DJsMrs

I'd like it better if the smaller Jazz club was the smoking casino and the main casino went smoke free, but that's just me...

Royal ships have smoking lounges with gambling offered.  
Now apparently they will have a dedicated gambling space too.  

Many of us older than you have been in that exact same crossroads in our careers and/or lives. You'll figure it out, but just don't rush to figure it out.  And whatever you decide for the 2nd half of your career, do it because you want to do it, not because you feel you have to do it because you see others around you making their own life decisions.

and thank god for this 😂

Currently on Oasis,day 3 but just finally deciding I would try to do a little recap/review as we go on for the rest of the trip. This is my 3rd cruise, 2nd with my wife and 1st with a child..he's 11.  (and the first 2 were both over 15 years ago..and I don't remember much of either)
Day 1: there was a huge marathon in Miami,so it took us over an hour to get the the terminal in a shuttle from the airport area. Check in for us was 11-1130. We boarded around 1215 or so.  The traffic was terrible BUT the actual embarkation process was smooth and very fast. Got into the Promemade,grabbed a table at Sorrentos where we told our son that he could just walk up and ask for pizza..and they would just give it to him. His mind was blown and he came back with 3 slices, which he devoured. Picked up our drink package cups,and grabbed the wife a wine from the Globe and atlas bar. I do not drink,so i got the refreshment package, she had the deluxe. By now it was already 1pm and we were able to go up and check out the room. We upgraded from an interior/central park view room to a boardwalk balcony a few months back. Definitely glad we did. We loved the fact that we can see the ocean, people watch and most importantly to us..watch the Eagles game from our balcony either looking at the aqua theatre screen OR directly across at the tvs outside Playmakers if needed. Luggage was in the hall by 130,unpacked,signed the boy up at adventure ocean,and  back downstairs to watch the game with the crowd in the boardwalk area.  
Sailaway was scheduled at 430 so we hit the upper decks and bounced around a few times before finally finding the Wipeout bar on the aft of the ship. Again we were able to watch the game,and still have a great view as we pulled off (which didn't occur until almost 6pm) . We skipped our 530 MDR dining for the night and hit Windjammer.  Food was really good...BBQ ribs,burgers,dogs,salads and a few desserts later we were full. Finding a table was a bit of a hassle but we did get one eventually.  After that we just checked out the sports deck..played lots of mini golf,ate MORE pizza and wrapped the night up with the midnight balloon drop. Day 1 was pretty much perfect,no huge crowds, no complaints, just a start to a great trip. I'll do a day 2 recap in a bit...it's 10am and the family is still sleeping and I've been up since 645. Time for me to get them moving!

We did our last Star Class cruise, and first since the COVID shutdown, this fall and I just have to ask about the list @MLH shared.  Things were still evolving and we had some of the first Galley/Bridge tours but the sushi/cupcake were not back.  Still most of what was listed seemed to be active and available from the Genie, if desired.  We did book the Chef's Table ahead of time since we really wanted a specific day and did not want to chance it, though it would have likely not been an issue.  
As for the general theme of this thread, the Genie is a great perk in our experience but there can be variations in what you feel your are getting.  We don't mind planning and can do it but the difference for anyone who plans is that you can make your plan and give that list to the Genie for execution on the reservations, etc.  If there are changes or issues the Genie can really help.  it can be a challenge to see and do it all on the largest ships and for anyone that has limited time or sailing with Royal the Genie can help get to more of the "must do" items.  The Genie is a great help in planning once they reach out via email so have your list ready if you are a planner, once onboard they are great for changes to the plan or spontaneous requests.

Would they consider something up at Bacalar?  Some sailing options up there - boat tours with swimming and fun in the water and Cenotes to explore might be an option for them.
 

