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For all you lucky people cruising this month. Have fun and enjoy a few cold ones for us that can't join you. August 2018 4 - hisfuzziness (Freedom of the Seas) 5 - SorsCode (Liberty of the Seas) 5 - CraftyCat05 (Symphony of the Seas) 9 - TbearRunningMom (Anthem of the Seas) 11 - hisfuzziness (Freedom of the Seas) 13 - Lovetocruise2002 (Mariner of the Seas) 19 - Bella (Oasis of the Seas) 20 - Sweety (Majesty of the Seas) 20 - jurrjurr (Mariner of the Seas) 23 - CruisingQueen36 (Anthem of the Seas) 24 - greenline627 (Adventure of the Seas) 25 - Traveler (Rhapsody of the Seas)

Hey y'all! I'm from Texas and have sailed from Galveston at least 10 times and I can tell you this. You will have a ball. Texans are friendly, inclusive, not stuffy and love to have a good time.They will think you and your accent are great! Someone will probably invite you to come home with them for dinner. Book the cruise. You will love the experience and the cruisers. I will be on the Liberty June 2, 2019. Maybe you will be too. You will have to learn a few Texan phrases first- In case you’re considering a trip to the Lone Star State, here’s a guide to the very best Texan phrases: “I’m madder than a wet hen!” Translation: “I am very mad!” Example: “My daughter’s peculiar new boyfriend is a vegetarian. He was madder than a wet hen when I served brisket at dinner just to spite him. Ha ha!” “He’s all hat and no cattle.” Translation: “He often speaks highly of himself, but does not follow through with his actions.” Example: “That Barack Obama is all hat and no cattle, which is why I chose not to vote for him in the previous election.” “More than you can shake a stick at.” Translation: “A lot.” Example: “I own more Willie Nelson albums than you can shake a stick at!” “Ready and rarin’ to go.” Translation: “Excitedly ready to go.” Example: “Let’s hope the quarterback for the team that I like is ready and rarin’ to gofor the big game tomorrow!” “Bless your heart.” Translation: “I feel sorry for you,” or “I am going to act as though I feel sorry for you so as to maintain my polite demeanor.” Example: “It is very unfortunate that you are sick tonight, the night of the big Willie Nelson concert. Bless your heart.“ “Might could.” Translation: “Could.” Example: “You might could just sell your ticket to me. I am a big fan of Willie Nelson.” “I wouldn’t trust him any farther than I could throw him.” Translation: “I wouldn’t trust him.” Example: “My boss drives a Mini Cooper, therefore I wouldn’t trust him any farther than I could throw him.“ “Sure’nuff.” Translation: “Sure enough.” Example: “I drove through the beer barn around midnight, and sure’nuff, they no longer had Shiner in stock.” “Y’all.” Translation: “You all.” Example: “If y’all take Interstate 35 to the Willie Nelson concert this evening, you will likely be stuck in traffic for quite a while.” “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute!” Translation: “When it rains here, it doesn’t for very long.” Example: “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute! We are at a Willie Nelson concert, after all.” “Fixin’ to.” Translation: “About to.” Example: “I am fixin’ to vote for the Republican candidate.” *While these phrases are used by residents from many Southern states that aren’t Texas, it wouldn’t be very Texan of us to not claim them for ourselves.

Just in-case you haven't noticed I've been lobbying hard for 2020 GC to Europe via pitstop in Spain ? Just think about a transatlantic GC followed by Med cruise to Europe ?

You missed a word out so i kindly corrected it for you ?

Thanks, @twangster I think I will do it. The whole point of me traveling alone is doing what I WANT TO DO. I always travel with people and I love it. I also love being alone and not having to put anyone's wants above my own.

Yesterday was our first stop - Labadee. Before disembarking, we opted to go to the Suite Lounge for a coffee and a bagel. They also have a toaster set up to toast your bread, bagel. Once off the ship, we had a short walk to where the suite guests can meet to get a ride to Barefoot Beach. The ride took only a few minutes. We checked in and were then brought to our cabana S6 (we booked a regular cabana with the concierge a week before). It was great for mom as it provided lots of shade. They provided 6 large bottles of water as well as towels. Our attendant Guy checked in with us regularly to see if we needed anything. We each had a Labadoozee. ? At 11:30, the lunch buffet was ready. There was a variety of salads, mac and cheese, ribs, steak, chicken, shrimp skewers, hamburgers and hot dogs. All was quite good. Mom stayed in the cabana while I went back and forth between the water and the cabana. The water was clear and warm, and it was relaxing to float around on the mat. We stayed until around 2:00 PM before getting a ride back to the suite area by the pier. We really enjoyed Barefoot Beach as it was quiter and less crowded.

