HeWhoWaits

And now the option exists to have the block shipped to you or to decline receipt of a block.

You kid, but she didn't know about the blocks until I told her what to ask the Loyalty Ambassador on her trip this month on Mariner with friends. Only one of us frequents the forums - the other does the extra cruises that accelerate the points accumulation. She was unhappy that the 140 block won't be on Freedom. That's why multiple trips on Freedom (only one with me) were added - to cross the 210 threshold on Freedom next summer.

To date, I have not sailed on the same vessel twice (that will change in July on a 4-nighter on Freedom). I prefer to base trips on the itinerary. My wife already has three sailings on Freedom with four more scheduled (including the one with me in July). It's her favorite ship and she wants to make sure she hits a multiple of 70 points to get a block on "the right ship."

The mini golf you mention isn't just any old putt putt course. Bermuda Fun Golf consists of holes based on famous holes at 6 courses in Bermuda, 6 courses in the US, and 6 courses in Great Britain. The trickiest hole on the course for me was the Rode Hole from St. Andrews.

But the requirement to follow overly strict protocols to sail IS a CDC requirement. Cruise lines could opt to not require testing but that would limit the ability to meet even crazier requirements from CDC.

Long overdue. Now if only the CDC would open its eyes regarding testing to cruise.

Not sure I would use the term "idiot" to describe the writer but a number of other terms jump to mind: Self-absorbed, entitled, naïve, uninformed, unprepared, clueless, etc.

Folks arrive for dinner at a variety of times. A few minutes "late" will have no impact. If you expect to be 30 minutes late (to an early seating because of an excursion, for example) it's a good idea to let your dining staff know in advance.

YMMV. Sometimes you get the price you placed in the cart, other times you do not. This is why it's best to purchase at a price you deem acceptable. If it gets better, you can cancel and rebook. If it goes up, you're protected. If you change your mind, just cancel and take the refund.

True preference - whatever time is appropriate for the activities of the day/evening in combination with when we're hungry. That's not an option onboard unless you stick with the buffet. Early seating at 5:00 or 5:15 is (usually) too early. Late seating at 8:15 or 8:30 is (usually) too late. MTD as it currently exists doesn't meet the need, either.

My wife's favorite tee shirt (not just cruise-related, but favorite in general) says "Wake view is the best view."

Yes, you may take a total of four bottle of wine.

Solo in a JS would get you triple points. That is 12 points on a four night cruise.

Private mini bus service (no stops between Kings Wharf and Horseshoe Bay) is about $7 per person each way right to the beach entrance. Public bus is $5 per person in cash (coins only, no bills, no change given) or you can purchase tokens in advance for a little less. Use bus route number 7. https://www.gotobermuda.com/sites/default/files/bermuda-bus-schedule.pdf This method drops you off at the regular bus stop which is about a quarter mile walk to the beach. Be aware that the trip back to the bus stop will be uphill.

There goes part of the extra gratuity planned for the room steward!

I sincerely hope the key lime pie on Freedom in July would get this description from you @Cutieredhead107. The tarter, the better.

For starters, the common abbreviation would be BMOTS

Cruising appeals to us for the following reasons (in order): 1 - Sea Days - nothing is more relaxing than just watching the water, especially in an aft-facing stateroom 2 - Multiple places to visit while only unpacking/repacking once 3 - We can each do as much or as little as we want, and there's no concern about whether we do it together or not

This is a board for fans of Royal Caribbean (and cruising in general). If you have specific questions for Royal, you will need to contact them directly. In general, folks have had good luck getting responses by posting questions to social media (whereas email tends to be much slower). Another options is to call Royal and ask to be escalated to the Resolutions department.

It wasn't the case on our just completed Ovation to Alaska, nor is it true for our upcoming Explorer in the Caribbean or the three cruises my wife booked for next summer (all JS) while we were on Ovation two weeks ago.

As long as one name on a reservation never changes, the other name(s) can be switched without issue.

With the information needed to link reservations in your account, it is possible to book excursions for people on other reservations. Wouldn't onboard reservations work the same way?

Blog of the Seas

Kraken of the Seas

Another factor to keep in mind in the JS vs. full suite decision - JS pays the standard per person gratuity, not the suite rate.