fireclan

Hey! That's my line!
We can add "mundane" and "basic" to this list as well - I've seen those too.

Or the poors in GenPop...

Or the poors in GenPop...

Or the poors in GenPop...

I am SHOCKED!!!!!

Are you a poor, a GenPop, a peasant or a hoi polloi? 😂
I LOVE the pic with you and Rover!!!! 

I feel like such a dork wanting to be there hanging with people I’ve never met (you mods) but I do. Thanks to everyone posting. I know it can be a pain but I’m loving it. 

Rover! ❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️
I also love that you have a Navigator shirt on!!!!! ⛴️🌊 #westcoastisthebestcoast

YIPPEE !!  A @SpeedNoodles sighting, finally !!!!

Sitting at the Schooner Bar having a Desert Pear Margarita 
and thought,  "Hey! Does anyone want to know how no-touch the public restroom door are?" If that's you,  here it is! Just wave your hand and magical access. Seriously,  come to me for the mundane information. 

YOU AND ROVER ARE THE BEST DUO ON THIS SHIP.
i am not open to alternative feedback at this time, THANK YOU!! 💚

Everything I've seen and read in the various places suggests you guys are just having a terrible time on Icon. 
 
Meanwhile the rest of us.
 

I thought this was kind of cool to see
 
TBC*  Icon  Due 2026
Star of the Seas Icon Due 2025
Utopia of the Seas Oasis Due 2024
Icon of the Seas Icon 2024
Wonder of the Seas Oasis 2022
Odyssey of the Seas Quantum Ultra 2021
Spectrum of the Seas Quantum Ultra 2019
Symphony of the Seas Oasis 2018
Harmony of the Seas Oasis 2016
Ovation of the Seas Quantum 2016
Anthem of the Seas Quantum 2015
Quantum of the Seas Quantum 2014
Allure of the Seas Oasis 2010
Oasis of the Seas Oasis 2009
Independence of the Seas Freedom 2008
Liberty of the Seas Freedom 2007
Freedom of the Seas Freedom 2006
Jewel of the Seas Radiance 2004
Mariner of the Seas Voyager 2003
Serenade of the Seas Radiance 2003
Navigator of the Seas Voyager 2002
Brilliance of the Seas Radiance 2002
Adventure of the Seas Voyager 2001
Radiance of the Seas Radiance 2001
Explorer of the Seas Voyager 2000
Voyager of the Seas Voyager 1999
Vision of the Seas Vision 1998
Enchantment of the Seas Vision 1997
Rhapsody of the Seas Vision 1997
Grandeur of the Seas Vision 1996
 
Retired ships
Majesty of the Seas 1992 Sold 2020
Empress of the Seas 1990 Sold 2008 Bought back by RCCL in 2016 Sold 2020
Legend of the Seas 1995 Sold 2017
Splendor of the Seas 1996 Sold 2016
Monarch of the Seas 1991 Sold in 2013
Sovereign of the Seas 1988 Sold in 2008
Viking Serenade Launched 1982 Sold to RCCL in 1990 Sold 2002
Song of America 1982 Sold in 1998
Sun Viking 1972 Sold in 1998
Nordic Prince 1971 Sold in 1995
Song of Norway 1970 Sold in 1996
 

@smokeybandit's link will definitely give you the basics, but be aware - the casino rewards program is complicated and there are lots of "unwritten" rules as we are currently discussing in another thread.
To answer your direct questions:
1.  You earn points on all games EXCEPT for live Texas Hold' Em and the coin slider things (don't know what they are called). 
2.  Points accumulate throughout the "casino" year, which runs from 1 April - 31 March.  On April 1 you go back to zero and start accumulating points for the next "applicable” casino year (which is really 2 years down the road).  Points that we are currently accumulating (1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024) are for the casino year that starts 1 April 2024 so whatever status you achieve by 3-31-24 will be applied from 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025.  Clear as mud, right ?
3.  All slots earn 1 point for every $5 play through; video poker earns 1 point for every $10 play through.  You earn points at the table games but the algorithm is voodoo.  Basically, the more you wager and the longer you play, the more points you accumulate.
How much money do you need ?  It depends on what game(s) you play, how much you plan on playing and how often you intend to cruise and gamble.  Some people seem to be able to get lots of points out of very little money, but that has never been my experience (unfortunately)...but I don't play slots, so that helps explain.  Table games are much less predictable for point accumulation than slots.
We cruise often so we are able to accumulate points relatively slowly and still achieve Prime status.  If you are only going to be cruising a few times a year then it is much more important to play big to achieve your status quickly.
The bottom line is...if you are a gambler and plan on gambling no matter what, casino status is a bonus.  If you are NOT a gambler and would otherwise not be in the casino, trying to achieve casino status is probably a mistake.  It's costly and it's well...gamblng....no assurance that you are going to win....probably won't win.  Good luck !!

