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Another way to cruise. Oh well maybe next time, I wonder if they have a buffet there, if not I think we will skip it

I’m back! Well, when I left you guys, I had just finished lunch and decided to explore the ship until the staterooms were ready. Staterooms were ready around 1 pm and I went down to dump my bag and check out my new home for the next nine days. Overall, I really like it; has adequate space, amenities for the solo passenger. ? (I barely spend time in my room anyway, so it’s not worth it to spend a ton of money in that arena.) Now to explore the rest of the ship until muster drill! I then stopped at Giovanni's to inquire about the sea day lunch and a crew member ended up making a reservation for me. I spent some time outside on Deck 11 watching the Caribbean band play before heading inside. Back inside, I decided to stick around for the $500 spa raffle, but sadly no winner winner chicken dinner ? After freaking about the location of my muster station lol, I managed to locate it using the maps posted and arrived earlier (4:15) than requested in the Compass. It was time for sailaway under a brilliant sunset ? Going to stop here and post the remainder in a separate post.

Interesting thing For the prepaid internet now you are not getting a code but you need to create account which automatically get you the voucher.

So we maid it on board after a long drive , room is very nice , balcony is huge . Enjoying first lava flow

We gifted this New Year's cruise to my parents. This is a thank you for being the best parents in the Global World. We gave them a box full of party favors for New Year's. In the bottom of the box was their cruise documents. My parents were stunned and now they are packing. Look out Anthem, here comes my parents.

Writing this from a non-chair hogged lounger in the Solarium, Mr. Sun is glorious! Our Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle was a little smaller than I anticipated, but a good number nevertheless. (The CD Mercedes coordinated the draw.) Sadly, I did not win a prize although one of my MDR table mates did. Thanks for the free food and drink, Royal Caribbean ? I then decided to kill time in the casino afterward and lost the $7 I won yesterday plus the $10 I originally put in both machines lol. (?Hey, big spender!?) Decided afterward to finally make an appearance and took a dip in the Solarium while waiting for the World’s Sexiest Man competition to start. The World’s Sexiest Man competition was hilarious, Magic Marvin is an awesome activities manager! (He and Mercedes work so well together, their morning show is really entertaining ?) (This dude Darryl ended up winning the contest?) I went back to the Solarium, and, after my dip in the pool, discovered that someone has taken my towel? ? No clue where it went, but, no worries, we managed to exchange it for a new one after explaining that other one had been misplaced. Anyway, I’ll probably stop at the Cafe for a quick bite to eat as it is getting close to dinner. It is formal night tonight which means MDR, Captain’s Reception, Christmas tree lighting, and production show in the theatre.

So last year at Christmas I dug out some old trains and added some new ones for the grandkids. I have always enjoyed the trains but never had the time for an extravagant layout. Still don't.... When thinking about getting the trains out this year it reminded me of our Alaska cruise with the fantastic Alaska Railroad ride from Anchorage to Seward, a ride I'll not soon forget. I started to look around to see if anyone made any similar to what we rode. Well I almost the exact locomotive! Ours was a GP40-2, No. 3013. Atlas makes a GP40-2 No. 3008. Had to have it and since it only comes in DCC (sound, etc.) I had to upgrade my controller, too! It really is cool how close the model is to the real deal.: Here is my wife with No. 3013 in Seward: Here's the model: And here's a video of today's purchase: Alaskatrain video

