Leaderboard

The selfie @twangster took of himself as he soared through the air dangling from one of the drones was amazing. It's a shame you and @Matt missed it since you skipped the photos. I can't believe they took a volunteer from the audience for that role. Shows a lot of natural athletic ability, obviously.

With that our tribe begins to appear unified and equal. Each is wearing a common tribal outfit. I've seen all of the aqua theater shows and this is my favorite. It's high energy with lots of action, plenty of diving and incredible aerial work. It's more artistic in places and uses technology to highlight the incredible performance of the cast which itself is outstanding. The aerial components are incredible and add a lot to the show. Be aware though, when they get wet by dipping into the water they do drip onto the audience below, all over the theater.

Given that it's a sea day I worked much of the day. A periscope notification told me some of the RCPeriscopers and Royal Caribbean Blog readers were starting their Yeti Pub Crawl. Then they were sliding down the Ultimate Abyss. Not long after they were below my cabin in Playmakers. Soon enough they did the Carousel. All in their bathrobes. @Big Dawg Ron @cookingyo and Mrs. Cookingyo What happens on Symphony of the Seas stays on the internet.

Day 9 - Galley Tour A benefit of being Diamond Plus is a free galley tour. Today a Sous Chef would be conducting the tour. We meet one of the cooks who is responsible to make bread. Lots of it. Meat cooking station. Pickup station where wait staff retrieve food once it is ready to go. Dishwashing This particular tour was one of many they had to do because of the large numbers of Diamond Plus on board. It was a little rushed and we were in the way in the galley during a busy time. Consequently it's probably a good thing it was short.

Day 10 - Entertainment Tour Another Diamond Plus tour offered as a Crown and Anchor Society benefit. We have the head tech for the ship (all entertainment on the ship) as well as two cast members from Hairspray/Flight. The Aqua Theater cast is a separate cast. The cast comes and goes from the ship as a group. Most entertainment contracts are nine months. As the 'Take Out' cast for the main theater they had a twelve month contract. That included three months on land preparing for their arrival to the ship. This will ensure the initial shows when the ship arrives in Miami will be performed from a cast that is well versed and practiced. The hairspray used during the show is called 'Fog In A Can' and made for theatrical use. The backstage crew work in multiple venues such as the Main Theater, Studio B or the Aqua Theater. Flight is such a demanding show technically that it requires most of the backstage crew to be involved. Consequently they can't operate Aqua Shows when Flight is offered. The plane used for the finale in Flight is mounted on a gimbal and the 3D pulley/cable system moves it around the theater but the plane itself, direction, pitch and roll is controlled by the cast member 'flying' it in their seat on the plane. After our question and answer session we are escorted backstage. The smaller plane prop used during the barnstormer skit within flight. We continued backstage. Dressing room Alien mask used in Flight The stage floor is covered with tape marks used for setting props. The plane used for the Flight finale is taken apart and stored in these shipping containers. The 3D pulley cable system is operated from this little space to the left of the screen. It's always interesting to see how much effort goes into these high end entertainment shows.

More diving Followed by more diving

Next the theater is lit up by a huge mirror ball Ropes in water are next The aerialist returns

Next a very dramatic rainfall number. Next the high line comes into play. Followed by some high diving.

Ovation to Alaska 2020 booked!

