DoomSlayer

Thanks for the follow up. You had me scratching my head on this one.

This is a simple self-attested question they ask. There is no wrong answer here! It is just for their records in case they need it for a destination port or they have an outbreak on board. People I have met onboard that were not vaccinated and answered truthfully had no issues on embarkation and were not even asked about it again outside of the app before boarding.

Could this be the answer to the question here? Royal Caribbean states they will place an automatic hold on your card on day one. Will Holds be Placed on My Credit Card During My Cruise? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

You need to define a kid first. Royal Caribbean defines a kid as someone that is under 12 years old. Also, kids sail free is not on all sailings and usually not available on sailing which kids would be out of school normally, like spring break, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.. In my opinion it is just a marketing tactic trying to entice young families to book is all. I am taking my kids on a cruise for spring break in March. They are older (11, 14, and 16), and the youngest did not qualify for kids sail free because it was during a blackout time for the promotion even though they had the same marketing "kids sail free" promo advertised on their website when I booked. I ended up booking two adjacent balcony staterooms (one a little larger for the three kids). I did get the 30% discount, but do not feel I saved a lot, and this is probably the most expensive cruise I have booked in the past two years. But at the end of the day, I still feel like it was a good purchase because it is cheaper than taking them to Disney World for a few days during the same time period.

The further you have to travel, the more risk you have of missing the boat. You mitigate that risk by leaving early, allowing for a decent buffer time in case your flight is delayed. Also, flying to Europe from the states is not like flying domestically. Planes leave the US in the evening time, and if there is a delay or cancellation because of weather or mechanical issues, it is not uncommon to find yourself flying the next day instead of the same day. Also, you are going to be tired when you get there. Having an evening to rest will allow you to enjoy your time onboard day 1 instead of being worn out and tired.

We had it on Adventure in December. It was an improvement with reduced latency for things like WiFi calling and FaceTime. Bandwidth seemed to be the same, but the reduced latency improved real time communications for us.

Grandeur has accessible interior and ocean view cabins near the aft elevators on the lower decks. Also, being an older ship, it is a lot smaller and is easier to navigate. Max passengers is about 2000 vs 6000+ on newer ships. The only downside is there isn’t a lot of activities or areas geared towards kids like slides, flowrider, and sports courts. Not sure how young your “multigenerational” group is, but it may be a good option. I personally liked my trip on Grandeur and would book it again if I was traveling with my parents.

18% gratuity is included in drink packages, so no need to tip unless you want to tip beyond 18% for a drink. I usually just take a bunch of ones and give them a dollar or two extra when they bring me a drink, but I am usually a 25% tip type of guy if the service is good. I found this site through the youtube channel that @SpeedNoodles posted. I wish I had known about it years ago as it has a lot of fun and good tips for RC.

Officer Escort is actually a published benefit for the Royal Suite. And agree, the Key is pretty much useless and a waste if you have a suite. The Key is really designed to give non-suiters a taste of some of the suite life privileges. What are the Benefits of the Suites Program? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

Both places are fun. I lived in Seattle and still visit my parents all the time. Vancouver is also a great place too and only a short drive from Seattle. If you have the option in the future, do both. I don't agree with some of the people warning about Seattle being dangerous, it is no more dangerous than Vancouver, and both, in my opinion, are relatively safe compared to other big cities such as LA or NYC. Things that lesser known and would be fun if you had a day or two before the cruise to explore are: Seattle: Seattle Underground tour near Pioneer Square -- Gives history of Seattle and you learn how toilets changed the city Balard Locks -- There is the bar there that they filmed the after season shows for deadliest catch The Freemont District -- Lots of small boutique shops, coffee shops, and restaurants in a cool neighborhood area Mike's Chili Parlor -- Hole in the wall chili joint, really good - but just don't order the grilled cheese Kirk Cobain's house on Lake Washinton -- If you are my age and a Nirvana fan, it was a bucket list attraction my wife wanted to see Vancouver: Gas Town -- Lots of nightlife and restaratunts Stanley Park / Vancouver Aquarium -- Neat park and aquarium, I really like the beluga whales and penguins they have outside. Also, the park is really cool during XMAS as they have a huge light display and festivities in the park (But probably no Alaska cruises near XMAS). China Town -- Vancouver has a huge Asian culture. This China Town rivals San Francisco's China town in my opinion. Go see a Canucks game -- Hockey is more fun in Canada, LOL

In the past, I've prepaid before by calling in, and I have also just let them be charged to my sea pass to be settled at the end of the cruise. Now I just attach my Navy Federal credit card to my sea pass because it allows me to pay more than my balance, meaning I can add funds for anticipated charges to my card, such as gratuities, before I even get onboard. Much easier than calling it in and dealing with the service rep.

