MrsPete

the Captain that we were turning back because we had a critically ill person. We were too far out for helicopter assistance and there were no military or other ships nearby that could offer the assistance we needed. .

Remember, too, that communication is easy these days. The ship doesn't have to make it all the way back to shore to help a critically ill patient: the ship only has to travel far enough that a helicopter can reach the ship. With the two of them traveling towards one another, they can evacuate the passenger faster.

 

I can't say this is a situation that worries me overmuch. Sure, things can happen, but they are very unlikely.

No, no -- we live in the digital age -- here's what you need to do:

 

Go to your city /county's local Register of Deeds Office (does every municipality call it Register of Deeds? Not sure, but you absolutely have such a place.) and tell them you need a birth certificate for someone born in another area. They will look it up and print it for you right there -- it'll cost you an extra fee -- was it $10 or $20 above the I-was-born-here fee? It'll be an official copy with their seal stamped /embossed on it.

 

The point is: You can drive to the office and walk out with an official birth certificate in your hand that very day. No waiting for the mail. I did this about two years ago -- not for cruise purposes, but same process -- and it took all of 15 minutes once I was in the office.

Another vote for connecting cabins (I would never book an across-the-hall cabin for children; I don't want locked doors and a corridor with strangers walking between us). Benefits of connecting cabins:

- Two bathrooms

- Two closets

- Privacy for parents

- Kids can make a mess on their side, and you can close the door on it

- Two TVs

- Have the cabin steward open the balcony divider, and you'll have an extra-long balcony

 

Some ways you could combat high prices:

- Book at a less expensive time of year

- Book two inside cabins

- Book a port to which you can drive

Since we don't all have the same hair type, I don't think you're going to get a solid answer here. I suggest you pick up a bar of Lush Shampoo and try it at home.

 

If you're concerned about liquids and flying, you can always mail yourself a package in the care of your night-before hotel (call first to be sure they will accept /hold packages for guests). I've done this -- not for cruises because I'm close enough to drive -- but for other vacations.

Black hose ONLY look good with black shoes.

And not always then.

Glad you found them. I just got home after my trip to the mall. I got NOTHING! And it’s not because I didn’t try! I did look at shoes and they had some cute ones but not in my size.

You and me both. I wear THE MOST POPULAR size, so I can never get shoes on clearance.

Several random thoughts:

 

First, there's discomfort, then there's pain. I won't put up with any pain from a shoe, but I will accept a bit of discomfort -- for a short time. If the shoe is actually painful, it's not for you.

 

I'm with those who say they have "dinner shoes" or "church shoes". If you're going to walk in them only 15-20 minutes, who cares if they're not all that comfortable? You can put up with discomfort for that bit of time.

 

Having said that, daytime shoes /shoes that're worn for walking or for a long period of time MUST be 100% comfortable. I have trouble with Plantar Fascitis, and I have several "rules" that I MUST follow (at least most of the time), or I pay the price later.

 

If I were in a situation where I needed to look good AND needed to walk more than a bit, I'd opt for a long skirt so I could wear very casual sandals and no one would know.

I love Tervis Tumblers and have quite a few, but YETI (or knock-off brands) keep things cold longer. I take an iced drink to work every morning in my YETI cup, and by the end of my work day I still have ice.

I've changed cruise dates LOTS of times, but I don't mind this system. Royal is offering the cruiser a choice -- take your chances or don't. I like choices.

I still prefer the feel of a book in my hands but make sure to load up my compact Fire Tablet when traveling.

I'm the opposite: I prefer the feel of the Kindle in my hands. It isn't difficult to hold open in the first /last pages ... and it never loses the page when I set it down.

 

The Fire Tablet's screen isn't nearly as nice as the Kindle -- issues with sun glare if you're reading by the pool and more eye fatigue.

 

 

Don't remember which ship, but many passengers had norovirus. The library was closed to prevent spread of germs. Liking my Kindle which is only touched by me.

I never considered that possibility -- but now that you've raised the thought, I'm completely with you.

 

I took Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton with me (it’s the one that inspired the play). It’s 730 pages so I figured no way I’d finish it even if I was quarantined (which fortunately didn’t happen).

I read like the wind. That'd take me 1 1/2 - 2 days.

 

... discovered it was lighter and easier on my wrists ... The one thing lacking in my e-reader is COLOR

Yes! The lighter /easier on my wrists was a nice surprise. I also love that Kindle books don't discolor or age, that I can look up a word with a touch of a finger, and that I can change the font size.

 

Yeah, I'd love to have color. I'm on my second Kindle (first one wore out), and I hope my next one will have color.

Not into the idea: by the time you pack a week's worth of pods for shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc., you'll have used more space than if you had a modest-sized bottle of each item.

I would simply wear my "sparkly" stuff to dinner! No real need to have 3 different sets of clothes per day!

I am not a sparkly girl, but -- if I were -- I'd wear the sparkles to dinner AND to after-activities.

And since I go tech free on vacation I could not resort to an ebook.

I understand the idea of going tech-free, but I'd still use a Kindle. A Kindle is just a different form of a book, and it's so practical -- so many books in a small space. It isn't interactive like a phone or a computer.

 

Alternately, pack more books than you're likely use.

 

Incidentally, I understand where you're coming from. Years ago -- before I went all-Kindle -- we went to the beach for a week, and I took two big fat books. Should've been enough, but I loved the first book so much that I zipped through it in about two days. And I hated the second book. With a Kindle, you can have literally thousands of books with you.

Alternative to renting a clamshell: Buy one for yourself. They sell them at Academy Sports, and you can order them from Amazon. They fold up small -- about the size of a camp chair -- and they fit into a long over-the-shoulder bag. For the price of one rental, you can have a clamshell that you can put anywhere you please.

