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I know there will already be great live blogs from Matt and Twangster but I thought I would add my daily 2 cents since I am doing some different excursions at the ports. I am arriving in Seattle the day before the cruise and flying out the day after so I got a City Pass to check out some of what Seattle has to offer. Tomorrow I plan on going to the aquarium and doing the harbor cruise. I am traveling with my 19 year old niece and figure those things will be far more interesting to her before we get on a big ship and possibly see some of the wildlife during the cruise. I will be writing from my phone so please excuse all the typos that are sure to take place and be missed. I can't wait to share my experience with you.

T minus 2 days. Bags packed. Boarding pass printed. SetSail pass printed. Luggage tags ready. Check, check, check and check. I think I'm ready. Amazingly I don't feel like I forgotten anything, which means in about 10 hours at 35,000' I will remember exactly what I forgot. Such is cruising. For the flight to Seattle tomorrow I have a 6am departure. I had plenty of choices of flight times all day but I chose 6am so I could visit something in Seattle I've always wanted but haven't been able to yet. The Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit at the base of the Space Needle. I'm a sucker for blown glass so I'm looking forward to this as a pre-cruise excursion. I'm flying with Delta, my favorite airline since I am heavily vested in it's frequent flier program. At 13,500 Skymiles this may be the cheapest round trip flight I've booked using frequent flier miles. A direct flight was available departing later and arriving at nearly the same time but at several thousand more miles so I chose a connection in Salt Lake City given the early time of day plus day before cruise booking. Connections don't bother me since I've flown a bunch. Loyalty pays - I've been upgraded to first class on both segments. Not bad for an 'award' ticket. My son is joining me on this cruise flying in from the East coast. With a Friday to Friday cruise itinerary it meant an extra day of vacation for him so another day on top of that to fly in the day before was a problem. He doesn't get that much time off at this point in his career. He elected to fly in the day off the cruise, something I tend to avoid. Flying from the East coast the time change is working in his favor. Fingers crossed. I booked my cruise through MEI Travel and added the official hotel for the Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise when it was offered oh so long ago. Time flies, it's almost cruise day! Shout out to Jacki York at MEI Travel for proactively checking each and every sale over several months to verify I had the best price. Our cabin on this cruise is an interior with virtual balcony. A full balcony cabin was nearly twice the price, per person of course. I did an Alaskan cruise last year on Celebrity with a balcony. One Alaska lesson I learned last year was that good excursions can be pricey. Alaska excursions are well worth the price in my opinion to experience Alaska however adding up the total cost of a vacation experience on my second Alaska cruise I chose to spend money favoring excursions that were my second choice from last year over the cabin so interior virtual balcony it is. Basically by booking an interior cabin we got our excursions 'included' compared to the cost of booking a balcony. Excursions this time around: Juneau Skagway (The description read much better when I booked it!) Victoria Booked during various sales it definitely pays to book excursions early and watch sales. Most of them have increased in price over the months since booking. I booked our excursions with enough time for us to self explore before or after as weather permits. Alaska here we come! With that it's time to close my laptop and pack it, else I might forget it in the morning at oh-dark-early when my ride arrives to carry me to the airport.

Talk about torture ! I could never work somewhere that I could see a cruise ship leaving WITHOUT ME !

