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As an IT professional the only responsible thing is to thoroughly test your code in a real-world environment. I admire your sacrifice in being willing to do your own user acceptance testing.....

Actual live blog: it’s the last morning in Windjammer and based on behavior I think nobody here is ever going to see breakfast food again. We are one step away from children filling their Paw Patrol backpacks with banana pancakes.

Again, thank you for the kind response! Mom and I are having a superb time and note-taking has taken a backseat. But now the bags are packed and outside (sob!) so I have a little time to flesh out the notes. Day 3: I woke up on my own at 7:10 which is me still waking up for work, but VERY late for work. We go up to breakfast as usual - I have a pancake, bacon, fruit, and a chocolate covered banana. Mom gets potatoes, bacon, fruit, and a gluten free roll. We have coffee and mimosas because WHY NOT? Chef Toni was in the Windjammer too! He may have just had fruit, which is good because he's a sea guy and we don't want him to get scurvy. (Oh, the things I remember from grade school...) We had our second cup of coffee out on deck 9 and watched our approach to Coco Cay. I'm stupidly excited for this day, because I love the beach. At 9:30 we decided to get moving. From our room on deck 3 we could see the tenders glide back and forth outside, as well as the supplies being loaded onto another craft. I teased mom that the shipping list for that boat was "20 Limbo sticks, 15 volleyballs, 30 hula hoops, and one gluten free roll." We boarded the tender which looked remarkably unsafe but we rolled with it. We're seated on the top level and the breeze and view can't be beat. We didn't bring any of our gigantic water haul with us to Coco Cay because the message hammered home was DO NOT BRING ANYTHING OFF OF THE BOAT WITH YOU. On the tender there we saw people with coffee cups and bottles of water. Remember the old cartoons where the main character slowly turned into a lollipop with a "SUCKER" label on it? Me. We landed at the docks and man, it took my breath away. I know this is a completely manufactured environment but it rang all of my bells for "perfect island beach!" All of the buildings are brightly colored and clearly named. The dock construction was going on, but the noise was easily ignored. We had the Coco Cay photos taken because we are cruise noobs. I rented the 2 loungers/sunshade back when we booked the cruise. South Beach is a LONG way away and we were thankful for the tram that took us there. There were three rows of chairs/sunshades there and once you turn in voucher to the employee, they are first come, first served. We ended up in the second row, which is what we get for being lazy. We also got fancy VIP bracelets. Immediately we waded into the water. It was warm yet refreshing and what's better, I could see my feet! Don't get me wrong -- I love my home state of NJ and I grew up at those beaches but the surf is rough and constantly kicking up sand so you can't see the bottom. Walking into the Atlantic from the Jersey shore is akin to a trust fall. On Coco Cay, not only could I see my feet but there were teeny fish darting around! The water was shallow and although I walked pretty far, it never came up above my knees. Is this a result of Hurricane Irma? We settled into our chairs, toasty and thankful. And then ... the people in front of us left! After getting the OK from the attendant, we moved into the front row, and we were even more thankful. As I said, I grew up going to the Jersey shore. Which can be very crowded, especially in the shore towns with boardwalks. There were no distractions at South Beach -- no amusements behind you, no airplanes towing banners, no Jersey shore scents like pizza or Drakkar Noir. It was beautiful and everything I needed it to be. Lunch is served from 11:30-1:30. I was expecting hot dogs and hamburgers. I was not expecting gyros, curry, ribs, and a roast suckling pig, severed head prominiently displayed on the carving board. I have the heart of a vegetarian but the appetite of someone who makes steak/moo jokes. Mom went to the grill, gave her room number and recived a gluten free roll for her buger. This place is seriously approaching Santa Claus level of service. She had a burger, fries, and fruit. I had a hot dog (classy broad), macaroni and cheese, fruit, lemon cake. We shared a picnic table from a family from Minnesota. I'm one of those people who will write on the internet all day long but who is awkward around new people in real life. But everyone here is so nice that even I'm finding it easy. (Mom can make friends with anyone but apparently not Mario.) After lunch we poked around the straw market, took some of our own photos, and then found 2 empty beach chairs under an umbrella. Plop. At 3 we reluctantly took the vaguely unsafe looking tender back to the ship. Wildlife seen on Coco Cay without even trying because who has time for a nature walk when there is tanning to do?: > small fish > large fish > tiny crabs > chickens (live) > iguanas > sea gulls > pig (head of, deceased, roasted) We dumped off things in our room and went to Windjammer for coffee. Annnnnnnnnnnd ended up with a plate of nachos with queso. I'm going to be wearing tents to work next week. We hoovered down the nachos and took our coffees out to the pool deck. We watched the belly flop competition which was a lot of fun. Time for an important decision: today's bingo was going to be a 3-game session, and they were giving away a free cruise. However, the entry price for the regular one-game session was $33 so I was figuring that the price for that big session would be around $100. $100 for a huge chance to lose. And the deck was so nice and we wanted to watch as we sailed away from Coco Cay. And thus, the bingo addiction was broken. I saw our photos from formal night and I kid you not, the one of of me alone on the stairs is one of the best photos I've taken. We're not going to spend the $199 for the package, so we have some hard decisions to make. We showered all of the beach funk off before dinner. I have given up trying to keep the water within the boundary of the shower, and just wipe the bathroom floor down when I'm done. The shower curtain has boundary issues and likely works for a notable Hollywood producer because it touches me without consent. Our tablemates from night 1 were back and we had a great time chatting about our various excurisons. Ajay was phenomenal again (any WWE fans out there? just me? ok.) I had a caprese salad, garlic tiger shrimp, and key lime pie. I've had a glass of Wolf Blass Merlot each night, too. Mom had a salad, tiger shrimp (prepared without gluten) and they made her a sugar free, gluten free chocolate mousse for dessert. The boat started rocking during dinner. Not enough to make us sick, but it was the first time I felt it the whole trip. It would continue to rock throughout the night, stopping right before morning. I cashed in my chips from Monday night at Casino Royale's craps table at a $25-0 exchange rate. Boo, hiss. Gambling is horrible. Don't be like me. On a whim we went to the karaoke event in the Spotlight lounge. I watched 15 super-courageous people bring the house down. We were going to go to bed then but ... there was a 70s party about to bust out in the Centrum. It was quite fun and was well received. But ... I'm 45 and these were songs from when I was a kid. I have to wonder if they could maybe do a 70s night and then an 80s/90s night to try and shake off the "cruising is for old people" myth. But then I went to bed right after that so maybe I'm old too! ;) Day 3: A+++

