Dicey

I would be very happy if they stopped allowing smoking in the casinos. Celebrity already has smoke-free casinos. 
I would spend a lot more time in there if they'd ban it.

I always tip servers when I get the service. But room stewards and concierge...I always tip at the end of each week. Sometimes room stewards get moved and you'll have a new one for the next leg. I feel the concierge is more appreciative getting the tip each week. But...to each his own.

If we are doing a B2B, we would normally let the various people know this fact and normally tip at the end of the second leg, unless someone goes out of their way on the first leg. However, we would give our room attendant and favourite bar person a tip at the beginning of the first cruise and a little something at the end. This tends to work for us and especially at the pool bar which can get crazy; I would rarely wait for service and once they know my drinks, would grab it as I approach and  I sheepish grab my drinks with groups of people giving evil looks. Being Australian, it is not normal for us to tip, but when on a ship, we understand the value of tipping, not just for the service, which is alway great, but how a little extra cash in their hand can help their families back at home.     

Thanks!  Our B2B on Oasis is coming up.  Now we know what to expect.  This is very helpful.  

I just received my back to back letter last night (night 4 of 7) explaining what I need to do on turnaround day, Sept 26. There was a QR code that I scanned and it opened a page where I entered my information and chose a time for the rapid test to be given on the day before, Sept 25, in the Conference Center on deck 3. All of the times were available and I chose 8:10-8:20am. Test results will be sent to my email. We have to meet at the theater on turnaround day at 8:15 for our wellness check. Once that is completed, we will be checked in and our new seaPass card will be issued along with the In-transit card. We are to bring our passports, vaccination card and the credit card we plan to use. 
I’m staying in the same room so I don’t need to pack up. My room will receive priority service. 
We have to leave the ship and go through customs. We will be escorted off and pass by the facial recognition scanners and then be escorted right back on. If we choose to venture out in Bayonne, we can use the In-transit card to bypass check-in, but cannot re-board until general boarding commences. I have no intention of leaving the ship. 
Consecutive Cruisers will be offered lunch in the MDR on deck 3 (V) from noon to 1pm.
**On another note…it was addressed in another post but, any liquor purchased during the current cruise will be held until the end of our time on board.
 

We pack a couple of sweatshirts and jeans.  But everyone's different.  There are also people out in t-shirts and shorts.  Fall in NYC is usually clear and in the 50s-60s, chillier by and on the waters.  So you can expect that climate and pack as you see fit.  

Royal at this time doesn't offer testing at the terminal (with the exception of 11 and under group). However, a third party testing provider might have setup shop near by.
This was the case at Port Canaveral for the September 5th sailing on Allure.
However, I wouldn't trust a mobile testing unit available at the terminal and test beforehand. Treat a mobile unit as a possible option of last resort. Plus I have no idea what the cost would have been for the service.
Website for this company: https://covidtestingllc.com/

@CrusingfromClaytonI just did a mock run and it does now just show 2 weeks out?  We just cruised 2 weeks ago, I'm sorry this has changed but it's still better than Walgreens.
@DiceyI think CVS did an excellent job and reported our results in 45 minutes and RC had no issues with the printed report CVS sent us via email.
I understand everyone's stress, it was very stressful getting this part done but it was wonderful to be able to cruise again so it was worth it for us.  I think I made it more stressful worrying about it.  Heck, I even cooked instead of going out so less contact with people two weeks before our cruise.

We have never had luck with a Casino Upgrade price reduction. In fact the upgrade price they usually quote is higher than if we had booked the cruise without going through the casino. So the only upgrade we have gotten on the cheap is by Royal Up.

That's a really good question.
In the past, I have had a casino booking repriced but it's pretty rare to get one to work out.  If you think regular cruise pricing is voodoo, just try and figure out how they price a casino comp upgrade !!  So to answer your question, in the past, it WAS possible, but highly unlikely to get a casino comp upgrade repricing.  I wouldn't go so far as to say that the "best price guarantee" applies (my guess is that it does not) but if the upgrade portion of your casino comp happens to price down, they will adjust it.  The trick, of course, is to find an agent that both understands how to reprice a casino comp upgrade and is also WILLING to reprice a casino comp upgrade.  It's not easy.
It is definitely worth a try though.  I have found that step 1 of this complex process is to compare ONLY the base price of your cruise to see whether the price has actually gone down.  So, ignore ALL of the "discounts" - just look at the base, per-person price and if that price is lower than what your upgrade is based on, then you can proceed to think about possibly, maybe, perhaps discovering a price reduction.  From there, it will all depend on what discounts they (the casino) is willing to apply.  THAT is what is so completely arbitrary with casino pricing.  Sometimes they will allow discounts in addition to the casino upgrade but mostly, they do not.  Anyway, you are completely at the mercy of the agent that you work with and I have been disappointed FAR more often than I have been successful.  Bottom line....if you really believe that the cost of your cruise fare has gone down and you do not get the answer you are looking for the first time, hang up and call back.  That is true, of course, for all cruise fares, not just casino cruise fares, but it's worth your time to keep trying if the base price has actually gone down.
Good luck !!

Just go in and buy it on the last day of the segment; they'll just hand it over. If you buy it before then they'll hold it and deliver, and there's always a chance they'll notice you're on a B2B and will hold it till the last day of your final segment, which is what the policy says they will do, even iif in practice it just goes to your cabin on the last day of the current segment most of the time.
 
 

I guess I got kinda lucky. Didn't get the same room on a B2B but only move next door and it was booked a couple months apart. 
 
It sucks that you didn't get them both but if it's close is not the end of the world either. You can make a call or two and see if you can get some sort of concession on it but this happen and for me a room is where you sleep not where you spend the whole day. 

That would chap my hide!  Its never easy finding and getting the same room on a B2B.  We have the same room on our B2B on the Explorer of the Seas and your post made me run and check ours.  Thankfully, we are still showing the same room.  its not something we normally check when we check our cruise planner for sales/prices.

In general, you can call and request to change rooms within the same category.  However, finding a room that's still available on both of your sailing dates is probably going to take some luck or a persistent Travel Agent.  I don't know what Royal can do other than agree to move you to rooms that are close enough that the disruption is minimal (like just a few doors apart) and maybe throw in a little OBC as a good will gesture.

Two - Oasis 10/3 and 10/10 B2B

I have had several cancellations. I give them 30 days to refund, then I contact American Express and file a dispute on the charges. I always have a credit to my account working 36 hours or so after that dispute is filed. 

@Victoria Nadeau Yes, ask for them to expedite to accounting. I also reached out on Twitter. Make sure to ask who you are speaking to by name, be kind and personalize the communication. My refunds definitely were refunded backwards, I just received my April cruise planner yet received my latest cancelled Odyssey pretty quickly. They pick up quickly after hours also, you are on hold though when they go get the supervisor to assist. Good Luck! FYI my quickest refund was at about 45 business days the slowest was 120 days. That was tough....