Mum2Mercury

On one of our recent cruises, spa staff were in the stairwells asking people if they wanted to sign up for a massage. I think they're under great pressure to sell /upsell. Personally, I have no problem saying no.

ONLY at breakfast (at least, only at breakfast without cost), so if you think they'll want it later in the day, take a couple cartons back to your room. If you have the typical coolers-instead-of-refrigerators, ask your cabin steward for an ice bucket ... put the milk in the ice bucket and the ice bucket in the cooler. Yes, they have a variety of milks, including whole milk.

Nothing about the deck plans makes me think this is an obstructed balcony. It's right next to a larger balcony, but I'd expect nothing is blocking this balcony -- you should have a direct view of the ocean. For what it's worth, I have had an obstructed ocean view (not balcony). I paid for an inside guarantee and was "bumped up", so of course I was happy. As long as the price reflected the slightly-inferior room, I'd be happy with an obstruction.

I like MTD much better than traditional. We had traditional on our last cruise, and I had forgotten how much I dislike a whole crowd of people gathering outside the doors waiting for early or late seating to begin. The flexibility of MTD is better. However, if 7:15 is what's left for your specific cruise, you have to make a choice. Do check EVERY NIGHT of your cruise; one of the benefits of MTD is that you can eat at 6:00 one night, 8:00 the next night. You might have something better available on some evenings.

I always do this very thing: On the first day, I get 2 towels per person ... and I "exchange them" rather than returning them (obviously, until the last night of the cruise). Why? - I figure the fewer times our cabin number goes in /out of the computer system, the fewer opportunities for a mistake. - I always "exchange" when we're done at the pool or hot tub and bring only clean towels back to the room. I keep them on a shelf in the closet, so the cabin steward never sees them ... actually, the cabin steward seeing my beach towels never occurred to me. - This means I always have clean towels, in case I want to go to the hot tub early or late (before the towel station is open). I have no sympathy if bad things happen to selfish people who take more than they're due.

You have the app on your phone, right? Check to see what MTD reservations are available on each evening for your specific sailing.

This is what I'd do. I wouldn't want the 6-year old or the 12-year old across the hall or in a non-connecting room. Three in each room can be comfortable. I'd make the first two rooms "connecting" and the last room next door.

That's some savings! You are officially my hero! Since we retired and can cruise more often, we have started booking inside guarantees and are 100% satisfied with that choice. I hope you'll be as happy with your guarantee as we've been. We had a connecting room on our last cruise. I think I heard our neighbor sneeze once. On the other hand, we once shared a door with some really noisy neighbors -- oh, wait, those were my kids. Assuming we don't need connecting rooms, I've always preferred to skip them: - Typically a connecting room has only a chair, whereas a non-connecting room has a loveseat. We'd rather have the larger seating. - While most neighbors are quiet, you have a greater potential for noise with a connecting door. - I never considered that leaving connecting cabins was a kindness to families /groups who might want them -- but now I agree with that sentiment. Wrong. It's fine to ASK -- to ask nicely and to be willing to take no for an answer -- if you can be moved to another room. It's not cheating at all, and RC has every opportunity to say, "No, you rolled the dice and lost". Agree that "least desirable" can have different meanings. Some people want to be on a higher floor, others want to be near the gym, others want to be aft. Regardless, we have sailed in a guarantee several times lately, and we've been placed mid-ship every time. My theory is that people want to pick their own rooms, but they don't want to pay that bit extra to be mid-ship.

So your color scheme is black and red? I personally wouldn't choose that for a wedding, but I do like the shirt you're considering. If he's going to wear a red shirt and you're wearing black and white, I think you should carry a bouquet of red flowers to tie your outfit to his.

I was born in 1966. My father died, and my mother stopped smoking in 1982 -- maybe 1983? -- when she started dating my rabidly anti-smoking stepfather. So 16-17 years of second-hand smoke for me, and I do have lung issues today; any respiratory thing that's going around, I'm the first to catch it. I don't know how many times I've had Pneumonia; I finally got the shot -- had to pay out of pocket because I wasn't "old enough" to have it. Totally worth it: I absolutely love NOT having Pneumonia. Agree that no cruise line would willingly report small fires that were put out quickly and easily -- and I think that's what a typical cigarette fire is. I can tell you which of my students smoke (or come from homes with heavy smokers). This is especially easy in the winter, as the stench sticks to their jackets. And, yes, I can often tell when someone in a car ahead of us is smoking. I didn't know that vaping contained plastics, but I am wary of the plethora of plastics in our world. I look for ways to reduce plastic use in my life, but it's so ... everywhere. Yeah, my alcoholic father didn't believe his Cirrhosis of the Liver came from drinking. He said a small percentage of people get Cirrhosis from other sources, and he was one of those. He is right that this happens to some people -- particularly people of Irish descent who have Hemochromatosis. My family is Irish on both sides and that blood condition runs rampant through our family, but even as a child I knew he was lying to himself.

