For Recent Allure Cruisers

[Familygoboston]

Once the dark side of the force takes hold of you it never lets go.

 

LOL! Tranquil Waters- OB is right! I remember sailing NOS a few years ago and seeing a back up at the drop off for buses at the Oasis terminal and thinking ...never, never, never!

Then DH said he wanted to try and I had so much trepidation! Good plan to be planning, Tranquil Waters! I did lots of planning and was well prepared for all there is going on on these big ships. But like Mikey, from the Life ads, I liked it!!

All of Royal Caribbeans ships are big and crowded, this one is big and uncrowded because it was designed differently. And there it is, I'm now one of her biggest boosters! (interestingly, DH felt like there was " too much" going on and decided he enjoys a cruise where you don't have to plan so much, which is why the last 2 have been small ships!)

I became a monster...I love planning and these ships let you customize your experience ahead of time...love it and am going back!

As to your original question...you'll see the stuff you pre pay for come up first...excursions and spa and gifts well before 6 months out, specialty dining and MTD about 4-6 mos out, and look for shows around 45-100 days. Entertainment schedules are done in several week blocks, and so if you cruise is in the " early" part of the block, expect to not see shows very early. If your cruise is " late" in the block of cruises, you'll have your entertainment available to book pretty far in advance of your cruise. Look at the current "showtimes at a glance" PDF on the Royal website to get an idea of how many weeks in a " block". Also you can look at past cruise compasses; I've found the showtimes change very little from cruise to cruise unless there is a major holiday or itinerary deviation. By seeing when the shows are offered on most cruises, you can book your dining when it's open and know that the shows you'd like to get will fit with our dining plans.

 

Lets see if you have the same experience as I did;) I went in determined to have a good time no matter what and was WOWED, Ill be anxious to hear about your experience!

[Familygoboston]

The current 'Showtime at-a-glance' has Sep-Dec 2012. I'm hoping that they'll put out a new one for Nov 2012-Feb-2013 by Nov 1.

 

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/royal/en_US/pdf/showtimes_AL.pdf

 

I'm sorry to tell you that after watching this for quite a while, that usually they will not put out a "new one" till the old one expires in Dec. As in, the last cruise listed on the current PDF posted has sailed. Also, it's been observed (and it happened to us) that many times the first cruise listed in the new SAAG PDF sails before the PDF ever gets posted on the website!:eek: For instance, our Dec 3 sailing of Oasis sailed before they posted the Dec SAAG, but it was posted by the time we returned:rolleyes:

[Tranquil Waters]

Soooo what you're saying is..... we'll be able to book sometime between now and Sept.? Perfect! :D

 

You caught me planning again! :o. We do still need to discuss shore excursions. Sept 15th will be here before we know it! ;):D

 

Have I mentioned lately that I have a wonderful DD?

[Tranquil Waters]

LOL! Tranquil Waters- OB is right! I remember sailing NOS a few years ago and seeing a back up at the drop off for buses at the Oasis terminal and thinking ...never, never, never!

Then DH said he wanted to try and I had so much trepidation! Good plan to be planning, Tranquil Waters! I did lots of planning and was well prepared for all there is going on on these big ships. But like Mikey, from the Life ads, I liked it!!

All of Royal Caribbeans ships are big and crowded, this one is big and uncrowded because it was designed differently. And there it is, I'm now one of her biggest boosters! (interestingly, DH felt like there was " too much" going on and decided he enjoys a cruise where you don't have to plan so much, which is why the last 2 have been small ships!)

I became a monster...I love planning and these ships let you customize your experience ahead of time...love it and am going back!

As to your original question...you'll see the stuff you pre pay for come up first...excursions and spa and gifts well before 6 months out, specialty dining and MTD about 4-6 mos out, and look for shows around 45-100 days. Entertainment schedules are done in several week blocks, and so if you cruise is in the " early" part of the block, expect to not see shows very early. If your cruise is " late" in the block of cruises, you'll have your entertainment available to book pretty far in advance of your cruise. Look at the current "showtimes at a glance" PDF on the Royal website to get an idea of how many weeks in a " block". Also you can look at past cruise compasses; I've found the showtimes change very little from cruise to cruise unless there is a major holiday or itinerary deviation. By seeing when the shows are offered on most cruises, you can book your dining when it's open and know that the shows you'd like to get will fit with our dining plans.

 

Lets see if you have the same experience as I did;) I went in determined to have a good time no matter what and was WOWED, Ill be anxious to hear about your experience!

 

Thank you - for the information, the encouraging words about losing my NOOTS status, most of all for "getting" my planning obsessions. :). If I have to go big, I am going to go at it BIG! :D

[Ocean Boy]

LOL! Tranquil Waters- OB is right! I remember sailing NOS a few years ago and seeing a back up at the drop off for buses at the Oasis terminal and thinking ...never, never, never!

Then DH said he wanted to try and I had so much trepidation!

 

I was not particularly interested in Oasis at first. However, whenever we cruise I usually take my parents along too as a gift. When we were sailing out of FLL one year on Independence, Oasis was sailing out in front of us an my mother made a passing comment that she would really like to see that ship. Oasis became our next cruise. And as they say...the rest is history.

[Tranquil Waters]

I was not particularly interested in Oasis at first. However, whenever we cruise I usually take my parents along too as a gift. When we were sailing out of FLL one year on Independence, Oasis was sailing out in front of us an my mother made a passing comment that she would really like to see that ship. Oasis became our next cruise. And as they say...the rest is history.

 

I am thinking everyone could use more than one mother. And I could certainly use another son (as only have SIL - wonderful though he is)........

[Steppy08]

We are sailing on Jan 20 (t-minus 84 days) and can't book shows yet. Final payment has come and gone.

 

Eternal vigilance, it seems, is the key.

[sumo]

We are also on 6th January 2013 n keep looking but only have up till week of 30th December up

[Tranquil Waters]

Thank you all for your input. The scary news is that this is probably only one of the first of any number of "fact finding" missions on my part.......:eek::D