Another cruise is soon to start and after few discussions with myself I decided to write something . not promising tons of updates (need to work also ?) but will try. This cruise was booked around two month ago when we just came back from our Symphony cruise , I was looking for a cruise for my spouse birthday and the dates/price worked. When I booked the cruise I had the option of balcony or Junior suite , the difference was 600$ , we booked the balcony. For many days I was sorry for not booking the JS as we both have 71 C&A points , JS would brought us to Diamond ... so I kept browsing everyday just to see that all the JS gone. Few weeks after I saw one JS coming up and the price different was 200 $ ! , I called as fast as I could and successfully re booked and got the JS (that was a good answer to the question - can you change your cabin after final payment) . sometime YOLO cost more ? The plan : Flying to Miami , take a car , drive to Orlando for three nights, Enjoy Universal park + some shopping and on Sunday drive to Miami to catch allure. crazy I know but I could find only flight to Miami using miles and my spouse really had the craving for hot butter beer. I kept browsing United site everyday hoping to find a flight that will take us to Orlando ans save me the 3.5 hour drive after a long flight , what do you know , two days before our scheduled departure I found one , so I quickly changed our flight to Miami (via Swiss) to a direct Newark flight with a connection to Orlando , the bonus was that the Miami flight started at 5 am while the Orlando one 12 PM . Where we go and what we are planning : Day -3 Flying to Orlando , connect during the flight to work to cover my vacation (somehow not all my clients been told I am out for this week) . Day -2 Universal/adventure island - We both love this park and feel it has just the right attraction combination. Day -1 Shopping , working (again) and resting. Day 1 - Miami Terminal A Day 2 - Nassau , no plans currently , maybe to stay on the ship ,maybe to walk around for a while. Day 3 - Sea day - sushi class Day 4 - Cuzumel - Going to the downtown and maybe some other activities Day 5 - Roatan - ATV rides and a beach brake Day 6 - Costa Maya - We booked the Maya Chan per the recommendations from this site. Day 7 - Sea day. Day 8 - Flying back home Day - 3 It was as stormy day back home so we decide to take a taxi and not just walk to the train, arriving to the airport was quick (20 minutes) and check in was very fast. soon we found our self in the launch were I had to lead a working call (good the launch was empty) while sharing a presentation, surprisingly it went very well. I even found sometime to buy myself a book. Flight was on time , during the first minutes of the flights before we got over the storm clouds we heard twice a loud noise and very bright light , nothing that force the plane to turn around but still alarming. 15 minutes later the captain called it "our exiting take off". rest of the flight went Ok , saw some movies and eat a good lunch. 11 hours later we landed at Newark , immigration was quick and we could wait for our Orlando flight at the new United Launch (yes working again) , it was a good place to eat dinner. The Orlando flight was delayed for about one hour but it was not too bad. I slept most of the internal flight , landing around 10:30 PM , we quickly collected our suitcases and pickup the rental car from Avis. 20 minutes after we were at the hotel , just about time for me to take another working call with a south eastern client (and for my spouse complaining that this is not vacation if I am taking calls all the time) . Only one picture for today.

Hi , Embarcation was very fast , we arrived around 11:45 am , stuck on traffic for around 10 minutes ,once we arrived to the terminal it took us 7 minutes and we were on board

Miami is such a beautiful port to sail from. Enjoy!

That sorta sounds like how Navy Recruiters sign up new seamen. LOL GO ARMY! ?

Took the stairs up to explore parts of ship which I missed yesterday and apparently woke up one of the ladies staying in an interior on Deck Seven (sorry! I just wanted to see your room ?). I also found Henry ? Stretched on a couch in Blue Moon, waiting for our Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle to start at 10:30. It is extremely relaxing being at sea ?

I then spent the rest of the evening at the Schooner Bar singing along with the very talented, very funny pianist named Keith and participating in the If You Know It, Sing It game show in the Imperial Lounge. Our current position FYI: - I had to inquire at Guest Services for my Gold letter of benefits and Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle as neither were provided in my stateroom. - clocks will advance one hour ahead starting tonight, ship will remain on local time. Until tomorrow!

Jane, I am not particularly fond of Adrenaline Beach...but I am not a beach lover anyway so maybe my opinion doesn't really count. I found Adrenaline to be very shallow and very hard on the feet (lots of dead coral and shells). If I were going to sit on a beach in Labadee (and I NEVER do, BTW), I would choose Columbus Cove. I think that side of the peninsula is much nicer than the one on which Adrenaline is located. I am also a sun-avoider so I cannot really speak to the lounge chair types. I always got a cabana and took a nap, which is why we no longer get cabanas ! All we ever did was sleep there. I can sleep on the ship for nothing !

