kwbrad

Excited to see this, we are on her the next week (3/9-16) so this is a great preview. Have fun and thanks for sharing!

What a fun topic! My unusual cruise stats: My first cruise I won a cruise at bingo and have been hooked since. I don't think I have ever made it past 1045pm on any cruise ever. I am a morning person. I love to play in the casino around 530am. Almost no one else there, smoke isn't bad, and I can get on whatever machine I want.

According to folks that boarded this week it was chaos as usual and there were not separate lines. I am hoping it was just first week crazy and they are actually going back to the lines. Seattle was our worst embarking we have had ever (and I go out of Galveston a lot so that is saying something lol)

I have had something similar happen and it is just bc the waiters are writing down the numbers off the set sail pass, numbers get transposed or written wrong.

Thanks everyone! I actually will have platinum benefits anyway on the first leg bc it’s an elite cruise. I was going to be sad if I had to go back to gold again after for the 2 days I’m lacking lol

So I am doing a back to back in May, and will turn platinum during the second leg. Since the points from my first leg will not be in the system yet, so to speak, I am assuming my card will still be gold at that point. Has anyone else had this situation and was able to go to guest services and get the correct card?

They said thank you, because I did. Regular tips, plus $20 on the first day, $5-10 each additional day, and $20-40 on the last day depending on how the week went. I am not skimping on my tips because I also make sure they had toiletries they could not get at the time. I have sailed 7 times since cruising restarted, I started this after the first couple after multiple conversations with crew who had realized once they got on that they were having a hard time getting basic goods. And the bottle of lotion was given to a steward who specifically asked me for that because she had run out and did not want to buy it onboard at the high prices and didn't know when she would be allowed off.

Yes I know, and they may have just been polite. But around the same time when I asked crew what they needed at port, most were saying things like lotion, a new toothbrush, one asked for some laundry detergent. So I got the impression they needed those things. Remember that when cruising started back off many crew were not allowed off at ports for months.

I brought extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, etc. when cruising first started back up and crew were not allowed to get off the ship. Some had been on for several months and were running out of stuff. So they were really happy to get stuff they were out of. Had one crew member ask if they could take some extras for their friends that needed some as well. I still tipped my normal. This was just stuff they could not get at that time. Now I don't bring that any more (because they are allowed off the ship again) I just ask them if there is anything I can get at port for them. Usually it ends up being something they cannot get on the ship (a particular snack or drink) or something they have run out of and have not had time to get.

That is what we do... we ask our cabin steward and any others we have gotten to know what we can get them when onshore. Most of the times it is some type of toiletry they have run out of, or snacks they cannot get on the ship. Of course we also tip, but this is something else for them that they need/want.

Hey I can see my ponytail and my husband's bald spot in this picture lol (we were on this cruise as well and are sitting right at the ice, it was really cool to see the show that close)

Getting on the allure next weekend, but after that I do not have any Royal cruises booked. Next is spring break on carnival.

Have one coming up next year on carnival, and booked using two different casino deals. First one was a free balcony and second was free suite. Wasn't about to turn that down so... two different rooms.

Do you happen to know how they assign the groups for self assist?

Thanks for all the pictures. What was your arrival time? Did you have to wait for a parking spot? We have a spot in north lot reserved I am hoping it will be too backed up.