Starry Eyes

That’s wonderful. Still, for future knowledge, understand they really don’t take “requests” on gty cabins. Sometimes it works out well.

And the final numbers can be determined during the sailing. As previously mentioned if a refund is appropriate, it can be posted to the on board account as a refundable on board credit.

Maybe that poster just doubted the accuracy of your screen name😉😀😉. A $58000+ RMD from a $2,000,000 401K might back calculate to a 73 years old with a 53 year old spouse as solo beneficiary. Obviously strangers cannot guess your account balance from your RMD alone. After all 100 year old (couple or single) with a $375,000 401K also has a $58000+ RMD. There are many other options with that same RMD.

Have you read your cruise contract? If so, you know you did not actually contract for a certain itinerary or certain ports or a certain number of ports, etc. That might be sad but it should not be so confusing😉😀

No promises, of course, but there’s still a chance customer service is playing it safe by saying that now. Sometimes port fee refunds are made to the on board accounts during the sailing. Honestly though when we have received such adjustments it has usually been a rather small amount of money. Symphony is a great ship and I hope you enjoy your time on board.

Typically at least one specialty restaurant is open for lunch on embarkation day. As most guests (plus some crew) are off the ship, the specialty restaurants are generally not open for lunch on port days (remember…they typically don’t even open the MDR for lunch on port days!). Casual dining like Johnny Rockets might open mid afternoon on a port day, but that may not be the reason you are thinking if UDP😉. Whether you will get enough value from the package is your call. Have a nice cruise.

Yes, it would be a big improvement if we could see the wait times and request a table via the app. Waiting for our table would be pleasant if we are sitting in a bar or one of the lounges enjoying a drink before dinner.

I can understand the garage entrance being blocked if no ship is in port, but are you certain it is also impossible to exit? Imagine someone is parked for an NCL cruise and the is cruise interrupted by family emergency. Having flown back to Florida early, you really think they would not be able to get their vehicle out of the POM parking garage? They would be told tough cheese…. come back when there is a ship docked🤪. That seems unlikely.

I do not think it is a recent change.

Frequently you can pay the difference and upgrade if you see a good price on another category after final payment, but sometimes a sale is specifically “for new bookings only.” In that is the case, you may not be able to get that “new booking rate” for your “old booking.” I think you should call and ask your category. Don’t be embarrassed; it is a very reasonable question.

Buying all his sofas is probably getting expensive 😉😀 In case it ever comes up again, Kids Sail Free does not apply to cabins with one or two guests. If two nephews under 12 are booked in a cabin with you during a KSF promo, one of the two boys may qualify for KSF but not both. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-is-kids-sail-free-promotion

Be aware that Royal Caribbean will place a temporary hold on your checking account funds if you put down your debit card number (they also place holds on credit cards). These holds may take a few days to fall away, so some people find money inconveniently tied up if they use a debit card. Setting up an account with a debit card is allowed, but I don’t think it is the optimal choice. Plenty of people pay cash at guest services and that may be right for you. We opt for a credit card with a high enough limit that the temporary holds does not impact us, but I respect your debit/cash lifestyle.

That sounds typical. I recently booked an OV balcony gty 45 days out on Wonder. My invoice also says GTY and obstruction pending. Barcode trick shows on OV balcony number. If you receive a RoyalUp offer and view the RoyalUp website on a computer, it should list your starting category. I think you are correct about the sorts of obstructions some neighborhood balconies might have. For completeness I’ll mention on most Oasis class ships, Boardwalk balconies near the water slides are marked obstructed (I know that’s not currently relevant to your sailing on Allure as she does not yet have water slides)

People sometimes have to cancel so upgrades happen even when then ship has been sold out for months. Have a great time.

As a GS perk on that class ship, you will each receive complimentary wifi for one device (each will have your own user name and password. If one of you needs to use two devices at the simultaneously, your cabinmate would have to log off and share the login info). If that’s enough wifi, cancel your previous purchase. If you are already locked out of the cruise planner, I would anticipate the suite concierge helping with that refund on day one.

