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I wonder if they'd fit under the Duluth Harbor Lift Bridge? (I'm still pushing for cruises out of Minnesota/Wisconsin). #agirlcandream #ibelieveinme

Umm, hello? I think you mean "Perfect Day"... Overnight at Perfect Day to replace overnight in Cuba. Hmmm.

Today's port of call is Grand Cayman. One of the nice features of Edge is the use of the Magic Carpet as a tender platform and ship has some of the life boats configured as tenders. These tenders have nice cushioned seats and are air conditioned. No two level open air tenders being used with the exception of ones for shore excursions.

Won't happen for cruises, like mine, where the second day is in Cozumel. Too far to travel in one day, I think. PS - this is all my fault. My final payment for my Cuba cruise was 4 days ago.

Getting back to the ship some of the nice #modernluxury touches shine. After having the cards checked by one of the port security agents I was greeted with the offering of a cold cup of water and an ice cold towel, right nearby was a bin to toss said towels. Heading back towards the ship I was able to better capture the Magic Carpet in it's tender platform glory. Some more shots of the exit/outside of The Destination Gateway Overlooking the Magic Carpet Due to some stairs going between the outside area of The Destination Gateway and the Magic Carpet there is a wheelchair lift. Overall the tendering process using this system is wonderful, such great ease getting on and off. The only challenge is in the case of low tide the step land side going between the tender and dock can be a challenge. I'll also add they were using the larger traditional two deck tender at another entrance at the forward section of the ship.

Thank you! I have 3 dogs and they are my pride and joy. Lola is a pit mix, Zara is a Great Dane, and Marco is a lab/chow mix ? I'll attach a pictures!

#poor,poorbot

Agreed. "Celebrity blue" or black would have been better than "OMG orange".

Royal will just reroute to Coco Cay.

Doesn't surprise me....I was more surprised at how long it lasted that people got to go the Cuba under the false pretense of one of the 12 categories you could claim....come on, your on vacation..drinking on cruise and its a cruise stop....or if your flying in and staying at a resort or casa and drinking on the beach....its a vacation no matter how you want to try to slant or color it.... I think its a part of a bigger push to put some pressure on Venezuela at the end of the day and this is some collateral damage. Will be interesting to see what happens to all the cruises currently booked for Cuba.

Being from the Frozen Mitten I can't wrap my mind around the idea of sailing to places, on purpose, where there are no palm trees... I couldn't pull a @monorailmedic and watch a ship sail out for a fall Canadian color cruise. I'd be on the dock waving my hands and yelling to the Captain "you're going the wrong way!!!"

For those wondering what The Retreat Lounge has to offer at breakfast. Those cinnamon rolls on the end were kept nice and warm. Care for some adult grape juice

Just when I thought it was safe to go back on the water... Perfect Day France! Viva la Perfect Day!

Thanks to everyone for the advice. This was more of a question for future cruises. I'm excited for our Jr Suite aft 8th deck. One of only two on the ship with an extra large balcony! .

The only drinks that aren't covered with your drink package are the Coco Locos they serve in a pineapple. You would pay an upcharge for that..but if you still want the drink, ask for it without the pineapple and it IS covered!

Hello Fellow Cruise Lovers out there. My wife and I went on a vacation of a lifetime and got a spectacular rate on the Liberty of the Seas Royal Suite #1640. Since we were with a group of our friends, we decided to go all around the ship and in our cabin and shot a music video. I hope you enjoy. If you have any questions about the experience or anything Royal Suite, I am happy to answer them. Cheers! YOLObookIT

