Mum2Mercury

And you're a pregnant, elderly parapalegic. (Reference to the article) I kinda saw someone denied once. It was either in Aruba or Curacau. When security scanned the ID of the woman directly ahead of me, lights flashed and a buzzer sounded. The security guard said politely, "M'am, you are attempting to board EXPLORER of the Seas. You are a passenger on ADVENTURE of the Seas, which is docked right over there", and he pointed. We weren't even close to sail-away, but she screamed and ran down the gangplank. Payment for placement is a quiet, behind-the-scenes business. It's kinda a big thing in grocery stores. Name brands can pay for their products to be placed at eye level (or on the end-aisles). I'd never considered that cruise companies might be paying for better dock spaces, but I do believe it.

Yes. The customer service rep will make you wait while he or she "checks with a supervisor", but they'll allow you to book one Deluxe + one Refreshment. Three thoughts: - If you book now and the price goes down, you can always call in for a price match. - The best prices are likely to come around Thanksgiving -- last year's prices were good, but that's in no way a promise. You well know that prices (not just on cruises) are changing so quickly these days. - Definitely do the math and verify whether this package is a good value for your personal habits. You have to drink a good bit to "break even".

I don't care for the Coco Cay pool. Too loud for my taste, but clearly a lot of other people love it. Yes, I mean individually-purchased drinks run about $1 more on Coco Cay. When it comes to Coco Cay, I see a glass with one sip taken out. Well, with the cost of the drink packages, RC can afford to take on that bit tax from one day's drinks.

I would pay $20-25 ONLY IF I were traveling in winter and wanted the heated pool. The rest of the island provides ample seating and beach space. No need to pay.

I'd like to hear too. We spend very little in up-charges, and we don't feel slighted.

I could've said all of this ... except that we don't get the drink package: - Drinks cost about $1 more than they do on the ship; something about VAT. - We enjoy the food on Coco Cay. The one problem is that birds want to share! Since you're traveling with family, definitely plan to have one person stay at the table while others go to refill drinks or get dessert. - I have a spring-edged floating mat that I've had for more than a decade ... works great. - I use cruisemapper.com to see what ships will be sharing with us. Yes, we aim to be among the first to leave the ship, and we head straight to our chosen beach. Seats are plentiful. Seats are arranged in sets of 2 + small table and umbrella OR sets of 4 + small table and umbrella. If you don't get off early, you'll still get a seat; it just may not be an ocean-front seat. If you want total shade, try the hammocks under the palm trees just past the entry bridge /to the left.

I don't remember "welcome baskets" with razors, lotion, etc. And I've been here a looong time. Expect in a standard Royal Caribbean cabin: - A safe - A TV - A large container of all-in-one shower product. It's fine body wash, and it's good for washing out a blouse in the sink, but ladies will want their own shampoo. And conditioner. - A bar of soap at the sink. - Plenty of towels and washcloths - A blow dryer at the dresser /desk, which I find perfectly acceptable. - Kleenex and toilet paper - Life jackets - A small cooler (looks like a refrigerator but isn't really a refrigerator) - Forms for ordering room service breakfast Things you can request from your cabin steward: - Extra blankets or pillows - Bath robes Things you might be used to finding in hotel rooms that you'll NOT FIND in a Royal Caribbean cabin: - Memo paper and pen - Lotion - Coffee pot and supplies

Yeah, when a high school students fails my class, I have little sympathy. By the time that failing grade is written in permanent marker, I've warned the student, offered help, warned about absences, called parents, contacted guidance counselors and administrators. I don't really feel sorry for them. They're in a bad place, but they've made multiple bad choices to get themselves into that situation. I don't dance around singing, "Whoo-hoo, Johnny's going to summer school!"

I've seen the Harbor Pilot come /go from the ship. That's something only a young, healthy person can do, and -- if the article is truthful, which is never a sure thing -- this group was far from young and healthy. What did the article say? Four elderly, one quadrapalegic, one pregnant woman? Seems like an unlikely number of medical issues for a group of nine. Nor have I. With the media being what is is, we don't know much for sure.

I remember your story, and I believe every word of it -- you have no reason to lie to us. Two take-aways are: Keep your group together and allow plenty of buffer time to return to the ship. You make some fair points here. Ship excursions vs. private excursions isn't about the extra cost (which is usually more than a few dollars). It's about private excursions being a superior product: smaller groups, more control over what you want to do, more motivated tour guides. The cruise lines have really sold a line of bull to a lot of people about "the danger of missing the ship" if you take a private excursion. Most private excursions meet in the morning and get you back to the ship in the early afternoon, leaving you 4-5 hours of buffer time. And ship excursions don't promise to verify that you personally are on the ship; they just promise the excursion will return to the dock on time; if you drink or shop the couple extra hours away, the ship'll leave you. Hmm, sounds like an interesting story.