Howdy, Just got back late last week, of course, it's raining now here in the mountains of Western Maryland.... To summarize things, this is the first 7-nighter that Grandeur has done in years ..... having 2+ days in Bermuda was AWESOME!!! We booked this at 575 Days out (the minute we heard about it, we jumped on it). Mike S. & CiCi are, by far, the BEST CD & AD I'd ever seen ....... Mike has a sense of humor that had everyone laughing ALL THE TIME!!! Including Captain Thor, which, to his credit, has a pretty wicked sense of humor too. It was fun watching them play off of one another through the cruise. Oh, and worth noting since today is election day --- NO POLITICAL ADS FOR 7 DAYS!!!!! YES!!!!!! Day 1 --- Thursday 10/25 This was the smoothest we'd ever seen the Port of Baltimore (it's always been quick, but this was unprecedented in my book). We arrived at the Port around 10:00 am to a small line of cars that weren't permitted to go into the lot, we waited about 10 minutes, then we were able to drop off luggage, pay our parking fee and park .... The real surprise was when we walked into the terminal, the boarding process had already began. By the time we got our SeaPass card, THERE WAS NO LINE..... JUST UP THE RAMP AND BOOM -- At the R bar for our first Bloody Maryland's The weather was cool and breezy, not shorts and T-shirts, that's for sure .... Sail away was smooth, the only real bummer was that the sail away party had been moved into the Centrum, yet, most folks were up top to witness going under the Key Bridge. Oh well, the frozen drinks never ended so we were happy. Day 2 --- Friday 10/26 What a blast, it was a little warmer, but was still pretty windy, we figure, due to the nor'easter that was due to form off the coast .... the seas, however, were surprisingly smooth. Saw something I'd never seen, an airplane contest in the Centrum ..... too funny, those things were flying everywhere .... The highlight of the day was that it was my 56th Birthday .... being also the first Formal Night, I chose to have my Birthday Dinner up in Izumi .... as always, that place does NOT disappoint ..... the real surprise for me was when a cake w/ candle showed up and they sang Happy Birthday to me. Best birthday I've had in years. Day 3 --- Saturday 10/27 -- arriving in Bermuda One of the things that was interesting was that we weren't due to arrive until 4:00 pm --- The reason why was obvious when I checked Marine Traffic and noticed the P & O Arcadia AND, I believe, the Disney Magic. We had to wait for the Disney Ship to leave so we could dock. Those that were watching PtzTV could see how we pulled into the turning basin and waited on the Disney ship to leave ..... The hold-up there was, again, the wind, they needed help with tugboats to pull away from the dock, which took longer than expected, then the tugs had assist us pulling in (didn't want to slam into anything) -- we ending up docking at King's Wharf instead of Heritage Wharf (the Acadia was there) --- that was a new thing. On top of it all, there was another vessel behind us --- A Viking Cruise ship that ended up docking in Hamilton. Once we docked, getting off the ship was as smooth as always, not much was open that late so we ended up going over to the Bonefish for snacks and a few drinks .... which ended up costing $107 --- but, whatever, you're on vacation ..... NOTE to Future Bermuda Cruisers that we discovered later in the cruise, shopping is LESS Expensive in Hamilton vs. the Dockyard, that shouldn't surprise anyone. Day 4 --- Sunday 10/28 --- Getting to Tobacco Bay Transportation wasn't impossible, but it was a bit of a challenge if you didn't know what you were doing. Our goal was to get to St. George and Tobacco Bay. The only part of the island we hadn't been to. The Ferry for to St. George wasn't operating due to its season being over (it won't be operating again until April 2019) --- and, being a Sunday worked against us. We (a lot of us) rode the ferry to Hamilton, then walked a couple blocks to the main bus terminal --- multiple