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A quick recap of our cruise along with some more pictures Where do I even begin . . . rating these on a scale of 10 Cruise 10/10 Id give the cruise itself a 10 out of 10. Was everything I knew it would be, well actually better than I thought it would be. Can't wait until we can book another cruise and have already begun talking about it. More than likely will be in 2020 and the revamped Coco Cay is on our list of stops we would like to hit up. Room 9.5/10 Besides being on the smaller side, which being on a ship, I totally understand, our room was great. Loved the location overlooking the boardwalk and being able to see the water and The Fine Line was a wonderful thing. I am deducting half a point because of the rock hard beds. Other than that we were totally happy. Also being able to watch the movies on the big screens at the aqua theater from our balcony was super cool. Crew 10/10 Everyone we interacted with was wonderful. Our room attendant Sydney was the man and took care of us and anything we needed. The few times at customer service went smoothly with no issues. No complaints here from us. Food 8/10 There were a few things we came across that was so so, like super burnt and crispy toast and french toast in Windjammer but then there was some amazing food as well, like our meal in Sabor. Shows 10/10 The shows blew our minds, didn't expect them to be that good, even the ice skating shows. I preferred Iskate over 1887 and Columbus over Grease but all were spectacular. The Fine Line was an action packed spectacle and a must see. We did miss the headliner act and comedian. The character meet and greets and breakfast was a lot of fun as well as the parade in the promenade. Labadee 10/10 Was really more than we were expecting. Could have spend a few more hours here. Zipline and coaster were highlights for me and my kids loved the beach and aqua park. Falmouth 7/10 For me this port was just ok. Probably the one port I would have been ok skipping, would have like to see more of the country side though Cozumel 8/10 The rain really did put a hamper on the day but made the best of with some shopping and lunch, the shopping did make up for a lot for us. Along with Jamacia, would have loved to see more of the real country Things we would have done differently Packed less, we severely over packed. Being our first family cruise we didn't know how much to bring and really could have brought less. Sign up for my time dining. I selected the 5:30 dining time and only made it to one meal at that time. Next time will def do the my time dining. Bring/save more money to spend in Cozumel, lol. Book back to back cruises. This is a pipe dream but would have been really great Odds and End Embarking and disembarking the ship couldn't have gone smoother for us. I was pleasantly surprised how smooth and really didn't have to wait in any long lines either day. Even finding our luggage was a breeze Ship could use a few more Coke Freestyle machines IMO ? Elevators could be a pain sometimes but with that many people its understandable Ship could use a few more of those frozen yogurt stands also ? Getting to and from our home in Palm Beach Gardens to Port Everglades was pretty easy as was dropping off our bags and parking

This. I've never seen such tight slots as the ones I played on Freedom last April. I might as well have thrown the money overboard while a casino watched and counted the bills. I would have set it on fire and tossed it in the rubbish bin, but they have rules about that on board. ?

Hello all, Just came back from a 7 night Bahamas cruise leaving from NJ. Wanted to let all you guys know that the Starbucks on Adventure of the seas was included in the deluxe package (My boyfriend had the deluxe package) and even in the refreshment package (I had the refreshment package). We enjoyed many coffees at no extra charge other then the packages we had ordered before cruise. I Think I read somewhere that Starbucks was not included even with packages so I though to share my experience, and we went May 11 to May 18 2018 and it was included in the drink packages. On another note this was my first RC cruise with my boyfriend (we both have done other cruise seperate on other cruise lines) and we loved it. Not only was it our first cruise together, when we got back we decided to book 9 night May 2019 cruise leaving from NJ again. We are so excited to see Athem of the seas ship for the first time in 2019. Happy cruising.

Mobile Passport is a separate app authorized by US Customs and Border Protection. It is not associated with Royal Caribbean (or any cruise line) and can be used when flying at some airports as well. It's been used for air travel for some time and just recently (2017) Port Everglades was added as the first cruise port.

