FionaMG

You'll be able to get your own free day without going to the desk as you don't have a package in your name. For the other two days, yes, you'll need to go to the desk. Check the opening times in the app or compass as it's not open 24 hours and on some days may be quite limited.

Yes, exactly what @Pattycruise said.
I once tried to trick the system by logging into my free day first but that backfired royally because instead of my free day being inaccessible my whole package was inaccessible so I had to go to the voom desk anyway and it took them longer to sort it out that way around so I ended up wasting extra time. 😒

@FionaMG You’re right! We did a few cruises in the early part of this year and my husband confirmed that he didn’t see fast vs “not” on them- I always just used the “not” previously so I guess that’s what I remembered! So we both used 6 days of D+ internet because we brought our 4 littles who don’t use the benefit but are also D+. The credits have always been loaded for us, luckily so we’ve never visited the Voom desk or had to call guest services. We also don’t buy voom plans until after our credits are maxed if we are on longer cruises.

In my experience, and as @smokeybandit and @Pattycruise said, if someone has purchased an Internet package, which is the OP's case, the free days are locked/hidden and you can't get to them without the assistance of the voom person.
@MidwestIA, I'm guessing it's been a while since you've used the Internet onboard? Since Royal switched to Starlink, there's no slow/fast Internet any more; it's all the same speed. Just so you're aware for the next time you might want to use it.  🙂
 

IZUMI Hibachi
 



 
Recipes for these cocktails can be found here:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/42039-cocktail-recipes-on-royal-caribbean-ships/page/3/#findComment-443742
 
 
 
 
 

In my experience, and as @smokeybandit and @Pattycruise said, if someone has purchased an Internet package, which is the OP's case, the free days are locked/hidden and you can't get to them without the assistance of the voom person.
@MidwestIA, I'm guessing it's been a while since you've used the Internet onboard? Since Royal switched to Starlink, there's no slow/fast Internet any more; it's all the same speed. Just so you're aware for the next time you might want to use it.  🙂
 

Here are some photos. I think I have posted most of the other ones excluding individual people photos. Respecting the privacy for those. 
 
I had 6 hands pays totaling $14,162.67, walked off the ship with 25039 points but not up for the sailing! I do have a list of grand suites to choose from!

Well, after early arrival in Chicago which caused the gate to not be ready then normal boarding on my next flight but sitting on the tarmac for an hour, I am home and now at work the next day. Let's not do this again, o wait, I board another ship on Friday! It was a great time, and I will post more pictures soon! 

Hi Everyone!
Going to recap yesterday, turn around day/day 1 of the Fjords cruise...
Went through the B2B process in the morning. It was very smooth, just walked from one side of the star lounge to the other. Then got a quick breakfast at cafe promenade:

Watched the test the fire doors and the second they were back open, new guests started streaming on (at 9:45, the earliest I have ever seen):


I tried to buy my transfer in the app and saw this funny error message, I guess I am jumping the gun there...

Then consecutive cruisers lunch:

Short rib (mainly ordered for the mashed potatoes):

Cookie dessert:

Served with ice cream:

Then later I got my first soft serve of this whole cruise since I never went last sailing:

And I also finally tried the popcorn:

Hitting up the specialty restaurants this sailing, last night was Chops:


Crab cake:

Salmon:

Asparagas and Tater Tots sides:


Warm Chocolate Cake:

I had the epiphany that this might be the same one they have in Izumi with different things on the plate... I have had both many times so not sure why I didn't notice that until now.
And Laurence in the pub was off last night so we went to the ice show:

And we did casino a bit but it was less fun with half the group gone.
Today is our first of 2 sea days at the front of this cruise. The second one was supposed to be a port day but it got cancelled due to the same reasons that we were late to Rotterdam last cruise. They gave us OBC which I was pleasantly surprised about. I am well aware that the cruise contract doesn't require them to take us anywhere.
Thanks!
- Ashley

Who said you could not make a 10 am flight out of London? Got off the ship and took the transfer from Royal. Made it through security and doing some lounge hopping by 8:45. Now I must wait until boarding at 1:45. O cannot wait to get to my seat and sleep for this 8 hour flight!