I can fix that! What's your email address.... rest assured you will be receiving emails in no time...they might not be from RCCL, but hey...publishers clearinghouse, Reatives from Nigeria (Millionaire) willing to share it with you ?, pharmaceutical companies and much much more are waiting patiently for that email address ?

But, no helipad for those great photos!

Wow! You know the porters and baggage handlers were hustling today!

I don't like to re-quote pics but I just love the sight of all the ships lined up in Miami. Love sailing out of there!

I sail in June and was having a terrible time linking reservations for My Time dining. I called and got the runaround. It was really weird. They told me I couldn't link my reservations because I booked through Costco. I knew that wasn't true since I had linked the first night without any issues. So, I kept trying online and finally got it to work. I needed to link three different reservations for 7 people for dinners. Good luck! It finally worked for me this week. It's so frustrating when technology doesn't work!

Good question about whether they will essentially do 2 formal nights in a row. My guess is that they will have just 1 formal night and have it on NYE but I'm usually wrong so take that into consideration !

I didn't realize that your new friends were Canadian also. Even better ! How lucky were you ??

Love the fact that you are out and about. I love exploring the ship.

@accio7 I've always had a feeling we would get along great...fellow Canadians and all. Now I am positive! Love the wine choice. One of my favourites. Barefoot and Conundrum have become by go-to in recent years.

Hey! I'm on that sailing too! It's my first NYE sailing but I imagine that people will be slightly more dressed up on the 31st. As for the formal night, it's not that formal. A nice dress for women and shirt/tie for men would be fine. Some still wear a suit or tux but you can get away with not. I have also read on other forums that Royal leaves little party favours for guests to add to their attire. Not sure how true this is. Maybe @WAAAYTOOO and @Sweety can add to this because I think they have done NYE sailings. And maybe @twangster

We gifted cruises to different family members one year. We left cards under their trees with a map of the itinerary, flight information, etc...

We did the Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle several years ago before a cruise. Both parts were great and I would do it again. We met people who said they do the train ride in every season because it changes so much. I also want to take the train between Seattle and Vancouver sometime. It is supposed to be a beautiful ride. one word of caution though. Make sure there is plenty of time built into your itinerary between the train ride and the cruise. Just as things can go wrong with flights so can they on train rides. On our trip, there was an onboard emergency. This delayed our train so the window for the track use had to be changed. I had built in 36 hours between the cruise and the end of the train ride and was glad I had. there are some trains I have been looking at in Africa and in Asia... so big a world, so little time!

Good morning! Woke up early and have just finished breakfast consisting of fruit, omelet, and toast in the MDR. They gave me a buffet option, but truly I would prefer to be waited on while on vacation. Just left at 9 am and a long line has formed outside, so it pays to wake up early ?

Adventure Ocean programming will be about the same activities just without the DreamWorks "theming" laid on top. Cant talk to the other items, I would guess no on character meet and greets since "meet Spinny the generic dolphin" is probably not going to be a major draw, probably a similar answer on character breakfasts for the same reason.

My most excellent dinner consisted of escargot, salmon, and hazelnut chocolate cake in the Main Dining Room.

Train rides that come to mind: the Southern most in Ushiaia, Argentina, into a national park, with train tracks that were built by convicts to transport convicts. Also as an add-on, the train ride that goes to Machu Picchu from Cusco. The Rocky Mountaineer and an Alaska cruise, although pricey, is a great combination. Oslo-Bergen train that connects with cruises in Norway.

The Alaskan Railroad warrants a trip to Alaska just to ride the trains around! As a means to start or finish a cruise it is pretty special too.

Oh no! Just what I need - more trains. Have any suggestions for cruise/train combinations?

