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Common courtesy, like common sense, hasn't been so common for about 20 years.

Most hotels have a bag hold at the front desk. Give your hotel a call and see if they will hold your bags until check-in. We’ve done that plenty of times.

Another good option for late night is to take an extra dessert or three (from MDR or picked up at Windjammer) back to your room. Other options that don't require refrigeration or reheating are also acceptable, but go for the extra desserts. You're on vacation.

I think the photograph needs no explanation!

Patience is clearly not a virtue amongst anxious cruisers!

Having some SCUBA experience I'll add my $0.02. First, I am Advanced Open Water, Dry Suit, NITROX and Rescue Diver certified. I learned to dive as a SCUBA, Swift Water Rescue Team. I have over a thousand logged dives. A lot of my diving has been body, vehicles (including one military helicopter) and evidence recovery in conditions and waters most people wold never consider wading in, much less diving in. I have done a fair amount of diving in the Caribbean, deep dives, drift dives and cave dives. PADI instructors are among the best. Learning to SCUBA is very rewarding. The beauty of the oceans is like nothing you will every see on land. Learning the skills and being comfortable in the water is paramount. It is nothing to rush through and end up being uncertain about. Keep in mind that not everyone is suited for SCUBA. It can feel claustrophobic and scary. Everyone learns differently. Some take more time and patience. Keep in mind that 'quickie' resort and cruise training may not be sufficient for some people. I have seen bad situations where bad instructors just leave people to flounder because they can not keep up with the rest of the class. There are classes where time and money can take precedence over safety. I will say the experience I have had with RC dive shops on board has been good but diving excursions can and are often run by independent dive shops and the quality of instructors, boats and equipment can vary. If SCUBA is all new to you, my advice is get the best training you can. Get your own well fitted mask, snorkel and fins. You might consider a wet suit. These come in full length ankle to wrist and 'shorties' that are thigh to elbow. For Caribbean diving, something thin and light weight alike 0.5 or 1mm thickness. It will act as your cover up, help with any slight chill and offer some protection if you bump into something that might hurt. If you go on a dive boat, be prepared to contend with other divers and motion sickness. Find your rental gear, inspect it and keep it close. If you can, test fit you BC and assemble your tank and regulator, and have your weight in place. If you have questions about how much wight, or anything else, ask your dive master for advice. Test your regulator for a good fit in your mouth, that your tank is full and nothing is leaking air. As a novice, it is easy to the have the tank turned the wrong way, the regulator on the wrong side or what ever. The basic idea here is to plan ahead for that drop into water and be ready so you are not scattered, lost and over anxious when the time comes. I have never had a dive master complain about me double checking and getting everything ready in advance. If anything, it gives them some confidence that you know what you are doing. It takes practice to get good control of buoyancy. Don't over compensate and yo yo. Its easy to be excited and burn up your air in a hurry. Stay calm and enjoy. Ascend slowly and decompress. The last thing you want to do and probably will do is panic at 60 feet or more. Anyway, enough scary stuff. The point of all this is take your training seriously and if you really feel uncomfortable in the water or with the equipment, maybe stick to the swimming pool. Be cautious of accelerated courses that promise certification in a day or two. SCUBA is a serious endeavor that is fun with great rewards and learning to do it properly and safely can not be over emphasized.

By “ the front” I mean towards the bow. There are exit doors right beside the access doors to the elevators. Anyway, I then surveyed the pool area — no chair hogs yet! That could be related to the air temperature, I guess. went for a mile walk (8 laps of the track), and then headed to the Windjammer for a cup of coffee. Ok, now I’m awake enough to realize I’m hungry, so I head to quiet spot #2 — breakfast in thé MDR!

