gluecksbaer

3 hours ago, molsonschooner said:

I am really not sure why everyone is taking the side of a rude person who totally ignored a request to move. 

This is a lesson I keep trying to explain to my child who reacts to annoying sibling behavior by hitting their sibling.  Annoying behavior is a problem and should be dealt with, but violent behavior is a worse problem and their violence will always lead to a proportionate response. 

Since this person was apparently facing your party, waiving your hand near their face to get their attention would have been my next step.  

Alternatively saying very loudly to the person near the elevator buttons/door "HOLD THE DOOR, we need to get this rude person to move so we can get off" might have gotten other passengers to get his attention for you.

4 hours ago, jcl410 said:

Just for clarification the limit is for a 300 Watt/hour (Wh) battery, not KiloWhat/hour (KWh) Batteries in the KWh range are used for EV cars and bigger.

 

The FAA allows two spare batteries if each of them are less than 160Wh. (Or one spare from 160-300Wh)

 

Aloha,

 

John  

 Thanks. 

Thanks for responding everyone.  I didn't think about plugs in common areas being an EU outlet.  I will have to figure out if my charger can be used with an adapter or if the company makes an EU compatible charger.  There is usually a US standard outlet in each cabin, correct?

I expressed my disappointment to the store I purchased my scooter from that I wasn't told about the battery capacity issue in a travel scooter .  They were kind enough to order the smaller battery for me at no charge.  This leaves more room in the budget for purchasing a second battery or asking my parents for one for my birthday so I don't have to worry about cutting excursions short and disappointing my kids.   

The battery that comes with it is 360kWh so over the max for any airline.  The smaller battery is under 160 so should work.  I also need to ask what airline we are flying so I can double check all their rules since I didn't plan this trip.

I decided to buy a folding travel scooter.  Usually I'm very detailed and do a lot of research, but several factors led me to impulse purchase a Buzzaround Carryon today.  I was looking for other information and discovered that the battery that comes with it is too large for the FAA rules for wheelchair/scooter batteries.  I really liked that the battery capacity had around 18 miles.  There is a smaller, FAA compliant battery that has only 6.5 AH and is supposed to get 7.8 miles.  

I'm just wondering, for those of you who use a motorized mobility device, how big is your battery capacity?  Will the 6.5 AH likely be enough or will I want to purchase a second battery to switch out on long days.

Are there often outlets available in common areas of ships or will I need to go back to my cabin to charge the scooter during the day?  I'll be on the Allure of the Seas if anyone knows about that ship specifically.

23 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Just got one a couple of weeks ago but mine was county.  It would have been on the second week of a S2S.  I got a deferral but they moved me and then moved me again without asking.  (Lol, I know they don’t ask when it’s convenient). The second move interferes with another cruise.  So I’ll go the first week and try some crazy statement to not get picked so I can take my cruise the second week.  DH was called recently and didn’t even have to go in so fingers crossed.
 

Yes I know it’s our civic duty and I wouldn’t mind except it can’t interfere with my cruises. 
 

OP hoping you have good outcome.  I was so upset and anxious about it I didn’t sleep till I got a deferral. 

You shouldn't need crazy statements.  Tell them it would be a financial hardship to lose your deposit.  

Emphasize the money portion.  I was called for jury duty once and people were stating their reasons for not being able to serve the length of the trial.  The person ahead of me said he was teaching in a summer program and was denied.  I almost put my hand down because I was also starting summer school but then decided it couldn't hurt to say something. I included that the time was a third of my pay for the next three months (because, as a teacher, I wasn't getting paid during the summer except for that 5 week program).  The judge said, "That sounds like a financial hardship" and dismissed me.  The guy before me was like, "Wait, that's my problem too."  I don't know what happened with him because I was walking out.

You could also try calling again.  Even though they moved you once, they may be able to move you again to a time you can serve.

On 10/19/2022 at 3:02 PM, Stews2020 said:

 

Thank you so much for sharing this info! Every bit helps. We definitely need to practice with the headphones! Collapsible pail is another great idea. We have been working on snack ideas, goldfish, fruit snacks, pouches and mini cookies. Have to get a couple more activities to keep him busy for there and back. Loved the lollipop idea as well. Thank you so much for sharing this. I will definitely share with you once we get back what we found useful on our cruise! 

 

Punta Cana sounds amazing too! Take care 

When my kids were that age, I wrapped the little toys/activities I brought and called them "presents."  It made them more exciting and the unwrapping took up some time too.  I also used to just put away some of their small toys a month or so before a trip.  It was like it was new again and I didn't have to buy as much.

6 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

my husband uses a CPAP and we never, ever check that!!!  It stays with us in a carry on!!  
 

