Tolkmit

The USB hub suggested in the RCB article has a surge protector. That's part of Anker's MultiProtect that it is advertised as having. I think it's relatively certain that device is the exact sort of thing Royal is trying to avoid having onboard.

I think they removed the "surge protected" portion because many people didn't understand the difference between "including" and "exclusively." Under the old language, all extension cords were excluded. People just misunderstood "including surge protected" to mean "only surge protected." Multi-plugs have long been prohibited as well, they just didn't make it very clear on the US site. The Australian version has had "power boards" which is just another term for multi plugs listed as prohibited for a long time. The new policy wording isn't a change in policy, it's just an effort to make the old policy more clear; and a needed one as pretty much every cruise fb group people are asking about it and being giving incorrect answers.

I don't normally, but am considering using them as rank insignia if I wear a Star Trek uniform for Halloween.

I don't know that it's the best, but the most up to date way is roll calls. Here, cruise critic, or facebook groups, for the specific cruises you are trying to look into. Once the emails go out, people will be talking about it in their cruise specific roll calls, while it might take days or weeks for the new itinerary to make it to the website.

I'm not positive, but I believe they are contractually obligated to refund you the port fees you were charged for any missed ports. I've been on cruises where the announcement of that gets worded as "You'll be getting OBC for the day." I think most on these forums are savvy enough to recognize when they are getting port fees returned, and when they are getting cruise fare returned; but just something to keep in mind when you hear random people talking about the refund they got when they missed a port... often times it's just their port fees.

Yeah... I'm not sure I see the problem with the policy not always being enforced. I believe it's written on the cards, and know it's in the Terms & Conditions when you buy the cards. It's like... if you are going 10mph over the speed limit and go past a couple cops who don't give you a ticket, then the third one you pass does; complaining that the first two either choose to give you a pass, or weren't paying attention, seems weird to me. I get it's frustrating finding out things don't work the way you thought they did... but not reading the rules and making an assumptions based on anecdotal evidence seems like a you thing, not a Royal thing. I'm not going to get mad at the crew who do hook me up, just because a few of the crew do not.