CruiseGus

picture of the email I received on 6-1-2022 - hope that helps

just off Symphony last week, the RC Visa rewards redeemed OBC is a Refundable OBC. Just received the unspent $210 credit back to the card yesterday. All OBC is listed when posted (no mater how you look at it, App, TV, account print out) as either Refundable or Non-refundable (most of it is this). If it is listed as Non-refundable guest services cannot do any thing to change it no mater what documentation you have. That is the way it was sent over from shore-side and can't be changed.

Don't forget to put your displeasure with smoking being allowed on your post cruise survey. I do every time.

Yes IT is not caught up yet. Boarded Saturday in Miami, did not ask for proof of vaccination (of course we had our cards just in case) Health question are now only 3 and can be done many days before embarkation, actually at check in now I believe. Answers are Yes/No. Are you vaccinated. Have you had your booster. Are you more than 26 weeks pregnant.

Yup, only 3 health question now and they are Yes-No. Are you vaxed. Have you had your booster. Are you more than 26 weeks pregnant. (Not exact wording, but you get the meaning) No card asked for, did not even ask to see my passport.

Thank you, I'll have them do that in Nov when I sail on Oasis.

Please suggest to me the better route and I'll tell my driver to take that next time.

Smoothest boarding ever to symphony. Walked right on to ship at 10:30, fastest ever. No passport to show since I uploaded it via scan. No vac card, just verified the 3 questions were yes, yes, no. Not even nearly the first cruisers on ship at 10:30. (We have one more planned from Miami in Nov, this time we planned to arrive at ~10am due to my wife's knee just being replaced. Next time I'll definately come earlier) Beautiful ship, friendly crew.

Absolute mess today. Worst Port I've ever sailed from based on traffic coming to terminal. 45 minutes out of tunnel and still not out of Uber

@smokeybandit If I was at home instead of in a hotel waiting to board, I'd look up each of royals 26 ships and the stated crew complement (even if I used wikipedia) and then add them up to get the total RCI crew. While not official probably a good estimate

I disagree with your statement that the 3 or 5 night packages require you to eat on nights 1 or 2. Saw this discussion somewhere else, so I checked my cruise planner and nowhere did it state that for those packages that you must use one of the meals on night 1 or 2. Now it does say that for the Diamond + bogo. If you can document (like a picture of a web page) that requirement for the 3 or 5 night package. It does say that they will make a complementary reservation for night 1 or 2 only not that one of the dinners has to be used that night.

I have never been that disappointed with Surf & Stream, sometime to stream I have had to hunt for an onboard location for a better signal. Again remember a lot also depends on the position of the ship. It can be slow at times but I'm not trying to "work" from the ship either.

I start to want a cruise again just after I get home from one, so this could be an even more dangerous program for myself if the reinstate it.

I have to agree with @Poochas my wife is not a fish lover and claims its the "fishy" taste and smell. I keep trying to expand her palate, and yes she has learned that she can do a mild white fish, the ones mentioned seem to work for her also. I will say it is easy to over cook fish and then it seems to be rubbery, when that happens she does not really like it either. BTW I understand none of this as I LOVE fish, all fish, but we discovered some of this when I have offered and she accepted just a taste of my fish meal. We might be unique in that at times she has thought she'd like to try something more exotic and I then tell her do it, because I then order something I know she'll eat and if she doesn't care for that exotic dish, we just switch plates. Sometimes she has found things that she did like and then sometimes I end up with it, though occasionally a waiter will see us and think they gave us the wrong plate and come and apologize, I assure them that it was us not them. Anyway @Adrianaenjoy the adventure of trying to expand your palate.

