HeWhoWaits

It was fun the first time I experienced it, so the new cruiser experience is a valid concept. It should stay just that - a one-time per voyage experience and the last evening in the MDR is the right time to do so. If there were a consistency to ONLY doing it that night, those of us who want to skip the spectacle could simply cut out early or skip the MDR entirely on that evening. Sadly, the unpredictability is an issue.

Cruise ship calories don't count, so why would you?

If you enjoy both the itinerary and the ship, there's no reason to NOT repeat the cruise.

In the tourist areas, even the places like Señor Frogs that list prices in pesos "for the authentic experience" will post what exchange rate they are using. Your credit card will be charged in US dollars and even if you have an international transaction fee, the exchange usually work out in your favor.

They READ the surveys. They reward those crew called out in POSITIVE reviews. It still isn't clear whether any non-positive comments make any difference in what happens. Surely they've had enough people say "can the ridiculous crew parade and stupid singing/dancing just go away?" that if they had any intention of EVER eliminating it, that would already be gone.

Even if you have to wait a little while, consider the alternative. One big reason you're doing specialty dining embarkation day lunch is to avoid the Windjammer on boarding day. You'll still be doing that.

In Sitka, if you do an excursion (Royal or private) you want to go to both the Alaska Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bear. Excursions will probably feel rushed at these so a private tour that goes to both with an early start time is the best way to go. In town, I highly recommend stopping at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

My kids did not. My grandkids do not.

30 minutes to walk to the cemetery would be a very brisk pace. It's about 1.7 miles from the main shopping area, which is about 0.3 from the main ship dock.

The new law applies to accommodations, not to food and beverage or to services. Does your local restaurant list prices on the menu that include the automatic gratuity that is added for parties of 8 or more?

You can book directly with White Pass. If you haven't pulled the trigger before arriving in Skagway, it's an easy walk to their office.

Maybe you should include whether you personally prefer the Royal version or the copycat recipe version and why.

Or use other transportation alternatives? For Galveston, you can surely book transportation from/to Houston for less than the cost of renting a car for a week plus paying for parking.

Wouldn't driving your own car be both less expensive and less complicated than renting a car that you won't be using for most of the rental period?

Agreed. Evening in Hamilton >>> limited options at the Royal Dockyard.

"Shaken, not whirled"

It may seem more prevalent because it's closed longer. The bigger the pool, the longer it takes to clean it to the established standard.

What does the age and potty training status of the OP's child have to do with any of this? @Cruiser3812isn't the individual who intimated that it was a child or children that caused the problem. That comment came from @Mac3's first and (so far) only post. You then go on to quote @Cruiser3812's well-spoken post about expectations and YOU bring up "2k kids taking a daily dump." What gives?

Seas are more likely to be heavy on an Alaska itinerary than in the Caribbean simply because some of the distances to be covered require not avoiding some of the areas that are so wide open. However, this isn't usually the case the first couple days leaving Seattle in our experience as the long traverse of open seas tends to be later in the itinerary. If you're susceptible to motion sickness, be prepared.

If you're hitting the Western Caribbean from Rome, most of your cruise will be at sea crossing the Atlantic. Either side of the ship will be just fine.

Don't you dare make this one with a legal tequila!

As I said above:

"Ocean View Deck" isn't a thing. That's the first clue.

The might be trying to make us picture Benihana via Bennie's

Shouldn't this be called "Bobby's Mai Tai?"