Leaderboard

Hasn't @Lovetocruise2002 already started hers?

Good morning from.... somewhere in the Pacific! If It weren't so chilly, I'd swear we were on our way to some tropical island! So let me go back in time a bit here and talk about boarding. Pier 91 seemed very organized and efficient. We hailed a Lyft from our hotel around 9:30 and were at the port in about 10 minutes. We passed the throngs of sad-that-their-cruise-ended passengers, dropped our bags off with the porter and waited for Polly and Sheri to arrive. We followed the signs for the key priority check-in where we showed our passports as well as our seapasses to the attendants. They scanned everything in with Ipads, took our picture and put a check in complete sticker on our seapasses. We were then sent upstairs and bypassed the larger check-in line where we were ushered to our priority seating area which was a combined space for Pinnacles, Diamond Plus, Suites and Key members. At around 10:45, the ship was cleared for new passengers. They called the suites first, and I think maybe a few people got up, then right after they called for everyone else in the priority area to board. We weren't the first people on the ship, but it was close! After boarding, we immediately went to a specialty restaurant to make our reservations for the 3 night package. We chose Jamie's Italian, Wonderland and Chops, starting with Jamies on night 2. Having been onboard Ovation's sister ship, the Anthem last year, we already had the lay of the land, and she felt really familiar. I also realized that I wasn't taking as many pictures as usual due to the familiarity, so I need to step up my picture game starting today! We went up to the Solarium where I had my first drink of the day, the Kraken lava flow! After a bit, we headed down to deck 3 where key members were able to drop their carry-ons and get their key letters which contained the wifi access codes. Right after, they welcomed us to lunch in The Grande dining room where they served a special Chops lunch menu for key members only. No pictures, unfortunately, but I ordered the filet, Polly ordered the Branzino, and everyone else ordered burgers. You really can't beat that Chops filet (although I know @Lovetocruise2002 would beg to differ). Next, we went to the opposite side of the ship to show Polly and Sheri Two70. I think the Solarium and Two70 have to be my favorite spots on Quantum class ships. We got the call that our rooms were ready at around 1:30 PM, so we headed up shortly after to take a look. Our luggage wasn't there when we arrived, but as we were leaving to do some more exploring I spotted it down the hall clustered with a lot of other bags, so I went down and grabbed them. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the ship, experiencing the different venues complete with a visit to my friends, the robotic bartenders Mix and Mingle After a few more drinks and a visit to Sorrentos for a pre-dinner slice of pizza, we headed up to the rooms to unpack before dinner. Here's a view from our balcony of the coastline: Dinner tonight was in the MDR, and of course they offered the standard night one menu: I can't recall what everyone else got, but I went with @Matt's suggestion from our last cruise and got the spaghetti bolognese! It did not disappoint. After dinner, more exploring. Hearing a live cover band in the music hall (didn't catch the name) we stopped in for a listen. They were pretty good! At 10 PM, there was an Adults only comedy show featured in the Royal Theatre, so we decided to go, hoping to further acclimate to the time difference. No offense to the comedian, (he was actually pretty good) but I was nodding off during the show, so clearly, it was time for bed. Today is a sea day so there should be lots of good activities around the ship.

Good Moring Everyone!! Today Marks Just One Day Until I Board The Lovely Harmony Of The Seas!! Also Royal IT Department Messed Up One Of Our Ports Of Call On The App!!

@SpeedNoodles this was our conversation last night: Me: So...You know Royal is coming out with a brand new ship called Odyssey. We haven't sailed it yet. Hubby: Ok, did you already do something? Me: Well, it's a 4 night and a ton of people are going. I may have put something on hold. Hubby: Do I really have options here? Me: Not really. Love you. ?

Get a couple of outfits that don't wrinkle just for cruising. Or as @sk8erguy1978 said, just embrace the wrinkles. Personally I have a few tops in some sort of poly-blend fabric that I enjoy and I have no problems. Of course, I'm also #teamNoMakeup for cruising, so maybe I'm not the best one to give advice ?

I was told that everyone was nice. That it was a fun place to be. And so far you all have lived up to the hype. Thank you all for being as advertised.

