Hi there, I can’t adjust to progressive lenses. In my daily life at home it’s not an issue to have multiple pairs of glasses. When I pack however, it’s a lot. 🤓🤓😎😎
@@CruisingwithCrystalandMarshall it took me some time to adjust. I have Meniere’s, but a friend suggested putting on the glasses first thing and it worked. My glasses have the built in blue light filtering which makes it nice. Hopefully when I get new glasses the transition time won’t be as long.
LOVED this video. I have to agree that the shows on Utopia were some of the best. We also watched the Aqua show from deck 7 in front of the rock climbing wall and was the best location to see everything (along with comfy chairs). I’ve been following Jordan Bauth (an ice skater on Utopia) since 2021 and met up with her after a show. The ice team does have more skaters than usual. They spent a month in California learning the show before heading to France to board the ship. They are on until mid December. She is the skater in the gummy bear costume. You should watch her RU-vid videos and she shows how she presets all the costumes. Our coverband was Journey and we were so excited for them but to be honest they weren’t that great and about 1/2 the audience left.
Hi Beth, we follow Jordan as well. Admittedly, we don’t watch every video but we find it interesting to see the behind-the-scenes footage. Marshall may have yelled out her name during the show. 😳 We definitely loved the shows. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
You should really carry all your prescription meds in their original packaging and have a copy of the prescription, too. If you are stopped by customs and all your pills are a mishmash it can take hours for them to determine what they are. By definition your prescription meds are controlled substances and you might have to prove you have them legitimately. Also, if you need to communicate with someone what meds you have for whatever reason it’s easier if the pills and dosage is written out on the original bottle. I’ve been stopped and had my pills questioned in Austria and Mexico and with the proof of what they were it was a quick process.
Luckily I have never had an issue. I have all my scripts in the pharmacy app. Not sure if that would fly or not. Two of my med bottles are so big. When traveling abroad I would definitely bring them. I leave my meds in my room when leaving the ship for the day. Hearing your experience makes me think twice about this. Thank you for sharing this information.
@@CruisingwithCrystalandMarshall you can get your pharmacist to print out the sticky label that they put on the bottle and you can apply it to a ziploc instead. I take a minimum of 20 big ole pills a day, they come in a batch of 80 in about the biggest bottle the pharmacy has and have resigned myself to my meds having the personal item bag. The plus is I wind up with a lot of room in the bag at the end of the trip. And I have to haul some of the pills with me all the time. It’s quite dramatic and really a pain
We're on the sailing following you; looks like there's a possible tropical depression brewing near Nicaragua that could potentially impact our sailing as well. We'll see!
Hi @restlesslibrarian, this is a great point. Thanks for sharing. I should have mentioned that I would wear this on ship days; not port days. Although I have seen many people from the ship wear camo off the ship even in places where the ship told us not to. I’m such a rule follower, I would not risk it. 😳
Yes, late last night we saw the itinerary update within the Royal Caribbean app. We may be a day short of the original plan but we are super excited to get on board. Thanks for watching and maybe our paths will cross this upcoming week.
Always fun to watch the full - show items and then how everything fits in the suitcase! Nice that you have all the cubes, and packing bags etc. I had to laugh when you said you overpack as I thought yes indeed. I have gotten better at this as I can’t deal with heavy suitcases or even carry ons 😂 and usually flying in also. Packing cubes are definitely a must especially for cruises. What purse/backpack do you use for your day excursions? I didn’t see it, hubby and I try to just have one that he can carry
Hi Rosemarie9956, yes, I can definitely overpack. It’s funny because after I filmed this video I was wondering if I should maybe pack another shirt haha. But I resisted the urge. The bag that I bring for excursions is in that special packing cube that I bring on every cruise. It’s just a folding canvas bag with handles so I can throw it over my shoulder. There’s another video where I show all of the things that are in that, including binoculars, tide pens, magnetic hooks and clips, laundry sheets for handwashing clothes, and other little doodads. The older I get the less I want to carry around to be honest so I tend to keep it light on excursions. I did pick up a light waterproof bag for cave tubing. I’ll let you know how that works out. I found it in the camping section at Walmart. Thank you so much for watching and reaching out. 🌞
This is why you have cruise insurance. The cruiseline is not responsible for the delay. This was caused by an act of God, not RC. Technically, they aren't required to give any compensation (other than any port fees paid for missed ports). Cruisers should be greatful any onboard credit or other concessions.
