JLMoran

Speaking as a first-time cruiser who hasn't even taken his first cruise yet (so feel free to take this with as many grains of salt as you want), I have to say that I find your statement that you're "paying a premium" for the RCI cruise to be really perplexing. I priced out Disney and RCI cruises, and Royal was always significantly less expensive for trips of the same length and cabin type, with the same (or often greater) number of port stops. That's not "paying a premium" by any stretch in my book; that's saving a lot of money for the other parts of the cruise that matter to me and my family that we consider not optional (mainly shore excursions).
We originally looked at both Oasis and Harmony, and Disney was consistently 1.5 - 2 times the cost for the same level ocean view or balcony cabin. We ultimately went with an itinerary on Freedom that we felt was better, which cost even less.
Everything else in terms of the packages offered is 100% optional. If you don't drink soda, no need to pay for a package. If you drink soda but don't plan to have more than 1 or 2 a day, you can pay for them individually instead of buying the package and still come out ahead compared to Disney's price. And if you drink 3 cans of Coke with breakfast, a couple of Mountain Dews at lunch to charge up, and then 2 more Cokes at dinner with Cherry Coke at dessert every day; well then the package is your best friend in the whole world!
Same goes for the alcohol packages, the internet packages, etc. @coneyraven summed it up best -- it's "a la carting" your trip.
 
I really debated including this next part, but in the end I felt like I had to call out the fallacy of your "paying a premium" statement.
 
7-night RCI cruise on Allure of the Seas (priced just now, with a "60% off second guest" promotion currently in effect) Four ports, no private destinations Leaving April 1, 2018 2 D1 deluxe ocean view with large balcony cabins (equivalent class)
$4,174.10 (incl port fees and taxes)
  8-night RCI cruise on Freedom of the Seas (the cruise I actually booked, price reflects all adjustments since booking for better promotions) Four ports, including private destination Labadee Leaving March 31, 2018 2 D1 deluxe ocean view with large balcony cabins (equivalent class) Includes $200 onboard credit as part of the last applied promotion
  $4,894.92 (incl port fees and taxes)
  7-night Disney cruise from Port Canaveral on Disney Fantasy (priced just now on the disneycruises.com site) Four ports, including private destination Castaway Cay Leaving March 31, 2018 2 verandah cabins
  $10,611.36 (incl port fees and taxes)  
But RCI is making me "pay a premium"
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In addition to the link @Matt provided, you may want to do a search on Cruise Deck Plans for the different ships you're interested in. They have the accessible rooms marked clearly, and by hovering over a particular room on the deck plan, you can see if there are photos or videos submitted by members of the site showing that particular room. I used this to get a view of a Junior Suite I was considering upgrading to before pulling the trigger and calling my TA.
I do recall that they limit what videos and pictures are visible to non-members, so you may have to spring for a membership on the site to see everything that's available for a given room. But they seem to make a decent amount of material visible to non-members, and often I've found that videos are visible by first clicking on the video link, then clicking the "cached copy" link they provide below the popup video panel.

Speaking as a first-time cruiser who hasn't even taken his first cruise yet (so feel free to take this with as many grains of salt as you want), I have to say that I find your statement that you're "paying a premium" for the RCI cruise to be really perplexing. I priced out Disney and RCI cruises, and Royal was always significantly less expensive for trips of the same length and cabin type, with the same (or often greater) number of port stops. That's not "paying a premium" by any stretch in my book; that's saving a lot of money for the other parts of the cruise that matter to me and my family that we consider not optional (mainly shore excursions).
We originally looked at both Oasis and Harmony, and Disney was consistently 1.5 - 2 times the cost for the same level ocean view or balcony cabin. We ultimately went with an itinerary on Freedom that we felt was better, which cost even less.
Everything else in terms of the packages offered is 100% optional. If you don't drink soda, no need to pay for a package. If you drink soda but don't plan to have more than 1 or 2 a day, you can pay for them individually instead of buying the package and still come out ahead compared to Disney's price. And if you drink 3 cans of Coke with breakfast, a couple of Mountain Dews at lunch to charge up, and then 2 more Cokes at dinner with Cherry Coke at dessert every day; well then the package is your best friend in the whole world!
Same goes for the alcohol packages, the internet packages, etc. @coneyraven summed it up best -- it's "a la carting" your trip.
 