To provide an example of how a TA can benefit you, I've been trying to turn an upcoming Anthem cruise into a B2B. Pricing has been pretty volatile, changing hourly. Direct, either online or calling RCI, they stopped offering a solo OV guarantee fare 2 days ago, I would have to book a phantom guest as my +1, pay the port fees and taxes for my phantom up front then show up without them and wait for the port fees and taxes for them to refund back after the cruise. I had a hold from yesterday on such a fare booked direct as a fall back plan. This morning my TA was able to find a solo OV guarantee that I couldn't, so she created a hold for me and called me. Same base rate but I wouldn't have to play the "oh dear, my 2nd guest couldn't make the cruise" game. Same OBC, plus the regular airline miles I get using this agency. Those add up and I generally can fly for free to a couple cruises every year. Once booked the cruise planner works the same, including sales this weekend. I can make my own dinner reservations, buy drink packages, book entertainment, etc. all on my own. I've had situations before where certain specific cabins couldn't be booked direct. It was explained to me that blocks of rooms are committed to agencies and you have to use an agency to book them. On Oasis I wanted a specific loft suite that I couldn't book direct but I had no issues getting the cabin I wanted through an agency.

One of the best way you can help these residents is to provide them with their island's #1 source of income/revenue: tourism. You're absolutely right the populous as a whole needs a certain level of charity to get things fully operational again, but the tourism business needs a boost equally.

mmmmm RCL still playing hide and seek with the internet packages.... Honestly RCL.... you don't want to see me without internet.... it's not pretty I tell you.

Joe, teachers need more parents like you!

