Shari

Same here... Please keep us informed. 

All I know is I want some of y'alls luck! 
 

On my $20k win I was betting $2.64 a spin, on my $13k win I was betting $3 a spin. If you go on Club Royale Facebook page,  you'll see plenty of folks posting wins of $10k or more betting under $1. 

We lose so much that now we don't even gamble...We just drop off a check with the casino host...Lol

I won both of these 3 days apart on Liberty of the Seas last July

The Railroad Labor Act as applied to airlines for decades now.   Since all of the most recent mega mergers Delta/Northwest, United/Continental, American/US Airways, Southwest/Air Tran, the US really only has 4 major airlines.  Yeah Alaska acquired Virgin America but they are still a small airline when compared to the Big 4 and we have Spirit, Frontier, JetBlue, Allegiant, and Sun Country but they are minor players in the grand scheme of things.  
American Airlines is the largest airline in the world they have over 1,400 aircraft they operate over 5,200 flights each day. And although I don't work for American I'm going to assumed based on the airline I work for that American which is larger probably has at least 35,000 flight attendants.  Imagine the economic impact that would have on the US economy if an airline like American was brought to a screeching halt because their flight attendants when on strike especially in the age of mega mergers.  With airplanes already being full there is no way for Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Spirit and Frontier combined to pick up the slack that would create because as you all know as the flying public nearly ever time you get on an aircraft nearly every seat is taken.  Now more than ever the flying public needs the Railroad Labor Act because it really is the only thing standing between you all and what would be absolute chaos if an airline like American were to go on strike.

We had a cruise that ended in Amsterdam a few years ago.  We scheduled an 11:45 flight out of Amsterdam. We carried our luggage off and had a private driver waiting for us at the port to take us to the airport. We were flying business class so had the shortest lines.  However, we barely made it and are sure that others on the cruise did not.  Why, because the customs in Amsterdam delayed arriving and clearing the ship for over 1 1/2 hours.  10:45 is way too early
 

Jewel of the Seas was "upgraded" in 2016  and the pub was changed to The Pit Stop bar.  Kind of a precursor to Playmakers.
"In 2016, the ship went into dry dock for a nip and tuck that gave it two new specialty restaurants, a new wine bar, an outdoor movie screen and also gave its staterooms some TLC.
The makeover didn't change the ship beyond all recognition, however. Its look is still quite classical. With the exception of the revolving bar in the Vortex nightclub and the racing theme of The Pit Stop bar, the ship doesn't really go in for gimmicks. Instead, it drops nautical hints throughout, with lots of dark wood, blue-hued fabrics and brass."

We had a cruise that ended in Amsterdam a few years ago.  We scheduled an 11:45 flight out of Amsterdam. We carried our luggage off and had a private driver waiting for us at the port to take us to the airport. We were flying business class so had the shortest lines.  However, we barely made it and are sure that others on the cruise did not.  Why, because the customs in Amsterdam delayed arriving and clearing the ship for over 1 1/2 hours.  10:45 is way too early
 

LOL.  I would say you need to give Galveston another go (without all the vintages).  Your trip experience from there was anything but normal, but it made for a great story for your blog.

Royal's new terminal in Galveston is excellent! Last August I arrived at 9:45 and lined up. Was onboard at 10:30! Earliest ever in 40+ cruises! The terminal is very nice if you have to wait a few minutes before boarding. When the new terminal first opened it took some time to get operations in order and lots of delays. Much better now! I also recommend doing the self-assist when you return. So fast that you are off the ship and on the road in minutes once they get clearance.  

I mean it says there right in the username!
 

On that cruise, there weren't 300 people that got kicked off, but 300 people that voluntarily jumped overboard.

Doing some internet research:  Nov. 12, 2023 on Oasis of the Seas is the "2023 Men's Ministry Cruise".  Probably quicker bar service and certainly no one kicked off the ship. 😂

As a non-government entity RCL should be able to continue marketing to groups and charters.  The charter thing where a sailing booked by passengers who have already paid for non-refundable airfare gets converted to a charter and the customer is holding the airfare bag is wrong.  We got hit this way this past summer with an 8 day Greek Island cruise.  Left holding a $3,400 American Airlines bag on a cruise we had booked for many months.
On the groups, it would be great if RCL had to disclose a group and the size online (if group over 150) as soon as a group books. When you are selecting a cruise you might just want to pick a different sail date.  Regardless of how the group behaves, it is likely bar and show access congestion changes on large group cruises and the pool behaviors might change as well.  If you had a 4 and 6 year old with you and found out 900 Harley-Davidson Owners Group passengers were going to be on board you might just want to change your sail date (I used to be one of those years ago).  RCL should also allow you to change sailing and waive the $100 pp penalty.
Just my 2 cents.

