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Day 5 - sea day Windjammer has been a little crazy and repetitive for breakfast for we hit the buffet at Playmakers so the boys could play pool too. Perfect time to go to Guest Services and take care of some misc charges that needed to be cleaned up and photos. We had a bit of an odd experience in the MDR for lunch, having never been before. There was a menu to order from, but also a buffet line for hot and cold food and a salad bar. None of this was explained and felt like it was a fend for yourself experience, especially when my husband and kids' food was served about 15min ahead of mine (all was hot food). Strange. Anyway, figured there was plenty of food around and didn't worry about it! The boys really wanted to go to the belly flop competition next, which was funny and entertaining as always! After that, the boys wanted some down time in the room (we had all had enough sun the previous two days). We let them have that time while we went to trivia, casino and bingo - no winners. Last sunset on the concierge deck, last water slides - still an incredibly long line for the SkyPad. Decided on Mexican night in the Windjammer for dinner (skip the tacos/nachos and get the quesadillas and chimi's). Time to work off dinner at the family hush disco which the boys thought was super fun! The next morning, we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise over FL as we pulled into port. We opted for continental breakfast in the suite lounge and walk off assist by the concierge. There were announcements being made about long customs lines, but the concierge line was quick and efficient. Uber back to the FLL airport for $13 plus tip. Thoughts for Day 5/6: Playmakers buffet was deserted, so I wonder how long they will keep that up. MDR lunch burger was decent and nice to make your own salad. Bingo - make sure you get your extra C&A options if you are eligible. Snacks in the Solarium looked really good on sea days, nice sandwiches. No drink cards on this cruise, but there was a beer special on the last day. Drink package challenge... broke even with RCI

Day 4 - Falmouth, Jamaica Had a little more time this morning, so hit the Windjammer and Sorrento's for breakfast. Debarked and found our Resort for a Day (JLT) contact at the independent tours tent - transportation was included to the Hyatt Ziva resort. The Hyatt Ziva is a beautiful resort with two huge pools, a beach area and many options for food and drinks. They had sports equipment to check out, snorkeling gear, ping pong tables, boogie boards, kayaks, and all kinds of other things to do. The boys loved the pools, the food was really good (jerk chicken, Jamaican patties, seafood buffet & many other options) and the drinks were plentiful. Back on the ship, we ordered room service for a snack while we waiting for sail away. Turns out we needed more than one sail away drink because our departure was delayed almost an hour and a half waiting for a RCI excursion coming back from Dunn's River Falls! After we cleaned up, my husband tried to take our younger son to ice skating but the line was incredibly long and the last slot they could have gotten conflicted with our dinner reservations. Hoping for something available the next day, they opted out. For dinner, we got an Izumi hibachi reservation after asking the hostess if we could pay the difference between the dining package and the hibachi price. Food and show were great! There was no kids menu, so I had asked for the boys to share an adult hibachi chicken and my husband ordered sushi. I think the boys were charged $10 or 15 each and our dining plan covered the rest. The service was wonderful and I'm so glad we asked about this option even though the dining plan doesn't cover hibachi by design. Boys hit the arcade again while my husband and I got boozy coffees at Cafe Promenade. We all changed and went up to the pool deck to watch Ant Man and The Wasp on the big screen. Was a bit chilly and windy so didn't watch the whole thing, but the first one was on the room TV, so finished the night with family movie night there instead. Thoughts for Day 4: Sorrento's breakfast offered hot sandwiches, fruit and specialty coffees (the line for Cafe Promenade was hellish long, but Sorrento's was short!) Hyatt Ziva was wonderful but perhaps a bit further from the port (20+ minutes) than I had hoped and $$$. We were on the right hand side of the ship (port? starboard? don't judge...) and this was perfect for Labadee and Falmouth port watching from our balcony. Couple at our hibachi table was on the late excursion and told us the story about this large group that was delaying the excursion at every point which made them hit traffic and the delay worse Drink package challenge... broke even today with RCI

