Mum2Mercury

The price jump between a balcony and a Junior Suite is significant ... have you priced out the cost of connecting balconies instead? Two balconies would give Mum a real bed (instead of a sofa bed), real privacy, and a closet and bathroom of her own. Depending upon the ship, your steward may be able to open your balcony dividers, giving you one wiiiiiiide balcony. I think everyone would be happier. I despise the way cruise lines use the word "suite". A suite is a series of connecting rooms, but most cruise suites are just larger rooms. I want to say to the cruise lines:

I suspect it's because chips require a ton of storage space, and that's in short supply on ships. - From a person who can take or leave chips.

Years ago I visited McDonalds on a houseboat outside the St. Louis Arch. Although we (obviously) have McD's at home, it was fun because it was different.

Beyond having a good time on a cruise, my RN daughter says you MUST take care of your feet and ankles ... because if they go, your knees won't be far behind ... and if your knees fail, your hips will follow. And mobility, once lost, is quite difficult to regain. It's easier /more efficient to maintain rather than rebuild.

Agree, and "Cheapest of the cheap" is rarely the optimal choice; however, I'd word it this way: High price does not guarantee top quality. I strongly suspect that most damaged luggage just gets tossed -- even if it came with a warranty. How many people will register the luggage when it's new, then save the warranty information, take the time (possibly money) to send the luggage to the approved fixer, then wait for it to be returned? Not many people. Off-shoot: When I was in college I worked for about a year at an upscale camping supply store -- loved that job. You probably know that most name brand day packs guarantee their seams and zippers for life (and if you damage a day pack, the seams and zippers are almost certainly what you'll damage). One of my tasks was taking in damaged packs /sending them to the appropriate company, who could either repair or replace at their discretion. (FYI: They always replace.) At back-to-school time we sold backpacks galore, yet very few were brought back to take advantage of the guarantee -- people like the guarantee when they're buying, but they don't want to go to the trouble, and they don't want to do without the item for months (yes, months). The vast majority of people just bought something new. True. When I was a small child, both of my parents worked for the now-defunct Eastern Airlines, so we could fly space-available -- and, wow, we did! We had a plethora of these tiny suitcases around the house -- they were about the size of 6 lunchboxes combined, and they were lightweight, flimsy plastic in the company's navy blue signature color -- this was pre-wheeled luggage. They zipped. When flying space-available, that's all we were allowed to carry. Even as a child, I could easily carry one by myself -- were my parents allowed more than one? I don't remember.

My daughters' college had something like this the week before exams: a rescue set up in the middle of campus, and for $1-2 dollars you could go into the pen for 10 minutes. I always gave them a couple dollars and told them that treat was on me. An extension of this idea: How about hiking with dogs? Obviously in a place where hiking is appropriate -- connect with a local shelter and let cruisers exercise a dog while enjoying the sites? I'd love to take cooking classes here or there -- but it needs to be something "real". I don't want to learn to make guacamole, which is just cutting up 5-6 items and mushing them together. Best excursions: Activities unique to the island ... a good mixture of activity and rest. Worst: City tours in the Caribbean.

It does vary: In October we'll spend $75 for an ATV excursion in Cozumel but only $40 to visit the sloths and monkeys in Roatan. Don't forget to include any money you need for tips, taxis or snacks. I like to make up (at home) an envelope for each island stop -- the company, contact information, meeting place, anything we should wear/bring, etc. on the outside and any money we expect to spend on the inside (including small bills so we can tip as we want).

Depends. - A young couple who can walk easily could safely travel further than a person with mobility issues or a family with a couple kids in tow. - In general, I'd say 30 minutes from the port /knowing how you'd get a taxi to get back is safe. This would depend upon how easy transportation is. - And, of course, you have to consider your own comfort zone. If the ship's sailing at 6:00, I personally want to be back on by 4:00 ... that way, if anything bad happens, we have time to regroup and figure out how to get back.

Absolutely not necessary, but useful on a minor level. Someone gave me a set of the clips, and I keep them in my pool bag ... if they suddenly disappeared, I probably wouldn't replace them. They do identify your chair in a sea of identical chairs, and they do prevent the wind from blowing your towel over into your face ... but that's not really a big problem. Pictures snagged from Amazon:

I don't think you'll have any hope of making the cruise cheaper than staying home. Thoughts: - If you have a mortgage or car payment, those are still running while you're on the ship. - You're still paying insurance and taxes on your house. - You could suspend your TV streaming services You should include: - Cost of getting to the port (only once, if you're doing a 14-day, which I assume is a B2B) - Cost of parking, if you're driving - Night before cruise hotel - Tips for the staff - Cost of shore excursions, which are probably more expensive than your typical week's entertainment at home -- I mean, personally, the last "event ticket" I bought was to a middle school wrestling tournament (and it was just as fun as it sounds). - Drinks and meals not included in your ticket price - You might choose to pay for internet on the ship - I would not include any clothing you buy for the cruise because that'll continue to be yours after the cruise.

