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Well to say that we are extremely grateful is an understatement! Hubby had a heart attack this past Thursday, heart cath on Friday to find what the doctors call the "widow maker" with the main artery in his heart 99% blocked. They were able to fix it with a balloon and stint. We came home on Saturday and other than being very sore is feeling pretty good. He has to take it easy for a few weeks. I asked the doctor about flying for our Alaska cruise and he said he could fly in 4 weeks. We were 2 days shy of the 4 weeks and the doctor gave his blessing. I did have trip insurance but thankful that he is still here and to be able to still go. Hubby is very active and that was in his favor too.

Very blessed and grateful for sure. With only 2-5% even survive to get to the hospital. We are high school sweethearts, married for 42 years and our plans are to grow old together!

If so I bet no one was complaining about long lines.

Was the coke included in the drinks package? If it was then at £45 per day that's not to be sniffed at ? Probably the only time there's been a straight line on an RC cruise

My wife and I just returned from a kid free cruise on Grandeur for our 10th anniversary and I wanted to share some thoughts. This was a New England/Canada itinerary. I had previously been on Adventure way back in 2004, this was my wife's first cruise. I'm not much of a poster on these boards, but I have been reading/lurking for a while now to get all of the current info (thanks!). My first impression of the ship was how small it was. I know Adventure isn't huge, but the Grandeur was surprisingly small. We didn't feel cramped or crowded though - except maybe in the Windjammer at lunch. You can see that the ship is on the older side, but mostly just from the exterior. The public spaces inside looked well-kept and clean. Our balcony cabin felt dated - some vent covers were broken, the sliding door was barely hanging on. We did MDR every night for dinner with no issues. Our head waiter was amazing. My wife is vegan, so we were a little worried about finding food she could eat and actually enjoy, but the head waiter took care of everything. There was a small vegan menu, but by about the third dinner she just told him to pick everything since he was doing such a good job. We spent a lot of time with our drink packages in the Schooner Bar - or should I say the highway between the centrum and the south pacific lounge. Every night there was a steady stream of people coming and going from karaoke or art auctions etc. It seemed to bother the performers at times. The crew was great - as many have mentioned previously on the boards. There were hugs and handshakes all around on the last night. The ports were great. We had never been up to New England before. It was a little chilly in a couple spots - St John especially, and there was one night of pretty rough seas going into Halifax. They brought out the bags after dinner. I felt there was a lot more movement on this ship compared to the Adventure, but the north Atlantic is not the same as the southern Caribbean so probably not a fair comparison. Overall, we had a great trip. I think I've convinced my wife to cruise again, hopefully it won't take 10 more years. Our biggest drawback was the smoking in the casino. It was terrible. There was no where to go where you didn't smell the smoke. Other than that, I don't think this ship would be the best for kids. There weren't many on board, and besides the Adventure Ocean, there wasn't much for them to do. I don't think the pool was even open on a couple days when it was in the upper 50's. Anyway, thanks for all the tips and advice - this website was a huge help with planning. Happy cruising!

Day 2 — Nassau Mornings at sea are by far my favorite time aboard I don’t need to sell that idea to most people on this blog. It is a restful, relaxing and exciting time The kids had not been to Nassau, so what do you do? You walk around and go to the ship by lunch if you’re not doing the British Colonial Hilton, Baja Mar or Atlantis. We walked off the ship beyond the tour operators and cab driver and headed to the Queens Staircase. We were corned at the parking lot area behind Princess Margaret Hospital and the entrance to the staircase by a man who gave us the full history. Sometimes, you just stay and listen, and I’m glad we did. He gave a quick and through history of the staircase and Queen Victoria’s role in ending slavery. I’m glad my kids heard it from that man rather than a tour operator. I gladly tipped him and we walked into a sacred area.

Embarkation Day continued The naughty room was entertaining though. A man near us was arguing with security about his steamer that they were confiscating. *Dude* He would not take no for an answer, and was taking names of the staff there, their supervisors and their family. Voice raised, eyes popping out of his head, the world is coming to an end because he was going to be without his steamer. My daughter wanted to tip the security guy he was yelling at for putting up with him. Wow, I thought. The long wait till Izumi involved grabbing our first lava flows in the Schooner bar and browsing the shops which just opened. 9:00 pmcame before we knew it, and we had a fantastic time enjoying the experience at Izumi hibachi. The chefs are a couple notches above who you experience on shore, and we did lots of laughing as they enjoyed over feeding us. One feature of this restaurant is they allow you to mix the proteins that are listed on the menu. That was nice because I put the filet together with the shrimp. Fantastic. Wow, I thought.

