VillainsGin

I actually have a story regarding that and it's what happened that officially changed my paranoid behavior of people stealing my chips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHORY STORY:
I was at staying at bellagio in las vegas playing baccarat, had to grab my phone from the room in case my significant other needed to reach me.
I came back and noticed immediately half my $100 chip stack was gone. I reported it to the dealer and within 10 minutes, I'm not kidding, they found the guy who took it and my chips were returned WITH complimentary buffet & O show tickets for the inconvenience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I then got the chance to talk with the security (not the security you typically see on the floor, he was from upstairs) and he told me they have the highest quality cameras some with 100x zoom and still maintains 1080p quality or 4k while zoomed maxed (some with thermal) and face recognition software that rivals the pentagon. Even if the culprit got away and they verified your chips were indeed stolen they would recoup your losses and 100% give you complimentary services or credit. He told me the #1 policy they always have to get right "is keeping the faith of the gamblers"
 
Every since then I pray someone steals my chips so I can get my chips recouped AND free stuff from the business lol

@billdauterive @VillainsGin Thanks for the reassurance. I will be much less paranoid next cruise.

I actually have a story regarding that and it's what happened that officially changed my paranoid behavior of people stealing my chips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHORY STORY:
I was at staying at bellagio in las vegas playing baccarat, had to grab my phone from the room in case my significant other needed to reach me.
I came back and noticed immediately half my $100 chip stack was gone. I reported it to the dealer and within 10 minutes, I'm not kidding, they found the guy who took it and my chips were returned WITH complimentary buffet & O show tickets for the inconvenience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I then got the chance to talk with the security (not the security you typically see on the floor, he was from upstairs) and he told me they have the highest quality cameras some with 100x zoom and still maintains 1080p quality or 4k while zoomed maxed (some with thermal) and face recognition software that rivals the pentagon. Even if the culprit got away and they verified your chips were indeed stolen they would recoup your losses and 100% give you complimentary services or credit. He told me the #1 policy they always have to get right "is keeping the faith of the gamblers"
 
Every since then I pray someone steals my chips so I can get my chips recouped AND free stuff from the business lol

I actually have a story regarding that and it's what happened that officially changed my paranoid behavior of people stealing my chips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHORY STORY:
I was at staying at bellagio in las vegas playing baccarat, had to grab my phone from the room in case my significant other needed to reach me.
I came back and noticed immediately half my $100 chip stack was gone. I reported it to the dealer and within 10 minutes, I'm not kidding, they found the guy who took it and my chips were returned WITH complimentary buffet & O show tickets for the inconvenience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I then got the chance to talk with the security (not the security you typically see on the floor, he was from upstairs) and he told me they have the highest quality cameras some with 100x zoom and still maintains 1080p quality or 4k while zoomed maxed (some with thermal) and face recognition software that rivals the pentagon. Even if the culprit got away and they verified your chips were indeed stolen they would recoup your losses and 100% give you complimentary services or credit. He told me the #1 policy they always have to get right "is keeping the faith of the gamblers"
 
Every since then I pray someone steals my chips so I can get my chips recouped AND free stuff from the business lol

I've always left my chips on the table when using the restroom and never even mentioned to the dealer. I think there is a reasonable time limit they would allow you to step away for restroom breaks but obviously nothing more than an hour?
 
On busy nights they would put a transparent cover over my chips but on slower days I haven't seen them use the cover much. regardless the chips are always safe and i don't even bother to let any dealers know when i step away.

I actually have few hundreds' in chips i forgot to cash out on icon of the seas, they are all marked "icon of the seas" as well. I'm going to attempt smiling at the cashier first to see if they're able to exchange it for me, if not then maybe just do your method and see. 
Ideally they should have zero problems in the first place exchanging chips within their own organization regardless of the ships. Vegas as similar model where their chips are applicable through all their chains but not competitors.

I just got off wonder of the seas and i can assure you that hairspray is definitely still allowed on the ships with zero issues. I brought this full size hairspray below for reference.
 

Drinks are free at vegas but not at every hotel, it's starting to get phased out due to greed.
Free drinks are only provided to those actively gambling on the floor of larger casinos like bellagio, venetian/palazzo, wynn etc

Honestly every time I get the royal up offer I just do 1 tick above the lowest offer for all the available rooms for upgrade. (assuming most people just casually do the lowest tick, I figured if I did 1 tick above the lowest it'll increase my odds of winning the upgrade)
I set it and forget it just like stocks and once in a while I actually get upgraded, it's a nice surprise but otherwise I am content with the current cabin I'm in.
You'll usually have all this happen months before your sailing date and they'll automatically send new travel documents for your upgraded room. *after payment goes through for the bid you've made*
 

I just got off Icon of the Seas 03/2024 last week and can confirm WOW bands are still very much available for purchase and use.
Although in my personal opinion it's much more convenient for me to just use my seapass card for everything, some passengers love utilizing them.