Hi and thanks for your comment. In our opinion, Royal has done more than enough to help those affected by the delay. We agree about travel insurance. We use the Chase Travel Reserve card that has trip interruption and cancellation insurance. It also has medical and evacuation benefits. Our "How We Cruises for Free" video covers the benefits along with our free.crusing on points. Happy travels!
Oh, we very much agree! We lived in Maine for decades and had to fly to every cruise departure point. Still worth it, but so much more to consider. Thank you for watching!
Sorry for your delay, but hopefully all will go as planned for tomorrow. Also, it i s great that if you don’t use the OBC it will go back to your credit card, as that is not always the case. Personally, I’d want to miss Costa Maya, but Marshall’s observations of Cozumel sounds the most logical!
We remain hopeful for tomorrow as it's our first cruise in a Grand Suite! We also would trade Costa Maya and sail to Cozumel. Time will tell and we will keep you and others updated. Thanks for watching and happy sailing!
Sorry you have to miss a day of this exciting cruise. Fingers crossed all goes well for you tomorrow. I was wondering if Royal Caribbean would be able to transfer the leftover onboard credit to your next cruise?
Hi Lisa, typically on board credit balances go to zero at the end of the cruise if there are unspent monies. In this case, they will reimburse us for the one day of the cruise if we haven’t spent all the money. So we will keep close tabs on our calculations to make sure that we maximize the amount of onboard credit that we won’t get back in cash if that makes sense. So we’ll be sure we spend at least $400 on board thanks and will keep you updated.
Yes, please do keep us updated..whah whah whah, but great attitudes about it and I'm impressed with Royal trying to do what's right to make up for an event that is really out of everyone's hands!
Great video. Many of my cruises lately have been 4-5 nights, but going 9 nights then on land for 4 days then a 6 night. I’ll wash in between cruises, and I tend to over pack so hopefully this time I won’t. I was wondering where your toiletry bag was (saw the shower bag). I didn’t think you’d get all those items in. I could not live without my compression packing cubes. Thanks for sharing. Also, very impressed you zipped up the bags with one hand. Have a great cruise and enjoy the suite.
When I go to Nassau when cruising solo, I stay at the port shopping area (great dole whip place there). In August when there with husband we did a self walking tour and went to the BayCliff Cigar and Chocolate Factories. Your video reminded me I bought chocolate and still had some (so thanks). My favorite Greek Restaurant is on Bay Street above a Jewelry store and I buy my rum cake on a side street. Nassau has definitely improved with the new port.
Hi Beth. Glad we reminded you of your chocolate! We still have a lot that we picked up in Grenada. So delicious! We will have to check out the Greek restaurant when we’re in Nassau in November. Thanks for sharing.
@@CruisingwithCrystalandMarshall Athena’s on the corner of Bay and Charlotte. Go thru Jewelry store and up the stairs by entrance. Closed on Sundays (made that mistake of walking there on a Sunday). Finished the chocolate but have no Nassau stops in my next cruises.
