Bob_KY

Loyal to royal.
When any anchor graphic reminds you of rccl's brand and it triggers Royal cruise memories.   

Yes.  But Voom is an internet service, not a cellular service.  You cannot send or receive phone calls or texts unless your phone company is set up so that you can do that over the internet.  You can surf the internet, send/receive email, and use apps (including voice/video apps like Skype).

Uhhh, didn't they tell you? The plat'num lounge is in the al fresco area of the WindJammer. 

Pictures or it didn't happen 

I hope none of those trees are hemlock! 
I really do get a kick of what autocorrect does with your posts. I always get the intended meaning, but those auto-changes are right up there with "Let's eat Grandma!" vs. "Let's eat, Grandma!"

My first and only cruise with Celebrity was a Pacific Coastal and it was one of my favorites even though I live in California. There were some differences from Royal, particular in terms of food quality, but if say they were more alike than different.

We will be with her. I used to work in an assisted living/memory care facility, so had some training. This will be her last big trip with her, and want her to have a great time before she forgets

My late grandmother had Alzheimer's.  We would take a photo of her everyday and every time she changed her outfit that way it will assist in case we needed search for her.  We also used photo magnets of people who she was familiar with and put them on her cabin door.  Just make sure you do mention to the cruise line of any medical condition.  We also used a bluetooth tracker like Tile.  Attached the Tile to a piece of clothing or in her pocket.  Have a plan.  We told her to go to any stairway/elevator and stay there.  

We are always looking for people to join our team of dedicated testers.  . It won't be easy, hour upon hour of field work toughing it out in the sun as you order drink after drink at the bar.... I'm not sure everyone has what it takes 

As a programmer myself I can guess what is happening here and yes it sounds like an IT problem.  My guess (without actually seeing their code)....The bartender rings up the drink, the computer BEFORE hitting the "Drink Package" flag hits a flag saying "no available spending account" and rejects the order, when in reality it should check the drink package flag first.  Maybe when i retire (in 10 years) , RC can hire me to rewrite their software......from the deck of Liberty of course.....while tossing back margaritas....
 

The mushroom soup is the BEST !  
Most probably already know this but if you go to a specialty restaurant and want something that is offered in a different specialty restaurant you can ask the waiter to get it from the other restaurant for you.
When we were on Harmony in Sept. we went to 150 Central Park and I asked them to bring me a bowl of cream of mushroom soup from Chops (actually Dan got one, too) and they did.  When we were in the Coastal Kitchen for dinner one night we asked them for the same thing and they brought it to us so you can enjoy your mushroom soup in any of the specialty restaurants even if it is not on their menu !!!

Here is a Sky and Star class card next to each other. The hole on the Star class card was added when I had gotten back 

Another casual observation that the scanner doesn't pick up. The cards I got on Harmony and Anthem have a metallic look to them. The ones from Allure and Oasis just seem to be a flat color.

A different thought: additional time, moving again, and more money impact this option.  Fly into Anchorage and explore that city as you recover from the long flight.  Plenty of hotels and activities to choose from.  Food - Jen's Restaurant is a must for dinner and breakfast - Snow City Cafe.  Brew - Anchorage Brewing Company,  Midnight Sun Brewing Company or Glacier Brew House.  Also, recommend:  a sticky bun in Talkeetna Roadhouse and in Aleyska, Seven Glaciers Restaurant (reservations? We got a table in the bar..).  

I agree, I know I'd have a certain level of anxiety if my vacation that I had planned on and had been looking forward to for a while was in any kind of jeopardy, or just plain at risk of being less than awesome. 
I hope at the very least the person understands many factors are out of Royal Caribbean's hands, and the company reaching out with humanitarian aid to the suffering people of Puerto Rico is a wonderful gesture.  

It's an unfortunate situation, and if I was booked on this cruise I too would likely be frustrated by much of the uncertainty.  
Subjectively, I'd suspect that there'd be less of a negative feeling about this post if the subject didn't insinuate that uncertainty around a cruise vacation is in some way a humanitarian crisis analogous to over 3 million people being uncertain of when they might get clean water, medical supplies, etc. 
More objectively, with regard to the amount of time the ship would need to be cleaned - these ships have same day turnarounds every cruise.  They're cleaned, sanitized, etc.  The ships also generate their own supply of fresh potable water, so in a sense, the cleanest, safest place in Puerto Rico is likely Adventure of the Seas while she is in port, and there hasn't been a reason that the ship isn't able to maintain that type of operation at any point.
With regard to the scheduling and uncertainty, I'm sure that Royal Caribbean and everyone else wishes things were different.  If they cancel a sailing and it turns out they didn't need to be because the port re-opened and sailing was a safe and practical option then people get upset.  If they wait until the last minute to cancel that makes planning very difficult.  If they don't cancel there will be some who are glad their vacation is on, and others who don't feel they should be sailing for any number of reasons.  In a sense they're damned if they do and damned if they don't.
In terms of reviews - whether for cruising or anything else, you can almost always find multiple reviews to back up any opinion.  This is great/this is terrible.  It's clean/it's dirty.  Service was fast/service was slow.  I try and look for the specific complaints or praises within a review, especially those points which are measurable and objective, and decide what those mean to me.  I also avoid giving much merit to reviews that give extreme praise or disapproval.  
For the record, I sail many cruise lines and haven't a reason to defend or knock RCI.  I've got no skin in the game of reviews.
Ultimately, I hope that if you want to sail, then you are able to without a hitch, and that if you don't RCI will work with you.  I can appreciate that at this point you just want to know where you'll be and what you'll be doing in a few weeks.  I hope you let us know how it all goes.