I've been waiting for a while. Sometimes, I wondered if I would ever get there. Watching everything about the Symphony launching while I was stuck doing a lot of work that I hate and working through the difficulties of life in miserable Scottish weather. Finally, it is nearly here. 10 days until I board the Symphony of the Seas!!!!!! I am Joe. I have enjoyed following Royal Caribbean Blog for a while now and have been posting on the forum for around a year now. This is my first time doing a LIVE blog, having been inspired by CruiseLifeRick when he did his CC LIVE thread on Symphony's inaugural in April. I am also going LIVE on CC, but ultimately would love to share my adventures with the RC Blog as well, especially as many of you are US based and may wish to hear about either the Med or Symphony herself when she arrives to Miami in November. I come to you from Glasgow, Scotland, a city well known for it's friendliness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpnUurJvGWs (disclaimer: Don't watch if you have no sense of humor, take things too literally or hate any use of strong language). This will be my 13th & 14th cruise; my 6th & 7th Oasis Class cruise and 2nd B2B. This will also be my 5th & 6th cruise around the Med and my 4th & 5th from Barcelona. There will be one first - my first time on Symphony! Having sailed all 3 sister ships, I am very excited to see everything new that Symphony will have to offer. I am hoping to try both Playmakers (wings!) and El Loco Fresh which are new dining venues on SY. Please give any other suggestions of things to try. All welcome. I'll be back with more soon!

I can't speak for anyone else here however for me I don't find it benefits anyone to rant over and over again about that which we all know is a problem at the moment. As such I have decided to try to post only helpful, brief pointers when folks ask innocent questions without the extra 'color commentary' added each time. To be honest, while the Royal website clearly has some issues I've yet to be be prevented from achieving that which I need to. I've got 24 bookings at the moment, many of which have been made since the changes have been implemented. It's not about being 'super loyal' for me. It's about perspective. It's just a website.

I've been counting down the days until she arrived at port. Here she is as seen from my office window! July 23rd can't come soon enough!!

Hi all! I emailed and got the below information for guest entertainers for the Harmony Eastern Caribbean sailing July 7. Thought I'd share for those interested. I know some of them bee bop around different ships, so if anyone knows anything about these folks feel free to share! Joe Yannetty– ComedianSilvia Gaffurini – Ice ActDarrell Joyce– ComedianGreg Evain – Stowaway PianoAdam Kario - Juggler

Day 1 in Anchorage Spent all day yesterday getting to Alaska. We flew 1st class on American from Philly to Phoenix and arrived a few minutes late but just in time for the PHX -> ANC flight. Flight was full so we didn't get the upgrade.Arrived in sunny Anchorage at 9:30 PM. When we got our bags we looked outside and the hotel shuttle just happened to be there (Crowne Plaza not far from the airport). Flights and Crown Plaza all paid for with points and a little $$. Grabbed a bite at the hotel and when we went up to the room at 11:00 PM still bright and sunny. We are here 2 nights before getting the RC train mid-day tomorrow to Seward. I can't stress enough how important these blogs are. Already have to give credit to Twangster for seat selection on plane. We sat on the right side and my wife was complaining that I got her a window instead of an aisle seat. That is, until we started the descent into Anchorage and the views were amazing! Some pictures from the plane blow. We are heading to the Visitor Center first and then walk around downtown for a little while. Hoping to find a good, inexpensive place for seafood this evening.

You're not wrong, but us ranting here does little to help in the short term. I totally agree they need to fix the site and frankly it should have never have languished this long. However, the point of this site is to help everyone have a better cruise and providing constructive advice is going to actually help someone get what they're looking to get done.

Believe me, it's not easy! I'm on the 41st floor and have a clear view of the entire port. Monday's are the best, when all of the ships are lined up in a neat little row!

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

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!!

Having been on Symphony's Maiden voyage I got to try Hooked restaurant, we had this booked up for day 5 of the cruise at 8pm. the restaurant was fairly busy but we were seated in good time and met the waiter Robert who was outstanding. I've attached some images for you all to drool over. Main Menu^ These were a sort of pre starter, very hard to explain what they are but it was like breadcrumb / cheese straw but in a cluster .... whatever they were they were scrumptious take a look at the oyster shooters! Calamari which was not rubbery in the slightest Muscles in a white wine sauce, one gripe was that the pot was a little too deep to get the remaining sauce out but I got there in the end Shrimp Coktail, pretty standard really but my father in Law ate it all! Clam Chowder ... faultless Captains platter which is a lobster tail, this fell straight out the shell, shrimps and a whole filler of cod which was one of the best meals ive had on a ship my fiancé grace had the roll , she admitted she ordered wrong but the flavour was still amazing now for the Sides! the mac and cheese was to die for! we got 2 portions, fries and corn on the cob were all fantastic another picture of my half eaten captains platter one of the shooters, certainly an experience to be had if you have the drinks package we didn't have much room for desert but here they are well and truly HOOKED for hooked overall as I've heard a few say the menu could have some improvements I guess but its very early doors for Hooked but I can certainly see it being a hit on other ships in the future. would I go back Most Defiantly

@Joe01 after meeting Michele: ?

