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Not normally. There has been discussion on other topics about "significant others" who share a common address being able to assume your status after one cruise. We had a recent case where my son's girlfriend was denied access on formal night. But, when you go to the club in off-hours, there is generally no one there to check, so you could enable your friend to get a coffee.... As Diamond, you know about the drink vouchers during happy hour, which is the stated work-around for friends not having access. I've heard the policy is also because there just isn't enough room for all of the Diamond members, let alone their friends. So they want us to use the other bars and lounges throughout the ship. If you re-marry, no problem after the first cruise.

Those who have read Jack Reacher novels know the trick about putting clothes under the mattress at night so they are flat in the morning....never tried it though; I stick to hanging something in the bathroom when I shower (the day before), and the next day it is largely wrinkle free.

If it helps, I paid for two staterooms in May and didn't have a problem. This might be a one-off.

My wife had a chai latte on one ship (I bought it with the punch card), but we didn't see it offered in Cafe Promenade on the Harmony -- it was plainly omitted from the posted menu. That said, we didn't ask the barista. My point is that it might depend upon the ship.

The good news is that when you reach Diamond, there is some free Internet use plus discount on the packages....

Yes, in 2015, the version that goes to Agadir. It was 12 N then. Now Morocco was a bust for many on the ship because of poor sanitation, excessive poverty, and long, hot bus rides. But that is why we travel - to see how others live. My teen son did get to sit near the dancing cobras after a "tea ceremony", so that was a thrill for him. Our real highlights were Funchal (the pushcart down the hill), the beaches, and a lovely family-run vineyard/orchard (finca) (I believe Gran Canaria). The ports in Spain were OK, but we found our tour guides a little too talkative. The food is definitely UK-oriented, which is OK but different. More meat pies and meat dishes, more curry, ham instead of bacon, etc. The shows were OK but we didn't get all of the references to British celebrities. We found eating with a few British couples was very helpful. What we would do differently: (1) take a direct flight on British Air, (2) do a pre-cruise excursion that covered the transfer to the port, and (3) carry off our luggage. Royal lost my wife's suitcase with all of our souvenirs and her good clothes. We had trip insurance, but it was a hassle. Overall, I recommend a visit to the Canaries - each island is distinctly different, and in Lanzarote, you can imagine you are on Mars or the Moon.

Thanks all. Could just be her device. She is rebooting...

I have seen it before when parents don't supervise younger kids. I haven't seen it with older teens. Unless it is late at night, security usually doesn't hassle the teens. The Harmony doesn't have a pool in the Solarium, and I noticed it was quieter (hot tub instead).

Excellent question. On the whole my family has enjoyed Royal's cruises, especially customer service on the ship. However, I'd offer up these items: (1) Greater transparency in pricing (everything) -- I hate thinking we need to "game" the system to get a fair price. Just tell us in advance what the pricing policy will be, and if necessary point out regional differences. If we can plan ahead to get a lower price, we will. If we can't, we'll take our chances, but try to be consistent/gradual in the price increases. (2) Less up-selling pressure -- tell us once that we have additional options and what the tangible benefits are, but then let us do our thing. We are on vacation, and we will spend our money -- eventually. (3) Shows don't need to be "over the top". Performers are very talented, so give them a platform to shine without confusing the audience. (4) Improve the decor/ambiance of specialty restaurants - they don't seem very romantic to me inside - seem to be missing the paintings or photos we see elsewhere on the ships. (5) Base excursions on customer input. Some excursions don't seem well though out, and in the end aren't very enjoyable. There is so much guest travel experience, Royal could build on success. (6) Improve the quality of "house" wine. It really is often pretty sour, and I'm no expert. (7) Continue to seek out new destinations, modified itineraries to keep cruising "interesting". Related to this, improve destination discussions -- have attended some great lectures on some ships and lousy presentations on others. I am really impressed with most of the technology improvements and how quickly embarkation and disembarkation have become. Great job!