Five years ago I had a contract on St Thomas that lasted almost two years.  In those two years I got to know all of the USVI.  There is nothing like living somewhere to really get to know the culture.  I've been communicating with a local resident I used to work with who lived through Irma and the struggles since.  This morning was the first sign of hope in his communication, they've been pretty bleak up to this point.  
His message today read "Yesterday was a great day.  Tim Duncan, pro basketball player, also a virgin islander, distributed a lot of food at the Innovative parking lot.  I volunteered to assist giving bags of food away".  That's the most hopeful and positive message I've received so far.
Up until today his messages have repeatedly discussed a lack of food and water.  Even after Majesty OTS visited there dropping off supplies earlier this week, its taken time for those and other supplies reaching the island to make it into the hands of the residents.  I understand that, it takes time for local authorities and relief organizations to triage the situation and with so many in need, to get more supplies flowing and distributed to the people in need.  Watching this unfold from both sides has been nerve racking and frustrating but in my heart I knew it would be a process that wouldn't happen overnight. 
I'd like to personally thank any Royal Caribbean employees at all levels of the organization who might read this post.  
In a natural disaster anywhere an immediate response is critical to saving lives.  With island factors involved that is even more so the case.  As first responders, relief organizations and governments began to mobilize their forces, Royal Caribbean employees worked to fulfill the gap in those critical first days after Hurricane Irma had passed bringing much needed supplies and evacuating stranded travelers, reducing the number of victims vying for limited food and water.
Since 2016 I've been evaluating new cruise lines to sail with.  My upcoming Harmony cruise will mark the 5th with the Royal Caribbean family in support of that goal.  It had been my intention to continue to explore different cruise lines not because I was unhappy with any of those cruises,  more because I just wanted to be familiar with all my options before zeroing in on any line in particular.   My search is over.  Watching Royal Caribbean's response to Irma I know I found the right cruise line.  
For me with my St Thomas connection this is personal.  I look forward to cruising back there one day when the time is right.  I'll find other ways to help when the time is appropriate, going there right now would just make me another mouth to feed.
For those with cruises impacted I'm sorry and I know its upsetting, but Royal Caribbean made a real difference deploying their ships as they did.
Before joining this forum, I posted in another forum shortly after talking to my friend earlier this week.  His call came in late one night and after I couldn't sleep so I started writing.  
I apologize for making this post very long, but thought the context was important.  Things on island are improving.  There is a still a long way to go.  It will take months to get power back.  Recovery is a process and it has begun.   It's only going to get better from here.
 
