Leaderboard

With Cuba on my mind and with a goal of sailing some of the older and smaller ships in the fleet I booked Empress. With the current fleet it's hard to get any smaller. I'm supposed to get a glass block based on my current Crown and Anchor points accumulation so as I thought which ship to 'block' on, getting a glass block from Empress seemed like a really cool idea so I booked this cruise with that other goal in mind. It's a 5 night cruise: Day 1 - Embark Miami Day 2 - Key West Day 3 - Havana Day 4 - Sea Day Day 5 - CocoCay Day 6 - Debark Miami It's been a few years since I've visited Key West but I need to get some work done so I'm not sure how far I'll venture off the ship. For Havana I've a booked a full day excursion through Royal. I have an overnight cruise to Havana booked in September so I'm using this trip and excursion to discover and plan my next visit there for maximum cultural enrichment. I have many Canadian friends who have visited Cuba. They've been able to fly direct since, well forever. They've given me some ideas so this full day excursion should check all the boxes for an initial Cuba experience and allow me to better plan my next visit. I've missed a few calls on CocoCay this year so fingers crossed. Flights were booked through Air2Sea and I'm taking a dreaded red eye flight with airport transfers to the ship by Royal. I usually just take a ride-share but as a solo traveler the transfer isn't that bad from a cost perspective and it's for research so I know how well it works getting from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) airport to the Port of Miami and back. I had to work this weekend so the all night flight is an "efficient" use of my time, or so I keep telling myself to justify it. Not sure when I might sail Empress again especially since she does mostly Cuba runs at the moment so I've splurged and booked a junior suite. My first solo JS experience. At the time I booked it was a reasonable price difference. My red-eye departs at 1am local time and I haven't started packing yet. It's only 5 nights so not a hard cruise to pack for. However I better step away from the keyboard and get started.

The bus ride down to Miami flew by quickly - on account of me sleeping most of the way. I did wake up in time to catch our first glimpse of Empress and Mariner. It makes you appreciate just how much bigger (or just how small) some ships are compared to others. Picture was taken just before we entered the tunnel to make our way onto Dodge Island where the port is.

Hello fellow cruisers! We just returned from our vacation on the Mariner of the Seas. I wanted to do a review, and hopefully answer any questions you guys have about the cruise. I will include information regarding restrictions for age/height for the on-board activities, since I did not find many answers to these questions before our cruise. About us: Me (the mom, and planner of all family vacations!) My husband, (the dad, and the one that does not want to know a thing about the vacation until it's time to pack!) We have two sons - our oldest, who I will call RS, is 9 years old, and our youngest, who I will call DS, is 4. We got the refreshment package during one of the sales, and I thought it was totally worth it. We had an inside cabin, #6223, which we loved. It was quiet, and was just a staircase away from the Royal Promenade. We loved having the pizza and specialty coffee just a floor away. FYI for parents sharing the room with their kids, they must be 6 years old to use the Pullman bed (and yes, there's a sticker on it that tells you that!) RS slept on the Pullman, and DS slept on the king bed with my husband and I. We live in Miami, so my mom dropped us off at the port on Monday. We arrived at the port at 11:15, and were on the ship around 11:35. Super easy check in and boarding process. Once on board, we headed straight to the Windjammer for lunch. It was not crowded at all, and we had no problem finding a table. Sky Pad - RS was really excited to try this, so we headed straight there after lunch. Age restriction: must be at least 5 years old to use the Sky Pad (needless to say we had a very disappointed 4 year old)! We waited around 40 minutes since only two of the trampolines were in use. RS used the VR glasses and really enjoyed it. Laser Tag - Must be at least 5 years old and 40 inches in height. RS and my husband said it was really fun to do. Slides - Must be 48 inches to use the slides. They would close the slides at 7 PM. RS went on the slides on the day we were in Nassau, from about 5:45 to 7:00. This was a great time to do it. The most he had in line in front of him was 2 people. He literally would exit the slide, go back up the stairs, and ride it again! He also rode them again on sea day around 6:15, and again there was hardly a line to use them. Ice skating - This was the one activity DS was really looking forward to, since it was one of the few things he could do. No age/height restriction. He lasted about five minutes on the ice, then told me he was too tired to continue. Gotta love four year olds!! We did not get to see the ice skating show, as they only did it the first and second day of the cruise. The ice skating and laser tag share the same venue, so in order to have one set up, they cannot do the other. Pools - We tended to use the pools in the late afternoon, after 5 PM, when they weren't so crowded. They are small, and pretty deep (5'3"). RS is pretty tall and he couldn't reach the bottom. They provide life vests, which DS loved to use because he could swim around the pool without having to hold on to me. Kids club - Both of the kids used the kids club for about an hour a day. They both really enjoyed it. For those of you wondering, yes, you can step down in age group if that's what your child would like. RS just turned 9 on the 4th of July, and he was a little worried about being in the 9-11 age group. They allowed him to be in the 6-8 group, with no problems. They leave a kids club cruise compass every day in the room, with the hours and activities scheduled. Cocoa Cay - It was a lazy beach day. We got to the island around 11:30, and stayed until about 3:30. Nassau - We did not have any excursions planned, so we got off the ship around 3:00. We walked to Junkanoo Beach. It's about a 15 minute walk, and is very safe because you are walking down streets crowded with tourists. The water was absolutely beautiful, crystal clear and warm. The sand, not so much! There were a lot of rocks, but they were spaced out. So, it's not as if you were constantly stepping on rocks when you were in the water. The water was so clear, that it was easy to see if you were going to step on one. Food - We ate at the buffet for all meals. Food was pretty good, although a bit repetitive. They did have themes (Mexican, Caribbean, etc.), but that was just one small section of the buffet. Breakfast did get very crowded on Nassau day and sea day. On Nassau day, we could not get a table and they ended up opening Jamie's Restaurant for people to sit. Otherwise, we never had a problem finding a table to sit at. We ate A LOT of pizza!!! Since it was literally just a staircase away, it was an easy mid-day/late night snack. I thought it was pretty good, and it was always fresh and hot out of the oven. I hope anyone going on Mariner finds the review helpful. She is a beautiful ship, and they did a great job with the refurbishment. I'm happy to answer any questions my fellow cruisers may have!

IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!!! I've arrived in Florida, in Fort Lauderdale using the 'FLL' airport. This was several hundred cheaper than the Miami airport for my days of travel. Our approach to the airport was from the West and took us over the Everglades with I-75 in the distance, also known as The Everglades Parkway, also known as Alligator Alley. The Everglades don't look like much in this picture but that's because the whole area is shallow water with I-75 marking a distinct line across the Everglades. It's very swampy but a very unique eco-system that is part of the larger Florida water system that starts much farther North in the state. I didn't check any bags so upon deplaning I made my way to the baggage claim area where I knew the Royal Caribbean ship transfer kiosk would be found. Carnival had their kiosk setup near one exit at one end of the baggage claim area and RCCL had their joint Royal/Celebrity kiosk at the other end. In Terminal two that Delta uses this was directly across from baggage carousel three. First bus to Miami is around 10:45am. Having landed at 8:46am I've got some time to kill. Fortunately the FLL airport has free wifi. Since I'm here at the tail of morning rush hour I thought I'd look to see what prices are like for two popular ride sharing services, Uber and Lyft: It looks like Uber has a slight edge today. It's always best to check both because often this is reversed with Lyft being slightly cheaper. It's morning rush hour so I'd expect these to be lower at other times of the day. Since I'm solo a regular Lyft or UberX would suffice. The Royal transfer at $60 round trip is still the best deal for me as a solo but it does mean waiting here in the airport and likely not being at the port when boarding (hopefully) begins. For larger groups with more luggage an UberXL or LyftXL would be a better choice. For two people the Royal transfer still looks like it's the cheapest way to go but if there are more people in your party this quickly changes. For example, with a party of four, Royal would cost 4 x $60 or $240 round trip. The ride sharing services above are one way but even with 2 x $72 that's $144, nearly $100 less. Squeezing 4 people with baggage into a standard Uber/Lyft can be a challenge so I used the XL version for this price comparison. Traveling solo I'm saving around $14 by using the Royal transfer at the expense of convenience and just being able to jump into the next available car. This has killed the first hour, only 60 minutes to go until my bus should depart.