Just finished up dinner at Rooftop Garden Grill. To sum it up, not very impressed especially at the price point it is. If you're use to good smoked barbecue, I'd tread lightly. First off, sorry for no photo sampling of tonight's meal. I'll do my best to go over each item that I tried. Appetizers Train Wreck Fries: Base are the standard fries, same ones used every where on the ship. Bacon, can't complain about that. Four cheeses, this was just a basic cheese sauce. Hot peppers, think they might have been banana peppers. The peppers had more of a kick from vinegar than a true scoville kick. Scallions are scallions. Ranch dressing, not much to say about that either. Braised Beef Short Rib Chili: Nice spice blend, wouldn't call it spicy. Does have beans in it. Wasn't a thick chili, was almost along the lines of a stew. Smoked Chicken Wings: Sampled both the dry rub and spicy buffalo versions, 8 wings to an order (had 4 of each). Dry rub version had a very light smoke flavor that got somewhat over powered by the extra dry rub added prior to serving. Buffalo version, same wing without the extra dry rub tossed in buffalo sauce. Heat level of the sauce might be on par of the "Little League" sauce from Playmakers. Wouldn't call super spicy but I'm some might. Salads Salad, nothing can be cause nothing was ordered. Entrees Seafood Kabob: Was ok, just nothing special to write about. Served two skewers, each two medium size shrimp, sea scallop, and cube of salmon. Grilled Bratwurst: Bun was good, bratwurst was nothing remarkable. Hickory-Smoked Brisket: Sum it up it was on the mushy side. Almost as if it had been pre-sliced and left sitting. Didn't notice much in the was of a smoked taste. Mesquite Baby Back Ribs (dry): Same thing again, seemed soggy and mushy. Extra dry rub was added prior to serving. I did feel the ribs had some smoke flavor to them. However, this could have been from smoked seasonings used in the dry rub. Dessert The Cookies: Chocolate chip cookie partly cooked in a ramekin. Had that crispy outer ring with a soft center. Served hot and fresh with a scoop of Vanilla gelato. Cocktail highlight Yes, it claims to have steak sauce in it. Yes, in my head I believed I could pickup the hints of the steak sauce. Had two just to verify my findings. Overall for what the cost was it wasn't that impressive for dinner. With it being outside you're at the mercy of the wind conditions and weather in general. No inside area is available. The Rooftop Garden area in general was nice. Not Central Park nice, but nice.

Day 4 The night is young but today we stopped at St. Kitts. We did the dolphin experience and loved it. My daughter was scared of them at first but by the end loved them. She also loved the monkeys in the market place area. We were worried going into today because our excursion tickets said to meet at 9:30 but compass said the gangway opens at 9:30. We went at 9 to the gangway so we could be first out but they were already letting people out. The guy said they tell people it’s 9:30 but really you can get off at 9. We did some shopping and got back on the boat. There is an 80’s party tonight so they were teaching line dancing at 3 and my daughter and I went while my husband stayed in the room on our balcony and longed to have his fishing pole with him. He said next time he’s bringing it for sure.

Decor and Art Work One thing that I love about Symphony is the art work and decor. It's so fun exploring, and makes taking the stairs vs elevator that much more fun (except when you run into the stowaway piano player in the elevator). Every staircase has a different piece of art. We participated in an art scavenger hunt that was fun. ? I've already posted the candy apple that is near Studio B and the big statue in the promenade. Some stair photos our kids joining in with this one The space between the two elevators (going from ground to the top) And of course the Solarium at night There is also interactive art work that is really neat sound art on the Boardwalk (big pink wig) and outside Schooner Bar top of Windjammer has chef's drawing pictures (both within the art) entrance to MDR level 5 capture you and puts you in the art art that changes to another picture with the use of the xray vision on your phone And not art, but need to mention as well about the musical stairs going up to the WIndjammer. All very cool fun touches!

Cozumel Our third stop was Cozumel. We decided to go to Paradise Beach as it was 'pay as you go' and we weren't sure how long we'd be there. There is a $3/person entry fee with the requirement of purchasing at least $10/person for food . They also have the aqua park if you'd like for $18/person and use of paddle boats, etc. But we didn't bother as we knew we wouldn't be there all day. Also, I should mention that they recently added an All Inclusive option. I forget the price but it includes food, and then the waterpark was $9 each (so not included but half price) The park is nice though if anyone is interested. The only thing is that the water was so pure with soft sand at Roatan that our kids weren't as thrilled with this beach. For myself, I could have stated as I love the waves coming at you and the feeling of sand in your feet. But our kids preferred the pool, so we switched over to the pool area. The pool is really nice though and large. It's the same level throughout and not too deep, not too shallow. We had lunch by the pool which was ok (again, better at the Roatan beach), and then headed back to the ship.

