Mum2Mercury

Two thoughts: - Right now the rule is 2 bottles per cabin. This change means 1 bottle per adult. For most cabins /2 people, this is the same thing. - For cabins with more than two adults, this allows more alcohol.

Agree. The onboard water is good, and I'd rather drink cold ice water from a glass rather than from a plastic bottle. I also try to avoid single-use plastics, as the planet simply cannot afford them. Pointing out the obvious: If you order water to your room, the cabin attendants (and wait staff, who also deliver luggage) are the ones who deliver it to your room. Water is heavy, and it makes no difference to the workers whether you packed it from home or whether they took it from the ship's supplies.

Surely everyone's had an odd situation now and then that led to something you thought private coming to light. I know every now and then I find out my students have done something wrong (or stupid) through very unexpected channels. I wonder how big a deal it is if staff "hides" cash tips. I've never taken away tips, but I can see that -- with the pressure to get high scores on surveys -- that it could really make a difference to them. I never considered that before.

I get what you're saying: This is a stay-on-the-ship cruise, so you're likely to use the drink package more heavily than you would on other cruises. Thoughts: - You've already got 4 free drinks each day ... that includes boarding day, right? - So the drink package would cost $275 each (does that include the 18%? That 18%'s a lot of money.) That means each of you -- over the course of three days -- would have to drink your 12 free drinks + 19 drinks at $14 to break even. - You say your wife likes wine -- the two bottles you can bring on would make a difference too.

Ah, you're right.

- I haven't been upset with the salad bar toppings -- and I eat lots of vegetables. - I eat almost everything, but bleu cheese is at the tippy-top of the things I hate, so I wouldn't have missed it. However, Honey-Mustard dressing is my favorite, and it was rarely available -- and I don't think it's an expensive item. - I don't think I had any strawberries. They are more expensive than other common fruits, and they have a lifespan of about 5 minutes. - I really, really don't like that "one thing at a time" in the MDR. That one's a sticking point for me. - Ditto for the once-a-day cabin service. - We did see a few pasta dishes at Sorrentos recently, but people didn't seem to be choosing them. I wonder if they disappeared on other ships because of lack of interest? I remember free room service -- well, free except for tip. Do people still order room service? I never cared about midnight buffets, ice sculptures and chocolate buffet. Agree that they're taking away a whole lot. We have two cruises scheduled right now, and we'll see how those go -- then we'll decide whether we schedule more. Agree. Oh, yes, the Tutti salad! That was SO GOOD. Agree. We can easily afford a suite, but we will never book one -- we just don't see it as a good value. No-name bottled water wouldn't bother me in the least.

For that price, I'm genuinely surprised they have lines.

Per person? Too much for me.

I'm sure we've read some on the tipping threads: "I tipped the soft serve guy $50 for the great cones he made for my kids!" (Made up example ... sarcasm.) Okay, makes sense, but I suspect the majority of the foodstuff is loaded along with passengers on embarkation day. Still, I'd like to see some figs. So yummy with cheese and crackers. We're usually a party of two, and we averaged 50-60 minutes. I'd say we eat at an average speed. Butter chicken. Yum.

If you're referring to me and what I wrote, you're confusing the term "professional job" with "professionalism". Similar root words, different meanings. Not an insult to the wait staff. I always pay auto-tips up front (I've never pulled auto-tips and don't anticipate ever doing so). but I do not generally tip extra until less someone goes out of his or her way for me. Agree that waiting tables on land is not the same as waiting tables at sea. After all, when I was younger and worked as a waitress, I never had to deliver luggage or manage a muster station between meals. They and the cabin stewards. I can see that argument.

The USA has nothing to do with cruise ships; well, except that the USA provides most of the passengers.

