LittleMissMagic

Depends on why you're changing your name.... if you're part of the witness protection program, probably best to just start all over. 😁

If I could only choose one, I would go with Chops. The food quality is consistent. I love the location in Central Park on the Symphony, and depending on the weather, I really like sitting outside on the terrace. It's great people watching, not too loud or too quiet, and you can watch the Rising Tides Bar go up and down.

This is adorable!!! I love it!

I'm not a maritime pilot, but your question sparked curiosity, so I did a little digging....

This is a little dated (2008), but I think it will give some more insight on a Pilot's day - https://cms3.revize.com/revize/americanpilots/A_Career_as_a_Ship_Pilot.pdf

There are women pilots. Here's an interesting article about Jane Stone, Commercial Marine Pilot in the UK - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/meet-one-only-two-female-commerical-marine-pilots-uk-john-ferguson-/

Also Davinia Monclus on the River Medway - https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/rewriting-women-into-maritime-history/online-exhibitions/davinia-monclus#null

If you're interested in learning more, Maritime SheEO is a group empowering women in the maritime industry - https://maritimesheeo.com/

I've always thought bed by the balcony was the superior configuration. Gives you more space by the bathroom and entry door, and you don't have to squeeze by the bed to get to the vanity/sitting area. Also, you can lay in bed and look out at the ocean - so nice!

Just catching up on your review, my musings -

• The mozzarella sticks look so good right now!
• Agree with you about Royal and wine.... not a lot of options, especially by the glass which is typically what you have to do with the drink package. And I concur that wine offerings are much better on NCL (especially with their upgraded drink package).
• The disco light on the balcony is so fun! What a great idea!!
• The high winds are a bummer, but at least you have an awesome room and balcony to hang out in!
• I'm glad Wendy is pullout out all of the stops!

Thanks so much for sharing, I can't wait for more!

Congratulations!!

That is correct - the room decoration packages are typically set up on the first day of the cruise. Also, the decoration packages that they offer are Birthday, Anniversary, Just Married, and Bon Voyage. No "Just Engaged" - what a miss on Royal's part!

Royal used to offer a "Royal Proposal" package, but it looks like that was removed from the brochure when they updated their Wedding packages. If you happen to be staying Sky or Star Class, definitely reach out to Concierge/Royal Genie - that will be the easiest. Otherwise, I wouldn't trust that your room decor package would be delayed, even if that is something that you are able to request.

Do you happen to be sailing with friends/family, and could they help with decorating your room? Honestly, your own decorations would look better than the Royal decor packages. If not, maybe you could join your Roll Call and recruit some help from fellow cruisers?

So excited for this review! I think Star Class is perfect for a girls trip!!

I’m glad my Allure review was helpful - I also had a really hard time finding detailed information on Star Class pre-cruise.

I had read about the survey on CC, but we didn’t receive one for Allure - I’m assuming because Allure is 3/4 night sailings. I’m looking forward to hearing about your week long cruise on Harmony!

No, Sky Class is only accessible to those staying in Sky Class suites. The only way to extend your Sky Class amenities to your adult children would be to add them to your stateroom (or have them book a separate Sky Class stateroom).

From what I understand, the maximum and minimum age requirements are set by the excursion tour company, likely due to insurance coverage. Age restrictions are really the only restrictions that Royal can enforce by prohibiting the ability to book (unlike height and weight which are up to the individual to acknowledge whether or not they meet the criteria).

On our recent Southern Caribbean Cruise, I ran into this issue with tours in Trinidad and Tobago that had maximum age of 60 - I could not book my parents on those tours through the Royal website. Some of the tours had a physical element to them, but they also had age restrictions on sightseeing and birdwatching tours. We ended up booking tours independently, rather than through Royal.

Hello, welcome to Cruise Critic!

I have not sailed with a service animal, but I offer my assistance in leading you to other people who have....

Magically.Mozart on Instagram sailed with her service dog on Harmony of the Seas last year: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cufu4LqtvgU/

I opted for just the single service dog relief spot on the jogging track but an additional sod box on the balcony was available if pre-requested 30 days prior.

Cruising With Wheels on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLvKay70Fuo

Us and More on Youtube sailed with a service dog on Serenade of the Seas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cEG-TFFmzU

I'd say it depends on your risk tolerance. Depending on what credit card you used to book, you may already have some trip insurance covered. Definitely look into the trip insurance/purchase protection plan for your credit card so you understand what coverage you already have.

Trip cancellation coverage would reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if the tour operator goes out of business or you have to cancel due to a covered reason outlined in your policy (your illness, illness/death of family member, natural disaster). You may also look into trip interruption insurance and trip delay coverage. You do not need to purchase travel insurance through Royal Caribbean - there are many independent travel insurance providers who can offer more customizable coverage.

I agree that the drink package price on Royal is pretty steep. Once you hit Diamond C&A and get the 4 free drinks per day, it's even harder to justify the additional cost of the drink package.

Why so steep? The pricing makes me think that Royal wants to discourage people from buying it....

15 hours ago, amygutman said:

@LittleMissMagic Thank you for the lovely review! What a great way to spend the bachelorette party and what an amazing room! You should be an ambassador for the Star Class!

Warmest Amy

Thank you!! Ambassador for Star Class - I'm flattered! (pssst... RCCL, do you hear that?😉)

No, I wouldn't say that I've experienced better bar service with or without the drink package.

