Mum2Mercury

Again, I think it's quite rare for something to be stolen from checked luggage, but it can /does happen. I think none of us are foolish enough to pack something like electronics, medicine or jewelry ... but who'd ever think someone would steal a pack of Little Debbies? Few things in my suitcase have monetary value, but I'd be upset not to have the use of them on my cruise ... I'm thinking of things like my sandals or my hair ties: zero monetary value to anyone else, but I'd definitely miss them during the cruise. Well, in this case, it wouldn't have mattered. They disappeared. But, if he'd packed them himself, he wouldn't have been angry with my sister, thinking she forgot them. I don't know how other families handle packing, but I have my husband lay the things he wants to take on the bed, and I Tetris them into the suitcase because I like doing it, and I can pack things really small.

I don't think it's common, but things can happen when you drop off your luggage. A story: My sister and her husband cruised with first-time cruiser friends. They warned their friends not to pack any electronics, but they didn't listen, and their ipad went missing. They went to guest services, but since they couldn't prove the ipad ever existed, they didn't have a leg to stand on. In the same trip, my brother-in-law became very angry with my sister because she'd failed to pack the Little Debbie oatmeal cookies he'd bought special for the trip -- no comments on whether it's smart to bring oatmeal cookies on a cruise. When they got home, the cookies weren't in the house either, so someone took them. Again, I really don't think this is common. What a story! Who'd have thought the dad would've been the weak link in that chain. Miami was definitely using facial recognition in September. Exactly. Once you start moving, you don't stop.

Eh, I'm on the fence on this. Say you set foot on board at 11:00. Most people either go sit by the pool or eat lunch, so you just have your luggage sitting next to you -- since it's on wheels, it's not hard to pull along. You get a drink and relax a bit, and then the rooms are open. It's not THAT LONG a time. The pro is that you have zero concern about whether anyone went through your stuff or when your bags will arrive. It's a pro-con thing. If my husband didn't feel strongly about "putting our bags through" with the porters, I'd probably bring my bags onboard with me. Of course, we are light packers, so it wouldn't exactly be difficult. My husband is kinda insane about getting out-out-out on the last morning, so we get in line about 7:00. We stand around 10-15 minutes until the line starts moving. Once it moves, we might be walking slowly, but we don't stop. Typically we're IN THE CAR, luggage stowed, heading North about 7:30-7:40. That facial recognition is so fast. The first time I used it, I genuinely didn't realize I was DONE and I didn't walk on.

I am a very logical person. Agree that a menu shouldn't be repeated on a longer cruise ... I expect more than that from our dining team. Yes. We took a break from cruising during the years our kids were in college, then came Covid ... so we were "out" for about 8-10 years, and when we returned the "Classics" were new to us. I like Indian food but don't want to eat it every day.

My Vera Bradley bag has something similar ... it's called a Trolley Sleeve, and it's so convenient. This picture's small but shows how it just slides over the rolling suitcase handle. Love this detail, as it allows me to manage the family's luggage by myself.

Well, one's ability to manage the luggage is a part of the decision to self-disembark. Be sure the MIL knows the rules /understands what'll happen with each disembarkation method -- then, as a family, make your choices. I have not been bumped or hit during self-disembarkation -- maybe because we're up and out the door early? But, no, we've joined the line, which snakes through the dining room, and we've not seen a single person pushing or shoving. Another thought -- the idea of the young family made me remember this: I've seen a couple young families boarding with a collapsible wagon. Looks like a great idea to me. I noted one young couple boarding at Port Canaveral -- the dad was pulling the wagon, which contained two fairly small boys + the family's backpacks /tote bags. Mom was following, so she had a good view /could verify that the boys were staying in the wagon.

Playing devil's advocate here: I can see why Royal wants to retain items that've been working for them. - They already know where to source the foods. - Their chefs already know how to cook them. - They already know how these things are received by the guests.

Agree. Putting your luggage out in the hall the night before, then leaving at an assigned time, and searching for your luggage in a sea of other suitcases ... that's more effort than just carrying it off yourself.

Chances of not completing the cruise are very slim. I've literally never received service on a cruise that would make me consider reducing tips. Also, if you've paid ahead of time, you don't have to spend any time thinking about tips during the cruise. Makes the vacation a little bit easier.

