Keeves

"Anywhere" includes the Coke Freestyle machines. You need a Souvenir Cup with the chip inside if you want soda, but for just water any cup will work.

Also, consider how much time you'll spend out on the balcony. If you just want the balcony for light and air, then obstructions are fine. And if you want an occasional look at the water or the stopovers, there are plenty of other places for getting a nice view. But if you're the type who likes to sit out on your private balcony, with a glass in your hand and a book in your lap, soaking up the sun and the breeze and the view, then maybe you should get a different room. (Personally, I ended up spending far less time out there than I had expected. Caribbean air in July is far too humid for this northeasterner.)

I have trained myself to open my car window if I ever have to get out of the car while the key is still inside. Being sure to leave the door unlocked isn't enough, because the odds are too high that my hand will lock it anyway as a reflex. So BEFORE I get out of the car, I make sure to open the window all the way.

Many people aren't savvy enough to check prices as well as you do. And another big group just doesn't want to bother. The result is that they end up paying more than you, and are actually subsidizing your low prices. It took me a long time to really appreciate this idea. I was always one of those people who thought that companies should do away with sales and just charge one low price all the time. But in the real world, that's not possible -- it would have to be a medium price or they'd end up losing money. And because there are people who can't or won't pay the medium price, sales would go down. I've been convinced that sales and similar pricing tactics are actually good things, provided (and this is very important) that it's not done in a deceptive cheating manner.

When I went on my first cruise, I too was concerned about having to carry the cup around with me everywhere. It turned out to be not nearly as bothersome as I anticipated. And now, many months later, I'm trying to reconstruct why it wasn't a bother. I'm pretty sure that I left the cup in my room for the meals, except when I ate at the Windjammer. And I'm positive that I always took it with me when I went to the pool (where it kept my towel company). The rest of the time, I don't really remember. Maybe I wasn't as thirsty as I thought I'd be. But I love those Freestyle machines!

Was that a typo? Did you mean PAPER straws? My plastic straws never get soggy. I chew on them a lot, but that's another story...

How do you feel? I hope you are recovering ok!!!

They do look gigantic, and my guess too was about 20-24 ounces. But I got home and measured it to be 16. The illusion results from the thick walls. But still a lot bigger than a glass from the bar.

If you're going to add the 18% to one, then make sure to add the 18% to both! (Or perhaps the soda was really $3.25 and you did already add the 18% to get to $3.84?)

I'm glad you wrote this, because I was going to post something similar. Based on this "3 up 3 down" rule, it is a great idea to choose a cabin on a deck that is about halfway up. If your cabin is too high or too low, than many of the trip will involve a LOT of climbing. That's a good thing, if you can handle it. But if the climb is too far, many people will opt for the elevator. Choosing a mid-level deck will help defeat the laziness and enable an "I can do it!" attitude.

or your nearest 99-cent-type store

If you bring and use your own corkscrew, then it's not even a charge for them pulling the cork out. The correct name of the fee ought to be, "Hey, we're trying to sell wine here, okay? If you insist on bringing your own aboard, okay, we'll let you, but we have to make a little money on it, okay?" Hmmm... I guess I was a little heavy on the "okay"s. Sue me, okay? ? (On the other hand, I have to be honest. When I was on Mariner in July 2018, they opened both bottles (one each on two different nights) and didn't charge me for either one.)

To me, the biggest advantage of early arrival is to minimize the odds that a crazy event like a flat tire might cause me to miss the boat literally. The biggest disadvantage is having to carry your stuff around. Come to think of it, I think that's the ONLY disadvantage. I concede that the room is not yet ready and a lot of the activities are closed, but that is no worse than whatever other stuff you might have been doing for the morning after leaving your hotel. And if you pack smart and get your stuff into a carry-on that has wheels, even that might not be such a big deal.

The Cruise Compass is printed each day. It won't have this info except on the last day. Maybe you just didn't happen to see one from the last day.

Part of the whole philosophy of a place like Windjammer is that you can take whatever you want, whenever you want, and as much as you want. By design. If someone thinks that having five dinners and eleventy-twelve desserts in Windjammer is against the rules, and that RCL is simply looking the other way, that person doesn't understand the rules!

My phone uses AT&T. It also has a WiFi Calling option. I've never used it, but just wanted people to know that if they don't have Verizon, this is still something worth looking into.

Another thing to think about: How do you need the internet constantly, frequently, or occasionally? The wifi connection is not 100% dependable in every single part of the ship. (There are plenty of places on land like this too, but I figured someone should mention it.)

2) If you fear seasickness, then go low like coneyraven said. On my first cruise I loved being right in the center, not too high, not too low, not too forward, and not too back. The result was that everything was not too far away. This was especially important when I didn't want to wait for the elevator - most places were 3 decks or less away. 4) You'll have to drink several per day for the package to be worthwhile. Compare the prices and do the math. For people who want an occasional splurge, a la carte is almost always cheaper. This is true regardless of which package you're thinking about (soda, liquor, etc). 6) Gratuity is not included in the prices you see. It is added on to your bill, and the result is that you don't have to tip anyone individually. But keep on reading, and you'll see recommendations about who should maybe get an additional tip.

But it does NOT include Starbucks if there is a Starbucks shop on board. Those are [Is "independent franchises" accurate?], so you have to pay as if you had no package at all.

Just wondering... why do they use so many different brands? Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to pick one for all their ships? There's gotta be a good business reason why they don't. I just can't imagine what that reason is.

Whether I would take along such a purse or not is irrelevant. Why should you make a decision based on MY personal levels of worry or confidence? What's much more relevant is how YOU feel. Do you bring this purse along when you go to a restaurant, or to the movies, or to a shopping mall? Tell us how you fell in situations like those, and then we can intelligently discuss whether a cruise is similar to those or different from those.

Of course it will be overpriced. But will it be MORE overpriced than if sold in the shops? That's the real question...

Interesting... So the way the designers intend it to work, is that when you enter the room, you remove the card from the door and put it in this slot to enable the lights and air,. And when you leave, you take the card with you, which disables the lights and air. (And in actual practice, it seems to be a mechanical switch rather than an electronic card reader, which is how it is so easily overridden.) What'll they think of next?

Ditto what ReyRod said. I don't understand the OP's question. Does the power go off in the stateroom when all the people leave? If two people enter and only one leaves, does the power stay or go? Do I need to reset my tabletop alarm clock every time I come back to the room? I don't get it.

I had the same questions before my first cruise. I wish RCCL would explain this more clearly. They make a big deal about how the soda package includes a free souvenir cup, and they don't seem to realize that these questions may be scaring some people away from buying it.