WAAAYTOOO

Personally I don't even care what "promotion" they have running, because I know that the price of the cruise is going to be approximately the same price no matter what the "deal" is. Seasonality is the only real impact on the Royal Caribbean cruise rates in my opinion, but I can only speak for the Galveston market which is much less diverse.
I love Royal Caribbean and I think it will always be my favorite cruise line. I've enjoyed them so much in the past that I haven't even wanted to try a different cruise line. However, now we have sailed on all of the best ships Royal Caribbean has to offer in Galveston. Recently we came across a great last minute rate on a Carnival Breeze sailing and we couldn't resist giving it a try. That's actually the same way we have booked our other Royal Caribbean cruises.
My wife and I have been married for 2 years now and we're in the planning stage of having children. It is very hard for us to book a cruise 1-2 years in advance when we have no idea what will be going on in our lives during that time period in terms of kids. This new pricing strategy, coupled with the non-refundable deposit policy makes it incredibly difficult for us to get a good deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It's unfortunate, but a great example of how these new policies can effect loyal customers and give other cruise lines a chance to win over a customer's business. Hopefully they've thought that part through, because it definitely played a large role in our decision to try a Carnival cruise.

I wouldn't hold my breath for a Laphroaig of any vintage.  Dewar is their rail Scotch and they will McCallum in the casino but beyond that, it's pretty slim pickin's for Scotch.  I don't drink it (I think it stinks to high heaven...particularly those peaty Scotches from Islay) but Dan is a Scotch drinker....the stinkier, the better.  UGH
We went through this a number of months ago with Billy.  I'm sure he will chim in when he gets here.
Sometimes the bigger ships will have a better Scotch selection in the pub but they're fairly hard to come by.

Never mind.  It's already gone.

This is going to be veeeeerrry interesting....
So....with all of these bloggers on the Sept. Harmony group cruise, why is Brian the only one who has signed up for the cabin crawl I'm hosting ?

While nobody enjoys it when someone else gets a lower price than they paid, I would rather pay a little bit more and get the cabin that I want in the location that I want than save a few bucks and have them stick me some place I would rather not be.
This is the trade-off.  It seems like a win-win to me.  I know there are some that don't care where their cabin is.  For them, the lower fare is a great value.  It's all about what you want, I guess.
I try and get the best of both worlds - book early for the lowest price and get the cabin I want.  I won't be doing this quite as often from now on with the non-refundable deposit policy (sorry to be beating this dead horse....) but I will do it when I can.

But I want to look good too LOL

RCI doesn't stock Laphroaig *but* I did find a bottle of Laphroaig 10 on Allure of the Seas last year (perhaps a special request or an officer).  Ships with pubs now stock Ardbeg 10.  I personally have social engineered some request and have Ardbeg or Laphroaig on every sailing, though with the  new pub menu that is less of a concern.  On Empress in May they brough on Ardbeg Uigeadail for me, which also fits the bill nicely.

Ideally, a flight between 11am-1pm.  Probably something in the 12:00 hour would be idea, so you don't feel rushed getting off ship, but not sitting in the airport for hours either.

Welcome, Wanderer.  Your English is better than most native-speakers.  I'm quite impressed.
So glad to have you as a new contributor and excited for you for your first cruise on Royal Caribbean !!

I wouldn't hold my breath for a Laphroaig of any vintage.  Dewar is their rail Scotch and they will McCallum in the casino but beyond that, it's pretty slim pickin's for Scotch.  I don't drink it (I think it stinks to high heaven...particularly those peaty Scotches from Islay) but Dan is a Scotch drinker....the stinkier, the better.  UGH
We went through this a number of months ago with Billy.  I'm sure he will chim in when he gets here.
Sometimes the bigger ships will have a better Scotch selection in the pub but they're fairly hard to come by.

Very rarely have I found a better price if I booked a year or more out. I also think that this leads to happier customers as nothing is more annoying than seeing a massive price drop after final payment and feeling like you got screwed. I saw this happen on my Princess cruise where prices dropped about $300 per person as they tried to fill empty cabins. 

Harmony of the Seas - Oct 13, 2018 (My first one!)

I'm still a relative newbie here, but this sure seems to hit home.  Of all the policy changes and the like, I don't recall any of them being that much more beneficial to the cruiser.
I know it is just smart business and all that blah blah, and they won't be cruising with any fewer empty cabins, but RC seems to have shifted their loyalty from their
long-term customers who made them so successful to anyone who has money.  All we need is another recession, and they'll realize that they shouldn't have alienated their core "fan base".

I sent in a pair of pants, and in return received a pair of capris.  Same fabric and color, but I didn't get my pants back.
 
