Ditchdoc

$1000 charged = $10.

You can cash in on line for on board credit. If you charge about $70,000 or $700 credit...that is a BOGO or 2 for one cruise. Usually that's a 7 night Caribbean ocean view. If you pay the difference for a specific cruise, for example, the difference between an ocean view and a balcony, you can upgrade the 2 for 1.

These are approximate numbers. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/visa-signature/royal-caribbean-visa-signature-rewards-options.pdf

Gives the details.

It takes a fair amount of cash flow for significant rewards and interest rates are not the best. Depending on your circumstances, it can provide some perks.

Never gone to one. Some times watched a bit that replayed on room TV.

Questions were somewhat risque but in our politically correct world, that has probably been tamed down. The main draw is most likely a laugh or two. To capitalize on the laugh, it requires a good host and good questions, otherwise it probably falls flat.

There are a number of 'events' that to me were interesting the first time just to see what it was about but afterwards ... didn't really car that much about. Love and Marriage, Scavenger Hunt , Belly Flop, Best Legs (usually men), Derby Horse Race and others I am sure are fun if you have had a few drinks.

6 hours ago, mom2mybugs said:

I couldn’t take it…I would be so depressed.  We decided not to do it in Barcelona and instead took a royal excursion.   Our San Juan cruise in June though is one I really wish we had the option to stay.  Our flight is at 330, so too early to spend money on a day pass somewhere, and too late to avoid hours at the airport.  We discovered city lockers in Paris recently that you could put your luggage into for a few hours.  Does anyone know if San Juan has anything like this near the port?  Jane

That would make sense in that if you were flying, had an evening flight, and nothing else planned. Why not stay on board a few extra hours!

That would be tough for.me. To see all the excited people boarding, knowing I gotta get off, would make me sad.

So what's next?

A no cruise day pass? The ship docks and you get to board for 5 hours and then get off?

No interest in pigs at all unless they are bacon. So they can charge all they want to swim with them as far as I am concerned.

I have had this card for maybe 15 years or more. I don't really care for it that much

Interest rate is high and to claim even a cheap 2 for 1 cruise means charging 60k plus on the card. In all those years, we have taken advantage of the twofer twice. We have cashed in a few hundred here and there for OBC, excursions etc.

For some people that have a lot a cash flow and are able to channel that through the card, you could get some nice perks. Then again, those that have that much cash flow are probably not that concerned about the perks.

Not many pack carry ons'  for the pool. Towels should be available, just pack pool necessities like suit and sunscreen and you should be good to go.

Line jumper

Ill be 92. See you there with my solar dancing shoes on.

The whole issue is unfortunate.

It does highlight one issue if you are cruising outside your home country and your passport is lost for any reason. You will most likely have to contact your native embassy for a replacement. You will need your passport number. I keep my passport info on a card in my wallet and a photo of the passport in my phone. You could potentially email the info to yourself as well with appropriate precautions. Hopefully if you find yourself in need of the info, you will have it some where you can access it.

Your family may be different but my guess is, they are not going to want to do every thing together. 

Focus on family time, perhaps at dinner, to share stories of the days adventures. I am sure staff will work with you on seating, even with my time dining.

Smaller groups will be easier to manage for interests. Pre teens, teens and seniors are probably not going to want to do the same things.

There will be times paths cross and times the entire group can gather. Spontaneity is in large part what cruising is. Don't try to manage every activity. It just don't work.

On 6/5/2022 at 6:15 AM, CruiseMom82 said:

As a transplant to the South, here’s what I came up with just now: 

Blessing (your heart) of the Seas

Darling of the Seas

Belle of the Seas

Grace of the Seas

Swelter of the Seas

Grit(s) of the Seas

 

Kind of like the last two!

 

 

 

Ain't Scared of the Seas

Find a bar that suits you.

Find a bar tender you like.

Confirm they work there on a regular schedule.

Give them a fat tip on day one.

Now when you go back, odds are you will get priority and stronger drinks.

If you can pack every thing in a good roller bag where you can leave the ship ASAP with no waiting in customs etc, you can potentially get started an hour, maybe two earlier.

A cargo ship took out Key Bridge in Baltimore last night.

Vision cruises out of there. I would check if you are booked in the next week or two. There may be issues.

I spent 10 years in the two way communication industry. Police, Fire, Business radios and during the CB radio hey day.

One of the things we had to teach people over and over was about the push to talk button. That it took half a second for the transmitter to come up and make a connection and to NOT start talking before the radio had a chance to connect. And not to yell.

Probability off topic but, websites in general.....

Back in the day, HTML was king. Sites were far simpler. Then cam audo, then video, cookies, dynamic HTML and Java script. Now every company in the world knows what you ate for breakfast. Yet....developers can not seem to make an intuitive interface for the end user.

One of my pet peeves, entering your state in an address block. Everyone knows the two letter abbreviation for their state and it is so easy to type AK or NY or TX. But noooooo....you have to navigate a drop down box, scroll and find your state. Sometimes, even your country. Yet......advertisers seem to know exactly where you are with no questions asked.

OK...I'm done.

Southern is my favorite. St Lucia, Aruba, Curcaco are all beautiful.

Very nice ... as hard as the crew works ... it is only right they have have access to nice areas to decompress.

Falmouth is in Jamaica ... but what ever

I went tubing on the White River there. It was a lot of fun.

Too many IFs or MAYBEs ..... communication is hard .... Contacting RC, explaining, hoping that one of a hundred 'cruise specialist' trying to manage tens of thousands of rooms gets their notes right and its understood by whoever and risking the loss of the room when you may need it ..... nah .... I would not try to be accommodating, though it is a nice gesture. Keep the room. There are several on a ship. If RC really needs one, they will figure out how to make it work.

Enjoy your cruise.

20 minutes ago, rjweber3 said:

I remember tendering to Labadee. Somewhere I have a photo of the beach with waiters in swim trunks and Tuxedo shirts and coats wading out to serve drinks. I wouldn't expect that today. The changes there have been amazing since 2000! But even than the vendors were a pain.

Vendors can be obnoxious. Back then they were not in the nice building they are now. There was just a line of of 15-20 stalls lined up next to some trees near the 'back' away from the beaches.

I am not sure how many times Ive been to Labadee. I think the first time, we tendered in. There was a large picnic shelter that served lunch and a smaller one for cocktails and a couple of beaches. Oh, and a smaller dock for jet skies and such. I think that was it.

Never had an issue there except maybe with the weather.

Just looking at maps:

Labadee is a 6 hour drive from Port-au-Prince.

The road looks pretty good all the way to Cap-Haitien where the road turns into a twisty, narrow path that goes over and around a 2000 foot mountain range.

There are additional beaches and resorts before reaching Labadee that you would presume also want security.

Actual information on security measures are scarce other than "armed" and "fenced". One picture that states it is the security fence for Labadee shows what appears to be about a 12 foot concrete wall with Concertina wire around the top.

Access to Labadee is limited. Guests cannot leave and only authorized employees and vendors are allowed to enter. Food and supplies come from the ship.

Some information, as you might expect, indicates Royal Caribbean monitors the situation in Haiti closely and have on occasion refused to port in Labadee if security was compromised.

In general, security measures are out of sight of cruise visitors and the area around Labadee is very natural and serene.

Something I take on trips and use every day at home.

A 6 port, 2 amp, USB charger. That and a couple of double sided Velcro strips to keep cords neat.