Mum2Mercury

A whole new thought: Your excursion is a sunset sail type thing? Could you consider doing an EARLY LUNCH together -- either in the MDR or a specialty -- and then heading out to your excursion together? If you opt for a specialty, a lunch would cost less, and I completely understand that being a sticking point. Also, having had your meal together mid-day would mean that -- upon your return -- individuals could split up to do whatever they please for the evening meal. Some could shower, then go to a specialty, others could just pick up some pizza and retire early. Could be a WIN for everyone.

$232 each? Hard NO. Honestly, I've taken short cruises for less. Personal thoughts about cost aside, here's why I'd say no: - Free loungers are available. Get up and out early to get a front-row seat. The free loungers are arranged in 2 and 4s, with an umbrella and a small table between the chairs. - Paid seating is no better; in fact, some of the paid seating is farther from the water or second-row behind other beach beds. - Alternately, you can get a seat at the large pool. The music is loud, so it's not my particular taste, but your teenager might enjoy it. - The no-cost food on Coco Cay is really good -- tacos, Philly-cheese type sandwiches, burgers, chicken sandwiches. The things I like to eat on Coco Cay aren't available most of the time on the ship; thus, I'm not particularly motivated to pay extra for other food. - I suspect a teenager wouldn't particularly enjoy the Beach Club. Notes: - If you have a drink package, it'll work on the island; however, if you're buying drinks, they'll cost a bit more than on the ship (think $1 more for a beer). It has to do with VAT in the Bahamas. A stingy person (me) would bring a couple off the ship, especially if you have a small cooler. - You can check to see how many ships will be at Coco Cay along with you. If it's JUST YOU, I absolutely wouldn't pay for a spot. If two ships are at Coco Cay AND one of them is a mega ship (though in theory the mega ships hit Coco Cay alone) AND you're not going to get up and out early, I can see why you'd MAYBE splurge on seating ... because it's possible that the other ship would dock first, and those passengers would scoop up the front-row seats. You can still have a fantastic free day on Coco Cay. To call it "Disney-fied" is a bit of a stretch, but it's more like a resort /less nature now.

My mother, who is 80 and takes a couple medicines + vitamins, gets all her medicines from CVS. They do this cool thing where they give them to her "on a roll" with a sealed baggie for AM and a sealed baggie for PM. The meds are labeled and have her name on them. She says it was something of a pain to start /get everything coordinated -- that is, meds all refilled at the same time, etc. But she loves it, and it's quite convenient for travel. I can't remember the name of the program.

I hear what you're saying, but -- no -- I'm with the majority here. The turn-over day is hard, no matter what you do. Hard for passengers, hard for staff. They're already running at double-speed to get those cabins "turned over". If we want to be able to board early /start our vacation, we must accept that we must disembark early at the end of our cruise.

I'm not sure America didn't peak in the 70s. Before technology and data took over everything. I love 70s music, and I think pretty much everyone knows the songs they play onboard, but -- yeah -- the 80s brought us some really good music too. Yes, please! Mercury is named for Freddie Mercury. But let's include AC/DC, KISS, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar . That's appropriate. But the dance parties don't seem to be a difficult prep activity. Why not offer several during the week?

The scenario you describe is possible, but quite unlikely -- especially if, like us, you don't have to fly. It's up to each cruiser to decide how concerned they are about this topic.

Whereas, I would keep the catamaran experience and have a fancy dinner on Christmas Day. The question is, What does the OP's group value most?

I'd give you a 50-50 chance of getting them onboard. If these water bottles really matter to you, stop by the store and pick up more on the way. If they were more of an "Eh, this'll be nice to have" thing, pour out the water and bring one EMPTY bottle for each person in your party. Refill onboard. The water is perfectly safe and tastes fine.

A topic that hasn't been brought up: If you've been on a full-day excursion, you're going to return to the ship tired and probably in need of showers. Will your family be up for dressing and going to the MDR for a lengthy meal anyway? Personally, given the timing, I'd vote for a quick-and-serviceable meal in the buffet on Christmas Eve -- and make your "real celebration meal" Christmas Day. Please don't create drama where none exists.

