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Also for Boardwalk balconies.  Now as a safety feature, the sliding glass door can be opened from outside (from the balcony).  So your neighbor has access to your room and vice-versa.  At least this was our experience last month.

A premium service program that Royal Caribbean has introduced (to make money by selling services). 

Here is the url for the FAQ. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program

"The Key Guests will enjoy the following exclusive and special amenities during their cruise vacation: 

• Priority check-in and boarding*
• Exclusive carry-on luggage service with stateroom delivery**
• Private lunch at Chops Grille®, Jamie’s Italian, or Giovanni’s Table on embarkation day (Venues vary by ship)
• Private hours on marquee activities*** like FlowRider, Rock Climbing wall, Ripcord by iFly. The private hours schedule will be provided at check-in. 
• Priority port of call debarkation
• VIP seating area at Main theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70 shows
• VOOM ® Surf & Stream (1 Device per each paying guest)
• Choice debarkation with an exclusive a la carte breakfast"

It is offered through the Cruise Planner, and the cost is around $25/person/day, but can fluctuate as everything seems to do in Cruise Planner.  Not all ships/cruises offer it.

And we who get frustrated or angry don't always realize how we appear to others: we may seem more threatening than we are.  In our mind, we are just exasperated at the failure of a representative to look at data logically, but we have raised our voice, changed our stance, and facial expression, and generally become quite ugly.  (or so I am told).

On another site I saw a 2017 reference to a height requirement (42"), and kids under 48" must be accompanied by someone 14 or older.  Please verify with RCI.

Most bars sell virgin drinks, but I've never actually tried to do that at the robotic bar on Harmony.  A lot of people were standing around watching.  Anyone can "hang around" the bars during normal hours, they just can't order alcoholic drinks until they are of age, which depends upon the port of embarkation.  There is a curfew for minors on all the ships I've sailed.  At 15-17, my son enjoyed the teen club (Freedom/Oasis /Vision class ships).  The other reference had a link to a cruise compass.

https://issuu.com/hochmania/docs/merged.compressed_9a35dc65eb555e/1?ff=true&e=2025714/41726189

Ditto for the coffee card, if you like espresso drinks.

I have seen it about $50 on my e-mails.  Others say $47, Matt and others are the experts.  Some folks say to book it if it seems reasonable and then cancel and re-book later if the price goes down.  I haven't tried that.  Of course, see Matt's video on whether it makes economic sense to purchase the package.

And sometimes it takes a couple of days for the OBC to populate your account (as seen on the stateroom TV).  You should eventually see your OBC and charges.

5 hours ago, Jess4214 said:

My next question is will they allow us to take bottled waters off the ship and on the ship when coming and going at Port? Btw our stops are Cococay, St Thomas and St Maarten.

Thank you in advance!

You can take sealed bottles of water off the ship, and they are often sold for that purpose.

To reinforce previous posts, on my Harmony cruise last month the minibar was empty, and we were able to store our bottle of champagne in it.

We did Pisa when we sailed the Med in 2011.  It is worth seeing once, but probably can't compare to Florence (or so I am told).  Some folks on our ship went to the beach.  In order to climb inside the tower, you need tickets, which at the time required waiting awhile.  Your RCI tour may not provide enough time for that (depends on the size of the crowds).

You are going to want a waterproof lanyard eventually--for other reasons.  Thus, you could lock your bags with a luggage lock & key, put the key and set sail pass in your waterproof lanyard container, and eliminate worries.  I have heard of thefts from Coco Cay bags but don't have experience by the pool.  We generally swim one at a time, but usually there are other things to do before 1PM when rooms open.  If you sign up for the Key Program, you can drop off your carry-ons.

26 minutes ago, MEMVA said:

Hi Matt-- Thank you for your response. However, I must confess that I find your response a little unusual.

First,  I am an executive level communications professional with 30 years of experience, including managing websites at Fortune 50 organizations. I can assure you I am not so naive as to "assume" anything, particularly when it comes to language and words. The website specifically said "You chose your room" and gave the price of $1076. To me (and the vast majority of sensible people) this means exactly what it says - the purchaser gets to pick their room. 

Second, in terms of 'verifying' - the fact that I called RC immediately is proof that I did try to verify. There was no other way to verify anything on the RC website.

