ChessE4

We bought ours at Amazon. The issue is when there is a strong current. I had difficulty on day at Coco Cay when the outgoing current was strong. Divers and kayaks had to be towed back to shore. My son returned to beach safely, but at 60+ I could only manage to get to the rocks at the edge of the cove. On a calm day you won't need a vest or flippers, but on other days you will. Hence my advice...

I don't know how Costco works, but on the ship all charges to the room are, well, charges to the room. So OBC is applied to those charges and you are billed for the balance at the end of the cruise. Now we used to get a "dining certificate" from our TA -- not OBC -- and that could only be used per its instructions (like go on a port day, etc.) Not sure whether you are going to get certificates with your cruise documents as we did or just OBC assigned to your stateroom. Recommend you look for comments from other Costco customers.

We book our refundable deposit cruises early, so we seldom benefit from repricing. Our AAA agent checks for us when we ask, but the "then current" price for our preferred room is usually about the same price or even more expensive. Thus, unless you book expensive suites that could vary in price dramatically, I wouldn't expect a TA to get you a better deal. It might happen, just don't plan on it. We have found that because of Covid-19 cancellations, our TA isn't as prompt in replying to us anymore. i would suggest that is a better criterion when you consider getting/changing TAs. We book at least a year in advance, often 18-24 months. We have found our TA invaluable when we have problems and great at getting competitive air fares.

We also had a cake problem....can't remember when the champagne and strawberries were delivered.

What we like best at Labadee is the fixed price souvenir shop. Not sure if it is still there, but it has good variety and isn't made in China.... Back in the day Labadee was the best spot to find dead coral washed ashore. Now taking back broken coral or seashells is actively discouraged--buy what you can at gift shops in the US or its territories and save the receipt.

Chill Island, near snorkel rental, is where we always go. Swim out to rocks at edge. I think there is also a rope line and platform. Wear vest so current doesn't threaten you. Main thing is to get away from swimmers at beach.

My travel agent has booked our fall trip to Barcelona at a great price through Air2Sea, and we don't pay for the ticket until we pay off our cruise. There has been an itinerary update as noted in another post, but it looks like an improvement in timing for us. I always recommend using a travel agent and getting some type of trip insurance.

At San Juan we have walked downtown and browsed the shops, done self-guided tours of the fort, and tried the rainforest excursion. That last one was under-whelming although you see some of the island. At St. Maarten, we enjoyed a tasting excursion that visited both sides of the island (appetizer at cheese and wine shop, lunch, and then dessert stops). Have a great trip!

The idea is that the occupants of the other cabin (friends or family) would become Crown and Anchor members and accrue points.

Among the coffee drinks, I am a fan of the Caribbean Coconut, an iced espresso drink, which is great in the afternoon or whenever it's hot outside.

I put the rewards site into my favorites/bookmarks once I reached the proper link, as posted below.

The B of A card is "free" of annual fees, and I am content with the 2% points accrual for Royal's purchases.

Actually, one of the small joys we experience on a cruise is stopping by the wall kiosks and checking on the menus for the day. It is a great way to kill some time in between activities We rarely eat at specialty restaurants, but we do like to be prepared to order quickly in the MDR. We have loads of fun trying to sort out the appetizers, entrees, and desserts, which also helps us plan our lunch. Now if I had purchased a dining package, I would use the App has others have posted. Enjoy your cruise!

We are going to see the Medieval Village of Eze again (from Villefranche). The choices on some of the other ports for our October cruise this year are very limited. We visited the typical Rome highlights, and they are good, but take water if it is hot. We are going to try some Etruscan sites this time.

We enjoyed the museum/fossils/rock shop, I think a few blocks from Ron Jon's. I mean, even if you don't buy anything, it's fun to look around. Still remember the framed bats....

In the Main Dining Room (MDR) and specialty restaurants many people wear clothes appropriate to the occasion, such as nicer clothes on formal/dress-your-best night, tropical attire on tropical night, etc. The main rule is to be sensitive to others and read the Cruise Compass for guidance. You can get away with a lot, but try to be respectful (and tolerant) of others, there being many cultures on the ship. I never wear shorts for dinner in the MDR because I don't wear shorts on land when I go out to a nice restaurant. I guess that makes me old-fashioned....

Look for music performances in Central Park. It's great to have a drink while listening, assuming nice weather.

You are on point. Our first two shots were documented with stickers that included all pertinent information. My wife (nurse) tells me the lot number is important if severe adverse effects are reported for the vaccine -- they need to track down who else might be affected. Now for our booster shots, we have handwritten information (no sticker), including lot #, etc. Our Feb cruise was cancelled by Royal, so I have no idea what we will experience at Port Canaveral in June, but obviously there is significant variation in how cards are completed.

Royal improved the coverage it offers through Archer, but the policies we have from Allianz are better, as others have indicated. For us, the itinerary is a factor. We have used Royal's vendor for some simple Caribbean itineraries.

We've had cookies or strawberries.

When you become a Crown and Anchor member, you can establish preferences. One used to accomplish this online at the CAS website, but now you call. Another recent thread has the phone number (thanks to Twangster). That said, if your preferences aren't followed, the posted advice to talk to your steward will fix everything. But I strongly recommend setting up your CAS account after your first cruise.

There are excursions that involve buying packaged goods, e.g., Dutch cheese at St. Maarten, and you can buy packaged merchandise from port vendors, such as chocolate bars from Roatan.

I do understand it when a loyal guest feels let down. However, I think one needs to consider the impact of Covid. I am willing to be patient for up to one year. What I miss most about boarding is not having coffee and cookies at the terminal! We have three cruises booked this year to make up for lost time, and then I will evaluate whether Crown and Anchor benefits have slipped. I think the drink voucher program was a great innovation and makes up for a lot. Whatever you choose, enjoy your cruise.

I think Windjammer had other issues too, pre-covid. Frankly, it was often an overcrowded zoo. I remember one cruise in which many guests seem to sit forever at their tables -- Royal had to make frequent announcements to encourage guests who were finished eating to be sensitive to those still waiting for a table. I think that one of the benefits of Covid safety precautions is that Royal is re-thinking the Windjammer experience so that it is more positive for everyone. This is easier with reduced capacity, so the real test will be later this year. I am willing to say good-bye to self-service buffets because, in the end, I think it will be more enjoyable for everyone. Also, having other dining options has been essential to lthe Windjammer's continued success.

Because we almost always eat dinner in the MDR, I generally wear slacks day 1 of a cruise but pack shorts/swimsuit in my carry on. Once we get to our room, I change and still have slacks available for dinner. That said, the first night is more casual than other nights in the MDR. You will see shorts in the MDR day 1 even though they are not recommended as a general rule. Then again, you will see posts from cruisers who almost always wear shorts to dinner regardless of venue for various reasons....so no need to be self-conscious.