joshvc

1: Yes! this has been clarified by Royal recently. My only caveat is that we haven't done it yet- we're also sailing very soon and will have assorted sodas, waters, and wine within their limits with us.

2: Has to be in a carry-on, sort of. From what I've seen here, if it's in the checked bag, it'll get held by security. They don't search your stuff quite like TSA does, they'll make you come down and open your bag and show that it's permissible stuff. 

3: Not sure on this one, but probably? Might be a heavy bag, but I think it should be ok.

The blog post with confirmation: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/08/28/royal-caribbean-now-allowing-guests-bring-non-alcoholic-beverages-onboard

1: Yes! this has been clarified by Royal recently. My only caveat is that we haven't done it yet- we're also sailing very soon and will have assorted sodas, waters, and wine within their limits with us.

2: Has to be in a carry-on, sort of. From what I've seen here, if it's in the checked bag, it'll get held by security. They don't search your stuff quite like TSA does, they'll make you come down and open your bag and show that it's permissible stuff. 

3: Not sure on this one, but probably? Might be a heavy bag, but I think it should be ok.

The blog post with confirmation: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/08/28/royal-caribbean-now-allowing-guests-bring-non-alcoholic-beverages-onboard

1: Yes! this has been clarified by Royal recently. My only caveat is that we haven't done it yet- we're also sailing very soon and will have assorted sodas, waters, and wine within their limits with us.

2: Has to be in a carry-on, sort of. From what I've seen here, if it's in the checked bag, it'll get held by security. They don't search your stuff quite like TSA does, they'll make you come down and open your bag and show that it's permissible stuff. 

3: Not sure on this one, but probably? Might be a heavy bag, but I think it should be ok.

The blog post with confirmation: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/08/28/royal-caribbean-now-allowing-guests-bring-non-alcoholic-beverages-onboard

Incredible! Was it this visible with the naked eye? We have forward facing rooms on Harmony next month and I'm hoping we get some nights like that, but even with the forward lights dimmed, I'm expecting too much light pollution.

As I sat on a public forward facing deck looking out into the night sky while sipping a scotch I could make out passing wisps of clouds above us.  Over time I realized one "cloud" wasn't moving and was constant.  That's when it dawned on me it might be the milky way.  I have an app that shows the position of the milky way and other celestial objects.  Sure enough, the app confirmed it was the milky way.  
Empress has forward public decks that are ideal for this since the bow is always dark at night so the bridge can see better.  That will be more of a challenge on Harmony.  Sometimes small ships are better 

I've only cruised once, and only to Nassau & Coco Cay, but they were checking photo IDs in Nassau at the port security check when we re-boarded, before you got into Royal's own area.

This seems like most importantly, it's good for the people of the island, and secondarily, good for upcoming itineraries to San Juan:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/07/24/puerto-rico-gov-ricardo-rossello-expected-resign-today/1812315001/
Been looking forward to our stop there all summer, hopefully it will go smoothly now.

I'm sorry this is wrong. Not calling you out in particular since this is a huge misconception across the country. 
McDonald's was absolutely negligent in how they served their coffee. 
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/16/13971482/mcdonalds-coffee-lawsuit-stella-liebeck
The 79 year-old victim suffered third degree burns on her legs and genitals which required extensive surgery to repair because McDonald's served coffee at over 190 degrees. They also knew that this was a problem because before this case they had already received over 700 reports of burns due to hot coffee. They didn't even deny they knew this was dangerous in the case! Yet they continued to serve it at near boiling temperatures. 
In addition the victim didn't want to file a lawsuit. She only wanted her medical expenses paid. McDonalds refused and only offered her $800. Her lawsuit was for those expenses only but the jury thought McDonald's was so negligent that they awarded her even more. 
So how did it end up that everyone in America thinks she was greedy because she got some lukewarm coffee on her? McDonald's funded a misinformation campaign that the media bought into and spread to everyone. Corporations have used this fake story to keep people with real injuries from pursuing damages for fear they might be considered in the same way this woman was. Don't fall for McDonald's lies.  

