What they call gratuities is their wage, they do not get paid extra out of the gratuities you pay. We have had some cabin stewards and waiters better than others but none bad. I just wonder if some of the people that take it off would be fine with not getting paid for their job because they didnt smile enough.
We had a couple of cruises cancelled during covid. The first one we called the travel insurance company and they give us a voucher for our next cruise no problem. The second one we had got Generali insurance. We called and they said to go online and fill out a form. Went online and it said to call. Called and they said to go online. After two weeks and the run around and many phone calls. We called and the guy said the same thing, my wife by this time let him have it. He give us a voucher number in lest than 5 minutes. If we were calling about a claim we felt like we would of got the same treatment.
We have a very hard time finding a handicap room, even on some cruises a year out. Because of both our health conditions. We hate to book more than 6 months out. They need to have more on the ships as a lot of the market is aging.
We were on the Reflection last year for our 50th anniversary. My wife is in a wheelchair, it does not have big wheels and I sometimes had to turn it around and go backwards over a few of the strips where the floor changes. But not a real big deal, we would go on it again.
As some have said it is according to how long the cruise is. For a 7 da\y cruise I usually take 40 ones, 10 tens, 10 fives, and 10 twentys. That takes care of all tips and porters. I also take a few hundred extra in case.
We were on the Odyssey last year at 69. We do not do flow riders or bumper cars or climbing walls. We are all about shows and food now. The food was good, you just have to pick and choose. I am pushing my wife around now in a wheelchair but did not find it to long. I am sure we may of stopped and rested sometimes. I just hope we are cruising in our 80's .
We stay at the Best Western off of 84 and the Fairfield Inn in Dania. We can leave our car there and take a taxi to the port. They are okay and the rooms we have had were clean.