EVERYBODY who isn't from Texas is from a different culture and NOBODY "fits in." Just learn the phrase "everything's bigger in Texas" and you'll be fine.

Looks amazing! I have nothing booked, been waiting to make sure the new baby is healthy. Born a few days ago, all is well...now I can get booking! ?

Out where I am in the NW burbs they end the week before or after Memorial day depending on the district.

Alrighty now ...... since I'm already offended by this guys description of of fine folks from the Old Line State, and, most notably, Charm City. And if we're referencing linguistics for those from the Lone Star State ...... ...... Here's your education - Part Deux --- HOW TO SPEAK MERLIN.... Sad Part Is, I Understood everything here to the point I'm guilty of speaking exactly as they describe. Enjoy. Oh, and @baltodave - You know I'm right. Youz in Maryland talk funny... The "Merlin" Dialect The Merlin Dialect is spoken by a mixed population which inhabits a triangular area on the western littoral of the Chesapeake Bay, bounded roughly by a line commencing at Towson's Toyota, then westward to the Frederick Mall, thence following the western border of the cable TV franchise and the string of McDonald's along Route 50 to the Bay. All of these lands and the natives thereof are known as the Land of Merlin. They divide it further into semi--tribal areas called "Cannies" (e.g., Ballmer Canny, PeeGee Canny, Muntgumry Canny, Hard Canny, etc.). The dialect area is centered on a market center called Glimburny, there the people come on weekends to trade their goods. Because of the numerous words and phrases common to both Merlin Dialect and modern English, linguists have long postulated that there is some kinship between the two. Speakers of Merlin Dialect are all able to understand standard English from babyhood, chiefly because of their voracious appetite for television. However, they invariably refuse to speak standard English, even with outsiders who obviously cannot understand a word they say. Lesson 1 Vocabulary Ballmer -- Our city Merlin -- Our State Arn ---- What you do to wrinkled clothes Bulled Egg -- An egg cooked in water Chest Peak -- A large body of water nearby Colleyflare -- A white vegetable Downey Owe Shin -- Summertime destination "down to the ocean" (such as Ayshun City) Droodle Pork -- Druid Hill Park Faren Gins -- Red trucks that put out fires Flicktid -- A word only Merlin natives have ever heard of or used. Possibly deriving from the word "afflicted" taken from standard english (ex. "Shut up. Yor jist flicktid!) Hi Hon -- How we always say "hello" Hode Ooon -- When a secretary puts you on hold. Holluntown -- Highland Town Nap Lis -- Capital of the state of Merlin Ole Bay -- What our crabs taste like Oreos -- Our baseball team Payment -- That strip of cement that you walk on PohLeese -- Those guys in uniform that git ya when you're speedin' Share -- What you take in the morning to get you clean Flares -- Tulips, roses, etc. Tarred -- How you feel when you work too hard Warsh -- What we do with dirty clothes Warter -- What we drink (aka "Wooter") Winders -- Those glass things that we look out of Paramore -- Power mower Brawl -- Broil Sem Elem -- Seven Eleven Allanic -- an ocean Arnjuice -- from the sunshine tree Arouwn in all directions -- norf, souf, ees, and wes Aspern -- what you take for headaches Bald -- the way some people like their eggs Bawler -- what the plumber calls your furnace Beeno -- a famous railroad Calf Lick -- as in "bleevers are Protestant, Jewish, and ..." Canny -- a state gubmit division, such as Montgomery, Anne Arundel or Prince George's Drooslem -- city in the Holy Land Duddeney -- "He sure does, duddeney? Err -- a time measurement of 60 minutes Far place -- where we burn wood Fard -- area between the eyes and the hairline Farmin -- the people who fight fars Ford -- opposite of backward Idnit -- "It is, idnit?" Ignernt -- ignorant Klumya -- Rouse's new city (Columbia) Meer -- what you see your reflection in Mudnlaw -- the woman who's married to your fodlaw Natty Boh -- Beer Norf Abnew -- North Avenue Numb -- conjunctive 1st person pronoun: "Aw've bin workin six errors numb tarred." Plooshin -- let's get it out of the Cheaspeake Sarn -- what a Pleece Car or Farn Gin makes noise with Slong -- "good-bye" Spearmint -- experiment Warshnin -- our nation's capital Wooder -- what you wrench your hands with Yerp -- Europe Youz -- you all Zinc -- where you wrench your hands or wash your dishes Lesson 2. Oral Exercises Listen and Repeat: Merlin: Ah herd sarns at sod the hass a bat hunnert toms lass not. Itsem Ann Earl Canny farn gins. Standard: I heard sirens outside the house about a hundred times last night. It's those Anne Arundel County fire engines. Merlin: She raider boskle from Droodle Pork to dantan Ballmer wither ahz clewzed. Standard: She rode her bicycle from Druid Hill Park to downtown Baltimore with her eyes closed. Merlin: The Hard Canny Toms sayz the canny cancel pace pained bon ambalances. Standard: The Howard County Times says the County Council postponed buying ambulances. Merlin: Pitcher bane seat owen. Weer goon danny ayshun. Standard: Put your bathing suit on. We're going down to the ocean. Merlin: Ah sawn ambalance good dan Rosters Tan Raid a bat a huunert molls an air, nit was porn dan rain. Standard: I saw an ambulance going down Reisterstown Road about a hundred miles an hour, and it was pouring down rain. Merlin: It spaced a snaid mora. Better pitcher snay tars owen. Standard: It's supposed to snow tomorrow. Better put your snow tires on.

