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Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale are using facial recognition at the Customs line now. I have been out of both ports several times in the last 3 months. Suite and Pinnacle guests meet with the Concierge in a designated place, and as soon as the ship is cleared are escorted off the ship to the luggage claim area. Luggage is placed at the very front next to the Customs booths. Because I was escorted off very early, the line was minimal with the self assist passengers, and with facial recognition I was outside requesting an Uber on my phone within 5-10 minutes of arriving in the luggage bay.

HA! No, I wasn't thinking about that, and I have no idea, either. But, (she says sheepishly), my sister paid for the cruise for my birthday, and she LOVED the food we ate. That was reason enough for me to spend the extra.

Call me CA-weird, but I have a problem taking a large piece of foam on a cruise, and leaving it for garbage in the room. And, because of this: old foam mattress pad needs to be processed in a specialized facility Not trying to be judgey, it just doesn't settle well with me.

I have one similar that I've used on several cruises. Be sure to put it under the mattress pad. It eliminates any noise factor from moving around on it, and keeps it in place.

(I think your internet connection burped..............) Anyway, I thought about what you just posted. The UDP I purchased was an extra $21 per day (yes, we got a SCREAMING deal), but averaging it over all the meals we could eat with the UDP, it came out to $15 per meal. With the UDP, you can have embarkation day lunch in Chops (book/pay/get reimbursed on the ship), all sea day lunches in Chops, and unlimited visits in the evenings. I think RCCL will improve. I know the Enchantment did, as I had family members tell me a few weeks ago the food and service in the MDR was great. So, I expect the food quality and prep will improve. Meanwhile, if I can get the UDP for a great price pre-cruise, that's what I'll do. I don't consider it a permanent solution.

HA! It's the old tech writer in me. Writing too many requirement documents tends to make one write like, well, an analyst.

I think the comparison is to an equivalent land-based restaurant's quality and pricing. I know that on the Vision they accidentally charged us in Giovanni's when we had the UDP. The full price, including gratuity, was $53 per person. So, for Italian food, I would expect it to equal what I would eat in a San Francisco Italian restaurant, like SwissLouis on Pier 39.

According to one of the Windjammer waiters (from India) I talked to on the Vision, he said the Indian food onboard was like "the McDonalds of Indian food". He could hardly wait to get off the ship at some point and find good Indian food.

Anyone who has not cruised on RCCL since January 14, 2023 should not be criticizing the OP for their opinion about RCCL's food offerings. I have been on 5 RCCL ships from January through March this year, and the changes in the food are dramatic. I won't go into detail on this thread, because I've gone into detail on others on this board. But, we are not criticizing based on personal preferences, but a standard that RCCL set decades ago. Yes, the menu selections HAVE been cut in BOTH the Windjammer and Main Dining Room. Yes, it appears on some ships the food prep staff in the kitchens has a LOT of newbies. Yes, there are issues with the suppliers, too. I was suspicious about specialty restaurant food, because it appeared the staff were sometimes going to either other restaurants, or the main dining room kitchen, for certain dishes. But, I did not find the food in any of the specialty restaurants to be lacking. I purchased the UDP on the Vision for 10 days, and was very happy with all the food in Chops, Giovanni's, and Izumi. The Windjammer on the Anthem was outstanding. The Windjammer on the Vision was terrible. I adapted in the Windjammer over these 3 months by sticking with fish, sauced chicken, vegetable dishes, making up my own dishes with what was offered: making a Greek salad for myself in the Windjammers, for instance. Desserts in the Windjammers were especially mediocre, so I didn't waste the calories on them.

I was on the Enchantment for 3 weeks in January this year, and on the Anthem for 8 days in February. I would definitely prefer the Anthem over the Enchantment. I have recent info from family members that the Enchantment's main dining room problems have been resolved, so I won't compare there. BUT, the Anthem's Windjammer is amazing! So many more choices, and very good food. I had dinner there 7 nights. The outside back eating area is very nice in the evenings, too. When I walked into the Via for the first time I felt like I was in the Las Vegas Bellagio. Such a classy ship. The Enchantment cannot compete with the entertainment offerings, too. They just don't have the facilities to provide the more elaborate, larger shows. The Enchantment is an old, small, nice ship. But, it's got to be an incredible itinerary to get me on her again, and her itineraries are not incredible. Just had enough, especially after sailing on the Allure, Oasis, and Anthem in the last 6 months.

If I lined 5 people up and had them see and taste what was supposed to be "Mushroom Risotto with Snow Peas", and they tasted cold lumpy risotto with mushrooms, with cold pea soup glopped on top, 5 of them would not eat it and say it was horrible. Guaranteed. This is a statement of fact, not a complaint.

You didn't say what time of the year you are sailing, but I have sailed from Baltimore and Cape Liberty several times, and found the seas coming up the East Coast to be rocky. Take some meclizine chewables with you (it motion sickness generic medication), and have everyone take 1/2 dose when you go to bed the night before the cruise, and 1/2 dose when you go to sleep the first night. Getting it into your system ahead of time makes you not react as much as taking it when the motion upsets your stomach. Then, as the cruise goes on, take more if you start to feel the motion too much. I tell my friends and family if you "suddenly" become "aware" of your stomach, then take the medication. They make a non-drowsy formula, too.