Thanks for the advice, All. I'm dragging my feet on starting this project because I'm afraid of ruining a swimsuit I've enjoyed for years -- and this makes no sense because, as another poster wisely pointed out, I can't wear it "as is", so I have nothing to lose. I'm definitely going to cut away the "under suit" and buy a pair of brown bikini bottoms -- I'm an easy fit for bottoms, and mix-and-match things are easy to find on ebay. No way I'd wear it with panties -- it's a swim dress, but the dress portion just barely covers the bikini bottoms. I'll update you when I find the nerve to bring out my scissors. Again, thanks for the advice.

I firmly believe everyone should work food service and work in a factory at some point in his or her life. Those two things give you a perspective on how things work "behind the scenes". Good question. Another way of saying that is, "Fish & Chips has been my favorite meal in the MDR, and now it's gone!" It's fine to be upset that your old favorite has disappeared; what's unfair is saying that you dislike anything new without having experienced it. I've never seen fresh figs on a ship -- yum! Do consider that whatever fruit you see on Day 1 is what they'll have for the duration of the cruise. They can't make new fruit appear in the middle of the ocean. Agree, and not just because I have a small bakery business as a side-hussle. I think they've improved over recent years; in the past most desserts seemed to be overly-whipped /more air than taste.

Is it possible that they snuck it by you? That you didn't read the receipts carefully? 'Cause -- no -- this isn't new, and I think adding the automatic tips is pretty standard across cruise lines.

That's nice to hear! I wonder if part of your positive experience was that you were among the first diners of the evening? They did say that was one of their goals, though I'm with the ones who don't care to be in-and-out in 30 minutes. That's more of a lunch time table. Were you able to order a lobster tail AND another entree /have them delivered at the same time? I like hearing the dishes people enjoyed most -- everything can't be a hit. When you're talking about food, personal preference always comes into play! Agree, and I'll add this: I take more seriously reviews that give plenty of details -- not the ones that just say, "Awful, everything was awful!" or "Best ever!" If a person gives you details, he or she has thought through and evaluated carefully.

Consider that everyone in your cabin must get it, and it costs PER DAY ... then look at which perks you'd actually use. Boarding wouldn't matter to us, as we've always been able to get 10:30 boarding. The special time for various activities isn't a huge draw. We'd rather spend that money on nice experiences on the islands. That's our priority. Assuming you'd pay for internet, which we don't. I went to a show by myself and chose to sit upstairs ... it wasn't until I'd sat down that I realized I was in The Key area. I looked around to see if I was going to get in trouble. I saw a couple people I knew, knew they didn't have The Key because we stood in line together at boarding. I kept my seat. They are a business.

For what it's worth, we've always been very happy with our guarantee rooms. We seem to land midship on Deck 6 and now we prefer it! Pick me! I'm only 4'11" and am willing to cover my gray hair with a hat all week! Best idea here! I can't wait to take my grandson on a cruise, but I want him out of diapers first.

I wasn't aware chlorine resistant elastic existed -- I'm off to Amazon in a moment. No, your explanation wasn't confusing; makes sense to me. It does occur to me that if I create a channel, it would enlarge the size of the leg holes. On the other hand, I'm more confident of my ability to create a channel than to sew the elastic on directly. I'm also thinking now of cutting away the under-suit (it's an empire bust-style, so the bust portion would remain intact) and buying a pair of brown bikini bottoms. Not a popular color, but the dress portion is floral, so it wouldn't have to match perfectly. You're exactly right though: as it exists now, it's not wearable. I can't keep the skirt down 100% of the time, and with the legs "stretched out", it's not a decent thing to wear. So anything I attempt will be a low-risk proposition. The only thing I can lose is my time. Thanks for your thoughts.

