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Challenging day in Bermuda so far today, thanks to the “busted wheel” I’m dealing with. Have some pics on the good cam, taking more in a little while when we do our sunset catamaran sailing. May not have a chance to edit the pics tonight, but worse comes to worst I’ve got the last sea day to take care of things like that. Oh, and I’m starting to enjoy The Caledonian Gambit. Been a long time since I read for fun.

Wow, the ship really wants to make amends over this. I got a call from the Windjammer Manager about 20 minutes ago. Got another apology and thank-you for reporting the issue at Guest Services so they had the formal record. Was told not only are they going to speaking to the supplier, but also their own QC team that picks up the shipments. After this, I was asked to confirm our table in the MDR, and then offered complementary specialty dining in any venue of our choice. Initially asked if we wanted it tonight, but we already had all of our plans timed out around MDR schedule so I asked if it could be a different night. Was told no problem, and that he’d send his business card so I could call him after I had a chance to talk with Cathy and figure out which night and venue. It arrived about 10 minutes later, attached to this: Say what you want about Royal; when they are politely notified about a matter like this, with zero histrionics and no demands or even requests for compensation, they seriously go out of their way to let you know it’s being treated with all seriousness, and that you are part of that treatment.

Holy cats were you all correct about arriving early. We left the hotel at 10:45 and with expedited boarding we were on the ship about 11:15.(Our set sail passes told us to report at 12:30, btw) She’s gorgeous. Detailed write up later but here’s Mom and me holding court in the Gold Lounge (there is no Gold Lounge) on deck 12.

if I can't stalk the website looking at cruises/cruise planner!!!! FOILED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are now off Mariner and as I wait at the airport, I am able to post photos so, here we go! Continuing with day 3 we had a relatively quiet day planned with a Sunset Cruise around Paradise Island for the evening. We left the ship around lunch with the primary goal of looking for some new sandals for me. As we exited the ship there were some great opportunities for photos of Mariner as there were only 2 ships in port and we had docked nose in. One issue I have been encountering is that my camera fogs up when leaving the ship for excursions due to the transition from air conditioning to the heat and humidity of the island. Not sure how others manage this but I'm searching for ideas. My camera was much more agreeable on return to the ship so I snapped a couple shots on the way in. Our sunset cruise departed around 6 PM with sunset being around 6:45. We made our way up the pier and round to the far end of King George Wharf where we boarded our tour boat. The boat cruised past the British Colonial Hilton and around the cruise ships toward the lighthouse at the end of Paradise Island before heading under the causeways connecting the island to New Providence. This route provided some water perspective on Mariner and Carnival Liberty in port, a closer view of the lighthouse at the end of Paradise Island, and a pre-sunset view of the Nassau skyline. There was also a replica pirate vessel heading out of the port We passed by the Atlantis resort properties. There are some really colorful homes along the way reminiscent of those in Curacao. The sky was relatively overcast as we left that area of the port so we were unsure how much sunset we were going to be able to see. There were some other interesting structures along the way such as this Fort build near the water I will continue the sunset pictures in the next post.

Fixed that for you.

Honestly, I last year noticed things going on sale as early as Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon before Black Friday, even before the "sale" banner was put up. I've found price drops on various things in the cruise planner in between "sales". I just check the planner frequently and never rely on posted sales.

Time to leave Key West. As we started to drop lines and get ready to sail away it seemed this one wouldn't be as majestic as the last Key West sail away sunset. The crowds gathered in Mallory Square to see me off. Okay, may the sunset had something to do with it. Yeah not as spectacular as last cruise. But wait, what's that? An opening between cloud layers? Maybe tonight would be a decent sunset after all. Like that it was over.

Interesting conversation with a multi-contract crew waiter today. He did a contract with Princess on a newer ship, 4,000+ passengers. Pay is roughly the same but management style is very different. He really likes Royal better and claims many people leave Princess for Royal. It's about respect and expectations. He strongly feels that Royal management style is geared to help him, not see him fail. The difference is immediate from day one. He has no intentions of going back. I didn't steer him to his remarks, they seemed to be sincere.

Time and again Royal will prove themselves worthy of your loyalty. It's because of these types of reactions on their part that I temper my thoughts and comments when sometimes maybe something isn't just so.