I initially booked the 8 day on Nov 20th, but changed it to this sailing. This will be my first inaugural sailing and I cannot wait! I look forward to meeting all of you.

We will be there too! I can't wait. I make a motion for super live blog collaboration with @Matt @Lovetocruise2002 and @twangster. All in favor

Moving Odyssey to Bayonne in 2022 and putting Anthem somewhere else would make a lot of sense. Gives new life to both ships and a reason to book another cruise. However it costs a lot of money to move a ship so we'll see.

Yeah, like Rated PG says, don't waste that Euro outlet. Get one of these(3 USB chargers), really work well.

Embrace it, wear wrinkles LOL Seriously though, in the beginning I'd send all my shirts for pressing then not wear some. I'll only consider press for formal night now. I iron at home and do my best to pack it safely. Worst case, as suggested, steam from shower and wrinkle release. Otherwise, it's embracing the wrinkles.

The beauty of cruising is we all get to do it how we want, disconnected or connected.

Onboard! Dining reservations made, Kraken Lava Flow ordered. Watching the latecomers trickle in. Vacation has begun!

Mine was just as easy

Day 6 Disembarkation dAY ? We’re back baby!! Our 20 month old/Alarm clock got us up before 7AM as usual and even though we put our luggage out the night before we still had four tote sized carry-ons and his stroller. Good thing he’s heavy enough that we just drape all of them on the handles and hope for the best. Off to the WJ for one last stuffing!! Petar was ‘Johnny on the spot’ with Z’s banana. Best crew member experience ever!! We have never disembarked this early so I/we have never had to follow the number system to get off. Typically our number has already been called for sometime and we just leave when we are ready. TODAY was different. Galveston ships disembark later for some reason, CCL too. We were luggage tag 5 at a time of 9:10 am. 1 started at 8:30am I’m pretty sure. After breakfast, we ended up in the theater until Zander was out of control…so when they called 3 we just left. No questions asked we disembarked, found out luggage, and got in line with others in this weird system of lines. You line up in number rows (line 1 being for porters) we picked line 3. Then your were shuffled to the other side of a wall into another set of lines. We were now in line 6 ….IDK Whatever…lol Custom was one question “ and food’ with you…and off we went. THEN as we approached the exit a group of custom agents asked if we had purchased any alcohol or tobacco. TEXAS’s TABC want their Tax money!! The only alcohol we had was the two bottles of wine we brought on….and brought back off unopened. We said nope and kept walking. Oh… and my R Bar Texas Tea purchase was taxed in port on day one. Backing up, Not sure if I mentioned this in Day 1’s blog. After security check point the agent asked. “is that two bottles of wine in your carry on”….yes, it was. They asked us to bring it “over there” to that table….I’m not 100% sure why ,but I shook my head and walked with the rest of the crowd right past them. Pfft, I ain’t got no time for that!! Texas is very weird about their alcohol tax and I thought they were going to look for their tax stamp (my wine was bought at a winery in Clermont Fl). My loving wife said they probably wanted to make sure it was sealed? Either way It was odd to me. Maybe they wanted the corking fee?? OK, ship to sidewalk to shuttle to car and back to terminal to pick up wife and Z 45 minutes. Car (2013 Mustang GT California Special Convertible) was perfect, as I left it. Hotel Galvez free parking Worth it $$. Harbor House Hotel night before is a must. The Strand for dinner and a stroll is a must also The port is real good. People have complained about it but the only thing is it needs updating…The exit is a long trek down a almost dirt roads though a warehouse areas (think Journey’s Separate Ways video from 1984ish). Not the best signage either to fine Interstate 45 (the only way out) toward Houston. A stop at Buc-eez and lunch at What-A-Burger and we were home before 2pm in San Antonio. Thank everyone for following along. Feel free to ask any questions about Enchantment, Traveling with a toddler, a very pregnant wife (24 Weeks) and the Port of Galveston.

I had the wrong email at first. I got a hold of them and the have changed the date for me.

