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I hope that everyone here gets to sail with Captain Marek Slaby. He has been tenured on Radiance for a number of years; there is a running rumor he may tapped for Icon— and for good reason. He is the most personable and likable captain I have sailed with. His announcements are honest, frank, and each day he rattles off every birthday aboard, including crew. Passengers stop and listen to his words when he is on the PA. Honest. Let me describe how Captian Merek deals with those who are late to come back aboard. “This is Captian Merek coming to you from the bridge. It’s now 5:40 and all aboard was at 5:30. We are still waiting for Tom and Mary in cabin 9632, Rueben from cabin 3126, and Estelle from cabin 1174…..” There a grins from ear to ear on everyone onboard when they hear the captain very publicly call out those who are late. Those grins turn out to widespread laughter the next port stop when you here the following “the local authorities have cleared the ship and the gangway on deck 2 is now open. I would like to remind Estelle in cabin 1174, Tom and Mary from cabin 9632, and Reuben from cabin 3126 that all aboard is at 6:30 pm tonight….” Allow me to say one more nice thing about Captian Marek. Capt Marek loves to sing. He has single handedly created a show that happens once a week in the Centrum; Rock’in With the Captain. It’s the band and six or seven crew members (all amateurs) who also like to sing and are shockingly quite good! They are wearing their work uniforms of cabin attendant, server, laundry person, etc. They sing whatever songs they want across any genre. The Captain…..his jam is 80’s Judas Priest!

If you want to know where captain Marek is right now...

I won both of these 3 days apart on Liberty of the Seas last July

Cruise #3 Day 3 – THE BIG GAME! We slept in as long as we could, and even tried to go back to sleep when we woke up, but we were totally awake by about 7am. We took our time getting ready for the day and were sporting our team with my pretty green hair ribbons and our Eagles jerseys and lanyards. When we finally ventured out of our room and up to the WJ for coffee and breakfast, it was like walking into a massive sports bar. There were hundreds of home team jerseys on this cruise, and it was so fun to see all of them. Hubby tested my logo knowledge and I got most of them correct. He knows them all though – he and sports go way back. Once upon a time, when we were still young and semi-newlyweds, we were invited to the local morning show because he was such a sports fanatic! He had a giant binder with sports stats for all of his fantasy teams and kept them up to date all the time. He even flew to Rhode Island every year with a buddy to do a live draft with one of his leagues. Crazy! Whenever we went to the store, I’d instantly lose him to the magazine section to check out the latest stats. That was back in the day before internet (even though we’re really not that old). Hehe. Anyway, the local show had us on and they wanted him to show off his sports knowledge and his binder. Now everything is online and it’s so easy to keep up with stats. I think he missed his calling to be a commentator. He is always saying the exact things they say just moments before they do. I’m so amazed. Anyway – the smack talk was flowing from every table and it was so fun! Everything was very respectful, and the vibe was awesome! We wandered around the ship and hung out in different areas. We’ve found that the Star Lounge and the Diamond Lounge are our two favorite go-to places for quiet escapes and comfy chairs. We brought a bunch of games with us on this trip and pulled out Phase 10 for a game in the Star Lounge while we anxiously awaited Playmakers to open. Imagine the lady at the store window saying "Open, Open, Open!" That was us! We each made the excuse to get water or go to the bathroom and wandered into the Promenade a few times just to see how the progress was coming along. They had it all fenced/roped off for the reserved tables, and they opened up about 2:45pm for guests. We finished up our game at about that time and we were the first to arrive; others quickly followed. Our seats were amazing! They covered the pool table and set up two tables for two right in front of it. We had the table closest to the center of the big screen tv on the wall behind the pool table. The bar quickly filled up and we soon found that we were the minority in green. Most of the bar was rooting for Kansas City, but we Eagles bonded quickly and were quite loud, so our noise outnumbered the KC fans. It was a great first half and we were pumped for the second half. Unfortunately, our Eagles must have gone to the spa at halftime because KC played an awesome second half and we failed to keep up. The smack talk went right up until the very end when we knew it was hopeless. We had a gal at a table next to us that was super sassy and was in love with Mahomes because her alma mater was Alabama. We never caught her actual name but when we saw her at breakfast this morning, our name for her, “Miss Sassy” stuck and she loved it. We gave her our confetti poppers at the end of the game as she was dancing around so excited! BTW – our favorite server at PM was our server for the night (I actually shared my green ribbons with her), and we showed her our saved-up drinks from the previous two nights (we had them in water bottles). We ordered a diamond drink each, and then just kept pouring drinks for ourselves from our water bottles throughout the game. She thought it was hilarious, and we tipped her well. Not that we were doing anything wrong, but it just felt a little sneaky. The night ended with a sad loss, and two tired puppies ready for bed as soon as we got to our room. I thought for sure we would be doing the walk of shame today after all the smack talk on the ship yesterday, but we hardly had any comments today. Oh! The best part of the entire night is that I won the final quarter office square based on the final score, so it wasn’t a total loss. Bottom line for Super Bowl on a ship – it’s a winner!