routes go to St. George (1,3,10,11) and each one seemed to arrive 15 minutes apart from one another --- the 11 was filling up when we arrived, then those in front of us got on a #10 15 minutes later, then we were able to board a #1 15 minutes after that. Suffice it to say, St. George is, by far, our favorite part of the island ..... the walk to Tobacco Bay was a bit rough due to a hill you have to walk over (which takes you by church ruins which are stunning) --- when we left Tobacco Bay, we ended up taking a cab back to St. George to the bus stop --- $3 pp ---- worth every penny. Also got a wicked sunburn ..... but isn't that what you're supposed to do? Love, Love, Love Tobacco Bay. Day 5 --- Monday 10/29 --- Last Day in Bermuda Since the All Aboard time was 4:30 ---- it gave us time to not be in such a hurry .... We ended up taking the ferry back to Hamilton just to do some shopping --- we spotted the Washington Mall the day before, so now, being a Monday, everything was open. That's when we discovered the price differential from the Dockyard .... plus, seeing Hamilton on a weekday, boy, those businessmen can really sport those Bermuda shorts .... you know, I COULD DO THAT!!! The real take-away was how nice everyone is. Everyone says "hello" when you pass them on a sidewalk. Very refreshing. Day 6 --- Tuesday 10/30 --- Halloween -- 1st Sea Day For us, today was Halloween, this way the party could go late into the night since the night of the 31st, that was the last night of the cruise. All I can say is, I've never been a part of a party like the IN MY LIFE!!!! We WILL do another Halloween Cruise one of these days....... SO much fun, I can't even begin to describe ..... Some of the costumes were unbelievable ..... the staff and crew all got into it ..... since this day also doubled as our 2nd Formal Night, they pretty much did away with the dress code and encouraged folks to show up in costume if they chose to do so. Oh, and for what it's worth, Tyna and I went as the Skipper and Gilligan (we were with another couple that went as Maryanne and The Professor) .... sorry, no Ginger. For those that were a part of this and saw my Facebook posts, watching Gillegan attempt a portion of Michael Jackson's Thriller is the kind of thing you can't unsee. BEST CRUISE EVER!!!!!! Day 7 --- Wednesday 10/31 -- Second Sea Day Amazing Weather, ended up spending a portion of it in the pool, however, you could feel the chill as the day wore on as we got closer to the Chesapeake. Ended up having Lamb Shank in the MDR --- it really made us question why we pay extra money in the specialty restaurants some times, because, this was just that good. Tyna ended up getting a steak .... she described it as being "like butta" --- best meals of the cruise. Oh, and I don't want to forget this activity, they did an Egg Drop from Deck 8 in the Centrum to see who could land their egg, unbroken, closest to a target on the Centrum floor (Deck 4) --- every participant was given a kit with supplies and an egg, so it was just like a school science experiment as to who could build the best device to float it down. Who thinks of those things? People were watching from all decks cheering everyone on .... We were on Deck 9 on the opposite side from where they were dropping them on 8 so we could see it all .... in the end, it was a young girl that won. Getting off the ship ... We all know it's like herding cattle .... but in all honesty, just like when we got on, it was the fastest I'd ever experienced .... the line never stopped moving. In and out in a matter of minutes. In the end, it's no surprise to anyone here ..... WE LOVE LADY G!!!! She's due to go into drydock in March, so, perhaps that's a good thing ...... It'll feel strange that the next two cruises for us are NOT on her ...... but we know we'll gravitate back to her. Below are a few random photos ..... if you need explanation on any of them, just ask ..... the dude as the GI Joe was, by far, the best costume of the night .... even the crew kept coming up to him wanting photos

