CrimsonCruiser

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/09/29/royal-caribbean-rename-diamond-lounge-crown-lounge Looks like it is just a name change (for now?) I have to imagine something else is changing after this....I just feel it in my bones

The doors are still locked but there is almost always someone standing at or near the host desk that will open the door. You can give your room number and they will seat you.

I would NEVER play with my money like that! These people are CRAZY!!!!!!!! HOW DID THEY NOT MAKE THIS CLEAR UP FRONT!!!!!! THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR SUCH MASSIVE CHANGES AND UPHEAVALS!!!!!

Ooooh! I haven't opened the app in a while since our next sailing isn't til August 2024 so I hadn't noticed this! Nice!

Now I'm wondering when...and where...and are we considering slip dresses (which are 100% styled after nightgowns) as pajamas.... Do elaborate my friend.

While I don't have the credit card terms up in front of me, I'm pretty sure the basics apply - double occupancy rate for an interior room.

I actually didn't know there were small breeds that were trained as alert dogs. This was helpful to know. I will be better about judging seeing small dogs in "service animal" vests. That said, any service animal that is actively working (aka in vest) is usually quiet, calm and non-obtrusive, right? So if I see a yorkie in a vest wandering all over and barking at strangers...can I assume the owner is a person abusing ADA rights?

ooh ooh - I actually follow a tiktoker who is a type 2 diabetic and has a medical dog. She has both a monitor and the dog and the dog not only alerts her (often times before the machine) but can also help get her juice if she needs to raise her blood sugar but is too foggy to get her attention, can help comfort her when she has the side effects from a crash or spike, and can alert her in a car so she can pull over and address the spike/crash before putting herself or others at risk. And, of course, the dog is trained to get help if she goes into diabetic shock or whatnot. Her tiktok is abbey and darby and it's been really helpful for me to learn things like this I wouldn't have known before.

I really do think living near a terminal is the biggest key. A lot of the cruise lines have low last minute pricing, especially on short 3 or 4 night sailings. If you're a even a 4 hour drive from a port, that's doable. Take 1 day off from work (if you can't work remotely), pack a bag, hop in the car and boom, you're there. Where as for those who have to fly, last minute flights are not nearly as kind on the wallet as last minute cruises. Then factor in that you have to get there a day in advance (so additional PTO used if you can't work remotely) and lodging for that one night and that costs and time outweigh the benefits. Choosing lower cost cabins definitely help as well. Because we can only make a cruise once a year we sail in Grand Suites almost all the time - to really feel like we're splurging - but for that cost we could get at least 2 sailings in interiors depending on the ship.

yes it is possible to get the stateroom attendant to open the doors between balconies. They don't open entirely to make one huge balcony, but there is a door that opens to allow for easy walking back and forth.

that was NOT what I expected when I clicked this topic....I was certain it was going to be about something as "normal" as people leaving their trash around the ship..... what was even in the bag that it had to be disposed of at sea? That doesn't just seem rude and against the rules...seems suspicious to me

This may not be applicable, but I had a card that a site wouldn't take because the site - even though it was the US site - ran cards through their home base in Shanghai or Singapore... Maybe RCG base runs through the bahamas? (literally guessing)

I think the hard part with Thrill Waterpark tends to be the lines and feeling like you've gotten enough runs on the slides to justify the cost. I would personally think at $200/person in the middle of peak season...no...not worth it.

Usually, yes, the cabin hallways are pretty much open from end to front, but I don't know that I'd say they are the best way to get around. 1 - they tend be pretty narrow with just enough space for two people to slide by each other. Add in the regular presence of the cleaning carts or room service plates and sometimes that gets narrowed down to a single file space. 2 - the ships are pretty much designed so that you can get to the main public areas through public walkways. I only have 2 experiences where I've used the residential hallway to get through. - Deck 6 on Allure and Harmony: because of the design of the promenade, deck 6 public areas end midship so most people go down to 5 to cut across the ship. But if there is a parade, dance party, sale etc that makes the promenade busy, using the cabin hallways - which do go all the way through on 6 - can be a great way to get to the other end. - Deck 4 on Harmony: the casino is in the middle of the deck and if you want to get to the other side without having to go through it you either go up to 5 and over or through the cabin area on 4.

