Montemy2419

We just reached Diamond status which was a goal we should have hit in 2020 but we all know what happened. I don't drink so I can go to any bar and they will give me all at once 4 bottles of water. My husband has about 2 glasses of wine a night so with the 4 free drinks he has been enjoying trying out a mixed drink every day. He really liked the Coco Loco when we were at Coco Cay. The Diamond Lounge was so much nicer than I thought it would be. It's a quiet area and was barely used when we were b2b on Liberty in April. I could get really spoiled having a concierge, Willy was the best ! It's so nice to get a quick answer and not have to stand in line at guest services. We also got the free photos which was a nice perk since we haven't bought any photos in years. We did find out that photographers really push you to pose for a picture because they are given a goal of 300 photos per day. They don't get in trouble if you don't buy them but it's a daily goal that they have to reach. I thought they would be penalized if we posed but never bought the photos and I was told that they just need to hit 300 photos a day.

Sorry, I forgot to add to my post: we also have T-mobile and texting is free but phone calls are .25 a minute so do what others have said and use that app. When you get off the ship if you turn your phone off the airplane mode you will get a text message from T-mobile mentioning about the free texting and the fee per minute for calling.

@CanHardlyWait Thank you so much for the update. I was thinking about you and your husband and just trying to send good thoughts your way whatever you decided. Sorry about you little doggie not eating but I am sure that they are keeping a close eye one him. Since your next stop is St. Thomas it is very walkable. When you get off the ship there are small open air buses that take you downtown for if I remember about $10 each. Just pay the money because the road is very congested. Once you are downtown, maybe only a 10 minute ride, there are plenty of shops, restaurants and places just to walk around. I hope you have a lovely day and again Thank You for the update !

I am also a shade loving GF cruisers. Coco Cay has a dedicated fryer so he can have french fries. They cook the burgers by themselves on a grill and plenty of fruit. That is my go-to meal and they do offer a gf bun but I haven't ever tried it so can't vouch for it. There are umbrellas (free) at almost all of the loungers and our favorite area is to get on the island and go left. You are right near the food area, restrooms and rows and rows of loungers. Where you eat that area is shaded as well. Be sure to grab a map as soon as you get to the island because you can walk all over or take the tram anywhere. I love Coolibar clothing but if you have a Costco membership they have very reasonably priced men's long sleeve sun protection shirts. I love the sun but it hates me so I cover up with a zip up jacket and even fingerless gloves because I hate sun tan lotion all over my hands. Coco Cay is the best and we booked a 3 and 4 day cruise back-to-back just so we could visit there twice in a week.

I agree that to take a brand new ship to have it beaten with people on and off during it's first season ? I haven't heard much about it just that it's a new launch and with the high prices on Icon, plus no Solarium, I will stick to the smaller ships for now.

1. If I were in charge for one day I would just increase the cost of the cruise and go back to having tipping as an option. Two nights before the end of your cruise tip envelopes are in your room to with what you want. Americans are used to tipping but many countries aren't. 2. On all menus, including Windjammer, I would put the tiny symbol next to a food item if it is vegan, dairy free or gluten free. Currently it only lists vegan and since I'm in charge for one day I get to do what I want 3. Enforce rules such as no ball caps in the dining room. They have rules but RC is afraid of making the customer upset so about anything goes in the Main Dining Room and elsewhere. 4. Have healthier food available after 10 p.m. A pizza or sandwich just doesn't do it for some people if they want a light snack before bed. RC will end up with more dishes in the rooms as people have to stash a snack to eat after the evening show. 5. Have a note on the door when first time cruisers board to welcome them to attend an informational "Welcome to Royal Caribbean" on the first day. We have cruised 4 times so far this year and many new cruisers are lost not knowing about the app, not knowing they can ask for a paper Cruise Compass, how to see a show if it's sold out. We have spent hours helping new cruisers and RC should welcome them aboard and help the entire group instead they feel left out and confused.

@CanHardlyWaitI hope after a night of rest that you have changed your mind and will go on the cruise with your husband. I cruise because if it's a 3 day/4 day/7 day or even an 8 day cruise I am so refreshed. I don't drink but I just love the Solarium and laying on a lounger while enjoying the warm feeling. Since you have spent all this money I would suggest you rethink your options and if you don't want to cruise then how about a hotel for the week since you have come so far ? There are options and I hope that a restful night, a good breakfast and Florida sunshine will give you a direction that will make you happy. Love to you and your husband and safe travel.

We were just on Wonder in February and there wasn't a charge to eat there but you did have to make reservations. Very quiet place to eat and they have the Chef's Table right there so we were able to see what food they were being served.

