NS8VN

Definitely contact RCCL about this as the US has a lot of laws regarding closed loop cruises and RCCL may or may not be able/willing to allow this.

Please let us know what they tell you!  I hope they are able to work it out for you.

Flip flops.

Or thongs in some places outside the US.

2 hours ago, jce2 said:

Hey Hayley, I just got to ask...were you born in 1995?

 

I would have guessed 1997

Wine you bring on board is supposed to be consumed in the stateroom.  Drinking it outside of the stateroom is supposed to incur the corkage fee.

In practice this really only comes up if you bring the bottle itself to dinner.  If you are carrying a glass around it is pretty unlikely you would be asked about it as people carry wine glasses around all the time.  Technically you could be asked and they could charge you a corkage fee, but I have yet to hear such a thing happen.

That said, when people talk about freely ignoring rules regarding alcohol on board RCCL has cracked down on things.  Most recently the drink package fiasco.  So my advice is to enjoy the wine you brought on board in your room and if you decide to enjoy it any place else on the sly then keep it to yourself.

I checked it for our November Indy cruise and was able to save on our Voom package.  I had been waiting because I originally only booked 1 device but decided we wanted 2.  Originally it was $14.40/day for a single and I rebooked for $24/day for two devices.  So a decent savings.

3 minutes ago, Matt said:

There probably needs to be a bit more flexibility on the part of the piano player, although I'm sure it gets really old when the same seven songs are requested every night 

They should save themselves the trouble and just put up a "No Billy Joel" sign.

@Kurtp13 Thanks for the review!

2 minutes ago, princevaliantus said:

Again, you're reading it wrong. Let's move on to the next topic. Thanks.

No, no.  You are the one who brought it up.  You said that RCCL is in violation of US Statutes.  What ones?

As OP posted, RCCL specifically makes an exemption when a parent/guardian is a part of the reservation.  So what Matt and Kathy experienced is normal and within the rules.  Since nobody in this group is related the exception does not apply here.

But I do agree that a good TA might be able to make it happen.  Worth a shot at least.

Welcome to the forum!

You are correct that all 4 you will need to all stay in one room to make this work.  The first rule you posted is the only one that matters as the 43 year old is not the parent of any of the rest of you.  Even if you were related but not parent/child the second rule would not help you.

Good luck, and with August only 3 months away you will want to get things booked soon if you decide to cruise.  It is a busy time and rooms are likely already in limited supply.

I feel like a guy in the shipyard probably finished painting it and noticed he mixed it up.  It was probably right at quitting time, he looked around and didn't see anyone, and decided that nobody would ever notice.

Little did he know...

41 minutes ago, Ogalthorpe Haywood said:

Well said Pooch

Not really.  First, this is not the first time that she has assumed someone is talking about her and then puts forward her age and the number of grandkids.  Apparently she feels that living and procreating commands respect.  It does not.  Second, she gets incredibly defensive about things and her whole "won't wipe my mouth on my sleeve" thing is a sad attempt at putting words in other's mouths.  Her entire argument is "I'm on vacation, I'll do what I want!" which is hardly what I would consider a reasoned response to anything.

Then she says something about the Titanic, which is straight out of nowhere.  Especially considering how hard she has been making sure everyone knows that she is sailing in a GRAND SUITE!!!, so in a discussion about the Titanic she would be the elitist in question.  "Well said" is about the last thing I would associate with that post.

Also Ogalthorpe, you might not have noticed but there is a lot of segregation on a cruise ship.  There are suite-only lounges.  There are loyalty based lounges.  This is nothing new.  Attempting to compare a dress code with racial segregation is quite a stretch.

The horror stories are because everything is charged to a card so it is really easy to just keep spending.  I still remember my father's reaction upon seeing the bill after our first cruise.  Luckily I was ready when I started cruising on my own.

If you track what you spend then there shouldn't be any surprises.  And as Waaaytooo proved, it is even possible to not spend a penny more than you already have.

1 hour ago, melski94 said:

Where will this one go on Indy?  My younger kids loved the one on Harmony.