I really debated including this next part, but in the end I felt like I had to call out the fallacy of your "paying a premium" statement.
 
7-night RCI cruise on Allure of the Seas (priced just now, with a "60% off second guest" promotion currently in effect) Four ports, no private destinations Leaving April 1, 2018 2 D1 deluxe ocean view with large balcony cabins (equivalent class)
$4,174.10 (incl port fees and taxes)
  8-night RCI cruise on Freedom of the Seas (the cruise I actually booked, price reflects all adjustments since booking for better promotions) Four ports, including private destination Labadee Leaving March 31, 2018 2 D1 deluxe ocean view with large balcony cabins (equivalent class) Includes $200 onboard credit as part of the last applied promotion
  $4,894.92 (incl port fees and taxes)
  7-night Disney cruise from Port Canaveral on Disney Fantasy (priced just now on the disneycruises.com site) Four ports, including private destination Castaway Cay Leaving March 31, 2018 2 verandah cabins
  $10,611.36 (incl port fees and taxes)  
But RCI is making me "pay a premium"
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's funny, you used the term, "nickel & dimeing", I used the term "ala-carteing" --- As someone who grew up on the Disney product, as Fmanke said, there's nobody that does it better in terms of providing a memorable vacation for the entire family .....
What I personally like about the way that RCL does it, is the fact that you're not forced to buy something, hidden cost or otherwise, that you may not use...... plus, now that I'm 54, I don't need something that's geared so much towards kids, AND, I do enjoy a casino.  Perhaps that's an additional factor as to why Disney Cruises cost so much more, they have to make up for lost revenue.
I love the fact that I can start with a lower base rate for the cruise, and all of us in the family can pick and choose the "add-ons" in order to create a more personalized, perfect vacation.
Just my opinion, Disney does what they do really well, and so does Royal Caribbean, you just have to do your homework, and decide on what works best for you and your family.
Mark

I believe, as Mark said, RC lets you choose to spend what you want to spend. Spend $800 or $8,000. Get exactly as much as you want, or as little. It's all up to you.

So Matt just posted about the 60% off second guest June promo, and I checked to see if there were still any JS rooms available for my Bermuda sailing next October on Anthem. There were indeed a few and I saw on the RCI web site that it would only cost about $550 more to upgrade to a J4 (Spa Junior Suite) on deck 7 from our C1 (Deluxe w/Large Balcony) on deck 9. So as we're so fond of saying here:
"YOLO! Book it!"
I spoke with my TA and confirmed the price, and I'm now switched from our old C1 room (9244) to the J4 (room 7238). Still port side, so we can enjoy the view of Manhattan during sail-away from our room and not worry about being in a huge crowd if we don't want to.
Not going to tell the wife about this; I'm figuring I'lll do like another member here recently posted about, and keep it a surprise until we're getting on board and she sees us directed to the Suites access line. Now I have to figure out how to keep my mouth shut for the next 499 days! 
I already know she's going to love having the spa-style tub to lounge in, not to mention the larger balcony to better appreciate that sail-away view! And we can now enjoy Coastal Kitchen for dinner one (or maybe several) nights. Can anyone comment on the menu / food quality in CK vs. regular dining room menus on Anthem? I re-checked @Matt's live blog from his 7-night trip on Anthem not long ago, but looks like he only did breakfast and lunch there, no dinners.

In addition to the link @Matt provided, you may want to do a search on Cruise Deck Plans for the different ships you're interested in. They have the accessible rooms marked clearly, and by hovering over a particular room on the deck plan, you can see if there are photos or videos submitted by members of the site showing that particular room. I used this to get a view of a Junior Suite I was considering upgrading to before pulling the trigger and calling my TA.
I do recall that they limit what videos and pictures are visible to non-members, so you may have to spring for a membership on the site to see everything that's available for a given room. But they seem to make a decent amount of material visible to non-members, and often I've found that videos are visible by first clicking on the video link, then clicking the "cached copy" link they provide below the popup video panel.