The home ports thread intrigued me in that what are the differences between the ports from various perspectives. So, here it goes from a bit different angle for ports that Royal Caribbean uses off the top of my head...I'd love to know what others think and what their experiences are... Port Canaveral (overall favorite so far) Physical Characteristics -- big port and not too busy around -- arranged nicely -- really exciting to drive to it from Orlando on 528 and seeing a few ships docked. Distance from airport -- this is very manageable using a rental or using a shuttle or ride share service -- it is an extra expense you don't encounter at the other Florida ports Hotels -- lots of hotels within a couple miles of the port Rental Car Agencies -- plenty to choose from Parking -- it's right there and very convenient. There are also lots of third party options. Embarkation -- I've experienced the most efficient boarding process at this port Sail Away -- this is very nice, however, once the lines are dropped, you are pretty much gone. To the north is Cape Canaveral and lots of beach and flat vistas other than a distant view of Nasa. To the south, it's pretty much Cocoa Beach. Not as much to look at as other ports. Disembarkation -- efficient -- I've never been in customs too long -- easy to get out of there Port Miami Physical Characteristics -- because of the geography, there is only one way to get there -- really exciting to see five to seven ships docked all in a row -- coolest turning basin I have seen Distance from airport -- two big airports are close. Miami International is expensive for domestic flights. Fort Lauderdale is about 40 minutes away -- I do not like this airport at all, it's awful, but it doesn't take too long to get away from there. Hotels -- there are lots to choose from -- they are fairly expensive, but if you look diligently, you can find a good rate -- I have stayed in a South Beach hotel that I really liked on Ocean Drive for less than $180. Rental Car Agencies -- lots Parking -- it's right there and very convenient. There are also lots of third party options Embarkation -- it's pretty good, but it seemed to be very frenetic getting in the terminal and getting on board since there people disembarking are crossing pretty much the same space as people embarking. I think Port Canaveral does it better considering the terminals are spaced out more, and people leaving don't necessarily intersect. Sail Way -- absolutely gorgeous -- I guess I like the urban points of interest -- it's seen more in photos and videos, so it is really nice actually to be there Disembarkation -- pretty quick and efficient -- the sidewalk outside the terminal seems frenetic like on embarkation day, and it's easier just to grab a cab to get out of there. Tampa Physical Characteristics -- it is pretty much downtown -- always cool to see ships docked there -- the terminals and the area is small and compact -- it's perfect for the size ships it handles -- up to 90,000 grt from what I understand Distance from airport -- it's very close -- about 15-20 minutes Hotels -- it's downtown Tampa -- I will probably continue to do what I did before when I sail from there and stay at the Marriott at the airport. If I have time, I would stay at the Waterfront and just walk to the terminal if it's not too hot. Rental Cars -- not really necessary here because ride shares and taxis are plentiful -- there is one agency in a nearby hotel that you can use that I know about Parking -- essentially across the street Embarkation -- the two (of three) terminals I have used are small and efficient -- I really like this port -- one terminal is very nice -- another is like a warehouse --aesthetics are nice, but not critical. One sailing (at the wareshousey one) required a wait for the ship to be cleared, and it was fine. The other sailing had us getting on board just a couple seconds after completing check-in. Sail Away -- to the left (or the east), it is very industrial -- to the right, you get absolutely gorgeous views of Tampa -- I love sailing through Tampa Bay to the bridge which take almost an hour Disembarkation -- I paid a porter to get us out quickly both times because I witnessed the lines being very long. He got us through customs quickly Port Everglades -- as of this writing, I sail out of there for the first time three weeks from today -- I will report about it in a live blog on this forum -- I am excited about it being close to airport, hotel, rental cars, etc Other ports on the bucket list Bayonne -- can't wait Baltimore -- I expect to sail from here within a couple years San Juan -- I really look forward to sailing from this port -- I can't wait to spend a couple days there before a sailing New Orleans -- may be the first port I drive to from home -- wait, I drove to Tampa one time Boston -- if we decide to do a New England and Canada cruise, it will be from here. I love Boston despite how expensive it is. Galveston -- I expect to sail from there eventually, but it may be one of the last on this list that I pick Southampton -- I am working on a back to back from there sometime in May of 2021 to celebrate a milestone anniversary Barcelona -- I am looking for an opening for a sailing from there...maybe Icon Class? Sydney -- If I live long enough Singapore -- see Sydney Shanghai -- see Singapore Other Ports?

