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I would always take Seapass when leaving ship. The Port guards will expect to see them (as you enter the port area, not the ship itself), sometimes with ID, and they may not know what alternative access toys really are. They are likely looking for the name of the ship as well as your name.

In 25 we are on Brilliance out of New Orleans, which supports your point.

Snowman contest?

No smoke in Boleros. We danced a bit, sometimes sitting at Starbucks so music wasn't too loud. Overall, a great experience on Mariner.

You need to identify what gives you joy/fun. For us on Vision class it was live music and dancing, awesome shows, better food than we had at home and dressing for dinner with great service. We felt special, not middle class. The pool was useful occasionally when out son was young, but not our favorite venue. I really sought the best itineraries. Now ship people - those who are less engaged in the itinerary - choose larger vessels as already discussed. But know who you are before you cruise, and what you seek that you don't experience at home.

Using 18% as a tip rate, a $2 increase would cover an increase of just $11 in goods or services. Where I live dining out has increased significantly, leading to bigger tips. I am sure the value of meals and snacks on a cruise has increased at least $11 per person per day. Then there is the value of other services, although some will say that has declined. I am ok with the increase based on just comp food and drinks.

Our excursion tip is to avoid back to back all-day tours. That can create fatigue. So blending a shorter excursion you do on your own with an organized excursion as discussed for a major port is good.

The only special recognition ceremony I've seen is for Pinnacle.

We enjoyed the regular bus ride excursion December 2022. At the park you can wander a bit or stay with your group.

The benefit of a reduced deposit or a little On Board Credit may not be worth it if cruise fare rises for your desired dates/itinerary. I second contacting your TA.

Actually, I was trying to agree with you. Posts about bad experiences are valid as long as they are true.

Any posts that offer information are useful, whether the information is about good, bad, or ho-hum experiences. Rants/opinions to stir the pot probably aren't useful, but we do tolerate some of that because none of us has 100% emotional control.

Use the App if the others are linked to your reservation. My recollection is that my laptop (website) requires more information.

We haven't tried the new menu yet, but last year we had only one bad night out of 20. That was because of MTD delay despite reservation. We did notice some decline in choices, but food quality and temperature similar to pre-covid (good). And pre-covid, when we shared group tables, we usually had to wait on some tablemates. All in all, we enjoyed all restaurants last year on three different ships. We recognize, however, that changes occurred this year.

We don't budget for cruises as such, didn't when I worked and not now that I am retired. Instead, we select fairly-priced cruises knowing that we can afford them. So no more than $100/person/night for Ocean view, $150/night for balcony. We have occasionally spent more, such as taking a 12-night trip to the Med. Our junior suite last year on Vision ran $165/person/night before fees and taxes, but that was to celebrate 25th anniversary. When I scan ads, I don't look at a 7-night cruise priced more than $700 per person as the "headline rate". Now when Royal cancelled a couple of our cruises and we re-booked, we paid more than I wanted, but at least we got some credits to offset the increase. I am not one to splurge other than to select a special itinerary. I find that international travel prices out all-in at $1000 a night for the two of us. That is room, air, early arrival, food, parking, pet-sitter. I won't go to Europe for 10 nights total unless I am willing to pay $10K (flying economy). That includes the cruise plus early arrival to sight-see at the departure port. We will likely increase our spending as we age and find we still have $$ to spend, but we will also increase charitable contributions. For me, there needs to be balance. This is all somewhat personal, but OP wanted input.

I am not persuaded by this reasoning. On any vacation one needs to be aware, just like driving a car. You can, on autopilot without much effort, assess conditions, note safety issues, count drinks, mind your valuables, track spending, chat with others, experience delightful activities, enjoy viewing your surroundings, etc. A cruise ship is not a bubble in which you immerse yourself without awareness. I find it easy to relax and still know what I am doing. As for packages, others have explained you can calculate likely cost of non-complementary drinks in advance in order to make a cruise planner choice. Short cruises have more limited options, to be sure.

Did you try internet search on cabin number?

Just say no....and keep on walking while you hold your bags close! We found Turkey worse than Costa Maya, but dealing with aggressive vendors is a skill.

It's easy to get confused trying to calculate the marginal cost of this or that. What really counts is the total, final cost of the cruise. If it is reasonable/fair for a vacation, nothing else matters. If not, make a different selection. We started cruising when our son was 6, and my mother in law shared her room with him. She avoided the single supplement and we paid the fare difference. This is hard to do with an infant, but maybe later?

I just checked our 24 and 25 cruises booked months ago at schedule release, and they are about 15 to 20% percent higher. I don't think that is outrageous, but these are smaller ships at Baltimore and New Orleans.

The ships with my desired itinerary! Loved Brilliance, Radiance, Voyager, Mariner, Harmony. Want to try Quantum class.

Ditto other posts. One of the biggest crowds I saw was on the small Grandeur trying to get chocolate on New Years. I gave up...

Believe they are metal frames with rubber-plastic straps. Fairly durable.

Thanks for the update. As you noted later, thin cuts are easily overcooked. Your information is useful.

That is welcome news! Over the years we've always had the odd dish we wouldn't order again but liked the food enough to dress up for it. MTD has been the real disappointment, so we stick to traditional dining when we can.