So Matt just posted about the 60% off second guest June promo, and I checked to see if there were still any JS rooms available for my Bermuda sailing next October on Anthem. There were indeed a few and I saw on the RCI web site that it would only cost about $550 more to upgrade to a J4 (Spa Junior Suite) on deck 7 from our C1 (Deluxe w/Large Balcony) on deck 9. So as we're so fond of saying here:
"YOLO! Book it!"
I spoke with my TA and confirmed the price, and I'm now switched from our old C1 room (9244) to the J4 (room 7238). Still port side, so we can enjoy the view of Manhattan during sail-away from our room and not worry about being in a huge crowd if we don't want to.
Not going to tell the wife about this; I'm figuring I'lll do like another member here recently posted about, and keep it a surprise until we're getting on board and she sees us directed to the Suites access line. Now I have to figure out how to keep my mouth shut for the next 499 days! 
I already know she's going to love having the spa-style tub to lounge in, not to mention the larger balcony to better appreciate that sail-away view! And we can now enjoy Coastal Kitchen for dinner one (or maybe several) nights. Can anyone comment on the menu / food quality in CK vs. regular dining room menus on Anthem? I re-checked @Matt's live blog from his 7-night trip on Anthem not long ago, but looks like he only did breakfast and lunch there, no dinners.

While there are many charges (e.g., room service) that I am completely opposed to, most of the charges that you're complaining about are the same charges every major cruise line charges for unless you go ultra-premium, which runs about twice what Royal charges.
Although I do believe Royal's soda package is overpriced compared to some of their competitors, their internet is well priced for the quality, speed, and the fact that it is unlimited.  Other cruise lines charge by the amount of data used and offer a much slower connection.  I do wish Royal had a cheaper, social media package, though.
I used to cruise Disney.  And as of late, they're about 40-50% higher, so I would expect them to include more with that fare.  However, outside of soda, what does Disney include from your list.  They charge for internet and it's less affordable if you look at the amount charged per Mb.  And while the Oasis does not have a "smart app" for communication, you can always use texting which is only a few cents to send and often free depending on your carrier.  I doubt you would run up a $350 texting bill.

So Matt just posted about the 60% off second guest June promo, and I checked to see if there were still any JS rooms available for my Bermuda sailing next October on Anthem. There were indeed a few and I saw on the RCI web site that it would only cost about $550 more to upgrade to a J4 (Spa Junior Suite) on deck 7 from our C1 (Deluxe w/Large Balcony) on deck 9. So as we're so fond of saying here:
"YOLO! Book it!"
I spoke with my TA and confirmed the price, and I'm now switched from our old C1 room (9244) to the J4 (room 7238). Still port side, so we can enjoy the view of Manhattan during sail-away from our room and not worry about being in a huge crowd if we don't want to.
Not going to tell the wife about this; I'm figuring I'lll do like another member here recently posted about, and keep it a surprise until we're getting on board and she sees us directed to the Suites access line. Now I have to figure out how to keep my mouth shut for the next 499 days! 
I already know she's going to love having the spa-style tub to lounge in, not to mention the larger balcony to better appreciate that sail-away view! And we can now enjoy Coastal Kitchen for dinner one (or maybe several) nights. Can anyone comment on the menu / food quality in CK vs. regular dining room menus on Anthem? I re-checked @Matt's live blog from his 7-night trip on Anthem not long ago, but looks like he only did breakfast and lunch there, no dinners.

