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On 1/22/2024 at 11:39 AM, soremekun said:

Showtimes as shown in current Anthem sailings may give an indication of what to expect for your sailing.

Hi, 
 

Where can I find the showtime shown? 

Regards,

Bora

Hi, 

I am sailing in March (in about 50 days!) and I wonder if anyone has show times? 

Thank you!

On 11/19/2023 at 6:42 PM, taglovestocruise said:

Check out some Quantum Wonderland videos on YouTube.  Totally  different experience compared to Oasis Class Ships. 

Oh, I didn't know. I will YouTube it. 
Have you experienced both? If yes, how was your experience?

On 11/19/2023 at 6:23 PM, Biker19 said:

Try it for lunch first to see if it’s for you at least than 1/2 the price of dinner for basically the same menu/food. 

Thank you! I am not sure if they have lunch. I will look into it. 🙂

On 11/19/2023 at 3:31 PM, Jcol5786 said:

We are on Anthem in December and February. These are 7  day cruises. On both of these cruises Formal night is on Day 2 and Dress Your Best is day 6. Day 6 is lobster night. You can also go to the app and check the other nights for the MDR menus and decide what night you want to go to Wonderland. When you purchase Wonderland you can always cancel and rebook if the price goes down but I suspect this week will be the best price. You can also change your night once you get on the ship assuming they can accomodate you. If you have a TA you can still purchase through the cruise planner yourself. We enjoyed Wonderland very much. Have a great cruise.

Thank you so much! I didn't know I can cancel and rebook! That's great to know. 🙂

I will definitely check MDR menu. 🙂 - I just have to navigate, as I am not sure where it is!

Hi, 

We will be sailing on Anthem next March and we want to try Wonderland. 
We've never tried specialty dining, so I am not sure if the price is right, which day to go, etc etc. 

We know we do not want to do this on the first day, and formal nights (especially, the lobster night - as some of us are fans of seafood).

What other themed days are there? 

Also, there is 10% off right now for booking specialty dining. Is that normal/good? Do I wait longer? Buy it when I am on-board? Or wait for Black Friday? 

Or can my TA book this for me? 

Thank you!

13 minutes ago, Jussabitconfused said:

I always try to pack light. Try being the keyword. My youngest always comes home with half of her outfits unworn. However, by the time we get home, everything may well have been worn. Ugh, kids! 

 

LOL! 
I pack light too because the space is limited. 😉 

We rarely do check-in bags, as they are extra and the way I pack it (like a perfect tetris) they are always overweight. lol!
Now, having said that, we drove to NJ last summer and were able to bring our 2 regular-sized suit cases and just 1 carry-on and 1 backpack. What a difference! I didn't have to roll every clothes nor find the 'empty' spot to squeeze in socks. 😄

Since we have clothes picked out for every single day, they all get worn - except for that 1 extra pair that we pack for 'emergency'. 
I learned that I don't like doing laundry while on vacation, so unless I am gone for more than 12+ days, we try to pack. 

But I must admit, with my daughter, I pack extra dresses, extra shirts and pants in case she wants something else or the weather is not what I expected or she spills something etc. Kids, eh? 😉

5 hours ago, Ashland said:

We've been on Navigator a few times since she started sailing from San Pedro doing the 7 night Mexican Riviera and as recently as this past January. No complaints at all and we loved our OS. Navigator has the best ice show fleet wide we personally think. iSkate Reach For The Stars.

Also the El Loco Fresh is a great addition.

Can't wait to be back on her again and we're already booked in the same cabin.

That is great! 🙂
Yes, I've heard that the ice show is the best and was excited to see it, but I really don't think I can handle the sea on the way back. 😞

21 minutes ago, kernow said:

July/August is European school holidays so there will be lots of kids onboard. Med cruise will be very different to Iceland /Baltic, like comparing Carribean to Alaska, Europe is a big place😁.

Although Americans see Med as port intensive to us this side of the pond it's like our Caribbean so all the ports can be beach stops if you want them to be, it's what you make it. When our son was younger we cruised all the Europe itineraries and he always had a great time. Most Southern Europeans cruise in family groups and love children so not usually hostile to them.

