HappyTexan44

I hadn't noticed this when you posted. That is exceedingly helpful. Daughter's medicine is over $1000/vial so I guard it closely. It also has to be kept cold. It would be nice to drop it off early and put it in the medicine fridge. No one would know it is expensive, but still.

On the general topic, not saying that Royal does this, but even today it isn't that unusual for hotels to have only a limited number of codes to open the doors. So, I always use the hardware lock when inside hotel rooms.

We once went to a surprise party on the wrong week! It was at the house of a friend of a friend. The front door was open and no one answered so DH went in and thought everyone was already hiding so was hollering "Hello." It was a pool party so he went into the backyard where the owner was in the pool in an inner tube. DH had thought something was maybe up when there wasn't many cars, so DD and I stayed in the car. The story was told many times at the actual party.

One thing that almost got me was the photos. There are places that will convert your random photo into a passport photo, for a fee. Then there are other free places that you just upload the photo and center and zoom it yourself, and then it has a software test for passport-worthiness. Photos went through without a problem, and the guy at the post office seemed surprised that our photos were fine.

I was genuinely shocked at how quick it was. The appointment was easy to get and the post office we went to had a day where they took walk-ins. I got an appointment anyway. We went just before Thanksgiving and got them on Dec 7th. DH had the passport from when he was 8. I had my passport from 2000, but I'd married since then with a name change. Daughter was getting her first. So, it wasn't like we were all renewing unexpired passports. I'd thought about just not getting passports. But I wanted ID for daughter, and I wanted a married name passport for me. So, now I can stop digging out my marriage license.

At least for her, she probably won't spend any money on drinks without the freestyle. She likes a few non-bubbly options on the freestyle, but isn't a fan of sodas. We invited a friend of hers on the cruise, and the friend likes sodas so I got the friend the soda package. Then I got daughter the same so that she wouldn't feel deprived and she could get her non-bubbly options.

Once we get on board Voyager I will be cancelling daughter's soda package and telling them why. No Freestyle.

That has changed. On the general Voyager FB group someone posted photos from the most recent cruise of some video poker machines on it.

I will tell you in a few weeks after our cruise : )

DH only got a smart phone because they stopped making the batteries for his milspec flip phone. That thing was sturdy. When we were dating, he put his shorts with his phone in the pocket into the laundry hamper that was ready to go in the washer. It wasn't until it started to bang around in the dryer that we knew. Phone was fine. It would have been fine if we'd left it in the dryer, since that was a test for flip phones, a certain amount of time in a dryer. One time he was buttonholed by some salesguy in an Apple store, who claimed that the iphone was sturdier. DH took his flip phone and tossed it across the room like it was dice at a craps table. Then he showed the guy that it still worked and was about ready to do the same thing to the iphone when the salesguy grabbed his arm and admitted it was less sturdy. Now that we all have smart phones, we just plan on replacing his every 6-8 months. He is doubling the size of our house himself, so misc. construction. The only smart part that he uses is as a radio/audiobook player, and he'd be happier if it was the size of the old flip phones. For myself I deliberately waited until DD was school aged to get a smart phone. Kids are talking later than they used to, and parents with smart phones is thought to be one reason. The kids don't hear as many words because the parents stare at the smart phone screen instead of talking to their baby. I'm a gadget gal, so I was quite happy to switch.

Brita has water bottles that have filters inside them.

From what I've read, and what I planned on doing myself. When you are checking in, and you are talking to the crew with the ipad, tell them that you want to switch to a Cash Account. Someone said that they deliberately didn't upload a photo since that was a good time to switch to a cash account.

I wonder, would having a cash account help with this? In that they are motivated to provide a bill to get paid. Maybe

Nope. closest you could get was chocolate chip cookies and add ice cream.

I think there is something to, "My luggage is weird. This looks like my luggage. Therefore this is my luggage." Back when I was a road warrior. I once saw luggage just like my weird luggage. I'd never seen a duplicate of mine. I'd had just grabbed it and in my defense I was checking the tag. Simultaneously, I saw that the tag wasn't mine and a young soldier in uniform ran up acting like I was stealing his luggage. But until I saw the tag, I really had thought it was mine. I recently bought a bag of random ribbon at Goodwill. I set aside some "It's a Boy" ribbon to tie around our luggage handles. That should truly be unique!

It is by state and most states don't even have a rule for that.

Ouch. Toiletries are easily replaceable, although not on the cruise. Shoes, that would be hard, and expensive.

I plan on standing there and watching the porters load our luggage onto the thingy for that reason. But it is extremely difficult to remember what you packed. I'd had my luggage stolen once and it was extremely difficult to remember. It also took me a while for my wardrobe to recover. You take your favorite things on vacation and many pieces of clothing weren't really replaceable.

That is wild. I'd felt a little silly for being so stressed having to enter all our info before getting to the check-in time part. (It took a bit longer than normal because a child not mine was in one of our rooms) then I got to the end at maybe 12:08 and still got the 10:30 time. So, if I'd been a little later I guess I might have gotten a later time. Although, our fb group has commented that there are many first-timers on the cruise.

True, and I never had a problem getting the room I wanted. Eventually my favorite chains figured out what rooms I'd like and they added that info to their internal file on me. If the hotel is a large one when we've vacationed I've requested a room on a certain floor/area and I've always gotten it. I don't know what it is, but I can walk-walk-walk-walk all day and not be tired. Then the second I walk through the hotel I deflate and every step is drudgery. Cruises are different than hotels. They also aren't an airline. A flight and a cruise would be much closer if you paid for the flight whether or not you showed up. So, airlines have much more excuse to overbook.

Since they are encouraging people to book way ahead with the lower prices, you can't compare current bookings and current policies/prices. Most of those people probably booked a year+ ago. Our upcoming starter cruise was booked Fall 2022. I don't know if I'd have booked a cruise if the idea had come to us just recently. On the general topic, I think what really matters is the bottom line price with the options that you want, then compare it to the price you are willing to pay. If the price is too much, then it is too much.

We haven't taken many tours. Those we have, we asked the others with us at the end of the tour. But, I'd like a rule of thumb. Like using a percentage in a restaurant. In case it matters, we are doing an independent tour to Chacchoben Ruins for 3.5 hours and $320 for 4 people. This isn't a private tour. Tour operator: Chac Ek Costa Maya

But, there isn't a reason for everyone to pack that way for vacation. For our cruise since we are driving, the only real limitation is luggage cluttering up the room. The luggage will have to be hauled maybe 20' each way from the porter/baggage pickup and the car. So, for example, I'm taking my percussion messager, and that thing isn't small. I have RLS and when I can't get to sleep that takes care of the twitches. Could I live without it? Sure, I'd eventually go to sleep, but why suffer? I could bring woolite and handwash in the sink, I have happily done that before. But why do that on a cruise when it is so easy to just bring enough clothes? I have a luggage set that I bought with high school graduation money. I thought it was the cats-meow. But, when I started travelling for work, that wasn't nice enough so it hasn't had much use. Will be perfect for the cruise though. Several pieces that nest together, so they'll easily store under the bed. I'm old enough that the wheels are tiny.

I don't think they were saying to put the milk on the ice. But a container of ice also inside the fridge will keep the fridge cold.

I haven't done that with Royal, since they haven't fraudulently charged me for anything. But, I have done similar with other companies. First complain to the company. Wait a few days, then check if the charge is refunded. If not, then put in a fraud claim. I rarely do that, but when they kick up a fuss and try to deny the refund, absolutely. If they genuinely were going to issue the refund, either the refund will come through before the fraud process is started, or when the CC contacts them, they'll agree to the refund.