In the last two days, I've completed booking two more 7-Night Mexican Riviera cruises on Navigator from Los Angeles. That's 3 for the two of us, and 2 for my Wife and other friends or family. That makes five bookings on this ship since last fall. Why would we concentrate so much on one ship with the same itinerary each time? Well, I've been envious of the folks that live close to the ports in Florida or elsewhere. A quick jaunt to the port for them and voila! We're taking advantage of an effortless 2-hour flight to L.A. on the same day as the cruise, and in the same time zone. The airfare is less than half the cost of flying to Florida, and a hotel is not needed. I know flights can be late or cancelled, so that's taking a chance flying the day of the cruise, but flights from PDX to LAX are so frequent, if our flight was cancelled, we'd likely find a replacement flight at the next counter. When we cruise from Florida, most of the folks we meet are from the Southeastern states. And when we cruise from L.A., most of the folks we meet are from the Western states. Sounds like other Westerners already knew what we've discovered. And the Mexican Riviera is wonderful! I don't think the cruise industry is represented seriously in Los Angeles, but now being frequent cruisers from there, we're learning the ropes.

I think the best dessert is the frosting they use on the big cakes they frequently pass out in WJ. The cake is so-so but the light creamy frosting is delish!

I like to pop in and say, you can always go back, some people never do but for others, it's just a room.

A "glitch" on Royal Caribbean app?

Confirmed that there was no additional cost for the premier combo dinner with the 28.99 pre-paid special dinner price.

The Suite Life is definitely a 'slippery slope'....once you start down it, there's a-no-stopping it!! We started with the JS, then GS, and now Crown Lofts, all the while saying "We can go back to balconies anytime we want!!"....Coastal Kitchen is a nice perk in that it's a quiet place to dine, for breakfast, lunch or dinner and not have to fight in the WJ. I agree the menu isn't always that great but it depends on what's more important to you. Bumping up to a GS is worth it to us because we really enjoy all-day access to the Suite Lounge and early access to the Suite Concierge, who can take care of all your reservations prior to boarding. The bottom line is....you will never go back. And soon you'll be trying to come up with reasons why not to book a suite, unsuccessfully I might add. Trust & Believe!!!

If you currently have an annual tier comp on the books, you only have 7 days left to use it. It will expire on 3-31-23.

You might get lucky and your room could be available. I booked Lago Mar Resort in Ft. Lauderdale after my last cruise. They said I could drop off my luggage and use their pool, restaurants, and beach access until my room was ready. I got there around 9:30 am and to my surprise, my room was ready.

We stayed at the comfort inn in Condado and at the Sheraton (Conference center/casino). Neither are far from the cruise port, but not walkable. Easy to get a taxi at either place and the Sheraton had a shuttle. Not sure how close it would drop off to the port, but nice if you want to go to dinner or sight see while staying. Condado had a lot of restaurants to walk to and the beach was very close (very rough waves). Comfort inn was cheaper, it was clean and had breakfast included. The Sheraton was nicer and was more of a resort, with restaurants on site, large pool with pool bar/food, shuttle to various places, casino, and walking distance to Toroverde entertainment area (restaurants/music/arcade/theater), but more expensive. Both felt safe and both were nice in their own ways.

Every single day. The hogs are out at 6am and they disappear until 10-11am.

Day 2: I began the day looking at my virtual balcony and realizing it was morning! A quick look at my phone confirmed that I had scant minutes to dress and run up to Deck 11 to catch the sunrise — so I crawled back under the covers and started planning my next moves! I decided to seek out some quiet spots today. There are a LOT of kids on this sailing and the decks seem to be overrun (literally) with tiny running feet. the first spot was beside the front of the Solarium — like my own private balcony, minus the lounger.

Part of the appeal of a cruise is that fact you can get a good deal versus a land based vacation, the issue becomes when you raise you prices to match it now loses that advantage/appeal. I might as well just go on a land vacation now as I have more freedom than on a ship that visits only specific ports. I also see people try to compare room prices, and for a land vacation you can get a cheaper price on a room that's the equivalent of a standard stateroom on a cruise ship. Sure that also means food is extra but a lot of places have cheap cafe's versus high end restaurants. A dinner doesn't have to cost $50. What I find most often is that "Cruisers" are the ones who most defend this aspect, just the same as Disney fans defend every decision that company makes regardless of the absurdity of it. As someone above mention they don't mind being slapped in the face while their credit card is charged. You simply can't make an argument to them for the case of anything else. And if we remember correctly Disney park was created for all creeds to visit, not priced like it's a high rollers club that it seems to cater towards now. My family had to save for several years before we could go to Disneyland, and that's when it was still only $100 for every ride in the park and had been so since my dad went as a kid. If we had to pay the prices they're charging today we'd have had to wait even longer all the while prices increasing annually putting it out of reach with each passing year. What I find the most distasteful is when they do gratuity increases, yet cut back on said services that they encompass.

