PolicromaSol

You kidding? I'm making popcorn. Want some? 🍿

I wonder if the problem could be solved by having some lockers (with those removable keys you can check out) or cubby holes of some kind. You can use the lockers to leave items but no chair reserving. That would solve the problem of people genuinely needing to find a spot for items, but keep chair hogs at bay. Any items left on chairs unattended go straight to the lost and found. I'm just thinking about previous waterparks and such that I have been to.

Allure seems to have less of that from what I can see, but I guess your mileage may vary.

I'm still kind of weirded out that there's no available tours for one of the stops my cruise in March is making. (Puerto Costa Maya.) It actually looks like there's a ton of things to do there too. I keep wavering between whether or not I want the refreshment package or whether I really think it's worth it given that I mostly drink fizzy water, coffee, and tea. (I mean I'm a teetotaler, as is the husband, but it might be fun to try some mocktails and such.) It's cheap now...but honestly I'd probably save money giving myself a budget of one "fancy" drink a day on the boat. Inevitably I think I'm gonna end up getting the internet package. Eh, maybe I'll just take the chance and wait for Black Friday.

I didn't know Royal Caribbean was a cult.🤔

I have this long-held feeling that when you're reading about experiences on the internet, things are rarely as good or bad as people make them out to be. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either looking for attention or trying to sell something. Every destination vacation I have been to has had people claiming the food was terrible, the rooms were horrendously dirty, etc. And as for cruise buffets? Every time I have read about them being terrible, they were actually pretty good. I'm not sure if people are expecting cheese and caviar and getting angry when they get burgers and mashed potatoes? Who knows?

Go down that slide....😆

My guess is they expect the demand for those suites to be sky high. Is it possible to scalp a cruise?🤔

While I like the convenience of being able to have the internet to look things up, buy a ticket, or pull up a boarding pass (heck, cell phone tech support is what I do for a living), I seriously hope that nobody takes any ideas from Disney right now. They've turned Disney World into microtransaction hell. I don't want that insanity spreading anywhere else, especially a cruise where the whole point is to chill and relax and not think about the rush rush rush of the rest of the world. Disney World right now is a pay-to-win dystopia trying to extract every last bit of cash from people by keeping them glued to their screens pressing buttons instead of actually enjoying the park. This is not an example of the wonders of technology.

When my kid was only a few months old, we rushed to Florida for a friend's wedding. When not doing things involving that we stayed in our room with the kid and really just chilled (fed him when necessary). He was quiet and relaxed, we were quiet and relaxed. He was all smiles and happy bouncing during the reception. As weird as it sounds, babies tend to pick up relaxation as much as they pick up stress. You can definitely enjoy relaxing calm as a family. This wasn't a cruise, but it was probably more relaxation than any of us had in months. And yes, babies pick up on this. There's a few videos online involving parent experiences witha one-year-old. All those storage areas that the travel angents brag your room is going to have? Stuffed with baby supplies. Made me strangely nostalgic. Anyway, supposedly the cruise has little pack and plays available for your room if you have very young children. Not making any guarantees...Your mileage may vary, as they say. There is a nursery if you need some time alone. My suggestion would be to get a panoramic oceanview with no balcony, and hope the boat rocks just a tad....

Okay, maybe maybe maaaaaaaaaaaaybe if you squint....

I think the person with $10k just got harassed for a bit. Hypothetically, You think if I ever win big in the Casino and ask them for a similarly priced cruise instead that the government would leave me alone? 🤣

I'm just imagining what this thing is like on choppy waters. Now the kids can ride the waves, 8 stories up, in a glass pool.🤣

I dunno. The original Quantum reminded me of something a Disney ship would do. They had multiple rotating themed dining rooms instead of a "main" room, though from what I understand that didn't really work out for them. (Which is why later ships just ditched the idea.) Also from pictures/video I have seen, the "Esplanade" doesn't seem all that big compared to the promenade in other ships. I mean, it has bumper cars.

Some people keep a 2 dollar bill in their wallet for luck. Not that I believe in luck or anything... It's just fun, and thanks for clarifying that they have a cashier on board. It makes sense that they would have something like that.

Over the years I've heard a lot of Americans blaming each other for bringing tipping to various tourist destinations (like, if enough Americans travel there, people start expecting tips), and residents of various other countries thinking we're all nuts for not just paying the price on the menu. I don't think there's any "winning" the tip debate.

Don't give them any ideas....

Yeah, looked up a few other sources myself out of curiosity. Funny thing is Wiki claims that the "bribe for better service" thing started in America by Americans wanting to show off, but also claimed an earlier origin: English aristocrats giving bonuses to their servants. (But were paid nearly diddly squat in the first place.) The Americans bribing for better service were trying to look aristocratic by giving tips, so it was a way to show off wealth. I guess by Wiki's argument, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I don't trust Wiki on everything, but on politically neutral subjects they tend to give all sides of the story and enough discussion behind them that you know everything's been given its proper check. I can take an L on the origins, but Snopes was arguing something completely different, and is still manipulative garbage. Do not trust it. (It was good... 20 years ago.) I'd never even heard of tipping being an acronym until today, and I've read more than my share of articles and histories regarding it, mainly trying to figure out if there's any real end to tip creep. (Nope, there isn't.) And also to adjust my personal calculations which are usually a percentage plus a dollar than rounded up. (Yeah, okay, I'm part of the problem there.) As for things like drinks on a ship, 2 dollar bills for me, I swear by them.

Snopes is only claiming it's not an acronym. Which is about as manipulative as most crap they write these days.

That was where the concept of tipping came from. It was supposed to be a "bribe" for better customer service than everybody else, then somehow became customary when everybody started doing it.

Where do you reserve the parking?

Well, doing other work of this sort (tech support), it actually became fashionable to send call center workers home between 4-8 years ago. The reps are still supervised, and heavily so. The sups are listening into random calls, same way they did in the call center. And the reps have various numbers they must meet as well. The only real problem is that if a crazy one-off comes up that is well beyond policy, the rep can't just set the phone down and go ask someone. (Unless by immense luck the sup happens to be listening in and can lend a hand.) They have to wait in queues and chats themselves, and the supervisors are often too busy monitoring someone else's call to assist. This puts the rep in a tough spot, often having to ask forgiveness rather than permission. (Well, that and it turns you into a social hermit...)

I would recommend a USB power hub of some kind. Don't risk a power strip. A laptop could even stand in for this job if it has enough ports. On a funny note, once I was on the Disney Wonder. They had just added USB ports to all the rooms. Ours was not working, however. Told the steward. When we came back, the outlet was completely replaced by a wall-mounted USB hub. 🤣

I wouldn't worry about the call center rep. Most have a little leeway as long as the excuse is good and they don't do it too often.

I have this mental image of a guy with a fishing pole catching random metal items right out of peoples' hands from the balcony below... If this becomes a big thing I'm sticking to cabins with windows! 🤣