genteelarts

Depending on the terrain at the stop, stepping up into the trams on the island may be too high for those with disability issues. And there are no grab rails or wheelchair ramps on the tram cars to assist. Conversely, there are wheelchair accessible trams from the ship to the tram station on the island, and they also have grab rails/handholds to make access easier. 

We were on a Royal Caribbean westbound transatlantic cruise several years ago and were in Iceland the second week of September. The captain mentioned in his daily briefing that the crew had seen a brief flare of the aurora early that morning, and the sunspot activity indicated a strong possibility of seeing the aurora that evening after we left Reykjavik. While the captain did not make an announcement over the PA system, staff members in all of the public venues made an announcement  when the aurora was visible. We learned about it as we left the performance in the theater and immediately went to the upper deck. The captain had reduced some of the outside lighting and the aurora completely filled the sky and surrounded the ship. We watched it from deck chairs for a couple of hours before calling it a night. It was one of the best travel experiences we have had. 

We were in an inside cabin on the Summit this past September/October. Glass door on the shower. 

News reports state that it was a private tour. Most of the passengers were from a Carnival ship. 

Service in the Diamond Lounge on the Rhapsody last evening was excellent. The bar was set up in the overflow area.

We were seated at a table for two in the other area of the dining room. That was more important today (50th wedding anniversary) than sitting with other Diamond plus friends. 

The invitation for the Meet and Mingle arrived after the event was over. Won’t ruin the cruise but disappointing. 

Still in port at 11:15 AM. 

We’re on the Rhapsody now. The Diamond Plus letter in our stateroom clearly stated  the Concierge Lounge woul not be available to us on this trip. No big deal; the Diamond Lounge and the overflow area were not crowded.

The Diamond Plus area in the main dining room is large tables only. No smaller tables in that area.

We’re still in port due to fog.

We saw the Northern Lights off the coast of Iceland when we did this TA several years ago. They were spectacular and the highlight of that trip. Whether or not you will see them will depend on solar activity and local weather conditions. Good luck!

We stayed in a similar cabin on our last Anthem cruise and loved it. Very spacious, with lots of room on either side and the foot of the bed. The bathroom is larger than usual and the shower is twice the size of other non-suite cabins - rectangular with a glass door. We loved it and will stay in a cabin with this layout again.

We've done My Time dining since it was first offered. We've always made reservations and have never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to be seated.

I had cruised in December 2017 on Anthem... Guess I drank it all. JK hahaha. Just FYI they often have the big bottle in specialty restaurants like Wonderland, Chops or Jamie's... not the little half liter bottle but the big bottle larger than a liter. Also, they have the little bottles of Pelegrino at 270.

We asked at Wonderland and Jamie's, in the main dining room, and at 270. I'd have taken San Pellegrino in any size. Told over and over again they didn't have any.

Another sparkling water addict here. I was astounded on our Anthem cruise in January when I asked for a large bottle of San Pellegrino with our dinner. We didn't have a beverage package and I was perfectly prepared to pay the usual fee. We were told, repeatedly, they didn't have San Pellegrino anywhere on the ship! The plastic bottle of tepid 'sparkling' water they presented instead was abysmal. I could have counted the bubbles on one hand. We were NOT happy!

We've used Cruise Air for one-way flights for all of our transatlantic cruises and gotten prices that were much less than what was available online.

I don't know that it's "intentionally vague" as much as Royal doesn't have all the details in place at this time. Allure is a much bigger ship than Adventure. The authorities in St. Thomas may have decided to 'start small' and gradually work back up to accepting larger ships. It's just like a 'soft opening' for a new restaurant or business. Yes, it's frustrating; but it is what it is.

The Grandeur offers an option to check your carry-on bags until your room is available. We used it last month.

We are also very interested in history, old houses, museums, etc. In addition to the museum and buildings in the Dockyard, these are two sites we enjoyed visiting:

Verdmont, on Sayle Road, at the top of Collector's Hill, Smith's Parish, was originally built in 1693 and remains architecturally unchanges since the late 1700s. The house is now a museum and still has many of the original family's furnishings, paintings, porcelain, silver, children's furniture and toys.

Mitchell House, 3 Featherbed Alley, St. Georges. Built in 1725, the house is now the home of the St. George's Historical Society and Museum.

