MaryCS62

I remembered it because I had contributed to it ?, and like I said, it's my profession, and it's a subject I'm very familiar with...

It was about a drug called Epidiolex -- approved for epilepsy
 

DD (29 now, 1st cruise age age 23) has several medical issues, 2 of which, if they occurred on a cruise, could require evacuation & hospitalization -- and because she is also mentally & physically disabled, would not be able to advocate for herself, meaning there goes everyone else's cruise. We not only get insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, we get the kind that covers everyone in the travel party if one has to be evacuated for medical reasons.  YMMV, of course, but it's a couple of hundred dollars, & well worth it for peace of mind.

DD (29 now, 1st cruise age age 23) has several medical issues, 2 of which, if they occurred on a cruise, could require evacuation & hospitalization -- and because she is also mentally & physically disabled, would not be able to advocate for herself, meaning there goes everyone else's cruise. We not only get insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, we get the kind that covers everyone in the travel party if one has to be evacuated for medical reasons.  YMMV, of course, but it's a couple of hundred dollars, & well worth it for peace of mind.

For extra fun @JLMoran has created a fun little ditty you can sing to help you pass the time
im currently at
34 days till we go on the cruise
34 days till we go
Sun goes down and comes back around
33 days till we go on the cruise

6 years ago, my mom took the whole family on a cruise -- celebrating her 80th, my & DH's 25th anniversary, a couple of the grandkids going into senior year of high school -- so we were a table of 11 every night.  My younger nephew -- 14 at the time -- ordered at least 2 -- shrimp cocktail & Caesar salad -- and sometimes 3 appetizers, usually got seconds on his entree (or 2 entrees) & 1 or 2 desserts.  Our waiters just kept bringing it out, without batting an eye.  Of course, our whole table had the advantage of seeing the menu the night before, as my younger DD has celiac, & they would bring it out to let her choose her meal for the next day, so that probably helped.

The Solarium itself is reserved for 16 & older, but the Bistro is for anyone.  Only did breakfast there, unfortunately, while we were on Anthem last January.-- wanted to try it for lunch, but a lot of the time we had a big breakfast, so skipped lunch a lot of days.  Didn't do it for dinner because we mostly did CK (Junior Suite) or specialty

The Solarium itself is reserved for 16 & older, but the Bistro is for anyone.  Only did breakfast there, unfortunately, while we were on Anthem last January.-- wanted to try it for lunch, but a lot of the time we had a big breakfast, so skipped lunch a lot of days.  Didn't do it for dinner because we mostly did CK (Junior Suite) or specialty

@Zacharius  I tried to write antipasti but auto correct just kept changing it, so I decided to leave it alone.  Even now it keeps placing the red squiggly line.  
I laugh because we live in VA, but NJ/NY raised.  Proscuitto to us is pronounced proscuitte ---no O.  Calamari is pronounced Calamar, no I. Mannicotti, is mannicott, no I, and they are crepe shells. There is no such thing as sauce, it is gravy.  If you are a true Italian, you know that meatballs are made with multiple types of ground meat.  A true parmigiana is done on lone heat for hrs.  Christmas eve is 7 fishes.  You are also a pro at stuffed artichokes.
My husband and I are unique.  He is 50% Italian.  His mom was jewish.  I am 50% polish.  My kids were raised with all 3.  Lox and cream cheese smeared on an everything bagel or bialy is heaven for breakfast.  Kielbasa and sauerkraut for dinner on a summer night is perfection.  OBTW in the Polish world kielbasa is  actually called in my family kielbas.  My Mom is 100% polish, her folks were 1st generation.  Manicotti, bresciole, sausage and meatballs that has stewed for a day in the gravy makes them smile until that manicotti filled with 4 different cheeses hits their stomach like a 10 lb weight.
During the fall I do not make dinner on Sunday.  Instead, my coffee table is filled with sopressetto, prosciuitto, salami, cheese, olives, and home made focaccia, stuffed artichokes, and of course balsamic and olive oil while we watch football.  
Not trying to be offensive.  Just saying that most people that don't have that background will pronounce it in a  certain way, which as a society we accept as the norm.
Back on topic.

