WAAAYTOOO

Fingers crossed for you (good luck).

Unless Alaska wasn’t included, the last protocol update for US sailings was through the end of September. I am unaware if there has been any recent changes. I don’t think there has been.

The kummelweck sandwich has “evolved” (and not in a good way, IMO) from its earliest incarnation. The last couple of times we tried it, we were so disappointed that we just gave up. They have obviously downgraded the beef b/c it is way chewier and fattier than it used to be. Also, long gone is the good au jus that they used to serve which has been replaced with a nasty thick gravy. Ugh. Hopefully you’ll have better luck with the kummelweck than we did. Such a shame, really b/c it was a really unique and enjoyable quick bite to grab. It used to be our go-to embarkation lunch.

How can you see into my house from waaay up there ?

Thanks for confirming that they are still serving lobster tails in the CK on lobster night...at least, on Anthem. I know there has been some conflicting info on whether or not they are serving food from the MDR outside of the MDR. Great news.

Granted, it was a number of years ago, but we were once taken out of line and moved to the front when one of the MDR workers spotted a gold card. Not sure it would happen today but it did, in the past.

Some of the “older” Oasis ships have connecting suite/balconies but they seem to have discontinued that in the latter designs. Most people would rather not have another stateroom connected to their suite so I think they stopped doing that for the most part.

What's CarPlay and Android Auto ?

Day 4 ? How can it be day 4 already ?! You guys need to slow the sun down or something. This is going WAAAYTOOO fast !

We just leave them in the room, unopened. I’ve never once used one.

Another reason you may want to move the reservation rather than cancelling and re-booking depends upon when you made the original reservation. If you made the original reservation under the double C&A cruise points promo then you would want to keep that same reservation number and move it rather than cancelling. Changing the reservation number is the trigger that invokes certain changes. Sometimes promo OBC can be affected, sometimes the way points are calculated. The general rule of thumb is, if you can retain the original reservation number, you should. I can't think of a single reason why you would be better off with a new reservation number. There may be one but I can't bring it to mind. I guess maybe if there is a more lucrative booking incentive (i.e., OBC) then perhaps a new booking number would be desirable over retaining the old one...

That's why we call him The Bot

YIPPEE !!! So glad you were able to get it squared away. How helpful is this blog ?!?!?

Congratulations !!!! It's a great feeling, isn't it ?!

Actually, it's not hard to understand at all if you are still working and have limited vacation days. We did it this way for a very long time because we had to. It is not ideal and it does add to the overall stress of the vacation but if you have a job that requires you to be back at a certain time PERIOD then you do what you have to do.

It is generally advisable to retain at least a small balance due until close to final payment. There are some things that are complicated by a paid-in-full cruise. Sometimes it is difficult to take advantage of a cruise fare reduction if you have paid in full…especially if you have used Future Cruise Credits to pay for your cruise. Once a cruise is paid in full you can no longer transfer the booking to a travel agent. Most of the time there would be no issue with paying your balance in full in advance but since there is really no down side to waiting until closer to final payment, it is just easier to wait. Just be cognizant of final payment date, as @TXcruzer mentioned. If you miss it, they can cancel your cruise for non-payment and that be a bummer.

Yes. We are on 9th and 16th

I agree that Costa Maya is not your best option for snorkeling but the description of “high pressure” vendors is exaggerated. Yes, there are roving vendors with trinkets to sell but a simple “no thank you” will send them on their way.

All Royal Caribbean ships have a Diamond Lounge.

Is North Star complimentary for you ? I know they have started charging for NS on sea days. Just wondering if they are letting you go without charge. Is it still unlimited for SC ?

On our last Oasis cruise, they had moved filet night from night 1 to night 3 but at the time, Oasis was the only one doing this. I guess it has "caught on".

I do know that in the "old days" if you were more than 15 minutes late for a traditional dining time you were basically out of luck (for the main dining room) unless your tardy arrival was expected and planned-for but no such "rule" has ever applied to MTD, that I am aware of. With today's mish-mash of traditional and My Time dining I have no idea if there are any rules anymore.

If your set sail pass says 11:00 and you don’t hear of any boarding changes from Royal, I would expect to board at 11:00.

Thanks for this info

Yeah, those boosters’ll kill ya !