Matt

Thanks for the review and I agree all of Royal Caribbean's scrambled eggs are inedible. That being said, I'm sorry to hear of your experience. Food is such a subjective thing, because I am sure we could have found a number of people that loved the very same food you disliked. You would both be right, it's just one of those things. I'm frankly surprised the food selection was enough to turn you off from RC. I think they do a great job with their food. Not everything is going to be amazing, but they aren't promising 5-star cuisine either. I think their international foods are quite good, especially for dinner. I also like the variety of food served. Of course, burgers, hot dogs, pizza and sandwiches are the staple of any mass-market cruise line.

You got to spend your onboard credit somewhere.... :ph34r:

Great point, Rich. Lots of people assume what travel insurance covers them, but read the fine print and understand under which circumstances they actually kick in.

Well said, Todd.

It should be available in the Cruise Planner site on Royal Caribbean's site

There's a major understatement! You'll have a great time

This timeline blog post may be helpful: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/02/09/the-total-royal-caribbean-cruise-planning-timeline

I believe you chose wisely!

Same with me for everything Kris posted.

If you booked it late, you might have a better chance. But what time you actually will be at the curb can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors.

Never heard of something like this happening. Hope you get well, soon!

You only pay extra for meals at specialty restaurants. There is complimentary water available onboard And do not apologize for asking any question! We are here to help everyone :)

If your Royal Caribbean ship has Jade (Freedom class), there is complimentary sushi every evening. If your ship has Izumi, there is no complimentary sushi EXCEPT for sushi samples that may be part of a demonstration or a means of drumming up reservations.

What got me hooked on cruising was the idea of visiting different ports during the cruise (and not packing/unpacking for each). The destinations were (and still are) a big reason why I cruise.

I love porters because I really, really hate lugging my luggage all around. I'm on vacation and I want someone else to do it!

I will do some research on this when I go on Navigator this weekend

Welcome, Emerson. Long time, no speak. I believe it is. RC and DCL both are about ensuring guests have a great time. I do believe they employ different strategies, but I think you will find the RC staff quite accommodating and helpful. I think this only occurs more commonly on short 3 night weekend cruises. For your purposes, I do not think that will be an issue. Honestly, I think it's an overrated concern. No, it's on one deck and it is usually a low deck that is avoidable if you are not interested. I know many DCL fans think the casino takes up half the ship, but think of it more like a restaurant. It's there, it's available but you do not have to go in. RC has really stepped up its game with stateroom size and amenities. The ships in Australia are great. I would highly recommend Ovation of the Seas if you want to see a good 1:1 comparison between what RC has and what DCL offers, in terms of stateroom. I have always maintained the food, in general, is better on RC than DCL. When I first tried RC I was surprised by the greater variety of food choice and the overall food quality, especially in the main dining room and specialty restaurants. RC ships offer so much more for guests to do onboard. They built their ships with onboard entertainment in mind, and they are quite frankly, the industry leaders in packing in things to do onboard. I also hope you have listened to the podcast episode I did with Len Testa and Laurel Stewart comparing the two cruise lines: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/podcast/episode-50-royal-caribbean-versus-disney-cruise-line

Two ships in Labadee at once do happen from time to time. It's not regular, but usually a smaller ship and a medium ship

Still water = normal, uncarbonated wayer Bottled water = sparkling water

I rather like RC's pillows

It used to be easier, with one device knocking out another device when logged in, but now you have to logout of device 1 to allow device 2 access.

Should be a great photo opportunity

They should be able to seat you next to each other. It may take a little longer to get that set up, but they will be happy to help you with that kind of a request.

As Michelle pointed out, third party companies will sell you travel insurance even now.

The drink of the day is included with the Premium and Ultimate drink packages. You said the "beer and wine" package, so I believe you are referring to the Select package. If so, then that package does not cover the drink of the day because the drink of the day is a mixed cocktail.