Mum2Mercury

A good choice. Yes, this was a surprise when we "returned to cruising" after the pandemic. In the past we were used to our bags being left in front of our cabin door. Now all the bags are lined up down the hallway; not a problem -- as long as you realize where they are. Miami's the worst. Crazy place, insane traffic, terminal isn't as nice as others. When we disembarked in Miami, we walked down the gangplank and were allowed to choose for ourselves whether we wanted to wait for the elevator (long line) ... or proceed straight to the escalator. Stairs were never a choice. HOWEVER, I don't remember the number of the terminal from which we sailed, and Royal has multiple terminals in Miami.

I've never been on a river cruise, but my mom just returned from an American river trip -- and is going on another next year. They had access to laundry, so she said next year she's going to pack 3 outfits in a carry-on and plan to do laundry.

Wow, higher prices than I googled this morning. You're right about those extra costs, which would add up. As a part of "doing your homework", you should consider your own ability to pay these costs, if you should be delayed. Money can smooth a lot of paths. Yeah, you're right about that. Yep, that's pretty much my theme here: Do your homework, assess your own risk, make your decisions based upon facts. Depends upon the situation, but in the two situations I described, I think the people "in the know" made the right decisions. Nothing was to be gained by upsetting people who were on the road /could not have done a single thing if they'd been home. My parents both worked for the airlines; you might be surprised at how many stories I've heard and my experiences with flying "space available" /changing plans at the last minute. We're similar, and I'm always surprised by people who aren't even willing to take a private excursion. It's a reasonable topic of discussion.

That's not even the weirdest memory I have of her.

- I'm a Southerner and I love thin, gauzy tops -- they're easy to wash out in the sink and dry in a heartbeat. I'd bring along a couple plastic hangers for drying, and I'd plan to use the no-good shampoo in the cruise ship's bathroom as washing detergent. - You'll probably need something warmer than those thin tops, so I'd bring a couple cardigans (or similar) to coordinate with those tops. Worn over thing tops, these won't require washing over the course of a cruise. - I'd bring a couple pairs of dark pants, which can work with multiple tops and if they require washing I wouldn't mind sending them to the ship's laundry. - I'd consider bringing old, ready-for-discarding socks and underwear. Just toss once they've been worn. Maybe the same for nightgowns. - Dinner dresses can be worn a couple times, as you're not going to be out getting sweaty in them. I'm thinking a transatlantic might be chilly, so consider cardigans that'd work with these dresses as well as with your daytime outfits. - Will your hotels have self-serve laundry? If so, I'd pack a couple laundry pods (in ziplocks) and would plan to do laundry late at night. I personally would do this /plan to catch up on sleep during all those at-sea days. I could've said this. A carry-on can hold an awful lot of stuff, if you fold things small. Yes to limiting shoes ... for a typical cruise, I'd go with one pair of tennis shoes, one pair of walking sandals, one pair of dressy dinner shoes (probably wedges, as they're more sturdy).

That's possible, and it falls under the heading of "Do your homework" and determine your realistic needs.

