dr martini

Here is cruise ship info for Miami Port and sometimes it lists which side of the ship will be parked along the pier.  You can change the date as the year moves along.  Not sure when January 2024 will actually be showing info but at least you can have this to check.
oops sorry I didn’t copy the link correctly.  Once I figure it out I will post.
Here it is:
https://wwwx.miamidade.gov/Apps/Seaport/dailydock/Default.aspx

I prefer the daily cruise compass PDF that I can enlarge and look over.  
This URL will only work on a ship connected to guest wifi:
https://minio.rccl.com/compass/cruisecompass.pdf
It is updated daily usually in the morning.  
Much better than the app and saves paper.  Best of both worlds.   

No drink package is good for a beer drinker.  In the past when I've purchased these cards, the bartender has even stressed "Don't use this for beer."

What a whilrlwind!  I knew the four night would go too fast and the week home catching up and recuperating flew by even faster!  We had an amazing cruise overall and it was a great experience in our junior suite, I can see how the full level suite life becomes the way to go, especially on the newer and bigger classes.  I will say though, however, we absolutely loved Freedom and loved chatting with the staff, all around we heard the same story, a lot of crew with repeat contracts on Freedom and other Freedom/voyager class ships, many of them said the same things my wife and I would say about Oasis class - it's just a lot.  That can be a good thing, but there are just so many options, even on a full week long cruise, you might only make it to a venue once, even if you really like it you're out catching other shows and venues, seeing other places and never make it back to the spot you first liked!  It's a good problem to have, I suppose, but it was remarkable hearing many crew say the same thing, they really like the balance and size of Freedom.
 
Highlights from Day 3, our sea day, include the sushi making class in the morning and actually getting a pair of chairs on the top deck in the afternoon!  It's been posted elsewhere but Freedom of the Seas has bright pink seat covers throughout the ship that stand out on the blue lounge chairs asking folks not to save seats and behold and by golly, they actually work!  Great improvement from previous cruises, thank you Royal!
We started the day steaming at a brisk 30 knots according to our map channel in the stateroom and we could feel it on the balcony after previously doing 9-12 knots the first couple days.  It's one of the great things about these 3/4 day cruises to CC and Nassau, not far to go and generally smooth seas.  After coffee and fruit with a few pastries out on our balcony ordered from room service that we ordered every evening for the following morning, we took a walk out on the promenade with the Palm beach/FLL/Miami skyline out to our right, I had seen enough of that around the forums and news sites to guess that there had been a medical emergency and, sure enough, the captain made an announcement around 9AM that we had an ALPHA ALPHA ALPHA code type call in the previous night and the wind and other conditions were too strong for a helipad landing, we were close enough and would be taking a gentleman back to Miami but it would not affect our itinerary, never heard any other details.  We chatted with one of our favorite bartenders about it and he either played it cool or genuinely didn't know that we were going back at all until the captain made the announcement, which makes sense, they don't need to get everyone excited over something that won't affect us much after all, it was our sea day. I also did not realize that on many or even most medical emergencies that Miami Fire and Rescue comes out to meet the ship and we avoid having to steam all the way into port to dock etc etc.  



We watched the passenger exchange just in time to walk into Izumi on deck 4 at 10 for our class.  The sushi making class was full, the instructors were very patient and obviously very skilled, it was a really fun activity and a lot of food, plenty enough for our lunch and well worth the $30-ish per person we paid.  I would highly recommend it if you're a sushi fan.  If you're not a fan, then don't do it (we had a couple people absolutely over the top worried about various food allergies and tastes and preferences and to those people I would love to say, please just sit it out next time and let the rest of us enjoy instead of interrupting every 5 min.  We have some limited diets and those with conditions in our family, it's nobody's fault and it's unfortunate and they have a tough time certain places, but they also don't have to make it everybody's problem either).  Anyway, +1 on the class. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent up top as I said on some comfy loungers with a view of the Atlantic with the usual bellyflop competition and reggae band in the background, so great to feel a cruise at full staffing with full range of activities going on, truly felt just like many others pre-covid.  For dinner we returned to Izumi for the Hibachi and it was fine, the food was good although I should mention that we found during the sushi class that supply chain issues and seafood sourcing in general was very tough, not just for Royal but for the whole world right now, they used to have dozens of different sushi and seafood options and on this sailing had less than five.  In any case our meal was entertaining, we knew that going as just us two we would be paired with whatever spot they have open but we had fun with it, met another couple our age who had a very similar approach to cruising and hung out with them in the casino later that night, had a lot of laughs and some late night nachos at playmakers which were awesome!  Really impressed with the food there and just the whole venue overall.

