Mum2Mercury

Exactly.

Thing is, not everyone thinks the same way. Some people book an Inside SO THAT they can go all out on excursions ... or drinks or food. I'm personally not bothered by what some people call "nickle and diming"; I think of it as CHOICES. And my choice is usually, "No thank you." My mom went on a very expensive river cruise last summer, and she said she went into it understanding she was paying for all the people who drink heavily. Just to be clear: The seven other people are invited by the cabana's renter. Seven strangers (even if they paid) can't join. We're a lot like you. When we were younger and we had children and less vacation time, we chose larger cabins and were fussier about details. Now that we're retired and have more time, we decided to see JUST HOW CHEAPLY we could go and be happy. We are happy with an inside room, we don't spend extra on food, and we buy a few drinks. 100% satisfied.

Thoughts on various packing list ideas presented here ... opinions will vary, and it's good for new people to hear a variety of thoughts: - The water onboard is distilled /purified and tastes good. No need for further processing. I don't see any reason for a pitcher. I do like to bring those little tubes of lemonade flavor (my daughter likes the squirt bottle of flavor) because they're no-carbohydrate. - Lanyards? No. - Non-Starbucks coffee is available, but if you're a Starbucks fiend, you can put your cards on your phone /avoid carrying something extra. - Hammocks? Like an ENU? Could be a cool idea. - No need for trays or beverage holders. - You'll get a bar of soap for the sink and body wash in the shower. But ladies will be happier if they bring their own shampoo and conditioner; what the ship provides is too rough. And they don't provide any lotion. - No to the pop-up hamper. Just put dirties into your suitcase. - I wrap my shoes in plastic grocery bags ... then I have them on the ship, if I need them later. - I bring water shoes only if I know we're going to a rocky beach or partaking in a water-based excursion. - I am completely dependent upon my glasses ... so I bring my everyday glasses, my prescription sunglasses, and my sunglass readers. And I bring a hardsided case to protect the ones I'm not wearing. Other people probably don't need these as much as I do. - I keep all my "cruise specific" items in my small beach bag between trips. - I have an at-home laminator, so I laminate my luggage tags instead of using plastic holders ... costs me a dime to laminate three tags. I lock my suitcases with zip-ties and carry a pair of nail clippers in my pocket, with which to cut the ties. - I have a first aid kit (packed in a cosmetics bag) that I keep in my bathroom ... it stays packed with basics and goes on all trips ... even a day hike. - Similarly, I keep my toiletries bag ready to go ... after each trip, I refill the shampoo, etc. and put it away "full". I can see that people who haven't cruised before don't know what's going to be available onboard and are nervous about not being able to run out to a Walgreens. Things on my personal cruise list that don't appear here: - We have a travel wallet (a gift from a long-ago travel agent) that keeps our passports, boarding passes, loyalty cards, and insurance information together. My husband is always super fussy about carrying this himself, and he feels good when he locks it in our stateroom safe. - I am a big reader, so I must have my Kindle (and its protective case); I don't bring a charger because it'll hold a charge for weeks. The online library is really just a handful of paperbacks left behind by previous cruisers.

No, 6:00 is too early. They have to anchor the ship and do some official things before they can disembark passengers. Expect the line for passengers to leave to start forming about 6:30, and expect the first passengers to set foot on land about 7:10-7:15. Once the line starts moving, it moves fast. We are usually in our car between 7:30 and 7:40.

I think we're headed for the same problem with my toddler grandson. He's like a puppy ... his hands and feet are over-sized! Anyway, back to your question: Gray or black tennis shoes will be fine for him. We're talking about fairly new, clean tennis shoes, right? Not the pair he's been wearing to school and the playground for six months?

My artist daughter made us two goldfish (kissing) and a couple bubbles. I glued on magnets (like the free ones from the pizza shop) and laminated them. They fit into a half-sized manila envelope, and they're easy to stick on as soon as we arrive. Obviously we can find our room number, but it's just easier and more pleasant to look for our fish. If some lines discourage door decorations, I suspect it has to do with people using materials that damage the doors.

