Mrs. RoyalMoyal

If you are in a big suite or are in SC, you get daily food stuff delivered to your room.   We had to tell Yen to scale this down to a single plate.  We can't eat all the stuff they bring.

Not much of a loss with the Gift being cancelled lol.

I’m thinking the laundry service is going to my favorite perk. Hopefully everyone doesn’t notice that I’m just repeating the same three days worth of clothes. 

Laundry Star Class style. Same day done 

When I took my son on an excursion on Christmas eve 2018, the cost to rent a car, then pay to get in, was similar to the non-guided excursion, so we went with the ship for simplicity. But if I wanted to do something else the same day in the area, I would rent a car. In our case we made it onto the first bus over, and the first bus back, so we did not spend a lot of time waiting. We were gone for about 7 hours. 

Cats = 3 hours of free time for something else! Anything. 

Hope it works out for you.  Sounds like you need a new TA if this one makes you feel like you're a bother for doing his/her job 

On an Oasis/Quantum class which Allure is? ABSOLUTELY. Not only will you get double points, but you get access to dinner in Coastal Kitchen which has food to rival the specialty restaurants and phenomenal service. Also you get to go through suite security and boarding which lets you get on the ship faster. Also directly behind Chops is not a busy section. You don't hear any noise from Central Park as it is one of the quieter areas anyway and it also has a wall between where Chops is and the hallway for the rooms. I stayed in a JS on deck 8 on Allure in May and LOVED it. You can see my liveblog of it (including raving about CK) in my signature. 

They are ninjas that are very good at observing when you enter/leave your room.  They seem to always be around cleaning someone's room but I've never actually managed to catch them cleaning mine.  I have seen them knock on rooms before entering.
Think of your room like any hotel room.  Yes, you can lock your room and throw a latch/deadbolt for privacy but those can be overridden when necessary.
I think it's polite to inform my steward if I'm planning to sleep in really late or take a nap before dinner.  That way they will know and can work around my schedule.  After all, they don't get to clock out until they've finished all their assigned rooms.

My vote is for dinner, or two specialty lunches...oohh, the galley tour with lunch and sushi making! Watch out for the hot Saki.
Laundry - I bring a 2 gallon ziploc bag and laundry soap leaves to hand wash high performance stuff, and I sent all cotton socks, underwear, t-shirts, off in the bag of "wash and fold laundry", it comes back 2 days later all done. Hand washing teenager's socks is not my idea of a good time, but I will hand wash a few high performance tank tops, shorts, etc. For nice clothes, I send men's dress shirts & slacks off for wash and press, and have even had a suit dry cleaned on the ship. We have not had any items damaged. Dry cleaning is $1.00 less than at home, and I don't have to wrestle  clean suit into a wet, snowy car at the dry cleaner's.  But don't tell RCCL they are $1.00 less!  shhhhhhh.
 

I texted him in January.

Just call.. told them I want to make purchases on my cruise planner and want to used my credits.. and actually got an email showing my updated OBC within an hour or two.

I have read of others who have brought hammocks onboard and set them on their balconies. No prohibition that I am aware of.

Deck 7 corner aft on Voyager and Freedom class are also outstanding cabins.  The room is standard size but the balcony is about as large as the room.  Great view out the side.
 

Found them.  The Room:
 
 

Some ships are going with pre-punched SeaPass cards.  Navigator and Ovation for example,  Ovation uses RFID so it's kind of cool those cards can use standard lanyards.   

We're going on the Harmony in April 19. We already had internet for two so it was worth canceling and upgrading for the added cost. 
One thing I read was it states reserved priority seating with no reservations required. I believe I'm reading this correctly. Everything I've found posted stated reservations we're still required. Maybe they changed it, but if this is true that is a huge benefit not having to plan out shows and go more "on the fly"

I don't remember anything like that being a problem! It actually rained on us as we were kayaking over to Pinel but it was fine! They give you a dry bag to put all of your stuff in. You can spend as much time as you wish there. There was also a large grill where they were grilling shrimp, lobster and steak. It looked soo good! I think you will have a great time! 

I would suggest Pinel Island in St. Maarten. It is very secluded and you can snorkel, kayak, walk around the island and see a lot of wildlife, or just sit on the beach. We used Caribbean Paddling to get over there. Rented a double kayak from them and only took about 10-15 mins to kayak to Pinel Island. Here is the link for the website: https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/rentals/kayak-rental-pinel-island  If you do not wish to kayak, they have a water ferry that can take you over there. I have attached some pictures so you can see our experience. We will be going back at the end of this year! 
 
 

Think about it this way...yeah, 15 hours seems long. And it is long, especially in economy. But the chance to visit some of these amazing places may be worth one day in economy (15 hours out + 13 hours back, or vice versa depending on where you're going, is just over one day). If you're doing, say, three weeks in New Zealand, that's 504 hours. A 28 hour roundtrip, though long, is a small price for 504 hours of reward IMHO.
I practically live out of a suitcase for work. I hit every populated continent at least twice a year, and I am in New Zealand at least 3-4 times a year for work. I've also been lucky enough to vacation twice in New Zealand. As many places as I have been in the world, if I had to choose just one to spent every moment of my life, it would be New Zealand. Get on that plane.

I believe the only thing RCL is really policing in the MDR is this: 

Update:  My custom creation from the Skagway Glass Blowing Experience arrived in the mail today!
And to think... that's my hot air trapped inside the globe.  

My other purchases from their shop arrived yesterday but since many are gifts for family and friends no pics.
I opted for the flat base so I could put it on a table.  As dorky as this sounds, whenever I look at this I'll be brought right back to Skagway and this awesome Alaskan cruise experience on Ovation of the Seas.