We've been super lucky to have 3 star class cruises and have had 2 hits and one miss. 
Our first was with 7 of us (3 adults and 4 kids) in the 2BR AquaTheatre suite.  He was disappointing.  He made it hard to contact him (email vs. whatsapp or messenger), and didn't really do much to go above and beyond, only responded during specific hours and to the most basic requests that I could have done more easily on my own.   We felt like an inconvenience.  If we hadn't already had our 2nd star class booked I'm not sure I would have jumped again.   We were really disheartened - especially after having heard so many great things about star class.
Second - 4 of us (2 adults and 2 kids) - Star Loft Suite - December 2021 - our first trip out of the country after Covid (we 're Canadian) and Agostina was an absolute GAME CHANGER.   Anything we wanted - no ask was too big or too small.  She made my kids feel welcome and was happy to make them feel a bit extra (snacks, treats, general kindness).   Honestly, though, the biggest was our covid tests to get home - we had a couple of hiccups and she was an absolute rock star and sorted it all out - and we made it home in one piece.  Also, my luggage was lost on the way to this cruise and I did an emergency 11:30pm trip to target for 5 pieces of clothing that I would wear for the week... but Agostina did everything she could to follow up with the airline to get it delivered to one of our ports.   Sadly it wasn't possible (remove ports and Covid-reduced flight options), but it was nice to feel like someone was trying to do something.  I cried when we left Harmony for this cruise - she is amazing.
Of note on our second star-class cruise we ran into a couple who were on our first star class cruise and they had the same disappointing Genie experience as us - and they were so frustrated with him they had a meeting with the hotel director on day 2 and had him changed.   They had sailed many star class cruises and knew what to expect and knew that the service wasn't up to par.   Having said that, I think he was very new and since then I've only read really great things about him and that passengers are loving him - and I was thrilled to see that.. genies can't be easy to acquire!
Third - 4 of us - (2 couples) in the Royal Loft Suite - we scored a royal up from our AquaTheatre Suite to the Royal Loft and Andrei was our angel sent from heaven.   He made sure we had the best staff, great seats, anything we needed in our room, anything we needed period.   And it wasn't over-bearing... just kind and amazing.  Love him.  I cried when we left Symphony too.   lol
It's the intangibles with the Genie.   We overslept for our nap and would have been late to dinner.... reservation changed.  Hot tub on the balcony not working (first world problem, right?), fixed within the hour, escorted off the ship instead of waiting with everyone in a hour-long line, expedited boarding and straight to the room to drop off carry-on, snacks in the room when boarding and taking a minute to enjoy the room/balcony, morning coffee deliveries (with a morning text asking if we want it after I forgot to order the night before), hiccups with on-board credit handled by the genie, daily laundry is something I don't know how I will live without now that I've had it - lol!  I find it hard to ask for things (my husband finds it easier - go figure), so it took me a minute to get over "I don't want to bother him/her."   Which isn't to say we were texting all day, but for example -  on a work day we were stuck in the suite one day and we just sent a quick text asking to have some sandwiches sent up from Park Cafe - and boom - 30 minutes later we were eating a great lunch on the balcony.
Is a genie a necessity?  No.  Have we also sailed post-genie in a regular room? Yes.   Did I have a terrible cruise?  No.  Just different.   I don't mind planning and making reservations and handling the logistics of my cruise.   Having said that, I do all that stuff at home and it was really nice to not have to sweat it out for a couple of trips.
We have our 4th star class coming up this summer - we have a 2BR ATS and are travelling with friends who are in a different 2BR ATS - and I think the genie is going to be very valuable with our group of 9.  I'm literally counting the sleeps.
 