2 years ago on our first visit to Nassau, the Essential Nassau bus excursion we took passed through  a portion of the Over the Hill neighborhood, our driver/guide remarked the area is"not somewhere  you want to be". My interest piqued, we sat and had lunch with him at the Watley distillery.  He explained New Providence (like GBI) has an increasingly serious problem  with Hatian, Jamaican, & local gangs fueled primarily by the drug trade and turf wars and law enforcement  is largely ineffective in dealing with it.
Dunno, sounds like Metro Orlando........

It's only a level 2 advisory, "exercise increased caution," which really should be how you act in any foreign country (no matter the safety level of that country).
 
The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands. In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the “Over the Hill” area (south of Shirley Street) where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population. Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. 

You could give the same warning to many US cities.  "Stay out of the bad parts, be smart in the good parts"

Nassau has always been somewhat sketchy I've noticed. My judgement would be to take an organized group tour or excursion. 

Please know that I am not one to be overly concerned about State Department travel warnings.  I am not throwing a sweat grenade here.
I did read this morning that on Jan 24 the SD issued a travel advisory to certain areas of The Bahamas that include Grand Bahama and Nassau.  Apparently there have been 18 murders in The Bahamas since the first of January.  That's nearly 1 per day.
I also realize that some areas of Nassau have been on the sketchy side for years and that prudence and situational awareness are always your friend.
Just posting to say that the sketchiness has been made official.
Anything you can add, @KristiZ ?

Ok, so a couple weeks ago I posted about being frustrated with the MDR parades and constant announcements, so this past week I sailed a solo 5 nighter on Explorer and decided to only eat in the Windjammer. Here are my takeaways:
• I tried to eat a salad/soup/or some other appetizer, followed by an entree dish and dessert to compare times. I was in and out in 37 minutes on average.
• I cruise quite frequently, so I’ve grown kind of apathetic to the new menus already, and the WJ allowed me the option to try some new things (the good and the bad), and the ability to make my own dish. Chicken AND fish AND pasta on the same plate? Yep. 
• Service (or should I say self service) moves at the speed I want. I sped through dinner on the nights I had plans, and took a leisurely pace the other times. And best of all, no parades or dance parties mid meal. 
• Since I didn’t have a server, per se, I didn’t have the inclination to pay additional gratuities. 
• Normally my family of 6 eats in the MDR and regardless of the theme, the boys wear suits and ties, the girls wear dresses. Not packing that and the pre-dinner half hour (at least) preparation was surprisingly noticeable. A week away with just a carry on and being able to go from pool deck to dinner in 10 minutes was a real treat. 
My 11 year old son and I will be sailing on Indy in a couple of weeks and he said he’d love to try the WJ for dinners as well. I’ll let you know his thoughts afterward. 

Got to disagree with this as places in the US put the expected tip % onto reciepts without even knowing how customers feel about the service or the food/drink they have received. And if you tip lower due to poor service etc then they are not happy about it! Attiude of some is Level of service or quality of food doesn't matter just give me the 20% thats written on reciept! 

Same.  They have been helpful many times.

Can say that we have had a number of positive experiences with C&A reps. They have corrected our accounts, linked me and the wife, discovered "extra" linked people to our accounts that have wreaked havoc on our notifications and other issues.

Sorry, Patty.  I can't resist...
I have a mental image of the bartenders marching around the bar with signs saying, "WE WANT TIPS...WE WANT TIPS".
 

I also tip cash per drink. 
I get the free drinks with my loyalty status and also free drinks in the casino. So there is no automatic gratuity added. 

I haven’t been given a receipt to sign or a copy showing how many loyalty drinks are remaining. Sometimes I’ll just ask and they’ll tell me. 
Occasionally I’ll notice a discrepancy where I know I had more drinks than what the computer shows…so I’m assuming some refills were not applied. 

I don’t drink much (or enough???🤔) and never use the full amount of loyalty drinks. 
So I tip cash each time. Most times the bartenders will put it in a tip container to share. Very rarely do I see them pocket it. Sometimes while sitting at a bar I’ll see the servers come to make drinks and place the tips they received into the tip jar. I guess they decide among themselves how to share.
After the first tip…from then on my drinks always have a ‘healthy’ pour.

When cruising we get drinks using only our Diamond vouchers and being Prime/Signature in the casino, every time we get a drink using either of those we tip $1 in cash per drink.
However if we ever happened to have the package, I'm not sure we would tip as the Deluxe package is already very costly. But with Diamond vouchers/Prime it feels like we are getting something for free, so I'm happy to tip.
One thing I would say, if you do tip make sure it's in cash. I've spoke to many staff members on the ships who have said it's not great for them you adding to the receipt as it just goes in to a tip pool. They appreciate cash way more.