Ditchdoc

Gotta agree.  Old design is like crystal, it can be displayed most anywhere and look sheik and classic. The new design, adding color makes it a decorating issue and looks more like a post card. Just as I was getting excited about collecting, now I don't really care.
I think all of RC has gone from elegance to Six Flags over the Ocean.

My initial thought is we're going from something that was classy to something that looks like a cheap souvenir. 
I'll withhold final judgment until I actually see it, but that's my first impression 

Yes you can smoke a cigar in designated areas. I do miss the Connoisseur club on board. 

The standard (250 lbs.) and heavy duty (350 lbs.) scooters and wheelchairs fit through the door of a regular stateroom. A large scooter rated for 400 lbs. will probably require an room rated as accessible. These rooms have wider doors and more space for the same price but are limited. At ports, staff can help get scooters on and off if ramps are steep but if you have to tender, you may not be able to leave the ship, at least not on a scooter. Finally, most standard doors are between 23 and 24 inches wide.

I have see a helicopter evacuation and been on board when a non scheduled stop was made to transfer a patient. Just depends on how critical the situation is, how close to port, etc.

Royal does not have to know. There are many variables including what kind of issue you are having, severity, weather, distance, time and so on. That decision rests with medical professionals, and maybe weather. First in line is the ships doctor who decides if you are dead or alive. If you are alive, where do you need to go and how soon. If your situation is urgent and life threatening, and you are at sea, A helicopter is your fried. Now more medical professionals will decide what is the appropriate facility. It maybe the appropriate facility is just a place to stabilize you until you can get to specialized facility. So you see, Royal basically calls 911, the rest is in the hands of medical professionals.

Yes you can smoke a cigar in designated areas. I do miss the Connoisseur club on board. 

Just search Amazon for ...cruising door decorations..... There are a few hundred decorative magnets in packages of various quantities. Usually for 10 to $20.
It easy and cheap.

The wine package. Seems like it was around $75 for 5 bottles and the waiter would bring it to your table and pour.

The wine package. Seems like it was around $75 for 5 bottles and the waiter would bring it to your table and pour.

I don't drink soda. Until this very day, I had no idea what a Freestyle machine was. 

Labadee is about 6 hours by car from Port an Prince across a pretty remote and mountainous area. Labadee is about as far as you can get from civilization in Haiti. There are a few resorts along the same north shore along with what looks like some substantial police stations. I'd say its kind of like Cancun in Mexico. The government just don't tolerate bad behavior around tourist areas.

Just use some common sense like not blocking the passage, not vulgar, not dangerous and don't damage the door.

An early cruise with cell phones. Didn't turn them off. Thought just not using them would be OK. Found out background apps pinging and accepting texts etc added up to a few hundred dollar phone bill by the end of the cruise.

An early cruise with cell phones. Didn't turn them off. Thought just not using them would be OK. Found out background apps pinging and accepting texts etc added up to a few hundred dollar phone bill by the end of the cruise.

An early cruise with cell phones. Didn't turn them off. Thought just not using them would be OK. Found out background apps pinging and accepting texts etc added up to a few hundred dollar phone bill by the end of the cruise.

An early cruise with cell phones. Didn't turn them off. Thought just not using them would be OK. Found out background apps pinging and accepting texts etc added up to a few hundred dollar phone bill by the end of the cruise.

I did the Discover Scuba on our cruise two weeks ago and enjoyed it. I decided I would rather take it slow while learning to dive for my certification, so I booked classes here at home, in the midwest, and after the pool work will do the open water dives in a lake or rock quarry, even though that's not ideal. It will get me certified. And then I booked a week-long dive trip to Bonaire, my husband's favorite dive location, for the fall. I think I'm set!