I can't answer about the deposit part as we booked ours outright - but the start date starts as of the date of purchase and it's a good idea to buy it well in advance because there are some policies (like the one we got with Allianz) that won't cover trips taking place shortly after purchase (because they know people tend to buy when they are concerned about very possible cancellations due to things like snow or hurricanes).

MUSTER! Seriously get this out of the way as SOON as you get on board because with so much to do it can be easy to forget. You don't want to be in the group the captain tsks tsks at over the PA. Book your specialty dining. There will be booths for dining, beverage, shore excursions etc all along the promenade. Find the one for dining, and grab your reservations. The popular locations and times fill up fast, especially considering people can book ahead of time. In fact, if you don't have a dining package or TA voucher, book ahead of time via the cruise planner. Grab your drink cups. You don't NEED them right away, but I like to have first pick of colors. Check out where you will be sitting in the Main Dining Room if you have traditional dining (5 or 8 ish). Just go to your assigned dining room and give them your room number. This is how you can ask for preferred seating like a window seat or seating for just your party. NOTE that if you have My Time Dining you will get whatever seat is available but you will always only be sat with your party. Get the lay of the land ship. I like to walk the popular decks of the ship and get an idea of where things are so you're not too turned around throughout the week. Grab a drink or snack, a comfy chair...and people watch!

I was also coming to suggest CK if you could do it. It is truly so much quieter and more relaxed, and, yeah, on boarding day there are spinners and duffles and backpacks everywhere. They know it and they don't make an issue of it. Plus, the restaurant is spaced pretty well that you can store your luggage next to you without creating a tripping hazard.

Yeah it is a very interesting idea to have it in the Solarium on Allure. Even with the temperature control, pool areas are always humid. Then you add in the caribbean sea and it's certainly an interesting experience. Our wine glasses were covered in condensation mere minutes after being filled

My experience is over a year old at this point, but in regards to the meat order, they served beef, chicken, lamb, pork in that order. I remember that the sausages were last and it was the weakest option IMO.

There are some times self-led events on the ship for things like Solo cruisers or Lgbtq cruisers. I don't know if these are put out there by Royal or if they get requested by guests, but I guess you could try to set one up. That said, it may be more worth your time to find a singles themed cruise instead. While I'm sure there are others who may want to meet and greet and are single and ready to mingle on an every day cruise, I feel like there might be more people just out there to relax and just enjoy the break from life.

The machines give you more options because they are the Coke Freestyle. Loaded with probably every flavor of soda and juice that coke sells and I think 5 add-in flavors like Cherry, grape, vanilla, and orange. But yes, you can also just go up to a bar and ask for what's there which is usually limited to Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite - though on Harmony recently they also had cans of ginger ale and sprite zero which shocked me.

Did you make this or find it? either way - smart and helpful graphic that needs to be EVERYWHERE

They do always call for morning room service ordered the night before ( I would imagine they don't bother calling if you call down to order). Sometimes its 20 minutes before...but most times I swear they are calling while the cart is in the elevator because the knock on the door will come less than 5 minutes after the call.

CK is definitely a preferable place just to beat the noise and crowds if nothing else. Comfy seats, calm atmosphere, great food. Also they still have the apple blossom which the MDR dropped once the menus changed. In terms of food quality, I like to think of it as MDR+. I think both venues have great food but CK has the benefit of small batch cooking vs MDR and CK uses more flavorful ingredients like truffle that the MDR probably steers away from since they have to cater to so many. Also, the bar is right there so no waiting 20 minutes for a drink (no shade on the MDR for that - no one was smart enough to put a bar in there I guess?)

Not really but I've also not seen anyone really make a fuss to those who did choose to mask up especially in elevators or while boarding. I think, overall, most people see masking as a personal choice and no one bothers you if you choose to wear it. we chose to mask in the shuttles and on the plane but opted against it for the ship and ports (not really sure why...probably just didn't feel like messing with it tbh)