I tend to pack a little less than this, but this is a rather moderate list: - Pack 3 dinner outfits /assume you'll wear each one twice. Consider taking "bottoms" that work with more than one item ... for example, on my next cruise I'm taking a gray maxi skirt; I'll wear it one night with a white blouse, another night with a striped top, a third night with a pink top. Make sure one pair of dressy shoes will cover all outfits. We usually eat dinner in the Windjammer at least once, so no change of clothes is necessary. - Pack 4 daytime outfits. Many times we wear a daytime outfit just a couple hours (for example, we might start the day in a swimsuit, then change into a daytime outfit after lunch ... but then we pretty quickly end up in dinner clothes ... that daytime outfit can be hung up and worn again). Consider packing 2-3 shirts for every pair of shorts; shorts don't really get sweaty around the ship ... but they're ready for the hamper after a shore excursion. When you're headed off the ship, always wear something that's on its "last wear". Pack one pair of comfortable walking sandals + a pair of tennis shoes. - Pack one light layering item. I never need anything in the MDR or the theater, but occasionally I need a light layer if I'm up on deck after dark. - Pack 2-3 swimsuits + cover ups. - Pack 1 pair of pajamas and 1 set of gym clothes. - And, of course, your small clothes. Notes on these items: - When our kids were small, we used to get them light sticks (Dollar store or Amazon). They give off just enough light for a child to feel comfortable in bed or to get up to use the bathroom ... but not enough light to disturb other people. - Bug spray is needed only in some ports. Inland Cozumel, for example. - If you choose wine with a screw-top, you don't need the corkscrew. Screw-tops are also better if you can't finish the bottle in one sitting. - Note that everything you buy on the ship already has a mandatory 18% tip attached to it. If you're inclined to tip more, by all means, that's your business -- but do recognize you've already tipped once. For tipping off the ship, definitely bring singles + fives ... for tour tips or taxi rides, assume no one will be able to give you change. Waste of space. Leave your suitcase open in the bottom of your closet and toss your clothes in ... adding those aforementioned dryer sheets isn't a bad idea. At the end of the trip, zip up your suitcase, and you're packed.

Location: A deck above the pool deck, none of the casitas are in a desirable location. Great place to walk. Bad place to camp out for the day. Shade: The casitas don't particularly give you shade ... at least not all day. As the sun moves, you're going to be in fairly full sun. If you want real shade, choose a spot on the pool deck level /over by the edge looking out over the ocean. Also, if you want to avoid sunburn, choose a ship with a glass-enclosed Solarium.

I don't think specialty dining is filling up -- and I think it's because the prices are just too high. I have encountered wait staff walking around with clipboards -- in the stairwells, by the pools -- trying to convince cruisers to sign up for a dinner at X percent off. Since we never bother with specialty restaurants, I never considered negotiating the percentage. Interesting idea.

Most people aren't rude enough to genuinely live by the mantra, "I'll do whatever I please!" Most people want to know what's "average" and how to fit into the crowd (+/- one standard deviation). Here's what I see MOST PEOPLE wearing on Royal Caribbean -- this is OBSERVATION with very few OPINIONS: Regular nights - On a non-formal night most ladies are in simple sundresses or in black pants + a nice top. Capris are gone. Most men are in long pants (or jeans) and only a handful of adult men are in shorts. Men tend to wear polos or button-down shirts ... a few Hawaiian shirts. For both men and women, most of the average dinner wear seems to be things that'd be appropriate to wear in an office ... maybe the ladies' hems are a bit shorter and their colors a bit brighter. - Whatever most people are wearing, it seems to be neat, clean, not full of holes, etc. - Athleti-leisure does not rule the day -- or the dinner; though I did see one whole table wearing shiny, matching pink sweatsuits (men too) and matching ballcaps on a formal night. Overall, very few adults go into the MDR looking as if they're going to watch a baseball game. The smattering of hoodies and ballcaps seem to be worn by surly teenagers. - Most people wear clothing that the general public would find acceptable (bits and bobs covered, a few bare midriffs here and there), but a few people make odd choices. I'm thinking of a woman who walked into the MDR ahead of us ... her "pants" were a black thong covered by string pants /literally covering nothing. I wonder if she was cold sitting on her chair. These people are memorable but not numerous. Formal night - About 1/3 of the MDR is filled with people who put some effort into dressing up. The ladies who "go all out" tend to wear short cocktail dresses (95% of them in black -- do they not sell other colors where these people live?). Most of the men with these ladies wear suits, but a fair number are jacket-less. Tuxedos are gone. Kilts are gone. Military dress is gone. - The majority of the MDR diners on formal night are wearing the same thing people wear on non-formal nights: ladies in sundresses, men in pants/jeans and button-down shirts.

Not unique. That's what advertisers do: They say you'll save "up to" this percent. They show the lowest price (like an inside room), knowing that many /most people will actually end up going with a more expensive option. They emphasize the deal, then in small wording hit you with the big costs. I teach -- or, used to teach -- a whole unit on this topic, and I had so many excellent examples to share with students. I've always advertising interesting -- the layers of meaning, the carefully crafted images, the hidden messages -- but most of my students weren't particularly interested.

Eh, that's what advertisers do. They exaggerate.

