PhantomWolf

1 hour ago, Angelicious said:

So, I’m agonizing over the decision to keep our soda packages, coffee card and package of water or maybe go for the refreshment package for my son and I.  I’m a single Mom with not much and I’m afraid to “take the plunge “ and spend the extra $100. Please, I need constructive practical advice to help me choose. I say constructive because I’ve been made to look like an idiot on other forums. Be kind.

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!

I bought the deluxe package with internet just to have the peace of mind and to spread out the cost of my trip.  I may not spend the money in alcohol alone, but with the premium coffees and bottles of water, I'm pretty certain I can make it worth it.  But the main goal was to not have all of the sticker shock at the end of the trip.

3 hours ago, mworkman said:

Does water count when it's frozen and in a drink....like on the rocks? 

Do you want my answer as a personal trainer or as a bartender? 

On 2/19/2019 at 8:31 AM, Matt said:

The key words are "within the same category".  Never a problem with that, provided there is availability. Just keep in mind that there are various sub categories of rooms.  So it's not to say if you are in a balcony you can move to any other balcony.  It has to be a room with the same category ID as yours.

I was able to switch rooms without a problem since it is so far in advance. The room category was slightly different so I had to pay a minimal extra cost, which to be honest will probably be worth every penny and then some!

17 hours ago, bhageerah said:

We ALWAYS head back to the ship a little early, and keep an eye on the time.  We usually book a balcony room and end up getting lucky enough to be on the side of the ship facing the dock.  We get back about an hour or two early and watch the runners...

This just became my new favorite thing!

Good to go! Glad I was able to take the time on this call, was almost underneath one of the bars.  Today I learned not to rush my bookings  

I've made plenty of decisions like that; "the worst they can say is no right".  Was just feeling a little self conscious last night, kinda hate being a bother when it is from something I should have thought ahead about.  Thanks everyone!

Since I'm on a cruising kick and Royal is still doing their discounted sailings for a "second" cruiser (solo guy here), I went ahead and booked a trip for 2020.  I didn't like my original placement in the single guest cabin so I called in and got it switched.  Don't mind paying a little extra for the new stateroom.  However I went from being by the auditorium to being right next to stairs and the elevators.  I was at work when I called in and had to get off the phone quick, so I wasn't able to check where my new placement was going to be. 

Would it be out of line for me to call in again and request a different placement?  Or should I leave it alone since I'm only going to be there to grab some sleep and shower/change? Just unsure of how bad the noise really is.  Mid September sailing, so the majority of the kids should be in school.

Thanks for taking me back 20 years! Was really cool to see some familiar sights!

My best friend just booked a suite on the same sailing as me in September.  It'll be awhile until I'm in a place financially to be able to do that, but you better believe I will be taking full advantage of his! Otherwise it'll be the dark interior for this guy for couple years.

24 minutes ago, Scarlson91 said:

How many days are required to order this? For example can I order for my last 2 days?

I've also heard the 4 days left rule, so I don't think you'll be able to do your final 2 days like that.  Since my sailing is only 4 nights, I didn't dig in to much.  I went ahead and did the drink package/internet deal.  Seemed cleaner and easier to do, plus the added benefit of spreading out the cost of the trip.

On 2/12/2019 at 11:14 PM, SpeedNoodles said:

Just put a Labadoozie in there and it'll be complete!

SpeedNoodles gets it! Can't wait to try one of these out, heard so much about them!

8 minutes ago, Jess said:

Booking a cruise so far in advance is a good idea because if there is any sales for your ship and sale date and the price is cheaper then when you booked you can then call RC directly or call your TA and ask for the cheaper price and the new price will be a better deal from when you booked your cruise. You can also book shore excursions, drink packages, dining, internet, and spa packages before you even get onboard and at a cheaper price vs the onboard pricing for each of the packages. As the sale date gets closer the price of the cruise will increase  but there will also be sales on the cruise itself and there will also be sales on the cruise planner. 

Solo traveler here, so when I found out Royal was doing the 60% off on the "second person", I had to jump at it. My vacations have been few and far between, so I'm really itching to go!  I like the idea of possibly finding deals and cheaper rates   My idea was to just book it and save up for the trip without much worry.  Bought the drink package and an excursion already, love that I'm able to spread out the cost of the trip this way instead of getting the sticker shock at the very end. 

14 minutes ago, twangster said:

You will need some sort of government issued ID for any guest who isn't a minor.  This varies by port but Nassau has been known to insist on it.  Driver's license works great.  My TWIC card works great too.  This is the port people requiring this, not ship security.  The port employees are not Royal employees, they work for the local port.

Thanks Twang!  I'm new here and still need to get caught up on the abbreviations for everything. What's TWIC?

5 minutes ago, NS8VN said:

I'm personally in team "passport on ship, other ID in port".  There are ways to contact RCCL's port agent and have them leave your passport with the port authority if something happens and you are going to miss the ship.  It might seem to go against my firm "don't cruise without a passport" stance, but given the possibility of being mugged at any location (also a low chance, all things considered) I would rather not be carrying my passport around.

There should be little to no reason to carry it on Coco Cay, it is RCCL's private island.  On Nassau, it's just personal opinion.  The truth is that thousands of people visit that island every day and many don't even have a passport and get back on the ship in time with no issues whatsoever.  The odds of missing the ship, if you are being proactive and staying aware of the time, are low.  The odds of missing the ship and having no way of contacting the port agent in this day of cell phones is almost zero.  I personally consider the odds of taking the passport on land and having it stolen/damaged/lost to be considerably higher.

So anyway, whatever you do with it I hope you have a good cruise.  Welcome to the forum!

Thanks! The chances of me missing the ship will be slim to none, I'm the guy that's annoyingly early to everything.  I'm excited for sure, kinda wish I hadn't booked it so far in advance because I am ready to go now!  YouTube and this blog will helped get me prepped but its still to far out. I do hope that this is the start of a new tradition for me.

7 minutes ago, mom2mybugs said:

People tend to be in "team carry passport" or not.  You should have at least a copy of your passport as well as your sea pass card and a photo id.  Jane

Thanks Jane! I'd rather not carry my passport around off of the ship if I can help it.  Don't want to have to worry about it getting wet, lost, or stolen.  

Hey everyone, first time poster! The last time I cruised I was a child, so I really had no idea what was going on as far as traveling, just showed up and had a good time.  Sadly that was 20 years ago.  I understand what I need for documentation for first getting onto the ship.  My question is what all do I need to take on my person when I leave the ship at the ports of call?  (Navigator in September: Perfect Day and Nassau)  Just looking to not weigh myself down with unnecessary items.  Thanks!