 
Day 4 Nassau -
Our final day we did the Pearl Island Escape with Snorkel, overall we really enjoyed it and it's gorgeous, but cannot recommend it to everybody and I'll explain that a bit later.  The boat ride out was great after getting past all the usual herding cats that is necessary with any group tour and we rode our large water taxi out of the industrial always under construction and not very clean port of Nassau.  It's well documented plenty of other places that Nassau isn't the most glamorous destination, so we were looking forward to a little boat ride and something else outside of the busy town.  The ride to Pearl Island took about a half hour and it was a perfect, just perfect day, mostly clear with a few fluffy clouds and a high in the low 80's forecasted.  Exactly why we all take trips like this.


The island is larger than we expected, you never know from youtube videos and tripadvisor etc, some things you just have to see in person to understand and it was very beautiful spot, maybe 25 yards at the widest and maybe a hundred yards long?  The very northeast end of the island was closed off and still had work going on, it was unclear if it was repairing damage from a storm or building new spaces.  The island itself just had a lot of highs and lows, depending on your preferences and what you want or expect.  Having traveled the islands plenty before, we knew to keep our expectations low and go with the flow.
Service was very slow to nonexistent, the island is naturally gorgeous but the manmade elements are all quite aged or currently under construction, the boat you take out to the island is very full to capacity and very dated.....being out at the mercy of the wind and the water all this is certainly understandable, if you have a relaxed island attitude and are good with walking over rough surfaces and prepped for a little adventure etc then great, go enjoy, but if you aren't in great shape and don't want to be out in the sun all day, out in the water, if your group is on the older or younger ends of the spectrum, it might be a tough day.  Bar service was painfully slow, we had a lot more luck at the tiny bar at the end of the island where they just had a few liquors and beer on ice as opposed to waiting for every group of 5 at the bar who wanted 5 different blended frozen drinks, the food was very low end (paper plates, fried fish) but we were in for this, we didn't plan on eating much and had been eating too much for a few days straight!  It was nice to just chill and enjoy the view. 


There were two boats back and the first one to return to the port area was absolutely packed, I think that speaks enough to what those folks thought of the day but we loved it and were the last ones to board the later return water taxi.  We spent our honeymoon in a small Mayan coast fishing town, we knew the deal and had been around that vibe before and had no problem with it, we were there for the sun and the swimming but there seemed to be a lot of confused or upset customers who didn't really know what they were getting into.  Snorkeling was also kind of a disaster, they didn't have a good head count on equipment and were always going back to a supply shed for more gear, they made everyone wear a life jacket which is kind of cheesy in 10 feet of water, but I suppose after seeing the mix of people they have to work with I can understand where they're coming from.  Reef had some parrotfish, clown fish, small rocks and clumps of coral.  Not world class, but hey, better than an afternoon in my office with snow out the window!

The afternoon brought just a few grey clouds in the distance and while we never got any rain, we did get to see a nice sized waterspout across the small cut next to another little island.  Having visited family in Florida a lot over the years we had seen them before and weren't scared as some were, but certainly remained aware and in respect of nature - it's like a rainbow or a great sunrise, who doesn't appreciate something so beautiful and unique?!  Weather in the caribbean and bahamas is predictably unpredictable, on warm days the heat rises off the land, creates clouds that head over the water and little showers pop up and dissipate all afternoon.