Hello! This will be my first attempt at a live blog, and it just seemed right to do it here as opposed to CC. The Blog and podcast have been instrumental in my return to Royal Caribbean. I've been on 4 prior RCI sailings on the Viking Serenade and Rhapsody of the Seas, the last one being in 2007. I was convinced to sail this itinerary by @twangster's wonderful Snowbird Migration blog last year, and have been addicted to all of your awesome Live Blogs. I'll be sailing with my mother, and have been waiting for cruise day for about 367 days, but who's counting? I've taken much of the advice that I learned here and have pre-purchased most everything except Vroom. I'm kicking myself for not buying the Deluxe Drink Package before this last weekend, as it did go up slightly. Two weeks ago my Royal Up bid was accepted for a total of $150 for a Large Balcony cat 1C from a standard balcony. Today is my last work day, and I don't think I'll be able to sleep for the next 72 hours! I'll add more as soon as I get off work.

Day 3 Continued The sun had not quite set but the sky was showing some promise. We then approached Pearl Island which was our destination for our next visit to Nassau, but more on that later (Day 6) It was about here that the boat turned back toward the cruise port and directly into the setting sun. Meanwhile on the Horizon we could see the departing Carnival Sunshine. I think the overcast sky ended up being a bit of a blessing with even more dramatic contrast for the setting sun. We grabbed a few Sunset Selfies. Then the sun really started to approach the horizon quickly. Meanwhile, we were back alongside the ships on the outside of Paradise Island. And the sun reached the horizon. Bathing the Atlantis resort in a golden glow Back to the setting sun.... A great chance to see Mariner lit up in the dim light and a last look at the setting sun Upon return to the ship, Mariner was looking gorgeous all lit up. We had missed our dining window so we settled for a quick bite in the windjammer before returning to our cabin where we found a cute frog waiting for us. Up next is Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

Been away for a while from the board but booked another cruise, well 2 for our first back to back. We will make Diamond at the end of the back to back. Grandeur of the Seas - June 6th, 2020 - 5 Night Bermuda Grandeur of the Seas - June 11th, 2020 - 9 Night Canada and New England

No They Didn't Come To See You Off. They Came To See The iPhone 11 ?

This was just delivered to our stateroom: Didn't realize the Dog House was run under the Johnny Rockets venue management. Appreciate the gesture, but we’ll be saving that bottle for my brother’s upcoming engagement party; neither one of us drinks champagne. ?

? Today is the day that we go on the cruise! Today is the day that we gooooo! It’s gonna be great! I just cannot wait! TODAY IS THE DAY THAT WE GO ON THE CRUISE! ?

Ok Everyone. Well The First Two Episodes Of My Harmony Of The Seas Cruise Vlog Series Is Up Now. I Hope You All Will Enjoy Them.

I 100% share your fear of bed bugs. All Royal ships have a strict protocol that they follow if they find bed bugs. Can it happen? Most definitely yes, but the crew moves pretty swiftly to clear it if there is a case of it. How do I know this? About a week or two prior to our Anthem Group cruise back in July, I had heard through FB of a reported case of bed bugs in the room right next to mine! Needless to say, I was panicked. Not everything you read online is true, but for someone like me, where in my job, bed bugs are a true reality, that was enough to scare me. Anyway, I wasn't about to cancel the cruise but when I got on board, I did make it my mission to find out if it was true. My stateroom attendant (who had both my room and the one next door) confirmed that yes, a few weeks prior there was a bed bug incident next door, exactly as I had read. He then went through the entire protocol with us that they followed after. According to him, after cleaning out the room from top to bottom, they closed off the room for a few sailings and then went back to check thoroughly prior to opening it back up. The conclusion that I always come to is that unless I never want to leave my house, I will just do my due diligence by checking the beds, wiping things down, etc. Not going to be able to avoid it 100% but it's not going to stop me from travelling either.

Yes, you can order food from the MDR to be served in the CK. Yes, it is extra work for the CK staff, as someone has to go and fetch it and bring it back. One thing that can definitely help minimize the extra work is to let the CK know ahead of time that you will be ordering food from the MDR. That way, they can prepare by having the “special” item on hand ahead of time. On lobster nights, they are generally prepared to provide lobster tails as it’s a rather common request and they usually have some on hand already. Just check the menus every day and let them know in the CK if you’re going to want a special delivery. It helps make the special order less of a PITA.

