Mum2Mercury

Another way to check your dining time -- and something you probably don't know to do -- is to check the app on your phone. I'm going to throw out several thoughts -- again, some of which you probably don't know to ask: - Each adult should download the Royal Caribbean App to his or her phone RIGHT NOW. If you have My Time Dining, you should reserve your dinner times NOW via the app. Once you're onboard, you can change your times -- or you can cancel your dinner time and go to the buffet or one of the smaller venues. We like the MDR but don't necessarily want to eat in the same place 7 nights in a row. Especially after a island stop, we sometimes just want to put on shorts and eat pizza. - You can also get show times, titles of movies they'll be showing, and other entertainment on the phone app. - 45 days ahead of your cruise, you need to use the app to reserve a check-in /boarding time. - About being on time for dinner: If you're in Early or Late Traditional Dining, you need to be on time -- it's considered Bad Manners to arrive early or late. In Traditional Dining, everything's set up to serve Appetizers all at once, Entrees all at once, Desserts all at once. If you arrive early or late, you'll throw the servers off their game. On the other hand, My Time Dining is a whole different program, and it's a little more flexible; you don't even have to claim the same dining time every evening. - Another thing you'll get on the app is your Muster Drill information. You should do this safety drill as soon as you board the ship /get it out of the way. This is literally the law. - Five of you aren't sharing a cabin /aren't on the same reservation. Have you "linked" your reservations? If not, you should -- this'll help you be assigned to the same dining table in the MDR. - When you want a water bottle, go to any bar and ask for one. If you've bought the very expensive drink package, you've paid for the water bottles, but -- for future reference -- know that the water on the ship is purified just like bottled water. You can also pick up a glass of ice water at the buffet (or other eating places). Know, too, that you're allowed to bring 12 non-alcoholic drinks onboard. And a bottle of wine. - Your drink package includes a plastic tumbler, which will make the soda machines work. The first time you go to any bar onboard, you should ask for your tumbler -- then you're set. I suggest you bring some stickers so you can tell your drinks apart. I also suggest you bring a little bit of dishwashing liquid. - Since you've purchased the drink package, you've already tipped for your drink purchases, but many people opt to bring a stack of single bills and tip $1-2 each time they get a drink. You're not wrong if you skip this. - We don't spend much on the ship, but we do bring $30ish for tips onboard. - We bring more cash for off-ship spending. We prepare an envelope for each island stops; we write our plans /meeting places on the outside and count out cash for tours, lunch, taxis, tips -- whatever we think we'll need -- inside the envelope. We always pack small bills for tips, which allows us to hand over what we want without needing to ask for change. - If you need to know things once you're onboard, ask your Cabin Steward. He knows everything (or can send you in the right direction).

Two thoughts: 1. I think we're discussing two different things here. Some people are talking about the carry-on bag they bring onto the cruise ship. Other people are talking about carry-ons they bring on an airplane. 2. I just googled how often luggage is lost or delayed. The Points Guy says it's 7 out of every 1000 pieces. Or a .007% chance. That includes short delays as well as being outright missing for your whole vacation, so if you've done the smart thing and arrived in your port city a day ahead of time, you'll probably get your suitcase by the next morning. So, yeah, lost luggage makes for a great article, but the possibility of it happening to you is small. I tried to search for how often luggage is lost between the porter's station and your stateroom, and I couldn't find a solid answer -- but two sites said cruise ships lose luggage less often than airplanes. That makes sense; if you see it go on those high-sided trolleys, chances of it not making it to your room are slight.

Cruising is different only in the details -- I'm trying not to be repetitive: - Yes, reservations are now available for shows; however, October is still low season, and they won't really be necessary. We only cruise in the fall, and I've never made a reservation -- also never been turned away; if you're cruising with a group, your experience might be different. - Yes, in non-suite rooms, cabin steward service is reduced to once a day -- and at the same time gratuities were increased. This sucks. - I'm not sure if Coco Cay was built up into Perfect Day at Coco Cay five years ago, but it's a great island stop now. Great beach day, food is good, and you don't need to spend a penny. It's many people's favorite stop. - You need to sign up for a boarding time 45 days ahead of your cruise. This is an improvement because it staggers the crowds /makes for less chaotic boarding. - Clothing has become more and more casual, but most people still dress up a bit for dinner. - The phone app allows you to see more information ahead of your cruise -- menus, for example. Many people no longer bother with the paper Compass; if you want one, you can ask at Guest Services or ask your Cabin Steward. - We've found the "new" food to be good-to-really-good. Little is stupendous, but that's my fault for being such a good cook /restaurant food usually pales in comparison.