Final night dinner we returned to Giovanni's Table, which for my vote was hands down the best restaurant on the ship.  Best vibe and decor, best menu with a bit of variety and freshness for every course, best wine list (although I do with Royal had more by the glass options for the deluxe bev holders) and just best experience we have had on a royal ship outside of maybe 150 central park a few years ago.  It was outstanding.  Back to the schooner bar and the casino and just like that, we were back in Miami.  
As our flight options weren't great I chose a 1:30 out of Miami instead of trying to push it with a 9 or 10am and be in a big rush.  We had our final breakfast in the main dining room, our first time in there and it was great.  I do feel a little bad almost for not eating there earlier, but as I said earlier this was a splurge and we won't always be doing the unlimited specialty dining.  It is so much food!  And just like the deluxe bev package, one does feel the need to keep squeezing every bit of benefit out of the package because it's paid for and there's so much to see and do and eat!  Definitely need to get back on the bike and hiking trails now that we're home but we truly enjoyed it and I am glad we tried it out.  In the future I will probably just go with one night at a specialty restaurant or look for a chops +1 type deal, I don't think we need that kind of indulgence every night.  
We loved Freedom and were absolutely reaffirmed with our choice as we booked this cruise largely out of our love for Navigator.  Freedom is a slightly larger and I think slightly better ship, mostly just because the slightly larger size gives her a few more venues and options.  We were so very relieved to see that our experience with staffing and activities etc etc on Symphony in March of 2022 was the exception and not the rule, Royal had things back to our expectations on this sailing and we loved it.  The newly built junior suites on deck 11 are amazing as well, when Freedom changes home ports to Fort Lauderdale and gets off the 3/4 night Nassau/Perfect day cycle we will absolutely be back on her again and look forward to booking one of those staterooms again.  For now, it's back to cutting wood and plowing snow.  Oh well.  Trips like this are why we work.  Top highlights have to be the Hilton Bentley on South Beach, Giovanni's Table, Playmakers, the Lime & Coconut and the PDCC Snack Shack!  Can't wait to be back, thanks for reading along.

We'll be trying the Voyager Class (Mariner) in June.  My favorite class so far has been the Freedom class.  

If the “activities” you’re interested include trivia, game shows, etc, any class can offer you multiple choices every day. I  like smaller for vacations where I really need to relax. We LOVE trivia and similar activities, watching Karaoke, event Bingo.  Look through the Cruise Planners for the smaller ships and I dare you to show me a day where you’d be bored, I double dog dare you! (Kidding, but seriously there’s always stuff to do. 

Since all the itineraries call to you, maybe it should come down to price. I like Freedom, Voyager and Oasis class, but I always choose the best deal. To me ports are way down the list when it comes to Eastern or Western Caribbean. 

There's plenty to do on Voyager class. You'll still get the promenade and the ice show and a flow rider but because they're older and don't have so many bells and whistles they're often a lot cheaper than the bigger girls.
We sailed on Explorer for our second cruise, way back when she was new and the biggest cruise ship out there. She seemed enormous to us then!
Have fun choosing! 😊

What a whilrlwind!  I knew the four night would go too fast and the week home catching up and recuperating flew by even faster!  We had an amazing cruise overall and it was a great experience in our junior suite, I can see how the full level suite life becomes the way to go, especially on the newer and bigger classes.  I will say though, however, we absolutely loved Freedom and loved chatting with the staff, all around we heard the same story, a lot of crew with repeat contracts on Freedom and other Freedom/voyager class ships, many of them said the same things my wife and I would say about Oasis class - it's just a lot.  That can be a good thing, but there are just so many options, even on a full week long cruise, you might only make it to a venue once, even if you really like it you're out catching other shows and venues, seeing other places and never make it back to the spot you first liked!  It's a good problem to have, I suppose, but it was remarkable hearing many crew say the same thing, they really like the balance and size of Freedom.
 
