Kendall James-Vargas

@Balmy Jones RCL would absorb any additional port fees it would incur for rerouting its advertised itinerary. One thing the cruise line won't do is credit your account if the port fees were lower, but RCL does an excellent job of offering OCC and/or FCC to guests for the change of plans. Those credits typically surpass that port fee difference making it all very fair. Not all cruise lines offer such incentives, but RCL is very good about properly compensating guests.

@Miss Lizzie You must be very excited for your upcoming Disney Fantasy cruise! It sounds like you may be getting married onboard this itinerary, which is even more exciting. I have seen some informative blogs on this, but I haven't experienced it myself. Hair styles should be anywhere from $60 plus depending on the style, and makeup application typically runs about $75 per person. Personally, I would round up when giving an estimate to your bridesmaids saying it will be about $200 per person for both hair and makeup. This price would likely have tip included and give your bridesmaids time to save/prepare for the occasion. Do you plan to get married on the ship or at Castaway Cay? Castaway Cay typically charges extra service charges on top of the figures I listed above.

@howiefrommaui Facial recognition is a great tool that helps us all stay safe (and in line) onboard our cruises. I agree that thieves should be held accountable for their actions and banned from cruising due to breaking the rules. It's very upsetting that guests think this is a good strategy to get free drinking water onboard. This water bottle tampering can potentially cause harm to other future cruisers and it is quite infuriating to watch.

@KeithG That means you must have loved your last cabin! I love that you were able to get the exact same one for one of those itineraries. The itineraries seem similar, but if you enjoy the ship and those destinations it's perfect for you. What do you typically do when you are in Roatan and Cozumel? When in Cozumel I have always gone to a beach club with all the amenities and it's very convenient. The last time I went the beaches were infiltrated with seaweed! Did you experience that on your recent cruise? I still got in the ocean but it was a nuisance. I preferred kayaking over swimming that time around. RCL actually announced it's new beach club in Cozumel, Royal Beach Club!

@LukeJ The bonuses are a huge perk on salaried positions! My husband also provides exceptions healthcare for our family alongside retirement benefit packages. He also gets stock options that have really benefited my family when we needed to pull out some cash for unexpected circumstances. Some salary jobs can provide a cushion on incentives including disability insurance, but if you are working in an industry that will run you to the ground all of those perks still aren't good enough. I wish the hospitality industry had better perks, but it's horrid hours with lots of physical labor involved. You must be very understanding of those in crew members onboard your cruises in the same line of work. The burn out is real!

@KeithG Since I'm not a mega ship-lover, I was very curious if Carnival Jubilee would be a ship you enjoyed, but it sounds so well done! CCCL does know what it's doing in terms of attracting/serving various guests with various interests. I'm also very surprised to read it never felt crowded! For a newer ship, still working out it's kinks, I didn't expect to read such a review. It seems you really enjoyed you cruise onboard Carnival Jubilee and are anticipating your next cruises onboard the ship! Will your upcoming cruises on the ship be differing itineraries/staterooms than your previous sailing?

@LukeJ I love the idea of cruise lines become more environmentally friendly. I would be happier if cruise lines offered stainless steel straws for purchase on the ship, particularly by the bar. If you don't have one already, stainless steel straws are easy to bring along the only annoying part is cleaning them. It's not that hard to do it's just annoying, but I prefer it over cardboard straws. Silicone straws are easy too! Since I'm pretty much a wine/water-only drinker, the straw issue doesn't really impact me. I typically bring my own reusable water bottle along, and you won't catch me drinking my wine with a straw. In the future I would expect more interactive ways to enter your stateroom such as facial recognition onboard. Paying with your face will likely happen as well. There won't even be a need to bring along your room key or even a bracelet in the future.

@FJB I absolutely love snorkeling, not scuba diving, particularly when the water is calm and clear. Where are you thinking of snorkeling on your upcoming cruise? If you are cruising the Caribbean, the snorkeling destinations are endless but some are better than others. It's always better to choose a spot where there aren't too many waves and the water is calm, like a bathtub.

@KeithG That's awesome! It must have been a blast watching it on the big screen out by the pool. I wish you got the chance to see Gwen Stefani's performance. I love her voice so much. Many of her songs are iconic and bring me back to those younger years of my life. I'm glad CCL was able to make the departure stand out amongst other departures. I would love to hear more about Carnival Jubilee! Do you plan to go back again soon? How does it compare to any other CCL fleet members you have cruised on?

@LukeJ Salary jobs are a toss up for me! It really depends on the the field of work. For instance, my husband has a salary job and really benefits from it, primarily due to the benefits he receives. He is able to work less than 40 hours a week (for the most part) with a very flexible style schedule. He can take much of his calls out and about and has some flexibility to travel while working remotely which is a huge perk. Since my husband travels with work, our children and I will often tag along, staying in nice hotels and enjoying those amenities if we can find reasonable flight tickets. Typically we backpack and fly with very cheap airlines in order to afford tagging along. In the restaurant industry the hours are rough. My mom just quit a job as a restaurant manager because the hours weren't sustainable. I don't think anyone with a salary job should be subject to over 60 hours a week. The hourly rate usually come out to be better than salary at that point. Like you mentioned, there are no such things of breaks when you are on salary. You work around the clock with no break because you don't get to clock in and out.

@LukeJ I'm thinking that's the only way to do it! You really need rain boots, but you don't want to wear rain boots every where you go. That can be son uncomfortable! Have you lived in the UK your whole life? Have you considered living elsewhere? I can only imagine seasonal depression is very trying there. I was worried about that when moving to a snowy state but thankfully it's sunny most of the week even when it does snow here which makes the winter season tolerable. How long does the winter season/climates last for you guys?

@LukeJ Well, you can truly say you experience every season where you live. I can see how frustrating it must feel to experience that all in one day. I already complain about having to bring my snow jacket around and hold it when I enter a store. I'm imagining the look of a winter hat on a summer day. It seems cargo shorts/pants were made for your homeland. It have to be hard to dress up during these days too. If you want to wear a nice dress/heels and go out, you have to plan for the worst and bring extra shoes along. That's tedious.

@Nurse Kathy I'm not quite sure about the Baltimore Cruise Terminal being used for salvage operations, but it should be fully reopening next month, in May. Have you been affected by these operations?

@Tootie It's a shame that benefit isn't typically available! Which ports have you noticed that provide this service? I have recognized that the "red cap" service is offered to pretty much all paying cruisers. Personally, the idea of bringing my own baggage onboard is too tedious. If I packed lightly and only had one bag, I would think otherwise, but I'm typically cruising with kids and many suitcases. I'm pretty sure you can always walk your luggage on yourself, but your stateroom isn't always available when you get onboard. That leaves you to hold your luggage until your room becomes available. That's not such a perk after all. Why do you think it is that you haven't found this perk readily available for guests?

I didn't realize the cost of vacationing was so high in the UK! I guess it's a popular destination. Thankfully the pool is free, but when food prices are too high on-site it makes the cost of vacationing out of my budget. If I'm going somewhere where I can't cook my own meals, I know my time there is short lived because food prices are through the roof. That's why cruising is very convenient because food prices are all included in the per person fare. I don't need an extra steak or lobster tail at dinner to get me by. The fact that I have unlimited access to limitless amounts of food is so convenient for my entire family. It also makes planning easy. The kids can order anything off the menu or grab anything from the buffet without having to second guess if it's in the budget.