Gears

I believe You see "30% off onboard prices". The price you see takes into account the discount. Assuming you do see the '30% off onboard prices' you can expect to have to pay more once onboard.

The latter of the two. We take a small roll of tape to affix the tags to our luggage once we grab our bags off the luggage carousel at the airport.

Has to be at least seven...maybe eight years. It has been a while,

We miss the 'bing bong' chime that used to come before an announcement on the PA system. I think it was the Captain of the NOS that used to say it verbally after they took it away. It would have made a great ring tone.

I would have to say...a component of variety in the Windjammer. There used to be a section (I can't remember what they used to call it) that was a new feature dish everyday (for lunch). It was a section about 6 feet wide where one day it was Greek, next day Indian, etc., etc. That was the first place we used to go...see what the feature was that day. There's nothing wrong with the Windjammer...but it could use a little 'try something different today' section.

The picture looks like regular 12oz cans (355ml for the metric folks).

That's about six/seven drinks worth of booze (standard pour), plus the cans of soda that you can't get with any of the drink packages (fountain only). I can't say I remember what a rum & coke costs off the menu...but even if they are $6.50 each x 7 is $45.50 plus the cans of coke. Sounds like a deal to me based on that.

They could include free bowling as part of the Deluxe Drink Package...as long as there are bleachers for spectating! If the ship rolls the right way...it would be like Wile E. Coyote bowling...

My wife and I have Hepatitis A & B vaccinations which are good for 10 years, but nothing else.

I may be wrong, but I can't recall being able to walk around the aft. The deck plans for deck 2 looks like you can walk around the aft, but we know that's not the case. Pictures I find don't provide much in the way of confirmation. So we'll place this one in the 'may be possible, your experience may vary' category.

Promenade Deck on Radiance class ships is good too...just can't do a full lap since there's no path around the aft end of the ships.

The curtain is not a full room curtain, it comes out two feet from the wall. Since it's your first time, I would suggest you go through a travel agent to get help with your specific needs/asks. The RCL website is great...admittedly, if you know what your looking for.

On the taboo topic of exercise... Like to go for a walk but don't because the "track" is unusable with the crowds, chairs and heat? On Freedom class and Voyager class ships go down to deck 4. Go outside and start walking. A lap of the ship will take you up front to the helipad and all the way to the very aft end of the ship. A lap of a Freedom class ship is getting close to a half mile. Whether you just need to walk off a session of Johnny Rockets or you want to put your power walking shoes on, deck 4 is the best place. It can get windy sometimes, but you usually won't find many people there.

The correct, and more appropriate, comment would have been something like this: Your vacation may not be lost! You are welcome to join! Contact xxxxx and see what can be worked out for you. Instead of a bunch of negativity and what clearly reads as attitude and assumptions.

Didn't take long for the trolls to show up...

Does she like...photography?

He was British. Nudge nudge, wink wink...know what I mean?

We had a great cruise director one time had the day plate on the elevator floors changed to disembarkation day...

Ya...they took jlwrinkle's stateroom...

A little search finds out who's more important than you are... https://www.facebook.com/events/1855322991382927/

Aim for excellence instead of perfection. Punch out a reasonable list of things you would like to do and discuss it. Trying to do everything and schedule every moment will just result in stress...and what I have experienced to be the "non-vacation". The vast majority of first time cruisers are repeat cruisers. That's why RCL has built a fourth Oasis class ship. Something you didn't get to...next time! Have a look at the thread 'Things We Have Learned To Do On A Cruise'. There are some experienced wise words in there with respect to relaxing and not trying to do too much. Have an awesome trip!

Not only is it poor customer relations, but I think RCL is taking a big risk with this kind of thing. If a charter is done prior to publishing a deployment schedule, sure. Or, there’s a charter request and the requesting organization can have access to all staterooms not currently booked, then fine too. In this day in age with social media and the news media drooling over abused customer stories, RCL risks some serious brand damage. Vacations are a huge issue for people…tick off a few thousand and it can cost some serious dollars beyond any revenue gained from a charter.

Here's another thing we learned.. Some may say 'duh, no kidding dude'...but, on the other hand we walk by many open staterooms when they are being cleaned and there are folks who haven't clicked on it yet. Unpack your suitcases. Empty suitcases go under the bed so they don't take up floor or closet space. Use a mesh laundry bag and put your dirty laundry in the suitcases under the bed. Assuming of course...you're not bringing a travel trunk(s) for a suitcase most should fit. :)

Over time my wife and I have learned a few tricks and established some habits when on a cruise. Here's two of ours: 1. Take the stairs. Only exception is going to the Diamond Lounge on Deck 14 and then to late dinner. Otherwise, it's the stairs 100% of the time, no exceptions. Even coming back from an excursion on deck 1 and up to the deck 10 stateroom. No rush, just take your time and get it done. Hoping this keeps at least 5lbs off the scale... 2. Light in the bathroom at night. Nothing worse than getting up in the middle of the night to pee (when your 40+ it's at least once, 50+ at least twice) and flipping on the light switch only to blind yourself. Then exiting the bathroom only to greet complete darkness...stubbing your toe and causing a general ruckus. Since the electrical outlet in the staterooms is only active when the light switch is on, we bring with us a small LED light that sits on the counter that we only have to tap to turn it on or off. Just enough light to do what you need to do. Far easier on the eyes and at least you can see the obstacles on the way back to the pillow. What are some of your tricks and things you've learned to do?

Cocktails on board RCL ships are awesome. That's one of the things I tell people when they whine about having to pay for drinks on a cruise versus all inclusive resorts. You want a martini...you get a real 'careful not to spill that!' martini in a real martini glass. Pre-made...if you are looking at it like making a strawberry daiquiri from fresh strawberries, no, they don't do that. They will use a strawberry mix, but the ice, rum and triple sec are combined and mixed separate right there in front of you.