gregorykicks

So this should be an upgrade to a 1R category room. You'd go from 149 to 260 sq ft which is a HUGE improvement for four people. Plus I think these rooms have the built in bunk beds and curtains so that you can have some level of privacy in areas of the room. I would say you definitely want to bid on this upgrade! In an interior room you'll have two people on beds and two people on beds that pull down from the ceiling over top of the main bed. It's doable, but not fun for a family. 
Remember three things about Royal Up. 
1) Your bid price is per-person for the first two people, so if you bid $40/pp you're bidding $80 total. 
2) The bid arrow telling you "good, better, best" bid or whatever terminology they use is not based on other bids but on the slider for your bid. If you slide to the middle the arrow goes to the middle. It's not really giving you any information about how strong your bid is relative to any other bids. 
3) Just because you can bid doesn't mean the room is even available. I would definitely check the price for just booking that category. See if anything is available and you may just want to pay for the upgrade instead of bidding. 
Good luck!

Ours was just a nose swab. If the kid can pick their nose, they'll be OK with the swabbing.

I just sailed 8/22-8/28 on Odyssey with 2 kids ages 2.5 and 3.5.
We got their pre-sail test done at the pediatrician without an issue.  We had 12pm boarding time, so when we got to the port there was no lines to start checking in or to get their at-terminal test done.  The nose swab was quick and easy.  At first the kids were intimidated by the tester's outfit, but we told them it was just going to be "nose tickles"  and thats exactly what it was.  It wasn't a deep swab at all.  We got our results in about 40min and got right on the ship.
Our on-ship departure test for the kids was very similar to the at-terminal one.  We booked an appointment for 10:45am (iirc) on day 6.  We wanted to get tested earlier since that was the day at CocoCay and fortunately they called us at round 9am saying there was no line and to just come down.  Again the test was a not-deep swab for 10s and the kids had no issue.
Adventure Ocean was available but we didn't use it.  The SplashAway area was great with the limited capacity on the boat.  On embarkation day, one of the splash pads was empty except for my kids.  Throughout the week, the most kids I saw in one of the Splashaway areas at any given time was maybe 6-7.  There wasn't any apparent limit set by Royal, but the limited ship capacity seemed to help keep it pretty empty.  
Since the kids were young, they weren't up late enough for any shows.  Pretty much any time they weren't at the pool, they were either in the room or in a dining area.  The kids did really well with the masks since they really only had to wear them in the hallway for a few minutes at a time.  
We only took them off the boat at CocoCay which was great.  We were the only Ship in port so the island felt completely empty.  We are from Florida, so we didn't think it was worth it to book an excursion just to go to a beach at the 2 stops in Mexico.  Instead, we planned to enjoy the even emptier ship, which worked out as planned.  It felt like we had private splash pads during the port days.

I know others are fans of Nellie's Beach but with your age kids, I'd highly suggest the beach bungalows on Columbus Beach.  The bungalow area is blocked off from the public so it is very easy to keep an eye on the kids, the sand is great for playing in and the water is calm.  Plus, the bungalows are cheaper.
 

This was our set up.  We had 7 people and some wanted more sun so the attendant dragged 2 chairs next to the other 2.  Later we took the 2 beach chairs to the water's edge.

View from the bungalow to the water.  

We were on Harmony.  The really crowded section is the public area on Columbus Beach.  Where the line of chairs stop is the bungalow section.  As you can see less, less crowded and some with bungalows  just pulled chairs down to the water.  

I was able to get my cabana's booked yesterday. I called in and had the customer service rep do it for me. She assigned one to me and one to my wife. 
I think, based on what I was seeing online, when you book a cabana the drop down option is actually for the number of cabanas you want. You don't need to assign everyone in the cabana to a reservation. 
 
Thanks all for your help!

Yes, your TA will be able to book it and use your OBC.  We have used our TA on various sailings for the big planner items, such as cabanas or beach beds with OBC.   
I can't see why not.  We do this method for price drops since they are limited in quantity when not wanting to bother our TA.  Instead of taking the chance of losing the cabana between the time we cancel and rebook, we book the new one on the other's reservation number and it has always worked.   In essence, for a few minutes we have 2 cabanas until we go back and cancel the higher price cabana.
 
We never had to link them to our cabana or our beach bed or even a couple's spa.  IE it is just 1 person.  This includes or May 2021.  It even says 1 person, so my fear would be that if yo link all of the people you will be charged that cabana price for every single person.
However, if this is the new way, I would not worry about whom is in which cabana.  Once in that area they will give you a wrist band.  The attendants don't care that you linked Jane to 1 cabana, but in the end she wanted be in the other cabana.  They will originally walk her to that linked cabana, but after that they will just look at the fact that she has a wrist band on.  
The only problem you might have is that they assign the location of the cabana.  You no longer, at least at Coco Cay   There are not many of them,  but you might find them next to each other.  They are assigned by the time of purchase.  So if you book yours and by the time you finish and start the 2nd, and than 2 other passengers book during between those times, the cabanas will be separated by 2.  Which goes back to why you might ask your TA or RCL directly so those numbers can be right next to each other.

