SeaSomm

There are 20 of us coming into the port city at different times from different parts of the country, so it would be a lot to coordinate for anyone agreeing to print luggage tags and get them to those who don't have them. We won't all be in together in one place until we have boarded the ship.

A few of us in a large party that is cruising together don't gave printers. Will Royal print luggage tags for us at embarkation and, if so, is this likely to create any type of hold up?

This is super helpful. Bummer about the calamari. I love it. But great news about fish and chips. I love that too. (I have actually encountered overcooked fish and chips. Correct frying is an art, so it's far from a given that it will be good.) We're in the earliest dining slot, so that bodes well. Do you know if the grilled branzino is served whole? That's how I really like it, not so much in filet form.

Well, I'm not going to chance it. Thanks, all.

I'm really trying to pack light for my cruise next week. I have read that RCL doesn't provide bathrobes in lower-level staterooms (I'm in a balcony room), but that you can always get one if you ask your attendant. I just want to double check that this is currently the case. I will bring one if I have to, but that's a lot of space in my suitcase. Thanks for your help. I'm new here and to RCL and I've found these message boards to be really useful.

No Hooked on my ship. Looks like Chops has a grilled branzino, which should be safe. Think I'll get that and avoid fish in the MDR.

My inclination for an upcoming cruise would be to order a lot of fish and seafood dishes, but in my experience properly cooked fish is hard to come by in large-scale dining situations. It's usually overcooked and sometimes dry to the point of unpalatability. I should note that my preference is that fish be cooked "moist," or in the case of steak-type fish, rare. If the fish is dry or well done I will pass. Am I likely to be disappointed by Main Dining Room fish entrees?

Ah, I missed that. Typically they do not.

Try Turo. It's like Airbnb for people who rent out their personal cars, often for less than conventional car rental companies. You may find that there is a van available close to you.

I wondered if it had to do with the GTY status. I've had an assigned room for about a week, though, and it has not changed, while the Royal Up offer has been cancelled twice since the room was assigned.

Yes.

Has this ever happened to anyone? I received an invitation to bid on an upgrade and submitted bids on two staterooms for just above the minimum. My Royal Up request was subsequently cancelled without explanation. I resubmitted the bids twice and each time they were cancelled. I spoke with three different RC representatives. None of them had any idea why my Royal Up requests were cancelled. I tried to resubmit my bids just now and the minimum bid has doubled, pricing me out of the offer. Obviously, RC can handle upgrades any way they wish, but I feel jerked around.

Yes, you would be responsible for paying taxes on any winnings.

I am sorry that you were sick and had to be hospitalized. That must have been miserable. Based on your time frame, it is extremely unlikely that you picked up the infection on the ship.

Thanks for the review and photographic tour. The food looks good. I would hope for better wine at a dinner of this caliber. Other than the Mondavi, these are pretty pedestrian wines. I wonder if they would consider swapping out some of the wines for more interesting ones at the same price point.

Thanks for the review photographic tour. The food looks good but I would hope for somewhat better wine at a dinner of this caliber. Other than the Mondavi, the wines are pretty pedestrian.

This is really good to hear. My last cruise was on a boutique line and the experience at the bars was great, even if I did have to explain how to make a couple of drinks. The bartenders were skilled, personable and eager to provide a good experience for all of us. I had a great time chatting with them, especially the bartender who most often served me. He was from Ukraine, and I often wonder how he and his family are doing. This is my first RC cruise, so I didn't know what to expect. I'm really looking forward to it.

Thank you! Great idea to talk to the sommelier to see what they might have squirreled away.

This makes sense. Thank you!

I'm a wine and cocktail geek (I work in the alcoholic beverage industry) and I'll be sailing out of Tampa on Brilliance of the Seas later in the month. Brilliance is a smaller ship with fewer dining and drinking options than some, but I'm looking for advice on where to best get my craft cocktail itch scratched. Do any of the venues have a really savvy bartender able to make recommendations to a knowledgeable drinker, maybe even design a drink based on my preferences? (I know that all the bartenders can theoretically do this, but the skill and knowledge of bartenders varies wildly.) I'm hoping to find a rock star bartender somewhere on the ship. Where are the best places to get a well-made craft cocktail, bartenders aside? I like a good tropical/tiki drink as much as the next person, but will gravitate towards dryer, more complex drinks--to avoid consuming loads of sugar if for no other reason. The wine possibilities look mostly unappealing, so I will probably bring a couple bottles onboard to have at dinner. If anyone knows of a gem wine-list gem in any of the restaurants, I would love to hear about it. Tell me your secrets for drinking well on RC!

Thank you!

I am a new member and look forward to participating in discussions here. Every comment I make seems to require approval by a moderator, which can take up to a day or two. This prevents timely participation in discussions. Is this just protocol for every new member? When will I be able to post without having moderator approval? This seems like an overly paternalistic approach. Why not just let people post and reserve moderation for those who have a history of problematic behavior? I really enjoy the content here but would enjoy participating more if it were a more dynamic experience.

I love that idea.

Hey, Doc. Fellow LGBT cruiser here. A group of about 18 of us, men and women, are going on the the 5-day Western Caribbean and Mexico cruise leaving from Tampa on February 27. If you happen to be on that cruise, make sure to say hello. We're a super-friendly bunch.

CBD and THC are two separate substances. CBD has no psychoactive properties. I can't imagine that bringing it on board would be an issue.