True, without a passport you're not going to be able to fly home FAST, but you're probably not going to fly home FAST with a passport either. Realistically, you're going to have to wait until your ship docks at a port with an airport that has a seat for you. On a typical cruise, that could be 1-2 days. If you're on a transatlantic cruise, that could be more than a week. And if you can fly home, that last minute ticket will be expensive. So many "ifs" here ... If it's a catastrophic event or an accident, being nearby is no guarantee that you'll be able to "say goodbye", even if you're in the same town. That idea is a bit fantastical. I'd say it's better to live your life /manage your relationships in such a way that if you suddenly lose someone, you won't have any regrets. When my dear grandmother died, I was two hours away taking care of my mother (who'd just had surgery). She died in her sleep and my uncle (who, knowing she was ill, was sleeping on the floor in her room) wasn't even aware; the opportunity to make a mad dash to see her one last time never existed ... but, while my mother and I were devastated by her loss, neither of us was upset about the lack of a final goodbye. Knowing she was going into surgery and wouldn't be able to drive for a while, my mother had visited her days before, and I had stopped to see her on the way out of town to my mom's house. For what it's worth, we've TWICE been on vacation when a death occurred in the family, and TWICE our family kept the news from us ... and they did right: - We were in Florida when my grandfather died on the last full day of our trip. My mother chose not to call us. As soon as we returned home, she explained that she knew we could have left a day early, but we would've been distraught /less safe on the road. She apologized later, saying she knew she was choosing to throw us into a frenzy to prepare for his Memorial only a day after our return, but she thought it was worthwhile to let us enjoy that last afternoon /evening of vacation and drive home in peace. RIGHT CHOICE. - We took our nieces on a cruise (this was years ago, before kids had cell phones), and as soon as we were in the car I handed over my cell phone so they could call their parents and let them know we were all back on American soil ... and it was an all-day drive. Their mom asked to speak to me, and she said, "I'm going to say something bad, and you cannot react in anyway." Okay ... she told me her husband's father /my niece's grandfather had died the night before. She said it actually worked out well that the children were with me because it allowed her and her husband to be with him in the hospital and to make arrangements for the funeral. She didn't want them to learn of his death during a van ride /cry all the way home. Instead, she asked us to keep it a secret, and both parents would share the news in the comfort of their own home /would be able to comfort the children and deal with their grief. RIGHT CHOICE. True, but this is a remote possibility fraught with many "ifs". TOTALLY AGREE -- gauge your risks, make your choices and take responsibility for them. But don't assume that a passport in your pocket will straighten all your pathways and get you somewhere quickly and easily -- or cheaply.

That's sensible ... if you're planning JUST one cruise (the 4 days isn't really important) and you have an option to spend nothing, it makes sense to consider whether you're fine without passports. On the other hand, an American CANNOT go to Europe without a passport, so it's appropriate to spend the money. Weighing your choices make sense. No blanket statement covers every situation.

Yes, passports and drivers' licenses are both government IDs. My point was that obtaining a passport is an expensive pain in the butt, and the passport office makes the DMV look efficient ... not a compliment to either agency. No. If you set out today to get new passports for a family of four, it'd cost you $145 for the adults + $105 for the kids. You'd have to have pictures made, which isn't free. I'm assuming you already have official copies of your birth certificates around the house. You need an in-person appointment to turn in first-time passport applications, and both parents must go for a minor's passport (or send in a notorized form giving permission). All in all, a family's passports will cost more than $500 + some effort. When you're done, you'll have documents that'll serve the adults 10 years + the kids only a scant 5 ... and IF THAT'S NECESSARY for the travel you're planning, okay. But IF you're just going on one cruise and may not travel outside the US again in the near future, it's a lot of cost. I don't drink Starbucks, and I don't use fuzzy math to make things look cheaper. If you like fuzzy, hypothetical math more than I do, let's run both sides of that question and consider what'd happen if you invested that $500 in a savings account with 4% interest for the 10 years of the passport's life. After 10 years you'd have $740. I think our state is $40 for 8 years, so we're in the same ballpark. A regular license and a Real ID cost the same here ... for now. That's roughly 1/3 the cost of a passport. I'll say again, I'm not pro or con passport use. I'm solidly in favor of looking at the true cost, the true need, and the true risk ... and then making the choice based upon your own personal need.

We have a vacuum sealer ... you know, one of those machines that allows you to buy a huge package of chicken breasts and divide them up into smaller /better protected packages. Sealing a wine bottle in one of these bags doesn't provide it with any additional cushioning, but it means that -- if broken -- the liquid won't escape and ruin other things in your bag. Something like what we have: https://www.amazon.com/Mesliese-Machine-Powerful-Precision-Preservation/dp/B0BXSKHL8D/ref=sr_1_5?crid=M5LP8G46Z4RY&keywords=vacuum%2Bsealer%2Bfor%2Bfood&qid=1704073159&sprefix=vacuum%2Bsealer%2Bfor%2B%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-5&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&th=1

I'm with the crowd: No, that's too rich for my blood. You could take a whole 'nother cruise for that 3K.

We've sailed out of Canaveral several times recently. Always self-disembarkation ... I refuse to leave without sitting down to breakfast, then we pick up our luggage and join the line. Once it starts moving, it moves fast. That new facial recognition software gets you through Customs fast ... not all ports have it, but Canaveral does. We tend to be in our car, luggage in the trunk, turning North 7:20 - 7:30.

