cruisinfly

Good that they clarified that! It's certainly better to be honest about what you're selling. For the ant: Refreshment package also allows fresh squeezed OJ and fresh fruit smoothies. Yum!

I purchased a coffee card many years ago with the understanding that I could get any coffee drink per punch. That's what it said in the cruise planner when I bought it. Well, the beverage manager on board thought something totally different and when I ordered my first drink, they took four punches. I wasn't happy that I just paid far more for a single coffee than I would have had I purchased it with cash. Following a discussion with the Manager, I've got a refund for the coffee card and paid for the drink myself. If I did better paying out of pocket for the rest of the cruise. I don't ever plan to buy a coffee card again. No guarantee that barista will follow the rules. Bit of a scam. I do enjoy the refreshment package where I can get any coffee as many times as I want for one fixed daily price. Note that if you only want regular coffee, you can get that for free in the cafe promenade at in other venues.

I'll just echo the sentiment that if I was in your place, this would have been my own responsibility and it would have been on me, not the insurance company or the cruise line. I do buy insurance, and for cancellation it covers the original cost of the vacation that I give them when I get the quote, nothing more. The Royal Up bids look like a pretty bad deal to me. For my upcoming cruise, I could have booked the upgrade for less than the cost of the Royal Up bids they want. I laughed out loud when I saw how high the minimum bid was for all the categories. And you end up in a guarantee, rather than getting to pick your cabin location. I am sorry you had to cancel your cruise, I know how frustrating that is and I would be very sad if I was in your place. I hope your family recovers and next cruise goes well!

I've cruised Carnival, Disney, Princess, and Royal Caribbean out of Galveston. The embarkation/debarkation experiences are generally similar. I think there is a slight difference depending on which terminal your ship uses. I'm about to leave out of the new Royal Caribbean terminal for the first time in July. From what I understand, this is a great terminal to depart from. Very nice and very efficient. Otherwise, The only real difference I noticed in the other terminals is where I had to park and how far I had to walk, or ride a bus. I've loved every cruise I've been on and I suspect you'll find things you like about Royal Caribbean better and things you like about Carnival better. It is fun trying new cruise lines, different classes of ships, and getting exposed to new experiences, however! Which ship are you cruising on?

Please don't feel like a fool, I fell for it as well and I'm pretty diligent! I was lucky that it saved me 2 cents instead of costing me more money. Just think, Royal Caribbean pays overpriced executives and consultants to figure out how to extract a little bit more money from us. Too bad they don't include ethics in those marketing decisions. I guess having a good sense of ethics isn't always the best way to make the most money.

For my cruise, still only 30% off. I purchased at 35% off. I guess the sale is different for different cruises.

I have taken a scuba diving knife on-and-off the ship. Sometimes they ask, sometimes they don't, but it has not yet been confiscated.

I have been pre-purchasing items using the cruise planner in preparation for my upcoming cruise knowing that I can cancel and re-book if the price goes down. I've pre-purchased beverage, internet, ultimate dining, excursions, and gifts. The prices seem to change often and I have saved money multiple times by cancelling and re-booking. Sometimes its a few bucks, sometimes it's a generous amount. Well, I noticed a nearly $50 price drop for the ultimate dining plan I purchased, so, with a little excitement, I cancelled and re-purchased. After the re-purchase, I noticed I had actually only saved 1 cent, not $50. After some initial confusion, I realized that the first time I purchased, the price included gratuity. After the new price drop, gratuity is no longer included. While the cost appeared to have gone down by nearly $50, it had actually only gone down 1 penny! I had a laugh, but had they not dropped the price to account for the gratuity, I might have actually paid more by doing a cancel and repurchase. (also kinda deceptive on RCL's part by making it appear to be a price drop when it actually was not) Something to look out for in the future!

Use "InsureMyTrip.com". You can get quotes and compare from many different insurance companies and see reviews. The prices shown are the same as if you went direct to the the insurance company's website and asked for the same quote.

You might consider bringing a large beach blanket and using that. I have one that rolls up nicely that my whole family can lay on. It's waterproof on the bottom, soft on the top. I think I bought it a Costco. If you want shade with it, there are assorted compact shades/umbrellas you can search for on Amazon.

For my upcoming cruise, I originally purchased a 3-night dining plan with Chef's table separately. When the UDP was discounted during a "sale", I cancelled the 3-night plan and Chef's table and purchased UDP. If I decide to do Chef's table, I'll reserve when I get onboard, but, it's not super-important to me. I'm not sure if you can get money back or if you're just out the money. If you're not super concerned about losing around $50, I'd keep your reservation or you risk having Chef's table book up. It's certainly worth asking for a refund of the difference when you get onboard.

Hi, Does anyone know why Magic is returning to the Port of Miami at high speed after departing earlier today?

I'm probably repeating what others have said but here we go: With the Refreshment Package, just about every non-alcoholic beverage is included. This includes specialty coffees, espresso shots, lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, frozen coffee drinks, etc. from the Café Promenade, Vitality Café, any bar or restaurant on board. There is an exception: some ships have a stand-alone Starbucks coffee shop. Anything from the stand-alone Starbucks is NOT included in the package. (As far as I know, ships that have a stand-alone Starbucks also have Café Promenade) Other good drinks included in the Refreshment Package are: Smoothies, Fresh Squeezed OJ, Johnny Rocket's Milkshakes, bottled water, and any non-alcoholic cocktail from the bars.

I agree the cost has risen above the point where it exceeds my desire to purchase an alcoholic beverage package but for somebody who values drinking as a large part of their vacation experience to the point where they want to smuggle booze, it may be worth the expense. Some people pay more than $700 to reserve a day bed under a canopy for a few hours of use or nearly $300 for an hour-long massage, so, for a vacation, put it in perspective. I am spending $26/day for a non-alcoholic beverage package but if that cost were any higher, I would not have purchased that. I enjoy espresso beverages and fresh-squeezed OJ. I also like the convenience of unlimited bottled water anywhere onboard. I purchased an unlimited dining package as well (on sale) despite the fact I've already paid for a lot of food that's already included. This is a first time for me but I do value a great meal and a discount on bottled wine with dinner. To each their own!

I think the answer to your question depends on what you like to do on a cruise. All RCL ships have ocean views, lots of food, swimming, hot-tubs, drinks, shops, gambling, sports, and entertainment selections. Ask yourself what, specifically, about Oasis class ships would you miss by going on Freedom? I've been on Liberty, Voyager, and Rhapsody multiple times and enjoyed them very much. I'll be going on my first Oasis class this summer and I'm sure I'll enjoy it but I'm hoping the crowds/lines I read about aren't too bad.