Empress is using Terminal F today. Our bus pulled up here first before continuing on to Mariner. A short walk to the guest entrance. No dedicated Suites/Pinnacle entrance or queue for security. They initially objected to my extension cord (the one I was given by Royal on Adventure) but I was somehow able to talk my way through and was able to keep it. Upstairs was the first sign of queues based on C&A level. Suites/Pinnacle in one, Platinum through Diamond Plus grouped into the next queue. It's a small ship so this works. I had to fill out a simple form authorizing Royal to charge me for my Cuba visitors card or VISA as it is also referred to. The VISA was presented to me blank for me to fill out later. The check in agent suggested I don't fill it in until I participate in a Cuba presentation at 4pm (or watch it on RCTV later). As I hoped the ship was already boarding so from here I walked right on around 12:15pm. That's when it hit me that I know nothing about this ship or it's deck plans. I found the Windjammer and grabbed a couple of sandwiches to keep it a light lunch. Shortly after 1pm they made cabins available. Muster in 40 minutes, I need a nap.

I've made it into the Delta Sky Club waiting for my 1am red eye. They hold the club open here in Denver until the last flight has boarded. On nights like this that works out well. A few extra drinks will ensure I sleep like a baby (or as well as can be expected on a plane). I couldn't find my phone headset with caterpillar wind screen. So I grabbed the headset from my business phone and one of the spare wind screen covers I bought from Amazon in a 5 pack and made myself another 'caterpillar wind screen ready for periscope wired Apple headset' as I sat here waiting. MacGyver would approve. Checking my 'Hurricane Tracker' app and there are still no active systems. My inbound plane is ahead of schedule. I don't recommend flying the day of the cruise but since I booked with Air2Sea and my the next port is Key West that risk was acceptable. With only carry on bags and traveling solo I can deal with last minute changes. So far so good.

I know that people often poo-poo the cruiseship transfers but I really find them to be worth their [few] detractions for the most part. #1, they are "guaranteed" to get you to the ship on time, which is a nerve soother. #2, they're easy to find and you don't have to "order" them on your phone and hope someone shows up. If you are in a hurry to get where you're going then they may not be the best option b/c you do have to wait for the bus to fill up before it will leave but I have never found this to be that big a deal. Especially in the Twangbot's situation (arriving at one airport and transferring to a different port and vice versa) I find it reassuring to know that your ride WILL be there will get you to the ship on time. Also, there is a little excitement factor when you walk off the plane and see that "Royal Caribbean/Celebrity" kiosk waiting for you ! When the rest of the people see you going to the cruise kiosk, you KNOW they are envious !

After the safety drill, we returned back to the room and balcony to relax and people watch. Our reservation for CK was for 7 PM. It was quite busy when we got there, after a short wait we were seated. For my appetizer I chose the burrata (sorry but I was hungry and forgot to take a picture until I had eaten a bit) and mom had the shrimp cocktail. We both chose the filet mignon (delicious) for our main course. For dessert, I had the chocolate tart and she had one of the other features for the night (sorry I can't remember the name). We decided we needed to go for a walk after dinner. We didn't have any shows planned, although we could watch Ready Player One from our balcony playing on the Aqua Theatre screen. It is an early night for us after a long day of travelling. I'm enjoying the comfy bed and we can pick our perfect pillow!

Any MEI travel agent can book a Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise. Annette may do all the work on an actual GC (in case you thought Matt did anything), but she doesn't have to manage your booking to qualify.

Oh come on now, we all now @Matt has ALL the answers! I cruise solo often. I am also a frequent solo business traveler. When you travel for business sooner or later you have to eat. I'm not going to eat fast food so you reach a point as a business traveler that you get over any hang ups or issues about eating alone in something other fast food restaurants. Sometimes this means eating at the bar within a restaurant but sometimes I just want a table. In fact, if someone else is paying the bill, why not try a reasonable sit down restaurant? Cruising solo and eating dinner alone come naturally because I have traveled solo for business. We all have to eat sometime and in the case of a cruise, we all paid for our included meals. Since I paid for it, why not try a reasonable sit down experience? For solo dining I choose My Time Dining. I am always seated at a table for two by myself. Service is typically fast and the wait staff always treat me well. I have never noticed if any one is looking at me because quite honesty I don't care if they are, much like when I travel for business. I wear a sports coat on formal night. It's easy to do and it respects the dining room process. i don't pay a lot of attention to what other people are wearing and it doesn't bother me if others don't dress up. I wouldn't even notice if someone wore white after Labor day, I've probably done it myself. I tend not to do specialty dining very often. I do sometimes, but rarely. The MDR for me is generally ideal . I take pictures of menus for the blog (flash off) and if I remember pictures of my meals. I often think what I might blog about or reflect on the day and before I know it my meal has arrived. I paid for the MDR, so I have no qualms about using something I paid for.