We sail on our first cruise this Friday from Seward, AK to Vancouver aboard the Radiance of the Seas. I plan to bring the laptop and since I didn't see a live blog for Radiance I thought I'd give it a try. We travel to Anchorage from Philadelphia on Wednesday. The flight gets in late so we traveled a day early to rest up before cruising. We're flying American through Phoenix. With two 5-hour flights we'll also have another first - flying 1st Class for at least one leg (Philly-Phoenix) and on standby for the upgrade from Phoenix to Anchorage. Flights were arranged using points on my AA account. We'll have all day Thursday and Friday morning in Anchorage before we head to the convention center to get a shuttle to the train depot where we'll meet my sister-in-law and her husband (they are doing Denali) to take the train from Anchorage to Seward. I was able to use points for 2 nights at the Crowne Plaza in Anchorage. Any "don't miss" attractions/restaurants in Anchorage? Pre-purchased: Voom for 2 ($22.38/day); Refreshment package for 2 ($297.36 for 7 days). We also got the RC credit card and used it to pay off the cruise and other purchases (excursions, refreshment package, etc.). Accumulated 30K+ points so converted it to $300 OBC! Here's the itinerary with excursions we purchased. We go the best deals in March - 3 months before sailing - on the excursions.: Day 1 (6/22) - Leave Seward, AK 8 PM Day 2 (6/23) - Cruising - Hubbard Glacier Day 3 (6/24) - Juneau Discover Juneau’s natural splendors as you board a waterjet-powered catamaran in search of whales before exploring the massive Mendenhall Glacier. Enjoy complimentary binoculars and snacks and pass snow-capped peaks and islands dotting picturesque Stephen’s Passage. Look for humpback and orca whales, sea lions, and bald eagles while learning about their behaviors from your guide. Explore the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, where you can visit with Forest Service Rangers, enjoy interactive exhibits and roam nearby trails. JU40 Day 4 (6/25) - Skagway Discover Skagway’s rich gold mining history along the scenic White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, viewing historic landmarks, panning for gold, and savoring a scrumptious buffet. Travel via vintage rail car, passing picturesque vestiges of the Klondike Gold Rush. Meet vivacious pioneer characters at Alaska 360 Dredge Town, where you’ll engage in gold panning. Relish a tasty menu of salmon and barbecue ribs while relaxing at Taiya Inlet’s Pure Gold Buffet. SK62 Day 5 (6/26) - Icy Strait Point/Hoonah. We're doing separate excursions: I'm going birdwatching while my wife is cooking.... Explore the avian diversity of Hoonah’s lush temperate rainforest and its surrounding tidal waters with a local expert — the only dedicated birding tour in Alaska offered to cruise guests. Your guide will show you the best places to scope for seabirds, ducks, gulls and bald eagles, then lead your small group down a trail through mixed forest and grasslands to find a wealth of passerines. Binoculars, rain jackets and the highest-quality spotting scopes will be provided. Whether you are an avid birder or a casual birdwatcher, your guide will help you get the most out of your Alaska experience. What’s more, a portion of the proceeds for this tour go to the Juneau Audubon Society for research and development of birding in the Hoonah area. IC44 Capture the essence of real Alaskan flavor by experiencing a fresh seafood meal the local way. Participate in a festive tasting session in a rustic setting, hosted by an engaging, experienced Alaskan fisherwoman and wilderness chef. Discover what sets the region’s seafood apart, including local fishing, preserving and cooking techniques; watch an expert filleting demonstration, and grill your own catch-of-the-day sample over a custom-made wood grill. IC36 Day 6 (6/27) : Ketchikan Explore Ketchikan's illustrious history while viewing historic landmarks and enjoying coastal scenery onboard a Coast Guard-certified vessel that doubles as a bus and a boat. Journey on land via bus, as you pass the antique clock in Whale Park and Ketchikan Creek's salmon ladder. Drive straight into Tongass Narrows channel for a dynamic boat ride, where you'll see fishing canneries and charming waterfront communities. You might even spot bald eagles, whales, and other native animals. KE29 Day 7 (6/28) - Cruising Day 8 (6/29)- Arrive in Vancouver at 7AM From Vancouver we are renting a car and heading to Seattle, WA for 2 nights (Holiday Inn using points) before heading back towards Vancouver. We still have a night to book between Seattle and Vancouver before taking a red-eye home (Vancouver-Chicago, Chicago-Philly). Now to start packing!!