Warning: tough question ahead: I have a wonderful swim dress, which I'm pretty sure I bought for our 20th wedding anniversary cruise. We're approaching our 34th anniversary, so this swim suit is far from new, but I really like it. It looks great on me, fits like a dream. It was expensive, I still like it, and I don't want to discard it. It's basically a one-piece swimsuit with a dress sewn over. When I put it on before our last cruise (I always try on every outfit before packing it), I heard /felt a "crinkle and crackle", and I said to myself, "Uh-oh, this thing's old." Upon inspection, I figured out that the top portion is in fine condition ... the leg holes of the under-suit are the problem. The elastic around the leg holes is shot, and the leg holes are now too large; the bottom of the swimsuit no longer clings to my rear. I didn't pack that swim dress. My questions: - My sewing skills are pretty basic, but the leg holes aren't really "visible" ... at least when I'm standing up. The under-suit is dark brown, so I'm sure I'd have to use narrow black elastic ... I'm imagining removing the existing stitching /hand sewing a narrow elastic channel and running elastic through that new channel. - I'm thinking that since the bottom portion of the suit is covered by the upper swim dress, a less-than-perfect sewing job wouldn't really show. - Or is this something a seamstress could do? - Or am I kidding myself that this swim dress is salvage-able?

First, I doubt this is true. Second, if anyone actually did tip this much, it was over-the-top. I agree with tipping more when you require more service (like kids who drop food on the floor or a trash can full of diapers in the cabin), BUT -- if the family had a bunch of kids -- they're already paying auto-grats for the kids. So they're already tipping "more" for their kids. No. Paying the auto-grats is doing what's expected -- no more, no less. Survey harassment used to be a real thing, but it seems to have disappeared lately. I've wondered what's changed. Doesn't a part of the auto-grat go to the head of the dining room? That's a job that -- when done properly -- is invisible. False. The bar staff also moves alcohol from storage to the bar area, cleans glasses, takes away bar trash later, washing up the blenders, prepping garnishes ... they probably spend just as much time on these "invisible tasks". Their job is more than just handing you a drink. Everything I've said assumes good service. Personally, I've never received bad service on a ship. If you DO receive bad service, it's right to withhold the tip. Agree; for example, last week I got together with old friends for dinner. We sat at our table for several hours talking and catching up -- as we paid the bill, we all agreed to tip heavily because we'd held the table longer than usual and probably kept the waitress from serving another family. I've never considered waiting tables a professional job.

I think we all believe this.

We uploaded our pictures -- made an effort to do it right. They re-took the picture in the terminal anyway, so we decided not to bother again. We suspect it was because they want us to look exactly like we did when we boarded (I get it -- that's a security issue). We had both had haircuts just before boarding.

I also suspect it's a low number, but I don't know if it's THAT low. I think most people do auto-tips because it's just easier. Yes. You're skipping the people who wash your sheets, people who work in the Windjammer, etc. so that you can feel good about handing over cash to the people you see. I don't use the casinos specifically because of the smoke. I do "cut through" them, but I always walk fast and hold my breath -- of course, I always "lose" in my attempt to make it through the casino on one lungful of clean air. None of us have solid information /verification on this. Until we do, I'm more comfortable going with the system provided by Royal /the system the crew okayed when they signed on for the job.

Well, first, I have never seen an ice machine on a ship that was open to the public -- so I'm thinking they are behind closed (if not locked) doors. Second, I'm thinking about a conversation in the teacher lunchroom during which one of the male teachers (who is now a well-respected principal) admitted that during his college years he was infamous for peeing in the ice machines in the dorm. Since that day I have never used a reach-in-with-a-scoop type of ice machine. The big things "on the table now" are the reduced cabin service and the cut-backs in the MDR. Will bookings fall off because of these reductions? It's too soon to say. Consider that most cruisers don't read these boards, so they may not be aware of these cut-backs until they experience them personally. - Agree that wet towels don't always dry well in the small, interior bathrooms -- especially if more than two people are sharing that bathroom. - Agree that dishes are going to be a problem. - Agree that pull-down and sofa beds are going to be a problem. Consider that in a room using a 3rd /4th bed, the cabin steward is being paid a 3rd /4th daily tip. When a family is paying for 3rd /4th person tips, they shouldn't have to pull out the bed themselves. - I like those "non-essential pillows", as I like two pillows as I read in bed.

Some of each. Depends upon your assignment.