Fingers crossed that it's only sea legs. After our AIDAprima cruise (7 nights) I was landsick for 2 weeks. Yeah, unfortunately landsickness is a thing. No matter what I did, the dizziness and nausea wouldn't stop - I thought I was going crazy. Did ruin our post-cruise stay in Barcelona ? On another topic: I really enjoyed your blog. Your photos could rival that Twangster bot

Hello all, Just came back from a 7 night Bahamas cruise leaving from NJ. We went May 11 to May 18 2018. During the cruise me and my boyfriend both got casino certificates on the second to last night to use for future cruise. I got 300$ and my boyfriend got 100$. we played alot of money in the casino this trip between the both of us. Just wondering what's the norm on these certificates? Has anyone got them before? How much do they usually give? What's the highest amount you ever got? happy cruising.

We will be going to Cozumel three times this Summer. My husband says if I spend wisely this Summer, I can book a cruise on our last cruise in August.

Yeah we got warned ahead of time not to leave the port by ourselves. Next time we would like to go on a tour

We didn't plan on buying much but that changed once we saw the weather and cancelled our beach resort. That freed up some money. Next time though, we will be better prepared. Just something about being there that makes you just want to shop, lol

Actually , the interesting question is who supervise the RC casino (or actually any cruise company casino). In mainland US its quite clear and each casino is committed to certain percentage of payouts. I can not complain on my last slots machines experience on Symphony Of the Seas , maybe it was just pure luck or maybe the machines were tuned to be more generous for the new ship.

Thanks for a great review, loved the photos ?

@Hockeyman55 loved this blog! So happy that you and your family enjoyed Harmony and that all that planning played out well for you. Fantastic pictures! Your line about Cozumel made me laugh. We usually don't care much about the ports these days but whenever Cozumel is on the itinerary, we bring extra money! lol!

love the blog next time in Falmouth book the beach buggy ride with lunch ride was ok lunch was good but definitely jerk the real treat was the van ride through the real Jamaica it takes well over an hour to get there well over you will se how it really is and on the way back you will stop at a well guarded shopping mall for some shopping the poverty is incredible and right in the middle of the shanties is a mansion saw dozens of examples of this Jamaica is a fascinating place to visit but you must see it with a guide never alone

@DunkelBierJay great summary! I also found it interesting too that you disliked FLL. I like the size of that airport and I find that people always flow smoothly through there. And I have only ever left from terminal 18 and I love it there. FLL is one of my favourite ports to leave from. EWR is actually one of my least favourites. Made me laugh reading Joe's last paragraph because I felt like that airport was so dated! Maybe it was just the terminal I was at but there was nothing there at all, barely any food options and no working wifi. Very primitive lol. I was very impressed with the terminal at Bayonne though. Not quite a dressed up as Terminal 18 in PE but fastest flowing ever!

Fantastic blog and stunning photos! Thanks so much for sharing! Do consider the late traditional dining slot (8 or 8:30, depending on ship). Having done it myself, I can say that there wasn't one time when I went there feeling ravenous or wishing our dining slot was just a little bit earlier. And since we usually saw a show or did some other activity afterward, it wasn't like we were eating and going to bed right after. Service was great every night, and I think the staff wasn't feeling nearly as rushed or pressured as they might have with an earlier seating. We normally eat at 6:30 when at home, so I attribute the lack of major hunger at 8:30 to the ready supply of snacking items you can get for free on board. Well, that and probably the sail-away margaritas I had most days!

I find it interesting you dislike the FLL airport so much. Having mostly flown out of EWR and knowing the experience there, my family and I all thought that FLL airport was much nicer and more pleasant to deal with than EWR. Kind of makes me wonder what your reaction will be to EWR when you finally get a chance to sail out of Bayonne. ?

Great live blog and awesome photos! Looking forward to your next cruise and blog.

Beautiful family! Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing.

A day late but here is day 8 Today was the day nobody looks forward to, the last day of the cruise. With our bags put outside the night prior, there wasnt much left to pack up to carry off. We had decided to wake up early so we could enjoy one last breakfast at Windjammer. After that we grabbed our carry off bags and headed down to Silk to wait for our number to be called. Number called, left the shipped, found our bags and loaded up into our SUV and was back home in less than an hour. That last sentence was such a depressing sentence to type ? Overall thoughts and pictures to follow

Welcome.... Big "O" is a nice boat.

