CruisingNewb

Also, I have a bunch of Coastal Kitchen food pics if they will help you out in the future. Hit me up.

@PG CruiserThanks for this!!! What a labor of love! Just so you get some kind of tangible acknowledgment (or at least some acknowledgement that the project is helpful), Your guide has coaxed us to try SEVERAL dishes that weren't on our radar like the Beet Salad and Lamb Wellington from CP150, Playmakers Onion Ring Tower, and a bunch of other dishes we weren't thinking of prior to our last sailing to the Bahamas.

Ah...okay, I guess that makes sense? Maybe you should call and talk to RCCL and see if they can work with you. Its alot of money to pay for a no show.

Right, but my question really becomes this: Why not cancel and rebook as a solo cruiser now? You have to eventually pay for someone who is not going. By "you" I mean someone has to pay right? If you get out and rebook now, you end up saving money (I think) on your no-show mate's cruise fare and can use that money for your DBP without having to worry about the second cruiser right? Am I missing something?

Not really sure what this scenario is. The cruise is in November right? Your post makes it seem that your "mate" is most-likely going to be a no show. Is this correct? Have you fully paid for the cruise? I guess what I am getting at is why are you paying for a no show guest? I may be missing something but if you cancel that guest reservation and be a solo cruiser, then you have no issue right? I dunno. Its early in the morning for me and I haven't had enough coffee yet to fully understand forum posts.

I don't see what the big deal is guys. I just went ahead and got my "head test" and the doctor said I was fine. What's wrong with Royal checking up on you to make sure you were thinking straight before dropping $$$$ on a cruise? I find that they are being very responsible in assiting with mental health. Thank you for the "head test" reminder RCCL!

These questions are always entertaining. The overall theme of the questions, except for when there are legitimate medical or dietary concerns, is that people want conforts of home on vacation. Of course, it is understandable. We are Asian. My family craves passable Asian food every few days or so. We used to pack Korean cup noodles on our cruises. Eventually, we realized that some of Royal's "asian" foods were passable and we didn't really need those cup noodles. My point here is, again absent legitimate concern, does it make or break the vacation if you don't eat your favorite nuts during a week-long cruise? If so, get off on port days and buy some. I try...as much as possible...not to recreate anything from home or work during vacation. To me, a cruise is about NOT being at home. Leave your favorite snacks, streaming devices, favorite blankets, etc at home and explore the ship, ship food, and ship ammenties. This may mean that some experiences are bad. Well, that is life and that is what it means to try new things. Otherwise, why not vacation at home?

I recently began researching other cruise lines, just to see what is out there besides the 3 cruise lines we have tried out. We find Royal to be right in the middle in terms of most aspects of cruising, with dining being closer to the top. As to noise levels, there are party cruises out there (names I won't mention) that are way louder than RCCL. Then, there are cruiselines that go the complete opposite way and the ships seem really quiet. IMO, loud is annoying, but silence is boring. I try to experience the "loudness" on a ship from the perspective that it is lively instead of annoying. It doesn't always help my ears, but it helps in my overall mood. Im not trying to discount anyone's feelings or experiences.

there are alot of live bands that use Bass players playing through Bass amps.

Hate to admit it, but I also continue to visit the bar for the Cotton Candy Martini.

Us too! Symphony in June! Already have JR free breakfast on the itinerary. Would also like to try their onion rings to compare with Playmakers. Playmakers onion rings are battered whereas the Johnny Rockets ones looks breaded.

How long can we keep saying JR free breakfast is the best "secret" when Matt keeps blabbing about it on his YouTubes?

Sorry in advance - first time RCCL Suite Guest I didn't get my preferred boarding time for my 7 night Bahamas sailing out of Bayonne. I got 11:30 am. It is my first time as a Suite Guest though. Crown Loft Suite. Can I just board at 10 - 10:30 am with suite perks? Wife and I have differing interpretations of the priority boarding: 1. Priority boarding for the time slot? Meaning we board first amongst the 11:30 people? OR 2. Priority Boarding and I can just show up at the earliest time? Thank you in advance.

We quite enjoyed Wonderland the first time we had it. There were some slight changes to the menu for our second time. We do not plan to ever visit Wonderland again, but not because it wasn't any good, we just feel like it was a one-off. Very unique, fun, and delicious experience, but wouldn't need to revisit. We don't regret the second trip, but just feel like we would rather eat somewhere else.

We sail on June 13. I reserved shows last week. One interpretation would mean that I could reserve June 1. The other interpretation would suggest I could reserve May 1. Neither applied to me. Just check often.