Grenouille21

Trying to figure out the best option for our family. My teens drink soda, and they usually have a latte in the morning. Though they are teens, they still enjoy ordering a Shirley Temple on occasion. Would those be covered with the soda package? I was going to do the Quench package for them, but maybe I'll do the soda package + beverage card for the coffees to save money.

Thanks, all. Looks like ours will be going toward gratuities.

Just wondering what people do with their OBC? On other lines you can use it to pay for excursions purchased in advance, but it looks like that is not an option on HAL. We were going to get beverage packages (soda and water for the kids, something with alcohol for me) and buy those in advance, so not using the OBC for that either. We are doing unlimited laundry (1 adult and 2 teens with 4 vacation days before we set sail so lots of dirty clothing!) but I thought we had to buy that in advance, too. So how can we spend our OBC?

Following along! We (my kids- a tween and a teen) are sailing on the NA later this summer and have some time in Vancouver and Whistler before we sail. First time to Alaska, first time on HAL, first time to the Pacific Northwest! I am super excited to follow you on your journey!

Based on your name and your gorgeous kitties' names I assume you are Disney fans? We are super Disney fans, to the point where I now have a side job that allows me to help people enjoy their visits with the Mouse! ;)

So excited to read more about your adventures!

Just checking about drinking water available on the NA. Is there a place on board that has water for filling water bottles other than the tap in the nearest sink?

Thanks, all! I think we will go with Ft. Lauderdale. I am not interested in the South Beach scene so we will likely just avoid that. Thanks!

My kids (13 and 14) and I are sailing out of Miami and we will arrive 3.5 days before our cruise. We can fly into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. We like the beach and will be ready for some relaxation near a pool or beach. We have never been to this part of Florida before. Any recommendations for where to stay and what to do?

Hi, we are sailing in Alaska on the NA and I have a kiddo who will be 1 month away from turning 13. Will they let him attend the teen club or will he be stuck with the younger kids?

Ok, I found a thread on here warning people not to stay in the cabin in question, so I am choosing a different one! Thanks!

I am somewhat reassured, but the photo I have seen of the ship makes it look very much like a sharp bump out. We would be in the corner right before the bumped out rooms. I feel like our view would be really limited, no?

We have two choices right now for an Alaska Cruise, based on our sleeping arrangement needs. I may decide that isn't important, but for now... it is.

Would you recommend the 2nd room from the front or a midship room that is "behind" a room that is bumped out? I feel like we like the midship location better, but I feel like we will just be looking at the neighbors' room.

What location is better?

We are also looking for a pre- and post-cruise hotel in Rome. Not interested in Air BnB. Also need transfers to the port and airport. Thanks for the above recommendations. Keep them coming!

My DD is allergic to tree nuts, shellfish, and coconut. I do not eat (and will get sick if I eat, but have not been allergy tested for) meat, dairy, egg, seafood, and gluten.

Disney blew me away with their attention to detail and their ability to provide us with food that was safe and delicious. Usually I lose weight on vacations because I can't eat anything. After the cruise I had actually gained weight because there was so much food available for me!! I am reluctant to cruise on any other line because I don't think I will be able to eat nearly as well as I was able to eat on DCL. I feel like I'll be stuck eating dry lettuce and whatever protein bars I bring, and my daughter will have to go without any desserts. I haven't heard anything consistently good about other cruise lines, so we will stick with DCL.

We are booked on a Western Caribbean cruise for mid August 2015, and I am second guessing the timing due to weather concerns. I know there is no way to predict the weather especially this far in advance, and that anything can happen. But can anyone offer advice about whether we might tip the odds in our favor a bit if we travel in early June instead? Or is it a wash?

Thanks for the additional info. I am delighted to hear that there was a vegan menu available! That is very promising!

I emailed the special needs department 2 days ago and other than the automated confirmation email reply, I haven't heard from them.

What did you do prior to your Disney Cruise? Were you this concerned before that Disney Cruise? Did you just board and hope for the best... or did you pre-plan. RCI will do both... but when you board you should make requests at the main dining room when you can have an appointment with the dining manager(s). I'm not sure why you think RCI will not be as accommodating as Disney. We just got off a cruise on the Freedom and 2 people at our table had special needs.. with special diets and the staff did a wonderful job. These cruisers were very happy with the selections and attention to their diets. I also have a sever allergy to seafood and the staff has always been very attentive to make sure I was not served anything that could cause a problem. Good luck...