Cruise Summary
Wow!  What an awesome Alaska experience.
There is a part of me that wants to say this was my best cruise to Alaska.  However looking back I thought the same thing on every Alaska cruise I've taken.  
There are a couple of ways to interpret that sentiment but the truth is that Alaska is such an amazing destination that each cruise can top the last one.  Every visit to Alaska is different. 
I chose to focus on Alaska on this cruise and in writing this trip report.  The ship itself is very similar to Anthem from a core ship experience.   Anyone who has sailed Anthem will feel right at home on Ovation.  Apologize for no menus and less about the on-board experience of Ovation, but I took this cruise for Alaska so that became the focus of this thread.
There were some special aspects of this cruise and it starts with the itinerary.  This itinerary may never be repeated.  That would be a shame because it included a lot I love about Alaska.
I was curious how an early season cruise would compare but now I'm sold on the idea that any time for an Alaska cruise season is the perfect time for an Alaska cruise.  
I was also curious how Ovation of the Seas would compare to Radiance and Voyager class or Celebrity's Millennium class for an Alaska cruise, the ships I've sailed before to Alaska.  Each has features I like.  Looking back over this experience there is a lot to like about Quantum class in Alaska.  
Great indoor pool space for families Great indoor Solarium for adults, one of the best in the fleet North Star (more on this below)   Two70° SeaPlex Flowrider New ship feel, new technology, new decor Great Windjammer experience (I have always liked the WJ on Quantum class) Great entertainment Better suite amenities including Coastal Kitchen Affordable balcony options for a reasonable fare difference I was curious how viewing angles would work out for glacier visits.  I prefer to move around during glacier visits and seeing everything from multiple perspectives.  I was very pleased with how this worked out on Ovation, better than I thought it would.  I didn't think I'd like the glass dividers in places on the top decks but they were a blessing at times to block the wind with large spaces between them I could still take pictures.
Not everything was perfect.  These are areas that I felt had some room for improvement:
The crew pressure wash the outer decks from 5am to 7am.  During this time they are closed.  This is a required maintenance exercise but they could have adjusted times to recognize the long days of Alaska.  Sunrise is around 5am.  Runners want to run.  Arrival into ports is often occurring at this time.   I don't recall this being an issue on any ship I've sailed before including three cruises on sister ship Anthem.   Smokers were complaining there was no where to smoke.  I don't smoke but I know if you close all the outdoor smoking areas at the same time to wash them down guests are going to break the rules and some did.   The Cruise Director lost an opportunity to hype certain events like sailing under the bridge in Vancouver or the fact that every port of call was an inaugural port of call.  The CD and staff seemed unaware that this was a special cruise itinerary or the ship's first ever visit to Alaska. Voom internet was a disappointment but if you have read this thread I've covered this already. North Star Experience.   North Star brings a new aspect to Alaska cruising allowing guests to see things from a very different angle.  This really sets Ovation apart from other ships that have sailed in Alaska.   Despite a single complimentary reservation for North Star I found great availability to enjoy it on standby basis.  Groups larger than 2 may find less enjoyment in the standby line unless they are willing to split up.  While the $49 charge during glacier visits was higher than I expected I understand why a charge is required.   Having done that extra cost version of the North Star Alaskan Experience I might even do it again. 
I've devised some ideas how to reduce glare from the curved windows in my North Star photos that I look forward to trying in North Star in other regions before I return to Alaska and enjoy North Star there again.  For me North Star really has value in Alaska where in other regions it's simply a cool activity to do.  You get a bird's eye view just like an Eagle soaring in the sky above the ship.
When I cruise Alaska my focus is Alaska and not ship entertainment or activities.  I have more cruises booked on Ovation in other regions some with many sea days.  This allowed me to skip entertainment or activities on this sailing knowing I can try them another time. 
I did not visit the MDR once.  For my needs and a desire for a quick meal experience the Windjammer fulfilled my needs perfectly.  Despite some cool meals I ate most of them on the aft outdoor seating area for the Windjammer.  Daily complimentary room service breakfast was appreciated with a balcony to enjoy a coffee while watching marine life below or an incredible sunrise unfold in front of me.
For Diamond Happy Hour the use of the entire Music Hall worked well but I still missed access to the Concierge Lounge, a stated benefit for Diamond Plus members.  I understand the reasoning offered for blocking access to the Concierge Lounge but it remains a disappointment.  
If you've enjoyed my pictures in this thread what you may not understand is that mere photos don't do it justice.  To experience Alaska you have to go to Alaska.   I know Royal offers great entertainment and activities but I feel like Alaska is a destination where you shouldn't try to do everything on the ship just because it's offered and available for you.  A number of times I found myself nearly alone enjoying incredible scenery, peace and tranquility.  Apologies to Nick Weir and his incredible team that produce awesome Royal entertainment but I came for Alaska.  
At times I put the camera down and just enjoyed the moment live and in person.  What you don't see in this thread are those moments.  Those are some of my best memories and for you to experience them you'll need to book a cruise to Alaska for yourself.
Thanks for following along and I thank you for viewing.  

Ah...I am showing this to Hubby!!! ?
Very sweet.....

Thanks for your input, yes everyone's situation is different. You make a good point about right place right time. Did forget to mention this cruise is for our anniversary so this is the most important cruise that I can give my wife...she's my life and deserves everything I can give her!! We sailed to Alaska for our honeymoon and I'm hoping to capture a bit of that magic again for her...