I will give a little background about this cruise. My mom (76 years young) and I have traveled together since I was a kid. As an adult we've done all inclusives, Disney/Universal, and cruises. We like cruising best, and me being a teacher we usually go during March Break. We didn't have this trip planned, but in June she said she wanted to get away (hubby and I were just on the Allure July 8 - 15). So with the help of Michelle at MEI, here we are! We originally were interested in a grande suite so we could try out the Sky Class amenities but there weren't any available. It was between a junior suite (which we usually do) or a CLS. Well I decided to go for the CLS! We left Detroit this morning (yes I know! we usually go the day before) and after a slight delay we landed in Orlando just before noon. When we got to the luggage area, there was a rep from RC waiting for us. She welcomed us and waited while we retrieved our luggage. She then escorted us to the RC desk where they gave us a # and told us to wait until it was called. We didn't wait very long until we were on our way to the ship. I have to admit that I was a little nervous, since we've never cruised out of Port Canaveral. The last few have been out of Fort Lauderdale and Miami which we are familiar and comfortable with. Not to mention that I had a strange dream Saturday night that the boat started to leave without me and I was hanging on the back of it! Needless to say all went well! Everything was so organized. By the time we got to the ship our apartment - I mean cabin was ready! We were hungry and missed the CK lunch but the suite lounge had a small buffet of food. So we had a glass of wine and a bite to eat. After lunch we made our reservations for CK for the week. ***My first attempt at periscoping was today ?. I promise it will get better as I go along! Thanks to @Lovetocruise2002 for the tips! https://www.pscp.tv/w/bi5okDFheVFWSlZ6WlBwUXB8MXluSk9ZZGVCbXpLUv8rYMYZbP5hWssYxYe7VvV8iABhW4G-wHbsb2gKwtwm?t=1s

Wow... I wouldn't have thought this could be true. According to Royal Caribbean's beverage package info (I've highlighted this new info): I found out about this from this tweet where Royal Caribbean specifically said, "I can confirm that milkshakes are included in the Deluxe and Beverage Packages. Rest assured, we'll get our website updated ASAP." A friend found out that they had specifically done that. They didn't add it to the Refreshment Package, though. I guess that this is the only non-alcoholic part of the Deluxe Beverage Package that isn't in the Refreshment Package. Wow.

I vaguely remember when CK first started that it was not standard across all the ships that had one. But in recent years, since they revamped the CK menu, it now seems to be. If you like something from the MDR menu, just ask them really nicely to have it in CK. Best of both worlds. We've done that before.

I'd still argue this point, since the cabin gratuity, as noted, also goes to the staff in the Windjammer, Cafe Promenade, and other eateries on board that are complimentary. You'll almost certainly be eating at one or more of these establishments for breakfast and lunch, even if you never set foot in the MDR, so refusing the cabin gratuity for dining is stiffing all of those folks, not just the MDR staff (unless you plan to pass a few singles and fives across the food stations to the chefs / servers working back there, or hand some off to the staff clearing the tables...)

After thinking back on the last cruise I do feel it was the patch that caused lots of problems. It caused a malaise like feeling in me and such a dry mouth that there was never enough fluids that could solve the dry throat. This time I vow there will be a difference. So let it be written so let it be done!

For the record, Terminal Two has a Starbucks I often see asking questions about after the cruise and what to do with their luggage when they have later flights but want to explore the city or a beach. There is a luggage storage service here in the FLL airport.

Excellent point ! We often wail against Royal for removing amenities but almost never give them credit when they add one. Very nice addition.

Come on Million Dollar Donor! Make this happen!

Billy Ocean is alive? Awesome news! I heard a rumor somewhere...

Enjoy your vacation! In the words of @twangster, "Don't be a slave to the live blog".