Check your credit card activity online. I've heard of people learning of their "win" when they saw a charge.

I, too, wonder about people who declare they're DONE with cruising ... yet continue to frequent a cruising board. Makes no sense. I no longer have babies; I no longer frequent mom's support boards. I am retired; I no longer read "How to prepare for retirement" boards.

I didn't care for the midnight buffet. Those carvings were things they brought in/out of the freezer and were most definitely re-used every week (or even multiple times per week), while fresh food was piled around them. Kinda icky, in fact. Key phrase being "perceived to be easier/safer". In reality, a private excursion is almost always smaller, and you get more choices /more personal attention. The cruise ship does not promise they will wait for YOU if you take a ship's excursion. They promise they'll wait for the EXCURSION to finish. People who are left behind are rarely on excursions; no, they're usually drinking or shopping within the shadow of the ship, thinking they have all the time in the world. If the excursion has finished up (and most finish HOURS before the ship sails), but you personally are still shopping at the port, they'll leave you. This is a fear that's been exacerbated by the internet. New cruisers can easily get the idea that "Pier Runners" are a common thing and people are left behind at every port. Truthfully, that's only true on You Tube. My husband likes to go to Deck 4 and watch for Pier Runners -- we haven't seen anyone even running late since we "returned to cruising" after the pandemic. In reality, most people go on excursions in the morning and return to the ship in time for a late lunch or mid-afternoon at least. Since the ship typically sails (typically, not always) between 4:00 and 6:00, few people are even straggling behind. Now, if you're taking an all-day excursion /going some distance, it makes sense to go with the cruise line ... but if you're just going a few miles from the port for a morning excursion, you're really in no "danger" by going with a private excursion. I've only sailed Disney and Royal Caribbean, but I've been cruising since 2004, and I've never known of this. What ships offered it?

Not the MDR. They'll set up tablecloths and dishes for the next meal. They won't let you in.

Some ships have a Card Room. If you're on Wonder (maybe sister ships), they have some little bump-outs off the running track ... very private. Not all the bump-outs have tables and chairs. Tables outside Johnny Rockets ... between meals. Some ships have lounges that aren't always used ... South Pacific lounge on some of the older ships, for example. Star lounge on other ships. Music Hall on Wonder, when no musicians are present. I've seen people playing cards at the tables near the pool. I have cards that're plastic /okay to play with wet fingers.

We "returned to cruising" last year and found several changes: - Online muster drill - Necessity of claiming a boarding time 45 days (45 days?) ahead of time - Print your own luggage tags - The online app (a neceessity) is hit-or-miss, and you have to ask for a paper Compass. - Just as much fun! We have found the MDR's steaks to be of lesser quality, and we would like larger quantity of vegetables -- but, overall, we're not displeased with the MDR, and we've never frequented the specialty restaurants. The newer, larger ships are offering more fast-food type options, which we have enjoyed. I hate-hate-hate this, especially as it is accompanied by higher gratuities. One or the other, Royal. Hitting us with higher prices AND reduced service is just wrong. It's more on this board than on the ships.

Consider bringing something back to your room. We often bring a couple ziplocks from home for the purpose of keeping some cheese and crackers -- or fruit -- in our room. We also fairly often ask for our MDR dessert "to go". Or bring dessert from Windjammer back to our room. I'm salty about this one, and I'm gonna stay salty. I would accept it IF it weren't accompanied by an increase in gratuities! More money + reduced service. Nope, it's impossible to rationalize. Yes, I agree with both overworked and overstretched. Eh, I've been cruising since 2003 and have never been given a tote bag. All "beach getaways" are borderline scams. Just take a taxi to a nearby beach. Done. Honestly, I never see these gross things -- nor do I see out of control children. I dislike this. My husband and I almost always sit at a 2-top table, and we eat low-carb, yet they give us 7-8 rolls. Wasteful. Admittedly, my idea of "nominal" rarely matches other people's. Yes, we were usually in the MDR about an hour and considered it "just right". Part of that is that we are just a couple -- not eating at a large table. Lunch can be crowded, but I wouldn't call it chaotic or loud. Dinner is often downright quiet. I'd argue that society has become "less sophisticated". More rudeness, more me-first behavior. And that fear is grossly over-blown. Aside from the handful of all-day excursions (Tulum Ruins being the poster child), most people return hours in advance of sailing. And don't we all know how to read a watch? No, the cruise line has convinced a lot of people that they're in GENUINE DANGER of missing the ship (!!!!!) if they put a toe off the ship without a Royal Caribbean excursion.