It's always the stubborn Canadian's fault.

Just so we're clear, we're blaming @Lovetocruise2002 for this tangent? Got it.

For the past 2 weeks he had a few chest pains that only lasted about a minute or so. Then Thursday morning at 2:30 am, he had chest pain that went thru to his back and wouldn't go away. I gave him 4 baby aspirins (equals 1 whole one) and took him to the ER (I wanted to call 911 and he wouldn't let me). ER got in straight back and did blood work checking for the "t" enzyme. He did have the enzyme show up but only slight. 2nd blood draw in 3 hours was up a little more so they admitted him. At 3 pm same day, he had very strong chest pains and the nurses gave my nitroglycerin and aspirin and called the doctor. More blood work was done and enzyme was up a good bit. Having him already in the hospital is was saved him because treatment was done immediately. For what it's worth, every EKG the normal (even immediately after this bad attack), his blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen rates were all good. So being already at the hospital with our early warning signs is all that saved him. If he had been out working or even at home, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.

That's for when he's not watching nature from a distance and hiding from the wildlife ?

Love seeing another person live blogging from Alaska this coming weekend! It's easy to spot me, here's a photo for reference

For the record, I'm still home ?

Yeah, I rarely get the drink package even when I'm solo and just need to buy one. Even before making diamond and getting diamond happy hour drinks, 8 nights or longer and the drink package was too much for me. Drink fatigue kicks in around day 5-6. That isn't so bad on a 7 night cruise but 8 or longer and no way, the drink package is just too much to justify. I have some 13-16 night cruises next year coming up. I'm not even going to do the math. Just no. Bring two bottles of wine. Buy some drinks in port. Use the BOGO beer/wine C&A coupon. Go to the Captain's address. Go to the top tier event if platinum or higher. Buy an occasional drink. Hope for the drink card.

To show you where my head is at, I was thinking you were talking about dinner!

Ummm.....isn't that what I've been trying to tell you Mr. Oasis Denier! ?

Would you consider canceling his drink package and replacing it with a refreshment package? He can still get the occasional glass of wine or whatever a la carte, and depending on what you paid for the deluxe package you may well come out decently ahead there. You'd have to call Royal to put that through because of the exception to both passengers in the cabin buying the package, but it's doable.

Great news on the recovery front. Good thing that an Alaska cruise can be wonderful just watching the scenery - it's one way to help assure that sufficient relaxation time takes place.

By the way, am I the only one who read "OH MY!" and heard it in George Takei's voice. OHHHHH MY!

LOL, no worries guys ?

Not really, our two main cards are a UPromise card that we've been using for years to save up money for college books and other small edu expenses, and then my Amazon Rewards card that was really useful before this last cruise for getting the various things we needed in preparation, and generally helps with keeping the . Probably once the kids are both out of college, we'll switch over to a Chase Sapphire card or a no-fee hotel / airline card so we can start offsetting those expenses a little bit. Apologies to the OP for (as usual when @Lovetocruise2002 and I get going) taking this thread completely off-topic!

My one daughter will be too old for AO by the time they take another cruise, and the other will be at least 16 and close to the end of any teen activity participation, so AO really won't be a factor. It's more the selection of other on-board activities, whether they do them on their own or with a group of peers, and which the OP indicated there just wasn't much of. Before you can chime in about all the Oasis offerings, @Lovetocruise2002 (?) -- I'm figuring our next couple of cruises will have to sail out of Cape Liberty (or Baltimore if just the wife and I go) so that there's no airfare or hotel expenses and it's more budget-friendly overall. Limits the itinerary options, I know, but there are some nice 9-12 night options if we're willing to take the younger one out of high school for a week and the older one's college schedule isn't an issue.

That is still an unbelievable price! Congrats! A definite win!

We were in 11330 on Harmony (our first ATS !!) a few years ago and it is really wonderful. You're going to enjoy it so much. The balcony, the view......definitely worth the money, especially at that price !!! I agree about no longer being able to combine casino rates + certificates. Those were the days....

