Done

We did back to back cruises recently and I noticed the heightened adrenaline level of the new guests boarding for the our 2nd sailing.  It was much louder and chaotic as vacation excitement took over!  Just relax and take it all in stride.  Easier said than done I know.   

The biggest (but maybe trivial) issue is finding a spot on an elevator with big heavy bags.  We found the best strategy was to ride an elevator up as they were fairly empty then take it back down.  Usually on the way down by deck 8 or 9 the car is full.  You'll stop at every floor en route to to the gangway floor and watch the disappointment in the faces of those who see the car is full.  
I watched others wrestling with the big bags on the stairs.
We also have committed to packing for a 7 day warm weather cruise in carry on and backpacks.  Warm weather clothes like shorts and tee's are not as bulky as cool weather clothes (Alaska).  No more schlepping big bags for us if we can help it.

The biggest (but maybe trivial) issue is finding a spot on an elevator with big heavy bags.  We found the best strategy was to ride an elevator up as they were fairly empty then take it back down.  Usually on the way down by deck 8 or 9 the car is full.  You'll stop at every floor en route to to the gangway floor and watch the disappointment in the faces of those who see the car is full.  
I watched others wrestling with the big bags on the stairs.
We also have committed to packing for a 7 day warm weather cruise in carry on and backpacks.  Warm weather clothes like shorts and tee's are not as bulky as cool weather clothes (Alaska).  No more schlepping big bags for us if we can help it.

The biggest (but maybe trivial) issue is finding a spot on an elevator with big heavy bags.  We found the best strategy was to ride an elevator up as they were fairly empty then take it back down.  Usually on the way down by deck 8 or 9 the car is full.  You'll stop at every floor en route to to the gangway floor and watch the disappointment in the faces of those who see the car is full.  
I watched others wrestling with the big bags on the stairs.
We also have committed to packing for a 7 day warm weather cruise in carry on and backpacks.  Warm weather clothes like shorts and tee's are not as bulky as cool weather clothes (Alaska).  No more schlepping big bags for us if we can help it.

Royal Caribbean International announced that the company has hired 10,000 new crew members since the start of this year, who have already joined the cruise ships in operation. As of September 2022, RCI reported that there is a total of 34,819 crew aboard its 26 cruise ships, meaning that each 3rd crew member is a newly hired employee.
In order to fill up many shipboard positions due to crew shortages, Royal Caribbean International initiated a recruitment world tour this year.
Recruitment was also advertised in the crew areas on its ships calling up the crew to spread out the word to all friends and family who are interested to apply for the job openings.
It was not an easy task to pull out this extraordinary challenge and recruit so many professionals around the world. All hands were on deck from the company’s leadership to the onboard management, recruiting partners and online applications.
The recruitment dive in April saw thousands of new recruits hired by the company. Back then RCI send its top managers to:
• The Balkans attended by Amadeo Fusco Traveling F&B Director • South Africa attended by Catharina Maritz - Traveling F&B Director • St Lucia attended by Naomi Celaire - Manager Hotel Operations • Mexico City, Mexico - attended by Andrew Trabosh, Director Operational Excellence • Mauritius - attended by Dominique Gamba, Fleet Director Restaurant Operations • Mumbai, India  – attended by  Linken Dsouza, VP Food & Beverage In May RCI announced that the company has hired 600 crew at the recruiting fair in Gambia attended by Andrea Chessa, Recruiting Manager, Bulk & Hiring Partners Shipboard at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
In June Barbados Tourism Marketing in partnership with the Royal Caribbean Group hosted a three-day national recruitment drive in Barbados, which gathered about 500 people interested to join the cruise industry.
In July over 600 Trinidad and Tobago nationals took to the seas for the first time as employees of Royal Caribbean. Just over a month since thousands flocked to Royal Caribbean's recruitment drives in Trinidad and Tobago, the cruise line has confirmed that 602 candidates have been hired so far.
Hiring new crews is just the first step in the process, however once aboard they needed to be trained in order to get familiar with the brand standards, policies and procedures. This process was achieved with programs designed by RCI as well as the guidance of the ship's middle management and seasoned crew members. The teams make sure every new crew member feels valued, welcomed, and receives the guidance and training they need to succeed.

The biggest (but maybe trivial) issue is finding a spot on an elevator with big heavy bags.  We found the best strategy was to ride an elevator up as they were fairly empty then take it back down.  Usually on the way down by deck 8 or 9 the car is full.  You'll stop at every floor en route to to the gangway floor and watch the disappointment in the faces of those who see the car is full.  
I watched others wrestling with the big bags on the stairs.
We also have committed to packing for a 7 day warm weather cruise in carry on and backpacks.  Warm weather clothes like shorts and tee's are not as bulky as cool weather clothes (Alaska).  No more schlepping big bags for us if we can help it.

