HeWhoWaits

If you're concerned about Deck 3 feeling like a basement when you DO have a window, how would ANY room without a window appear to be preferable?

The prepaid gratuity covers the per person gratuity for your stateroom attendant and dining staff. Gratuities on purchases like drinks are always additional. Gratuities for room service are paid directly to the individual who comes to your stateroom - bring some small bills (unless you are a REALLY generous tipper).

Brand new, not in use, staged to be shown off - any ship photographed in that state will look "pretty sterile."

Favorites - yes! Avoid - never!

Did they try to spin it as "the big, bad cruise company mistreated these poor, lost souls" or report on it as a fact that you can't be late and expect them to wait?

In the Cruise Planner, you can add guests from other reservations to excursions and dining even if the reservations are not linked. You just need to have the reservation number and some basic info about the primary passenger on the reservation.

Not a huge fan of IPAs in general, but Stone is one of the better ones.

One watch out if you book the tour - don't plan on making it to anything else that is scheduled earlier than an hour after the tour supposedly ends.

This works for different reservation numbers if they are linked. When we travel with our full family in a 2 BR suite, there are two separate reservation numbers FOR THE SAME stateroom. One lists the first four guests, the second lists the others and has a different reservation number.

I can think of thousands of things better after a hard day of goofing off than a Corona! The number of BEERS that would be better numbers in triple digits.

Many stateroom attendants will bring a new bucket of ice daily even if you DON'T ask. We usually ask on embarkation day and it just keeps getting filled for the rest of the trip.

Blame it on the Blog!

It's all about control - even though you can reserve MTD at the same time and request to be seated with the same wait staff every evening, the lack of certainty would drive her crazy.

Early is too early vs. our norm and late is too late vs. our norm. MTD would be the way to go for me but my wife doesn't like the idea.

We typically use Air2Sea and have booked our travel and pre-cruise hotel for June payable with the rest of the cruise fees.

My sister-in-law would fill that thing up for an overnight trip and STILL need to take along a couple more bags!

In our experience, the serving sizes for the children's menu are pretty generous. If nothing on the regular menu strikes your fancy that evening, order from the children's menu. On one family trip, our son ordered himself chicken fingers pretending it was for the 11 month old. She didn't get any of the chicken but ate some of my lamb instead.

Sadly, in my experience what Royal calls "Red Velvet Cake" is a poor imitation of a delicious dessert. Going on Freedom in June so I will check it out, but I won't be holding my breath that it will REALLY be RVC.

Whatever latitude you give your son to "wander" at home is appropriate for on the ship. It all depends on the individual's maturity level (some would argue that I shouldn't be allowed to wander on my own at 55).

Sadly, what Royal Caribbean tries to pass off as red velvet cake is a very poor imitation.

Don't worry about "dressing up" because there is no real dress code any more. We still prefer to dress for "formal" night but there will be folks in the MDR wearing jeans and a tee-shirt.

I have not repeated a ship yet, but that is specifically because we select trips by itinerary and the new routes have always been a different ship than previously cruised.

It was guys mentioning difficulty getting it out of their pockets, which I just don't get. Where there are no pockets - well that's a different story.

Not interested in the WOW bands either - for the same reason I haven't worn a wristwatch since the early 1990s - just too uncomfortable (not to mention the risk of tan lines). Also don't understand the difficulty people have with pulling their Seapass cards out of their pockets. How much CRAP do you carry in your pockets that it's an issue?

Don't bother going to the Concierge Lounge on Freedom. It's an interior room.