pasodancer

I would definitely book a car service from EWR to the port so you aren't at the mercy of waiting for Uber / Lyft / Taxi.

yes, Pineapple juice - how could I forget! Thank you.

French Martini (Chambord, Vodka & OJ)........shaken not stirred!

Westin Jersey City (if you have Marriott points you can usually get a fabulous deal).

If you want high end suite perks, consider sailing in Royal Star Class on selected ships - perks are amazing for passengers in Star Class: STAR Exclusive Access to Royal Genie Service All Day Access to Coastal Kitchen* All Day Access to Gold and Silver Dining** for guests onboard Spectrum of the Seas® Complimentary Specialty Restaurants*** (including Chef’s Table and à la carte dining) Complimentary Deluxe Beverage Package (for guests 21 years or older, or 18 and over where applicable by law) Complimentary Refreshment Package (for guests under legal drinking age) Still and Sparkling Water Replenished Daily Complimentary GratuitiesΔ Complimentary VOOM****, The Fastest Internet at Sea Expedited Boarding and Departure Best Seats in the House in Select Entertainment Venues Priority Entrance to Many Onboard Activities†† Suite Lounge Access (complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails each evening) Access to Suite Sun Deck. Star guests onboard Spectrum of the Seas® have access to The Balcony Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes for Use Onboard Complimentary Minibar stocked with Coca-Cola® Beverages and Water Complimentary Laundry and Pressing Services Luxury Mattress and Pillows Frette® Linens Luxury Bathroom Amenities Lavazza Espresso Coffee Maker

Uber or Lyft - and no waiting around until the shuttle filled up. Are you flying in the same day as the cruise?

as for ballroom dancing - no place to do traditional smooth but you should be able to get some ECS, WCS, perhaps a Rumba. Hopefully you like Latin Dancing also as you will find opportunities to do some bachata, salsa and perhaps a merengue or two.

If we know we are going to be at a bar/lounge for a long time (or even when beginning our dinner service) -- we tip very well for the 1st drink and ask the server to keep bringing them when they see our glass getting low. Got to a point where we walked into the bar/lounge and our drinks would appear without us asking.

Agree w/ Elsie above (we live in VA Beach). Flights after noon would work best. Even when we depart for Norfolk flights (we live about 20 minutes out from airport), we allocate an hour in case of traffic jams. There is a small hike from airport check-in to TSA security and subsequent gates - factor in a nice 5-10 minute walk to get to the gate.

On most ships when you enter the Windjammer if you look around the entrance area there is a beverage bar area where they do drinks (coffee, booze, juices, etc). They will gladly make you a smoothie - just tell them your favorite flavors. At lunch time I usually tell them I want a smoothie with a rum shot in it (have DBP)........even better than the breakfast smoothie.

Banana Chocolate Smoothie!

You are so correct - we were Crown Loft suite - sky class and still couldn't get easily get into the Coastal Kitchen for dinners. For lunch there was always availability.

On our October cruise on Symphony - we had 2 Grand Loft Suites (family of 5); it was difficult for us to get CK reservations at the times we desired - we went to the CK immediately after boarding and were told "sorry there are no times after 6:30 pm available for the entire week". Daily we would check w/ the concierge to see if there were any cancellations and were able to get in 3x during the week...all times before 6:30pm. We decided to do the Main Dining Room on the other nights and were extremely happy with the food quality and service provided.

Dang you are courageous!!! If my DOH tried that he would be wearing his dinner.

My DOH knows we are going on a cruise but not location. In the past he finally figured out his RCI logon and was able to see what I had booked. Fooled him for 2024 - doing our first Celebrity cruise, Best of Greece. Will be interesting to see how long I can keep him in the dark!

if Portside BBQ is open I would head there otherwise Park Cafe (which has very limited seating).

We all had wrist bands that could not be easily removed.

Congratulations! What an amazing way to begin and celebrate your journey together. Wishing you all the best.

Highly recommend the "plum" site - has saved me hours of research.

you may also want to try searching for this cabin on YouTube to see if there are any recent videos or photos.

Check out of the plastic type bins / storage boxes at Dollar Treen. We got one w/ a lid & 3 compartments - put clothes in it for travel to ship then use it as a tray/carry bin during the cruise.

Greek & Adriatic Cruise on Voyager of the Seas – 7 nights ONEWAY FROM: Athens (Piraeus), Greece to Venice (Ravenna), Italy VISITING: Athens (Piraeus), Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Chania (Souda), Crete, Zakynthos, Greece, Kotor, Montenegro, Split, Croatia, Venice (Ravenna), Italy July 22, 2024 - 2 Bedroom GS: $8,501 (3 people) Greece & Adriatic on Explorer of the Seas – 7 nights ROUNDTRIP FROM: Venice (Ravenna), Italy VISITING: Venice (Ravenna), Italy, Bay of Kotor (Cruising), Montenegro, Kotor, Montenegro, Athens (Piraeus), Greece, Santorini, Greece, Split, Croatia, Venice (Ravenna) June 22, 2024 – 2BR GS: $9,820 (3 people)

Need help deciding. We are 12-person multi-generational family (ages 6 to 68) cruise to Greece in June 2024. All experienced RCI cruisers, historically we sail Oasis class ships to Caribbean. We are 3 Families – we all need 2-bathroom suites as we all have adult children sharing our cabins. Research has narrowed us down to either Explorer or Voyager as it looks like those are the only ships w/ 2-bathroom cabins. Right now, we are looking at 2 BR Grand Suites. Haven’t sailed on those ships yet. Itineraries are port intensive. If you had to choose between Explorer or Voyager (or other), which would you choose? Sincere “Thank You” for sharing your options.

Wish we did the Atlantis version versus RCI........We got to Atlantis early, but the waterpark didn't open until 10am. Then at 1 pm a nasty storm came through and we had to exit the water park. We wound up taking a taxi back to the ship rather than wait for the RCI excursion mini bus.

Grand Panoramic Suite on Oasis has a dining room table which seats 6 comfortably. Perfect for in-suite dining.