This site http://www.bermuda-online.org/historichouses.htm is a good guide to historic homes and properties. We arranged a tour with a private guide who took us to the sites mentioned above and other areas of Bermuda we had never seen on previous visits.

Carry your CPAP with you on the plane and when you board the ship to avoid damages to the equipment.

For years I brought my own extension cord to use in the hotel before we sailed. I took it on board without a problem, until we sailed from Port Liberty last summer. They confiscated the extension cord (plain cord, brand new) and said it wasn't allowed. I was able to get an extension cord from our cabin steward and picked up mine when we disembarked.

Since then, I purchased a 20-feet power cord for the CPAP online. Inexpensive, works great, takes up less space, and hasn't been confiscated by security. :-)

They do add extra activities on sea days. Our dilemma has always been how to find time to do all the things we'd like to do and still enjoy our usual reading/relaxing.

We had a slightly related problem with our reservation for an upcoming cruise on the Grandeur departing in four weeks. Although we had booked the cruise over a year ago and had printed confirmations for My Time dining from the cruise line and our travel agent, the web site and our cruise documents showed us as having Traditional Dining.

We contacted our travel agent (bricks and mortar location near our home) and asked for her help. It took her several telephone calls and 1.5 hours of her time, but she got Royal Caribbean to correct the cruise documents, correct the information on the website, and was able to make our My Time reservations for us while she was on the phone with Royal Caribbean.

Our reservation was not part of a group reservation. Our travel agent has assisted us with several issues - large and small - over the years and has always been able to resolve them to our satisfaction. Your travel agent should be able to do the same. Good luck, and enjoy your cruise.

The Radiance class ships are our favorites; we sailed on the Jewel, Serenade, and Brilliance many times. We love all of the windows and views of the sea. If I'm on a cruise, I want to see the ocean, not wall after wall after wall.

We've had excellent entertainment on most of the cruises; only a couple of acts were not our cup of tea. We like the enclosed solarium (tanning is not for us), and love the outdoor seating at the rear of the Windjammer.

The Jewel initially was designated to sail the northern routes, and much of the artwork and sculptures are interpretations of the aurora borealis. Very interesting to view.

Rogueperson's comment, "the ship gives you a pace to enjoy her, and you can choose to at your own pace" is very apt. We love the Jewel and her sisters and sail them whenever we can.

Several years ago we saw a fantastic display of the aurora on board the Serenade the night we left Reykjavik, Iceland. It was a WB transatlantic, the night of September 10.

The aurora is a result of ionized atmosphere created by sunspot activity. Sunspot activity has an average nine-year cycle, and right now we're coming into the low end of the nine-year cycle. For the next couple of years, the aurora will not be as frequent or as brilliant, and some scientists are predicting this cycle may be 11 years. We saw the aurora when it was at the peak of a nine-year cycle.

There are certain times of the year where the odds of seeing the aurora is more common. October-November and February-March are often good months. We were lucky to see it in September.

Sunspot activity, a dark, clear night, geographic location and good luck are all factors. NO tour can guarantee you'll see them. Enjoy them when you do; they're amazing!

Friends, no. Others, yes. One couple in Nassau; two women in St. Thomas.

We had several good meals on the Anthem, and were pleasantly surprised with our dinner in the Solarium Café. The appetizer and dessert buffets were very generous with offerings not found elsewhere on board. The entrée selection was very good and served at the table. The atmosphere was casual and relaxed, and the service was excellent.

You'll be disembarking on a Monday January 2, but that's going to be a holiday for many people, including Federal employees. Customs and immigration may be short-staffed, which would only add to any delays.

I would not leave that late in the morning. Unexpected traffic accidents or delays could mean you'll arrive too late to board or miss the ship. Construction at the exit off the New Jersey Turnpike can mean delays and/or detours. We drive from Gettysburg, and always spend the night before sailing at a nearby hotel. On our most recent sailing, what should have been a 3.5 hour drive took 6 hours. You can begin boarding around 10:30-11 AM. Why not leave earlier and have some time to get settled in and enjoy the ship before sailing?

It's all about him. Our least favorite cruise director of all the cruise directors we've sailed with.