Wow thanks for taking the time to explain. Glad all ended well.

After reading much about it for the last few months, I'm mad at myself for having to wait until March 2019 to try it, second time around on Harmony! @DunkelBierJay, looked like a great day in Nassau! I haven't had lunch yet and now I am all of the sudden starving after that Kummelweck pic!

Congrats on 42 years. May all your health issues be behind you. The two of you are doing something right to be wed 42 years. That is a rare story these days. Enjoy the cruise and each other for years to come.

What normal symptoms may be for one person will not always hold true for others. Like the saying goes you know your own body. Never blow off something as oh I`m OK or I will be fine or its just gas. Five years ago I was having stomach pains; nothing intense. I went to my Gastro. Dr. and he said I was fine. I knew I was not fine so I went to a 2nd Gastro Dr. who ordered an M.R.I. with dye contrast and they found an aneurysm and a dissection of my Iliac artery. Two stents later all is well. So you just never know.

following along. thanks for sharing!

Trip be damned, I'm so relieved for both of you that he is doing well. That said - go and enjoy, relax, and have fun with your sweetie!

Good news! Someone worked on my issue and they repriced my Aquatheater suite for $2,088 total for 2 of us!! Yippee! Finally something went right calling the casino number!

I have not gotten e mails for 2 years and have given up on calling and or submitting e mails. Customer "NO SERVICE" and then some. You can call them 5 times and get 4 different answers. I know as they say been there done that numerous times over the years. Thank goodness for this blog site.

OOOOF! Glad he's okay and now you can celebrate.

Wow! So glad everything is ok with your hubby. While I'm sure the cruise is very low on the priority list, its probably a relief to have the travel insurance. Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery so you can enjoy a well deserved trip.

Holy cow! I'm really glad to year your husband made it through OK and is still with you! Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery, and no more scares like that for either of you! Also glad you'll be able to make your cruise, but his health is paramount.

So glad he's doing better ...... Have an enjoyable, relaxing trip. You both deserve it.

In am returning right now from Harmony of the Seas. It was our first cruise ever! My hubby and I took our14 year old son, and I just wanted to share his first time with the teen club, which was VERY important to us on our vacation. The first night, there was a meet and greet in the club, and he said that it was PACKED! The kids seemed to exchange Instagram addresses, phone numbers etc. the first night and then arrange to meet up throughout the week in groups of 5-30 kids. He had a blast! The kids met for lunches, dinners, Flowrider sessions, and the late night dance parties were amazing he said. The Hush silent dance party with the headphones was the best party of his life he said. They had games like Battle of the Sexes, which was a boys vs girls very competitive game, karaoke, and many other events. They had an ice skating party, which required long pants, so pack those too! My son is pretty outgoing and had no problem making lots of friends and tearfully told us this morning that he had the best week of his life........ my hubby and I felt like we had a “date” with it being just the two of us for the majority of the week, so keep that in mind parents! To sum it up, have no fears about your teen making friends and finding lots of kids to do fun things with all week! Have a great trip!

There should be Canadian kids! Most schools here return the Tuesday after Labour day.

The force is strong with you Master-Bot. That's how you were able to resist and ignore ?

I didn't realize Allure was using Mobile Check In already. It sounds like it worked really well.