You are SO lucky, oh wait, you live in Northern NJ......never mind

As a thanks for all of the information you unwittingly gave me over the last few months while I skulked in the corners of this site, here is my live blog from the Enchantment of the Seas - October 16-20. This is my first RCI cruise, so you won't be reading about any Crown & Anchor, Diamond, Platinum, or Adamantium perks. No special parties, free drinks, exclusive rooms full of puppies, etc. We don't have a suite. Or even a balcony! Just a large ocean-view room. But that's okay, we really don't know what we're missing. Travelers Me: 45, cruised with Disney 13 years ago. Lover of sunshine and palm trees. Mom: Old enough to be my mom, lover of sunshine and palm trees, first time cruiser. Mom and I usually travel to Virginia Beach for a week every summer. But this year she had an accident that resulted in surgery and hobbled her summer plans. She's 3+ months post-op and getting around well. She's using a cane on this trip. We're still taking it slow, though, mostly because I'm lazy. Mom eats gluten-free, I eat gluten-full. We take turns worrying about things. We get along swimmingly. I skipped the drink package because I can't keep that kind of pace for the entire cruise. Mom did, however, order bottled water to be delivered to the room. Our plans: Monday: Fly PHL to FLL, take shuttle to port, lie on deck with an alcoholic beverage. Tuesday: Nassau. No excursions planned. Lie on deck with an alcoholic beverage. Wednesday: Coco Cay. Rented 2 loungers & sunshade. Lie on beach with a bottle of water ... and an alcoholic beverage. Thursday: Key West. Conch Train hop on/hop off tour. Wander the town with a bottle of water ... and an alcoholic beverage. Eat a slice of Key Lime Pie. Friday: Get dumped off of the ship, shuttle to FLL, FLL -> MCO -> PHL. Mom has requested we eat from time to time and do things like "casino" and "shows" and "bingo." So demanding! I will update this as close to 'live" as I can get, considering I don't want to be tied to my tablet the entire time. On with the show!

Wow! @Boston Babe hats off to your husband. 30 years in Spec. Ed. Not many people know how hard that is. Amazing. I will have to think about people like him when I get frustrated with my hormonal 12 & 13 year old students that I deal with daily

The island is still receiving aid via land and sea and people are living in tent cities it's not ready for tourism. 75 percent of hotels and timeshares are off inventory. Some are closing permanently. Crime is very high. It's a personal and physical safety issue also and the liability should someone get hurt on the beaches or in and around unsafe structures is a serious concern. Hotel and travel companies are taking a big risk by letting tourists back too soon. We were on the island and speak from first hand knowledge and my husband is an attorney for Marriott International. We've changed our cruise.

We did the Canaveral tour on our own. It's a lot to see in 1 visit but you can just pick what is important to you and do what you can. I am not particularly into the whole space thing either but I found the place to be fascinating. I would recommend doing the Canaveral tour to anyone. Perhaps small children may not be interested but they have a lot of displays that the older children seemed to love.

Ha ha, I don't stand around at the entrance to the MDR either, I only know this because the person that was refused entry was my father This stemmed from the fact that the first night my mother made him wear pants, and then he saw people in the MDR with shorts and got mad. So on night 2, which was the first formal night, he insisted on wearing shorts and that is when he was turned away. Needless to say, we all got quite a laugh about it at the table when he came back with pants on and a sour look on his face

I just call RC direct to book my cruises. I did book through TA first time and they did a great job but found I can get my better price direct from RC. I just guess to each their own. "next sailing is May 2018" with RC.

Hats off to your husband! I love talking to other teachers on the cruise ship. I have met many teacher-friends throughout the years. We keep in touch and send encouraging words to each other during the school year.

I agree that tourism helps the islands recover as it feels their economies. My only concern would be if tourism interfered with continuing recovery efforts by shifting resources to support tourism instead of recovery. Fortunately, with Royal the emphasis on the guest experience on the islands, so I'm confident they wouldn't be going back unless they thought these issues had been addressed.

I think Matt and his gang should hire kimberrussell as a full time writer!

