Mum2Mercury

I was on Explorer a few months ago. They served "Battered Fish & Seafood" one night in the MDR and "Classic Fish & Chips" another night in the MDR -- I heard people at the pool talking excitedly about Fish & Chips for dinner. Both meals were very good, and I wish they'd make the Fish & Chips an every-day MDR classic in place of the Salmon. I was on a 3-night on Independence earlier this week. The "Battered Fish & Seafood" was available one night in the MDR. Of those two ships, only Independence had the Fish & Ships fast food venue on the pool deck. I didn't taste their food -- seriously, what makes it good enough to pay for when other lunch items are available only steps away in the Windjammer?

I was on Independence earlier this week, and we had morning service and turn-down service in the evening, so it's definitely not on every ship.

Eh, not into those logi bags. Thanks for the idea though.

Choice 1: Get a passport. Choice 2: Get a DMV identification card to go with the birth certificate. Don't mess around with a school ID or whatever else.

Thanks, but I don't even know Baggu. I have a ton of canvas bags.

I saw a number of people carrying Bogg Bags on our recent cruise. Does anyone here have experience with them? Specific things I'm wondering: - They look like they'd be an ideal beach bag -- but would they also work well for a carry-on for embarkation day? - Would the handles fall off, if I used them to carry on a couple bottles of wine and a handful of sodas? In other words, can they handle something heavier than towels and sunscreen? - Are the knock-offs any good? - What accessories do you have for yours? I'm a bit of an organization freak and can really geek-out over such things. - Do they last?

Thanks for the quick reply! I'll look up that name brand. I can see the benefit in a removable sole /fast drying. That's the kind of thing I wouldn't have anticipated.

Well, the love-hate thing's not really true: my own water shoes are fine. I have a good pair of Lands End "Mary Janes" with mesh uppers & plastic soles -- they flatten in a suitcase. Even if I only wear them on one shore excursion, they're a worthwhile use of space. My husband's water sandals, on the other hand, are huge and clunky with a thick sole -- he thinks they look like something our 1-year old grandson would wear. They do not flatten, and they are serious space hogs. But he wants his feet protected on the beach or a water-based shore excursion -- and I agree; a cut foot could make the rest of a vacation miserable. Worst of all, he doesn't really like wearing them -- he sees them as a necessary evil. At Coco Cay earlier this week, he saw people wearing what I'd call "Water Socks", and he expressed a desire to own a pair. I'm attaching a picture of what I"m thinking I want. Questions: - Some of these seem to cover the ankle, while others are more like a tennis shoe. Which is more desirable? - They all have a plastic, protective sole on the bottom, right? - What features /details do I want? - Any name brands I should choose /avoid? Thanks in advance! We've never owned this type of shoe before, and I do want to choose wisely.

Agree. You'll spend more time driving and getting into the parks as you will IN the parks, especially if you're going into the Magic Kingdom. And a single day's ticket is about $100 these days. Definitely not a great use of time or money. Admittedly, I don't own these things, but I'm having trouble imagining 4 wraps fitting into a single tennis shoe.

My responsibility is to pay my tips. What happens next is not my biz. That was the point.

That's not a bad idea. Choices are good. My mileage definitely varies. If I've just stepped out of the shower, I'm clean -- I'm not sweaty, and I do use soap in the shower. The towel can be used a couple of times. However, on a vacation, when I'm paying more than I do at home, I expect fresh towels to be available any time I want one.

How would insurance help with cut backs? The cut backs are real. I've been on two cruises in the last three months -- I still had two fantastic trips, but I did see the cuts. Pulling out your kid's bunk bed, whether it's easy or difficult, seems to be "too much" on a vacation where you've paid for cabin service -- especially, as I said above, when a 3rd or 4th guest is in a cabin, the steward is making more money, and the work isn't all that much more. I agree that coming back after dinner and seeing the room "refreshed" is special. I'm asking myself (and am not completely sure) how much it would bother me to see the sheets still messed up from my husband's 3rd nap of the day. Well said. This does sound like a reasonable solution, but I'll point this out: From the cabin steward's point of view, a part of the problem is waiting around for guests to "empty out" and let the steward do his job. I think we've all seen them standing around in the hall waiting -- I know I'd be annoyed if I'd done all but 1-2 of my rooms, and I had to wait in the hallway for the people to leave. I'd be even more annoyed to find out later that they hadn't been in the room. Maybe a better magnet-alert system for the steward would make things more efficient. Like a magnet that says, "Post this magnet by 10:00 to get morning service".