Hello from Adventure! So, I started my morning bright and early and went to breakfast at the Floridian, located within walking distance of the AirBnB, with those two ladies booked on the same cruise as me. Thoroughly enjoyed my eggs benedict, recommend this restaurant to all! We then hailed an Uber to terminal 29 at Port Everglades and managed to locate a porter to drop off our bags (tipped him as recommended by @Matt). The entire boarding process was very quick and efficient: 24 minutes from curb to ship! Thankfully I printed off my SetSail Pass as they needed to stamp it at check-in. I was so incredibly excited that, at one point, one of the ladies in our company turned to another guest and said “don’t mind her, it’s her first cruise” ??? (Technically not my first cruise, but it sure feels like my first one on Royal after 10 years lol.) Next to the main dining room on Deck Four to change dining reservations; ladies have graciously allowed me to join their table. ? Then we split up to explore the ship, rejoined them on the pool deck for a drink, and went to Windjammer for lunch where I am writing this day’s recap. Had no issue btw ordering a Diet Coke with my SetSail Pass (SeaPass is waiting in stateroom). (They have since gone back up to the pool deck for more sun and drinking lol. I need a few minutes with my second Diet Coke to digest lunch and review the Compass.) I will post again a little later with pics of my prison cell..er stateroom, sailaway, dinner, and other fun ? Why, thank you, Royal Caribbean crew member for the Drink of the Day!

Following as usual @Traveler! Have a great time!

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.

See, now I would've thought it was a golf ball because that's where the mini-golf once was ..... they just never painted over the golf ball image.

IIRC, all of these options -- loungers, beach bed, bungalow, and cabana -- are based on one person buying them and then indicating who else in his/her party will be using it. So if you need a total of four then you only need two people to buy them, total cost $90. That said, I still think that with a party of four or more, going the bungalow or cabana route is much better in spite of the higher cost. You have guaranteed shade, the cabanas actually have a ceiling fan installed to keep you cool on a hot day, and the attendant taking care of you just makes it a nicely indulgent beach day. Now, if you think you'll spend 90% of your time away from the place and hanging out in the water or doing other things, then the loungers may be more than enough.

I strongly advise against walkie talkies. With all the metal bulkheads and radio interference, their effectiveness is limited. Arguably more importantly, they are quite annoying to other guests around you.

We booked Soualiga Adventures. So "neither" in terms of the original post topic. ? You can find my review of them here:

The on the water cabanas are truly right on the water. Each one has a stairway going right into the water, so you never have to walk across the beach or through any crowds. The regular cabana is set back from the water a bit, so you have some beach to use if you want and you have to walk a short distance to go swimming. For only two people, I think a cabana is overkill. Those are sized and priced where I think you need at least a party of four to get the best use and value. Bungalow is much more reasonably priced, and gives you most of the perks of the cabanas.

We've been cruising with our now college aged kids since they were 4 & 2. Once they were old enough to be able to sign themselves in and out of the kids programs, we started using white boards to leave notes for each other. We wrote where we were going to be, and tried very hard not to deviate from that. If we did, we came back and wrote our new destination. It worked pretty well. I also would bring 2 different colored highlighters, one for us and one for them. We'd highlight what activities we were doing that day, and they would also highlight what they wanted to do. They learn quicker than us to navigate the ship - they will be the ones telling you where things are and that you've turned the wrong direction, haha. We never had internet for all of us until our most recent cruise together - May 2018 - and they were 18 & 20. So if you're not interested in a multiple device plan - white boards and communication are the way to go.

We are on this cruise and hearing two different rumors even though we haven’t heard anything from Royal. Has anyone heard anything? Rumor One Some passengers are being notified the cruise is canceled because the Oasis needs maintenance maintenance...Strange during spring break. This is being done by Royal to make room for some special group booking. Romor Two is the cruise is canceled for maintenance.

Yeah, I know, That's the group cruise you will be on. Was thinking about doing that one, but, it's only in Bermuda one day and the rest the Caribbean. We've never been to Bermuda so this cruise we are on gives us two full days in Bermuda.. Plus, that's an awful lot of open water Atlantic Ocean....could bee kind of rough. And my wife is having a hard time coping with two sea days on the open Atlantic.