DunkelBierJay

Even if you don't notify Royal of this, and you are the only one who checks in, there will be a port taxes and fees refund put on account for the person who doesn't go. Otherwise, the charge remains for double occupancy with no changes.

I might be wrong, but I think it has something to do with a deal Royal made with the government there after they kindly allowed docking of ships there during the shut down.

Unfortunately on my last sailing both the food and the service was bad.  If you have to ask for water EVERY NIGHT YOU SIT DOWN.. and again for refills when "the guy" is filling other tables and walks right by...there is a major problem.
That was only one aspect of service that was poor.  It was only the second time I've done a survey where the rating was not a 10, and I can overlook a lot.
I have recently heard them say the food does count against them.  I don't know why that would be.  I assume to counteract that you could list your waitstaff in the comments and write amazing things about them.  I did that for one of the guest service staff on Anthem and when I boarded again a few weeks later and stopped by to say hello she asked if I had written a review for her and I said I did and she asked if I used the word 'wonderful' and I said I did and she told me the review was sent to her boss and she was given accolades for it.  I would have no other way of knowing something positive is said to the employee who receives positive feedback so it was nice to learn this firsthand.
 

It just means you show up around 1:30. The bonus here is that you likely would be able to go straight to your stateroom and drop your stuff.
If you print your set sail pass and it says 11:00, there may be a glitch. I'd be interested in knowing if the same thing shows up in the set sail pass in the app -- it should. Show up then. If they don't let you into the terminal, since you're at Port Canaveral, I would walk to next door to Grills, grab a bite and toss a few till you can go back to check in. And the wellness check is no big deal, they just look at your docs and ask how you feel.

To be fair, these kinds of logistics issues (lack of staffing/supply chain failures) are lagging affectors and add to that, a COVID uptick (whether real or contrived) and you have a mess.  It is extremely difficult (impossible ?) for Royal to make a timely adjustment to a ship that has already been pretty much sold out.  Their only option would be to cancel existing reservations and NOBODY wants to be caught up in that !  Did Royal ramp up passenger density too quickly ?  Probably.  But it will take time to "fix" that and by then, who knows what the situation might be.  Kind of a catch-22.

