Amberle3

I think overall all aspects of a cruise ship are cleaned better. One of the major differences between hotel housekeeping and cruise ship workers is that the hotel housekeeping staff leaves the property and goes home when their shift is finished. On a cruise ship however the ship IS their home for the length of their contract with the cruise line. Sick hotel guests probably aren't too likely to get housekeeping staff sick, but sick cruise ship passengers are a different story. Just like passengers are "stuck" on the ship, so are the staff so I think they put in a decent effort to try and keep everything clean.

I was going to mention that, they have some very inexpensive trays.

I get that The Key isn't particularly beneficial to those that are higher in the Crown & Anchor ranks, but many of us don't get those privileges yet. I'm still Platinum - after this cruise I'll be close to Emerald but not quite there. At an average of 7 nights per cruise I still have about 18 cruises to go before I'll reach D+. Since I'm averaging a cruise a year that means it's going to be a while before I hit that status point. We bought the key for our next cruise. At the time it was on sale and virtually the same price as the internet. Could we have saved money by sharing a 2 device internet package? Probably. But there were benefits to us for The Key. I typically don't eat breakfast, and we almost never bother with the speciality restaurants so the Chops lunch is something different for us. Private activity time? Meh, may or may not use. Reserved space at shows? We'll almost certainly be making use of that. Debarkation breakfast? Awesome, we usually stay in the port city for a day or two after anyway so we're in no rush to get off the ship. So yes, it definitely does depend on each individual and their particular circumstances to decide whether it's worth it for them or not.

I will be, at least partially, on my cruise next month. I'm not sure about hallways but definitely for transportation and venues like shows. I have family members who were on a cruise with a group in October and all of them came back with Covid. 2 of my coworkers are dealing with long Covid and even after a few months can barely manage working one day a week. I had Covid last year and have no desire to repeat the experience. FWIW even once Covid fully settles down I'm still going to continue masking up when in public. I wear a mask at work (by choice), I wear one when I'm shopping. Aside from catching Covid last year (when I was out at an event and maskless for an evening) these past few years have been the best I've ever had in terms of colds, flus, and allergies. I have a family member who makes my masks for me from fabric that I pick out and they're basically fashion accessories with a function for me now.

I have to admit that I hate Coco Cay. I am not fond of crowds, or noise. I'm not a huge "beach" person but if I'm at one then I just want to have some quiet time away from people. One of the reasons we picked our next cruise itinerary was because it didn't have a stop at Coco Cay. The next time I'm on a ship that stops there I will almost certainly just stay onboard instead.

As far as I can tell, at least from the articles from 2021, you need need to have a Samsung phone. The difference between the usage of the Tile and the Samsung SmartTag though is that apparently when you're looking for a lost item the Tile will ping off other phones but only if they have the Tile app, whereas the Smart Tag will ping off other Samsung phones (anonymously) whether or not they have the app installed. From what I can gather at least. So, assuming that's true, while the Samsung Smart Tag does rely on having other Samsung phones around, the Tile relies on having phones that have the Tile app installed.

I use the Samsung Smart tags and love them. The only issue I've had with them was when the battery in the one for my car keys died. I've just ordered more for my luggage and my car.

The Samsung SmartTag+ apparently has AR capability so you can use your phone's camera and it will show you some kind of green glimmer where the smart tag+ is. I just have the regular tag so I have no idea how well it works.

I've been using the Samsung SmartTags for a while now and really like them. I hadn't thought about using them in my luggage so I just ordered more.

Thank you so much for this suggestion! I will absolutely do that!

Man now you guys have me wondering if something I'm planning on bringing is going to get put on the naughty table! I have a small, personal, USB chargeable blender thing (about the size of a tall water bottle). We've both started using psyllium for dietary/digestive issues and for me the only way it's palatable is if it's in something blended like a smoothie. So I figured I'd take along the psyllium, grab some fruit and yogurt from Windjammers, and mix up some quick smoothies in the room. Since it doesn't generate heat it shouldn't be prohibited, I think? Between the cruise and the pre/post hotel stays we'll be away for 2 weeks and I really don't want to have that much of a disruption to my digestive system.

My dad had his car stolen a few months ago. Although he did get it back a few weeks later it would have been really handy to be able to give the police it's location!

For me it depends on which ship I'm on. If I'm on one with a Vitality Cafe then I always do the Refreshment package because I love getting the fresh juices and smoothies from the cafe. You can also get non-alcoholic cocktails from the bars, which are almost as tasty as the real things.