Day 13 - Sea Day Being only a four night cruise there is no top tier event. However I received an invitation in my cabin for a Crown and Anchor "Meet & Mingle" at 9:45am for Platinum and higher. Several officers were on hand including the Captain. They were circling the Viking Crown Lounge talking with guests. A guitar player played live music. Regular top tier drinks were served but being this early a mimosa would have to do. It was a top tier "light". Later in the day I was wondering what to eat for lunch. i thought I'd check out the Compass Deli for something light and maybe a bit more healthy. But wait, what is that? Is that what I think I see? Kümmelwecks! Yumm.

@coneyraven suuuuuure blame me. I mean I could see it, I'm such the troublemaker and all. She just couldnt bear to see me again. That or she threatened to leave because she knew I wasnt going to be in Baltimore anymore with my moving to South Carolina next year.

Also being a new wanna be cruiser I'd highly suggest using a travel agent. Can't go wrong using MEI, a sponsor of Royal Caribbean Blog. Even as well experienced cruiser I book with a travel agent (MEI). It is great having someone else doing the leg work with the booking. Finally, this is great community. Don't worry about gnawing our "ears" off. Ask away!

6 days to go... I have managed to get more green (packed) on my spreadsheet which is making me feel much better about the trip. I tend to be the traveler who is nervous and has the jitters but who is also super excited. Once I step on board (or at least at the cruise terminal) I'll be fine. I thankfully have tomorrow off, so I am hoping to conclude the majority of my packing except the tech, and last minute things. I am also trying to make sure that I get all the bills and stuff paid since the end of the month will be while we are on the cruise... ICK.... sometimes I hate being an Adult, lol. I don't know if I've mentioned but I am booked in a normal interior cabin on Deck 7. We don't spend much time in there, shower and sleep and an occasional nap here and there. I can honestly say this cruise is MUCH needed. I left a very unhealthy job in March for freelance, which I hated so I went back to a company I loved but am making less. Once I made that decision to leave freelancing it, my mom ended up needed emergency open heart surgery on my BFs birthday (she is fine now and is actually preparing for her cruise in November, she got me hooked). Plus my BF started a new job... Life has been crazy and I cannot wait to unplug and disconnect from the "real world" and reconnect with myself and the BF. I am actually the type of person who LOVES working out on a cruise because I actually have a full gym unlike my apartment so I am also very excited to take part in that. Any tips on what to do in St.Thomas that isn't beach related? Is it Saturday morning yet?

No, drinks ordered via room service are not included with any drink package. Exception being guests sailing on ships with the Royal Suite Class program in Star Class eligible suites.

Captain’s presentation of the ship’s senior staff... Busy night tonight. Heading off to dinner now, then Spectra’s Cabaret, and then late-night comedy show.

Update to the above post: We’re now scheduled for Jamie’s Italian in place of our Solarium Bistro dinner on Night 4. And when I spoke with the manager, he asked if we drank alcohol and was prepared to get a bottle of whatever I wanted, but honestly I’m fine just bringing my other bottle of wine with me like I was already planning to do. Told him as much, although I’ve no doubt that if I had asked, he’d have given a bottle of the La Vite super-Tuscan I had at Chef’s Table and not batted an eye.

Greetings from Miami! After reading the review here and watching the port webcam for months, InterContinental seemed like the best choice. Our flight was easy and the drinks are cold. Let vacation begin!

Saw Joyce’s set, was 100% acoustic and 100% ballads. Really enjoyed it, and had a chance to talk with her after the show. She’s been playing guitar for about 13 years, the last 3 on Anthem. She didn’t simply audition and get the job; she had to be personally approved by Brian May himself! And after that, she was taught and mentored by him for how to play the songs. She said he’s an absolute genius, really humble, a great guy all around to work with and learn from. And he’s really particular about who gets to be the guitarist in each production. She’s only been doing acoustic guitar for the last few years; apparently Royal is expanding the number and variety of “intermissionists” (she said that’s the official term for the people who play those short 45-minute sets between the big performances). They want acoustic guitar players now, along with the piano players, horn groups, etc. I did a short periscope for a few of the songs during her set, you can see it here: https://www.pscp.tv/w/cHuV-zFXZ0VnYUdYbFdtS3Z8MW1uR2V6a1FQcVJKWLARq5Bi5-aQ4Z-8QV5rDFYhz9fsx6ojTTC5k_IYzKmr?t=3s Off to dinner now!

