CrznTxn

In Galveston for Allure they have been painting on the ship's exterior on the dock side on our last two sailings. They have a motorized lift that the crew were using to get to the high places. It has looked really good lately. They were also varnishing some of the railings during the trip. Standard ongoing maintenance.

We have lost our decorations on the last two cruises we have taken this summer. The wife makes some really nice butterfly and lizard decorations from figures we purchase from Hobby Lobby and add magnets to the feet or back. This last cruise it was two out of the three decorations that were taken the final night just before we packed. There at dinner time but gone by 9:00pm. Will not stop us from going out and replacing them as it really makes the cabin easy to find but hope it is not a trend. Maybe it will subside once the majority of kids are back in school.

You can also use the free luggage transport service that Seattle offers to take your luggage from the ship and check it in directly to your flight without you having to carry it off or pick it up from the ship. Here are the details:
https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

In Galveston for Allure they have been painting on the ship's exterior on the dock side on our last two sailings. They have a motorized lift that the crew were using to get to the high places. It has looked really good lately. They were also varnishing some of the railings during the trip. Standard ongoing maintenance.

My son, who is a plus size person, uses the gym shower rooms on our cruises. They are much larger and he would rather go there then shower in the room.

Put it in your carry on. Dealing with those folks is much easier than having your luggage go through the ship scanner and getting put in "time out".

To make it less expensive you can purchase one package for one device and pass it back and forth to the parties in your group. My wife and I have this arrangement and I use it during certain times for work and she uses it the other for her emails, texts and "games". We each have the other's email accounts on our phones (except my work) and so we are not out of touch during the voyage.

We got off of Allure last Sunday and our (mine since the wife was already onboard) boarding started early and when I arrived at the terminal at 10:30 (the earliest time you could select was 11:00) they were already letting people onboard. The first several months of Allure have been especially rough with boarding and disembarkation but they have made progress and hopefully they have it under control now. Getting off was really easy and we were on the road by 8:00 (self-assist).

Less desirable location is a relative term. As long as I am on the ship there is no undesirable location.?

Post COVID the flower purchases on RCCL have gone by the wayside. They will dress up the room with gaudy hanging cardboard disks and supply chocolate covered strawberries and beverages but NO FLOWERS! Just finished a 48th anniversary cruise and no flowers to be had. Before, I had them delivered to the room each cruise and I was a rock star in the wife's eyes (at least for that week).

1. YES! Very, very important! If you have a phone package that has Canada and Mexico you can go off of airplane mode in the Mexico ports but be sure to turn off Data Roaming (personal knowledge). On our excursions to the beach we usually find they have free WiFi and use that and put the phone back in airplane mode.
2. Yes, wife and I stay connected by this on the ship and message our kids at home (and others).
3. Yes, we use this all the time.
4. Yes, we see people wandering around all the time using it and bumping into others🤣.

Will third not using the app. Even my wife who is an app guru will not use the app for the reservations, she pulls out her laptop. The app just does not work well. As far as the original question, we start checking 45 to 50 days out from sail date to see if the reservation window is open. We have waited sometimes for the 30th day and missed out on the best times.

If he goes and gets an account then you can call Royal and have them true up the points totals for him looking at his past cruises.
 
On another note, thanks for the clarification. I thought that is how it worked but wanted to make sure.

I have always been the cruise-obsessed one in our house.  Dan loves to go, but he never cared how often we cruised, where we went or where we were on the C&A path.
That's why I find it so amusing that suddenly HE is the one who has been nudging me to find a shorty cruise for June.  I've tried to explain that there's no such thing as a good, last-minute deal anymore and that availability is almost non-existent, but again this morning he suggested that I try looking at Vacations To Go for a June cruise.  I just chuckled.  Perhaps his new-found obsession is really just a function of his "tasks to completion" gene.  June is the only month this entire calendar year that we do not have a cruise booked...and I think the giant hole in his cruise calendar is beginning to grate.  Who knows.  Anyway, I am off to V2G to see what I can find !!

