DocLC

There's no way I'm paying $200+ for internet access on a vacation. But I would easily pay $25 for unlimited social media access. Royal would be money ahead by offering some of these more affordable options for their extra services rather than charging exhorbitant fees that only a few are able to enjoy.

Tomato, tomatoe!

Smart. It's the best source of advertising any cruise line could hope for in the end.

I like this idea even better!
 
But if time is a factor, go with the 2 adjoining cabins!

Or get a single cabin and do a back-to-back cruise; same cost and same number of points if you have the time.

Confiscate is such a harsh word. Perhaps "store it for your convenience" (and to pad the bar tab) would be more appropriate. ;)

Or get a single cabin and do a back-to-back cruise; same cost and same number of points if you have the time.

Smart. It's the best source of advertising any cruise line could hope for in the end.

Good point! Spec's is closed on Sunday, but grocery stores sell beer and wine on Sundays beginning at Noon. I always arrive at least one day early for a cruise so I didn't think about this. If you fly in on Sunday it could be problematic to shop for wine on your way to the port.

If you cruise solo, you'll earn double points as you're paying a single supplement fare.

My guess is that they don't stcok them with booze since they're not locked and thus a minor would have access to the them. You can always buy a beer at a bar, ask them not to open it, and store it in the fridge yourself.

Further proof that we need a ship in Southern California where the average temp with be in the mid to upper 70s this week.
 
I know the Mexico route wasn't extremely profitable, but I wish they'd consider doing more California coastals.

It's hard to go wrong with Magen's Bay in St Thomas

I didn't realize there was a limit.  Don't worry Mark, all the snow we're about to get in CT will dim down your enthusiasm ;)

I use an app on my smart phone as it's easier and lighter than a fan. However, I don't think you'll have any issues getting a steamer or small fan onboard based on my own experiences.

There are a number of them depending on your phone and the app store that you use. Just search "white notice" and a bunch of choices will come up. My best experience has been with apps that simulate fan noise.

Not that I saw. It seemed like your regular instant tea.

I'd like to see more promotions like Celebrity has run in the past where you could choose between prepaid gratuities, drink packages, etc.

ive read that if there are at least four days remaining, you can buy the package.

We did the equivalent package on Celebrity and figured we'd only break even at best as it was a port intensive (7 ports in 7 days) cruise. However, I figured the convenience and having it paid for upfront would be worth it. In the end, we really saw the value in it. I would start with fresh squeezed orange juice and a sugar free vanilla latte in the morning, have an ice-blended coffee when we returned, a couples of bottles of water on excursions, a soda or two with dinner, cappuccino with dessert, and a nonalcoholic cocktail with the show. In the end, it more than paid off.
 
We're doing the same on the Jewel this January on another port intensive cruise. I'll consider it for our European cruise, too, if it's offered as I hear they raise the bar prices when the ships are in Europe.

Ohhhhh. I can't wait to try this! I've been known to make a meal out of a banana split.

I think 90 minutes is a safe estimate. When dining with just my wife, we're sometimes out in roughly an hour, but it really comes down to the efficiency of your wait staff and how much you order, what you order (e.g., specialty coffee with dessert), etc. I have found that open dining usually runs faster, but again it depends on your service team. If you're at a big table, add an addition 30-60 minutes especially if you like your table mates as the conversation slows things down.

I just wanted to remind everyone to ask for the kids' menu in the MDR especially if there's nothing to your liking on the regular menu or if you're looking for something different (e.g., finger foods).  We often find that desserts of the kids' menu can be a nice change as most cruise lines have some version of a banana split which can make the regular ice cream a bit more appealing.  On Royal, it's more like sliced bananas with chocolate syrup, but still quite tasty especially if you opt for the specialty flavor of the night.
 
Remember, any adult can order for the kids' menu just like any kid can order from the regular menu. :)

I saw a rumor mentioned on Facebook that for February, Royal Caribbean will be offering beverage packages as a perk for new bookings.
 
Although that wouldn't help me for my existing bookings, it'll be nice to see them do something that, at this point, is bound to be more popular than another month of BOGOHO.

For the Jewel a couple of weeks ago, we went through about $500 cash, but that including paying about $200 cash on private excursions.  The rest was spent on tips for tour guides, gifts, incidentals (e.g., a 6 pack of Coke Zero for my wife), and the like.  I'm not a fan of using credit cards in port because I've read too many accounts of credits cards getting compromised.  Remember to take only as much as you need off the ship and to leave the rest in the safe onboard in case something bad happens.  I also leave an emergency credit card onboard in the safe for the same reason so that I always have a backup.