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Currently on Enchantment for 2nd leg of B2B..... We have advised guests who boarded this week that the protein portions of meals in dining room are small and to order 2 entrees or double protein portions of a single meal if they wanted a bigger meal. For reference, we eat very low carb at home so we are used to larger protein portions. We stopped asking for no potatoes, etc on the plate as it was confusing for several wait staff - we eat what we choose and leave the rest for the fishes. Some staff eat low carb and recognize we do too based on our orders. At lunch and nights he chooses a steak, my DH will order 2 steaks and asks they be stacked on same plate. Heads up on British night - fish and chips - pieces of fish are small - DH ordered 3 pieces this week. We know that the servers are replating 2 or 3 plates at their stations for us. We can't help wasting the food but, per the staff, the chefs are saying 2 or 3 full dinners have to come out based on how much we order and eat. Note for lobster night, I will always order a lobster even though I don't normally eat it. DH will have 2 - after being served, don't pass plate until butter pitcher is offered - it can confuse new waiters. If you sail with family or have nice table mates you may be able to partake in more than 1 tail if those who don't want to eat one go ahead and order one anyway. Random thoughts: - lobster night only time we were asked order for dishes to be served - still ok to order pasta entrees for appetizer - on night there is a turkey dinner, regular white mashed potatoes can be swapped for sweet potato as listed on menu - we encouraged table mates to ask - this was not for us. - saw dinner waiter at breakfast and asked if it was possible to get a cheese plate as app at dinner - he checked and chef said no - so wandered thru Windjammer and brought my own one night. Still think it is weird that no cheese plate appears on any menu. Just our experiences - ymmv Happy cruising everyone!

At the thrill water park, there is a tower that has a couple of slides that more than one person can go on together. The scale is at the bottom of that tower and the crew is discrete about weighing a party of 2/3/4 people to check the total weight. No red disco lights go off nor are there any loud noises if a group is over. DH and I knew we were below the published limits but still felt weird to be asked to step on the scale. We watched another group be weighed - they were over - crew member was very respectful, helped the group figure out best configuration to ride the slide and everyone went along their merry way. No judgement - very respectful interaction. The only people who weren't weighed were kids and those that don't weigh 100# soaking wet. We all know someone like that. Have a great time when you cruise!

Enchantment is using the new dinner menus. Finding the apple blossom was a happy accident as we don't normally eat lunch in the main dining room. Still a good day at sea.....

The apple blossom is alive and well on the lunch menu in the main dining room. Just ordered it on the Enchantment. It is a good day!

Do not try and do EVERYTHING - build in plenty of downtime.

Saw this band on the Anthem....fabulous shows in 270 and the Music Hall. Every show they played different set - we skipped other activities to see them again. Original Zep band member (can't remember which) has said this band sounds exactly like the original. At one show they asked for requests and were quite surprised when my husband yelled out "Hotdog!". They hadn't rehearsed that one so they didn't play it, but called my DH a true Zep fan. Made his day!

In the before times, this is how I explained it to new folks......think "beat the clock"......passengers form teams; the host will ask for certain items and you can't leave the room to get something; if the team can find the item someone brings the item up to the host and "points" are awarded to that team. The item might be a biz card, a tattoo, a hairy back....it then goes downhill rather quickly. High score "wins" but usually the winning team has lost their dignity. If you are not comfortable with the possibility of taking your pants or bra off in public, then either go just to watch the shenanigans and not participate or go create/join a team and only do what you are comfortable doing. The point it to have some fun, but you can definitely figure out who has made good use of their drink package. It is definitely suppose to be adults only, but I have seen some families allow young kids to stay - even after being warned by the staff that it is not appropriate for kids.

Welcome to the message boards! Every time you take a photo by yourself or in a group be sure to give the photographer YOUR cabin number. If you are in the photo, it should end up in your folio. Take a moment every now and then to see which pictures have shown up. The staff I have worked with have been able to move pictures to my account if they end up in a traveling companion's folio (I was in the photo) - just don't wait till the last night - it gets to be a mad house.

Add a space and then your middle name after in the first name field in the Navica app.

The 3 separate authorizations for gratuities that you noted above should have been included in your final invoice from the ship. They should fall off of your account in a few days. If they turn into actual charges to your card account, call Royal to have them reversed. Royal had about 8 authorizations run on my card in various amounts during my last cruise. A single charge for the final invoice posted to my charge card and the other authorizations took about a week to fall off. Nothing nefarious.

We have also had success getting Coke Zero at most bars. Sometimes we can get a can each plus glass of ice - other times the bartender says he has to pour it in a glass for us or it will "cost" us a Diamond voucher. Weird. Hope the picture shows up..... soda cups.pub

Once a person has done something quite a bit, in this case cruising, I believe they start to let their guard down and just start showing more of who they really are. If one complains a lot in real life, they will start to see more and more faults in their crusing life. If one is an "any day can be an adventure" kind of person, that will come out in their cruise life too. DH & I fall into the latter category. Although we do completely understand that people pay good money to take these vacations, we are fascinated with the quest for a perfect trip and have seen the melt downs when perfect doesn't happen. We also plan our trips as best we can, but once we get started driving to the airport or cruise port the adventure starts. We make our greatest memories in the imperfect moments - in real life and in our cruising life. They become some of the best stories we have to share. And we have definitely have great, good and sideways stories regarding crew on the ships. We are careful about how we speak to the crew if something is not working for us - treat people how you would like to be treated and all that - but the only way for the crew to get better is by speaking up in a polite way. My DH thinks it is funny that I am still so giddy as we arrive at a terminal and start checking in. I have told him that if I stop feeling that way, we have to stop cruising - he doubts it will ever happen. Just got home from the Anthem this morning and we have all kinds of stories from the trip. The best is the Great Earl Grey Tea Shortage of 2022 - none in the WJ, none in Cafe Promenade or the pastry/coffee place, none in MDR on Day 1. Our assistant waiter went searching for some for me before dinner on Day 2, but did not find any and started apologizing over and over again about being out. His eyes got really big as I pulled out 2 Earl Grey tea bags from my pocket. I swore our dining team to secrecy about the stash I was able to find until the ship took on more provisions. I swear I only took a few tea bags from the motherlode I found (ok it was 4), but I really, really didn't want to have to start a mutiny over not being able to have a cuppa in the morning or after dinner.

Currently on Anthem....sitting in 270....waiting for the 70s disco party to start! Groovy! Extra special because my glowing/blinking ring from my last cruise before the world shut down still works! Disco lives!

I have split a 4 devise package with strangers and never had trouble with anyone bumping anyone else off. OP, just make sure your traveling companions under stand to only use one devise at a time and you will be fine. If anyone will go bonkers if they lose access even momentarily, have them buy their own package.

As a small business owner, I also prefer to support other small businesses. Shop small!!!!