Well, that's good news then. Relaxed and fun people are my type of cruisers!

I did Wonderland solo. I'm not going to sit by and let an experience be missed just because I'm by myself. Like cruising solo, eating in a specialty restaurant like Wonderland solo meant I only had to pay for one and I only had to please myself without worrying if it is something another person might not like. I have a cruise booked next year with friends I've cruised with before but I'm hesitant to book Wonderland again because I don't know if they would like it. Jamie's is a safe bet I'm pretty sure they would like. I think Wonderland is something everyone should try at least once for the experience but I feel like its something I don't need to do over and over again.

@twangster CRACKING ME UP!

We are docked in Falmouth, Jamaica today. While I love Jamaica (my hubby and I were married in Negril), we have been here several times and don't need any souvenirs. That's why we decided to stay on the ship. We went to CK for breakfast around 8:30 and it started to get quite busy after that. I've been watching the morning show and this morning went to the ballot box by Starbucks to submit an answer to the trivia question. On our way back, we stopped by the Next Cruise desk and ended up booking on Harmony for next March! ? We will be on the same sailing as @Lovetocruise2002 ?. We decided to go check out the suite sun deck on 17 forward. You access it from deck 16 (near the solarium) and you need to use your room card to open the little gate to go up the stairs. Well we had the whole area to ourselves! We went into one of the cabana areas that overlook the solarium. Nice and quiet! They also have 2 showers to use to cool off. We just got back from the gym, which was also pretty much empty. It was nice not to have to wait for machines.

We can add that to the GC..Transatlantic to Spain via Mediterranean then on to the Baltic's ?...What's your hold up Matt?

Dinner was in CK for our regular time of 6:30. It was quite busy when we got there. I had the escargot again and mom had the scallop carpaccio (very thinly sliced scallops). For our mains, mom chose the oven roasted cod while I chose the braised beef gnocchi (it was on the appetizer menu but we had this as our main on the Allure and really enjoyed it). I think it's going to be death by chocolate this week, as we both had the chocolate napoleon. The headliner act was Adam Kario. I did make reservations online, but being in the CLS we have preferred seating. When we got into the Opal Theatre, someone was standing with a sign indicating where we could sit. This is a nice perk! Adam was very entertaining and funny. He also had 3 guests get involved in his act. My periscope of the headliner show: https://www.pscp.tv/w/bjHjFDFheVFWSlZ6WlBwUXB8MVJER2xXTFB6V0RLTOByMEX4vzsbUBEa-zaHOJzsHmFKE6ufrD1cMXp51V3y?t=2s

Yep - thank you DocLC - happy to help you with all cruises and tours around the world -

Mmm - haggis! Where do I sign up?

