Skippy67

Exactly.  What do manufacturers do when they want to increase profit without you noticing ?  They package their goods in smaller amounts/volumes and charge the same or slightly more for it.  So instead of getting 12 oz of dried beans you now get 10 oz and they hope nobody will notice.  While this is not the ONLY strategy at play here, it is certainly one of them.  The other reason for the shorty cruises (IMO) is that they are trying to force each and every ship to call at PDCC since that has been such a cash cow for them.  With the shorty cruises arriving and departing at different days of the week, they can have ships at PDCC on days that they otherwise, could not.  I think this strategy will backfire b/c frequent cruisers (which Royal no longer values, I realize that) will do exactly what we do and just quit getting off at PDCC.  Their only hope is the new cruisers...but even they will get tired of PDCC at some point.

This is why I think they're doing them and why the new and bigger ships are getting more 3 and 4 night trips. Certainly makes sense, but I admit, it's a bummer to me as someone who has to fly to port, that so many ships are doing short ones. I was hoping to hop back on Freedom in 2025 but she's only doing 3 and 4 nighters....and b2bs don't end up being cost effective vs a standard 7-night (trust me I looked T_T)
 

Agreed.  Holy Roll[r] is a great youtube resource for playing craps on a cruise.
https://www.youtube.com/@holyrollr

Holy Roll[r] has a number of YouTube videos that might help. He's a craps player and frequents the RCL ships.

Since LA is my home port, I'm looking forward to future casino offers on Quantum. I still enjoy Navigator but variety would be nice.

Since LA is my home port, I'm looking forward to future casino offers on Quantum. I still enjoy Navigator but variety would be nice.

Virgin's Scarlet Lady looks to be making a trip to the West Coast too in summer 2025

Since LA is my home port, I'm looking forward to future casino offers on Quantum. I still enjoy Navigator but variety would be nice.

When we used to fly into Orlando for a cruise out of Port Canaveral, we always :
1.  Rent a car from Hertz (this is the only time we ever use Hertz)
2.  Stay at the Residence Inn Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach - 8959 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral, FL  321-323-1100
The reason is, the Hertz office and the Residence Inn share a parking lot.  It is very easy to use the car all day, go and see all of the attractions that you want to see, go and eat dinner at the port (or wherever you want to go), make a trip to the drug store and get anything that you have forgotten, etc....and then turn the car in after hours and walk over to the hotel.  Residence Inn offers a shuttle to the port the next morning.  I do not recall whether there is a charge or if it is complimentary.  Of course, you can always call Uber or get a taxi if you don't want to do a hotel shuttle.  The port is very close.
It was reported last year that there was construction going on at the Residence Inn so you may be well served to find out if that is still the case.  It may influence your decision to stay there.
Then, we just do the Royal shuttle from the port to the Orlando airport at the end of the cruise.   It isn't glamourous, but it gets you there.  You can always do Uber if you don't want to do the cruise shuttle.  I believe the price used to be $75 PP to go from the port to the airport.

Compared to the prices yesterday, I saved $418 for my solo cruises in February and April on Navigator. This was for the Refreshment Pakage, UDP & The Key (don't judge).

Compared to the prices yesterday, I saved $418 for my solo cruises in February and April on Navigator. This was for the Refreshment Pakage, UDP & The Key (don't judge).

Compared to the prices yesterday, I saved $418 for my solo cruises in February and April on Navigator. This was for the Refreshment Pakage, UDP & The Key (don't judge).

My daughter is just starting her collection 🙂  Next additions will be Odyssey (and MSC Meraviglia.......😬)
We also have a mini fleet on our Christmas tree.  

Sorry to disagree,  but I believe the problem is not StarLink. Based on my experience,  the problem is Royal's on board infrastructure. 

First you need to understand that Alaska has two completely different cruises.  One is the inside passage; it starts in Seattle or Vancouver and goes up the middle of the Alaska Coast.  The other one starts in the south and goes to Anchorage or starts in Anchorage and goes to the south.  The large majority of the cruises are the inside passage.  I have done two of them and enjoy all the towns that you visit.  All of the ports are ones you can explore on your own and do not need an excursion unless you want one.  I have not done the one to or from Anchorage, but I would love to.  The difference is to be able to spend extra days in north Alaska.  After you pick a cruise enjoy doing your homework on all the great places you will visit.