In my case they are taking a full day to reach Key West, then Havana overnight then back to Florida. I see Nassau and Perfect Day in my future, depending how these new restrictions are implemented and the dates. At least I'm fully refundable. I'll probably lose the $200 OBC I got for when they chartered another ship though. I've got some CUCs left over from my last visit. Oh well. If my cruise luck continues I'll be giving back C&A points in 2019. In the bigger picture it's going to cost Royal a ding on the balance sheet. They have two ships for this market, bringing them back just for Cuba. Money spent refreshing them, sprucing them up, crew, etc. It was an investment for them to service Cuba. They hardly need or want these ships doing the short cruise FL cruise market so now what?

I think that Magic Carpet is an eye sore BUT it seems absolutely worth the ugliness. What a GREAT way to do tendering. A+ on the engineering. C- on the aesthetics. ?

Frankly, I found it too annoying to carry around so never lost it. I just drank alcohol instead. ?

It might be cancelled, BUT, when policy changes, there is usually a "grace" period before it takes affect, so, cross your fingers that the "grace" period expires after you cruise.

We just did this trip and LOVED Roatan. Can't understand why anyone would skip it. The area around the port isn't the best but take a ride to west end bay and its great! We went snorkeling in that area and it was amazing. I saw real sea turtles swimming through the reef just a few feet from me. Cozumel and Cozumel are a been there-done that for me. It seems to be just like any other port that's been getting cruises for years. Over commercialized and boring. For god sakes there is an old navy right when you get off the ship in Cozumel. No thanks, I can get that at home. If you're looking to skip a port, those are the ones to skip. Roatan is a must do.

You must have been looking over my shoulders while I was typing!! ?

#cursedbot

It sure is!

Oasis, June 21-27, 2020, Canada/New England

Thanks for sharing @GSBrockman !

I still overpack, and I've made my peace with it. The advice not to overpack has to do with just reducing the stress of planning, as well as costs and burden of getting extra clothes to/from the ship. It's good advice, but I believe overpacking is an inevitability for most people. I think the difference is not to assume you need 3-4 outfit changes a day, or that you need to dress like it's senior prom every evening.

Thanks for replying SpeedNoodles, that's great news, and makes the value of the drinks package more reasonable.

Dog shows. But they are so much work that it's difficult to actually call them a vacation. I just have to take vacation time for them.

I agree with @SpeedNoodles in that seeing the northern lights in Alaska during the summer is very rare. Having lived in Homer, Alaska for over 35 years, I've never seen them during the summer where I live (about the same latitude as Skagway; and ever so slightly lower latitude than Seward). Here's an untouched picture I took a few years ago out my living room window taken about 12:30am (just after midnight) on June 21st. I've sat out on the porch many times after midnight and easily read a book or the newspaper without lights. You turn on your headlights to drive simply for safety sake, as you really don't need them to see. For those that might be considering a land-cruise tour and visit Fairbanks during the summer, expect about 23 hours of daylight (the sun only dips below the horizon for a little while, and then pops back up!). During the summer solstice (June 21st), there has been an amateur league baseball game that starts just before midnight, and usually ends between 1AM & 2AM. There are never any lights used at any time (certainly don't need them), and depending on where you sit in the bleachers, you need to remember to bring your sunglasses, as you'll need them! See https://www.midnightsungame.com/

Total Newby here. Scrolling through 8 pages of info, and here is the first chance I can respond with something helpful. :) We live in NJ, but have annual passes to Universal and go frequently. We never drive on vacation. We've been using Tony Hinds for years. If this isn't too late, drop him an email. He serves Port Canaveral with grocery stops to wherever you're going in Orlando. http://www.taxi-mco.com/Drivers/Tony Hinds.htm

I had the distinct honor of singing in the Vatican. The acoustics are amazing. When the last note was sung the sound seemed to "roll" to the back of that amazing basilica. That was 44 years ago yet I remember it clearly.

I think Crosby thought you said Let’s Go... on vacation and started a few days early. Yeah, big caps fans. Last week my daughter was one of the selections for Jersey off our Backs and got to hang out with Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Alaska was our first big bucket list check off and #2 is our trip upcoming (January 2020) to Iceland for the Northern Lights tour.