Just for perspective on pricing. Going on a 17 night Panama Canal trip on Holland America in just over two weeks. I paid $211.60 for the 17 nights. The current price offered is $251.99 - still a bargain compared to Royal.

But it is generally the show performers, who don't have that many other duties

I'm super-happy to have this ship and itinerary in CA now. I live in SF, so it's just a short hop to LA (though I still overnight before departure). I sailed in Dec/Jan on Navigator and it was one of the more fun trips I've been on.

These answers are a bit misleading (no offense to those who provided them.) While there are "Dress Your Best" nights, there is absolutely no requirement to dress formally on any night of a cruise. Whenever this comes up here, there are always people who suggest formal nights are mandatory. I think this is either because people don't know that formal nights aren't mandatory, or they like to imply that they are because a lot of people are oddly protective of the old-school cruising vibe and want everyone to play dress-up. I won't wear a t-shirt to the Main Dining Room, but I also do not wear pants. To the MDR, I wear a golf shirt and nice shorts. On top of not wanting to dress up during my beach vacation, staterooms are small and it costs a lot of money now to check larger, heavier bags on flights, so I don't want to bring a bunch of extra formal clothing. To summarize, while you should be respectful of the dining room and not dress like a slob, there is NO dress code for "Dress Your Best" nights.

I've visited Barcelona MANY times and have stayed in several different hotels. What I've learned over the years is that the best place to be as a tourist is as close as possible to the Placa Catalunya. The Placa is the large public square at the northern terminus of Las Ramblas, the great pedestrian promenade. All of Barcelona's transportation options use the Placa as a hub...including the HOHO bus tour. The cheap, easy Aerobus to and from the airport uses the Placa as it's ultimate stop. El Corte Ingles has an extremely large department store with a great Supermarket in its basement right on the Placa. Most of the tourist sites are easy walking distance. A taxi from the Placa to the cruise port is pretty inexpensive for the short ride. For our cruise coming up in April on Symphony of the Seas, we will be staying both pre- and post-cruise at the H10 Catalunya Plaza--a great little hotel right on the Placa. We stayed there pre- and post-cruise this past August as well. We've also stayed in the 1898 Hotel on Las Ramblas just south of the Placa and it's wonderful though a bit pricey. We've also stayed at the Hotel Continental, right on Las Ramblas, just off the Placa--You can't beat the location and it can be usually had for a bargain. The Hotel Jazz, just off the Placa is another longtime cruiser favorite. You can start with those...

