Wanderlust876

No, just carry it on separate. You'll see plenty of people at check in carrying a carry on/backpack in one hand and a 12 pack of soda in the other hand

I think we need to get used to it. This issue is not exclusive to Symphony of the seas or Royal Caribbean it’s just the way the world operates at this point. Can you tell me a place on planet earth that has a fully functioning and trained staff, no impact from COVID-19 and the equipment and material available to meet anyones needs? Personally I have not been to a single place yet from the local Starbucks to the Home Depot that can actually accommodate pre Covid capacity. Once you accept the new reality it’s much easier to enjoy that tasteless steak or wait an extra few minutes for that cold beer on your cruise. It’s not an ideal scenario but I would have to say that anyone on a cruise enjoying life in any way should consider themselves lucky & fortunate. 

If you get chilly at night in an outdoor summer breeze (and sometimes quite windy) on land, then you will at sea, too.
 
There is no dress code for shows. Just don't show up in your wet bathing suit.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-alcohol-guest-policy
"Am I allowed to bring alcohol onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
Guests are not allowed to bring beer or hard liquor onboard for consumption or any other use.
Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day will not be returned. Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under the legal drinking age, demonstrate irresponsible behavior, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them. Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.
On boarding day, guests may bring onboard two (2) 750 ml bottles of personal wine or champagne per stateroom in their carry-on luggage. If more than two bottles of wine or champagne are brought onboard, including any alcoholic beverages purchased in ports-of-call or in our onboard shops, they will be stored by the ship and delivered to your stateroom on your last day onboard.
Guests on consecutive cruises may bring two (2) 750 ml bottles of personal wine or champagne per voyage, per stateroom. Additional bottles will be stored by the ship and two bottles at a time will be delivered to the stateroom on the first day of each new voyage. Guests bringing more than two bottles at the start of the first sailing should have documentation for any consecutive sailings available to share with security on boarding day".
I can't seem to find anything on water and/or soda.  However, I believe you can bring some.
For shows:  We don't get formal at all, even on "formal" nights.  I hate formal.  I'm in shorts and Ts 90% of the time, including shows.
My wife is cold when it's 80 degrees, I'm hot when it is 75 degrees.  Your milage may vary. 😉

The teens are mostly High School age are a surely allowed to be in situations at home where they are unsupervised.  While I'm sure that there are some who are unruly and ill mannered, I don't think it describes the majority.  As a parent, you raise your child to make good decisions, including who to hang out with.  You know your child and how much trust you give them not to be in trouble on the ship.  Most of the teens like to hang out and get to know other teens - some form friendships that last well after the cruise.
One thing I enjoy as a parent of a teen is that we can go on a cruise and my wife and I do not have to constantly find ways to entertain.  We get to do the things we like to do, my son gets to enjoy the things he likes to do.  We set times to check in and he always has to eat with us.  I trust my son to make good decisions, just as my parents trusted me when I was in High School.  Was I always perfect? - no!  but I knew enough not to get into major trouble.

I ordered this for our cruise and it worked great ( have an android and the pictures were clear as day):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DNNWW8M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There aren’t enough chemicals in the world to get me in a cruise ship hot tub 🤢🤮

Bullfrog Quick Gel. Dries fast, can't feel it, SPF 50 and reef safe.

I scheduled that exact same test @ Walgreens for my Mom & I but they tested her & I at the same time at the person who had the last appointment in the vehicle. My mom’s appointment was 15 minutes before mine but the tested both of us @ my appointment time because we were in the same vehicle.
hope that helps.

The casino recently sent out a free room offer for April. I have noticed since then that all the cruises going out of Galveston are booking faster. Even the May cruises are showing sold out on all Balconies and Suites, and some Interior.

Yes, I did Walgreens with a group of 5 people. You do need to book individual appointments with different time slots, but you can all show up at the same time in one vehicle and they'll just test everyone at once.

Not sure if it's the same, but we did CVS for our last cruise -- 4 total, but 2 did Friday morning, 2 did Friday evening (work schedules, etc). Each had to make their own appointment, & you had to make them 1 @ a time
 

Mostly likely it's been capped due to capacity controls.

That has happened to most of the Trans-Atlantic cruises.  I do not think the ship is full, but it is at the complicity that they want.

Time to live up to your name, girl

We will be first timers on Indy April 1st, with 4 kids in tow. They're 15, 13, 11 & 8, and they have know idea we're going. It should be fun!

I'll be on the one right after you on 4/11. First time on Royal with 3 kids in tow...can't wait! 

One of the reasons I chose Royal for our upcoming trip was because I was watching YouTube videos of current cruise vlogs and I noticed Carnival was letting people self serve at the buffet 😳. 
Then a vlog came on for a Royal cruise and staff was serving so I pulled the trigger. 
It was gross before covid, and now I don't think we should go back to that....ever. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/minor-identification-forms
According to Royal's FAQs: "A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original, notarized or certified copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issues by DOS, or Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services."  So, seems your 15 y/o will be fine with an original, notarized or certified birth certificate.
Yes, for the 18 y/o, if no passport; will require a Government issued photo ID and an original, notarized or certified birth certificate.  Royal's FAQ response to documents required for adults:  "We highly recommend that all U.S. Citizen’s cruise with their U.S. Passport book that is valid at least 6 months after your cruise. Guests may also sail with their official Birth Certificate and a supporting Government Issued Photo ID, like a driver’s license or an identity card.
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/can-i-cruise-with-a-passport

Wow. I'm all for masks inside but outside? That's just nuts. 

I respectfully disagree. I have seen people slide a finger on the serving utensil to taste the food, lick that finger, then do the same thing at a different dish down the line.  YUK!

Truth!
Honestly, regardless of which side you are on regarding Covid, masking, etc...one thing remains certain...handwashing, basic hygiene, covering your mouth when coughing and/or sneezing...these things should have been practiced, and continuously practiced, regardless of a pandemic.  Please serve me my buffet portions so that I don't have to rely on others' hygiene, or lack thereof. 

I just wrapped on a cruise where we were able to adopt the new protocols including no masks.  As I entered the Windjammer i was amazed at the number of people that refused to use hand sanitizer.  A good 30% walked right past the washy washy girl asking everyone to use the hand sanitizer.  This was never the case when we all masked up.   It seems some people are done with ALL protocols. 
So if these people are handling the tongs and dropping the tongs into the food (a common occurence pre-shutdown) then I'm all for the served WJ buffet.  
 

One of the reasons I chose Royal for our upcoming trip was because I was watching YouTube videos of current cruise vlogs and I noticed Carnival was letting people self serve at the buffet 😳. 
Then a vlog came on for a Royal cruise and staff was serving so I pulled the trigger. 
It was gross before covid, and now I don't think we should go back to that....ever. 

Among the coffee drinks, I am a fan of the Caribbean Coconut, an iced espresso drink, which is great in the afternoon or whenever it's hot outside.