ChessE4

I guess it depends upon whether you want to pay it forward and be sensitive to others" needs. There are lots of casual venues, and you don't have to wear a suit on formal night. When I am treated nicely by other guests on a cruise, it helps me spread the love the next time I travel...Happy holidays!

Next time I am in Coco Cay all I will pay for is maybe a snorkeling excursion. Up to now we've just enjoyed the beach and warm water. I'd rather save my $$ for another port.

On our September Harmony cruise the white night party (11PM) was on the 2nd formal night, and many wore white to dinner instead of more traditional evening attire. That may be one way to approach packing....

We liked Maya Key. Remember that the snorkel tours are guided because there is a narrow path through the coral near the pier. So for a full day of adventure, you will want to take two tours out rather than just one. Plan on tipping the guide. We enjoyed the buffet, the pool, the lockers, the gift shop, the "zoo", and just walking around the key. It wasn't too crowed for us when we visited in September.

Alcohol is excluded, of course, and I think there is an upcharge for a whole lobster. That could be why you were told there might be additional costs. We have always found something good to eat with the normal menu and no upcharges.

The Amazing Secret River is amazing, if you can tolerate the shuttle ride to Playa Del Carmen. You are guided in a cave system, and you swim/walk/hike/bend/stoop through the stalactites and stalagmites. We enjoyed it, but it is physically demanding. If you don't want to leave Cozumel, we have also tried horseback riding, which was OK and interesting if you don't have much riding experience. Have a great cruise!

On the Harmony it wasn't available in Cruise Planner until about 2-3 weeks before departure. Not sure what the timing would be for the Independence of the Seas.

No smoking on balconies, but not everyone complies. On our last cruise, we could smell cigarette smoke (slightly).

This is a well-known phenomenon. In 14 cruises, it really was only significant for me once. There are exercises my physician found for me that involve training your inner ear to go back to normal (realign). They involve laying on your bed and turning your head back and forth in stages. You might look that up. In my case, it went away in about 7-10 days. Some times I have just had a slight "sea legs" sensation, which hasn't affected me adversely. Hope you enjoy your next adventure!

I agree with you to a point, but one of the supposed benefits of taking a cruise is that you can have a nice romantic dinner and evening of entertainment with appropriate attire and atmosphere. That is why different venues on the ship, are well, different. If folks would stick to the plan, more people could enjoy their time (in every venue) without excessive compromise. The idea is to think of others. I wouldn't dream of going to a fancy restaurant where engagements and anniversaries are celebrated on formal night without contributing in a positive way to the atmosphere planned for that venue. Everyone wins and enjoys! In contrast, if I enter such a venue with "too casual attire", I am pulling down the other patrons to some degree, e.g., I am being insensitive to them by spoiling the ambience. So I vote for trying to be sensitive rather than self-centered. There are plenty of venues on the ship when I am in a "casual mood" on a formal night. This is not just an issue about attire, it is also about behavior. We all know that well-dressed, loud or drunken guests are not very helpful to the rest of the passengers. Those of us who comment about attire on this site aren't being snobbish, we are just trying to point out that whatever the protocol is for a venue, it serves a purpose when it is followed and it may cause issues when it isn't. As for changing the protocols or views on etiquette, that is always fair game under appropriate circumstances and has led to cultural changes over the years, but it can be accomplished with sensitivity. I hope everyone enjoys their cruises.

I prefer Cruise Planner because I want to be able to see the entire screen easily and print a page if I need to. Sometimes there is an issue locating information, like an emergency contact not traveling with us. We end up running around the house looking for an address book, etc. My wife uses the app to check Cruise Compass/schedule before the cruise.