? Seven more days 'til we go on the cruise! Seven more days 'til we gooooo!!! ? I was going to wait until the day before we left, just to avoid joining the @Matt and @Lovetocruise2002 bandwagon, but work is nuts and nights aren't looking to be much better this week, so... The Ship As the title says, this is our second trip on Anthem of the Seas, having sailed her just over a year ago! I've been looking forward to this since the day we booked it, which was (amusingly) at my wife's strong request a mere two weeks after we got back from that last sailing. ? Itinerary Day 1 - Depart Cape Liberty at 4:00 PM Day 2 - Sea Day Day 3 - Arrive in Bermuda at 8:00 AM, stay overnight Day 4 - Depart Bermuda at 5:00 PM Day 5 - Sea Day Day 6 - Return to Cape Liberty and non-cruising life Why We Booked It Our trip last year to Bermuda left us loving this little island that's nice and close to our home state of NJ, and we knew before the first day was even over that we had to come back here. Lots of places we didn't explore last time and want to get a look at, and not enough time at Horseshoe Bay beach. I didn't think we'd be coming back just a year later, but Cathy said she really wanted to go back right away and not wait. Well, who am I to argue against a "YOLO Book It!!!" request? I'm guessing I'll be a bit more live this time around, for reasons I'll get into in another post or two...

I was so concerned about spelling Cartagena correctly that I totally blew it on Colombia.?

Oh, and just an FYI because I'm one of THOSE people .... lol It's COLOMBIA -- With an "O", not a "U" ---- Now, on the other hand there is the District of Columbia, Columbia South Carolina and Columbia Maryland, but in regards to the country, it's COLOMBIA.... OCD rant is over .... carry on. Thank You

Probably a Panama Canal DCL sailing?

Common problem in humid areas. The only thing you can do is try to acclimate your camera gear well before you think you'll need it. When I have a balcony I'll sit them out there for 15 or 20 minutes before heading out. If we are arriving in port or I am going to take pictures around the ship I leave the cabin well ahead and let my camera gear adjust before I start shooting. You have to be even more careful if changing lens when the camera is cold. Opening the body to remove a lens will cause condensation to build on the sensor and once that is allowed to happen all of your pictures can have small dark spots even after the condensation has dried. At that point you have to clean your sensor. I do that myself but those not comfortable with the task will need to visit a camera store back home to have it done. Sometimes I pick a lens before leaving my cabin and go with it for the day just to avoid having to expose my camera guts to the elements. If you like your cabin really cold and crank the A/C it's even worse.

If I were a parent, I'd assume the ship treatment was more in the form of "first aid", and that I'd need to follow-up with my family physician at home. I would have trip insurance for medical expenses. The kicker is the excursion waiver and general personal responsibility to watch wild animals, as they are wild animals. It is sad that someone was bitten, but it isn't the carrier's fault, in my opinion.

New vlog has just gone live! I reveal how much money I make working onboard!

@twangster

We do not have a scale like Small World. I am very familiar with them as we have a strong Disney business as well. Small World has a business model that gives back to the client and pays less to the agent. That amount you are getting back is coming out of what the agent would have made - so good for the customer, but maybe not so much for the agent. We decided years ago that service is worth something and our agents deserve to get paid. They determine the amount of gifts and OBC that they give. I firmly believe that you will get better service from an agent if they are happy in their job and getting paid. Thank you for the nice words on Sharla. I know that our team of agents that work with this community love to hear the kudos and when I see them here, I share with them. Again, thanks for giving us a try and I am so glad you are happy.

I just got back from Harmony and they had another paella pan. This time it was banana crumble.

Ditto - even though I am a bit late...

IF you’re staying in a Grand Suite or above, you’ll receive an email from your concierge about a week before your sail date and they’ll make all your specialty dining reservations for you if you reply back and ask them to.

We leave this Friday on Mariner, also in an Aft Balcony #8390 Its also our first Diamond cruise too!

Unfortunately we can only speculate. The cruise director can change many things on board including theme nights. If the CD has a lot of time on Oasis class in the Caribbean it's possible they will rely on that knowledge of what works and what doesn't. If the CD has never been in the Caribbean on Oasis class that may influence on board themes. For things like when the Windjammer or pools are open historical data is likely helpful. Trying looking at Symphony's Med compasses and compare them to Caribbean compasses once she reached America. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass?ship=1167 That won't yield perfect results but it may give you some insight of the types of things that can change between regions.

