HappyTexan44

I've wondered about this. If I didn't give them a credit card onboard, would they be able to charge me? For the deposit, I used my main high credit limit credit card. I hope they couldn't look back in the records and use that. Note, this hasn't happened to me, I just like to be prepared. We wouldn't be spending much on board, maybe one bucket-o-beers for DH and some candy for the girls.

Like you said, it may not matter. I, for one, would not be willing to sacrifice $1800 on a fraudulent charge in order to be allowed to cruise with Royal.

I think for this, to not encourage the security folks, donuts should be eaten right there or offered to other passengers until the contraband is gone.

Well, cookies they give away free. Booze they sell for $$$.

I have felt that fully planning a Disney World trip is like a Doctoral Thesis of vacation planning. So, for example, I have full confidence that I'll get us the earliest boarding possible because I'll have my phone and two different browsers ready to pounce when they open up check-in. You might appreciate this story. I was talking to a co-worker about a new employee he has. We're programmers and introverts. The new employee is doing great, but confusing to us because she wants to do stuff like decorate the office bulletin board, and plan team events. He said she even had a spreadsheet on when the people on their team are usually available. I pointed out that voluntarily making a spreadsheet made her Our People.

Considering the reports of desserts on Royal being mostly pretty crappy, it might be worthwhile bring on some good cookies just in general.

Speaking as someone who has booked my starter cruise and also for Feb 2024. People talk about small ships. Think of it this way, it wasn't that long ago that each of those ships under consideration was the biggest and shiniest ship, or at least nearly the same size as the biggest. If I were in your place, I'd take the longer trip out of Baltimore.

There is definitely different viewpoints on why people should tip even within the tipping = good camp. These are the options as far as I can tell. Leads to better service, and tipping is for good service. Make up for low pay, i.e. hotel room cleaners Bribery to keep a bad thing from happening, i.e. union dock workers at cruise ports. Me, I'm in #1, and I strongly object to #2 and #3. In fact, I'll happily spend $20/bag to avoid $1/bag for #3

I have soda packages booked just in hope that they add Freestyle to Voyager. Now I have another reason for leaving that on until at least shortly before the cruise.

Explain the egg pizza to me. I just can't wrap my mind around it. One time in Paris we were kicked out of a Michelin-starred restaurant and I just wanted reliably good food. So, we walked to a pizza joint. I ordered a Calzone and it listed the normal meat-lovers pizza ingredients plus eggs. I was confused by the eggs, but sometimes there will be an egg wash on crust so I thought that was it. Nope. Scrambled eggs on the inside with the tomato sauce, pepperoni, etc. It was disgusting. But you said your pizza was good, so I'm curious.

Beyond wanting in the front, where are the best seats? Is the end or sides better? Is first row best, or would it be better to be a few rows back. We'll be on Voyager.

Tell me more. Does anyone know of other "Good stuff" that is hidden? Also, from one eggs benedict lover to another, can you get extra hollandaise? In buffets they seem to use just a dribble. Which I guess makes sense because if the muffin sat in the sauce it would get ookie.

My friends love the BBQ and the shopping. For me, if I spend that much money on BBQ, I want my own table in a restaurant. But, they say it is quite good. As for shopping, I'm at the stage of life where I'm getting rid of stuff I don't love or need.

Get the ... I think they are called Beaver Nuggets. Sort of a combo of puffy corn nuts and caramel corn. It is a gas station where you can lose your family, so discuss which exit if you plan on paying for stuff together. I have friends that love it. I am meh on it, but the bathrooms are truly awesome.

I find flying so stressful now days that I'd need a vacation just to recover from an International flight. Or spending extra money on the flight, business class international is lovely but too much $$$. When DH was young he went round-trip to Europe on one of those giant freight ships. I saw a Youtube of someone doing that recently, so it is still an option. He was treated basically like crew that wasn't ever on the clock. Cabin was a minimalist crew quarters. He slept, ate, read books and watched the ocean. He would have done it for the price. He had to pass a security clearance ahead of time. ETA: He didn't go for vacation. He was trying out for Chelsea.

Roast beef vs roast chicken is too fine of a detail. The percentage is just a rule of thumb and most people adjust up or down from there. But, the service expected and received is better/more at a nice steak place than at a Waffle House. More expensive food = nicer place = better service.

They might not be used for washing (although maybe soaking small things), but I don't believe they were ever washed. I've more than once seen lipstick stains or mystery white substances on glass drinking glasses that were wrapped in plastic to supposedly indicate that they were clean. For some reason most often at Marriott Resort-level.

Prices seem to vary so much. But when I booked our Feb 2024 cruise on Voyager, two connecting promenade rooms were cheaper than one 4-person interior. Connecting or non connecting was the same price. Since we could have have gotten the GTY rate with just one room it cost a tish more to preselect our promenade cabins, but I considered the extra full bathroom made that a bargain. The promenade rooms are 2 person cabins.

Haven't several people said that workers have told them that they don't get all the money? It should be easy math at least for the cabin attendant category since that should be going to just one person. I'll admit that "A worker told me ..." isn't exactly proof but we don't have anything better.

Thank you for doing the numbers calc on the food costs. I wish my food at home went down by as much.

In addition to wanting my tips going to the positions that provide actual service, i.e. cabin attendant not laundry, I want my tips going to my people within those positions that *I* interact with. I don't want any of my money going to a different cabin attendant because someone else gave mine a low rating. Or, Royal pocketing some of the tip money. p.s. I haven't been on my starter cruise yet.

Well, it is a bigger problem when you stiff people than when you give them extra money. I used to spend a few weeks a year in Germany on business. There were those situations where Germans would tip but answers were vague on how much, like a taxi. So I learned to hand over a cash tip that I thought was good using small bills. Then they'd look at it and hand me back most of the money keeping what they thought was a good tip. I'd take it without fuss happy that I'd tipped the right amount. I'd also gotten my bosses permission to tip 15% of the bottom-line price at restaurants. Why? Not because that is 'what I know', but because I got better service and I returned to the same places.

It would have never occured to me that there were any cabins without a fridge. Another example of where I got lucky when I booked.

That is horrible! With prices having gone up unless you wait awhile to take your trip you might still be out money.

I guess they would have to pay close attention to the photo during that type of check.