MrsPete

This idea does not appeal to me in the least.

I also would not cruise to an area frequented by pirates.

Bring the water shoes. If you don't need them, you just take them off -- but if you do need them, you can't make them appear.

We stayed in a hump balcony once. Never again. Hated it. Why? Noise. When you're centrally located and are near the elevators, you're also in the area where SO MANY PEOPLE pass by your room. All those people = lots of noise. We constantly heard groups of people walk by laughing, kids running down the halls, even just single people walking by with flip-flops slapping their feet. I don't mean people were rudely loud, but when that many people walk by your room, it adds up to a lot of noise. After that, it was back to our beloved -- and quiet -- aft balconies for us.

I would love to take this class! I'm a great cook, but sushi isn't something I know how to do. My husband and I would very much enjoy taking this class together -- we'd take other cooking classes too, if they were offered. But not guacamole (the only other cooking class of which I'm aware) 'cause I already make that superlatively well.

You say "tomato" If you have to show proof of US citizenship then it's Real ID compliant if you don't then it isn't.

No one's arguing otherwise, but the point is that not all states offer the Enhanced License, so -- to those of us who live in those states -- it doesn't matter whether it's better or not. It's not a choice for us. Not at this point.

I don't think a one-size-fits-all answer exists for this question. Look in the mirror and be honest with yourself.

This is going to be a bit repetitive, but it's what works for me:

 

- Have a hair cut just before the cruise; freshly cut hair always seems to "do" nicer and faster.

- Shower before my husband so my hair can dry while I dress.

- I have a ton of hair, but it's stick-straight and baby-fine, so it dries fast. If I towel it after the shower, then let it air dry for 20 minutes or so, I need less than five minutes with the hair dryer to "finish it off".

- I have a fantastic round hair brush with a metal interior, which makes my hair dry even faster and helps me do a bit of straightening or curl at the end of my hair. That brush makes a difference.

Lots of good information here, but I'll add a couple other things:

 

- My daughter and I love Miso soup for breakfast in the Windjammer. It fills you up with few calories.

- You can order scrambled egg whites instead of whole eggs.

- Start every meal with a salad (dressing on the side, dip your fork's tines into the dressing instead of pouring it onto your plate) or a non-creamy soup or fresh fruit.

- Limit your starches /carbs, especially potatoes; instead, ask your waiter for double veggies.

- Most of Royal's desserts aren't all that good; don't waste your calories on something that tastes like store-brand cookies.

- Be careful about "grabby foods" that are so easy to grab-and-go; for example, my husband can eat about a dozen of those little sandwiches at Promenade Cafe ... without "registering" how much that really is.

- Don't drink your calories; instead, start every meal with water ... and if you have another drink, limit yourself to one. Skip fancy coffees; some have as many calories as a milkshake. If you have a favorite sweetener, consider bringing a couple packets. Beware of drinks by the pool. You can literally slurp down a whole meal's calories without really thinking about it.

 

- If you're really nervous about this, write down what you eat. When you're forced to look at your choices, it may help you think twice.

 

- In the end, don't let dietary restrictions be the focus of your cruise. While you're likely eating more than you do at home, you're probably also walking more than you do at home -- even if you don't exercise during your vacation.

Please stop calling it "Real ID" the one you want is the State issued "EDL" the Real ID is a term for the federal act not a form of ID.

It's all well and good to say we should stop saying "Real ID", but the fact is that my state offers a Real ID driver's license ... it does not offer an Enhanced Driver's License.

I did not want to argue with the Customs Agent, so I got my passport out of my luggage, but is not a driver's license a valid "proof of citizenship?" I read that I needed to have proof of citizenship when returning to the USA and I thought a picture ID was good. What is the requirement when returning?

By these standards, US Customs should allow my high school child to enter the country with her school ID. After all, it's a picture ID.

Seriously though -- no -- a driver's license does not prove you're a citizen. My son-in-law, who is not yet a full-fledged US citizen obtained a US driver's license the day after he immigrated.

Good thing you opted not to argue with the customs agent. That would not have gone well.

I was thinking the same thing.

A passport trumps any other kind of I D. If you had it it was a no brainer to have it out

No, a passport does not trump any other ID. For example, a passport won't get you into the gym. And my husband, who works in various nuclear power plants, had better keep taking his security clearance ID.

However, I know you meant passports for returning to the US after a cruise; still, this doesn't "trump" a birth certificate and picture ID ... either one will get you back into the country just as easily.

And I do agree with your last statement: if you have your passport right there, why not take it out ahead of time /keep the line moving?

 

Further complicating the process is some people think you will automatically get a real-id or EDL in those states that issue them. They cost extra and require you to jump though some hoops. You can opt-out and get a normal DL.

My daughter and I have been researching the Real-ID because her license will expire at the end of this month. I assume it's the same in all states? What we've learned:

- You can choose to get a regular license or the Real-ID.