Well this was... sorry, only words I can find are disturbing, scary, and gross. Decided to go to the SeaPlex Dog House and try out the hot dog options. Checked out the menu, saw they had some German options... Decided to give both the German and Smoke House options a shot. They were out of sauerkraut, but that’s fine. The longer one in this pic is the smoke house dog... Decided to start with that one. Pretty good, nice smoky flavor and tastes like a good sausage mix. And then my teeth bit down on something hard. I’m thinking it’s an usually large bit of bone, I’ve gotten that sometimes and no big deal. Just part of the sausage making process. Nope. It was a piece of metal! Not a tiny one, either, this was a quarter inch long and wide, basically the size of a large pine nut. I can only assume it broke off of the machine where the sausages were made. I showed it to the guy at the dog house and another crew member. They apologized profusely, I suggested really strongly that they talk with their supplier and maybe find a new one. Unsaid was that they might want to remove the remaining smoke house sausages from the serving bin. I lost my appetite after that. No way I was finishing that smoke house one, who knows what else I might find in it and I’m wondering what was in it that I couldn’t see or taste. And I didn’t want to take my chances with the German sausage, either. Glad I had a couple slices at Sorrento’s before this. They really have improved the pizza; still not New Jersey good, but way better than what I had on Freedom. Currently sitting in front of the North Star bar while I type this up. It’s nice out, helping to offset my mood after that unpleasant food experience.

Walking out of the Windjammer, I passed a station selling Bloody Marys. That reminded me that I wanted to try something @Matt did in one of his blogs: It’s already warm enough outside that I can on my balcony in shorts and t-shirt, with a good breeze from the ship’s motion, and I’m perfectly comfortable. Espresso’s already done. Cheers!

Muster is done and we’re already well clear of the Verrazano. Still about 90 minutes until we clear the channel. After muster, the captain came on the PA and let us know that tomorrow should be in the mid-70s, so I’m getting some sun tomorrow! No pics of sailaway; bar service was slow, compounded by no one seeming to respect basic “deli counter” etiquette and just calling out their orders when they saw an opening. But, I eventually got my sailaway margarita – A mango melon ‘rita with Avion Reposado. Got back to my cabin and saw the one other item I honestly forgot I’d bought at the last decent sale delivered to our cabin: a plate of 9 chocolate covered strawberries. Cathy loves those, and the sale price of $16 was with it to me. We enjoyed them on our balcony while sipping our beverages and watching the Verrazano go overhead. Got a little too cool for comfort with the breeze, so now we’re back inside and waiting for Joyce Kuo to perform in the Schooner Bar before dinner.

Rooms weren’t ready at 1, got told it wouldn’t be until 1:30. So we went to Two70 Lounge, where I was able to confirm the $75 new onboard price for the DBP. Had to wait a bit for a bartender, but eventually got myself my first drink of the trip: a genuine Dark and Stormy! Yes, they have Goslings ginger beer as well as Goslings Black Spiced rum! Now sitting in the “All About Anthem” presentation; using it be off my feet, have a chance to blog, and with some luck score something in the raffle. After that, it’s muster drill and then sailaway!

Day 10, Nassau Last day of cruise #2. I have to change cabins tomorrow and that means packing, but first a spectacular sunrise with very calm water as we approached Nassau in the distance. Pilot on board we continued... Loving this 13mm ultra wide angle lens on the iPhone 11. Here is a panoramic taken with the 13mm wide angle. I was hoping the sun would just be rising as we entered port but our timing was off. It was hard shooting straight into the sun. Not bad for a phone camera.

Something I may have failed to mention... I got a new phone. All of my pictures for these recent cruises have been from my phone. Since I last sailed Majesty in August with my full camera gear I boarded this time absent of some of my regular camera gear (this wasn't a bucket list cruise for me). One of the new features my iPhone 11 Max Pro includes is a new "Night" mode for taking pictures in darker scenes. It doesn't replace my "real" camera gear but in situations with little motion it seemed promising so I was goofing around with it today, or should I say tonight because it was after the sun had set. Well after. The pictures that follow are largely untouched, they are what the phone produced on it's own. With the sun well down as we sailed through the channel from Key West into the sea. Night mode on: The same picture with night mode turned off. A few minutes later with night mode on and me resting the phone on a hand railing to keep it as steady as my several drinks allowed me to: The light on the side of the bow is a dead give away that it was actually dark. Same scene with night mode off (yes it was that dark to the eye): The sun was well down by this point, the remains of the day where the sun had set were to the naked eye still visible. Same scene, Night mode off: To be honest I'm quite impressed. You do have to think about motion and the subject of your pictures remaining very still, but all in all the "Night" mode results are very good.

Videos are uploading and once complete will be available here. Warning, I am by no measure good at this, but I have some fun trying!