MaryCS62

Hey!  I resemble that remark!🤣

Hey!  I resemble that remark!🤣

Hey!  I resemble that remark!🤣

If you have the app, you can look at the menu for your sailing. Or the sailing(s) before yours. Only Izumi's will have prices for a la carte dining, all the other restaurants will have one flat fee, which you can see in your cruise planner. 
The $25-35 pp per night is based on an unlimited dining package. Many of the specialty restaurants can be brought in the cruise planner for a discounted price; based off of the price onboard, which might also be discounted. Example: for my Sept Navigator sailing, Chops is $49.99+gratuity pp, which is $58.99 with gratuity, that can be more than a steak restaurant on land depending on where you live. The unlimited package is $177.99 or $210.03 with the gratuity, which is an average of $42 a day but since I can eat at multiple venues each day it averages about $21 a meal based on lunch and dinner. 
Restaurants on the ship are different, you pay one flat rate (either beforehand through the cruise planner, the first day onboard, or charge to your account after each dinner) and enjoy as much as you want. The ship charges 18% gratuity on food and beverages but this goes to all crew members. I chose to look at this as a surcharge/service fee and still tip the actual person who serves me. 
 

Directly from the CDC website -- keep in mind, children < 12 have been allowed to get vaccines for several months now, so boosters are now "available" for this age group-- 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html#when-you-can-get-booster
5–11 YEARS 1st Booster:
CDC recommends a booster of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for:
Most children, at least 5 months after the final dose in the primary series Children who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, at least 3 months after the final dose in the primary series  
If your child is just being vaccinated now, then they are NOT ELIGIBLE for a booster, and Royal is not requiring them of any age group
 

I would suggest Royal brings back $18 deluxe beverage package creator as a temp worker. This would appease some of the frustrations guests are having with the pre cruise planner and invoicing. 

For some reason this thread reminded me of American Express travelers checks. I remember when those were a thing

Deluxe drink package person here but I also like the Freestyle machine cause I can get my Coke Zero fix with lunch. 

Directly from the CDC website -- keep in mind, children < 12 have been allowed to get vaccines for several months now, so boosters are now "available" for this age group-- 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html#when-you-can-get-booster
5–11 YEARS 1st Booster:
CDC recommends a booster of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for:
Most children, at least 5 months after the final dose in the primary series Children who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, at least 3 months after the final dose in the primary series  
If your child is just being vaccinated now, then they are NOT ELIGIBLE for a booster, and Royal is not requiring them of any age group
 

Yes  5:30 is too early and 8:30 is too late.  I know the dining times are aligned with the show times so much needs to change but it certainly isn't impossible.

@Michael Bayley - My Proposal:
Platinum -> 1 Free Drink
Emerald -> 2 Free Drinks
Diamond -> 4 Free Drinks
Diamond Plus -> 6 Free Drinks
Pinnacle -> 10 Free Drinks (ideally unlimited, but understand capping it)

I verified this scenario with RC and that is correct.
We also want to congratulate you on your upcoming upgrade to Diamond Plus status! You are correct in your understanding of the way your status upgrade will be applied. As your status will upgrade at the end of your first sailing, you will be able to enjoy your Diamond Plus benefits on your next sailing. We do want you to be aware that for members whose status is upgrading on a back to back sailing, we ask that they inform the Loyalty Ambassador onboard during the first sailing of their upcoming change in status. Please let the Loyalty Ambassador know of this change and they will be able to note this change so that we are sure you receive your Diamond Plus benefits on the second sailing.

Only on some ships, mostly the newer ones and then the recently refurbished Oasis of the Seas as well.

We are doing a B2B in a few weeks - at the very end of the 1st cruise, DH & I hit diamond - and we plan on going to the loyalty ambassador during that 1st cruise to make sure we can use diamond perks on the next one. We've been told to ask, otherwise it won't happen until our next one after that.