That is great to hear. 

Which itinerary do you recommend for 9 year old? 

I am hoping to do mix of children and tours. 

Both me and my husband have been to Europe before, so we want to show it to our daughter. But in a fun way! (We did Portugal and Ireland in 2019 and she was 5. But we did a backpacking, so it was rather more intensive. 😛)

1 minute ago, Tatka said:

 

I have not noticed on Princess any different treatment of kids than on RCI.

It is also family line.

Probably individual experience.

Must be. 

Thank you!

28 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

Princess and RCCL are not the same cruise line, so tough to compare.  You also did not say Kid's age. Kid's clubs are the same regardless where it sails, but with that being said, if you are just looking at the kids club, than remember a European cruise is more port intensive.  

 

No, it is not a similar experience.  You don't go to beaches, play in the water etc.  The tempatures are also colder. It is a completely different experience and if daughter is older should appreciate it. 

 

The sea can be rough anyplace you go.  It's the sea and will do whatever the weather says it will do. 

 

Basically, I found European cruises to be family friendly, and filled with exciting places.  But it is up to you as the parent, to pick and choose what you will do in port that will both interest you, and your child.  The right combination of activities will make the difference. 

She is 9 years old. 

Oh yes, i understand that roughness depends on the water, but some are more than the other (likelihood). So was just wondering. 

I see that is is different experience altogether then. 🙂

She does not like beaches nor swimming all day, but she enjoys them for couple of hours a day but also perfectly fine not doing any water play at all and doesn't really care about waterparks either. So basically, having pool in the hotel is good to have, but not must when we travel, for example. (Yeah. I dont know what she likes anymore. Lol!)

I want to know if they have a kids club, and if it is run the same way as Caribbean ones (you can drop them off after dinnerand pick them up at 10pm) and the level of activities are similar. 

Thanks!

41 minutes ago, Tatka said:

When you say not friendly what do you mean?

Princess just like Royal has kids clubs although I would rate RCI kids/teens programs higher than Princess's

Of course how many kids really depends to the time and length of the cruise.

How old is your daughter? Cruising in Europe is really sightseeing intensive so if kid is younger you need to plan accordingly. We did not take our son to Med cruise when he was 11, but took later...

 

Mediterranean is a sea which has some storms sometimes, but generally much calmer than Atlantic or even Pacific.

They mentioned the fellow cruisers did not seemed to like the facts there were kids in the dining room and the kids programs were not very interested. 

Oh yes. Our daugher is 9 years old and we are thinking of July/August for cruising. 

Hi, 

A friend of ours was on European cruise (Baltic) with Princess before and said the cruise wasn't very kid's friendly. 
I am wondering how it is like with Royal Caribbean. We've only sailed to Caribbean before, so I am not too sure what to expect.

I am looking at Mediterranean cruises or maybe the Iceland one. 
My husband does not want to do cruise in Europe, but I think our daughter will enjoy it very much if this is a similar experience as the one we had in Caribbean (with perfect day at Coco Cay).
And is the sea rough? (If you saw my other posting, I gave up the idea of going to Mexican Riviera cruise due to rough seas).

Thank you.  

8 minutes ago, Jussabitconfused said:

We were on the Vision of the Seas 19 years ago. We had our family with five kids and two rooms. Kids were 5-16 years old. Everybody except my husband got seasick on the return. Poor guy had to pack everyones suitcases on the last night. He just threw it all into the next suitcase he came to until it was full and then grabbed another. We had to sort it all out after we got back to LA. We still had five days at Disney and Universal so it was a big mess. LOL, good times. But here we are again, our next cruise is April 7-14 on the Navigator and will be bringing motion sick pills with us just in case. This time we have a balcony room so hope that helps as being in a interior room was no fun being sick.

Oh dear! 
I usually get sick with pills and being in a balcony suite. So I guess I really should avoid it in that case. 
Good luck to you this time! 😄 Hope you enjoy it!
 