I don't understand how anyone can think that this is good news. These islands, especially Puerto Rico are still in dire straits. Yes, they need the tourism dollars, however they are really not ready to bring in 6,000 plus people, when they are still sending residents away. The latest news is that the locals are drinking contaminated water. How can RCCL think that this will not trickle into the food supply given to people on shore excursions and simple exploring the island? That is a liability for the cruise line and trust me, they will have issues and face liability for it. I live in S Florida and we are still having issues from Irma and it only hit here as a Cat 1. RCCL appears to be making decisions based on financial gain to make up for losses that they incurred. No one from the cruise line has contacted me or anyone else that I am aware of regarding my itinerary on Harmony Dec 2nd. If I could cancel and make RCCL pay for this and another cruise, believe me I would. In my opinion, this is with total disregard for the passengers traveling. I understand that an itinerary change is an inconvenience, but much better to be safe than sorry. Most likely my last trip on RCCL. My only hope is that representatives from RCCL troll this blog and reconsider this decision!! Health and safety of the passengers should be the primary concern-not financial gain!

Just booked the refreshment package for both of us for all 27 days... will just monitor the sales between now and departure! That was around 33% reduction since yesterday - crazy!

I must say, after experience in writing this live blog it amaze me how you do it every day , my full respect for you maintaining this wonderful site .

I booked my next cruise over the phone (too many bugs online). Myself, wife and 2 kids in interconnecting rooms. No problems so far, though the cruise is still 12 months away. However credit where it's due to RC - a few weeks after booking, they contacted me to advise that my two children had been re-priced (I forget the reason) and they reduced our payment by $55 per child.

I see your point, but they need tourism to return. It is their lifeline.

I think we're all Uber planners and researchers, which is one of the reasons we've all been drawn together here. Fellow educator as well.

Im SOOOOOOOO looking foward to that soup! 24 days left...whos counting

I assume the logic is they want you to pay for it. The reality is you can bring water onboard. It's kind of a "dont ask, don't tell" policy. Put it in your carry on luggage (not your checked luggage). Most Royal Caribbean ships have a nursery, but Majesty is not one of them. In terms of excursions, depends on the kid. Beach days are hard to beat with them. When you're at CocoCay (RC's private island) consider renting a cabana or beach bungalow so you have a shaded spot for the kid to nap. Here's an overview of MTD: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/06/04/what-you-need-know-about-royal-caribbeans-my-time-dining That's a loaded question because RC doesn't really enforce the rules. No, you don't have to wear a suit or tuxedo. A collared shirt and dress pants for men will certainly suffice. Yes it is allowed. This is something you have to book, so the only way to change is to call RC (or your travel agent) and have them change it. What this amounts to is a cancellation and rebooking, so there could be a price change.

it's not SO much about the hair dryer power (although they are very weak) but more about the fact that they are the kind of hair dryer where you have to hold down a button the entire time you're using it. That is a complete nuisance. I ALWAYS bring my own.

My wife can relate to all of this!

Can you narrate everything for me? I feel like life would be more interesting.

I'm so loving this .... As I read this, I just can't stop smiling. This made me laugh out loud though ... I've done many a strides up and down though stairs.

And this is true on all Royal Caribbean ships.

Buzzed from the soup. What a hoot !

I was drinking my second glass of wine after dinner when I read that. Nearly did a spit take! ??

I am so enjoying your happiness on this cruise! It reminds me how much I love cruising and how not to sweat any little stuff. I wasn't able to tender at coco cay so I can't wait to hear all about it. Jane

Yes although some complain about their power. You should find it in the desk drawer.

As a programmer myself I can guess what is happening here and yes it sounds like an IT problem. My guess (without actually seeing their code)....The bartender rings up the drink, the computer BEFORE hitting the "Drink Package" flag hits a flag saying "no available spending account" and rejects the order, when in reality it should check the drink package flag first. Maybe when i retire (in 10 years) , RC can hire me to rewrite their software......from the deck of Liberty of course.....while tossing back margaritas....