Added! Enjoy your cruise Both have been added, albeit a couple of days after sailing. Enjoy your B2B. Added. Can't wait to hear about the trip. Both have been added. Enjoy your cruises; they've all been added to the list. Done! You are officially the last person on the list! I'm assuming Liberty of the Seas here since Legend has left the fleet. If not, let me know and I'll correct it. You are now! Added! Enjoy.

I seriously need to get one of those cabanas! And nice reading material..?

I'm doing my first solo cruise next year. I'm looking forward to it, without the overgrown manchild who spoiled my first cruise a few years back. I plan, after reading @twangster's posts and live blogs, to request solo MDR dining at a table for two. I like people well enough, and may very well socialise all day long, and into the evening. Then again, maybe I won't. I'd rather plan to eat alone and do my socialising elsewhere. That said, because @JLMoran wrote such an amazing review of his Chef's Table experience, I have booked that for my cruise next year. I'll socialise while dining that night. I'm also very much looking forward to Wonderland on my solo cruise in 2020. I agree, someone to share that experience with would be rather nice - maybe I can share a table with some other people? Or the tables will be close enough together to share the experience even if not strictly speaking dining together.

I think your supposed to keep your shoes on in the dinning room not leave them at the door @twangster

Day Two - Palma Lots of exciting things today! From shore to sea, a lot happened. So lets get into this coherent blog! Breakfast Because of us sleeping in due to the bar and late party, we weren't able to do a nice sit down breakfast. Father and I got some pastries from the Costal Kitchen buffet, and my mother had a Breakfast bar while waiting for the excursion to start. I got three croissants (very small) and they were all good. Didn't get any pictures... but imagine a small croissant. Palma City Sights Our first excursion for the week was a city tour of Palma de Mallorca. We got to see the old castle on the hill, also known as Bellver Castle. We couldn't go inside unfortunately (closed on Monday), but we did have a beautiful view on the hill of the ocean, marina, and city centre. Next, was going to Pearl shop and bull ring. We spent our 30 minutes of free time at the shop, buying new pearls for Mom's birthday present. She got a pair of earrings that matched with a necklace, and then another standalone necklace. After our quick exploration of the bull ring (isn't used for fighting anymore, now used as a multipurpose venue), we got back on the bus to go into the city centre for shopping and walking. Finally, it was time for the city centre part of our excursion. We got off and walked to our meeting point, and once there was dismissed with 45 minutes to explore before we would walk back to the bus. We looked at the narrow streets and alleys of Palma from the times when there wasn't so many cars and tourism. We also got some gelato at "the best gelato in the world" as per the gelato world tour in 2013. We then walked back, and saw a church, lots of hotels, and many tapas restaurants. Panda wondering the streets View of ship from bus loading area The shore excursion was very nice and quick, but showed you a lot of the sights of Palma. If I remember correctly, it was also cheaper than some of the other excursions in Palma. Transportation was a nice, spacious, and most importantly air conditioned! We also had a dedicated tour guide, that wasn't driving or doing other things on the excursion. She would talk about the history of the city or point out some sights as we were driving past while we were in-route to our next stop. Our tour guide for shore excursion 26 Overall, I would rate this excursion highly for others. We will be doing the Drach Caves next week in Palma. Lunch, Slides, Horses, and Balls We had some lunch after the fun on land at El Loco Fresh. It was crowded, and really good! The quesadillas were fabulous, and the burritos were fine. Also had some chips, which were just so-so, and flan for dessert which was great! Rice and beans for the side were also tasty, but could always be better. To get down to the boardwalk for the arcade and the carousel, we decided to take the quickest way down... the Ultimate Abyss! My ride was much better, and I didn't hit the side this time on my ride. Got to go much faster, and was much more fun! Mother chickened out though, and took the elevator down. Shame! (jk mom, love u!) After that was some skee ball at the Playmakers Arcade, and a fun time on the racing simulator at the end of the room. Then it was something that we could all agree on doing, the carousel! Took a ride on that and rode the Royal Caribbean horse. Was fun as it always is on the Oasis Class ships. Can't wait to be doing it again sometime later in the trip. Rock Em' Good! We went to the Bionic Bar today! Drink wasn't as good as a real human bar tender, but was a cool experience. Will definitely visit again on this trip, may even Periscope it! Rock Em' and Sock Em' (the bartender's names) hard at work! A robotic arm has to make some money somewhere, right? Coastal Kitchen The suite only dining was what we had reserved for tonight, and man was it great! Didn't get any pictures, but did enjoy the food! I had the artichoke soup to start, and then the prime rib for my main course. While I enjoy Filets more, I do enjoy some prime rib on occasion, especially when it could be at Costal Kitchen! Then it was time for dessert! Had some cheesecake again, but this time my mother could have it! She was excited, and I thought it was better than yesterday's dessert. Definitely can't wait for another meal at Coastal. The Executive Sooo... while eating at Coastal Kitchen..... we saw.... Micheal Bayley! The CEO of Royal Caribbean!!!!! Exciting!!! I WAS NEXT TO ROYAL CARIBBEAN CELEBRITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently they were celebrating his son's birthday (internet doesn't show anything about him, but I saw him!) with other members of the Bayley family. Highlight of the day lol... 1977 To end the night, was the new ice show! It really was amazing, even if some parts of the story line were broken, but not as much as some others would have you believe! All of the performers were great on the ice, except the ninja. The ninja fell about 5 times, and I was even scared something would go wrong with them! They definitely didn't have their A-game on tonight. The most notable part of the show was the quick change clothing couple, and the beginning scene because of it's drone show! I would almost disagree with others about the show having a very disjointed plot. While there are some parts that are kinda mismatched, there is a story line that goes with the show! Definitely want to watch it again next week. Would rate it 10/10! Miscellaneous Thoughts and Observations My "B" key is on it's last legs. May be missing lots of those! Palma is a very nice island, but with lots of tourists. Probably won't want to visit it on a land vacation. The sunset tonight was beautiful! Just look at it! Got a towel animal tonight! I'm convinced because of the B2B the animals will only be every other day, because they only know seven! Sorry for getting this out later than usual! Will try to make up for it somehow. I will post downloads on Day Three's post. I just want to get this out! Sorry if there are any mistakes, like I said, wanted this out ASAP! Chao Chao for now!

