Tylor

1. Be organized, have your boarding documents completely filled out and ready.
 
2. Get to the port early.
 
3. Don't pack prohibited items in your carry on or checked luggage (firearms, candles, alcohol, etc.)

I think Wicked would be awesome because #1 it is a great show and #2 Kristen is the Godmother. Hello, what a perfect combo. Royal could get her to guest star in the show for the first few weeks. It would be perfect. Even if it isn't Wicked, I still think Royal should really try and snag that show for one of their ships!

Just please get a passport. It is an official document that everyone should really have.

I recommend the plastic tags from Amazon that Steve posted. I bought these for my last cruise. About 20 people asked me where I got them. They are nice and reusable. 

Folks just off cruises are commenting on CruseCritic that the price for JR's has increased $1 to $5.95 all you can eat, excluding milkshakes. 
 
This has blown up to be a big deal on CC, while some think it really isn't that big of a deal. Is it to you?

Also, if you love chocolate and coffee together, I suggest you have the Italian dessert Tiramisu. It is amazing and expertly prepared and served in the Main Dining Room on Italian night as well as in the Italian restaurant onboard. 

It's a concept of goodwill and courtesy. It's a concept that not everyone gets, especially if you're not from America. We tip for simple things like someone taking our luggage for the same reason we give clothing and other items to shelters, and resale stores or put cash in the Salvation Army kettles at Christmas. Whether the porters are wealthy or not is irrelevant.
 
Personally, last time I cruised I gave the guy a $20 and the smile on his face made my day. I feel like if I can afford to fly from Michigan to Florida and board a billion dollar cruise ship, then I can give up $20 to a stranger.

Not a fan. There is so much conflicting info on all these changes, drydocks, new builds. It is driving me crazy! Royal Caribbean needs to dedicate a group of people responsible for releasing accurate information. On CC a mod posted that Oasis would have both Cats and Hairspray, as Royal hasn't removed it from their list of shows yet. Also read something about Cats being the AquaTheater show because of the amount of acrobatic elements in the show. 
 
There seems to be a divided crowd, either some love Cats and the change, others are disappointed about not being able to see Hairspray. Personally, going with the family friendly theme, not sure how Cats fits into that. Not that is goes against a family friendly theme, but kids would get bored easily as it is not an upbeat type production. The costumes are strange and so is the plot. I personally thought Chicago was a weird pick for Allure, again, not exactly family friendly.
 
Shrek The Musical, Annie, All Shook Up, Grease, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Cinderella, Motown The Musical, are all great shows. If Royal Caribbean wants to stay relevant and on have cutting edge entertainment, they must contract with Broadway musicals that are currently being performed or just have just closed, not a production that is over 30 years old.
 
I know these productions cost millions to reproduce for the ship, including royalties. And I know Royal Caribbean has to be conscious about that, especially now that they are putting Broadway productions on all of their new ships. They are probably spending more on entertainment than ever before. I just hope they are making the right decision with Cats. Everyone is a critic and I've combed through a lot of reviews over the years and haven't seen nearly as many raving reviews of Chicago as I have of Hairspray.
 
Royal Caribbean prides themselves on an exciting, incredible vacation experience. Lets not blow it by putting people to sleep during the multi million dollar Broadway production of Cats. Hopefully I will be wrong and it will be totally exceptional show!  ;)

This is true. However, strangely enough, Dr. Pepper is distributed through Coke-Cola in some markets and Dr. Pepper is available on Freestyle Machines within those markets. 
 

Hi Nikki,
 
Congratulations on your recent engagement! My wife and I were married on Liberty of the Seas in 2008 in Miami, Florida (the port Liberty was home ported at the time). We had a group of 10 sail with us and the over all experience was wonderful. I do know the process has changed a bit though. Back in 2008 only a marriage officiant could marry, but now I believe that a captain can marry. Also legal ceremonies had to take place either in a US port or while docked at an island. But I believe this has changed too. Now you can have a ceremony at sea in international water. I could be wrong, but I have read this on Cruise Critic. 
 
Royal Romance (now called Royal Weddings) did all of the leg work, which made things very easy. Since we got married in Miami, Royal Caribbean obtained our State of Florida wedding license on our behalf. This is something some states allow, some don't. Most you have to show up in person to get a marriage license. With island ceremonies, you are at the mercy of whatever their rules are for obtaining a marriage license. The first thing to do is to contact Royal Weddings and go over what you want and check on dates, when sailings become available.
 
And if you get marriage on Oasis or Allure you'll get some amazing photographs that you'll be able to take home with you at the end of your cruise. Ship photographers took us all over the ship for photos!
 
Good luck and feel free to ask any questions. 
 

Posing with our wedding officiant Marty. She was amazing!
 

Taken in the wedding chapel on Liberty of the Seas.
 

 

 

We have a photo of us sitting in the Morgan with the sign switched to Just Married.

I agree.  If your cruise is port intensive, the package makes less sense.  But if you're on a cruise with friends who like to drink too and there are more sea days than port days, it can be worth it.
 
Like monctonguy said, to each their own.  I've strongly considered the drink packages but always passed in favor of paying a la carte because I don't think I would naturally drink that much to make it worth it for me.