Highlights from Day 3, our sea day, include the sushi making class in the morning and actually getting a pair of chairs on the top deck in the afternoon!  It's been posted elsewhere but Freedom of the Seas has bright pink seat covers throughout the ship that stand out on the blue lounge chairs asking folks not to save seats and behold and by golly, they actually work!  Great improvement from previous cruises, thank you Royal!
We started the day steaming at a brisk 30 knots according to our map channel in the stateroom and we could feel it on the balcony after previously doing 9-12 knots the first couple days.  It's one of the great things about these 3/4 day cruises to CC and Nassau, not far to go and generally smooth seas.  After coffee and fruit with a few pastries out on our balcony ordered from room service that we ordered every evening for the following morning, we took a walk out on the promenade with the Palm beach/FLL/Miami skyline out to our right, I had seen enough of that around the forums and news sites to guess that there had been a medical emergency and, sure enough, the captain made an announcement around 9AM that we had an ALPHA ALPHA ALPHA code type call in the previous night and the wind and other conditions were too strong for a helipad landing, we were close enough and would be taking a gentleman back to Miami but it would not affect our itinerary, never heard any other details.  We chatted with one of our favorite bartenders about it and he either played it cool or genuinely didn't know that we were going back at all until the captain made the announcement, which makes sense, they don't need to get everyone excited over something that won't affect us much after all, it was our sea day. I also did not realize that on many or even most medical emergencies that Miami Fire and Rescue comes out to meet the ship and we avoid having to steam all the way into port to dock etc etc.  



We watched the passenger exchange just in time to walk into Izumi on deck 4 at 10 for our class.  The sushi making class was full, the instructors were very patient and obviously very skilled, it was a really fun activity and a lot of food, plenty enough for our lunch and well worth the $30-ish per person we paid.  I would highly recommend it if you're a sushi fan.  If you're not a fan, then don't do it (we had a couple people absolutely over the top worried about various food allergies and tastes and preferences and to those people I would love to say, please just sit it out next time and let the rest of us enjoy instead of interrupting every 5 min.  We have some limited diets and those with conditions in our family, it's nobody's fault and it's unfortunate and they have a tough time certain places, but they also don't have to make it everybody's problem either).  Anyway, +1 on the class. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent up top as I said on some comfy loungers with a view of the Atlantic with the usual bellyflop competition and reggae band in the background, so great to feel a cruise at full staffing with full range of activities going on, truly felt just like many others pre-covid.  For dinner we returned to Izumi for the Hibachi and it was fine, the food was good although I should mention that we found during the sushi class that supply chain issues and seafood sourcing in general was very tough, not just for Royal but for the whole world right now, they used to have dozens of different sushi and seafood options and on this sailing had less than five.  In any case our meal was entertaining, we knew that going as just us two we would be paired with whatever spot they have open but we had fun with it, met another couple our age who had a very similar approach to cruising and hung out with them in the casino later that night, had a lot of laughs and some late night nachos at playmakers which were awesome!  Really impressed with the food there and just the whole venue overall.

 
Day 4 Nassau -
Our final day we did the Pearl Island Escape with Snorkel, overall we really enjoyed it and it's gorgeous, but cannot recommend it to everybody and I'll explain that a bit later.  The boat ride out was great after getting past all the usual herding cats that is necessary with any group tour and we rode our large water taxi out of the industrial always under construction and not very clean port of Nassau.  It's well documented plenty of other places that Nassau isn't the most glamorous destination, so we were looking forward to a little boat ride and something else outside of the busy town.  The ride to Pearl Island took about a half hour and it was a perfect, just perfect day, mostly clear with a few fluffy clouds and a high in the low 80's forecasted.  Exactly why we all take trips like this.