You usually see green apples in the Windjammer. If you think you're going to want them, go ahead and take a few back to your cabin on the first day; they're going to get more "picked over" as the week goes on. I have an occasional problem with car sickness (and occasional sea sickness on a small boat, like a fishing boat), and I LOVE ginger for its INSTANT relief. I recommend Crystalized Ginger, which you can easily make at home -- essentially you just peel it, slice it then, and boil it in sugar water. I like to cut it into bitty-small pieces and store them in a small Tupperware so I can take a small dose. Lots of recipes online. It's also sold at Harris Teeter (in the produce section) under the brand name Sweet Melissa's. Another thought: When my RN daughter was pregnant, she bought Punch-and-Pukes for her, um, vomiting needs. So handy! I'll never be without them in my car -- they only cost $10 for 24 -- https://www.amazon.com/FancyStyle-Disposable-Portable-Emesis-Sickness/dp/B0B19Y9VKL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2LBONAYYXYC98&keywords=punch+and+pukes+throw+up+emesis+bags&qid=1704071837&sprefix=punch+and+pukes+throw+up+emesis+bag%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-2 Pectin? That's what you put into jelly /jam to make it "set up". Flashback to something I hadn't thought of for a long time. When I was a child, my grandmother and her sister (a nun, who lived to be 104) taught us kids how to avoid hangovers: Make Jello in your stomach. Yes, drink a cup of hot water mixed with a Jello packet, followed by a cup of cold water. They claimed the Jello would "set up" in your stomach and would "hold everything still", preventing you from throwing up. If you accept this -- and I'm not saying I do -- perhaps a Jello Stomach could prevent seasickness? Yes, I had an interesting childhood. Just for the record, I rarely drink --- I figured out early those alcoholic genes are stalking me.

On the other side of this coin, the gloom-and-doom crew says, "Just get the passport!" as if that's as easy as picking up a pack of gum at the grocery store. The reality is that a passport is quite expensive and requires jumping through some hoops ... and then the blasted thing expires! What an unnecessarily antiquated system. Even the DMV's letting us renew online every other renewal period (and a driver's license costs about 1/3 as much as a passport), and we all know that Belzebub is CEO of the DMV. The "It's no problem to ____" on each side represent extreme opinions, and neither of these is particularly realistic. I'm not on a side. No, no, that's not true: I'm on the side of logic and common sense, which means: - Know your personal risk. - Be realistic about whether you're likely to take other trips that would require a passport over the next 10 years. - Make a choice about whether to buy a passport based upon facts -- not fear, not head-in-the-sand thinking. Consider that Royal Caribbean alone carries 4.6 million cruisers every year, and the vast-vast-vast majority of them don't experience an emergency that would require a passport. On this board we constantly hear of people who seem to be terrified of missing the boat (don't own watches, I guess), but we've heard very few stories of people who've actually been involved in an emergency. I know, I know, if you're the one ... but the chances of a no-incident cruise are certainly on your side. Living a cheapskate life is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. Followed by marrying a man whose cheap-o-meter matches mine; I tell him occasionally, "You're one cheap-ass bastard. I love that in a man." But, seriously, being careful with a dollar transformed me from a free-lunch kid from a large farm family to an early retiree with several income streams and a comfortable life. Teenaged me would not have believed this possible. That's a good analogy. You've studied your risk for each car, and you've made your choice. Same thing for the passport vs. birth certificate choice: Review your personal potential for trouble, your personal ability to manage an emergency if you happen to be the rare individual who has an emergency.

I was going to bring this up. My daughter's first job out of nursing school was working with kidneys /dialysis. She became certified to teach people to do their own dialysis in their own homes ... if you can do it in your own recliner in your living room, I don't see why you couldn't bring everything with you on board.