We just made Diamond on Royal and then we booked two cruises on Celebrity. I had read that being Diamond makes you Elite but for us it didn't happen. The cruises aren't until next year so I will get this corrected but I just found it interesting.

Are you still upset about this same discussion this morning ? Everyone has their own opinion but the crew are some of the hardest workers, away from their family for months at a time AND can be extended as it did with one crew member I talked to recently. He was scheduled to go home after 6 months and RC extended his contract by 2 more months. Yes, they are paid, housing, medical and food but family time is so important. Discussion this morning:

We have had 4 cruises so far and we are adding extra tipping when the service is good to excellent. We only tipped an assistant waiter $10 on a 3 day cruise because the server we had she ended up doing most of his work. On the same 3 day cruise our room attendant did just the minimum so we didn't leave him anything extra. At the beginning of the 3 day cruise we did give him a roll of the stick on eyes for the towel animals and he was very happy so I figured that was enough as we leave the room neat.

This sounds like so much fun to find a duck and then take him on all of your future trips/cruises. I know locally a grocery store posts photos in their store of people taking their branded grocery paper bag on vacation with them. It's fun to look at the board to see how the shoppers have been traveling locally as well as International. Ducks are so small that they can easily travel with you and have many adventures.

I ordered 20 Ducks last night on Etsy and also had a custom label designed. (The label is below but I took out the names because I try not to share too much personal online) I'm looking forward to putting a few out maybe everyday since it's a 7 day cruise. @asquared17 I saw that you attached them with rubber bands. I have a lot of curling ribbon and was thinking of attaching the ribbon at home to home and then attach it once we get on the ship. I wanted to order more ducks but thought of starting small and then next year when we do a family cruise to give the whole family ducks to hide. Thank you to everyone for giving me great suggestions. I know that I will leave one for our room attendant so he/she can keep or hide if they want. Off topic but I used to bring candy from our hometown store for the room attendant. Instead I now bring a roll of the stick on eyes for them to use when they make towel animals and it has been well received. On our last cruise our room attendant told us that another room attendant was asking him where he got them. He had a big smile when he said "one of my cruisers gave it to me" It wasn't my original idea as I actually saw the roll on a cleaning cart and thought that Amazon must have them as they have everything.

On Oasis earlier this year there was a room at the end of the hall and it was a little darker. They framed the door with the most beautiful battery powered lights. They used small hook magnets to hold it in place so you or the room attendant could come and go without pulling it down. I always love looking at everyone's decorations and for the cruise during Valentine's they used different shades of red post-it notes and put it in the shape of a heart. I think it doesn't have to be elaborate but it should be personal to you.

Where do you get your tags printed at ? I think I may become a duck hider but want to include a tag so parents don't think it's a lost toy and won't keep it.

I agree that hiding the ducks or finding them and relocating them is so much fun. I'm not on Facebook and I like being part of something without having to be on my phone. It's fun to live in the moment and we were just on Liberty of the Seas. Both children and adults had so much fun hiding/finding them so I would suggest to spread it out over several days instead of just hiding them the first day. My husband spotted one at the elevators right in the circle of floor 8 in the number and we watched for a few minutes of everyone looking up but not seeing it. Thank you to everyone who does this and I may participate now that I know I don't have to include a Facebook link.

That is my biggest fear in traveling is the luggage not making it. I am paranoid so I have a luggage tag on the outside and inside of our suitcases. I do hand carry my medicine because I think I could replace the other items easily enough. Now you have me thinking because I have one small suitcase that has all of my Gluten Free oatmeal and snacks. I think that will now be a carry on as well because I can easily replace clothes but to find gf oatmeal and snacks in another country would be hard. I know I can eat on the ship and I do but if I want a cookie after the show I would be one grumpy lady.

Thank you ! I thought it seemed off so I thought I would ask those that actually cruise, not just read from a script. I think if the price is $125 or less we will go for it. I would like to try it once and since we cancelled a family cruise we had planned for April 2020 this will make up for it. The area seems very quiet unlike the area around the pool with the D.J. That area is great for some but my idea of a beach day is sitting in a lounger and barely able to hear the music from far away.

When did the bookings for Coco Cay Beach club open for your sailing ? I just called RC and they said that bookings won't open up until just before the sailing. We are going to be there April 2024 and she said to check back around February 2024. The RC rep also told me that the ballpark price is about $200 per person with children under 3 years old free. Since the bookings don't open until about 6-8 weeks before the sailing we won't be able to take advantage of a Black Friday sale ? Can you confirm or correct me on these facts as we have never been before and we are planning a family trip so I thought Coco Cay Beach Club would be a quiet, central spot for all of us to stay for the day.