Ideas for condensing /bringing less: - Start with your shoes, as they are the biggest space hogs. I always bring one pair of tennis shoes (little white Keds or Vans that work with shorts or with a tee-dress) and brown walking sandals. Depending upon what I'm wearing for dinner, I might bring a pair of wedges. If we are visiting a rocky beach or are planning a water-based shore excursion, I'll bring my water shoes. - Do not start packing by laying out things you like. That'll result in a big pile of things that may or may not fit your actual needs. - Instead, make a list of what you will really need on the cruise. - What I actually do: Make grid /calendar and list your anticipated activities for each day of the cruise. Then write in what you'll need to wear each of those days. For example, for an At-Sea Day I'd probably start out in a swimsuit /cover up ... then around noon I'd change to a casual shorts (or casual dress) outfit for lunch, an afternoon movie, trivia or similar ... and I'd wear a casual dress for dinner /keep that on for after-dinner activities. For an island day, I'd probably plan shorts + a top I'd already worn around the ship for a couple hours (they're going to get hot and sweaty ashore, so why start with something fresh?) ... then after returning to the ship I'd shower and change into a casual tee-dress or (if it's late enough) go straight to my dinner outfit. - Plan to wear things more than once. For example, in the above example, I'd only wear the items a couple hours each. So I'd hang them in the closet and re-wear them. Experience tells me that whatever I wear to board the ship tends to get sweaty -- it's a one-time use item. On the other hand, things I wear mid-day for inside activities are perfectly acceptable for a second use. I always assume a dinner outfit can be worn twice. - I usually bring a button-down chambray shirt. I'm never cold at dinner or in the theater, but I sometimes need a light layer if we watch a Movie Under the Stars. - Fold your clothes Marie Kondo-style. So much will fit into a small suitcase! Start by placing your small clothes (socks, underwear) in the bottom of your suitcase, as they'll fit "between" the indents created by the handle, then add a layer of "folded squares". - Skip most of the "must haves" from Pinterest. The over-the-door shoe holder just makes the clutter you shouldn't have brought with you more visible. Don't bring a pop-up hamper; instead, place your suitcase in the bottom of your closet and use it for a hamper -- throw in a few dryer sheets. - Look at everything you really need and consider how you could make it smaller. Count out any medicines into small ziplocks (buy them at any pharmacy). Bring a bit of foundation make-up in a contact case, bring your oldest eye make-up and throw it away at the end of the trip. Choose a carry-on tote (or backpack) that'll double as a beach bag on the islands. Consider a Kindle (or Kindle app on your phone) instead of actual books. - We're close enough to drive, so we always pack our cruise suitcases ... and then a shared tote bag for the night-before hotel. The night-before hotel bag contains night clothes, toiletries, and whatever we plan to wear for embarkation. We transfer toiletries over to the cruise suitcases, then we leave the tote bag in the car. No point in bringing dirty clothes on the ship. Of course, if you fly, this isn't a choice for you. - Read up on the 5-4-3-2-1 packing method. - After you return from your cruise, as you unpack, take note of what you actually wore. Make a list so you'll be better prepared for future cruises. Good idea. A friend of mine went on a short mid-winter cruise, and -- without much thought -- she threw in one swimsuit. Onboard she put it on and heard that awful creaky-breaking sound that elastic makes when it's old /brittle. Uh-oh. It was a tankini type suit, so the bottom half kept threatening to fall off. To complicate things, they did a dolphin swim on this cruise and ... well, you see where this is going. Trying on everything will save you from such a fate. It'll also force you to realize that your dinner blouse is missing a button or your skirt's hem needs tacking up. Disagree. No point in trying to make the whole week into a 1-2 color event. Instead, think of your clothing choices as "pods". Example: Pink pod -- pink shorts + white top, pink print top Gray skirt pod -- gray maxi skirt + graphic tee, chambray shirt to be worn knotted at the waist White jeans for dinner pod -- white jeans + blue floral top, baby blue striped top, yellow lace top You get the idea. Start with "a bottom" + add 2-3 tops to match. No need for everything in the suitcase to match because once the pink shorts have been worn twice (with each of the two tops), they're done anyway. Why bother to try to match them to all the other items? Yes, do consider what you'll wear for travel. If you're flying, yoga pants make sense. Perhaps plan to wear the same thing back home again. Or at least repeat the pants for the trip home. So true, so true. People definitely won't remember if you wear typical nice "resort wear". I'm thinking white shorts + a pink & white pink top. A blue ombre tee dress with little white Keds. Plaid shorts with a sleeveless button-down top. These things are nice but not memorable. On the other hand, tee-shirts with funny statements people will remember -- avoid them. Point being, knew thyself.