Hi all, We were on Indy 17-22Nov to Labadee and Falmouth (2 sea days). Our family is myself, husband and 2 boys ages 9 and 11. We had a Grand Suite, My Time Dining and had purchased a 3 night dining package. I booked the MTD reservations ahead online and asked the concierge to book our specialty dining ahead. I actually took some notes this time, so hope this is helpful! Let me know if anyone has specific questions. Day 1 - we flew into FLL late late Friday night and had to take an Uber from the airport to the hotel because the shuttle had finished running for the day (it was like 1am and the Uber was around $10). Stayed at the Hyatt Place on 17th Street. Good breakfast, walking distance to a CVS and Walgreens and had this cute cruise station with staplers for your luggage tags! The hotel had a shuttle to the port, but it was more expensive than the four of us getting another Uber (10min away, total was $11 plus tip). We got to the port around 10:30 and flew through security and check-in. They have a pretty cool indoor climbing structure for the kids upstairs that the boys spent time until boarding was called. We boarded around 11am, had a quick snack in the concierge lounge waiting for the sports deck to open at noon. We got in line for the SkyPad around 11:45 and had a minimal wait - it was AWESOME!! All 4 of us did it and loved it! Such a cool experience. Rooms were open at 1:30 so we went and changed into our bathing suits (had in our carry-on), and enjoyed the water slides, hammocks, Flow Rider, pool and hot tub. Directly to muster drill and then changed to hit laser tag - we all did it together and this was super fun too! Dinner in the MDR was ok (the kids meal bao bun fish tacos that my older son had from the kids menu were actually really good!). The boys were exhausted and went to bed, and my husband and I listened to some live music in the pub, went to the Majority Rules Game (fun!) and then caught the end of the comedian (just ok, not as good as other comedians on Symphony or Brilliance). Thoughts for Day 1: Uber was super easy. I have never used it before this trip and will make a habit of it now. If you are interested in the sports deck stuff, plan to do a lot on Day 1. There were minimal waits for almost everything, especially compared to later in the cruise. You need closed toe shoes for laser tag, no exceptions. Make a reservation for My Time Dining ahead of time, the no reservation line was pretty crazy and people were being quoted 30+ minute waits. Drink package challenge... RCI was the loser today :)

Galveston is the 4th busiest American cruise port even ahead of NY/NJ. Only the top 3 FL ports surpass it. That says a lot right there. It makes a lot of sense to home port a ship such as an Oasis class ship in Galveston. It would be the closest Oasis class to me and provide a needed diversion to the standard PEV/PC departures we have seen until PoM entered the fray. Think about it... four US home ports for the greatest and largest cruise ships in the world. It's hard not to get excited about that.

Day 3 - Labadee We had room service delivered because we needed to be off the ship ASAP with 8:30am zip line reservations. I had booked ahead the zip line, aqua park & alpine coaster. Husband took our older son on the zip line while our younger son and I explored lookout point and Adrenaline Beach. Zip line was a huge hit! Then we walked around trying to get a "lay of the land" never having been to Labadee before, and ended up at Columbus Cove until our aqua park time. The boys and I did the inflatables and it was so much fun, highly recommend! Then our older son and I did the alpine coaster (adult combo ticket of aqua park + alpine coaster, child under 12 can ride with adult on the coaster so he didn't need a separate ticket) while husband and younger son played at the beach. After all that, we were hungry and needed a rest! Checked in at Barefoot Beach, got lovely loungers in the shade and had lunch at the Barefoot buffet. Lunch was ok, boys liked the ribs a lot, chicken was good but burger was ick. Lounged around in the water (floats included) with beverages for awhile and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Back on the ship to clean up and hit the ice show (I was so tired that I admit dozing off until jolted awake by older son!). Giovanni's for dinner with the boys was great. We like to share entrees among our family to try lots of different things, and appreciated the server asking about separating the pasta course from the entrees. The boys shared appetizers with us (ordered 3) and pasta dishes (ordered 6) - we did ask for the half portions of the pastas which was a nice option. Then the boys left for the arcade and my husband and I shared two entrees and had dessert. Again, boys were charged $10 each and our wine glasses were never empty. Like Chops, this was an incredible experience (food and service) from a previous cruise on Brilliance in Oct. Thoughts for Day 3: Never having been to Labadee before, I did not know that we didn't need to bring towels off the ship if we had access to Barefoot Beach. We've been on lots of cruises, so I absolutely cannot believe I spaced out on this, but I forgot to bring our IDs off the ship. I started freaking out and sent my husband to chat with the suite concierge (Mihee, who was amazing the entire cruise). She assured us that it wouldn't be a problem, and it wasn't, but I will never forget that again. From Columbus Cove, my older son and I walked through the artisan market to get to the alpine coaster. A lot of people walk around Labadee just in their bathing suits so I didn't think anything of it, but would suggest a cover-up if you are a woman walking this path. Drink package challenge... RCI is 0/3

