mathbees

We sailed in March and my niece got quarantined. It wasn't Covid, but she was running a fever so they ran her through the protocols.

We had a great head waiter in the MDR and when he found out she was quarantined he ordered up a Sorrento's pizza while we were eating to take back to the room. I would imagine that you could order a "to-go" plate from the MDR while you're eating and just bring it back to her. I know people have ordered desserts to go, in the past.

On 4/11/2022 at 4:41 AM, fishernrex said:

Can you go on too many cruises?

I travelled internationally weekly for a number of years (admittedly, not 23!) and I still get just as giddy getting onto a plane as I did every time then. Interestingly, since I no longer have any status with the airlines, when we fly it is likely to be in the cheap seats at the back, instead of the 1st class upgrades I came to enjoy before. I still enjoy the experience. I am glad, though, that cruise status doesn't reset!

Similarly, I did six years in the Navy, but I think I enjoy the cruises more because those years on board a ship got into my blood. I still get the knot in my stomach crossing the gangplank and have to fight the urge to salute the Ensign (flag). Some habits die hard. 

So, for me, at least, the answer is no I don't think I can go on too many cruises or too many flights, either.

17 minutes ago, fishernrex said:

We had Marla (our one and only Genie experience) on Odyssey this year and I agree, she was amazing

7 minutes ago, jay1021 said:

MARLA KNOWS HOW TO READ PEOPLE

We've only had two genies (Hannah and Israel), so far, and both were exceptional.

However, Marla was the Genia in the cabin next to us on Odyssey when we had Israel. We did interact with her since this was in October and the ship was only around 30-35% capacity.  I will say she did impress us and even though she wasn't our assigned genie, we felt like we could rely on her as much as on Israel!

I personally find it to be a matter of expectations (and managing them!). If people are chasing D, D+, Pin, etc. because they *expect* better ____ (service, food, experiences, etc.) then they will be disappointed. The benefits should be like add-ons.

My wife and I enjoy the cruise experience. The idea that we don't have to cook, clean, etc. just by itself is wonderful, especially for a vacation. Our other vacation go-to is a timeshare where we do have to do those things. Never quite feels like a vacation to me. But I get a lot of relaxation in, anyway.

That said, having a waiter remember my name, drink order, etc., makes the cruise exceptional and I can ignore even mediocre food with great service. I don't go hungry on a cruise, even if the MDR quality is subpar. We enjoy the suite lounge when the regular crowds get to be too much, or the extras the genies provide, or the early boarding, etc. But we are not cruising for the perks.

We find that if we set our expectations at "we will enjoy this come what may" then the extras just ratchet it up to "we really enjoyed this immensely."

You might want to look at this thread. Lots of discussion on options there.

1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

It's why I take the stairs just about 99.9% of the time.

My rule of thumb has always been: Stairs down are always an option, stairs up 2 decks are an option, stairs up 3 decks or more will depend on my mood, destination and time available. Save the elevators for those who need them.

Also allows me to indulge more at the bars and restaurants...lol

On 3/26/2022 at 6:08 AM, Mofrazier05 said:

How do you know if there will be parties on your cruise?

Look at the schedule in the App. If I remember correctly, the schedule included those shows so you could set a reminder.

On 3/25/2022 at 9:02 AM, Mofrazier05 said:

Can anyone verify if the parties/parades are back?

We were on the Indy and can confirm both the 70s and 80s parties happened. I recommend getting to the pub or Vintages early and getting good seats!

And a Dublin Ice Tea or two will help the curmudgeons in the group enjoy the shows... 

56 minutes ago, cruisellama said:

Terms stated I just had to spend it that day

So what I'm hearing you say is that Royal encourages us to log in and check on our upcoming cruises daily. 

We did the B2B on the Indy just before you (Mar 11-18). Our MDR service was excellent. Most of the food was good, except the Prime Rib. It didn't look like a prime rib cut and my "medium" was just shy of shoe leather and, also, very thin (like 1/4"). That was really my only complaint quality-wise. The server made up for it, though, by bringing us extras of stuff we didn't order that he knew was better. We definitely didn't go away hungry.

1 hour ago, wordell1 said:

add betting machines

And replace the buttons with a slot handle...

The Independence was short on and ran out of Moscato for our March 11 and 14 cruises. I didn't think we were drinking THAT much...

4 hours ago, Pooch said:

I don’t need a second, sit down breakfast after

No Second Breakfast? What about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? 

On the other hand, everyone else ends up paying more for those few bucks “saved”

Independence of the seas, March 12:

Thanks, everyone. Very easy to drop the luggage at 9am and walk over to Grills for breakfast. Easy on board through security at 11am. 

I've been trying to find the answer to this, but everything I see is prepandemic.

We are sailing out of Port Canaveral on Friday. We have a family member who lives nearby and wants to take us to breakfast. My question is, can we drop the bags early, maybe 9am for our 11:30am check-in? 

We aren't trying to check-in early, just drop our bags with the porters. If it is possible and we did this are we increasing our changes of lost or misplaced luggage? I'm assuming they have completely separate areas for embarking and disembarking, so there's no chance that someone leaving the ship grabs ours. I know the porters are working to get everyone off the ship, so I was thinking more of a bag not making into the departing area in all the confusion.

Alternatively, I know there are some restaurants right next to the terminal that serve breakfast. I'm assuming they are used to customers coming in with luggage like that?

Thanks, everyone!

56 minutes ago, twangster said:

then it's gone

I always tell myself, "Somebody wins" so why not me?

In the video Chris says it is explicitly for the slots.

Just found this video where a vlogger is interviewing Chris Wong. At about the 8 minute mark, Chris says everyone 18 and older has an automatic slot machine freeplay for a random amount, but only for the first two days of the cruise! This is the first I've heard of this.

30 minutes ago, CruisingNewb said:

my buffet portions

Honestly, I'm in favor of being served for this reason, as much as the hygiene. I watched a mom and daughter get three full platefuls of food, literally taking one bite off each plate and leaving the rest. I'm all for trying new things on a cruise, but they weren't even intending to try half of what they took. 

It is a minor hassle, at best, to have to ask for more bacon while I'm standing in line instead of the person in front of me taking a whole plate and not eating half of it.

Nah, no anxiety or stress here. We are happy with the original booking. Putting in a RoyalUp bid just adds extra excitement before the cruise. 

My mock bookings for my upcoming B2B on the Indy, show sold out for inside, balcony and suites. Only OV appears to be available. These are spring break cruises (Mar 11 and 14), so we were expecting it. I doubt the ship has all cabins booked, but whatever the cap is has been met (80% seems a reasonable assumption).  

We are awaiting news about our RoyalUp bid.

Does anyone else waiting for news, who sees an email from Royal, especially with a title like "Special Message," have their heart skip a beat?

It seems like recently there has been an uptick in daily emails (and heart palpitations). It's almost like they are trying to induce more excitement. 

The CDC has a site to look up the CLIA number... not real easy to search, but maybe this will help? https://www.cdc.gov/clia/LabSearch.html