No microwaves anywhere for passenger use. 
Continental breakfast (bread/bagels/pastries, hot & cold cereals) juice, coffee, tea will be delivered free in the mornings if you want it -- here's a link to the menu -- first page is breakfast
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/03/16/royal-caribbean-shares-new-fleet-wide-room-service-menu
Note -- the food on the light blue background can also be ordered, but there is a $7.95 fee for that, but you can order as much as you like (for several people) for that same fee.
You can either call & order in the mornings, but I don't know how long that takes OR -- there is a menu you can hang off your door at night & they will deliver it at the time you specify (up to 11am).
There is a $7.95 fee for lunch, dinner & anything in between -- again, you can order as much as you like for that same service charge/fee.

Depends on the ship & restaurant.  Chops, Wonderland & Izumi recommends smart casual, which for me is a minimum of long pants for the men, with a short or long sleeve button down shirt.  For women, a summer type dress is fine, but I've found some of the restaurants to be cool/cold, so they might want to either wear something that covers the shoulders, or have a shrug or jacket to wear if they get cool. I believe Giovanni's & Jamie's are casual, so dress shorts may be ok. Can't speak to any other restaurants, as I have only been on Adventure & Anthem recently, so not familiar with other restaurants.
MDR -- they don't WANT you to wear shorts, but I don't think they kick you out unless they are along the lines of gym shorts, & even then I think some people get in with them.  "Formal" night to me means long pants as a minimum -- my DH will wear a sport coat & tie in addition to the dress shirt & pants that he wears every night to dinner. 
People will tell you wear what makes you comfortable, so keep that in mind as well.  The men might want to bring 1 pair of long pants with at least 1 dress shirt -- if they're neat, it can certainly be worn more than once.

Typically the way these packages work, is they will set the first time and then you can book the second time once on board.  HOWEVER, the real process is that as soon as you get on board, go to any restaurant and change the reservations to the Restaurant and times you want.  I think the first one must be night 1 or 2 (for the BOGO package).  Still you should be able to get the time and date  you want if you go directly to a restaurant to change.
I have done multiple times and I think I lined up once.
Curt from Canada

Here is something that will give everyone a chuckle. It seems that Royal Caribbean isn’t the only one with IT issues, or perhaps their recently released beverage package intern got hired by Amazon just in time for prime day.
Amazon Prime Day pricing glitch meant people bought thousands of dollars' worth of camera gear for $94.50
https://bit.ly/2Gj9QsV

The only thing I would suggest, in addition to the list, is taking pictures of the actual labels with your phone. Also, I would strongly recommend that if any of them are controlled substances that you bring the original container. Also, if you don't want to bring big bottles, you can ask your pharmacy to give you extra labeled small bottles that will hold a 14 or do day supply.

Our last cruise & upcoming cruise were booked through AAA (1st we booked, then transferred, next 1 we just let them do it) & both times our OBC was listed immediately upon paying our deposit.  It's still sitting there in our cruise planner for our next one, as we like to actually use it on board & don't use it to pre-pay anything, mainly because if we cancel or change something we've pre-ordered, we'd rather it go back on the CC & not worry about tracking OBC.  It's not a huge amount, but it will cover incidental expenditures, like a bottle of wine, or a souvenir or 2.

Might also reflect time zone difference -- 

Iced tea is free all day everywhere.  Bottled water costs, but you can bring up to 12 bottles (1/2 ltr) in your carry on.  The ships water is fine & you can get it anywhere, just bring a reusable bottle with you.
We enjoyed Coastal Kitchen on Anthem this past January -- smaller room, you're seated by yourselves (if you're only 3, they may put you at a larger table with other people unless you request otherwise).  We preferred the food & service in Coastal kitchen, although we could only use it for dinner (Junior Suite), but that was also because we had my time dining, & didn't care for switching waiters every night. The menu is different in CK from, but very good.   If you can, I'd go to CK instead.  We ended up with the same waiter every night we were there, so it's like being in the MDR in that sense , just a smaller setting.