So Matt just posted about the 60% off second guest June promo, and I checked to see if there were still any JS rooms available for my Bermuda sailing next October on Anthem. There were indeed a few and I saw on the RCI web site that it would only cost about $550 more to upgrade to a J4 (Spa Junior Suite) on deck 7 from our C1 (Deluxe w/Large Balcony) on deck 9. So as we're so fond of saying here:
"YOLO! Book it!"
I spoke with my TA and confirmed the price, and I'm now switched from our old C1 room (9244) to the J4 (room 7238). Still port side, so we can enjoy the view of Manhattan during sail-away from our room and not worry about being in a huge crowd if we don't want to.
Not going to tell the wife about this; I'm figuring I'lll do like another member here recently posted about, and keep it a surprise until we're getting on board and she sees us directed to the Suites access line. Now I have to figure out how to keep my mouth shut for the next 499 days! 
I already know she's going to love having the spa-style tub to lounge in, not to mention the larger balcony to better appreciate that sail-away view! And we can now enjoy Coastal Kitchen for dinner one (or maybe several) nights. Can anyone comment on the menu / food quality in CK vs. regular dining room menus on Anthem? I re-checked @Matt's live blog from his 7-night trip on Anthem not long ago, but looks like he only did breakfast and lunch there, no dinners.

