Todd W

i just had these custom vans designed for our upcoming April cruise, does that count?  ?
 

Oh he doesn't want to limit his consumption by any means.  he is a brainiac techy guy who's nearly 60 yrs old an is just an oddball but i love him to death.  Since he's never had the deluxe package he was just looking for an easy way for him to see what all he gets during the cruise, nothing short of keeping it in notes on his phone.   i mentioned his ship invoice tracks everything scanned on the card but wasn't sure if that gave him the detailed info he wanted.

So he wants to track even though he is on the drink package?  
Might I suggest one of these:

 

If he wants to limit consumption, he should cancel the drink package. They are diametrically opposed. ?

Not every time.  Thankfully on Navigator I only received paper copies when I exceeded the package limit and had a $1 charge.  They might have run out of paper otherwise...

I just looked at my folio copy from may January cruise, the problem I see with trying to track via the folio is that some were entered as $0 cost, some were entered with the actual cost and then it was reversed out and then some were never entered in the system. As the bar tenders got to know my wife and I they would just ask what we wanted but then they would never take the card and run it.

Good bartenders remember your name and still run it using your name.  Their portion of the package gratuity is based on how many charges they post, so they run it using your name.  Saw this several times on Navigator last week.  In fact the bartender at Lime and Coconut remembered me from December and ran my name, never asking for the card all week.  

That is awesome that he remembered you (Since you are a bot). I saw the guy pecking around on the terminal but never thought of him doing it with a name or possibly a room number.
I checked the folio on the TV just to make sure it was all zero's, didn't actually count the number of drinks.

Well, how difficult can it be to remember "Twangster"?  ?

When we where on Anthem the Royal IQ app would track when a purchase was made for a drink under the drinks package, it just gave the location and a zero charge against it.
It was fun towards the end working out an estimate of how much we would have spent..... we did pretty well that trip lol

There are many drinking counting apps he can use : 
 
https://www.mensjournal.com/gear/9-top-drink-counting-apps/

Or he could just ask his wife to tell him how much he had to drink. She'll be delighted to tell him how much he overindulged.

Not to put you or your idea down in anyway but I don't think even the "mature crowd" want what you suggest. After reading your post I spoke to some people in their 70's and asked them if this would be of interest to them. They all told me No lol. They told me the activities you suggested are kind of old school cruising and sort of boring to them. I am in no way saying they are or aren't but I asked about 20 people and they all said the same thing that they can do all those activities you suggested at home in their "condo clubhouses" and when they are on vacation they want to do something different and exciting. So I totally respect that you would love to cruise this way I'm just not sure you can speak for everyone your age and say this is what people that age want to do. Again no disrespect I just happen to be at a over 55+ community yesterday and I decided to take a mini survey.

Will specialty restaurants allow one person to purchase a meal to take back to their room and then the 2 of you could split it?   Possibly an option for you.
 

The very concept of Oasis Class is based on seven distinct neighborhoods, each tailored to provide variety for the spectrum of family cruisers.  That is a large part of the appeal - something for everyone in the family from young to old.  Seven neighborhoods all tailored to old people is not something I ever see Royal attempting.  In fact that flies in the face of Royal's ideology.  
It sounds like you are seeking a kidless experience and Royal is the wrong cruise line for that.  No judgement, it's your money, find a cruise line that meets your needs.
For me approaching old fart status I enjoy Royal because it's fun being around people having fun and doing activities even though I can't participate in them all.  It keeps me young.  It also keeps the younger crowd away from areas I may like to hang out so I can enjoy the Solarium or Central Park without it full of bored kids with nothing to do.  

It depends on if you are looking at a box of 10 or a box of 20 (Some brands do not sell boxes of 10 though).
I bought a box of 10 Hoyo de Monterrey (Epicure Especial) in Grand Cayman this summer at it was roughly $150, so $15 per cigar, individually they were like $16.50 each, multiply that out and you would be around $300 for a box of 20, they probably come off of that a little.
Since the cigar will not have to be exported from Cuba and imported to another island I would expect to pay less in Havana, IMO.

same for me also.   I was an extreme planner and was very hesitant to give up control.   I still do a lot of my research on lower prices but i'm very confident in knowing our TA (Michelle @MEI) is also keeping an eye out for us as well.   With all the challenges that Royal customer care has had lately, i'd rather let a professional handle any issues that may come up.   If you can find a reliable TA (again MEI is awesome) there honestly isn't ANY reason not to use them that i've been able to figure out.   If i screw something up without a TA, its a crap shoot if it will get resolved.  If MEI has any issues, 99% of the time they can and will make it right (within reason of course).
 

same for me also.   I was an extreme planner and was very hesitant to give up control.   I still do a lot of my research on lower prices but i'm very confident in knowing our TA (Michelle @MEI) is also keeping an eye out for us as well.   With all the challenges that Royal customer care has had lately, i'd rather let a professional handle any issues that may come up.   If you can find a reliable TA (again MEI is awesome) there honestly isn't ANY reason not to use them that i've been able to figure out.   If i screw something up without a TA, its a crap shoot if it will get resolved.  If MEI has any issues, 99% of the time they can and will make it right (within reason of course).
 

I was just like you, I researched and planned everything, but in the long run they can find deals we just cannot find. Plus I don't have to deal with Royal on the phone or through the web site, MEI does all of that for me.
Travel is their job, I currently have 6 cruises booked out through 2021, I don't have to worry about any of them, I still do my research, but if I find something that might be different to have I just call or email MEI.

Of course you can do it on your own and it's not that difficult or demanding to manage it on your own. The reason to use a TA is they will save you time, maybe some money, and be your advocate should there be any issue.  
I often use the metaphor that having a TA is like having a lawyer. Of course you can represent yourself in court, but a lawyer knows the ins and outs of the system and everyone involved. 

I think being an advocate for the traveler is the biggest reason to use a good TA.

same for me also.   I was an extreme planner and was very hesitant to give up control.   I still do a lot of my research on lower prices but i'm very confident in knowing our TA (Michelle @MEI) is also keeping an eye out for us as well.   With all the challenges that Royal customer care has had lately, i'd rather let a professional handle any issues that may come up.   If you can find a reliable TA (again MEI is awesome) there honestly isn't ANY reason not to use them that i've been able to figure out.   If i screw something up without a TA, its a crap shoot if it will get resolved.  If MEI has any issues, 99% of the time they can and will make it right (within reason of course).
 

@tiny260   John I don't know a thing about you personally but your affinity for cigars is all I need to know man.    Hopefully one day in the future we can ponder the meaning of cruise life over a couple of cigars and spirit while at sea!

Another awesome @twangster  blog.   Thanks again for allowing us to share in your trip.   This has me looking for "amped up" options for my next booking.    Bamboo Room alone did it for me lol

Exactly!   at no point have i ever thought "oh it would be great to cruise with so and so" from over there.   it seems like it would be miserable, at least based on the majority of attitudes ive encountered.   Now here on the other  hand,  i've always thought just the opposite!