Good overview of positives and negatives on Utopia 👍. We appreciated your comments on the Music Hall (when compared with Quantum Class ships)… agreed! Good to see Chris Wong per below link in your video as you went through the casino. Cheers, James youtube.com/@christopherwongvlogs?feature=shared #ChristopherWongVlogs
Another great video. I was on Utopia the beginning of August and couldn’t book anything until on the ship. We got on about 1 and were able to book everything, to just have the Aqua show cancelled the first night and rebooked when we had the Ice show. We ended up going on Deck 7 by the Rock Climbing wall and were the only ones there up until 5 minutes before the show. Was actually better than sitting on the benches. I will agree about almost all of your likes/dislikes. The crown lounge was always empty, even during the happy hours. The main casino never smelled bad except on the smoking side. I noticed Chris Wong (in the Casino cage) - he has a youtube channel and only on the ship one week. I think a lot of people book b2b on this ship to get a week’s worth of cruising. I know you came from Maine and talked about Hooked in your other video. I had the worst lobster roll there (it was just lobster, no mayo or anything). Thanks for sharing.
We love b2b cruising but prefer going on a different itinerary for each segment. Going on Utopia sends you back to Nassau and CocoCay each and every cruise. Of course, Utopia's "likes" are significant to maybe bend that preference. Sorry about the lobster roll. We do think that the best is always served in Maine. 😀 As always, thanks for watching and sharing your comments!
We love Nassau wish we had a spot there. We have met some awesome people there and they treated us just like family and we always enjot it there. We keep in touch throughout the year. Those couch fritters will make your tongue slap your tonsils. We also love the Bay Street Market for the different flavorings. The rum cake factory and the other place for the pound cake. As a matter of fact we just talk to our cab driver which he assured us he would be waiting for us as soon as we exited the ship. We sure get our money's worth. That steel drum music is just wonderful to our ears. I don't have anything bad to say about Nassau. That's our second home
It’s so wonderful to hear of your experience in Nassau. Sounds like you have made great memories and friends there. Those are things that are truly special in our lives. Thank you for sharing. We will have to check out the rum cake factory for sure!
We like a lot of variety in our cruise stops. We had not visited Nassau for over 4 years. We were excited to see the changes. Like you, we neither love nor hate it. Thanks for watching!
Hi and thanks for your comment! There is a surprising amount to do within walking distance of the port. We will be back again soon and will venture to other walkable sites and as always, share our adventures.
Was on this ship a couple yrs ago . Loved it .was in a studio cabin for one person. Will be on again in January 2025 with a standard balcony room . Can’t wait .
Hi @barbara5057, we think Odyssey has probably become our favorite ship! You are lucky to board again in January. We will be back on board later in 2025. Enjoy your Odyssey cruise!
Hi @oliviabauer7173! The policy is that any kids in your cabin over 6 years old have to purchase the Key. Of course if you are traveling with younger kids, they can also board with you. If anyone has adult children in another room, the key and its benefits would not apply to them unless they also purchased. Thanks for your question and watching!!
Thanks for the clarification. We tried to choose appropriate music and did research music that was considered Portuguese. Sorry if the choices were mislabeled.
Lisbon is called, like Rome, the City of 7 Hills. If you're a local, you'll know that there are several free public elevators to help you ease your legs up Lisbon's huge staircases. ehehe
We certainly are far from local but really appreciate your wonderful city. We hope to return for a longer stay and make use of the elevators you mentioned. It is a great idea and we did pass one but wasn't sure exactly what it was. Certainly didn't realize there were more. Thanks for sharing!
Yup… we’re very much on the same page. We tip for ‘above and beyond’ service, and typically always take and add $200-500 per cruise in $1-5’s every time we cruise. We would never dream of asking Customer Services to ‘Remove the Daily Tips’ for the Cruise Staff… this increasingly apparent trend we find vulgar. Cheers, James
Hi James. We spoke with a manager onboard to get some additional clarification. She said asking to have gratuities removed hurts those we don’t see, staff behind the scenes, such as those doing laundry. Those washing our sheets and towels remain unseen but are an important part of the cruise experience. We wouldn’t want to leave them out. We plan to continue to Keep the daily gratuities on our account and tip above that in cash. Thanks for watching and for chiming in.