Having some SCUBA experience I'll add my $0.02.
First, I am Advanced Open Water, Dry Suit, NITROX and Rescue Diver certified. I learned to dive as a SCUBA, Swift Water Rescue Team. I have  over a thousand logged dives. A lot of my diving has been body, vehicles (including one military helicopter) and evidence recovery in conditions and waters most people wold never consider wading in, much less diving in.
I have done a fair amount of diving in the Caribbean, deep dives, drift dives and cave dives.
PADI instructors are among the best. Learning to SCUBA is very rewarding. The beauty of the oceans is like nothing you will every see on land.
Learning the skills and being comfortable in the water is paramount. It is nothing to rush through and end up being uncertain about. Keep in mind that not everyone is suited for SCUBA. It can feel claustrophobic and scary. Everyone learns differently. Some take more time and patience. Keep in mind that 'quickie' resort and cruise training may not be sufficient for some people. I have seen bad situations where bad instructors just leave people to flounder because they can not keep up with the rest of the class. There are classes where time and money can take precedence over safety.
I will say the experience I have had with RC dive shops on board has been good but diving excursions can and are often run by independent dive shops and the quality of instructors, boats and equipment can vary.
If SCUBA is all new to you, my advice is get the best training you can. Get your own well fitted mask, snorkel and fins.
You might consider a wet suit. These come in full length ankle to wrist and 'shorties' that are thigh to elbow. For Caribbean diving, something thin and light weight alike 0.5 or 1mm thickness. It will act as your cover up, help with any slight chill and offer some protection if you bump into something that might hurt.
If you go on a dive boat, be prepared to contend with other divers and motion sickness. Find your rental gear, inspect it and keep it close. If you can, test fit you BC and assemble your tank and regulator, and have your weight in place. If you have questions about how much wight, or anything else, ask your dive master for advice. Test your regulator for a good fit in your mouth, that your tank is full and nothing is leaking air. As a novice, it is easy to the have the tank turned the wrong way, the regulator on the wrong side or what ever. The basic idea here is to plan ahead for that drop into water and be ready so you are not scattered, lost and over anxious when the time comes. I have never had a dive master complain about me double checking and getting everything ready in advance. If anything, it gives them some confidence that you know what you are doing.
It takes practice to get good control of buoyancy. Don't over compensate and yo yo. Its easy to be excited and burn up your air in a hurry. Stay calm and enjoy. Ascend slowly and decompress.
The last thing you want to do and probably will do is panic at 60 feet or more.
Anyway, enough scary stuff. The point of all this is take your training seriously and if you really feel uncomfortable in the water or with the equipment, maybe stick to the swimming pool. Be cautious of accelerated courses that promise certification in a day or two. SCUBA is a serious endeavor that is fun with great rewards and learning to do it properly and safely can not be over emphasized.
 

Having some SCUBA experience I'll add my $0.02.
First, I am Advanced Open Water, Dry Suit, NITROX and Rescue Diver certified. I learned to dive as a SCUBA, Swift Water Rescue Team. I have  over a thousand logged dives. A lot of my diving has been body, vehicles (including one military helicopter) and evidence recovery in conditions and waters most people wold never consider wading in, much less diving in.
I have done a fair amount of diving in the Caribbean, deep dives, drift dives and cave dives.
PADI instructors are among the best. Learning to SCUBA is very rewarding. The beauty of the oceans is like nothing you will every see on land.
Learning the skills and being comfortable in the water is paramount. It is nothing to rush through and end up being uncertain about. Keep in mind that not everyone is suited for SCUBA. It can feel claustrophobic and scary. Everyone learns differently. Some take more time and patience. Keep in mind that 'quickie' resort and cruise training may not be sufficient for some people. I have seen bad situations where bad instructors just leave people to flounder because they can not keep up with the rest of the class. There are classes where time and money can take precedence over safety.
I will say the experience I have had with RC dive shops on board has been good but diving excursions can and are often run by independent dive shops and the quality of instructors, boats and equipment can vary.
If SCUBA is all new to you, my advice is get the best training you can. Get your own well fitted mask, snorkel and fins.
You might consider a wet suit. These come in full length ankle to wrist and 'shorties' that are thigh to elbow. For Caribbean diving, something thin and light weight alike 0.5 or 1mm thickness. It will act as your cover up, help with any slight chill and offer some protection if you bump into something that might hurt.
If you go on a dive boat, be prepared to contend with other divers and motion sickness. Find your rental gear, inspect it and keep it close. If you can, test fit you BC and assemble your tank and regulator, and have your weight in place. If you have questions about how much wight, or anything else, ask your dive master for advice. Test your regulator for a good fit in your mouth, that your tank is full and nothing is leaking air. As a novice, it is easy to the have the tank turned the wrong way, the regulator on the wrong side or what ever. The basic idea here is to plan ahead for that drop into water and be ready so you are not scattered, lost and over anxious when the time comes. I have never had a dive master complain about me double checking and getting everything ready in advance. If anything, it gives them some confidence that you know what you are doing.
It takes practice to get good control of buoyancy. Don't over compensate and yo yo. Its easy to be excited and burn up your air in a hurry. Stay calm and enjoy. Ascend slowly and decompress.
The last thing you want to do and probably will do is panic at 60 feet or more.
Anyway, enough scary stuff. The point of all this is take your training seriously and if you really feel uncomfortable in the water or with the equipment, maybe stick to the swimming pool. Be cautious of accelerated courses that promise certification in a day or two. SCUBA is a serious endeavor that is fun with great rewards and learning to do it properly and safely can not be over emphasized.
 

Bots wear badges?

Just use some common sense like not blocking the passage, not vulgar, not dangerous and don't damage the door.

Just use some common sense like not blocking the passage, not vulgar, not dangerous and don't damage the door.

On my upcoming B2B I received a Royal Up opportunity for the second half of the cruise. I decided to not even try since we had the same room for both cruises and didn't really want to change if we won the upgrade.

Just use some common sense like not blocking the passage, not vulgar, not dangerous and don't damage the door.