Geema

According to RC's website, no.  http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=luggage_valet_service

Brandon = Goldmember ?   He claims to be “almost platinum”     And I claim to be almost pinnacle ?

Luggage tag status is purely random in my experience.  I booked a cruise as an Emerald on board a ship at the NextCruise desk.  My luggage tags for that cruise would eventually say gold.  I made Diamond in the beginning of December.  My luggage tags for the cruise I am on said Emerald.  
On board Anthem right no and I can't access my luggage tags - the website won't resolve but if I VPN home then I can access my luggage tags for an upcoming cruise.  
Welcome to Royal IT.

I think their mistake was when they decided to swap out the highly reliable Syrian hamsters for the more finicky Roborovski variety. The wheels just haven't spun the same since!

The ultimate in black box technology ... Royal's website ... nobody dares change anything because nobody know how it works too start with :)

This is actually in the process of changing right now.  In the past, your points were only good for the cruise you were on.  The program is in the process of making your points cumulative over (I think) a 12 month period.  This is more in line with land based casinos and airline rewards programs.  This is how they are going to "rate" you and how you will qualify for position in their new "tiered" system.  I believe they will be coming out with some new guidelines within the next few weeks.  There were some preliminary guidelines that came out a few weeks back but those were, apparently, not supposed to be released when they were so whether they will hold true for the final version of the new program, who knows ?

The 500+ point gap between D+ and Pinnacle means we will probably die of old age first. Anyone who can cruise that much deserves the perks.

We are gold but we do not have a gold sea pass card...it is silver.
I have a question on C&A. We just finished a cruise on Harmony on Jan 13 during which we turned platinum. The RC website...and C&A...still show us as gold. How long does it take for them to update your "status"? Thanks!

As a newbie who's first cruise is in Nov this year, i can honestly say this site has not only been a massive help but has also and maybe more importantly made the prospect of cruising less stressful. Simple things such as what time we can board ship, information regarding dining procedures or even the fact that disney is better for sailing if you want lots of sex , any question that is asked is answered in a friendly manner .  
Should RC do something to help Newbie's settle in? definitely!!! Not every newbie will find or even look for this blog  

I agree, they should send every new guests an email encouraging them visit this site :-)

I totally agree. Or at a minimum send an email with the most common things that people tend to know. Not everyone thinks to do research or don't do the right research. It doesn't help asking a friend because they were just on a cruise. (If you didn't know chances are they didn't either.) I remember there was one little class when I was on about 6 years ago on shopping but my parents had been on a couple by then (I was off to college so they travelled often) and were able to explain things to me but ya so confusing. Then knowing what I knew introduced my wife 2 years ago to cruise for our honeymoon on Norwegian and they don't do the same things so she was pretty disappointed and if I knew that upfront may have gone somewhere else. They need to be more upfront with things for all lines.

We just completed our 6th cruise and wanted to offer a general observation.  We love Royal and generally think they do things well in all areas.  However we come back amazed every time how many conversations we overhear that someone didn't know something was available to them on the ship.  For example the last night of the cruise someone eating in the main dining room for the first time.  They didn't know they could order an extra entree if they wanted one or if they have a food allergy the staff will do everything they can to meet their menu needs.  I understand why the company always host a port shopping event early each cruise, to increase their profits.  However I would think the could build brand loyalty by hosting a "newbie" event to offer insights into the ship and the great variety of items available during the cruise.  Maybe they alrady do,but as a still relative newbie we didn't see it on the cruise compass.
Royal shoould recognize that the script for the " newbie show " is already written for them with this blog and all of its great contributors.  We have found so much great information here we always feel at home on whatever ship we are sailing.  We really feel like we are giving back when we can answer a fellow cruisers question.  We also point them here so for their next cruise they will more informed which I think leads to a better cruise experience.

Thanks a lot! :)

Suggestions for Geema:
Dublin: Works well with hop on/hop off. Guinness experience was quite enjoyable. Trip into Wicklow Mountains might be an option if you don't fancy the city.
Cobh: Titanic Experience was quite interesting. Kinsale might be another option. I didn't enjoy Cork much.
Waterford: Waterford itself is a nice town to explore. If you're into handcrafts you could visit Waterford Crystal. Kilkenny is a nice town and Kilkenny castle is another option. Depending on your time in port it might also be possible to do a trip into the Wicklow Mountains.
Suggestions for StevenM:
Marseille: Personally, I don't like the town very much. I'd recommend an excursion to Avignon if you're in port for some time. It should take 1,5 to 2 hours by bus per trip but it's really worth it - and you get to see a bit of Provence on the way. Avignon itself is a gorgeous old town in part bordered by the river Rhone with an ancient town wall, numerous beautiful churches, the popes palace... If you're pressed for time, Aix-en-Provence is also quite nice with an old town, cathedral and especially Cours Mirabeau.
Palma de Mallorca: Works quite well with hop on/hop off. I've also heard good things about the train ride to Soller.
LaSpezia: Cinque Terre is a must-see. Pisa is overrated in my opinion, I do like Florence and especially Lucca but it's quite far from LaSpezia.
Barcelona: Hop on/hop off is nice to get a good look around town. If you're interested in Gaudi's works be sure to book every ticket in advance with designated time slots - otherwise you won't be able to visit much. This is especially relevant for Parc Güell and Casa Batllo - not sure for Sagrada Familia though.
Never been to Naples. We were in Civitavecchia last week on AIDAperla but didn't bother with the 2 hour (by coach) or 1 hour (by train) trip to Rome - from Germany it's no hassle to fly to Rome for a few days so we'll try this in the future.

Dublin is very easy to do on your own and is very walkable. What's important, though, is to prepare tickets in advance. We did this for the Book of Kell's, the prison (which often sells out), and Guinness. 
For Cobh, we booked with eCoach and went to Blarney Castle and Kinsale. 

1) I always give the prepaid tips and give a little extra to our stateroom attendant.  Usually around $20-$40.
2) yes, but unless you're follically challenged like me, bring your own.  The soap is fine, but some insist on their own.
3) You can get walkie talkies, but the service can be spotty and the sounds can be annoying to other passengers.  The Internet package would be the best way to go, but decide if you really need it.  Just set certain times to meet up during the day.  Of course this depends on the age of your children. 

You can do that, but don't do that.

I vote for staying onboard as well. There’s often port day specials in the spa that might be worth checking out. 

I am with WAAAYTOOO on Nassau. Stay on the ship. You wont miss anything. 

We chose not to purchase an excusion.  I found Nassau to be like an urban city, a little shady,  I didn't feel completely safe.  The water taxi ride to Atlantis was horrible. Next time I would stay on the ship 

Only reason we get off the ship is to go to the poop deck.  Its a restaurant (about a $4 cab ride) on the water.  A guy I work with family owns the place.  Good fresh seafood, a little pricey but we enjoy it and it gets us out for a while. 

+1 for staying on the ship in Nassau

At least put desserts on a different plate! 

Oh that is a good one!!!!!!  Or when you are in the way back of the elevator and it stops on your deck and say excuse me very politely and they don't MOVE!!!!!