The island is larger than we expected, you never know from youtube videos and tripadvisor etc, some things you just have to see in person to understand and it was very beautiful spot, maybe 25 yards at the widest and maybe a hundred yards long?  The very northeast end of the island was closed off and still had work going on, it was unclear if it was repairing damage from a storm or building new spaces.  The island itself just had a lot of highs and lows, depending on your preferences and what you want or expect.  Having traveled the islands plenty before, we knew to keep our expectations low and go with the flow.
Service was very slow to nonexistent, the island is naturally gorgeous but the manmade elements are all quite aged or currently under construction, the boat you take out to the island is very full to capacity and very dated.....being out at the mercy of the wind and the water all this is certainly understandable, if you have a relaxed island attitude and are good with walking over rough surfaces and prepped for a little adventure etc then great, go enjoy, but if you aren't in great shape and don't want to be out in the sun all day, out in the water, if your group is on the older or younger ends of the spectrum, it might be a tough day.  Bar service was painfully slow, we had a lot more luck at the tiny bar at the end of the island where they just had a few liquors and beer on ice as opposed to waiting for every group of 5 at the bar who wanted 5 different blended frozen drinks, the food was very low end (paper plates, fried fish) but we were in for this, we didn't plan on eating much and had been eating too much for a few days straight!  It was nice to just chill and enjoy the view. 


There were two boats back and the first one to return to the port area was absolutely packed, I think that speaks enough to what those folks thought of the day but we loved it and were the last ones to board the later return water taxi.  We spent our honeymoon in a small Mayan coast fishing town, we knew the deal and had been around that vibe before and had no problem with it, we were there for the sun and the swimming but there seemed to be a lot of confused or upset customers who didn't really know what they were getting into.  Snorkeling was also kind of a disaster, they didn't have a good head count on equipment and were always going back to a supply shed for more gear, they made everyone wear a life jacket which is kind of cheesy in 10 feet of water, but I suppose after seeing the mix of people they have to work with I can understand where they're coming from.  Reef had some parrotfish, clown fish, small rocks and clumps of coral.  Not world class, but hey, better than an afternoon in my office with snow out the window!

The afternoon brought just a few grey clouds in the distance and while we never got any rain, we did get to see a nice sized waterspout across the small cut next to another little island.  Having visited family in Florida a lot over the years we had seen them before and weren't scared as some were, but certainly remained aware and in respect of nature - it's like a rainbow or a great sunrise, who doesn't appreciate something so beautiful and unique?!  Weather in the caribbean and bahamas is predictably unpredictable, on warm days the heat rises off the land, creates clouds that head over the water and little showers pop up and dissipate all afternoon.

Final night dinner we returned to Giovanni's Table, which for my vote was hands down the best restaurant on the ship.  Best vibe and decor, best menu with a bit of variety and freshness for every course, best wine list (although I do with Royal had more by the glass options for the deluxe bev holders) and just best experience we have had on a royal ship outside of maybe 150 central park a few years ago.  It was outstanding.  Back to the schooner bar and the casino and just like that, we were back in Miami.  
As our flight options weren't great I chose a 1:30 out of Miami instead of trying to push it with a 9 or 10am and be in a big rush.  We had our final breakfast in the main dining room, our first time in there and it was great.  I do feel a little bad almost for not eating there earlier, but as I said earlier this was a splurge and we won't always be doing the unlimited specialty dining.  It is so much food!  And just like the deluxe bev package, one does feel the need to keep squeezing every bit of benefit out of the package because it's paid for and there's so much to see and do and eat!  Definitely need to get back on the bike and hiking trails now that we're home but we truly enjoyed it and I am glad we tried it out.  In the future I will probably just go with one night at a specialty restaurant or look for a chops +1 type deal, I don't think we need that kind of indulgence every night.  
We loved Freedom and were absolutely reaffirmed with our choice as we booked this cruise largely out of our love for Navigator.  Freedom is a slightly larger and I think slightly better ship, mostly just because the slightly larger size gives her a few more venues and options.  We were so very relieved to see that our experience with staffing and activities etc etc on Symphony in March of 2022 was the exception and not the rule, Royal had things back to our expectations on this sailing and we loved it.  The newly built junior suites on deck 11 are amazing as well, when Freedom changes home ports to Fort Lauderdale and gets off the 3/4 night Nassau/Perfect day cycle we will absolutely be back on her again and look forward to booking one of those staterooms again.  For now, it's back to cutting wood and plowing snow.  Oh well.  Trips like this are why we work.  Top highlights have to be the Hilton Bentley on South Beach, Giovanni's Table, Playmakers, the Lime & Coconut and the PDCC Snack Shack!  Can't wait to be back, thanks for reading along.

