Mum2Mercury

Notice the date on the article provided by Original Poster. It's September 18, 2024. Today. And the title says Royal has just added new exclusions. As such, if Royal has just changed the policy, all the previous cruises in the world make no difference.

Nothing to say that hasn't already been said, but I'll repeat the most important thing: Ignore the percentages. Look at the dollar amount only.

No telling how long it'll take. My husband and I sent ours out for renewal on the same day -- both natural born Americans, no red flags. His came back in about two weeks, while mine was MONTHS. It's been more than a year, so I can't remember the exact numbers -- but the weird difference in time sticks in my mind. If they can be renewed online now, has the processing center's fee disappeared?

I don't carry a bag around the ship, but I do have a small purse that fits my Kindle perfectly: It's a Vera Badley. Cross-body something. It's flat. They have numerous bags that'd work well. I'd think a pool bag would be brighter in color and waterproof; those things would set them apart from a typical handbag. Agree. I take three bags on every cruise: - A small backpack, which is my carry-on for Embarkation Day. I also use it for island days. - A small, open-topped pool bag (think size of a 6-pack), which is not typical, but I've had it for decades and love it. I would not take it to dinner, as it's bright blue and orange and was born a shower tote -- it was a gift from my MIL from Bath & Body Works. - A flat wristlet that I can carry around the ship or take to dinner. Pretty much nothing. Maybe my Ship ID, but since my husband has his, and he will get us back into the room or buy me a drink, it's not 100% necessary.

This thread is aimed at new people who may not understand their choices, so here's a run-down of each choice: Traditional Disembarkation: - Around the middle of the week your cabin steward will leave a flyer and color-coded tickets on your bed; these items assign you a 30-minute time frame to leave the ship and (if it's a later time) a spot to wait your turn to disembark. - If you need your time changed (everyone seems to want earlier), you can go to Guest Services and request a different time slot. Ideally everyone would leave during their assigned 30 minutes, but you can leave later. You cannot leave earlier, as your luggage wouldn't yet be delivered to the terminal. - On the last evening, you set all your luggage out in the hall, and the cabin stewards take it away, leaving you with only a backpack /tote bag as you exit the ship. - You exit the ship and go through Customs practically hands-free. - Your luggage will be brought out during that 30-minute time frame, and you'll search for it. This reunion might be quick or lengthy, depending entirely upon luck. Self-Disembarkation: - Keep your luggage in your room. - When you're ready, take your stuff and leave. - You'll have to be able to wheel your luggage on your own -- through Customs, through the terminal -- as no help is available until you're past Customs. Elevators will be crowded on that last morning. Last thought: I wouldn't trust anyone to handle my camera equipment. I have some nice camera equipment, and I like it to be treated gently. Shoes, pajamas -- yeah, toss it around, kick it. I don't care about that.

Yes, this is a great way to keep your bag light. Consider, too, if you wear an outfit to breakfast, then change into a swimsuit, hang that outfit to be worn again later. We skip this "final night game" and use Self-Disembarkation. We keep our luggage in the room and leave whatever time we want. No need to hit that 30-minute time frame, and no need to search for our luggage in the terminal. Assuming you're able-bodied, this is the way to go. The only negative is that the elevators are crazy-busy on that last morning, and you might have to wait ... or carry your bags down the stairs. Disagree. Independent tours tend to be significantly smaller, which allows you more interaction with your tour guide and more choices. Ship's tours tend to push you into shopping venues (whether you want to go or not), whereas independent tour guides work harder at keeping the group happy. Of course, there's a time to use the ship's excursions; for example, if you're going to travel some distance from the port, if you're using multiple forms of transportation, or if you're in an area where you don't speak the language. But this fear about not getting back to the ship is vastly overblown -- missing the ship is very, very uncommon -- independent tour operator's livelihood is based upon getting people back on time. You need to be smart, of course: Don't allow your group to split up, wear a watch, have cash for an emergency taxi, and plan to set foot on the gangplank a full two hours before sail-away. Definitely!

I'm being argumentative, but -- if the point is to make the guests feel good -- why wouldn't Royal opt to list the higher guest's status on all tags for that room?

I don't understand why status is included on the luggage tag.

