Roybthered

We sailed on Anthem twice last year around the UK and thought she was a very good ship. This year we sailed Odyssey in the med (12 nights) and Oasis around the Bahamas (7 nights). Really thought that the Quantum class was very good indeed (Odyssey was full to capacity unlike the Anthem trips due to start up), the trip on Oasis was very good also but I felt 7 nights was just not enough time to do everything we wanted. We have just booked on Anthem again for next October and are really looking forward to it.

We are sailing out of NJ Sunday on Oasis and where getting our Granddaughter tested today ready however got up this morning in the UK (flying out tomorrow) to an email saying the testing protocols have changed for Cruises 9 nights or less stating that unvaccinated children 11 and under do not now have to be tested prior to cruising. Unvaccinated guests and children 12 and over still need to have a test. Changing all the time.

Got up this morning in the UK (flying out tomorrow) to an email saying the testing protocols have changed for Cruises 9 nights or less stating that unvaccinated children 11 and under do not now have to be tested prior to cruising. Unvaccinated guests and children 12 and over still need to have a test. Changing all the time.

Benny, we fly out of the UK on Saturday and board on Sunday (16th) and cannot wait. We are taking our eldest daughter (all grown up) and our eldest granddaughter (6) who have never cruised before, we will all be looking out for you! Keep up the good work and looking forward to reading what you're getting up to. Roy

App back up and running again so can see set sail pass now! Phew!

At the start-up of cruising last year from the UK (post Covid) we did the first 4 night out of Southampton on Anthem and then a couple of months later a 5 night out of Southampton around the UK. We purchased the UDP for both and really enjoyed it due to the intimacy of it rather than the MDR (that we both have no issues with on any of our previous cruises). We are sailing on Odyssey at the end of September out of Rome and have booked the UDP for those 9 nights and got a good deal when booking. If you think it is worth it and it enhances your holiday (vacation) then get it, if not and you are happy to either eat at all the free venues or pay as you dine at specialty restaurants then do that.

Did you go to the Solarium Grill with your Granddaughter for breakfast? We have our eldest Granddaughter (6) sailing with us on 16th October and that sound like a good option. Where there any issues getting breakfast with an under 18 in there?

I would keep checking out the prices of what you are looking for be it drink package, excursions or dining all the way up to 3 days before you sail. The website will have all kinds of deals with this % off or that % off and change it later up or down. You can book whatever you want but also cancel it and rebook it if the price drops. Pool side reserved seating I cannot comment of sorry.

Great to see this review, we sail on 16th October and are so looking forward to it. Our first time on Oasis, it will be our daughters and oldest granddaughters first ever cruise. Our adventure starts on the day before flying in from the UK. Keep up the great work Radio! will follow this with great interest.

We have been on 2 cruises this last year and have had the UDP on both, we had a call asking why we did not go the the MDR. After telling them we had the UDP they left us alone. We have Oasis booked for Mid October and have a 3 night Dining package so will only be in the MDR on 4 nights.

We are on a 9 night Med cruise in 3 weeks and we have the UDP for £200 each and that is about $228 and I think that is a good deal to be honest. If your happy with a price pay it.

Do you get to get a discount for a UK veteran? I thought it was only US forces who got it? I am hoping in anticipation that you will reply saying yes you can as I served 24 years Army.

My DW and I have the UDP for our 9 night cruise from Rome at the end of the month and have used it before, however our cruise is port intensive and I have looked on the App and it states that some (not all) of the specialty restaurants are open on port days. For example Giovanni's is open day 1,3, 4, 7 and 8, will we be allowed to have lunch on those days with the UDP as it is open? We have had the UDP on a number of occasions as it feels more intimate and less rushed, but each to their own.

Thanks for this, I have contacted Carmel and asked for a quote. Roy

Great review, did you get a limo from NY over to Cape Liberty and back? if so can you recommend them as we sail (3 adult and 1 child) for 16th Oct. We have an overnight stay in NY on the 15th and are looking for transport to and from the port out of NY. Thanks in advance. Roy

I have no issues packing and am in fact all done bar putting it in the case for a 9 night on Odyssey end of Sept around the Med and a week later after our return going on Oasis for 7 nights out of NJ. My DW on the other hand will have a list, matching things up and what shoes to wear with what clothes on what day etc. Our flights from the UK to Rome and the UK over to JFK will be fun seeing how much weight her cases weigh. Being an ex soldier helps packing light but having enough.

My DW, DD, DGD (6YO) and I all sail on Oasis on 16th Oct and cannot wait. It is our DD and DGD first ever cruise and we are so happy it will be on such a great ship. We will be getting transport from NY on the morning of the 16th to the terminal, is it easy to be dropped off to get into the terminal?

We sail from Italy at the end of September (Odyssey) so will have to have a pre cruise test 48 hours before but a week after that we fly to the US, NJ to sail on Oasis mid October and won't have to do a pre cruise test (both vaccinated), however on the Oasis cruise we have our 6yo granddaughter with us who is not vaccinated so must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise. but a home test can be carried out without supervision, we just need to take a photo on our phone of the negative test results! All a mish mash of different rules to follow, wish they would just stop testing altogether.

But what about the over the counter free tests from the chemist's? we still have some of those so we could use them and take a picture of the negative result.

We sail 16th October and cannot wait (our DD and Granddaughter's first cruise). Let us all know how you got on.

Got our Royal Up email yesterday and we sail in 43 days on Odyssey OTS out of Rome. Put some bids in but am not holding my breath, will wait and see and if we don't get an upgrade it will be a bonus. It does state that you do not get double points if you are upgraded into a suite.

Am on the same cruise, hoping it will all be a distant memory and we will not have to have the pre tests done.

DW is Prime and we have a (Free) cruise on Oasis mid October out of NJ, I say free but with flights (returns to the UK) to JFK, transfers etc it is costing a small fortune. We have been trying to sort out getting a European cruise but they seem to be only offering us US ones. They did drop the Prime point totals which is good and the DW has said to not complain when she has a flutter in the casino!

Have a village and winery tour booked for Santorini and are so looking forward to it and seeing this beautiful Island.

We have a cruise booked for the Med at the end of Sept and a cruise booked for mid Oct out of NJ so are keeping a close eye on when/what/where to test or if we need to! just DW and I sailing in the med both vaccinated but both plus DD (vaccinated) and Granddaughter who is 6 and unvaccinated for the US cruise all very stressful.