cruiselvr04

I believe you’re referring to the cruiser who took a portable washing machine on board that was confiscated. It was large and is something you plug in. They don’t care about a collapsible wash basin.

Hoping for a British Isles in 2026. And if Royal won’t do one we’ll be switching to another line too. I’d do another Panama Canal cruise too so will keep watching for that.

Our parents are gone now and we are recently retired so our travel has opened up. We do have a fur baby. Fortunately we have daughters who really like her and they will keep her. We were gone 2 months to Australia and NZ and the dog did fine. This fall we’ll be gone 36 days again but I know she’ll be well cared for. Harder for us is being available for the grands and being involved in their lives. We try to plan so we can be home for graduations, ballet recitals, band competitions. That does limit when and how long. We don’t want to miss too much! Have a great cruise! Our first TA is next spring.

The area is not what I’d call scenic. Stay by the pool or go to a beach if that’s what you want.

Our first time there we took a shore excursion that got us around town, a museum and a rum factory. We just wanted to see the area. At the port, there is a pool, shops, bars with no need to leave to leave.

We want longer, more interesting itineraries!

We were on Brilliance 46 nights in a row this year. B3B. Each cruise I sent out underwear, socks, work out clothes in stuffed wash and fold bags. One nightgown came back a little different color, otherwise no issues. We use the collapsible bucket method, use the body wash in the shower, soak, rinse twice, roll in pool towels and hang to dry from magnets on the ceiling. I find it easier to do every 5 days or so rather then let it build up. It’s bit of an aerobic work out. We do not pack light and always check bags. I do wish Royal had self laundry. I air dry most of our clothes so I don’t send them out in the regular laundry, just use wash and fold for the stuff we don’t care about.

We did a 14 night Grand European with Viking from Budapest to Amsterdam. It was wonderful by the way. Most places in Europe do not have A/C at the places you tour or restaurants or shops. We were always so glad to get back to the boat to cool down. Chain hotels have A/C but some smaller ones do not. If you’re climbing stairs in a hotel I’d say you won’t have air. We were there during an unusual heat wave in June. Several days it was miserable hot with no relief until we got back to the boat. They don’t even run the busses A/C until they are in motion. It was in the 90’s with no A/C. No wonder the Europeans go to the beaches in August! I’m not trying to discourage you but it is different. We’re looking at France and Switzerland next. I might do Switzerland in the summer but not France. I’d choose May or September instead for France. Better rain then heat for us.

We have not but I’d be interested in hearing how yours went. One problem I have with land tours is the packing and unpacking. But of course you do see more in depth. River cruises, for us, is a better way to go but not everywhere is accessible by river of course.

DH had his done several years ago. I highly suggest a surgeon who does a lot of them and does them through an anterior incision. Do your research. DH had no issues at all. We went on a cruise 3 months later pain free, no limp, you’d never know he had it done.

We spent 2 weeks in the Keys during covid when cruising was shut down. We stayed for a week at a B and B in Key West and another week at a resort half way through the keys. The water was beautiful. Dry Tortuga was great. We spent time at several beaches, it was a super relaxing trip. I doubt we could afford it now, the deals for lodging were unheard of at the time due to covid. They just wanted people to come. We did a sunset sail and another during the day. Visited no name bar. Sloppy Joes. We saw some beautiful sunsets. Great memories!

There must be a reason. I think we’d prefer to just stay on board even if we were trapped there, then leave. Most wouldn’t do this though. The food is already there and most of the entertainment. This happened with Brilliance too. Everyone had to debark. The crew spent the time cleaning and getting some down time. Those on back to backs still had to leave the ship and find somewhere to stay for 2 weeks or go home early. It certainly would be less expensive to stay on board then get hotel rooms in Vancouver. Trip interruption on your travel insurance should cover it but what a hassle.

Personally I would recommend paying the deviation fee and going a couple of days early. You can get yourself to a hotel you book yourself and save money over Vikings arrangements. Budapest is a lovely city, easy to get around on the tram with many things to see and do. This also helps you get over jet lag before you actually start your river cruise. Chose a hotel near a tram line. Do a tour of the Parliament, see the market, enjoy a soak in one of the baths, spend time at the shoes of the Danube memorial.

So sorry you’ll have to return home. Hoping all turns out well for you. And yes if Royal does another world cruise, count us in and we’ll meet then.