- Real-ID is more trouble to obtain; you have to gather a number of identifications that aren't required for a regular license.

- You can renew a regular license through the mail; you must go into the DMV to get a Real-ID.

- Real-ID does not cost more than a normal driver's license (for now).

- Eventually the Real-ID be required for domestic air travel (at this point any government-issued photo ID will allow you to fly domestically) ... once that happens, anyone who has a regular driver's license will need to carry additional documentation for domestic flights.

 

My daughter's choice: She's going to go ahead and jump through the hoops now to get the Real-ID. I'll do the same ... but not until my license expires in another year or two.

Why is passport in luggage, anyway? Sincerely asking. We would never put our passports in a suitcase - they are always on our person.

No matter what type of ID you're carrying, this is just common sense.

I assume you're talking about INTERNATIONAL air travel, right? Domestic doesn't require a passport (yet).

I've long had the impression that more than a few cruisers don't really understand the differences between domestic and international travel. For example, the people who brag about being so careful /won't fly anywhere without taking along a passport. Why? If you're staying in this country, you don't need your passport.

What happened to klfhngr was largely self-inflicted and thus easily avoidable.

No offense to klfhngr, who is a great storyteller and was a good sport about discussing his problems returning to the ship, but -- yeah -- this was all started by poor communication. If the group had communicated better, the passport problems never would've ensued.

Apparently so did the teenagers, who took over the restaurant and then nobody else could use it. That is the original reason for the cover charge.

I didn't believe that story when it was new, and I don't believe it now. It's always been about money.

Have some compassion, folks. You live in a first-world country where, even if you grew up poor, you received an education. You have options for the workforce, and you have multiple safety nets in place.

These vendors live in a very different world, and they have to take advantage of the few opportunities available to them. If you'd been born into their world instead of ours, what would you not do to sell your goods /feed your children?

If you don't want to buy, walk through at a brisk pace with your hands in your pockets. If you have children, instruct them to do the same. If they speak to you and offer you something, shake your head and keep walking. They aren't going to pursue you; if they get a clear "no" from you, they're going to immediately move to the next person, who might be a buyer.

If you're just walking back to the ship, you're probably talking about less than 10 minutes that you're "in their world". It's not a big deal.

Do the early boarders get luggage delivered quicker than late boarders? I always wanted to drop off the luggage early for this reason.

I can't claim thorough knowledge of this topic, but here's what I believe to be true based upon my experience:

 

- The crew have "huge canvas buckets" on wheels that hold LOTS of suitcases.

 

- They seem to throw suitcases in 'til the "huge canvas bucket" is full, then they bring it onboard.

 

- It seems logical that the sooner your suitcase goes into the "bucket", the sooner it'll be brought onboard. They need to move the suitcases; they don't want to keep them sitting around piling up.

 

- Of course, you have no control over whether your suitcase is the one that "fills the bucket" and makes the workers say, "Time to bring this one onboard" or whether your suitcase is the very first one in a new "bucket".

Why on earth would I want to board later? The sooner I board, the sooner I start enjoying my vacation! I'll continue to arrive early as possible. Yes, crowds in the terminal can be daunting, but I prefer to arrive early enough to be towards the front of the crowd.

In all honesty, the island stops in the Caribbean are not good places to shop; bargains are rarely found in such places. They're tourist traps that prey on people who are ready to drop dollars because they're on vacation and it seems to be "the thing to do". The internet has made the world smaller, and whatever products they're selling on the islands, you can get at home.

 

I suggest you focus on experiences and bring home memories rather than trinkets.

Silver strappy shoes aren't "a thing".

They're a classic that doesn't come and go in and out of style.

If it's not allowed onboard, it'll be fine at the beaches.

Yes, I do enjoy packing for a cruise!

I enjoy organizing.

On our first cruise, though, we grossly overpacked; on our second, we packed less, but it was still too much.

On the way home from our second cruise, we made a list of things we'd actually used -- I'm still using that same list. I have it laminated, and I keep it in my travel notebook. Now I pack "just enough": everything we need, nothing we don't.

We have had break downs of a van and of a bus on a couple of excursions and although it worked out, it could have been a problem.

You've really been on multiple excursions on which vehicles broke down? I'd say you're bad luck.

My wife felt the same way, until our last cruise. Refused to even consider a non-RCI for fear of being stranded. The we took an RCI excursion that was pretty bad, and when we complained, they blew us off in a way that made it worse.

 

Now we’re not “anti-RCI” when it comes to excursions, but I definitely look at the local options.

We used ship-excursions on our first cruise, and we haven't done one since. They're large groups, and they take you to places that're providing kick-backs to the ship ... so you end up spending two hours in some junky straw market, and you're not allowed to stop in the cute little bar, even though you really, really want to use their bathroom.

