Atlantix2000

When you book a GTY balcony room, that usually covers a range of different cabin categories. (Depending on the ship, there could be dozen(s) of categories that qualify as "balcony"). However, once you are assigned a room, you can only move to a different room in the EXACT SAME category. Whether that is possible depends on when you get assigned (which could be anywhere from weeks before up until the day of the actual cruise) and if there are actually any other rooms in that category available. If there are any categories that would be a hard no for you, then you don't want to book a GTY.

As I understand it, all aboard time would be similar to an earlier departure. Yes the ship will still be sitting there at the dock waiting for the tide but the port employees that handle checkin will have left hours earlier.

Nothing prevents you from saving the money by booking the room that sleeps 4. However, you'll note that the prices in your screenshots all say "starting from $###". There might only be one cabin left in a cheap category and all the rest that sleep that amount are more expensive. Until you look at the details, you don't know what you are comparing. Twangster added a lot more detail but I'll keep it simple. The cheapest available cabin that sleeps 4 could be undesirable for some reason. Maybe it has a 10 minute walk just to reach the elevator! You never know.

A child having a passport implies permission from both parents to leave the country. If there were a custody issue, the child's passport could be held until the issue is resolved.

It may have something to do with when you purchased your UDP. Perhaps old purchases aren't eligible to make reservations but new ones are. In that case, you might have to cancel and repurchase the UDP but at current prices. If you got it cheap, it might be best to leave it alone and play by the old rules.

Can you leave your children on the ship? Yes. Should you? That's a more difficult personal question. Consider the possibility of missing the ship. Now your children are spending the night alone. Remember that ship-sponsored excursions promise to get you back to the ship but that does NOT mean the ship will wait for you. It means Royal will get you to the ship even if it means flying you to the next port at their expense. And what if the next day is a sea day? They'll put you up at a hotel and fly you to the next port. Personally, I would want to leave at least one adult from the group/family on the ship just in case.

From a quick glance on Chase's website: All Chase branded cards except the Slate Edge offer Chase's Ultimate Rewards points All partner branded cards earn rewards in the partner's program (United Mileage points, Hyatt hotel points, Amazon credit, etc) The only exception I see is the Slate Edge which offers an annual reduction in interest rate each year while in good standing. That card seems aimed at people that need to repair bad credit.

All Chase cards use the same Ultimate Rewards points. Each card has its own balance but you can transfer between them. I've got the Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, and Sapphire Reserve. Each has its own ways to earn points so I choose which card is best for each expense. Then, I transfer all the points to the Sapphire Reserve and redeem from there (either transfer out to airline/hotel partners, spend them in the Chase Travel portal, or use the Pay Yourself Back feature to redeem in certain rotating categories). It used to be a good combo. I'll probably spend most of my points before my Sapphire Reserve renews in December and then either product change it to a Sapphire Preferred or something else. If I'm lucky maybe I can qualify for a sign-up bonus while I'm at it. But in general, I think the UR points are worth a lot less than they were a few years ago.

quite the opposite. I can't see how I can possibly justify keeping the Sapphire Reserve. I used to say I could get thousands of value from this reward card so its original $495 annual fee was worth it. Now it's going to be $795 per year due to a bunch of coupons/rebates/and memberships for services I never use. I haven't run all the numbers yet but it's looking like my simple United Explorer with a $99 annual fee to get me free checked bags is going to be worth more than the Sapphire Reserve.

just don't use the tags you were given. the porters can fill out blank ones at the port. this is a pretty tiny issue

Oh @JeffB, the electrical engineer in me is cringing over this post. You're using the word current for everything! Current is the flow of electricity and the units are in Amperes (A). Voltage is the strength of the electricity and measured in volts (V). Frequency is the cycle time of the electricity when it is delivered as AC (alternating current) and measured in Hz. European countries typically used 220-240V / 50Hz electicity. The USA uses 110-120V / 60Hz electricity. I'm not aware that cruise lines prohibit voltage converters. That would be a horrible policy. I've only seen limitations on number of power outlets. Basically anything that creates additional power outlets will be confiscated. Either a power adapter (changes just plug shape) or a power converter (changes plug shape and voltage) with one input and one output should be fine.

Yeah, that's just hurting your stateroom host and serving team. Corkage fees are not new. Land restaurants have used them for a long time. It has nothing to do with opening the bottle. It's purely a "not-purchased-here" fee. The alternative is you aren't allowed to bring your own wine. Just open the bottle yourself and bring a glass with you to dinner. The glass can be any size including the entire bottle!

They were wrong that Royal doesn't give a minimum standard. We all have our opinions on whether that's the correct minimum standard but it certainly exists.

I can afford a button down shirt just fine but I never wear them to work so why would I wear one on vacation? The minimum allowed is stated as "no swimsuits". That's it. Your expectations are what is wrong.

I'm going to blame your internet connection. I've been reading the site for the last 20 minutes or so and didn't notice any issues.

Yep despite having the word "cork" in it, a corkage fee is really an item-not-purchased-here fee. The cruise ship (or a land restaurant that allows you to bring your own wine) doesn't make any profit on a bottle purchased elsewhere so they charge corkage instead.

Not necessarily true when interporting. That's kind of the point of the thread.

There are 2 sets of deck plans on Royal's site. If you look at the more future one (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/allure-of-the-seas/deck-plans/2375/15) you can see the Crown Lounge on deck 15. The deck 6 location is unlabeled on these plans, so I'm thinking it is a new restaurant that hasn't been announced yet.

so basically they've gotten rid of everything that made themselves stand out as different. They'll have to compete solely on price now. Not sure that's a great move. In the past, I've automatically checked Southwest first, and then looked briefly to see if there were any special deals with other airlines. Looks like I'm in the market for a new favorite airline.

Correct, that adapter should be fine. I didn't look to see whether it converts the higher European voltage so that US plug is 120V. So double check that before using with any devices that require 120V.

The deal you agreed to when booking a GTY is that it can be assigned anytime between the day you book and the day you board. If that causes you excessive worry, then perhaps a GTY is not the best way for you to book future cruises.

The app defaults to showing the information for the current cruise. So while your sailing is 8 nights, the one going on right now is likely 6 nights.

The rule is 1 pt/night is standard. Then +1 pt/night for being in a suite and +1 pt/night for being solo. You don't get the other person's points, you use that formula.

the drink package covers the "standard" drink rate. That rate is different in different parts of the world and it rises over time. Sometimes the documentation doesn't match current prices but that doesn't matter. The package will cover the standard drink rate on your cruise even if it changes between the time you bought it and the time you sail. The bartenders would mutiny if they had to ring up thousands of $1 charges every day. They don't have time for that!

Only if you believe the soda machines are refilled by magic fairies.