Yes, call whomever you booked the cruise through, RCCL or a travel agent, and have them request a "medium" size table for you. That's what a table for 4 is called. KansasK is correct, you should request this when you originally book the cruise in the future.

I recently sent an email directly to RCCL regarding the dining problems I experienced on 5 different ships. I didn't want my comments to go just to the ship's management, but to corporate.

I sailed with someone recently who had to have gluten-free food. She would order the next day at the end of dinner the day before. Even then, they got it wrong one night, and instead of preparing the dish the way she requested, they just scraped off the sauce. I watched as she had an allergic reaction to it, and luckily it was severe bloating, not anything that required an EPI pen or medical. But, it was distressing to watch. She would order her food "naked" with no sauces, because then she knew exactly what she was getting, and always ordered the day before from the next day's menu.

I'm actually happy to hear there are some wobbles with the rollout of the new menus. I sailed from the day started the new ones, 1/14/23, to 1/26. Then, I was back on b2b cruises from 2/26 to 3/20/23. 5 ships in all, and I had some bad experiences in the MDR. If you are not a beef or lamb eater, then your choices are slim. Yes, there is always a chicken, fish, vegetarian option on the menu every night, but the choices are limited. I really miss the "Classic" menu where you had the same choices every night as alternatives. I think now the food prep issues I experienced on several ships are more related to untrained staff in the kitchen who did not know how to prepare the recipes properly. One ship that was a b2b had a terrible time getting the food to the tables hot, and this was over 2 weeks. Family members of mine were on that ship last week and reported the problem had been solved. If they are still serving the old menus it might mean that they are rethinking this rollout, and might be staying or going back to the former menu choices. I had no problem with the decrease in portion sizes, especially with the appetizers: I would just order a double portion. By the way, a double portion is NOT counted as a second entrée: that's when you order two DIFFERENT main courses. I think they are back-pedaling on that one, too. I asked for the second one as a half portion side, and never had a problem (so far) with them accommodating my request. Here's hoping they get this to a more satisfactory level fleetwide in the near future. Ships: Enchantment x2, Oasis, Grandeur, Vision, Anthem

I've been at pier 19 and 25 in Port Everglades, and both times it's walk out and get picked up, usually to the left. Just ask the port staff person as you exit. I used the Uber app, and always describe what I'm wearing. That way the driver sees me before I see them. I've found a lot of Uber cars don't have front license plates.

I've been booking solos for 2 years now, and have never been turned down when booking on board the ship. Maybe she was trying to book with a special promotion that was for double occupancy (or more). But, she should have been able to book outside of the promo. I also book GTY occasionally as a solo.

I have been using Uber almost exclusively for several years. I like having my own private transportation and not having to wait for others. I also like not having the pushy-shovey luggage thing before and after the shuttle. Even if the hotel includes a shuttle, I will opt to pay the extra $10-$15 for an Uber. After the cruise, I think the WORST transportation option is a bus or van. You have wait for it to load up. With the van, the driver frequently stops at multiple piers. I use this when I'm planning my hotel / air / transportation: https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate/

Right. I've never known the certificate to be honored on board the ship: it's always been apply it before sailing.

My opinion is they are giving me transportation to see the subject of the tour. That includes maintenance of the vehicle, insurance, fuel, tires, etc. A few dollars per person there. Then, the guide is obligated to tell me where we are going and what we are seeing. That's a big portion of the tour. HOW that is done is where the personal tip/no tip scale is used. And, if the driver does a good job, ESPECIALLY on tricky roads (let's face it, the Caribbean Islands and Mexico don't spend a lot of money on infrastructure). Greece and Europe are hilly/mountainous for the most part. Every major city in the world has traffic issues and crazy drivers. If I get lucky and the tour guide is friendly, funny, and knowledgeable, that's a world away from a comment as we drive by someplace. If I get lucky and the driver is a dream on the Amalfi coast in a HUGE bus, that's tipping territory, too.

See my post #14 above.

I apply my gift certificates to obc for a booked cruise. I redeem the gift certificate and have it applied as an obc to my booked cruise. I've been doing this for years, and did it for my birthday, and after Christmas last year. Great news, Mom Mark & Bridget have sent you $100.00 To use towards your next Royal Caribbean® vacation. Happy birthday! Love M & B!! With a Royal Caribbean Gift Certificate, the possibilities are endless. You can use it for extra perks onboard or even to help pay for your cruise. Just remember to redeem your gift at least 10 business days before you set sail. Certificate Serial Number: XXXXXXXX Certificate Authorization Code: XXXXXXX Redeem by Phone: 1-800-722-5970 Redeem Online: RoyalCaribbeanCertificates.com

https://www.royalcaribbeancertificates.com/

Actually, you can purchase them online. My sons give me RCCL gift certificates for Christmas almost every year. I looooooove my sons!! https://www.royalcaribbeancertificates.com/