lucymorgan

I understand - I am suggesting that you have a pin anyway for emergencies but only use it if you need to. I guess the issue may be that if you have a pin the terminal may want you to use it. Could you take one card with a pin and one without? I usually take at least two cards overseas in case one has a problem.

As an example, in Australia in costco - you can just tap and go for under $200 but for over $200 you need to enter a pin. To be safe, perhaps make sure you have a pin and only use it if necessary. It would be worthwhile for others to know if you actually need to use it 🙂

We usually sail in grand suites but have also sailed in ocean view, balcony, 2 bed grand and owners suites. Lately I have been thinking the junior suite is an ok option too. But this is probably because we are diamond plus so we already have access to the diamond lounge (and its coffee machine) and other benefits. Coastal kitchen is worthwhile - quieter, better menu items etc - but it can get a bit boring going to the same place all the time. Our next cruise is a casino comp upgraded to balcony and I am happy with that. I think junior suites also give priority boarding, a nice bathroom usually with bath, bigger room and balcony, in suite coffee machine and double loyalty points as well. So it depends what you want. The money saved over the cost of a grand suite will pay for a lot of specialty restaurants, shore excursions etc. If you sail celebrity you get reciprocal loyalty (elite -> diamond level so you would get 4 free drinks and diamond lounge access anyway) I think you have to join crown and anchor and ask for it though - not sure if it is automatic now). https://www.celebritycruises.com/mx/captains-club/exclusive-offers/loyalty-reciprocity-program You can find the crown and anchor benefits here https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/crown-anchor-society. Worth joining before booking because you might get a discount

I just want to add that you need to make sure you have a pin set on your card and that the card has a chip inside. I am not sure how credit cards are used in the US now but a few years ago I think I recall that pins were not common and that people generally signed. In Australia (and I think NZ) if you want to make purchases over a certain amount (often $200 but could be less) you need to enter a pin. Signatures are not commonly used here. Another thing - in Australia, you usually advise your bank which issued the card that you are travelling overseas and which countries and dates so that the fraud detection doesn't stop use of the card. Here is an article that might be helpful https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/11/using-credit-cards-in-other-countries.asp

Hi Jill Thanks for the website! I am travelling to Japan later this year so I'll check it out. 💐

Hi! If you are on that social site that everyone talks about there is a group called Australia's Gluten & Celiac/Coeliac Support Group and there has recently been quite a lot of discussion by a lady called Aliya visiting Australia from Canada and comparing how things are set up. That might be useful to you - you could search for her name to bring up the discussions. In general our supermarkets are very good at supplying gf food. Regarding taking food off the ship, I have found that generally if it is commercially packaged it isn't a problem but you should always declare it at the ports. Where people get into trouble is if they don't declare and it is discovered (or if they bring things like meat).

Yes - it was very good. No GF desserts at the time though. I had at least one of those lemon muffins every day 🙂

I am in Australia and have recently only done cruises leaving from Australia but I wear a mask because I am immunocompromised and it is a choice of masking and cruising or not going at all. I would say about 10% of people do. I've noticed that some crew also wear masks and on both cruises I have done in the past 6 months, as the cruise has progressed, the number of crew wearing masks have increased - in one case all crew were masked by the end of the cruise, reflecting the count of cases on board. I appreciate that the vast majority of people don't look twice at me for wearing a mask. I think one couple might have laughed at me but I couldn't care less. Each to their own. I did catch covid on the last cruise and had to take the antivirals (which worked well). In general in Australia most people mind their own business on the topic - as for most other things as a population we really don't try to push our own views on other people and this was carried over on the cruises I have been on.

Because I cannot eat gluten, I took some pictures of the Encounter food. Here are some examples

We were on Pacific Encounter in August - just 2 cruises after they arrived in Australia. I was actually very impressed with the food. Loved Dragon Lady, Waterfront was ok, Angelos was good and Lukes was great. We went on RCI Quantum of the Seas in November and although I really like Royal Caribbean and cruise with them often, I think the P&O food was probably better.

You make some interesting points. I haven't bid using royalup before - actually until now I hadn't really registered that the scheme existed. I think royal is thinking a bit like Qantas. In the past Qantas was known for being very stingy about giving customers upgrades. This was because they didn't want to devalue the first and business class seats - the big money makers. Over the past few years they have been offering upgrades through a bidding system (I think they use the same company that does royalup) but they don't really want to offer so many upgrades that customers feel it isn't worth paying for a premium seat (or cabin for a cruise line). The company that runs their programs have probably studied the conditions where this might happen and would rather leave some or many cabins empty for this reason.

