DoomSlayer

COVID Vaccination records if you have them. You never know when rules may change, and they suddenly become required at a port for some reason. Also, seeing that you have Birth Certificates rather than Passports, you may want to list out important numbers and addresses for consulates and/or embassies for the ports you are visiting in case of an emergency. They will be who you need to contact if for some reason you are not able to return with the ship.

I reserved online for our cruise last week. We had north covered parking and were literally parked right across the street from the main entrance to the new terminal. The porters were standing in the bus area and offered to take our bags, and they did ( I tipped them about $5 per bag). The walk was extremely short. I think I paid $140, but was worth it in my opinion because it was covered and I did not have to worry about hauling luggage on a shuttle.

After b2b casino comps, you may end up with b2b2b2b cruises. Enjoy the trip! Also, if you both get comps again, you can stack them together and get a possible free upgrade to a balcony or jr. suite depending on their trade in value.

I guess I don't understand all the posts I read about TA's not being responsive. The TA I use is always prompt and responsive. If he is out for some reason, his voicemail and out of office e-mails always point me to one of his partners that can help when he is out. Yesterday, I sent him an email with a Casino Comp code and my itinerary choices to use with it. Within 2 hours, I received an alert from my bank that my credit card was charged (the expected port fees and taxes). Within 2.5 hours I had my reservation details from my TA emailed to me and a follow up call ensuring I was happy. He had called the Casino desk on my behalf to get this all arranged saving me a lot of time and effort, in return, he got credit for the "sale" even though it was Casino Comp dollars. He knows my cabin location and dining preferences, so he just does his magic with minimal input from me. I do share my experiences with him too, about excursions and other activities. He likes to take notes so he can make recommendations to his other less traveled customers. I don't want to name drop as this is a sponsored forum, and a lot of people do seem happy with the TA sponsor. But I will say if you are not getting prompt responses from your assigned TA, it may be time to request a new one.

Just a quick taco run to Cozumel with my wife.

My Birthday Day cruise to celebrate my 19th 29th birthday - LOL! It should be fun!

They are separate from each other. You can still win your royal up bid for the balcony even though you have your GTY room assignment. There are stories of people winning Royal Ups after already being on board the ship, so you still have a chance on the Royal Up until the last minute unless you cancel.

The only real trick to passing the "e-muster" test is knowing that 7 short and 1 long horn blasts means disaster when talking to the muster station crew on check-in.

And what age is that? Anyone over 18 can join AARP, they just can't purchase age restricted items like insurance with it. I'll have to look at their RCL gift cards now.

Sneakers should be fine, especially for kids. I usually wear my cowboy boots - LOL.

There is not a "Best" choice for breakfast in my opinion. To me, it depends on my mood, whether I am in a rush, and if it is just me and my wife or the whole family. If I want to be waited on, then the MDR is great. If I am in a hurry (perhaps to go ashore), then Promenade Cafe is my choice. If I am on a trip with the kids, then the Windjammer is usually the preference for my crew as it has something for everyone. There is really not a bad breakfast choice, just some choices may suit you better than others on a day by day basis.

As much as I like the Casino and the comps I get, I would not advise anyone to start playing just to get the comps if they were not already inclined to play in the casino. If you enjoy the casino, then go for it, but don't gamble any more than you can afford to lose and don't get caught in a trap of chasing a status just because. For family trips with the kids, I usually end up having to pay for them the old-fashioned way because they tend to be in black out times for comps because of school schedules -- no benefits during these times. I tend to not play in the casino on these trips too because I would rather spend time with them rather than a game. I usually play in the casino on trips with just me and my wife after the evening shows because she likes to play too. All-in-all, I would say I am probably more break even with the comp cruises and perks in the long run. As Mac66 correctly stated:

I don't think anyone here will know the algorithm and I suspect the algorithm changes based on capacity. However, as a general rule of thumb, Casinos tend to value slot players the most as they have a high number of plays per hour compared to table games or even video poker. I tend to play at about $4-$6 per spin and average about 2000 points per cruise, where my wife is around the $0.50-$1.50 range and averages less than 1000 pints per cruise with the same play time. I get a ton of full comp cruise offers and my wife tends to only get some money off offers. So based on this personal observation, they defiantly track your play and make offers accordingly. Congrats on crossing into prime. I personally enjoy my prime status and free drinks in the casino because it means I can be happy with just buying the refreshment package as opposed to the deluxe beverage package, saving me about $550 of the bat per cruise (for me and my wife). I don't chase the Signature or Master levels -- chasing them seems like a bigger risk to me than any reward I would get -- but if they happen naturally for me, I won't complain. If I want perks similar to the Master level, I just buy the Key using that $550 which gives you the perks like priority boarding, checking in carry-ons, free chops lunch, and relaxed disembarkation day breakfast perks. About the only thing you miss out on is access to the costal kitchen. The silliest thing I saw on the trip I was just on was that several people refused to use their seapass card in the machines because they thought it brought bad luck. They were betting big and lost out on getting credit for a lot of points because of this. Yes, they do track your play history, but it does not influence your next spin.

You have a lot more risk not paying with a credit card as a lot of cards offer some protections like travel insurance and provide a way to dispute charges if needed. My general rule of thumb for all major purchases, not just cruise fares, is to use a credit card even if I have the cash on hand. If you do have the cash, just use it to pay your credit card balance before it accrues interest and hopefully collect some rewards in the process.

I’m not too surprised you got this room because they are not for everyone. We are staying in one now on Adventure and like it because we can see all the activities in the promenade from our room. But some people don’t like the because they can be noisy during these same activities and other people can see into your room when the curtains are open. As long as your not planning on going to bed too early, it is a great room type. We did decorate our window with the towel animals we got and several people walking by below were pointing to our room decorations.

Yes, we are heading back towards Galveston @John63. I hope you have as enjoyable cruise as we did. No true comedian this time, but el gaucho was extremely entertaining and lots of laughs in his routine.

I second the Facebook messaging answer. Takes a little bit for them to pick up the message, but after that they have always been helpful to me.

I usually book my comp rooms through my TA. I tell him my room preferences and he does all the work of talking to Royal and making sure we get the room we want. I just forward the emails with the promotion/casino codes to him and he does his magic.

I had a double espresso at cafe promenade this morning.

I am happy it worked out for you and you got the full credit they promised. Now have a wonderful cruise with it and happy sailing!

I like the blueberry nojito. I’ll have to try the frozen blueberry one.

Just a fun thread. I usually get the refreshment package. My favorite morning drink is a tropical crush (pineapple juice, mango juice, and pineapple Red Bull). What are some of your favorites?

If you do have carry ons and buy the key, you can leave them with the key desk at the dining room and they will magically appear in your state room when you go there. This is on of my favorite key perks on day 1.

Talk to the casino host so you know the offers. As soon as you hit a threshold, ask him for a certificate and he will print you one on the spot that you can take to next cruise. You don’t have to wait until the last day to get your certificates.

I have never done a cruise like that, but have traveled extensively through England for work and play. The trains are good, but can be overwhelming if you have a lot of luggage. Be sure to get some pounds before your trip for final transfers by taxi. I usually carry about 200 ponds with me to cover taxis and incidentals. Once you get to your hotel, you can go to a post office and get more pounds at a better exchange rate than you would get stateside. When traveling as a group, hiring a van and driver was always better for us. It may have cost more, but we never had to worry about directions and it was more relaxing after the flight. I would probably choose this option if it’s your first time there and you have a lot of luggage.