Looks like Voom may be going up across the fleet. On board daily rates for single day pass: Surf $24.99 (was $22.99) Surf and Stream $31.99 (was $29.99) On board daily rates for full voyage plans: Surf $17.99 (was $15.99) Surf and Stream $ 21.99 (was $19.99) A number of my future sailings have increased in the cruise planner. One went from $13.99 per day for Surf and Stream to $16.49 per day. I see the rate $16.49 rate on quite a few cruises. This seems to be the "new $13.99". For my 2020 cruises this is now $17.59. Deluxe Beverage + Voom Combo is now $16 more than just the Deluxe Beverage package. If you see old Voom prices in your cruise planner you may want to purchase it now.

Howdy Folks!! In six days we will be heading to the mediocre city of Galveston, Texas for an adventure of nominal proportion. This is cruise #26 for me and first out of the Port of Galveston. Who: Me, My beautiful wife Brenda, and our 20 month old son Zander or Z as he's been nicknamed....Oh and this is his 3rd cruise. Side note... I am the OCD planner in the family and use to plan vacations down to the foot step....almost. Now I/we have plans but nothing in concrete with a flexible timeline. Why this cruise? Research of course...We had Symphony booked for last month for a business conference (We flip houses in San Antonio as a side hustle) but weren't able to swing the massive final payment in time so we rebooked Enchantment for the five nighter, so not to lose all the deposit from Symphony, and sill make to Diamond (only needed 5 points) this year....everyone needs goals. Also...I feel Galveston has not been represented much and typically has been given a bad rap (I'm from Jersey and don't care 'that' much... but still). Galveston is going though a revitalization and I'll cover that further dawn and next week when we get to town. ...and even more so the cruise is going to the 'up and coming port' of Progreso, Mexico. It a little town up the coast from Cancun, on the north shore of the Yucatan. I hear the pier is 4 MILES LONG!!!! Itinerary! Day 1: Galveston, Texas Day 2: at Sea Day 3: Progreso, Mx Day 4: Cozumel, Mx Day 5: sea day Day 6: Galveston, Texas Cabin: We are slumming it and maybe a little over cautious. We have a bare bones Inside GTY stateroom on deck two (Never been on deck two). Inside because it is least expensive, balconies were twice the price, and with a 20 month, who is into everything, it scares me that he may find his way on to the balcony. Excursions: We ae not big excursion people. The Mrs. loves the shopping aspect of cruising and not a fan of the cattle call that sometimes happens with group activities. This time around with a new port to explore, Progreso, we are just going to explore the city and hit the beach. Z loves the water. It is my understanding it is a brisk one hour walk just to get off the 4 mile ship pier. a shuttle bus is provided free so we will be taking that with concern that we will not have a baby seat. Once in town, we will explore the shops along the beach and hit the Corona Beach Club...There is an excursion for this place BUT all the reviews I see say it is a waste of money. It consists of a shuttle ride and two chairs and an umbrella for $35 pp. The shuttle is free and you can go to the beach for free too. An umbrella and chairs are negotiable I'm sure. Something is fishy. I'll ask at the excursion desk...maybe. My understanding that the locals can be extremely pushy with their wares that are set up along the walkways at the port and beach areas. Bing map of the pier. This will be probably my 10th trip to Cozumel and we have done all there is to do there from buying to much jewelry to Senor Frogs and Carlos and Charlie's to swimming with the dolphins & Mayan ruins. With advice I received from y'all we are going to hit up Nachi Cocom at $55.00 per adult and Z will be free of charge. Unlimited drinks, 4 course meal... I am very excited to visit here especially knowing they limit the number of guests to 130 per day (I'll believe it when I see it) http://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/ Extras: In my older younger years I am not the big drinker as I use to be and have opted for the Soda Package. We will bring the allotted wine on board that we love from Lake Ridge Winery near @Matt place in Central Florida. As much as everybody LOVES the WindJammier on embarkation day is blows my anxiety off the charts. That whole part of the day where EVERYBODY is clustered in the Centrum/Royal Promenade/Esplanade & the WindJammier drives me a little nutty when I should be relaxing. Ok...focus...I went ahead and pre-booked Chops for lunch to hopefully avoid the whole waiting for 1 o'clock for the staterooms to be ready crowd dealio. Our little guy loves steak and since he's 20 months he can order for free of the kid's menu and help daddy with his ribeye or filet and maybe mommy's salmon. I also pre-ordered some branded RC toys for Z for a surprise for him. Pre Game: We will be taking the 3+ hours drive from San Antonio to the port area the day before and staying that a quirky looking hotel adjacent to the two cruise terminals aka terminal one and terminal two... The Harbor House at pier 21. https://www.harborhousepier21.com/. Granted this hotel is owned by Wyndam and the Mrs. likes to do 'local' things, yet this hotel appears to have a mom and pop charm to it. we will walk the two blocks the next day to the terminal. We are big 80's rock fans (8 Monster of Rock cruises under our belts) so we will be stopping at the Hard Rock Café in Houston (Right off the interstate) for lunch, on the way, to break up the ride for the little guy and hit a one off restaurant called Shark Shack (unless I get vetoed) for dinner. Side note...Landry's OWNS the food and Beverage industry in Galveston. (Landry's Rainforest Café, Cadillac Bar, Fish Tales, Kemah Pier, Bubba Gump even SaltGrass) we want to eat local fare and enjoy fresh local seafood, and we want to avoid that Landry's chain food...be aware. We will be parking overnight at the onsite parking for the one night fee and leaving the car at the Harbor House's sister hotel, the Galvez Hotel, for free parking during our cruise. I will take the car there day of and they have a free shuttle to take me back to the terminal. I will go solo to retrieve the car upon return. I have been studying the port and the surround area for months. I go to Google maps and tour the streets and read reviews (with a grain of salt) to lay out my plan of attack of Galveston. I will be Periscoping our trip the day before and up to sail away day of. I typically put the phone away and do not get the internet package...1. because I'm cheat and 2. I like the disconnect aspect of cruising. I an MOTELYBRUE on periscope. the link below is a PowerPoint of the master Plan for the harbor area. You will see the plans for the new terminal 3 at Pier 10. Notice the ship that is placed in the rendering is an OASIS CLASS SHIP!!!!! Looks like the Texas market is growing!! https://www.portofgalveston.com/DocumentCenter/View/2607/Strategic-Master-Plan-Preliminary-Draft-Presentation-Website Notice upper right Oasis Class!! This is how close the Harbor House is from the Whale Tail Cruise terminal... RCCL is one block behind. Strategic-Master-Plan-Preliminary-Draft-Presentation-Website.pdf The Landry's family of restaurants