https://twitter.com/cruiseindustry/status/1070029489088868352?s=21 New Galveston terminal coming. Looks like an Oasis class ship will be announced for Galveston soon. And for those that doubted the Houston area could support an Oasis class ship, read where it says ships are operating at 110 percent capacity and maybe two more cruise terminals possibly coming

It's official! Fall of 2021. Michael Bayley hints at Oasis Class and eventually Icon Class but no definitive ship announcement yet. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Royal-Caribbean-to-build-nearly-100M-cruise-13444607.php#photo-16603325

Yes, it could have been that. This incident got my attention because from what I know about guest relations, crew members usually try their best to comply with the guests' (reasonable) request. Even if it was against policy, the usual reply would be, "Let me see what I can do about it." I asked very nicely and respectfully and I felt "scolded" in return. I guess this Floridian is just used to being asked by Disney cast members, "How can I make your day magical?" LOL

Day 2 - sea day Slept in and hit the Windjammer for breakfast (note that Johnny Rockets was not open for breakfast as it is on some other ships). It was super windy, but we went back up to the sports deck to do the SkyPad again. We were in line before it opened, but ended up waiting over an hour only to find out that the wind was causing havoc with the WiFi and the VR headsets were not working. Frustrated because they weren't telling anyone getting in line. We went to Guest Services afterwards and they made it right by giving us "fast passes" for the kids for later in the day which was much appreciated. We loaded the C&A arcade deal on the boys' sea pass cards (buy $50 get an additional $25 for free) and then went to the suite luncheon at Chops. The lunch was amazing, showcasing food from each of the specialty restaurants and we got to meet and chat with some of the senior officers. The food included sliders and wings from Playmakers, fish from Hooked, sushi from Izumi, crab cakes from Chops, bacon wrapped pork belly from Giovanni's and delicious desserts. We needed to MOVE after that lunch and decided on the family scavenger hunt next! Super fun (came in 3rd) and got to see a lot of the ship. It was time to relax a bit and enjoyed the reserved concierge deck chairs and some fruity drinks while the kids played in the pool. Had time to sneak in family bingo in Explorers and then get ready for dinner at Chops. All four of us went to Chops - boys ordered a combo from the kids and adult menu - my filet was delicious, sides to share were excellent and the service was outstanding. This was a very different experience than what we had on Oasis - the server actually offered to get anything we wanted for the boys from the Windjammer (not necessary was very nice to offer) and was extremely personable and attentive. The boys were $10 each and the drink packaged nicely covered our wine. Exhausted kids again, so they went to bed and my husband and I went to Playmakers to watch the Bears game to finish the night. Thoughts for Day 2: If you go to the suite lunch and plan to do the family scavenger hunt, take selfies with the cruise director, captain or any other officers you see! Those are worth big points on the scavenger hunt and we totally would have won if we had done that :) If you have C&A status, make sure you get both the adult and the child offer sheets (we got the adult one in our room but had to go to the loyalty desk to get the kid one) Mr Washy Washy at the Windjammer was hilarious! After breakfast, he challenged my 11yr old to a "floss off" and caused quite a funny commotion! The death swings on the sports deck have been removed - hoping no one actually swung overboard! Drink package challenge... RCI loser again :)

We sail on 12/16 anyone need anything checked out? I’ll scan the compasses and Adventure Ocean info for the files ?

Hopefully official ship announcement will come when they reveal the rest of the Caribbean itineraries

I'm on the same lines as @Oliver , if they completely add another ship, leave Liberty and bring an O class then I think they can, but if they just replace Liberty (What was hinted to me when I was on Liberty in July by the concierge) with and O class I don't think they will add anything longer than a 7 night. I love cruising out of Galveston and I love the Liberty and all of the O class ships but all of the itineraries out of Galveston have a common thread, Cozumel, I love Cozumel, even went down and spent a week in 2016, but after 13-14 visit's I'm a little burned out.