That's a good age for cruising. Their kids' club will have great activities that they'll love. Probably.

Beer averages (including mandatory 18% tip) $9-11 Cocktails average $13-15 You're likely to spend more on "extra" drinks than on "extra" food. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner (plus snacks) without paying anything extra; we are very satisfied with this. The Main Dining Room and Windjammer Buffet are the two biggest venues, but -- depending upon your ship -- you'll may have a few other no-cost options. You'll probably have a Cafe Promenade for small sandwiches and snacks that's open 24 hours/day. And a pizza place that's open lunch through late night. At Coco Cay you can get a no-cost lounger on Chill Island, Harbor Beach, South Beach -- or by the pool. You can nap in a no-cost hammock. You can eat lunch in Skipper Grill or Chill Grill or the Snack Shack-- only Captain Jack's charges money. You can pay to ride the hot air balloon or go to the water slides, but you can have a great beach day while keeping your wallet in your pocket. Note that if you're buying alcoholic drinks on Coco Cay, they cost about $1 more than they do on the ship -- kinda weird. Kids' Club: On the first day of the cruise, go to the kids' area and register your kiddo in the age-appropriate club. How old is your child? The offerings vary depending upon age and are MUCH BETTER after age 3. I suggest you go to You Tube and look up these topics. SEEING is good information.

Since you seem new to the world of cruising, let's talk about the complete list of costs -- you may be surprised that the cabin may not be the biggest expense: Cruise ticket -- this includes cabin, basic meals, most entertainment onboard -- this can be as little as $99 for a three-night cruise or it could be thousands, depending upon the choices you make. How to do this economically: You'll probably want to go with inside cabins, which means interior rooms /no windows. Also, consider going with Guarantees; this means you don't choose a room; rather, the ship puts you in whatever cabins are left empty -- this can be as much as 30% cheaper, but you won't have side-by-side cabins. We like cruising in the fall, as the weather is great and the prices are at their lowest; cruising in summer is much more expensive, and forget about holidays -- they're outrageously priced and the ships are crowded. Consider a smaller-to-midsized ship -- they're much cheaper than the newer, mega-ships. Extras onboard -- Many drinks, especially alcohol, cost extra onboard. A beer runs $9-10 and a mixed drink runs $14-15 (mandatory 18% tip included). You can eat at specialty restaurants, which add to the cost. The ship will give you an ID card, which you will use for spending -- they do not take cash onboard; you'll need to give the ship your credit card number ahead of time, and they'll charge anything you've spent on the last night. Island stops -- The ship will stop at a couple islands, and you'll want to get off and do something. This could be as cheap as a beach trip, which would just cost a taxi ride. Or it could be something more expensive. Once you choose your itinerary, you'll decide what you want to do. One island stop might cost you $20 and another might cost you $500 -- totally depends upon your choices. Transportation to your port -- You say you're in the midwest and expect to need to fly; you'll have to look into what this will cost. Some cruises go out of Texas -- is that within driving distance for you? Driving is almost always cheaper than flying (though then you have to pay for parking, and that's probably $15-20/day). You probably want to start your journey by choosing a departure port, as this will narrow down your choices. Night-before hotel -- This board isn't completely united in many things, but everyone here will agree that you must arrive the night before your cruise sails. Especially since you're flying, too many things can happen to prevent you from meeting your ship -- and that's just not an acceptable risk. Personally, we always do something pretty basic and cheap for our night-before. Passports -- If you're American citizens leaving from and returning to American soil, you can sail with a passport OR a certified birth certificate and government-issued ID. Length of cruise -- You say you want to go 4-5 days. I'm with the above poster who says, "If you go to the trouble and expense of flying in, stay at least a week." You fear your siblings can't get off work for a week -- what if you make your plans for a year from now, giving them time to "build up" the time off?

That happened to me -- our check in date was X, yet the app didn't open on X. I waited a couple hours, thinking maybe it wasn't on Eastern Standard Time. Nope. It opened the next day -- never knew why. One thing you could do is try both the phone app and your computer -- just in case something is wonky with one or the other.

I could buy a lot of things, but watching my pennies is why I was able to retire early. Thriftiness is a virtue. What's the name of that Logical Fallacy in which you take a real point and stretch it so it looks ridiculous? Not sure which side you're on, but I'm on the side of being friendly, kind and helpful to others, especially when it costs you nothing.

Happened to me too. This is the right answer. I had actually accepted that my passport wasn't going to arrive (even though my husband's passport, submitted the same day) had been in-hand for more than a month. I had filled in "birth certificate" and had it ready to go in my backpack. I had literally just put the suitcases in the trunk and went to check the mail -- my passport had arrived. My husband was yelling, "Luck of the Irish!" I forgot to change "birth certificate" to "passport" and they --rightly -- questioned me about it in the terminal, but it wasn't a problem, as I had the documents to show. They laughed about the timing too.

