Kellie in Texas

I was sharing what was being reported earlier and have been away from the internet while driving home, so just now got more updates. Yes, it is not the "big" I-45 bridge but a smaller one to a smaller island.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/barge-hits-bridge-galveston-texas-182003021.html This happened just a few hours ago, so not sure of the status of the bridge etc. Not as catastrophic as the Baltimore bridge, but that road is closed and most of the power to the island was knocked out. Hopefully it's quickly fixable.

@KmomChicago I have not read one of your threads before but will read this one; you are fun to read. Sorry for all the personal issues going on for you right now. I know some other folks have posted about fur hats and other fuzzy stuff but don't assume that every day in Alaska is going to be freezing cold. Definitely dress in layers and bring some lighter-weight clothing. It can get warm during the day. And don't forget some kind of raincoat or poncho. So basically bring everything in your closet. 😄

@deltahog I am with you 100%. We've cruised on Princess a couple of times and were able to do laundry during the week, but mostly we've cruised RCCL and have to make do. There is a weekly "stuff laundry in this bag" special that's around $30-35, but seems like it's toward the end of the week so you don't have to travel home with dirty clothes. There are lots of folks on this forum that have collapsible laundry tubs that they bring and wash things out in the shower. Maybe look for dry-fit type shirts that you could wash by hand and let drip dry. My husband got some -- I call them fishing pants -- but they are khaki pants in a very thin fabric that dries really fast.

Make sure everyone's passports are up to date. If you are visiting any churches, research ahead of time whether there are any restrictions on clothing -- such as, do you need a head covering, are shorts okay or not, do women need to have their shoulders covered, etc.

Where is the QR code found? The paper versions are what I prefer but a PDF would work too for the reasons you mention.

I got a text with the little anchor logo on the app earlier today, which usually means a "sale" on drinks, etc. I don't ever log out of the app on my phone, but today, it made me log in. You guessed it: my password wouldn't work. Tried logging in on the computer; same problem. Our next cruise isn't until January so hopefully it's worked out by then. 😄

Passport?

@HBCcruiser I don't think anybody has answered your question about the Galveston terminal. It is SUPER easy to get in and out ... even for us lowly mortals who don't have stars and genies. 😄

I was absolutely NOT crying about kids on cruise. My kids have been on several. I was offering an example of why I think it's a good idea for crew members to continue serving the ice cream.

We were on a cruise pre-Covid and my husband saw a kid who was 7-8 years old putting the ice cream directly into his hand. Husband said "Hey, don't do that." Of course, the parents were nowhere to be seen.

@Cru1s1ng2009 do you know who this person is describing the video? It's very informative and sad to see that bridge fall.

We mailed our passport renewals on March 5. They go to Irving which is about 3 1/2 hours up the road from us. Our passports didn't expire until 2025 but since we didn't have a trip planned, we decided to go ahead and renew them. I did regular processing. We got the new passports in the mail yesterday, March 22.

We were on Serenade in Alaska June 2022, aft junior suite. No blanket.

We were on Adventure the first week of January 2023 and paid for the All-Access Tour (we were not suite, pinnacle or any of that ... just regular old folks 🙂 ) It was about $140/150 per person, if I recall, and was on the last sea day. I thought it was worth every penny. We went through the galley, to the engine control room (you can't go in the actual engine room because of safety reasons), the lowest dec, where the laundry is, backstage in the theater, up to the bridge. It was two solid hours. The bridge was especially cool. @huntr104 if you're getting this all for free as part of your suite, then definitely do it.

Also depends on the ship size, I believe. For Adventure in very early 2023, we got a check-in time of 10:30 (the earliest available) and were on board in minutes. For Harmony this past January, the earliest check-in time was 11:00 (bigger ship, more people to get off and on). We got 11:00 but were checked in, through security, and walking on board before 11:00. Galveston is THE fastest and easiest boarding of any departure port we've been to. And you can't beat the parking at the port. I park farther away just to get into my office at work. 🙂

Well, I'm glad some people are getting to take advantage. I know the "sales" aren't always "sales".

We booked for January 2025 and got a huge amount of OBC from Royal's WOW sale that's going on today. Worth a check if you're considering booking something.

We were on Harmony in January and I do not remember a comedian in the Royal Theater, just the comedy venue.

@taglovestocruise I've seen people make that suggestion many times (two cabins cheaper than one) and I've never found it to work out that way. I guess it's worth checking though.

Some websites that sell cruises have more detailed codes or markings for types of rooms, i.e. sleeps 3, sleeps 5, etc. but they don't always say whether it's a pull-out or a Pullman (the one that comes out of the ceiling). We did an Alaskan cruise on Serenade and had a junior suite -- four people with one bed and the pullout couch. The pullout was barely more than some thin padding on a wooden frame and my sons were very uncomfortable. On another cruise with 3 of us, I asked our online TA to make sure that we had a room with a Pullman; they are definitely more comfortable. If you search Quantum or Ovation for four-person cabins, you may be able to search for the cabin number to get more info.

@bundtkate your synopsis of 1887 was spot on! The "plot" was nearly incomprehensible but the costumes were pretty incredible and the skating was okay. We loved Grease. If Columbus is on this week, go see it too. It's another goofy plot line but the ship that's used as the main set is an engineering marvel.

I think we were on the same cruise as @ShipsandDipper but this is the first time I've heard of a show called Heist. We were fortunate to have reservations for the very first show of The Fine Line and it was very entertaining (although LOUD).

We did this lunch on Harmony a couple of weeks ago. We never eat at any of the specialty restaurants and we didn't do any excursions on this cruise, so the Taste of Royal lunch was our excursion for the week. I think it was $35 per person. It was fun to try the foods from the various places but it confirmed to me that spending money on specialty restaurants, for us at least, is not something we're going to do. The best thing was the fried cheesecake with whipped cream, caramel popcorn and Nutella. Yum!! Like @ah33919said, if you're already eating in the other places, the lunch would not be worth it.

Easiest way to get to Diamond? Book a 7-day junior suite to get 14 points? Or a 14-day back-to-back but that's a little more difficult while still working.