Momof4crazytocruise

Correct. Your beverage packages are honored all over the ship and no need to bring your cups anywhere if you don't want to. The card shows you have a beverage package, not the cup. The only time you absolutely need the cup is if you're using the self serve Coke Freestyle machines, if your ship even has them. We don't even bother with the cups and just leave them in the cabin and order what we want from anywhere. 
 

Correct. Your beverage packages are honored all over the ship and no need to bring your cups anywhere if you don't want to. The card shows you have a beverage package, not the cup. The only time you absolutely need the cup is if you're using the self serve Coke Freestyle machines, if your ship even has them. We don't even bother with the cups and just leave them in the cabin and order what we want from anywhere. 
 

Correct. Your beverage packages are honored all over the ship and no need to bring your cups anywhere if you don't want to. The card shows you have a beverage package, not the cup. The only time you absolutely need the cup is if you're using the self serve Coke Freestyle machines, if your ship even has them. We don't even bother with the cups and just leave them in the cabin and order what we want from anywhere. 
 

Correct. Your beverage packages are honored all over the ship and no need to bring your cups anywhere if you don't want to. The card shows you have a beverage package, not the cup. The only time you absolutely need the cup is if you're using the self serve Coke Freestyle machines, if your ship even has them. We don't even bother with the cups and just leave them in the cabin and order what we want from anywhere. 
 

I will tell you, handsdown that the guac at Sabor was worth every penny of the extra dining costs. I could have eaten 2 as my meal. 

Why would that be wrong?  It’s your cruise, do it your way.  You don’t HAVE to spend a dime on board if you don’t want to.  Of course Royal is going to tempt you with add-ons, they are in business to make money and they do so with the add-ons.  Doesn’t mean you have to buy any of them.

That's just RC playing to the locals, knowing that a great majority of cruisers out of Galveston are Texans. The flag and Texas pride are marketing techiniques in all aspects of businesses down here. When I first moved to Texas from Colorado I found it to be a little obnoxious, however it has grown on me. And I will say the CO has begun to rival Texas with their flag on dang near every possible surface and product. For a long time Enchantment had a cruise director from Texas sailing out of Texas. It was a hoot. During the parade of Flags on the last night - he would bring out the Texas flag and recognize crew members from Texas along with all the countries and they would line dance or whatever and the crowd ate it up. It was a lot of fun. 

I think what you are asking is should kids slip the bartender a dollar for their soda as an adult might for their cocktail.  The answer is no.  

No one has to tip extra for anything since tips are included in everything you buy anyway.
I wouldn't at all be concerned about a kid getting a drink without tipping extra.

I find it disheartening that people are able to find these sites to complain about their cruise but they can’t find them before they cruise to research and find information that would help them enjoy their cruise. 

I have seen in both in port and in the duty free shops on board. 

Just awful. We're scheduled for snorkeling in the same area on our upcoming cruise, and I recall another attack on a younger girl a few years ago in the same location. And now I am off to google 'tips to avoid sharks while snorkeling in the Bahamas'. 

Shark attacks remain extremely rare. The odds of getting fatally attacked by the creature remain less than 1 in 4 million, according to the International Shark Attack File.

Sad news out of Nassau. A Harmony OTS passenger has passed while on a independent snorkel excursion. RIP
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-09-06/shark-attack-in-the-bahamas-kills-58-year-old-american-woman

Our general guide that we use is
Cabin attendant - $50-100 (more if the kids are with us)
MDR - $20-40/each server
Bartenders - $1/drink, or if we're going to be there a while, $5 with first drink. 
Room Service - $5
We also leave $3-5-ish on the table in the Windjammer if we eat there.
We also tip excursion guides and wait staff at all inclusive resorts. We pack a bunch of different denominations. 

Yes, our day after Xmas flight went from $179 to $59 as we were driving to the airport!!  I check every day.  

On a whim I decided to start checking my Southwest tickets for our cruise in November when I do my cruise planner checks to see if I can get a better deal. I had booked separately each way (for various reasons). Just rebooked one leg for $50/each less on the exact same flight, and then cancelled our return tickets which I had booked with points (and repriced last week for 1,500 less points per person in the same manner), and applied the travel funds from the first flight to the exact same flight we were booked for WAY cheaper. Overall for the both of us, I paid less than $300 for our flights. 
So, if you're still reading by now - check your flights! you can rebook like you do drink packages for a better price! (Tuesday is always the best day to buy Southwest tickets, btw) And now that Southwest travel funds never expire, this is an even better deal!

