We haven't cruised in 8 years.....a lot has changed

[jammin]

We haven't cruised in 8 years.  We booked a 2024 Christmas cruise on Symphony of the Seas and are trying to navigate what to do next.  We booked two balcony guarantee rooms for our family of 4 and selected late dining.  We are planning to fly to Miami two days before departure to enjoy the (hopefully) sunny Florida weather.  I just booked a two-night hotel room at the Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel and will be booking airfare later this month when Southwest opens their December flight bookings. 

 

Looking to hear from experienced cruisers what I should be planning for before departure.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

[smokeybandit]

Browse through the forums, lots of info already out there.

[leaveitallbehind]

28 minutes ago, jammin said:

We haven't cruised in 8 years.  We booked a 2024 Christmas cruise on Symphony of the Seas and are trying to navigate what to do next.  We booked two balcony guarantee rooms for our family of 4 and selected late dining.  We are planning to fly to Miami two days before departure to enjoy the (hopefully) sunny Florida weather.  I just booked a two-night hotel room at the Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel and will be booking airfare later this month when Southwest opens their December flight bookings. 

 

Looking to hear from experienced cruisers what I should be planning for before departure.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

Actually IMO things have come pretty much full circle.  Having cruised often pre and post pandemic, the industry went through significant changes recovering from the pandemic with the restart with numerous caveats and regulations.  But in the three years since, things have returned pretty much to the way they were the last time you cruised, albeit at higher market driven fares. (I realize the ships went through a lot of changes to become a safer health environment, etc., but the cruising atmosphere is IMO back to where it was with none of the restart restrictions).

 

I think one planning comment I would make would be with regards to your GTY booking in that the issued staterooms may not be near each other.  However, once issued you can move one or both to any available location within the same assigned category and subcategory to try to alleviate that.  Just contact RCCL if you booked directly or your travel agent if you used one to facilitate this.

 

The RCCL app also will allow you more flexibility in filling out the preboarding information, loading boarding passes on your phone, and checking in.  This process is simplified as a result.  You also will need to select check in times at the pier via the app, which will be available in 30 minute windows typically commencing at 11:00 up to 90 minutes before scheduled departure.  This IMO organizes the boarding process in a smoother flow.   

 

You can schedule certain shows (Broadway shows, Aqua Theater, Ice show, Comedy club) through the cruise planner and the app.  Specialty restaurant dining, and other packages (wifi) and activities can be scheduled and prepaid through the planner as well.

 

Other than that, I would suggest to just look forward to renewing your cruising and plan to enjoy yourself on your cruise.

 

 

 

 

[barbeyg]

I think most of this was around back then too, but if not, some “do ahead” planning:

 

1. Book any specialty dining ahead of time, and/or dining packages, if you want those,

2. Book the shows that need to be booked ahead, usually released the beginning of the month before your cruise,

3. If going to CocoCay, it has been amped up since you last cruised. If you want to get into the Beach Club, water park, or other additional pay area, watch the prices and book when on sale.  You don’t have to pay to enjoy CocoCay, so I suggest watching videos to see if you are interested in any pay areas,

4. if Diamond or above, a # of drinks are available free each day.  Lost of threads about those.  Also, look at the drink packages and see if those would be of interest to you.

 

Have fun on your cruise. We are sailing Symphony for the first time ourselves next Feb. 🙂

[Ferry_Watcher]

I agree with @leaveitallbehind, that if not possibly having the two cabin near each other, then booking 2 guarantee rooms is fine.

 

I would add to make sure all passports are current (now and in December for your cruise), or that all birth certificates are readily on hand, and there will be no last minute frantic search for them.

 

Hope you have an amazing Christmas cruise!

[1025cruise]

My only concern is that you booked two GTY cabins. There is no guarantee that the cabins will be near each other (same deck, same side, etc.) You could end up on deck 10 port aft and deck 14 starboard front (deck numbers made up for example only). If having cabins near each other is important, you should book specific cabins.

