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"Donovan and Rebecca" in the theater were pretty awesome. Front row seats! No photography allowed so no pictures. I wasn't terribly hungry when I heard my name being called. Like a lamb to the slaughter I followed the voice to... the Windjammer. I heard people like food pictures, so here you go. In no particular order. Antipasta. Quesadilla Bar. Pretty good selection. I may skip MDR again and just do this tomorrow. Dry rub ribs. The Brushetta was good. Too good. Garlic bread - perfect for solo cruisers. Like anyone would have room for dessert... Yes, this is chocolate. White, dark, semi, more. Plus ice cream. But wait, the other side has more food I missed... Gluten Free options: Open faced sandwiches for those who can't or won't eat closed faced sandwiches. Something to wash down the food between gulps.

Hey cruise friends!!! The last couple of days have been absolutely jam packed so I will definitely need to follow up more extensively once I get back - but here’s some highlights: - Island History and Rum Tasting tour in St. Kitts is not worth the money through the cruise line, but Fairview house is gorgeous and Dorine there is wonderful - Valley Church Beach in Antigua is so worth the visit. $16 round trip per person from the cruise port, and reasonably priced beers. Food is expensive. - Drink card showed up today for $75 - Shows are all great! Food in MDR is awesome! Am happy. - Stone IPA showed up yesterday - Today they sold out of Stone IPA Photo dump to follow... now!

I have no complaints on the VOOM - according to the speed test there wasn’t a ton of promise but aside from maybe some slower upload times it’s been perfectly sufficient!

This guy's face is meme worthy

My approach to Maho Beach

Welcome to the message boards! Royal has 25 ships currently bookable. Some of those ships are brand new and some go back many years. Across that span bathrooms have changed. For example in the 20-22 year old Vision class of ships there are shower curtains which are universally loathed for clinging to you. It's not that bad but not my favorite either. Ships have migrated to shower doors over the years. Here is an example from an older ship, Grandeur of the Seas: Here is an example from Independence of the Seas featuring a shower door: Liberty of the Seas in a new cabin recently added during a dry dock: Anthem of the Seas, a much newer ship: All of these are photos from interior cabin bathrooms. For more interior cabin photos see my Live Blogs: Liberty https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5671-liberty-22518-7-nights/ Anthem https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5068-anthem-112517-712-b2b/ Indy https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5195-independence-122117-9-night-christmas/ Freedom https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/4990-freedom-ots-111117-8-nights-modified-western-caribbean/

Day 4 - Roatán I woke in my very dark interior cabin wondering what time it was. One thing about interior cabins is that I sleep very well. Almost 7am and doing 15 knots as we approached Roatán. Where else to take in our arrival but the helipad. Today we are sharing the port with an NCL ship, the Dawn. The Dawn will be tendering while we tie up at the pier. I'm fairly certain I could hear the low murmur of complaints coming in over the water. Local musicians were playing and singing as we approached the pier. A small fleet of buses and taxis are lined up waiting for us. Twenty five minutes early guests began to flood onto the pier. Much of the morning cloud cover has burned off already and it feels like its going to a hot one. Time for a Windjammer breakfast.

9 more days!!!!! 8 if you count flying out the day before. ?

I am happy to report that I transferred over to MEI travel yesterday and they were able to apply the PROMO CODE! All is not lost! MEI also let me know that I booked an obstructed view and got that corrected for me. Thank you all for your help!

Seriously @Sabrinaklai!

OMG! @HLWIser you can finally confirm for us if @twangster is real! ?

I cruise solo often as my family and friends don't have my flexibility to travel like I do. I really enjoy solo cruising and it makes cruises with family or friends even more special and different. I used to travel for business a lot and became used to dining alone on business trips. Due to that it doesn't concern me to eat in the MDR alone. If you have a flexible calendar there are deal opportunities. I can't count the number of times I've asked someone to cruise but they can only go a certain week and rate are double that week. Being by myself I can sail in an interior cabin and have lots of room. That alone saves a lot of money, like getting free excursions, internet and drinks. Studio cabins tend to run ~75% of the cost of paying for double occupancy. Sometimes they restrict promos and inventory to solo cruisers despite requiring you to pay for two. In some cases I add someone I've cruised with before to a booking to get a cabin type or promo rate. Truth is if that person could go at the last minute they would be welcome to join me but more often than not they are a no show at check in. In those cases the taxes and port fees end up refunded automatically shortly into or after a cruise. I don't pre-pay gratuity in the cases where a 2nd person is added who might not sail. Studio cabins do not get double C&A points. Booking a non-studio cabin including 'Guarantee' cabins do get double C&A points. Not many ships have studio cabins and they go quickly. Sometimes they are only slightly cheaper than a regular cabin. Studio cabins are sometimes pretty small and if the price difference is small I'll go into a regular cabin and take advantage of the double C&A points. I love suites but just can't justify them when solo. There is something really nice about solo cruising. Do what you want, when you want. There are often single seats in the theater available as people space themselves out when they sit leaving one seat between them and the next couple. Sometimes there are single loungers by the pool available for the same reason. MDR service tends to be very fast when solo. If you are the type of person who is comfortable being by yourself solo cruising is great. Tons of happy people around and lots of public places but easy to slip away and have some alone time when you feel like it.