The first aerial performer appears from behind us walking upside down into the theater. She is lowered into the water and emerges with another performer upside down below her. She is released and dives back into the water. Nothing but their own muscles used during the lift. The aerial artistry continues Next we see a performer high up in the theater banging a set of drums that are lit up and covered with water so that with every beat the water dances upward. Below him every beat of the drum he seems to breathe life into the aerial performer

Day 9 - Lunch Johnny Rockets Since I'm staying in a boardwalk balcony cabin, one free meal at Johnny Rockets is included for up to four guests. Onion rings and fries Smokehouse Burger Soda is included (since a boardwalk balcony also includes the soda package) but their milkshakes are not. Absolutely stuffed I skipped dessert.

Day 10 - Misc. I returned to my cabin and found this certificate on my bed. Our progress...

Day 9 - HiRO HiRO is the story of three competing tribes that start separate and uniquely represented by their own color, red, white and black. We first meet the three distinct tribes The tribes begin to compete with a series of dives.

I hear that every ship going into dry dock is going to have the Flow Rider removed! ?

Day 9 - Misc. Splash away Bay Perfect Storm rules and limits They've finished placing the glass on the new Solarium Bar cover. My guess is the next step is to caulk or otherwise fill the gaps between each glass panel otherwise it won't be watertight. The bar remains closed. From my balcony I saw some Aqua Theater cast rehearsing. That's promising, hopefully the aqua shows will be a go tonight. If any body doesn't think swinging around in the air isn't a workout, think again. Mid day progress... For a ship with a published maximum speed of 22 knots, we're flying at 23 knots. Must be a good tail wind, the highest I saw so far was 23.1 knots. Our target destination is getting closer.

So many Flight spoiler photos in one message board! ?

Here's the thing. Photos are great but they don't nearly begin to convey the emotions felt during the show. Like taking a snapshot every 10 minutes in a movie then thinking you don't need to go the theater to see it - wrong. It's infinitely more impressive when seen live. This experience alone is worth booking this ship, even for you ?

I have a few answers...and some I have no idea. 1. No, neither the Galley Brunch nor the cupcake decorating class are included in the UDP. These are considered "entertainment" events and not dining events. 2. No, there is no option to included these 2 events with a dining package. 3. To be honest, I don't know if Johnny Rockets is included in the UDP or not. I think not. I could be wrong about this one. I know that the milkshakes are included in the Premium drinks package but I don't think they would be included in a UDP even if the meal was included. 4. I'm not sure about the 12 year old. I don't know if a 12 year old is considered a "child" or not (for dining purposes). I think you are correct...if you prepaid for the 12 year old and it turns out that there is no charge or a reduced charge, you would get any rebate back as OBC. The only reason I can think of to prepay for the 12 year old would be that you MIGHT be charged an 18% gratuity if you have to purchase a specialty meal on board. I really don't know about this one... 5. As far as coordinating eating and shows, it is always a guessing game unless you are very familiar with the ship's entertainment schedule. My solution is always to eat as early as possible and schedule entertainment for later. It almost always works out for us but that may not be your preference. 6. I would anticipate that you will have 1 formal night on a 5 night cruise and it is USUALLY on night #2 but that can certainly change. If you have a sea day on day 2 then that will almost certainly be your formal night. Whether or not lobster will be served is a toss-up. Even on the same ship that can change from cruise to cruise. On our last Grandeur cruise I was shocked to find out that they were serving both lobster AND lamb shank even though on our previous 5 night Grandeur cruise they served neither. You will probably not know until you get on board. 7. No idea about the sauces at Izumi. I never use anything except high test soy sauce. 8. I'm no help with suggestions for Labadee or Falmouth as I never get off the ship at either of these stops anymore. Just a short discussion about the UDP. I have completely changed my opinion of specialty dining plans from a few years ago. In the past, we never ever paid extra for a specialty meal. Then we started cruising Star Class which has ruined me in SO many ways. Specialty dining is one of them. We now almost always purchase the UDP b/c I love the option of eating any meal I choose in the different specialty restaurants. As a matter of fact, I am now very pissy b/c neither my Thanksgiving (Navigator) nor my Christmas + NY (Grandeur) cruises is offering ANY dining packages. I was able to prepurchase a couple of Chops meals at a discount a few weeks back and I am hoping to be able to use my D+ BOGO perk on nights 1 and 2 of these cruises but for the rest, we will be eating in the MDR or maybe a couple of paid trips to Izumi as I will not be able to keep Dan away from Izumi on Grandeur. But trust me, when we have the UDP, we take FULL advantage of Izumi. So I am an advocate of the UDP. I think it is a good value if you enjoy the specialty restaurants. AND if there are any meals (or dishes) that you particularly like (such as lobster and/or lamb shank) you can ALWAYS get them, even if you are in a specialty restaurant ! This is something that not everyone knows. If you are dining in Chops on lobster night, [and you want a lobster tail but don't want to pay the upcharge for the Chop's lobster tail !] ask them to bring you a MDR lobster tail. They will ! On our last cruise (Grandeur), Dan wanted the lamb shank but we were eating at Giovanni's. They brought him his lamb shank PLUS whatever he ordered as his entree from Giovanni's. I always get cream of mushroom soup as my appetizer even when we eat at Giovanni's. Want red velvet cake for dessert but Giovanni's doesn't have it on their dessert menu ? No problem ! They will go and get you some from Chop's (unless they are one of the evil ships that have gotten rid of red velvet cake !). So the bottom line is...you do not have to "miss" your favorite MDR dish just b/c you are dining in a specialty restaurant. That's a GOOD thing !

