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Last night was a table for 15 for dinner. We had a rude rep trying to see if we could even bother and he basically said no...the table was ready for us and we were confused but happy. Our attendants were nice and friendly and bent over backwards for us for service. Dinner was pretty good tonight. No menu pic, too busy chatting. A few glasses of pinot Grigio Shrimp cocktail, Horseradish salmon and decaf coffee and cheese plate. Most of us were exhausted so we walked around and then went back to the rooms. Netflix and sleep. With all i drank i was never drunk, everything was spaced out. Lol. A few bottles of water and one coffee, drink package was smart. Today is Bahamas. Got my latte from Cafe Promenade and about to go to gym with a few of the group. Plans are to go to the Straw Market then lay by pool to nap and read.

So Royal Caribbean's advice is nothing before 11 AM. I know the Royal Caribbean can be conservative with their guidance, however, listening to @princevaliantus I called my airline to change it. So all good news here. My airline changed the flight at no cost. Since I was flying to a smaller airport in the Boston area and no connections to the smaller airport worked, I was able to change to a direct flight to Boston. I was worried that I would have to pay the difference, and that proved unfounded. So while we are leaving much later, we are now arriving a half hour earlier than originally planned, and since we are arriving on a Saturday night the commuting time between the different airports difference is negligible.

My family.

Cruise compass out of order since one wouldn’t post initially. We made it on the ship easily. Shuttle from hotel was 10:30, we were on ship by 11:30. It could’ve been quicker but we had to wait for people. Braved Windjammer for lunch. Got to my room. On third drink. Drink package already worth it.

And yet he has the same silly grin on his face that I get when boarding a ship! It's the "I'm going on a cruise!" silly grin face ?

Remember 331 days for most airlines. That is the first day prior to a trip that you can actually purchase. What this means, for a cruise booked in the future, is: start watching prices immediately. At 331 days, you can book, but will know prices to expect, and you can keep watching for those sales and other price dips. If you are using frequent flyer miles, the "real" prices often do not show up until that magic 331st day prior. Always look one or two days each side of "best" day, because prices vary on a daily basis (if you can). Often you can save enough on airfare this way to pay for your motel. Also, if possible, look at alternate routes and/or airports.

At JFK enjoying a wayyyyy overpriced breakfast and the tiniest coffee I’ve ever seen. Yolo. I’ve never allowed myself to write/type/say yolo before but I’m on vacation.

First post! Planning to surprise my two children with a cruise next June during my son's *slim* window of opportunity to take a vacation. They will be 17 and 10 at the time. Traveling as a single mom with them, I'm wanting to have as much assistance as possible, so wanted to do a Suite in order to have priority boarding and luggage assistance, plus concierge service. They both wanted to visit PR or Jamaica, so thought Freedom of the Seas from San Juan would be perfect! Also saw this is a good ship for 'first-timers' since it's not as large as the Quantum Class (although we're not technically 1st time cruisers, only have done Disney but I think they've outgrown that and Disney ships are very limited in activities after you've done them so many times!) Is this a good choice or is the ship too small compared to Harmony, to find activities? Is the up price for Suite worth it or should I just do a JS (because we WILL need the extra room for sure!) Any advice greatly appreciated!

Hot topic and there will be a million different opinions. The bottom line is Royal does not enforce its policy so you need to decide what is right for your family. They will not turn away your children and depending on the ship you will see others in nice shorts and a polo. However, on formal nights (usually nights 2 and 5 on a 7 night cruise), they should wear long pants to the MDR. It will be nice for a good family picture! My boys wear khaki pants and a button down shirt.

And those were just some of the nicer ones. I must admit some I have done have been priceless.

We did the notepad on the desk for our kids and it worked just fine. DON`T do the white board on the outside of the cabin door. You may find bogus messages placed on the board. I know because the kid in me has been known to do those things to this very day. For instance: Gone Fishing, went to to Walmart, etc. Beware.

