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We allow about $100 for a port day to assure we have ground transportation and money for lunch. For onboard tips on a 7-day cruise, we allocate an extra $20-25 each for waiter, assistant waiter, and stateroom attendant (we eat at the same table each night in the MDR). We figure that "rounds up" the 18% tip calculated by Royal to 20%. For diamond vouchers, we discretely tip 20% of the value of the drinks in small bills at time of service. Altogether, maybe $20 day on tips, then extra for port visits. I add to that about $100 a week for the casino.

The extra day could be helpful if flying overseas early for a pre-cruise hotel stay. It would be nice to get tested in the US instead of a foreign airport...

Last time we were on it (2018), it had a pool table, chess set, and in-door cinema. These features are unique to this class.

We miss buying sea glass gifts from the shops, although we have plenty from years past. I miss some of the desserts -- I can't remember the last time I had "chocolate sensation". I think it may be available in the MDR, just less frequently. I miss the giant quarter slot machine at the Casino exit on one of the older ships, I think the Grandeur.

I empathize with you as my wife had her bag taken at Southampton -- a similar bag was "found" by Royal, but it wasn't hers.

There aren't any "must buys", but we love to get in a sort of funky, vacation mood by purchasing such items as: T shirts for a port we haven't been to, a $10 watch (they last about a year) or maybe a wallet and watch combo, and a souvenir pen for the ship. When we cruised the Med, we found regional gifts that seemed unique, but the Caribbean itineraries don't really have that flair, except for perhaps rum cake we buy as gifts. For us, buying items on the ship is really a form of entertainment. We won a shopping raffle once in about 15 tries....something to do on a sea day!

Before you purchase, also remember there are free or low-cost drinks throughout the cruise due to promotions, tastings, etc. So combined with the drink vouchers, we don't buy a beverage package anymore -- just a coffee card. On a occasion we buy a soda package 7 internet combo on cruise planner for our son. But we can get buy with the one free day of internet to book seats, etc.

Before the cruise, if I used promotional OBC and Royal cancelled the cruise, I lost it. I also lost the OBC for visa points. Royal tries to make up for it by giving OBC on the rescheduled cruise (not always same amount). Now DURING a cruise, if Royal canceled a port call, we always got credit in a day or two. That was my experience in 2019.

I tried to book a snorkeling excursion once, but as the cutoff was 65, Cruise Planner wouldn't let me register. My guess is that a 3rd party provider might be more flexible. The maximum age seems to vary by provider.

We got soaked climbing the falls (my son and I), so I was glad my wife just watched. She kept our bags. Since then we purchased the phone-sized dry bags mentioned by others. I would never leave an unguarded bag with valuables in Jamaica. The unemployment rate is very high and personal security can be an issue.

We once didn't get our bags until 7PM, so I now wear long pants Day 1 (suitable for MDR) and pack shorts or swimsuit in my carry-on for a relaxing afternoon. Dress code is lax on the first night, so don't fret much.

Always pack appropriate sunscreen in the summer months, and plan on drinking lots of water. Also, don't overdo long excursions. That said, cruises are fun any time of year!

Thanks, but that was the first thing I did. Only two of several refunded charges seem to match--3rd party travel insurance and one excursion. Everything thing else is an odd amount, which is why I was wondering what actually got split up. I thought perhaps the prepaid gratuities or the taxes were separated and then recombined in a weird way. I will call Royal next week using my invoice and receipts for back-up.

Although the phone app is a good tool, I am old school, so my tip for you is to pack a skinny binder in your carryon bag/backpack that has copies of key documents you printed at home. I carry with me a deck plan, my cruise invoice, set sail pass, cruise planner receipts, travel insurance declaration page, etc. Then I can add a cruise compass or a shopping guide on the ship The binders have a plastic sleeve so I can quickly glance down to see my set sail pass or whatever. I do this when traveling by air as well. Stuff can fall out of a pocket, but my binder is harder to lose. Your other questions have been answered, but I like paper to supplement electrons....

As others have posted, my refunds from a cruise cancelled by Royal don't match my invoice or Cruise Planner orders. I am wondering if there is a logic to how Royal splits up the reimbursements such as port fees, taxes, or even gratuities. I've been short-changed $$, and I am trying to research the experiences of other cruisers before I badger Royal Customer Service next week. Right now I can't tell them which items were reimbursed and which weren't.

Concur. Changes are occurring so rapidly that website information doesn't always get updated. This is why having a TA is important. Cruise Planner is often slow in reporting itinerary/excursion changes, and we are still awaiting the FCC promised last week for a Serenade cruise Royal cancelled. So the word of the day is "patience" or "flexibility" as Matt has posted.

We like the fixed price souvenir shop (not the barter-only vendors on the back road), swimming in the cove, and generally walking around. We had a fantastic snorkel excursion several years ago. Generally, it is a relaxing beach day. Haven't tried the zipline. That may be on my bucket list. Would like to try the roller coaster.

I don't agree with some other cruisers. Pick-pocketing is a real risk in many ports. Therefore, we follow Royal's guidance. I have known people who were robbed. I once had my passport soaked with seawater on an excursion. I haven't known anyone who was left behind and needed something the Port Agent couldn't retrieve. Normally, on a cruise you put all valuables in your stateroom safe. More and more ports want a photo ID to go with your seapass, but the cruise compass will spell it out. If you do choose to carry a passport off the ship, consider a super-secure under-the-clothing pouch. They even have some with wires sewn into the straps so they can't be "clipped and yanked."

While I echo what Twangster said about Royal's value proposition and balance, I believe the itineraries are important. I don't believe I would have ever visited the Canary Islands but for a Royal Caribbean cruise, and while many lines sail the Med, I don't think the price tag would have been in our budget. Our best cruises occurred before we made Diamond, so the free drinks weren't a factor, but the Crown and Anchor celebrations were a plus -- being welcomed back and treated like VIPs. Our only explorations (not yet booked) with other cruise lines have involved seeing French Polynesia, which Royal seldom visits. So it is a combination of the total value plus itineraries.

My advice is to be considerate to others. My son wore shorts when we lost our suitcase, no problem. Some men wear expensive designer shorts, no problem. But there are other venues that are casual, so the recommendation is always to pack something appropriate (as you would wear stateside for a nice restaurant). There is no "enforcement" as noted because everyone's situation is different and different people/cultures have different customs. but

Ajaccio (Corsica), Portofino, Palermo, in addition to the ABCs already mentioned...

On our cruise out of Tampa it was 12 noon.

When I used the Royal App to check-in earlier this month, I was prompted to select a check in time. Not sure what South Carolina has to do with it (or do you mean Southern Caribbean?).

We sailed Grandeur many times out of Baltimore, and seas weren't a problem when we had forward rooms. There was some noise, however. So I would check room location with respect to restaurants/kitchens/casino, depending upon the deck.

We break our pre-cruise diet the night before the cruise when we eat out at Coco Beach for a Port Canaveral departure. Other than that, our first dessert, usually in Windjammer spoils our "healthy" salad lunch on Day 1.