What could possibly go wrong with the combination of the DBP and axe throwing on a sailing (bouncing and moving) cruise ship? 🤣

Keep Mama Mia...Get rid of Cats on Oasis. Replace it with anything. I would rather see a elementary school talent show.

You have to be careful playing the waiting game on things that have limited quantities, such as excursions, cabanas, and a few other items. You should book these items as early as possible to ensure you get them if they are “must haves” for you because they can sell out.

The Key was $20.99 for the 2/2/24 sailing on the Navigator two weeks ago. It's now $40.99
 
Edit: Just checked 2 days later and it's down to $27.99

The Key was $20.99 for the 2/2/24 sailing on the Navigator two weeks ago. It's now $40.99
 
Edit: Just checked 2 days later and it's down to $27.99

Lost luggage: been there - done that, and our sympathies. One suggestion: if you have Apple phones, purchase Air Tags.  Air Tags are four for $89 on Amazon.  When you arrive with no luggage, you will at least know "where" the luggage sits.  If it is not going to make it in time for boarding, you might have a chance to do some shopping for necessities.  Plus you can have a base of knowledge when dealing with the airline claims people - who usually can give you some toiletries and maybe some clothing. For us, Air Tags saved the day when I was able to tell cruise ship employees that one piece of luggage had still not been loaded on board ship prior to a delayed departure for a 14-day cruise.  The luggage was found still on the pier!  Combine this with the prior tips of splitting clothing in luggage, your stress level will decline (although not go away).  The earlier tip about splitting credit cards among pockets and travelers can also be critical.  For us, spouse carries two cards and I carry two different cards.  

Another strategy is mixing clothes with your travel partner.  Put some of their clothes in your luggage, put some of your clothes in their luggage. 
Next time it might be your travel partner that has a lost bag. 
By mixing stuff between both of you at least you both have something. 

Same thing happened to a friend of mine; she was able to rebook but the Chill Island beach bed she had was sold out by then. I always set multiple reminders, even for the check-in dates. Also, one can't forget final payment with casino comped sailings.

I was on this sailing.  I’ve been cruising monthly since the restart.  The food was abysmal.  When I started watching their video I was shocked they said they had hot food, I was quite jealous. Then, it quickly turned for them to the experience my table of 10 had from the get go.  yes, we had the head waiter at our table nightly.  Towards the end of the cruise they served unlimited champagne nightly and sent the D+ people chocolate covered strawberries and chocolates to our cabins.  
I had that horrid chicken parm.  Well I didn’t eat it….they were only a table if 2. We had many people order the same plate of food and one was perfectly fine(just warm) and the next cold.  One was over salted and the next fine. One chicken parm fine, mine inedible.   Chicken Marsala needed a steak knife to cut it….and it was like that on my next ship, so I was now afraid to order it on my recent sailing on enchantment but the waiter assured me it would be soft, and it was but it was super salty.  That stale bread, probably leftover from my Oasis sailing in May of 22, it was petrified then, for most of the week in fact despite asking for fresh bread.  The tiramisu, I laughed out loud when I saw that, as we had one at our table with even more cocoa and the other barely had a smidgen.  the only hot meal anyone had all week was French onion soup or the pot pie.  
so say what you will, the video was spot on for that sailing.  Other ship have had their issues.
one thing they mentioned was the waitstaff didn’t ask if the meal was ok or if they could get something else for them.  Same for us and this just recently occurred on my last sailing. The waitstaff did not come around and ask about the meal, nor offer an alternative if something was uneaten, but they sure remembered to ask for a high rating. 
 
what about the rest of my sailings, some spot in, others where I’d die of thirst waiting on water and no refill of it either, without having to gain the attention of one of the staff.  This last sailing we all chuckled at our shared table of 8 where everyone was D+ and a Pinnacle, so plenty of sailings with Royal and the service was not noteworthy that would mean clear the plates, serve what’s asked for (butter, sour cream, horseradish,etc), as well as refill water. The head waiter showed up day 3 -in fact we didn’t see an head waiter in the entire dining area on our deck the first 2 nights, , and around day5or 6 and then the final night.  I thought perhaps Royal is cutting them out. 
 

Royal ships have smoking lounges with gambling offered.  
Now apparently they will have a dedicated gambling space too.