Angelicious

In American ports, your phones will work fairly reliably.  However when in foreign ports or at sea, you'll be roaming.  And you could incur some VERY significant charges on your phones just from having them on if they're not in airplane mode.  Not to mention your service may be spotty at best which happens when roaming anyway.   So stay in airplane mode to stop from roaming.  If you have the ability to, ask your cell company to turn off international roaming if at all possible.  Some allow this, some dont.  With my xfinity phone I actually have to enable international roaming.    The big part isnt going to be the phone calls on your phone, the big part would be roaming data.  Apps like updating automatically, the phone likes updating automatically, even if the day before you departed you updated all of your apps just in case.  If you have voom, what I recommend is turning on the airplane mode, and then go wifi only.  If your phone allows for wifi calling it'll let you call out if you really must make phone calls, and your apps can update off of the voom.  
 
If you choose to do Voom, I consider it a good value because I like doing the instagram/twitter/facebooking while on vacation.  Its fairly quick with the stream and surf one.  (dont bother with the surf one, its painfully slow, even for emailing its pretty slow)  As for the devices, the voom 1 device, is one device at a time.  So if you have a laptop, a phone and a tablet, you go on the phone and check twitter, then disconnect from the voom, then get on the laptop and instagram your amazing pictures, then disconnect on the laptop and then get on the tablet and you're on facebook adding a "wish you were here" status.  That's all one device as long as only one is connected at a time.  So your question of you disconnecting and then letting hub connect would work perfectly.
I think 10 bucks a day for average to heavy soda drinkers is a good value.  Think about how much a soda costs at a restaurant.  Usually around 2 bucks.  And that's for each soda.  5 sodas a day and you've broke even.  So 2 sodas at lunch, 2 at dinner, and just 1 soda midday or in the evening, you've broken even to land standards, much less to ship standards if a soda is 4 bucks a soda.  3 sodas and you've broken even on soda.  So good value to me.   If you dont like the freesyle machines, you can always go to a bar and get a fountain soda.    The price for the soda package almost never goes down on the site.  I think people on these forums have seen the soda only package go down like.... once.  In several years.   Across multiple ships and sailings.  The soda package likely does go up onboard the ship, so its almost always a wise decision to prepurchase the soda package, if the only benefit you get is being able to charge the soda package to a different credit card, maybe pay off the soda package before your cruise so you dont have to worry about it.  

@Lovetocruise2002 and @twangster, it’s perfectly ok! Y’all are entertaining!

Oops! I don’t know how in the world I missed in your original post that you already got the soda package. The only change I would maybe recommend since I know the Evian is extremely expensive through the Royal Gifts thing is that Royal recently changed their policy to now allow you to carry on up to 12 bottles or cans of nonalcoholic drinks so you could bring your own 12 pack of water on if you wanted to save a little bit of money. The downside is that you would have to carry it on yourself and lug it around until rooms are open, but it would save you a decent amount. 

@Lovetocruise2002 and @twangster, it’s perfectly ok! Y’all are entertaining!

Bot friends from the start ?

sorry for the thread hijack. Couldn't resist.

I personally find a lot of value in the refreshment package, especially if you can get it on sale (lately a good price has been about $18/day).  While I enjoy the occasional drink, I am perfectly happy without alcohol on a cruise as well.  The refreshment package to me is good value because it allows me to get unlimited specialty coffee and unlimited bottles of water.  I can go through many in one day, port day or sea day.  With the coffee card, you have a limit.  And some drinks will cost you more than one punch on your card. 
Also note that with the refreshment package, you can purchase the non-alcoholic version of a drink and just add the liquor to it and pay for the shot.  This works well if it is just a drink with one shot of something, not drinks involving several different types of alcohol.
And it can be nasty out there, but you have found a great community here in the RC Blog message boards.

Cause he's a bot ?

@twangster is such a valuable resource - I learn SO much from him.  The people here are SO great (which is why I booked one of the group cruises! lol)

We’re on Allure of the Seas! So excited!

Welcome to the best forum around! @twangster and @SpeedNoodles have been helpful and fun while answering my questions here. Hope you and your son enjoy your trip!! Be sure to let us know!

We’re on Allure of the Seas! So excited!

Be aware not all ships have Freestyle machines.  Research your ship to see if it does.  

@twangster Thanks for treating me and my question (s) with respect. 

@spiralqueen, I have purchased the soda packages for us both. Also the Evian package of 12 1L bottles and a coffee card for myself. I just wonder if that will be enough for us! Thank you for being so kind! This is an awesome group!

@spiralqueen, I have purchased the soda packages for us both. Also the Evian package of 12 1L bottles and a coffee card for myself. I just wonder if that will be enough for us! Thank you for being so kind! This is an awesome group!

Then we would think your son would be happy with the soda package...He could mix to his hearts content on the Freestyle machines.  Sounds like the refreshment package would work for you.?

One thing to keep in mind is that if your son wants to use the freestyle machines, then you will need to get one of the drink packages (even if just the soda one) as he will need the special cup with the RFID chip in it. You can get a soda a la cart from a bar without the package but you need that cup to work the machines. 
Also I’m sorry that you were made to feel foolish on other forums, but we are much, MUCH nicer here and please feel free to ask as many questions as you’d like! There seems to be a lot less malicious snark here than other venues and it’s very refreshing. 

@Psycho and Barb, you’re absolutely right about not enough information. I love my Coke Zero and caramel macchiatos, and my son loves mixing flavors with Sprite! I will need bottled water for port days for sure!

@twangster Thanks for treating me and my question (s) with respect. 

Nobody should be made to look like an idiot.  However, it’s hard to answer your question without knowing how much soda, coffee and water you and your son normally drink.  As for us...We always purchase the booze package...It’s worth it to us because we both like our specialty coffees in the morning...Three or four drinks during the day and we always grab bottles of water on our way back to the room to store in the fridge for shore days.  We also find that we will have another ice drink or two while sitting around the pool since we don’t have to worry about the bill.  You just need to ask yourself if the extra $100 would make your vacation more relaxing not having to worry about what you are drinking and how much.

Good question and one many people go through every cruise they take.
First of all, understand, you don't have to buy any beverage package.  
I'm not a soda drinker.  I often sail with no beverage package of any sort.  They have water, one or two juices and plain coffee included in your cruise fare.   I drink the tap water all the time and never have a problem.  
Do you or your son consume a lot of soda or other drinks?  
The reason to buy a drink package usually starts when the included beverages do not satisfy your needs.  I'm okay with plain coffee from the buffet.  It's included.  Some people love fancy coffee's and will drink several each day.  For them it's makes sense to consider a coffee card.  For me?  Not so much.  
If your son drinks a lot of soda (no judgement, he's your son) then getting a soda package for him might make sense.  
Unlike the deluxe alcohol packages, you and your son don't have to buy the same package.  If you love fancy coffee, see if the coffee card makes sense for you.  He can get no package or maybe the soda package.  
Most importantly, don't feel like you must get a beverage package.  

To me, it’s well worth the money! We only go on 1 big vacation a year ( I’m a single Mom) and I take that opportunity to absolutely spoil myself and my son! 

Understandable! When I plan a vacation, I aim to make the trip as memorable as possible for us, and it's especially important for me to provide that for my son!Memories! It's all about the quality!

Agreed! ? We too can only take one big vacation each year especially now since my wife had to change employers a couple of years ago and lost most of her vacation time due to the job change (went from almost 8 weeks to 3 weeks).

To me, it’s well worth the money! We only go on 1 big vacation a year ( I’m a single Mom) and I take that opportunity to absolutely spoil myself and my son!