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No worries. It is more or less normal for there to be delays in validation. Make sure to take original cards to your port at embarkation. Regardless of what is uploaded, you will be asked to produce originals. (We were in June.) Cheers!

Jamaica is a place where I'd want to stick to providers screened by Royal or some other well-known travel organization. (High unemployment/crime rate.) We did take an excursion that drove us to a scenic mountain site and also took us to a shopping venue. We spent most of our time on a bus. I don't know what is available right now, but most ports offer a drive-around excursion.

Get to Rome early, and there are plenty of choices there (Don't arrive the day of your cruise.) At Naples we tried a Royal excursion that combined climbing Mt. Vesuvius (walking up a trail) with Pompeii. It was great except for the heat - plan on lots of bottled water during warm weather. The port for Florence (La Spezia, right?) and Pisa is a bit of a bus ride. I'd book an excursion to Florence (we tried Pisa already - not much after you've seen the Leaning Tower). There are "at your leisure" excursions that essentially just provide you transportation and allow you to explore on your own. We hit major traffic returning from Pisa, so that is why I favor Royal over a 3rd party. Others love the 3rd party choices. Are you going to the beach at Palma de Mallorca? Haven't been there. We won't make it to Barcelona until October, but the port isn't too far from tourist sites. There are many ground transportation options. We've known people who were pickpocketed in Rome and Barcelona, so watch your valuables. Other threads address the type of purse, backpack, or money belt you might use. Have a great trip! Try watching a few YouTube videos about your ports.

Our experience in the US is that they process you in the terminal, but then you wait. I would plan on some waiting. I would be tempted to see more of Rome and arrive 12:30ish after the "backlog" of early folks had boarded. Have a great trip!

Thanks for the helpful reminder.

Not pointing fingers at anyone, just stating that Royal and others are trying to figure out how to balance everything, just as you and I are. I prefer to wear masks indoors so I don't have a negative impact on others. You'll decide what you want to do when you cruise.

Since you are experienced cruisers, you know by now not to sweat the small stuff. On a short cruise, I wouldn't have a lot of expectations. I'd take a peek at deck plans online or through the App to become familiar with key venues. Decide what you are hoping to get out the trip. For example, if you are going to stay out late dancing and sleep in late, you're not going to be walking the deck at 6 AM to catch the sunrise. There are always trade-offs --- it you do "this" you aren't doing "that". You're not on Oasis class, so no worries about show reservations -- check the cruise compass so you know how to fit shows around your meals. We loved the production shows with Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. If you want the paper Compass in your stateroom, you need to notify Guest Services on Day 1. Otherwise, just use the App or monitors throughout the ship. You will be billed for tips unless you prepaid gratuities. It is your decision whether to use envelopes for extra tips at the end of the cruise. On a short cruise, I probably wouldn't bother unless someone gave unusually exceptional service. Better to take photos of name badges and mention crew in your post-cruise evaluation. That is realy important to Royal.

We (in North Carolina) used the Emed online proctored tests fairly easily. Our local drug stores wanted over $100 for a Covid test for travel. I don't know what sort of insurance you have. Now if you have symptoms, then don't tell the drug store you want a test for travel, because you have symptoms that may or may not be Covid. I am sure other members have experiences to share. Safe travels!

My take is that even though we all have a public health responsibility to avoid passing on any disease, and Covid is now one of the most transmissible bugs we could pass on, too many people have just given up. Travel businesses, I believe, are trying to develop protocols in a world in which some people are thoughtful/compliant and some are more self-centered. I agree with you that we each make our own risk assessments and decide what to do. I certainly don't want to be a hermit. I want to get out there, but still be safe. I am banking on the next booster being more equipped to mitigate latest variants. I have an 8N cruse in the fall, and I am willing to self-test even if rules change. Vamos a ver...

If you can find an Oasis Cruise Compass (link at the top of the browser) you can look at hours of operation. PS. I noticed on a cruise in June the Music Hall was open 10:30-Midnight on one night. I didn't check them all.

When we visited Puerto Rico in 2019, Royal had three rainforest excursions, bus, horseback riding, and hiking. We chose the bus. I wouldn't do it again. We stopped at a small waterfall in the national park, a lookout tower a short distance from the falls, a small river, and a gift shop/rest stop. We enjoyed the bus ride through the countryside, but it wasn't the "rainforest" you envision. The hiking was very limited, but the tower required climbing up a staircase. I can't give you any comments about the hiking excursion.

