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My son went to college in SB, living there for 5 years. I texted him and said, "what would a cruise passenger do in SB". His reply was cryptic, but succinct: "State Street; Channel Islands Nat'l Park; go up to SB City College for the view".

This thread reminds of the "should I take my passport with me off the ship" discussions. Everyone's got an opinion, and they are absolutely right; until their not. I like my "sense of security" to be as real as I can get it, rather than a "false one". Each person has to decide their own comfort zone. (And, regarding the idiotic posts....................thanks for reinforcing my need for my ignore list. Every so often I take a look at a post, but it's always, "Yep, they are still reinforcing my decision".)

My Surface Pro is updated daily with my personal data, and I don't want to recreate that when I get home depending on when I last backed it up. So, it gets put away when I leave the cabin. And, no, I'm not into cloud back-ups, either.

I use a Surface Pro X, and it fits in almost all shallow and wide drawer in the cabins' "desk" areas. If not, I store it inside the cabinets on top of the safe, packed in a plain gray zippered case, or in my KYSS bag. The little padlock that comes with the bag fits through the zipper pulls on the bag, so it cannot be opened or easily taken. Most crew will not touch a laptop sitting out: they want to keep their jobs. Many passengers walking by WILL take it. That bag is also fabulous for traveling solo. I chain my luggage and the bag to a table when I get food in airports. No more juggling it all while I get carryout food.

She didn't realize until halfway through the meal that there was a problem, as there was such a small amount of sauce. It was probably the thickener that did it. From what I watched I would NOT want to see her ingest more than she did. She did talk to the head waiter about her pre-ordering and how important it was. But, the waiters didn't cook her food: the kitchen did. There was no way to visually see what had been done, so changing tables wasn't really necessary. The entrée looked sauceless. By the time she realized and stopped eating it, the reaction had already started.

I was including the pre-order information because the OP didn't specify how severe the reaction was to salt-included foods and/or sauces. I spent a cruise having dinner with someone who must eat gluten-free. Even though she pre-ordered every night for the next night, they forgot one night and scraped sauce off the top. I sat there and literally watched her abdomen balloon out within 10 minutes. It was very hard to watch her discomfort. So, I err on the side of over-cautious replies now.

If you are concerned about salt, ask for the sauces on the side. But, it might be better to order a day ahead. Just ask your waiter for the next day's menu, and order accordingly. No, the water on the ship is not salty: urban cruise myth. It's the salt and sugar in the FOOD that puffs us all up like big blowfish! 😄

I've been in St. Croix either 2 or 3 times in the last year. (Too lazy to look it up.) I love the walk around the docking area. There's a lovely path along the sea with trees, shrubs, flowers, and benches. It's a great place to relax and watch the ocean. Plus, small shops and cafes are nearby, too.

I agree. Before the show, we used to go to the Windjammer: cookies for my husband; fruit and cheese for me. Mine went in the little cabin fridge.

Well said. 😉

I am able to make reservations for my March 2024 cruise, so you should be able to soon, if not already available.

This web site has a list of college Spring breaks for 2024. The latest ends on 4/6/24. https://www.ststravel.com/college-spring-break-dates Most schools in the US have one week for Easter/Spring break.

I tend to be loyal to my TA's until they give me reason to not be loyal. I abandoned the Big Box agency when my hold times got to be 4 hours long. In 50 years of cruising with RCCL, I am now with my 4th. I am delighted with my new TA (who happens to be posting on this thread!!). I will sometimes grab an amazing price on RCCL's web site, and then transfer to my TA, because I want someone more familiar with the cogs and wheels of RCCL's labyrinth of rules and policies to handle my booking. Plus, if there is anyway I can benefit another person's livelihood, I'll do it. I am a firm believer in what goes around / comes around. TA's do the heavy lifting with reservations, and (current company included) provide perks and benefits I will not have otherwise.

I'm concerned about roaming charges. Your signal will still go through RCCL's tower, I'm thinking, and that can be a boatload of charges. I used Mobal for several international trips. They sell international phones as well as international SIM cards if your phone is compatible. Be sure to keep an eye on your Cruise Planners for discounted wifi packages. The 9 night cruise is doable with your free internet for 4 days. That and pre-planning wifi ports should get you through. That might be when you want to turn on the $10/day plan, and look at your carrier's web site for international hotspots.

Remember: if you want larger portions, order a DOUBLE portion on the same plate, NOT two separates. Also, I just confirmed from a facebook post I saw, and with a friend on a ship at that time last week, the fruit and cheese platter has been added back into the nightly selections in the dessert menu. I always ask for it as an appetizer, and nibble between courses. Also, if I cannot find a main entrée that I like, I'll tell the waiter and order multiple appetizers as my entire dinner. I tell him to bring them to me in any sequence he wants.

Deck 15 anywhere midship if you want to be outside. I was on the Anthem and watched a rocket launch in Port Canaveral. THE.ABSOLUTE.BEST.VIEW!!!!

Make your own formal night! Any night you want.

Actually, it's the Travel Coordinator that schedules you, and put your request in with the Customer Service desk. Be sure to have your next cruise reservation number with you. When you and your luggage get out to the loading area, look for one of the blue shirts (or recognizable ground port staff). You can also ask a porter who to talk to. The "shirts" as I call them, know what bus is what, so ask where you should stand and wait for the appropriate bus. Sometimes you will have to make a trip to the airport if it's along the way, but we're talking short distances here. And, yes, they will take you between Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale and the Port of Miami. And, vicep-versa. No charge.

Ahh, but the pin is not what gets you in, it's the card that opens the door. Plus, if you wear the Pinn pin and go to a Pinn venue, they always check your cabin number.

Well, not sure what I believe, except that the background is IDENTICAL to my living room throw pillows!

I'm a 2-3 drinks max in the evening type of person, including a glass of wine at dinner. I love to use my vouchers for a chai tea latte at the coffee venues (except for branded Starbucks). HINT: on the Anthem, Deck 4, La Patesserie is mobbed in the morning for coffee. However, if you go up one deck to Cafe 270 on Deck 5, they serve the same coffee products, and there are usually very few people in there in the mornings. The chai tea lattes are wonderful, too!

I agree, plus the word "illegal" is way out of proportion to the severity of what we are discussing. Against policy is about the strongest wording that comes to mind.

Now that the entrance to these lounges are embedded in your room card, the fact that you can open the door and enter, the staff inside assume you are allowed to enter. Having someone who is not your spouse or child come in with you is up to the concierge managing the lounge. Usually, it's the first day or two that these things are sorted out.

Yes, on their web site. Log into your account on rccl.com. I prefer the Cruise Planner on my computer, since the screen is bigger and makes it easier to navigate. As I said above, when you search for dining options, the specialty restaurants available for lunch are listed. Click on "make a reservation" for a restaurant, then the passenger name, and all the days and times are available, including day 1. If you get the Unlimited Dining Package, still make the reservation for embarkation day lunch, pay for it, and then when you go in have them reverse the charge back to your credit card. It's the only way you can make advance reservations for lunch that day. Otherwise, you walk in and either eat then, or make a reservation for later. I prefer the advance reservation, and base the time on my assigned boarding time, then add an hour. You can take your hand luggage with you, too. They will keep it at the entrance podium for you.

Having been on the Navi for a weekend cruise, I don't blame them for wanting to take her out of service over Spring Break, and go into dry dock. That weekend end was a "run and hide" scenario last year! Crazy loud, crazy people, college students falling down drunk by 2pm on embarkation day. And the pleasant experience of watching a young woman being walked into the elevator lobby in handcuffs on debarkation day, while the authorities are searching the trash can for her drugs.