My own experiences on Royal last week: - I didn't drink any coffee, and my husband doesn't take cream -- didn't notice whether it was provided or not. - We had a two-top table in the MDR, and we had ample butter. I think maybe 4 pats? - Vegetables -- talking quantity -- were hit or miss in the MDR. I had a fish dish with plenty of veg on the side; on the other hand, my beef tenderloin was served with two pieces of asparagus (at least they weren't cut in half horizontally). - Vegetables in the Windjammer went plentiful and cooked well; however, most people didn't seem to be taking many. I enjoyed the grilled vegetables, stir fried vegetables, and salads. The tomatoes weren't homegrown /fresh off the vine, but I wasn't disappointed in them. I think that's the key to the "shortage". People aren't eating the vegetables, so Royal's holding back. - Whole fruit was plentiful in the Windjammer, but I didn't see anyone really digging into it. My husband ate a banana one day, and it looked good. - As for strawberries, one issue is that they have about a 15 minute lifespan. To combat this, Royal is using frozen berries or pre-prepared strawberry glaze. Not the best, but I understand that days out of their home port, they aren't getting fresh deliveries.

My daughter and I signed up for it at that price. For anyone else who's considering, it includes: - Soda from fountains & Freestyle machines - Mocktails - Johnny Rockets' milkshakes - Bottled water - Premium coffees and teas - Fresh squeezed juices Questions: - So this excludes cans? - Exactly what is a premium coffee? -- I like iced coffees - What mocktails are recommended?

Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by the discounts! I couldn't book online either, but I called and got everything I wanted quickly. I saw photographers onboard last week. They were doing a brisk business on formal night and Halloween. Off-topic, but I always bought the soda package when my girls were teens. I lectured them before cruises about NEVER drinking a drink that'd been out of their sight for even a moment, and the soda package made that easier. They never had to choose between finishing a drink they'd purchased vs. being safe. Yes. I purchased a small item yesterday for $8.99, and it's $9.99 now. It seems to me that Royal'd start with the lower prices and raise them for people who don't buy right away. Well, yeah, that's to be expected. My take on that: for less than that, I can have a season's pass at a water park near home. One day of fun (on a cruise, where fun is easy to find) vs. a summer of visits. Small discounts are still discounts. I hadn't thought of that.

Might depend upon what type of OBC it is. Some is refundable if not used. Other types are not refundable.

I don't doubt you!

The real question is, Would you have had that many drinks if you hadn't purchased the package? Said differently, were you drinking just to "get your money's worth"? Other considerations: - For many of us, the longer the cruise, the less we'll drink as the vacation progresses. What's "fun" for a couple days becomes burdensome after a few days. - Is your cruise port heavy or does it have lots of sea days? If you're going to be off the ship half a day, that can make a difference in how much you're likely to drink. - Related to the above, are you likely to spend your port days in a bar? - Do you take advantage of deals on alcohol on board? Even if you're a lowly Gold C&A member, you'll get a couple discounted drinks. Do you choose the Drink of the Day? Do you buy a bucket of beer at the pool bar? Do you buy a pitcher of beer at Playmakers? - Do you bring the allowed non-alcoholic drinks & the bottle of wine on board with you? Any non-allowed drinks?

Yes! Chankanaab was great -- except that it rained cats and dogs. I'd totally go back again!

We did that last week. Super easy -- taxis are always lined up waiting for you.

Thanks, Blue Water, for that wealth of information!

Location, location, location. You paid extra for someone to purchase your favorite products, transport them to the ship, store them until you wanted them, then haul away the garbage after consumption.