Just returned from a 5 night Bermuda cruise on Grandeur.  This was a "free" cruise for us courtesy of Club Royale so we only paid taxes, port fees and gratuities.  While certainly not free, the price was greatly reduced.
Grandeur has the Coca Cola Dispenser machines (sorry....can't remember what they are called.  We never use them) I noticed the 10 drink punch card on day 3.  It was $79 + 18% grat.  It may have been offered earlier.  I didn't see it in the Compass until day 3. Confirmed that Diamond Plus receive 30% discount on premium drink package onboard.  It was noted on the D+ amenities page in our stateroom plus got a printout from Guest Services that showed it Stayed at the Best Western Hotel & Conference Center on O'Donnell street the night before the cruise.  While not the greatest hotel or location, it was clean, the room was very large and the price included RT transport to the port, a nice breakfast and parking for the duration of the cruise.  Total cost for 1 night around $220.  I cannot recall the exact amount (this includes all the MANY taxes that are on top of the advertised $179.99 price).  Completely acceptable.  We drove to Fell's Point for dinner; lovely. Grandeur is still using the "old" dinner menus. Out of character for us, we purchased the 3 night dining package for $75 each (total of $150).  We had to eat at one of the specialty restaurants on either night #1 or night #2.  We chose to eat at Izumi on night 1.  The Izumi package proved to be very cost effective.  We each got $50 credit each time we ate there, meaning that we could spend $200 total on food at Izumi with this package (2 nights. $100 total each night).  We ate there twice (nights 1 and 4).  So, essentially, we ate more than the equivalent total cost of the complete package,  just at our 2 visits to Izumi. I think we spent $96 on our first visit and $97 on the second. Bill each time ?  $-0-.  Basically, Chops (night #3) was free !  Drinks are not covered with this package. While eating at Izumi on night #1, Dan was convinced that we needed to purchase a special lunch deal on Day #3 at 11:30 AM.  It was advertised as a buffet - the receipt we got even said "buffet".  Dan's greedy eyes were aglow with the idea of a smorgasbord of endless sushi options.  The price was $30 PP.  I am not the sushi lover that he is but he was convinced that this was going to be an epic WIN, so we purchased it.  Needless to say, whenever anyone gets that much anticipation rolling, it is bound to be a disappointment.  There was NO buffet.  It was a sit-down, 5 course meal, which may have been ok for a considerably LOWER price but the very idea that we could not choose our own menu was absolutely devastating.  We certainly voiced our disappointment and the server made us each a nice plate of nigiri and sashimi (especially after I flashed the receipt which indicated that this would be a buffet) but it was overall a very big disappointment.  I would NOT recommend it to anyone at the price they charged.  The 3 night package.  Absolutely.  This Izumi special lunch option - no way ! To my great surprise, they did offer the Fisherman's Platter (lobster, etc.) on formal night - night #2. I thought that they did not serve lobster on less than a 7 night cruise so it was a surprise.  We did not eat in the MDR that night b/c we had intentionally left our formal type duds at home.  We ate dinner that night in the WJ (as most of you know, I am not a huge fan of the WJ) as I had been convinced (from the postings on this site !) that the evening fare would be much improved over what they serve during the day.  To my great chagrin, I did not find this to be the case.  It was just more of the same - certainly no lobster !  That will, most likely, be my last trip to the WJ for dinner.  I was very disappointed. Chops on night #3 was good.  It was Chops. Nothing spectacular.  Food was good, not great.  Completely worth the $-0- that we paid !   Of course, we left a nice tip so it wasn't completely free, but basically, it was free. We did not eat at Giovanni's this trip. The only evening meal we ate in the MDR was the last night.  This was the night for the lamb shank, which is Dan's absolute favorite.  It was as good as it always is (I don't eat lamb so I will just have to take his word for it).  I was glad he got to have it. For the first time, we did the self assist walk-off early disembark.  The return transportation was exactly where they said it would be and we were back at the Best Western to retrieve the car right about 8AM.  I dropped Dan off at work on the way home and our trip was successfully completed. This was the first time we have been in an inside room in over 10 years.  I was dreading it since I have been living the suite life so fully, lately.  It was not nearly as horrible as I thought it would be.  Certainly, the room was small and we didn't spend much time there for that reason.  I find, the bigger and nicer the cabin, the MORE time I want to be there.  It was on deck 4, which is WAAAY lower down than I have ever been. It was probably the most convenient location I have ever had.  It was absolutely central to every activity we were interested in. It had been a while since I had sailed on a Vision class ship and I was afraid I would be bored with no Promenade or Boardwalk or Central Park.  I was pleased to find that I was NOT.  It is absolutely amazing how small the Vision class ships are, compared to the O class....but that was a GOOD thing on this trip.  You can literally stand in the Centrum and SEE the dining rooms and almost see the theater from there !  You are never more than a few steps away from either end of the ship which is NOT true on the O class ships.  I did not miss the bigger casino.  The casino on the Grandeur had everything I wanted with the possible exception of a full sized poker table. Table minimums for 3 card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em were $5.  I didn't play blackjack but I think the minimum was $10 at the regular BJ tables.  Not sure about craps, either.  The blinds for no limit hold 'em were $2 and $5 b/c I didn't get to the dealers the first night and get the blinds lowered to $1/$3.  I have done that successfully on many cruises but once they start at $2/$5 they will stay there for the rest of the cruise.  I will have to be faster next time !  It's just a way for the house rake to be more profitable for them. They had 1 UTH table, 2, 3 card poker tables, 1 craps table, 1 roulette table a number of variations of BJ, no Caribbean Stud or Mississippi Mud or any other poker variety table.  While I don't play slots, the slot machines seemed old to me.  There were a few newer ones but basically, I think they need to refresh some of those old machines. The water system did shut down twice that I know of.  The first night it was out when I got up around 2AM to visit the washroom.  Then, on day 4 it was out for about an hour in the middle of the day.  No explanation, really.  Not sure what the problem was, but it was apparently resolved quickly both times. There were only 3 Pinnacle Club members on this cruise !  I'm sure the PC's prefer the longer cruises.  I believe there were only 12 D+ on this one, too.  Dan and I received our 280 crystal block and got our pix taken with the crew that were present for the Top Tier event.  Normally we skip that event (we refer to it as the cattle call) but since we were getting a block, we attended. Both the Diamond Lounge and Concierge Lounge are very small on the Grandeur but both have nice views which is unusual.  Most of the CLs these days have no windows at all.  The CL on Grandeur is located on the port side of the rear of the Viking Crown Room and the DL is in a corner of the South Pacific room in the aft.  We were happy to see that we knew the DL Concierge (Rahul) as we had sailed with him numerous times before.  It was his first day on the job on Grandeur !  The CL Concierge was Carlington, whom we did not know.  He was very nice as well. The Cruise Director was Paul - can't remember his last name.  Good, I'm sure.  We didn't have much interaction with him.  The Hotel Director was Keith Murphy (Ireland).  The man was EVERYwhere.  Every time we turned around we ran into him.  Dan even ran into him off the ship !  What a great guy.  He was our "celebrity" dealer in the Casino one night.  Really, really nice and biiiiizzy. The best HD I have sailed with.  He had some interesting stories (told privately, of course) of his epic journeys on both the Quantum and Ovation during their 56-whatever day global odyssey cruises to  Asia.   While we were in Bermuda, they were holding the America's Cup races.  I am not a yachting fan so I really don't know much about them but it was, apparently a VERY big deal.  We could see the yachts out in the harbor practicing.  Dan went out and watched 2 races on Tuesday.  Sweden vs New Zealand (NZ won) and US vs France (US won).  I barely got off the ship as Bermuda is not my favorite port of call but the weather was nice and I got out for a few hours on Tuesday before we left.  I rode the tram around for a bit just to say I got off. Very nice cruise.  We enjoyed it very much and were happy to re-discover the virtues of the small ships.  Glad we decided to do this one.