Bingo

We recently returned from the Allure of the Seas trip out of Galveston. I might make a review just on the ship/cruise experience itself (short version: it's nice but really needs to be Amped Up), but I wanted to share some impressions from a dining and beverage experience, having bought both the Unlimited Dining and Deluxe Beverage packages. Background: We've sailed as a couple and as a family on RC and MSC 7 times since 2017, with most cruises on Liberty and one on Independence. Deluxe Beverage package thoughts: It's amusing that every time we book a cruise, we tell ourselves that the drink package is ridiculously expensive (even on sale) and that we don't need to commit that much money up front, and we won't drink that much anyway. Then at the end of the cruise when I review our account to see we routinely drink coffee and two mimosas before 10 AM, it very quickly feels like a good deal. While we prefer beer over hard liquor during the day, we enjoy wine in the evening, and it's difficult to find an array of premium selections $14 or under by the glass in most bars. There is always a passable merlot, cab, and a malbec around the $12-$14 price point. RCL charges $14 per mimosa, which feels almost criminally expensive when paying by the glass. Vintages has many more options but quickly run into $20+ per glass. I believe Oberon pinot noir is $16 though, which might be worth it to some to pay the $2 premium. I also like being able to get two bottles of water whenever we needed. My wife prefers ice water onboard (which is saying something since she's sensitive to smell and taste in water) due to the ship's filtration systems being excellent. But asking for ice water usually results in receiving a bottle of water and maybe a glass of ice. It seems a little wasteful. Ultimate Dining Package: This package is a great deal as long as you know for sure you'll be eschewing MDR and Windjammer for your dinners and most lunches. Breakeven for the package on sale is just 3 dinners; we ate at a Specialty restaurant 6 nights for dinner and 3 times for lunch. We were familiar with the food so we knew what to expect (except for 51 Central Park), and overall it was a fantastic value. Some random dining thoughts: Booking: I tried to be proactive and book through the Royal app as soon as we boarded the ship. I noticed each booking on my calendar indicated a charge but assumed this would be zeroed out once the server closed the ticket. Fortunately, my wife pointed out that those reservations would end up charging us and that we needed to find an RCL dining services desk. This resulted in a 30-minute wait in line and 15 minutes of working with the RCL rep to get everything booked. This should really be bookable in the app to save everyone involved a lot of headaches. Izumi Hibachi - As others have pointed out, the hibachi tables are in short supply and high demand. We couldn't get a reservation before 9 PM for dinner nor any times for lunch. Around Day 3 we ventured down there early for dinner to ask for just 30 minutes at the sushi bar (I was jonesing for the champagne lobster roll!). The host said he couldn't seat us but to try back later. We returned a couple of times (8 PM and later), finally just asking for a To Go order... and, nope! They couldn't do that, either. Izumi Sushi dinner - We managed to get a Sushi dinner reservation on Day 6, which at that moment I hadn't considered it was the second formal "Lobster" night in MDR. More than any other meal, my son was looking forward to the lobster tails on Lobster night, so I called the Izumi host to ask if he could order lobster as a part of his dinner. His response: "We don't allow food from other restaurants," like I had just asked Olive Garden if I could bring food in from Maggiano's. It's all RCL! One other observation is the prix fixe menu now indicates each Large Plate selection from the rolls includes just 4 pieces. When my wife and I took a cruise on Independence over New Year's, we received a full 8-piece roll for each Large Plate selection. I admit 2 full rolls is quite a bit of food, but getting just 4 pieces seems like a cost cut move. MDR Lobster night: My son ate lightly at Izumi and we ventured over to MDR so he could "eat his weight in lobster." My son's enthusiasm deflated, though, when he saw the menu: MAINE LOBSTER TAIL - Additional lobster tail available for $16.99. As he said: "Oh no! They patched the infinite lobster glitch!" My wife and I ended up each ordering the lobster and giving him our tails. I admit I don't read every post in this forum, but this was the first I heard that RCL started charging for additional lobster tails, so it's something to keep in mind. Overall - Outside of Chops at 6 PM or the hibachi tables, we never saw completely full seating in the specialty restaurants. It's clear there is still a staffing/capacity issue that is artificially limiting not just reservations but food orders in general. We were also disappointed at the lack of accommodation. (First world problems, I know.) Our favorite meal generally is Giovanni's. They have the best filet and the pasta is incredible. We're now working off the "cruise weight" but overall enjoyed our vacation.

when you make the purchase in the cruise planner there will be a prompt for you to pick which day and time you want your seating. If you get on board and realize there is a conflict with something else you wanted to do for the particular day and time you booked your lunch head to any of the speciality restuarnats and ask them to make a change. Each specialty restaurant has access to the others reservation system as well as their own. I've even cancelled lunches I've scheduled and gotten it returned as onboard credit. (OBC) OBC can be used for other onboard purchases or it will be returned to your credit card on file. Just be aware about cancellation of cruise planner purchases, I do belive it has to be more than 24 hours notice? So if you book a lunch for Day 2 and plan to cancel it, ask if it is refundable (as OBC) or do you lose the $. If they say you lose the $ just switch the reservation to another day and then do the cancellation-I would hope that works.

Come join our Facebook Group. Anthem of the Seas April 16th - 23rd, 2023 | Facebook

I disagree. Read the press from RCCL about upgrading to Starlink. They sell it as being superior to Voom Surf and Stream. Thousands of people enjoyed fast speeds and now many people are complaining. We worked prior to Starlink and it was better than Starlink is now. You seem so quick to side with Royal. Work or just vacation, $223/ week for internet is not cheap and needs to deliver an adequate service. I don’t need to know what provider Marriott or Hyatt uses. I just know it works 99.9% of the time. That can’t be said about RCCL internet.