Thank you all for the kind words! I'm glad you're enjoying it. We are having a blast. Day 2: I woke up with a start at 6:30am because I was going to be late for work, which of course I was not. I peeked out the window and saw tiny glimmering lights in the distance. "Self," I said. "It's time to go see the sunrise." With Mom as my willing accomplice, we put on some appropriate duds and headed up to deck 9. There were clouds on the horizon so we didn't get the full effect, but it was lovely nonetheless. As we approached Nassau, I saw a castle up ahead that turned out to be the Atlantis resort. Well, since we were awake, may as well have breakfast. And that's how we ended up in the Windjammer at 7:15am. I had eggs, bacon, a grilled tomato (good!), and a chocolate covered banana. Mom hit up the gluten free area and ended up with eggs, potatoes, and fruit. We had mimosas because WHY NOT?? We had no excursions planned because I wanted us to take it easy. But how could we skip the opportunity to set foot in Nassau? After breakfast we left the ship (had the gangway photo taken because we are cruise noobs) and headed to shop. We are tourists so we stuck to the touristy area. I won't lie, being loudly solicited for hair braiding and taxis as soon as we left the pier was a bit of culture shock, but whatever. Everyone was nice, just loud. We shopped on Bay Street. I picked up some gifts for coworkers (spoiler: magnets), Mom bought some gifts for friends (spoiler: more magnets), and something for my nephew (not magnets. He's 3 1/2.) at Del Sol. I bought color changing nail polish that is a gorgeous pink in sunlight and a jaundiced yellow when I'm not in sunlight. I spend my days in a cubicle, so in retrospect that was not the best choice. We were back on the ship in time for lunch at the Windjammer, which was very empty today. Mom had a bunless hamburger, some fries and fruit. I had Caribbean curry chicken with coconut and cranberries, some mashed potatoes, a dollop of penne alfredo, a giant piece of sourdough bread, a slice of peach pie and a plop of bread pudding. As you can tell, I've taken to the concept of a cruise buffet like a duck to water. Speaking of water.... Mom told me to order bottled water for the room. I idly picked the 12-pack of 1-liter bottles but I'm an idiot who has no idea how much a liter actually is. We have a LOT of water here for just two people. Caveat emptor when buying water. Next up: POOL TIME. I suited up and headed to deck 9 while Mom chilled in the cabin for a bit. It was ridiculously hot, and even the drink of the day (Portside Punch) failed to cool me off. The movie playing was the live action remake of Beauty and the Beast, which I have serious and angry feelings about. Mom came up to join me and we (along with 2 liters of water) moved to the Solarium which was quite a piece of paradise. Back to the room to shower. (I read someone on these boards who said there is no soap in the cabins. We have bar soap and some sort of squirty soap in the shower.) Tonight is formal night. Dinner is at 6 and skipping bingo is not an option, so we suited up in our LBDs and were the most fancy-pants ladies at the 5pm bingo session. Those who brought receipts from the previous day's bingo session received even more cards and I really have a problem. I won another free tablet full of cards before the game began and I got down to waiting for one number and ... STILL LOST. Bah. Formal night dress code: Don't sweat it. Some people were in super fancy duds, some people were in nice-casual duds like us, and some people were in MDR in shorts and tees. I wore a black dress, silver heels, and a black and white Kate Spade scarf as a pashmina. I concluded that I spent far too much time worrying about how to dress. Off to MDR for dinner. Our friends from last night had a sunset cruise excursion, and the other ladies never returned so Mom and I had the table to ourselves. Mom had another amazing gluten-free night: shrimp cocktail, chicken breast au jus, and coconut rice pudding. I had a chilled banana rum soup as an appetizer. You could have just put a fancy umbrella and a straw in it and handed it to me as I sunned on the deck today. For dinner I had pan-fried corvina (a white fish I never heard of before) and dessert was a chocolate mousse-like bar. Our server is Ajay and he is the best. Mom: "I don't know how I'm going to go back to tossing chicken tenders in the oven." Me: "I think I'm buzzed from this soup." After dinner (and numerous formal night photos because we are cruise noobs) we settled into the R bar for the captain's reception. I spied that Super Mario guy at a "reserved" table and because of Michael Poole's live blog from this past weekend, I knew who he was. I enjoyed the reception, especially that each officer had their own walk-on music like baseball players. Mario was called up and given a bottle of wine because he has 7009 nights logged on Royal Caribbean ships. This is Mario's last time on the Enchantment -- he's moving to the Freedom. I tried to get Mom to hook up with him to see if we could glom some points from him (or at the very least that bottle of wine), but she was not willing to take one for the team. Whatever, Mom. I drowned my sorrow in a Captain's special peach champagne drink because the soup buzz was wearing off. Music this evening was from Mood Icons, a 3-man cover band with a repertoire of American sing-along songs. Friends in Low Places! Margaritaville! Wonderful Tonight! Sweet Little Sixteen! We asked Guest Services about the food at Coco Cay tomorrow and was sent back to talk to the head waiter at MDR. He's going to make sure Mom has a gluten-free bun at the lunch area. Everyone is so nice and accomodating. We hit the stores on deck 6 and I bought a non-magnet gift for my nephew. There's a Roxy sundress I'm lusting over but it's $64.50 and ... nah. I'll by myself something to wear in Key West. After going from deck 3 to 4 to 6 to 5 to 4 to 6 again, my feet were howling. Back down to 3 to change shoes, and then we called it a night shortly after. We are docked in Nassau until midnight so I won't get to see us leave. That's a bummer. I don't know why we're here so long - we are the last cruise ship in port. There was a snail towel sculpture waiting for us in the room. I like it here. :) Day 2: A++