This never ending slog of a week continues.....why is it only Tuesday? At least there is some good news on the horizon. I got two emails from Derick today. He reached out with some requests to help with the cakes, so that's a start. He also sent our preliminary dining schedule, and I am happy to report that my ill timed Izumi reservation has been moved, and he incorporated all of our other dining requests, as I knew he would. I might even start packing tomorrow and keep the boss happy by not doing it late Friday night. I never see the problem since it takes be about 10 minutes. I hope everyone enjoys their Valentines Day with their SO etc, or your Anti Valentines Day if that is your thing too! 114 hours 12 minutes until boarding!! (10:30 on Sunday)

It's the formation of a line. Check in opens at the exact same time for everyone. That is fair. The people claim their spot in line by checking in. Also remember that UDP is a benefit swap. You trade the ability to secure a firm reservation for cost savings. It's completely fair. Clock starts at the same time for everyone.

We have sailed with Captain Marek twice now. On one occasion we were enjoying dinner in Chops for my wife's birthday when he stopped by our table to say happy birthday! I don't know if he does this with all birthdays on board (tracks down where they are having dinner through seapass card) but it was definitely unique and made my wife's day.

If you find someone with loud music on Coco Cay, then you can bet they have a chair by the ship pool saved at the same time

I think it's rude to hold up a ship full of thousands of people who were on time because of whatever reason they couldn't make it back in time. I think it's rude to cause a cruise line to burn more fuel at significant cost to make up for lost time to reach the next port because of whatever reason they couldn't make it back in time. I think it's rude to the dock workers at the port who want to go home after a long day of work but can't because of whatever reason they couldn't make it back in time.

I won a ~6K hand at Ultimate Texas Hold’Em on Liberty (Royal Flush) a few years ago and they did not give me a W-2G. I think they’re stricter on machines with tax stuff than they are with table games. One of the few advantages of playing the tables

SO very TRUE!! We were on Radiance in Jan out of NOLA and the Rockin w/ the Captain show was by far the BEST we saw all week!!! He is SO personable with both guests and his crew. In talking with the manager over the retail shops she said that much of the crew stayed with Capt. Marek while waiting to go back into service during their hiatus even though they were one of the last ships back in service. His announcements every day were epic and everyone did stop what they were doing to listen. His straight forward attitude on dealing with issues like late comers is refreshing. It’s truly awesome too seeing how well he treats every single crew member regardless of their rank or role. I would certainly look forward to sailing with him again.

Came here to say about the same thing. We were on a cruise and docked in Puerto Rico when they were bringing peoples belongings off the ship and people were heckling some of the family members that were standing around. Turns out a Royal excursion was in an accident and two members of the family were now in the hospital. Sure, it's fun to watch the runners, but I'd caution against the heckling.

This is why you always have the number of the pier agent when you disembark. If you are running late (and not on an RC excursion), call the pier agent I just asked this question to a friend of mine who was a hotel director with Royal for over 20 years. HD is in charge of every passenger who disembarks. He told me that if you call and let them know you’re running late they will wait IF THEY CAN! Not saying they will but they really don’t want to leave people behind. He also said the majority of pier runners involved alcohol. So snap a pic of the pier agent’s number (bottom corner of cruise compass) and don’t be late!!!

Personally, this is one of the things I agree with Carnival on. Banning these speakers outright would be a step in the right direction.

I think any sort of mini-speaker is just plain rude behavior in a public venue with the exception of one's cabin. Earbuds anyone?

Yes, I experienced a lot of this on Allure and Odyssey. People bring their Bluetooth to the pool deck and blast their Spotify, often while the live band is trying to play some steel drum magic for the rest of us. Super intrusive and rude when it's turned up so loud.

I was on our balcony back in September when people were running for the ship. We were very overdue for leaving and lots of people were yelling from their balconies. Turns out that they were all on a Royal excursion and were late because there was a traffic accident with a fatality in front of them and the road was impassable for a while.

Not at all. It's a rite of passage for those running late.

Time most definitely speeds up once you set foot on a cruise ship.

I am very sensitive to extraneous noise so it really grates on my nerves when there is any kind of noise pollution in my midst. I can’t even stand the clicking noises associated with electronic notifications or computer alerts. I have every noise-making capability on my devices turned off including ring tones. I try and be mindful of others’ love of listening to music or even being in love with the sound of their own voice but almost nothing will drive me away faster than chaotic noise. Headphones and earbuds, people !