Did you HAVE to order the Prix Fixe menu at Izumi? I’ve made reservations for 4 of our party & was hoping they could order $35 worth off the menu. Reservations are not part of a package.

I recommend to take the initiative. Join the Facebook group for your sailing, or create one if there is not one. Then have your daughter create an event for her targeted age group. It can be a meet up at one of the public areas prior to sail away or even during sail away. Some are comfortable sharing social media contacts prior to sailing. (Not saying I recommend that),

My dinner plans worked perfectly, at least in terms of timing. I was first at my table and the wait staff brought my two crab cakes right away. Delightfully warm and crispy. I was just starting on the second one when two of my table mates came in and sat down. I explained that I would be eating and running due to the Izumi reservation and they declared they wanted to do the same(I had been at the entrance to the MDR when they opened the doors at 5:15, so had a head start). I still had about 20 minutes to kill, so did the little art gallery scavenger hunt and then headed up to Deck 14 for Izumi. Great window side 2-top and such great food! Started with the edamame and then had the tofu-ginger salad (it’s pretty large!), the spicy crispy shrimp roll, the champagne lobster roll and matcha ice cream for dessert. True, the rolls were only 4 pieces each, but I definitely had enough to eat! After Izumi, I headed down to Studio B and had an amazing view from the second row back on the short side of the rink, two seats in, so I had a great view of both the ice and the cast members’ entrance. Then bed!

Someone changed someone's mind on the internet?!? Now I really HAVE seen everything!

@ChessE4 ahhhh. Thanks for the clarification and helpful info. I’m struggling with the difference of hotel options in Galveston as opposed to Florida accommodations. Of course — apples to oranges compounded by my procrastination and booking this close to the stay. I was also trying not to use my Marriott points for such a short overnight stay, but now that reasonable options are sold out I’m reconsidering the Tremont again. Prices are ridiculous, but we’ll hopefully cut some our losses by paying less for private transportation if we were closer to restaurants, cruise port etc. (we’re active seniors, but not up for hiking) I’m super glad I saw your post and we didn’t get lured in a time share trap!

I agree for the most part. However, the link you sent with the dress code specifically says, "suggested attire." Which clearly denotes an option and not a mandate. There is a printed dress code but it's clearly noted as suggested.

So just so you are aware, yes when you book through the app, they will mention a charge for the specialty dining. However, this has always been the case and they won't charge you if you have the UDP. I booked dining myself on the app before with the package and wasn't charged when I dined in. I will admit that in retrospect it is easier just to have someone do it when you first board.

It seems to be more about dressing up for pictures rather than formal dining in MDR

I asked Bard, Google’s new answer to ChatGPT, to write a blog post about my upcoming cruise on Ovation OT Seas. Here it is. I recently had the pleasure of taking a cruise on Ovation of the Seas from Hawaii to Vancouver. It was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious and relaxing vacation. The ship itself is absolutely stunning. It's one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and it's packed with amenities and activities. There's something for everyone on board, whether you're looking to relax by the pool, explore the onboard shops, or take part in one of the many activities. I especially enjoyed the ship's two theater shows. The first show, "The Music of the Night," is a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals. The second show, "A Chorus Line," is a classic musical that tells the story of a group of dancers auditioning for a Broadway show. Both shows are incredibly well-produced and feature talented cast members. I also enjoyed the ship's many restaurants. There's everything from casual buffets to fine dining restaurants on board. I especially enjoyed the Italian restaurant, Jamie's Italian. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. The cruise itself was a great experience. We stopped at several ports in Hawaii, including Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai. Each port was beautiful, and there was plenty to do and see. I especially enjoyed hiking in the rainforest on Kauai. The cruise ended in Vancouver, and I was sad to see it go. It was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious and relaxing vacation. Here are some tips for planning your own cruise: Book your cruise well in advance, especially if you're traveling during peak season. Choose a cruise line and itinerary that fits your interests and budget. Pack light clothing, as you'll be spending most of your time in the sun. Don't forget to pack your sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Enjoy your cruise!