I cruised on Navigator about 5 weeks ago. Paid for the drink package, and unless you do nothing but drink, day and night, you'll never drink your way up to the $55 per person/per day. I will just pay the tab at the end from now on.

I found this photo while looking through the Mamma Mia musical directors twitter page. Apparently last week there was a Royal PR event in Miami where the Mamma Mia cast did a short presentation.
 
This photo shows some of the proposed onboard stores. It shows Hublot, Cartier, Kiehl's, and Michael Kors.

Lowering of water.

I found this photo while looking through the Mamma Mia musical directors twitter page. Apparently last week there was a Royal PR event in Miami where the Mamma Mia cast did a short presentation.
 
This photo shows some of the proposed onboard stores. It shows Hublot, Cartier, Kiehl's, and Michael Kors.

Bill we all can tell you love Adventure since your signature says you've sailed on her 4 times now. You're probably safe with Adventure for the time being. I don't think it is in Royal's top spot caliber like Freedom, Oasis, and Allure are. Some ships depending on popularity get new stuff first. I hope you don't switch cruise lines. Even though we don't know much about Dynamic Dining at moment and how it will affect our cruising lives, I believe Royal would never institute something so awful as to drive away its most loyal cruisers.   

Other things - Hairspray by far is the best Musical or show I've seen on
a ship I think - I do love the musical in general so that helps but the actors are great and
we really liked it- since this was a 2 night sailing it was first come/first serve and
we easily got seats 30 minutes ahead of time.   Also played Bingo, do it a little Casino
and saw the Aqua Theatre show too.  All good things to do while onboard.

My tips for a first time cruiser:
 
1. Pack what you think you'll need. It is better to over pack than not have enough.
2. Watch your time and be organized. Arrive early to the port on the first day to check in. Keep track of your time while at port, so you don't miss the ship leaving.
3. Go on a cruise vacation with no expectations. It's not the Ritz Carlton, and it's not Disney World. It's a cruise. It can be the best vacation of your life or the worst if your expectations are not met.
4. Don't try to see and do everything. You most likely won't be able to and you'll just exhaust yourself trying.
5. Look at the constant changing views around you. It's the only vacation where the scenery changes everyday!
6. Take advantage of the options onboard the ship. See a couple shows. Try new types of food. Be adventurous.
7.  Relax, you're on vacation. Read a book, bask in the sun, or take a nap. It's up to you!

My tips for a first time cruiser:
 
1. Pack what you think you'll need. It is better to over pack than not have enough.
2. Watch your time and be organized. Arrive early to the port on the first day to check in. Keep track of your time while at port, so you don't miss the ship leaving.
3. Go on a cruise vacation with no expectations. It's not the Ritz Carlton, and it's not Disney World. It's a cruise. It can be the best vacation of your life or the worst if your expectations are not met.
4. Don't try to see and do everything. You most likely won't be able to and you'll just exhaust yourself trying.
5. Look at the constant changing views around you. It's the only vacation where the scenery changes everyday!
6. Take advantage of the options onboard the ship. See a couple shows. Try new types of food. Be adventurous.
7.  Relax, you're on vacation. Read a book, bask in the sun, or take a nap. It's up to you!

The second part of #2 is good to remember.  ALWAYS stay on ships time! Make sure you have a watch or other time keeping device that will not change to local time.  On our first cruise the cruise director said at the show the night before we pulled into Cozumel, "Do not ask a local what time is is or you will become one."

Please post LOTS of photos here on the boards for us to enjoy!

I recommend the plastic tags from Amazon that Steve posted. I bought these for my last cruise. About 20 people asked me where I got them. They are nice and reusable. 

Laundry is handled by someone else, which is the way it should be when you're on vacation! I've been on 5 cruises and have never once felt the need to wash my clothes or utilize the laundry service. But if you are traveling with children or are on a longer than 1 week cruise, I could see how you might need to wash your clothes. From people who have used the service, it is fairly inexpensive and the clothes come back clean and pressed ready for you to wear.

Laundry is handled by someone else, which is the way it should be when you're on vacation! I've been on 5 cruises and have never once felt the need to wash my clothes or utilize the laundry service. But if you are traveling with children or are on a longer than 1 week cruise, I could see how you might need to wash your clothes. From people who have used the service, it is fairly inexpensive and the clothes come back clean and pressed ready for you to wear.

We bought these plastic luggage tag sleeves for our recent cruise. The tags that you print out fit perfectly in them and you don't have to worry about staples, tape, or a little rain that could make the ink run. They are reusable, so we hope to get many cruises out of them!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PGOCUE/ref=as_sl_pd_tf_lc?tag=royalcacom-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B009PGOCUE&adid=0EEPJ0R7W2T5J4692MN8&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Frcm.amazon.com%2Fe%2Fcm%3Flt1%3D_blank%26bc1%3DFFFFFF%26IS2%3D1%26nou%3D1%26bg1%3DFFFFFF%26fc1%3D000000%26lc1%3D0000FF%26t%3Droyalcacom-20%26o%3D1%26p%3D8%26l%3Das1%26m%3Damazon%26f%3Difr%26ref%3Dqf_sp_asin_til%26asins%3DB009PGOCUE