Oh, I'm sure! I've seen Mayan pyramids in Central Mexico -- back when you were allowed to climb them. FYI: The steps are so small that we had to turn our feet sideways, and I wear a small shoe size! I'm sure Tulum will be absolutely fascinating and (almost certainly) a once in a lifetime event.

I forgot about driving on the "wrong side of the road" -- maybe because I personally didn't drive. My husband didn't find it to be a big deal, but he took things slow and easy.

I'm with you. And I think a phone on a lanyard would be too heavy for comfort.

I didn't know about sash bags until this thread. They don't look particularly functional; looks kinda like an apron with only one side. Someone mentioned an Ameribag (also called a Healthy Back bag). They are GREAT. Very casual. Very well designed. A couple people mentioned pickpockets: these bags are designed to be worn cross-body style, and you can "swing them forward" when you think you need to "hug your bag" or when you need to get out your wallet. Multiple exterior and interior pockets. They come in several sizes ... I have the small, and it's larger than you'd think a small would be.

We've discovered that OBC is our "sweet spot" between pay-as-you-go and the (very expensive) alcoholic drink package. That is, my husband, who enjoys drinking beer, feels bad about buying a single beer that costs almost as much as a 12-pack at home, BUT we'd lose money buying the (very expensive) drink package ... especially because I'd have to buy a package. If I put X amount into OBC, it's kinda like "making our own drink package" for the number of drinks he's actually likely to drink ... and he's more comfortable spending money that's pre-paid. REAL financial savings? No, but, as I said, it's his "sweet spot". As for refunds, I had about $10 left over from the VISA card OBC on a recent trip, and it was credited back to me about two days after the cruise.

We went to Chankanaab last month and would return in a heartbeat ... even though weather put a damper on our trip. Looking at your list: - Weave your way through the shops (we docked at the International Pier), and you'll find taxis waiting in a row and an employee helping people to their rides. Costs are posted on a big sign ... the posted rate to Chankanaab is $15, but the lady who drove us out only charged us $12. When it was time to leave Chankanaab, it was much the same: Many taxis lined up, waiting to take people back to the cruise ship and an English-speaking employee sorting out which groups need the size of a van vs. couples who can fit into a small car. - I think you can snorkel at Chankanaab ... that's not our thing. They don't have much gentle, walk-in beach ... rather, you walk down a set of steps to a ladder, which puts you immediately into fairly deep water. Lots of rocks ... water shoes would be a good idea. - Throwing this out for any parents who might be reading this: Most of the beach is not child-appropriate ... as I said, down a ladder straight into deep water. The pool and the lagoon, however, are great for kids ... but they were the most crowded part of the park, and we visited on a rainy day in October. I fear they'd be even more crowded in summer. - Many, many chairs and loungers with shade (or sun). You'll need a ticket/wristband to enter the park, but chairs are no cost once you're in. You can also sit at one of the bars or in a hammock. - Yes to bathrooms ... large, clean, foot-wash station outside. They have outdoor rinse-off showers by the pool and also real, enclosed showers in the bathhouse (personally, I'd rather go back to the ship to shower). - Yes to bars and restaurants. We didn't order food, but it looked good and prices were reasonable. - Yes to beach service. Good service too. - The middle portion of the park, where the lagoon and pool are located were much more busy (but not all that loud), but we went out to the far reaches, and it was quiet as the grave ... not busy at all. The sea lion show was the only "crowded" portion of our day. - For no additional cost, Chankanaab also has a sea lion show that's worth seeing and a trail through the woods with a replica of a Mayan village. We missed the reptile exhibit. They also have a swim with dolphins (and manatees?) program ... those do cost extra. - Entrance to Chankanaab is posted as $21/person (and you can get a $2 coupon off the internet). We messed up and let ourselves be swindled. Our taxi driver asked us if we already had tickets, and when we said, "No, we're going to pay at the gate" (no savings for purchasing ahead of time), she stopped at a roadside spot and told us this was the place to buy tickets. We thought we'd buy our tickets, then walk a little trail that obviously led towards the beach. The man at the little hut told us that entrance was $25 and our coupons were expired ... we believed him /assumed the price had gone up recently. Only after we paid, we realized this was a roadside ticketseller /Chankanaab was still 2-3 miles down the road, and the driver knew the ticketseller. We did get a coupon, which was good for a small draft beer at a specific bar. I am not usually so gullible, and I was a bit ashamed of myself ... but he did sell us good tickets and our wristbands allowed us entrance to all the parts of Chankanaab. You are now forewarned. Know that when the taxi drops you off, you'll see a HUGE thatched-roof entrance to the dolphin swim on the right and a HUGE sign saying something like "Enter Chankanaab here" on the left. I want to try Nachi Cocom, but I'd go back to Chankanaab again in a heartbeat!