We don't bring many electronics /prefer to experience the cruise instead. As such, we each have a phone, which stays in the drawer most of the week. One charger does it for us. Yes to half the clothes: - If you're going for a week, pack 3 dinner outfits and assume each'll be worn twice. And you'll probably go to the buffet at least once for dinner. - Bring 3 shirts for every pair of shorts. When you go ashore, be sure you're wearing shorts that're "on their last wear". - Ladies, pack 3 pair of shoes: Tennis shoes, Comfortable walking sandals and one pair of dressy dinner shoes that match everything. No one else will note your shoes. Depending upon your plans, you might also need water shoes. - Guys, my husband also packs 3 pair of shoes: Tennis shoes, one pair of dinner shoes, and he always wants water shoes. He doesn't wear sandals, but you might be different. Yes, pack a good carry-on bag with your documents, cash /cards, jewelry, medicine, and any electronics. Everything else can go through the checked luggage. Choose a bag that'll work for Embarkation day AND island stops -- personally we like small backpacks, as we're Team Hands-Free. Yes, this is the cheapest insurance you can buy, AND it allows you to wake up calmly on Embarkation day, enjoy a nice breakfast, and get to the port leisurely. We drive to our port, and we usually stop about 30 minutes out -- it's cheaper than staying right next to the action. Yes, our habit is to board early and go to the tip-top of the ship, then "circle our way down". As we go, we note things we want to do. If we're in an Inside, as we often are, we pick "our balcony". It'll be an out-of-the-way spot -- often far forward past Johnny Rockets -- and if one of us says, "I'm going to the balcony", the other understands. Definitely. We have small clip-on watches that we transfer between our backpacks and our pool bags (often you can't see a clock at the pool). While your phone might /might not automatically switch between time zones, you can trust an analog watch. Definitely. If you just have a "bad tummy", you don't want to bring yourself to the attention to the medical staff, who have the ability to quarantine you to your room. Pack Tylenol, Pepto-Bismal, cold meds, and anything you take on a normal basis. Also bring bandaids and Neosporin, as anyone can suffer a minor injury. If you take prescription meds, bring a couple extra days' worth -- while it's unlikely you'll be delayed in returning home, lack of meds could be a real problem. Sunscreen kinda falls into this category. Better to bring too much than too little. I'm getting off-topic now, but ladies will be happier if they bring their own shampoo /conditioner. The stuff provided in the showers (suites might be different) is rough on your hair. If, like me, getting up early isn't your thing, remember that a sunset looks just like a sunrise in a picture. We don't pack our suitcases to the brim -- we head out with them about 1/3 full, and we buy little on our trips. If you feel the need to "fill it up", consider bringing some things you'd be willing to toss at the end of the trip: your oldest PJs and gym clothes, for example. A little off-topic, but we once did an ATV trip (very muddy because it'd rained the whole week before); back home we couldn't get the clothes clean and ended up throwing them away -- now if we anticipate something dirty, we purposefully bring "throw-aways". No, don't bother to bring a hamper -- total waste of space. Just open your suitcase in the bottom of your closet and toss in the dirties. At the end of the week, zip it up, and you're packed. Why not just wear the swimsuit /cover-up for Embarkation instead of making your carry-on heavier, then changing in a small bathroom? Other thoughts: - We always make an envelope for each island stop. On the outside we write the island /date /activity planned /company we're using -- almost never the cruise line -- and meeting place /contact information /anything we should bring. Inside we count out the money we expect to need /small bills for tips /taxi or lunch money, if needed. Once we're on the ship, we store these envelopes in our safe; this means we don't need to ask ourselves, "How much should we take ashore in Cozumel?" It's already decided, and everything in our wallets is spendable. - We like to bring a handful of magnetic hooks -- the doors and walls in the cabins are metal. 5-6 are plenty. This keeps our hats and paperwork "up" and off the limited desk /dresser space in the cabin. - If you have two people in your cabin, you'll have ample storage space. - We have a calendar of sorts, a template we made /fill in for every trip. We fill in excursions, dinner reservations, shows we want to see, etc. and print a copy, which we put on the cabin wall. We leave space to fill in things as the week goes along. - We bring a pack of sticky notes and leave notes for one another on the TV screen. We re-use many of them: I'm at the adult pool. Gone for coffee. - Skip the for-fee restaurants on your first cruise. Lots of good stuff is available without paying. - Do you know about the Muster Drill yet? You need to do it as soon as possible after boarding; you know, get it off your plate.

When calling the regular Customer Service line, it's smart to call first thing in the morning OR late at night -- they're open considerably later than you'd expect. You'll get right through -- I suspect C&A would be the same. Since they're given to people who have cruised with Royal about a million times, you could argue they're not "free gifts" but earned benefits. I don't need more beach towels, don't wear slippers, don't like wine and can get cheese (or fruit) from the buffet. Know what EVERYONE likes? On Board Credit. I'm quite sure if you surveyed people on your next cruise, 100% of them would say, "Yes, give me money I can spend as I wish." Additionally, On Board Credit is quite cheap for Royal to give. What do you think a cocktail actually costs them? Maybe $1-2? Yet if you buy it with On Board Credit, you feel like you got a $15 value -- good deal for Royal. On Board Credit doesn't have to be physically delivered to rooms, so it doesn't take up the ever-dwindling crew's time/effort. It's a win across the board.

