Marc

A bunch of quitters in this thread. You can’t drink all day if you don’t start early.!! 🤪

This has been a very busy topic.
As an experiment, this will be our first cruise without buying the Deluxe Beverage Packages.
My Diamond status gets me 4-drinks per day, and my Prime status in the casino gets me unlimited drinks.  That sounds like a lot, but on a port day, with the casino closed, 4-drinks could be used up long before dinner time.  My Wife doesn't drink, so I get her 4 free drinks also.
If that's not enough, I can buy extra drinks and still save money over the $69 per day x2, since I'm required to buy the package for both of us in the same cabin.🥃

That's exactly the range I used for targeting my drink package pricing, too. The sweet (most frequent) spot was right around $45, IIRC.
Sigh... I never got to use my $18 drink packages. 😢

Sacrilege! I've got my dining planned out for my upcoming B2B on Symphony, and filet mignon in CK is supposed to be on night 1, just the way Michael Bayley intended! 😆
(IMO, the complimentary filet mignon in CK more than sufficiently makes up for the overpriced counterpart in Chops.)

I don't think I really thought about Prime offering drinks. I've been Signature forever it seems (well, the pandemic has really stretched this tier out far longer than what it should have based on my actual play), and I remember that comped drinks was a perk specifically only for invited casino guests in the early days. (I think one had to earn something like 2,000 points on one sailing to get invited, and once in, one stayed in.)
These days, I don't even go into the casino much. On Oasis, the only time we went in was to play the $500 in free play we had gotten for that sailing. We turned the free play into $540 cash.
I'll note that we actually only paid a total of $422.90 for that cruise — comped JS upgraded to GS. Thus, Casino Royale paid us $117 for us to sail that week.

That's exactly the range I used for targeting my drink package pricing, too. The sweet (most frequent) spot was right around $45, IIRC.
Sigh... I never got to use my $18 drink packages. 😢

I don't know how I feel about those areas at this point. They were a lifeline for me during my cruise on the first return-to-service (revenue) Oasis of the Seas. My anxiety was way out of control (that's since been addressed), so it was panic-panic-panic while being masked and going from the cabin to a vaccinated-only venue where I could unmask and calm down. So, when I embark on Symphony of the Seas in 10 days, I'm going to be relieved that I don't have to wear a mask for solely the reason of anxiety. However, if Royal Caribbean really still wants to encourage people to wear masks, keeping vaccinated-only zones where those people could feel more free to unmask might make sense, at least for some period of time.

I don't think I really thought about Prime offering drinks. I've been Signature forever it seems (well, the pandemic has really stretched this tier out far longer than what it should have based on my actual play), and I remember that comped drinks was a perk specifically only for invited casino guests in the early days. (I think one had to earn something like 2,000 points on one sailing to get invited, and once in, one stayed in.)
These days, I don't even go into the casino much. On Oasis, the only time we went in was to play the $500 in free play we had gotten for that sailing. We turned the free play into $540 cash.
I'll note that we actually only paid a total of $422.90 for that cruise — comped JS upgraded to GS. Thus, Casino Royale paid us $117 for us to sail that week.

I'm going to try this out for my trip on March 26th 8 day cruise. I have always got the drink package, but now a diamond member, I'm going to see if it worth it or not. The package for my wife and I was going to be $1250 for both with gratuities. I plan on drinking the same as always and will see what total bill is at end of cruise. I'm not into special coffee's or fresh juices, so it will be mainly drinks and water. But by my calculations, I would need to drink 9 a day (4 free and 5 for package) to break even. Days at see I can see doing that, but the 3 island stops, not so much. But I will have fun trying and will let you know how it came out.

The days of $39 DX packages are gone, long gone. Purchase at the price you are comfortable with and if it goes down you can cancel for a refund and repurchase at the lower price. No they will not just refund the difference.

Sacrilege! I've got my dining planned out for my upcoming B2B on Symphony, and filet mignon in CK is supposed to be on night 1, just the way Michael Bayley intended! 😆
(IMO, the complimentary filet mignon in CK more than sufficiently makes up for the overpriced counterpart in Chops.)

I'm still traumatized from my elementary school days when during our lunchtime, I couldn't even finish the 8 oz. carton of milk before the straw had sealed itself up tight.

It wouldn't surprise me if they got rid of the "vax only" area concept.

Nothing says “Quick! finish your drink” like a paper straw.

So my reading is that the under 5 set, who are NOT ELIGIBLE for a vax, do not count toward the 95%.  Kids 5-11, who are ELIGIBLE, are not required to be vaxxed but then WILL count against the 95%. 

For months prior to Omi all vaccinated adults had to wear masks because of unvax kids.  It has long been the only reason Royal was below 95% was because of unvax kids.  Those were the policies and we all accepted it and masked up.  
The new mask policy is a step in the right direction but not the end game.  The nature of AO and the confined indoor spaces can lead to higher exposure opportunities.   If vaccinated kids need to wear masks in AO for a few months so be it.  Once the numbers trend low for kids on board they can revisit and revise the mask policy.   
AO is not required to cruise.  Don’t put your kids in AO if they can’t mask up like we all had to for several months just to cruise.  

Masks are optional for fully vaxxed cruisers at all times onboard? None at shows, in promenade, activities, in hallways?
That's great?

The language seems to refer to being "fully vaccinated" versus "up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines". Royal Caribbean is choosing to go with "Highly Vaccinated" and not the top tier.
 
The way I interpret it is "up to date" means whatever the latest level of "boosted" means, while "fully vaccinated" means (currently) just the initial 1- or 2-dose regimen.

The language seems to refer to being "fully vaccinated" versus "up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines". Royal Caribbean is choosing to go with "Highly Vaccinated" and not the top tier.
 
The way I interpret it is "up to date" means whatever the latest level of "boosted" means, while "fully vaccinated" means (currently) just the initial 1- or 2-dose regimen.

I got notified of a charge on my Amex card today and I was wondering what the hell was this because I paid off everything Royal Caribbean…. and then find an email that my royal up bid was accepted for my move from a balcony to a grand suite... a grand suite! How awesome is that?!! A grand suite for a solo person.
 OK so what do I need to know?

@smokeybandit thanks for the update. 
I just pulled this screen grab from the RCL website

We (my husband and I) cancelled a December cruise in early September. After six weeks of not hearing anything, I called to find out. The FCC had been issued and emailed to... get this... our deceased son's email address. He's been gone for two years, and somehow Royal Caribbean managed to associate his email address with our FCCs for a booking made and cancelled in 2021.
The person on the phone did give me the FCC numbers so I can use them, but they were unable to re-email the certificates to my email address as they'd been issued to the other one.

We (my husband and I) cancelled a December cruise in early September. After six weeks of not hearing anything, I called to find out. The FCC had been issued and emailed to... get this... our deceased son's email address. He's been gone for two years, and somehow Royal Caribbean managed to associate his email address with our FCCs for a booking made and cancelled in 2021.
The person on the phone did give me the FCC numbers so I can use them, but they were unable to re-email the certificates to my email address as they'd been issued to the other one.

We (my husband and I) cancelled a December cruise in early September. After six weeks of not hearing anything, I called to find out. The FCC had been issued and emailed to... get this... our deceased son's email address. He's been gone for two years, and somehow Royal Caribbean managed to associate his email address with our FCCs for a booking made and cancelled in 2021.
The person on the phone did give me the FCC numbers so I can use them, but they were unable to re-email the certificates to my email address as they'd been issued to the other one.