Third, my husband and I are extremely experienced travelers. We've traveled the globe, including visits to multiple continents for extended periods of time, such as Europe and Australia. I can assure you that I've made complex travel arrangements multiple times before last night and been very successful at it, solely relying on the language presented on a website.

Fourth, as I stated in one of my other responses, the fact that every other major corporation, such as the airlines, big and small retailers, cloud service organizations, etc, can offer and deliver services and products via a website at the price advertised with no problem, suggests to me that RC has some major issues with their back-end website programming, their website messaging, and their promotions.

And, finally I did extensive research on cruising, including watching countless videos and reading numerous articles and blogs about "Things a First-timer Should Know" - and never once did I read or hear someone say: "Don't book your travel with the cruise line website. They're notoriously bad. Contact a travel agent." NEVER. Ultimately, what you're suggesting is that first time cruisers with a major reputable corporation need to jump through hoops, diving deep into research to plan a simple five day vacation. You're also saying that RC as a company can't be trusted.

I learned a lot from my experience with RC. Unfortunately, I will not be cruising.

No one can refute your experience, and your logic seems sound.  Thanks for pointing out the issue.  Hopefully, you have noticed this appears to be an uncommon event with RCI.  Happy travels however and wherever you go.

PS.  In the rare event your luggage is lost or delayed, it is helpful to retain receipts from any purchases you made just for the cruise.  Snap a picture of your luggage, too.  Along these lines, always pack spare underwear and top in your carry-on.  Should your luggage be delayed or lost on embarkation, RCI has a team that tracks it down with the ship or airline, and they gave us a "kit" that contained toiletries plus one free T-shirt.  Most of us forget to hold onto receipts for clothing or suitcases, so just a thought in conjunction with trip insurance. 

We did something like this in 2017 coded RTE4.   It is a small park and not many animals, but the experience is up close and personal.  You can touch some animals.  The trail is narrow and goes up and down a couple of ravines as well as across a short hanging bridge.  I loved the vendor who sold painted feathers that were hand-made.  The excursion was inexpensive and I felt we saw real aspects of the island, from poor housing to friendly people.  I believe the 'sculpture" is a single stone pillar but maybe there were more and I've forgotten.  This is not really an archeological excursion.  Overall, I'd say it was authentic and intellectually relaxing.  At the end of the trip we stopped in a village and had time to walk around or grab a coke at a small bar.  We were then taking back to the pier where there was more shopping, if interested.  We aren't repeating this tour on our next cruise.  Instead, we are going to try Maya Key.

We always use our AAA travel agent for bookings, although we research RCI website online.  In your shoes, I would be angry about the glitch in the website, but I don't think it is bait and switch.  Hopefully, your experience will help them fix the problem before others are affected.  I have heard others state they get better service from Crown & Anchor folks than from the RCI phone centers.  Again, having an agent has been wonderful for us over the years.

Maybe you can use this file.  If you can't open this for some reason, this is what you can get in cruise planner.

western_carib_brochure_excursions.xps

If you need something accessible, you focus on that in Cruise Planner.  A lot of the excursions at these ports involve water, beach, walking, hiking, etc.  I have seen excursions that drive you around and then drop you off for shopping, if you like.  There are other sights to see.  For example, Cozumel has a small museum that is recommended - I will check it out in September. There are excursions that involve tasting rum, tequila, or whatever that might be accessible.  if you sudivide the group, some of you can do the accessible excursions (or hire a driver on your own) while others try something more exotic.  The Amazing Secret River near Playa Del Carmen gets my vote, as do various Mayan sites,  but they are NOT accessible.  You can download the excursion guide in the Cruise Planner and study it at your leisure.  The table of contents in the front, sorted by port, has a column for restrictions.  I find, for example, that at 66 I am not allowed to snorkel some places.....(cap is 65).

Concur with the above.  PS a small flashlight is useful for going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, as us old people sometimes dol.