Heckle no, cheering yes.

I had a small hand pay playing Buffalo on Adventure last December.

I think you can also avoid it by scheduling dinner for 6:45 or so if you have MTD - you'll be after the early seating's "show" and too early for the late seating's.

I don't specifically know but I can tell you my experience. He is one of the remaining captains to have a nightly Captian's Table in the MDR. After we were done dining...he works the room. Wow!

If DawnMist is the nicer toiletries, I can only imagine lower category rooms are getting Granny's Lye Soap made out at the cement pond.

I agree 100%! Not sure why Royal is not promoting/offering online merchandise sales... any swag and logo merchandise is advertising and additional revenue for them. Even if they only had a select inventory and charged slightly higher than the onboard prices. Maybe a few mugs, t-shirts, lanyards, ornaments, ship models, etc. I'm sure many have disembarked and regretted not purchasing something from the shop while onboard. We started collecting the ship model (3D) x-mas ornaments... we were able to grab Allure and Oasis, but on our more recent sailings on Odyssey and Wonder they were both out of stock literally before the merch shop opened on day 1. On Wonder last month, they stated they have been out for almost 4 weeks!

I wonder on a scale of 1 - the brig how much trouble you'd be in if I made one of those speakers identify as a football and do my best impression as a QB throwing a Hail Mary into the ocean...

We're going to book it with a refundable deposit. This way the room is secured, but when more itineraries are released, I can hop over to a better one if I wish.

I’ve been on CoCocay two different sailings with inconsiderate people using their speakers at loud volumes. I’d move my seat but when seats are hard to find it’s not an option. One family disappeared while their music continued to play, after about 30 minutes I got up and turned off their speaker. I’ve seen speakers used on Royal ships in the upper pool decks. Ridiculous.

Food being undercooked is something I've never experienced on an RC ship.

This may interest you - Also, be aware that if the cruises you are looking at are too far out, not all excursions will be loaded into the planner yet.

Once upon a time, a long time ago (I'm talking way before the turn of the century) the beaches on Long Island, NY had to impose radio free zones on the beaches because of the excessive use of radios. You would be fined if caught using one without headphones in those areas. I don't know why it's so hard to listen to what you want to listen to with headphones or ear buds rather then imposing on everyone around you (with a portable speaker) by blasting your own personal soundtrack.

Booking early and paying the $100pp change fee is still likely cheaper than not booking earlier, then not finding anything you like when the later itineraries come out then trying to book what already was available.

So I'm on a ship and have to admit to getting a fiendish pleasure heckling the pier runners. Of course the crew can't participate, but I get the impression they enjoy it too. However, it also feels rude. Any thoughts?

Important Discovery! We (once again) took refuge in the Diamond Lounge, this time because it was quiet and to get out of the heat…and hubby needed to charge his phone. Behind our favorite high-back seats facing the entry doors closest to the food/drink station is a 110 volt outlet!

Mine was a major bonus of close to $500 but I play slots around $1.50-2 a pull so the odds of winning anything too big on a cruise ship for me is low. I'm not really gambling on the hopes of hitting it big. I want the fun to last. I will gamble higher bets at land based casinos because usually I'm only there for a short period

Mine was "eat your dinner, there are kids in China who are starving". To this day, I have no idea how me finishing my plate would help solve world hunger.

I am in an Ocean View Balcony on Quantum next. My Royal up offer included: Owner's Suite From $955 USD pp Grand Suite - 2 Bedroom From $815 USD pp Grand Suite with Large Balcony From $675 USD pp Grand Suite - 1 Bedroom From $525 USD pp Junior Suite From $390 USD pp Ocean View with Large Balcony From $125 USD pp So pretty much everything "above" me (except Sky loft and Grand loft). I don't recall ever getting more than 4 category offers before, and most of these are pretty booked.

Nada. but while on Enchantment a man won $95k on video poker. He was playing high hands.

You can just choose your check in time and the rest later. No documents or anything.

Was just on Freedom in January and I noticed at least two instances of people with their loud music speakers. Walking into the Solarium couldn't figure out why it was so noisy and sound wasn't clear but then I realized I was walking behind a teen with music blasting out of the speakers she was holding, clashing with the ship's pool deck music. She kept it on the same volume inside and outside and saw this a few times during the cruise, with the speaker on. The worst though was when I went looking for chairs in the Solarium, only to be greeted by really loud rap music with tons of cuss words (I love me some rap but not in a quiet Solarium). It was coming from a speaker that 2 couples lounging about in the big hot tub had with them. That was my cue to get some snacks and come back. I came back about five minutes later and it was quiet again but I just felt so bad for the few people around them trying to read and take a nap. The initial scene, however, as I came across it, was completely comical. Please everyone, earbuds!

