KJones

Personally, I would see about cancelling the ship insurance and only go the 3rd party route (I use Allianz). 3rd party policies usually have more/better coverage than those promoted by the cruise lines, particularly for medical and emergency transport. They'll also cover flights, which I don't think RC's policy does.

@Randon1234Yes you can get a whole pizza, but you may have to wait a bit.

If you don't use all the OBC pre-cruise, it will transfer to onboard. If you don't spend it all by the end of your sailing, you forfeit the balance.

They do! When we were there last in 2019 the emailed us to ask if we wanted a refund, even offering to let us go and see how it was before deciding if we wanted to stay. We ended up staying, but transportation to/from port would have been at no cost to us had we decided on the refund after arriving.

I booked this excursion in Colon because of its description on the Cruise Planner:

"Enjoy gliding along the historic Panama Canal on an exciting boat ride while learning the ins and outs of how this structural wonder operates, serving as a key channel for international trade. Cruise on the Chagres River to Gatun Lake, where a lush tropical paradise replete with exotic flora and fauna emerges. Watch as the waters of Gatun feed the Panama Canal locks system. Along the way, discover the culture of the Emberá people of Neopono Puru Island and take in a traditional tribal dance."

We were never on an exciting boat ride along the historic Panama Canal.  They only brought us to the Visitors Center to see the canal from afar.

We did go on a boat ride, but that was to visit the Emberá people of Neopono Puru Island, not to learn the ins and outs of how the Panama Canal operates.

They gave me a partial refund, $46.90 out of $169.00, when I complained about this at the Shore Excursions desk.  But that wasn't the point.  If they had an accurate description of this excursion, I wouldn't have booked it at all.   Even the visit to the Emberá people felt like a commercialized tour of a supposedly indigenous group of people.  That's another story in itself.

Just beware of this excursion.

Yes, the card will work for chai lattes. In my experience on Radiance in September, a 12oz chai counted as 1 punch, a 16oz as 2 punches (I imagine a 20oz would have been 3). So the best bang for your buck would be to order 12oz.

RE: cake - you can pre-order a cake ahead of time through Royal Gifts (and other goodies too!).

It's 100% obstructed, by a wall. 🙂 

Yes, the card will work for chai lattes. In my experience on Radiance in September, a 12oz chai counted as 1 punch, a 16oz as 2 punches (I imagine a 20oz would have been 3). So the best bang for your buck would be to order 12oz.

I've never had a travel agent charge more than the price on the website.  I'd find a different travel agent.

Lots of folks do it.  I think you'll be ok with your airline checked bags, but understand your worry with them lately.  Remember, just because you carried it on the plane doesn't mean you need to carry it on the cruise.  You can still check those bags with the porters and just carry your valuables and passports.

UPDATE: My TA followed up with Royal Caribbean directly and discovered that not only do we not have to pay for the room change, Royal is actually allowing us to add in the infant to our existing stateroom! 
 
Thanks everyone for the responses.

If 30 people are walking down the pier, all late, my money is on an RCI excursion. 
If a couple is running down the pier, my money is on someone who is not on an RCI excursion.   Especially when alcohol is clearly a factor.  I've yet to see an RCI excursion with only 2 guests.

Doom, if I could afford to buy 100,000 shares I wouldn't be worried about onboard credit!

They do! When we were there last in 2019 the emailed us to ask if we wanted a refund, even offering to let us go and see how it was before deciding if we wanted to stay. We ended up staying, but transportation to/from port would have been at no cost to us had we decided on the refund after arriving.

I think you can also avoid it by scheduling dinner for 6:45 or so if you have MTD - you'll be after the early seating's "show" and too early for the late seating's.

I think you can also avoid it by scheduling dinner for 6:45 or so if you have MTD - you'll be after the early seating's "show" and too early for the late seating's.

I think you can also avoid it by scheduling dinner for 6:45 or so if you have MTD - you'll be after the early seating's "show" and too early for the late seating's.

I hope that everyone here gets to sail with Captain Marek Slaby. He has been tenured on Radiance for a number of years; there is a running rumor he may tapped for Icon— and for good reason. He is the most personable and likable captain I have sailed with. His announcements are honest, frank, and each day he rattles off every birthday aboard, including crew. Passengers stop and listen to his words when he is on the PA.   Honest.
 
Let me describe how Captian Merek deals with those who are late to come back aboard. “This is Captian Merek coming to you from the bridge. It’s now 5:40 and all aboard was at 5:30. We are still waiting for Tom and Mary in cabin 9632, Rueben from cabin 3126, and Estelle from cabin 1174…..” There a grins from ear to ear on everyone onboard when they hear the captain very publicly call out those who are late.
 
Those grins turn out to widespread laughter the next port stop when you here the following “the local authorities have cleared the ship and the gangway on deck 2 is now open. I would like to remind Estelle in cabin 1174, Tom and Mary from cabin 9632, and Reuben from cabin 3126 that all aboard is at 6:30 pm tonight….”
 
Allow me to say one more nice thing about Captian Marek. Capt Marek loves to sing. He has single handedly created a show that happens once a week in the Centrum; Rock’in With the Captain. It’s the band and six or seven crew members (all amateurs) who also like to sing and are shockingly quite good! They are wearing their work uniforms of cabin attendant, server, laundry person, etc. They sing whatever songs they want across any genre. The Captain…..his jam is 80’s Judas Priest!

This may interest you - 
Also, be aware that if the cruises you are looking at are too far out, not all excursions will be loaded into the planner yet.

Thanks guys.  Very helpful info.  I think we are going to go with an 11th deck OV towards the front.  They are obstructed, (just under and behind the "wing" on Wonder), but as someone mentioned above - I just want daylight or something to orient me to what time of day it is when I wake up.  Don't care about a bit of obstruction.

For a largeish family, such as mine, cruises are still the most economical vacation. Our 10 nighter on Vision over spring break and Easter is less than $4000 for 6 of us. Adding 3 nights hotel on either side of that and excursions we’re probably around $6000. I priced that against 7 nights at Disney World the same week and that would have cost us at least $10K, and Disney is a much more exhausting non-vacation. Even our 7 nighter to Alaska is significantly cheaper than a Disney World vacation. Side note, if you have an Alaska cruise planned out of Seattle this summer the flight prices on air2sea are insanely cheap right now. I got 8 first class tickets on delta, round trip, nonstop for $137!! They showed up almost immediately in the delta app for us to pick our seats. 

We haven't minded being on a lower deck, we'll pretty much take any room that's not under the pool deck. You're still high enough above the water line that you can't really see the waves crashing against the boat from the window, IIRC. A lower deck makes you that much closer to the gangways, and depending on which end of the ship, also closer to the MDR so you can just walk up a flight or two of stairs, which is great for port intensive itineraries. Of course that means farther away from the pool deck & WJ.

Personally wouldn't take a flight before noon out of FCO. Call the airline and tell them to book you on a different flight.