Thanks Les. Hope your health improves so you can get back on the ships. I have done a couple of domestic cruises following my treatment for c - the insurance is expensive and not every insurer will cover me but it was doable. Now I have booked a bucket list trip to the chelsea flower show and the insurance extra for medical was almost the same amount for 4 weeks in England as it was for 1 week on a domestic cruise! But they gave it to me (phew). It would be great to have your experience for the group. Lots of people come to the group because it is their first time cruising since diagnosis. Cruising is actually a great holiday for coeliacs and those with wheat / gluten allergies (or other food issues)

Hi, In case it is relevant to anyone, I just wanted to mention that a few months ago ago I started an Australian Gluten Free and Coeliac cruising group. It is so far mostly about cruises from Oz but anyone is welcome to join (you will have to search for it and request to join). The group is growing more rapidly than I expected. We discuss the ways that the different cruise lines cater for those of us who cannot eat gluten. In general, if advised in advance or on board, most cruiselines/ships do a pretty good job, in different ways. Any info anyone wants to provide (web pages, personal experience etc) is welcome either here or there. Cheers

To reduce the bulk, I take the pills out of any cardboard boxes, put them in a snap lock bag and flatten the cardboard boxes. It significantly reduces the bulk (but not the weight). Happy travels

Does anyone know if you are not able to go on a cruise (e.g. because of last minute illness) and you have purchased a royal gift, will you get a refund or credit? Thanks

A little bit of trivia - I was comped a cruise through royal caribbean casino royale and even it included taxes and gratuities for stateroom attendant and dining! Check your invoice/cruise confirmation carefully to confirm the situation for your cruise.

Sorry to hear your news. Going along with it is really all you can do. It is no wonder you are exhausted. I was astounded by the number of med appointments and different docs and services that get involved - treatment is a full time job! Wishing you all the best to get through this intense period and to improved health quickly. Over time the side effects change and hopefully eventually lessen.

Following on from boeckli's post, a page lower down in the above link shows details about individual types of food. Commercially packed cookies are fine https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/can-you-bring-it-in/list-of-items

Thanks for the tip about preordering. I couldn't see any options on my cruise planner gift options but I found a link that lets you purchase https://www.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts. It is the fre brand which is sweet but I guess a couple of bottles might be useful. 🙂

Yes that is the brand I had in the suite lounge on Quantum late last year. Too sweet for my taste unfortunately. 😞

Its is increasingly common here in Australia for people to seek non alcoholic options so there is a strong and growing market. (Let's face it - Aussies are known for liking a drink but many of the younger generation don't drink at all anymore - my daughter is 26 and has had one alcoholic drink in her life). The sparkling whites I like are pretty close to the alcoholic versions and many are made by experienced wine makers. There are some good pino grigios and sauv blanc and chardonnays too. I am not a red wine drinker so cannot judge those. Sansdrinks.com.au ships to the US. If you can't get recommendations in the states check out the site to see what the reviews say about particular wines. You might then be able to find them there. 🙂

Yes - sadly this is true. I am largely asymptomatic but the damage is there regardless (confirmed through regular scopes). There is a difference between celiac disease and gluten intolerance - one actually can cause cancer and other serious issues and one causes symptoms but no lasting damage. The general public often doesn't realise that they are two different conditions.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I do take on two bottles of na wine - have to compete with DH on that. Interestingly I have also found a few different varieties of na wine in cans (see pics) so on the last cruise I also took some cans - security didn't mind as they are clearly marked non-alcoholic. I haven't tried beer for ages but I might give GF beer go. I have mentioned the lack in the survey but I may also try to email. I think cruise lines are missing an emerging sales opportunity here! 🙂🥂

Unfortunately I have celiac disease so no beer for me unless gluten free. Hopefully cruise lines will start stocking good na wines

I no longer drink alcohol for health reasons. In Australia now there are many many choices for non-alcoholic wine, including from established wine makers, and some of it is very nice and not sweet at all. It is often the same price as alcoholic wine, reflecting the work that winemakers have to put in and is becoming more and more popular (check out ‘sans drinks’ for examples) I was on quantum a couple of months ago and I was disappointed with the ‘wine’ available and it was usually only available in very limited venues - the suite lounge found me some (although it was too sweet 🤣) and coastal kitchen couldn’t find any nor could any of the bars. My d+ vouchers were used on coffees and lemon lime and bitters 🥲. Given that Royal could easily make money selling nonalcoholic wine and given its increasing popularity, I would love them to include at least a few options in all the venues. I am sailing on ovation next month. Sigh ….