You won’t have to look at it anymore...

It sounds like the concierge will be my new best friend aboard. Thank you all for the replies so far. If anyone else has additional information...feel free to chime in. For your amussment...here is a VERY poorly photoshopped picture of my friends & I when we get inside the cabin.

I have 14 and 11 yo boys. Like others have said khaki pants and polos in the MDR. On formal night they wear khaki pants and a button down shirt. Immediately after dinner they change back into their athletic gear to go to the teen/kid club.

The bungalows on Cococay were amazing. According to the staff there, all bungalows are the same. There is no "regular' or "deluxe" division in the bungalow category at this time and they knew of no change happening. Our bungalow tickets served as our tender tickets, which by Oct, you should not have to worry about. There is a shuttle to take you to/from the bungalow area as it is a pretty decent distance from the drop-off point. When checking in, everyone in your bungalow received a "VIP" wristband, only 6 per bungalow allowed. All bungalows had a cooler w/ice and 4 large bottles of Evian water, food delivery from the food truck (food was preordered in Wonderland a few days ahead) . It is close to a restroom and a couple bars, but also a bar waiter roaming around if you wanted them. You can still walk to the main dining area and eat there if you want the BBQ food, but it is only open for a couple of hours and it was very crowded. I don't know if I can ever forget what it was like to "live the bungalow lifestyle" and go back to being a normal beach bum!

I have said before, check the Costco website. You can view deck by deck and it's fairly live time to RC and shows lots of availability even when RC doesn't.

This was Orient Beach in St Maarten - unfortunately, most of this area is still very damaged and there isn’t a ton available aside from a couple wandering vendors.

Additionally hotel shuttle to the port always seem to leave later than I want to be there.

Last night for dinner I went with the "quack quack" as my head waiter called it. (Duck) It was good. I was hoping for some Sherbet but it wasn't available. My waiter said he would try to get some for the next night. Captain's address in the promenade was at 8pm. In the theater last night was 'The Aerialists". Very good. The photography ban continues so no photos. Today on day 3 it's another sea day. We are approaching Cancun getting ready to make the turn South towards Roatán. So far I'm liking Liberty. In fact it may be my favorite of the Freedom class. The mini golf course was relocated forward on the highest deck above the (newer) panoramic ocean view cabins. The St Tropez area features glass dividers to break the wind. On Freedom this is open area and due to the winds it was lightly used on my cruise. Staff didn't even bother to deploy loungers on Freedom. On Liberty it's a nice quiet sundeck. The glass dividers also provide some feeling of separation from other guests. The adult only Solarium is very similar compared to sister ships Freedom and Independence. The main pool area: The H2O zone on Freedom and Indy is also a little nicer on Liberty. Called Splash Away Bay it features the bucket of water drop and a structure kids can climb in with kiddie slides. It's much more sophisticated compared to the H2O zone on Freedom or Indy. The one thing I dislike is the addition of the Suite Lounge. On Indy this was the primary Diamond club. When Indy goes in for dry dock she too will receive this Suite Lounge. The much smaller Diamond club on the starboard side has limited seating and with happy hour starting at 4:30pm on Liberty you had better show up by 3:30 pm if you want to sit in the Diamond club. I can see why they added the Suite Lounge. On Oasis class ships Sky/Star Class benefits include a dedicated Suite Lounge and it's a great place for GS and above guests. On older ships, GS and above benefits were lacking a similar Oasis class like venue. I believe Royal is trying to add value for suite guests on more of the fleet and the Suite Lounge is a step in that direction. While it is a great benefit for Suite guests it really sucks for Diamond & Diamond Plus members. With those ranks swelling suite guests were getting squeezed out of the Concierge Clubs. While I can see why they made this move, they need to do something for D/D+. Last night the Viking Crown Lounge held a private function. The sign warning you that you may not take drinks out of the Diamond club remains but without any seating on deck 14 what choice do you have but to take your drink and head to a lower deck? As more ships convert to Suite Lounge this is becoming an issue they'll need to address.