Being away from the home port and off the boat we finally got a chance to get up next to the boat and get some clear pictures. After the Pier walk and walking through the makeshift village we wandered off to Adrenaline Beach where our beach bed was for the day. If you’re traveling with little ones or much older ones, be sure to wait for the tram as it’s a pretty long walk out there. The tram will drop you right off near the closest restaurant and restroom near adrenaline beach. Once we were signed in we got our choice of the available beach beds, as we didn’t rush over and took our time the first row of beds right on the beach we’re all taken (those come with two extra lounge chairs) so we wound up one row behind. All in All I found the beach bed to be a really good value, being able to get it at a slight discount was nice, but still would have been worth it at $175. It’s your own private space with is invaluable without having to shell out five to six hundred for the cabana. It comes with extra beach towels, six liters of Evian Water, two lounge floaters, and plenty of pillows to keep comfortable. Once we settled in it was time to get in the water, and then it hit us that we had left the water shoes up in the room, and of course the water was full of sea weed and what seemed like exceedingly spiky rocks. I’ll just have to keep reminding myself that at home it’s thirty degrees and I’m relaxing in the tropics. Nikki ordered a couple of Labdoozies but forgot all the lessons she’d been taught. She forgot to mention a regular cup so we of course were brought specialty cups and charged for them. After hanging out for the beach and one visit to the dragons tail coaster, we went back to the shuttle stop to catch the shuttle. It was quite warm so shuttling back was a very popular option. Boarding back on the ship is where we were hoping one of our Norwegian favorites would be there, refreshing cold towels to wipe off with before boarding the ship. Not to be found though, just another stop to scan SeaPass cards to return towels. Boarding was quite efficient, but that might be because we were a couple of hours before all aboard. With the ship still quiet, we went up to the pool area to take in the water slides while the lines were shorter. One plus of slides while in port is that the wind is almost non existent which can be a problem while cruising. Since we were early and the flowrider opened in 10 minutes we ventured over to wait in line before it opened. Be sure to bring your seapass cards the first time as you need them to be able to sign the waiver form. It was a good thing we got there first as by the time it opened the line was ten people deep. Addie and I booth did the boogie board side and it was hard work. Just trying to keep from wiping out is an effort in itself. I managed to jam my thumb on the way up at the end so that was the end of my illustrious Flowriding career for today. Addie went back twice more.

That's great news. Before all of the "Galveston Haters" start dumping on your post, there are several interesting points in the article in addition to the fact that you pointed out that ships sail from Galveston at 110%: Terminal 3 will be a ~$100 million investment by Royal Caribbean and could be a 60-year deal (20 year initial term with four 10-year extensions)... I'm sure Royal has done their homework and know Texas will support the expansion. 70% of passengers drive to the port and 20 million people live within a day's drive. With the Texas economy being perennially strong I believe there will be plenty of support for the expansion. By bringing in a new, experienced, Port Director about a year ago, Galveston has taken a key step in expanding their cruise business and brought a fresh vision for the Port.

Living near Houston, TX, this new Galveston terminal will be very nice. I just hope that RCL will include some new itineraries from Galveston.

Well, after 3 cabin moves and who knows how many phone calls by our TA, we are back in the original cabin we booked a year and a half ago! @Matt is 100% correct when he says use a travel agent, John Ames at MEI really came through on this! Scott

I was waiting for the bot to mess up with that first contract opposed to FIRST CONTACT! ?

If it's addressed to 'twangster' you got my email... I never get them even though I'm signed up and check all the spam filters.

Sample menus are cool, but simplified to cover all ships in the fleet. Here are Oasis menus from last week that may be closer to what Allure offers. Chops Grille 150 CP Note - they were able to convert the "Tenderloin for Two" into a single serving for just me. Giovanni's Table

I feel sure that would not happen. You can ask anyone (up to 6 people ?) to join you. I would just book 1 bungalow and worry about getting the correct names for the reservations, once you get on board. If they were charging per person it would be a different issue, but it’s a charge per bungalow.