I think you've already justified why you shouldn't do it.

Also elevators usually slow, I mostly took stairs.
Had 2 massages, spa was terrific.
Still trying to decide which cruise was better, only being home for a day, this one or Symphony out of Miami to St Thomas/Martin and perfect day. Both ships had their positive and negatives. But Im thinking I liked the Voyager trip slightly better overall. Both felt like same crowds. Even with the 4000/6000 capacities , with Voyager being much smaller than Symphony.
Symphony buffet seemed more crowded, I think i read somewhere that the Oasis class has smaller windjammers?
Would be nice if buffets open at 6, would reduce the crowding at the 7 opening time.

Voyager of Seas ,Just returned. 2/5/23-2/12/23. I had seen this post weeks before I left. My last cruise was on Symphony 3 months ago. Ship is 25(?) years old but in great shape. Recently upgraded. Some older design is noticeable. But well maintained. I flew down from NY Sunday morning and was on ship by 1130. Had an interior virtual balcony. Room in great shape,Comped thru the casino. This itinerary looked great thats why I chose ship. Traveled solo, had the drink pack and unlimited dining. Crew was amazing , everyone i saw seemed know my name. Bar service always excellent. Windjammer for breakfast at opening time, everything for breakfast was fine and Alternated between sushi and Giovannis every night. Each dinner was perfect. Service/Food. Then again i dressed well and tipped well, i think the managers and waiters appreciate that.  Saw many nicely dressed ladies with guys in shorts and t-shirts in restaurants. I work in construction, Its not that hard to pack some sport coats and shirts. Royal should definitely enforce dress code.  Lunch was always ashore. Met a lot of nice people, crowds were typically busy but everyone was there to have a good time. Band played mostly spanish music, talking  to crowds in spanish around pool but seemed fine with everyone. Didn't hear anymore spanish then on Symphony. But the ship does leave out of Puerto Rico so can't be surprised to hear spanish. Lots of large families traveling together which seems like a lot of work to me. But crowds were always fun. I didn't go to MDR, only to buffet at opening time. 
Casino was small, no craps table or video poker. I was definitely surprised. My one issue
Itinery was perfect, St Thomas, Martin, Croix, Kitts,Lucia and Barbados. No sea days
Also met dozens of travelers doing multiple weeks at a time, some were 8 weeks
Would definitely book again , liked both the ship and crew. Leaving out of PR, it was nice to be in St Thomas next morning.

The only thing I can think of is the same advice the Genies are giving their guests…if you want to dine together at either Izumi Hibachi or Chefs Table, it would be advisable to make those reservations earlier rather than later.  It sounds like you have a big group.  Spaces for large parties are harder to come by than for smaller parties.
There are really no changes to the Suites’ amenities now as compare to pre-COVID.  Have a great time !

the four nighters are very laid back.  we were just on a four nighter on freedom and the only place anybody was dressed up were the specialty restaurants.  collared shirts and pants for guys was pretty fancy, I don't know if I saw anyone wearing a tie.  it's different for ladies, there were a lot of interpretations of what exactly is a dress, sundress, swimsuit coverup etc.  i would always rather be a bit more dressed up and be a bit too casual but boy, there were some folks who were letting it all hang out haha.  live and let live i guess.

from one food business professional to another let me tell you, you'll be just fine, they have recovered from last year's more severe supply problems and the main bars have every standard and many high end options to cover what you're looking for all served by very experienced professionals, most of whom are not running back and washing dishes and stocking towels and doing the napkin wave parade.  At bars like schooner bar and in the pub and in the other mainstays along the centrum and other public areas there are pros who do nothing but sling drinks and make all kinds of cocktails all day, everyday with no break, for contract after contract.  
others here are right, strike up a conversation, find out what the bartender likes, where their previous contract was, which bars and ships they prefer...it's one of my favorite things to do on board.  

