cruiseguy1016

I just had the same experience.

I hate it. It disrupts the meal and it is so loud you can no longer converse with your tablemates. The waiters that I have asked about it, hate it also. They do it because they have to and they smile while doing it because that's what is expected of them. Have you ever had a waiter come back to your table all giddy and smiling saying "gee, that was fun, I can't wait to do it again"? No, they come back acting professional and pick up where they left off.

I always send the request about 4 - 6 weeks ahead of the cruise.

The Bahamas are on EST and they also observe daylight saving time so their clocks will always be the same as east coast clocks.

It's entirely up to the captain. Some do, some don't. There will be a clock at the gangway that shows the ship's time. Make note of the time when you leave the ship. That is the only time that matters.

Advanced reservations for any shows on Explorer are not required, or even available.

Alaska sailings are a lot less formal that Caribbean sailings. There will be people in the dining room wearing jeans and flannel shirts. There might be some people in formal attire. You are not obligated to wear formal attire. You will be allowed to enter the dining room wearing almost anything. As for the other "themes", my guess is that about 10% of passengers are even aware that there is a theme for any given night.

What time does your flight arrive? How far is the airport from the cruise port? Realistically, none of that matters, they aren't enforcing check-in times at most ports. Pick an early time, you'll be allowed to check in when you get there.

My wife uses whatever is in the cabin. We were on Liberty 2 years ago and it was the new style that stayed on. Onboard the Jewel last month, when we got in our cabin, it was the old style that required holding the button. She hated it. On the second day it broke (wouldn't turn on) so our cabin steward brought us a new one. It was the new style that stayed on. My wife loved it. If you get the old style in your cabin, maybe it will somehow break and you'll get the new style.

You will probably have many opportunities to tip people not associated with the cruise line. Some that come to mind are; Cab drivers from the airport to your hotel and then to the cruise port. Porters at your hotel. Porters at the cruise port. Tour guides and tour bus drivers.

The fee is $18 per person per day if you are staying in a non-suite. You can pay in advance through your TA or RCI if you booked direct. You don't have to wait until you board to pre-pay.

Congrats! Enjoy your Elite benefits.

I'm not sure how or why it happened but this is my recent experience. We were just on a family cruise a few weeks ago. We had 4 cabins. My TA (I assume it was him) set it up so that I was the "lead" member of our group. I could see everybody's reservation and I could make changes to all of them. I could see how much OBC they had. I could look at their pre-cruise purchases and I could make purchases for them. I could see all of their check-in information. I actually checked in 2 other family members that felt unsure of how to do it,

I am in the same boat (no pun intended) as your husband, I am fine with Tim's and McDonald's. The fresh brewed coffee tastes fine to me. It's brewed a little heavy for my liking so I just add a little hot water to it.

You just can't talk sense into some people.