Yes, Fish and Ships is a small restaurant on the pool deck -- nothing to do with Playmakers. I mistyped.

We had a Promenade Interior on the 6th floor -- loved it! Reasons: - You're only one floor up from the Promenade -- easy to walk down for a drink or pizza. - We were only two rooms away from the Entertainment Bridge, so we could watch the dance parties without joining the crowd. - The room was only noisy during the dance parties, and they only lasted 30 minutes. - We didn't particularly like walking in and having the bed plopped down right in front of the door, but we loved the seating by the window. My husband loves Playmakers. Note, if you care, that the cheapest beer on the ship is a pitcher in Playmakers. Playmakers also has the only Fish & Ships. This size ship is our favorite -- big enough to have plenty of amenities, not gigantic /oversized.

We've had two free upgrades -- one was only a year ago: - Paid for Inside Guarantee /upgraded to Obstructed Ocean View - Paid for Inside Guarantee /upgraded to Promenade Cabin

You're asking about Self-Disembarkation. It's easy: Keep your luggage in your room. You won't have an assigned time slot. When you're ready, just take your stuff and leave. No searching for your luggage in the terminal. Assuming you're able-bodied and haven't over-packed, this is the easiest way to exit the ship. You can request help boarding /disembarking the ship -- all sorts of other helps too. Fill out a Special Needs form ahead of time. Email Special_Needs@rccl.com .

Me too! I was just thinking what an amazing thing memory is. I'm 1000% sure I haven't seen that commercial since I was a child -- did it say 1970-something? -- yet it rushed back to me immediately. And that commercial was NOTHING IMPORTANT to me at all. Memory. Wow. Well, in all fairness, I've only once had anything damaged inside my suitcase, and that was a bottle of tequila. It was in a duffel bag (cushioned by all my clothes) and we were driving to spring break during college. As we drove, we started smelling alcohol -- we were driving a hatchback -- and the neck of the bottle somehow broke. SO GLAD we had a washing machine in our condo. As for criminals being attracted to expensive luggage, I wonder if they'd recognize it. I don't think I would. Off-topic, but it might help someone: My husband's favorite suitcase is an olive green rolling carry-on that I gifted him many years ago -- it was nothing expensive. Before retirement, he used it quite often for work trips and two zipper pulls broke off. I bought a pack of replacement zipper pulls (from Amazon -- where else?) and they just clipped on SUPER EASY. Lobster clasp style. I was beyond thrilled. I refurbished the suitcase for $5.99 !

Yes, but no suitcase is guaranteed to survive that rough handling.

A couple thoughts: Years ago we were walking down the hall to our room on Embarkation Day, and a crew-only door was open, so of course we looked in. It was a staircase, and they were literally THROWING suitcases down the stairway. I mean throwing them down a whole flight of stairs. I'm surprised more suitcases aren't damaged. I think we all know that luggage handlers aren't at all careful when they're out of our sight, but that was a surprise to me. I do agree that it's smart to buy cheap luggage if you're going to let other people move your stuff. All of my suitcases come from places like TJ Maxx or Ross, where you can get them for $40-60.

I am fairly strongly against ship's excursions, but they have their place -- and 8-hour trips that require multiple forms of transportation in a country where I don't speak the language is that place. Why would that make any difference? I climbed a similar pyramid (is that the right word?) in central Mexico when I was a teenager, and it was surprisingly hard to climb. The steps were quite small, and we had to turn our feet sideways as well climbed.

Agree completely. I've seen that too -- and I've seen them force some people towards the elevator line. That would've stopped the accident I saw.

We never opt for the up-charge restaurants, as we don't see that they add much value to our cruise. BUT, if I were going to eat at one of them, I'd definitely consider lunch because of the lower price.