Honestly I would rent a car. You can return it at the cruise terminal, so you'd only pay for 1 day (my rate I just booked was $38/day) and you're covered for transportation to the port in the morning as well. Likely a lot less than an Uber. Just have to fill up in Cocoa Beach before heading to the port.
If you have a loyalty program like National's Emerald Aisle, you can just get in a car at MCO and get on with your life. I travel to the Cape for work all the time and that extra few bucks for the Emerald Aisle mid size is SO worth skipping the counter. 
Also, make sure you have toll money on the ready. There are 2 toll booths between Orlando airport and Cocoa Beach. Much cheaper to pay the toll than pay the car rental 'convenience fee and tolls' and easier than going the toll free route.
(if you want to price compare, there is a way to get an Uber estimate of cost based on time of day and distance/location  https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate/)

On a whim I decided to start checking my Southwest tickets for our cruise in November when I do my cruise planner checks to see if I can get a better deal. I had booked separately each way (for various reasons). Just rebooked one leg for $50/each less on the exact same flight, and then cancelled our return tickets which I had booked with points (and repriced last week for 1,500 less points per person in the same manner), and applied the travel funds from the first flight to the exact same flight we were booked for WAY cheaper. Overall for the both of us, I paid less than $300 for our flights. 
So, if you're still reading by now - check your flights! you can rebook like you do drink packages for a better price! (Tuesday is always the best day to buy Southwest tickets, btw) And now that Southwest travel funds never expire, this is an even better deal!

I think so.
Renting a car provides more flexibility, but if you aren't going to go anywhere else, uber is quite simple and avoids all the extra steps of renting (getting a good rate, waiting to pick up car, etc)

Great tip! I didn't know you could do this, I have a SW trip to Nashville in September, and I just did what you suggested and saved a lot!  I originally paid $225 each for 2 one way tickets, and they were down to $66.  Amazing!

On a whim I decided to start checking my Southwest tickets for our cruise in November when I do my cruise planner checks to see if I can get a better deal. I had booked separately each way (for various reasons). Just rebooked one leg for $50/each less on the exact same flight, and then cancelled our return tickets which I had booked with points (and repriced last week for 1,500 less points per person in the same manner), and applied the travel funds from the first flight to the exact same flight we were booked for WAY cheaper. Overall for the both of us, I paid less than $300 for our flights. 
So, if you're still reading by now - check your flights! you can rebook like you do drink packages for a better price! (Tuesday is always the best day to buy Southwest tickets, btw) And now that Southwest travel funds never expire, this is an even better deal!

Yup, been doing this for years.  Got 3 reprices on the flight down, the latest done today, and 4 on the flight back.  Saved over 10,000 points each on the return flight.

On a whim I decided to start checking my Southwest tickets for our cruise in November when I do my cruise planner checks to see if I can get a better deal. I had booked separately each way (for various reasons). Just rebooked one leg for $50/each less on the exact same flight, and then cancelled our return tickets which I had booked with points (and repriced last week for 1,500 less points per person in the same manner), and applied the travel funds from the first flight to the exact same flight we were booked for WAY cheaper. Overall for the both of us, I paid less than $300 for our flights. 
So, if you're still reading by now - check your flights! you can rebook like you do drink packages for a better price! (Tuesday is always the best day to buy Southwest tickets, btw) And now that Southwest travel funds never expire, this is an even better deal!

On a whim I decided to start checking my Southwest tickets for our cruise in November when I do my cruise planner checks to see if I can get a better deal. I had booked separately each way (for various reasons). Just rebooked one leg for $50/each less on the exact same flight, and then cancelled our return tickets which I had booked with points (and repriced last week for 1,500 less points per person in the same manner), and applied the travel funds from the first flight to the exact same flight we were booked for WAY cheaper. Overall for the both of us, I paid less than $300 for our flights. 
So, if you're still reading by now - check your flights! you can rebook like you do drink packages for a better price! (Tuesday is always the best day to buy Southwest tickets, btw) And now that Southwest travel funds never expire, this is an even better deal!