Day 0   I live near Nashville, and usually fly out of there, but after checking commuter fares, I found a cheaper option through Silver Airways out of Huntsville, AL, so that's what I booked. I arrived at Orlando International at 6:30 pm, and after waiting for 45 minutes in the line for the car rental, I was on my way to the Country Inn and Suites in Coco Beach. I typically rent from one car rental brand that had an office on Astronaut Blvd, but it closed due to the pandemic, and it only left one other practical option, which I used. I made a stop for dinner at Grills before checking in.   Day 1   After a good night's sleep, I returned my car to the rental office and walked ten minutes back to the Country Inn and Suites where I caught the shuttle to Port Canaveral. I originally booked that hotel because there is a walking path across the street that takes you into the port area. I chose not to walk because it was a cloudless sky, and I broke a sweat walking back to the hotel from the car rental office.   My check-in time at the cruise terminal was 11:00 am, so I took the earliest shuttle, dropped my luggage with a porter and walked next door to Grills (again) for breakfast and a pre-cruise beer.   I paid the bar tender at 10:50 and walked to the terminal. The check-in process was smooth. They screened you for all of the documentation including passport vaccination card, negative Covid test ( I took the emed antigen test) and boarding pass. I went through security quickly and checked in immediately. Just as I completed that process, they announced general boarding, and I was on board at 11:19 am. Including the walk from Grills, it took twenty-nine minutes.   They had not started emuster, so I settled in for a beer at Playmakers while I waited. I completed emuster a little after noon and walked around the ship a bit. I had been on Freedom before, so everything was very familiar.   I booked early dinner at Izumi, and it was wonderful. I had the beef tenderloin. Since I had the Unlimited Dining Package, I had another reservation for dinner at 9:00 pm, but I was still too full to consider more food, and passed on it. I was a little tired, so I went to my cabin and unpacked and went to bed so that I was rested for the next day.   Day 2   I had a reservation for Scuba at 8:30 am at Coco Cay, so I got up to watch the sunrise and went to the Windjammer for breakfast. The scuba shack is on the beach near the souvenir stands to the left. The dive team did everything including setting up my buoyancy and breathing equipment as well as provided a 3 mm "shortie" westsuit which I was glad for because, some floating jellyfish stingers found their way to the exposed skin on my lower legs. I am still feeling it.   They took us to the dive site by towing us to the reef with a jetski. Once we all had assembled, Jumi, the instructor/guide signaled for us to descend. We went down to 35' which is not very deep, but there were lots of fish and a fairly decent reef. He took us by a sunken anchor, propeller plane engine and several features along the reef. We saw a large sea turtle, several rays, a couple of puffer fish, a parrott fish, lots of yellow tail snappers and an octopus near the end of the dive surprisingly close to the beach where we emerged amidst snorkelers and people on rafts. I felt like the creature from the black lagoon emerging in the middle of them.   The dive was fairly strenuous in that there was a lot of current which we had to fight in the shallows. That was fine, because it set me up for a great nap after lunch. For lunch, I had the crispy chicken sandwich marinara style and a chocolate chip cookie. I move to South Beach afterward, and commenced a blissful nap. By 2:00 pm, I got up and returned to the ship for another nap prior to trivia (I won it in geography -- yay!) and my dinner at Giovannis. I had the Veal Ossubuca, and it was ok, but not my kind of thing. I thought about ordering the steak I keep hearing about but didn't since I was booked at Chops the next day.   Day 3   I slept in until about 7:50 am, and went to the Main Dining Room for breakfast as we approached Nassau. I had a nice conversation with an older couple at an adjacent table, and then I went out to take some pictures of the ships around us. We were docked by Mariner which was next to Enchantment. On the other side was a Carnival ship.   A few weeks prior to the cruise, I booked a day pass at Margaritaville which recently opened next to the British Colonial Hilton. I had seen a cruise vlog that visited there, so I wanted to check it out for myself. I entered and walked around the hotel and grounds and then went to the 4th floor to the adult infinity pool. It provided a great view of the water and ships in port. I ordered a Kalik beer for $8 and a fish sandwich for $25. I noticed Junkanoo Beach next door was selling Kalik 3 for $10 while I was up there. There is no entry fee for that beach, so the next time I go to Nassau, that's where I will head. I am not sure I would do anything else in Nassau except maybe tour the chocolate factory and rum distillery. That port doesn't have a lot of appeal to me right now. Maybe when the construction, which cause a lot of people stress getting back into the port area is complete, that will change.   Dinner was at Chops, and being a creature of habit, I had a small filet with the awesome mushroom soup and a glass of wine. I was still full from the fish sandwich earlier.   Day 4   The last day of the cruise was at sea, so I went back to the Main Dining Room for breakfast and then went to the sports deck to watch the private flow rider lessons. I didn't have a desire to try the flow rider until that time, so when they opened it up for boogie boarding, I got in line. It was fun! I was able to get up to my knees and do some turns, and my confidence for doing more grew. I expect to take a lesson next time I have the opportunity, so I will see if I can stay on my feet one day. After a couple of flow rider sessions and a few trips down the Perfect Storm, I went back to my room, showered and grabbed a coffee while I talked to a fellow passenger who sat near me. I chose not to eat lunch so I could enjoy my final dinner at Izumi hibachi again that evening. I chose the NY steak and subbed the tiger shrimp. It was delicious as always.   Day 5   Disembarking went as expected, however it seemed like a lot more people wanted to get off the ship early than I remember from previous cruises. It didn't take long once the line started moving, and I was walking to the GoPort shuttle bus within a few minutes after the seamless facial recognition customs check, which I think is a little creepy, but was glad to be done with it. I grabbed the last seat on the shuttle, and enjoyed the trip back to Orlando airport as the bus driver narrated the trip. He mentioned that the Brightline train service is scheduled to expand from Miami, Ft Lauderdale and West Palm all the way up to Orlando airport by late December, and that it was slightly ahead of schedule. After our last cruise, the 2019 President's Cruise on Symphony, we took the Brightline up to Ft Lauderdale from Miami, and were VERY impressed. I think the options this service will provide when the expansion in Orlando is done will take a lot of pressure off of the airports and provide more and better options to get to the three major cruise ports on the east coast. The service will eventually expand to Tampa. I am really looking forward to it.     Ratings   eMuster -- very easy and convenient. It was difficult to understand everything the crew member at my station was saying, however, and I think that is something that could be improved by making more consistent. I rate it 4 out of 5 Stateroom -- my second inside stateroom, and I really enjoyed it. It was located aft on deck 6 accessible from an unmarked door to the corridor next to the stairwell. There was a curtain in front of the bed which blocked out the light that made its way through a crack in the doorway. It was pitch black in there and made for great sleep. The light switch was right at my head in case I needed to get up during the night. 5 out of 5 (especially for a solo traveler) UDP -- too much food. I will only do up to three nights of specialty dining on future cruises. I missed the Main Dining Room experience (4 out of 5 -- too much food) Izumi Hibachi -- nights 1 and 4 -- I regret not getting sushi -- 5 out of 5 Giovanni's - night 2 -- did not love my menu selection -- great service -- 4 out of 5 Chops -- night 3 -- I usually go to Chops on RC cruises and always love it. Too full to enjoy the experience, so I rushed it. 4 out of 5 Stateroom Attendant -- the best stateroom attendant I have had on any cruise. Great guy, thorough, quick, willing to talk, but not too much (5 out of 5) Solo Cruising -- it was as expected. I missed cruising with my wife or one of my kids and pretty much stayed to myself most of the time. I did what I wanted when I wanted and didn't think anything of it. I would do it again, especially for the double C&A points (4 out of 5) Excursions -- In Coco Cay, SCUBA was fun, however, I would like for Royal to expand it to a two tank boat diving option. I was wiped out after dealing with the current at the end during the shallow part over the reef headed back to the beach. In Nassau, Margaritavile was ok. The food and beverage was expensive and not up to expectations. I am simply going to Junkanoo next time if I get off the ship. Coco Cay (4 out of 5); Nassau (3 out of 5 -- I won't do it again) Activities -- the flow rider and water slides were a blast. Independence Dunes for putt putt was fun, and I like the location at the front over the panoramic ocean view rooms. (5 out of 5) Entertainment -- I really enjoyed the Schooner Bar and various options in the Star lounge featuring the cast from Grease and the Independence of the Seas band/orchestra. Grease was presented "in concert" and was not the full production, which I was a little disappointed about. (4 out of 5)   Pics                               This brought back memories. This couple was in my first ever stateroom on a Royal Caribbean cruise.      