Here is my post, from 9-12-2017:
I finally heard back from a former coworker and friend on St Thomas tonight.   
Area code 340 appeared on my phone as I watched the evening news in Denver.  My heart skipped a beat, I know that area code, I know it's the USVI. It felt surreal having to mute my 70" big screen TV and look at my large glass of ice water beside me as he explained how things are on St Thomas.  I used to work there with him.  I know the islands well. 
Now, no power, no water, little food.  Multiple check points.  Curfew 6pm to noon.  They can't open the supermarkets fully for fear of looting, so the National Guard allows 8-10 in at a time to pick from the small selection of food. Long lines waiting for your turn.  He seemed pleased to have a few items of food from his last visit.  He had found a working ATM and was able to get cash for food.  Small miracles.  Between getting there and waiting in line, it's an all day affair.  Curfew.  
He was aware of the cruise ship visit today and why they were there - to pick up stranded travelers, but he knew nothing of the supplies being left by the ships.  "Where did they go?" was his question, meaning the supplies, not the travelers.  
He still works for the same company where I was a contractor.  He explained how he works noon to six because that is when curfew is lifted.  He goes to the office building where I used to work from and tries to keep some of the equipment from over heating by moving fans around.  They have a generator, but not one to run the air conditioning for the building, a building which is damaged.  They all are. Today he tried to make it to the Home Depot to buy something for the office.  That took 2 1/2 hours.  It used to take 10 - 15 minutes from Tutu.   Lots of check points. VI police at one, National Guard at another, Marines at a 3rd.  He wasn't sure they were Marines, but some sort of military.  Turns out Home Depot was closed.  No power and damaged.  With no time to lose, he headed back.  He had to, curfew in 2 hours.  A work day lost.  Many of the company buildings are damaged.  Some of these are the central offices of the local Telco where we worked.  They were the backbone of island communication before Irma.  He was grateful to have cell signal tonight.  I felt guilty talking to him for so long knowing it was draining his battery, but it seemed like he wanted to talk, needed to talk. He can charge it in the office tomorrow he explained.  Our calls dropped numerous times but he promptly called me back each time. 
"It's hard" he explained.  "Everything is hard".  I could hear it in his voice.  Even doing nothing all morning but laying in bed until noon.  Curfew.  Can't go outside, nothing to do inside.  His house damaged he is living with friends.  Even bathing is hard.  No water and it's hard to bathe in the ocean and be salty.  
He was hoping to make it to St Croix soon.  The company has offices there.  He could keep his job.  That's really important in the VI, jobs are hard to come by and he is grateful to have one.   St Croix felt some effects from Irma but nothing like St Thomas and especially not like St John.  "I'm blessed" he told me.  "People on St John have it very bad".  He explained they are resettling anyone they can from St John over to St Croix.   For the moment that means he can't go to St Croix.  Maybe soon he hopes.  They have power, and water.  Some of St Croix does he heard.  He told me several times how fortunate he is.
I felt silly asking if he needed anything, both of us knowing there would be no way for me to ship it to him.  Maybe soon. Until then I've got to find a way to help.  We all do.
Since writing this late last night I woke to the news that Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas remains in the area and is doing runs between San Juan and St Thomas.  Shout out to the NCL Sky for her visit Monday, I was checking out her webcam while she was there.  Even bigger shout out to Royal Caribbean for keeping Majesty OTS in the area for a few days.  I know other lines are helping in other places too.  
 The biggest challenge in a natural disaster anywhere is surviving the first few weeks.   Add the island factor and the fact that there are two islands, St Thomas and St John and it becomes a massive challenge.  With more supplies continuing to arrive they will eventually make it to the people.  Looters won't feel the need to loot, curfews can be relaxed, people will shift focus to items like getting the power on and water running.  
 It won't happen overnight but don't underestimate the resolve of VI residents, these are American citizens after all.  St Thomas and St John will rebuild.  I look forward to returning on a cruise one day.  Until then donate if you can and thank the cruise lines for their role in this critical phase of surviving the next few weeks.   
 

Ohhh man, hopefully not the full length zip front with the chest hair exposed at the top. That will get your beverage package revoked and a Captain's escort to the front of the line on debarkation...... even if it's not your home port of debarkation.

I will be late to the party with a January sailing.  Now i have a task to taste.

Geddy Lee might be a fine bass player... But the voice.. His voice... I can't listen to it. I'd rather have acid poured on my ear drums. 
 

A little off topic.  An excursion we ranked high was "Bike n Brew" out of Juneau. The bike ride to Mendenhsll Glacier wss great.  Loved the Alaskan Brewing Company tasting.  We finished early enough to do the mandatory visit to the Red Dog Saloon (food, drink, & entertainment ).

Steve Davis is also known for his "Thriller" dance class.  If offered, we had a blast in May 2017 doing it.    For the first time, i went to Steve's Discussion Sessions - very thought provoking.    

I always take a carry-on with me with extra clothes on the ship. I was on a cruise once, and a passengers luggage never made it on the ship. He only had the clothes he was wearing which made for a very long week. Every couple days, he'd send his clothes to the cleaners to get washed. When he did that he had to sit in his room until they were clean, so he missed out on a lot of activities.  He finally got his luggage on the last port stop. I just about ruined his whole trip. 

It looks like you may have coverage under the cancel for any reason provision. However, unless there was some type of pre-existing waiver, it doesn't look like you'll be eligible for a full cash refund; read the policy to be sure. I've attached what I could find. Essentially, it says that if a conditioned worsened it required a visit to a doctor 60 days before the coverage was purchased, the condition isn't covered. 
Some policies (at least third party ones) waive pre-existing conditions of purchased within 14 days off initial deposit, but I don't know if Total has such a policy. If your wife did NOT see her doctor for her knee the two months before you bought the insurance, you should be okay, but again read the policy. Also, the insurance company will require the doctor to fill out forms confirming this before payment will be made. 
Best of luck with this and I hope your wife recovers from hey knee troubles. 
RCC_Version_4_9-2015.pdf

The website is as reliable as a stormtrooper's aim.