I had a Cheese Steak sandwich and salad. I don't remember what my husband had. Could be true about the fries. I had no idea they were so common! They only came around our area in central NC once (to my knowledge). Our climate and landscape is quite different from Florida -- they must like you better. Someone got the idea that they were afraid of garbage bags. So our janitors set up "scarecrows", which were just planks nailed into Xs -- like a St. Andrew's cross -- and garbage bags stapled to them. Those nasty dirty birds perched on them. Made our school look like trash AND didn't work.

How do you occupy the baby at home? Same things work on a ship. Absolutely no to a Pack-n-Play on the pool deck; this would infringe on your fellow passengers' space. Same for a small pool. If you're traveling with family, perhaps you're bringing built-in baby sitters. We're planning a family cruise next year, and -- with two sets of doting grandparents + aunts and uncles -- I expect my then-3-year-old grandson will not NEED to go to the kids' club at all (but I suspect he will want to go). His parents are going to get plenty of "time off".

I did eat at those tables, though I didn't leave my food. I don't know why they didn't bother us --or anyone else. I wasn't even aware of them.

I've many times seen smaller birds -- Mockingbirds are bad for it -- ganging up on a larger bird. They definitely know how to work together. If you want to hear a real-life bird nightmare, a bunch of vultures made a home near my school and ATE something like 30K of roof. Flooded the math department. We'd see 'em sitting out on the roof. The kicker: they were some type of endangered species, so we couldn't just have janitors shoot them after school. They had to be captured and re-homed.

Admittedly, I've only visited Coco Cay once -- and on that day two mid-sized ships (Independence and Liberty) were docked, so it wasn't packed. Here's what I saw: I'd estimate half the no-cost loungers were empty, so everyone could have a chair -- and finding chairs for your group would have been easy. Ditto for hammocks; my husband left our loungers and went for a nap in the shade -- several were open. BUT, having said that, everyone wants a front-row lounger right on the ocean, and those go fast. We were up early and grabbed prime seats -- kept them all morning and into the afternoon. Quite a few people came in 10:00 or so and were surprised to see they couldn't come in and get a front-row seat -- one old guy was mad and started yelling at his family and those of us in the chairs. Get over it, Dude; you slept in, I got the chair. I was a little concerned when I went for lunch that someone might move my stuff, but it didn't happen. However, when I started packing up, some people from a further-back row got up and claimed my spot before I gathered all my things! I had no problem with this, but I thought it was funny. I didn't even note seagulls at Coco Cay -- I did see wandering chickens around the food area. Thoughts: - Are they seasonal? I was at Coco Cay in December. - We ate at the picnic tables near Chill Grill, which are covered with colorful triangular tarps. It occurs to me now that these are not only for sun protection.

People generally look forward to lobster night, and -- if I were not a seafood eater -- I would offer mine to a tablemate without being asked. No, I don't. You've been sitting with these people for several nights. You're friendly with one another. Your tablemate says, "I just don't eat shellfish". I see no harm in saying, "You're sure? You really don't like it? I happen to love it ... "

Unless you want to skip the chore of searching for your luggage in a sea of bags. Assuming you're able-bodied, wheeling a suitcase off is no difficulty. I'm curious: At what time did you join this long line? When we leave the ship, we have an 8-hour drive ahead of us, so we want to get off as early as possible. We join the line 7:00-7:15ish ... and it tends to take 30 minutes to reach our car.

A small question: Do the Snack Shacks open about the same time as the buffets in the Chill Grill and Skipper's Grill? Since Coco Cay seems to be a hit with the majority of cruisers, I'd like to see Royal copy their success elsewhere as well. This would keep Coco Cay from being overly crowded ... having space to spread out is part of the allure. Growing up, going to the beach was always A Very Big Deal. We had to plan, have a hotel, etc. Then I married a man who grew up two miles from the beach, and my relationship with the beach changed: When we got to visit his family, we can go to the beach for just a couple hours ... my nieces have had birthday parties on the beach ... or we can take a cooler of sandwiches and go out night fishing ... but we never get a hotel or cook big meals or have the whole family around the table for game night. I'm not sure which I prefer. Agree with all your reasoning. It's just "easy" for families. My children are grown, but we love it for the same reasons: My husband gets enough beach in maybe 3-4 hours, but I'll stay all day ... no problem, as we don't need transportation. I'll say this though: I love a beach day! But I DON'T want multiple beach days in one trip -- or, at least not in a one-week trip. I like variety in my shore excursions. Thing is, when I was at Coco Cay in December (my only visit thusfar), only about half those expensive cabanas were used. I don't know if this is typical, or if it was an "off day", but I wondered why they held out for $$$$$ for each cabana instead of lowering the price to $$ and selling them all. Two ships were in port -- Independence and Liberty -- so the island wasn't packed-to-the-gills, but it certainly wasn't empty.

Packing light isn't hard -- go to Pinterest and search for 5-4-3-2-1 packing. You'll find a bunch of examples. This eliminates the need for 3 big suitcases and laundry.