Sorry…..but it is very unwise to let a piece of medical equipment out of your sight!!

Exactly.  I like to check everything but I have one bag that carries all our medications, our nebulizer, and boosters for the kids. Those things stay with me at all times.  TSA likes to look through it whenever we fly so it adds a bit of a hassle to take it through airport security, but the security of knowing we will have the things we need is worth it.

7 hours ago, topnole said:

It also sprays on others when folks do it by the pool.  Pretty annoying.  

My son has had an asthma attack triggered by selfish people spraying sunscreen too close.

10 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

 

You lock the door. If the door lock is broken you ask it to be fixed or be moved.

 

Maybe do a search of rooms tours on your trip where the child lock is. But they all have been out of reach when I have looked. 

My kids are now old enough to know that I don't tell them not to do something just for funsies and young enough that the reptilian teenage brain hasn't hit yet, so it's not currently a concern for me.

However, if the lock is as high as stated above, then I'm not sure how I would manage to engage it to begin with.

16 hours ago, rudeney said:

I'm not saying that sun exposure is can't be harmful, but I somehow have this gut feeling that the sunscreen industry has been taking advantage of us for years.  The rate of skin cancer continues to increase and is much higher now than back in the 60's and 70's before we had these high-index sunscreens.

Most of the high SPF isn't more effect than the lower ones, if that's what you mean, you are correct. 

However, the depletion of the ozone layer leads to more harmful UV rays reaching us down here so that's going to affect the cancer rates anyway.

For me, rather than skin cancer, my concern is not ending up with a 2nd or 3rd degree burn.  While dining room standards have relaxed, I believe that unclothed because anything near the skin hurts too much would still be frowned upon.

On 9/11/2022 at 6:58 PM, xpcdoojk said:

I completely get the royal up screw up…

 

I am happy the OP got a favorable resolution.

 

I still think the general fear associated with balconies and toddlers is way, way, way, over exaggerated.  

 

If you are talking 10 year olds, high schoolers, all bets are off.  They are prime candidates to do stupid stuff, but a child that is barely walking….

 

I am still waiting for an example of a toddler falling off on their own…. I am pretty sure it has never happened.

 

Therefore, I suspect that booking a balcony with a toddler is pretty safe.  Despite all of the fear presented in this thread.

 

JMHO and YMMV

 

jc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I know is that the balcony door in a relative's cabin did not slow down my young, very proficient climber at all.  That was without a child lock engaged but I wouldn't have trusted something like that while I slept.  My son has never met a child lock he couldn't disarm and my daughter has been known to literally climb walls.  I would have woken up when the door opened but that wouldn't have been in time for me to grab her before she scaled the railing if she was intent on doing so.  

If you are thinking of a one year old who just barely learned to walk, then it's probably not a big concern but an older toddler in the 2-3 year range definitely depends on the kid.  

I assume that part of the reason you don't hear about toddlers falling off balconies is that parents of escape artists know our kids.  We don't stay in balcony rooms.

2 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

Apparently, I actually over estimate parents ability to take care of their children, since so many people seem to think the toddler is in danger with responsible parents in a balcony cabin.

 

I have been a member here for 20 plus years, and I feel pretty current on history of people falling off of ships, and I only remember one instance, and that was the tragic case of the grandfather dropping the toddler off the ship.  

 

Can you site the example of a true toddler falling off a modern cruise ship on their own?

 

jc

I assume that at some point during a cruise all parents, even responsible ones, need to sleep.  Generally they don't have someone to sit and watch the balcony door while they do so.  

I also assume that parents with kids who have uncanny abilities to bypass childproofing don't get a balcony cabin. 

The OP's problem was Royal Up trying to override their responsible parenting.

15 hours ago, Owenred said:

Heya all, so RoyalUp called today and admitted this was a mistake and should never of happened. The cabin we bid on was sold out and they automatically assumed we wanted a balcony. 
So they have refunded us, moved us back to our original room and a gesture of goodwill added to our OB account. 
Thank you to all the helpful people who suggested ideas we ended up getting through Twitter to them. 
 

Glad to read this resolution.  I have a very proficient climber that was barely slowed down by the balcony door in a relative's cabin when we went on a cruise when my kids were young.  Just reading this thread gave me anxiety.  I wouldn't have slept the entire cruise if there had been a balcony in our room.

1 hour ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

No way I'm letting a 9 year old check herself out of a kids club at 10:00 PM or any time for that matter.  

 

I agree.  I'm not happy with my 12 year olds being considered teens because I would rather they have a more structured environment, but I don't see a problem with them allowing the families the option of letting older kids sign themselves out.

I'm also not happy with the idea of my 12 year olds being considered "teens."  I wish Adventure Ocean was an option.

