Mupi2k

We sat there on one of our sea days. It was not more than half full, but they were "fully booked" and turning people away if they did not have reservations. I think the problem is that for those who actually have to pay the surcharge, it seems on the pricey side.  A $30++ lobster roll is a pretty tough sell...

Most cruise lines prohibit smoking on balconies. Of course, this doesn't completely stop it, but usually, assuming it's policy (since fire and boats don't mix, it's usually policy) the crew will work with you, if you're able to identify the culprit. Our last cruise (back to back East+West Caribbean on Carnival Glory (never again on Carnival, but that's a not really germane to this discussion...) ) our balcony on deck 7 was directly above the designated smoking area on Deck 3. It usually wasn't too bad, all things considered (my wife is pretty sensitive to smells, and I have COPD, so I'm VERY sensitive to smoke), and since it allowed us to have the same cabin for both legs I'd say it was worth it overall. Also, I don't think the smoking area was marked on the deck plans, so that might be hard to discover without a lot of research.

Next cruise, we're definitely getting at least a balcony.

@CountyHighway35 You might want to check again if there is an "exceptions" list. For example, Carnival (I'm about to embark on Glory from Miami) has radios, including "Ham radios" on the Prohibited Items list, but there's an "exceptions" list which specifically states that ham radios are allowed. I called them (Carnival) and confirmed that nothing further is necessary (though you won't be allowed to transmit (at least HF) from public areas). HOWEVER, in international waters, your ships flag country is the 'operating country', so you can't just blanket bring an HT (even those ubiquitous FRS radios aren't legal without a license in many countries, much less the GMRS-capable units) Many of Carnival's fleet are Bahaman-flagged, which means you'd have to get a Bahamian (?) permit for international waters. CCL Glory is Panama, which is under IARP, which is available from ARRL for $10. ...de AD7MY