I haven't been to Cozumel in a long time, but -- yes -- it's a big port. And, yes, some ships are much bigger than others. You make an excellent point. I'm inclined to pay "day of". If it happens to be rainy, we wouldn't want a beach day. I will compare, but I don't really want lunch -- maybe a snack, but not the full buffet. Thank you to ALL who shared information!

It was a different generation, and smoking was viewed differently. I was born in the late 60s, and all the adults in my family smoked -- they smoked at home, they smoked in restaurants, they smoked in bed, they smoked in the car. And they did occasionally set fire to things: I specifically remember my grandfather falling asleep with a cigarette and setting the bed on fire. I also remember someone emptying an ash tray with a still-hot cigarette into a trash can and setting the house on fire. This was a very real problem in my childhood. Having said that, I can't believe such things didn't occasionally happen on cruise ships.

I've got to say, I've never seen the theater so full that you couldn't get a seat SOMEWHERE. Not saying you can get a great seat, but you could sit SOMEWHERE. The ice show is the closest thing I've seen to ... well, "sold out" is the wrong term. Is this literally a problem on some other ships? I'll also admit that I went to a show by myself (my husband was more interested in drinking), and I headed up to the balcony -- I didn't want to claim a prime seat just for me. After I sat down, I noted that this section was reserved for The Key. I didn't move, and no one questioned me.

Lug? That's an overstatement. I'd prefer to get a life jacket for my grandson /adjust it to his size /hang onto it and not have to re-size another one for the week. We had no problem leaving our towels, etc. on our chairs while we went into the water or to get lunch, but -- yes -- as soon as we picked up our towels to return to the ship, someone grabbed our front-row chairs right away.

This is an excellent starting point. I'm attaching a nice map -- sorry it's in two pieces. I'd love two stops per cruise, but that would mean double the ships and part of the appeal is that it isn't too crowded. This answer will depend up on what you like to do -- and whether you're going with the standard fare or paying for a cabana. Personally, we were completely happy with what was free. We spent the day at Chill Beach and would do it again. It's a fairly quiet spot close to rest rooms, shaded hammocks, and food/drink. At the end of our day, we walked around the island -- we would consider South Beach too, though the beach isn't quite as nice. It includes more activities. We didn't particularly like the pool, as it was too loud -- someone who wants a party atmosphere might love it. Tips? - Get up and out early. We were among the first who left the ship, and we got a front-row seat -- lots of late-comers were disappointed about that. - The beach is soft-sanded and free from shells and rocks; you don't need water shoes. - You'll find towel service on the island -- you can check out a towel or exchange for a fresh towel. - Consider bringing an insulated cup to keep your drink cool. - Note that drinks cost about $1 extra on the island; I think it's Bahamas VAT. - No breakfast is available on the island, so eat before you leave the ship. Lunch opens about 11:30; drink service opens a little earlier. - My husband absolutely loved taking a nap in the shady hammocks. - If you want to buy anything, you need to bring cash -- the little shops are not run by RC, so your ship ID isn't useful for buying here. - If you have children, you can get a life jacket near the ship's pool /keep it all week, which includes bringing it to Coco Cay.