I second the Cosco Scenera Next.  I took two on a cruise and they fit stacked in the closet.  Super easy to travel with.

To round out the car-seat conversation:  The Cosco Finale is a good choice for most forward-facing preschoolers who aren't ready for a booster.  (It has a 30lb minimum and isn't great for very tall kids.)

The Graco Right Guide is a good choice for older kids who still need a booster (and meet the 50lb minimum).

I was going to buy some through my kids' school SCRIP program but the fine print said that they could be used for new bookings only.  The ones on Royal's website say "can be used towards the purchase of any Royal Caribbean International cruise vacation or as an onboard credit."  

If you aren't purchasing directly from Royal, make sure you check the fine print.

35 minutes ago, BND said:

But, the reality is, someone is just as likely to test positive after they go home even after a longer cruise because you're just as likely to catch it in a port or late in the cruise.  A lot of the people posting that they are sick report it after they get off 7 day cruises, not while onboard.  We did a 12 night followed by an 8 night in April and so did a lot of others (when they still were testing for b2b's).  You'd think if it was that big an issue that there would be several people who weren't able to do the b2b.  We heard of one person out of over 40 that were doing the b2b.  I just think day 5 vs day 6 or 7 isn't going to make any difference.  I haven't seen any data.  Others reporting they got sick (here and on FB) tested positive on like day 3 or 4 so it's just such a random number.  It's time to move forward and I hope the latest CDC suggestions help do that.

Of course many people will still test positive after the cruise or not test positive at all.  Omicron is typically symptomatic in 3-5 days.  If I catch it on day 1 that means I'm off the ship before then if it's a 3-4 day, maybe testing positive on a 5 day, but likely positive before the end of a 7 day.  Someone boarding who is already positive will likely cause three additional people to quarantine on a longer cruise and zero people to quarantine on a shorter cruise.  I'm just saying, I think Royal has looked at their numbers and determined that it's better for their bottom line to test on longer cruises and not that important on shorter cruises.

7 hours ago, BND said:

The strangest part about testing for 6 nights or longer is it makes absolutely no difference in anyone catching it.  It's not like at day 6 all of a sudden you become more likely to catch it than on day 5.  

I think that after day 5 it is more likely someone will test positive while still onboard.  

That becomes a problem for Royal.  They don't care how many people test positive after they disembark.  

2 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

Well, my wife was nearly denied boarding DCL because of this.  I don't recall how it got resolved, but we spent quite a bit of time with a supervisor trying to find a way to let her board.  I think it was because she her old maiden name social security card and her new with her married name one it.  Why she had both like that I have no clue, but she carries a bunch of stuff in her purse.  

I still carry my old driver's license with my maiden name because I left it in my wallet initially while I caught up to everyone with my name change and then just forgot to take it out.  It randomly came in handy about a year after I was married somewhere that only processed my name change on one account and then initially said they couldn't help me because my ID didn't match the name on the account. Now, every time when I clean out my wallet part of me is always worried that I will need it again once day.

12 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

 

Another False claim that continues to be repeated on this site...

What part of that was a false claim?

2 hours ago, Husky1987 said:

Yep.  When I first was going to physical therapy for my nerve-damaged leg, the doctor told me to always remember for stairs...."Up with the good, down with the bad."

I was taught that first and it went horribly.  I was in severe pain and unable to walk at all for days.  Then I was seeing another disability specialist for different reasons but my difficulty with stairs came up and she said to remember "Good foot goes first" for both up and down.  I still have some difficulty with stairs but using that I am able to manage a short set of stairs regularly and a full flight sometimes.

I think not being to bend the knee changes things but my suggestion would be to try some stairs before leaving home and see what works best.

43 minutes ago, FaeCruisers said:

require they are always supervised and by an adult who isn’t just a babysitter. 

 

I don't have experience with Royal's kids club but I read this statement as requiring a nurse or an ABA specialist or something like that.  Do you just mean that you need a babysitter to be attentive the whole time?  Otherwise I can't imagine that you could use any kind of kids club.

2 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

If you're into lanyards (why are you into lanyards?)

I don't know why futureAG is into lanyards but I get distracted easily and misplace things.  While I make it a point to search for clothing with pockets, sometimes that just doesn't work with female clothing.  My daughter has proportions that are difficult to fit so she has very few pockets. I have developed strategies for not leaving a bag/purse behind but my daughter would 100% lose one multiple times every day. A lanyard doesn't get set down and left behind.

9 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Maybe you are a cat lover. 

Well, if they're a cat-lover they probably would have appreciated a picture of the front of a cat costume and not ears on the back of someone's head.  (If you meant the yellow costume, Pikachu is not a cat.)