Today was all to prepare for Izumi....Wow, I thought. Embarkation Day We woke up with a task before heading to the port. Unsuccessful in our attempt to fill a prescription the night before, we packed our bags, loaded our rental and headed to a location of the drug store chain we use. Since filling it would take 20-30 minutes, I decided the best way to get close to our original schedule would be to take the bags to the port and return. It worked well, and within about 45 minutes we were dropping our rental at the off site location very close to the port. I called a ride share, and were entering Port Everglades. .. Entering the Port and Check-In it’s necessary you have your passport and cruise docs ready to enter the port and terminals. This is where having a print out of your set sail pass is handy, even if you are using the Royal App. A short line of cars to enter the port gave us a chance to get everything ready for the officer at the gate. We entered the building with our passports and mobile phones in hand. We had our backup printed set sail pass at the ready just in case. When the port staff saw that we had our apps ready for scanning, we were ushered to a central area where our Mobile SeaPasses were scanned and our passports checked. Those who did not have expedited check-in with the app we’re on either side of our area as best I could tell. We turned a corner to our right and went through security with the suite guests and Pinnacles. Wow, I thought. After security. We entered a separate line adjacent to the suite guests, which was shorter. I gather a small percentage of overall guests are able to use or even know about expedited check-in. There were a few ahead of us, and when we went to the check-in desk, we provided our apps with SeaPass cued up along with our passports. The agent checked everything against the pics we uploaded at home during online check-in, handed us boarding vouchers and we were on board in as long as it took to walk there. Wow, I thought. We headed straight through the Royal Promenade and up to Central Park to Giovanni’s for lunch. They now only offer the Central Park balcony lunch perk on sea days on Allure. Still, it was a great, restful way to spend the first hour or two on board. We ate in anticipation of off-setting hunger waiting for our 9:00 pm Izumi Hibachi reservation. Wow, I thought. After lunch, we circled aft to the Boardwalk to check things out and then to the Royal Promenade to walk to the forward elevators. Up to deck 10, turn left and enter our adjoining staterooms at about 1:30 pm. This was pretty seamless...or frictionless... Wow, I thought. Most of our luggage (except mine —> more below) arrived within minutes. We explored a little and decided naps were needed. Naps didn’t last, so a few of us explored the ship. It is no lie that Oasis class ships are easy to navigate. Despite the monstrosity of Allure and the number of steps you take, you never feel lost or disoriented. Wow, I thought. *Back in the cabin* *Knock on the door* *A man hands me a slip of paper* I had a summons to the naughty room!!!! *What???? Me??? I didn’t try to break the rules...this time....I put it in my pocket. Wow, I thought. Soon, our stateroom attendant introduced herself and we had lots of laughs as she talked about going to muster. We decided to go early which had its merits as it was in the Blaze nightclub. It went longer than hoped, but not too bad. They made us watch the “Wash Your Hands” video and the James Bond style safety video. No wow...An episode of Royal crush would have been better. After sail away, which was fun on the bridge wing while failing to get on PTZTV, I headed down to the naughty room on Deck 2 with a couple of my kids, and the staff there were very nice. They found my bag, scanned it and said I had power strips which are verbotten. *Scratches Head...* *Really?* Anyway, I opened my bag and they were there. In my packing rush, I threw in a couple of the surge protectors thinking they were power strips. Nope. Surge protectors. *My bad* To be continued... I’m baking in the Solarium while docked in Nassau and need a beverage while writing this...

Every question I had in my mind before reading vanished when I read it was British reality tv show. It also mentions a show called Geordie shore! I would replace the S with a W A show where parents can sit and proudly watch their children having sex on tv. Nowadays people have very little respect for themselves never mind anyone else

I'd love later hours for WJ. I don't need 24 hours, but open till midnight seems like an simple change.

Check past cruise compass for your upcoming cruise on Anthem. They show movies in the Royal Theater during the daytime. They played Dr Strange in 3D on Oasis April 2017. I always download a few movies/shows on Netflix from home on my mobile device in the event of flight/travel delays.

I can see where perhaps they hoped for a better outcome, but I am rather surprised they did not roll back. 24+ hours of essentially a dead account management site is unacceptable for a major company like this. Their backend system is antiquated and overdue for an overhaul, so it's not a simple upgrade. However, as you mentioned @LetsTryThisTech, the duration of the problems exhibited is really bizarre to see in production for this length of time.

Such a terrible design! How could anyone think this is an upgrade? Sure, you can go to the "Already booked" option......but WHY?? Clearly you should be able to click on a cruise on your list and from there get all the options there are for that cruise (ie. the planner). This seems to be a total disconnect!

You can still access the Cruise Planner and Cruise documents by clicking on the "already booked" menu. You will need your cruise confirmation number to identify a specific reservedd cruise. Still a bit roundabout but at least better than no access.

Omg....I was trying so hard to be polite and wait for someone to make a comment about this before I jumped in. I laughed so hard at this comment because hubby and I have always said Disney must be the worse for this!! Really?! Your kids are just on the other side of the curtain. I hardly call that privacy lol! At least RC price point is affordable enough that you could get 2 connecting rooms and hope for some privacy. In fact, I've paid less for 2 connecting rooms on RC than 1 on Disney! It's entertaining reading for sure! ?