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Pretty much the biggest mistake most people make is over packing. We still bring more than we need but we don't have three large suitcases in our stateroom anymore. Getting tips is a great start to making fewer mistakes. Hope y'all have a great time!

Definitely, 100% DO NOT fly in the same day. Pick a hotel within good walking distance from grocery/drugstores and at least 2 food options. Do not fly OUT on debarkation day before noon. Do eMuster within your first hour on board. You don't want to have a safety officer chasing you down Don't worry too much if you don't make the MDR for dinner first night. explore the ship any day but day 1. Everyone is lost and looking around, it's much calmer to do on the first sea day than boarding day. Take photos or notes of the staff that you want to acknowledge at the end of the cruise survey. Having their names mentioned helps them get boosts and potential raises or promotions. Be aware of the possibility to tip extra on top of pre-paid gratuities. It's not FORCED but you will be offered this on the last day. If you think you might want to recognize someone going above and beyond, have some extra cash set aside. Check your account frequently and don't save issues until the last day.

Don't overschedule. There is so much to do that you can drive yourself crazy trying to do it all.

As long as you're physically able, one of the biggest mistakes in my book is taking elevators. Not only are they busy a lot of the time and may require a wait, but the walking and stair climbing is good for combatting the food and drink! Heck, we purposely choose a room as far from the elevators as possible.

I concur with this one wholeheartedly. Most newbies try and do too much and maintain a horrific schedule. You're on VACATION. Enjoy doing nothing at least some of the time.

Biggest mistake would be not asking experts on here so top marks for you! Research research research, plan plan plan, so you can enjoy enjoy enjoy!!

I used to fly in the day of cruise. Never again

If doing regular dining and / or have the same table and waiters; I take a picture of the names of the waiters plaque. So I have the correct spelling of their names.

I like this response. In addition, I think you should begin planning now the next vacation the two of you will go on together! That way, you both have something good to look forward to that you each will enjoy, yet you also get to take this cruise and enjoy it in the moment and as a reflection point of how far you've come and how different your life is since you first booked it. Congratulations on your marriage! I think you have a solid partner that is encouraging you to stick with the plan; you'll both be so happy to see each other once you return home.

I think...you shouldn't be upset with him. Frustrated, sad, upset at the situation - all fair. But WITH HIM? I don't think that' fair to him. It's not like he's changing his mind for some reason like not wanting to miss a game on TV or bashing you for liking cruising. He's TERRIFIED and legitimately concerned for himself. YOU might have a blast but every time he sees the water, feels the ship rock, hears the engines or any other thing I can't think of he will probably be having the worst days of his life. Try to put yourself in his shoes - what is something you absolutely HATE to do and then imagine him pushing you into doing it. It's not good. If you REALLY want to do the cruise, go alone or take a friend and make it a "no spouse" trip. Otherwise, if it's more important to you that you two be together, cancel or rebook the cruise and do something else. The main point here is that you RESPECT where he's coming from. And maybe...maybe, if/when he shows interest in addressing it professionally, you support him then.

I don't recommend being mad or offended that he WANTS you to take the trip you planned. A few days apart isn't the end of the world and he SUPPORTS you. Go on the cruise and enjoy it. Bring home lots of photos and memories to share with him and let him enjoy your trip too, without the anxiety of doing something that frightens him.

Hey Donna, Sorry to hear about your dilemma. Your question was this "Is it wrong for me to be upset with him?" and I would have to answer yes to that, but had you cut your question off 2 words sooner, I would say absolutely no to this "Is it wrong for me to be upset?" You are right to be upset, but it is just a situation of timing. You wouldn't have bought the cruise if your life then were in the place it is today. He isn't asking you not to go as was your plan when booking. I also wish he would have come around and of course believe that he can find a way over his fear, but sadly when someone is afraid of something, us telling them to not be afraid has no impact. Take your cruise and enjoy it. Miss him, but don't be angry with him. He will also be without his wife for the week, but you both have so much more time. Good luck! Bill

Since you asked, here’s my two cents: Is your marriage worth a cruise? Only you can answer the question. My answer would be no, it’s not worth a cruise. While I don’t speak for my wife, I’d bet farm that she’d answer the same.

Shark attacks remain extremely rare. The odds of getting fatally attacked by the creature remain less than 1 in 4 million, according to the International Shark Attack File.

I have booked our first cruise for Aug. 2023. This will be for our 55th Wedding Anniv. Cruising out of Orlando, and have downloaded the APP. We will be buying the drink packages, and have read that you can use it as soon as you get on board. Will we be given any type of card to use? I hate sounding dumb, but I guess I am being our first Cruise. Thanks for any info you can give us on first day.

The cat's nostrils were too small, lots of scratching!

Shark attacks can happen on land too. Those who disagree need only watch Sharknado.

And which pet cat did you swab for your test?

The 8 month old pinnacle probably behaved as well as some 78 yr old pinnacles I've seen I kid, I kid! Sort of?

I wouldn't be mad or offended. He has a fear and doesn't have a issue with you going.