On Ovation the Diamond lounge was on deck 4 forward and starboard just before entrance to the theater.  It was empty to be sure.  We ate a continental breakfast there and I did appreciate the toaster for english muffins and regular toast.  There were "portholes" to see outside and we did get some good lower level views of the Alaskan Inside Passage. 

I really doubt RC will reduce the cost of internet access.  My opinion is they will raise the cost for access to "Super Voom!"

On our last cruise (7 night B2B) we left the bar staff $10 day 1 and every day beyond.  Starting day 2 of the cruise we didn't need to show our Sea Pass card and they started fill our order when they saw us coming.  We never had an empty glass and we learned to tell them when we were on the last drink before dinner or they would have had to carry us to dinner! 🙂 
We had a late excursion day 4, 2nd cruise, didn't go to Schooner, and the next night we were asked by all the staff where were we last night.

Aqua Theater Suite

And I’m a big fan of avoiding the Windjammer lunch crowd after boarding on Day 1!! 😂 

On our last cruise (7 night B2B) we left the bar staff $10 day 1 and every day beyond.  Starting day 2 of the cruise we didn't need to show our Sea Pass card and they started fill our order when they saw us coming.  We never had an empty glass and we learned to tell them when we were on the last drink before dinner or they would have had to carry us to dinner! 🙂 
We had a late excursion day 4, 2nd cruise, didn't go to Schooner, and the next night we were asked by all the staff where were we last night.

On our last cruise (7 night B2B) we left the bar staff $10 day 1 and every day beyond.  Starting day 2 of the cruise we didn't need to show our Sea Pass card and they started fill our order when they saw us coming.  We never had an empty glass and we learned to tell them when we were on the last drink before dinner or they would have had to carry us to dinner! 🙂 
We had a late excursion day 4, 2nd cruise, didn't go to Schooner, and the next night we were asked by all the staff where were we last night.

We are now D+ with 5 bar drinks for each of us each day.  We have always bought the Deluxe drink package but now I doubt we will.  We will get 4 bottles of water to start the cruise with.   We can certainly drink tap water in our cabin but not available when off the ship.  I think a 24 pack bought through planner will get us through the 7 day cruise.  We also have $250 OBC to cover any bar drinks (like wine at dinner) above and beyond the drink vouchers.
 

If you pre-order the water package (12 or 24 bottles or cans) it works out much cheaper.... 

On my most recent cruise earlier this summer it was $3. Ice water is also available for free at Windjammer, Cafe Promenade, et al. 

They had a sign on the closed cabin hallway doors that the rooms would be available at 2:00pm. They announced their availability around 1:30 pm. 
BTW - while we were on the ship by 11:30 am, the muster station checkin wasn't available until noon.  We watched the videos while eating lunch and when the cabin availability was announced we did the muster station checkin.  The lines at some of the muster stations were quite long but most guests decided going to their cabins was a higher priority, the lines cleared and we breezed through muster checkin.

They had a sign on the closed cabin hallway doors that the rooms would be available at 2:00pm. They announced their availability around 1:30 pm. 
BTW - while we were on the ship by 11:30 am, the muster station checkin wasn't available until noon.  We watched the videos while eating lunch and when the cabin availability was announced we did the muster station checkin.  The lines at some of the muster stations were quite long but most guests decided going to their cabins was a higher priority, the lines cleared and we breezed through muster checkin.

Maybe because we ate at Chops day 1 and then the Windjammer after that tainted our experience.  However, the unhealthy behavior by other guests put us off to buffets of any kind from now on.  We don't know what goes on in the galley behind closed doors but sometimes ignorance is bliss!

We bought waterproof hiking boots and while we wore them I do not think we needed them.  Even walking about Ketchikan in the rain really didn't require hiking boots.  It is really a function of your excursions.  We were either on a bus, a train or a boat cabin (whale watching) for most of the time we spent on excursions.  If you are planning some serious hiking then yes, boots would be good. 

Just an FYI - We attended the Captain's Corner question and answer talk this past week and received this information. 
 

Just an FYI - We attended the Captain's Corner question and answer talk this past week and received this information. 
 

As long as you are not sailing to Canada or Bermuda.  Those countries still have the 2 day test restriction RC has to enforce.

8/7/2022  According to Cruisehive.com the dock at Skagway has been closed for the remainder of the 2022 season:
 Another rockslide adjacent to the popular White Pass Railroad Dock in Skagway, Alaska, has caused damage and led to the full closure of the dock, which is expected to remain closed for the rest of the 2022 sailing season.
This is the third rockslide in recent weeks, and officials are concerned about the possibility of more – and more severe – rockslides to come.
Some ships are still able to visit the charming community by utilizing other docks or arranging to tender passengers from an anchored position without using the at-risk dock.

Be sure to check the port/country COVID restrictions.  NCL currently says AFTER September 3rd, unvaccinated guests 12 and older will not be able to board ships to Bermuda, Canada and Grand Cayman.  Vaccinated guests 12 and older will still need negative COVID test results within 2 days of embarkation.  Those are host country restrictions.