The biggest benefit is MEI supports this site.

Blog coming in soon, just got back to the room, got ready for bed, and about to type this thing out! Lots of exciting things on Day Two.

Since I had ample time I had a great talk with the people staffing the transfer desk. One worked for Royal around 15 years before they were outsourced. Now she works for the outsourcing company. They used to be able to cruise just for the taxes and port fees. She has cruised a lot but that perk is gone. Overall guests doing transfers has declined over the years, likely the impact of ride sharing. More transfers are to Port Everglades, not as many transfer to Port Miami from FLL. They don't understand that either since they agreed that FLL is a cheaper airport to use even with slightly higher transfer costs. On this day 11:30am is the latest flight for a guest using the transfer service. Around 11:15 we were led out to the bus. Other guests from Terminal one also were being led to the bus. Once loaded we picked up four more guests at Terminal three. They placed Mariner bags in the rear bins under the bus. Empress bags went in forward bins. I was told to keep all my carry on bags with me on the bus. They occupy the seat beside me. It's a 40 minute ride to the port. At least cabins should be ready by the time I board.

You clearly do not watch a lot of comedy...he's making $$$ making fun of himself by playing himself. ? (I work in tv, he shows up in stuff)

Aren't you a sweet bot ! Tomorrow, technically (July 31). Thank you so much. I guess the bots know all.....

Yes, any MEI Travel agent can handle the booking that will bring the reservation into the group cruise. @AnnetteJackson sets up the group and works with RC, but all the agents at MEI can book you into the GC and handle the reservation. You're in good hands with Heather/Brock/Michelle/Jackie! As for when a 2020 GC will happen, the first 2020 GC is the Freedom of the Seas GC, which is over Winter Break and since my oldest daughter is now in school, we definitely try to adhere to school schedules. Moreover, I recognize that while summer break may start early in Florida, I realize a lot of kids are still in school for May and most of June, so I try to work around that as much as I can. After all, I want as many of you as possible to join us!

It depends. I have a couple and a new back pack that I like. On this 5 night cruise I'm not checking bags so I needed a bigger pack for all my lens and a few things that overflowed from my bag went into my backpack. Full mirrorless camera kit including 5 lens. I missed my 'real' camera on Adventure. A phone camera is fine outdoors in the day, but not so much in low light. I had too many "if I had my real camera that would be a really great shot" on Adventure. I won't make that mistake again. New lens for this cruise, a 500mm f6.3 mirror lens (1000mm with a 2x teleconverter). I'm not expecting great things from this lens, it was $99 new including the 2x converter, but a short and light 500mm lens for a full frame camera may be fun to play around with. The Sony A7 III has good low light performance so I can push the ISO and use dark glass more. With the in-body sensor stabilization a lens like this can be used handheld under the right conditions.

I love Lady G. I'M in.

