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I tip in the CK (for one) at each meal: $2 for breakfast, $3 for lunch, and $5 for dinner daily. If I ask for a particular table or waiter, I will tip the restaurant manager at the end of the cruise, anywhere from $10-$20. If I eat in Chops for breakfast, I tip cash there for each meal, too.

MTD is always a zoo on Days 1 and 2. MTD is NOT like a land restaurant, unless that restaurant is seating hundreds of people at exactly the same time, especially at earlier dinner times. I always go in around 1-2pm on Day 1, scout the tables, request a specific table and time. I tell the person helping me that I won't stand in a line of hundreds of people, but will go directly to my table, then ask the wait staff/head waiter about checking me in. Day 2 I just walk in. Then, I decide if I want to keep the table (always do), and adjust my time if I want on my way out Day 2. I adjust the time for entertainment I want to attend, telling the podium as I leave the night before. They get to pick the time for me that night.

I check in my sister for any cruise we take together. I have her RCCL login information, a recent picture of her, her passport info, her credit card information, etc. It's all in my encrypted password app. She has trouble navigating the app, so I do it all for her. I log out of the app, and log in as her, or online at rccl.com.

Yes, one-size booking doesn't fit all situations. Sometimes a group rate, sometimes not. Sometimes the current promo is better that the reduced solo supplement. Usually, DP340 is working for me.

I do this, too, but I take generic Bonine: Meclizine, about $8. My tablets come in a bottle of 250 tabs at 12.5 mg each. This is a half dose, and getting the medication in your system the day before travel IS the trick to not getting seasick (or airsick). When it gets rocky, even if I've been taking preventative doses, I take 1/2 or another whole tab of the 12.5 mg tab. My symptoms at the onset are hunger when I shouldn't be hungry. My brain interprets the onset of seasickness like hunger.

If you have 340 or more C&A points, you can book with the promo DP340. This usually reduced the solo supplement to 150%, instead of double. Also, shop around for a travel agent that can get you group rates, which help the price, too. I just got off the Ovation 2 days ago in Honolulu, and paid $943 for a Virtual Balcony cabin for 9 nights, as a solo, and with a group rate.

No, but my trip home did change. I was on the Celebrity Reflection, which was in and out of Fort Lauderdale, due back on 9/27. I was watching the hurricane map, and Southwest was sending up smoke signals that flights were starting to be cancelled. I realized that the weather if Fort Lauderdale by 9/27 was going to be rainy and windy, being on the very outskirts of the Helene. That is 550 miles away, by the way. That was some monster storm. Also, flying west from FLL was pretty much flying across the path of Helene, and we all know hurricanes can wibble and wobble a lot. So, rather than sit in FLL on the 27th, get cancelled, and try to find a room for the night, I changed my flight. Southwest offered a flight change to 9/28 for free, I went back to me pre-cruise hotel (Hyatt Place....LOVE it!), and got an early check-in, big room, and free breakfast for $151. I had Dickie's BBQ delivered, and watched TV and read. Flights home on 9/28 were easy and calm. My son paid for a Lyft home. Life was good when it could have not been.

That's what I think, too. I give mine away if I don't want it: I have "wine friend", and a (maybe not so much anymore) "Brie friend", and "wine with cheese or fruit friends". If I don't want the chocolate covered strawberries, I leave them on a table in a public area. I am an "extra bottle of water friend" myself.

The reason I mention pre-ordering is I dined with a friend last year on a cruise who has severe issues with gluten in her food, pre-orders her dinners with no sauce, and EVEN then had one dish arrive with what appeared to be no sauce, but they had scraped off the sauce. There was enough left to trigger a reaction. I sat across from her and watched as her tummy literally blow up like a balloon in less than10 minutes.

I'm in the less money/more cruising category.

Personally, I avoid transportation on city streets in Athens, as the traffic is usually congested and slows you down. I suggest downloading the Athens metro app, and plan your routes accordingly. Piraeus is the nearest station, so you may have to Uber to it from Terminals A, B, or C.

My quiet go-to place after lunch on embarkation day is the Viking Crown. My earbuds accompany me, too.

I agree. I take one out when the announcements start. I just had these comical images of (a man) ripping his earbuds out, and asking, "Did I miss anything?"

