WesKinetic

I'm kind of offended that my wife got the alert and I didn't.

Under the CDC inspection guidelines for whirlpool spas on cruise ships: The water must fully circulate no less than every two hours. Water must be changed every 72 hours. Granular filters must be cleaned and inspected at least every 72 hours and replaced every 12 months. There are required ranges for pH and chlorine levels. But that is the minimum--cruise lines are acutely aware of the possibility of any disease spread or bad health inspection records. So I believe @twangster is right and they are generally drained and cleaned more often than that. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/docs/vsp_operations_manual_2018-508.pdf

@WAAAYTOOO hit it on the head--if it is cancelled, you will automatically be refunded. But for them to cancel, the weather would have to be something that could truly threaten the safety of the excursion. So, in your thunderstorm example, they could cancel the excursion if there is a risk of lightning in the area or if the winds would be so bad as to make travel to the snorkeling site unsafe. But outside of that, excursions are generally considered "rain or shine" events.

What @Ampurp85 said. When they turn 18, they keep whatever points they've earned but not their parents' status.

If you had kids, there used to be an incentive to get to a certain level before they turned 18 because they could then keep that. But it appears Royal Caribbean has changed the policy, so the value there is diminished. I did try to sneak as many bookings as I could in while they were still offering double points.

It used to be that way--children would keep the parent's status even after they turned 18. Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean changed that policy not too long ago. Once a child turns 18, they revert to whatever status they've earned on their own. Here's the relevant portion of the C&A legalese. A Crown & Anchor Society member can be added into a relationship with other family members in the same household and receive equivalent tier status; however Cruise Points will remain according to actual cruises taken and calculated using the Program level accrual system described above. Pinnacle Club member tier status will not be awarded to dependents if earned by their parent and/or guardian. Pinnacle Club member tier status can only be earned by an individual, spouse or significant other by one of them accumulating 700 Cruise Points or more in the CAS program. For all tiers except Pinnacle Club, a relationship is defined as a spouse or significant other and children less than 18 years old. For Pinnacle Club a relationship is considered a spouse and/or significant other. Children will be taken out of a relationship with a parent or guardian upon their 18th birthday date. If it is found that a dependent or child is not immediately removed from a relationship upon their 18th birthday and accumulates a higher tier status outside of this time period, the dependent's record will be adjusted back to the appropriate tier status.

Yes, you can use a birth certificate (assuming we're talking about a closed-loop trip from a US port). It will just add an extra step when going through customs.

I know we got sushi to go on Independence just by walking in and ordering it for take out. I can't say with 100% certainty that's always the case on all ships, but I like your chances.

Used Native Choice last year and had a really good experience. The only problem is that I don't know that they offer a combined ruins tour/beach time excursion.

In most cases, check-in will begin 45 days prior to your cruise. In the app, you should be able to check in shortly after midnight on that day. Keep in mind that you don't have to do all of the check-in stuff right then. You can just select your boarding time and then do the rest (passport info and such) later. You can check everyone in together, but you will need to link the accounts ahead of time. But once you've done that, you should be able to see everyone's reservation and check them in.

Not necessarily cruise-specific, but I seem to notice it more on cruises: People who stand right in front of the elevator and move in as soon as it opens instead of waiting for people already in the elevator to get off.

Passengers who test positive within 10 days are eligible for a full refund. But if someone doesn't want that refund and wants to come on the cruise, there's really no way to stop them. RC no longer requires proof of a negative test. As such, all someone has to do is lie on the health questionnaire about if they've tested positive or had any symptoms and there's really no way to stop them. So it is not only possible for someone who tested positive to be on the cruise, I would say it is likely.

You definitely have a much higher risk tolerance than I do. For embarkation, feel free to snag an earlier boarding group time. There's no penalty or anything if you miss your window and show up later. As for disembarkation, barring any delays, they'll usually start letting people off around 7:30ish. So, as @SpeedNoodles said, if everything goes smoothly, you could make it. Just have your luggage and be ready to walk off as soon as possible. But there are also a lot of things (e.g. bad weather delaying the ship getting into port, delays clearing customs, an accident slows traffic to the airport, long lines at TSA, etc.) that could go wrong. So definitely have a Plan B in mind if you miss your flight.

No testing required for those stops.

Seven so far (Adventure, Allure, Harmony, Independence, Liberty, Serenade and Symphony). Missed out on Majesty and Vision thanks to Covid. Will be adding Oasis and Mariner in the next few months.

Had that location on my last cruise and was very pleasantly surprised by the lack of noise. Never heard anything more than the normal amount of hallway chatter you'll have in any room.

Oasis on 12/22. The menus had been showing up previously, but are now absent. It's entirely possible it could just be a glitch, but the timing of this right after the survey just kind of raised an eyebrow. We shall see.

In light of this survey, I do find it interesting that the MDR menus for my cruise next month are no longer showing up in the app. Makes me wonder if changes might be coming sooner rather than later.

As others pointed out, you will dock at the pier. However, you will need to take a ferry from there to Playa Del Carmen if you are doing any excursions or other activities on the mainland.

Yes, the only time Starbucks is not included is at a standalone Starbucks kiosk (currently on Allure, Harmony, Mariner, Navigator, Oasis, Symphony and Wonder). Everywhere else, including Cafe Promenade, is included it even if they serve Starbucks product.

The REAL ID requirement was delayed until May 3, 2023, so you will not need the enhanced drivers license for a January flight. You don't need a passport. Can use a birth certificate and ID. Passport does help expedite the process at the terminal. Definitely cheaper to get one package with two devices. And the number of devices just means the number that can be logged in at the same time. So if you wouldn't need to both be logged in simultaneously, you could take turns sharing a one-device package.

No, Ben and Jerry's isn't included on any of the drink/dining plans. Sorry.

I'm on that same 12/22 cruise and was able to make reservations last night.

I think everything you said there is a fair critique. Some things (staffing, cupcakes etc.) can be corrected, some (room sizes, lack of outlets, etc.) are kind of "it is what is" things. (Although I agree the location of the cornhole tournament seems really odd.) I would agree with the earlier poster that it's not really accurate to judge an entire cruise line off of one experience. It's possible you might enjoy the newer, bigger ship experience down the line. But it's also possible that Royal Caribbean might not be for you--and that's okay. You are certainly allowed to have your own opinion and to enjoy the kind of vacation you want. Personally, I like RC because I feel like I get the most "bang for the buck." But everyone vacations differently. I have friends that party on Carnival all the time and love it. I have others that are hardcore Disney Cruise Line fans. And still others would never set foot on a cruise ship. More power to any of them. Find the vacation that works best for what you want and enjoy it!

It's all about your tolerance for risk. Ft. Lauderdale airport and cruise port are very close so, if everything goes according to plan, you should be fine. But if there are any delays in getting back to port or disembarking, you're not going to have a lot of margin for error. As for tips for getting off faster, opt to carry your own bags off the ship. That way, you can leave at your convenience and head straight out instead of having to go find your luggage when your group is called.