In the afternoon I saw the aqua theater staff testing various components that I assumed would be used during the aqua show. A diver was on hand to assist. They seem to be load testing these by placing them under tension. I was hoping these would come into play during the show. It turns out they would.

Try https://www.cruiseplum.com/last-minute-deals. Buttons at top for "hot deals" and "last minute deals". One of the ones I like to browse regularly.

Day 8 - Part II Dinner was at Windjammer – well kind of. We were still quite full from Johnny Rockets, so it was more a litte bit of salad and a few desserts. As this is likely our only evening in Windjammer, we did a bit of recon. A bit more choice than TUI Cruises, but overall we’d say they’re on par as TUI has way better gelato. Side notes: 12.6 k steps Do Americans ever use spices on fries and the like? I start to understand your penchant for ketchup and other condiments. No idea what the h*** Aqua Theater is for. If they can’t run a show in the conditions we had today, they’d need perfectly flat seas to do it. Is the Caribbean sea always completely flat or do they just cancel most of the shows? If you see the Starbucks on board, you'll come to the conclusion that being a Starbucks addict is a requirement to get promoted to officer with Royal. Towel animal of the day: peacock (at least I'm certain of that one) More staircase art – I think we’ve got them all now – well, the ones I liked anyway. Finally, the best piece of art on Symphony of the Seas:

Post-show walk through Central Park to the sounds of live acoustic guitar. So peaceful.

Our last stop on this journey back in time brings us to the first machine powered flight. Our daring pilot prepares to take off for the first time. Not only does he take flight but he flies out over the audience in the theater. With that it's time to land To a hero's greeting To a standing ovation the show has reached it's conclusion. Another Royal Caribbean Entertainment hit, Flight should not be missed.

By FlowBro Ty Hi Every One. Welcome To Oasis Of The Seas Western Caribbean Blog. So Let Get Started. If You Are New Here. Here Is My Last Blog Of The Mariner OTS. Check It Out. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/9405-mariner-of-the-seas-blog-72718-to-73018/ On This Voyage On The Oasis The Port Of Calls We Will Be Stopping At Are Labbadee Haiti, Falmouth Jamaica, Cozmel Mexico So We Have Three Port Days And Three Sea Day The Room We Booked Was A Jr Suite On Deck Eight. Our Friend's Also Have A Jr Suite Right Next To Ours. Also On This Sailing We Were Joined By @Twangster Fan This Blog Will Take A Few Weeks. ATo Post. So Let The Blog Begin

No worries, it doesn't affect us at all. I was quite sure this was the only reason for the added port so I planned accordingly. This is where vacation OCD comes in handy. Btw keep in mind we'll be waving you goodbye from South Pointe Park. Well, tbh we'll be waving Symphony goodbye but count yourself included ?

I feel bad for you all, but then again, that means my embarkation the next day will be faster so....