Hey everyone!
Now that I made it through the B2B process and am back in my cabin, going to recap the final day, day 8, of the group cruise...
Started with chops breakfast:



Then podcast recording where Clo, the cruise director, showed up:

Then the farewell cake in the windjammer for lunch:

Playmakers lunch:


(Finally got my playmakers chicken tenders!)
Cute new towel animal in my room:

Final meetup, where in addition to Kevin singing alone like I posted yesterday, he had Laurence join him on stage as well:

It was foggy, at one point you couldn't even see the water but some of it had burned off by they time I took this photo:

Final MDR dinner:

Seafood cake:

(It smelled awful so I didn't eat it...)
The chefs and waiters put on a show again:

Kids Mac and Cheese:

Apple Cobbler:

Brownie:

Laurence in the pub:

Thanks everyone for a great cruise, and safe travels home to @CHart and @AshleyDillo! I will try to post a bit during the Fjords cruise but it will definitely be a different vibe with about half of the group leaving.
Thanks!
- Ashley

Closing down the ship with @AshleyDillo

Coming in a few days early with this one.....
July 2025
3 - smokeybandit (Vision)
11 - OCSC Mike (Utopia)
11 - Hoppy2BHere (Utopia)
13 - USCG Teacher (Symphony)
14 - dustfsu (Utopia)
14 - OCSC Mike (Utopia)
18 - LandstromCruise (Radiance)
19 - JustinandBrooke (Adventure)
27 - lovetocruise2002 (Symphony)
27 - Jollyrogers (Wonder)
27 - Snotarni (Wonder)

Gods, Legends & Gelato—our Mediterranean adventure sailing from Rome to Greece on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas. After a week exploring the Eternal City and ancient sites like the Vatican and Pompeii, we’re ready to trade hot cobblestone streets for cooler sea breezes.  I don’t have my hopes up about the cooler sea breezes! Our cruise will take us from the port of Civitavecchia to breathtaking destinations like Santorini, Mykonos, and Kusadasi (home of ancient Ephesus), with a final stop in Naples before we return. It’s a journey that blends mythology and history, sunsets and tzatziki, and yes—plenty of gelato (and wine) along the way.
We’re cruising as a party of five: me, my husband (DH), our two sons-ages 22 and 18-and our 14-year-old daughter. We’ve split into two Junior Suites this time around (a slight downgrade from our beloved 2-bedroom Grand Suite, but definitely easier on the cruise budget). Everyone’s excited for something different-some of us are in it for the history, some for the food, and some just for the thrill of not having to make our own beds for seven days.
As for excursions, we’ve got a great mix lined up. In Santorini, we’re doing a highlights tour that ends in Oia…famous for its postcard-worthy sunset views.  This will be our first Royal excursion after many cruises but with Santorini being a tender port and read mixed reviews about how crowds..   Mykonos is more of a beach and relax day, with the flexibility to explore the charming town or just soak up the sun. In Kusadasi, we’re diving into ancient history with a private guided tour of Ephesus through Viator, one of the best-preserved Roman cities. Our final port is Naples, where we’ll explore Herculaneum, the lesser-known (and better-preserved) sister site to Pompeii. We’re also hoping to squeeze in a visit to the archaeological museum and of course, we’ll be trying some authentic Neapolitan pizza, because we absolutely need to compare it to Roman pizza. All in the name of research, of course.  
Before we ever stepped foot on the ship, we spent a full week soaking in the magic of Rome and wow, did we make the most of it (despite the blazing heat). From standing under the Sistine Chapel ceiling to wandering the Colosseum’s underground tunnels, our days were filled with history, gelato, and a lot of walking (our step counts are thriving). We spent a full day at the Vatican, toured the Colosseum with access to the underground and arena floor (best tour ever), and made a day trip south (via high speed train) to explore the ruins of Pompeii. We also tossed coins in the Trevi Fountain, climbed the Spanish Steps, admired the Pantheon, went underground to the Catacombs, and even found time for a cooking class where we made fresh pasta and tiramisu. Each evening ended with a new restaurant, a scoop (or two) of gelato, and tired  but happy feet. After seven days in the Eternal City, we’re definitely ready for a little R&R at sea-but Rome delivered everything we dreamed of and more.

Yes absolutely.  I have even welcomed the people who sit next to me and tell them to enjoy their big win…within a matter of minutes they get a big win, and I say “you’re welcome”. 🤣
I did pick a bank of 3 machines one time, no one at any and thought about it. One machine on the right had a mirror next to it so I chose that seat, figuring I was now “next to me”…the machine was great to me!🤣 maybe I should bring mirrors with me!

... and very good casual Japanese in Barcelona! 😀
Sorry, these pics did not make the blog cut, LOL! 😆


... a little blurry, but delicious!