Besides RCB, these are some of my favourite cruising sites: Cruise Fever Eat Sleep Cruise Cruise Critic Cruiseline Disney Cruise Line Blog (my family sails with Disney, I sail Royal Caribbean solo) Cruise Radio Cruise Tips TV (highly recommend Sheri's YouTube channel as well)

cruisecritic.com is also a good one too. But nothing compares to @Matt's resources

I know, right? It's like every time they start talking about this stuff, my eyes start going in different circles and I feel dizzy.

I think many of us here have used that as our excuse! I know I have!

#YOLObookit is what started this whole thing. I blame and thank @Matt at the same time :-)

I agree - it's likely for the flight... Those 50 lb. limits are pretty darn strictly enforced, and the fees aren't cheap! I don't think there are any weight restrictions on bags going on the ship... or if there are they aren't enforced very well. We usually drive to the port and I swear my wife puts concrete in those bags sometimes!

Photo evidence that Twangster is not a robot....or at least a robot that emits a human like shadow

Thank you so much for this! I checked the Costco site this morning and noticed that one of the extended balconies on deck 10 was available so I booked it.

Hi @Dan G and welcome to the boards! I came across a similar thread a few weeks ago and although I have never stayed in one, I followed it with interest. I have always wondered about the benefits of staying in a suite on a non-Oasis/Quantum class ship and if it was worth it. You got a steal of a deal! Anyway, before I pass along the thread, let me just first put out there that this board is the best, super knowledgeable, welcoming, and friendly. So don't go reading this and wander over to the dark side ? This question was put out for Radiance of the Seas but I suspect it might be similar on Liberty since they are both ships without the Royal Suite Class program. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2551635&highlight=radiance+of+the+seas

Don't freak out when you get back and you've gained a couple of pounds even though you've stuck to the diet. They use a ton of salt in the food, much more than most people do at home, so chances are you're just retaining water. Water weighs over 8 pounds per gallon, so just a little bit will really "tilt the scale". It will be gone in a couple of days when it's flushed out of your system. Avoid the "bacon" appetizer at Chops Grille, it's covered in a sauce that contains a lot of sugar. I did Atkins back in 2000 and lost over 70 lbs, and stuck with it until 2006. The weight has crept back, but it's taken over a decade (and the addition of 2 kids). I started Low Carb again at the beginning of the year and have dropped 15 so far. Stick with it, it works!

Ok......25 more days!

You just convinced me! The great price on the May 5- May 10 Adventure Repositioning called my name!

I fly out of Laguardia a few times a year, it's getting better lately - right now it's heavily under construction though. I get why your husband booked the hotel around there, it's way cheaper than the city. I would say do not waste your money using a taxi or Uber to get to the city. Use the LIRR (railroad) or the subway - but buy tickets before you board. It's not exactly cheap but it's not as pricey as a taxi or Uber/Lyft. If money isn't a problem use Lyft or Uber but keep in mind the day of the week it is or the time of day. Traffic is a mess all of the time, absolute worst during rush hours. Off hours and weekends you can be okay. I live about a half hour from LaGuardia but always give myself over an hour to get there. I can sorta help with train stuff, I know the LIRR, the subway I could ask someone.

I have cruised both ways and to tell the truth I have to say I like solo cruising the best I have a cruise on the brilliance oct 1 2018 5 nite out of Tampa and I have a studio inside there are only 3 on the ship then I have a 8 night nov 24 2018 on the adventure out of port everglades with the family. I love being with the family but I come home tired every time from the cruise , as Twangster said when cruising solo I am in charge of my itinerary I eat when I want nap when I want go where I want any time I want I must confess I am not to much of a people person I always manage to meet nice people though on board and have always found some one to pal up with to see the ports or eat with and I am always though not actively for someone to eat with because I cant stand large tables of people I don't know and have more than once opted for dinner in the windjammer alone when the MDR Maitre d told me that there was no option but to sit with large groups of paired off strangers. When you solo its your choice you tend to get much more rest catch a movie if you want to meet and greet there are always solo get togethers and don't forget the joy of adventureing and discovering new areas of the ship spend hours talking to the crew learning much about the ports we are visiting even paling up with some of them and finding that special hidden eatery as I did in the dud port of Freeport they had a lobster roll sandwhich that I think about once a week or so and cant wait to return to Freeport and that is something I have never heard any where from anyone I look forward to my next solo and the only negative I can think of is your security in port be careful where you go and do stay with the other cruisers in the area ,other than that for me its a win win cruise on my friends

