DERPDR

Hello! I'm Ellen from Houston, TX and excited to be going on our second RC cruise next year.  We have been on three cruises so far and very much looking forward to this cruise.  

Plan B sounds like a good idea but I have to tell you I’ve waited a long time for an Alaska cruise so right now my plan B is a warm rain coat.  Lol.  
Good ideas as always Twangster so thanks! 

Deck 15 has the expanse of the railing areas along the jogging track.  As the ship turns it's easy to move from side to side on this more open deck. 
Deck 16 has smaller outdoor areas that are harder to move around and that don't reach the sides of the ship.

One thing I've learned is that each Captain does it differently.  Perhaps the ice conditions play a factor, time of year, pilot on board, winds, etc.  
The turn is kind of slow.  You definitely know you are turning but it's not a whirlwind either.  I'm thinking 2 1/2 turns at Dawes.  
I'll have a balcony on May 13 (Ovation) but I'll likely spend time on deck 15 simply because you can take it all in.  The glacier is awesome but seeing the ship in such close proximity to walls of Endicott Arm is equally impressive and not something you may appreciate from a balcony.  I encourage you to split your time.  Some on your balcony but pop upstairs to see it all from another perspective.
Two years ago on Celebrity I left my GoPro on my balcony running a time lapse at Hubbard.  You can see the turn readily in that video within this post:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5211-alaska-recap-celebrity-millennium-june-2017/&do=findComment&comment=51836
I hear you but Alaska is not the place to plop down in a bar and sit for a few hours.  Get a drink to go and enjoy it outside.  Pop back in to warm up and refill before repeating.  

@twangster  So just now finally had a chance to go through your photos and video. WOW!  So beautiful I can’t wait for August to get here!   You are so right and has been my experience as well trying to capture the beauty of Mother Nature, there’s nothing that compare to seeing it in person.  As gorgeous as your pictures are I know we are in for a real treat.  
Thanks for taking the time to post these!  
 

Here are the outdoor bridge wings on deck 13 off the Solarium on Quantum class:


 
 

Ovation on Aug 9th

We are on Ovation August 23rd
 

I agree - maybe it is that I have seen and read too much in my 58 years, but there are places that I will just not travel no matter how enticing. I have a vivid recall of based-on-real-life movies like Midnight Express and so I will also pass on China and similar locations. ?

Went there in Feb and loved it. Here’s a short video of our experience there. 
 

Hello Rachel,
Welcome Welcome!!!  My husband and I are definitely Loyal to Royal and will be boarding the Allure this up and coming Sunday. Sooo I definitely share in your excitement. 
MiA

Great job on this!!

Hi Rachel and welcome.   My husband and I did this cruise last March on Allure.  You will absolutely love this ship!  Have a wonderful time!
Patty & Darrell

We are on the August 16, 2019 sailing for Alaska.

There is nearly always the possibility of seeing marine life such as whales as long as its daylight.  Unlike a Caribbean cruise where soon after leaving port is is just an endless ocean around you, the reverse its true for Alaska cruises - there is typically some land to be seen and scenery.  
Cruises out of Seattle do have some ocean time the first day or two but that is also prime whale watching time.  It's not like they are constantly around you, you just never know when a pod of whales might come into sight.  Some of my best pictures came from hanging around outside while others where in bars and theaters missing it all.  In that sense I place much less emphasis on trying to catch the shows on Alaska cruises.  

Always wanted to due an Alaska cruise so I pulled the trigger this week & booked an August cruise. Can't wait!

Here is the crawl schedule from Symphony.  To be honest next time I'll remove the pool/mast bar as everyone skips it.  
https://www.cruisehabit.com/barcrawl/
The hard part is keeping people going.  I set a timer and get people moving ahead of schedule and share with the stragglers where we'll be next.  You may want to try adn give the bar managers a heads up if you can.  Sometimes they're helpful with this - sometimes they're not.
Also, big thanks to @BrianAlt (pretty sure I've got the right username for him) for helping me make this more organized a couple years ago by sharing his schedule.

Cool beans!
I'll add you to the list of RCBloggers who would strongly support a RCL ship deployed in Lake Michigan during the summer.
 
 

Extremely so!   Checking out boards, blogs and forums and finding some great info.   

For the return flight after your cruise, check out the Luggage Valet program.  For a fee ($25 last time I cruised), Royal will take your luggage from your state room the night before you depart, take it to the airport and check it in, and you won't see it again until you're at your final destination.  RC will also check you into your return flight and provide you with your boarding pass. 

Buy a small roll of adhesive magnetic tape.  Cut a couple of strips to length, peel and stick to the sign.  Put it on your cabin door like a fridge magnet.  The local WalMart has it in the stationery aisle, IIRC.  Or maybe it was in hardware with the picture hanging supplies.
 

 
 
Just in case the magnets fail for any reason, we have some of these types of nonmarking poster adhesive.  Yes I'm obsessive.  Don't harsh my buzz! 

 
I had planned to buy one of these for our cabin door but at 20 bucks, I was afraid that it would disappear before the second day and show up on some other deck!

 
Mr. Fridge Smiley Face Refrigerator Magnet Set

We use American Express and always pay it off monthly.  This way we don't carry over any balances and still get to earn Delta Skymiles.  It works for us on the cruise as well and just pay the balance with we get the statement.

