sprout76

We were able to watch the AFC championship game on Valiant Lady.  We're from KC, so my husband and our friends were very happy (I'm originally from WI so I'm a Packer girl, but I will support the Chiefs when not playing the Packers) 🙂. Like others have said- Social club and bar on 15 had the game.  We were lucky and had a Massive Suite, so our agent brought us a bunch of tail gate foods and we watched the game in our cabin with some friends.  Have a great time!

I just got off Valiant lady last week and got my first tattoo on the last day.  It was great!  The artist answered all my questions and made me feel very comfortable.  Everything was well done and 10 minutes after I sat in the chair I was done (it's a small tattoo).  I'm told the prices are high, but we had a lot of sailor loot so it made sense and it is a fun souvenir.  If you're thinking about it definitely check them out.

8 hours ago, wdwkings said:

I’ll share that we really liked 10720 on our Ovation Alaska sailing.  We booked it again for a cruise that was cancelled later (shutdown), and we are in that room for a sailing later this summer on Anthem.  The 3 balconies really are a bonus for us.  No noise really noted and since the bedroom is upstairs it would be more likely you would have to be sleeping in the daytime to really have much impact from above.

 

The drawback is the square footage, the Deck 8 Grand Loft Suites really are larger.  If you need/want the extra interior space you should consider those.  The drawback is noise from below.  The shows and events in Two70 have been reported to bleed from below.

This is GREAT information- thank you!  I also liked the 3 balconies, which is what drew me to it initially.  Right now, both 10720 and 10320 are both available so I think I'll grab one of them.  It's just the two of us, so the extra interior space isn't necessary and I'd prefer the 3 balconies vs possibly having to deal with some potential noise from below.

10 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

It was an annoyance because we didn't want our clothing stained.  We could clean our glasses and our ipads easily but we didn't want black spots on our clothing.  We didn't look at 720 or 320 since we weren't sailing star class.  We picked this cabin as it was the only sky loft left when we booked.

Thank you for your feedback, I appreciate it.

39 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

We sailed in cabin 10722 on Quantum, a Sky Loft suite directly below the Concierge Lounge.  We never heard any noise from above.  We never heard any noise from any of the cabins near us.  It was a very quiet cabin with great views for Alaska.  Our only complaint was we had a lot of soot on the balcony.  They did wipe it down every day but we could see it on our glasses or our ipads when we sat out there.  

Thank you for the information since I'm looking at 10720.  Was it a huge annoyance when you were sitting out there or just something you noticed?  I like the side cabins (720 or 320) since the balcony is a bit bigger, but I can also go to deck 8 as there is one there.  

1 hour ago, goodvino808 said:

We are on the same cruise and was assigned 3:45 which seems late to us!

I know that they don't operate like all other cruise lines I'm used to, but it is weird, I agree.  I also understand that they are new to sailing out of San Juan so a lot of information isn't out yet.  

Enjoy the cruise!  I grew up in Southeastern Wisconsin and have family near Lake Forest

Thank you for posting about your experience.  We're sailing next week as MRS and I booked transport to/from ship through Virgin.  They told me 2:00 was the earliest you could get on the ship so I scheduled hotel pick- up for 1:30.  I may ask for an earlier pick up time based on your info.  

Thanks for sharing your experience.  We are sailing MRS on Valiant Lady out of Puerto Rico in a few weeks.  Very excited.

We'll be sailing as MRS in a few weeks.  I've sailed Star Class as well and have a feeling it's going to be hard to live up to the Genie experience, but excited to see what it's like

I’m looking into either Azamara, Regent, or Seabourn. The itinerary on Azamara looks amazing, and as other have said, the overnights and focus on destinations is a huge advantage for us.  They offer some very unique itineraries, which is awesome. There is one that has two nights in Sydney over NYE, which would provide for an amazing vantage point for the fireworks 😀 Good luck with your decision, I’m having a hard time myself. 

Excited to read your report! We have a Sky suite booked and I was thinking of trying to put in a bid for a villa if we get the option. Happy to hear it worked out well for you. Enjoy your cruise and can’t wait to hear all about it

I did the cupcake decorating class a few years ago and we had fun. I’d do it again.  Can’t help with the smoothie question, sorry.

I’m sailing  in the 4 bedroom villa suite on Symphony in March, so very excited to read your review so I can get even more excited about what I have to look forward to! My only fear is that I will not want to sail any other way in the future 😀  Hope the rest of your cruise was amazing.

Just google  Wonderland kids menu Symphony of the Seas and you’ll find it.

They did a nice job breaking down all of the restaurants and providing menus, which was helpful. We’re determined to eat in a specialty restaurant every night 😀 Enjoy your cruise

I just read a blog from Dec 11, 2018 and it showed a kids menu for Wonderland. Since we’ll be on Symphony in March, I was very excited to read about it. Perhaps it is new? Either way, I’m happy they implemented one.

