SuzD123

Thank you for the update @STEVE-O. I am happy to hear that Skagway hasn't been cancelled altogether, but sorry that you and your DW will have to miss it. Crossing our fingers that Skagway (tendered or not) is still "a go" for the May 17 sailing of Radiance. The White Pass excursion is one that we are most looking forward to. Thank you again and hoping that the rest of your trip goes as planned. Have a great cruise!

As others have shared, there is no real way to know the "real" price is of the beverage package. Regardless it is definitely more once you are onboard than if purchased pre-cruise. If you've done the math ("break even" seems to be roughly 4-6 drinks/day...alcohol, non-alcoholic, bottled water, etc.) and/or the convenience is what appeals to you...go ahead and purchase through the cruise planner online. 18% gratuities will be added to the purchase price and everyone 21+ in the cabin must purchase it if even just one person does. If there happens to be someone in the cabin 21+ who does not drink alcohol...there can be ways around it...but generally involves a call to RCCL and possibly the purchase of a non-alcoholic package instead for that individual. If you DO decide to purchase the package pre-cruise and you happen to notice that the price goes down before you sail...you can easily cancel your previous order (refund comes back to your CC in a few days) and you can re-purchase at the lower price. Again...no clear answer, but all decisions for you as far as what makes the most sense for you, your budget, and your preferences.

Woohoo!!! 🎉. This is wonderful news @STEVE-O. We sail on May 17. THANK YOU!!

We'll be on Radiance next week (May17) and will be able to let you know then.

LOVE Taste of Royal!

Well described. It has been a few years since DD and I did this one on a sea day. Touring the kitchen was interesting, but we had both toured commercial kitchens previously...so it wasn't terribly new/different. Yes, you received a beverage or two in addition to the luncheon. The lunch was nice but nothing super special as I recall. For the cost and if you have someone interested in exploring the culinary arts, then sure...it's a nice experience.

We have a sailing in a few days on Radiance and then on Wonder in Feb 2025. Everything is subjective, but the advertised sale price wasn't enough to make me rebook. The deluxe beverage package was only 35% off for the May sailing. The Feb 2025 sailing is stilling hanging out at BOGO 50% off. Maybe there will be a Black Friday sale that I can look forward to...

Sounds like we are all having similar experiences. I was able to see/do most anything related to our booked sailings earlier this morning...then it was time to work on other non-cruise things for the day. But when I saw the 45% beverage sale pop up...heck yea. Problem is no matter which browser...Chrome, Safari, or Edge...log in then it requests a new log in...rinse and repeat. At one point it even tried to log me into the UK version of the site which it has never done before. Apparently the sale is only for another 12 hours, so hopefully it is resolved soon. Or maybe I just didn't to add a beverage package after all. 🤔

I am so confused. Yes @1nolaguy, I am still following but I didn't provide the advise attributed to me...at least I don't think I did. 😕 I am scrolling back through to see who did. We are sailing out of Vancouver for the first time in less than 2 weeks and staying at Pan Pacific. So we are relying on others' advice.

But we SO love it!

Ditto! See you soon @Cruisefanatic71 as we also step onboard on the 17th. For all of the weeks/months of planning and anticipation, it is hard to believe that the time is almost here.

Isn't that exciting? I LOVE that feeling. We now 16 days from our first Alaska sailing and simply can't wait. 🙂

Following...Thank you so much and have a great cruise! We are trying to get prepared for Feb 2024 when DH will be taking his first cruise since COVID. We (unfortunately) do not get to cruise as often as we would like...navigating geography (we live in the middle of Illinois), jobs, a farm, and elderly parents. Needless to say everything takes time and planning. So to celebrate my DH's return to cruising we have booked our first Wonder sailing...splurging for a 1-Bedroom aquatheater suite. Understandably, it has it's downsides...it is a distance from the suite lounge, Coastal Kitchen, and the elevators. But the privacy, space, the view, and that balcony..Those (plus the suite perks) were the enticements for us. Looking forward to hearing/reading more about your observations/experiences.