Regarding the certificates , The highest certification you can get is Balcony cabin for two were you can use for certain cruises, if you want to use it for other cruise you are getting a 1000 $ off any cruise. As other said here , its easy to accumulate points in slots machines , there are two reason for that : 1. Its easy to track the slots machines , once you put your card in (or wave it in the new ships) the computer track your exact play and can calculate how much money you used while in table games its harder . For example if you are playing 50 $ per hand at a BJ table which has 10 $ minimum and its not being notice by the host/Pit boss the system will calculate as you played only 10 $ per hand. 2. The certificates value and other perks are calculate from the theoretic money you loose in the casino , since slot machines has much worse chances than table game you are getting more points playing them.Theoretic money lost is calculate by the money you play , the casino edge and the time you are playing

Wow , for one second I thought I am reading a thread in CC? As part of my work I am traveling all around the world (most of the US, Canada , South America, Asia , Europe) and I like to watch and learn about the differences and similarity in culture, food , sports , way of doing business , many time I find much more similarity than differences (well maybe not in food). I will be very bored if everyone act the same. I cruised from the FLL, Barcelona , Honk Kong and all was very nice, I guess I will not cruise from Baltimore in the near future just because currently we prefer big ships and from Baltimore I can see only small ships cruising, also much easier to fly to NYC. Planning to cruise next year from Southampton has I found some nice itinerary with Indi , I am sure we are gong to enjoy it as we enjoy all our cruises until now.

Call Casino Royale to quote your next cruise. They can apply your cruise certificates with the current RCL promotions. More often than not, they have better pricing with the casino rates but they are not stackable with RCL promos (WOW bonus, OBC, instant savings, etc.) Depending on your game play, you may receive a letter in the mail with free cruise offers.

Welcome KasinoCrazy ! 2 BDR ATS? Nice! You've found a great place to hang out while waiting those long days until to tick down.

Hi Everyone, My name is Gail and I am from Michigan. My husband, myself and our 2 daughters (age 23 and 13) will be going on our first (my husband and I cruised on our honeymoon) family cruise in January 2019 on the OASIS of the SEAS! We have booked the spacious aquatheater 2 bedroom suite ? "YOLO book it" LOL My oldest daughter just completed her Masters program and is planning on getting married in 2020. My youngest daughter is starting high school in September. She has had terrible asthma and allergies all her life and we have never been able to vacation due to it. We think (and pray) that she is outgrowing them and they are now manageable...YAY! So this is our first family week long vacation EVER!! We are SO excited and LOVE these boards and all the information they have available. Looking forward to following these boards from now til.............I think I'm already hooked!! LOL

I'm east coast all the way, work in NYC, live on Long Island. I travel to visit a friend 2x a year in Texas. I LOVE IT THERE. While our views at times may be different, they're the most polite people I've ever met.

Not uncommon to get free balcony cruises but requires lots of play...and it’s easier to earn credit with slots than table games. unhappy with my last host on Enchantment when i only earned a $400 cert. i monitored my rating more closely on my most recent Adventure of the Seas Cruise. First night, 3 hours at the craps table, 100 per roll and i only earned 179 points. 1hour of slots i earned 900 points.

No more life jackets is so wonderful. Friends of ours were on a carnival cruise 2 weeks ago and 1 person did not show up for the muster drill. They went to his cabin and found him drunk as a skunk. They proceeded to remove him from the ship. And sailed off into the sunset without him. Most muster drills are on the deck but can be held in various other locations. Especially during inclement weather.

I’m afraid Port Everglades isn’t any better, at least in Terminal 29 where I disembarked from FotS this past April. Big warehouse-like area that all the luggage is brought to, grouped by the number you were given on your next to last night. Still have to search through your assigned pile to find your stuff. At least it’s in discrete smaller piles.