Variable. On some cruises lately all suites are sold out. In that case unless someone in a suite cancels it does not matter how much the person in the balcony bids. On other cruises, multiple suites are available and RoyalUp bidders have a better chance to move up to a JS or better.

I did not say that people really adore dining at 5:00, but when Royal Caribbean presents its current options to Wonder passengers, many select early traditional dining if they like the other current options even less. I’ve told you what I have experienced on multiple Wonder cruises. People frustrated with MTD often learn they can come at 5:15-5:45 to join early dining at a vacant table. It has been reported that Royal Caribbean roll out three traditional dining seating times in the near future. If and when that happens, the middle fixed dining time may become quite popular (drawing people who otherwise variously selected early and late or MTD). The pattern may change.

On our recent Wonder cruises, early dining was overfilled. On two different Wonder cruises we had confirmed (not waitlist) early dining on our invoices (and doubled checked later verbally with rep) yet on day one of the cruises we were told we were in MTD instead because early dining was over requested. We were not the only ones; there was a line of people at the MDR, many with same issue. It was a hassle getting it fixed both times. I’m sure people who were waitlisted for early dining did not get it. So your assumption that everyone who has MTD reject 5pm is incorrect. Also, just because You did not observe a line at the MTD kiosk between 5 and 5:30 does not mean people were not waiting. Once their cabin numbers are taken and they may asked to have a seat in the waiting area. The crew fears offending guests (even when the guests are wrong), so if you miss your dining time they will probably scramble to accommodate you. When you arrive late, find your table occupied, and stand there looking like a jerk in front of everyone who arrived on time, you force your waiter to drop everything to scramble to take care of your tardy party, trying to find another table. That takes the waiters time and attention away from the rest of his guests. Once seated, having arrived late, your meal is out of sync with the other early diners. By showing up late, you have made the waiter’s job harder and delayed service for the guests who arrived on time.

Early dining is 5 pm. Grace period lasts until 5:15. After that you have missed your reservation and your table may be given to other guests. On a recent Wonder cruise, at about 5:20 MTD guests were seated at an empty two top near us. At about 5:30, a couple walked up and stared blankly at the occupied table. Awkward.

Ah, the beloved bar code trick, but you forgot to say “sometimes” when you receive the set sail pass it will have that info. Sometimes one gets a set sail pass without a deck number and in apple wallet in says “gty” after the dash (there is no hidden cabin number in Royal’s system). The bar code trick can be fun, but even trying the trick assignments can still come as early or late as the cruiseline desires.

While I do think 150CP has an upscale feel, I also think the waitstaff would do their best make your daughter comfortable. As fewer kids dine there, they might try to interact with her even more. It’s wonderful if your daughter has already developed the manners and maturity for a long meal in that atmosphere. Many kids (and some adults) would not enjoy it. Our oldest grandson had an adventurous palate from an early age; he could have enjoyed any/all the restaurants. His sister would not have been as interested in some menus at the same age. Just look at menus (with or without your daughter😀)

I think communications are routed through the TA who “owns” your reservation. Assuming it has been long enough for that payment to have cleared and since you are clearly concerned, you could call C&A and politely ask them to check the reservation. They should be able to see if it is paid in full and verify if other requests have been entered (dining requests, bed position, special occasions, whatever)

Yes, plus each table can proceed at its own pace. If that was a four top, the waiter will generally serve everyone the same course at the same time. With two separate two tops, one couple can go at a more leisurely pace while the other couple can hurrying to make a show.

Reservations (specialty and MDR) only have a 15 minute grace period. Don’t be more than 15 minutes late or you may find your table has been given to another party. We’ve watched this MDR “comedy show” a few times recently. Dinner is scheduled at 5:00. A table near us is empty. At 5:20 to 5:30 or even later, hostess seats people at the vacant table (MTD guests or some issue being sorted). Afterward the early dining guests stroll in and stop in their tracks when “their” table is occupied. The various reactions are, um, interesting.

Actually I cannot read your mind and I did not know what the blazes you were thinking when you replied my post with a complaint about false information. I don’t think you’d like it if someone said that to you, Pat.