Nope, nope, I'm on my second Kindle (I squeezed every ounce of good out of the first one), and I strongly prefer it -- for most applications -- over DTBooks. I don't particularly enjoy collecting books, and the idea of "the feel of a book in my hands" doesn't resonate with me -- I like reading, not necessarily books. My thoughts: - When I read book-books, I never had enough bookshelves -- piles of books all over the house! Now I've given away the majority of my paper books and have literally thousands on my Kindle. When I was a kid, my dad added extra support under our house because he was afraid our books were too heavy. Now I can lift all those books in one hand. My Kindle books don't grow old and yellow, nor do they deteriorate or need dusting. - I remember my last pre-Kindle vacation: I brought two big, fat books with me. The first one I loved and devoured in days. The second was a stinker, and then I was left without anything new to read. That never happens to me now. - I can "borrow" electronic books from multiple sources ... just like checking out a library book, except I don't have to go to the library (or return the books ... they automatically return at the end of the time frame). Some books can be "lent" electronically to friends. - I constantly get free books from Amazon. Not all of them are winners, but I keep picking them up. I just delete the ones I don't like. - My Kindle books are easy to find (no searching through multiple bookcases), as I have them neatly divided into search-able categories. They're also marked read /unread. - My Kindle automatically bookmarks my pages. If I leave the book (or fall asleep), the Kindle "remembers" where I stopped reading. - My Kindle weighs next-to-nothing. It's easier to hold than a big, fat book -- nice when you read away a whole rainy afternoon. And you know that when you're in the first few /last few pages of a big book, a real book wants to "close" instead of staying open. - I can increase the size of the font, which is especially nice late at night when my eyes are tired. - I love the dictionary feature. By touching a word, I can see a definition instantly. I already had a pretty good vocabulary, but this feature has improved it. However, a Kindle is not good for all applications: - I don't like the Kindle for my toddler grandson's books. He likes color and pictures, and that's just not the Kindle's jam. - I don't like Kindle cookbooks, as the recipe doesn't always appear fully on one page. - I don't like textbooks or non-fiction (like gardening books) because so often they have images or side-bars that end up being pushed to another page. - I don't like the Bible on the Kindle. When the preacher says, "Turn to this verse", it takes too long to move between chapters and verses. This isn't an issue when you're reading a novel and just clicking straight through from page 1 to page last.

- I loathe the idea of wearing a lanyard around the ship, but I can see the point in wearing one for boarding -- would keep the boarding pass, passport, etc. handy. - We have a paper template we've created /tweaked over the years that keeps us organized during a cruise. We type in /print our dinner reservations and shore plans, and once we're onboard we write in shows, etc. that we want to see. A magnetic hook keeps it on the wall. When we "returned to cruising" I was worried about carrying food /drinks because my husband has some mobility issues -- but it hasn't been a problem. Consider it's easy to get a tray from Room Service. I couldn't do without my Kindle! I love that I have several thousand books at my disposal; and, as long as the wifi is turned off, it stays charged several weeks (even with heavy use). Do not assume you'll find something you like in the ship's library -- it's basically 20-30 paperbacks left by previous passengers. Yes, the one place I don't skimp is my OTC meds bag. Instead of bringing a basin, why not use the sink? I've only cared about closing the curtains securely in a Promenade Room, and they have velcro closures -- maybe all ship curtains do?

You're not risking a terrible room. We almost always go with Guarantees, and we have always been happy with our room. We usually land midship on Deck 6, as most people prefer higher decks. It's become our favorite deck ... convenient to the Promenade, the theater and the dining room, and (if you have a balcony) closest to the water. However, your chances of getting the same room on both legs of your B2B are pretty close to zero. I'd hate the moving, but the savings are real. We've always received our room numbers shortly after Check-in opens -- maybe around the 30 day mark. You know the bar-code trick? Once you have your Boarding Pass, use your phone to scan the bar code, and it may show your room number before Royal shares it with you officially.

So is this a short cruise? If so, you'll find dress will be more informal. And the issue is suitcase space? Or that you'll be washing clothes but hope to use the same items in Disney and on the ship? Are you driving to Florida? If so, could you pack one suitcase for Disney /a second for the cruise -- and leave one suitcase in the car? Florida ports. To expand upon what I typically see: - On a regular evening, most ladies tend to wear casual sundresses or dress pants /dressy blouses -- things that wouldn't be out of place in a typical office. Capris seem to have disappeared. - On formal night, maybe 1/3 of the ladies wear cocktail dresses (more short than long). Fewer will wear dressy pants. Most will wear the same type of things they wore on regular evenings. - On a regular evening, most men wear dress pants or nice jeans paired with polos or button-down shirts. A few men will wear shorts, but they are in the minority -- most of the shorts are on boys. - On formal night, a few men will wear suits or suit jackets, but most will wear the same things they wore on regular evenings -- perhaps with fewer jeans and more dress pants. The overall vibe is casual /resort-casual. Shorts-but-not-sloppy. With the exception of a handful of surly teens, you won't see a lot of athleti-leisure in the dining room; that is, you'll see some men in shorts, but they'll be nice shorts paired with polos or button-downs, not Nike basketball shorts paired with tank tops. In general, this board tends to say, "Anything goes!" and that's an exaggeration -- MDR diners don't dress like my high school students in PJ pants and stretchy shorts. If you choose to dress up, you won't be alone. If you choose to dress casually /middle-of-the-road, you'll be in the majority.