Or the crystal block fiasco? 😆 I am very glad they backtracked on that decision as my one and only block was earned after they reinstated them.

Tips are neither standard nor expected. For a tour guide who's done a good job, I'd potentially give €5. I know it sounds like a very small amount to those of you are used to the tipping culture in the US but there really is no need to give any more. They'd have to go way above and beyond for me to do that and even then it'd be unlikely to be any more than  €10 absolute max. You'll sometimes see a basket on the dashboard of the bus and people will maybe put a few coins in there. You can do that if you need to get rid of some local coins.
Currency should preferably be local rather than USD because they won't be able to spend USD locally and bank exchange commissions will often eat up a large part making it not worth their while to take the time needed to even go to the bank.
For taxis, I would just round up a couple of euros max on the fare.

Hi Everyone!
Yesterday, Day 5, was a sea day and it started with top tier. 2 people in the group turned pinnacle so we had to go to support:



Then was group ice skating, I succeeded in making it around the ice twice without falling so I got off without pressing my luck further.
Then was the pub crawl:
Schooner bar:

Playmakers:

Pub:

And we finished in Olive or Twist where Kevin played again and Craig did a line dance to one of the songs:

Vintages on here has a whole gin bar:

and yesterday was my favorite BBQ chicken pizza:

Then was dinner in the MDR again:





Then I casino-ed a bit, I put my standard $20 bill in (I am not Craig, that is typically all I do and I lost my free play already earlier in the cruise) and sat next to someone else in the group, she won $190 on a $2 spin at the same time that I won $150 on a $2 spin so that was fun:

Then Laurence in the pub before he had to break for some promenade party:

Then late night playmakers again, this is way too easy with the proximity to the casino:



Today is day 6 in Hamburg, will be doing a tour here in a bit and at some point I will leave my bed this morning.
Thanks!
- Ashley

MSC Preziosa* - 4th of July 2025 to Scotland and Iceland.
*Ok, I know that's the competition but Royal have abandoned that route! And Celebrity want $$$$$. 😭
@Lovetocruise2002, don't worry, I'm not expecting this to go in the monthly list, but I'm very excited for it and couldn't resist posting. 😁

It was our first European cruise too so we may not be the best guide. We sort of followed the guidelines of various websites and apps.
I would tip in euros while off the ship in the EU and USD while onboard (all pricing onboard is also in USD). I believe the crew onboard gets paid in USD as well since they’re from all over the world and RC is based in the US.
I don’t think the excursion guides necessarily expected the tips, but they greatly appreciated them. Our guides were all excellent so we tipped around 5 euro per person (10 euro per couple). They seemed very grateful. For our all-day private Tarragona and Sitges tour though Viator, we paid for the tour guide’s lunch (we all ate together) and gave him a nice tip as well.
We tipped the hotel porter 1 euro per bag and I think tipped the same for the taxi driver to/from the airport and cruise terminal since they loaded/unloaded all of our bags. We did not tip the taxi drivers when were traversing the city (no bags). They really did not even give us an option to round up or tip on their portable credit card terminals. We would just swipe the credit card and they would ask us how we wanted to pay… euros or USD… and they would skip to the last screen and ask if wanted a receipt. Pleasant thank you and goodbye.
These screenshots are from an app called GlobeTips, but they seem to echo most websites… hopefully, this will help!

I was fully expecting all pies from the MDR, lol.

Tips are neither standard nor expected. For a tour guide who's done a good job, I'd potentially give €5. I know it sounds like a very small amount to those of you are used to the tipping culture in the US but there really is no need to give any more. They'd have to go way above and beyond for me to do that and even then it'd be unlikely to be any more than  €10 absolute max. You'll sometimes see a basket on the dashboard of the bus and people will maybe put a few coins in there. You can do that if you need to get rid of some local coins.
Currency should preferably be local rather than USD because they won't be able to spend USD locally and bank exchange commissions will often eat up a large part making it not worth their while to take the time needed to even go to the bank.
For taxis, I would just round up a couple of euros max on the fare.

Only on cold weather cruises, e.g. Alaska, Norway, the Baltic and the winter cruises out of places like NJ, and even then it depends on the ship. If a ship has an indoor family pool, like the ones on most Quantum class ships, there will be no family time in the solarium.

From his signature, it looks like the OP is on Radiance in Alaska. Family time in the Solarium is not uncommon on cold weather cruises but the one time I experienced it personally there was only one session during the day, not two.