ajtaylor29

I know every port/cruise lines are different but i'll share my experience: I broke a bone in my foot 2 weeks before our Alaska cruise last month (Carnival Spirit out of Seattle). I had a walking boot but decided to rent a scooter just to be sure i had it if i needed it with all the walking required. I rented from ScootAround (i think it was about $220 but then i added insurance so that bumped it closer to $300). They had a tent outside where i checked in and got my scooter. I rode it onto the ship, up the elevator, parked it in our cabin (yes it fit!) and didn't use it again all week until we were disembarking and i rode it down again!) If i hadn't rented it i would have needed it of course?!? In the short time i rode it, i realized how difficult it can be to maneuver around a crowded ship, and how some people (not all!) ignore those chairs and scooters and walked right in front of me! I decided that i could handle my walking boot just fine if slightly slower and i preferred that to riding in the scooter. Having said that, i am so grateful that my situation is/was a temporary injury only, and i have a new-found awareness and sympathy for those who are confined to wheelchairs and/or scooters permanently. I hope that if i run into you on a ship, I'm the one who's holding the door for you, or moving aside to let you by. 🙂

Thanks for this info! I was also wondering about our Acropolis tickets, which we bought before the new policy was announced. However, we're on a guided tour so i feel like we'll be ok. I'm reaching out to them just to be sure!

I just got royal up offers for our Septemeber cruise, looks like about 75 days out. I'm sure it varies based on how many available cabins they have....

We just booked a casino offer and got our $100 OBC no problem. It came in less than 24 hours which surprised me because in the past i've waited weeks to get confirmation! We did pay a little to upgrade from a free balcony to the Vista Suite (corner aft wrap) but it wasn't much at all.

OH i'm good with how many times you said "great"!!! That's what i really wanted to hear!! Sorry for your DH's covid, hope it didn't affect his trip (or yours?!?) I just broke my foot over the weekend so found out yesterday that i'll be in a walking boot for 4-6 weeks. That is NOT how i wanted to cruise, but i'll just have to deal with it. We will have to adjust some of our plans to accommodate my gimpy foot but i'm sure we'll still have a blast! The Segway tour is definitely out, but I'm hoping most everything else i can power thru. We loved the Pride so i'm hoping we feel the same about Spirit. I have no problem with the older ships, or the smaller ships, as long as they're well-maintained. Actually, we love every ship we've been on!!! 🙂

We sail on July 18th out of Seattle. Really looking forward to this cruise! We've been to Alaska but it's been several years, and we've never been on the Spirit. We were on the Pride last year in Europe, i think they are sister ships so it will feel very familiar to me. But, i'm just curious about anybody who's been on recently? Any comments or tips? We were lucky to snag the deck 4 corner aft vista suite, excited to have that panoramic balcony for Alaska! I'm hoping the weather cooperates!

FYI, we've had 2 CLS's (both on Symphony) and one was rear facing/one on the side. While i definitely like the ocean-facing suite better, we had a blast on the rear facing - people watching! - and those cabins are so wonderful that i'd take one wherever it faced if given the chance!!!

are you sure about that? I thought that we had upgraded from a balcony to a suite before and got double points, maybe not....?

A few years ago, while in Ketchikan, we did the Bering Sea Crab Fishermans Tour. To our surprise, once we motored out a ways from the dock they drove us to an area where we saw LOTS of eagles, i mean hundreds of them!!! We did not expect that on this tour. We also saw whales. I think we saw more wildlife on this tour than we had on other tours (like a whale-watching boat!). Just a very pleasant surprise!

We've done it twice (Odyssey and Anthem), but times free and with reserved times without much wait at all. I enjoyed it, it's a cool view from up there, but if i was paying i might skip it.... I agree with someone else's comment that you might luck in to it by walking by when there's a lull....or once on board check the app again and more spots might open up. Try to be there when it opens for the day and the lines are short.

We were recently on Odyssey in Star Class suite, i assume the services provided will be similar on Ovation. Our Genie made reservations for all the activities we wanted to do, then he would escort us (or meet us at the venue) and walk us straight in, no wait ever!!! And no extra charge, all activities were included. So for us, we did the Northstar, I-Fly, Virtual Reality (ii don't think they have that on Ovation). He also escorted us to reserved seats at all shows, and to reserved tables in all specialty restaurants. He contacted us a week or two before our cruise, to introduce himself and get an idea of what we were interested in. Then he made a schedule for us including all dining reservations, shows and extra activities. We made changes, both before we boarded and while at sea. It was a wonderful experience, and i felt so spoiled and pampered!! I thought i might never be able to sail without that service again....although i have and managed to enjoy myself without it!!! But I definitely hope to be able to sail in star class again some day!

I keep getting emails from Crystal (we sailed her once a few years ago) announcing that they are resuming cruising (i think under new ownership?) and inviting us to book. Hmmmm. If their ships are still parked.....are they waiting to resume once enough people send money?!? I haven't paid much attention to these e-mails since we already have more cruises booked and can't handle another one right now?!?

For the shows, i'm sure if you get in line 15-20 minutes before show time you'll almost always be able to get seats. We were on Allure last month and did get show reservations, but always saw empty seats at each show... We rarely use the MDR anymore, so i'm not sure about this, but why not just book anytime dining then once on the ship i think you can reserve your preferred time?

