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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/10/2019 in all areas

  1. Well... today is the day! We were prepared in the usual fashion of pre-cruise excitement. For us, that means I obsess over the minutia, while typically missing the bigger picture of intentionally needing to relax ?? Our nails freshly manicured, our tans freshly sprayed, and our nose hairs freshly waxed, I was starting to feel better prepared! (Too TMI with the nose hairs? ... I’ll rein in the descriptors... But man... getting old sucks sometimes). We are sailing out of Orlando today on Harmony of the Seas. Of COURSE I’m up at 5am eagerly anticipating embarkation on one of our favorite ways to vacation. I’ll try to keep this as ‘live’ as possible! (Hence the Ron Burgundy question mark at the end of the title). I just wanted to post some tidbits that we are learning along the way. We are doing a lot of firsts on this cruise! This is our first junior suite, our first time purchasing The Key, our first time booking UDP, first cruise ship escape room, first time maybe eating in CK, first sailing out of Port Canaveral, and first time in Harmony OTS. We originally booked a New Zealand cruise during our Cuban cruise on Empress last year. We saved and saved, but ended up canceling around June due to scheduling conflicts. This cruise was a spur of the moment purchase in our desperation to take a reprieve from work... so we just said “the heck with it” and went all in with the bells and whistles (well... all the bells and whistles as far as we can afford...I’m the cheap one in the marriage by the way). Thanks for joining!
    7 points
  2. First day travel— We booked a room on Cocoa Beach in the Courtyard by Marriott. Arriving a day earlier, I had the preference of staying in Orlando (more bang for your buck IMO)... but the Colombian side of my husband was wanting to stay closer to the port... and I’ve learned just to not argue with that side (sorta like disagreeing with Pablo Escobar...). No problems with our flight. I usually make fun of my little Colombian when he books travel because he loves to book our flights with a few hours layover so we can relax in the lounge and eat/drink... the analytical and practical side of me just wants to get to where I’m going ? If we have a layover it’s nice to use a lounge, but I won’t go out of my way to add time onto a travel day. With me booking, I gave us about a 50 minute layover (which in hindsight ALSO wasn’t the best). But we were still able to pop into the Delta lounge and grab some drinks and a hot meal. Arrived in Orlando airport and dang... I always forget how big and weird this airport is! We made our way to grab our bags and hopped into the USO for a bottle of water and to see if they had any recommendations for shuttles to Cocoa Beach. (My plan was just to book the Uber, but no harm in asking) For our vets out there... if you need a moment to relax at MCO... I DEFINITELY recommend stopping by! This is probably one of the nicest USO’s I have ever been in. All of the shuttles they recommended (Go Port was one) had already had their last shuttle out. (We arrived MCO at 7pm). Back to square one booking an Uber... but at least we were able to get some waters/soda/snacks for the road! Here’s my first tidbit: don’t let the Uber driver convince you to cancel your ride. Booked the Uber, we were waiting outside the rideshare pickup area, and we get a message from the driver. He messaged that he was “unable” to pickup at the airport due to “not having a permit”, and we would need to cancel the ride. (He most likely just saw the distance and didn’t want to make the long drive). Knowing we would likely get hit with a charge if we did, and confirming with the airport security the no permit was necessary, I knew the guy was either just scamming, or at a minimum being dishonest. We simply told him he didn’t need the permit, and if he didn’t want to perform the ride, he needed to cancel. He eventually did. We got another one shortly after (within about 10 minutes). The ride to Cocoa Beach wasn’t bad. We were both tired after a long day of traveling. The hotel is ok, but not worth the price tag IMO. (We had an AMEX travel credit of $200 which is the only reason I agreed to the $300 price tag of staying here vs. Orlando). Ultimately we thought my gut was right, hotel room is a little dingy. But they did have a beautiful pool area, the bar had good food, and I even caught a glimpse of a fire pit where people were enjoying drinks and community. If you have the time to just shuttle to the port the next morning, and cost is a factor, I would say just stay in Orlando. There were plenty of nice hotels right next to the Airport that were really affordable. That’s it for day 1 travel day! I’ll let y’all know how embarkation day was when it’s over!
    6 points
  3. S.Marie

    Lurkers Unite!