 

Private excursions are small, and you get choices. The fact that they're cheaper is just a bonus.

 

I've been reading this site for more than a decade, and I've never heard of a private shore excursion getting back late. Not one.

 

I have read about people (on ship tours or private tours) being returned to the port in time to re-board the ship ... but instead they start drinking or shopping "in the shadow the ship", thinking they're safe ... and they lose track of time.

I have spoken with and have gotten to know some crew and a lot of them are well educated, or working the ships to save money for medical school or open their own business'

'Cause educated people don't enjoy candy bars? Don't appreciate a small treat in addition to tips?

 

So instead of that $10. tshirt

Has anyone seriously suggested tee-shirts or non-consumable goods of any type?

 

That being said, a couple of candy bars ACCOMPANIED BY and extra $20 satisfies the sweet tooth and the bank account.

 

I guess my point is, if you want to give a little something extra, make sure it is just that....extra.

I think that's what the pro-extra people are suggesting: Something very small /edible /a bit of something extra ... not at all in place of tips.

How do you know if they are diabetic and do nt , cannot eat candy or if they have a peanut allergy? I don't now many people who are allergic to cash.

It's unlikely that a person with any medical condition would be hired for the physically exhausting jobs onboard. Likewise, it's unlikely that a person with serious allergies would be hired /would choose to work on a ship, given that they have little control over the food they're given on a ship. These possibilities are so remote that they aren't a legitimate reason not to do a small edible gift -- if the cruiser is so inclined.

 

Having said that, if a crew member receives a candy bar that isn't to his or her liking, do you really think they'll have any trouble passing it off to a friend in the crew quarters? Do you really think everyone in the crew quarters says,"Ew, Hershey bars? Cracker Jacks? A mini-bottle of Jack Daniels? No one wants that."

 

I am truly amazed at the cynicism and mocking attitude of many posters on these boards.

Agreed.

 

As for the "who wants this stuff"? I'd say pretty much everyone.

 

For example, I work in a professional job, and just yesterday we were treated to a nice catered lunch. Would I want this in place of my monthly paycheck? No, but I certainly did appreciate the little extra bonus of a lunch. Our lunch was BBQ chicken. No one said, "Ew, I would've preferred salad." No one. Two vegetarians were behind me in line, and I heard them saying, "Mac and cheese for us. Yum."

 

My son-in-law works in a job that occasionally encounters emergencies that require him literally to put in days on end at the office -- really ungodly hours -- unforeseen and unpleasant. After these emergencies end, his boss takes the department out to a fancy steakhouse. He's paid well for working these emergencies, but does he also enjoy that his boss recognizes them for their extra work? Of course.

 

My husband's workplace gives them breakfast every two weeks (on payday). Can he afford to buy his own Bojangles' biscuit? Of course -- he's a nuclear engineer. Might he have preferred a Chick-fillet biscuit? Nah, he always goes out of the house on payday mornings happily saying, "No need to make breakfast for me today." Frequently I'll ask him what the company provided for his breakfast, and he's never once said, "I got in a little late, and all the country ham biscuits were gone! I had to eat sausage. Or, yuck, they had only doughnuts and fruit this morning." Not once has he complained about his free breakfast.

 

Don't be a Grinch. Yes, pay your tips! That's first and foremost. But IF someone feels like including a pack of gum or a pack of cookies, any human being's going to appreciate the additional small thought -- even if he passes it on to a friend.

If you want to give something extra, make it a small edible: a candy bar or a little jar of nuts. Few people don't appreciate a special bite of something, and if it doesn't suit his or her personal tastes, it'll surely be eaten by some other staff member.

However, this should always be IN ADDITION to tips.

Since cake widely available for free in multiple places, I vote "no", not worth it.

Many people don’t have watches, or have them connected to gps. If their watches auto update and if their phones auto update, uh oh. And my iPhone once auto updated when I had it in the mode to NOT do so.

 

Traffic happens, accidents happen, etc etc. your last part is very true. Except that if you’re on a 3rd party tour and problems happen, plans to get back early can go out the window.

A cheap watch can be had for under $10, and I consider it a necessity for leaving the ship during a cruise. I wouldn't trust phone clocks for just reason you mentioned.

 

It's smart to plan to be back on the ship at least two hours before sail time. That means that IF you run into traffic, have an accident, etc., you may be later than you plan, but you're not going to miss the ship. 3rd party operators typically have back-up plans to get you back to the ship; if they didn't get people back, they wouldn't stay in business -- in more than a decade of reading this board, I've never once read about a 3rd party operator failing to get people back on time.

 

A friend of mine was in a car accident (in a rental car!) about a year ago, and she still made it back to the ship.

Yup. A ziplock "bug out bag". With extra credit card cash passport etc all neatly zip locked with your name and cell number on it

I'd save the trouble and just come back to the ship on time.