[Ozark_Kid]

Try researching the Metromover in Miami. It's a free public transportation system not far south of where you are staying. We stayed in the Brickell area of Miami and took the Metromover to Bayside Marketplace.   Nice place to hang out!

[LittleMissMagic]

Woohoo, welcome back to cruising! A lot has changed, but it's still fun!

 

I haven't sailed on Symphony, but I've sailed her "sister," Harmony of the Seas, and she's one of my favorite ships! Here are my recommendations:

 

• With Oasis-class ships, I'd highly recommend specialty dining. I used to be in the camp of why pay extra for food when the main dining room is just fine? Well, I think the increase in specialty dining options has actually led to the decrease in quality in the main dining room. I'm not sure if this is by intention to encourage people to do specialty dining, or a result of staffing the more experienced kitchen teams in the specialty restaurants, leaving less experienced teams in the main dining room. If you can snag a deal on unlimited specialty dining, grab it - they do run out! Keep an eye on the prices, too - if you book it and they offer it at a lower price later, you can cancel and rebook at the lower price with no fees.
• Others are raising a red flag on the GTY bookings. If it is critical that your staterooms are adjoining/adjacent, you probably want to change your booking to select your staterooms. That being said, I've always had good luck with separate GTY staterooms being close to one another. They're usually side-by-side. It's just not guaranteed that the rooms will be close, and with a giant ship like Symphony, it would be super inconvenient to have rooms on opposite sides of the ship.
• Other thing to know about your balcony GTY.... you are guaranteed a balcony, but not an ocean view balcony. You could have a balcony overlooking the Boardwalk or Central Park. If an ocean view is important to you, you'll want to select your stateroom.
• Royal Up! I haven't seen anyone mention this yet. A few months, or closer to your cruise, RCCL starts emailing Royal Up offers. Basically, you can place a bid on a higher category stateroom. On some of the minimal upgrades, like an upgrade to an "extra large balcony," I've bid the minimum and won the upgrade. For bigger upgrades to suites, the minimum bid won't win the upgrade, especially on a Christmas sailing.
• Check-in is pretty much all online now. You'll need a scan/high quality photo (no glare) of your passport and a headshot of each person you're checking in (if taken on your phone, make sure it's JPEG and not HEIC). They really encourage you to check in on the app, but you can still check in on the computer. Whether checking in on the app or on a computer, I recommend having a folder with everyone's documents so it's everything is right there and ready.

 

It's been five years, but I sailed on Harmony of the Seas over Christmas in 2019 and wrote a detailed photo review if you're looking for inspiration - https://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2020/01/day-1-harmony-of-seas-embarkation.html

[Mum2Mercury]

7 hours ago, jammin said:

Looking to hear from experienced cruisers what I should be planning for before departure.

A couple things that've popped up in the last 8 years: 

 

- You should download the RC app on your phone now.  

- Using the app, you can go ahead and schedule your dinner reservations. 

- As the date draws nearer, you'll be able to see information on shows /entertainment on the app. 

- The Muster Drill is now on the app -- you'll just need to do a drop-in as soon as you board. 

- You'll need to schedule a boarding time -- is it 45 days out?  

[leaveitallbehind]

31 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 You'll need to schedule a boarding time -- is it 45 days out?  

Yes. 

 

But to the OP, it isn't like trying to check in with Southwest Airlines - you don't need to jump to click on the boarding times the minute it opens up - LOL.  There are plenty of time slots that accept hundreds of passengers each to accommodate all of the passengers.  You will be able to get your preferred, or certainly a desirable, timeslot without rushing.  We have always been able to get a time we wanted and on several occasions not checked in until several days or more after the window opened.