And depending on which ship you're on, you may not even need to have it scanned as the staff might just ask for your room number and then jot it down on a slip of paper. Had that happen when we boarded Anthem and got some beverages with our lunch.

The menu is as stated, but check with your headwaiter in MDR when you first board (as the brunch is usually near the end of the cruise) & he/she will be able to tell you what accommodations can be made.  For example, DD is gluten free, & the waitresses told us which apps were gluten free (on Adventure, they brought us sushi rolls & chips/guac, but I don't remember if they just brought them to the table or if we ordered them), and were also able to have gluten free french toast made for her.
They definitely keep the drinks coming, I enjoyed it :) !  I couldn't decide between entrees, so I got waffles AND a steak with no problem.  

Don't apologize for your Jersey attitude, Kathy!!! I feel for you.  I can eat literally anything --- there are some things I choose not to, for personal taste, but DH & I have no food allergies, intolerances, etc. Whether or not we should eat all that we do -- well, that's a different story....
Traveling with my 2 DD's -- that's the problem.  1 has celiac, so must be gluten free -- although they were fairly accommodating, it still limits her choices, and because of cross contamination fears, plus not wanting to wait for special dishes to be brought out, we don't do WJ with her too much.  Other has ulcerative colitis, so that eliminates a lot of specific food categories (high fiber, fried, skins on fruits/veggies, etc), although, again, they were able to accommodate her reasonably well, and luckily, she's not too picky, so we were ok there.  We actually had more luck on RCCL than we do trying to find regular restaurants at home.  
I remember once (back in the 80's) going to a restaurant for lunch with my vegetarian friend, (she was ovo-lacto, so not as limited), and we couldn't find anything on the menu for her. Clueless waitress suggested a BLT -- and we just looked at her, & said, "You do realize that the B stands for Bacon, which is meat, right????"  She actually gets sick if she inadvertently gets cross contaminated with meat protein, so that's a real problem for her.  Same friend, I was hosting a bridal shower for her a few years later, & I was telling people I was having a hard time finding vegan recipes for her strictly vegan family members, & someone recommended quiche -- eggs & cream & cheese are all no-no's for vegans, so I had to say, "No, that won't work". 
 

If I remember correctly, the time listed as the start of your excursion is when you MUST BE at the designated meeting place.  Frequently, this is off the ship, not on it, but I'm basing that on my specific experiences, where the excursions we've taken have all met on land, near the exit to the ship.  That being said, you will have your excursion tickets in your room when you board, and they will specify the time (usually around 15 minutes earlier than the start time) and place of meeting.  Keep in mind, if it is off the ship, you must first exit the ship, go thru the scanner, have your sea pass card scanned, etc, so allow extra time for that as well, as others will be debarking at the same time for the same reason.  I would be ready to leave the ship 45 minutes or so prior, to allow yourself time to get off & get your bearings. 

We were on a 12 day cruise in January.  My DD is on several medications, mainly for epilepsy, so I'm usually neurotic about overpacking her meds (at least 1 week extra, no matter how long we're away). We use a weekly tablet holder, so I had it filled up before the cruise, & packed  (I thought) 2 more weeks supply to take.  At the end of the first week, I took out her meds to refill the weekly holder, & for one of them, I only had one more week, not 2.  Not a disaster, since we would be home before we ran out, but if we had been delayed at all, it would have been a significant issue.....
I have lists on top of lists, sorted as to clothing, toiletries, supplies, etc -- I'm not an organized person by nature, so I need lists to make my life easier
DH is always forgetting a hat, so he has a large collection as well.
My dad had more ties and belts than he would ever need, because invariably when packing for vacation or business trips, he would forget one or the other & have to go shopping.

