lollilb

Ditto!

I hate to be a party poop, but the new menus I have seen have LESS options than the old ones and the options are more traditional and less innovative.  I've seen this same comment on other boards.  RCCL is appealing to the masses that want shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad and steak.   I guess I'm in the minority, because that is not what I want.

Our last time there (2015) you could snorkel the bay without a life jacket, but if you wanted to snorkel the deep water, 30ft, you needed a life jacket.
You can wander all over the island.  There are some off limit places, but they're obvious.  There may be some construction zones now as well.  There was a main trail all the way to the far (west I think) end of the island.  The nature trail was fun, and no need for a guide, unless you want a more informative tour.

Oh well.  So much for that.
 
What the hell - I haven't seen my feet in so long I wouldn't even notice until I went to
brush my teeth and realized that I suddenly got a lot shorter!
 
 

In addition to what toodle said, if you do bring your own gear I believe they still have you rent a flotation vest. 
There are a handful of iguanas around the island that are off of the nature trail, in addition to several roosters and even a kitty named Rexy. I believe that you are able to take the nature trail on your own. 

@GrubbyGrubblesthese are the ones I have in my basket to buy before we cruise in October. 
http://Cruise Luggage Tags Holders 8 Pc for Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruise Ships (Eight-New) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00X6M2CFA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yabwzbS8BEQKD

Yeah, I was wondering about that month deal. I'm sure the tour operator will adjust accordingly. Try contacting them. It''s in their best financial interest to be as accommodating  as possible.  

If this is an excursion you are booking through RC, I am pretty sure the excursion operator will adjust the departure time accordingly. 

Thanks. We love hot sauces so will make sure and get some. Thanks for the tips... If we make it to St Thomas I'll be sure and grab some in your honour ?

You always have a countdown going until your next cruise!
In my case, I count down work days which feels like it goes faster! :-) 
 

You've only been a member of this site for 5 months, you've never actually gone on a cruise, yet you still manage to rack up 338 posts. 

I think arebee should change his board name to "TheRumRunner" 

I do like good rum...

Nothing in particular.   There is a store (actually several) that sell all kinds of hot sauce.  Take a chance and just grab a couple.  In St Thomas, the shopping on the pier there is a liquor store that sells Bones rum.  I usually get 4 to 6 bottles when I'm there.  Bones also have a store on the main drag along the water, there they have slurpee machines where you pick what flavor you want then they set the bottle of run on the bar and say help yourself.  Yup, been there a couple times.

I used to think I hated rum, then I found Watling's in Nassau.  They make a great pina colada, we picked up two bottles of the amber and a bottle of the Buena Vista aged rum.  The Buena Vista goes great with a cigar. 

If you are only going to the Bahamas I can't help on the rum.  St Thomas and St Maarten are where I like to buy my rum. About the only thing we buy in Nassau is hot sauce and my wife like Caroloha so she goes there and spends too much for sock.  I did notice last month that they moved a Fat Tuesday down to the main street (Woodes Rodgers Walk).  You can see it from the boat if you don't have another blocking your view.  I like to go there and get 100proof slurpees. 

Chances are that you would have to cancel current booking loosing your deposit and then re-book.

I believe local laws in the UK do not allow for the same kind of pricing changes we have in USA.
If I were you, I'd ask your travel agent about if its possible.

Your post makes me very happy.  Welcome to the RC Blog family.  We are all here for each other, new & seasoned cruisers alike.  We all support one another in answering any and all questions & concerns, no matter how complex or mundane, to the best of our abilities. 
Mark

Yes there are upgrade charges for the things you mentioned.  Still RCCL is cheaper than Disney.  There is no comparison between the ships or itineraries of the two cruise lines.  I know a lot of people really like all the Disney characters walking about.  It's a huge turn off for me.  For the life of me, I don't understand why anyone would want to vacation with 1000 or more of someone else's kids.  My own kids (19, 16, 10) would choose RCCL over Disney for these reasons, although I think my 10 year old would enjoy lobbing spitballs at Mickey and company.
It's not to say RCCL is perfect, because it is not.  But, they have great ships with amazing layouts, lots of choice in itinerary and ship style, really good menus in the MDR, and generally good service all over the ship.
Everyone has an opinion, and if you go back to Disney, it will mean more opportunity on RCCL for us.
One more thing regarding communicating with family.  There are less expensive ways to do it.  Through my carrier, texting is not expensive to or from the ship or ports.  Phone cards can be purchased in most ports (not expensive).  The price for the internet on board isn't cheap, but it's not a budget killer.  The problem is the quality of the service.

I kept mine this week, will get them scanned shotly.

I've got mine from February. I sent them to Matt so they should be up at some point. I've been meaning to do it so this was a good reason to finally get them sent over to him. 

Thanks ? just generally being nosey and seeing what kind of activities etc there are! We're not going til September but this site gets me even more excited every time I log on lol. If you have any hints and tips when you get back please do share ☺️
Thanks @Mattdon't know how I missed that ???

You can get, exchange for fresh, and return towels up on the pool deck any time every day, from the minute you board.  No, they won't be manning the towel station at 3am, but definately from early early morning till extremely late.
 
That said, if i wanted to take a towel with me in the morning, I would have it in my room the evening before.  Odds are they will be available down at the gangway, but like was mentioned earlier, if for some reason they're not, its a long walk back up!
 
 

I'm onboard next week .. not sure I will keep the compasses but is there anything in specific I can check for you ?