photos with you. We experienced this on the Liberty this summer when we were traveling with extended family. Our youngest daughter was able to be linked to our cabin, but our two older children and their families were not....but any pictures they appeared in with us, we were able to get on our disc. Just make sure you take a photo as you embark as they use this for photo recognition...we did but they still "lost" this data and had to search for it.

We were on the Liberty with our family this summer...grandkids ages 3, 7 and 10. I would absolutely suggest a Freedom class ship (Freedom, Liberty or Independence) or an Oasis class (Oasis or Allure) for the kids in your age group. I think the Jewel would be less entertaining for the kids.

To my knowledge...no, you cannot pay to reserve a chair. The chairs on the ships that are for Gold Card Members are for those who reserved a Grand Suite (GS) or above. There is usually a section of the pool deck (or above the pool deck) where these passengers can use these chairs by showing their Gold seapass.

I asked the Cabin Steward when we got to our cabin. We had 4 cabins together and DH and I were in an OS. By the time we returned from dinner, the balcony dividers had been opened.

However, when maintenance came through to varnish the railings they reclosed them when they were done and we had to request they be opened again.

It was wonderful to have that access without going through the hallways...our grandkids loved coming to our cabin and it was easy to make sure my youngest was awake and moving when we needed her to be

We sailed out of Bayonne in July to Bermuda and the Caribbean. When checking in the agent told our daughter-in-law that her passport was due to expire in November and she should have renewed it. It didn't stop her from getting aboard, but be prepared with backup documents...just in case.

Have used the Visa points for OBC 4x now and never a problem. It will usually show up on your account by the second sea day and all charges up to that time will then be deducted from the OBC before you are charged anything.

I would recommend bringing your confirmation just in case, but I have never had any issue.

Also by being in a suite you can order breakfast and lunch (as well as dinner) from the dining room menu as long as the dining room is open. Try having breakfast on your balcony one morning...it is very enjoyable.

During the Explorer's renovation they converted the Champagne Bar into the R Bar. Same area of the ship, just updated.

Also, there is wheel chair assistance to get onboard...just let someone know you need a wheelchair and they will bring one for you.

Can a scooter be put on the tender in Grand Caymen? I can walk short distances, but would not be able to walk any longer distances.

 

When at Labdee will I be able to leave scooter a end of pier and catch a golf card to barefoot beach?

 

I have assumed the scooter will fit in GS. Do they give you extension cord to charge battery?

 

Are there any options for embankment? Do they have wheelchairs available?

 

Thanks

Scooters WILL fit through the door of a GS or larger even if they are not handicapped cabins. We got a scooter for my DH on the Explorer and it was onboard when we got to our cabin..they need to be charged every night or every other day so keep that in mind. The cord that comes with the scooter is pretty long so you shouldn't have a problem charging it.

As for Labadee, if you can make it to the gangway, there are large wheel wheelchairs available and someone will push you to the tram or beach...just tip the helper who pushes you to your location.

For our upcoming cruise, we are taking our own personal wheelchair to embark and debark at ports. Around the ship my DH can handle the short walks but standing in line or walking long distances is not doable so we will use the WC for those instances. Royal is very accommodating to those with mobility needs. Almost everyone was willing to assist...every time our cabin steward saw us coming he would open our cabin door for us, etc. You will find other passengers on the elevators quite interesting to deal with tho... ;)

Being in GS or above, you can order your meals off the dining room menu during the main dining room's hours of operation. In other words, if you want to order your breakfast and enjoy it on your balcony, make sure you call room service during the hours the dining room is open, then you can order your preferred breakfast. The same applies to dinner (and I imagine lunch although we never did that). Dinner will be delivered all courses inclusive unless your order them at separate times. We enjoy dining in some nights after a long port day. Enjoy your suite!

I haven't seen anything from Royal in this area for the years I have been looking....I believe Princess does tho.

For my DD's 16th birthday she had a choice of a Sweet 16 Party or a 7 day cruise with her BFF. She chose the BFF. We got them a cabin across the hall from us and set up ground rules. First day we made sure they had a card to our cabin and us to theirs. This is easily done at Guest Services. Dinner was mandatory. They had to observe the 1 a.m. curfew and must check in with us when they were back in their cabin. They were NOT allowed to go into anyone else's cabin...no ifs, ands or buts....they were not allowed to go off at ports without us. We went on excursions together.

You also need a notarized letter from your niece's and her friend's parents allowing you to take them on this trip, out of the country and authorize all medical decisions while they are in your care. Each should have an insurance card to carry with them from their parent's coverage. We also (as well as BFF's parents) set us an agreement that we would match the girls spending money with however much they saved prior to the cruise. This gave them the freedom to purchase some items they may wish to purchase without having to ask you for permission. (e.g. BFF wanted to buy something for me but didn't want me paying for it).

At the age of 14 I would probably opt for adjoining cabins but you know your niece better than we do. The girls will probably make friends in the clubs and hang out together. Make sure you set times for them to check in and let them know if they are late checking in there is a result for that (in)action. It keeps them and you aware of where each other is and keeps them from getting into trouble. Lastly, buddy system....neither girl goes anywhere alone...even the public bathroom....they are joined at the hip when not in your presence.

Thank you for your review and the compasses. We are cruising with our children and 3 grandchildren (ages 3 to 10) so the kids programs are very helpful.

Appreciated your insight and look forward to the Liberty in a couple weeks :)

I don't know where the Diamond Lounge is located on the Anthem, but I can tell you the Concierge Lounge on the Quantum was a LONG walk from the elevators. The CL is in a nice location at the back of the ship and the lounge itself was beautiful....however, my DH is in a wheelchair and we had difficulty making it down the hallway to the CL because the cleaning carts were out in the halls. I asked if there was a closer elevator and was told there was not...so we only visited the CL once during our cruise. Therefore...the Diamond Lounge may be more passenger friendly in location....enjoy the Anthem!!!

My husband and son are wearing the family kilt on our upcoming cruise. My son-in-law and grandson have opted for tuxes. Whatever your husband is comfortable wearing should be what he chooses. Men in kilts are awesome tho.... ;)