I don't know if it's the same on Labadee as CocoCay or not, but when I purchased the bungalow in the cruise planner, I only needed to select myself. Once you're onboard, they send out a paper that asks the size of your party, list the names and also your lunch choices. In CocoCay you're allowed up to 6 in a bungalow - doesn't matter if you're on the same reservation or not.

Are you looking to acquire a single beach bungalow or two beach bungalows? With a single bungalow you only select one guest at time of booking. If you selected two guests, you would end up with two bungalows. It's kind of the same way multi-device Voom plans work, only 1 guest buys it.

Heard cases where you do end up with the extra points. Only requirement was having to call after points posted.

Just saw the Chronicle article on my Google news feed - happy to see it's already here and generating enthusiasm. Definitely looking forward to an Oasis class opportunity without having to fly! I too also hope this means that we get some opportunities for longer sailings to reach some different ports. Things are definitely looking up!

I'll be waiting, I'm planning on booking a summer 2021 cruise out of Galveston. Sadly though I think the next go round of cruise schedules for the Caribbean, which should come out next week, only take us to April of 2021. The article said Fall of 2021. I'm sure something will leak out. The Icon also makes sense, Houston/Gulf coast is the beginning and termination points for some of the largest natural gas pipeline infrastructures in the US and soon to be large LNG facilities.

I finally got an email!!! Randomly, I was online looking at cruises and I left the website without booking anything. I received an email from Royal Caribbean Marketing asking if I would like to continue booking my cruise. Interestingly, although Royal said all correspondence is going to my yahoo address, this one email came through my work address. I called and they explained that if I had ever used my work email to do online check in for a past cruise it is probably using that email. At any rate, I went in and changed my email address and have received one email to my yahoo account since then. Still nothing on RoyalUP but maybe I will start to receive emails now!

I SO agree with this. Why in the world they don't do more stops at Costa Maya is beyond me. The port has always been able to accommodate the O class ships and to me, it is a much better stop. It's not as "cosmopolitan" as Cozumel but I enjoy it so much more.

Up front a word of warning: The MDR steak is NOT equivalent to a Chop's filet. I'm not a huge steak fan but I had the MDR steak once and NEVER again. It was awful. So if you're REALLY in the mood for a good steak at least once on your cruise, I highly recommend that you do NOT depend on the one in the MDR to be it ! IMO the best steak (unless you're in a full suite and can take advantage of the one in the Coastal Kitchen, which is excellent !) is actually at Jaimie's. The second best is in Chop's. I don't think we've ever tried the steak-for-2 at 150 but I've heard others who have gotten it and enjoyed it. 150 is not the restaurant it used to be, IMO. When 150 Central Park was new to the fleet it was what Wonderland tried to become (I am NOT a fan of Wonderland) - a whimsical dining adventure. There were multiple courses and it was an adventurous but tasty menu. I still enjoy 150...but it's not what it used to be. I still believe it is the best "regular" specialty restaurant on the O class ships though. I absolutely love the specialty salts that they bring to you with the bread. They used to do a whole big presentation with the salts and explain to you where the salts come from but I think they minimize this now. I found it fascinating. Whatever. I have done the Chef's Table a number of times and so we don't do it anymore but it's a fun and LONG event with lots of courses and wine pairings. If you're into presentation, this will be a treat. I strongly recommend that everyone does a Chef's Table once. Even if it's not on this next cruise for you, think about doing it at some point. Something that I don't think most people realize....if you are dining at 150 and decide that what you REALLY want is some mushroom soup from Chop's (and I ALWAYS think this...no matter what restaurant or meal I am at !), just ask and they will bring you a bowl of mushroom soup from Chops ! The last time we were at 150, we got mushroom soup appetizers and red velvet cake for dessert, neither of which are on the 150 menu ! I've never been bold enough to ask for an entree from a different restaurant...not sure how that would go over, but my guess is, they would get it for you. While I have never gotten it, I have heard that the room service burger is very good and if you are going to be on Symphony (your post didn't mention which O class ship you are on), I hear that the Playmaker's burger is very good. Just to show you what a gourmet I am, I actually think the Windjammer burger is pretty good. Go figure.