They're not going to ask you for anything beyond the Ship ID unless something's really wonky. Let's think through how that'd work: Bartender: I'll need to see another ID before I can sell you a drink. Cruiser: But I'm here by the pool. I didn't bring any other ID. Bartender: Sorry, Sir, you'll have to dry off, return to your room, then come back and wait in line again. Cruiser: Forget this! (And Royal doesn't want to lose even a single drink sale.) Absolutely your photograph is embedded in your Ship ID. Two examples: - We were on Coco Cay, and I went to the bar. I was fishing through my bag for my Ship ID, and the bartender asked for my room number. He said, "Um, I don't think so", and he turned his laptop around showing me a picture of a man (I am a woman) of a different race. He said, "This man is in that room -- alone." Before I could formulate a thought, he said, "Oh, wait -- are you on Liberty or Independence?" Both were docked at Coco Cay. Once he put in the right ship, he turned the laptop around again and showed me my own photograph. We both laughed, and he gave me my drink. - Coming and going from island stops, several times I've been asked to take off my sunglasses. They really look at the picture that pops up when your Ship ID is scanned. Not just cruise lines. My state's driver's licenses are landscape-oriented for adults over 21 ... and portrait-style for anyone under 21. It's a one-glance way to know who's old enough to buy alcohol.

Documents and cash Jewelry Electronics Medicines I've never understood carrying on a swimsuit -- if you want to hit the pool or water slides early (and that's a pretty good idea), wear them! I often board wearing a swimsuit with a dress-type cover-up. My husband often boards wearing swim trunks + a matching tee. We drive ourselves to the port, hand our suitcases over to the porters personally, and wait to see them placed on the rolling carts that carry them onto the ship. As such we aren't worried about our luggage being lost.

This isn't the worst place to just walk around soaking up the atmosphere. You can walk through an old fort turned into shops and food. Then you'd want to cross the floating bridge, of course, and on the other side you'd find more shops and food. The bridge is pretty cool. A couple good photo opportunities and one of those places where people attach a lock and throw the key into the water. I don't think you'll find a beach right by the port. If you want "more", Google "What to do in Curacao", and you'll see plenty of private tours.

It should not be too early. I suspect it's a bit of a glitch -- give it a day or two, and I bet you'll be able to claim your preferred time.

As the style of the writing changed, that was crystal clear. It's possible that an 18-20 year old could be legal guardian for his or her younger siblings, but -- in such a situation -- I doubt they'd be cruising. As you say, an unlikely scenario.

And why would they need a driver's license when the DOB is on the Sea Pass?

Personally, we always aim to be back 2 hours before sail-away. As someone else said, this means that if something goes wrong, you have a solid buffer /have time to deal with a set-back like getting lost or even a twisted ankle. Thoughts on being time-safe: - In my limited experience, it seems to me most people are back onboard by mid-afternoon anyway. Going ashore can wear you out. - We have small analog clocks that clip onto our backpacks. We trust those instead of our phones; we never have to wonder whether our phones have switched time zones or not. They're also handy by the pool, where you can rarely see a clock -- our clocks are on carabiners, so they're quick to move from one bag to another. - We never allow our party to split up. That's easy now that it's just the two of us, but -- if we're with a larger group -- we agree ahead of time what to do if we are accidentally separated. No guessing whether to go back to the ship or not. - We always have cash to take a taxi back to the port, if necessary. - We always know at which pier our ship is docked; this doesn't matter at every port, but at larger ports -- Cozumel and Roatan, for example -- you could get yourself into big trouble by returning to the wrong pier. - We don't drink heavily.

Well, that was cut and dry.

Well, it'd be her chance to be waited on a deck above the pool.

I'm pretty sure all parts are solidly attached to the decking. If they weren't, the ocean winds would blow them around.

Disagree. Paying X amount every day of the cruise so you can verify the price of art ONCE during the week doesn't seem like value to me. And if you've determined you like a certain painting, you can always buy it at home, where the price is almost sure to be lower.