Our experience of the Coastal Kitchen on the Anthem was very favorable.  Little more upscale from the MDR with nice choices and excellent service.  Harmony of the Seas experience was a little nicer in the Coastal Kitchen.  Very attentive service with nicely prepared entrees and delicious desserts.  Just be sure to get your reservations in early for any dining in the Coastal Kitchen as they tend to fill up fast.

So Matt just posted about the 60% off second guest June promo, and I checked to see if there were still any JS rooms available for my Bermuda sailing next October on Anthem. There were indeed a few and I saw on the RCI web site that it would only cost about $550 more to upgrade to a J4 (Spa Junior Suite) on deck 7 from our C1 (Deluxe w/Large Balcony) on deck 9. So as we're so fond of saying here:
"YOLO! Book it!"
I spoke with my TA and confirmed the price, and I'm now switched from our old C1 room (9244) to the J4 (room 7238). Still port side, so we can enjoy the view of Manhattan during sail-away from our room and not worry about being in a huge crowd if we don't want to.
Not going to tell the wife about this; I'm figuring I'lll do like another member here recently posted about, and keep it a surprise until we're getting on board and she sees us directed to the Suites access line. Now I have to figure out how to keep my mouth shut for the next 499 days! 
I already know she's going to love having the spa-style tub to lounge in, not to mention the larger balcony to better appreciate that sail-away view! And we can now enjoy Coastal Kitchen for dinner one (or maybe several) nights. Can anyone comment on the menu / food quality in CK vs. regular dining room menus on Anthem? I re-checked @Matt's live blog from his 7-night trip on Anthem not long ago, but looks like he only did breakfast and lunch there, no dinners.

@mom2mybugs, do you have flexibility with that March date next year? If you can go on March 31, that's an 8-night Eastern Caribbean on Freedom (the one my family and I are taking). Goes to St. Kitts, St. Maarten, San Juan, and Labadee, with four sea days.

Just to remind everyone -- this non-refundable deposit thing is optional, provided that you're not booking a suite. You can still do normal refundable deposits, you just lose out on the little bit of extra OBC. And you can still book a "phantom" cruise at the Next Cruise desk for a Balcony or lower category and be able to switch ships / dates later on.
For myself, I may use this option since there's no penalty to cancel & rebook in order to take advantage of a promo that lowers your cost, and at least so far I don't think about booking before I know what the exact itinerary is.

Head's up, everyone who is interested in booking one of the 6 newly added Grand Suites in the Aqua Theater area of the Oasis and Allure. These are the 6 new Grand Suites that were added to both of these ships during their most recent drydocks (this is where the "hidden balconies" were before renovation). The stateroom numbers are 11330, 11730, 12330, 12730, 14330 and 14730.
 
These very LARGE Grand Suites are going to be redesignated as Aqua Theater Suites. The Allure will change these rooms from GS to AS June 5, 2016. The Oasis will make the change May 7, 2016. The 4 biggest ones (11330, 11730, 12330 and 12730) are going to be category A3 which require a minimum of 4 persons to book. The smaller ones (14330 and 41730) will be a new designation A4 and will be available to general inventory, which means that you can book with just 2 people.
 
I found this out ONLY because I was planning on booking one of these Grand Suites for my Christmas 2016 cruise only to find that they will be designated as Aqua Suites by then. The Club Royale agent and I backtracked and determined that the change-over from GS to A3/A4 will occur in May and June of next year.
 