We've been super lucky to have 3 star class cruises and have had 2 hits and one miss. 
Our first was with 7 of us (3 adults and 4 kids) in the 2BR AquaTheatre suite.  He was disappointing.  He made it hard to contact him (email vs. whatsapp or messenger), and didn't really do much to go above and beyond, only responded during specific hours and to the most basic requests that I could have done more easily on my own.   We felt like an inconvenience.  If we hadn't already had our 2nd star class booked I'm not sure I would have jumped again.   We were really disheartened - especially after having heard so many great things about star class.
Second - 4 of us (2 adults and 2 kids) - Star Loft Suite - December 2021 - our first trip out of the country after Covid (we 're Canadian) and Agostina was an absolute GAME CHANGER.   Anything we wanted - no ask was too big or too small.  She made my kids feel welcome and was happy to make them feel a bit extra (snacks, treats, general kindness).   Honestly, though, the biggest was our covid tests to get home - we had a couple of hiccups and she was an absolute rock star and sorted it all out - and we made it home in one piece.  Also, my luggage was lost on the way to this cruise and I did an emergency 11:30pm trip to target for 5 pieces of clothing that I would wear for the week... but Agostina did everything she could to follow up with the airline to get it delivered to one of our ports.   Sadly it wasn't possible (remove ports and Covid-reduced flight options), but it was nice to feel like someone was trying to do something.  I cried when we left Harmony for this cruise - she is amazing.
Of note on our second star-class cruise we ran into a couple who were on our first star class cruise and they had the same disappointing Genie experience as us - and they were so frustrated with him they had a meeting with the hotel director on day 2 and had him changed.   They had sailed many star class cruises and knew what to expect and knew that the service wasn't up to par.   Having said that, I think he was very new and since then I've only read really great things about him and that passengers are loving him - and I was thrilled to see that.. genies can't be easy to acquire!
Third - 4 of us - (2 couples) in the Royal Loft Suite - we scored a royal up from our AquaTheatre Suite to the Royal Loft and Andrei was our angel sent from heaven.   He made sure we had the best staff, great seats, anything we needed in our room, anything we needed period.   And it wasn't over-bearing... just kind and amazing.  Love him.  I cried when we left Symphony too.   lol
It's the intangibles with the Genie.   We overslept for our nap and would have been late to dinner.... reservation changed.  Hot tub on the balcony not working (first world problem, right?), fixed within the hour, escorted off the ship instead of waiting with everyone in a hour-long line, expedited boarding and straight to the room to drop off carry-on, snacks in the room when boarding and taking a minute to enjoy the room/balcony, morning coffee deliveries (with a morning text asking if we want it after I forgot to order the night before), hiccups with on-board credit handled by the genie, daily laundry is something I don't know how I will live without now that I've had it - lol!  I find it hard to ask for things (my husband finds it easier - go figure), so it took me a minute to get over "I don't want to bother him/her."   Which isn't to say we were texting all day, but for example -  on a work day we were stuck in the suite one day and we just sent a quick text asking to have some sandwiches sent up from Park Cafe - and boom - 30 minutes later we were eating a great lunch on the balcony.
Is a genie a necessity?  No.  Have we also sailed post-genie in a regular room? Yes.   Did I have a terrible cruise?  No.  Just different.   I don't mind planning and making reservations and handling the logistics of my cruise.   Having said that, I do all that stuff at home and it was really nice to not have to sweat it out for a couple of trips.
We have our 4th star class coming up this summer - we have a 2BR ATS and are travelling with friends who are in a different 2BR ATS - and I think the genie is going to be very valuable with our group of 9.  I'm literally counting the sleeps.
 

I'll just add my perspective as a a new Royal cruiser. We had done one cruise on Mariner in a suite and it SUCKED. We actually said never again on Royal. Took us 11 years to try Royal again after that and that was with Star Class on Anthem, so we have absolutely no status on Royal (though we do on other lines).
Star was a game changer for us in that we didn't have to worry about not having status, having a SPOC, having everything included, being able to bounce ideas off an expert and not feel bad about it. Hubby said that embarkation and debarkation were worth the price of admission alone, especially not having to put your luggage out the night before. It was absolutely stress-free and blissful. It was a 180 degree turn around from our crappy Mariner cruise. 
Maybe i have a skewed perspective of what Star did for us, considering how much our Mariner cruise sucked, and that would be a fair assessment. I know Royal has done a lot to separate C&A benefits, esp for D/D+, from suite benefits, but when we sailed Mariner, the overflow lounge and concierge lounge together couldn't handle the load of eligible C&A members + suites, and we wondered why we bothered to book a suite. So take my review with a grain of salt. If we were Pinnacle or even D+, i probably wouldn't hesitate to book Sky.
 