BTW, me being sick and not being able to pack will be a devastating situation for us, since I am the most likely-to-get-sick one and I am the only one who packs in my household. I moved so many times, I am a pro in packing and I do a miracle packing - my husband says "you should be hired as a magician". Just past trip to Orlando, for the family of 3, I was able to pack 3 sets of 11-days of clothing including socks and undergarments, 3 sets of PJ's for each of us, then 3 water shoes, 3 crocs, and toiletry, stationary, a laptop, and jackets (our winter jackets) all in 3 carry-on suit cases. Then we had a room in our personal item bags (usually a backpack), so I packed cereal that will last for 10 days for all 3 of us, about 20 granola bars, 20 chocolates, and 28 bags of mini chips. On our way back, since we ate all food items, we had replaced them with souvenirs and one of the bags folded and chucked away. 😉 

If I get too sick to the point where I cannot even pack, there will be no way that my husband can handle the packing. lol. 

3 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

I've had smoother sails on the Caribbean during the hurricane season than out of them!  Heck, we were on the Navigator during Katrina but didn't have one clue until we came back to port at the end of the cruise to news of the devastation!  Ships avoid storms, and find the smoother routes. Our cruise just happened to be going the right route so we weren't diverted but it was smooth and no problems, and we were in an inside cabin.

2 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Unless you live in So cal not worth the trouble.  Most of the cruise is fairly smooth. 90% of the time the seas are very rough as you return from Mexico at the Mexico Cal border. Hit and miss but expect rough seas on at least one day. We have done 10 plus cruises from World Cruise Center on Royal, Princess and Carnival. Ship size doesn't matter, return from Mexico usually sucks. 

2 hours ago, Husky1987 said:

Exactly our experience.  One day on the way back north.  Our worst seas ever that day...but the rest of the time wasn't too bad.

1 hour ago, Wigginout662 said:

We've done the Mexican Riviera from San Diego down to Acapulco and back years ago...I would agree it was some of the roughest seas we've encountered. 

 

 

okay. I think I got enough warnings and alarms. I have decided to scratch the cruise idea altogether. 
I get motion sickness very very easily and I know I will be staying in the bathroom (I throw up a lot when I feel queasy) for the entire cruise day (the last day), which won't be fun at all.

I also read some other posts and articles and everyone says that Northbound return trip of 1 - 1.5 days are really rough.

Thank you so much. I am glad I didn't go ahead and book this one. (I was about to on Saturday).

8 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

Yep, with the reports I'm seeing from your question on the Mexican Riviera being more prone, it's now not on my future plans either. I think you'll find the voyager and freedom classes work well for you.  It did surprise me how I was more aware of motion on the Oasis and Allure over the smaller ships - the height and wind ratio makes sense.

I am willing to try smaller ships for sure - but maybe not Mexican Riviera. 😉

11 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

 

Not to be an alarmist (we've only done one Mexican Riveria cruise), but we had the highest/roughest seas by far on that route as well.  

Thank you. I really appreciate this.

14 minutes ago, topnole said:

What I’m saying is that navigator will do well.  It’s gonna be the weather and not the ship.  Oasis class is much taller ao winds can impact it more from what I’ve read.   To me it sounds like inclement weather would be a problem for you regardless of oasis class versus voyager class.  I would definitely keep to the Caribbean if I were you.   One option to consider is the port intensive routes out of San Juan.  Way more time in ports so way less chance/time for sea sickness.  Just a thought.  

Thank you. 
Yeah, we thought Navigator seems to be a good ship, but I dont think I can handle pacific ocean. lol. 
I thought I was being smart avoiding Caribbean during the hurricane season, but I guess not! 😉

11 minutes ago, George C said:

Oasis class has lots more entertainment, Broadway show , aqua show , comedy club. But I do like the size of the navigator had sailed her 3 times , still lots of entertainment, it does have a ice show , nice pub with normally a guitar layer and nice piano bar, plus shows in main theater .