As a first time cruiser, it's great that you are using this forum to answer your questions.  I'm a newbie as well, and it has been a treasure chest of answers to my questions!   Be sure that you understand that the drink package you plan on getting is going to cost ($56 + 18% gratuity) $66.08 PER DAY for EACH DAY of your cruise, whether you drink on any given day or not.  You mentioned that you were trying to cruise as cheaply as possible.  Although cocktails/beer/wine are priced higher than we are all used to regularly paying, are you sure you will drink enough on the cruise to cover the cost of the deluxe drink package?
 

Welcome!  Looks like your questions have been answered by the good cruisers on this site.  One of the most important things that needs to be covered is the proper IDs to get on board.  If you dont have the right paperwork all these questions are moot because they wont let you on board without the correct IDs.  A current passport is ideal.  If you dont have a passport then you will need a certified copy of your birth certificate and a government ID with a picture(drivers license) 
Dont be late getting on the ship!  That includes stops at the port.  They will leave you if your late.  The only exception I m aware of is if you are on a RC excursion and its late coming back. You will get a Cruise Planner in your room when you get on board and every evening that tells you the next days activities.  It will also tell you what time you need to be back on board on port days.     Most of us on here that have been on a number of cruises usually get back early at the port stops just to be sure not to be late.  Dont wait till the last minute!

Welcome to the message boards!
 I see that there’s a complimentary breakfast. Besides that, are we paying for every other meal?
    All meals are included.  More food than you could possibly eat.  There are some options to purchase specialty dining but I rarely do that, I'm quite happy with the included dining options.  Sometimes for a special occasion I'll splurge and buy a specialty dinner.
   Ben & Jerry's is not included and works much like any ice cream shop.  There is self serve soft ice cream available at certain times (not 24 x 7) which is included.
I plan on getting the deluxe drink package. It’s priced at $56 right now. I read through some threads and saw that it gets down as low as $40. How often does this occur? I won’t be traveling until August 10th. Let’s say I purchase it now and the price decreases, can I request the difference or no? Is it true that everyone of age in the same stateroom has to buy a deluxe beverage package? I find that rule highly unreal, especially if one person doesn’t want to purchase it (traveling with friends). Are there really no exceptions besides medical?
   There are sales periodically.  Not always for every ship or all sailing.  US holidays are popular times for Royal to offer sales on their website.  Last weekend was a random sale weekend.  The creator of this site @Matt will often post a blog when a sale event occurs.  Keep checking or follow him on Twitter and/or Facebook.
   If you purchase and the price drops after purchasing,  you can simply refund the original purchase and re-purchase at the new lower price up to around 4 days before sailing when all "Cruise Planner" sales are suspended.  After this point you must purchase on board at higher prices.
   Everyone over 21 in a cabin must purchase the deluxe drink package if any one does.  All the major cruise lines have this policy.  Royal was the last to implement it.  The problem is that people were sharing a drink package which was expressly against the rules.  If people didn't abuse it, they would not have had to change the policy.  In some cases four people were intentionally sharing one package.  Royal is a business and they can't lose money because people cheat and break the rules.  
Besides the drink package, I’m trying to cruise as cheaply as possible. I saw that some of the cafes are open 24/7 and can deliver to the room for a charge. Am I paying for each item I want or is that free and I’m just paying the service charge? Do I have the option of going to that café directly?
   There are many different areas to eat each meal on board.  The Main Dining Room is included and offers a sit down full service experience.  The Windjammer Marketplace is a buffet style restaurant.  There are other smaller venues that offer lighter fare like sandwiches at Park Cafe.  All of these are included in your cruise fare but you have to visit them.   
   Room service has a $7.95 fee per order.  The menu for room service is different compared to the dining venues.  It's quite good actually.  For people in Grand Suite or above the fee is waived.  You can order as much food as you want for that $7.95 as long as it is one order.  There is a complimentary continental breakfast with coffee from room service in the morning hours. 
How does payment work on a cruise? I assume I’m carrying my debit card everywhere I go.
   Everything on board is charged to your onboard account.  No cash or credit cards are used at any of the on board stores or venues that cost extra.  Your SeaPass card works as your cabin key card as well as what you use to make purchases on board.  For example at Ben & Jerry's when you order you hand them your SeaPass card.   I simply put a credit card down when I check in for the cruise and everything I purchase on board eventually will be charged to my credit card.  You can visit guest services on board and put cash down against your on board account.
I saw that some ships had a murder mystery dinner. I love those things. How can I find out what my ship’s events are? Do I need to wait until it gets closer? I tried searching the cruise planner but no luck.
  Not all ships offer the mystery dinner experience.  This site has a section called "Cruise Compass".  Look at the very top of this page.  Previous cruisers have kept the on board daily newsletter that is left in your cabin each day.  They scan them in and Matt posts them for all of us to use.  They may not be exactly the same for your cruise but you can filter by ship and find a similar itinerary to see the type of events that are offered each day as well as when all the restaurants are open or activities and shows will occur.   
Plan to go to all the shows - they are included too.
All questions are welcome.  We were all first timers once and even after many cruises I still learn from others on this site.  There is no dumb question.  Ask away.
If you go to the main RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com website there is a search box in the upper right.  Search for "first time" and you see many blogs Matt has created and even some podcasts as well - a wealth of information on all things Royal Caribbean.  Rest assured Matt is not an employee of Royal, he is a cruiser just like us and takes his family cruising often when his real job allows him to.
Welcome and enjoy planning your first cruise - that's half the fun!