Mum2Mercury

I'm asking about the couple bump-outs on the jogging track, which are very much -- pardon the pun -- off the beaten track.

You're not wrong about the prices going up ... except for gas; for the last couple weeks it's been creeping downward, and I hope that means other things will go down as the cost of getting goods to the store decreases. As for cruise prices, what seems odd to me is that prices are stagnant. Last year prices were constantly up and down ... even if just by a few dollars. I can't see any reason.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me with these questions -- I know, I'm asking some weird things: - How late does Karaoke stay open? Every night? - Could you suspend a hammock -- like an ENU -- in one of those little seating bump-outs on Wonder's jogging track? - Is the Music Hall open every evening? - Can children eat in the Solarium Bistro? - Is the Vue bar crowded? - Playmakers looks huge -- is it often crowded? - How early can one reserve shows?

Whether I'd book or not would depend upon the group. - We sailed once with a Quinceanera group. We loved seeing all the girls in their lovely dresses. I'd sail with them again. They did tie up the photographs on formal night, but I understand why they 'specially wanted good pictures. - We sailed recently on a "Buddy Cruise", which included a lot of disabled individuals (children and adults) and their families. They were great cruise partners ... they tended to be quiet and ended their days fairly early. They brought a large number of mobility aids onboard, but we didn't mind waiting for the elevator. I'd sail with them again in a heartbeat. - On our last cruise -- a three day -- we were with a large church group, and they were seated near us in the MDR. They were constantly up-and-down, popping back and forth between tables, taking lots of group pictures -- outside the MDR I wasn't aware of them, and that wasn't enough to make me say "never again". Regardless, some groups do "close down" parts of the ship for their private functions, and I dislike that. Given the choice, I wouldn't knowingly sail with a large group -- though I must admit it's never been a problem for us.

2 tops tend not to be next to windows. They may or may not assign you to a 4-top by a window.

Thing is, we keep seeing such different things. Looking at this menu, I see three appetizers I'd like to try ... three entrees I'd like ... and three desserts that look good to me. Yet we saw a different menu (with some of these same things) on it just a day or two ago, and nothing on that list looked good.

Since you mentioned diapers, I'll throw this in: Diapers are easy. A fully potty trained child is easy. In between (or newly trained /still in need of lots of reinforcement) is hard.

Well, you can't stiff the bartenders. Every drink has an automatic 18% tip added.

Agree, but we like to pick exactly the cheese we prefer (I despise bleu cheese, for example), and our ziplocks fit into the refrigerator more easily.

Since you don't intend to use your vouchers for many alcoholic drinks, I'd use them for bottled waters /not bother to order the package. You can always buy a couple more bottles, if it's not enough for you. And that way your bottles would always be ice-cold.

We've been on Explorer and Indy recently. On both -- I'm talking non-formal night -- most men were in dressy shorts /jeans and polo shirt/button down shirt. Ladies were in dressy shorts /nice tops or sundresses. A small minority -- mostly teens -- were in athleti-leisure.

I see no point for either of these things. We use our phones only occasionally /no other electronics. The over-the-door organizer takes up more space than it's worth. The rooms have ample storage ... around the mirror, lots in the bathroom, loads in the closet. I do bring a couple magnetic hooks to keep ball caps and paperwork handy. If you're talking Royal Caribbean, it's 18% on all drinks. We used to tip $1 for every drink, but we're reconsidering it ... haven't stopped, but don't always do it. 18% is plenty for handing over a beer. Serious question, how do you know you'll find your favorite bartenders at the end of a cruise?

We're fine with pizza and little sandwiches for late-night snacks, though I do hate that the pizza line is so long sometimes. We do bring things back to our room sometimes; for example, we usually have some cheese and crackers from Windjammer in our room. And maybe some cookies. We bring a couple ziplocks for this purpose.

It depends upon the ship. We've sailed two different ships in 2022, and one offered better Crown & Anchor benefits than the other. You won't know for sure until you board.

I'm seriously thinking of bringing those sealed $1 bags from the grocery store on my next cruise. Related topic: On Indy last month my husband and I were sitting in Promenade Cafe enjoying a snack, and we noticed that 100% of the kids who passed by Sugar Beach (candy store) turned their heads to look at the store. 50% of them broke stride and walked over to look in the window (it was closed at that time). I said to my husband, "We'll have our grandson on an upcoming cruise. I'm going to pick up a handful of $1-2 movie-box candies before the cruise." Seriously, we drive to the port, and $10 would buy more popcorn and candy than we could eat in a week. I'm cheap enough to go to the trouble.