We personally like the promenade rooms,the higher up,the better, at least level 7 if not 8. We have stayed in them 3 times on the freedom and I enjoy the light in the room and sitting and watching the parade from them. You can on ocassion hear the music if you are in one of the middle rooms, but I have never been kept awake from the noise.

Realizing this this a RCCL based site, I have been reading about affinity/travel related credit cards the past few days. No doubt there are some biased opinions out there and the credit card world is primary out there to skim money from retailers and charge exorbitant interest to consumers. Having said all that, some cards offer better travel benefits than others and the RCCL Visa is no where near the top on anyone's list of the 'best of'.
I say that in spite of having used the RCCL Visa myself for over 10 years and earned a couple of 'two for one cruises' and several OBC's of varying amounts. I am seriously reconsidering that choice of credit card. I only carry one card, generally pay it off monthly and channel most every thing I can through it for the sole purpose of travel benefits. There are cards out there with all kinds of agreements with on line reservation systems, hotels, airlines and virtually any travel expense including cruise lines. Many of these offer large 'sign up bonuses' that amounts to hundreds of dollars and some offer as much as 10x credit per dollar spent. Most all convert 10,000 points/miles into $100. Some even allow that to be converted to cash in your pocket.
Some are more biased toward airlines, some toward hotels and others for for any travel expense. Some have no annual membership, some have fairly steep annual membership though a good part of it can be offset with perks. Some are no doubt best suited for professionals that travel world wide on a regular basis. Some are a better fit for families that  do vacations once or twice a year. Most are targeted toward people with good credit scores.
Keeping all that in mind, there are some really good travel benefits to be had. Digging a little deeper, coupling some cards with online reservations as specific incentives with some hotels, rental cars and so on can seriously boost the points/miles you get.
Its kind of like people that cut coupons, if you spend a little time researching and playing the game, you can save a lot of money on travel.

For those who are particularly environmentally conscious, this indicates that the operator chooses to meet specific standards around things such as recycling, energy use, etc.

I think you're right on the Escape Room replacing the Card Room. 
On Symphony and Harmony the Escape room is near Adventure Ocean, but the only thing aft on deck 14 is the Card Room. 

After some more analysis of the current On-Air I can visualize a 180 spin. What had been throwing me off was the DJ booth where an exit route to the embarkation deck for the lifeboats. Looking and visualizing a hallway behind or to the side of the DJ booth would work. In fact the rendering almost gives that view.

Based on that graphic, is the Escape Room replacing the Card Room?  No big loss there.
 
 

I think Skypad was an activity solution for ships other then Oasis Class due to space restrictions. Skypad offered the most value with less real estate. Just my opinion.

I like most of the changes a lot and understand the reasoning behind the others. 
Very excited about the pool deck upgrades especially after what we've seen with some of the Voyager class ships. 

Portside BBQ will be an up-charge restaurant 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-dining/portside-bbq

Still have a hard time visualizing from the renderings it being the Solarium area. The Solarium bar area is a bit more closed in on Oasis view wise. So I'm wondering if they plan on relocating the Teen's Club area. To me it almost seems where the Back Deck, Living Room, and Teen Disco area is on 15, right next to Wipe Out. Would also somewhat match the "Postside" name aswell.
 
So scratch all the Teen club thoughts, unless it is relocated to a completely different part of the ship with outdoor access.

Think I've discovered the answer to Portside BBQ location!

Ref: http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Oasis/19067374_OA_Amplified_Infographic.pdf

My guess is Portside BBQ will be forward deck 16 where the solarium bar is. This is where Hooked is on Symphony and the renderings for Portside show curved railings and sea views. Also, there will be a fee for Portside BBQ (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-dining/portside-bbq). 

El Loco Fresh will likely be where wipe out cafe was (deck 15 aft near the sports deck) as that's where it is on Symphony. 

Renders sure make Music Hall look like Dazzles location. The window behind the stage is a giveaway. 

I think the Karaoke club will replace On-Air and Bionic will replace Champagne. 
With the kid's club revamp that's where they'll put the escape room as well (deck 14). That's how it is on Symphony. 