I could easily afford the Key /VIP experience, but it doesn't seem to be a good value -- nothing it offers is interesting to me: - Priority boarding -- saves me, what? An hour? I always drive in a day early and sign up for the earliest boarding time. I'd rather spend that money on drinks. - Carry-ons delivered to my room. Um, no -- not at any price. I'm carrying on those things (jewelry, medicine, electronics) because I don't want to hand them over to anyone else. - Lunch -- eh, while this is nice, the timing is bad. I don't want to sit down to a fancy lunch the minute I get on the ship. Maybe if it were a dinner (on the evening of my choice) I'd be more interested. Even a lunch voucher for Johnny Rockets or Fish-and-Chips (which could be used any day of the cruise) would be more appealing than Chops-at-embarkation. - Internet -- If I had internet service, I'd use it, but not heavily. This is not "enough" to motivate me to open my wallet. - Specialty seating -- not interested at all, especially since the seating doesn't seem to be prime. - Reserved time for various attractions -- this might interest me a little, but I don't want to be the jerk who runs other people away from activities. - Priority tendering -- that's only good at a few islands now. - Special breakfast items? Are they going to be different from what's available in the MDR /Windjammer? Doubtful. Only so many breakfast choices exist. - Departure help -- no, I can already leave whenever I please with self-disembarkation. I have no desire to change this. Honestly, I don't see a lot of "extras" onboard that I'm willing to buy, and -- yes -- I'd rather spend the money on doing something fun in port. I'm not Diamond yet, but I suspect I wouldn't hang around the Diamond Lounge. I think I'd much rather have access to drinks across the ship -- I'd like the flexibility. I think Royal Caribbean has kinda painted itself into a corner with the Diamond drink vouchers thing -- now that a whole lot of people are Diamond, they can't fit nicely into that space. I'm always surprised at how poorly informed some cruisers are; for example, I was watching a You Tube the other day, and the host (a guy who seemed to have his act together) complained he wasn't aware that so many small food venues on Wonder are included in the ticket price. He wasn't using them, thinking they cost extra -- but that info is clearly printed in the Compass! He just hadn't done his homework. Admittedly, this kind of thing is -- I believe -- easier to read on paper rather than on the app. One more reason I'll always ask for a paper Compass. Okay, I'd probably pay $1 for The Key, but even if it were $5/day I wouldn't buy it. It just doesn't offer anything that looks useful to me.

Two thoughts: - The term VIP Pass is more descriptive than the rather generic term The Key, and it might entice people to buy. A whole lot of people have a desire for status and feel they "must" buy something upgraded to enjoy their cruise. - If the category is now VIP Passes, emphasis on that "es" at the end, perhaps they're about to add multiple types of "Key" experiences at multiple price points.

I've seen fish tacos in LOTS of Mexican restaurants; we also like shrimp tacos. They're very good. I also love fish-n-chips, but they are nothing like fish tacos. I'd have a hard time choosing between the two meals. That's exactly what I think of when you say fish tacos. In my experience, the fish is usually spicy, but that spice is offset by the veg. I'll add one thought: the fish is usually broken up into bite-sized pieces, not served as a whole piece in the shell. I know grilled, and I know blackened -- but just what is Baja? I think you're in the majority in this. I pretty much love all tacos, but I can't discuss their origins intelligently. Don't much care either. The BEST tacos in my area come from ... wait for it ... the Citco Station. Yes, the gas station. They have a little restaurant /grill inside, and that's some seriously delicious food. It's run by a Mexican family, and the tacos aren't what we Americans have come to expect; they're mostly meat with a red sauce or a green sauce on the side -- no lettuce, tomato, sour cream. When a co-worker first told me to go get tacos from the gas station, I thought she was pulling my leg. Nope. Every single day they sell out by 4:00 or 5:00; people literally take off work early to be able to get tacos from this place.

I think you're way over-packing. Specific thoughts, with low 60s in mind: - Wear one pair of pants ... pack one more pair in your bag. Though I like the idea of the floral pants, I'd say go with simple colored bottoms for this trip. This means one pair gets worn twice, the other gets worn three times ... that's not too much. - Wear one top ... pack four. That's one per day. Remember, your goal is to pack in one small bag. Being a Carolina girl, I'm also very into the sleeveless /short sleeved top or dress under a cardigan for winter ... it's just practical for our weather. - Wear one simple cardigan that'll match several shirts ... and pack one dressier wrap /cardigan that'll also match several shirts. - Pack one dress for dinners ... be sure it will match your flats and one of the sweaters. - Swimsuit ... I was wondering about swimming in low 60s weather (not my idea of fun), but then I saw your note about the hot tub. I would bring a separate cover-up ... after using a dress for a cover-up, it's going to be, well, used. I'm FINE with re-wearing things on a cruise, but I wouldn't want to wear something I'd worn as a cover-up to dinner. - One sleep shirt - Wear the sneakers ... pack the flats for dinner. Will you wear socks? I usually don't. - Under things - Do you need that heavier coat in low 60s? Since you can wear it /don't have to fit it into your bag, this isn't a make-or-break. - You non-clothing items sound pretty reasonable. - You didn't mention jewelry or other accessories ... I'd say choose one simple necklace and earrings that'll match everything. - You didn't mention something to read on the plane /by the pool. - Speaking of toiletries, the all-in-one shampoo is okay IF you follow up with some good conditioner from home. - Do you need anything special for shore excursions? Sometimes, for example, I want a disposable camera, sometimes I need water shoes. What I'm recommending is 10 items of clothing + 1 pair of flats + underthings + non-clothing IN YOUR BAG ... and that's do-able. Roll your clothes into tight little bundles. Shorter cruises are less formal. You can totally do this in one small bag. My husband and I just did a three-night cruise with one small bag.

