Momof4crazytocruise

Rent bikes and ride Cocoa Beach, or visit Kennedy Space Center.

I've only sailed out of Galveston. The lines are long, but they move really fast - so I don't worry about it. The *most* time it has ever taken us from getting in line to security was like 8 minutes, and then less then 10 to get from security to standing on board.

Specialty coffee on way to breakfast. - Fresh squeezed orange juice at breakfast - mimosa (or 2?) or bloody mary on way to the pool - frozen mojito by the pool - beer at lunch - 2-3 frozen drinks by the pool that afternoon/or a coke or 3 - pre-dinner cocktail - 2 glasses of wine at dinner - drink(s) after dinner/at the show. Add in about 17 bottles of water throughout the day - you've made out ahead. Is every day like that? No. But on the drink package - it could be! $61 is steep, but you can always price watch and if it comes down, rebook.

This ziplock trick is GENIUS. I am totally going to pack a few bags with detergent already in them. Thanks for the idea! Also, I haven't used ship laundry services yet, but to me, it seems a nominal amount for the service you get. I do laundry EVERY day at home (I have 4 kids) - I don't want to do it on vacation! (which I totally do when we travel anywhere other than cruises - but that's not the point! If I could pay someone to do my laundry I would!)

We like Palmero's. It's right across from the Ferry landing, and just outside the souvenir shopping district. Reasonable food price, quality is good (try the ceviche!) and an easy $8 cab ride there. We eat, then shop. https://www.restaurantepalmeras.com/

They have them. You could bring your own if you want, but they will supply one if you ask. I would have your travel agent make a note on the reservation. Then ask the cabin steward when you get on board.

If the parents are not joining you, you will need notarized forms granting you permission to travel with them. They're available on the Royal Caribbean page. I personally will not let my children travel out of the country without a passport simply for the sake of getting home if something happens.

Allure Nov 10-14, 2021 - Inaugural from Galveston

Every time I search this question, I get directed to purchasing one of the generic over priced, probably not very fresh, pre-order cakes. Does anyone know if we could bring a cake on board to celebrate our (soon to be) 3-year old's birthday? Something more in line with a 3-year-old's taste? (Elsa anyone?)

Oh my goodness. I had such anxiety watching that - as soon as he he stuck his head out, and you knew where it was going.... Poor, poor baby ?

First sailing is rumored to be Nov 10, 2021! show me the bookings RCCL!!

The thing about this is - I totally would have picked this excursion if I were on that itinerary. Volcanoes are fascinating. I've been up Kilimanjaro twice. It's still active, and there are steam vents. We were repeatedly reassured that it was safe, there was risk involved, but we accepted it. And I would do it again. Yellowstone is amazing. It could blow anytime. It is a risk we accept for adventure. That ship you're on is more at risk of sinking than odds of a volcano eruption during the short period of time you're viewing it. It's a risk, they knew it when they went, but the odds were highly in the direction of safer rather than not, when it comes down to such a short time of exposure. I also cannot predict when a car will crash into mine, or the airplane I am travelling in will crash. But I accept the risk because I cannot control the things I cannot control, and I won't let the fear of the unknown deprive me experiences.

By the pool, Frozen Mojito, Lava Flow, Margaritas - but when I get tired of sweet, Michelada. Inside at the bars, I like to sample stuff of the different menus.

The pre-paid gratuity goes to the housekeeping and restaurant staff. The bar is separate, and you would pay an 18% gratuity on any drink order. The drink package adds in on ahead of time, so you've already paid it, and it's not necessary to tip additional on top of that (but it's a nice gesture if you do)

I figured with the GTY room we'd end up with a terrible location and obstructed view. I didn't care. We aren't in there much anyway. We got a great room, mid ship. We were very happy. I won't hesitate to GTY again if we are sailing by ourselves. When with our kids, we'll pick the connecting rooms.

Fridge magnets and Christmas tree ornaments from the various ports.

We always buy a third party policy. We find that we can custom tailor it to fit our needs and it costs way less. I would spend some time researching policies and see what you get vs. what you pay. I use https://www.travelinsurance.com/ and they give several options from different underwriters. We care more about medical coverage than say, lost luggage, so we can find one that fits us using the comparison tables. I have never used RCCL vacation protection plan, so I can't speak on how easy it is to make claims or what they cover.

About a week

I think it would probably be tight. But because it's Sunday, you hopefully won't have to deal with much traffic. IAH is probably about 1.5-2 hours drive (I live about 35 minutes from the port, in between the port and IAH. It takes me about 60-65 minutes to get to IAH. If you want to adhere to the "be there 2 hours in advance" you need to be off the boat and enroute no later than 9:00. That is probably doable with self-carry, as long as you have reliable transportation arranged.

If the rumor that Allure is coming to Galveston is true... this will be well received!?

Call and ask what the deal is. And keep your purchase confirmation email. If they can't explain it, tell them they need to rebook and match the price you already paid for it. Don't take no for an answer.

I wouldn't bat an eye if I saw a teenager watching karaoke. My guess is the age restriction is for actual participants. As with most things on a cruise, I would do it until someone told me not too.

And add 18% gratuity on drinks and food purchases on board.

I watch it pretty religiously and see really no correlation to "percent off" and what the price actually is. I think it honestly follows an algorithm based on sales. So you just have to keep watching it. However, I haven't looked on a Black Friday day, but hearing the feed back on this blog - I definitely will this time around. The best price I have seen it in 6 months was $46. It was when it was a '30%' off "sale". However other times it was listed as 30% off - the price was higher, $49, and $52 that I saw. And the $46 price was only there for a few hours. So I can't make any rhyme or reason of it. Don't be fooled by the 'buy one, get one' either - the price that is listed is what you will pay for both packages. It says 'discount reflected in price'. Then add 18% gratuity on top of that. For your 2nd question - you buy it based on the number of nights. It's good for the moment you walk on board to the moment you walk off (but not many bars will be open debarkation morning - but I have gotten a fresh juice at breakfast on debarkation day, and a spiked coffee from the coffee bar).

I always look here: https://www.travelinsurance.com/ They give you lots of options for policies and you can choose which best fits your needs. For example, I don't really care about coverage for airfare or luggage, as we usually cruise out of Galveston, which is 35 minutes from our house. But, we DO care about medical coverage and medical evacuation, so I pick a policy that is heavy on that side, but lighter on the travel cancellation/ lost luggage side. I find the policies to be very reasonably priced on this page.