On top of what everyone has already said, is a genie necessary, of course not. Does the Genie make a real difference? Depends on who you are asking. For myself, the Genie makes a huge difference because then I don’t have to be the Genie. That and many other points that others have already pointed out. In the words of @WAAAYTOOOlong ago, you cannot quantify the value of a Genie. The value is in the little things.

We've been super lucky to have 3 star class cruises and have had 2 hits and one miss. 
Our first was with 7 of us (3 adults and 4 kids) in the 2BR AquaTheatre suite.  He was disappointing.  He made it hard to contact him (email vs. whatsapp or messenger), and didn't really do much to go above and beyond, only responded during specific hours and to the most basic requests that I could have done more easily on my own.   We felt like an inconvenience.  If we hadn't already had our 2nd star class booked I'm not sure I would have jumped again.   We were really disheartened - especially after having heard so many great things about star class.
Second - 4 of us (2 adults and 2 kids) - Star Loft Suite - December 2021 - our first trip out of the country after Covid (we 're Canadian) and Agostina was an absolute GAME CHANGER.   Anything we wanted - no ask was too big or too small.  She made my kids feel welcome and was happy to make them feel a bit extra (snacks, treats, general kindness).   Honestly, though, the biggest was our covid tests to get home - we had a couple of hiccups and she was an absolute rock star and sorted it all out - and we made it home in one piece.  Also, my luggage was lost on the way to this cruise and I did an emergency 11:30pm trip to target for 5 pieces of clothing that I would wear for the week... but Agostina did everything she could to follow up with the airline to get it delivered to one of our ports.   Sadly it wasn't possible (remove ports and Covid-reduced flight options), but it was nice to feel like someone was trying to do something.  I cried when we left Harmony for this cruise - she is amazing.
Of note on our second star-class cruise we ran into a couple who were on our first star class cruise and they had the same disappointing Genie experience as us - and they were so frustrated with him they had a meeting with the hotel director on day 2 and had him changed.   They had sailed many star class cruises and knew what to expect and knew that the service wasn't up to par.   Having said that, I think he was very new and since then I've only read really great things about him and that passengers are loving him - and I was thrilled to see that.. genies can't be easy to acquire!
Third - 4 of us - (2 couples) in the Royal Loft Suite - we scored a royal up from our AquaTheatre Suite to the Royal Loft and Andrei was our angel sent from heaven.   He made sure we had the best staff, great seats, anything we needed in our room, anything we needed period.   And it wasn't over-bearing... just kind and amazing.  Love him.  I cried when we left Symphony too.   lol
It's the intangibles with the Genie.   We overslept for our nap and would have been late to dinner.... reservation changed.  Hot tub on the balcony not working (first world problem, right?), fixed within the hour, escorted off the ship instead of waiting with everyone in a hour-long line, expedited boarding and straight to the room to drop off carry-on, snacks in the room when boarding and taking a minute to enjoy the room/balcony, morning coffee deliveries (with a morning text asking if we want it after I forgot to order the night before), hiccups with on-board credit handled by the genie, daily laundry is something I don't know how I will live without now that I've had it - lol!  I find it hard to ask for things (my husband finds it easier - go figure), so it took me a minute to get over "I don't want to bother him/her."   Which isn't to say we were texting all day, but for example -  on a work day we were stuck in the suite one day and we just sent a quick text asking to have some sandwiches sent up from Park Cafe - and boom - 30 minutes later we were eating a great lunch on the balcony.
Is a genie a necessity?  No.  Have we also sailed post-genie in a regular room? Yes.   Did I have a terrible cruise?  No.  Just different.   I don't mind planning and making reservations and handling the logistics of my cruise.   Having said that, I do all that stuff at home and it was really nice to not have to sweat it out for a couple of trips.
We have our 4th star class coming up this summer - we have a 2BR ATS and are travelling with friends who are in a different 2BR ATS - and I think the genie is going to be very valuable with our group of 9.  I'm literally counting the sleeps.
 

