I didn't get an Emerald pin and don't really miss it. Don't plan to "miss" the Diamond pin we're supposed to get on the next cruise after this one, either.
My personal experience: Neither. We had one at Breezy Bay at Chill Island. It was just okay. We spent much more of our time just hanging at the Oasis Lagoon. There were FAR too many seagulls landing on the roof of the bed looking for scraps. We're going back in 6 weeks and we're not renting one. Probably never will. The vibe in Oasis Lagoon is much better. Just my opinion. YMMV
I always buy it pre-cruise. And unless you need to use both devices at the same time, just get the one device package. You can use multiple devices with the one device package, just not at the same time.
Be careful what you wish for. Had some "free" sushi at a Top Tier event on an Alaskan cruise and also received a free case of food poisoning for 2 days. I really felt bad for my stateroom attendant having to clean that bathroom. π
No you don't. Just boiling water. Per the instructions that came with these: Turn the bottle over in a glass bowl (I used a Pyrex measuring cup) with the cover on. Then slowly pour the water into the bowl, being careful not to get the water between the cover and the bottle. Works like a charm!
They were over-rated and unreliable, anyway. Seems like they were out of order half the time. And, I always questioned how often (and how thoroughly) they were washed.
There's a 5-nt Bermuda sailing out of Bayonne on Adventure in Oct. for only $199 (inside). That's a great deal, but probably doesn't match up well with the sailing you're already booked on.
Now that you mention "government agencies" - I kind of remember something about the trouble they had getting Obama to give up his Blackberry for a smartphone. π€£