Specialty coffee is in line with starbucks prices on land (but the actual Starbucks kiosks on the ship are not included in the package), $4-6. I believe the virgin coctails run about $8 from other posts I've seen here somewhere. Water & Soda I'm less certain of, I think at least $2 for a bottle of water is a safe assumption for doing the math, soda is a little different since with the package you'll get a reusable cup for the fountain, but you do get access to cans or dispensed soda at bars too. I expect they'd charge for a cup of soda like a restaurant would, $3-4, but can't be certain. You also get access to the fresh squeezed juice at breakfast in the MDR, which I believe was listed at $4.50 on Enchantment last year.
For us, the math works out, because we'll down 2-3 of the coffee per day on vacation, juice at breakfast, and plenty of soda and mocktails along the way.

Yes, the beach is adjacent to the waterpark. You'll get a wristband that gives you virtually unlimited access to the Atlantis property, and can go back & forth between the beach, waterpark, hotel/casino, and aquarium freely.

we've seen it on all our cruises in the WJ, usually on one side or the other, someone (crew member) is manning a fresh squeeze "station".  And gotten it in the MDR...

I'm 99% sure this is true, based on what they show on Mega Food (netflix). It wasn't Jaime's, but the signature chef does appear on board, working on the menu and chatting with the staff, but the staff are very clearly entirely RCCL employees.

Specialty coffee is in line with starbucks prices on land (but the actual Starbucks kiosks on the ship are not included in the package), $4-6. I believe the virgin coctails run about $8 from other posts I've seen here somewhere. Water & Soda I'm less certain of, I think at least $2 for a bottle of water is a safe assumption for doing the math, soda is a little different since with the package you'll get a reusable cup for the fountain, but you do get access to cans or dispensed soda at bars too. I expect they'd charge for a cup of soda like a restaurant would, $3-4, but can't be certain. You also get access to the fresh squeezed juice at breakfast in the MDR, which I believe was listed at $4.50 on Enchantment last year.
For us, the math works out, because we'll down 2-3 of the coffee per day on vacation, juice at breakfast, and plenty of soda and mocktails along the way.

Love hearing that, thanks!

I also went with a travel agent when we wanted connecting rooms, although I pulled up deck plans ahead of time so I could give him suggestions- "something like 9406/9404," and he took that and ran with it. I don't know how, but they just have access to better search tools, or just experience with the bad tools Royal offers, and can pull things together better than I was able to myself (and I'm one who loves booking my own arrangements too). Call MEI or fill out the form on the front page, they'll take good care of you.

This is a great tip, especially for the classes with reservable entertainment. I found the group for my August Harmony cruise, and this morning someone alerted that the entertainment reservations were open. Now we have everything we want when we want it (well, I'd schedule everything an hour earlier, but they're not running the ship on cranky first grader time, are they?).

This is a great tip, especially for the classes with reservable entertainment. I found the group for my August Harmony cruise, and this morning someone alerted that the entertainment reservations were open. Now we have everything we want when we want it (well, I'd schedule everything an hour earlier, but they're not running the ship on cranky first grader time, are they?).

The agent definitely gets the commission

We sailed on her last summer, our first cruise also, and had an incredible time. The ship is very nice, it's plenty big, and the 4 night itinerary was great. Most of all though, we were blown away by the service- from the moment we stepped on until we were back in port, every employee we interacted with treated us like we were the only guests in a 5 star resort, despite being in a cheapy interior room.
We did traditional dining in the first shift, and loved our wait team- listen to their suggestions on the specials, they were usually right. 
I will warn you that the cruising bug does bite hard. We're a long way from the multiple-cruises-per-year folks you might see on this site, but we booked a 7 night Harmony cruise within a few weeks of getting off Enchantment.
I wrote up a short review of the cruise a couple months after it, but the short version is you're going to have a great time. 
 