Symphony of the Seas - Day One ~ Barcelona, Spain By golly we are on the beautiful Symphony of the Seas! Today was embarkation day, and boy was it fun! Embarkation and the Beginning Steps Embarkation was quick and painless, only taking about 20 minutes from door to ship. We arrived at 12:15pm, and we were on the ship and already with a drink and food in hand by 12:45pm. We first decided to hit the room, and while it wasn't open yet, we could at least drop off our carry-on baggage. Then, it was to the Suite Lounge to book some more things and get some food from the little buffet that was there for lunch. Got some chicken, and it was good! Also got some mashed potatoes with it (is always good on Royal!). Also got some Costal Kitchen reservations booked for some nights, and learned more about the concierge team and what their background is. Also said some naughty stories (shh... sorry Raj and Jennie). Also got on the top of the naughty list for blogging this experience, but apparently it's a good thing! Maybe ill get some better service ?! Already can tell they are a great team and that everyone working up there on deck 17 is going to be fantastic to dine and lounge with. The Room Now... I have done a room tour, but not on here! It's on my periscope @CraftyCat05. May also do a video tour of it while i'm on board, or at least take some pictures. The room is great, but different than the Grand Suite I stayed in on Allure. It has a wall in the middle of the room now! This makes the space feel smaller, but gives more privacy, gives us two televisions, and also offers more cabinet space than no wall would. The bathroom is also nicer, and even feels more spacious! There is a tub/shower combo, and two sinks. The room also has two twin beds, two side lamps, two windows, and best of all two closet spaces! It's a two for one deal in the Grand Suite, only thing is... you have to pay more! The Ultimate Abyss Now for the s u p e r s c a r y part of the blog. If you can't take the drop (10 decks!), then don't read this section! ... .... Ok, have we weeded out the wimps, err... scaredy cats... ah! The "definitely not scared, not a cat, not a wimp, but just simply... non-thrill seekers!" Have we got them out? Good. It's really fun, but shorter than I thought. Only rode it once, but plan on going back on it again! But only after my shoulder won't talk me out of it, because a fell on my shoulder in it part way through! While I was able to get back straight, really didn't make it as enjoyable as it could have been. My parents did enjoy it though! Was a shock to be able to get her on it, she would fall the category of "definitely not scared, not a cat, not a wimp, but just simply... non-thrill seekers!" usually. They didn't get banged up like me luckily. Hopefully they will ride it again with me! __________________________________________________ Symphony Dunes Now, a family tradition is to always play some Royal mini golf on sail-away day... So, we went to the putt putt course! Father of course won (he is pretty good at his short game at the home golf course), but I at least came into second with my mother finishing close behind. I even got a hole-in-one! (Didn't get a picture this time, was having too much fun!) So far 1-0-0 for the mini golf. Sail Away! We have never gone to sail away parties, but do spend it outside on our balcony. We saw the Norwegian Epic sail by to turn around right as our pilot to guide us out of Barcelona's Port was getting onboard. (Photo is from driving to port but it works.. shh, don't tell anyon... wait...) _________________________________________________ Next, it was our turn! We sailed away at 6:20, but we were about to get ready for Chops Grille, our dinner for the night. So we got to see some of sail away, but had to quickly rush to Central Park after. While getting on the ship, I got a picture of the bow of Symphony! _______________________________________________ Chops Grille We have eaten at chops, and always love a good steak at home, and on a cruise! Food was great as usual, I got a Filet and a starter of the Glazed Bacon. Always a good meal! Parents both got the NY Strip, and my Mother's was much smaller than Dad's! All worked out though, as my mother wasn't very hungry anyway. (Forgot to get any food pictures of steak or bacon... Sorry!) Then it was time for dessert! We ordered two cheesecakes and one key-lime pie as per the waiter's recommendation. Unfortunately, he came with a red velvet cake instead of one of the cheesecakes, because of my Mom's unfortunate Tree Nut allergy! Crust apparently had some nuts, but I didn't taste them. All three were good, but the velvet wasn't as good as the cheesecake would have been as per my mother. Hairspray After dinner it was time for Hairspray! Show was good, and I had never seen the full movie or show fully though, so was nice to finally see that. Unfortunately, my father couldn't get to his seat on time, so he would have had to get people to move while the show had already started. Instead, he just opted to go to the casino! He lost $150, and mother was not happy. Isn't sleeping on the couch though, that's where I am! Welcome Party, Featuring Firecracker Balloons! (@twangster: the sub title is for you!) There was a welcome party on the Royal Promenade, and it included a balloon drop at midnight. You can see what I was talking about on my Periscope (@CraftyCat05). CraftyCat05's Cacophonous Yet Coherent Celebrations for Miscellaneous Text that Could Include Some Observations WOO! THIS IS THE LOUD CELEBRATION FOR THE MISCELLANEOUS TEXT! THANKS FOR THE IDEA @JLMoran. HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND. CraftyCat05's Coherent Text that Talks about his Observations My titling system needs some work, exhibit A and B above. No peep shows today.. Yay! The ship still looks brand new, and looks amazing! The Cruise Director is Michele and Activities Manager is Margot. For a full list of CDs and AMs, check out @Joe01's awesome thread. The lines for the water slides were already long today. Didn't get to ride those today though... ? Voom seems to be slower than it was on Allure, maybe throttling has gotten to a lower limit since 2016? Our Stateroom Attendant seems to be great! Her name is Isha! The signage and other things around the ship are in Royal's new modern colors and typography. Lots of Sea Blue and Baby Blue! Safety Drill video is still Mission Impossible: Try to Get Everyone to Pay Attention to Me (A.K.A the secret agent safety video) Documentation Scanned Documents 5.pdf - Cruise Compass Scanned Documents.pdf - Boarding Day Quick Guide Scanned Documents 2.pdf - Shows at a Glance Scanned Documents 4.pdf - Teen Club Compass (thanks Guess Services!) Scanned Documents 3.pdf - Sky Class Amenities Chao Chao for now!