Edited March 3 by leaveitallbehind

[jammin]

8 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Actually IMO things have come pretty much full circle.  Having cruised often pre and post pandemic, the industry went through significant changes recovering from the pandemic with the restart with numerous caveats and regulations.  But in the three years since, things have returned pretty much to the way they were the last time you cruised, albeit at higher market driven fares. (I realize the ships went through a lot of changes to become a safer health environment, etc., but the cruising atmosphere is IMO back to where it was with none of the restart restrictions).

 

I think one planning comment I would make would be with regards to your GTY booking in that the issued staterooms may not be near each other.  However, once issued you can move one or both to any available location within the same assigned category and subcategory to try to alleviate that.  Just contact RCCL if you booked directly or your travel agent if you used one to facilitate this.

 

The RCCL app also will allow you more flexibility in filling out the preboarding information, loading boarding passes on your phone, and checking in.  This process is simplified as a result.  You also will need to select check in times at the pier via the app, which will be available in 30 minute windows typically commencing at 11:00 up to 90 minutes before scheduled departure.  This IMO organizes the boarding process in a smoother flow.   

 

You can schedule certain shows (Broadway shows, Aqua Theater, Ice show, Comedy club) through the cruise planner and the app.  Specialty restaurant dining, and other packages (wifi) and activities can be scheduled and prepaid through the planner as well.

 

Other than that, I would suggest to just look forward to renewing your cruising and plan to enjoy yourself on your cruise.

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for your thoughts!  We knew when we booked the GTY balcony cabins one could be a the stern and the other all the way at the bow; it would be great to be close to each other but it is not the end of the world if they aren't.  Our girls are 19 and 15 so it's not a huge deal.  I did talk to RC and they said they would make a note on our reservations to attempt to book them close...

 

[jammin]

7 hours ago, barbeyg said:

I think most of this was around back then too, but if not, some “do ahead” planning:

 

1. Book any specialty dining ahead of time, and/or dining packages, if you want those,

2. Book the shows that need to be booked ahead, usually released the beginning of the month before your cruise,

3. If going to CocoCay, it has been amped up since you last cruised. If you want to get into the Beach Club, water park, or other additional pay area, watch the prices and book when on sale.  You don’t have to pay to enjoy CocoCay, so I suggest watching videos to see if you are interested in any pay areas,

4. if Diamond or above, a # of drinks are available free each day.  Lost of threads about those.  Also, look at the drink packages and see if those would be of interest to you.

 

Have fun on your cruise. We are sailing Symphony for the first time ourselves next Feb. 🙂

CocoCay amped up is an understatement!!!!!  I am overwhelmed looking at the options on that day.

We are not diamond members yet 😞  We have a few more cruises to take to get there.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[jammin]

6 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

My only concern is that you booked two GTY cabins. There is no guarantee that the cabins will be near each other (same deck, same side, etc.) You could end up on deck 10 port aft and deck 14 starboard front (deck numbers made up for example only). If having cabins near each other is important, you should book specific cabins.

Thanks....I'm sure they will be at different ends and decks of the ship.  Not a deal breaker for us.  It saved over $3000 to book two GTY vs. 2 balconies.  My oldest is 19.

[jammin]

3 hours ago, LittleMissMagic said:

Other thing to know about your balcony GTY.... you are guaranteed a balcony, but not an ocean view balcony. You could have a balcony overlooking the Boardwalk or Central Park. If an ocean view is important to you, you'll want to select your stateroom.

Thanks....Hoping for an ocean view, Boardwalk and then central park balcony in that order but will be happy with what we get...after all, we will be in the caribbean!

[jammin]

3 hours ago, LittleMissMagic said:

Woohoo, welcome back to cruising! A lot has changed, but it's still fun!

