berkeleykel

If I go to book a new reservation and select MTD the only option given to move forward with the booking is to prepay gratuities (at least on the UK version of the website). Maybe that is what the friend's TA is referring to? I don't know if the gratuities could still be removed later.

Per Royal's website kids 3 and under can enter Thrill Waterpark for free, so presumably the two under 3s wouldn't need a wristband. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en/cruise-destinations/cococay-bahamas/thrill-waterpark. This is consistent with my experience of Royal not charging for kids under 4 to go on excursions.

I did Stay Awhile out of Venice and liked it, but I think for Venice at least there were only two disembarkation times for people doing Stay Awhile. You couldn’t just get off whenever you wanted like the program seemed to imply. ETA—double-checked and the options we were given were 1 and 3. I don’t remember seeing anything about this pre-cruise. We were told to pick a time a couple days before the end of the cruise.

Per twitter it pulled away just now.

Power adaptors. Make sure 6+ months left on passport after end of trip. Have a plan for acquiring some cash (I would typically go to an ATM once in country). I wouldn't buy the wine until you get there; can't tell if that's what you already planned to do or not.

This latest article I read seems to have more specific numbers that the earlier articles I saw. Sounds like most people were able to get off the island -- 8 people left unaccounted for and presumed dead in addition to the 5 that were rescued but later died. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/new-zealand-volcano-eight-still-missing-after-eruption-on-white-island-which-left-five-dead-and-injured-34/ar-BBXZX7w?li=BBoPWjQ

I love Bellinis because they are quick and easy to make but feel more indulgent that a regular glass of wine.

Ugh just checked and you're right. Redirects me to https://www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en/cruises. The booking interface is now like the US website. Major downside for my purposes being that .co.uk website rarely would list a cabin category but then say it was unavailable when you clicked on it, whereas the US one does all the time with the suite category.

I found it really annoying not to be able to hear announcements from the room. First world problems but in a 2 bedroom GS by the time I realised there was an announcement and made it from the en suite bathroom all the way around to the door to hear the announcement, I would have already missed a decent chunk of it. It was most frustrating when it related to announcements like whether tendering was starting, whether we could disembark at a port etc. Big difference between “we are docked and anticipate you can deboard in 30 mins” vs “you can get off the boat right now”.

Thanks @KristiZ , @Joe01 !

Sorry to side track but how was your experience on a Med cruise in October? I have a deposit down for Allure next October but I'm waffling.

Lost my Set Sail Pass while at port in Corfu. Didn't realize it was missing until we went to go through security at the terminal to re-board the ship approximately 30 mins before last call. Thankfully I had my passport with me to use as an alternative ID - don't know what they would have done if I hadn't had it. But even with the passport they made me wait until they had cleared the full line of people at the terminal before letting me through. Then we were shuttled in a port vehicle directly to the ship, where the port employee confirmed my identity with Royal. Maybe we just looked like VIPs getting a special car ride direct to the ship rather than having to make the 5 min walk. But we felt embarrassed! In the rush and the stress my husband dropped our son's iPod getting out of the car and the screen completely shattered . So...keep a special eye on your Set Sail Pass while off the ship! Honestly I haven't the slightest clue what happened to mine.

@Pixie4697 I disembarked from Venice this past summer. I stayed on the ship after the normal disembarkation process since I was doing the "Stay Awhile" program, so I missed the rush off the boat, but I did get the sense that the de-boarding process was timely. They had called all the luggage tag numbers by 9:30 and made a last call to get off the ship at 9:40. When I left the ship later in the afternoon there wasn't really a process to go through customs. There seemed to be an official-looking person sitting behind a desk but we just walked by. The drive to the airport took maybe 30 mins. The airport is small and they wouldn't even let us check in to our flight more than a couple hours before the flight anyway.

It's never been an issue for me as I tend to bring my own shower poof regardless. And I do suspect you will have a better chance of finding them in London proper where hotels are more used to dealing with American guests and may stock them automatically. I just mentioned it because it does catch people unsuspecting sometimes! I think that in many parts of the world a washcloth is considered unnecessary (you can use your hands) or a personal item so you would carry around your own if you wanted it, in the vein of a handkerchief.

When is the group cruise?