We've been super lucky to have 3 star class cruises and have had 2 hits and one miss. 
Our first was with 7 of us (3 adults and 4 kids) in the 2BR AquaTheatre suite.  He was disappointing.  He made it hard to contact him (email vs. whatsapp or messenger), and didn't really do much to go above and beyond, only responded during specific hours and to the most basic requests that I could have done more easily on my own.   We felt like an inconvenience.  If we hadn't already had our 2nd star class booked I'm not sure I would have jumped again.   We were really disheartened - especially after having heard so many great things about star class.
Second - 4 of us (2 adults and 2 kids) - Star Loft Suite - December 2021 - our first trip out of the country after Covid (we 're Canadian) and Agostina was an absolute GAME CHANGER.   Anything we wanted - no ask was too big or too small.  She made my kids feel welcome and was happy to make them feel a bit extra (snacks, treats, general kindness).   Honestly, though, the biggest was our covid tests to get home - we had a couple of hiccups and she was an absolute rock star and sorted it all out - and we made it home in one piece.  Also, my luggage was lost on the way to this cruise and I did an emergency 11:30pm trip to target for 5 pieces of clothing that I would wear for the week... but Agostina did everything she could to follow up with the airline to get it delivered to one of our ports.   Sadly it wasn't possible (remove ports and Covid-reduced flight options), but it was nice to feel like someone was trying to do something.  I cried when we left Harmony for this cruise - she is amazing.
Of note on our second star-class cruise we ran into a couple who were on our first star class cruise and they had the same disappointing Genie experience as us - and they were so frustrated with him they had a meeting with the hotel director on day 2 and had him changed.   They had sailed many star class cruises and knew what to expect and knew that the service wasn't up to par.   Having said that, I think he was very new and since then I've only read really great things about him and that passengers are loving him - and I was thrilled to see that.. genies can't be easy to acquire!
Third - 4 of us - (2 couples) in the Royal Loft Suite - we scored a royal up from our AquaTheatre Suite to the Royal Loft and Andrei was our angel sent from heaven.   He made sure we had the best staff, great seats, anything we needed in our room, anything we needed period.   And it wasn't over-bearing... just kind and amazing.  Love him.  I cried when we left Symphony too.   lol
It's the intangibles with the Genie.   We overslept for our nap and would have been late to dinner.... reservation changed.  Hot tub on the balcony not working (first world problem, right?), fixed within the hour, escorted off the ship instead of waiting with everyone in a hour-long line, expedited boarding and straight to the room to drop off carry-on, snacks in the room when boarding and taking a minute to enjoy the room/balcony, morning coffee deliveries (with a morning text asking if we want it after I forgot to order the night before), hiccups with on-board credit handled by the genie, daily laundry is something I don't know how I will live without now that I've had it - lol!  I find it hard to ask for things (my husband finds it easier - go figure), so it took me a minute to get over "I don't want to bother him/her."   Which isn't to say we were texting all day, but for example -  on a work day we were stuck in the suite one day and we just sent a quick text asking to have some sandwiches sent up from Park Cafe - and boom - 30 minutes later we were eating a great lunch on the balcony.
Is a genie a necessity?  No.  Have we also sailed post-genie in a regular room? Yes.   Did I have a terrible cruise?  No.  Just different.   I don't mind planning and making reservations and handling the logistics of my cruise.   Having said that, I do all that stuff at home and it was really nice to not have to sweat it out for a couple of trips.
We have our 4th star class coming up this summer - we have a 2BR ATS and are travelling with friends who are in a different 2BR ATS - and I think the genie is going to be very valuable with our group of 9.  I'm literally counting the sleeps.
 

I wear the drink package. So toasty after Vintages. 

Don’t have a ton of time to type this all up, just going to drop some photos from yesterday and I think you smart people will figure it out.
 