When our kids were teenagers, we always booked them in an interior room near our (balcony) room. They never complained and i was paying for it!!! Usually it was 2 big teenage boys (once it was 3 or them) so it worked fine for us, and they didn't know any better. A lot of people like interior cabins, i just have always cruised with a balcony and don't imagine i would like an interior room. For an upcoming family cruise, we've splurged to get 3 balcony rooms. Our sons are now adults, and married. This will be the first cruise for our dil's....and we decided to treat them!

We've been there 2 times now, both times 2 ships in port, and it was not overcrowded at all. It's such a big place with multiple beaches, pools, water park, etc. that people spread out! We had a great time there and look forward to another visit!

Thanks for the feedback, good thoughts. Here's part of my dilemma - My DH and i are 60-something couple who cruise a lot and usually know exactly what we like to do in each port. This cruise is a family affair - we are taking our 2 adult sons (who both cruised with us when they were teenagers) and our 2 DIL's who have never been on a cruise and one's never been to Europe! I am the cruise director for this family cruise so i'm feeling some stress in trying to figure out what they each may want to do!! (It's going to be a great time i know, but i'll admit it's easier when it's just the 2 of us!) I've tried to encourage them all to do some research and go off on their own if they want to, however they all seem content to leave it up to me and DH to make all the plans and they'll go along with whatever we come up with!! I'm trying to mix in historical and local walking tours with some fun (read - water) activities, so I thought Split might be a good place to see some of those beautiful beaches. This is exactly why i've asked here for feedback, and truly appreciate everyone's comments. I'll figure it out (and try to remember to come back here and update this thread for the next cruise planners to access!)

Asking for a friend!! We're considering a Grandeur cruise for NYE, and taking friends with us. She plays mainly 3-card poker, so if anyone has been on Grandeur recently and can confirm that they have it i would appreciate it! I feel like all the RC ships have it but want to confirm if i can. thank you!

We're cruising out of Ravenna this September, and only discovered after we booked the cruise that we were 2 hours away from the port when in Venice?!? After researching myself and asking lots of questions, we figured out that RCCL DOES offer a shuttle service (via bus) from either Venice airport, Venice town center area (near train station) or Bologna airport. You cannot book this online tho - you have to call RC to reserve your seats OR let your TA do it if you're using a travel agent. I believe it's about $60 per person each way. We decided to fly in to Venice and spend 2 days pre-cruise there, then fly home out of Bologna (it's only an hour away from the port). Hope this helps!

Thanks for your reply, all very good info! Yes, i've searched and see a lot of older posts.... i was looking for more recent experiences. Also, a lot of the posts cover DIY experiences and not many that talk about taking private excursions which is what i'm specifically looking for in Split. I think in Dubrovnik we will probably DIY in town, walk and explore. What i'm also looking for is whether my idea in Split will work - to spend the first part of the day on the water (sounds like several hour tours) then return to town and have plenty of time to walk around and see some of the city sights. We're very excited for our introductory visit to both Greece and Croatia on this cruise!

We usually leave an additional $20 tip for our waiter in all specialty dining spots. Once or twice we've left more when we had a great experience, and once or twice we've left less when we had a disappointing meal or service (luckily that hasn't happened often).

We are sailing this September so i'm starting to research and book excursions. I don't see many threads about these 2 Croatian ports, so any feedback would be helpful! We have a party of 6 adults. We usually book private tours and rarely use the ship excursions. Our day in Split is longer (9 hours) than Dubrovnik (7.5 hours but starting at 6:30 am?!). In Split, i was thinking about a private boat guide to go to some of the surrounding islands and beaches, then hopefully back in town to walk around and explore the city. Dubrovnik, since we dock so early and leave at 2:30 pm, i'm not sure what to do. To walk around town when it seems like everything will be closed, just doesnt seem very interesting. I appreciate any comments or suggestions! Thanks-

We sailed on Allure last week. I thought everything looked pretty good, considering it was totally dead 6 weeks ago?!? A lot of greenery already planted and growing, and signs of more being planted every day. There are hundreds (thousands?) of plants on the ship so they couldn't do it all overnight. Be patient, people and they will eventually get it all replanted. It was still a beautiful space last week and the dead trees absolutely did NOT ruin my cruise!!! 🙂

We've gone to Le String (String Beach) the last 2 stops in St. Maarten and loved it there. Got beach chairs w/ umbrella and spent the day sunning and swimming. I think maybe the chair rental came with a couple of drinks but i'm not certain about that....We had lunch there and the food is really good! you can have them bring it to you on the beach or go up and sit in the restaurant which is what we did. The owners are very nice. But i will also add - there are numerous beach clubs and restaurants all along the beach, so if you get a taxi over there you will see many places to choose from!

We reserved one recently on our Odyssey cruise. We had one right next to the main pool and bar area. imo, i didn't really love it and would have maybe preferred one on upper deck, away from the crowds and noise. i felt like we were in a fishbowl....and kind of had to keep people from encroaching on our area. Not trying to be the queen of sheba, but we did PAY for that space?!? I don't think i'd do it again unless traveling with kids maybe.

Thanks for the report! We'll be boarding on the 16th, can't wait!!! Did you dine at any specialty restaurants and if so - your opinion? thanks!