Here in the South, 40-50 degrees is a typical day in winter. I don't think you'll need the tights under your jeans -- but they take so little space in the suitcase, and you might want them for dinner anyway. Bare legs in 40-50 degrees is a little chilly. The puffer jacket + a layered tops sounds perfect. A scarf, hat and gloves makes such a difference in your warmth. I don't think I'd want the larger backpack. Why? The backpack will not only serve you for Embarkation Day -- it'll be your day bag every time you get off the ship, and that larger bag won't be as convenient. I'd consider attaching a duffel bags to the top of that 24" suitcase, if necessary. Yes to workout gear. Eating cruise for for a month without working out? No, it doesn't bear thinking! Yes to packing your OTC meds bag to the max. You don't want to bring yourself to the attention of the medical staff unless you're really, really sick. What do you typically use at home? Pack two packs of all that. Then pack two packs of general sickness medicine -- we like DayQuil ourselves. Band-aids and other first-aid. If you use none of this, be pleased. Will you have to fly for this cruise? While lost luggage is an oft-discussed fear, it doesn't happen all that often. As long as you arrive 1-2 days ahead of time, the chances of loss are miniscule.

Good point -- can you manage your suitcase up a staircase? Even if you're just driving, can you lift it in /out of your trunk? Here's a bad story. My husband and I were leaving the ship, and we were behind an elderly woman and her middle-aged daughter. Both were rolling one of those giant steam-trunk sized suitcases + a medium suitcase + probably each had a purse. The elderly woman was slow-but-fine as we left the ship. Then we had to go down an escalator. The daughter went first, then the elderly woman got on, balancing her suitcases as the escalator moved. My husband was pushing me, "Go, go -- there's a line behind us". But I refused, saying I felt unsure of the elderly woman, and I wouldn't get on until she was at the bottom. Sure enough, mid-way down, SHE FELL. Fell over top of her luggage. Of course the escalator kept moving, and her daughter saw her mother was in trouble but couldn't get to her. The only thing we could do was wait and not "pile up" on top of her. People at the bottom helped her up and pulled her suitcases away. She was bleeding. They soooooo should've waited in the line for the elevator. Yes, especially if you're not young or if you have any mobility issues, think through every stage of moving your suitcase.

Dark suit, but I can't say if it was black, blue or gray. Tie color -- not a clue. Yeah, you're right. I can't be specific.

Interesting game. I just tried to remember what everyone wore at school yesterday -- I'm retired, but I substitute teacher. I can't remember a single person, and we ALL wear school colors /spirit wear on Fridays, so I had a bit of a head-start! Wait -- on the way out the door I said something to the new Assistant Principal, who was wearing a suit and tie. I told him he looked entirely too snazzy for a Friday, and he laughingly said he's still too new to "dress down". I only remember him because he stood out (in a good way). You're right that if you wear simple, neutral things, people don't remember /realize you're wearing the same thing. I messed up on one recent cruise: I brought a tee-shirt that my department members gave me when I retired -- it's a graphic tee with a funny saying. In elevators, etc., people noted that shirt, commented on that shirt. I only wore it once because I realized it was memorable!

I consider a 26" big. For our first cruise I bought a GIANT suitcase, thinking it'd work for my husband, myself, and our two grade-school children. Everything fit, and my husband could roll it himself, leaving me to manage the kids hands-free. BUT it was difficult to lift in /out of the trunk, and we just weren't happy with everything-in-this-giant-space -- I gave it to my mother, who used it once and gave it to Goodwill. When we leave a cruise, we see groups with every individual wrangling one of these GIANTS. I don't get it. Very good advice. More good advice. Yes, I find that easy. Ways to make it happen: - If you'll have 9 dinners, pack 4 appropriate outfits -- each one'll be worn twice. Speaking only for my own family, in a cruise that long we'd probably skip "the dinner experience" twice and have just a buffet meal. - For 9 days, I'd wear/pack 4 bottoms -- shorts, skirts, pants, whatever. Then add 3 tops to match each bottom. If hot/sweaty activities are planned, purposefully wear a bottom that's "on its last wear". That'd be 16 items for your daywear, and -- if folded carefully -- that plus the dinner wear would fit comfortably into a medium suitcase. - This would mean you wouldn't need to wash anything during the cruise -- if you opt to wash, you could bring less. - Of course you need sleepwear, under-garments, and swimsuits. That'll still fit into the medium suitcase. - You might feel it's necessary to add a warm layering item. - Shoes are always a problem. I'd wear a pair of tennis shoes, pack a pair of comfortable walking sandals, and add one pair of dinner-shoes that'd match all outfits. IF the plans demand it, I'd add water shoes. No duplicates within those categories (for example, no to two pairs of walking sandals). You probably won't have ALL of those needs in one trip. - If you're snorkeling, consider bringing your own snorkel, but rent fins. That's a lot of space saved. - If you're hiking, consider whether your plans require that you bring boots or whether your tennis shoes will do. - For multi-climate trips, try to choose layering pieces; for example, being a Southerner, almost all of my blouses are short sleeved, and I layer on cardigans for our mild winters.