MaryCS62

To add to what JimnKathy said, AO usually is open house during embarkation day, so parents can go along with their children to explore the facility and speak to the staff. This would give your daughter a chance to familiarize herself with the room her age group will be using and meet some of the staff in your company and without any pressure on her to actually stay there. This will hopefully make her enthusiastic and excited about going along to the meet and greet session for her age group later on in the day.
Details of the time of that all-important first session will be in the Compass. Note that there is a separate AO compass for the different age groups so be sure to pick one up from Guest Services if you don't get given one at embarkation.

I assume you mean April 2021, as there's only one day left in April 2020....

I assume you mean April 2021, as there's only one day left in April 2020....

I'm still hoping our July 29 Adventure cruise is still on, so that we get to make full use of the $18 drink ? package we snagged ?.  Really, my ideal is just sitting by the pool with a book and a drink, so I doubt I'll even leave the ship (mobility issues also make that harder, so it's a win/win for me).  We get a couple of free meals from our TA, and DD and I signed up for the sushi class, so I'm good in that department.  

I'm still hoping our July 29 Adventure cruise is still on, so that we get to make full use of the $18 drink ? package we snagged ?.  Really, my ideal is just sitting by the pool with a book and a drink, so I doubt I'll even leave the ship (mobility issues also make that harder, so it's a win/win for me).  We get a couple of free meals from our TA, and DD and I signed up for the sushi class, so I'm good in that department.  

That was the one sailing I got the $18/day package on! Another reason I don’t want to lose that sailing.

DH, 2 DD'S and I are scheduled for late July on Adventure out of Bayonne -- still plan (unless told categorically otherwise) to make final payment on April 30 -- our 90 day mark -- and hope to be on the ship as scheduled.  I WILL NOT cancel unless we have to -- and lose my $18/day ?drink package  ?

DH, 2 DD'S and I are scheduled for late July on Adventure out of Bayonne -- still plan (unless told categorically otherwise) to make final payment on April 30 -- our 90 day mark -- and hope to be on the ship as scheduled.  I WILL NOT cancel unless we have to -- and lose my $18/day ?drink package  ?

I'm gonna get the drink package....I deserve it after going through all this. 

As I don't care for the room service coffee, and in fact, prefer iced coffee in the summertime/or cruising in warm weather areas, I get my iced latte (courtesy of the Deluxe drink package) the night before, stick it in the little fridge, then order pastries & toast to start the morning -- and hope DH gets up for the door :)

Also, it depends on if you can self-disembark (in other words, take yourself and ALL your luggage off), or if you need your bags carried off for you.  
Self disembark can be done very early -- shortly after the ship docks. I've never done it, so I don't know exactly when you can leave. 
Otherwise, standard disembark, you are assigned a time (just so they can stagger the departures), although I believe you can ask them if you want to go earlier or later than the assigned time.  If you do that, most of your bags are left outside the room the evening before, with luggage tags they leave for you, and you disembark & pick them up after you go through customs.
For various reasons, we only do standard disembark, as late as we can, because we drive to the port, and travel with someone with medical issues, so "fast" is not in our wheelhouse, but many other people report being off the ship within 20 minutes of the earliest allowed time when they self disembark.  How many bags you have, how far the airport is from the cruise port, what time you have to be in the terminal for your flight home -- all these factors are important for choosing your flight home. 
Conventional wisdom suggests nothing earlier than noon/1pm, since any number of things can delay your being able to get off the ship, including late arrival, problems with retrieving your bags, traffic between the port & the airport, etc.

My nephew had his study abroad in Italy (Florence) just cut short & told to come home -- he has to be home by Friday.  He's really bummed about it, he was having a marvelous time, was traveling all over (part of most of the classes involved field trips - he actually got to go to Fashion Week in Milan one day), and of course, he was traveling all over Europe on the weekends when he had no classes.  My sister is being affected as well -- she & her other son were going to visit him in a couple of weeks, and of course, that's not happening now, and she doesn't know if she'll just lose the money (or points) that she paid out for the airline tickets.  I'm really glad my next cruise isn't til summer -- plenty of time for this to go away (I hope!)

