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I had the same experience. I believe the rope is a safety feature. A few years ago I, the kayakers, and the scuba divers all had difficulty returning to the beach due to a strong current. I haven't spoken to any RCI staff, however.

We tried a snorkeling excursion once, but it was November so the water was cold. Should be great about now. The straw market is worth checking out, but remember there about 100 stalls all carrying similar items. So you will need to search to find something unique and not imported. We had friends who enjoyed renting bicycles....

I forgot to add some other tips from our recent Harmony cruise. There is a briefing for 1st time Harmony cruisers held the afternoon you board but before the muster. The WindJammer backs up, especially on day 1, because of the single-file line to handwashing stations (not sure why they don't go 2 x 2 as there are multiple stations). So look at alternative venues if you don't want to wait. The compass lists the hours of all of the eateries... Don't overlook Central Park as a music venue in later afternoon and evening. Other venues are very loud, but you feel like you're having a private concert in Central Park. Have fun and enjoy the new technology on the ship...

Don't forget Adventure Ocean or whatever it is called now. When my son was 5 through 17, he enjoyed the ship-sponsored youth programs. That was great way for him to meet others. Of course, at 17 he was more interested in girls.....but the teen groups worked for that as well. He still corresponds with people he met on the ship.

Let me just add something about breakfast. Two weeks ago on the Harmony, we found that the WindJammer backed up a lot due to the single-file entry requirement. Thus, we started eating breakfast at the Solarium Bistro, which had no line or just a short one. Johnny Rockets is available for breakfast, as has been mentioned, if you want wait service (no charge for breakfast), but I found the food wasn't hot enough for me, so I now prefer the Solarium Bistro. Have fun! You don't need to do everything on your first cruise, just go with the flow and enjoy. Remember the Oasis has a lot of resources, like the intimate musical performances in Central Park in the late afternoon or evening...

Remember also there is a travel card that works for cruises, and you can order one when you renew the passport. It costs extra, but it gives you a second picture ID, which might come in handy. For example, you can leave the passport in the ship safe and take the travel card and sea pass with you at port.

Moerdeng is the water shoe I got at Amazon. That's what I used at Coco Cay.

I wear water shoes, which I also take to the beach. They are light weight and have an elastic pull tab, so they are easy to take on and off. As has been stated, the pool decks can be very hot. My wife ordered my pair from Amazon.

That might be 2 hours before scheduled ship departure, in order to allow time for check in and processing....

To echo what others have said, MDR staff do rotate to other venues, like WJ. This seems to be true of assistant waiters in particular. We were told this by wait staff we got to know. So we prepay the full gratuities and then add a little extra to a few people for special service (we believe in 20% rather than 18%). Everywhere you go on the ship, someone is helping you or looking out for your interests, whether it is collecting towels, serving pastries and coffee, or attending to you in a restaurant. Again, others have pointed this out, but a little reinforcement doesn't hurt. When you get to the point of using the Diamond Lounge, remember the free drinks aren't billed to your SeaPass, so there is no gratuity for your drinks unless you provide it. Some folks tip in cash along the way (discreetly), while others wait until the end of the voyage and provide envelopes. When in Australia, the latter is preferred, as their customs are different (less tipping, higher wages, value-added tax, etc.).

All I can tell you is that there is a new safety feature at the cove that I use for snorkeling. There is now a floating rope that extends from one of the rock walls to the life guard's floating platform. So you wouldn't want to go beyond the rope on your own (leave that for kayakers). I found numerous fish and many types of coral near the man-made reefs about 20 yards from the beach (adjacent to the floating mat stand).

As a retired compensation analyst who has observed crew on a number of cruises, I'd say they aren't overpaid--they deserve the gratuities they receive. Pay is seldom "fair" because we all have different underlying assumptions of fairness, but pay can and should be consistent with governing laws and the employer's policies. So compensation analysts look at consistency/reliability because pay validity is an elusive target. I think the general demeanor of crew on RCI ships tells us a lot, as does the cited retention rate. It appears to me that RCI invests in human capital, and I've always enjoyed interacting with the staff.

We had a similar situation less than 2 weeks ago on the Harmony. What we discovered is that since my wife and I each had CAS accounts, and we responded to "sale" e-mails from RCI, we sometimes booked under one name and other times booked excursions or amenities under the other name. Since we were traveling with a friend, my wife and I were in separate rooms. So the "app" didn't see everything all of the time, but if we looked up each stateroom separately, all reservations were covered. As has been stated, I always default to the online system and am confidant everything is good because I print my reservation receipts. Have fun!