    Hi everyone! I pride myself on being very social when I meet people in person, but online, I’m a certified lurker ?. I read the message boards, take notes ?, and have learned so much from everyone on this blog (thanks @Matt for this awesome platform) but I rarely make a post or comment. Maybe it’s because everyone has already said what I was thinking (and y’all don’t need to see my “ditto” response ?)... Maybe it’s because I can’t come up with any interesting new questions or topics that are worth posting ?... Maybe it’s because I’m afraid that my post will be the equivalent of the kid sitting alone at the lunch table in a crowded middle school cafeteria ??... Soooooooo... This post is dedicated to all of the lurkers out there just like me! Say hi, hit like, or drop a comment of your choosing below! Or don’t. ? You are still loved and welcomed here!
    5 points
  4. twangster

    Allure to Texas

    If he is sworn to secrecy I think he missed the point about keeping it a secret.
    5 points
  5. This is great news!! Bring on Nov 24th!! Cant wait to go on the new Amped Oasis!
    5 points
  6. She Is Officially Out And Drydock And Heading To Freeport Bahamas At 21kn. Her ETA To Freeport Is 11-18-2019.
    5 points
  7. mpoole3

    Allure to Texas

    Allure of the Seas is headed to Texas, bookings will opening soon!
    4 points
  8. S.Marie

    Lurkers Unite!

    As of 9am EST this morning, we have over 420 views so there are a lot more lurkers out there than anticipated!
    4 points
  9. Some have been mentioned already, but here goes: Chat with the crew! We love seeing them light up when they talk about their families and home. Remember to put your phones on Airplane mode or better yet, turn them off and lock them in the safe if you can! Nothing screams a vacation than being unplugged! Take time to check out a "new" activity, music performance or show. If you don't like it, you can always leave early. More than likely you will find one or two things you didn't know you would enjoy Take the time to "sample" new foods. The great thing about cruising is that if you don't like something, they will bring you something more to your liking or you can head back up to the buffet for another plate, and it won't cost you any extra. Explore the ship! Every cruise we take a walk around the entire ship, usually more than once. By doing this, we have found little "gems" that are often overlooked and also find some quieter spots where DH and I can spend some time away from the crowds. Above all else....Be courteous! To the crew, your room steward, and the fellow passengers! A smile and a thank you goes a long way! As the saying goes "If you see someone without a smile, give them yours!"
    4 points
  10. Welcome to the message boards. The Key does not allow you to move to the front of all lines. The Key does provide priority at specific events such as on boarding day in the terminal or at the times listed for specific activities such as FlowRiders, Zip Line and Rock Wall. These times are set aside for guests with the Key. It can also provide a designated seating area in some theaters that is set aside but you have to get inside the theater like everyone else to reach the reserved seating area. Don't confuse that with "if there is a line, the Key allows you to go to the front". That is not the case.
    4 points
  11. GregD

    Getting an Aft Balcony

    If you are referring to the aft balconies that are along the very back of the ship, you would be looking for sailings on almost all of their ships. Some of the more affordable ones would be on freedom, voyager class ships. Oasis and Quantum class ships have aft balconies, but many are star class suites which bring a premium price. For availability, these are popular stateroom choices for obvious reasons, so the best way to book one of these, is to book EARLY! The next round of Caribbean sailings I believe will be released the week of the 18th. This is what I will be doing that week too. Refresh! This view is worth it
    4 points
  12. Mr. Candyman

    Lurkers Unite!