We just sailed in a junior suite on Freedom out of Terminal A in Miami a couple weeks ago, check in on the phone app as soon as you can for your sailing- we got a 10:30 AM boarding time and your digital set sail pass will say suite guest on it.

Have that ready to show (take a screenshot of your pass as digital cell service on the port island is not great until you're able to get on ship Wi-FI, it's a lot of devices in a small area kind of like a stadium on game day) as port staff will check that outside the terminal before you even get inside to put you in the correct line.  When we arrived just after 10 there was no line, a nice lady showed us in towards a separate elevator to the right of the normal escalators and stairs that go up towards the famous propellor lobby.  that elevator will take you to the suite boarding area which is awesome, there's no waiting in line just a bunch of comfy chairs and couches where you're told to sit and relax, the staff will come around to you to finalize your boarding and check everything, there's snacks and waters available, it's really slick and we were onboard before 11am.  That was our first suite experience of any kind with Royal and we loved it, will definitely be doing it again.

 

We just sailed in a junior suite on Freedom out of Terminal A in Miami a couple weeks ago, check in on the phone app as soon as you can for your sailing- we got a 10:30 AM boarding time and your digital set sail pass will say suite guest on it.

Have that ready to show (take a screenshot of your pass as digital cell service on the port island is not great until you're able to get on ship Wi-FI, it's a lot of devices in a small area kind of like a stadium on game day) as port staff will check that outside the terminal before you even get inside to put you in the correct line.  When we arrived just after 10 there was no line, a nice lady showed us in towards a separate elevator to the right of the normal escalators and stairs that go up towards the famous propellor lobby.  that elevator will take you to the suite boarding area which is awesome, there's no waiting in line just a bunch of comfy chairs and couches where you're told to sit and relax, the staff will come around to you to finalize your boarding and check everything, there's snacks and waters available, it's really slick and we were onboard before 11am.  That was our first suite experience of any kind with Royal and we loved it, will definitely be doing it again.

 

the four nighters are very laid back.  we were just on a four nighter on freedom and the only place anybody was dressed up were the specialty restaurants.  collared shirts and pants for guys was pretty fancy, I don't know if I saw anyone wearing a tie.  it's different for ladies, there were a lot of interpretations of what exactly is a dress, sundress, swimsuit coverup etc.  i would always rather be a bit more dressed up and be a bit too casual but boy, there were some folks who were letting it all hang out haha.  live and let live i guess.

You can definitely get into shows that are listed as sold out. First off, a lot of people book shows and never show up. Just show up 10 minutes before show time and most likely you'll be able to get a seat. Also they will release more seat reservations from time to time, so keep checking the ap. I was just on WOS and ran into the same problem. It was my first cruise, so I assumed that I was out of luck, but that was not the case. You should be fine.

It'll be called "Dress Your Best" and is pretty much open to interpretation.