150 CP was originally a concept restaurant based on a relationship with Michael Schwartz. The menu and offerings came from his ideas and concepts. That relationship is ending and the sample menus adjusted to reflect that. On Symphony there remains a 150 CP venue but no reference to Michael Schwartz. On Oasis the relationship and menu stands for now but that will change at some future point. My waiter last week thought it might occur in the fall dry dock but that was just his guess. Unsure about Allure. I enjoyed two meals in 150 CP last week. I though the food was very good but food is personal. The Windjammer burger is pretty pedestrian. Think of a plain McDonalds burger. With the right toppings it's okay but not a great burger. All Oasis class have Johnny Rockets. Burgers are available for an extra cost. Great burger? Food is personal. Better than Windjammer. Chops Grille offers a Dry Aged Steak Burger on some ships. It was pretty good on Oasis last week. The room service burger is pretty good IMO but carries a $7.95 per order charge unless in a GS or better.

150 Central Park, the Sea scallops and short ribs are good, but my best is the Tenderloin for 2, very well prepared and great flovor. Chefs Table, I have not done it yet, but will be dinning in January when I'm on Allure, pinging @JLMoran for his feedback, but I would say if you like a 5-6 course meal specially prepared for you with matching wines, then it is for you. I'm not even a wine drinker and I'm going to give it a chance. Yes, in October on Freedom, they were walking around the ship and giving discounts if you tired the Chef's table, we were going to but didn't have an open night. Hamburger, I wouldn't have this insight until I tried one on Freedom, but the hamburger that you get in Chops on the Lunch menu is amazing, best hamburger I have had on any cruise ship. Don't discount Chops to much, what I have figured out is that you have to know what to order, as an example, I'm from the Midwest, so when I get a steak and baked potato I usually get a russet potato, from Chops I got a Yukon Gold, so it was a little off, but the Mac and cheese is good as well as the mushrooms. Some people like the special tots they have but I don't, but they will bring you all of the side dishes you want, if you want to try them all. Jamie's is also very, very good. Have not done Wonderland so have no input. Izumi Hibachi is also very, very good, I assume you know what you get there, but you can also order sushi as an appetizer at the Hibachi grill. On another thread you asked about lobster night, it has been the second formal night of the cruise recently.

We've been on the Allure 4 times. The Bow and Stern Pub on deck 5 (promenade) has the largest varieties of beers on board, as well as mixed drinks. I'm not an IPA fan, so I can't help you there. But, I'm sure you will find an IPA there that will satisfy your thirst.

getting ready to send an email to MEI and get the YOLO ball rolling...

After a quick shower we went up to Wonderland for Nikki’s birthday dinner. Walking in your supposed to be teleported to the land of Alice in Wondeland down to the uniforms of the service staff. Adventurous eater and Andrew have never gone together in a sentence before, so take everything I say with numerous grains of rice. Once seated it took quite a while to get menus and about 15 minutes to even get water as the restaurant was quite busy. Our server Pedro made it up to us throughout the meal with friendly and informative service, which is a must when nothing looks as it seems. Pedro went through the formalities of allergies and then asked that we “trust him” and all we had to choose was our main courses, which we went with all of the Earth options (Short Ribs, Pork Belly, and Chicken.) Appetizers started coming out shortly thereafter which were perhaps a little bit too whimsical for me. Liquid Lobster with caviar Tuna Tartare with Lime sorbet Barbecue chicken eggs Shrimp Katafi For entrees we had Terroir Beef Roasted Chicken Berkshire Pork Belly The short ribs and chicken were both delicious. The pork belly was too fatty for us when you add in that it’s battered and deep fried. Pedro came back around and asked if there was anything else we’d like to try (some tables ordered tons more) and we ordered the Vegetable Garden as Addison was dying to try it. The “dirt” that was there before has now been replaced with Avocado purée. We were all stuffed by then but the entire reason for coming to Wonderland was the dessert course. We again left it in Pedro’s hands and trusted him. He brought out enough dessert to feed half the ship, including a special poison apple for Nikki’s birthday. The deserts were all delicious with the exception of the meringue and bourbon sorbet dish which didn’t work for us. The presentation of “The World” is all very over the top and frivolous. Pedro also informed us that even though we had prepaid full fare for Addison that he had refunded it and charged her the kids price of ten dollars. We settled up the tab and then headed of to Adventure ocean to drop off Addison and we thought head to the comedy show. We arrived almost ten minutes before showtime for the comedy show to find a packed house and not a seat to be had. Even with reservations we would have been standing in the corner at the back of the room. So we decided to skip it and head off to the casino. After picking up Addison we sat in Central Park listening to soft rock covers that I’m not sure most people even picked up on. At one point it was a John Tesh-Esqe cover of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters. After that it was time to get some rest for our Almost Sea Day at Falmouth Jamaica.

