Stayinggolden83

I know Alaska Tour and Travel has buses that go from Seward to Anchorage. I think they have one that leaves at like 11:00 am. You could try that. 

6 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Unfortunately this was the only mistake I made.  We should have taken the train.  The bus was crowded with coughing people and was at the time we had to still test to return to the US.  It was a 6 hr tour with ACT from Anchorage to Seward with 2 stops.  I loved the views as it was amazing and I saw a lot of wildlife but was really uncomfortable.  I think next time I will spurlge for the train or just do the direct transfer.

The train is absolutely the way to go. I live in Anchorage, and anytime we have family or friends visit we always do the train to Seward. It makes the journey longer, but it's such a nice ride, and you also see scenery that you don't get to see from the road. 

17 minutes ago, livylotte said:

Which small airline?

 

Generally speaking, we are from the UK and have been to Barcelona many times so have no interest in staying in Barcelona before cruising from Barcelona.   Barcelona is the easiest of all the ports we have ever sailed from.  The Airport is just a few minutes in a taxi to the Cruise Port.  We have never had a problem flying in the same day.  There are literally dozens of taxis waiting outside the airport.  The fare to the Cruise Port is fixed (sorry I can't remember how much) but it is reasonable.

 

Same goes for the journey home after your cruise.  Taxis in abundance waiting to take you to  the airport when you disembark.  No need to pre book.

 

I would say though - if you have never been to Barcelona it would be nice to stay for a couple of days before your cruise.  There is plenty to see and do and Barcelona is a lovely city.

Thank you! I did a little more reading on Barcelona, and we're now going to come in the day before. We're looking at Vueling leaving from Gatwick. 

Okay, so I've never had to fly in for a cruise before - we've always just driven. I think the plane stuff is causing the bulk of my anxiety... 

Our original plan was to fly in from London that morning (the flight leaves at 7:00a, and we're in Barcelona by 10:00a). The cruise leaves at 6:00 pm. 

But I'm not sure how these small airlines run. Is that safe enough, or should I err on the side of caution and fly to Barcelona the night before? 

Thank you, everyone! 

Hello! 

We booked this cruise last night, and I'm a little nervous! I haven't cruised since Covid, and I've never done a European cruise. This one leaves from Barcelona at 6:00pm. Any tips on how to make embarking easier? What time would you suggest getting to the port? Any excursions that are a must-do? 

Thanks in advance for any help! 

I don't understand why someone wouldn't like reserving show times on a boat with thousands of passengers. If you end up not going, it's no big deal. But I know that if I want to see Mamma Mia or a comedy show, I have a guaranteed spot in that theater waiting for me. I also book shows as late as I can, so it doesn't interfere with anything else I may want to do (we're night owls, so I have no problem with going to  comedy show at 11:59pm.

No, the only package with wine is the deluxe beverage package (which includes all alcohol). 

13 minutes ago, sh2738 said:

 

Oh that’s a huge bummer. No milkshakes for us then I guess. Any idea about smoothies being included from the Vitality Cafe? I don’t see it on the list. 

 

Thanks. 

I was able to get them on my last cruise with the package, as long as they didn't include protein powder. 

According to the flier they released, the milkshakes are only available while dining there. 

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/General_Info/18060283_Beverage_Package_Trade_Flyer.pdf

Great, thanks! I haven't cruised since 2015, and couldn't remember if we had to fill them out or not. 

The other day I was reading a review, and the reviewer said that having their check in was expedited by having filled out their health forms. I've checked in online, and read the cruise docs that Royal sent, and haven't seen anything about health forms. Am I missing something important somewhere? 

Thanks! 

2 hours ago, OKLandShark said:

Sorry about not mentioning that we are a family of 4.  2 daughters aged 9 and 3.  I really did not have any ship in mind yet, as we are recently got back from the Vista in October and are planning for next fall.  As for the entertainment and food, we enjoy trying all that is offered, which is all part of the experience.  

 

Thank you to all that responded and any more info is always helpful!

 

HBE4---Do you have any more info about how the restaurants are set up for the inclusive and for-fee restaurants charge??  

 

TIA  

I don't have any input on the for fee restaurants since we've never done one, but the inclusive restaurants include the main dining rooms, the Windjammer (buffet), Johnny Rockets (only breakfast is free), Sorrentos (pizza), a hot dog place, Park Cafe, and possibly others that I can't remember. 