James - Wonderful that you are tipping like this and letting people know 👏🏻 but why are you adding the vulgar comment 😮 you have no idea about people’s tipping culture or how they tip in general. I hope that people stop shaming others. Tip what you can for services received and that you are happy with without worrying about what others are doing
@@rosemarie9956 Hi Rose Marie, thank you for your comment - much appreciated. We are based in NJ and have sailed on Anthem 6 times out of Cape Liberty Bayonne. This summer we sailed on Anthem for the first time out of Southampton UK (one of the ships alternate home bases) to Norway. It was fascinating to hear the crews perspective about the differences when sailing from US or UK based ports. The crew often stated that while sailing in Europe is way more interesting with Norway and Mediterranean itineraries; they all suffer because because European (especially UK folks) tip far less than their US counterparts; which directly impacts their take home pay. All crew that we talked to were looking forward to leaving Europe so that their pay would increase due to higher tips. At the end of the day, the crew are working to support their families back home; and we appreciate their incredible hard work; therefore we are happy to tip accordingly. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday 😊
Great ‘tips’. There was one time I removed the gratuities because I had the Unlimited dining package and tipped those serving me on top of the 18% auto charge for the package. I gave the room steward about $50 more than he would have gotten with the normal amount. I am also D+ and Prime and always give a few dollars for every drink. I also tip the person that brings me room service. The staff work so hard.
Thanks for sharing some of your gratuity experiences. We agree that the staff all work so hard and are away from their families and homes for 6 or more months at a time. It's not an easy environment for them yet they make us feel so welcome.
Yes, we do now!! An amazing person at a shoe store in Florida hooked us up! She’s a real one!! And, it turns out there’s a better way for Crystal to tie her shoes! All these years old and we learned something new. Needless to say, it was a great experience. O. to new adventures!
Independence of the Seas is a great ship! We love Labadee… And… Explorer (or a port stop) is a fantastic place to get engaged! Congratulations to you both xx
Thanks for sharing. We are excited to get into a much busier cruise schedule and be able to offer more port day adventures, cruise ship tours and cabins. In fact, we actually booked a last minute cruise on Utopia coming right up!
I love hearing about your upcoming cruises and the reasons behind each one. We chose our cruise on Explorer because it was sailing out of NJ over Thanksgiving break, but absolutely loved the ship! I was happy to hear it is a special one for you too. Do they still do trapeze school? I want to see Marshall do that next! 😉
I was wondering if our paths would be crossing while sailing, but doesn’t seem like it. I am going on Grandeur (never been) out of Port Everglades in November and it ports in Labadee (Maybe? - never been), and then the ABC’s. I’ve been to A and C but looking forward to going back. I’ve done a Central Park Balcony (on Allure - one of my favorite ships and on Wonder). There are 6 cabins in CP that have extra large balconies. I was on deck 12 and heard the pool music during the day and the jazz music in the evening. Didn’t hear it too much inside the cabin with door closed. Love Explorer - we took it to St. Thomas and my daughter had her Bat Mitzvah at the synagogue there. Enjoy all your cruises especially the one with the suite!
Hi @bethgintx! Thanks for always thanks for watching! Our paths may not cross right now but there is plenty of more cruising ahead! Also thanks for your insights! As for the synagogue at St. Thomas. We also have found memories there too. 😉
We will definitely be back! We know there is so much more to see and do. Thank you for watching and reaching out. Let us know if you have any recommendations for us.
I was already to make some purchases from your list, but we are cruising twins and I have the same stuff. I do travel with ginger chews for possible nausea. When you replace your towel clips, think about the large bands instead. On some Royal cruises, the cushioned seats in the solarium are too thick for towel clips, but the bands are adjustable and take up no room. I got mine on Amazon and it was an 8 pack. Thanks for sharing!
Hi there. Thanks for the tip about ginger chews. We will look into the large bands. That’s a great idea. Thanks for sharing and for watching the video. 😀
What a great way to cap off our 18 day transatlantic cruise with Rome and Lisbon stays on the way back to Florida! We have many more cruises planned in the coming months so please subscribe to be notified of our latest content from ships, tips and trips. What was your favorite part of Lisbon? Let us know below!