We did a Royal up for an obstructed balcony. Honestly I think we got the worse one on the ship. Radiance class, last balcony on the side of the ship. It was extended which was nice but we couldn’t see the ocean from the bed and half was obstructed with steel. However it was a balcony, we had fresh air and it was nice to sit outside vs an ocean view. Compared to the original price of balconies on that sailing we were still happy. We don’t stress, have gotten some, not others. Don’t be upset over location if you do bid. We always bid if we’re in an ocean view. We won’t bid at all if we’re doing B2B and have the same cabin. We won’t bid if we have an aft balcony. We might bid for a suite from a regular balcony but have never gotten those bids. We never count on it and are happily surprised if they come through.

I can not go that long carry on only but it’s admirable for you to try. It is a pain to drag bags everywhere! My advice is not clothing but safety for money, passports, electronics. DH carries a sling pacsafe bag and I carry a small crossbody travelon purse. Pickpockets are very good. You won’t even know it until it’s too late. We warned our BIL, he had his money in a Velcro pocket on a train. He felt it but his wallet was passed off and then off the train before he could even react. He wasted time reporting it at a police station, who of course did nothing. Keep them locked and in front of you as you travel through cities and public transportation. Do not take them off at restaurants. With our belongings safe, we can relax and enjoy our vacation. They will pick someone not as prepared. Have a great time!

I had a very tiny one on my shoulder that “required” a 3 inch incision which seemed very excessive. I was shocked and didn’t plan to take time off work. My shoulder was hugely bruised and where it was at, it made it hard to raise my arm for a few days. I missed 2 days of work unexpectedly and was pretty upset for not being warned prior. I’ve had many of these, most on my face. Once the stitches are out, all healed, no scabbing left and 3 weeks post op I start using silicone scar strips. If I’m not out in public they are on 24/7. It flattens the scar and honestly works miracles. It works better than scar creams. I use them for a couple of months after each time. Sold on Amazon.

Mask mandates are not back. Covid is everywhere and is not going away. Only you and your doctor can decide your risk/tolerance.

Food on Royal took a big hit in January of 2023 when they came out with the new menu. It was hit and miss before then but those first couple of cruises in 2023 the food was pretty bad. But since then it’s gotten better, slowly. I do think it’s ship/chef dependent somewhat. We can still get a bad meal but then just don’t eat it. The waiters see that and will try hard to get you something else without saying a word most of the time. They want that 10 rating. To the Op - Use your survey to let them know about the food if you’re disappointed. We are not foodies. If you are, you should pick Silver Seas or Regent or one of the other top lines who have a bigger budget for food and serve less people.

Everyone should move every 10 years just to rid of stuff! I’m kidding of course. We moved 11 years ago. We also used ABF and it went well. We boxed everything ourselves. We hired someone to load and unload at each end. The grand piano was the worst. That required an extra hire to load it on a piano board and secure in the truck. ABF would not insure the piano so we just kept out lingers crossed. We used an entire trailer plus a quarter of another one. I’m trying to do a move clean throughout this year. By that I mean going through every closet and drawer and getting rid of stuff. How do we accumulate so much stuff!

We don’t care for it. I would prefer our waiter serve us our dessert and let the conversation keep flowing. However some servers really seem to enjoy this part of the job by getting to sing and dance. If they like doing it, I don’t want to take that away from them. So we don’t complain on our surveys but for us it gets old and would like it to go away.

By now you’ve probably bought your airfare. But for the benefit of others who might read this thread we highly suggest you spend time in Sydney. We spent 3 nights before and 4 after our round Australia cruise. We stayed on the quay ( many hotels in this area) and found it so easy to get around by foot, train, tram and ferries. Unless you have time constraints see this beautiful city with so much to do!

We have watched Royal actually retrieve them and handed them off to the port agent. I feel comfortable leaving them in the safe. Especially in the Caribbean where we do not take long excursions or get too far from the port unless it’s through the ship. But do what makes you feel comfortable. I would be more concerned leaving them in a bag on the beach. We like to snorkel and swim and take all valuables into the water with us. If passports get wet they will not be accepted.

We are booked for 2026. Beautiful pictures. Our trip is in March but I’m hoping we see a few flowers out. I expect it to still be cold. The world cruise received a warm welcome from Japan in some of the videos I’ve seen.

Passports stay in the safe unless required. They are not required anywhere in the Caribbean. We take our passport cards with us in port for ID and a credit card in case something unexpected happens. Other countries are different and have different rules. In the Caribbean all you need is photo ID in ports of call. And a watch set to ship time!