Hey @wootence, welcome to the message boards! Lemme see how many of these I can help you out with; whatever I don't know, others will be able to answer pronto... No, these two items are separate add-on charges that are counted as activities, rather than dining. Yes, JR is included in the UDP for the food part, per this article from Matt. Also per that article, the package only covers the food and gratuity portion of the meal, not any beverages that are not complimentary. So milkshakes will be excluded unless you also have either the Refreshment or Deluxe Beverage package. The exact wording from the linked article does state, "Children ages 6-12 can be added to reservation for a $10 cover charge once onboard." -- so that would suggest to just hold off and take care of it when you board. It should be totally safe to do this since, with three people already booked, you'll almost certainly be seated at tables for four. But, one question on this... Will your 12-year old still be 12 on sailing date, or will he/she have turned 13? If the 13th birthday will have come on or before sailing date, you'll have to pay the adult rate and you'll want to book him/her with the rest of you. If not, then do as the article indicates and wait until boarding day. The main shows (headliner acts, broadway-style performances, etc. are always timed to work around the Traditional Dining windows at 5:30 and 8:00 PM, usually with an early show for the later dining time, and a later show for the earlier dining time. So if you plan your reservations around that, you can make most or all of the headliner shows without trouble. I was just on Anthem for a 5-night sailing, and with only one exception when we saw Spectra's Cabaret (which we knew we had to arrive for around 8:00 to get good seats), we were able to have dinner at 7 each night with no problems. Yes, there will be one formal night on your first sea day (Day 2 of the cruise). I don't believe they usually serve lobster at that dinner (they didn't on my recent Anthem sailing), but if not then the likely will on your last sea day, even though it's not a formal night (for my sailing, they did). For Labadee, if you want to ride the alpine coaster you should plan to do that first thing in the morning. The line is non-existent and if you have an unlimited ride band, you can easily get in four rides in the course of an hour. If you wait until the afternoon, the line is much worse. I was there back in April on another cruise, and I did the morning rides and got full use of my all-day wristband. My wife and kids, on the other hand, went in the afternoon because they had the zip line in the morning; they got the big lines and were only able to go once, making their unlimited ride bands a bit of wasted money vs. a single-ride band. If you have the budget and can get a good price (less than $400), definitely book an on-the-water cabana as soon as they open up. Having the cabana made our day on Labadee absolutely fantastic; we shared it with our table-mates from the MDR, and having the shade and guaranteed place to sit and relax turned an already good day into a totally great one. Only one person needs to actually buy the reservation, and then when you show up that person will tell the attendants how many others are going to be there (up to 8 total). And have at least one Labadoozie. SOOOOO tasty!! ?

All of their political futures are now OVER !! ?

yes...use some cruise travel sites.....I only booked with Royal my first few cruises and wondered how other people got such low prices and more OBC.....its cause they didn't book directly with Royal. Royals site is not very user friendly or quick either I find. Lesson learned..never booked with them since......I use VTG......can search by cabin type as well as some other options..and always the best price I can find out there

Yes, closed in port to avoid taxation issues or other in-country retail shopping laws. The biggest benefit is access to certain OTC meds when the retail shop is closed. Have a headache but don't need a trip to medical? Use the dispenser. I had planned to do a post on them but need to take photos at night because of the glare coming in from daylight during the day. There is also a charging station next to it. Each bay is a locker with a PIN you assign. Come back later and retrieve your device using your PIN.

Already put my request into my TA! Woot!!! Hello Alaska 2020!

Well, I got good news for you. There's no way the pictures could ever do Flight justice. They're only pictures after all. No matter how good the pictures, you'll still need the whole ride. The goosebump feeling is only achieved when being in a live audience. I guess the whole audience knew what would happen in the finale - with all the hints and spoilers from Bobby and Katy. That didn't dampen the feeling of sheer amazement. This show is truly magical.

Sorry Matt, I don't consider them "spoiler photos". What Twangster and Neaxan have posted have convinced me we NEED to cruise this incredible ship. Those Flight photos have definitely piqued my interest. Hopefully I can book it when the 2021 schedule is posted. I don't care about the itinerary so much because we will probably do a B2B and just enjoy the hell out of this cruise ship!

Day 8 - Part III - The Grand Finale Evening entertainment was Flight – done by the cast of Hairspray. While Twangster was in this cruise's first show, we went to the late night session. Finally another production show for us! And what a show it was – the pictures really don’t do it justice. Apart from the non-existent storyline this was top notch entertainment with goosebumps at the finale. We could rewatch this show over and over and recommend you do it as soon as you get the chance! Needless to say that the cast got a well-deserved standing ovation for this. And we were quite happy that the 45 minutes in an ever-groing line before the theater opened was time well-spent.

I'm out of dry dock! (already!!) Wife wanted to go back to Bermuda so much that we just booked a return visit -- October 19, 2019 on Anthem. Just a regular balcony room this time, but we got the one just two doors down from the JS we stayed in! It's kismet!!

