WesKinetic

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.

I've only been on one, so YMMV. But the one time I was on a New Year's Cruise, they did have a champagne toast at midnight on the promenade. But the party itself was the same night as one of their usual dance parties. So I can't say what they would do if New Year's Eve fell on a night when a party wasn't already scheduled. But I can say they didn't really make a huge deal of hyping New Year's, other than saying the champagne would be available at midnight.

Just a matter of priorities--do you value getting on the ship and heading to the Windjammer or breaking in your drink package as soon as possible? Or do you value sleeping in, shorter lines at check-in and being able to go to your room right away? No right or wrong answer, just personal preference based on the kind of vacation you want.

Tell work I'll see them in a week and immediately put my phone on airplane mode.

Yeah, this is a big "your mileage may vary" situation. I've had some instances in which they required me to show the second card and others where they let me get multiples on just one. I think officially the policy is per card, so if you have access to the second card and can take it, you definitely won't have any problems.

@Pooch hit the only real downside--some people feel like they need to "get their money's worth" and constantly searching out drinks becomes a chore instead of relaxing. For me the big upside that a lot of people don't talk about is quality as opposed to quantity. If I'm paying by the drink, odds are I'm going to order something I know I'll like. But with the UDP, I'll try a bunch of new things. Don't like something? Dump it and get something else. No harm, no foul. I've discovered a lot of really tasty drinks that I probably otherwise would not have ordered. When you're debating whether or not to get it, be sure to compare prices vs. what you would otherwise get. A lot of people only look at the UDP price compared to getting nothing. But if you think you will pay for a certain number of drinks by the glass or that you like getting your specialty coffees in the morning, sometimes the price to upgrade from that to the UDP isn't as big as it first seems.

@Vancity Cruiser is correct--the double points promotion expired Sep. 30, 2021. I remember it vividly because I was frantically trying to get one booked that afternoon. Sorry if you were given bad information.

Personally, I think you'd probably be fine doing that but it just kind of depends on your tolerance for risk. 90% of the time, that should work with no problems. But if there are delays at the port or long lines at the airport, you could end up cutting it close.

The "legal tender" part is only good in the United States. The Royal Caribbean fleet are all foreign-flagged ships. They accept US dollars (as do most cruise ports) as a convenience due to the number of US customers on board. But they are under no legal obligation to do so.

@Sunny_DThis could have changed since covid, but I know it used to be 90 days out. However, Royal Caribbean's IT isn't always the most trustworthy, so it may not always be available right exactly at that mark. When you get to your 90-day mark, just start checking every day and it should show up shortly.