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!

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

Well, all I can say like so many are starting to do, the time has come to move on!! Don't wanna be a fool for you Just another player in your game for two You may hate me, but it ain't no lie, Baby, bye, bye, bye...

@Matt heard my pleas, and now it's official... ?

Found this just now...she looks great! @KLAconQueso and @AGSLC5...if you read through, OP said that cabins were not refreshed.....

Congrats @RestingBirds!!!

Just enjoy the cruise. I tried live blogging but got caught up in the enjoyment of the cruise too much. It certainly is a port intensive itinerary - at least you have 2 weeks to do it all!

The bar in the Schooner "Bar" is a sure fire cure for those!

I haven't yet sailed on Anthem (just 74 more sleeps!), but I have a feeling that your impression of Anthem being small is due in large part to the traffic flow issues that others have commented on in their live blogs. When I sailed on Freedom, I never felt like the ship was small, nor did I ever feel it was crowded unless I was on the pool deck in mid-day; and that time of day, that area's going to feel crowded no matter what ship you're on. If part of your goal with taking this cruise is to experience a new itinerary and new ports, then let that be the driving goal and set aside concerns about the ship or the passengers; focus your energy and attention on the ports, the experiences they offer, and the memories they will give instead of the ones from the ship. Heck, I have reservations about most likely having to sail a Vision class ship for a Greek Isles / Adriatic Coast itinerary, as I think I'd prefer a Radiance class, but the ports are the key thing with that kind of trip; and with so many of them, I'm taking the attitude that any potential lack of amenities on the ship compared to other classes probably won't even be noticed, as I'll be too tired at the end of each day! ?

I live in Houston and I just thought I’d throw in a quick comment here. I’d have lived here since 1975 when I was 5 years old (except for 4 years of college). I have seen Houston and Texas change tremendously. Shows like “Dallas” are not refelective of how it is here. People do not walk around with Cowboy hats and boots all the time. And not everyone is in the oil or energy business. While it’s true that’s still our primary industry, we have diversified so much sense 1975. I remember in the 1980s oil business was down and the whole state went into a huge recession. Nowadays that wouldn’t happen. People are moving here like crazy the last 20 years. Actually I like too many people are here but that’s a different topic. Bottom line is that Texas is much more Diverse than people realize. We are friendly and very cosmopolitan. I would not worry at all being out of place. Book your cruise and enjoy it!