This is true except I am now seeing special pricing for connecting rooms. The per person price may be higher in some instances for connecting cabin. You can still make out though with cabins close to each other. When we sailed with kids, we almost always did a balcony for us with the kids in an inside across the hall. This booking 2 cabins works fine, until you start throwing a Full Suite into the mix (Grand Suite or higher (GS+) ) at that point those not in the Suite do not get the Suite amenities. To one of @Mancuso original comments or questions, Cruise Cabins like alot of other vacation packages are priced per person based on double occupancy, but it is still per person that is why the 3rd and 4th etc person is the same price as the 1st person. Then main caveat is that you have pay for 2 persons as a minimum. Even some of your standard Hotels charge extra for additional people if the know about them. On a cruise you also pay same price for a 6 month old child. but

This time around it is not on Air2Sea. All airline are changing and eliminating flights to try to prevent the mass chaos that happened earlier this year. I have 3 trips before the end of the year booked directly with the airlines, and every leg has change multiple time already some enough that I've had to call a few time to adjust to flight i can make when disembarking the ship. Point is All Airlines are trying to schedule so the can work within staffing and still have some backup

that is the main point, were both of you going to buy an individual internet package instead of one package for 2 devices. I just checked all of my 18 booked cruises and the only one with any price drop were the close in 2 in Oct. where the key price is lower that Voom, but only advantageous if you're sailing Solo

erroneously Guess I meant I'm not going to volunteer it, ie will not have it in hand along with my Passport as in past sailings. But yes it must be "Top Secret" you know like when they first said we'd have to show it and the UN-informed claimed erroneously that it was a HIPAA violation. Anyway after many sailing having to have it, I'll still be carrying it for a while yet.

depending on the ship size, that 2-3 employees is staffed up, I'm seem to remember the most I have ever seen on an Oasis class ship 4 or maybe 5 but definitely not anymore that that.

Not only hesitant, down right will not take them.

You are correct that they have removed the upload option from the check in functions. I just received my sailing check list for 10 Sep and it also states the "upload". My best guess is Royal has not followed up on all their documentation to insure that it conforms with the latest fast moving requirements. When you check in now you only answer 3 Health questions. 1. Are you vacinated? 2. Have you received booster? 3. Are you 26 week pregnant? To be honest i do not believe that you have to have your vaccination card to check in any more, I think it is self attestation. Now I'm still taking mine, but will not be presenting it unless forced to. With the easy to cheat test for unVaxed to board, I don't see much card use in the future. This is all just my opinion until after I sail on the 10th and know for sure. Just glad to not be testing!!

Your approach is not in jest at all for myself. I use a statement similar to yours, the very first time the start the spiel, I may even cut the off (I know that's rude, but so is the spiel in my opinion) I rarely, if ever hear it mentioned again on that cruise. Which was my goal.

@USCG Teacher having just looked them up again I now find that there are 2 Holiday Inn Express on the island itself. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Galveston Beach - 3228 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston (this seems to be a new Hotel 2019) and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Galveston West-Seawall - 8628 Seawall Blvd., Galveston The one I have stayed at a number of years ago now, was the later, West Seawall, from what I remember is it was older not in great shape, front desk was not helpful and far away from any place to eat or other stuff. I seem to remember i even had trouble getting a cab out there on cruise morning. Just made my list of NOT staying here again at that time. I know nothing of the first one and don't remember seeing it last time i booked unless they had a 2 night minimum, which some on the island do. BTW for anyone else looking at this thread, I have also stayed at the Springhill Suites on Galveston Island in the past. Like @teddy stated there is nothing inherently wrong with this Hotel. It just has nothing within easy walking distance.

@twangster I don't have near the Solo cruises under my belt as you do, and i have heard of instances where booking a solo may price out to more than the same room at double occupancy, but i have yet to see on any cruise I've booked. I always check both ways when pricing but have not seen a difference yet. How common is it for Royal to change more for the same cabin if you book one occupant as compared to booking 2. Would that not be the only instance where you might want to use a "no show trick"

@USCG Teacher I like you have lots of points and status from when I still worked and traveled for business. I use IHG and Marriott Hotels exclusively. I have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on the Island and found it not very convenient but at least it was points. I have also stayed at Holiday Inn Express Houston Space Ctr - Clear Lake, 900 Rogers Court Webster, TX 77598, recently (within 6 months) twice. It sits on the back side of a shopping center and there are a lot of eating establishment on the front side of the shopping center, most i would consider to be in walking distance if that is important to you. The other big advantage at least to me is it is new (well 3 or 4 years old). The only negative i had was on both stays they were very amendment about check in not being till 3 pm. (personally I rarely have run into that problem, as most hotels i have always been able to early check in around 1 pm. I would much rather early check in as an option than the now commonly offered late check out, heck some stays I'm gone well before the free breakfast starts)