Just ensure they are not expired 

We are doing a B2B in a few weeks - at the very end of the 1st cruise, DH & I hit diamond - and we plan on going to the loyalty ambassador during that 1st cruise to make sure we can use diamond perks on the next one. We've been told to ask, otherwise it won't happen until our next one after that.

If Harmony has a free standing Starbucks, I know they take payment only via the app, gift cards, or I assume regular credit card (haven't been on that type of ship yet, but I know charges do not go to your onboard account). It certainly won't hurt to try!!!

Your cruise ticket will say if you have set early or late seating, or if you have My Time Dining. My Time means you can either reserve a time each night - can be different times every night, your choice -- or you can just walk up to the dining room and wait to be seated. MDR is open every day for breakfast and dinner, but only open for lunch on sea days. Port days, usually not open for lunch. 
Windjammer is the buffet that is open for all meals, & has longer open times. 
Depending on the ship, there are various other places to eat that are either included or are extra cost. Each ship has a promenade or similar area that has snacks, pizza, etc for free. The specialty restaurants are all pay (usually a set price, although a couple are a la carte), & some can be reserved for dinner & sometimes lunch ahead of time or on the ship. 
You have to check out your ship on royal's web site to see exactly what is available, as there are many different options, and some ships, especially the larger ones, have more than others.

Anything with Chambord blackberry liqueur.
I don't remember it having a specific name, but a Schooner Bar bartender on Rhapsody (Adrian) made my wife a delicious cocktail that consisted of the following:
Absolut Vanilla, Chambord, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Cranberry Juice, and Strawberry Puree. 

Regardless of the requirement when you sail, boosters are recommended unless your primary care physician gives you other advice.  I would worry more about my personal health risk.  Our Barcelona sailing isn't until October, and entrance requirements could change by then.  To some extent, you are dealing with a moving target.  We are actually hoping an Omicron-based vaccine will be available before we travel.  The variants are always a challenge for travelers.  Have a great cruise!

If you don't mind, keep us updated on whether it's the adult sized sippy cups or coca-cola insulated tumblers, please. I'm still hopeful 😂

I wear a suit, my wife and daughters wear nice dresses. My younger daughter actually made a point of buying a new dress right after prom season ended (great discounts to be had) so she'd have something more elegant to wear on our upcoming Med cruise (which has 4 formal nights). I bought a 10-picture package for our sailing and plan to get at least 1 pic of all of us in our formal wear.

For various health/comfort reasons, I can't wear heels, so have 2 pair dressy slacks (palazzo style) with various mix & match tops & comfortable sandals to wear on our dressiest nights, along with long sundresses that can be spruced up with a bolero style sweater or jacket for less formal times.  DH will wear dress slacks, sport coat, dress shirt & tie for dressing up, & usually nice slacks & minimum of a polo shirt or sport shirt even on casual nights.  T-shirts & shorts for him/capris for me are relegated to pool, excursions, & walking around the ship. 

No, we are actually on Oasis, but the other poster explained it as it only shows on the current sailing, which is weird, but oh, well....

During restart and since the restart they spray all guest areas and hallways with a fog like spray to kill any virus material lingering around.  There is a period of time where all crew leave the area and return only when it's safe.  
I know people who are frequent cruisers who ignore the signs and go to their cabin during this time.  Smart or dumb?  You decide.  There is a reason why they are telling consecutive cruisers to stay out right now.  Despite that some people don't listen and they do what used to be allowed pre-pandemic when staying in the same cabin.  I choose to listen and stay out.  
Most of the time pre-pandemic if I was changing cabins I would make a point of finding my new future cabin attendant as the cruise was nearing its completion.  Many times they would prioritize my cabin so it was ready early.  This wasn't required of them and not all of them did it.  Since the restart some ships move crew around assigning them new groups of cabins for the next cruise.  That makes it impossible to visit your next cruise cabin attendant because no one knows who it might be.  Each ship has their own practices. 
It's harder to predict what your experience will be right now.  Listen, read and go with the flow.