We will be taking our first cruise with RCCL (reformed Disney cruisers) for Alaska South Bound (July 2019) in a Grand Suite. I understand that after the first cruise with RCCL, cruisers are automatically enrolled in Chrown & Anchor. My question is: will the double points (Grand Suite) from that first cruise be the first points applied to our Crown & Anchor accounts or will the points start to accrue AFTER our next cruise in December 2019? Many Thanks, BakedAlaska2019 Rolla, MO

I was on Mariner last week. I prepaid for Voom with one device, and I got a small piece of paper taped to my SetSail pass immediately on boarding. The instructions were essentially identical to the letter posted above. I would like to point out that "one device" means "one device at a time, regardless of who owns that device". For example, a couple can share one access code, but when one of the uses the access code, the other will lose their connection. It also means that if an individual goes to the library to use their pcs, they'll need to use their access code, and that will knock their phone off, so they'll need their access code again when they're done with the pc. So save that code! (On the newly remodeled Mariner, the library is tiny compared to the photos on the website. There's only one stack of books, and four desks of pcs, and a black/white printer. It's on deck 4 near the theater.)

I live matching faces to the poster!!! What a wonderful family picture! Jane

Was this the little one's first cruise? How did they enjoy the cruise? I always love seeing things through a child's eye, maybe because I've hardly grown up myself...

I love your sense of humor... Taking everything in stride! Have a wonderful day! Jane

Beryl is fizzling out and is forecast to be a low pressure system south of Puerto Rico by tomorrow. You may not even see a cloud from it, so I’m guessing you’ll be good for Labadee.

We can be friends again ? It sounds like you are having a great time!

The Sony RX100 VI is getting pretty good reviews. It's fairly new so it's got a lot of modern features and with a 24-200mm optical zoom it's a pretty decent compact type camera and it shoots in RAW which is essential for me. The RX100 line has been an evolution so make sure you search for the VI model, not an older one.

Sometimes, like Explorer last week, they didn't provide the code at check in like they should have since I prepaid. In that event just visit the Voom desk they set up somewhere on day 1, typically in a promenade type area. I think that's happened twice to me. Easy to get the code from them. Ironically the Voom desk line on day one can become long because people don't realize they can do it themselves on board. If you choose to not prepay and are buying on board, you don't have to stand in line at the Voom desk. Just connect and launch your browser (if it doesn't redirect try to go to some website you don't normally visit. I use abc.com just because its A B C .com and simple to type). You can then follow the pages to create an account that you use to log in instead of a access code. Part of that is cabin number so it can figure out what C&A discount to apply. It then charges it to your onboard account. This only applies to onboard purchases of Voom. I actually prefer this since I can remember a simple username/password combo I create over a 7 digit random code you get when pre-purchasing.

Glad to hear that embarkation day is going well!

If you can find one, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. I've been using mine for many years travelling as well as scuba diving (got an underwater housing for it). Small, lightweight, versatile and easy to use.

Paging @Matt for the new camera purchased for Alaska.

Thank you! I will just wait then. I already printed the passes without it haha!

Have a great cruise. Looking forward to reading your blog

My girl

Tried to change MTD but couldn’t. Too many of us. Totally okay with it, ir is what it is. Guy was not the nicest though. My friend and I walked away, Walked to spa and made appt for hair tomorrow, cheaper than Cruise Compass. $69 instead of $79. Red carpet treatment for long hair. Worth it.

The class was held under a covered area next to a hotel.

I found some photos of the excursion. We really had a good time. After we finished with the dance lesson, we had time to walk along the beach and do some shopping.

Cruise dayyyyyyyyy!!!!! Didn’t sleep well, up at 5:30. Plenty of time for sleep this week. Went on the elliptical for a bit at 6, showered and met up with friends for free hotel breakfast. Good moods all around. Walked over to shopping center for 3rd time and bought a few forgotten things. While this hotel is just okay (Hampton Inn) I picked it for its locality. I was able to go to supermarket, liquor store and dinner easily. There’s a nail salon here too which I wish I knew instead of frantically getting them done between work days. Almost ship time. We’re using the hotel shuttle. If I was alone I may Uber/Lyft/taxi but there are five of us so I’m going along with the crowd. Side note: there are only 20 something of us instead of 35-40. I was misinformed.

Would like to hear about how Marseilles was when you get some time, along with the other ports you had decided to visit instead of staying on the ship. But not a rush! Please enjoy your trip and don't feel pressure to post here every single day, never mind multiple times a day. As @CraftyCat05 said, you're on vacation and that's the priority!

Wow ! I didn't even know we had a hurricane out there ! Good luck and be careful.

Actually, it isn't enough time. Do not go by cruise compasses as that is just an estimate. I was on FotS out of San Juan two weeks ago and they were still experiencing issues on the island. I did self-debarkation and didn't get through custom until 9:05am as the building lost electricity and everything was done manually. I wouldn't chance it as if you miss your flight, you are held liable. You have the opportunity now to change your flight without penalty since the airline rebooked you to an earlier flight. Just call them and explain the issue as you want to be booked on a later flight.