Sounds like a good idea since I don't want to blog it alone this time. Short cruise, too many friends. But I will gladly add my two cents in here and there. ? Waiting on our fearless leader....

It is a Quantum Ultra or Plus but it's not clear from the preliminary deck plans how the forward decks 13 - 16 will end up. For example on Spectrum deck 13 has a lot grand suites a few "Golden Balcony" cabins forward port side. They are in a dedicated "Golden space" with card readers in the halls (blue dots on deck plans). Those blue dots remain on the preliminary Odyssey deck plans but those cabins appear to be regular balcony cabins. On deck 9 - 12 on the hump where Anthem has OS, Spectrum and Odyssey show JS on the hump. On Spectrum the golden area has its own elevator that goes from deck 13 to 16. On Odyssey this same elevator seems to go from deck 14 to 16 with cabins on deck 13 where this elevator is on Spectrum. The Solarium on deck 13 has blue dots (card readers) at its entrances. This could be a copy/paste error or maybe the Solarium will be for suites. Comparing Spectrum deck 14 to 16 forward it looks very different between Spectrum and Odyssey. It's interesting that some deck plan features are unique to Odyssey so it suggests she will have a new layout different from her sisters but then those card readers are there which suggests the Solarium could be suites only. That will be big news if that is true. The deck 13 aft Concierge Club for example. Only Quantum class ship with this on deck 13. No suite lounge called out. That's surprising. A CL but no SL? What? Too early to draw conclusions.