    It's like accidentally stepping in that ant pile.....a few seconds later they're coming from everywhere....LOL
    4 points
  13. I love it when we get the first Genie email. I know it's really going to happen, then !! I usually do not write a LOT in my emails but I do write a LOT of emails to the Genie. I'm sure that Joyce is extremely pleased that I am not bugging the s**t out of her right now, since I am away on travel (hello from beautiful Bahrain, BTW !!). I actually think the Genies appreciate it when you communicate your "wishes" to them...that way they do not have to guess about what you want. Perhaps this is just wishful thinking on my part - a way to soothe my guilty, overly verbose, conscience. LOL IMO, the only information that you really NEED to provide to the Genie is what you want to happen on boarding day. All of the subsequent days you can play by ear but boarding day will go much more smoothly if they know what you need for them to handle up front. There are certain particular exceptions such as any requests for Labadee cabanas, etc but those are fairly few. I believe that there are few requests that you might make that will be truly unique to the Genie. I have yet to have a Genie say to me, "WOW ! You are the first person who ever asked me to do THAT !" Allow me to interject a small personal anecdote here. Since I AM in the Middle East, I purchased a beautiful Aladdin's Lamp today for my Genie gift. Do you think that is a totally lame gift ? It's not large (being mindful of the lack of personal space that Genie's have in their room) - maybe 6-8 inches from end-to-end. I think it's lovely. Joyce may hate it. It was an impulse buy (as were the 7 Pashmina wraps, the 5 beautiful hand made Turkish bowls/platters...and the gorgeous opal ring....that I bought, courtesy of the awesome local souq !!). I always have trouble with the Genie gifts. I saw this and thought immediately of Joyce. I guess that's a good thing... ??
    4 points
  14. I just spotted this sign in the galley on Empress of the seas during the all access tour on Thursday. Looks like they will be up on the Royal App starting 11/15/19.
    3 points
  15. This is a recap, and not a highly detailed live blog. If you have questions, please let me know in the replies October 31 & November 1 — Pre-Embarkation We flew from our home near Nashville to Miami on a late flight and were one of the last arrivals of the day. This presented a problem with getting a ride share to take us to the Mercury Hotel in South Beach as it is quite a distance. One Uber and two Lyft drivers bailed on us. While annoying, it is understandable. We ended up taking a taxi and ran into construction traffic on I-95 delaying our arrival. We entered our hotel room at about 12:30 am. We stayed at a quirky Art Deco hotel a block west of Ocean Drive near 1st Street. for brunch, we at at a Popular Cuban restaurant called Puerto Sagua. I highly recommend it. It was an easy walk to Collins and 7th where it is located. After brunch, we walked along the shoreline to the southernmost ended of South Beach and watched Navigator sail away. You can see a time lapse on my Instagram at: I got my dunkel bier fix for dinner at the Bavaria Bier Haus in Bayside Marketplace right on the water by the marina next to Port Miami. See the first attached pic for an incredible sunset effect by the surrounding skyscrapers. November 2 — Embarkation We had breakfast at a local eatery called Big Pink, checked out and took a Lyft to Port Miami. MacArthur Causeway was closed and traffic was being routed to the Venetian Causeway and to I-195 to the north. Our Lyft driver was astute and chose the latter. While I missed driving opposite cruise ship row that morning, our driver did a great job with the circumstance. When we made it to Dodge Island, we dealt with the effects of getting to Terminal A caused by the construction of the Norwegian terminal next door. Soon, were we curbside at the terminal and entering the building. A couple of months ago, I cancelled the Key due to reviews. I didn’t realize that the icon was still on my SeaPass in the app, and when I showed it, we were ushered into the Key line and found ourselves bypassing waiting guests and were on board immediately it took five minutes when I realized what happened, that somehow we still had the Key, I chose not to take advantage of the other perks it offered for the duration of the cruise. We ate lunch at El Loco Fresh, and were set up for the rest of the day our CP balcony room was ready right at 1:00 pm, and we were unpacked by 1:30 pm my wife had a manicure in the spa scheduled for 1:45, so I did the slides on board starting with the Ultimate Abyss. We chose My Time dining, during sail away. We watched Hairspray in the theater that evening. The cast was incredible. November 3rd & 4th — Sea Days 2 & 3 Readers of these boards will have varying styles of cruising on sea days. I love sea days because of the relaxation available. Hi lites: -we purchased a thermal suite package and started using it — very nice, however, the weight room in the fitness center is above the spa, so there are related sounds and bangs -we ate dinner at Chops on Day 2. It was execellent -Day 3 was the same with dinner at Izumi Hibachi — it was fun as always November 5th — Day 4 — Sint Maarten We chose to make this an easy beach day and took the water taxis from the port to the middle of Philipsburg for $7 round trip. We got off the water taxi after a five minute ride into the middle of the town. We turned right, headed toward the Lazy Lizard and rented two beach chairs and an umbrella for $20. It included a bucket of six beers or two cocktails. Lunch was extra for about $13 a plate. I had the curry chicken with voodoo shrimp appetizer. It was...BY FAR...the best meal I have had on a cruise vacation anywhere. We chose the Lazy Lizard because of reviews on Trip Advisor. Photos attached. That evening, we watched 1977 in Studio B. The drones and the skating did not disappoint. November 6th — Day 5 – San Juan, PR I have been dying to get to this port for a while. We did the standard walk up the hill to Castillo del Morro and walked around absorbing some of the history of the magnificent place. We chose not to go to the other fort, and instead walked down the hill on the west side and and toured Casa Blanca where Ponca de Leon lived. The grounds were beautiful and the house was incredible considering how people of that time lived. We ate at the famous Barrachina restaurant near Cristo Street. I tried the mofongo combination with chicken, beef and shrimp along with a piña colada. It’s a little touristy, so it won’t be my choice for my next visit to San Juan. We did some shopping and headed back to the ship for a thermal suite session. We watched Hiro in the Aqua Theater and were mesmerized. Flowing Hiro, dinner was at Wonderland, an experience Royal Caribbean cruisers should experience once in a lifetime. November 7th — Day 6 — Sea Day - we lazed around and ended the evening watching Flight in the Main Theater November 8th — Day 7 — Perfect Day at Coco Cay Seas were as smooth as a glass before sunrise. It was a beautiful and surreal experience walking onto deck 15 to see a Carival ship lit up as she passed by our starboard. A little later, a Norwegian ship sailed across our wake. They looked close enough to touch and were beautifully lit up.Sadly, I was dealing with condensation on my camera lenses, and didn’t have time to get a really cool photo. -we found loungers behind the swim up bar on Coco Cay and lazed around until lunch at the Snack Shack where we had the popular crispy chicken sandwich with fried mozzarella and marinara. It is a big step up from the standard fare from the old Coco Cay. The transformation of the island is mind blowing. November 6th — Disembarkation -I booked a late flight out of FLL, so we took our time getting off the ship -we had breakfast in the main dining room and left the ship by 9:00 am -we took a cab from the terminal to Miami Brightline on NW 1st in downtown Miami for $15. We bought Select tickets which gave us lounge access in the very nice, new train station - the ride from Miami was about 30 minutes and included beverages and snacks served by an attendant in our carriage. The train experience on this line is as a good as any I have had in Europe. It was excellent. I was sad to have to get off in Fort Lauderdale. -tickets may be pre-purchased online or at the station — the process is pretty seamless -FLL is 3.5 miles from the Fort Lauderdale Brightline station, so a quick ride share will get you to/from the station and airport -overall —> this short experience far surpassed dealing with a cab or ride share up I-95 — if you are flying out of FLL on a later flight, or if you are coming from a location near a Brightline station elsewhere in Florida, Orlando (future station planned) for example...THIS is how I would get to Port Miami, or Port Everglades — it is well worth it, especially considering the net cost was about the same as a cab would have been and a little higher than a ride share. I will be figuring other ways to use this service while in Florida in the future — included are pics of the Fort Lauderdale Brightline Terminal and the inside of a carriage
    3 points
  16. 3 points
  17. I fell in love with this "addiction" in 2016 after raising our son an paying off his student loans and a work accident that left me with a synthetic neck.. My wife is 48 and I'm 47.. Every extra dime that comes into our household goes to feed this cruising addiction we have.. While raising our son We couldn't afford to take a cruise.. and honestly I didn't have the desire.. This is the only vacation that you cannot do wrong.. Ill bust my ass 60-70 hours a week to pay for Jean and I to take a break and let us be ourselves.. We've seen Alaska, Cuba, and the western and eastern Caribbean itineraries. We're looking forward to the Southern Caribbean next year.. Ill bust my ass to make it work for us, I don't care if I have to work 70 hours a week to let my wife have one week of pleasure to be herself.. ?
    3 points
  18. My hats off to you. That’s one job I could never do. Wild that there is little mandated OT for your LEOs. It’s unbelievable, and unsustainable up here.
    3 points
  19. GregD