The "smart casual" style for regular nights in the MDR and specialty restaurants definitely doesn't mandate jackets or ties. I'm planning on wearing chinos and a polo, or chinos and a long-sleeve button down for non-formal in the MDR and any specialty restaurants we visit, you can bet your kids will be just fine with khakis and a polo. For reference, there's a pretty helpful video from Cruise Tips TV on YouTube, titled "What to Wear on a Royal Caribbean Cruise". Gives visual examples of different outfit types that include some young boys / young men's outfits.

Solo travel is defn pricey. Royal pretty much charges 200% so all your saving is the port fees and taxes for the 2nd person by going alone. As for rooms...some ships do have the studio rooms, but they are few and sell out pretty quickly. My experience has been there is little to no savings from a "regular" room, BUT you get double CA points in an inside or higher room so that maybe something to consider. As for the cruise itself, it does have things listed for solo traveler get-togethers....but my experience with those is that its the same as the LGBTQ meeting type things.....they say its solo get together at the Viking Crown Lounge at 10:30pm.....and when you go there is no one there or there are people there just hanging out and drinking and they defn aren't single.....well there maybe single ppl there but they aren't there cause its the place to meet, they are just there cause they happen to be drinking at that bar at that time. I wouldn't worry in town or on excursions on your own either as long as you are smart and staying in the tourist areas. And quite often you may meet up or end up out there with people from your ship that you have met or talked with or made plans with. Of course you can sign up on CC too for Roll Call for your cruise which can help. I did that for my last cruise and we all met up for a slot pull. Was a lot of fun and neat to put some faces to names you have chatted with prior to the cruise. I would say travel alone and take a chance and enjoy it! Perhaps the shorter cruises might be better based on the normal demographics and atmosphere of the ships, but to each their own!

Entertainment Backstage Tour. Saturday Night Fever is the main show on Liberty. This afternoon I took the backstage tour. Two of the cast hosted the tour today. No dressing rooms on Liberty, this wardrobe area is right behind the main set. Some of the sets and backdrops that raise and lower weigh up to 1 ton. They explained because the ship is made of steel and has a very rigid frame around the theater they can get away with such heavy set pieces. Many theaters on land can't take heavy pieces like this.

My understanding is the primary difference is what you are looking for in terms of things to do. If you just want to lounge by the beach or pool, Nachi is the place. If you want more activities (like the aqua park stuff), then Mr Sanchos is for you.

Last night's Duck dinner: Tonight's dinner menu:

HI Suzanne, I"m trying to figure out the itinerary. You dock in Bayonne, RCCL provides a transfer to where in NYC? To Laguardia? What day of the week do you dock? These are factors you need to consider. If you are docking midweek, whew traffic is a nightmare getting to Laguardia, then going back to Manhattan?? I'm just trying to help you out if he won't change the hotel. Can you change your flights from Newark perhaps? Then you you only dealing with a quick Uber to the hotel about $15.00, and lots of transporation available to get into NYC? Let me know. Trying to help!! LOL

LOL!!!! Right? I guess it's like people who have the profession of "Life Coach".

Thanks! I also will refer you to this post by @mpoole3: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/02/16/what-you-need-know-about-taking-solo-royal-caribbean-cruise One other tip...a great way to cruise solo is join us for a Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise! That way, you aren't truly alone! More info on all of our group cruises here: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/events

@Matt just posted this recently... https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/01/12/top-10-tips-going-royal-caribbean-cruise-solo

Shout out to @monorailmedic site, Cruise Habit.com

Thanks for sharing the pics! That is one thing I wish I took more of - but I left my phone/ camera in the room most of the time on accident! The Silent Disco was my favorite!! I had so much fun looking like a fool dancing on my own. haha. Have you had a chance to go to the Imperial Lounge for any of the gameshows yet? Those were a riot and we enjoyed them the most out of everything! It might be worth checking out at least one night :)

Have a great time!! Psst...Sneak in to the new area on Deck 12 or even the new sun deck on 13. :P

OK folks let's put the Delorean in park and ease up on the Back to the Future references.

Found a full profile picture.

Careful what you ask for...

You have got to be kidding me. Some of the room still have that coral pink and seafoam aqua from c. 2001 in them? Awful.