 

couple other random observations onboard and in our room
room safe is broken, called maintenance and showed our root attendant right away so we weren’t blamed for it, we’ll see if/when that gets fixed  There are USB outlets on the vanity, which is great, but those are also broken.  Seems like someone tried to jam a plug in the wrong way maybe?  Again not a huge deal but that leaves this pretty good sized room with only two real outlets.  I have a USB hub with 6 outputs, thankfully, but we’re still short as the bathroom only has the European shaver plug only type outlet and there are no outlets anywhere else in the room.  We also requested and have a small medical fridge/freezer unit for my wife to store milk in as she’s still pumping for our youngest aka we are running this whole operation on one outlet essentially.  Not the end of the world, but annoying.  There is a usb plug on the phone and yes we’ll be using that. I noticed throughout the day that the pop dispensing guns at the all the bars are Saran wrapped up and not working.  They do have two liters and bottles of all necessary items around but I’m sure it’s a pain for the staff.  I asked our very friendly bartender at schooner and he laughed it off with a shrug and ‘supply chain’ type comment, we all could sure approach the world today more like that.
Wi-Fi on this ship is blazing fast 

Panama for the win! Compared to our last stop, our excursion was top notch. Yes, Colon is really just a commercial  port but the whole story behind the Panama canal leaves you with a sense that it all makes sense. Of note is that there is the largest duty free zone in the world. Also of note is that in my opinion it looks like something out of a zombie apocalypse movie with the gates and run down stores and streets. I need to learn more about it as no excursions go there and isn't mentioned at all.
Ok, back to us... We went to Panama City via a bus tour, then had a walking tour of the old city, free time and then back over to the canal visitor center at the locks by Colon. The guide for the 7.5 hour trip, Eduardo, was amazing. The knowledge he shared made the time zip by and we felt that we truly experienced Panama. Yesterday in Cartagena,  we felt that the hop on hop off just let us skim over the area and left us wanting. 
A few thoughts before some photos...
80% of the country only speaks Spanish. We felt bad not being able to respond in any meaningful way with many warm and friendly people. 
Our tour guide worked on Serenade of the Seas years ago and thought he would never see the ship again but then we docked today! He mentioned that his time was under Captain Kate.
Others have said it.  The warm chocolate chip cookie tonight was amazing! Kind of made up for the vegan menu already repeating on day 5 and 6 of a 10 day cruise.  
Enjoy the photos and fire away any questions.  Be well
 
 
 

Cartagena Colombia - our first time in South America. Well, a city of 1,000,000 is hard to do in just a half day so we left a lot still to do. We did the hop on hop off bus from RC and it was good for the walking tour of the walked city and an overview of the newer area. The recorder narration on the bus was a bit weak. 
In hindsight, we should have stopped off at the museum on the route as the air conditioning would have been welcome. There also is an impressive 16th century fort but there was zero shade to help with the 90 degree weather.  If you like that type of thing go first thing before the heat sets in.  
Also, the terminal is not walking distance to anything so plan on a taxi or a ship excursion to get you going right off.  Enjoy the photos...