A note for those of you who must-must-must have a plug-in to multiply your electrical outlets: Be sure you take it home. Since they're mostly all white, and they plug into a white outlet, it's easy to leave them behind. That's how we became the proud owners of a perfectly good 3-prong outlet extender last week. I gave it to my daughter, who ran a strip of blue print washi tape around it and painted the "face" blue. Now she has a unique outlet extender.

Not only do that accept the US dollar, they prefer the US dollar. I'd rather plan ahead /bring dollars than count on ATMs -- even without fees. I like to prepare an envelope for each shore stop: I write the island /date /name of the company we're using /contact information /meeting place /things we should bring -- towel, water, sunscreen on the outside of the envelope. Then I count out /fold a sticky note around any money I will owe for the tour -- including taxis /tips. And I add a few dollars for snacks or drinks -- all in singles and fives. I promise you, no tour guide will ever be able to change a $20. Once on board, I store these envelopes in the room safe, and we're ready to go. And this means any money in my wallet is "spendable". I don't need to remember to save X amount for that taxi we're going to need in two days. Oh, yes. In Cozumel last week I saw a shirt I wanted to buy for my daughter. Just a long-sleeved tee-shirt, but it was so "her". The price: $40. No way. No tee-shirt is worth $40. I said "No Thanks" and turned around -- I thought we were really too far apart to bargain, and I wasn't all that set on the shirt. She chased after me asking, "What would you be willing to pay?" I realized the game was afoot. So I said $20. She offered $35 -- I wasn't even tempted. She asked if I'd be paying cash. Yes. In the end, I paid $25, which I thought was still pretty high, but it was a nice tee-shirt. Another oddity, which I've read about on this board but never experienced. I gave her five singles, and she handed one back, asking, "Do you have another bill?" That one was old and looked like someone had used it for a coffee cup coaster. I didn't even notice it, to tell the truth, but she said their banks don't like to accept bills that aren't crisp and pristine. Back home, I've already spent that bill (without difficulty), but in the future I'll try to look through my bills and keep any "old" currency for home. Thought 1: Oh, no. Private tours are almost always superior. Smaller groups, more choice in your day, and they get out the door faster -- while the ship's tours are still gathering and lumbering towards their busses. That they're cheaper is just a bonus. People say, "Oh, but I'm afraid of missing the ship." And that's fair for a few excursions -- the Tulum Ruins in Cozumel being the poster child, as it's an all-day thing that requires a taxi, a ferry, and a bus (in a Spanish speaking country). But MOST excursions don't take you all that far from the pier, and most excursions are finished by 12:00 or 1:00, leaving you a buffer of hours to get back to the ship. Thought 2: You'll find that MANY of the ship's shore excursions include shopping time. They're notorious for forcing you to spend an hour in a dull straw market (kickbacks, ya know), then making you zip by a cute little bar where you'd have enjoyed having a drink. In general, I agree. You're limiting your potential loss to the cash in your pocket. Another option: Buy yourself a VISA gift card. If any nefarious operator were to try to rip you off, they could only access the $50 or so you'd loaded on the card. They wouldn't have access to your real credit card.

Royal gives free drinks, some free internet, and other perks that I can't remember at the moment to those top-tier passengers. I was looking at menus for our upcoming Wonder cruise, and lobster (without additional cost) is on the menu for "Royal Night" /next to last evening.

Yeah, when the prices start at $3000, no discount is going to reach my "worth it" price. They'd have to offer a 95% discount.

We're close enough to drive, and last week we were IN OUR CAR ready to drive at 7:18. Usually it's more like 7:40-7:45. If the ship has a line, you'll stand still for a long time ... then when the line starts moving, you'll move fast. Set yourself up for success by being able to manage your luggage easily (even if you must take an escalator), having your Ship ID and documents at the ready. However, if I were counting on making a plane flight, the danger of missing the flight would be in the back of my mind all week. I'd count on being off the ship by 7:30 (that's realistic) ... then add drive time ... and I'd want at least 2 hours at the airport before the flight. Yes, that means waiting, but it's safer.