Yes and no.  Although you share status, points are not supposed to be shared.  But most of the time, they do anyway.  Then when you expect them to, they sometimes don't.  And when you're finally convinced they are not supposed to be shared, they do anyway.  Are you following all this?🫠
 
We've struggled with Royal over this issue.  When each of our points were incorrect, it took an act of the CEO to get them corrected, while simultaneously their customer service, (an oxy-moron) said our points were way off because of improper crediting. We also receive conflicting advice while on cruises, with the Diamond Concierge.  Two different concierges in the Diamond Lounge have two conflicting opinions and solutions.
And even asking for a discussion on this forum has been futile.  Because so many folks have received different treatment, folks are quick to belittle a post.  Gee it didn't happen to them that way, so it couldn't have happened to me!🙃
Okay, it is what it is.  I accept how the points earnings are best described by Royal.  But  even since our last points fiasco, I am again receiving points for cruises my Wife has taken, but I was not a part of. 
I've given up.  In the scheme of things, I am now D+, with little chance of making Pinnacle, so point awarding no longer matters to us.

Yes, you'll get her points. You maintain your own point total, but you also have a "relationship" point total.

My wife has 11 more points than me, but I see her point total in my account.
Now should that relationship ever get severed or replaced, you would (should?) revert to your personally accrued points.
 

Since the end of the shutdown the wife an I have been going at a minimum of one per month clip. With work allowing remote work it has been a fantastic way to get out and enjoy life (and stretch the vacation days). The D+ and Casino perks are great for not having to get the UBP and we will be half way to Pinnacle after this month. Can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend our time. And we love meeting all the fellow cruisers.

Since the end of the shutdown the wife an I have been going at a minimum of one per month clip. With work allowing remote work it has been a fantastic way to get out and enjoy life (and stretch the vacation days). The D+ and Casino perks are great for not having to get the UBP and we will be half way to Pinnacle after this month. Can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend our time. And we love meeting all the fellow cruisers.

Since the end of the shutdown the wife an I have been going at a minimum of one per month clip. With work allowing remote work it has been a fantastic way to get out and enjoy life (and stretch the vacation days). The D+ and Casino perks are great for not having to get the UBP and we will be half way to Pinnacle after this month. Can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend our time. And we love meeting all the fellow cruisers.

Since the end of the shutdown the wife an I have been going at a minimum of one per month clip. With work allowing remote work it has been a fantastic way to get out and enjoy life (and stretch the vacation days). The D+ and Casino perks are great for not having to get the UBP and we will be half way to Pinnacle after this month. Can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend our time. And we love meeting all the fellow cruisers.

Had 3, now 2 but also have a Viking River booked so actually 3. 
 
Waiting for Europe or Alaska summer 2025 to be released in November to throw a deposit down. 
 
We aim for a cruise every 6 months. Sometimes we throw in a quick 4 nighter to bridge the gap between the bigger ones. Just to get our fix. 
 
We’re only 506 nights away from Pinnacle. 😂 We actually could make it by the time we’re 70. I didn’t think it was possible until I did the math this morning. 70 isn’t THAT old! 

Since the end of the shutdown the wife an I have been going at a minimum of one per month clip. With work allowing remote work it has been a fantastic way to get out and enjoy life (and stretch the vacation days). The D+ and Casino perks are great for not having to get the UBP and we will be half way to Pinnacle after this month. Can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend our time. And we love meeting all the fellow cruisers.

Since the end of the shutdown the wife an I have been going at a minimum of one per month clip. With work allowing remote work it has been a fantastic way to get out and enjoy life (and stretch the vacation days). The D+ and Casino perks are great for not having to get the UBP and we will be half way to Pinnacle after this month. Can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend our time. And we love meeting all the fellow cruisers.

Could be a new cast coming onboard and they have not quite learned the Ice Games moves to perform it yet. On Allure they have just started performing Blue Planet with the new Momma Mia cast who had to learn the new music and moves to add that in addition to Momma Mia. Usually they add only a couple of new cast to the ice show at a time but it could be there were more than usual, Or as what happen on Liberty OTS on several of our cruises the cast had some injuries and illness to too many of the cast and they did an improve show for the guests. Loved those too as it allowed the performers to do what they thought brought the best in their particular talent but still brought us a show.

Could be a new cast coming onboard and they have not quite learned the Ice Games moves to perform it yet. On Allure they have just started performing Blue Planet with the new Momma Mia cast who had to learn the new music and moves to add that in addition to Momma Mia. Usually they add only a couple of new cast to the ice show at a time but it could be there were more than usual, Or as what happen on Liberty OTS on several of our cruises the cast had some injuries and illness to too many of the cast and they did an improve show for the guests. Loved those too as it allowed the performers to do what they thought brought the best in their particular talent but still brought us a show.