Going by the basketball court across from the rock wall.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/12/16/deck-deck-drydock-changes-royal-caribbeans-independence-of-the-seas

46 minutes ago, GlennGlenn said:

Is he not entitled to his opinion?

That has to be one of the weakest rebuttals in history, I have no idea why it is so popular of a phrase.  It boils down to saying someone is entitled to their opinion as a way to tell someone else that they are NOT entitled to their own opinion.

You put it in airplane mode, which turns all radios off.  This includes cellular, bluetooth, and wifi.  Then you go in and turn wifi back on by itself.  The rest will continue to stay off until you turn airplane mode back off.  And that is what you want.

This is the procedure for Android and iOS phones.  Matt even posted pictures of it on iOS above.

Put your phone in airplane mode.  Then go in and reactivate only your Wifi.  This will keep your cellular voice and data shut off but allow you to connect to VOOM.

VOOM only works on the ship (and maybe Coco Cay and Labadee, those with experience can confirm or counter that).  On shore you will have to look in to your cellular carrier to determine what international options they have.  If you don't want to use your phone on shore then you can just keep it in the same mode you are using on the ship and it will not connect to the local cellular network.

Enjoy your cruise!

1 hour ago, Pooch said:

I don’t know which “middle aged entitled people” you know but this middle aged entitled person and her husband worked for 40 years, raised & educated 2 millenials and aid in the care of 4 grandchildren.  I assure you no one waits hand and foot on me!  So yes,  I deserve a little entitlement.  Maybe when you are my age, you’ll understand how “entitled” your comments sound.

Woosh

Really it has little to do with expansion.  Environmentalists don't want people on previously uninhabited islands because they are more concerned about the environment.  They mention jet skis and snorkeling and human waste, all things that are already happening at Coco Cay.  While the construction may introduce additional damage to the nature of the island, the ongoing effects are not going to be much different than they are now.

I understand where they are coming from, but my reasons for disliking the expansion plans are very much not the same as their reasons.

13 minutes ago, Jardry said:

We're not huge alcohol drinkers and we buy the soda package.

If we want an alcoholic beverage, would we be charged the full price or would we be charged the difference in price between a soda and the alcoholic beverage? 

Soda package only includes soda.  There is no additional discounts.

3 hours ago, monctonguy said:

I am very surprised he said that....as Millenials are DEFN the target market for Royal.

 

 

That's exactly what I was thinking.  The tech they have been previewing (VR dessert bar?!), the rush to add water slides and the entire Perfect Day upgrade do not make me think they are targeting the 40+ market.

But then again, given that the youngest M's are already adults (and half of us are in our 30's) maybe he is alluding to them marketing towards the next generation.  It is about time to start blaming them for ruining everything after all.

Wow, I didn't even realize this forum was 5 years old until today.  In fact this looks to be something like the 11th post ever made on it!

It could be data mining, but it could just be someone who has decided that it is their sworn duty to create and maintain meet groups.  I know DCL has a very well known one who apparently is quite a chore to deal with.  Which sounds exactly like the kind of person who would create a group for every sailing so they can run it.  Sometimes too they are trying to sell things cruise related and using that as a way to find customers.

If you are concerned but still want to join you can always create a fake account on FB and join with that.

Yep, just lights inside a waterproof bubble.

Maybe they would let you, but going by the letter of the terms no you can't.

Quote

Beverage Packages must be pre-reserved a minimum of 2 days before your sail date. If you are within the cut off time, please visit a beverage table on the first day of your cruise to complete your purchase. Please note that orders cannot be modified once they have been purchased. To change an order, you will need to first cancel the existing order and then make a new purchase for your desired beverage package.

So going by that you would be required to cancel your soda package to change anything.  Maybe they will allow you to cancel the soda package on the first day and then get the refreshment package, but by the second day onward you are stuck with the package you purchased.  However, it will not be an upgrade.  Your on-board account will be charged for the full refreshment package purchase while your soda package would be refunded to the credit card used to purchase it.

Enjoy your cruise!