If you're asking about stairs ON THE SHIP, yes. You'll always have to wait for the elevator OR carry your bags up/down stairs. It's easier if you are leaving pretty early; if you wait, more people will be up and about, and the elevators will be more busy. If you're asking about stairs IN THE TERMINAL after you've left the ship, maybe. I've sailed several different terminals recently, and they're not all alike: - In Miami passengers had the choice of waiting for an elevator (long line) or going down an escalator (no line). I saw an elderly woman fall down the escalator as she attempted to manage two large suitcases. My husband was telling me, "Go, go, people are waiting", and I refused, saying, "No, that woman's going to fall. I'm not getting on the escalator 'til she's off" -- and, yeah, she fell near the bottom. I'm very glad I wasn't moving towards her /unable to stop. - In Port Canaveral they have a switchback ramp, and the whole crowd just walks along at a reasonable pace. This is much nicer. In the parking deck we chose to use the stairs rather than wait for an elevator. - Tampa's terminal was much smaller, and it was all flat. We had no problem getting an elevator up in the parking deck. Is Indy still sailing from Port Canaveral? If so, it's a nice terminal. Easy in /easy out. We drive to the port, and we have a fairly long drive ahead of us -- so we like to go ahead and disembark as early as possible. We get a last breakfast, then return to the room for our bags -- and we try to get in line for self-disembarkation. If you get into line just before 7:00, you can count on being through the terminal and in your car by 7:30. Whether you love or hate it, keep in mind that the #1 requirement for Self-Disembarkation is that you MUST be able to manage your suitcases without help ... from your stateroom door - the end of the terminal. That's a good tip. No, I've not seem elevators reserved. I have seen -- can't remember where -- staff telling some people (those who looked less-than-capable of hauling around their stuff) they HAD TO wait for the elevator.

Early, Late and My Time Dining only apply to the Main Dining Room (often called the MDR on these boards). If you're talking about a specialty restaurant, you'll need to make a separate appointment, and that would be at a specific time ... not just "early". - Are your reservations "linked"? And are all parties signed up for the same dining time? If so, you'll probably all be assigned to a large table. - A couple weeks before you cruise, email rcldining@rccl.com. Include your ship and sailing date in the subject line, or they'll ignore it. Tell them what you want. - Upon boarding, go to the 3rd floor (main floor of the MDR) and check to see if you're happy with your assignment. If you board early, you'll probably have the option to change.

Do you have Academy Sports in your area? They sell beach shells /beach tents at reasonable prices.

I don't think you've been unlucky this time! Attitude is everything.

Remember the old camp song too: "Starboard shines green, and port is glowing red, I can see the barges far ahead."

I'm with you. At full price, I'd be upset ... for a good discount, I can "overlook it".

I was prepared to say, "Nah, not this soon", but I opened up the app and looked at menus for our upcoming cruise ... and some evening's menus are now gone. I know they were published earlier. What does this mean? I dunno. Just reporting what I see. Yes, some of those classics have snuck back in ... though they're not in a marked section, and they're not the same every night.

$53 /per person per day in a balcony? Yeah, I'd look right over that lifeboat and be happy about it.

On the one hand, you paid for an OceanView and are getting an Obstructed Balcony ... this IS an upgrade. You can check online /see what other balcony cabins are still available to book, then (assuming something's left) call Customer Service and ask if you could be changed to a different cabin. A picture -- or, in this case, a video -- is worth a thousand words. This isn't ideal, as you won't be able to stand at the balcony rail and look down at the ocean, but you'll have a good view across the top of the lifeboats. Checking the deck plans, I see that this cabin is very near the stairwell /elevators, which most people consider a plus. And you're sandwiched between Wonderland (which shouldn't be too loud) and residential rooms. Two floors down you're in the Promenade for quick snacks or drinks. Would I pick this room, if all the rooms were available? No, but it's not a bad location, and you got it for a discount.

I'm not clear on whether you're looking for one bag to fulfill both of these needs, or whether you're looking for two bags. Regardless, thoughts: - Being solidly Team Hands-Free, my mind goes immediately to small backpacks. My current favorite is the Osprey DayLite series (available in several sizes, ranging from a sling-pack to a medium-sized bakcpack). Mine is narrow (which makes it comfortable to wear), and it has a "back pocket" for a water bladder, which is perfect for shoving important documents waaaay down /out of the way of sticky fingers, and even if someone tried to slash your pack, they wouldn't know to try so far back. - If all you want is a cross body that can carry a water bottle and your ID (on and off the ship), you'll find many options on Amazon ... I'm attaching a photograph below. I don't know that these come in RFID, but you could go with a small wallet that'd fit into the zippered pocket. It'd be easy to keep your hand on this cross-body item as you walk through crowds. - I have a small flat (maybe 5"x7") purse by LiliBlooms that's perfect for dinner. The wrist strap makes it easy to carry, and I keep a purse hook for the table inside ... quite handy! During the day I usually just keep my Ship ID in a pocket.