Right -- if you've already downloaded the books at home, you can access them on the ship. On the other hand, if you were trying to buy a new book /download a new book onboard, you'd need to have internet service.

We've planned nice excursions /busy days for three of our four island stops ... but we're thinking about staying in port in Costa Maya. My impression is that the port is "enough" for a decent island stop. We're only in port until 2:00 in the afternoon, so this will be a short day. Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer these questions: - We read they have an air-acrobatics show? Does this happen every day? Time? Where? - We read they have a Mexican wrestling show in the Cantina Latina? Again, every day? Time? Should we arrive early to get a table? - We're interested in the Bird Aviary. Has anyone done this? - What else would be worth doing in Costa Maya? - We don't care to use the pool ... if that were our goal, we'd stay on the ship. - Also, we're not really shoppers.

We've planned nice excursions /busy days for three of our four island stops ... but we're thinking about staying in port in Costa Maya. My impression is that the port is "enough" for a decent island stop. We're only in port until 2:00 in the afternoon, so this will be a short day. Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer these questions: - We read they have an air-acrobatics show? Does this happen every day? Time? Where? - We read they have a Mexican wrestling show in the Cantina Latina? Again, every day? Time? Should we arrive early to get a table? - We're interested in the Bird Aviary. Has anyone done this? - What else would be worth doing in Costa Maya? - We don't care to use the pool ... if that were our goal, we'd stay on the ship. - Also, we're not really shoppers.

Ooh, that sounds tasty.

I bring three bags onboard, and I consider them the perfect combination: 1. I wear a small day-pack while boarding. This is enough to hold electronics, medicines, documents and anything else I don't want to "send through" with the porters. I also use this for island stops. 2. I pack a small open-top tote, which originally held gift items from Bath & Body Works. It's 15" wide x 7" high, making it considerably smaller than the average beach tote bag. I like this size because it's big enough to hold sunscreen, sunglasses and my Kindle -- but it easily fits under my pool chair. I can roll up a beach towel and lay it over the top /hold it in place by carrying the tote with the handles. I rarely carry a hat, but -- if I were to do so -- I'd unhook the back closure and hook the hat around one of the straps. I really enjoy this tote and have probably had it 15 years. 3. A small wristlet purse to carry to dinner or around the ship. This is enough to carry my sea pass, a chapstick, a small lotion, and a camera. I always keep a purse hook, which allows me to hook the wristlet on a table instead of keeping it on my lap. These are my exact bags -- except that my Lily Bloom purse is a different pattern:

I was thinking the same thing! Queen is my husband and my favorite group -- our dog is named Mercury. Who eats one slice of pizza? And often we "bring back" for several people in the room. RC's pizza slices are on the small size, which I like because it allows you to choose how much you want; I wish they served sliders instead of full-sized burgers in the Windjammer so we could similarly adjust our serving size. I didn't know to ask! We usually bring a can of Pringles as a road-snack, and we bring the partial can onboard -- that's plenty for us. I've always assumed chips were not often seen on the ship because they require a great deal of storage space; I mean so much air compared to the actual food. Also, more small bags = more trash to be collected and stored until the ship reaches land. A hundred years ago, when I was in college, I worked for Frito-Lay. My job was taking bags off the line and packing them into cardboard boxes for shipping -- off topic note: everyone should be required to 1) work in a factory and 2) wait tables while young, as these experiences certainly give one an appreciation for the goods that are so readily available to us in the US. Anyway, to the point: at that point, the plastic bags cost more than the food inside them. Two bags for each visit should be ample-plenty.