I'll see your Chicago June 21 and raise you a New Jersey June 27. No, I'm not kidding. ?

Your blog remind me of my Mom and I. We used to travel together for years until my Dad said I will be going from now on. Have a great time with your Mom.

It seems to me that there are two distinct gratuities here, and some people in this conversation might be confusing them. There is a gratuity that is added to the cabin rate, which is shared among lots of people, including the MDR staff, Windjammer staff, housekeeping staff, etc etc. There is also a gratuity that is added to whatever packages you also buy, and those gratuities are shared among the relevant staff. My understanding is that you are allowed to pick and choose, and opt out of whichever gratuities you want to opt out of. For example: Suppose you buy the all-alcohol-included package. There is an automatic gratuity added to that package, and that means that you don't really have to tip the bartender. If you got great service (or want great service in the future) then it is nice to give an additional tip, but this is acknowledged as going "above and beyond". You also have the option, technically, to opt out of this automatic gratuity, but if you choose this option, you really ought to give something to the bartender at time of service. (If I am mistaken about any of that, I hope someone will correct me.) Now, let's apply that to the dining situation: If someone never eats in the MDR, then he might consider opting out of the gratuity on the cabin, while happily paying the gratuity on the dining package. Such a person should keep in mind that while it is okay to stiff the MDR staff (because he is not using their services), it is NOT okay to stiff everyone else in the process, and he should consider making an extra effort to give tips to those other people personally.

We were on the Allure two weeks ago and the menu for night 1 was the same. I'm looking forward to having some of my favourites again!

I'd be remiss if I didn't add, Happy Birthday @WAAAYTOOO !!! ?

Following!! You're right, your cabin is like a mini apartment!! Have a fabulous time!

Ah, thanks! I did a search for "milkshake" and didn't find that thread.

Whoa! Way better than what I suggested! ?

@Lovetocruise2002, just booked my excursions for Harmony April 2019.

Don't hold your breath on Chicago breaks. Not as long as Matt lives in Florida. LOL

The Royal ship transfer was $60 round trip, per person. That's from FLL. MIA (Miami) airport was slightly cheaper for the ship transfer but I almost always find FLL cheaper for airfare so overall it was cheaper flying into FLL. Half packed, still have 8 hours. No problem mon!

Matt, thank you so much for having a website that I personally have learned so much from. I owe the people of this site; they have saved me loads of money on the what to do, and more importantly, what not to do on cruises.

Probably at the Golden Corral or Out Back Steak House. He's a growing boy, you know.

Black Friday was my lowest price from August '17 to July '18. It doesn't mean it'll definitely be the lowest on that date but that was my experience.

Excellent news. Enjoy!!

I brought a wad of $1 bills for tips, and ended up bringing most of them home. I gave a few out here and there, especially to the bartenders. But for the staff that really went out of there way for me, I didn't think that was enough, and I gave them larger amounts, so the fives and tens that I had came in very handy.

You do need to check out the Coastal Kitchen and the Suite lounge(next to the Coastal Kitchen) We were on the Oasis last month and used to Coastal Kitchen just about every meal. Our room was a loft suite so it was just around the corner and was very convenient. We made reservations in the CK the first day before the ship left the pier. Your will need your sea pass card to get in and also that is where you can meet up with the concierge, they have a desk to the right when you walk through the door into the suite lounge. The CK and the suite lounge are one big room with entrances on either side. Remember to take advantage of the special seating for suite guests at all the shows (except the comedy zone) They also open up the suite area in the shows about 10 min before the shows start for anyone to take the empty seats so get there at least 20 min before the show especially the Aqua Theater show. When you get to the pier have your paperwork ready to show and watch for the suite lines so you will be checked through much quicker. Dont be shy about asking RC guides about the suite lines when you are checking in.