Day 11 – Disembarkation day: Well this sad day arrived were we had to say goodbye to the ship , The process was very smooth , our numbered was called exactly the time they estimated (10 AM) and from the ship to the taxi (including Singapore immigration) and it took us 10 minutes , I wish every disembarkation process will be like that. The Taxi we took brought us in 5 minutes to the Marina Bay Sands hotel and we got our room much earlier than expected so we had enough time to change, go to the roof and enjoy the amazing infinity pool. Now for quick summary: Room – VB inside was excellent does not make sense to pay money for outside room, balcony is a different story. The Ship – well maintained, you hardy see the age on this ship and if I did not knew I would guess its age. The itinerary – very interesting, I do recommend to visit south East Asia on a cruise. The food – Ups and downs , mostly we were eating in the WJ which most of the time was good but repeated itself too much. The food in Giovanny was the best, Chops disappointed us , but mainly due to the service. Service in General – very good , no complain here. Pool area – Also very good, enough chair were empty even in sea days, if not on the first deck then on the second. Most missing - SABOR !!! Entertainment – Not the best , there were some ups and downs here also , Liked the ice show (as always) less liked the home productions.. Will I go on the Voyager again – Yes as long as it in an interesting route , for the Caribbean I will still prefer to be on one of the Oasis ships. I would like to thank my spouse for understanding all the times that I told her: “I must take the internet now as I need to updated the live blog” “Oh, don’t eat it yet, let me first take a picture of the plate” “Wait for me two minutes, this is a good picture that I can use for the blog” Thank you all for reading and comment, hope you liked it as much as liked written it, for me it was a very nice experience. And may your next cruise will come as soon as possible. Yuliya and Assaf

Hi Emerson I am glad I am not only person going on the site every hour to see what is there!! The Shore excursions for the Ovation cruise from Sydney around NZ seem to change every time! However, my Voom packages are all still showing up (at the very high costs unfortunately!) so must be just yours for now?! Barrie

Day 10 – Last day Sea day. Well even for a ten days cruise there is an end, although it is the last day I don’t really feel that bad as I used to feel on the pervious cruises last days , maybe because we are not flying back yet , maybe since 10 days is the perfect amount of days , not sure. For a sea day it was a perfect Sunny day, the sun was shining all day long while temperatures were not really high. We took advantage of it and went to do last effort to get some tanning (otherwise no one will believe us we were on vacation) , the wind was blowing lightly which helped to feel better on the deck. Today again the clock was changed, now we are back in the original timing as we approaching Singapore, First time for me that they are changing the clock like that on a cruise but it make sense for many activities. I took advantage of the extra time and finally completed the book I brought with me, I considering leaving it here contributing to the library to reduce the weight we need to carry. We did the packing as always which did not took much but we tried to organize it in a way we will not require to repack after the two days we are planning to spend in Singapore. Our schedule departure time is 10 am but I do hope it will go quicker although we don’t have big plans for tomorrow yet. The WJ toady finally served sea food, not lobsters but shrimps, Calamari rings and mussels, it was nice but due to heavy demands they did not allow to take it ferly but served it to your plate (you could get more if you wanted later). After dinner we went up to the deck to catch the final sunset overt the ship Also we saw this creature neat the closed towel deck , seem he was heaving fun. Tomorrow I will final summary but this was a very good cruise and I enjoy almost every minute.

Personally I'm not interested in going to war zone looking areas or being on vacation while residents continue to suffer. We'll be changing our cruise if San Juan or St Marten remain on the itinerary. We'll donate to organizations helping with aid and relief. Let islands heal without gawkers.