Yes, this. I wouldn't be happy, but I could walk away from my cruise ticket cost -- but I do want medical and evacuation coverage. I bought JUST this coverage recently for my husband and myself for about $50.

At 9 and 12 I personally would look at this as an opportunity to experience dressing up -- something young boys don't do often. I'd look at it as an opportunity for them to feel pride in looking nice /in making an effort. However, they won't be turned away from the dining room in shorts and sneakers. They should opt for nicer shorts and maybe polos rather than athletic shorts and graphic tees. You'll see a smattering of men /boys in shorts, but you won't see many wearing athleti-leisure. This same picture "makes the rounds" every time this topic comes up. Maybe it's a formal night, maybe it isn't; regardless, this is not typical of the whole dining room on a formal night. In reality most ladies on formal nights wear a knee-length cocktail dress or sundress. A few wear dressy pants and blouses. Most men wear dress pants and a button-down shirt or polo.

Put me in the group who prefers an employee serve the ice cream. They serve a reasonable amount in a cone, so much less is spilled on the floor. I like the idea of only that employee's hands touching the machine.

I was on Grandeur last fall, and I assure you: - Like all other Royal ships, no self-service laundry rooms. They do offer laundry service, but it's fairly expensive. - No to iron or steamers. - Two suggestions for keeping things wrinkle-free: Try the Marie Kondo folding method; it keeps things nice and tight, giving clothing less opportunity to move around in the suitcase and wrinkle. Wrap things in tissue paper (or dry cleaning plastic, though who uses that much dry cleaning these days?).

That sounds likely.

If your son is one of those super-picky autistic kids -- the ones for whom only the specific brand of bread and only the PB they're used to will do -- I'd bring it along. It's not that much trouble, and it could potentially avoid a melt-down. Make his life and yours a little easier. I'd consider packaging the bread in sets of 2-slices /in sandwich ziplocks, and I'd consider buying individual-serving tubs of peanut butter -- it'd be easy to carry to the Windjammer.

I've been fascinated by Pompeii ever since I was a child and read about it in National Geographic. If I were 2 1/2 hours away, I'd 100% make the drive. As for cheese, I already know how to make that in my own kitchen.

Yes, I always take a picture of that information. I've never needed it, but I have it. You're changing the topic. You mean once they've cranked up the engines and are ready to leave ... but can't leave yet because they're waiting for those last people? Interesting. I thought of port fees but not that.

Unkindness to the stragglers /stragglers doing right or wrong isn't my point at all. I'm saying that if the argument is KINDNESS, you have to be kind to the people who made it back as well. They clearly did the right thing, and they deserve their vacation to move on without delay.

Yeah, it's sad for them, but the ship posts the sail-away time very clearly -- it's about personal responsibility. It's easy to get the idea from these boards that every cruise has "runners". Not so. Most people are smart enough /responsible enough to get themselves back on time. Cozumel probably is the worst because they have so much shopping /drinking right by the docks ... and people get the idea "I'm only steps away from the ship". Eh, it's almost certainly their fault -- or at least their responsibility. If they'd been in an accident or been delayed in some way, they'd have been scooting to the ship as quickly as possible, knowing they were in trouble. From the description, this sounds like a family that was unaware of the time. And it sounds like sail-away was quite early for this port ... makes no sense if, indeed, their next stop were Coco Cay. I have an analog watch /carabiner, which I keep clipped on to my backpack. I wouldn't leave the ship without it. Missing the ship is NOT a big fear of mine. Oh, don't get me wrong -- I prepare. I have rules. I have a back-up plan to get back to the ship (like cab money and Google Maps). I don't allow my family to split up -- if we go into separate bathrooms, I say, we're meeting back on that bench. But I'm not AFRAID of it because I allow more than enough time, and I am prepared. Totally true. In all the years I've been reading this board, I've only read about one excursion missing the ship, and that had to do with a rock slide that blocked the road ... not poor service on the part of the tour guide at all. If private excursions weren't returning their passengers to the ship on time, they'd be out of business immediately. Consider who's operating the ship's excursions ... they don't send their own people off the ship. They contract local tour guides. Consider, too, that the ship excursions DO NOT promise to get you back to the ship. They promise to get you back to the pier. In Cozumel, as discussed above, if they get you back to the ship and you hang around shopping and drinking, they'll leave you. Setting foot on the gangplank 2 full hours before sail-away is my comfort level too. As you said, if something happens, that's enough time to regroup and get back to the ship. Kindness and sympathy are positive qualities, yes. But how about also being kind to the people who managed to follow the rules? Let them move forward with their vacation as planned. Don't add to their port fees or push the crew because of a few people who can't follow the rules.

I think you'll be fine taking it off the ship -- they don't care so much about that -- but I don't think you'll be allowed to bring it back on the ship. They'll think you bought the alcohol on shore and are trying to bypass their rules.