DocLC

While I agree that you should update your online check in, I don't believe you need to reprint the documents as you can actually check in without them in hand. What Royal is most interested in is the establishment of your onboard account. Further, they're going to confirm that you have your passport when you check in at the terminal, so I wouldn't necessarily reprint.

I think Disney might finally have some serious competition. Curious to see if Disney will have to cut prices and/or Royal can compete with higher per berth prices than is typical elsewhere. Throw Carnival into the mix, and it gets interesting.

My guess, if true, is to make the beverage packages look more appealing. It's sort of like Disney raising ticket prices to over $100 for a single day. The multi-day tickets look more appealing as the cost drops to $58 per day or so. In the end, it will just discourage the casual drinkers from drinking.

Breakfast and lunch are open seating, meaning you just show up during the operating hours and will be seated at the next available table. The only reason you would need a reservation for lunch is if you wanted to dine at a specialty restaurant that was offering a lunch special (e.g., Giovani's Table).

Most activities are included aboard all Royal ships including the flow rider, sky diving, North Star, etc. There are options to pay for private time/lessons, each can still be done without an extra charge. Thinking back to my cruise aboard the Jewel in January, the only activities that I can think of that had a charge would be something like wine tasting, Chef's Table, etc.

You're welcome. Just search "Royal Caribbean special needs form" and the page will come up. You'll need your reservation ID# to complete the form and near the bottom of the form you'll see equipment and CPAP.

It is intended to allow for an additional tip if exceptional service was received and you felt compelled to recognize that service. Tips are part of the fee charged by the specialty venues and the line should have indicated that it was an additional gratuity.

If you contact Royal's Special Needs Department or complete the online form, they'll provide an extension cord and distilled water for you. Unfortunately, the boards won't let me paste the URL.

She's suppose to be the same size, but like the Allure, she could be a tad bigger due to construction processes. Given the way gross registered tons is calculated, just enclosing a small area or increasing a space by an inch or two could lead to a "larger" ship. In reality, any difference will be nonsignificant.

The website is glitchy. As I searched, the search defaulted to Allure sailings rather than what I searched for. Our Jewel itinerary was changed, too. Unfortunately, the corporate office waited to inform passengers even though the concierge onboard had notified guests of the change weeks before.

It looks pretty good on iOS if you request the full/desktop site. Tap on the URL bar, pull down, and you see "request desktop site."

It is more visually appealing, but it's more bloggishnin style, making it harder for a power user. I also found it wasn't very responsive when using it on my iPad last night. I liked the booking/pricing better though as the cabin price was actually the cabin price inclusive of all taxes and fees. Previously I found that you had to select the cabin to get the true price.

I'm a fan of the Cambria Suites. Haven't stayed at the one in FLL, but have in MIA and DC and had great experiences with them.

Completely agree that the high ratings request isn't so bad. However, I did feel for our steward as she had to push her trolley to either side of the centeum to service rooms. Even so, she was excellent and barely seen, which is a positive in my book as I like the ninja stewards. Sadly, though, I think all cruise lines are under the assumption the good or very good just isn't good enough. However, the reality is that sometimes service is just good and not exceptional. Even so, that doesn't take away from the quality of their work. What the difference between a clean bathroom and an exceptionally clean bathroom? Aren't they both clean? Or as Matt likes to say about steaks . . . They're all good . . .

I've read many reports of people making early flights, but it's not a way I'd like to end my vacation. Security at airports is always unpredictable, as is traffic and delays at the port, so it wouldn't be worth the risk to me.

My fear would be that the ship is being chartered or going in for some scheduled maintenance, although the former is much more likely. Hopefully you'll get a definitive answer before too much time passes.

The main dining room will be open along with at least one other venue offering a continental style breakfast.

They won't roll tipping into the cruise fare as it would keep them from advertising lower fares and many are price conscious. Just like the airlines no longer include luggage in their fares. It makes the initial price seem lower and more appealing.

Near the end of my last cruise, I felt that I was drinking for the sake of drinking on the Royal Replenish package just to ensure I got the value out of the package. However, it was also nice to have it prepaid and not have to worry about the cost. Despite this, I am considering it for our European cruise simply because the cost of buying soda in port is so much more expensive. Plus, I do like my specialty coffee and couldn't justify having more than one per day if buying a la carte.

I haven't been pressured to tip extra, although I have on occasion for good service. However, I have been pressured/encouraged to give ratings on the cruise survey due to stated hardship. For example, on the Jewel, our steward pleaded for the highest ratings as she wanted to promote so that she could get new cabin assignments as hers were split on either side of the centrum. Fortunately, she was good, so it wasn't a problem. However, being put in that situation was awkward.

But isn't it true that you can only write off gambling losses against your winnings? No win, no write off. As for a blog expense, I'm all in favor of the research and the write off.

I had read about the propulsion issues as well. I guess if it's bad enough, dry-dock could be moved up.

Just curious if anyone has experience cruising aboard a ship just before it goes into drydock? We have the Liberty booked and I just discovered that it's her last sailing before entering drydcok. We booked at a great rate, but am now wondering if we should book on a different ship. Any thoughts are appreciated.

You are correct, Peter. Every dink purchased would be itemized if you did not have the drink package. At one time, some cruise line (can't remember which one) still displayed every drink purchase. I could see this as problematic as it'd be easier to assess if one saved money or not on the package. In my case, I did slightly better than breaking even, but that was mostly by picking up bottles of water at nearly every venue as I passed. Next time I'll probably pass and go with tap water and bring my own reusable bottle.

The only exception I found to this, poider, was at the juice bar on the Jewel. They did not inform me that it wasn't included, which was surprising as they were on Celebrity. While fresh squeezed juice is included, it's only that found in the Windjammer. Overall, I was disappointed by the package compared to the similar one offered on Celebrity for the same price. On Celebrity, they gave you large bottles of water, whole cans of soda (unopened if you wished), and the juice bar venue, along with yogurt sundaes, was included.