luvbrady

Be prepared to be exhausted.  We were also first timers this fall so it was go-go-go.  Be very aware of mobility restrictions.  I think the day we walked the least was about 12,000 steps.  And typically over uneven surfaces.  YES YES YES to the local cuisine.  We had lemon risotto just outside of Positano and it was the best thing ever- and I don't normally go for risotto.  And the paella in Spain was also WOW.  We started in Madrid before hitting Barcelona and the food was amazing.

ENJOY

We look at available inventory for what we want to 'royal up' on before considering bidding.  As someone stated- a lot of it is dependent on last minute cancelations and no-shows.  If they're showing some inventory for a level we're interested in bidding on- we might.  Otherwise pretty good bet it may not happen.  Only successful bid for us was before they were sailing at full capacity again.

My niece is fine in cars but had an issue in the dining room while seated near the window.  We had a table for 6 so were just able to put her in a seat facing away from the window and into the dining room and that was all it took.  She was fine....

We have traveled with the kids friends several times.  Not only did we take the consent form (which we also brought into port with us), we also had the parents authorize us to make medical decisions and sign waivers on their behalf.  Think rock climbing, ice skating and so on.  We only got questioned 1x while we were disembarking in Jamaica.  They pulled my daughter's friend aside and asked who she was with and who we were to her.  But she had all the docs to back it up.

I have had no problem texting while in airplane mode after purchasing the WIFI.  YES you can 'chat' via the Royal app, but there are no notifications and we have experienced significant delays in messages being delivered/read.  Just my 2 cents.

It will vary from ship to ship but there is always a Euro outlet.  I have an adapter that has multiple USB ports thus making it an extremely usable outlet.

We have traveled with my 20 year old niece.  She had no problems getting served while she was with her mother or one of us.  My 23 year old daughter (and many of the friends they made on 2 cruises) also were able to easily provide her with alcohol with out being overly sneaky, but also not their faces about it.  Discretion is the better part of valor apparently.  They were also extremely well behaved, did not make any type of a splash and NEVER would have questioned or argued with a crew member who declined to serve them or questioned them in any way.

I must have shampoo and conditioner.  2-in-1 no good.  I do like the bars, however.  Fewer liquids, easier to travel with.  And I have recently conceeded and begun traveling with out body wash and just using what's in the hotel/cruise bathroom.

FYI they can also be shared.  I ordered a drink for myself and my SIL (not Diamond) and requested to use vouchers for both.  No problem.  As opposed to the beverage packages where you can not share.

I always bring Crystal lite squeeze bottles on board.  Yummy 😃

38 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I posted a question concerning this issue recently. I have an IPhone and have never been able to text people without IPhones when cruising on RCI (and Celebrity too). Several people suggested turning on WiFi calling, which I plan to do on my next cruise in a few weeks on Icon. Hopefully it will work since I have lots of friends with android phones. 

I have Android, husband has iPhone.  We text all the time on cruises.  WiFi on, WiFi calling on, airplane mode on.  Also text frequently back and forth with folks at home.  It's always nice to be able to brag 😜

I am an overpacker in shaky recovery.  I came home from my last cruise with 1 pair of unworn shorts and about 6 unworn t's.  Clearly I have some work to do yet.  BUT all the swim stuff got worn 🙃

We were underneath the pool deck one time so early AM/ late PM could hear the pool furniture being scraped around.  But not horrible.

If you buy the package do you get any kind of credit for the diamond free day?

It wasn't too long ago that would be more than your cruise fare if you got a decent deal.  Hopefully there will be enough people just not willing to pay that much and they will have to adjust at some point.

When you calculate the skyrocketing fares and then all of the on-board add on's it's getting tough.  Drink package currently at $74.99 for our next cruise.  I know it fluctuates and we can do better, but still.  It's a lot. Coco Cay Day beds going from $199 max 8 guests to $399 max 4 guests. Add in the reduction in cabin service and deteriorating food in the MDR.  We are probably going to slow our roll even though cruising has been our go-to mode of vacation.  Seen enough islands now to know what ones we want to go back and see more of....  Not to mention all the complaints you see about poor behavior from fellow passengers.

1 hour ago, SoloAlaska said:

No irons but I have been known to use a flat iron (for hair) on a stubborn hem of a linen top once. I use Flatter which is wrinkle release spray and adore it. The scents are also great for refreshing clothing.

YES.  Flat iron for stubborn hems/collars.

My daughter and I both use Ethique.  I Amazon it.  I know Target has some brands in store as well.  We chartered a 45ft catamaran in the USVIs so I did the research to ensure eco-friendly since that definitly goes back into the ocean.

I have been using bar shampoo and conditioners for the last few years.   So much easier to travel with and no leakage or plastic. They last a few months- obviously less if multiple people are using.  I am skipping the body was on my next trip and will just use the one in the shower for the important bits and pieces.  I can't use a 2-in-1 on my hair-not conditioning enough.

Generally available at the pool bars.

On 9/11/2023 at 4:23 PM, KarimaJ said:

We found the snorkeling off the beach at Coki to be good. Lots of weed selling going on (mostly in the back area) and you may smell it in case that bothers you. 

We dubbed it Toki beach..... It was very potent our last 2 visits.

Well, this stinks.  We normally get one but decided not to on our last stop.  As a group of 5 we spent the better part of the day trying to find a place to set up shop all together and not onesie twosie all over the place.  Also perfect for the sun/shade debate.  Made us feel like it would have been well worth it.  But not at double.

20 hours ago, George C said:

Why don’t you buy now, if price goes down you can cancel and rebook with the lower price. Glad we are diamond plus so don’t need to buy since we get 5 free drinks .

Still have enough time....  If it were getting closer I probably would.  For now it's just a great reminder of the fun to come

I check mine on the regular.  Lowest I've seen for my upcoming cruise was $62.99.  I've seen it as high as $79.99- so I'll just keep watching.  Today it's $66.99.  I think I can do better and am willing to be patient 😉

They'd have to pay me $1 a piece to eat it.....  My husband and son would, however, would miss it.  I doubt they'd pay for it.