The regular lines can be pretty long too. Sad but true. We used self-disembarkation in Miami a few months ago, and we were behind a middle-aged daughter and an elderly mother, who each were managing a giant rolling suitcase + a smaller rolling suitcase (it was an 8-day cruise -- how much stuff did they need?). The mother expressed concerns about her ability, but the daughter insisted she'd be fine. The mother did fine getting off the ship, but in the terminal we were faced with the choice of an elevator (with a pretty significant line) or the escalator. The daughter pushed the mother to take the escalator. I purposefully waited /gave her a lot of space before I stepped on the escalator, and it was a good thing: at the foot of the escalator, where you have to step off, the mother tripped and fell, and her bags went askew. If I'd been right behind her, I'd have fallen over her.

Self-disembarkation is the best. Well, no; leaving the ship sucks -- but self-disembarkation is the best of the choices for leaving the ship. - Do nothing the last night of the cruise. - Carry your suitcases off yourself any time you please. - You will have to do this without any help, and -- if you don't leave early-early -- the elevators may be full. You'll probably exit the ship through Deck 4 /through the dining room, so -- if physically carrying the luggage is an issue -- consider how many flights of stairs you might potentially have to carry your stuff.

If you haven't yet booked your cruise, you can choose to pay gratuities at the end of your booking -- you can also choose whether to choose travel insurance at that point. If you've already booked, call RC's customer service and ask them to add your gratuities to your reservations. If you call early or late, they'll answer pretty quickly -- they're open until 1 am on Saturday nights.

We always stop in Titusville and stay at the Days Inn. It's literally right off the highway and about 30 minutes to Port Canaveral the next morning, which is an acceptable drive. Days Inn is very basic, but clean and in good repair -- and the cost is something like $85/night, which includes a small breakfast. If that's not enough breakfast, they have an IHOP literally IN the hotel, and you can walk to a Popeye's Chicken across the parking lot or a steak house about a block down the road. Across the street is a Cracker Barrel. If you're driving from the North, I highly recommend this spot.

Random thoughts: - My daughter has had that sword-umbrella since high school -- she's three years out of college. It's a nice, large umbrella, but I wouldn't take it on a cruise. We always bring hats; if it rains on an island day, I can take my body getting wet -- so long as I can keep my face dry. - Big Sea Monster, I have nothing /want nothing from that list. - I have a small laminator at home -- it was a Christmas gift years ago, and it comes in handy more often than you might imagine. I always laminate my luggage tags, and they're plenty sturdy. - We open a suitcase in the bottom of our closet /toss in clothes as they become dirty. On the last day, we zip it up, and we're packed for home. Easier than bringing along a hamper, then transferring the clothes. - Saving island details on your phone is a good idea -- nothing extra to bring.

Anticipating taking my now 1-year old grandson on a future cruise, I looked into this on my last cruise: - The 2-year old can only go into the baby room, which costs $7/hour (I think they said it's about to go up to $8. This room did not look particularly fun, but they do have a toy check-out program, which seemed like a good idea. - Kids 3 and up can go into Adventure Ocean, which looked great and carries no cost (until ... 10:00?). It was bright and cololrful, and the staff offers structured programs /games for the kids. The screens by the elevator allow you to look into the Kids' Compasses, and I saw that one day they had a Boys vs. Girls game tournament and on the last evening they had a pajama party. I saw the staff taking the kids into the Windjammer for dinner, and I liked the way they had the kids in a line /an adult at each end -- and the staffer in the front was walking backwards /singing to the kids. A couple times I walked past the big glass windows, and the kids always looked like they were having fun in the kids' club. - Don't forget that kids who aren't fully potty trained can't go into the pools ... but they have a great kids' splash area. - Wonder has a great kids' playground, mini-golf and other things that'll keep kids entertained ... with you.

I haven't had that since I was a kid, but now you're making me wonder what I'm missing.