I notify them pre-boarding about my dietary needs. As soon as we board I go directly to the dining room and confirm. We eat nightly in the MDR and always pre-order for the next lunch if available in the MDR and always dinner. I have several complaints that are simply solved. One is to label each item on the menu with the little symbol IF I can eat it. Why would they take the time to label a dish Vegan but I have as being a GF diner no idea just by looking at the menu if an item is gluten free ? After the Windjammer closes the only option I have is pizza. It's delicious but it gets a little old having the only option for a late night snack 4 out of 7 nights being pizza. I did check at Cafe Promenade and the only option was a cold sandwich. We cruised for the last time before the shutdown March 2020. I was able to easily look at the menu and see the 2 starters, 2 or 3 main meals and a dessert I could have by having the GF symbol right next to the dish. Now the Head Waiter shows me the menu and then stands over me going over what I can have and to me it's a waste of time for the Head Waiter. My experience in the MDR the only dessert I could have on Liberty was Ice Cream while on Oasis and Wonder they said the Ice Cream wasn't gluten free so I would bring the pre-packaged cookies from the Cafe Promenade so I could eat something while others at the table had their dessert. The consistency is just not there and I feel left out while looking at the menu in the MDR because if I were a Vegan I would feel welcome. It's not an easy process in the MDR and I detest having a menu handed to me, Head Waiter showing me several dishes and then standing over me waiting for me to give my order like it's a race.

We have cruised 4 times this year and the food is not consistent among the ships. On Oasis I could eat at El Loco Fresh about 5 items and would be safe as I am gluten free. We got right off Oasis and drove to board Wonder at Port Canaveral. We went straight to El Loco Fresh. I am still dreaming about the cheese sauce on Oasis because on the Wonder the cheese sauce was NOT gluten free. Two ships docking only a few hours apart and have different supplies from vendors ? On both Oasis and Wonder I could get Udi's gluten free cookies at the Cafe Promenade. They were fresh and I could always get Chocolate Chip. On Liberty of the Seas the Udi's cookies had an expiration of May 2023 and I couldn't even break them with my hands. As far as the port in Roatan that has been hands down the best snorkeling I have ever done. Yes, it is poor even worse than Jamicia I believe but the coral is spectacular.

But they did get a new pump so the Flowrider was able to be fixed on the second day of returning to service. Many other places were freshly painted, including the helicopter landing area. During the first cruise out of Wet Dock I don't think they knew which day it was going to be repaired because on the Cruise Compass the Flowrider was listed but had no hours of operation. For this cruise we saw listed the "Flowrider at night" and it was so fun. It started at 9:00 pm and ended an hour later. Very small group of about 5 people on the Flowrider so the employees were almost giving private lessons really help them to get better. We will watch on future cruises because we were at sea, cooler temperature at night about 20 people watching them support.

We first cruised in 1988 and you only paid for the cruise and taxes/port fees. They would give you several envelopes in your room about 2 days before the end of the cruise. It was optional and wasn't pushed hard. Same with airlines you flew and got a blanket, pillow if you asked for one and they didn't bat an eye at the amount of suitcases checked. We flew Skybus and they were the first ones to charge for soft drinks, pillows and blankets. No customers complained because items are being offered ala carte so they gave you a low plane fare and the rest was up to you. The other airlines made fun of them until they realized all the extra money that they could make. Now hotels, airlines and cruise ships charge extra for things that were previously included. Before the change in housekeeping daily cleaning we always asked our room steward to only visit in the evening. We like to sleep in during vacation and with just the two of us we didn't make a mess. We always tipped the room steward and the waiter/assistant waiter on the final night. It was sad how the dining room was over half empty on the last night because people didn't want to tip. Now that housekeeping has been cut to once a day cleaning I think more and more people will have guest services remove gratuities. You can only push your customer so much before they push back.

In February we cruised out of Miami on Oasis of the Seas and as I am gluten free there were about 5 items that I could eat safely at El Loco Fresh. When we got off the ship we drove to Port Canaveral and boarded Wonder of the Seas. On Wonder there were only 2 items that I could eat safely at El Loco Fresh. I think you will have to check on the ship as you board because my experience was the same quick serve food venue on two different ships gave me two different results. For the Main Dining Room and Windjammer I find they are much more consistent across the board with what you can/can't eat. I still bring a suitcase of my own snack items because after 9 p.m. the only thing open is Cafe Promenade or Sorrento's.

In February we cruised for the first time out of Port Canaveral. We used Go Port to get from the port to the airport. It's a flat price of $29 a person and the signage was very clear once you got off the ship. Seats were comfortable and even have foot rests that fold out, which we didn't notice until we were getting off the bus at the airport ! https://www.goport.com/