ScooterScott22

“Good morning Reyno,  can you tell me where I might find my underpants?”
 

I’ll add, that there was an issue that the credit was not there initially.  Once they fixed the issue they gave an extra $10 credit for the trouble.  Just guessing that the extra credit, when applied, might have done something to the limit we had set.  Just a theory, but still watch the limits.

I’ll add, that there was an issue that the credit was not there initially.  Once they fixed the issue they gave an extra $10 credit for the trouble.  Just guessing that the extra credit, when applied, might have done something to the limit we had set.  Just a theory, but still watch the limits.

Just reinforcing to keep an eye on the folio.  Our son had a credit on last cruise and for some reason the cut off limit did not work.  He ended going over by a few dollars by the time we realized.  

Another vote here for going in with an open mind.  On our very first cruise we did feel some motion and just put up with it and kept on with our vacation.  To make a long story short, turns out that was some of the roughest seas we have ever had, so everything has been a easy after that.  Our family actually even likes at least a little bit of motion, perfectly calm waters is almost too boring.
 
Weather and conditions will change and you can’t do anything about it so just enjoy.  All you can do is pack appropriately for cold And waterproof if you are doing something like an Alaska cruise, a jacket or umbrella for rainy days and sunscreen and swimsuits for everything else.  Get out there and enjoy!

Also note, the boarding area can change at different ports.  It is not uncommon for boarding to take place on a higher deck at ports of embarkation.  In Alaska the tide difference can be as much as 27 feet.  They actually moved the boarding due to tides at one point during the day at Skagway.

While I doubt that I am in total agreement with Mr. Frommer about the cruise recreation options, I do see something to his point.  One of the reasons we liked our first cruise so much was it was a true get-away.  Since it pre-dated the onboard internet, it seemed  like a real escape from the daily grind.  Our favorite cruise was also one of those early ones.  It was 14 day Panama Canal and it only had 4 port days, so very relaxing.  It is nice to have the option to do things but there still should be some room to relax.  Sometimes it is nice just to lie on a deck chair, sip a cocktail and watch the water.  No worrying about “gotta get to....” or “gotta post that...”.  So while he maybe focused on certain aspects that I do not agree with, I can also find a theme in his statement about the “loss of relaxation” and there is some truth to that aspect.

Have been there once for work and once for a cruise.  
For work, had to be closer to the work location and it wasn’t too far from Granville but not a place I would recommend because it was fine but nothing special.
Before our cruise we did two nights at the Marriott Pinnacle.  It was a good location and we were able to walk to everything we did except for one thing, we took the train. We walked over to and around Stanley park.  It was a little long but not bad.  The item I wanted to share was that we had a few minor hiccups at check in and at our first meal but the management was great.  They called, sent a cheese plate and drinks, etc. to compensate us for the troubles.  The property had a nice pool and gym so it covered those bases too.

Ok, let me get the puns done first.
If YOU are a big wildlife photographer then I guess any camera setup will be small compared to you and your body.  
 
Or
if you are a BIG WILDLIFE photographer a cruise may be disappointing as it will likely only have smaller animals.
Ok yea, those were dumb.  Really just wanted to ask, particularly Twangster, if there is really enough wildlife to view?  Our experiences have been that cruises in the Caribbean have had less wildlife than others.  Alaska obviously had the most. Surprisingly, we also saw quite a bit of sea life along the Pacific side of Mexico  heading down to the Panama Canal.  Even our 2 European cruises - Norway, Iceland, UK had more than all the Caribbean cruises.  It seems the most likely animal to encounter on a Caribbean Cruise is the Party Animal.  (Sorry just had to put that last one in there.)
I don’t know much about cameras and agree that any setup will be fine.  But the OP may not find as many subjects to shoot.  Therefore if it matter to his setup, landscape and scenery shots would be plentiful.   
 