When you board the ship, the terminal staff will check your passport (or driver's license + birth certificate), and that information will be "coded into" your Ship ID -- that's the only time the ship bothers with your "real world ID". At any point, any staff member (bartender, for example), can use your ID to get your full name, cabin number, and age -- they never need to ask you for a second ID. When they scan your Ship ID, your photograph pops up, so they can verify it's you. In theory you should carry your Ship ID at all times, and 100% of my cruise clothing has pockets for that purpose. In reality, I don't always do it; for example, if we're going to dinner, I might say to my husband, "You have your Ship ID to get us back in the room? I'm not going to carry mine or my purse." If I want a drink, he can buy it for me (Note: We are far above the age that any bartender would think we're trying to pull an underage scam). Or, if he decides to go down for coffee early in the morning, he might go out without his Ship ID, knowing that I'm in the room dressing /will let him back in. Regardless of what other ID you may /may not take off the ship, you must always take your Ship ID when you get off at an island -- We call this "dinging us off the ship". The staff will scan your ID through the computer, which allows them to verify exactly who is /isn't onboard at any given minute. Even an infant's Ship ID must go through that computer to exit the ship. When you disembark at the end of your cruise, you should have your "real world ID" + your Ship ID in hand. The ship will "ding you off" one last time, then Customs will want to see your passport (or driver's license + birth certificate) once you're off the ship.

No, we're not on the same page here. My comment was not art-specific. I meant, I hate the much-repeated thought, "If you can afford ____, you can afford ____." Always, Item A has nothing to do with Item B.

Here's how we handle towels -- in my opinion, it's the most convenient method /best way to assure yourself of no accidental charges: Day 1 check out X number of towels. Do not return them; instead, EXCHANGE them for fresh towels and take them back to your room. When you exchange, nothing goes into the computer -- so fewer opportunities for human error, especially when the towel station is busy. This means you always have fresh towels available -- in case you want to go to the pool or hot tub late /early when the towel station isn't open. The only negative is that you have to remember to bring them with you -- more than once I've made it to the stairs and said, "Oh, no, gotta go back for my towels." On Day Last, return your towels and take your time to ask the attendant, "Are ALL the towels for my room returned?" We always stay up late /grab the earliest boarding slot, which is usually around 10:30. In our experience (at several terminals), they DO check tickets for that earliest time slot. Maybe it's different later in the day, or maybe they allow in "waiters" once people with tickets are allowed in. I really don't know 'cause I'm already in!

Well said. Yeah, that's common sense. If this place weren't earning, the Royal accountants would've kicked it to the curb by now. It also seems that artwork feels "cultured and upscale" -- something of a contrast to the Belly Flop contest. I think that works in the cruise line's favor. Again, well said. I always hate this line of reasoning. Just because I CAN afford something doesn't mean I'm willing to pay for it /doesn't mean I see value in it. I'd say, If you like a piece of art, write down the artist's name and search for it once you're back home and can comparison shop. The pieces they have onboard are available elsewhere. What you're getting onboard is a print /not an original anyway.

Even if a fruit plate is included, so what? You can walk into the Windjammer and pick up all the fruit you want. Not a big selling point. The casitas do come with ... is it two mixed drinks and two bottled waters? Or something like that.

CruiseMapper.com will tell you which ships will be in which ports on any given day.

That's a reasonable thought, and you'll probably never get it cheaper than $90.

I personally have only seen one family kicked off the ship -- their teens were throwing deck chairs overboard, and the whole family was put off at the next island. The captain made an announcement about WHY they were leaving our ranks. I don't think I was alone in having a heart-to-heart with my own children that day. Eh, I'm a teacher. We tend to be more cooperative than competitive. Maybe that's why I think the cruise lines would want to help one another in this way. Sex offenders on board near children. One of the many things I've never once considered.

I'm with you. People who fist fight in small places should be banned from all future cruises. I'd think it's a matter of, "Sign this, and we won't take you to court." People who fought on Cruise Line A are likely to fight on Cruise Line B. And a lot of people don't understand what they read.

If your ship has a Playmakers (not all ships do), the best value BY FAR is a pitcher. Of course, a pitcher comes with its own set of pros /cons.

You're right. Two sides to every story.