Jasukkie

I'm not going to jump on you for the hammock idea but it would be unusual. Do report back if you try it. I love the hammocks and swings on Virgin Voyages and wish Royal would add more fun stuff like that.

Do you leave a tip on the table after trivia in the Schooner Bar? Or if you just sat watching the band in Boleros? It's unheard of in my experience to do so on a cruise ship. Tip on the drink service, but not on the space. And if you aren't drinking, don't worry about it.

No, it's confusing but this is not a Starbucks location, just using their branded coffee products. I used my vouchers there on Radiance several times, no charge. You may also read about the coffee card which is one punch per shot of espresso in a drink. You don't need to worry about that using your vouchers. Any size, any ingredients counts as one voucher.

I don't see any obligation to tip because you are occupying a space. This is a cruise ship, not someone's section at a sports bar.

Good for them! It's really hard work.

It's easy to look at a salary and think the person doesn't need a tip, but I don't think a lot of these workers are going to last 40 years doing this type of labor. You are only lifting your own bags, imagine doing that all day? No thanks. I give $10 if it's just me with one bag, up to $40 if we're rolling up like the Beverly Hillbillies.

There are still some bargains to be had but they know what sells well and that some families will pay a lot of money for certain ports, ships, and weeks. If you want to look beyond Royal, NCL's sail away fares without the perks are a good value, esp on inside cabins. I've not sailed with them myself and many reviews are horrible, but MSC has some super cheap fares. I'm feeling a little tempted to see if the reviews are true.

It honestly never crossed my mind when we booked the second leg from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Hawaii seemed like such a distant port, but it's certainly not a foreign one so that was that. Part of the reason I booked it was the flights from Vancouver to the east coast were so difficult if you wanted a nonstop direct flight. It required a hotel stay and a more expensive flight. I thought why not add on this inexpensive leg and fly direct from LA at a good price? Five more days of cruising, perfect. We got word about two weeks beforehand that we were in violation. We met others on the Hawaii leg who had the same problem. I'm not sure how they can fix the system to not let you book it but it would be nice.

Wow, that's a big change to 4 pieces from 8. Some of the rolls are HUGE but some are more medium sized. I won't go hungry but I definitely know some people that will not be happy with this change.

I bow down to your logistics, that's impressive!

You know that scene in Parasite, where the poor family is crouching on the raised toilet in their apartment with their phones in the air trying to get a signal? That was me on my recent TP trying to use the internet in my cabin. On the other hand, it worked great midship by the pool deck. This was Radiance fwiw, with the more expensive plan.

Not only does it not have to be in color, you don't even have to print them ahead. You should, but if you forget, don't stress over it.

I don't think there's a closer airport to cruise port anywhere, but I would be on the very first morning flight out of Dallas. All it takes is a spring thunderstorm and you are missing the boat. Actually, I would fly in the day before but I understand not everyone can do that.

Have you considered a one night hotel stay in Vancouver and leaving on the Crown Princess for Alaska the next day? I can't imagine the logistics of moving 20+ bags to Seattle. Do you fly private? I can't imagine that with the airlines either.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2020/nov/19/three-generation-retailer-shutter/ I found an article about it. That is a shame.

It's a common complaint with Royal now. There has to be some middle ground between the decadent midnight buffets of yore, and nothing. Their design is not set up like Norwegian where they have a front area they can easily leave open. It would be nice to have a cafe 270/park cafe type place open late, if not the buffet. I'm not a fan of Sorrento's, it just gives me indigestion.

This happened to us on Radiance in October, sailing from Honolulu to Vancouver. We booked the next leg on to Los Angeles, never thinking of the PVSA rules. We were fairly compensated but ended up spending more money recreating the missed trip as an air/land vacation. Cruising definitely is a bargain compared to that.

Ugh, this is my pet peeve. I snagged myself a great spot in the shade on a beach excursion once, only to have a family park themselves nearby playing country music really loudly. I moved. I've also had this happen at the cabanas at Coco Cay but it wasn't quite as loud or annoying. And in the solarium on Anthem, which is just a head-shaker to me. You are indoors in a public space, and you're the DJ now?? Like many others, it's not worth the fight to me. But yes, it detracts from the experience and crew should absolutely stop it happening in indoor spaces.

The continuous seating style at Test Kitchen takes away any awkwardness about being seated at a table with strangers. It's no different than another person being next to you at a bar, you can turn towards the person you are with and ignore the new person, or you can engage with them if you like. You likely are at different stages of the meal. Strong recommendation for the cocktail pairings at Test Kitchen by the way, you really won't care who is next to you after that. Oh, have to say, I LOVE Ikea! That's a compliment in my book lol.

That's awesome! There's such an opportunity for learning about the sea, marine life, weather, ports, etc. Do you homeschool at sea or has this mostly been on school breaks?

When did they stop accepting DL for closed loop cruises? I thought that was still okay on Royal. Remember that amazing thread from a while back of a guy who was able to board using a picture of an expired driver's license?

It's the freezing that's the issue. The above scenarios only require refrigeration, not freezing. Expressed breast milk can be stored up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Not in a drink chiller but in a medical fridge. As for oversupply, it's usually suggested to pump less so your breasts aren't being given the message to keep making more milk. Obviously that's individual but if things are still that prolific this baby likely has a freezer full of extra milk at home and dumping the extra for one week is not a big deal.

I've also done Northstar many times and never been weighed or asked about weight.

My kids are grown now but cruising was a great way for them to gain some new experiences in a relatively safe environment. Going up to the bar and ordering their own Shirley Temples, ordering in the main dining room for themselves, navigating around the ship, all great maturing experiences. It's also a great opportunity to discuss appropriate behavior in public, to be kind to the mobility challenged by helping with elevators and doors, to practice manners, to not be annoying lol. The teen club may or may not be every kids cup of tea. Mine liked the younger school aged groups but not the teen stuff. They were happy to do their own thing so go with what works for your kids.

I saw the garbage sorting room on Anthem's ship tour pre-Covid. I love logistics so to me it was pretty fascinating.