I was on Harmony a few weeks ago. I had a check in time at 11. I never had anyone ask or check my boarding time. I'm not sure if when you talk to the person when you show them your passport and answer some questions, they might see your time and will make you wait if you are early. They have the check in process so streamlined and smooth there's hardly any wait time.

Brig But with applause from the other guests.

Also just a heads up, there is no guarantee that you got it from the ship. If you got it, then dozens, if not hundreds of other people would have also gotten it. Food poisoning isn’t something that limits itself to an individual here or there in an environment like a cruise ship. There is quite a long time span between 2/4 and last night.

Unfortunately, we experienced lots of the blue tooth speakers on our Nov 2021 cruise on the Explorer out of San Juan...Seemed like everyone was trying to outdo their neighbors with their choice of music and volume. The worst was a family singing at the top of their lungs in the Solarium while one of them played a tambourine on a sea day. We tried to give them some time but after over an hour, we had to get security to explain to them that the Solarium was a place for peace and quiet.

Yay ! We are finally able to execute our long-term plan which included moving to FL so that we could [cruise more often and] drive to the ports ! So far we have driven in on cruise day. I can’t think of any reason to stay in a hotel overnight. Last week we disembarked GR on Friday morning, drove home to wash clothes and repack and drove to PoM on Saturday morning to board SY. I love it when a plan comes together !

If the price is right…I would pay the extra to make it refundable. I do that quite often. That way you can cancel and rebook a different date…ship…destination. And you can always change the refundable to non-refundable once you are absolutely sure of your cruising plans.

Cruise #2 Turnaround Day / Cruise #3 Day 1 & 2 Turnaround was simple just like last time except for a snafu with our check in. The gal checking us in at the Star Lounge was having trouble with the internet so I got checked in but it hung up when it got to hubby. We didn’t find out until we were getting back on the ship though. Everyone else got the pleasant “ba dink” but when it got to hubby it went “ba dunk” instead. We walked back down the platform and met up with another staff member with a tablet, checked hubby in and we’re back on our way. Since we already had our room keys we went back to the room and hung out in there for a bit before heading down to the Promenade to people watch. Day 1 is prime people watching!! Since we’re introverts, we eventually retreated to the Diamond Lounge for some much needed quiet. From what we’ve been told it is a small DL compared to others but it’s cozy and it has some great conversation areas set up. It’s a very pleasant space. Fir dinner, we avoided the dining room and ate at WJ instead. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. It was fabulous! They had a stir fry station set up which was great! I highly recommend it. Since it was Friday night we really wanted to stay up like normal adults but since we were up at 4:30am, we ended up in bed by 10pm. But not before we got our 4 free drinks! Day 2 - Sea Day We slept in today (so we could stay up tonight)! Which means we were up by 6:30am. We looked at the day in our app and put a bunch of things on our schedule that we ignored all day! We eventually made it out of the room and down to Cafe Promenade for coffee and filled up on that until mid morning (our typical Saturday routine). We decided to go on a hunt for some green ribbon to put in my hair for the Super Bowl. We asked around and found none so we tried our luck with our DL concierge. She said she would see what she could find. I’m finally recovered from my sunburn so we lathered on the sunscreen and headed to the Solarium for the afternoon! It’s definitely one of our favorite places! Tonight at the Schooner Bar where we were participating in the trivia, she showed up with green ribbon!!! She is absolutely awesome!! As soon as I get her card I will share her name. I know how to pronounce it but I know I’ll butcher the spelling! For those of you who have sailed in Star Class and your genie appears out of nowhere wherever you are on the ship (which makes you wonder if they put trackers on you) this was quite genie-like! We decided to give up our table in the dining room for my time dining each night. We’re eating a bit lighter this cruise anyway, and we’ve found the salad bar in the Windjammer to hit the spot most of the time. Tonight we didn’t want to dress up which fit nicely with the WJ and we found grilled chicken breast which happens to be our go-to for most meals. Happy campers! For those who encouraged a nice dinner on Valentine’s Day, the Diamond Lounge Concierge was able to score us a dinner reservation on Valentine’s Day at Chops so we’re super happy about that! We also ventured out a bit to have lunch at Izumi Sushi today (which is always fabulous), and we have lunch reservations later this week at Hooked! This week is shaping up quite nicely so far! Tomorrow is the big game! Go Eagles!!!

Lol Waitress of the seas would be a good ship name but imagine how many posts about tipping would be made.