I would say all of the above is great advice but to SSSSSSS, since they are actually in the terminal, I'm so sorry and hope this works out for you.

Following! More photos to drool over and virtual experiences to enjoy while I'm stuck in drydock!

Just got back from a wonderful cruise on Anthem. In general, the cruise exceeded my expectations. The ship was beautiful, and handled spring-break-sized crowds of mostly fellow NY/NJ residents with ease. It was great to have the kid-free solarium "pool" area, along with the indoor and outdoor family pool areas. And the family pools were not filled beyond capacity, unlike Disney Cruise Line (I'm always wary of letting my kids swim on DCL, since it always appears to me that the pools are dangerously over capacity.) However, not a big fan of the "new" MDR menus. Way too many "everyday" items for both appetizers, main courses, and desserts. And the every day items were always boring. Most of the time the only salad available was a Caesar wedge. I'm not sure why they don't rotate though some other more interesting salads. Or, why not do something with more veggies and a vinegrette if you are going to only offer one salad every day. And the fish of the day had the same issue -- the fish changed every day, but you get it with the same exact sauce. mashed potatoes, and veggies every single day. They only had a cold fruit soup one day, and it was the strawberry one. I feel the previous "spice" menus had more variety, and more interesting choices. It almost feels like they are trying to make the MDR more boring to convince you to go to the specialty restaurants, much like NCL.

You get to book your shows online ahead of time which is great. Of the ships you have mentioned, I've only been on Allure and Oasis and they are very similar. We really enjoyed them both! They both have a lot to offer. Both Cococay and Labadee are beach days unless you book an excursion or rent a wave runner.

If we do this again, i will do this. I'm so willing to wait and i didn't consider that i could ask for something more away. Thank you! Jane

I can't wait either! Very excited. Would also love to see the refurbed Indy at some point as well.

When I book my cruises, I always have my TA call RC to request the vegetarian menu for me in the MDR. The first night, I don't get the option to order from it. However, at the end of the meal, they bring me the menu, along with the regular for the next evening so I can decide what I would like to order. I place my order each night this way. Some times I choose from the Vegetarian menu and sometimes from the regular menu. Next time you book, you should have your TA, or yourself, call RC to have the vegetarian/vegan menu set up for you.

i'll see you there! a few months back i managed to get a little info on the phone with the casino royale desk if you find out anything new or interesting, post it here!

I love reading the different perspectives of the same cruise. Everyone has their unique experiences and it will be fun to follow along!

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Same itinerary both weeks: Barcelona, Palma, Marseilles, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Sea Day and repeat. I've done it before on Allure and Harmony. On Allure, we got off everywhere except Civ (where we already got off on Indy and Serenade). On Harmony, I only got off at Naples and spent the rest of the week onboard. Serenade was the other one from BCN, but was a 12 nighter, so a different itinerary. For this one, I plan to get off at Naples both times (love the pizza and plenty to do), possibly once at La Spezia (nice town, Cinque Terre nearby) and at least once at Marseilles to practice my semi-fluent French. Also getting off at Barcelona . Not planning to get off at Palma (been there, done that) or Civitavecchia (Rome is too far away and not a fan of Civ itself). I'm on for 2 weeks, so plenty of time to enjoy the ship. Not too fussed about the ports.

Lol! After seeing those pics, even August 13th seems too far! Thanks for sharing @RDDAILY!

