Gears

I saw eight people miss the ship in Aruba. It was kind of fun watching them run down the pier as we pulled away. Normally I'd feel bad, but the ship left an hour late because of a medical emergency, so there was no excuse.

Mono is correct. But, there is also another reason those are out while in port that heralds back to the days of  the pirates......sort of.  They are for the parents of very unruly children on board. They can show the child the little walkway and tell them that's were the Captain makes misbehaving children walk the plank!  :ph34r: Aharr matey!

According to posters on Cruise Critic, that's the plank that they make you walk for catching booze in your checked luggage. ;)

This is something I found on another topic but works quite well. These luggage tags on Amazon make it easy so you don't need tape or staplers. I used them on my last trip, they look so much more professional.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E4SQNU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The boarding times on Royal Caribbean are more of a suggestion than a requirement. Feel free to show up anytime.

I'll echo those saying good pizza.  Sorrento's barely qualifies as pizza, the cheese is god awful.  There are many frozen varieties that are better.  Along with that topic, a place for quick late night eats would be nice, other than Sorrento's.  Something with quick bar type food, chicken fingers, fries, burgers, etc. After a few alcohol infused hours in the various bars on the ship, come midnight or 1 am something to soak it up on the way back to my room would be good.
 
I can't believe I am complaining about lack of food availability on a cruise.  

It is not NY, it is not Chicago, it is deliciously bad!  
 
nothing to write home about, barely better (if at all) than frozen, but most (me included) feel that it is perfect for a late night snack on the seas!
 
Don't know another way to elaborate on "deliciously bad"!

I've heard they are a good place to relax during off hours, yes?

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...
 

Could be worse. They could have bowling on board!

I think it's designed this way to entertain those not playing ping pong. ;)

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. :)

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.

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?

Is pedialyte allowed to bring onboard?
I don't have kids. I just use it for (potential) hangover.
 
Thanks 😊

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.

Does she like...photography?

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

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

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...

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. :)

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.

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