Thank you. I liked what we saw (Youtube videos, etc), but I am now more concerned about the rough sea now. lol

23 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

I'm better on the Oasis class since they tend to be more stable, but really so many things can impact it - and sometimes ships have to adjust due to system glitches so it's hard to say for certain.  I will say if I've been drinking I fare better BUT that may not be your choice and that's fine.  My oldest (adult) is worse on sea sickness than I am, so while I can usually roll with it, she relies on ginger chews, Dramamine, soda, and bands depending on need. I use peppermint tabs as mint works better for me and I have no sweet tooth so can't do sodas, etc.  I'd suggest a mid-deck, not super low but not super high, and I prefer a balcony because of access to fresh air.  I also do always know where the doors to the decks are, which are much easier to find on this class over the Oasis class, when my brain can see what's happening, and I can get to air, I am much better.  So if I start to feel it in an enclosed space, I'll head to the deck quickly to get an idea of weather/seas and grab some fresh air, then usually it's mind over matter until it passes.

Thank you. 
I am very prone to the motion sickness - probably same as your oldest - so I have seabands, ginger chews, ginerale, and take pills twice a day - most days, I am fine with them. But we were told that one of our cruises were also one of the most calm ones. Having reading about Mexican riviera cruise (from other posting) I am now very concerned... 

20 minutes ago, topnole said:

If your are talking Pacific, my understanding is it is much more likely to have more motion.  That is why the Caribbean is the most popular.  The calm seas relative to other places adjacent to the US.   

I see. I am now thinking about not doing this at all. 😞

21 minutes ago, topnole said:

The ship is still very big and depending on winds and weather, Oasis can move more than freedom class from what I’ve read.  I wouldn’t skip this ship due to sea sickness issues.  At a certain size, and navigator is still a huge ship, it’s either gonna bother you or it won’t.  
 

There will be plenty of stuff for kids and plenty of kids I’m sure.  
 

People say Allure is old and shows here age.  We’ve sailed on her many times including last year and thought she looked great.  I’m guessing Navigator will be fine too.  Remember, it wasn’t all that long ago this was the largest cruise

ship in the world.  Only compared to Oasis class would it feel “small”.  These ships are basically a slightly smaller version of Freedom class.  Some of our favorite cruises were on both of these class ships.  
 

 

Yeah, it is just that I am very prone to the motion sickness and I live on pills when I am on a cruise. So I am little concerned about facing a rough sea.

5 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

Where there is a pool there is a contest 🙂  I prefer them on the Voyager class and Freedom class because the top pool deck is so open.  I did just see in my cruise planner for an upcoming Mariner cruise the "acupuncture for sea sickness" booking?  I don't know if it would help at all, just FYI.  I have usually been fine on all size Royal ships except in rough seas where I have to be more careful with what I eat/drink.  I think you'll enjoy the ship and find plenty to do, fingers crossed you fare well!

Oh I see. So they do it at a pool then. 🙂

Yeah, when I looked at the deck plan, the pool deck reminded me of Oasis class. 🙂
Haha. Acupuncure for sea sickness. lol. Didn't even know such thing existd. 

So I think it's more the sea condition rather than the vessel itself? What was your experience like?
I am just not sure what to expect from that side of the ocean - since I've only done Caribbeans. 

11 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I doubt they have an Aqua show, because they don't have an aqua theater.

Yes, there will be kids. Other states' schools go back in September.

only some ships (Oasis and newer) allow advance show reservations. 

 

Navigator will definitely be even older than Oasis. Heck, even Allure was kind of showing her age last year.

 

You may want to bring some dramamine with you, since it appears you do have seasickness worse than an average person.

Oh okay. I somehow thought they had an aqua theatre - because I read about the belly contest. 🙂

Yay for kids! 

Yeah, it is a much older ship, but it has been also amplified - so thinking main areas will be okay, but cabins can be quite aged. 

I always take pills when I am on board. Yet, I still got a bit sensitive when I was on Allure. 😞

6 minutes ago, Denversail said:

It has been several years but the roughest seas that I recall while cruising was doing the Mexican riviera route. 

Oh no! 
Do you know if that is usual thing at all? 
Also, which ones have you traveled? I want the know in comparison.