I did Backstage Magic this past December and it was well worth the cost. The entire trip was amazing and definitely not anything you can do on your own. I have other trips planned for 2019, but will book either Australia or Japan in 2020.

Our hotel in San Juan emailed me and told me that our reservation in February was canceled due to severe damage to the hotel. Hopefully those of you sailing in/out of San Juan don’t have issues with your hotel.

We are on this voyage as well! My hubby just had a "Sunday meeting" with me. He wants to cancel. No place to stay pre-night in ST Thomas, and he doesn't want to "see devestation" regardless of how the islands depend on us. He'd rather do a mission trip or something else for the islands.

Exactly why we canceled our Feb 3rd trip.

A post on Celebrity's board said that they were informed that their October 28 sailing had reinstated St. Thomas to their cruise, due to the progress the island is making. It had been cancelled after the hurricane. So hopefully things throughout the Caribbean are progressing faster than expected

 

And before I get a bashing, yes, for the record, I'm one of those few SeaDream fans, that also likes the huge ships. :rolleyes:

Hey, you just like being on the ocean, nothing wrong with that :-) I've been on Oasis and loved it, but I'm not hard to please and I'm okay with being alone or with a crowd of people, so I get it.

I read that too and I'm so happy to hear that progress is moving faster than expected, which is fantastic!

Mrs_Tiki so glad to hear that you've gotten some information and that you guys will still be able to go and visit all of the islands.

Our TA told us on Monday that SeaDream was to have a big conference call yesterday that would lead to decisions regarding upcoming itineraries. When he checked in with them today, they told him they would have information this coming Monday. Stay tuned....

 

 

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We've already canceled, but I'm hoping there is good new for all of you!

Hi Sprout76. Yes I saw the SD posting on their website and it sure is vague. We'll just have to see. Glad you're doing your southwest trip. Driving school? Sounds fun! Enjoy. I think we'll end up cancelling as well. Flights, etc. just too difficult to change for the holiday period. Cheers.

I hope you guys find something to do! I agree, that is a hard time of year to get things changed around. Luckily, American is going to allow us to change our destination , for a fee of course, but better than losing it entirely. I can't wait until we do get to cruise again. Hopefully our next vacation in 2020/2021

I have not taken the driving school in Vegas but friends say it is great. Scottsdale has many fine resorts that will be glad to serve you poolside.....:cool:

That's fantastic to hear! He's really excited about it😀 It looks fantastic from what I've read. I'm sure this means he'll want a Corvette when we get home. LOL

February may be a bit chilly for poolside service, but I'm sure it will be great regardless!

We're booked 12/27 out of bgi to sxm. Full payment due on Tuesday. We are heartstruck by what these folks are going through. Beyond what we've been reading. Jobs..lives .. families uprooted. Lost. We've heard nothing yet about our trip but I doubt SD will be sailing. Possible southern routes as everyone has been guessing.

If you read the advisory that Mrs_Tiki posted, you'll see that SD plans on conducting the voyages as designed. So, you can expect that you'll be sailing on that itinerary that you booked.

Maybe, as time draws nearer, they will alter each itinerary as it arrives, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see ultimately what they decide to do.

We canceled since we just didn't want to take the chance of not knowing where we were going. It is our 10th anniversary, so we wanted to make sure we did something special. We're going to a performance driving school outside of Vegas for a couple of days and then we'll spend a couple of nights in Scottsdale since we've never been to the Southwest. Not exactly a warm relaxing beach and cruise, but my husband is VERY excited about it :-)

I do hope to hear from those of you who are going to continue with their sailings as I'm interested in hearing how the islands are recovering, etc. Happy cruising to all!

That seems a bit crazy! I mean, where exactly are you supposed to stay if none of the hotels are taking reservations?

Of course, we are all very lucky compared to those who live there, but common sense has to prevail. I guess we just have to wait and see. Although, unfortunately, it sounds like we'll be canceling and booking at some other time in a couple of years. Best to all of you with upcoming sailings

For what it's worth, we had a reservation at the Ritz on St. Thomas before our cruise, arriving New Year's Eve. The hotel called the other day to cancel the reservation and return our deposit. They said they sustained very little damage because of where they are situated (Red Hook), and expect to be open by the middle of January. She told me the Marriott at Frenchman's Cove is destroyed. Even if the hotel would be open, not sure St. Thomas will be up to receiving visitors that soon. Alas, we, too, are awaiting word on where our cruise might be, and if it will be. But it is hard to worry about a vacation when everyone else is worried about survival. We will go with the flow.

I hope they can all rebuild! It is nice that some places are being so proactive.

Yes, we all worry about how everyone on these islands will make it through, but I think it is possible to be concerned about both the islands and our vacations. My husband doesn't care to travel much, so when we do, it is a big deal to me.