I'm very excited! I will be on her a week from tomorrow!! I got a nice Junior Suite on deck 9 thanks to all my donations to the Casino lol

When it comes to live blogs, the more the merrier.

I am onboard as we speak/post at 31993ft. NBD.

Planes have wifi, just like ships ?

Yes, I feel the same way. You have to insist that you do not want one of those tables. Ask for a table either along the wall or along the railing overlooking the deck below. That's about the only place you will get a "private" table. It might take a couple of extra minutes but they will find you something where you are not within kissin' distance of the folks next to you.

I'm looking forward to viewing Alaska thru all the glass views aboard the Radiance. We will be on her in 21 days...

You'll love Chihuly Gardens. We happened upon it as a "that looks interesting, let's check it out" activity when visiting the Space Needle. Turned out to be a real highlight of our trip.

Ahh ... that I might have some idea of ... I think this link will work :) http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf I have never booked any of these "specials" since none of them have ever fit my plans/pricing but this might be what you are referring to above.

Not sure if this has been mentioned in this thread, but I think the Escape Room on Freedom Class will be taking the place of the wedding chapel in the Crown.

+1 for Brilliance...Vision class is fine but Radiance class ships do not have the Centrum noise/casino smoke problem (sailed on both)...and the ocean view from almost anywhere on board the Radiance class is fantastic!

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!

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.

I'd argue the reason to buy stock is because you think it's a good financial investment, not to get a discount on a cruise. You have to realize they began offering the stock holder discount many years ago in a time when RC did not offer the kind of non-stop promotions they do today. I remember even in the early days of this blog, when a WOW Sale came around, it was a big deal. In those days, there were often times when there was no promotion available, and thus, the stockholder discount was an option. Should they update the stockholder discount to be combinable? Sure, you can make that argument. But I would never tell anyone to buy RC stock for any reason other than you think it is a good investment.

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!

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.

The stockholder benefit is still around, but it's often not combinable with anything.

Wow! We're in Juneau on 6/24 9am-9pm and the exact same times in Skagway on 6/25. Guess we'll be sailing side-by-side from Juneau-Skagway and then jockeying for position at the pier. Will definitely keep an eye out for the gang of 80+

Following! We board Explorer in Seattle on Friday for the Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise! I did your itinerary on Celebrity last year. It was an incredible experience. Flying to ANC I had a window seat on the right side and had great view of many glaciers as we got close to ANC. Have your camera ready. My recap blog from last year is here: This year on Explorer we get into Juneau on June 24th at noon until 9pm, then Skagway on June 25th from 7am to 8:30pm. Am I mistaken or do these ports overlap with Radiance? If so you'll need to keep an eye for the Royal Caribbean Blog team of eighty plus led by none other than @Matt!

VAT is included in the price of excursions published by RCCL so the price you see is the price you pay. A more interesting nuance concerns VAT with on board purchases. If a cruise only visits ports that are in the Schengen area, prices will be higher as VAT is added. However, if there is just one port of call that is outside of the Schengen area, VAT will not be added. We found this out on B2B sailings, the first of which included a non Schengen port and the second did not. Prices were higher in the on board shops for the second cruise. Usually you would not be aware of it as the VAT is not shown separately - only the total prevailing price. But the difference in prices between one cruise and the next was significant. So my tip to anyone sailing in Europe would be to try and ensure the itinerary includes a non Schengen area destination. A list of Schengen area states and the overlap with EU and non EU countries can be found here: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/ As you can see, the Schengen area is NOT the same as the EU. For example, the UK has never been part of the Schengen area but has been (and is for a little longer, at least) part of the EU.

@CraftyCat05 I'm afraid that per a recent CC post, Michele is off at the end of July, meaning that Bobby will be your CD. Sorry about that. I'm certainly glad that he isn't there for my sailings. Hopefully Margot can make up for not having a good CD. I'll provide feedback on her when I am on SY in 10 days.

Free for Tmobile users. ?

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.