You should have no problems getting through the terminal quickly if you have a passport. Everything is automated in Galveston with facial recognition and bags are easy to claim. I think my wife and I were through the line after breakfast in about 10 minutes on Adventure last month. We had the Key and simply just got in line to get off, we had similar priority privileges as suites. Depending on your suite type, you may have priority departure and it will be easy. But if you are in a Jr. Suite, you may be out of luck and stuck with the normal departure procedure -- I don't think Jr. Suites have priority departure privileges, but i could be wrong there.

First time seeing this 2 year old post. I can't stop laughing. LOL

Gas Town is one of my favorite hangout areas at night.

They are not in the normal planner. You have to go in the Royal Gifts menu under your initials menu (same menu you would change sailing or your profile preferences). I’ve only ever gone there on the PC website, not in the app. It is kind of a side store and you have to re-enter your sail date and cabin. Anything you buy there will be in your cabin day one. They have drinks and mixers there and other things that are not in the normal cruise planner gift section. You can even buy yourself a pack of diapers there if you want - lol.

I’m sure you won’t have a problem being by the elevator on Icon, but none of us can vouch for it yet. Have fun on the trip!

Alo Vera Gel - just in case I pass out lounging by the pool and wake up as lobster man.

What Ship? We usually prefer and request rooms by the elevators and have not had any problems with noise or anything once the door is closed. So, thumbs up on a room by the elevator from me.

Native WiFi via VOOM calling does work for most IPhone and Android phones if your carrier supports it. I have used it several times on the ship bypassing the onboard cellular service and fees. Without knowing your carrier and phone type, it would probably be best to contact them to see if it is supported and how to enable it on your phone. I use T-Mobile and have no problem with WiFi calling and with my plan, I have no additional fees in Mexico and Canada, which accounts for 99% of my destination ports when off the ship.

Mine was incorrect too as it didn’t include my last trip two weeks ago. Shows 23, but should be 28. I’m jealous of everyone that has enough time off work to pass the 30 day mark.

They have offers based on the amount of points you collect while onboard too. It is not uncommon to see offers if you earn 800 points or more while on your cruise. These work in pretty much the same way and are separate from the annual cruise too. The only real catch is you have to book them with NextCruise while on board to get all the benefits. If I remember right, there is a listing of rewards by points. The next column show the base reward. And then there is a NextCruise column show enhanced rewards you can get by booking with NextCruise while onboard.

You can receive Casino comp offers from time to time in addition to your annual cruise for prime status. Every offer I have seen and taken has been based on double occupancy, so it would include your girlfriend if that is who you decide to bring. You are correct in that you will have to pay taxes and port fees, but the room will be free unless you decide to upgrade. Also, you will still be charged the gratuities as well.

Be patient on the Royal Up. I learned I won mine about 3 days from the sailing. Fingers crossed that you get it.

You should be able to see your offers and certificates here with any expiration date: https://www.clubroyaleoffers.com/PlayerLookup.asp And yes, use them within the time period or you will lose them.

This ^^^^^ Their objective is to defiantly get as many butts in casino seats, as quickly as possible, to fill in short term revenue gaps. That is why most low-level instant certificates are short term and avoid blackout dates -- this is their biggest immediate revenue deficit to fill. The more you gamble on a single cruise, the better the instant certificates offer will become though, but this is at your risk, not theirs. As an example, I just booked a comp balcony for October 2023 using the instant certificate I earned on board last week. I earned well over 2000 points on that cruise. My wife earned far fewer points (less than 1000) and only had short term interior cabins offered. If you want more leniency and options in using their certificates, then you have to "pay" for it by gambling more to earn more points in a single cruise. I do sympathize with the OP on the mobility / accessibility concern and do hope the OP is able to get a great comp cruise that accommodates needs.