JimnKathy

Here's my tipping strategy:

I tip my stateroom attendant $20 on day 1 and let him know any specific requests we have (fresh ice, soap, etc.) and tell him I'll give him an extra $20 on the last night of the sailing.

For specialty dining, I'll tip the server $20 at dinner and $10 at lunch per meal. The amazing the level of service and extras we enjoy because of this are amazing...let's just say your wine glass will be magically refreshed for the remainder of each meal AND it's not unusual for the managers to comp wine bottles when they learn you take care of their servers.

For Main Dining, I'll tip $10 to $20 depending on the level of service.

For wine bottles we bring on board, I hand $10 to the server while he opens the wine...no corkage fees for us AND see my comments above about wine comps as well.

While we are light drinkers during the day (we usually hang around the Solarium on sea days and after port visits), I'll tip the bartender $5 for each pair of cocktails we order. Striking up friendly conversations with a good bartender will pay dividends when they know you appreciate them for a job well done.  

While this tipping strategy isn't for everyone, I will add that getting bottles of water for free isn't an issue even though we don't buy the Deluxe Beverage Package.

Happy Sailing!  

4 minutes ago, Linda R said:

I am sure there is a limited number of people who can go to Coco Beach Club.  And assume it could sell out easily with just one cruise ship.  I haven't been yet, but have it booked for December cruise.  Anxious to try the esperience.

You'll love it. We enjoyed it twice on our Symphony B2B ending a few weeks ago...the lunch is absolutely amazing! Enjoy!  

I've never paid for a bottle of water, but I always spot my bartenders and servers a little cash upfront and receive amazing service the remainder of the cruise.

Izumi has some amazing tables right next to some windows for several couples...be sure to request them when making a reservation.

Hooked has some nice views, but the food at the other specialty dining venues is better.

All I know is that we've booked a 3/11/21 Central Park Balcony on Wonder...152 days away from sailing the high seas!  

2 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Yup! same! There's something both really relaxing and really exciting about putting them on at that stage. Like both 'finally we're at the last step' and 'OMG IT'S HERE!'

We'll be feeling the same way twice...passing the Antigen test AND putting the luggage tags on just before the embarkation process...it's a two'fer! 

4 hours ago, griffinjam22 said:

I know how you feel. On top of it my hotel has cancellation policy of 48 hrs prior to stay so if by chance my test comes back positive then out the hotel $$. Also dealing with airlines. Ugh. This will be cutting it close. 

Travel insurance is your friend in this type of situation. Check out Allianz if you haven't already done so.

B&W or Color will work for you. We also acquired these RCL-approved luggage tags from Amazon that fit the printed tags perfectly.

Royal Caribbean Luggage Tags

I love the tips from everyone...I'll post our "results" when we get back from our B2B. 

That's a terrific idea...thanks so much for the scoop. 

My wife and I are going on our first B2B in only 18 days and we are so excited! 

While I know we're allowed to bring 2 bottles per stateroom per cruise, can we bring 2 extra bottles for the 2nd leg of a B2B? While I would expect security to possibly hold the extra bottles for us to pick up after the 1st week (as if we were leaving the ship), is there any protocol for us to pick up the bottles on turnaround day to enjoy for the 2nd week? Just curious to know if any of the experienced B2Bers are familiar with this. 

37 minutes ago, KevinJ said:

I was on a Southwest flight out of Columbus headed to Manchester NH via a change in Baltimore. They were asking for a volunteer to give up their seat, been a long time since I've seen that. All the flights I've been on this year have been full as well. My next two cruises we're driving to Bayonne we don't need to fly until next June for an Alaska cruise. We plan to fly in two days in advance.

 

We have a B2B sailing out of Miami on 9/18 and we fly Southwest out of Memphis. We are flying in 2 days prior so we can relax at the hotel and roll with the punches should our connecting flight get FUBARed. 

17 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

That's a pretty small portion of their schedule though. I'd imagine they'd be cutting off peak or low yield flights, not ones cruisers or other common tourist traffic would rely on.

