kimber88

We are to set sail on her on Monday. Please continue with updates. Our party has 13 cabins booked, but have decided a cruise to "nowhere" would be better than a complete cancellation.

Thank you all. I hope you are right. Otherwise, we will be sitting at the terminal, luggage in hand, waiting to board!

Leaving tomorrow . . . Ready to sail into paradise!!

We are boarding the Allure on Sunday and just received this email from our TA per Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean International would like to provide the following times to better enhance the check in and boarding experience. Check-in at the terminal will take place between 12:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. We strongly encourage and recommend that guests arrive at the following designated times to limit queues and wait times.

Guests on decks 3, 10 & 14 should arrive for check in at 1:30 P.M.

Guests on deck 7 should arrive for check in at 2:00 P.M.

Guests on deck 11, & 12 should arrive for check in at 2:30 P.M.

Guests on deck 8 should arrive for check in at 2:45 P.M.

Guests on decks 6 & 9 should arrive for check in at 3:00 P.M.

Suite, Pinnacle, Diamond Plus, Diamond, Emerald and Platinum guests can check-in and board anytime at their convenience between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Additionally, any guest who purchased flights and/or transfers through Royal Caribbean International may check in anytime between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Gold members are asked to refer to their assigned check-in time.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our guests, and thank them for their cooperation and understanding.

We are not in a suite and were planning to arrive around 11:00. We have to be out of our hotel by 11:00. What are we to do with luggage until 2:00? Has anyone encountered this information before? Thank you in advance for any advice offered.

Okay! I've been reading the posts and I have finally decided that I need to make a comment. I have been a teacher in Texas for 22 years. I love my job and yes I made the choice to be a teacher. My salary is based on a 10 month contract but is spread out for all 12 months. I teach 60 students. I am at school by 7:30 every morning. I do not leave until 5:00 or later and I take work home nights and weekends. I will only receive teachers retirement when I retire and I will not receive SS. I will not receive free health care. I will pay for my health care. I am not looking for a discount. We ALL made a choice on our profession.

Well said. Many do not know what goes into teaching outside of the school day and unless they are involved, they don't need to know. I thought I would mention that teachers in Ohio also have to take and pay for 6 graduate hour credits per each 5 year renewal cycle. Then we get to pay another $250.00 for our license so we can go to work and then even more money for updated fingerprinting. All this while paying off the bachelor and master degrees required to be considered "highly qualified." I also worked and accumulated enough social security credits prior to the start of my career, but will not be able to collect on it because it would be considered double dipping. How is that when I paid into it?? I love my job, that is why I chose it. If we are so over paid and under worked, get your degree(s) and join us. I guarantee you're perception of the ease of my paycheck may change once you're in the classroom.

I watched this thread surface yesterday and hoped it wouldn't head down this road. Whenever teachers are brought into a discussion, it almost immediately turns into a bashing of the profession verses the private sector (pay, days off, job stress, work load, etc.).

The bottom line is Royal Caribbean does not offer discounts to educators, therefore, it should end here before is spirals even more off topic!

Looking forward to a vacay in paradise. Those traveling this summer, travel safely! :)

Thank you both for your input. I booked Bernard's based off of reviews here on CC. I am sure we will not be disappointed! :o

We have booked a private tour in July with Bernard's. Last time we were in St. Maarten, we were not organized and didn't see much other than what was directly in port. This time we have our own driver and can make our own schedule. I need help with "must see" parts to get the most out of our excursion. I set this up for my family, so I definitely want to deliver. Thanks so much in advance for any suggestions! :)

We are sailing the Allure in July and are traveling with 5. Here is a description of the room we booked per Royal.

Family Oceanview with Balcony

Two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, measuring 72.5 inches wide by 82 inches long. Sofa converts to double, two Pullman beds, private bathroom and sitting area. Stateroom can accommodate up to 6 guests.

(290 sq. ft., balcony 81 sq. ft.)

We have room 7330 booked. We were told this room is slightly bigger than the other Family Oceanview with Balcony room types. This is due to its location at the back of the ship and the way the room sets. There are two of these on the Allure.

We booked as soon as booking became available because these room types book quickly. Also, you are not able to book these rooms online. We went through a TA that was a friend of ours.

Hope this helps. :)

This thread has been way more helpful than I had thought. I will definitely be putting more thought into packing for our family cruise in July. The "bundling" video was quite unique too. Thank you to all for the great tips! :cool:

Got it . . . Thanks LizC! All the good suites for more than 2 people are mostly taken. I appreciate the helping hand though! ;)

We sail on the Allure in July. The ship looks to be quite full. We are booked in a Family Oceanview with Balcony(sleeps 6 with Pullman beds). Room 7330 in the aft of the ship. I was told this format is slightly bigger due to its location on the ship. Because it is such an unique room, what are the odds of an upgrade? It seems it would have to be a pretty big ripple effect before reaching us for an upgrade. Thoughts?

Also, I am unable to locate the "well known" site to see total availability of my cruise. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for help!