Portside BBQ will be an up-charge restaurant 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-dining/portside-bbq

There we go - https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/05/21/royal-caribbean-announces-oasis-of-the-seas-165-million-amplification-details

Are you saying you don't want to do your laundry in Anchorage. but later on for your cruise?  
I lived in AK for several yrs.  and we did a lot of camping.  If you don't want to do it in Anchorage prior to sailing,  I would do it in Juneau.  
OBTW, I don't know when you are sailing, but you need to make reservations for Simon and Seaforts as soon as possible.  You will NOT be disappointed.  Sooner you make the reservations, the easier it will be to get a table overlooking the inlet.  It is pricey, but waayyyy worth it.  Try their prime rib, and their crab and artichoke dip.  https://simonandseaforts.com/menu.php The minute you taste a bite of the prime rib you will be in heaven.
It has been yrs since I lived in Anchorage, but the Hilton had an amazing bar and restaurant at the top of the hotel that looked at FT Rich's mtn.  They have  a star on the mtn.   The Hilton is on the opposite end of Simon and Seaforts. Captain Cooke Hotel is between the two.  It would be about a 10--15 min leisurely walk from the Hilton to the restaurant. 
There is a mall on 5th Ave.  It includes stores from JCPenneys to Nordstrom.  It is a quick walk from either of these hotels. Look for the whale graffiti on one of the buildings.  There is also an amazing church on that street.
If you are there for 4 days, I would do the following:
1. Go to Mirror Lake.  It is right outside of Eagle River @ 30 min car ride.  It has wonderful hiking trails, waterfalls, etc.  Plus the lake reflection looks like a mirror when it comes to the trees shadowing.
2.  White water rafting in Eagle River.  Again it is @ 30 min car ride.  It is an easy rafting trip, but 10 will get you 20 it will be cheaper than any  RCCL rafting trip.
3. Portage Glacier.  I am not trying to make a political statement, but if anybody wants to see climate change, Portage is the place to go.  It is about 30 mins out of Anchorage.  
4. I do not know if they still have this, but right outside the back gate of Elmendorf AFB (close to Hilton Hotel) they had a salmon farm.
I hope this gives you some insight to Anchorage that is close to the port
 

On the bigger ships in the main dining room it is definitely a problem. I've not had cold food, but usually it's just warm. It's just an inevitability of trying to serve 6000+ people a meal. 
My last cruise on Rhapsody (2,000+ people) we had fantastic MDR food, especially at dinner. Food was hot, and very well prepared. 

On the bigger ships in the main dining room it is definitely a problem. I've not had cold food, but usually it's just warm. It's just an inevitability of trying to serve 6000+ people a meal. 
My last cruise on Rhapsody (2,000+ people) we had fantastic MDR food, especially at dinner. Food was hot, and very well prepared. 

So I did some digging to try and help you out!
I'm guessing you're doing the "Fantasea Glassbottom and Sightseeing Cruise" and from what I could figure, that is run by Fantasea Diving and Watersport. 
I found a reference to them on a Bermuda travel site that listed their ships and the Looking Glass (their glass bottom boat) has 2 bathrooms according to the site. https://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_000021.htm
Hopefully my assumptions are correct!

April  24, 2019
A week ago we (a family of four) were fortunate enough to visit Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) for a third straight year.  And for a third straight year, we hired Leo Brown to be our private driver.  Three years ago, we looked into booking a tour through the ship's excursion office.  Now, there's nothing wrong with booking an excursion through RC but we wanted more.  What we got was a lot more.
We decided to research a few months before on how to hire a private driver.  We found  Leo Brown on the internet.  He was recommended by previous travelers.  We called him up and hired him for the day.  The idea was that we would pay him the same amount that RC was going to charge us for their excursion. However, hiring Leo Brown has more benefits:
a)  You are helping the economy directly.  All money you spend is going into local's pockets. Booking an excursion means that RC gets a percentage.
b)  More time on the island.  The RC excursion will bring you back to the ship hours before it's set to sail.  With a private driver, you get more time on the island for the same amount of money.
c) You choose where you want to go.  If the kid's wanted to go snorkeling, Leo Brown would take us to a great beach... if the kid's wanted big waves, Leo Brown would take us to another beach... when we got hungry, Leo Brown took us to the French side for delicious food cooked in a local and authentic island restaurant... Want amazing views for the family picture?, Leo Brown will drive you to one of the highest parts on the island so you can take that picture. 
d) Leo Brown is proud.  The first time we met Leo Brown, he drove us around the entire island (Dutch and French side).  He is a proud lifelong resident of Sint Maarten and it shows.  Needless to say, we also learned quite a bit about the island through Leo.
e) If you hire Leo Brown, you are it.  No mini-bus filled with other passengers going to the same place where you will then have to wait in line and keep your eyes on the time in order to get back in line to board the mini-bus and get shuttled back to the ship. With Leo Brown, you are on "YOUR TIME".  You tell Leo Brown what time the ship leaves, and he will have you back.
Like I said before, this is our third straight year visiting Sint Maarten and hiring Leo Brown.  Unfortunately, our plans for next year do not take us back to this wonderful island.  However, if you are planning a trip to Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) via cruise ship or flying in, we HIGHLY recommend hiring Leo Brown.
Leo Brown: (721) 553-4290
note:  if you arrive by cruise ship, you will need to walk out of the cruise pier area to meet Leo Brown.  There is a taxi area inside the pier terminal but Leo will be waiting just outside.  You will see many passengers exiting here because it is a short distance to the town area.
 
The attached picture is Leo Brown and his wonderful wife and daughter along with myself and my two kids.