True. I have two cruises booked, but neither is immediate. Looking at the app, my months-away cruise still shows the old menus, while my year-away cruise shows just the kiddie menu. Lots of people like lobster, it's considered an upscale food, and most of us don't really know how to cook it. Why put down something other people like, even if it's not to your taste? True -- I just bought fish from the freezer section this morning, and I noted lobster tails -- a pack of two was $20. Not terrifically expensive, but if you don't really know how to cook them, it's a bit of a risk. A lot of people would rather buy something they KNOW they can cook -- like a steak -- for the same money.

The British menu looks great to me. I was highly disappointed to see the Fish & Chips disappear from the menus.

If you're not sure about wearing the running shoes, consider maxi skirts. Personally, I just retired from three decades of teaching -- which meant standing on hard tile floors all day -- and I wore little white Keds with Lands End knit dresses + a cardigan probably three days a week. Worked great.

Well, you know how when you personally have something, you think everyone else has it too? That's why I said Plantar Fasciitis, but seeing a professional -- someone who will consider all the possibilities -- can only be helpful. Other thoughts: - The Ortho gave me a cortizone shot in each instep -- WOW, DID THAT HURT -- but it really helped me get over the inflamation of my Plantar Fasciitis. I never needed another one (because he taught me to avoid inflamation). - Know that my custom inserts took about 5 weeks to come back. - The Ortho told me that many people take time to adjust to them /want to wear them only a couple hours a day until they adjust. Not me: mine felt perfect from the first moment. I went out that afternoon and photographed a big sporting event. No problems. Good luck to you.

I'm zeroing in on the term "overextend myself". Do you have Plantar Fasciitis? I ask because it's super common, especially if you're over 40 or so, and I can soooo relate to the words "overextend" and "wrong shoes". Even if you don't have PF, consider a trip to the Orthopedist. About 10 years ago -- no, more like 15 or more -- I started having some painful foot problems, and I went to the Orthopedist. With his help, I learned how to deal with the problems, and -- as long as I follow the rules -- I have zero foot problems. My must-dos: - The Orthopedist made me a set of custom inserts, which fit in tennis shoes, loafers and some dress shoes. I cannot emphasize the difference these inserts made when I was actively having trouble. I had tried every drugstore insert on the market -- nope. The custom inserts are exactly right, and they only cost one $90 office co-pay (I've been wearing them at least a decade, and they're still in great shape). - Through trial-and-error, I have developed a set of rules for my shoes -- and I had to give away a ton of really nice shoes; my daughters wear the same size as me, and my loss was their gain. Anyway, my shoes must have a good arch support and at least a bit of heel. Sandals must have a more substantial strap closer to the ankle than the toes. My shoes don't have to be expensive; for example, Sketchers, Tevas and Chacos work great for me -- but my rules are 100% written in stone. Anyway, my main point is, go get some professional help with your feet. Okay, so you're leaving soon -- but do take my advice and visit the Orthopedist upon your return. You won't be sorry. 1. But for the meantime, I'd go buy the running shoes. Nothing else is going to be as comfortable, and you don't want achy feet on the cruise. OR bring the black velvet Converse, which you already have -- but if these give you shin splints after a while, the running shoes may do the same. I'd bring just one pair in this category, and I'd definitely wear them on island stops. 2. Also bring the cute black sandals. Since they're only good for a short time, save them for dinner. 3. Finally, bring the old white sandals for the pool. These three pairs should cover your cruise needs.

I had a tuna sandwich at the Cafe Promenade on Independence of the Seas last month. It wasn't the best tuna ever -- I make better at home. I make mine pretty plain: Tuna (drained), mayo, relish, onion.

Respectfully, no. The larger stroller needs to be stored in your (small) stateroom, and that's not always easy. The three-year old won't use the stroller much onboard, as he can walk well -- and if he gets tired, his own stateroom is nearby, so napping in a stroller onboard isn't particularly realistic. A three-year old who becomes tired during an island stop can nap sitting up in an umbrella stroller. No, only infant "bucket seats" work with stroller systems. No three-year old could use those car seats.

Fold things super well, then pack them nice and tight in your suitcase (to prevent them from moving), and you'll be surprised how many wrinkles you won't have.

Pointing out the obvious: If you rent the scooter and take it on board, you don't have to use it all the time ... but if you don't rent it, you'll not have the use of it.