If you are in a GS on Oasis you must try Coastal Kitchen! That is the dining room dedicated to GS and higher. Forget the MDR for this cruise lol. Take advantage of your suite benefits. If there is something that you are dying to try from the MDR menu, just have them deliver it to your stateroom or CK, another perk of Sky class. Here is the concierge letter that you will receive...it is very similar. Also, @bellemicheis sailing Oasis in a few days. Stay tuned for a report from her in the live blog section. "Dear Suites Guests, Its is our pleasure to welcome you onboard the beautiful Harmony of the Seas We are honored that you have selected Royal Caribbean International for your cruise vacation. We are Jeremias and Cheker, your onboard Concierges. We are available to assist you throughout your cruise vacation from 8:00 am to 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm daily in the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 Aft. As a Sky Suite guest, you are offered exclusive amenities and services not available to other guests onboard. For your convenience, here is a brief summary of our services: · Use of the Suite Lounge located on deck 17 aft. · A la Carte breakfast in Coastal Kitchen, Check the Daily Compass for the opening hours, (No reservation required) · Continental Breakfast serve in the lounge. Same hours than the Coastal Kitchen. · A la carte lunch from 12.00 to 1:30 pm daily in Coastal Kitchen, Deck 17, (No reservations required) · Dinner served in Coastal Kitchen from 06:00 pm to 09:30 pm, Deck 17, (Reservations required) · Bar service is available from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm in the Suite Lounge, serving a wide array of beverages for purchase. · Hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary bar setup with a selection of wine, spirits, beer and soft drinks every evening from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm. · Spa bathrobes for use onboard and upgraded bathroom amenities · Exclusive Reception for Suite guests with Senior Officers. (Invitation will be sent to your suite). · In Suite Dining. Full Dining Room menu privilege through Room Service, available when the Dining Room is open (For menus, please refer to your stateroom television). · Priority reservations for any of our specialty restaurants, onboard activities, Shore Excursions, and Vitality Spa services. · Private sun deck with loungers and cabanas on deck 17 forward. · Show Reservations are not required for all Sky Suite guests . Please show your Sea Pass card at the entrance 20 minutes prior to show time as booked seats will be given away 10 minutes prior to show time. For Comedy show tickets, please see your Concierge or reserve now through the Royal IQ App. · Limited VIP seats for the shows in Royal Theater (First 2 rows center, Deck 5), Studio B (Three front rows on left hand side pavilion) and Aqua Theater (first 2 rows from the top). Please show your Sea Pass card at the entrance 20 minutes prior to show time as booked seats will be given away 10 minutes prior to show time. · Priority departure. Please ask your Concierges for more details. SPECIAL NOTE: As a special VIP guest, we are pleased to offer you access to the Barefoot Beach Club & Cabanas, a private beach on Labadee. Located on Barefoot Bay, this exclusive experience is only available to our Sky Class suite guests – Simply show your Seapass card to the Island Concierge at the entrance. Each person will be give a wrist band for the day access. The Barefoot Beach Club & Cabanas offers complimentary non-motorized water sports equipment (floating mats & snorkeling equipment) in addition to an upgraded lunch menu and service from Suite Beach Attendants. For the ultimate way to relax in luxury, why not reserve one of the cabanas (with additional cost) for the day? Featuring beautiful views and dedicated Cabana Attendant service, the cabanas at Barefoot Beach Club are a not to be missed experience. Reservations are limited so please contact your Concierge for more details. A maximum of 6 guests may have access to your Cabana. Please provide the names of any guests that will be joining you to the Concierge. These names will be added to the Barefoot Beach guest list. <mime-attachment.gif> Cabana Entrance If you are interested in renting any of the Cabanas, please let me know via e-mail, as soon as possible, to avoid any disappointment as they are sold out very fast.

To me, there is nothing more irritating than when Royal (and other Corps, to be fair) tells me that they are "enhancing" my experience with some new change to their policies that, invariably, do NOT enhance my experience. The casino is famous (especially recently) for this one. They proudly announce how much BETTER things are going to be for me when, in reality, they have made it harder for me in so many ways ! If you're changing your policy, just say so but don't try and convince me and everyone else that it's a change for my benefit. It almost NEVER is.

A prep cook who used to be tasked with chopping up the lettuce for the Caesar salads realized that the tedious effort could be eliminated and suggested the wedge as a "time saver" for the kitchen.