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Ill start by saying Labadee was outstanding and the only downside was that I wished we spent more time there. We disembarked around 8:45am and headed towards Columbus Cove and ended up speeding most of our time in that area. Our zipline was at 10:30 which snuck up on us rather quickly. Words can't describe how great of a ride the zipline was, as many of you I am sure you are aware of. Our next adventure was the aqua park at 1pm with the kids. I knew it was going to be a lot of work and that part didn't disappoint, myself and my kids loved playing on this and I know my wife loved seeing me make a fool of myself and fall off multiple times. ? So by the time we got done with the aqua park it was about 2 pm with the coast and market still to try and get done. We headed to the coaster and waited about a half hour or so and by the time we got off it was about 3:10pm, needless to say my wife wasn't thrilled it cut into her shopping time. My first time on one of these mountain coasters and loved it, thrilling ride with a spectacular view. We did manage to get in a little time for shopping before we got back on the ship so I avoided an upset wife lol. Back on the boat we decided on eating at Johnny Rockets and was a hit all around and with the best part being able to eat outside so our kids could blow off some more steam in that little net play area next to it. So that concludes my little summary of today. Enjoy some more photos I took today.

Day 4 - Coco Cay This was my first visit to Coco Cay. My wife and son headed off to the theater for their parasailing excursion while I took the regular tender to wait for them to finish. There were very few people on the tenders this early so I was able to walk right on. After a short wait to allow a few more people on, we headed over to the island. The new pier construction is well underway and will make access so much faster. We unloaded and after a short wait the tender with the first excursion group pulled in. Amazing enough, I had beat them by at least five or ten minutes! Sadly the parasailing was canceled due to weather, the wind won again. My wife grabbed a lounge chair and my son and I went to pick up the snorkeling equipment. The water was about the perfect temperature but the wind was kicking up waves so the deeper sections were closed to snorkeling. We headed out to the floating platforms and took in the underwater sights. In addition to the standard sunken boat and plane, we were lucky enough to see some nice schools of fish and quite a few sea slugs. When we had our fill of swimming and drank plenty of sea water we decided to head back to the ship for some spa time, lunch at the Windjammer and then an afternoon nap. Dinner in the main dining room was great as usual and service was excellent. Our waiters brought extra appetizers and desserts “just in case” again and were sure to ask my son if he needed any more food. He is a skinny nineteen year old, but I never thought he looked under fed. The ice show for the evening was “Cool Art, Hot Ice”. The doors opened at 7:30 for the 8pm show but by the time we got there at 7:15 there was already a huge crowd waiting for a seat. We were lucky to get good seats, but the seats filled up fast. The show was as good as I expected, and it’s easy to see why this is such a popular event on board. I still find it amazing these performers can put on a show while the boat is moving. Next up, Nassau Bahamas.

Enough of this PC crap....if you agree with it or not, move on! Don't tell me what i should find funny/sad/disrespectful or offensive and i won't tell you!

Yikes, I've got 8 cruises in hurricane season. Okay 1 is in Alaska so it's probably safe.

I think Carnival Legend has more in line with what your looking for. ? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5402887/Cruise-hell-passengers-blame-large-Italian-family.html

...remind me to never go on a land cruise with you ! LOL

Anywhere on the top/pool deck......its the highest views and you can easily go from one side of the ship to the other. Of course its fun to enjoying a few drinks and usually the sail away party they have going on out there as well.

I wanted my glass block on Symphony so I was avoiding any more cruises, but then I said "YOLO", so I booked enough cruises to still get my glass block on Symphony (plus one on Empress). You know you cruise too much when...

by the looks of it one person didnt quite understand the " lean forward and touch the other person routine" ?

not one of your questions but from one parent to another... our boys loved their first cruise. they were 12 & 14 at the time and had a blast. we gave them quite a bit of responsibility to be on their own but it came with conditions that had to be followed or they lost the ability to be on their own and were going to be attached to our hip after that. We gave them watches and had set check in times every couple hours or so. We made sure they knew where they could find us or if we weren't sure where we would be, they had to pop into our room and leave a sticky note on the mirror to let us know where we could find them. I was nervous at first but they did surprisingly great!!

I know, she's an incredible lady! Hoping she's on board in January!

I love it!! Got nothing for myself...go ahead, be my guest....but I am probably going to regret it...

Ok Sabrina, you are up next! Oh @Matt ! Don't leave @Lovetocruise2002 out in the cold, we all know she doesn't like the cold.

Awesome photos! May I use some of them on our Instagram account?

I had to email somebody from a different department (Guest Relations) in the end, as I was getting nowhere with the Reservations person I was dealing with. I forwarded all correspondence, explained the situation and within a week I had received an apology, admission of error and had my MDR dining time placed back to 6pm, as originally booked. It was quite the ordeal. Takeaway lessons: 1. Use a TA 2. See point 1. 3. When an error has been made, complain, complain, complain and do not take No for an answer if you know you are in the right. 4. See point 1 again.