Interesting- it does seem like the Buffet would be a bigger source of waste. That said, I could see them reducing serving sizes in the MDR, and being more eager to bring second portions once you know you like something. Not necessarily full blown tapas style dining (although I'd love that for a couple of the meals), but somewhere in between. 

Another thing about needing plugs and not understanding people who use electronics is that everyone's idea of a great vacation is different. I personally love to read with my kindle by the pool or listen to a podcast with bluetooth headphones while relaxing. I also enjoy the ability to share my vacation in real time with friends and family. All of these things need charging and it's amazing how quickly the plugs get full, especially once you factor in cabin mates. I understand that some people enjoy disconnecting or using very few electronics on a cruise but it's a pet peeve of mine when someone uses their personal preference to look down upon other's choices in how they choose to spend their vacation. I'm not saying anyone here is doing that, but I HAVE seen that condescension elsewhere and it's incredibly uncalled for, in my opinion. 

Yes.  I would expect formal night to be on a sea day/night

Tangentially related, and probably discussed on here somewhere before (it's a few years old, as best I can tell), Netflix has a show called Mega Food with an episode about an Oasis class ship (maybe Oasis? can't remember). It covers food service from before boarding through disembarkation, which is an amazing undertaking.

Kennedy Space Center visitor center is excellent, and while less expensive than theme parks, not cheap either.  Speaking of Theme Parks, they are the best in the world, if you're into theme parks. Disney is great for families of all ages, but especially 10 & under, while Universal has the roller coasters that most teenagers are looking for. Figure on about 80 minutes drive to Disney, less with good traffic. Assuming the government is open, Canaveral National Seashore (aka Playalinda Beach) is usually uncrowded and a nice beach. Clothing rules are unenforced at the very very far end of the beach, or so I am told. No such issues in the first few miles of beach parking though. Also on Canaveral property is the Black Point Wildlife Drive, a gravel loop a few miles long where you can see bald eagles and assorted Floridian wildlife. A hidden gem imo. Easy to get to in Orlando is the Crayola Experience, I hear good things from people with younger kids There's a nice shopping complex/outdoor mall nearby in Viera, and some very mediocre malls in Merritt Island and Titusville. Go to Viera. Ron Jon is neat, once, worth a visit if you like Been There Done That kinda things. Daytona is also a very doable drive, the world famous speedway there has daily track tours if that revs your engine. I wouldn't go just for the beach, though, hit Cocoa or Playalinda and save the gas. St. Augustine is farther than Orlando, probably at the outer limits of a day trip, but has a different feel than the recent history of KSC or tourist-ness of Orlando. Oops, just re-read that you'll be there in February. The beach advice might apply, but probably not. Have a great time though!

Kennedy Space Center visitor center is excellent, and while less expensive than theme parks, not cheap either.  Speaking of Theme Parks, they are the best in the world, if you're into theme parks. Disney is great for families of all ages, but especially 10 & under, while Universal has the roller coasters that most teenagers are looking for. Figure on about 80 minutes drive to Disney, less with good traffic. Assuming the government is open, Canaveral National Seashore (aka Playalinda Beach) is usually uncrowded and a nice beach. Clothing rules are unenforced at the very very far end of the beach, or so I am told. No such issues in the first few miles of beach parking though. Also on Canaveral property is the Black Point Wildlife Drive, a gravel loop a few miles long where you can see bald eagles and assorted Floridian wildlife. A hidden gem imo. Easy to get to in Orlando is the Crayola Experience, I hear good things from people with younger kids There's a nice shopping complex/outdoor mall nearby in Viera, and some very mediocre malls in Merritt Island and Titusville. Go to Viera. Ron Jon is neat, once, worth a visit if you like Been There Done That kinda things. Daytona is also a very doable drive, the world famous speedway there has daily track tours if that revs your engine. I wouldn't go just for the beach, though, hit Cocoa or Playalinda and save the gas. St. Augustine is farther than Orlando, probably at the outer limits of a day trip, but has a different feel than the recent history of KSC or tourist-ness of Orlando. Oops, just re-read that you'll be there in February. The beach advice might apply, but probably not. Have a great time though!