Reasons not to remove the auto-gratuity: - The staff members signed on knowing how the tip system works, so they must have found the compensation acceptable. Why should I try to change something that both management and labor agreed upon? - It guarantees you'll reach all the people behind the scenes. No possibility of accidentally forgetting someone. - It's easier for the guest. - It's easier for the staff. - If you have the RCCI VISA card, you can earn reward points while paying your gratuities.

Nothing but sympathy from me. How common is it for Royal to cancel a cruise? I ask because our October cruise (my husband's 60th birthday cruise) has been reduced from a 7-day to a 6-day, and it no longer appears on Royal's website. Here's what I know: - Royal says they've pulled it from the website /are not accepting new reservations for this cruise. They aren't sure what'll happen with it. That's comforting. - We really wanted this cruise. We were excited about the islands, and the price is low. Now we've lost a day and an island, but we're probably going to keep the reservation. - When I asked what compensation they're offering for the reduction in days, the customer service rep seemed not to understand why I minded a day being cut off. She kept saying, "If the price drops, you'll qualify for a price reduction". She is either very well trained, or she's been drinking the KoolAid. Any thoughts on whether this cruise is likely to happen?

Thing is, these things that "take no space" can add up to real space. Lay them all out and be realistic about what you'll really want to use. Oh, my, we are very different people! So clearly you'll need warm clothing to get you to the cruise. I just returned from a cruise (early December). I was up around 7:00 each morning, and the air was a little chilly -- not cold, barely even brisk. I hate-hate cold, and I was find in shorts, but some people were wearing sweats and hoodies out on deck. By 9:00-10:00 things warmed up and most everyone was in shorts. At Cocoa Cay loads of people were in the water; the consensus seemed to be: It's chilly when you first get in, but after a few minutes, it's perfect. Evenings were quite comfortable, even out on deck and in the Theater; I never wore any type of jacket (or even long sleeves).

Definitely a cost cutting measure. Totally agree that if the service is decreased, the cost should decrease too ... but that's not how cost cutting works. I also think this is about difficulty in finding workers. Two things can be true. Question: We just returned from a cruise today. On Day 1 we found a note /QR code saying we could have pool towels delivered to our room (instead of picking them up from the towel station by the pool). I don't think this delivery comes with a cost. If Royal is looking to cut services /cut costs, WHY would they add such a frivolous service, which would fall upon housekeeping staff? A general note -- not aimed at anyone in particular: fewer and less aren't interchangeable terms. From an English teacher: - Fewer refers to a reduction that can be counted; for example, the cabin steward will visit fewer times each day, we will have fewer towels in our cabin, the cabin steward previously cleaned fewer rooms. Why? Because we can count the number of cabin visits, the number of towels, the number of rooms for which the steward is responsible. - Less refers to a reduction that has no numerical value; for example, people are less happy with this idea, cabins will be less clean, people will be less pleased. Why? Because we can't accurately calculate /count how happy a person is, how generally clean a place is, or how pleased the cruising public is. Good point -- but the cabin steward could leave more towels each morning. I don't see this being a problem in a 2-person cabin, but wet towels could be problematic in a room with more guests. I wouldn't really mind if the trash were only emptied once a day. I don't think the room is actively cleaned with chemicals every day anyway; I don't see why it would be necessary. Certainly it needs a good cleaning between guests, but -- after that -- it's mostly a matter of making the bed and keeping up the towels and trash. I'd say floors need more cleaning than other surfaces. And the bathrooms need a "swish clean" every other day. I hadn't thought of that, but it would be a very big deal to people who cruise with a 3rd or 4th person in the cabin. What I would HATE, but I could see it happening: A second visit each day at additional cost. That would be quite unfair, given that the 3rd and 4th person are paying additional gratuity ... so the cabin steward already "gets paid more" for more people, but it's also more work for him. I have this saved in my cruise-stuff -- it is outdated now, but imagine each category is bumped up a little: Daily gratuity is $14.50/person Stateroom attendant gets $3.55 (which means the cabin steward gets $7.10/day for a 2-person cabin) Dining staff get $6.25 Other hotel services get $4.70 Why would anyone think rubber gloves keep surfaces clean? The cleanliness is in changing the gloves between surfaces /chemicals /whatever else. I also have mixed feelings. Agree that the second visit is a touch-up, and that's adequate. I don't care about ice, but I care very much about a paper Compass. And I care about money. If the amount of service decreases, the cost of service needs to decrease too. An idea: We have magnets that say "Out Catching Thrills" / "Sleeping off the Adventure" to signal the cabin steward whether we're in the room. Maybe they could add magnets that say "Need more towels please" or whatever for afternoon service. I forgot about taking away dishes. My husband brings coffee cups and pizza plates too often, and I don't like them hanging around the room, but I don't like putting them out in the hall either. If service drops to once a day, we need a system for removal of dishes. I agree with in theory but not with your plan to stiff the cabin stewards for something they can't control. Royal wouldn't even recognize you're "taking a stand" in this way. Hurting the little guy is an excuse for cheapness. Your "tip muscle" isn't the only flex you have left. You can write to Royal and let them know how you feel, and -- if this is really a line in the sand for you -- you can vote with your vacation dollar.