I would jump at it at this price.

I agree with the other commenters...I don't see any value with the Key if it is above the lowest I have seen it at $19.95. The other perks are nice if you take advantage of them. Other than that, the Key is window dressing.

R Bar, Champagne Bar, Schooner Bar, Bar in Windjammer...I think it's called The Plaza Bar...if you don't see it, ask the bartender, they may be able to get a bottle if it's on board.

One way to maximize space is pack about 50% of what you initially think you want to bring. It's a lot less schlepping that way too.

Funny but true.  Doesn't matter though, we will still pack 50% more than we need.  

One way to maximize space is pack about 50% of what you initially think you want to bring. It's a lot less schlepping that way too.

One way to maximize space is pack about 50% of what you initially think you want to bring. It's a lot less schlepping that way too.

One way to maximize space is pack about 50% of what you initially think you want to bring. It's a lot less schlepping that way too.

One way to maximize space is pack about 50% of what you initially think you want to bring. It's a lot less schlepping that way too.

This is me, too

One of the highlights of my cruises is talking to the crew members.  Not just the obvious ones like the servers, bartenders, stateroom stewards, etc., although I do ask them, too.  I'll go out of my way to take to the guy/gal that is moving the deck chairs around, cleaning the windows in the Solarium, the person dishing out the food, etc.  I like to hear about where they are from, if they have a family back home, how long they've been a crew member, do they like being a crew member, living conditions, ..................
What are some of the good questions you may ask of a crew member?  Did any of them tell you any really funny stories?  Any tragic stories?  Anything that made you respect them any more than you already did/do?  Anything surprising?
There is a VLOGer that is a member of the crew on the Ovation when I go on it next Week.  I've followed his VLOGs for some time now.  I like how he does them.  He is the/an assistant Casino Manager, Chris Wong.  He has surprised me with his loyal to Royal and hard working attitude.  I think he is great.  I'm just hoping that I get a chance to have a few minutes to talk to him and get a real sense of who he is and his in person persona.  He says that many none tip receiving crew members appreciate receiving Cup-a-Soup almost as much as they do the occasional tip.  So, guess what I'm going to try to bring him.  It's actually my wife's idea.  

I think it varies not just by ship but also by cruise/passenger makeup on same ship. Voom was fairly good on Harmony last week. A couple on second leg of b2b said awful the week before bc there were so many teens onboard for spring break. 

I don't make any changes. If I get it, I get it cause when I got it, I got it...this is why I get insurance for what the cruise line doesn't cover.

I've never heard of anyone grieving the missing of Nassau as a port stop....it might be worth seeing again when they finish the construction...otherwise...a big meh to that place.

I don't make any changes. If I get it, I get it cause when I got it, I got it...this is why I get insurance for what the cruise line doesn't cover.

Missing Nassau is worth almost anything....

True!  But, if you develop symptoms after the pre-test and you are honest or you are screened at the Terminal or on the ship it could cause issues, which I'm not going to worry about.  I'm going to go with the flow, if I get COVID, again, within the pre-cruise test and sometime on the ship, so be it.  I'll do the right thing.

I don't make any changes. If I get it, I get it cause when I got it, I got it...this is why I get insurance for what the cruise line doesn't cover.

I don't make any changes. If I get it, I get it cause when I got it, I got it...this is why I get insurance for what the cruise line doesn't cover.