I was going to say the same thing. I also wonder if birds swoop in to eat it the next morning, then poop all over the place? Guessing about that, but it seems realistic. You laugh, but Disney's already doing it. They'll sell you a plastic popcorn bucket for ... about $12? Then you can refill it for $2 or $2.50 for the length of your stay. Seriously, though. I love-love-love popcorn and enjoy it with MUTS. I've never seen popcorn for sale, and I've thought about bringing bagged popcorn on board with me. They sell moderate-sized bags at the grocery store near me for $1.

If only I'd been around a couple months ago. Okay, let's be fair ... we, the public, see the guy carrying the suitcase on a nearby cart, but consider what else the porters do: - They maintain and bring out the series of carts for the day. - They look at your luggage ticket and determine which cart will be delivered to "your area" of the ship. - When the carts are full, they transport those carts to the ship and hand them over to the onboard staff. This involves driving a ... not forklift, but I don't know what to call the little cart. That might require a certification of some sort. - They answer questions and keep people moving through the confusing terminal parking lot. As in most jobs, when the guys are doing their work well, much of what they do is "invisible". Something that occurs to the evil portion of my brain: If I were a porter and wanted to "mess with someone" who was rude to me, I wouldn't set aside that person's luggage ... that would be noticed. No, if I wanted to mess with someone, I'd pull off the luggage tag and put the suitcases in the wrong cart. This would delay the problem passenger's luggage and force them to hunt for their stuff. Not that I think anyone's doing this ... but it would "fly under the radar", whereas leaving a suitcase on the sidewalk would not. Yes, they do keep things moving in the terminal parking lot, which isn't the most calm or pleasant part of a cruise. My husband is no longer able to carry luggage. I'm super-grateful that I am physically able to manage our things, but I'm glad to know that help is available.

I've only had an obscured view once (it was a partially blocked ocean view, not a balcony) ... BUT I paid for an inside and got an obscured ocean view, so I was not displeased. This was on Disney. Yes, when you sign up for a guarantee, you should assume you'll get "the worst cabin" in a given category, but I've paid for an inside guarantee twice with Royal Caribbean in 2022 and here's what I got: - A run-of-the-mill mid-ship interior on Deck 6. I have a theory that you're likely to get mid-ship with a guarantee because those rooms cost a little more, and people don't choose them. - A mid-ship promenade view room on Deck 6. Deck 6 is not popular, but we've come to love it because it's only a few steps to the Promenade ... we would actually choose it now!

I've been open-minded about the new menus, but I don't care for what I'm seeing in these images. Too much old-stodgy type foods (turkey, ham, lamb), not enough seafood. I know I won't go hungry, but I'm not thrilled with these lists ... perhaps when we see the whole thing, it'll be better.

We always go for the guarantee, as the savings are significant. We've always been pleased with our room.

Has anyone done a massage at Chankanaab Park in Cozumel instead of on the ship?

I was going to suggest the same thing. You can go to Walmart's sports department /buy a plastic sleeve that's meant for fishermen to carry their fishing licenses. Or you can order them off Amazon; I ordered some about a year ago for our vaccine cards. When I was teaching, the sleeves were available to us for holding our IDs on lanyards. Really, they're everywhere. That's my plan too.

But this is exactly what I've seen in every port from which I've sailed. I walk up to the porters, and I hand over my bag. I always verify, "This is the right place for ______ of the Seas?" Usually the porters ask whether I have my passport /boarding documents in my carry-on. I see my bag piled onto a three-sided metal cart, and I tip $2 per bag. The porters always seem happy with the tip, but none have ever seemed demanding or rabid to leave me /search for more. My bags literally spend zero time on the sidewalk. As to whether they're paid enough or whatever, I don't care -- not my business. $2 per bag is going to make no difference to my bottom line.

Doubtful. I always tip $2 for a small bag, and many people tip nothing -- yet lost luggage is not a common problem. Respectfully, your prescription medicines should have been in your personal tote -- not handed over to someone else. Disagree. You hand over your bag, and it goes on the three-sided cart immediately -- no waiting around and staring is necessary. They're efficient: they only handle the bag once; that is, they take it and put it on the cart. They don't set it down, then move it again later.

I had a triangular hash brown (from the Windjammer) on one of my recent cruises, but it wasn't good. I didn't even finish it.