Honestly every time I get the royal up offer I just do 1 tick above the lowest offer for all the available rooms for upgrade. (assuming most people just casually do the lowest tick, I figured if I did 1 tick above the lowest it'll increase my odds of winning the upgrade)
I set it and forget it just like stocks and once in a while I actually get upgraded, it's a nice surprise but otherwise I am content with the current cabin I'm in.
You'll usually have all this happen months before your sailing date and they'll automatically send new travel documents for your upgraded room. *after payment goes through for the bid you've made*
 

Funny story relating to finding long lost connections!
Me and my S/O met another couple we got along with so well we started doing activities on the ship together on rhapsody OTS year 2000.
Myspace was popular back then so we kept in touch there until facebook came out and we lost connection, fast forward from 2000 to 2022 i was on oasis OTS with my S/O and finally bumped into him in the funniest way.
I'm a big time "enthusiast" and enjoy frequenting the casinos to wind down after a long day of excursions/activities. I play mostly tables and I ALWAYS carry two lucky charms placed on the tables i'm playing on. (picture below)
He was walking past my table and noticed the charm and approached me saying "he used to know a scumbag with that exact charm that ghosted him 20 years ago". At first it didn't click with me and thought he was drunk then after he dropped a few more hints my face lit up with nostaglia! He was able to recognize me only by my lucky charm because there was no way for me to recognize him. 20 years sure has changed us both, unfortunately he was no longer with his partner but we grabbed drinks at the bar and reminiscence/caught up in life.
NOW thanks to social media and technology we have kept in touched via multiple platforms (instagram/twitch/discord/twitter/etc) no way to lose him this time.
Attached below is one of my two lucky charms (my second one is a lickitung)i always gamble with.
 

I'm dumbfounded till this day with the sheer number of cruisers annually that the cruising community stays tightly knit. With millions of cruisers a year I still manage to bump into familiar friends from past cruises.
Definitely does make it easier for cruisers to recognize you based off any patterns and distinct aesthetics you have on every cruise. Personally for me I have my designated fanny-pak, gambling charms and you can always find me at the casino on ultimate texas holdem tables every night of the cruise HAHA.🤣

Funny story relating to finding long lost connections!
Me and my S/O met another couple we got along with so well we started doing activities on the ship together on rhapsody OTS year 2000.
Myspace was popular back then so we kept in touch there until facebook came out and we lost connection, fast forward from 2000 to 2022 i was on oasis OTS with my S/O and finally bumped into him in the funniest way.
I'm a big time "enthusiast" and enjoy frequenting the casinos to wind down after a long day of excursions/activities. I play mostly tables and I ALWAYS carry two lucky charms placed on the tables i'm playing on. (picture below)
He was walking past my table and noticed the charm and approached me saying "he used to know a scumbag with that exact charm that ghosted him 20 years ago". At first it didn't click with me and thought he was drunk then after he dropped a few more hints my face lit up with nostaglia! He was able to recognize me only by my lucky charm because there was no way for me to recognize him. 20 years sure has changed us both, unfortunately he was no longer with his partner but we grabbed drinks at the bar and reminiscence/caught up in life.
NOW thanks to social media and technology we have kept in touched via multiple platforms (instagram/twitch/discord/twitter/etc) no way to lose him this time.
Attached below is one of my two lucky charms (my second one is a lickitung)i always gamble with.
 

Just to be sure, is this more of an unspoken rule or are they transparent on limitations if asked?
Leaning more towards hooked seafood for the oysters and crabcakes and I can eat a lot of oysters haha.
 

Let me add my voice to the chorus…we have done Hooked a few times and been continually disappointed with the oysters on the half shell.  I’ve had worse, but they definitely are lacking.  I like my oysters briny and they have never been briny at Hooked.  The other food was fine….not great. A lot of fried food, which is fine by me.  As long as you in with tempered expectations you will be fine.

Keep your expectations low, softens potential disappointment
I only do oysters smoked or fried these days, but ordered some baked or broiled oyster concoction smothered in parmesean cheese. Fail. Followed that up with messy fish sandwich........was it ever! And horribly disappointing
Our experience, yours may be better and hope it is. 

We did Hooked on Wonder, I found the food almost inedible, but my brother found some version of the oysters he loved, btw he tried all three variations. They had no issues bringing him multiple orders. Nor did he have issues getting multiple entrees. We did Jamie's on Mariner and ordered all the apps for 3 people, my brother can eat, there was never any issues. I can say that in my experience I have never been told no to multiple anything and I get the UDP or some dining package/specialty dining often. 

Currently on Anthem. We went to Jaime's for lunch and the waiter pushed back when I ordered one of each appetizer. For reference, party of three. 

Unspoken rule. The only place we've been told no was at Chops when we tried to order the spicy shrimp entree to share. The Italian places all encourage family style sharing.
I will say the oysters onboard have been meh for me. I grew up visiting New Orleans often and we also have a local oyster industry in my area, so the ones onboard are lacking the salinity I'm used to.

Just to be sure, is this more of an unspoken rule or are they transparent on limitations if asked?
Leaning more towards hooked seafood for the oysters and crabcakes and I can eat a lot of oysters haha.
 

Most allow unlimited appetizers, sides, and desserts. If you ask sometimes they'll entertain multiple entrees. This is more common at the Italian specialties where there's a pasta, entree, and/or pizza menu section. The only one that has ever pushed back has been Chops.

Symphony is in NJ until October .   It started the season in NJ in May.

Symphony will leave NJ in October and then will sail out of Miami from November through April.

Cape Liberty is the cruise terminal located in Bayonne, NJ. 4 Port Terminal Blvd, Bayonne, NJ 07002 is the actual address. 
 
http://www.cruiseliberty.com/
 
This is the website for the terminal also that has most of the info you need including parking info. 

Newark is the closest airport to the port in Bayonne, NJ.