PG Cruiser

It can’t be used to get on and off the ship. They’ll still ask for the actual Sea Pass Card

Here the Izumi menu on the Serenade

I agree. I’ve sailed mostly from Canaveral and Lauderdale. C&A members have exclusive entry points at those ports.

There is an ala carte menu with more items at Izumi. I tried to stay within the $35 credit but the waiter told me that if I went over, I’d be billed for it

$5. If you collect souvenirs, they’d make a good keepsake

You can purchase WOW bands on ships that have RFID sensors. I like them for unlocking stateroom doors, but not for making purchases or getting drinks. Some bartenders will ask you to take them off your wrist. Not very cool.

Harmony has them. Old style cards are swiped for unlocking stateroom doors, making purchases, and for access to gangways. The RFID cards are tapped on the sensors to accomplish the same tasks as the old ones.

It looks like Royal Caribbean has placed most if not all of the perks on The Key. I’m on the Ovation as I post this. Yesterday at check in, I did not see special access given to any of the Crown and Anchor levels. It was all for those who purchased The Key. I did see a sign for priority seating for C&A members Platinum and above but it was not as prominently displayed as the signs... yes plural... signs for The Key. I assure you I did not go around asking, like Rose’s mother did on the Titanic, “Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?” But as a Platinum member, turning Emerald with this sailing, I kept asking myself, “What good does bring to be at these C&A levels? I don’t really feel rewarded for my loyalty. RCCL has sold those “rewards” as The Key.”

@twangster, they don't have the pre-punched cards on the Ovation anymore (August 30 sailing). Good thing I brought a sleeve to attach to my belt loop keyring.

Yes, I did. I have this 4-port USB charger by RAVPower. The top port is for quick charging. I also brought this European plug adapter so I can use the European type outlet in the room. If you do this, please make sure your device is autovolt (110-220V) or it is rated for 220V. I say that again ... for US people especially ... make sure your device is rated for 220V.

I'm the Ovation right now. They have the RFID card. I'm using a clear plastic sleeve and a belt loop key ring. On older ships without the RFID cards, I just punch a hole on the card and use a lanyard attachment. (No sleeve)

Good news! USB Ports! This is the first time I've seen USB ports in an RCCL stateroom. Bad news! It's working for my Apple Watch but not for my iPhone. The "charging" icon shows up for a few seconds and then reverts to the "battery level" icon.

Yay! I got the 50th Souvenir Cup

Hi all! I'm going to blog my first Alaskan cruise on this thread. It will be a "lazy" blog as I may not post a lot like I did in my other RCCL cruises. If there's anyone sailing on the Ovation soon, you can post questions and photo requests for features of the ship you might be interested in.

What angers me in this situation is the lawyer getting the family to change the narrative of this horrible preventable accident. I've been following this story on social media and it has sadly created a very different picture of what one would expect to see on a RCCL ship. Most of those commenting have never been on a Royal Caribbean ship and a good number of them have never been on a cruise. It's so easy to put the blame on RCCL for the "open window next to the kid's play area." I find myself being defensive of this cruise line that I have grown fond of.

I got a WOW band when I was on the Harmony. I know they would reprogram them for other sailings, but I had my Muster Station number printed on mine. When they reprogram, wouldn't that cause confusion with muster stations? Not that we're that excited to ever have to go to those muster stations. (Not even during the drill)

I'm not understanding some details about the Royal Up. I thought you won't even be charged until you win the bid. So, did the original poster win the bid and Royal Up wouldn't refund them even after they canceled their cruise?

What can I say... RCCL has very generous interns

Any chance they will bring back $18 per day Deluxe Beverage Package? I heard it was only for the 4th of July sale. ???

How I wish I could bring a more than ample supply of clothes. But I'm flying in from Florida and I did not want the stress from worrying about my checked luggage. There'll be a storm/hurricane on my tail and you know how air travel goes. I'm not much of a risk taker.

Did you take the offer? I’ve been reading some posts about damage on clothes.

This is what I did the days before my Mount Liamuiga Volcano Hike on St Kitts. It worked. I got to the top! It was a different story after the hike. It was a pain to go up or down a single flight of stairs.

I checked out the most recently uploaded Cruise Planner from the Ovation and I did not see the Laundry Bag Offer usually offered in middle of the cruise. Any information on this? I don’t want to check any luggage and am trying to fit everything in my carry ons. I’m not a fancy dresser anyway so I’m thinking I will be able to pull this off.

I don't like the taste of Coke (zero sugar) on RCCL ships which is very different from the canned and bottled versions in stores. It's also different from those served from soda fountains on land. I think their syrup is not from the States. I noticed an improvement during my recent sailing on the Mariner but it was still not to my liking. I guess I'm not only a Coca-Cola snob, but I a very picky Coca-Cola snob.

Even the Refreshment Package has gone up to $26 per day. Good thing I purchased it when it was $20 per day.