Thanks for your detailed feedback. My question would be, Did you get what you paid for? I generally find this to be true in the MDR and other complimentary venues. Our experience with specialty restaurants has been mixed. We find the balcony rooms more than adequate and don't pay extra for a suite. While I prefer smaller ships, I am a fan of Central Park, especially in the late afternoon or evening. The music is soothing and the atmosphere relaxing. When my son was young, he took advantage of Adventure Ocean and eventually the teen clubs -- he spent more time away from us than with us. For us, dinners and excursions provided the bonding experience we sought on vacation. I agree with you that the pools are overcrowded in the summer, but beach excursions have always been fun for us. We don't expect to be treated royally, but since we usually are, we find the service impressive. My main complaint about alcoholic drinks is that the wine always seems bad -- like I always get the last glass from an open bottle. We get what we pay for in the end, but that doesn't happen to everyone on every cruise. Cultural differences do affect the overall ship experience -- our least favorite ship experience was sailing the Explorer out of Southampton. Wherever you visit next, I wish your family a fantastic time. Again, thanks for sharing openly and honestly.

We did the Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii excursion. While the view of the harbor from the top of Mt. Vesuvius was nice, it wasn't the greatest hike I've been on. This is my way of saying you wouldn't miss much if you just spent time in Pompeii....I hope you have a great cruise next year!

The work around provided by Royal Caribbean is to go to a bar and use your "vouchers" to buy your friend a free drink. Diamond lounges are too small to accommodate all of the Diamond-level passengers, so they really are trying to move folks out to the other venues while allowing free drinks. It also deals with the rule that you aren't supposed to take drinks outside the lounge (not always enforced). When you use your free drinks elsewhere, including in the Main Dining Room, you are good to go. Have a great cruise.

I believe there is a value-added tax when you buy a drink a la carte on Coco Cay (without a drink package). I think my son's Coco Loco was over $15 when everything was added in.

Your partner could consider a coffee card, which can be purchased in advance through Cruise Planner when available on the ship. That saves being charged on the ship for espressos, cappuccini, or chai teas from Royal's coffee shop. If you ever get the Royal Visa (Bank of America) then you would get points for buying your cruise which can be converted to on board credit. That is what I generally do. I find that excursions are more expensive than drinks or other purchases on the ships, so I pre-pay them with Cruise Planner. Have a great cruise!

Consistent with what has already been said, it is one of the "free" drinks in the Diamond Lounge when you reach that point in your cruise travels.

We loved Maya Key in September. The snorkeling is done with a guide in small groups because there is a somewhat narrow path through the coral. There are beaches and swimming areas, there is a pool with adjacent bar, a small natural zoo, etc. The excursion price normally includes a tasty buffet lunch. I love the gift shop, the lockers are great (extra fee), and there are showers. You can actually walk on the beach around the key. It is a short boat ride from the ship's pier. You can return to the ship every half hour, I believe.

I understand what you said, but I am not sure that the travelers knew the threat level had recently been raised due to an increase in volcanic activity. Not sure how informed the consent was given by the travelers on the excursion. But buses on "safe" excursions crash, too, as recently occurred in Belize.

I didn't see pick up some currency in the US to have in the airport for meals, etc. But you could also get $$ at the airport ATMs.

I think others have answered your question already; I've never needed my passport to get back on the ship. Some countries require the ship to collect passports to complete immigration processes, but they are returned to you in time to disembark. I also recall a time at Key West when we cleared US immigration on the ship because we had "returned" to the US even though we hadn't reached our disembarkation port.

There are times we've used lockers (like swimming through a cave), and other times I have used a waterproof pouch tucked under a shirt to protect seapass and ID. Don't take passports to fancy excursions. Going to ruins isn't a problem, it is the more active stuff that runs the risk of dropping/losing something. Some lockers have cheap locks that don't offer much protection, while others are much better. Depends on the excursion. To be sure, invest in a phone-sized waterproof lanyard for the occasional snorkeling trip. Some boat guides are trustworthy -- depends on the situation - and allow you to leave a backpack safely on the boat. But when there are 30 or more folks crammed in the vessel, I don't like my odds leaving valuables behind. Whatever you choose, have a great cruise.

Don't overlook Sting Ray City at Grand Cayman. That kind of combines sand and water....But at Cozumel and Falmouth you do need ground transportation for sure. Have a great cruise! I really like your itinerary.

When we had MTD the default was a separate table of our own. As already posted, you can square things away with the dining room on Day 1, if necessary.

My wife tried a chocolate martini last cruise and loved it. She is not a drinker, but she was impressed.