So here we are on day 7 which means tomorrow we are back home . . .booooooooo. Currently sitting in Sabor for dinner and I'll go out on a stretch and say the shredded short rib tacos have been the best meal I've had the whole trip. We skipped breakfast and ended up sleeping in until 9:30 which is super late for us. Rushed down to promanade to check out the glassware and t-shirt sale and of course walked away with some goodies. Also went to the other gift shops to do some last minute shopping. After shopping we had some time for ice skating. Myself and our 2 oldest went and had a blast. At 2:30 we had our showing of Grease. Was a fun show but not my favorite thing. My wife and kids loved it however. So her we are finally caught up. Will try to post more later but anticipate a busy evening and morning. Have tons of pictures to share so stay tuned

Day 6 was the day we were most looking forward to and one of the reasons we went on the Western Caribbean cruise, our day in Cozumel. About 3 days prior we knew it was going to be a rainy day so we cancelled our reservations for Mr Sanchos and decided to spent the day in port shopping and eating. Was initially disappointed but it turned into a good day regardless. Our hual included some jewelry, chocolate, tequila, cologne and trinkets for the kids. Once back on board we spent some time in the hot tubs and then dinner at Windjammer again. After that we played mini golf again and ping pong, by that time it was 10pm and I was spent. Off to bed for day 7

Oh BEWARE, for there shall be wearing of sackcloth and ashes, rending of garments, and gnashing of teeth when it finally happens ! I wouldn't even be surprised if the moon turns to blood and frogs rain from the skies !

I think Junior Suites should be given access to suite lounge. Maybe they can set up kid tables in the corner of suite lounge so that everyone can see "those are the junior suite people" sitting in smaller chairs at a low table. Seriously - all that money for JS and what do you get? A walk in closet and double points. On a handful of ships you get Coastal kitchen dinner. RCI needs to throw the JS people a bone.

This occurs daily. New transmission? That's a 7 night cruise to the Caribbean! That sweet lens Art Sigma just released, that's an Alaska cruise! New hardwood floors? That's a Hawaiian cruise!

You know you have a cruising problem when you see numbers like that and think, "Wow, an ocean view balcony cabin just for the body! And a promenade balcony per lens!" ::raising hand:: Hi, my name is Joe...

$2k for camera + $800-1k for the lens. Your pictures are great! I can't personally justify spending that much for a camera set up, but you cannot argue with the results. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to that level of stuff...in the name of research!

Indeed. I'm pretty heavily vested into my Nikon full frame. The camera body is easy, it's the lenses! I have the Rokinon 12mm and 14mm which for the price are great lens and f2.8 to boot. Sony is really doing a great job taking on Canon/Nikon and leading mirrorless advances. If it weren't for the lenses, I'd be pretty tempted to jump ship (pun unintended).

I think any Suite level above JS should enjoy exclusive perks that are separate from what the Pinnacle folks receive. One is based on Ststus and the other is based on spending more money to have a more exclusive experience. It’s great that you have achieved Pinnacle but if you didn’t book a suite for a particular cruise then you shouldn’t have business in the Suite Lounge. Just my opinion.

The Daily News in Galveston is reporting that Royal Caribbean wants to bring an Oasis class cruise ship to Galveston in the fall of 2020. So far, the Oasis class ships have been based in popular cruise ports in South Florida (Port Everglades and Port Canaveral). That could change in two years if the Port of Galveston has their way. However, in order for the port to be able to handle one of the cruise line’s 225,000+ gross ton cruise ships, a third terminal would have to be built that can support 6,000+ passengers. Port officials stated that a third terminal would cost over $100 million and there are questions about who will pay for it. Currently, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have multiple ships that sail year-round out of the two terminals at the Port of Galveston. Carnival will be sending their largest cruise ship, Carnival Vista, to the port in September. Disney Cruise Line also sails seasonally out of Galveston. Building a third terminal would pose a few challengers for the Port of Galveston. The first would be where to put it. A second challenge would be re-accommodating current tenants, such as Del Monte Fresh Produce, to new terminals at the port. When the Daily News reached out to Royal Caribbean about the matter, they refused to comment on it. Port Director Rodger Rees told the Daily News that in order for the port to be ready for an Oasis class ship by the fall of 2020, the project will need to be planned and designed by November 2018. There are currently four Oasis class ships in service with a fifth and unnamed vessel planned for 2021. Two of the cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are based in Port Everglades. A third, Oasis of the Seas, currently sails out of Port Canaveral. Symphony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, is sailing a season in the Mediterranean before heading to her new homeport in PortMiami.

If they create a Galaxy Class and don't name one Enterprise, I'm rioting.

Saw this today in a local nautical theme store.