I reached out to MEI having never sailed Royal before. Sharla was assigned to me & she has put me at total ease as well as saved me money after I booked as a promotion was introduced. Can't say enough about the TA-MEI experience. Once you do it I'm sure you will love it. My experience was an A+

For our 12/28/2019 visit I reserved at $521 for chill island. Since then I have seen them as high as $1699!!!! Most remaining cabanas (chill island are sold out) are $1299. flamtap

Thanks @SpeedNoodles for sharing the link. In fact, that article links to mine, so it's all good. One note, the Formal Night/Wear Your Best distinction is purely based on cruise length. 6 nights or longer = Formal night. Otherwise, wear your best. Evidently it was not supposed to be called Wear Your Best on Harmony, so don't expect to see that going forward.

Woohoo! I have a feeling I will be adding a ton of people to the list on that sailing!

With this being a new ship and the fact that it APPEARS that they have reduced the number of SC suites on Odyssey, I would recommend booking as soon as possible. IMO waiting will only produce higher prices that would likely cancel out any OBC that you might reap from NextCruise.

Hope springs eternal, my friend! ?

I filled out the form on the MEI site ... let's see what happens

Cruising in jeans and jackets just feels wrong..I absolutely love it..such a difference than all the Florida heat I am used to. My Alaskan cruise was my favorite one ever..and Canada/New England was a close second.

MEI has group rates for specific categories. Not all categories.

We have booked the All Access Tour on Vision next month. This is the info that has been provided.

OK, all of you! ? I expect you leave the ship in spic and span shape! ? I can't sail her until she makes her way to NJ, so don't go trashing the young lady!

I just booked B2B cruises on the Odyssey ... Inaugural sailing (Nov 5) and Nov 9. Did somebody say I was a " @twangster junior?"

At the port, bags dropped and about to make our way through security.

It’s cruise day!! We arrived in Seattle yesterday around 10 AM and hopped the link light rail ($3.00 per person) from the airport to the University Street stop which was about a half of a mile walk to our hotel which is very near the Public Market area. Arriving prior to check-in, our room understandably wasn’t ready but we were able to drop our bags off at the hotel, and were given several restaurant recommendations for lunch. We settled on The Virginia Inn for some comfort food and a decent local draft beer list as well. After lunch we walked around the Pike Place area. Some really good people watching down by the water... As a frequent customer of their franchise locations, of course I had to visit the original Starbucks location. There was a line to get in and when I arrived it was about 15 people deep, but it went fairly quickly. After a bit more walking around and exploring we met up with Polly and Sheri at the Edgewater Hotel for happy hour in the lounge which had great views of the sunset last night. Yesterday was a lonnng day, having woken up at 3:30 AM to catch our flight and losing 3 hours to the time change, we were completely zonked our by 8:30PM local time. Now it’s time to get ready, grab a bite to eat at a place near us called “The Biscuit Bitch” (How we not try that?) and Uber over to the Port! We’re aiming for a 10 AM arrival. Will update more from Pier 91!

2 February 2020 - Ovation of the Seas, sailing to New Zealand from Australia

Don’t consider the 11 to be first-gen. It’s the third iteration of the iPhone X design, so kinks and hardware bugs are long-since worked out. Only new piece is the camera module, and they have a solid rep on that front. EDIT -- Will note that the upcoming iOS 13 has been getting kind of blasted by developers in various podcasts and blogs I follow. Separate from the hardware, granted, but also kind of important when it's what drives the hardware. But that OS update is going to be a potential headache for all iPhone users and not just the iPhone 11 / 11 Pro; at least for the 13.0 and maybe even 13.1 release set to follow in just a few weeks. Since @TJ! noted his cruise isn't until January, I'd either advise a Xr that's on iOS 12, and just not update to 13 until after the trip; or at least wait until November or December to get an 11 so that the major kinks in the new OS can be worked out.

iPhone 11, along with the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, were announced this past Tuesday. Not available in stores yet but will be by end of the month. They actually dropped the price of the 11 relative to last year's iPhone Xr by $50, it's now $699. If you don't absolutely need the very latest model, you can still get a Xr for $599. No matter what you get, if you're currently on a 6s (and nothing wrong with that; I'm still rocking my 6s Plus) then upgrading to the Xr or 11 will be huge. The camera upgrades alone are going to be night and day, both still photos and video.

