la_croisiere_s'amuse

Oh wow, this is new to me! I've never seen them say no water shoes. I wonder if it's just an Adventure thing?

No sunglasses, but goggles are usually okay since they are fitted tightly to your head and held in place. If you just confidently walk up wearing them, my guess is that nobody will stop you.

This video has a tour of an accessible JS on the Independence. It starts around the 8:45 mark: But don't blame me if you get hooked on watching these two. They are just too cute for their own good. 😊

Definitely less likely (thought not guaranteed) for a cruise leaving on Monday. It's more likely to be an issue on the long weekend cruises.

First, I will say that while I agree with that general characterization, the 4-day itineraries I've done have been substantially less like floating frat parties than the 3-day ones. YMMV. I've only done a couple of 5-day cruises, but in my experience the vibe isn't much different than 7. Now that I live smack-dab in the middle of the country, 3-4 day cruises just aren't worth it for me when you factor in the air travel. But I will do a 5 if it's the best option.

Thanks for the chuckle ... I'm voting for the Springfield Trappucino! 😂

I think part of the confusion is that there are actually two separate trams (unless this has changed in the last four months): one that takes you up & down the pier, and one that does a loop around the island. So the people saying "it doesn't go all the way to the ship" and the people saying "it goes all the way to the ship" are technically both correct. 😁

Hmmm, that is odd--you should find a couple of options under "Gifts & Gear." Maybe try back later? Unfortunately the website is notoriously glitchy. 😕

I'm a huge fan of Rome, but Civitavecchia not so much. 😉 Another vote for Barcelona.

As others have said, it's not a problem to pack them in your checked luggage, but do bear in mind that it can take several hours before your luggage is delivered to your room. So if your little one will need anything that afternoon/early evening, it might be wise to have some in your carry-on bag as well.

Hmm, that's some fairly specific advice! If you don't get the answers you need, you might have more luck here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/ Or here, if you post your question in both Aruba and Curacao: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/456-caribbean/ Good luck!

FOUND IT !!! This may be of assistance: The post explaining the solution they found is on the bottom of page 3. That specific solution may not apply, but I would think that by the same logic, if the expired passport is only being used as a government-issued photo ID and not a travel document, he stands a good chance.

As others have pointed out, the weather is anybody's guess in either month. September cruise fares tend to be lower, however. And if you go the last week or two of the season, the gift shops in the ports will have a bunch of clearance sales. I discovered that quite by accident once, and everybody got 50% off Alaska Christmas gifts that year. 😄

Thank you, I was not aware of that. Every little bit helps these days. 🙂

Agreed. I have been very grateful to have waterproof pants for a couple of water excursions. I don't think I've ever needed them for actual rain purposes, but then again I've only done that itinerary three times. You never know when an absolute deluge will happen!

I'm not entirely sure I understand your question, so I'll have to guess a bit in my response ... I typically pay around $300 to get to the east or west coast, unless it's last minute or business travel with specific requirements (in which case I'm not footing the bill anyway!). So that is my usual flight budget for cruises from domestic ports. The flights I mentioned in the $400s are not hugely above that range, but since the departure flights leave before we would be off the ship, they are not an option. Does that answer your question?

After I retire, absolutely! 😄 Very true. Unfortunately when the vacation budget for the year has already been allocated and it would be coming out of my "mad money" fund, it has to be a great deal on ALL fronts, not just the cruise fare. I should just stop looking for bargains for now. 😕

Thank you! I did check, but unfortunately that's not my airport. Alaska Airlines is still the cheapest, but the flights in the $400s leave at 6:00 or 7:00 AM on disembarkation day. 😕

I've never taken one to Alaska and never missed it. I can see how it would make sense for someone who's accustomed to sleeping with a fan, but if you're not, I wouldn't worry about it.

This is unheard of for me: with my C&A discount and a resident discount, I could get a balcony guarantee on the 9/23 Ovation Alaska cruise for $313. Yes, THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN DOLLARS. For a balcony. For seven days. For freakin' ALASKA. But ... getting to Seattle would cost twice that for even the cheapest flights. 😖 Any MO residents with a bunch of airline miles want to score the deal of the century?

Certainly possible, and Giovanni's sounds like a delightful boarding day lunch to me!

As Biker mentioned, a 10:00 check-in time is definitely not indicative of when you will actually board. If I recall correctly you're a newish cruiser, so the upper-level C&A boarding would not apply to you--if you purchase the Key or you're sailing in a full suite, you will get priority boarding, but otherwise you will be waiting a bit longer. And in the 10:00 check-in group, I've never seen or heard of people going straight to boarding, so everyone waits at least a bit. My best guess (and it's just a guess) would be that you board somewhere between 11:00 and noon.

Did you by chance book through different sources? Some TAs don't participate in the Royal Up program, so if your June cruise was booked through one of them, that would explain it. If not ... perhaps just something else to add to the long list of Royal IT unfathomables. 😉

I'm glad you decided to give her a chance, and glad your experience was overall a positive one! 🙂

Sancho, DH and I also enjoy getting dressed up and having formal night pictures taken on every cruise. Yes, we are definitely in the minority but I don't let it discourage us. Besides, we typically get several compliments and if some of the other passengers think we're loonies, at least they keep it to themselves. 😉 So my advice would be, if you enjoy dressing up, GO FOR IT!! ☺️