I get being frustrated but you can't blame someone for their fears, irrational or not. If it's not his thing no amount of guilt will work in this situation. If you can, make the best of the situation and maybe in the future he will come around or you'll find a pal to sail with.

Not checking out every included food venue for each applicable meal/time and/or not trying more things before it's too late. Caveat: The food is a big part of cruising for me if you couldn't tell.

Follow this guy on twitter

Congratulations on your amazing milestone, please ask away no question is dumb. Knowing ahead of time will make your sailing that much more enjoyable. I was new to RC in 2019 and after 9 sailings I still have questions! If you are comfortable sharing what ship you are sailing we can provide so many tips and tricks, things you didn't know you didn't know. So many times this happens to me, this cruise is to celebrate and to relax, this kind group will provide everything you need & sometimes even pics! Ask away and welcome

So, I’ve forgotten @Rags1. Are there 15 or 20 people in your party ?

I've only been on one cruise, so my sample size is limited . . . 1. I definitely overpacked. Probably I could have reduced the clothes by half. 2. We didn't go to the MDR for breakfast or lunch at all -- just the Windjammer. Next cruise this will change! 3. I had the DBP, and I didn't order "top shelf" liquors with my mixed drinks. 4. I should have done the climbing wall and the flowrider more . . . our ship was ~30% full and there were no lines at all. This won't be the case next time 5. I never ordered room service breakfast or coffee to have on my balcony. 6. It took us until the last night to discover the Blue Moon bar. It turned out to be my favorite. (Adventure) Other than those (and some of them aren't really "mistakes", per se), I wouldn't change a thing!

Doesn't sound crazy to me. Everyone has their preferences.

seconding the 'don't fly in on the same day you set sail' -- we have done this and i literally HATE it, haha the easiest way to get my stress from 0-200 and makes me one cranky traveler later in the day. i am sure most of this (if not all) is covered in matt's comprehensive video above (i love the visual!) but just off the top of my head... other things to note: keep in mind the size of your party/how much sleeping room you will need. you don't typically spend a lot of room in your cabin, so it may not be a bad idea to choose an inside or oceanview for your first time and then splurge on drinks or a nice specialty dinner if you can work with a travel agent or you can ask for quotes on cruisecompete.com (we always do this once we have matched priced it out on the RCCL website to get a gauge on pricing) and have discovered some really great deals and agents this way! try to leave yourself some down time each day! there is usually a lot to be done on a cruise and you should have fun doing it!! but you may need to put yourself in a time out if you're getting stressed from going to activity to activity. pace yourself schedule your boarding time as early as you can to avoid delays and stick to your assigned time. the sooner you arrive, the sooner you can get on the ship and start exploring! bring a change of clothes, maybe even a swimsuit in your carryon in case there are delays getting your luggage delivered HAVE FUN!!!!!

As someone with an irrational fear (fear of flying), I know how frustrating it can be when your brain tells you one thing but your gut tells you something else. It's irrational, it doesn't make any logical sense, hence the name. Not sure when your cruise is, but has your husband considered talking to a professional about his fears? In short, I think it's normal to be frustrated by it. But we all have our hang ups. Hopefully he can eventually come around to enjoying cruises too.

We live in Florida and if we listened to the weather forecast...We would stay home and miss a lot of great things. There is so much to do on a cruise ship and never even know its raining. We love the Freedom of the Seas!!!

OP doesn't indicate that they are staying in a suite. If not, the grandchildren will not officially have access to any of the suite amenities that are also granted for Pinnacle status. Also - Pinnacle is the only status that does not transfer based on relationship so even if the grandkids are linked to the grandparents they would not be considered Pinnacle.

Yes, anyone who is staying in a suite has access to the suite amenities. The only way the children would receive your pinnacle status though would be if they were listed in relation to you, but CK and all of that stuff will be available to them.

Fairly recent diamond here and currently on Explorer of the Seas. Really enjoying the outside portion of the D-lounge here as a quiet alternative to most of the packed topside areas. Love the back stairs access from deck 13. Also a nice place to bring up food from the Windjammer when it's packed.

Congratulations on your 55th Anniversary next year. Quite an accomplishment. Enjoy the planning and fun of your first cruise. To answer your question, your sea pass card will have the drink package included. It may be a short amount of time after you board before you get your sea pass card but you can show a bartender your setsail pass or give them your room number and you should be fine.