@Jolly Ogre. In essence you are talking 23 pp per meal upgrade. The dinner at Chops is on the equivalent level impo as Capitol Grill or Ruth Chris, where you would be paying a couple hundred for a couple before drinks, tips and taxes. I think this is also why the specialties are becoming more popular. It can be seen as a way to have that high level steak house for less than eating at Outback Steakhouse. Same is true for Giovannis/Janies regarding Italian food and going to Olive Garden. Or Hooked vs Red Lobster. For some, they see this as just part of the excursion package. That is how I see it. For some, like me, we don't gamble, and don't buy anything from the shops on the ship, been to Nassau enough that I don't do excursions anymore, Bermuda I will pay for a taxi to take me to Horseshoe instead of RCL. So what does that leave me to spend my OBC (always buy the DBP) If I have 100 pp OBC, I can get the 3 night for free, and still have money left. Our TA comped us 1 specialty and in the end 150 pp OBC. That meant we got the 3 night, + Chef with maybe $5 pp out of pocket for aa total of 4 nights, add in the TA comp and we had 5 nights. It is a personal decision. Mine had nothing to do with the quality of the food. Mine has to do with the fact that we have done the big ticket, check the box 1x excursions (swim with dolphins, parasailing, catamaran, etc) so now we do this instead.

I take a mini medicine kit. One plastic sleeve each of Benadryl, anti-diarrheal, mucinex, ex-lax, Sudafed, Pepto-Bismol tablets, etc. A few band-aids, small tube of Neosporin. Much cheaper and more convenient to have it if needed. I also take a mini can of Lysol in case one of us gets sick, we can manage the germs to protect the other. I also put two Clorox wipes in a Ziploc bag and wipe down the entire cabin first thing, just in case.

Last cruise I was sat next to a loud drunk obnoxious Texan who was smoking (which is fine). What was not fine was that he was continually blowing smoke towards me and my face. I asked him to stop politely and so did the staff. Next time he did it I poured the rest of my drink on him. When he complained I said you wanted to share your cigar I wanted to share my drink. He was escorted out and the staff got me another drink.

I guess we are in the minority, who enjoy dressing for formal night. I wear a dark suit and the wife wears a gown or cocktail dress on formal nights, now on other nights I wear trousers and collared dress shirt or maybe a Hawaiian style shirt and the wife wears a dress or slacks. After diner we enjoys the shows and bars so staying dressed is not a problem for us as we treat it as a date night. Daytime is for shirts and t-shirts. One part of me wishes the cruise lines would enforce the dress code in the MDR; the other part of me could care less what other people are wearing. On our last cruise one of our table mates was upset that we dressed for formal night (I wore a suit and the other two gentlemen wore ties). He wore a short sleeved collared shirt and said we made him look bad by dressing up for dinner.

