HappyTexan44

Does anyone really think that the stewards will be getting more money? That amount they get from each room isn't cast in stone. They'll give each steward less from each room and add that amount to the "Other" category.

Maybe I'm cynical, ok yes I am, but I'll be shocked if they didn't half the amount of tips that the stewards get from each cabin. Royal's logic will be that they are doing the same amount of work (theoretically) as before.

You might expect it, but they don't. It is rare that they even have a vacuum cleaner with them. My knowledge is from pre-Covid. Mostly Marriott, all levels.

I suspect that the room stewards will get the same amount as before and they'll use the money to pay non-customer facing people. I've been on the fence about dropping the pre-paid gratuities and bringing a bit more than that amount onboard for cash tips. Still undecided but the once-a-day change makes cash tips a little better idea since they must be working even harder than before and not getting more money. (Also to make sure my rooms aren't one of the ones skipped entirely)

I haven't been to the one in Cozumel, but look into Snuba in Cozumel. It is a cross between scuba and snorkeling and no certification is required. There will be something floating on the surface with equipment on it, then there will be long air hoses dangling with mouth pieces on the end. So it is like snorkeling without the bother of returning to the surface. The Cozumel place allows you to hang out afterward and snorkel as long as you want. There aren't many places that do that. We did the one in Destin, FL to introduce DD to scuba. Apparently that is a fairly normal thing. A family shows up and at least one parents have well-used scuba goggles.

Honestly, he wouldn't notice. He has a ton of ratty clothes. I do sometimes throw them out when as we joke, "They get too religious" i.e. Holey. I've also developed selective eyesight which seems like a good thing in a marriage. Like that dent in the back bumper on my (our nice) car that he put there.

If you tell special needs that you need a fridge, this is a photo of what was given. This isn't my photo. I copy/pasted this from a different thread.

He is really a great guy. It used to bug me, then many years ago, I stopped doing his laundry unless he put it in the hamper. He puts his nice clothes in the hamper because I'll wash it nicely and hang it up. But otherwise I don't notice his clothes anymore and often walk on them. If people are coming over, I tell him to take care of his clothes and he'll gather them up.

Nope, I am intel gathering for our first cruise in a year. I've picked up some gems. 🙂 For example, if they don't vacuum daily, then a pile of dirty clothes in the corner won't be a problem. If they do, I'll have to fuss at DH to actually use the pop-up hamper we'll have.

I didn't know, that is why I asked. What I have to go on is hotel experience. I expect cruise cleaning to be better, but I wasn't sure how much.

They do all that every day? So they vacuum every day for example? Or is some of that just for the between cruise cleanings?

I am trying to set my expectation. Things people have mentioned that is done during the room cleaning Take dirty towels and leave clean towels. Take away dirty dishes. Make the bed. Leave ice if requested. Leave towel animals (maybe no longer?) Leave the Cruise Compass in the evening (probably no longer) Put up and later down the non-standard beds. (probably no longer) Do they ever? change the sheets? Vacuum? Clean the bathroom?

I'd choose evening. If I were solo I'd choose morning. But DH sleeps late.

This is the reason we live on an acre, own and rent out one house next to us and have a standing offer to buy the other. Both DH and I found apartment living stressful.

It is the opposite. Being able to *use* technology and being able to *create* technology are two entirely different things. Particularly for preschoolers, early technology can cause focus problems because the flashy colors and quick movements encourage the reactive focus of babies to be retained at the expense of deliberate focus. Don't we all know kids who can't focus to do their schoolwork but have amazing focus at video games? That is the result. Life isn't video games. The reason the pandemic generation fell behind during the lockdown wasn't because they were technically-challenged. It was a combination of that many people, including smart adults, just can't learn effectively online, and time spent on the computer doing anything *but* schoolwork. It was so bad that for the Final Exam Spring of 2021 the teachers in more than one school district near me were told to give anyone that just put their name on the paper, they got a 50. Anyone that got at least one problem correct started at 70. None of those kids were technically challenged.

Another gem to add to my cruise advice notes. I plan on making Sangria in my room and the flavors need to meld while chilled. I'd planned on using ice buckets if we only got a cooler. But this will be much better, and the ice will last longer.

That is a hoot! Our cruise we have promenade view rooms, so I don't think we'll need that hint. But, I've filed it away in case we later get a balcony.

If the fridge were a real fridge that would be good and would save work for the room steward, since he wouldn't need to keep an ice bucket or two filled with ice. At the moment, I think I might make and keep Sangria in our room. For us, I think I'll keep the medical fridge. Daughter's medicine is $X,XXX per vial.

That wasn't my photo. I copied it from a helpful person here and added it to my cruise advice word document. This is what they will give you for medicine from special needs. All we need to store is one shot vial about the size of an epipen. So fine for us. But it maybe you need more storage space. I'd tell them the size of what you need to keep cold and how many.

And for tonight's nightmare, I read a news article that the attacks are a real thing and happening more often.

There is a thread here where exactly happened. The person couldn't go on another date, and they'd booked two rooms and Royal fussed about refunding anything on the second cabin. I seem to remember that they were just informed and not given an offer.

I have sympathy for the OP even if booking the non-refundable had been intentional. It sounds like Come Hell Or High Water, they would have been on the b2b cruises. But the reason for missing the second cruise was caused by Royal. I am glad to hear that Resolutions took care of it. Didn't I read somewhere that people can be bumped from the accessible room if there is someone that needs it more? I didn't pay a lot of attention because I don't need one. I did reserve an accessible sleeper on a train once. Only because it was the last room available. They ended up giving it to a woman and her granddaughter because the woman couldn't do the stairs. She hadn't known the rooms were on the second floor. The accessible room was really really awesome. But, the deluxe room they gave me was awesome too, so I didn't mind. The workers had expected me to make a fuss. I was still pleased to get a deluxe for the regular price.

This seems like why you'd go to GS first.

I have a Word document where I make notes for the cruise. As a baker, your endorsement of these is worth adding to it. There is a reason I make even my own birthday cakes. My standards for cakes conflict with my cheapness. Mine taste awesome but look ... very homemade.