When I lived in The Netherlands, the free short term lots used parking disks. You slide the dial to the time you left your car. Longer than 2 hrs, you got a ticket. If the attendant noticed the dial was set with a time later than the current time, you got a ticket. Royal should use these bad boys, lol. In all seriousness though, I think the non-threatening signs are a good try, even if it is just to make non-hogs feel better.

Five feet away & you didn’t see the person leaving the note. Maybe they also did not see you.

Glad that this affect me in absolutely no way. When I take a vacation I block out the rest of the world and enjoy why I'm there in the first place, everything I left will still be there when I get back.

Welcome to the boards! I cruised to Norway last summer. We got some Krone in the airport upon arrival in Amsterdam. I can confirm that the excursion guides/drivers were willing to accept both euros and US dollars as well. Just remember that they will lose some amount in the exchange to usable currency so maybe adjust your tip up accordingly.

BTW, Rhapsody is still doing 2 stateroom visits per day until April. Barbados excursion and transfer to the airport was pretty nice. Got to see different parts of the island, like Bathsheba beach. Got to the airport at least 3 hours ahead of my flight. Waiting for the Jetblue agent took longer than getting through customs. You can buy Mount Gay Rum at the airport. And you get on the plane outside. I mean why not, it's gorgeous weather. I would do this itinerary again, but maybe add Curacao and Tobago. Rhapsody is a great ship for solo cruisers and those with no kids. Overall a great time was had by all!

Having done both Sandals in St Lucia and done 7 night cruises, these are indeed VERY different. A $7000 room is MUCH larger than a $2700 room on RC. I can get a butler for $7k at Sandals. That’s not happening on RC for 7 nights at $2700. Sandals includes all drinks and all specialty dining. Only up charges are for VERY expensive wines. At Sandals, I don’t have to watch the time to make sure I get back to the resort on time because the resort isn’t exactly going to leave without me. Comparing these are a whole lot closer when you are looking at a suite on RC as I have a feeling the $2700 they priced isn’t even for a balcony. Even then it’s just so different

My TA recommended that I come in a day early, stay at a hotel near the airport, and then just come over to the aiport in the morning to catch the Royal Caribbean shuttle to Port Canaveral. It's about $35/person each direction, which is perfect for a solo traveler. Your TA can arrange this or you can call Royal Caribbean directly to book the shuttle. I've done this regularly in Los Angeles, so I anticipate something very similar for Orlando. EDIT: Something extra I learned the last time I was on a shuttle - if something happens to the shuttle (e.g. flat tire, accident, stuck in traffic), the ship will wait for the shuttle because it's an official RC transportation. This is very similar to the ship waiting for RC shore excursions if they are late back to ship.

I believe the Pan American port is for cruises that start/end in San Juan, and the Old Town port is for ships docking for just the day.

Here is some advice to get the best out of your drink and quiet. I like to find quiet and read a good book. There are lots of quite places on the cruise. One of my favorites is the solarium. It is an adult only place that has lounger chairs, couches and sleeper to look out the glass at the sea going by. There are bars that are not used very much and are very quiet. Most of the ships have a wine bar that is quiet. If you walk the medium decks (like deck 5) that has walking outside, you will find places to set outdoors and enjoy the sea and it will be quiet. For the first few days when you head to your room stop by a bar and get a water to take to your room. Before you know it, you will have extra bottles of water for night and early in the morning. You can take your drinks almost anywhere like they have said above. If you stop by and have a drink before dinner don't worry about taking that drink to dinner. If you are full at the end of dinner you can order your desert to go. They will give you your desert in a plate with a cover to take to your room for a late-night snack. According to my son, the last thing you do at night is stop by the pizza place and take pizza back to your room for a late-night snack.

Adding to this... Some venues, like The Bamboo Room, might use specialty glassware. In those instances they'd prefer to keep those glasses within the venue. So if you do plan on taking a drink from one of these venues it would be polite to give notice. If it the beverage of choice is wine, not really an issue. However, a Urban Martini from 150 Central Park served "chiller bowl" style may have them swap glassware.