I second that. These answers obviously came from a script as they didn't even come close to answering Cez's questions.

Just checked airlines, and that is a fact, plus non-stop flights

Would love to hear about the chat feature of Royal Caribbean's app

I'd also advise you to keep checking for availability for North Star or Ripcord by iFly to see if something opens up. If it does not, check onboard on embarkation day for an opportunity to reserve something. It really makes your life easier having a reservation.

You can't pre-book Flowrider (you can pre book for private lessons or a private rental), rock wall or Adventure Ocean on any ship. I can't speak to North Star or Rip Cord as I've never done them but I thought you could reserve them on Anthem. It may be different for Ovation or those could be booked out already. I've traveled during many school holidays when the ship has been packed with kids and have never been turned away from Adventure Ocean. Day time tends to have less kids than the evening hours. Our last cruise, we had the Sky Pad which was new and that was always busy. I found going early in the cruise, or 15 minutes before it opened or the last 30 minutes had the fewest line. The last sea day, it was packed the entire time except right before opening. I think most people expect to try the ship on the last sea day and so more things are busy so I would try things earlier in the cruise. You can also try to spend one port day on the ship and the lines will be lower than a sea day but there will also be more limited hours. Do as much as possible on embarkation day as it tends to have the fewest lines and make sure you wear the proper clothing (ie closed toe shoes for rock wall). I would check out North Star and Rip Cord first as it could have had pre booking and it could be booked out but they do keep some openings for reservations onboard.

Did my daily price check in the Cruise Planner, had a nice surprise. After buying 2-device VOOM for $18.99/night on the Black Friday sale, today the same package is listed for $17.99/night. Canceled and re-bought, easy peasy. All of $5 saved, but that's almost half a sail-away margarita (or 1/3 a glass of my preferred red wines) right there! Here's the weird part -- banner on Black Friday said the $18.99/night price was 50% off on-board pricing, and today's $17.99/night rate is listed as 40% off. ? So check your Cruise Planners, folks! Maybe you'll also find a random drop on something. I certainly doubt I'll find 2-device VOOM for a better rate than this, but then again I thought the same thing about $18.99 just a couple of weeks ago!

We were on Ovation last year from Singapore to Sydney and we could not pre-book any activities on the cruise planner. We just booked when we got onboard so you should be fine. From memory the only activities you could pre-book was Pixels. the bumper cars were busy but if you showed up later in the session the queue was much shorter. People all seem to go at the beginning causing a long queue. Once they have had a go they leave and the queue gets much shorter.

We were on the same cruise!

The price has increased.

@Bobbieajd Can You Take Some Photos Of The Flowrider

So glad to hear they are giving you great service. Thanks for supporting our sponsor!

Gotta love random % Discounts. Today I am running a sale on a cup of coffee, its 97% off...... ONBOARD PRICE $100.00

Saga continues.... Just went to print a new set of passes and tags, and our cabin was moved again. This time to 10th deck, but opposite corner from our friends on 9. Wish they would have just left us in previous cabin, it was a deck below the pool. What is more frustrating is this newest cabin if classified for 3+ people, which is the whole reason they moved us from our original cabin! In the grand scheme of life, this doesn't matter one bit, but it has been a frustrating situation. Scott

Looks like pictures didnt copy into the last couple of post.

Thanks for asking! It was, indeed, some sort of temporary website glitch (thankfully!). You rock.

Fourth vote for using the port parking. Used it in October, super convenient and the staff were all friendly and helpful. Plus, it's got full security / cameras / etc. so you've got peace of mind your car won't have been vandalized while you were away.