Day three our first Sea day We ended up a pretty good day today. I had a good 8 hours sleep before getting up and going and having lunch at chops grill. I just got a hamburger Patty and some macaroni and cheese but the hamburger Patty at chops grill is not just a hamburger Patty it is really good. I had the poker pub crawl that started at 2:00 o’clock and I had 15 decks of cards that I had to mark before we could start. We had 120 people signed up for the poker pub crawl. A normal crowd for it is 30 people. We ended up with 65 people because the cruise ship put progressive trivia at the same time as our cabin crawl. We ended up moving from place to place and having a fantastic time. Luckily for me I had my friend Cory Jo that helped me with the poker pub crawl. It was a lot of work for me I ended up sweating up a storm but I think everybody had a great time. After we were done at the poker pub crawl I went back to the room and got just a little bit of rest and cleaned up for dinner. We had dinner at Izumo which is a Japanese restaurant. I was kind of surprised that it was a fantastic dinner. After dinner my two friends went back to the room to rest before the show and I knew not to because they ended up staying in the room sleeping and I went to the show alone. The show was a Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons pretend group. I gave the group A5 out of 10 for their performance. But I gave him 10 out of 10 for sleep ability. I say in the beginning of the show and the end of the show and slept pretty good through the middle. I ended the night in a game the naughty quiz. I played with two new friends from England, and we actually did pretty well. The premise of the game is they gave you 20 questions that if you just listen to him, you think that nasty answers. But the real answer isn’t too bad. An example is Arnold Schwarzenegger has a very big one Brad Pitt has a very small one and Madonna doesn’t have one at all. Of course, the answer is the last name. I get to watch a little bit of Northern Lights before going to sleep. They’re not very good because all you see is some light in this guy and it’s not until you take a picture that different colors come out. Hopefully they’ll get better before the trip is over. Tomorrow’s another sea day and we have the cabin crawl; Talk to you then bye

If you cruised after the requirements changed (and you're on board right now!) how was the check in process? What did you show for your test? A picture, the actual test, something else? How smooth was it?

We use a TA from different company even though MEI sounds great. TAs are great. Best price for a cruise ? I dont know, he takes care of us and dont worry about it.

Those three were so good on our Alaska trip in May that I made sure to get them again on our S2S in July. NSA not required for my health, but some of the NSA desserts are better than many of the "regular" desserts, IMO.

I can see how it could feel stressful, but here's how I look at the drink package (and why I always get it) - (a) it's more than just alcohol, as it's a good way to get coffees, bottled waters (which are handy for excursions too), and sodas, and (b) it's a good way to try new drinks...if you don't like what you got, cast it aside and get another. It's a low-risk way to expand your cocktail horizons. While I usually have no problem breaking even when I factor everything (beyond just alcohol) in to it, I end up not being too concerned because it is a good way to try new stuff.

We did back to back cruises recently and I noticed the heightened adrenaline level of the new guests boarding for the our 2nd sailing. It was much louder and chaotic as vacation excitement took over! Just relax and take it all in stride. Easier said than done I know.

For those wondering how the air conditioning works in this room, this is Taylor during afternoon nap. The AC works like a champ

I’ve been trying to catch up here a bit but interject has been wonky today while in Aruba. IPAD won’t connect at all. Just know that there have been several more deliver of food to the room since the last update.

Probably because its not an RC excursion! Also its the Caribbean! There's sharks! Its not rocket science to know everytime you go in the water your sharing it with creatures that can attack!

Having received my Platinum and Emerald pins this past year I just stuck them on the lanyard that I use for my Seapass Card and that is about the extent of the use they get.

Anxiety is more common than depression, luckily somewhat easier to treat. But he needs to want to do it. The gold standard treatment for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavioral therapy (many licensed Psychologists can handle both of these). For more severe anxiety, the psychologist may recommend an adjunctive treatment with a psychiatrist (equal in education, this professional handles the medication part while the psychologist is trained to handle the psychotherapy part). But there is little more immovable than a person with significant anxiety - being angry with them or begging won’t change it. The rest of us may understand their fears are irrational, but the person experiencing it does not recognize that he/she is being irrational.

Congratulations on your Anniversary. I know its old fashion but stop and play shuffleboard on deck with somebody. Something a little different, but we have had fun playing a game with other couples.

If you purchase an internet plan through the Cruise Planner you will not eligible for the C&A discount. It’s one or the other. If you purchase the internet package once onboard (at full price) then you can use the C&A discount and get a free day.

They won't cancel for rain or even a potential tropical storm on the way in. The Royal weather team keep up to date on the forming patterns and tell the captains so they can plan in advance. At worse, you might get an earlier departure time so they can be out at sea which gives them more wiggle room to get around storms/outrun them. This happened on our first cruise (ironically also on Freedom but out of Orlando). We were notified maybe 2 days before that the departure was bumped up an hour or two because of the incoming hurricane. Also, it is quite common in the Caribbean and even in Florida, to have bouts of rain between bouts of pure sunshine. Hilarious to us, in that same cruise we did Universal Studios after and for 3 days, everyday at 4pm it would rain for about 10 minutes like clockwork. By day 3 we got so used to it, we just hung out under an arch and planned out our next adventure.

We just disembarked on August 27, 2022 from the Adventure of the Seas. We were in a Suite and had priority disembarkation. We were off the ship, claimed our luggage, caught a taxi and checked in at Delta at EWR by 9:15 A.M. We weren't flying until later in the afternoon so we jumped the air train to NJ Transportation and went to visit the 9-11 Memorial in New Your. I did notice the TSA was 30-35 minutes when we went through. Thank heavens Pre-Check was a walk through. Bill

In my experience, most many who don't like fish have never had it cooked properly. Go in with an open mind. I might suggest trying one that has a sauce on it as a start.