We appreciated your observations on this, and everything else you experienced on the trip.  Please do not let a few negative comments discourage you from continuing to share you adventures.  I am looking forward to the next one!

i often find that she is giving out helpful information of the accurate variety to many here on the forums, similar behavior to what i would expect from a moderator. of course, no one is infallible — but even the moderators admit to making mistakes at time — and they (and she) are swift to acknowledge and correct it. 
 
understandable; however so much of what we learn on this forum, we learn in real time, from cruisers like yourself  — take, for example the new arrangement with the diamond lounge turning into the crown lounge and restrictions placed on diamond members between the 5-8pm happy hour. the “story” so to speak, broke in fits and spurts; was corrected and corroborated in real time and continues to adapt as the policies on the ship do. there was no investigative reporter aboard any of the fleet — that we know of — releasing information about this. 
the ceiling coming down really got me 😂😂
 
@CruiseGus — in short, you are absolutely entitled to your opinion. no one is denying that.
however, be advised that when you make statements addressing that you perceive a person — with an otherwise reputable + knowledgable character —  as anything but, please understand that there are others who feel strongly otherwise. 
i won’t deny that @Ampurp85 sometimes seems like a magnet for the outrageous and silly happenings of the human condition — but is it that she is a magnet, or simply that she is more observant/in tune with the happenings around her? 
surely this propensity for the wild behavior of humans is not to blame for her accounts. 💚
 
also i’m not sure what purpose it would serve for her to supply us with false information about a cruise that was, by all reports i’ve heard, an absolute nightmare for fellow passengers and crew. 
i am glad that you have been on cruises where there are larger groups that haven’t been this terrible. no one wants a bad experience. 
we sailed on symphony in february and it was not attended by a group of this size, but our corridor and neighbors spanning five cabins in all directions were an absolute nightmare. they nearly ruined the vacation as we could not sleep. security had to be called multiple times. we ultimately wound up getting moved — and i am thankful every day that there was a cabin that we COULD move to, which is so often not the case.
and that was a small fraction of the group compared to the one on allure last month.
there is no doubt in my mind that the eyewitness account from @Ampurp85 is both true, fair and accurate, as far as it depends on her. again, it really serves no purpose for her to “blow things out of proportion” otherwise. 

Agreed and ditto on the congrats!

I think it will still be worth it and congrats.
 

Hey! We're about to hit D+ and definitely don't consider ourselves "the older crowd", lol. What are you saying?

Thanks @OCSC Mike Not only did we read about it but we also found a fantastic blog.  @Ampurp85 is an excellent writer and story teller...Someone who has a lot more patience's then we could ever have.

Just to provide a bit of intel, this sailing on Indy (11-6-23) is restricting access to the Crown Lounge during Happy Hour (5:30-8:00) to D+ and Pinns.  Diamonds can go into the Crown Lounge any other time, but not during HH.  IMO, this will be a permanent change on all ships going forward.
 
Adjacent topic - Pinns are NOT being restricted from the Suites Lounge on this sailing. I also believe that the “top 30 Pinns” in the SL will be a permanent policy.   My guess is that there are fewer than 30 Pinns on this sailing, so basically every Pinn qualified but I look to be restricted from using the SL whenever there are 30 or more Pinns on any given sailing b/c we will be low man on the totem pole for a good while.  I guess we’ll see.

For the most part, I agree.  However, I do like not pre-paying them as it gives me a little leverage if for some reason I feel the need to complain to customer service.  I came close to it on my last cruise to be honest.  Everyone was spectacular except our cabin steward.  I never once met the steward and he never made a point to introduce himself to me or my wife.  We had an offer to have our clothes pressed on Day 1 for a good discount, had them ready to go and the steward never even made an attempt to pick them up.  Admittedly, he did clean the room daily despite the fact that I never ever met him.  I did lodge a complaint towards the end of the trip; however, I opted to still pay the gratuities for the benefit of everyone else that treated us well.  I made it clear to customer service that I did not feel the cabin steward deserved any of it.  I also tipped the dining room wait staff extra as I usually do ($50 each).  For the cabin steward, I left $5 in the envelope hoping he would get the message that he did not do anything to make my trip special.  I also called him out in the survey.  This was the first time I had not left a real tip beyond standard gratuities for the steward and I usually leave $100 or so because they usually take time to make sure our needs and wants are met to the best he can.

Gratuities should be part of the base fare, leaving guests to tip in cash for truly good service

You were correct! First, I tried filling out the online form but it instantly told me I wasn't eligible since it had been longer than 48 hours since I booked the ticket. Then, I called and they gave me the better rate 🙂 Saved me $330 -- thanks again