I would expect updates from Royal in the weeks to come. Their first concern is unvaccinated guests, I believe.

Someone posted Royal announced this for cruises of 5 nights and less. Have you read the Rumors forum? See recent reply by SmokeyBandit on the 4-page thread started on Thursday. I don't have all of the details - expect more on Royal's websites next week.

La Spezia is the gateway to Florence and Pisa. There should be "at your leisure" excursions from Royal or 3rd parties which take you into town and pick up up at a designated time. Pisa was a bit underwhelming for us, so I am looking forward to seeing Florence the next time we visit. Pisa requires tickets to go up the tower, and there is a bit of a wait (we didn't have the time). Italy is hot in the summer - not sure when you are going. Bottled water is a must in warm weather. We climbed Mt. Vesuvius for the view and also saw Pompeii - a combined excursion. I hear Jason Bourne went to Marseille once....

I remember being so proud when I received my Diamond pin that I wore it on my suit at Formal Night. By the end of the cruise I had lost it.....Now I just save SeaPass cards!

I was half in jest. But seriously, when we tried Harmony for the first time in May of 2019 (Coco Cay grand re-opening), there was a special orientation set up on embarkation day to educate guests about the ship. Roughly 50% of every manifest is first-time cruisers. So it is probably worth Royal's effort to identify first time cruisers up-front and help them manage expectations. I certainly don't know the best way to do this, but Royal's App does offer some opportunities, as do educational emails to booked guests. I believe most people actually do the eMuster, although the naughty list is probably longer than it should be.

On the Mariner last month, we skipped the soup at lunch and asked for a smaller pasta dish so we'd have room for our lasagna entree and still have room for dessert. We were stuffed. We actually couldn't eat all of our dinner at the MDR that night, and that wasn't until 8PM. I don't think you will go hungry, as pointed out by CruisingNewb.

Maybe Royal can add a mandatory Cruising 101 video to its check-in list, "before you cruise....." It is clear some passengers do not know what they are getting into when they cruise, and they don't watch Matt's videos.

On the Mariner last month, we received the cookies one day and some small desserts, including a couple chocolate strawberries, another time. They looked like the same desserts we saw in the Diamond Lounge.

Given what others have said about gift certificates, a better strategy is to redeem points from Royal's Visa card for OBC. Or use a credit card with better benefits and avoid worrying about OBC. {I've seen travel cards that offer 3% to 4% back on travel.) Or you can buy Royal's stock at a low price now, and if you collect 100 shares you can request $100 OBC for each cruise. Some travel agents will give you OBC if you book through them. Many choices for getting an extra $50-$100 OBC....

If you carry your luggage off the ship, you are the first to leave. They do try to divide the self-assist folks into groups, but on the Mariner, that was largely ignored. Folks stared queuing up at 6 AM (while we patiently waited in our stateroom). Air2Sea actually booked our Barcelona return flight at 10:30 AM (we arrive port 6 AM). I questioned my agent about the early time and was told that Air2Sea wouldn't book a time we couldn't meet. Fingers crossed....how bad could an extra day in Barcelona be if we miss our flight??

When we sailed from Baltimore we took a carry-on plus one large suitcase each AND one extra bag with snorkel equipment. So 4 "checked" bags for a family of 3. Other posts have given you the policy.

Last month we were two of probably 10 people I saw wearing masks (other than crew). We wore masks everywhere indoors, but removed them to dine, dance, or have a cocktail. We wore them on excursion buses. Despite our precautions, my wife caught Covid on our last day, perhaps due to the excursion on day 5 -- we honestly don't know. It was too late to check with medical as we were departing in the morning (with masks), but she tested herself on our return home. I'd encourage you to wear masks, but it isn't a guarantee. There are just too many droplets flying around indoors on a cruise ship... Despite my wife's experience, we generally felt safe on the ship. Hot tour buses that lacked AC were a different issue -- go to the beach instead!!

l have seen some "repeat" shows for Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers, but I have still enjoyed them. Every performance is a little unique, and since performers come and go, I find the shows don't go stale. However, I was not a fan of the "Broadway" shows on Oasis-class ships.

I recommend talking to your Travel Agent. There is an annual cap to consider if you are unlucky enough to have significant claims on your first cruise of the premium period. Our agent wasn't convinced it would work for us, but we were looking at 3 cruises, not 5-10. I have read posts from members who have saved significantly by purchasing an annual premium.