DIAMOND - Here We Come!
At the end of our last blog where we took a bunch of family on the cruise with us, I shared that hubby and I snuck down to the Next Cruise desk and we booked another cruise as a getaway for just the two of us!  This time, we opted for less frills (sadly, no suite this time), but we're doing a back-to-back-to-back!
When we set up our appointment with Next Cruise, we intended to just book a short 4 night cruise to get us to Diamond level because we were just a couple of points away.  Then we decided to add a second cruise to it so we could experience the diamond perks on the second cruise.  By the time we made it to our appointment, we had figured out that if we added a third cruise it would include Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl.  Had it been a longer walk, who knows what we would have ended up with!
Partners in crime on this cruise: 
Just the two of us (hubby and I) Ship:  Navigator of the Seas
Cabin:  Interior with Virtual Balcony – midship - same room for all three cruises
Dates:  January 30 - February 17, 2023
Ports:  
Cruise 1:  Sailing RT from Los Angeles to Catalina Island & Ensenada Cruises 2 & 3:  Sailing RT from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, & Puerto Vallarta Booked Excursions: 
Catalina:  No excursion, but I'll be on the hunt for a good clam chowder and hoping it's good weather to walk around a bit Cabo:  No excursion, but our best friends go to Cabo all the time and have sent us a long list of things/places to experience Mazatlan:  Mazatlan Highlights Express.  During this tour, we get to watch cliff diving - a bucket list item for hubby! Puerto Vallarta:  Still evaluating - Spent a week there a while back, so we did a bunch, but looking for an adventure (a calm one - we're getting old) LAX:  We decided to try the LA Highlights and Rodeo Drive Tour with Airport Transfer.  Should be a fun way to get back to the airport. Other Events & Things:
Super Bowl:  We're crossing our fingers that the Eagles make it!   Valentine's Day:  My favorite holiday, so I'm happy we'll be cruising this day! Hotel & Flight:  
We are taking a huge risk and flying to LAX the day of the cruise!!!  We're flying from PDX to LAX, so it's a short flight, and there are a ton of other flights to fall back on, so we feel pretty good about it - unless our airline decides to pull a Southwest on us.  Cross your fingers for us!! We are the most excited that after the first cruise, we will move to Diamond status! I'm looking forward to the coffee machine and being able to venture into an exclusive lounge!!
Unfortunately, I have to work a bit while on this cruise because after we had booked the trip, my company changed our fiscal year and caused a bunch of initiatives (for which I'm responsible) to be due in February.  Ugh!  But I'm only working when I have to and I'm hoping the internet works for me.
What to expect from this blog:
One thing I've looked for from other B2B cruises is what happens during the debarkation/embarkation process if you stay in the same cabin.  We'll also share what happens when you stay on the ship for a second cruise and reach the next level with perks after the first cruise.  I read once that you stay on the ship and the Diamond Concierge comes and gives you an orientation (of sorts).  Hoping all this to be the case.  We'll share what the Diamond Lounge is all about and what to expect with those perks If I have any frustration with internet, you'll hear about it.  🤣 Just kidding...maybe If the weather is nice in LA during either of our turnaround days, we plan to hit the water slides since that's usually when there is no line! We're not planning on any dining other than the included options on the ship, and we're total foodies - we'll provide an honest review of the food on the ship and any tips and tricks we learn along our way.  We may stray from this for Valentine's Day - we'll see. We'll post pics of our cruise compasses from all three cruises, and any other goodies they leave us that could help you plan your getaway. I skipped the different phases ramping up to this cruise in the blogs because I've been so busy with the holidays and work that I haven't thought much about it.  But we're just a week out now and things are heating up!  The packing/staging has begun, and all of our documents are in order.
I hope you enjoy our blog sharing with you our adventure to Diamond status!

You have to log into your account online on a computer.   In your check in your cruise documents will all be there and you can print them from there.
 
Having said that - if you ask at the port they always have someone who can help you and get you some tags.
 

See if you can beat this deal for a cruise

Is this your first baby? You'll probably hear every peep even on the balcony. I generally didn't start ignoring mine until the third or fourth came along...

It always kills me that people reference American laws when boarding a ship that is going to a foreign country.   
It's not just US laws that you have to obey.   Besides, if you really look at it - I live in Canada.   Marijuana is legal here.   There are many US states that have decriminalized and legalized pot, but if you think for one minute I would travel with MJ in my luggage or on your person you would be incorrect.   This would include CBD.   Flying domestically is a completely different ball of wax...  you can fly with these products domestically in Canada, and probably in the US without anyone really batting an eye.   But travelling with these oils, tinctures, etc is probably coming, but we are not there yet - and wouldn't it suck to have your vacation ruined because of choosing to ignore a rule.  On a cruise you are travelling internationally - I think people forget this key point.
Having said that - I definitely smelled weed when I was on my balcony on Mariner in December... so people are definitely bringing it on board.
 
For the OP - I would connect with my doctor and see about a week-long temporary substitution for while you're on the cruise... if there's an option to avoid the risk you should be aware of it.