 

I haven't sailed on Symphony, but I've sailed her "sister," Harmony of the Seas, and she's one of my favorite ships! Here are my recommendations:

 

• With Oasis-class ships, I'd highly recommend specialty dining. I used to be in the camp of why pay extra for food when the main dining room is just fine? Well, I think the increase in specialty dining options has actually led to the decrease in quality in the main dining room. I'm not sure if this is by intention to encourage people to do specialty dining, or a result of staffing the more experienced kitchen teams in the specialty restaurants, leaving less experienced teams in the main dining room. If you can snag a deal on unlimited specialty dining, grab it - they do run out! Keep an eye on the prices, too - if you book it and they offer it at a lower price later, you can cancel and rebook at the lower price with no fees.
• Others are raising a red flag on the GTY bookings. If it is critical that your staterooms are adjoining/adjacent, you probably want to change your booking to select your staterooms. That being said, I've always had good luck with separate GTY staterooms being close to one another. They're usually side-by-side. It's just not guaranteed that the rooms will be close, and with a giant ship like Symphony, it would be super inconvenient to have rooms on opposite sides of the ship.
• Other thing to know about your balcony GTY.... you are guaranteed a balcony, but not an ocean view balcony. You could have a balcony overlooking the Boardwalk or Central Park. If an ocean view is important to you, you'll want to select your stateroom.
• Royal Up! I haven't seen anyone mention this yet. A few months, or closer to your cruise, RCCL starts emailing Royal Up offers. Basically, you can place a bid on a higher category stateroom. On some of the minimal upgrades, like an upgrade to an "extra large balcony," I've bid the minimum and won the upgrade. For bigger upgrades to suites, the minimum bid won't win the upgrade, especially on a Christmas sailing.
• Check-in is pretty much all online now. You'll need a scan/high quality photo (no glare) of your passport and a headshot of each person you're checking in (if taken on your phone, make sure it's JPEG and not HEIC). They really encourage you to check in on the app, but you can still check in on the computer. Whether checking in on the app or on a computer, I recommend having a folder with everyone's documents so it's everything is right there and ready.

 

It's been five years, but I sailed on Harmony of the Seas over Christmas in 2019 and wrote a detailed photo review if you're looking for inspiration - https://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2020/01/day-1-harmony-of-seas-embarkation.html

Thanks for all your feedback and the link to a great review!

[jammin]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

The Muster Drill is now on the app -- you'll just need to do a drop-in as soon as you board. 

That cool!  Much better than being stacked up on the promenade deck in life jackets!

 

[jammin]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

A couple things that've popped up in the last 8 years: 

 

- You should download the RC app on your phone now.  

- Using the app, you can go ahead and schedule your dinner reservations. 

- As the date draws nearer, you'll be able to see information on shows /entertainment on the app. 

- The Muster Drill is now on the app -- you'll just need to do a drop-in as soon as you board. 

- You'll need to schedule a boarding time -- is it 45 days out?  

Assuming the App works without buying a data package.  I was planning to unplug the family this week.

[jammin]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

As the date draws nearer, you'll be able to see information on shows /entertainment on the app.

This is the only thing that makes me miss cruising WAY back....Was just showing up and grabbing a seat.  The last cruise we were on we needed to pre-reserve tickets to shows.......Once I get on the cruise I like to fly by the seat of our pants and do what we want on a whim....but I realize you cant do that with 6,000 other pax.

[PhillyFan33579]

4 hours ago, jammin said:

Thanks....Hoping for an ocean view, Boardwalk and then central park balcony in that order but will be happy with what we get...after all, we will be in the caribbean!

Not trying to be negative, but the chances of you getting an ocean view balcony are slim to none. 

[dragontrainer]

On 3/3/2024 at 5:17 PM, leaveitallbehind said:

Yes. 

 

But to the OP, it isn't like trying to check in with Southwest Airlines - you don't need to jump to click on the boarding times the minute it opens up - LOL.  There are plenty of time slots that accept hundreds of passengers each to accommodate all of the passengers.  You will be able to get your preferred, or certainly a desirable, timeslot without rushing.  We have always been able to get a time we wanted and on several occasions not checked in until several days or more after the window opened.