Agree - I was only commenting that we saw little smoking on our ship at that time - less than on the Harmony in May.

My wife says there was a recent update (yesterday) and now she can't get the App to work for our 8 September cruise. Anyone else having problems? She says it won't accept the privacy update acceptance.

When we were on the Radiance in NZ/Australia Jan 2018, the Casino seemed to be smoke free. I can't swear it was, but I don't remember there being much cigarette smoke.

You register on the ship. There are different groups separated by age. My son was active in the RCI youth groups from age 5 to 18, and he generally enjoyed them. Going the first day is helpful to meet everyone. Check the deck plans for the exact location on the top decks.

On the ship, when you put your Sea Pass into a slot machine, it tells you your point total. I am just a casual gambler, so it's always a low number. I'll let others share additional info.

Yep, the spreadsheet is the way to go to for an accurate price comparison. My point is that you can't rely on the quoted percentage discount, except perhaps as a flag to look more closely. Your system takes a little work but has netted you positive results.

Recommend you contact your travel agent or the Royal 800 number because there is usually a waiting list for traditional dining. Someone probably wants your seats.... Maybe another member can share tricks with the Cruise Planner.

It kind of depends which cruise you book, but mostly the benefits for us were the on board credit (OBC) and the reduced deposit. The best cruise prices are usually soon after the new schedule is announced, and this varies by region/country. So if you happen to be on the ship at the right time, you'll luck out. Also, there can be some weird things that happen. We once booked a handicapped room because it had been released for general use, so for the price of a "normal" outside view room, we had a spacious room over 200 square feet with plenty of room for suitcases, etc. Our normal travel agent got credit for our on-board purchase....and she gave us the obligatory bottle of champagne Day 1.

For my 8 September cruise the sale price of the Deluxe Beverage Package was $46, but he excursions I already booked were about $2 more each, say 2-4% more. More evidence of "new math"....

Atlantis is an excursion, although I haven't been there. Stand by for additional comments.

We ordered a cake once through the Cruise Planner. The price has probably gone up. The issue we had was that it wasn't presented on the correct night in MDR -- it was presented early. We ended up taking it back to the stateroom and eating it over several days, but there were only three of us.

A consideration --- At least one person has complained about downloading the photos after the cruise -- problems getting Royal to send the link. Also, on the Harmony the face-recognition system isn't has good as the CIA's. People have reported getting photos of other guests in their online portfolio. We noticed that when we just wanted to print a "free" photo. I understand the flash drives, which eliminate the download challenges, are more expensive. @fonemanbob has a a good suggestion unless you really want professionally composed photos, such as multiple family portraits on formal night.

No, not enough time. There was discussion of this on another thread by a recent traveler as @Tira04 noted. When I was there in 2012 one had to get a ticket and then wait, by which time the tour would have left. You can take photos, buy souvenirs, and walk around the various buildings, but that's about all in the "standard" tours.

I think you'll enjoy the Centrum as a place to hang out. Also, take advantage of Deck 5 to look at land and sea. When we were on the Rhapsody two years ago, it had the reputation of being the "friendliest" ship in the fleet. It is older and smaller than some ships, but I found it familiar to me (from trips on the Grandeur) and just the right size -- harder to get lost. You will likely learn some nautical jargon - port is left (each have 4 letters), etc. Have fun!

I think long voyages need to have a purpose. For some it is writing, for others enhancing relationships, or learning specific cultures. I couldn't go that long without a purpose, which what I find challenging about retirement. Maybe it's just me... Another thought - around the world in 80 days as in Jules Verne but blending cruising with flying?

There will probably always be more people who like the larger ships as there are more people on the larger ships.....It is like the question of why you are more likely to be in the slow lane/line. By definition, it is slow because there are more people, so the probability is higher that you would be there instead of in the short lane/line...... At any rate, there are still people on all the ships with more ships being built, so they predict continued expansion in cruising.