Double check your arrival and departure time in at Port Canaveral. Many times there isn't a lot of time to experience Disney World properly when stopping at Port Canaveral during a cruise. Given the cost of Disney World a few hours once you do all the transfers and such makes for a hurried day. Some rides or activities can have long lines at Disney World. Many people come to the conclusion it's not a great way to experience Disney World.

My rule is half a normal suitcase for me, the other half for my daughter who is 5. My wife will have a full suitcase for all her crap (I have learned not to question anything she packs). I just make sure it weighs under the airline limit. We will each have a carry on In case luggage is lost.

Like you said when she was running 18 knots, make up the difference while you can just in case, then you can always slow down. I don't understand why it's going to take the rest of today and tomorrow, it's only an inch away on the map, lol.

You mean you’ll “Sea” yourself out

Someone at Royal must be reading this forum... my cruise planners for multiple cruises have been fixed. No more Perfect Day Alaska, Perfect Day Hawaii or Perfect Day Panama Canal.

One Day Till Cruise? Now All That Left To Do Is Pack My Bag. And A Photo For @Matt. If Anyone Was Interested In The Mixer I Would Be Bringing On This Trip. It Is the Numark Party Mix With Serato DJ Pro.

Costa Maya For Costa Maya, we had pre-booked the Aqua Adventure Park "excursion" from Royal. Excursion is in quotes since it's really just a bus that drops you off and the rest is just your ticket. What's nice though is that they have shuttles that run often to take you back to the ship when you are ready. They offer different types of tickets; just the waterpark, just the zipline, waterpark + zipline, and waterpark + beach (don't remember if that includes zipline as well). We figured that the waterpark would be enough so that's the ticket we purchased (great deal on Black Friday). When you arrive, you check in and get a locker to store your belongings. Then you're off. DS and DH went to the grown up slides, which are quite crazy. Apparently the green one on the right does a free fall; which my son didn't realize until he was on it. Don't think he rode that one a second time. DS enjoyed but DH said they were rough and he banged up his arm a bit. Not his thing. DD and I went on the lazy river, which is quite peaceful and nice ... well, calm until you are forced to go under the waterfalls that they have at various spots...lol. But it's fun. I like too how they have animal sounds around like you are in the rainforest or jungle. There is a more "normal" set of slides as well that both of our kids enjoyed. The first time, my daughter didn't notice the huge bucket that fills up and drops water on you as you go up the stairs and oops...she got soaked. The place also has really nice pools (although they do have a bit of sand in them) As mentioned, we didn't sign up for the ziplines but they looked like fun. You could see/hear some of them around the pool, lazy river and slides. They have some that end up in water, and some that are normal and end on land. It's nice that the park has all these different options. There is no beach at the park, but they have shuttles that take you to one (not sure which one or where it is as we didn't purchase this). We were warned that the food was pricey and not very good, so that morning at breakfast we took a few extra boxes of cereal and a couple bagels with us. Thus, that was sufficient as "lunch" until we were done and returned to the ship. The park was a fun few hours.

The Promenade We were recently on Mariner and Independence and so the first thing I noticed about the Promenade is how wide it is on Symphony. It's just so much bigger with space to walk (but of course it does get crowded). Here's a picture (and you can see them ready for the balloon drop for night 1) And of course, another big difference is the choice of car. I never understood the meaning or why they selected this, but it sure is unique. I'll give them that! This is quite cute. A view of the big statue in the middle (and a "few" people with it) Note: The balls behind, where it says "wish" are large crystal balls that go from the gound level, all up the top of the elevators (in open area). It's really beautiful, and various balls have positive sayings such as 'wish', 'believe', etc. The promenade houses Cafe Promenade for small snacks, Sorrentos, Starbucks for caffeine fix. It also has the Bionic Bar, which is really fun to watch and order drinks. One really fun piece of art work is at the bottom of the stairs when you go from the promenade down to deck 4 to theatre/Attic/Studio B Anyone hungry for a treat?

I'm not. The people are very friendly. The people are not the government and they are not the problem.

Hi Adi - welcome to the forum! We're definitely a gentle group here. YES! Your drink package is definitely honored on Coco Cay. Have a fabulous cruise!