As @Matt said, think about Costa Rica. We have been to costa Rica 5 times on land trips to different parts of the country. Love the country and the people. If you want all inclusive try the Riu hotel in the Guanacaste region. If you want open end travel, look at "All Around Costa Rica" travel guides. Want to see pictures? Come see us in Allen. ?

So I have an update with my experience with Resort for the Day in San Juan. We took a short by expensive cab ride from the port to the Marriott (hint:use uber or lyft much cheaper, took uber to airport from hotel only 8 bucks vs 20 for cab). Check in at the front desk was efficient and the staff was very friendly. We were Issued two wrist bands and two 20 vouchers for lunch. Since the weather was crappy, we decided to stay by the pool, good thing, because during our 5 hours there, we had about 7 down pours, oh well, can't control mother nature. We had access to lounge chairs and towels either at the pool or beach. We had lunch pool side and food was great, only had to pay 5 additional dollars. Would I recommend, Yes.

AND your wife, too !!

Get yelled at by my wife for not doing what she wanted to do as soon as we got on the ship ?? ;)

Some of the comments here belong on the "other" board. Some things should just plain not be joked about. Do not want to hear how I should lighten up or get a sense of humor---"it's not me, it's you".

@Matt heard my pleas, and now it's official... ?

I don’t normally do any reviews, but a few days in I have seen enough to make me change my wicked ways. I will try to keep it short as possible. Pre-cruise: We stayed in the Embassy Suites Newark Airport in Elizabeth, NJ. Nice enough hotel. About what I would expect for $200 a night, well up until they charged my credit card for a damage deposit nightly. Never have seen a hotel that has a card on file actually charge it for a damage deposit without damage to the room. ?. Interesting start. Always wanted to visit New York City, but especially after 9/11. I was sleeping after a night shift when my wife came woke me up and we watched the surreal images on TV that changed travel forever. We of course took the train to the World Trade Center and spent time at the memorial pools. Very humbling to be on that sacred ground where so many died that day. Next we walked to Battery Park to catch the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Glad we went, got to climb to the top of the pedestal. I wish I had bought tickets early enough to climb to the crown. Being the Brave souls we are we walked from Battery Park to the Empire State Building I learned and saw a lot on that walk. Mostly I learned that in New York traffic lights are merely suggestions for cars but barely hints for pedestrians. I grew up in Los Angeles and LA has nothing on crazy compared to New York City. Secondly I learned that New Yorkers know where they are going at all times and any slight hesitation to try to figure out your way will get you yelled at like you just made them miss the last train out. So very different from the absolute politeness back in my city in Washington State. The Empire State Building was epic but I am doubtful it was worth the money for the ride to the top. I guess it is a once in a lifetime thing. Train ride back to the hotel we hopped the wrong train and were deep in the suburbs before the first stop. An hour later we boarded the right one thanks to an incredibly helpful woman who went out of her way to help the most touristy tourists ever. Next stop, boarding.

Honestly, did you really think @twangster was actually going to have a "dry spell"?? LOL, all because of a block of glass?? LOL. That's what we need to do, tell our hubby's we need a glass block to keep up with @twangster therefore we need more cruises and genies!?

On Voyager and Freedom class I like the Heli pad, on Oasis class (Harmony and Allure) there are small wing bridges that extend out over the pilot station, otherwise any place up on the top deck.

The "whole season" forecasts I've seen are predicting an above-average season, but less active than last year. Hopefully we'll be spared anything major. The Caribbean needs a break after Irma & Maria.

Included in both the Deluxe Package and also the Refreshment Package. My wife broke even on her RP (bought on steep sale) almost purely due to multiple latte / machiatto purchases every day. ?

Your deluxe drink package includes all specialty coffee...excluding the stand alone Starbucks locations.

They were there in January; great spot for a picture. Right across from where you get on the pier to return to the ship.

Finally bought insurance for July cruise last week...no chances taken.

May and June hurricanes making landfall are super rare, but the early weather systems can still scramble a ship's itinerary. I'm living dangerously and haven't bought insurance for my October cruise this year, but I'm thinking about it more and more if I can still get it.

I find this works wonders. ?

I couldn't agree more ...... plus, it seems criminals are not afraid of prison any longer ..... 3 Hots & a Cot, Free Cable, Free Internet, Free College Education, Free Medical Care the list goes on and on..... make prison a punishment, not a stay at a resort. - of course, this is just my opinion from the outside looking in .....

That is the most sad story about cruising . Weather it’s a accident or not . U just need to be very careful on cruise ships

If you are referring to the Refreshment package (Royal Refreshment), this includes the specialty coffees (no Starbucks on the Oasis class but you can get the specialty coffees at non starbucks locations e.g. Cafe Promenade, Park Cafe, etc...) and teas, freshly squeezed juices, bottled water (I got the Evian large bottle on Labadee, Haiti) and everything else in the Soda package. Do not pay for the extra bottled water to be delivered to your room.