To echo the previous post, I wouldn't worry. We, a family of 3 without any accessibility issues, were once sold an accessible room by the on-board cruise staff because it had been "released" for booking at a certain point a few months before the scheduled departure. That was on Freedom of the Seas in 2013. Just act in good faith, and if you have a travel agent, maybe ask your agent to follow-up if your situation changes. You may find that the fatigue of traveling leads you to use the chair or a walker, anyway.

Here is another tip courtesy of my wife. If you have a smart phone, you can download the RCI app and peruse it Now sometimes it will tell you the calendar is still being finalized, but we were able to get some idea of many events critical for us. Note: The phone number you use should be consistent with your cruise check-in profile. I made the mistake of putting my wife's phone number on my check-in profile, so the App was confused about who was who. If you are linked in the same reservation, there is no problem, but if you have a large group and are scattered in multiple rooms, keep the phone/app associated with its owner. Have fun!

I'd recommend against the hole punch if on a newer ship. For example, the Harmony has a new type of card with an embedded antenna because it is used with a proximity reader -- you tap and go. However, on the Harmony you also place your SeaPass in the light switch by the door (as in many German hotels). Thus, when you leave your stateroom, all lights turn out after about a minute. Given all of this, you want a plastic sleeve on a lanyard. You can buy souvenir lanyards at the port check in or on the ship ($8 and up), or you can recycle some other holder you may have. I recommend "hard" plastic as soft plastic tends to tear -- you don't want to lose the SeaPass. The advantage of all of this is that you can lock up your wallet in your room safe and wander the ship with just your SeaPass. Avoid magnets - like a purse/satchel with a magnetic snap. Some cruisers have two lanyards, a 'dressier" version for dining out and the standard version for the pool. One thought--a couple of people in your party will likely want a water-proof holder -- the large size that can hold a phone and has double snaps to seal the seal, as it were. This is useful when you are at the beach or the pool and no one is available to watch your bags. Bags are pilfered all the time, so never leave your lanyard or valuables unattended. Places like Coco Cay and many excursion sites also have lockers. Have fun! Don't get discouraged by lines or delays, just go with the flow and become familiar with all of the resources your ship will offer. There is always a quiet place or dining venue that is calm, friendly, and less hectic than WindJammer.

Yes, for all of the fun excursions, there is a ferry ride from Cozumel to the main land that can be bumpy, but it is worth it for a tour like the Amazing Secret River near Playa del Carmen. This excursion requires getting wet and swimming/hiking through caves. You can't do this in the US due to potential hazards, like dodging stalactites. That said, if you don't have mobility issues or a bad back, it is delightful. Even my wife managed it (we are in our 60's), although she won't try it again. Our guide spent an hour and a half taking us through the caves in the pleasantly cool water. You are fitted with life preservers, lighted hard hats, and walking sticks (they are a must). We had a nice lunch afterwards (described as a "snack" but very filling), and there are showers/lockers for a change of clothes. Of all of the excursions I have ever taken, this was the best "adventure". Another alternative is Tulum, and if you wear shorts or swimsuits, you might be able to cool off at the beach for a few minutes after you see the ruins. Now Mexico in June is HOT, so take water or buy it from vendors on arrival.

We were just there a couple of weeks ago and there were lots of umbrellas already planted by the lounge chairs. Just get out to the beach earlier in the day (we shoot for 9ish). No $$ needed. We used the cove/beach next to the floating mat rental, and there were lots of fish to see snorkeling by the rocks at the edge of the cove.

Take bug spray. You'll be in a jungle area, which was fascinating to our family, but lots of buzzing around us, depending upon the weather. Climbing the ruins is fun but watch your step, especially with children. There is a bit of a bus ride, but that was fun, too.

The vouchers that AAA offers are at least two types, lunch and dinner. In our recent Harmony cruise, the lunch voucher had to be used on port days, so we used it Coco Cay, although Sabra's didn't open until 2PM. The quantify of food was equivalent to a dinner. The dinner voucher could be used on any night. It is best to reserve times on the ship. As for Johnny Rockets, some rooms like Boardwalk Balcony get a "free lunch", but that is only worth $5 so you wouldn't waste a prime-time voucher on it. If not in that room, just pay the $$. Please note there is no charge for JR at breakfast. In fact, my tip is to try the Solarium for breakfast or JR to avoid the lines in the WindJammer. For some reason the WJ on the Harmony has a single file line despite multiple hand-washing stations, so the lines can back up and often require a 5-10 minute wait. Often only one side of the restaurant is open. By the way, the AAA vouchers AREN'T loaded on the SeaPass. You should take your voucher to the restaurant in case they decide to keep it (records are kept electronically, however).

