twangster

Boarding Indy this week I observed under 50 boarding after suites when the Key was called. Some Key guests may arrive after initial boarding. Like FTTF (former Carnival cruise here) they don’t publish numbers either. Only time will tell.

In theory, yes. On the trial I participated in on Oasis I was told the cap was 100, subject to review as the program advanced. The truth is we don’t know. If Royal finds this successful and determines the impact is minimal they will likely review that number and possibly increase it.

Your friend is a liar. On board a ship now drinking Fosters and it’s now $9.53 with gratuity included (a slight increase over the previous price) Exagerate much?

Still no luck for me. I’ve tried everything others have. I get Celebrity emails and emails for cruise planner bookings but no marketing and no Royal Up emails. I suspect the real subscriber list is an excel spreadsheet on a computer under someone’s desk and checking the check box does nothing. Until someone copies and pastes my email address into the magic spreadsheet no joy for me.

Reverse automation. Fearing they might have to lay-off call center workers and save money Royal has removed it from the website forcing you to call in.

Interesting story about some stranded snorkelers on Klein Bonaire. This isn’t cruise ship related so forgive me. In my late teens I was scuba certified and went to Bonaire by plane to dive. We chose a hotel right next to a dive shop / bar with views towards Klein Bonaire. One day after several dives we were eating dinner at the dive shop when I saw a series of flashing lights coming from Klein Bonaire. Dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot. Being a geek I knew this was Morse code for SOS. I told everyone about it but being a scrawny kid in my teens everyone thought I was a nut. I kept pestering the server who said talk to the bartender who just rolled his eyes. “It’s a lighthouse” they said. Eventually other people heard me and saw it too. Lighthouses don’t use Morse code and not SOS A sailboat owner who ran charters had finished his day and took his little zodiac tender to the bar for dinner. The bartender who was fed up with me finally said “tell him, he is a sailor” pointing to the sailboat operator just a few years older than me. That guy looked at me exhausted after a long day who just wanted a beer like I had just killed his best friend. He ignored me, ordered a beer, then he saw it too. Off he went in the dark on his little inflatable tender with a 6 hp motor in the dark with only a flashlight. 45 minutes later he returns with his small dingy overloaded with at least 8 people. Their hotel who dropped them off for a snorkeling excursion forgot to pick them up. They wandered the beach and found a flashlight Once dark they started signaling. Klein Bonaire is an island The sailboat captain was a hero, they called their hotel very upset of course but no one who had ignored my constant pestering acknowledged I was right. The server, the bartender and even the sailboat captain ignored me while he reveled in the limelight as a hero This was nearly over 30 years ago long before cell phones existed. Lesson learned. Be prepared at all times.

Awesome. Love the updates on Indy. Rainy and cool in Nassau today but I’m on a ship so who cares ??

And Skypad info:

I’m on Indy now. Here is the posted info for the slides:

No private time for activities with suites. No internet included with suites either.

Here are some Indy bar menus:

Yes, in cabin thermostat

Correct. Only Star Class suites tend to get front row. I don’t tend to like front row or near front row. I actually prefer mid theater because you see everything. You can take in the whole show versus watching a tennis game where you have to bob your head left and right.

I’ve done several dives through Royal and not experienced the drama @rjac references. Bonaire this past December included two boat dives. The boat was a little crowded but we went out to Klein Bonaire which was awesome. Shore dives can be okay but I prefer boat dives. Long time diver from my teens who went through the whole process again a few years ago with my step daughter. We did it locally in Denver which sucked immensely. The classroom part now is done on a tablet or computer at home, not with an instructor in a classroom like it was 40 years ago. Even doing it locally we had no classroom time. That limits impact to your vacation. The two pool dives we did in a rec pool in Denver would be done on sea days through Royal, typically early before pools open. I’ve seen them take place a number of times. The two open water dives occur in a port compared to our misery in a Denver reservoir. I was sailing Carnival back them but had I known I could spend virtually the same money and do it on a Royal ship I would have ten times over. Carnival doesn’t offer certifications or five star dive shops on board. I did take my step daughter to a local Denver dive shop and for $25 did a discover scuba session in a pool just to make sure she would be okay underwater breathing from a tank before committing to the full certification.

On Indy and spotted a new Diamond happy hour drink menu. Second ship in 2019 with Glenfiddich scotch offered.

When you book a cabanas you do it using only one name on the reservation. Book the cheaper cabanas in the name of another in your party then once secured cancel yours. Heck the system might even let you book it twice. I did that with a Voom plan once by mistake and was able to cancel just one of them.

Each ship has HR personnel on board. They aren't therapists but they are a resource that can provide access to additional programs and resources. A therapist is an interesting idea but thinking about it for a moment, there are many, more high stress careers in the world compared to cruise ship worker. The vast majority of cruise ships workers love the environment and some enjoy a party life we don't get to see them living while traveling the world at the same time. At a young age it's easy for some to trade the 11+ hour days for the opportunity to travel with free room and board. The downside of course is months away from family and friends at home. That can lead to companions at home straying into someone else's arms and when that news reaches the worker on the ship that can be devastating. Not saying that is what happened here but it's an example of many things that can happen at home that can hit someone working away very hard. Across America we see examples every week of someone who snaps and does something unfortunate. There are many places of employment that are terrible work environments. My son's girlfriend used to work for the TSA but quit months before the shutdown. She hated it, they treat their employees like garbage where getting legitimately sick will see your pay docked and your file being noted. It's a terrible work environment. Should employers be responsible for therapists to be on hand in every industry? Why does someone take their own life? That's a question so many have had to struggle with all over the world and not just in the cruise industry.

The Key guests were able to use the Crown and Anchor entrance to the terminal before security in Port Everglades:

To be clear, they don't own CocoCay, it's a long term lease. I think I've read the lease agreement (originally executed by Admiral Cruises) contains payments to the Government of the Bahamas on a per guest basis, like a head tax. However unlike Nassau where there is a pier, terminal and the associated personnel that operate it, those additional passenger facility charges are not bundled into CocoCay's port fees.

That depends on the port. In Port Everglades this morning boarding Indy at terminal 18 boarding went like this: Suites/Pinnacle -> The Key -> Diamond Plus -> and so on.

This post contains a Royal Caribbean drink menu that hasn't really changed since posting: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/4666-royal-caribbean-cocktails/ The drink package covers drinks up to $12. Anything above that you just pay the difference (a $14 drinks costs $2 with the drink package). I have Playmakers menus from other ships but I'll try to grab them from Indy.

Are you looking for drink menus or food menus at places like Playmakers? I board her tomorrow so if you need anything just let me know.

Usually 11pm. Technically you don't have to put luggage out if you plan to use self-assist and carry it all off yourself.

If I’m not mistaken NCL used them too.

There is a not so fine line between PC and being crude. That's someone's kid/family/friend.