From a recent cruise compass

Cruise Day 3 Today We get to go to a new port that we have never heard of before this booking let alone been to. Progreso Mexico!! Breakfast was at the WindJammier as usual. I have never done breakfast in the MDR. Breakfast is more of grab and go type situation for me. We docked later than a typical port. So we had plenty of time to eat and get down to Deck 1 to disembark the ship. As previously mention Progreso has a FOUR MILE long pier. It is not a typical wooden/cement pier. It is land extended for four miles into the Gulf Of Mexico. Two lane road and multiple turn offs and building along the way. Progreso offers and free shuttle to the downtown area and then you are free to explore. Right where the ship docks there are some chatzky stores and the usual Duty Free shops offering free tequila shots. The shop owners and hawkers are relentless everywhere here. Worst I’ve seen. A simple No thank you does the trick most of the time. The heat was unreal. 88* F but is felt like 110*F. Oppressive is putting it lightly. The bus drops you a central bus depot and it is a 4 block walk to the beach area IF you can find your way out the maze of shops. After doubling back 2 times we found our way. RCCL offers an excursion for the public free beach. $35 pp will get you a bus ride, access to the beach and two loungers and a palapa. Umm, bus is free for everyone… beach is free for everyone…lounger and palapa you can haggle to $10. Am I missing something?? Along the beach are mostly restaurants that offer seating on the beach. We have a simple beach tent to protect us from the sun. This ‘tent’ folds up into a sack that is ¼ the size of a shoe box. Quick set up and tear down. We bought is on Amazon real cheap. https://www.amazon.com/Venustas-Umbrella-Outdoor-Shelter-Lightweight/dp/B07PNW1WPB/ref=pd_ybh_a_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7MGHW9HQSFG72NJ0BKZQ I hit up the convenient store across the street for some soda and water. I was thrown off for a moment when saw a 1.5 Lt bottle for water for $14.50….Yes with a dollar sign. BTW the Peso uses the dollar sign also. Easy translation 20ish pesos to a dollar….so 85c. The diet Pepsi Black was .5 Lt for 40c. Prices for locals are amazingly inexpensive….Tourist areas not so much!! We spent about two hours at the beach and headed back to a restaurant that was handing out little flyers on the way to the beach. Barlovento Restaurant and Bar had little dollar margaritas so that peaked my curiosity. Since my wife is pregnant I had four, two for her and two for me. Quesadillas and fries for me and the baby, enchiladas for the Mrs. she also had some Mexican flavors fruity water. $47 DOLLARS!!! Return bus ride was quick and painless for I hate shuttles and waiting on them to fill up to capacity. This one filled up quick. We were back to the ship by 1:15. That's the NOT the ship in the distance....that not even the half way point to the ship!!! Check out this old school high chair!! One question I had right off the bat was will the casino be open while in port? The ship is docked 4 miles for the coast of Progreso….essentially International Waters? Nope not open. Upon return it was nap time for the baby and mommy. I walked around a bit, then before you knew it was time for dinner. Dinner Me French Onion Soup Caesar Salad Chicken Parm Royal Chocolate Cake Wife IDK Zander Fruit Cup Steak off kids menu NY Strip After dinner walk led us to the ventriloquist show at the theater. I was a little hokey and nice and lighthearted. Zander being your typical 20 month old got bored real quick and we made our exit to explore some shops and head to the room. I then headed to the roulette table to turn $40 in to $240. Now I’m even. Of to bed. Tomorrow Cozumel and Nachi Cocom!!! 1st timer here someone is sleeping. this is part of the dock/pier in Progreso Zander waiting for steak!! These were cool. Fold on this sailing's FB page talked about hiding Rubber Duckies around the ship. They had dozens we found one for Zander. It took us to day 4 to find one, but we did!! Enchantments "added" 70+ feet of ship that was added after the original build

For a much lighter poolside option (and a little less sweet), my go to is Absolut Mandarin vodka with club soda and a slice of orange. Super refreshing and with a bit less sugar! That, or Patron tequila and pineapple juice. Yes, there's usually a mimosa station in the Windjammer! I think usually when I see Guinness on board it's canned, but generally readily available.

Agree with @JLMoran +1 to the Kraken Lava Flow... it's amazing! Another one of my favorite rum drinks is the Painkiller - It's made with Pusser's rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut cream and a bit of grated nutmeg on top for good measure.

Check out this blog post by @Matt for some great complimentary ideas: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/04/30/perfect-day-cococay-everything-you-need-know Also these videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HCYe809pmE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXgfraHCI50

Alright, Drinkcalc V.2 is ready for testing. The underlying math is identical but the interface is better due to it being through a different service. DrinkCalc V.2

The first one I can't do much about due the limitations in the service I'm using. I'll need to find a more flexible standalone website builder that I can work with. Maybe changing the input fields to the same style as the cruise length and port stays will make it easier to scroll. I noticed that scrolling on my phone would routinely screw up the values I entered on the drink sliders. The second one is done. I changed the default to 33 and allowed selection of any whole number value between 0 and 100.

Thanks for this. While I knew deep down I would find no challenge getting my money's worth - now it seems justifiable ? Also, I drink too much evidently.

Did someone say spaghetti bolognese???