My nephew had his study abroad in Italy (Florence) just cut short & told to come home -- he has to be home by Friday.  He's really bummed about it, he was having a marvelous time, was traveling all over (part of most of the classes involved field trips - he actually got to go to Fashion Week in Milan one day), and of course, he was traveling all over Europe on the weekends when he had no classes.  My sister is being affected as well -- she & her other son were going to visit him in a couple of weeks, and of course, that's not happening now, and she doesn't know if she'll just lose the money (or points) that she paid out for the airline tickets.  I'm really glad my next cruise isn't til summer -- plenty of time for this to go away (I hope!)

Top deck stretched out on a lounger out in the sun with a book and cool drink in hand.

I'm surprised by this -- my DD has celiac disease (gluten free) & a degree of lactose intolerance as well, so avoids dairy for the most part, and was always able to get a non dairy milk for her coffee/lattes. As far as I know, you may have to ask for them, but they have non dairy options on board.

You have to make sure you bring a lot of singles for the...."entertainment"

That sounds like us.  DH always wears long pants & either a polo shirt or dress shirt with blazer, with or without a tie, depending on the venue (we never do Windjammer for dinner, so it's either MDR, specialty, or on Anthem, Coastal Kitchen).  I wear either long sundresses or dressy pants/top with low sandals (knee issues prohibit heels for me).  I'll often skip makeup during the day, but will wear it for dinner, along with a little jewelery.  Won't go crazy, but do like to make the effort.

That sounds like us.  DH always wears long pants & either a polo shirt or dress shirt with blazer, with or without a tie, depending on the venue (we never do Windjammer for dinner, so it's either MDR, specialty, or on Anthem, Coastal Kitchen).  I wear either long sundresses or dressy pants/top with low sandals (knee issues prohibit heels for me).  I'll often skip makeup during the day, but will wear it for dinner, along with a little jewelery.  Won't go crazy, but do like to make the effort.

I am usually in total agreement with @WAAAYTOOO but this is where we disagree. IMO, the food quality in CK rivals specialty if not better in some cases. 

Excellent!! We don't need a handicap room for DD, she is not confined to the wheelchair, it's for safety, & to get around more quickly (she has CP, but can walk, just slowly & has balance issues).  Don't need the roll in shower, a shower chair does fine, & the Jr Suite has the tub, which is better. For the Izumi entrance, even if there was a step or 2 at the end, we'd manage, but glad to see the ramp.  Also, with Hot Rocks, might get to actually eat there (instead of just doing the sushi class) -- DH doesn't care for sushi, & younger DD is gluten free, so Hot Rocks might be safer than Hibachi.  

Some Grandeur pictures in this older trip blog from 2017.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/6453-recap-grandeur-9-night-bermuda-bahamas-august-2017/
Park Cafe has sandwiches, salads and pizza at times such as late night.  
This picture of the VCL is taken from the starboard side ramp up to Izumi (port side has stairs to Izumi):

"Cruise Ship Sound System Reports Widespread Feeling Of Hot Hot Hot" ?

My time Dining is going to be in two of the 4 main dining rooms that Quantum has -- assuming it is the same as on Anthem

You can bring on UNOPENED prepackaged food -- so a fresh jar of PB&J should be fine.  The mini fridge in your room isn't truly cold, but even though you are supposed to refrigerate opened jars of jelly, there's too much sugar in them to go bad if you keep them reasonably cool.   Bread might be a problem to bring on board, unless it's in a vacuum sealed package, but unless he's super picky about bread too, just bring some sandwich baggies on board & pick up bread at the windjammer (buffet restaurant).  Keep in mind that you cannot bring food OFF the ship unless it is still in sealed packaging (ie, no making him a PBJ & taking it off the ship with you).

My DH ordered a Blue Moon (beer) at Chops when we had Embarkation day lunch back in May of last year. Waiter misheard, brought him Bourbon -- he decided to try it, although he's not a bourbon drinker, then had to tell the waiter, "Nope, I want my Blue Moon".  Luckily, we had the drink package, so it didn't cost him anything to try...