Momof4crazytocruise

I would say it is not as good as coffee shop, but it might suit your needs.  The coffee machine in the lounge is pretty easy to operate, but it really can only do basic espresso drinks (espresso, capuccino, latte, maybe americano) and while I think there is sugar/sweeteners, there are no flavored syrups or options for cream/milk.  The machine supplies its own 'dairy' for those drinks that need them.  Your best bet will be the coffee card and then go and check it out to see if it will serve your needs going forward.  

I would be stressed. As was mentioned above, the port will not be staffed to handle those embarking after the cut off time. Royal has ZERO control over this. You might get a phone agent tell you it’s OK, but phone agents don’t have all the info and have been known to wing it! The ship being docked for 28 hours has to do with logistics, not an extended period to take on late passengers. There is a reason for the 3:30 cut off on the 27th and I would take that very seriously. You wouldn’t be the first one to show up after the final boarding call and left ashore. I’d seriously look into changing that flight to the 26th. Any increase in airfare cost has to be cheaper than the cost of missing the final boarding call. 

That is a question for the cruise line. Maybe put a call into guest services and see what they say. 

Honestly, no one can be certain - but I know from me and mine we wouldn't think twice about it. People are people are people. Be kind, be polite, be respectful of the crew, and I don't care, male/female, purple/green - if you're there to have fun, you're all right with me. As far as weird looks or judgement - none of that you can control, but I will say most people I have met on cruisers are very accepting, or are more worried about the people in their own party than to even notice anything like you describe. Cruising is what you make of it - if you're bored or unhappy, that's of your own doing. Go into it deciding you will have a great time, and you will have a great time. 

Honestly, no one can be certain - but I know from me and mine we wouldn't think twice about it. People are people are people. Be kind, be polite, be respectful of the crew, and I don't care, male/female, purple/green - if you're there to have fun, you're all right with me. As far as weird looks or judgement - none of that you can control, but I will say most people I have met on cruisers are very accepting, or are more worried about the people in their own party than to even notice anything like you describe. Cruising is what you make of it - if you're bored or unhappy, that's of your own doing. Go into it deciding you will have a great time, and you will have a great time. 

Honestly, no one can be certain - but I know from me and mine we wouldn't think twice about it. People are people are people. Be kind, be polite, be respectful of the crew, and I don't care, male/female, purple/green - if you're there to have fun, you're all right with me. As far as weird looks or judgement - none of that you can control, but I will say most people I have met on cruisers are very accepting, or are more worried about the people in their own party than to even notice anything like you describe. Cruising is what you make of it - if you're bored or unhappy, that's of your own doing. Go into it deciding you will have a great time, and you will have a great time. 

It's a beautiful ship. I was on the sailing after the storm that flooded it in January. It really wasn't a huge deal, the mitigated what they could before we even left the port, and continued to work on it. Totally safe. It was just a freak storm that rained too much too quickly and the balconies don't drain well enough. The rough water caused the pooling water ion the balconies to slosh up onto the sliding glass doors which evidently weren't sealed well.  They changed out the carpets or used wet vacs and fans - and we never smelled anything. And keep in mind, the Carnival Dream was caught in the same storm and had much worse flooding than Voyager did from what I have seen.

When people talk of "small" ships Freedom is usually not a topic of discussion.

First, as someone who travels almost every week for work, I absolutely refuse to use the coffeemaker and glass glasses left in the room.  Both are notoriously disgusting.  That being said, honestly, these folks are so overworked and overwhelmed at times, rather than file a complaint, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt - Most likely English isn't their first language and they may well have not fully understood your request in writing (vs. verbally).  Approach them kindly and directly and express your concern.  I'd be willing to bet you'd have the cleanest cabin in your group going forward.  

Bring a copy of the invoice showing gratuities are prepaid when you board the ship.  If the ship charges daily service fees (gratuity) then go to guest services with your invoice showing they are pre-paid.  

I just learned something, I thought right was walking, left was running. I didn't see any markings here on Anthem indicting which is which. The runners here seem to be on the left though which is why I stuck to the right walking. It's really, really rough as it gets a bit later as people are waking up with coffee in hand and just walking all over the track at a snails pace. Even I found that annoying and saw that was an issue on the first day. Maybe I'll try treadmills at some point but that seems a bit boring as going around the ship is just gorgeous. Thanks for the info. 
 

My first thought upon seeing that subject line was that you could now book cruises on Amazon and I got excited (since I get 5% back on Amazon purchases)

We don't eat out often due to cost and few restaurants where we live, so anything that someone else cooks is a real treat for us.

You will be covered unless if you prefer higher end spirits. I’ve personally never even been charged $1 extra when ordering cocktails. Ordering two fingers of certain whiskeys…..that’s a different story entirely.

How chaotic/loud is the terminal during boarding? We sail out on Harmony 11/19 and have a 1 pm boarding time. We've only had a suite since sailing out of the new terminal and this time we are not in one. Trying to figure out if I need to do the guest special needs form for DW who has combat-related PTSD and deals with anxiety in large crowds at times. 

I have to say that Harmony from Galveston has been our favorite sailing - ever.  While it is a drive from the port, we just took a Lyft with no issues.  We stayed at Harbor House (right on the water) for 2 nights - Galveston is a very nice city to visit.  Take a dolphin tour, you won't be disappointed (about 800 live in the harbor).  The crew on Harmony are fantastic.  There's plenty to do, and lots of places to relax.  A lot of the passengers will be from Texas, and we found them to be relaxed and extremely friendly.  We actually took a post-cruise excursion that took us from the terminal, gave us a short tour of Galveston, and to the Houston Space Center for a few hours before dropping us at the airport (we had a later flight).

You're lucky thats all you thought because floater means something completely different in UK 🚻 🤣

We did the bridge tour on Brilliance in November, so it is definitely an option.
We have also done it on Quantum, Ovation and Independence so I don't think the class of ship matters.
When the concierge contacts you prior to your cruise be sure to mention you would like to do it and I am sure your name will be added to the list.

They used to do an entertainment tour.  The All Access Tour does cover the theater (or at least, it used to).  I would ask the Suites Concierge, during your email exchange, prior to boarding, if an entertainment tour will be possible.

We literally never got one before and I've never known to ask after....
well...now I do know....gonna make a note to ask the concierge...worst they can say is no

Ask your concierge if there's a bridge tour. They don't publicize them anymore, but they still do them.

My last cruise my group got a private bridge tour, despite our insistence to the concierge that if there weren't enough people that we didn't need to be an inconvenience to security/bridge crew.

You do not get to see the engines of the ship, you only get to see the engine control room for monitoring the engines. You can see the engines on one of the video screens.

I'll add one: people who are rude to the crew for no good reason. I can't STAND when I hear (usually elderly, surprisingly) people talking down to or making unreasonable demands on crewmembers just trying to do their job - and a lot of times with a language barrier. It's just really uncalled for and there is NO good reason not to treat crew with respect. 

However it costs us all in the end.

I'll add one: people who are rude to the crew for no good reason. I can't STAND when I hear (usually elderly, surprisingly) people talking down to or making unreasonable demands on crewmembers just trying to do their job - and a lot of times with a language barrier. It's just really uncalled for and there is NO good reason not to treat crew with respect.