Once you get onboard you can make your reservations a couple of different ways, but I would try to get those taken care of fairly quickly as you get onboard. There will be 1-2 kiosks in the Promenade area where they will be making dinner reservations...there may be a little line but it moves quickly. You can also go directly to any of the specialty dining venues and they should be able to make dinner reservations for you. The other way we have made our reservations on boarding day is (assuming you are sailing in a GS or above) reach out to your Suite Concierge and he/she will be able to make them or if you are D/D+ that concierge will be able to help as well. All are fast and effective

Or...giving your DD a bit of grace...and not really being familiar with the specific video she saw on TikTok, maybe it was a compilation of all of the different show options across RC ships? Albeit not all on the same ship.

Completely agree...if the stars align and you are the first ones off the ship and your car is sitting there ready and waiting for you it could be doable, but risky. At best, you are still 30-45 min from the airport with no traffic. There are lots of unexpected variables (delay disembarking passengers? issue with the car service? traffic accident? etc.) that could negatively impact your arrival at the airport and that is not a risk/stressor we would be willing to take after a fabulous vacation. Best rule of thumb for this port and airport is book nothing prior to 12noon. As @Ocean Boy says...if you were sailing out of Port Everglades and flying FLL...THAT would be an entirely different story since they are practically next door to one another (okay...maybe not next door, but you can practically see the ship from the airport).

Hot-diggity! Doing a happy dance for you and many many others. This is awesome news. Enjoy your cruise!!

Wishing you and everyone the best @STEVE-O. In the meantime saying lots of prayers, thinking happy/positive thoughts, and crossing fingers/toes. Our pre-cruise travels start on May 15 for our May 17 sailing.

Thank you @PIC33 for the pictures, "super sleuthing", and the walk about. Only time will tell the ultimate outcome. 🙂

I have you beat I guess. Our planned sailing is May 17…our first trip to Alaska. A little anxious maybe? Hopeful that they will get whatever is wrong resolved. I have both my checked and carry on (since it is a 2-week cruise tour) bags ready to go with only the backpack/personal item left to finalize. With all of the planning packing downsizing and repacking I’ve done, I would hate to start over from scratch. 😉

We've used Tiffany Towncar Service multiple times and have been very pleased...the most recent time being in Nov 2023. https://www.tiffanytowncar.com/wordpress/ This most recent time they picked us up at the airport (MCO), took us to our pre-cruise hotel. After the cruise, they picked us up at the port and took us back to the airport. The morning of the cruise, we pre-scheduled an Uber since our hotel was less than a mile from the port.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/driving-directions-port-fort-lauderdale-everglades-florida "Parking Information After dropping off your checked luggage at the pier terminal with the porters and cruise line representative, proceed to the appropriate parking** garage for that terminal. Rates* are $20 USD per day for the regular vehicles and $25 USD for the oversized vehicles (rates subject to change without notice by the Port Authority). For additional information or vehicle size restrictions, please contact USA Parking at (954)468-3680." According to the Port Everglades site, Symphony will be docked at Terminal 18. https://www.porteverglades.net/cruise/terminals/terminal-18/ and it indicates that "Secure Parking in 600-space Parking Lot #18 or 400-space Parking Lot #19." Here is a link to the Port Everglades parking information: https://www.porteverglades.net/cruise/parking/ Attached...Port Everglades map: PE_0494_Port_Facility_Guide_FINAL_1_August_8_2023_2_50f79cea-c62c-4336-971e-255b510fb462.pdf

You are correct. There is no written rule, no guideline, nor obligation. However, as @captainannoyed! shared...our experience has been that service tends to be quicker when staying in suites (right or wrong) and we much appreciate what they do for us. So we show our appreciation with a couple extra $$ for the person bringing our room service order...especially since they are not the ones "in line" for a share of the allocated prepaid gratuities. We use the same philosophy when tipping our servers in the suite lounge or even the other bars or lounges. Is it required? No, but it is how we like to show our gratitude for what they do. At the end of the day, is it up to the individual who, how, or even if they leave an additional gratuity? Absolutely.

Absolutely agree.

BTW...Love this thread, because for the first time in all of our cruises...we are booked in our first RS on Adventure...albeit not until Jan 2026, but we finally got her. 🙂