Andy & Sheryl Unwin

Another ship new to us, first of her class.

Scratch off another class of ship we have sailed on. Having enjoyed Brilliance, Serenade and Jewel, Radiance marks the final of this class. Obviously it wont be our last time on a Radiance Class ship

The tip on Wi-Fi calling has saved me a ton of money. I use it onboard and at home in Florida if I need to call the UK. It works a treat. Just enable Wi-Fi calling, switch to airplane mode, and connect to Wi-Fi.

The thing about bed bugs, whether in a hotel or on a ship, is that the resolution can only be reactive. A room can be perfectly bug-free for years until the day a passenger brings them onboard. At that point, until the room attendant or guest services is informed, there is nothing they can do to address the problem. In almost 20 years of international travel, it is something I have only encountered once, at a hotel in Raleigh NC. So I really dont think about it ahead of time, but I do check bedding and mattress before starting the unpacking process.

Our annual wedding anniversary cruise. 2nd time on this beautiful lady

Another new ship to us, but our 3rd Radiance Class

First time on Liberty. This cruise allows us to check off all ships of the Freedom Class

Excited to be back, same itinerary as last time - Tampa > Costa Maya > Cozumel > Tampa

Oops, got the start date wrong.. September 11th

Back onboard Freedom for the sixth time.

Back home, but not suffering cruise blues as we are looking forwards to Enchantment in Feb 2025

Groan ! You mean "Tooth Hurty"

I saw that, and added a link to my posting. Apologies for not doing so originally.

Time is slowing down it seems. Each day appears to be longer and longer.

I have used this service in Miami many times; quite frankly, it's awesome. (Recommended by Matt some years ago) The first thing to do is to complete the form here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/resources/guest-special-needs When you arrive at the port, go through the line as usual, but let the staff outside know you are looking for wheelchair assistance. They will expedite you and anyone with you. Once inside the building, you are directed to the elevators, and the wheelchair attendants are right outside the elevator. Once situated, the "pusher" checks you in, and it's a quick trip to security. Everyone else goes through the scanner, and luggage is put on the belt as usual. The chair occupant, however, remains seated and is patted down. When your party is cleared, and luggage is in hand, off to another elevator ride. After that, there is a pause while your "pusher" hands you over to a member of the ship's crew for the trip up the gangway and onboard. Departing the ship is similar, but I would check with guest services to see where your departure point will be, as all ships are different. If you need a wheelchair during the trip, check out the recommendations from Royal here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/wheelchair-motor-vehicle-guest-assistance

27 days and counting down, we have a mid day check-in time. I was doing the same as you and was in there right after midnight and noticed the slowness. FYI we too polevaulted from Emerald to Diamond via a Junior Suite. Since then, the additional cost has been more than justified over the 7 completed cruises as Diamonds. Our current bookings mean we will be 25 points away from Diamond + which is as far as I think we will attain. Pinnacle will likely not be in our future. But as the saying goes, "Never say Never."

Yep, our clock is counting down

I am going to follow Matt's sage-like wisdom in Monday's YouTube video. "Watch and wait." Our next cruise isn't until December 1st. By that time, the policy should be much clearer.

All in all, being at sea is far more important

We do this every cruise. That way we are not dependent upon wifi at any time.

We are fortunate in that we each have the same level and points and likely will never get to pinnacle status

Thanks, that makes sense. I was wracking my brain trying to figure it out. I never knew there was such a thing as "Access Only" sea passes.

A thought occurred to me. If both people in a couple attain Prime, they are each eligible for Casino offers. Theoretically, each could make a booking but invite someone else. Onboard, the +1 could then join their own partner in a cabin, but that leaves a challenge in updating sea passes. Any thoughts ?

Maybe a group pic at some point to post here somewhere

Looking at the responses quoting Florida and Miami-Dade statutes, this was an error on the part of the gate agent and not a procedural change. I do not have DV plates. (but I do have a Falklands Veteran sticker in the back window.)