A FB post from Royal's Chief Meteorologist from 4 hrs ago: "Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet added 4 new photos. 4 hrs · ‪#Hurricane #Beryl (you read that correctly) looks like a mess on satellite, but the core has still found a way to go to Cat 1. Don’t be alarmed by the overnight upgrade, as there is a hostile environment ahead for Beryl. Most data suggests it weakens significantly Royal Caribbean International" Also, a tweet from Harmony captain Johnny: 18hrs ago: "The #harmonyoftheseas are already starting to plan for a back up plan for next cruise. At this moment it looks good for a normal Eastern which include Nassau Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Kitts. Exiting times and never a dull moment in the office ;-)" 21mins ago: "It’s a lot of weather in the Caribbean for the time being, it nothing dramatic coming up next week. #Harmonyoftheseas will be Eastbound and all looks good so far. #sunyskies" I wouldn't worry. The ships are use to dealing with situations like this. I would worry if a hurricane was to hit my port of embarkation/disembarkation. But otherwise, enjoy your cruise. Be flexible to changes in itineraries.

As long as you are enjoying the cruise, that's all that matters! Have fun on your last few days, and your on vacation; don't feel obligated to post here!

Out of office: ON. About to drop puppy off. She gets a vacation as well. I drop her off at a friend's house - my friend has another dog and an entire family to keep her company. She loves going there. Taking a Lyft to JFK tomorrow morning. Last time I took a Lyft the driver dropped us off midway there to a hospital because he was having a diabetic issue. He literally dropped us in front of the hospital and drove himself down the road to the ER. I'm guessing he was okay. Very weird though.

Thanks for the replies, guys. Seriously considering reserving one. If only the bungalows came with an attendant to grab drinks to avoid the lines at the bars!! I would be all over it!! Lol Last time at Labadee it was pretty bad. Just got off the Oasis and there was great improvement on the number of bar servers on the pool deck and in the theater. In my observation, since the start of drink packages, that services declined big time. Much, much better this time. Hope it carries over to the private islands.

We saw the Explorer in Juneau and Skagway but I did not catch up with any of the RCBloggers We tried to cram in as much as possible in the ports so were on the move.

Apologies to those that were following! I was struggling to upload pictures using Voom and, to be honest, the days we were in port I was wiped out by the time evening came around. I will update by this weekend with the daily activities and pictures. Bottom line - this was a great experience and we are already looking to book another Alaskan cruise!

Yippee ! Have a great time. Don’t stress about “the others”. After many group cruises I have found that it’s best just to let everyone do whatever works for them. Herding cats is no fun for anyone.

Sounds like you have your cruise very well planned out! Hope the weather cooperates, have a GREAT time and don't let your crowd get you down!

Enjoying your blog!! You are on the same ship & itinerary as our 1st cruise in 2008. Been cruising ever since! ?

Day 2 - cruising and Hubbard Glacier We slept great! Woke up early and had a latte from Cafe Latte-itudes before the 4 of us headed to the Windjammer for breakfast. Food was pretty good and then we headed back to the balcony to satisfy my need to see some birds. Saw some Surf Scoters and Tufted Puffins.... For lunch we went back to the Windjammer and then went to the front of the boat on Deck 12 to check out Hubbard Glacier. The captain does a great of explaining the glacier and the history of the area. Knowing that we would eventually see it again from our balcony we went back to our cabin and got some great views. The pictures just don't do it justice! As we started to pull out we got to watch a playful sea lion and got a so-so picture. Also caught a waterfall as we pulled away..... Captain said the trip up 2 days ago had a lot of fog so didn't have nearly as good a view as we had today.

Elbowed the whole flight. I said something before takeoff but she claimed not to speak English. She also sang the whole flight...and the lady next to her didn’t speak much English either so kept asking me things. It was bad enough that the people across from me let me off the plane before and told me to “run like the wind”. God bless them. Made it to hotel. Decent. The hotel Comped my taxi ride since I called and no one answered and they offer free shuttle from airport to hotel. in all honesty I didn’t ask which makes it even Better. Walked to market for wine and seltzer for room. Walked on treadmill for a bit. Met up with part of our party and shared said wine. All good now. Shuttle to port tomorrow morning at 10:30.