We somehow missed the memo on the 45 day check-in and I happened to look 43 days out for this coming cruise and they were already at 1:30 as the earliest time.  It's not the end of the world, but I'm not looking forward to the two kids constantly asking when we're going to get on the ship...

 

I've heard there are some items that can only be booked once you get on the ship (e.g., laser tag) while it seems most things need to be done ahead of time.  I'd also recommend verifying the app works well for your phone, our phones were a bit older and it rarely made it to any usable pages before crashing (though I haven't seen that issue noted by others so maybe we push out phone upgrades more than others).

[leaveitallbehind]

Just now, dragontrainer said:

We somehow missed the memo on the 45 day check-in and I happened to look 43 days out for this coming cruise and they were already at 1:30 as the earliest time.  It's not the end of the world, but I'm not looking forward to the two kids constantly asking when we're going to get on the ship...

 

I've heard there are some items that can only be booked once you get on the ship (e.g., laser tag) while it seems most things need to be done ahead of time.  I'd also recommend verifying the app works well for your phone, our phones were a bit older and it rarely made it to any usable pages before crashing (though I haven't seen that issue noted by others so maybe we push out phone upgrades more than others).

I guess there are always exceptions with the check in timing, and I was only providing our experiences.  You may be able to check in earlier once at the pier.  But that is not something I am assuring or recommending.

 

Anything that can be scheduled ahead of boarding would be in the planner.  But, yes, some things can only be scheduled on board.  Along with our phones we also put the app on a tablet as an alternative.

[SSBrickNJ]

On 3/3/2024 at 9:58 AM, leaveitallbehind said:

Actually IMO things have come pretty much full circle.  Having cruised often pre and post pandemic, the industry went through significant changes recovering from the pandemic with the restart with numerous caveats and regulations.  But in the three years since, things have returned pretty much to the way they were the last time you cruised, albeit at higher market driven fares. (I realize the ships went through a lot of changes to become a safer health environment, etc., but the cruising atmosphere is IMO back to where it was with none of the restart restrictions).

 

I think one planning comment I would make would be with regards to your GTY booking in that the issued staterooms may not be near each other.  However, once issued you can move one or both to any available location within the same assigned category and subcategory to try to alleviate that.  Just contact RCCL if you booked directly or your travel agent if you used one to facilitate this.

 

The RCCL app also will allow you more flexibility in filling out the preboarding information, loading boarding passes on your phone, and checking in.  This process is simplified as a result.  You also will need to select check in times at the pier via the app, which will be available in 30 minute windows typically commencing at 11:00 up to 90 minutes before scheduled departure.  This IMO organizes the boarding process in a smoother flow.   

 

You can schedule certain shows (Broadway shows, Aqua Theater, Ice show, Comedy club) through the cruise planner and the app.  Specialty restaurant dining, and other packages (wifi) and activities can be scheduled and prepaid through the planner as well.

 

Other than that, I would suggest to just look forward to renewing your cruising and plan to enjoy yourself on your cruise.

 

 

 

 

Even though I'm not the OP, I wanted to take the time to say that I found this post to be very helpful!

[jammin]

I appreciate all the replies...as SSBrickNJ stated, I too find this information and your experiences extremely helpful!

 

[sgmn]

On 3/3/2024 at 11:13 PM, jammin said:

Assuming the App works without buying a data package.  I was planning to unplug the family this week.

You don't have to have their Internet package to use the app on board. And you can 'chat' to others in your party using the app.  Make sure everyone downloads the app.

 

Only problem is you can't just pack away the phone in the safe but need to keep it on you.  The daily cruise compass is on the app too 

Edited March 6 by sgmn

[SilkySal]

I can't believe some of you didn't mention one of the most important things! Breakfast is included in your cruise fare everyday at Johnny Rockets!! Even their delicious milkshakes! And their OJ is far better than the WJ and tastes really close to fresh squeezed! We always eat breakfast at JR on Oasis class ships! That's probably why I'm a fluffy gal!! LOL! Enjoy! Cheers!