Best to remember this come November.

Yeah, I wonder WHY we the people keep putting up with this stuff.

 

OP, I hope it works out for you. The people who protect us shouldn't be treated like this.

 

I would feel that this is something I signed up for. I would know that there is always a risk this could happen and if I didn't want to take this risk I would work in the private sector.

Really? You're saying that it's a military person's own fault because she knew the government could potentially shut down and cancel a previously approved leave? You really want to stick with that answer?

A 3 year old won't really remember or care what "cool things" you do. Have a cake at dinner (you can order it online, if you want to). Bring a balloon you can blow up...3 year olds are EASY to please. Honestly...you don't need to spend a bunch to impress a small child.

I was going to say the same thing. Going on a cruise a celebration a-plenty!

When I sail from the US on Royal I choose not to gamble because the smoke is so disgusting.

Yep, me too. I'd enjoy spending time (and money) in the casino, but I can't stand the smoke.

 

Another poster commented that s/he'd encountered courteous smokers who hold the cigarette on the other side, etc. -- doesn't matter. Smoke fills the air.

The sooner capris disappear the better, IMO. They are not flattering on anyone.

True. Even tall, willowy models look short and squat in capris; they "cut the leg" at the worst possible place, making everyone look heavy.

Several thoughts:

 

 

I would never consider bringing my dog on a cruise -- he wouldn't enjoy it at all. A week of not being able to put his feet in the grass or have space to run? No, that's not my little fellow's life.

 

I don't think people who do this are trying to save money; they're just unreasonably attached to their pets and don't want to leave them.

 

If I were to make a list of problems on cruise ships, dogs wouldn't crack the top ten.

For the two of us, I get $50 ... $25 in fives and $25 in singles. This gives us tips for general tips: meals on the road, bartender tips and occasionally room service tips.

 

In addition, I make envelopes for each excursion we plan to take ... the envelope contains whatever money we're likely to need for that day's plans: money to pay for the excursion itself, taxi money, meal money, and tip money. Of course, this varies depending upon our plans. I always put in a variety of small bills so we're prepared to tip whatever seems right once we arrive. Any money leftover goes back into the aforementioned general tips.

I understand that a website that must juggle multiple ships /stateroom categories /dates is going to be complicated, but -- you're right -- Royal Caribbean should invest in a more user-friendly format.

Multiple thoughts:

 

- You've already paid your auto-tips, so you've actually done what you needed to do. An extra $20 per room sounds "just right". I'd wrap it around a candy bar as I handed it to them, and on the last day I'd sincerely thank the steward for making our cruise extra-special.

 

- In addition, fill out the praise card. No, it won't put more money in his pocket this week, but it will show his employers that he's a good worker, and that can lead to bonuses or promotions. Do people actually NOT want their supervisors to hear that they've pleased the customer?

 

- Are the crew desperate for money? I'm certain that some of them are quite comfortable and are tucking money away for their future, while others are in financial trouble. Regardless, it's not our concern -- we should tip fairly and mind our own business.

Wow! I hope to follow in your footsteps when we retire (only four more years).

Why the envelope?

Wishful thinking.

 

Seriously, if you've paid the basic tips, you're good. If you have received above-and-beyond service and want to tip more, do it -- but don't feel obligated.

I have done a lot of research on Rum Runners and was hoping to bring them on my next cruise. However, today I was reading the cruise documentation and it said "

Guests who violate any alcohol policies (over consuming,

providing alcohol to people under the age of 21,

demonstrating irresponsible behavior, or attempting

to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage

checkpoints or any other time), may be disembarked or

not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance

with the Guest Conduct Policy."

 

Has anyone actually gotten kicked off the cruise for trying to bring Rum Runners on?

Think this through: You're the cruise line. You've found that a cruiser has a Rum Runner filled with alcohol. If you refuse boarding to that cruiser, you sail with an empty cabin ... it's too late to re-sell the cabin ... so you have probably two fewer cruisers buying drinks (because that Rum Runner wasn't going to last the whole cruise) ... two fewer cruisers losing money in the casino ... two fewer cruisers buying excursions ... two fewer cruisers paying tips to the staff ... two fewer cruisers playing Bingo, spending in your shops, buying photographs, spending in the spa and the specialty restaurants ... two fewer cruisers buying NextCruise certificates. But it goes beyond the cruise itself: You have two cruisers who will choose a different line in the future. Yeah, you get to keep their ticket cost, but it won't be worth the negative publicity you'll get online.

 

No, the cruise line may confiscate a Rum Runner, but they will not refuse to board you simply because you have alcohol. No matter which side of this "controversy" you choose, it simply isn't going to happen. They are a business.

 

RCI and CC are currently tracking your IP and DNS pings now.... you are now on their radar....

No, you're not. Even if the cruise line could connect your screen name with your reservation (which they can't -- this board doesn't belong to any cruise line, and they have no access to your personal information), they'd have to hire full-time workers in their main office to peruse these boards and maintain a "naughty list" ... and then they'd have to provide a list of names to the longshoremen who load the luggage onboard ... and the longshoremen would have to slow down /read the luggage tags to figure out which bags to reject.

 

Does this sound likely? No, not at all.

 

But if cruise lines ever grew a spine, they would also be kicking off the chair hogs, the MDR flip flop wearers, the balcony smokers, the hot tub errr.... relaxers, the cruisers with any kids with them.....

Thing is, all of the above would be child's play compared to searching all the luggage.

 

Royal Caribbean's main concern is their inability to cut someone off if they become too belligerent.

No one actually believes that. If this were really the cruise line's purpose, they wouldn't sell wine by the bottle /allow you to take the remaining portion back to your cabin, and they wouldn't sell buckets of beer.