Quick word of caution, while it is probably extremely rare, genie assignments can change.  We had a couple of gifts from our local area and one was personalized for our genie.  The day of boarding we were notified that our genie was changed.  So we were stuck with that personalized item.  We passed along the other gifts and a little  extra $$$.

Ok, let me get the puns done first.
If YOU are a big wildlife photographer then I guess any camera setup will be small compared to you and your body.  
 
Or
if you are a BIG WILDLIFE photographer a cruise may be disappointing as it will likely only have smaller animals.
Ok yea, those were dumb.  Really just wanted to ask, particularly Twangster, if there is really enough wildlife to view?  Our experiences have been that cruises in the Caribbean have had less wildlife than others.  Alaska obviously had the most. Surprisingly, we also saw quite a bit of sea life along the Pacific side of Mexico  heading down to the Panama Canal.  Even our 2 European cruises - Norway, Iceland, UK had more than all the Caribbean cruises.  It seems the most likely animal to encounter on a Caribbean Cruise is the Party Animal.  (Sorry just had to put that last one in there.)
I don’t know much about cameras and agree that any setup will be fine.  But the OP may not find as many subjects to shoot.  Therefore if it matter to his setup, landscape and scenery shots would be plentiful.   
 

Quick word of caution, while it is probably extremely rare, genie assignments can change.  We had a couple of gifts from our local area and one was personalized for our genie.  The day of boarding we were notified that our genie was changed.  So we were stuck with that personalized item.  We passed along the other gifts and a little  extra $$$.

Quick word of caution, while it is probably extremely rare, genie assignments can change.  We had a couple of gifts from our local area and one was personalized for our genie.  The day of boarding we were notified that our genie was changed.  So we were stuck with that personalized item.  We passed along the other gifts and a little  extra $$$.

Awesome, combo of events for your pre-cruise!  And LET’S GO BLUES!
I haven’t been there for a game but have been in the area around there for work a number of times.  The traffic around and on the expressway can be really heavy at times and likely, after work/before game time it will be busier.  If you have the car and are free, being vacation and all, it might be a good idea to head over a little early and grab a bite to eat at the mall area or one of the places near Sunrise Blvd and Flamingo.  Otherwise I would just do Uber or something over there.
Have fun!

I need to mention that for Floridians, "cold" is anything less than a 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

I’ll agree that the switch to Star Class and the perks will be a great trade off for the change in sleeping arrangements/shared space.  
 
As far as the sibling in-fighting it gives you one more “distraction” with Star Class.  Anytime you see things seem to be escalating just ask “Do you think we should ask (insert genie’s name) to (get us some/arrange reservations for)?

The “best viewing times” might be a little open ended so just sharing the Northstar rides with an associated charge should be only when the ship is at the glacier.  The charge was $50.  @twangster can always provide more details.

Acutal "Broadway" shows are the following:
Oasis - Cats
Allure - Mama Mia
Harmony/Indy - Grease
Symphony - Hairspray
Liberty - Saturday Night Fever
Anthem - We Will Rock You
The rest are Royal Caribbean Original Productions.  Not official Broadway shows.  I am also unsure if Ovation has anything?

I "stole" this from somewhere.  If we need to start a new thread for the list, please let me know.  
All Access (Grandeur of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas)
A song-and-dance revue with past hits from Sly & the Family Stone; the Everly Brothers; Blood Sweat & Tears; and Earth, Wind & Fire.
 
Bailamos (Empress of the Seas)
Meaning "let's dance" in Spanish, Bailamos showcases Latin music and dance in a variety of styles.
 
Ballroom Fever (Rhapsody of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas)
A showcase of ballroom dances performed to pop tunes from several decades, including Fever, The Last Tango and They Dance.
 
Blue Planet (Allure of the Seas)
Visual effects and aerial acrobatics, along with atmospheric music, take the audience on a journey around the planet from the jungle to under the ocean waves.
 
Boogie Wonderland (Majesty of the Seas, Vision of the Seas)
All the best songs from the 70s from artists like KC and the Sunshine Band, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Lionel Richie and The Commodores.
 
Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme (Grandeur of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas)
A retrospective of several Broadway's shows, including West Side Story, Dreamgirls, Chicago and a medley of favorite tunes from the Pajama Game, The Music Man, Oklahoma and My Fair Lady.
 
Can't Stop the Rock (Adventure of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas)
A stroll through the music of the movies from Mission Impossible and Purple Rain to Shaft, Men in Black and Charlie's Angels.
 
Cats (Oasis of the Seas)
Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit Broadway musical.
 
Center Stage (Brilliance of the Seas)
A traditional song-and-dance revue with singers and dancers performing classical, jazz, rock and swing.
 
City of Dreams (Jewel of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas)
A high-energy song and dance revue with colorful costumes, lots of acrobatics and popular songs including Stronger, Power of Love, Your Song and Heaven.
 
Columbus (Harmony of the Seas)
A musical telling of the story of Christopher Columbus' lesser-known cousin and his attempt to gain fame using a random selection of popular radio hits.
 
Come Fly With Me (Oasis of the Seas)
Aerial acrobatics set to tunes from such pop rock icons as U2, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson and Eurythmics.
 
Flash Forward (Explorer of the Seas)
Song and dance routines with music that spans the decades from the 50s and 60s through to the 80s and beyond.
 
Flight (Symphony of the Seas)
An original Royal Caribbean production, Flight is a satire on the history and future of air travel.
 
Gallery of Dreams (Mariner of the Seas)
Song and dance revue featuring music that spans the decades and includes popular songs like Rock Me Amadeus and Play That Funky Music.
 

I am with everybody else, although it is a great perk, personally I would not want them to do it, and it's not about the "unmentionables", it is everything else. 
My husband and I are particular about how we put our clothes away...hubby being retired military, is let's say... OCD to an nth degree.  I.E.  All of his work out clothes go in one drawer, that means shirts, shorts AND socks.  IOWs, his gym socks would not be in the drawer with his dress socks.  His work out tee shirts would not be in the drawer with his white tee shirts for his dress shirts.  His gym shorts would not be in the same drawer as his lounge pants.  He hangs up his suit and sportscoats with the shirts and ties he will be wearing that night.  The genie would not know that, so in the end he would be re-doing everything the Genie did.  It would take him longer to fix everything they unpacked than if he just unpacked it himself.  I am not as bad, but I do have that same OCD when it comes to things like, sunscreen, aloe, lotion, etc. I keep those in different areas.  I do not spray on sunscreen in the bathroom and that is probably where they would leave it.  I keep hand lotion by my  bed to use right before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.    Good on you for doing it, and you should at that price, but my suggestion would be ….be prepared to go:  DIDN'T we pack XYZ? and than wait for the Genie to say whether or not they recall unpacking.

“Good morning Reyno,  can you tell me where I might find my underpants?”
 

I don’t disagree that for the cost of Star Class this is not really an unreasonable request and is truly viable for some guest as you mentioned.  
My comment, jokingly, was that it doesn’t seem terribly helpful for most.  I don’t care what they touch and yes laundry gets done so they are touching everything anyway.  If the OP wanted it done so they can go do something else, the problem is they have to orient themselves to where things were placed.  I may like certain things together (socks and underclothes) or in a top drawer vs bottom drawer so aside from just finding things does it make sense to me.  Not a big deal for me, or most people, but could be frustrating. 

“Good morning Reyno,  can you tell me where I might find my underpants?”
 

Is this a joke?  My mouth is still hanging open!  If it is true I'm not sure the wife would want some stranger fondling her undies but then again she might like it.  This is good for a chuckle!

Personally, I’d never want some random stranger to unpack and put my stuff away.  I could see if it were your own personal butler at home who does that stuff for you all the time and knows how and where you like things, but I can’t see how a stranger putting your stuff where they think is good would be convenient.  I’d be going crazy after trying to figure out where everything was.