Our progress... (as of 2am the morning of Day 9)

Runs about 55 minutes if I recall.

Moving back further we reach World War II. This includes a tribute to the WASPs or Women's Air Force Service Pilot program. The tribute continues with the role of women in the war effort. Then we see the young men who went off to fight the war in the air. Here our adventure in time visits the era of 'The War of The Worlds' radio broadcast by Orson Welles. And aliens on a cruise ship! As we continue back in time we reach the days of the biplane and the barnstormers. After nearly crashing into a barn, our plane and pilot are a little worse for wear.

Continuing back in time we reach the golden age of jet travel when the public could really begin to fly and visit just about anywhere in the world. Of course everyone is smoking... The passengers settle in and their jet takes off Aerial performers join from above as we relive what flying was like back in the day. Next we revisit the age of the test pilot who pushed the limits of flight forward

Next we visit a space station complete with astronauts floating in and around a space station set to music sung by the cast. We continue our journey back in time to 1969 as man prepares to fly to the moon. Landing on the moon is represented by an astronaut descending to the a backdrop of the lunar surface.

Day 8 - Flight This is the first showing of Flight on this sailing. It is performed by the same cast that performs Hairspray and it's an original Royal Caribbean production. To give it the respect it deserves I'm going to spread the pictures across a couple of posts. Flight takes us through the history of aviation and space exploration. We start in the future, getting ready to blast off on our 'sailing' to distant parts of the universe. Our flight director greets us and welcomes us to the journey we are about to undertake. Cleared for take off we blast off into space starting with a fly over an Oasis class ship in the waters near our space port. Soon enough we are in space and greeted by our first musical act descending from the ceiling. As we move back in time we are introduced to flight training and qualification. Our candidates pass and are certified for flight.

I've got a note to research this as Matt and I were discussing this when the announcement came out. There have been plans for extensive work to be done in the harbor in Havana including dredging, new facilities, and the movement of some of the cargo and tanker operations to the other side of the harbor so that side where cruise ships dock now is completely used for passenger vessels. I don't know the status of this project to be honest. What I can tell you is that a year from now, Carnival Sunshine is set to call on Havana, and she is about 103k GT with a capacity of over 3k pax. That's more passengers (though a slightly smaller ship) than Scarlet Lady. Havana can handle Panamax cargo vessels, but as best as I can tell, the current restriction is largely based on the cruise berths only being able to accommodate ships with a draft of around 29 feet, and the length is an issue as well - as they've already extended terminal 1 (possibly others?) to tie larger vessels. A ship of 900+ feet in length won't likely be accommodated there for several reasons (secure berthing, turning radius, obstruction of the channel, etc). In conclusion - possible changes to the port and harbor, or perhaps just tendering. Time for me to buy an updated nautical chart for Puerto Habana.

They did; however, you still have to pay 20% service fee. We opted for 3 person free (3 cabins with 3rd person free) and specialty dinners. As we are taking our daughter, son-n-law and all 5 grands just made better sense. The bottled water and specialty coffees are where I would spend the most anyway and they aren't even included. I think we can take two bottles of wine with us per cabin but I will have to check to be sure. As my oldest Grandson is 22, we will be able to carry on 6 bottles of wine.

Where's the whirling dervish ? LOL

No. Soda is always extra.

As always, you are a wealth of knowledge! We did upgrade both of our free cruises this year. One we upgraded interior to balcony for very little money and the other was an upgrade from interior to the Aqua Theater Suite. I wish we could use the certificates that we get but I only have so much vacation time!

It's very refreshing to see someone so excited about their upcoming cruise - even if it is almost 600 days away ! So excited FOR you.

I was on Harmony in March and they cancelled all of the shows. Instead they did perform 2 of them during the day while we were docked in one of the ports. Wasn’t quite the same being during the day.

They feed fishes with it. Following USDA guidelines they can't make use of food that been prepared and presented but not consumed. No cruise line can, if they follow the USDA.