Ampurp85

I am not a shareholder, but I do know if you have 100 shares you can get $100 OBC for every sailing. Also, for reference, there will be post already related to some of your questions. Either here or on the actual blog.

This^^ I hate the buttered corn places sell, it tastes like cardboard. But a good kettle or cheese mixture is worth it.

Glad you are onboard and that this has been a relatively drama/problem-free experience. That WJ looks dated, and I don't know.......how was the food? I mean obviously not good enough to elicit a food coma but what about selection and temps?

The suite prices now are much higher than they were during the 21/22 cruising season. There was a ton of deals back then. But also, as I said just sailing solo during the double points was a boon. 7N in an interior would net you 21points, so after 4 sailings you could be diamond. Each person has their own value, and some people can easily afford suites and justify paying those prices.

Mostly everything is covered but I want to add on to your first question. If this was booked with a "won onboard" certificate it is only valid for the date you chose. You will not be able to change the dates to any Icon sailings, only what is offered on the certificate and if you do, you will get the money off and not the room (i.e., interior, OV, etc.). I now consistently book through Club Royale. Sometimes they aren't as knowledgeable, but you can call back and get the right answer.

Wow your daughters look so much like a perfect mixture of you and your husband. There is a running joke that when my brother and I travel with our mother and grandmother, people get confused. They think our grandmother is the mother and the three of us are siblings. I can see people saying the same to you, that your children could be younger siblings . Also, who would laugh???? I love a good museum and library. That view is amazing, and I love the water bottles in little bags like they are a gift.

If they sailed in suites during the restart or just during the restart when it was double points it was doable. I made D+ in 10 sailings by sailing solo, in suites and getting double points for half those sailings. I sailed in suites 3 times with double points so it 26+28+28, then I sailed solo 7 times in interiors and balconies with half also being double points.

I have worked a waitress on and off for years. I too agree that if you a good one, minimum wage would not be worth it. It the potential to make money, but there are horrible tradeoffs as well. You have to put up with a LOT. I have worked a corporate job and waited tables at the same time due to budget cuts. On salary, with the demands and such you often make minimum wage. But you could put in 5/6 hours of physical work and make your paycheck, serving. For every wonderful guest there are three who come in to do the most. The part that sucks is nothing is standardized, so a server in NY is probably making $1k a week while one in AL is making $200. Minimum wage is not enough to put up with the demands, disrespect, etc. you have to deal with, especially when you factor in how much these restaurants make. The crew on ships are making a living wage, probably more than double, based on their home country. But they are giving of themselves for more than the standard workday as their shifts are often 12hrs. Whether you chose to tip or not is up to each individual. I know most are happy with even a $1 or $2.........or even just a friendly conversation and respect.

So that is based on straight forward math. It won't work that way; some people may spend more and some less. I have made over the 2500 points for prime on less than $3k playing the slots. There are no promotions. You play and earn points. Keep in mind that you are wining something so you can cycle through house money as well. I know the table games are a bit harder to keep track of, which is why I say it could potentially cost someone more than $12,500. Example I am playing $3.20 spends and blow through $320. On the straightforward side I have only earned 64 points but because I am cycling through and winning, I could actually have 500pts. It is a free cruise per person, so if both you and your spouse make prime, you would have two annual cruises. You could take both or combine them for a better room. And yes, they are locked by line. Your prime status with Royal won't transfer to Celebrity. However, it has been reported that if you earn 4K points on one cruise you can call Celebrity and ask for comps.

Wait, has D17 already picked her college and will no longer cruise with you?????

The USA menu has the controversial lobster mac and cheese. People either love it or hate it profoundly.

I hate that this a generalization. It should be they don't rely on tips to live like in the USA. I still stand by the notion that tipping is personal and that there are a ton of lies involved.

There is no such thing as a "free" cruise, more like an earned cruise is what I call them. I don't have stock or a credit card with Royal. But my understanding is with the stock its only OBC. I also think with the credit card you have to spend an insane amount to earn a cruise and the points to OBC transfer isn't too great. I do utilize the casino. I like to gamble and that is my entertainment. I don't do beaches and I have had my fill of resorts, so I don't spend money on excursions. I do not gamble expecting to win big. I gamble because I enjoy the games. That being said I have a strategy that works to earn my cruises. After a certain points threshold you can earn a cruise from a list of available cruises and if you earn 2500 in a casino calendar year, April 1st to March 31st, you will qualify for an annual "free" cruise. This will be on top of the cruise you have earned, you can only earn one cruise per sailing, and the free cruise is one per calendar year. Once I found out about the cruise list, I ask for it before I start gambling and then play to earn what I want. It only works if you spend less than what the cruise will cost outright. I charge against my account instead of using cash, that way I earn points on my Chase Reserve, which I will use to pay the other travel expense like flights and hotels.

The free slots will become available when you board and usually after 7pm each night before. You have to be connected to the ships, not the terminal's, Wi-Fi to make any reservations.

If it is a sailing less than 7nights there is no Bon voyage, and depending on ports Mexico might not be included. For Liberty's 5n sailings, it will be: Welcome aboard, taste of France, taste of USA, taste of Caribbean, and taste of Italy.

This entire post was misleading. The original OP was talking about a cruise shorter than 7N and then people sailing on Med/European cruises kept replying that they didn't have a lobster night. When that criteria wouldn't qualify anyway. It just like when people post they removed something, and a ship never had it....i.e. Freestyle machines on Liberty.

By the comedy club/theater entrance on 4.

I am sure its refundable OBC, so you could cash it out at the casino.

At this point expect prices to continue to increase as the CEO wants cruises to be on par with land-based vacations and more and more people are cruising. August is summer vacation for most people, so prices will be higher than if you sail during shoulder/non-peak times. As all the advice stated book now to lock in the current, probably cheapest, price. As long as you aren't from Europe, you can reprice if on the rare chance prices decrease. I booked in Jan this year and by March a cruise for 2024 had doubled, eventually going 4x as high as I paid.

They aren't replacing anything, it's always been a cooler and not a mini fridge. You can typically change the settings on a mini-fridge and that option has not been available on cruise ships. I think it is just the quality of the purchased products that differ along cabin types and lines. On some older ships, the cheaper rooms don't have coolers. I found that staying in a suite, the cooler was closer to a mini fridge but still not cold enough to keep milk in the safe zone. I sailed CCL once and found their coolers to be a bit better than Royal's but again I was staying in a suite so that might have made the difference.

This would be possible on any other ship sailing anywhere else, but Singapore has a lot of different rules. So, you need to check out the rules. If you are B2B, you do not remove any luggage or bags in general, just your travel documents and anything you need to survive the period you won't have access to your room.

VBs are my favorite category of rooms. I sailed B2B in one on Navigator last Sept and fell in love with them. There will be a TV, plus the large screen. The view is pretty good, and I left my curtain open constantly. It was nice to wake up to calm waters and birds flying, that was my view. Now the large screen changes the room atmosphere, and some give off a slight noise. Also depending on the location, the room might feel a bit more cramped. It lacks the fresh air aspect you get with balconies, so take that into account.

I personally would not expect it to be much lower and typically the dining packages don't get an increase off during BF sales. They were giving 50% off but now its 25% off the higher price, so when it goes on sale for Labor Day, that might be the cheapest you will get. Typically drink packages, internet, activities and excursions are on sale for BF.

I don't think they charge for popcorn because it is messy. I have literally seen people so drunk they made their own confetti. I am sure they charge because the machine is small and possibly laborious. There is a cost associated with making it, so there is a charge.

No size limit, I guess if you carried on a box fan, it could be in your room.