AshleyDillo

On Mariner you pay the cover charge per person and you order one entree per person and then whatever else you want as far as apps and dessert. Soda is included with a JR meal there regardless of having a drink package. Milkshakes are extra if you don't have a package but they will be included with the refreshment package if you choose to dine there.

The $10 surcharge is new. I know it was added after my November 2019 sailing. For the UDP it is listed that Izumi Hibachi is an included restaurant in the FAQ but the T&C of the UDP state that there is a $10 upcharge now.

I hate the time suck of sitting through specialty dinners. I love the food but I'm not one for a long drawn out meal. I'd much prefer to take out food and enjoy it on my own time in my own way. The UDP was great for me with this because I got to order only what I wanted to eat and not feel like I was wasting a dining credit. I tried to make sure I made a reservation for when I was going to drop in to at least be accounted for. Gave me a bit more leverage to ask for the food to go ?

I did Izumi right at 5pm dinner opening..stowed it in the room "cooler" that looks like a fridge..ate it as a midnight snack. Funny they sat me to wait and brought me edamame to eat while I waited too ? I also hit up Chops..I made a solo reservation and popped in and asked if I could get the food to go. They tried so, so, so hard to sell me into sitting down and having the full meal but I stood my ground and seriously 5 minutes later had a piping hot filet on a plate with a room service plastic lid on it..and a roll of silverware with a honking steak knife.

It's a way for them to have bids in the hopper in case of last minute cancellations. Also if someone in one of those sold out categories bids and jumps to something higher, there will be an open room there for a RoyalUp.

Yup. They disable your charging privileges. I want to say it's $200 or so for the shorter cruises..much lower threshold.

With the push to checking in online and streamlining the process to get on the ship, they don't really want to deal with collecting cash deposits at check-in. Basically they'll give everyone a small line of credit now and those paying in cash get to deal with Guest Services at some point to sort it all out. You definitely can't leave the ship without settling up your account. It makes everything run very smoothly for getting onto the ship.

I sailed her the week she came back from the AMP..had an amazing time and she looked great! All of the new additions were excellent and the ship felt very updated.

I always set up as a cash account when I check in because I'm usually not decided on which credit card I want to use that far out from sailing. Never had to put up a deposit..I just went during the cruise with my credit card of choice and had Guest Services link it up to my account.

You don't have to put down any deposit for a cash account. However once you hit the spend threshold set for your cruise (should be $500 for a 7-day), you will have to settle up at Guest Services for them to turn on your charging privileges again.

The cups are intended to be used by the person that purchased the package. Letting the kids use the cups would be considered sharing in Royal's eyes. If you take care of the reservations as soon as you get on board you shouldn't have a problem. MTD times start later (6:30-6:45ish) and the earlier times tend to be popular so they hold those reservations back for people to make when they get on the ship. Once you can connect to the ship's wifi, you can even make reservations using the app for MTD and Specialty Dining as well. Otherwise just head to the MTD when you board and set all your dining up. They will have it listed in the paper Cruise Compass when sign ups are for these activities. Usually you just show up slightly before the session and get on the list or in the line. It really depends on how many people show up as the number of participants per session are limited. Ziplining you need to reserve through the cruise planner. Not only will it be cheaper, it will also guarantee you get to participate. The coaster appeared to be taking walk-ups without any issue the day that I went, but it was cheaper to purchase it through the cruise planner. I really enjoyed the coaster a lot.

It does not have to be in a physical bag. A completely sealed case of 12 cans will be just fine. I would suggest that you do have a tote bag available just in case the box somehow gets damaged before you make it to your rooms. Otherwise it will be a fun scramble chasing the cans of soda rolling all over the place.

The credit is per person, per visit! So at Izumi if you have 2 people that's $70! Playmakers is the same way..it's a credit per visit..I want to say it's $20 or $25 credit for Playmakers. Either way that's a lot of food!

You can get take out at Izumi any time they are open. Their lunch hours tend to vary.

A lot of the food served in the MDR requires prep time. They have an idea based on history of how much to make for the MDR menu items that are in regular rotation. The vegan menu is relatively new so they may not have as good of an idea of how many of each item to prepare for. Ordering the day before allows them to make sure they have enough prepped. It isn't a perfect system but it's better than having no options at all like they used to.

That's a fantastic itinerary for an Oasis class ship! It's just so dang hot down in the Southern Caribbean that time of the year! I'm pushing it with a Labor Day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean!

It should be in Cafe 270 on Quantum!

Schooner Bar for the Old Fashioneds and probably the martinis as well..but like @Marlena mentions the grapefruit habanero daiquiri there is divine!

Having just experienced Heathrow for the first time ever this past week..I wouldn't really plan or have your heart set on anything specific. It's a huge, crowded airport and if you have to switch terminals via the train that will eat up a good chunk of time. If you do find yourself in Terminal 5 after security and have time, seek out Wetherspoons at the B gates. It will have the pub fare you are seeking..they are ubiquitous to the UK and are akin to Dennys or Applebees in the US as far as food quality..but it tends to be quick as you can download their app and order your food right to your table without waiting!

It's how RC compensates for a lot of differences between US and UK consumer protections. In the future you can use a US travel agent and get the ability to reprice as long as you are willing to pay in USD. You just have to understand the differences in the consumer protections and understand how they will apply to your situation if you do that.

I am in agreement with the others..stick with Oasis/CocoCay. Your kids will much, much appreciate it. The Canada/NE itinerary is fantastic, but for a first cruise I would definitely go with Oasis. The Bahamian ports are nothing to be worried about.

Only gas station I've ever bought a t-shirt from! ?

You could just as well get an obstructed view from a balcony GTY booking. Nothing has changed really except that you saved money!

You call the C&A 800-526-9723 number. Make sure you have her C&A number and tell them you want to status match your significant other to you. It was just as simple as that for me. I did have an extra step as my sigO had not sailed before so I had to sign him up with a C&A number first.

Call up Royal and change the ghost passengers' dates of birth to be under the age of 21. That will take care of the requirement for the drink packages on those. As for the 2 adults, if one is a non-drinker you have to call up Royal to purchase the refreshment plan for them and then the alcohol package for the other.