sabarwolf

Very nice and detailed. I did something similar for our sailing, but nowhere near this.

We purchased a 6 photo digital package while aboard our recent sailing on Allure. All told, I think it was $110, but we got 6 digital photos, 3 prints, and a very nice folio. (And we picked the 6 best of the 20+ pictures we had taken over the course of the sailing.) It's a matter of do you want all of the pictures taken or the ones you think are the best, IMO.

Our TA booked us a transfer from the airport to the Cruise port for our recent cruise, but a good number of hotels do seem to have shuttles. I would say do your research (as you been doing) with where ever you are thinking of staying and see. Otherwise, yeah on Uber or Lyft.

There was actually a reminder sticker in our stateroom to ask the room steward if ice was desired.

Allure does have in-room movies. Depending on what it is, it can go from $8-$13. I didn't see if they had sports channels for purchase, but there were TVs outside On Air (watch from Starbucks) that had ESPN playing (muted).

I agree, do some research. Sounds like plan warm weather outfits and beach wear. My husband and I just got back from our first cruise. We definitely over packed, so we know for better later. That said, we are of the mindset, better to be over packed than under.

We took our Nalgene bottles with for use on excursions. I filled them up almost daily from the Freestyle machines aboard (sailed on Allure of the Seas). A full bottle generally made it through the day. Otherwise, we just purchased in port. I'll also add that one of our excursions gave us a bottle of water for the duration of the trip.

The parade on Allure featured ships and sailors throughout time (i.e. the Vikings, the Chinese, the Brits, etc.). It was very creative and imaginative, IMO.

Just finished our first cruise, so no longer a "cruise virgin" here... (opinion) Better overpacked than underpacked. That said, you'll learn for next time. Be open to new experiences, particularly food. We loved trying stuff out in the MDR and in the specialty restaurants we went to. (Can we say "food coma" and "foodgasam"? I knew we could.) Tip your tour guides. We booked our excursions through Royal and most of our tour guides told us that they work second jobs, so it's worth it to tip a few extra bucks if you enjoyed the excursion. Bonus: Chat with the locals. They may have some stories you don't get as part of the official tour. Take time to disconnect. I got the internet package as a means to keep in touch with my folks who dog-sat for us (ended up using more to arrange an interview for a new job), but since I really couldn't do much, it was nice to not be scrolling my Facebook or Instagram whenever my phone was out. Sunscreen, hydration, and nutrition. Use it, drink, and have some food.

Just to second, there is so much to do on Allure (we were on the sailing the week before). You shouldn't be bored if things get canceled.

The hubby and I are actually looking forward to comparing the two for ourselves. We were just at Labadee and will be going to Coco Cay during our (freshly booked) sailing in 2020.

Just had the Surf Package on Allure's most recent sailing. Works fine to surf and do basic posts on Facebook, surf Instagram, and check emails. I was able to play one of the games on my tablet with relative ease. You will not be able to do updates or download new apps on the Surf only option.

Just got back from Labadee and, yes, there are means for accessibility available.

My feeling is that if you're looking for something specific, then it may well be worth going with the shopping tour on the ship. We did go to the shopping seminars on Allure, during our recent sailing (more to get the freebies than anything else), but it seemed like there was a lot of coupons and discounts offered through the Port and Shopping person aboard. (And these were RC sponsored dealers.)

Sunscreen is just good no matter what, in my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

We're taking a battery powered alarm clock with, just in case.

Can't necessarily help on the fee woes, but I can add something when it comes to The Key. We did inquire about the Key from our travel agent when we were thinking about whether it was worth it for our upcoming sailing. She hadn't used it and reported to us that none of her clients had (at that time either--this was May or June if memory serves). It may not be something that all travel agents have experienced/utilized at this point, since it seems that it is still a relatively new program.

Weirdly enough, I'm okay with either--definitely prefer the tumbler style, but will be happy with whatever we get with our Soda Package.

We got ours from www.uniformalwearhouse.com. Great deals there on tuxes, though you will need measurements and likely have (someone) to do some hemming.

My husband and I are planning to dress up for our formal nights aboard ship. He bought us new tuxedos for our anniversary. As many folks here will tell you, it's not required (polos/collared shirts and khakis are perfectly acceptable), but hey, it's fun to get all fancy. ?

We found this to be the case yesterday as we were browsing our sailing (Allure of the Seas) in the RC App.

7 days! Seven!!!!!!!

Not a Coke person (Pepsi, yet I married a Southerner), but love the Freestyle machines. For some reason they taste better to me than standard cans/bottles... I'm just weird that way.

If all else fails, contact customer service as it may be something on their end.

You can also get them from Dollar Tree, if you have one in your area. (6 clips to a pack.)