Whereas I don't do PJs. Well, that's not true: sometimes I wear them around as "in house lounge wear", but I can't stand to have anything around my legs while sleeping. I can't stand to wear socks while I sleep either. Burrr, I'm cold just reading this. My family's been on the same plot of very Southern land since before America was America. Our blood is thin, and we can't take the cold. We think it's AWFUL TERRIBLE COLD when the temperature dips into the teens.

Edit his information in the computer, yes. But you don't need to reprint his Set Sail Pass. He's already assigned a bar code; the bar code just connects him to his computer information.

Yes, I did that exact same thing on a recent cruise. My new passport arrived in the mail LITERALLY as I was putting our suitcases into the trunk of the car.

I was going to say the same thing! A friend of mine delivered at 24 weeks -- her daughter weighed exactly a pound. That's where I learned the word "micro-preemie", and I'd be just as happy if I'd never had reason to learn it. We genuinely thought that baby wouldn't make it, but she's about ten now and has a few minor medical issues. Yeah, knowing and telling the truth aren't the same thing. Ronald McDonald house is a great organization. My (full term) niece was medi-vacced to a children's hospital for surgery when she was an hour old, and the RMac house was a godsend to her parents. It took away the cost of staying near their child -- even fed them every night. I was going to say, they could name the baby Rachel Christine and call her "RC". But Jewel is better. Free condoms in every room? Very likely.

So fun, especially on your birthday!

I didn't know you could call and ask for a guaranteed oceanview balcony -- there's a world of difference between an "inside balcony" and an "oceanview balcony. With that in mind, I'd be willing to roll the dice. That's the key: understand what you're getting. I strongly suspect that the people who are disappointed are the people who didn't read carefully /didn't ask /didn't understand what they could get. If you book a guarantee, you should always assume you'll end up with the lowest possible option -- and decide if that's going to please you. Definitely! "Worth it" to you might not be "worth it" to me.

Update: I was on the phone for 2 1/2 hours yesterday with RC Resolutions -- no help. I'm quite sure the woman thought I was trying to scam her. At the end of the call, I told her truthfully: I accept that I'm not getting my OBC, but this is unfair. You've treated me disrespectfully, and I don't feel heard. To what address may I write a letter about this situation? She gave me the email RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com, and I wrote a calm, truthful letter about what had happened. Within an hour I had a form email saying I'd hear from them soon. Before noon today I had an email saying my OBC is credited. THESE PEOPLE ROCK! I'm not trying to cheat anyone -- I really DO own the stock. I bought at the right time (super low), and it's making money. I wasn't asking for any favors -- just what was promised to me when I bought the stock.

And, of course, some ships don't have non-oceanfront balconys. Some luck was involved in that -- not something you should assume will happen every time.

Yeah, I think the same thing: Royal Caribbean doesn't really care whether you have a passport (or other documentation) -- they DO CARE that you can clear Customs, get out of their terminal and back to your life. If your passport is close to expiring, you might not be able to get back into the country. Your birth certificate, on the other hand, doesn't expire.