So....if you want to take advantage of booking any of these 6 rooms while they are still Grand Suites, I suggest you do so very soon. Word WILL get out that their availability as GS is limited and they will all be gone - poof !
 
Needless to say, the price on these rooms skyrockets once they go from being GS to A3/A4. The room that will cost just over $5K on Feb. 21 will be upwards of $15K once it is redesignated. Of course, they are doing NOTHING to enhance these rooms at all...they are just taking advantage of the fact that they are bigger than all of the other GS on the boat and know that they can charge 3 times what they are currently getting for them. Typical, right ?
 
Of course, they aren't telling ANYone about this...even the RC sales agents didn't know about it. We all found out together. So slimy.

It's available every night, and it never changes.

IMHO: I believe the frequency of slot bets and the amount (min or max, $1, or .01) equate to points on your seapass card. This is then evaluated at the end of the cruise. I play a healthy mix of slots, roulette & blackjack and bet a significant amount on all three so I don't necessarily know what game has granted me membership. Although on Harmony I hit back to back to back 17's on roulette with $100 on the number....

But you'll still be "Kay The Conqueror" here for eternity. ;)

Security: Hey, what's in there?!
You: Uh, a fishing pole with plenty of dangerous and sharp lures.
Security: Well, as long as it's not alcohol. Go on your way and enjoy the cruise!

Hi, @blueeyes1961, welcome aboard!
These articles should help with what to expect and things to plan ahead.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/07/23/20-royal-caribbean-tips-better-cruise
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/09/17/5-travel-agent-tips-first-time-royal-caribbean-cruisers
Probably the biggest one I see over and over is to arrive at least a day before departure, just in case something goes wrong. Long-time member @monorailmedic just got reminded of the value of that when driving to the hotel by the port for his Cuba cruise, when he realized he forgot their passports! ? http://www.cruisehabit.com/always-use-checklist-when-preparing-your-cruise-dont-be-billy
Ask away with whatever else you need / want to know. It's a great community here with a ton of people who probably have a collective couple hundred years of cruising experience under their belts.
Oh, and be sure to check out the podcast that Matt (the site owner / producer) put some out every week. If you click the "Podcast" link on the site's main menu and dig back through the archives, you'll find episodes about what to expect on embarkation day, more tips for a great cruise, discussions about specific ports or ships, and more.

Hi, @blueeyes1961, welcome aboard!
These articles should help with what to expect and things to plan ahead.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/07/23/20-royal-caribbean-tips-better-cruise
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/09/17/5-travel-agent-tips-first-time-royal-caribbean-cruisers
Probably the biggest one I see over and over is to arrive at least a day before departure, just in case something goes wrong. Long-time member @monorailmedic just got reminded of the value of that when driving to the hotel by the port for his Cuba cruise, when he realized he forgot their passports! ? http://www.cruisehabit.com/always-use-checklist-when-preparing-your-cruise-dont-be-billy
Ask away with whatever else you need / want to know. It's a great community here with a ton of people who probably have a collective couple hundred years of cruising experience under their belts.
Oh, and be sure to check out the podcast that Matt (the site owner / producer) put some out every week. If you click the "Podcast" link on the site's main menu and dig back through the archives, you'll find episodes about what to expect on embarkation day, more tips for a great cruise, discussions about specific ports or ships, and more.

To be clear, you do not have to get any kind of drink package to get basic beverages like water (not bottled), juice (not fresh squeezed), or "basic" coffee. These other two articles should help clarify that side of the question:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/08/11/first-time-cruisers-what-drinks-are-included-your-royal-caribbean-cruise
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/09/29/where-get-coffee-royal-caribbean-cruise
The main reason to buy a drink package is if you expect to be having a lot of specialty coffee beverages, sodas, bottled water, "mocktails", or alcoholic beverages. In that situation, it may be worthwhile to purchase a package for yourself and/or your son. The articles linked by @EmersonNZ should give some advice around that, but if you think you'd only get one or two such beverages a day at most, I'd say to skip the package and just pay the regular cost per beverage.