 

I don't think there is a limit on what you can have laundered....but as others have suggested, I limit my laundry to cotton items that have no particular emotional or financial value.
Just a note....they use the most obnoxious stick'ems [tags] on your laundry items.  Not sure what they are exactly, I just know that they attach them to your clothes (presumably for identification purposes) and in some cases, they're nearly impossible to detach !  ...and they will poke and chafe you relentlessly if you cannot remove them.
I've never had anything lost of damaged.

Remember when Amazon just sold books ??

I don't think there is a limit on what you can have laundered....but as others have suggested, I limit my laundry to cotton items that have no particular emotional or financial value.
Just a note....they use the most obnoxious stick'ems [tags] on your laundry items.  Not sure what they are exactly, I just know that they attach them to your clothes (presumably for identification purposes) and in some cases, they're nearly impossible to detach !  ...and they will poke and chafe you relentlessly if you cannot remove them.
I've never had anything lost of damaged.

I had booked the Ultimate Dining Package for the GC.  However, I was able upgrade (pay) to a suite, so I dropped it and switched to a three-night package.  I wanted to be able to enjoy Coastal Kitchen.
Thanks for the recommendation, @Matt.

Never, ever.....

For a second I thought Raye was posting about the Harmony GC sailing and I just about fell out of my chair, until I read 2019.

FWIW, I disagree completely with everything WAAAYTOOO said in the first reply to the OP.
 
 
I'm not sure why, but I felt compelled to.  
 
 

Welcome to the Blog, sbilby.
Since you are new to both cruising and to some (all?) of these locations, I recommend, as I always do to newbies, that you stick with the ship-sponsored excursions the very first time.  I completely understand that the non-ship sponsored excursions save you money, but for a first-timer, I personally believe that the peace of mind of knowing that you will be guaranteed to make it to the ship on time is worth the extra cost.  No doubt many will disagree.  That's the beauty of a venue like this one !!
Another thing I always recommend (and I follow this one myself) for newbies is to make your first excursion to a new location one of the "discovery" types of excursions that takes you to the destination highlights.  That way you get an overall feel for the destination and can decide, if you come back another time (and you will, if you continue to cruise....trust me), to go back to any of the sights/attractions that appeal to you and spend a little more time.
Snorkeling is not going to be a problem.  You will be able to do that at any of these locations.  Since you are going in August it will be warm enough at all of your destinations to swim and snorkel.  I don't know if you are a horse person or not.  For those of us who are horse people (my parents raised and raced thoroughbreds so I have been riding since I could walk) you will find the horseback riding excursions to be a disappointment, I fear.  They always show those romantic shots of people riding through the surf and it looks so great.  It isn't....as  a rule.  If you are not a horse person and will be satisfied with riding in a line through some pretty unexciting (in most cases) terrain, then it will be fine.  If you decide to do it, be sure and read what requirements (shoes, clothing, etc) the company has.  Some people think they can just jump up on the back of a horse  in a swim suit and bare feet and gallop away.  Just be sure you know what you're getting.
Fishing.  It depends on what type of fishing you are interested in doing.  My husband is an avid fisherman and has ALWAYS wanted to do a deep sea fishing excursion.  I'm sure he has visions of sailfish and trophy marlin jumping out of the water and into the boat.  Alas, all of the fishing excursions I have seen, associated with cruising, are for reef and bottom fishing.  They don't,  generally,  go out very far and your chances of seeing a really big fish are pretty slim.  I'm not going to declare that it never happens.  I'm sure it does once in a blue moon.  We once spent a number of days in San Juan on both ends of a cruise out of Puerto Rico a few years ago, and if he (Dan) was ever going to be able to fulfill his marlin-fishing dream, it probably would have been then...but it was in the winter and the seas were just too rough the entire time we were there.  So...that fantasy remains unfulfilled.  I will say, however, that the time for trophy marlin fishing in the Atlantic and Caribbean is in July and August so your timing may be much better than ours was.  Are you staying overnight in Bermuda, by chance ?  If so, that might be your opportunity.  Beware....those deep sea fishing expeditions are pricey.
There are a number of people on this blog who have a secret weapon for St. Maarten.  I'm sure one of them will share his name and how to get in touch with him.  Leo Brown, I believe ??  I have never used him but from all I hear, he is excellent and comes highly recommended.
So...welcome to the blog, welcome to cruising and welcome to Royal Caribbean !!!

Wake up, Brian !

I had a muster station in the champagne bar on Oasis.  And I had just been swimming and my suit was damp.  I sat on one of those plush seats.  I put down a couple of towels, but I still wouldn't want to have been the next person in that seat.  Oops.  

Do I have to read EVERYTHING???