I've done the escape room on the Harmony, and I would not recommend it. If you're a fan of escape rooms, this will be a disappointment. If you've never done an escape room before and this is your first, you'll probably wonder why people even enjoy escape rooms.

The escape room on Harmony is just one room, and they send you in with a group of 12 people (most escape rooms max out at 6-8 people per group). Also, the crew member stays with you in the room the entire time (usually, in escape rooms, they watch you on security cameras and can PA into your room if you need hints or are doing something wrong that may break the room).

When we did it, we were a group of four adults, and we were paired with two other families that had children, so we couldn't really participate because we had to let the kids try and solve everything first. We ended up not escaping from the room, but I was super glad to get out of there because an hour locked in the room watching other people's children attempt to solve puzzles was not very fun.

20 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

All Royal Caribbean ships that home port in San Juan use the Pan-American Pier.

I had a feeling this thread was going to get moved from the Royal Caribbean forum to the San Juan, PR forum, so just wanted to clarify.

Since Allure is sailing 3/4 night itineraries, contact with the Genie is pushed a little closer to sail date since there are more sailings. We recently sailed in Star Class on Allure. Our sail date was Friday, February 23, and I first received an email from our Genie (Tao Yin, amazing!) on Monday, February 12. I responded with my special celebration requests, and within a day, I received a personalized itinerary.

I'm very Type A, so I understand the frustration of having to wait so close to sail date for confirmation from your Genie, but rest assured, once you're on the ship, you'll be in great hands!

If you're looking for a little Star Class inspiration to hold you over until your sailing, I wrote a Live Review of our cruise in the Royal Loft Suite on Allure of the Seas - 

Will you be embarking at San Juan Cruise Port Terminal Pan-American Pier? We stayed at Aloft San Juan, by the convention center, which is close to the terminal, but not walkable due to lack of sidewalks. We took an Uber XL to the cruise terminal. Other nearby hotels are the Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino and Hyatt Place San Juan.

If you're interested, I detailed the embarkation process on my blog of our recent Jewel of the Seas cruise out of San Juan (link).

Excellent advice on this thread! Wanted to share my timelapse setup -

It's a GoPro Hero 8 on a Joby Suction Cup Mount with Gorillapod Arm, tethered with stainless steel cable. I like the Gorillapod arm because it gives more position control after the mount is secured - I think you can get these with a clamp base, too.

Ooh, I'm not sure how comfortable that would be for him, but according to Royal's website, requirements for the pullman bunk are: minimum 6 years old, no taller than 6'-6", weigh less than 300 lbs.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en/faq/questions/my-cabin-has-a-pullman-bed-what-is-it?country=GBR

RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas and NCL's Breakaway of the Seas are very different ships.

Brilliance is a RCCL Radiance-class ship which entered the fleet in 2002. It's one of Royal's smaller, older ships (second smallest class). Though it was "Revitalized" in 2013, the ship does feel a bit dated, and the Junior Suite is really just a slightly larger balcony stateroom - not at all a suite experience, and doesn't hold a candle to Aqua Class on Celebrity. No exclusive restaurant like Blu, doesn't include access to thermal suites like Persian Garden, and the Junior Suite's furnishings and bedding is nothing like Celebrity's "Revolutionized" staterooms. If AquaClass on Celebrity is your bar, I think you'll be disappointed in Brilliance of the Seas.

Breakaway is one of NCL's Breakaway Class ships, and entered service in 2013. It introduced The Waterfront, an oceanfront promenade with outdoor dining and bars on deck 8, overlooking the water. Assuming you're looking at the Family Club Balcony Suite, like Royal's Junior Suite, not much is offered in the way of amenities. It's basically just a larger stateroom. Don't get me wrong, I've stayed in a Club Suite on NCL Encore and appreciate the large bathroom with the double vanity, but there aren't really any suite perks. But, I can say that the interior of NCL Family Club Balcony Suite is much more modern and feels more luxurious than RCCL Brilliance Junior Suite.

It sounds like Breakaway is a better value. But definitely take a look at both ships and determine what cruising experience you're seeking, because that will give you your answer. Hope that helps!

6 hours ago, Love2cruise-71 said:

Where did you get the wrist thing with the sleeve? Were going to the water park and this would be handy 

Amazon! It's a two separate pieces. The ones I have are "LGEGE 6PCS Stretchable Wristband Wristlet Keychain" combined with "KINGSUM Vertical ID Badge Holders Sealable Waterproof Clear". There's many different sellers offering similar products in different colors/quantities.

Oh, I love this! I, too, used to be anti-lanyard.... but then I realized the practicality of it, so I made a few fashionable adjustments.

My mother came up with this creative idea. It's a stretchy wrist bracelet with a lanyard sleeve so you can wear your SeaPass on your wrist at the pool.

My mom gifted them to all of the girls on Rachel's Bachelorette Cruise, and they came in super handy. Prime use case example on Coco Cay -

And for the evenings, I don't like to carry a purse because I carry a camera, but my dresses don't have pockets for my phone or SeaPass. Enter this adorable Bandolier phone case! It's on a purse chain and can carry my SeaPass. I love it so much, I have it in two different styles.

Something else that's super handy are these plastic sleeves for your luggage tags. My dad legit used to travel with a stapler to staple these to our bags. This is much easier. They're affordable, and you can reuse on future cruises.

For stateroom organization, heavy-duty magnetic hooks are really a game changer. I use them to hang necklaces, hats, bags, you name it!

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