After months of reading blogs and FB posts leading up to my cruise,it's finally come and gone and I thought I'd share a few things. Just got off Oasis this past Sunday...3 of us, 2 adults and an 11 yr old. 
1. Don't overpack. I read it a million times, I swore we wouldn't, yet..here we were with a large suitcase,a large duffel bag and three back packs. Packing up on our last night, cursing as I packed tons of unworn clothes,  unnecessary footwear and clothes for "cold nights". Next time it WILL be one suitcase and maybe a backpack. 
2. Magnetic hooks. Maybe they are helpful on older ships but our basic (boardwalk balcony) room had hooks on the bathroom wall, bathroom door, inside the shower, next to the front door and next to the vanity/ mirror on the desk. Plenty of hooks. We put a few on the balcony walls just because we brought them..but definitely not needed.  
3. Plug extender. This one came in handy..not needed,though. again would have had enough plugs between the ones behind the bed and the ones on the desk. We never needed to have more than one or two chargers in at any time. And all of our Android devices,including lap top and tablet all use the same charger. 
4. Take some adult time. I love my kid...I do. But after day 3 I needed some daddy time,once the wife and kid were down for the night..I strolled around on my own. Hit the casino, walked the pool deck, just sat on the balcony. I did this early in the morning sometimes also, since I am a very early riser and they are not. 
5.Maybe we missed something,but after all the reviews,we thought for sure we would have loved coco cay more. But we did chill beach, ate at a few stands, checked out the straw market, hung out in the pool for a bit...then were all ready to get back to the ship by maybe 1:30.  I don't know..maybe we will explore the other beaches next time,but we took advantage of the empty ship and enjoyed that more. 
6. Planned for the worst and got yhe opposite. Read so much about crowds,lines and food issues. We experienced none of this. The ship never felt over crowded, food was fine,service was amazing, shows were fantastic (no amount of reading or watching videos can compare with how amazing aqua 80 was in person). The only time we ever felt a little crowded was Windjammer. 
 
Edited to Add one more. 
Tipping/dining (I'll combine them):
We are over tippers. We are both former service workers,so we tip more than necessary.  I saw so many people posting how,besides the pre-paid tips, they tip additionally on every drink. I think I saw maybe 2 other people put cash on the bar the whole trip. I'm not shaming anyone..it's totally your choice since the drink price includes tip, just surprised how many people say they do it compared to the amount we actually saw. Also...dining at MDR,we did it 3 nights, and it never took longer than maybe 75-80 minutes. 
Overall it was an amazing trip on a beatiful ship.  I played way more mini golf than I could imagine, ate way more pizza and drank way too many mocktails. We can't wait to book our next one..already dropped the deposit at next cruise..just gotta pick the date!

This is really good to hear. My last cruise was on a boutique line and the experience at the bars was great, even if I did have to explain how to make a couple of drinks. The bartenders were skilled, personable and eager to provide a good experience for all of us. I had a great time chatting with them, especially the bartender who most often served me. He was from Ukraine, and I often wonder how he and his family are doing. This is my first RC cruise, so I didn't know what to expect. I'm really looking forward to it.

from one food business professional to another let me tell you, you'll be just fine, they have recovered from last year's more severe supply problems and the main bars have every standard and many high end options to cover what you're looking for all served by very experienced professionals, most of whom are not running back and washing dishes and stocking towels and doing the napkin wave parade.  At bars like schooner bar and in the pub and in the other mainstays along the centrum and other public areas there are pros who do nothing but sling drinks and make all kinds of cocktails all day, everyday with no break, for contract after contract.  
others here are right, strike up a conversation, find out what the bartender likes, where their previous contract was, which bars and ships they prefer...it's one of my favorite things to do on board.  

Just had a casino royale free cruise for 2 people in ocean view room, paid to upgrade to a junior suite along with the usual taxes/fees and can confirm my wife and I both got the double points on that sailing.

from one food business professional to another let me tell you, you'll be just fine, they have recovered from last year's more severe supply problems and the main bars have every standard and many high end options to cover what you're looking for all served by very experienced professionals, most of whom are not running back and washing dishes and stocking towels and doing the napkin wave parade.  At bars like schooner bar and in the pub and in the other mainstays along the centrum and other public areas there are pros who do nothing but sling drinks and make all kinds of cocktails all day, everyday with no break, for contract after contract.  
others here are right, strike up a conversation, find out what the bartender likes, where their previous contract was, which bars and ships they prefer...it's one of my favorite things to do on board.