We are diamond plus, we get 6 bottles of water each night with our coupons. My husband gets a couple bottles of beer in the diamond lounge.

I've stayed at the Excellence El Carmen in DR and have some friends who have stayed at other properties (specifically, Playa Mujeres and Riviera Maya). We all had great things to say about the Excellence brand. I would go back in a heartbeat if I didn't have cruise vacations planned for the next two years! Adults only, great variety of food options (this is one of the things I like about cruising), great pools and service. We had a swim up suite. The room was fantastic, we had a hot tub in our room. The spa was incredible. Before your treatment, you spend about 45 minutes doing hydrotherapy, using steam, sauna, cold water, thalassotherapy pools, etc. We then had a salt scrub, soak in a tub, and hour long massage. After your treatment, you're led to this room with beds that sway gently and you drink champagne for as long as you'd like. The treatment was only $250USD total and it lasted about 3 hours, so a great price. Just thinking about it makes me want to cancel a cruise and go back... The only downside I saw to El Carmen was that it didn't have much of a beach area. I prefer relaxing by a pool so it wasn't a deal breaker for me. The only other all inclusive I have to compare it to is Beaches resort in Turks & Caicos. I would take Excellence over Beaches any day.

I would do the same thing.

WOW!! What spectacular pictures! You have a wonderful eye, and a beautiful family!! Come on Canada - pull for the 'NING!!!!!

Yes it does. It's a typical plastic bottle of water (8oz, I think) and typically an off brand of water. I think it depends on the ship and which supplier they use. You can absolutely ask for a bottle of water just like you would order a soda or cocktail. In fact, they often allow you to order a cocktail and a bottle of water at the same time. Great strategy to start stockpiling water in your stateroom. Yes, the delxue beverage package includes specialty coffee (lattes, espresso, etc) from a place like Cafe Promenade or a specialty restaurant.

Actually, they're from the waitstaff in the MDR.

God almighty, those are some seriously cut / ripped individuals! Please tell me they were performers and not just a random sampling of guests doing a Zumba class! If the latter, I'm going to be even more reluctant to board an Oasis-class ship; my self-esteem couldn't handle being surrounded by so much physical fit-ness! ??

Day 2-Sea Day The weather remains windy with some sprinkles. Starting to get worried about the activities later in the cruise. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Breakfast in the Wind Jammer was what I would expect. I like Royal’s buffet fat better than Carnival ‘s so I am not normally disappointed. After breakfast we did the stairs and top track workout to burn some of those calories off. With the wind blowing so hard it was very difficult to walk outside. After giving up we said our hellos to every room attendant on decks 5-10. Not as fun as walking outside but sometimes you have to sacrifice. Lunch I the Windjammer. Same as expected. Dinner tonight was formal night. I stopped wearing suits almost 30 years ago, ties almost 20 years ago and it is very rare to talk me into a dress shirt and slacks. My wife took pity on me and we went to the Windjammer.  We cought the 8:30 headliner show “Invitation to Dance”. I had seen this production once before (in the Independence I think) but it was still good to watch. I am really liking the orchestra.  Out on my balcony for a half hour before my wife drags me in and tells me to go to sleep ?  Tomorrow, Cape Canaveral

I don't blame you. We did Samba on our Allure cruise in April and we were so disappointed. It had previously been such a fun experience and this time it was just - meh. I completely agree with you. It should be made clear which restaurants qualify for the BOGO (or any package, for that matter) when you purchase it. I have heard that on some ships, Wonderland is not included in the dining packages. I can't say that is a BAD thing, as I loathed Wonderland but some enjoy it very much or at least want to try it just to find out, once they board, that dining at Wonderland is not an option with the package. They need to be CLEAR about what is included and what is excluded.

Strangely enough, Deck 4 chairs by the shuffleboard court! While our wives were off at cupcake class, my son and I just sat there, shared a drink and talked life. Most relaxing moment of the trip (even though neither of us cared for the drink (Dublin Ice Tea)

File this under "Strange yet intriguing." Royal Caribbean has filed a trademark for something it calls "Cerebro". It's something it refers to in the trademark as "Providing business intelligence services." "Data mining; Data warehousing; Design of information graphics and data visualization materials" I really have no idea if this is anything you or I will ultimately care about, but it sounds cool. Fellow geeks will know "Cerebro" is the name of Doctor X's mutant finding computer from X-Men.

Welcome @Dennis M, @WAAAYTOOO and @coneyraven are the best, my understanding is exactly as they have explained. I'm not a big gambler so I lean on them a bunch.

It is not about beating a dead horse or about being politically correct. It's about human beings showing some respect and sympathy for parents who lost a child under tragic circumstances. It is baffling to me how some people don't get that. If it's supposed to be a family here on RCBlog, I guess I've been disowned by some. Oh well.

Maybe he had the pizza

I have a small spray bottle that goes into my 3-1-1 bag (you are flying are you not?) that I fill from the big bottle. It holds enough for more than a week for us.