The inclusive food has always been enough for us, and I've never felt the need to purchase any of the specialty dining options (although we are doing a sushi making class on our upcoming trip).

1 hour ago, Steven7777 said:

Still wondering what drinks (obviously non alcoholic) I could order from the bars without a drink package 

For free, from the actual bars, pretty sure just water. 

Just now, PhoenixCruiser said:

Mine took about three weeks, not sure why

Eek. That's a long time for a refund. 

Great, thank you! 

So, I bought a package last week when it was $48 per person. Then this week it went down to $45 per person. For us, that's $50 in savings, so I cancelled and re-purchased. Any idea how long the refund process usually takes? My CC statement closes on Thursday, and I'm really hoping that $800 charge is gone by then.

10 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

That's what happened to me when I tried it on Oasis last year. I kept having to recall how many drinks I had already had that day plus how much I spent the previous days and was all caught up in rationing it so I wouldn't come close to what the drink package would have cost because that would have been stupid. It was just way more annoying and to a small point stressful vs cruises with the package. 

It was super annoying. I'll always get the drink package now, even with the higher prices. Cruising is still cheaper than any other type of vacation we take, and since the drinks have already been paid and the credit card bill has been paid, I just don't worry about it. 

On 11/5/2018 at 3:55 PM, sh2738 said:

Has anyone found that getting the drink package actually saves any money? Assuming the current price of 52/person/day, that would come to almost $730 for one cabin for drinks only. If using the lower sale of 49, that would still amount to nearly $690 for two people, since all adults in one cabin are forced to get it. And that seems like a lot for just drinks. 

 

Im curious if people who buy this package believe that they have actually saved money compared to just buying the drinks without the package. I’ve never bought the package because it’s hard for me to imagine that it saves you money when it’s that expensive. 

 

It it seems that in order to break even, one would have to drink at minimum 4 or 5 drink per day including port days and drink more then that  to be getting use of the package. 

 

But im curious to see what others have experienced. I am guessing that one would need to be a pretty heavy drinker in order to make good use out of it. But I’ve never done it so I’m unsure. Thanks. 

We bought it at $45 PP, PD. We like to drink on vacation (we both like cocktails, so bringing our own wine on board does nothing for us) and realized we'd break even at 3-4 cocktails a day. That's not counting the bottles of water, smoothies I like for breakfast, the fresh squeezed OJ my husband likes for breakfast, a soda at some point throughout the day for a pick me up, and even though we don't drink coffee, it does cover coffee drinks and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets. 

Our last cruise we tried NOT getting the package to see if we actually needed it, and we spent more money. My husband did anyway... I spent way too much time doing the math every time I ordered a drink making sure that I didn't spend more per day than I would have with the package. 

The 3-4 cocktails per day hasn't been a problem for us, even on port days. 

If you're happy with the other cruise lines, I'd stick with them.

I'm loyal to Royal because it's safe. I've always had a good time, the food has always been good, the drinks are delicious, the entertainment has always been good, and I'm always able to find an itinerary I like (in a cabin I want, for a price I like) and unless I just have an abysmal experience, I have zero desire to risk our vacation on an unfamiliar cruise line. But nothing about the experience is just blow me away special.

That was always when my university had spring break.

Great review! Thanks so much for sharing the menus and schedules. My husband and I are going in December and we can't wait!

I'm looking at excursions for the Allure (Eastern Caribbean Itinerary) and had a few questions:

1) How is the snorkeling in Labadee?

2) Is the sushi making class worth the $30 per person?

3) How are the massages? (I know it's expensive, but I'm not concerned about the price if it's a good massage - my typical place at home is has similar pricing)

Any excursions in Labadee or on-board activities you absolutely LOVE and would recommend? We are seeing shows, and already have those booked.

Thanks in advance!

Random RC Visa question... I had an issue with BoA last week and cancelled my card. I had already redeemed my points for OBC, but they haven't shown up on my cruise yet (I know this takes a while). The email I received confirming the cancellation of my card said I would lose my reward points. Does that mean the ones I haven't redeemed yet, or will I also lose the points I've redeemed but that haven't been applied?

By any chance does anyone have a copy of a cruise compass from December for the Eastern Caribbean itinerary lying around?