We were on Anthem in January with 28 yo DD /(age ~ 5 mentally) who is also in a wheelchair -- CP -- can walk, but slowly, not for long distances, & not safe in crowds, so we use her chair most of the time.
1) The non Solarium pools have straight up & down staircases for access, so if he can't climb, it will be difficult, although I believe there are pool lifts, but we didn't utilize them.  The Solarium pools are shallow, with bench seats, but have shallow steps to climb down into them -- again, it depends on his abilities.  However, when I took my DD without DH, the lifeguards were very quick to help me (I also have mobility issues).  He would be allowed in the solarium as he is over 16. 
2) Port stops -- we had different ones (Southern Caribbean), & because the handicap accessible ones  are basically just bus tours, you will have to gauge how interesting that will be for all of you.  Our previous cruise (Adventure, last May) hit the spots you're going to, & our bus tour wasn't that enjoyable for me & DD, mainly because we ended up staying on the bus, since getting in & out was difficult for me. YMMV.  You can just choose to walk around Nassau -- there are several spots within a 1 mile radius of the port that are interesting -- but the streets are not too wheelchair friendly, and there are hilly areas, so again, it depends on what you want/are capable of doing with him.  
Coco Cay has the new Perfect Day options that weren't there when we went there, but there are sand wheelchairs that will get him around on the sand, and there are also little golf carts & a tram (I think) that will get you around so that you don't have to walk too much there.  We got a cabana, mainly to keep DD out of the sun, but there are shaded areas as well
3) There is plenty to do on the ship -- we took DD to the Gift (which didn't do anything for us  ), Spectra's Cabaret, which was the musical/acrobatic show that she loved, & We Will Rock You, which she enjoyed even though she couldn't follow the storyline, because she loves music.  We also took her to a few of the night time shows.  We had her tablet with movies on an SD card, so that was available to her when we wanted quiet time.  Didn't do the bumper cars or anything in the SeaPlex, because that's not her thing, although she did like the Dog House (hot dog /sausage place).  Also, while they are not marked on the website deck plans, there are several "family" restrooms which will help if only your wife is with him when he needs to use the restroom, or if it's just easier than using the handicap stall.  They are marked on the electronic deck plans on board.  I remember 1 on the pool deck (deck 14) & 1 in 270 (deck 5) for sure.
4) We took her up in North Star, & she loved that, as did we.  Definitely reserve a spot as soon as it opens up in your cruise planner.
5) The cabin doors are VERY heavy, and were just wide enough for her wheelchair to fit through, & hers is not terribly big, as we got it when she was 14 & she isn't that big even now.  If there are 2 adults, one to hold the door, & one to push (unless he pushes himself) it's ok,  but it's tough by yourself (although I managed to always find someone to help if I was alone). If you don't have an accessible room, that is something to consider. Also, the bathroom (again, unless accessible room) is a small step up from the main floor of the cabin, & the showers are fairly small, although you can request a shower stool if he needs that.  You can also request a toilet seat "booster" if it will be easier for him if the seat is raised. 
6) The staff was always very helpful & extremely accommodating to us, as were the passengers.  I always appreciate that, as it can be rough travelling with a handicapped person, & the offer of assistance, even when you might not need it, is very nice.
Hope this info helps, & that you all have a wonderful time!!

We were at wedding where all the men in the Bridal Party, plus Father of the Bride wore kilts -- it looked great!! Also, one of the guests wore a kilt, but had to be careful -- he was a tall guy, & his kilt was a leeetle short -- Ladies, you know what it's like trying to sit gracefully in a short skirt & not flash anyone ? -- well, he had the same problem.....

I like to see military members in dress uniforms, they almost always look sharp. If my wife sees a handsome naval officer in dress whites she starts to breathe funny, gets the shakes and begins to mumble.