Based on my experience, you are correct to limit your documents to SeaPass, ID, and some cash. Passports should stay in the safe in your stateroom. You can always take a photocopy of your passport main page if you want extra protection. In 14 cruises we haven't lost anything off the ship, but we have soaked our passports before we learned to leave them behind. For beach days, get the special phone-sized plastic holders that will accommodate everything and keep it waterproof. As for trusting the excursion staff 100%, remember it is also other passengers who present a risk. I've heard too many tales of pilfered lockers, etc. Also, you can register foreign travel with the State Department through the STEP program, so the US knows where you are if problems arise.

On our recent Eastern Caribbean trip 19 May, there were two formal nights. So women wear a dress, and men wear long-sleeve shirts and slacks, plus coat and tie if you can manage them.The idea is to look nice because that makes the experience in the main dining room fun for everyone. I now pack a wash and wear suit rather than a tux, but you can dress up elegantly. if you like. If you don't like wearing church clothes to dinner, there are many other venues, such as the WindJammer and the Solarium Bistro. My wife and like the entree options on formal night, so even when our luggage was lost a few years ago, we attended the first formal in less-than-our best clothing (what we wore on the plane plus a few clean items from the ship's shops). We explained our predicament to the waiter and our table mates, and no one gave us a hard time.

I get a kick out of the ship sales, like the $10 sales. I know we are talking cheap imports, but I swear by the $10 sports watches, which I buy almost every cruise. They die in a year or two, which is about the price of a battery in my nicer watches. There are also cheap hats for the pool or beach as well as practical items like sunglasses hand bags, scarves, men's ties. I can't tell you how many times I've needed a tie or sunglasses. Some ships even have special gift sets (leather wallet sets), so I sometimes find stocking stuffers. These sales are especially helpful when the airline loses your luggage (Been there, done that). As for the specialty dinners, our reaction is mixed. The food really isn't any better than the main dining room unless there is a particular item you want (e.g., filet mignon). However, you can order that in the main dining room for a slight surcharge ($17 on my last cruise). The ambience in the specialty restaurants isn't that much nicer, and the service is sometimes slow. If you like sushi or hibachi-style food, Izumi's would be another dining option. My guess is that you will find something to spend the $$ on, even if it is just room service ($7.95+) for a quiet meal in your stateroom.

Hear is my two cents worth having taken a number of cruises with my family. On the Harmony, you don't punch holes in the card as previously mentioned. The new cards allow you to "tap" a reader, so you never take them out of the plastic holder. But when it comes to plastic sleeves, the type of plastic can make a difference over time. The sleeves sold at WalMart are soft plastic and are more likely to tear. If using those sleeves, try the clips that have a plastic snap rather than the clips that are metal (which may tear). I prefer harder plastic, so I save the badge holders from any conferences I attend, or I break down and pay $8 for the souvenir lanyards on the ship. The hard plastic sleeves last many voyages if you are willing to put tape on any tears. But the ideal badge holder for beach days is the water proof, phone-sized holder that you can purchase separately at various travel stores. I got one at a duty free store that I am still using. The point is that you can securely place a little cash and ID inside the larger, water-proof sleeve and take it with you into the water. If doing something vigorous like snorkeling, place it under your UV- resistant wet-shirt so it doesn't get in the way. Please don't leave your SeaPass unattended on a lounge chair when you go into the water. I see that all the time, and it probably isn't too smart.

On 20 May I took my own gear and had fun snorkeling directly off the beach. There were a lot of fish (at least 20 species) and a few types of coral near the man-made rock reefs about 20 yards from shore. The water was warm and the weather was perfect two weeks ago. Safety has improved in that there is a limit line that extends from one side of the cove to the life guard platform farther out. This prevents being taken too far out by strong currents. If you don't want to pack equipment, then book the rental online in advance of the cruise (the "at your leisure excursion"). My favorite spot is to the right of the floating mat rental. Best snorkeling seems to be early before the beach is too crowded.