In addition to what has been said, there are little things like luggage tags for your suitcase.  You may need tape and scissors or a stapler, which we borrow from a hotel when we get to the port the day before departure.  Or you can order the neat ones shown on other discussion threads (from Amazon).  Arriving to the port a day early is somewhat important to us now. although we have flown day-of-cruise and made connections three times before (two to Europe and one to Orlando).  Don't forget trip insurance, which is cheap when you are young.  (It doesn't have to be RCI; Allianz is pretty good, and there are others.)  If you are swimming/snorkeling, consider the type of sunscreen (e.g., environmentally friendly).  Also, for sun protection on your back consider the special swim shirts (a regular T doesn't offer protection when it is wet).  Medical supplies are somewhat pricey on the ship, so have your travel first aid kit and needed meds.  Remember small bills for tipping porters as you get to the port, or during excursions.  Figure out your tipping philosophy in advance so you are prepared (we prepay the gratuities and then add a little something extra at the end, but that is just us.)  I have found I still pack too many clothes, even though we always dress for dinner.  So previous tips about not overpacking clothes are on target.  It is amazing how many times you can wear the same shorts during the day, and cheap T-shirts can be acquired in port if you need tops at some point.  You will be tempted with many online or on ship purchases or distractions, so it helps to know what you really enjoy, what may be worth the extra effort or $$.  Look up the deck plans for ship in advance so you know a bit, but don't expect to remember anything until you walk the ship.  I took a week to learn that "port" is "left"; they both have four letters.  To starboard has to be right, correct?  The previous point on documents is important.  Passports are better than travel cards in case you need to fly home for an emergency, but I take both with me and leave them in the safe in my stateroom until they are required for immigration (depends upon your cruise itinerary).  If you are going to buy excursions or beverage packages (coffee card, coke package, etc), it is cheaper to do so online during a sale than on the ship.  There is a lot of guidance on this in other discussion threads.

For finances, be sure to notify your bank you made by using your ATM in another country, etc.  Some credit cards require travel notification, some don't.  We make sure our smart phones have the correct settings (airplane mode?) so we don't get charged outrageous fees when the phone tries to "update" periodically.  Other travelers can give you their tips, I have a dumb phone I keep turned off unless I have an emergency.

Bottom line, you don't need to do everything your first cruise, go at your pace, feel free to ask questions (nothing is stupid), and enjoy.  On Oasis class ships, I find I need to spread reservations throughout the week so I have something to do on a sea day.  At 15 my son loved the teen group -- he got to meet girls without worrying about being shy.  I guess the girls he met felt the same way...

There should be some sort of excursion with airport drop off  For example, my recent Harmony cruise had options for the Kennedy Space Center with dropoff or "The Real Airboat Adventure" with airport transfer.  If you buy them online in advance you can save $$ on the "sales" which pop up.

Don't overlook asking for a table with other guests so that you can make friends and pick their brains about cruise tips and excursions.  You can always have your own dinner for two at a specialty restaurant....

Concur with previous comments.  Also consider your travel insurance, which usually has protection against serious weather problems.  If you are concerned about potential problems, make sure you have some type of insurance (it doesn't need to be RC).

The value proposition for balcony depends upon the price.  When there is a big jump for the balcony, I avoid it.  When it is nearer to the ocean view price, I go for it.  This varies by ship and cruise destination.  You do get more square footage for balcony (e.g., 180 sq ft vs 150), but only you can judge whether that is worthwhile.  When my wife and I are the only travelers, the 145-150 sq ft size is adequate.  With our son, we prefer the balcony.  On the Oasis class ships, the Boardwalk Balcony was a good deal for us.  We were comfortable, got free coke packages, and had a couple of free specialty dining opportunities.  I have found that I don't spend a lot of time in the stateroom, but that would likely change on a repositioning cruise that included a lot of sea days.  If you aren't yet at Diamond status, it may make sense to take more cruises with smaller rooms than splurge on a balcony, which doesn't affect your loyalty points at all.  We enjoy the Diamond perks more than the extra 30 square feet.  Also, given a finite budget, one needs to decide whether something like a nice excursion is more meaningful than extra closet space.  We all allocate our $$ in different ways.  Know what pleases you the most, and go for it!

Here is the link for Platinum benefits. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cas/benefits/platinum-members/

And you can also check out all of the benefits for other categories.  Have fun!

Yes, the cost of RCI's parking is high, which is why in Florida we prefer the park and cruise options with local hotels.