Having grown up in PeeGee Canny and having relatives in the Nap Lis area, it all makes perfect sense to me!

We would be happy to help you out anytime AND it can be after the 60 day mark - just send in a quote request

First, my cruise calendar for the May 18, 2019 sailing of the Symphony, does not show anything about JR milkshakes in regard to neither the Deluxe nor the Refreshment packages. Second, as a long time customer of Johnny Rockets (on shore), I can say that they really have to improve the quality of their shipboard burgers. On shore, they typically "smash" the burgers and you get a nice hot and tasty burger. On two different RCL ships, they just took the patties and cooked and flipped and served so you ended up with a rock hard, over cooked, tasteless hockey puck. I don't care how good the milkshake is, it isn't good enough to make me want to eat one of those burgers.

I'm hoping Matt and his MEI partners are patiently waiting for RCCL to release the Europe 2020. My gut tells me they have a few itineraries on a dream sheet and a decision will happen very quickly due to limited inventory and wanting to get the best price to bring a larger volume of cruising friends. Interest is high and Europe gets real pricey if you wait too long. I know my family is 100% ready to put a deposit down as soon as they are released and join a 2020 RCBlog European Group Cruise.

Me too! Me too!

Matt I was just on Harmony last week.. I was able to use my ultimate dining package at Chops on the first day. This is the third time I have been able to do this on an Oasis class ship

Day 2 - Key West continued... I had to get some work done so today was about exploring KW close to the ship. I did manage to get off the ship though... The view from my 'office' today:

I'm on board with the rest of the posters here ...... All of my cruises in recent years have gone out of Baltimore to Bermuda (I live in Maryland) ---- Easy Peasy ---- I can handle it myself. On top of that, had a less than positive experience with a local travel agency here, so I stuck with doing things on my own. But now, with 2019 approaching, and especially 2020, we'll be on different ships out of different ports going to different destinations...... way out of my comfort zone. (Especially with the 2020 ---- Freedom out of SJ to the Eastern Caribbean) ---- the whole experience will be new to us.... So, I contacted Michelle with MEI (after hearing so many positive things from here)--- for us, she's semi-local (northern Virginia), but what really sold my wife and I was Michelle, the person. She answered every question (no matter how mundane) with knowledge and enthusiasm -- she also understood that we were also skeptical when it came to TA's after the negative experience we'd had. She's incredibly patient with us. Even though our relationship with Michelle is in its infancy, and we are in no way a huge book of business for her, you'd never know it by the way she treats us like gold. So, to wrap this post around --- this site is what brought us to Michelle, but it's Michelle that will keep us with MEI --- Mark

The World's Sexiest Man competition took place at 1:45 in the Aqua Theatre. We got there about 15 mins early so we could get a seat that was shaded. It was good for laughs. I found the group of guys on the Allure a couple of weeks ago to be more dramatic. Plus they made it clear on the Allure that the contestants couldn't touch the judges but that wasn't the case today. My periscope from it is below: https://www.pscp.tv/w/bi-yiDFheVFWSlZ6WlBwUXB8MXpxS1ZMVmJRRUFKQnh0oLFXdbcVmXqLdjNRW_tAQgwOpxU-tWmGDVMwzV5E?t=1s When it was over, we went up to the suite lounge for a sneak peek at tonight's dinner menu. Tonight was the first formal night.

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.

Same as @Waaaytooo with Michelle; 4 months after booking - "exception to policy."

All the marketing on the Mariner of the Seas worked... going to book for end of August.

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

Uh Oh.....looks like SOMEBODY is sensitive!

Oh my....this is worse than bot status! I've slid into the unknown "fill in the blank" rank ?

Great its just like all the other brain teasers on the internet .. its clearly a set of flip flops except now when I scroll back up all I see is a scary face. Now I'm going to be cowering in terror for the rest of my life everytime I see a pair of flipflops ;) Does this site offer counseling services ... I feel traumatised ...

Now I see it. For the life of me I couldn't figure it out, I kept seeing a face with wicked eyebrows. I gotta stop staying up all night working...