I tend to agree it's pretty safe during peak travel times.

But it could cause an arrival here and there to get delayed (depending upon where the trip originates) due to having an earlier connecting flight get cancelled.

"The low-cost carrier on Thursday said it will reduce an average of 27 flights a day from Sept. 7 through Oct. 6 and cut 162 flights a day from Oct. 7 through Nov. 5."

Southwest Cuts Flights to Fix Operational Challenges

3 hours ago, Matt said:

The media doesn't understand this statement.

Ikr. I still frequently run into folks who insist that cruise ships are proverbial "floating petri dishes".

Of course, when I ask them if they've ever been on a cruise before and/or if they're familiar with the safety protocols onboard a ship, the answer is ALWAYS "No." 

I commend Royal for correcting this so quickly...makes me feel much better about our B2B sailing next month.  

27 minutes ago, CruisingOz said:

They have to be kidding? I really hope this is not in place early next year. We have two B2B in the same room and this defeats the purpose of having the same room and the inconvenience factor means we don't have an opportunity to enjoy the last and first days to the full taking advantage of a sleep in.

 

We're in the same room as well...totally ridiculous to have to pack our bags, get off the ship with them, get tested, wait for hours and THEN get back on WITH our bags and haul them back to the same room. Seems like a workday to me.

We have a Symphony B2B sailing Sep 18...this will be a far different experience than we were previously expecting to be sure.

I suppose they want us to have our bags in hand just in case our test comes up positive?

Problem is that it appears we can't get back on board until our 1pm check-in time vs. being escorted quickly back on the ship for the 2nd leg. Where the heck will we hang around for several hours between sailings?

1 hour ago, ChrisK2793 said:

‘EXACTLY ….. …… it amazes me how so many people on here have ZERO sympathy and just expect everyone who books a cruise to be as tuned in to looking for information as we are on this board.
There’s no reason Royal can’t put just a little more effort into making sure people know what’s required …….. like maybe auto-emails that keep coming daily until you click an acknowledgment that you’ve received the information.  It would take much cost or effort for an IT department to set that up.
 

 

This is where a good TA is your best friend.

Most everyone on this board sympathizes with these folks to one degree or another, but we're also all adults who are used to having to verify details of many things in our personal and professional lives.

During a time where everyone is dealing with pandemic issues, I can't imagine any reasonable adult NOT double-checking travel restrictions as part of their vacation planning process.

58 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I would bet they got an email but just ignored it as being the regular RC marketing spam

Yep. They may need to adjust their spam filter settings to allow emails from Royal to flow through. 

One thing's for certain, a good travel agent will ping their customers like crazy with reminders of any protocol changes (my TA's been all over this stuff). 

Lastly, if this vacation was so important to them (I know ALL of my trips are big deals to me), they should've been PROACTIVELY calling Royal to verify travel requirements during this wacky time of COVID.

After watching the video in the article link, it's pretty clear the couple didn't use a TA. Yet another great reason to enlist the help of a great TA! 

Anyone else hear about this? Sounds like a horrible experience for a couple attempting to sail out for their anniversary celebration.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/08/20/royal-mess-for-some-galveston-royal-caribbean-customers-no-cruise-no-luggage-no-callback/

6 hours ago, JimnKathy said:

Everything I read (John Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, etc.) indicate they recommend the boosters only for the extremely immuno-compromised at this time. One thing's for certain...we can count on changes to these suggestions on a daily basis.

5 hours ago, BrianAlt said:

Not anymore.  Recommendation is now that everyone gets a booster 8 months after their second shot.

Probably should've said "HOURLY" instead of "daily" in my original comment. 

Looks like I'll do a booster shot of whiskey tonight to celebrate the latest CDC suggestions...bottoms up!  

Everything I read (John Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, etc.) indicate they recommend the boosters only for the extremely immuno-compromised at this time. One thing's for certain...we can count on changes to these suggestions on a daily basis.

Very cool video.