HAHAHA......(when I stop laughing I will write more)....... OK, I'm back. Then I guess the kind of earbuds where you can turn off noise-cancelling are for you......(snort/laugh)

How lovely! I'm glad you had your earbuds with you.

I just prefer booking with my TA who has group rates, refundable deposits most of the time, and obc. He knows all the ins and outs, while I find the "cruise specialists" in NextCruise are a little iffy knowledge-wise.

Actually, my noise-cancelling setting on my ear-buds, combined with mid-high level audio from my phone, blocks out enough that I can concentrate on my music.

I just did my reservations for my 7 night cruise in November. Just remember when you book a night and put it in your "cart", to click on "return to shopping" to go select MTD again and go to the next night, until you have them all in your cart. Then, check out at the end and all your reservations for the entire cruise are done at once.

I take 2 pairs of noise-cancelling ear buds with me whenever I travel, connect the bluetooth to my phone, and listen to my own music wherever I am on a ship, in an airport, or on an airplane. I take two pair because going from West Coast to East Coast can sometimes be a 12 hour day, so recharging is needed. To me this is path of least resistance, and I don't have to give up what I'm doing, either. Amazon's fit my ears better, but Beats are also good.

I'm open to any cruise options, and the short ones depend on the situation. Next month is an example. My sister and I are taking a 7 night cruise in September. After Celebrity so nicely offered to recognize reciprocal loyalty levels between them and RCCL, I found a Celebrity 4 night cruise for sis and I, THAT GOES TO KEY WEST!!!!! My favorite place I can almost not cruise to to anymore. So, that 4 nighter is a true bonus cruise for us.

I believe in 2021 we had Allianz, and I switched to GeoBlue in 2022. If I have a problem with a cruise, I always go to the cruise line first, then insurance. Plus, I always have Chase Sapphire's trip interruption and cancellation as a back-up option. Not ever having submitted a claim, I don't know the specifics. The flexibility RCCL showed me might be because it happened early in 2021, and maybe they had more incentive to keep the money and give credit instead.

Oh, I believe you. It surprises me that any ship will deliberately alienate potential future passengers over port fees. I've read so many posts where people do get them reimbursed, that I did, indeed, think it was company policy. Thanks for the info.

You will be reimbursed the port fees you pay for Puerto Plata. Personal preferences are just that, and since you are before final payment date, I suggest you look for an alternative cruise, and transfer what you've paid to a new cruise. RCCL may or may not charge a change fee since they initiated the port cancellation. I did this myself last year when the cruise I had booked cancelled Key West from the itinerary.

I enjoy cruising solo, also. I started in January of 2022 after my husband passed in late March 2021. I've met quite a few wonderful friends on these solo cruises, and now join them when I can, or sail by myself. I also make it quite clear that I will not cruise with others if they are on a family cruise. I now have two groups of women I go on a "girls cruise" with every year or two. When I do cruise by myself, I have no problem eating by myself, as I am a huge reader, with my Kindle library on my phone. I love to have a nice meal and read my book. Since I wear hearing aids, I can also stream my favorite music from my phone, which eliminates loud background noise. However, I've found that many passengers are happy to include a solo passenger at their table in My Time Dining for dinner. I also see if I can dovetail visiting family or friends before or after my cruises. For instance, I have a cruise to Hawaii this Fall, and made plans with friends who live in Kauai to visit with them after the cruise. My Kauai friends took their first cruise with me last April. If I cruise out of Baltimore, I will try to see my sister. She and I now plan at least one cruise together per year: her birthday or mine. My rule is to always get my own cabin.

I have always preferred to get FCCs or move deposit money to another cruise, instead of refunds. I first contacted RCCL after my husband passed to see about doing this. I really did not want to be reimbursed, and wanted to know what my options were. RCCL responded immediately and gave me the options I had, including refunds. I chose not to get refunds. Had their response been different, I would then have moved to travel insurance as my next option. As I've posted many times on this board, I advocate annual insurance with credit card travel insurance as a back-up. I didn't have to use this option as RCCL worked with me and my travel agent at the time to move money to other cruises, or obtain FCC's.