Before we cruised on Disney I read reviews from vegan and gluten-free people who had been on Disney Cruises. I read the multiple discussions about how Disney handles food allergies and special diets. I tried to do the same with Royal, but it has been a mixed bag. Mostly people who are allergic to one thing, or people who have had a bad experience and didn't eat much. I have not found any discussions or reviews from people who are vegan.

Most people just seem to say "It will be fine, I am allergic to peanuts and I had plenty to eat!!!" But it isn't NEARLY the same. Someone who is *only* gluten-free can eat all the meat they want. It is easy to accommodate a GF diet. But if you don't eat meat, or dairy, or egg, or gluten, it gets really challenging.

I have found a few restaurants here in downtown Chicago that can easily accommodate my dining needs, and have found others on vacations in various places (by trial and error) that have accommodated me as well. But I have found MANY more where no one knows what "vegan" means. Where even after I explain it in the simplest terms "I don't eat meat, dairy, or egg" they say "So fish is OK then?" or offer me cheese lasagna.

That's why I am asking. I am doing what I have to do before I go anywhere: figuring out whether I will be able to eat.

I will keep searching for reviews from vegans, at least that might give me some idea of whether they can adjust their menu items or make food that is not on the menu. Thanks.

Thank you to those who have shared your experiences. It sounds like they can plan ahead, like Disney, if you know where/when you will be dining the following night? And possibly during the day as well?

Buffets are typically a no for me, as I'm usually only able to have fruit and/or non-mixed salad. That's partly what I was wondering about, I guess I figure dinner would be fine but what about breakfast and lunch?

As far as specialty dining, I can't have anything by Udi's as it all has egg. Most GF pizza dough has egg, most GF bread has egg as well. I've found GF pasta in some restaurants, anyone know if they have that on RCCL?

On Disney I could eat or modify food from 2 or 3 of the menus (it was a 4 night cruise), I am just worried because I'm not sure I saw anything modifyable on RCCL's menus. It looks like the vegetarian entrees are typically pasta, and unless they can make it with GF pasta that won't work, or Indian food, which I do not like, or they rely heavily on dough/bread/cheese, which won't work. Will they make something completely different that isn't on the menu?

Sorry for all of the questions, just want to know what to expect if we decide to explore RCCL. Thanks!

Hello. I am vegan and gluten-free. This is not an optional "fun" diet, this is how I must eat. My daughter has allergies to shellfish, coconut, and tree nuts. We sailed on Disney and they were fabulous, and took very good care of us. We ate like royalty. Is RCCL the same?

I've asked similar questions before, and have been told things like "Talk to dining services when you board" or "Note it on your reservation" but neither of those answers are terribly reassuring. We traveled to Mexico where I had previously been assured of the same thing ("Oh, just tell them ahead of time and you will be fine!!!") and I literally cried through most meals because all I could eat were chips and guacamole and fruit, and I was pretty sure the chips were cross-contaminated with gluten. And the guacamole was really bad, too. We had one head server who would make a plate of plain steamed vegetables for me, but that was it. I was so hungry and sad on that vacation, and I don't want to deal with that again. We had a similar experience on a cruise excursion at Atlantis, where literally all I could eat was plain salad, a bag of chips, or fries cooked in special oil.

I don't want to pay for another vacation where I can't eat.

So please, tell me about your experiences as a vegan/gluten-free passenger on RCCL, or tell me about your friend/family member who traveled as a vegan/gluten-free passenger. Help me be OK with this cruise line!!!

This is why we sail on Disney cruises and participate in the Fish Extender exchanges. We bring and deliver gifts for others and receive gifts in return. My kids LOVED coming back to our cabin to look for new goodies. :) They also LOVED delivering gifts and checking out all of the FE pockets people had made.

We have been on one cruise, and there was some definite motion feeling going on, and possible motion sickness (there was champagne the night before, and it is possible this was merely a hangover ;)). But even before the champagne was popped, there was an "Oh my, we are really MOVING" feeling, and I do get green on smaller boats.

I wore Seabands, but still felt quite green. The ginger gum seemed to help more. So yes, there will be ginger gum on the next cruise.

But are there dairy-free pill alternatives? Bonine and Dramamine have dairy in them, which was quite a surprise when I was in CVS pre-cruise since no one on any cruise board had mentioned this before. I react badly to dairy, so cannot have Bonine or Dramamine (or any generic or non-drowsy version).

Any alternatives?