    Ship comparison

    This is helpful too http://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/content/uploads/2018-2019-Fleet_Guide.pdf
    3 points
  20. MinnesotaCruiser

    Lurkers Unite!

    Fellow lurker here! Actually this post made me finally decide to make an account. Here’s to actually posting now!
    3 points
  21. Ogilthorpe

    Lurkers Unite!

    I very recently joined in for the first time ... a grand example of "long time listener, first time caller ..."
    3 points
  22. We struggle with it. We have enough vacation time to do it (I get 3 weeks, and my husband gets 5), however being in central Canada, flights kill us. I think that we've resigned ourselves to one every two years until we have more time to B2B. We have a vacation account that we funnel money into every paycheque, and in the summer we camp as a vacation, so we can use our money to cruise when we can.
    3 points
  23. Here are my two cents: Due to finances, we started out looking for the cheapest, easiest cruises we could find. Inside cabin and even did bunks with my wife once!! Had a great time as we were never in our cabins but to sleep and shower. Over the years with increased income and available time we pick and choose what type of cruise and cabin we want based on the purpose of the trip. Is the cruise mainly for port visits or just to chill? Just want a 3-4 day getaway to combine with a pre-city visit experience(ex. FLL and then cruise) or an extended getaway? Alone or with family and friends. Cultural? Went to Europe so did B2B to make more cost effective(if paying $$$ for flight why not stay longer in Europe). We have never gotten drink packages or specialty restaurants ever as we chose to put $ to excursions or to save for another day(cruise). That is just a personal choice. Always purchase when inventory is first released as I have found that is usually the lowest price. Pre book excursions or packages if wanted. Conclusion: We have run the gamut and have enjoyed things by making the best of any experience. No right answer, lots of personal choices. I would rather go on the cheap than not go at all.
    3 points
  24. Not 100% accurate, but pretty close...
    3 points
  25. Be knowledgeable about your cruise ship selection. Yes, there is a lot of hype surrounding the mega ships with every bell and whistle imaginable. However, I love the nostalgia that you can immerse yourself with cruise ships such as the Explorer of the Seas and smaller ships. I am reminiscing of the days where interpersonal relationships, interesting conversation about destinations and culture with fellow travelers, superseded ziplines and trampolines. There is a true value of being on a non retrofitted ship that allows for simplistic fun and activities without being loud, mass manufactured, and overbearing. Sometimes real beauty lies in excellent service, a suite with a beautiful view, and like minded travelers. The exploration of different foods and specialty restaurants can be a wonderful culinary experience especially with staff conversation from around the globe. I also feel that the more traditional cruise experience allows for appreciation of the arts, the destination, the people, and appreciation of the architecture of the ship and staff. This type of personal or more intimate experience is invaluable.
    3 points
  26. Proper punctuation can be life saving
    3 points
  27. I noted our seamen in the bow looked different. That's because the ship crew who normally handle the lines got the day off. When transiting the Panama Canal local seamen come on board to handle the lines. In the last photo of my above post you can sort of see there is a split or fork in the channel. As we moved forward it became clearer the path to the left are the new locks for neo-Panamax larger vessels. The fork to the right leads to the original locks for vessels meeting the original Panamax standard. Here is a neo-Panamax ship being helped into position to enter the new locks. An old locomotive possibly from the Panama railroad that used to run between the coasts. The new locks on this side of the canal. Those pools of water in the foreground are part of the water conservation approach used by the new locks. As we continue on towards the right and the original locks we can begin to see the Miraflores locks around the bend.
    2 points
  28. Day 11 - Panama Canal This is going to take a few posts, bear with me. In the early morning light you could see a virtual fleet of ships at anchor waiting their turn. Panama City was becoming visible through the morning fog. I was surprised by the number of high rise buildings. We continued to glide through the flotilla of ships until we approached the Bridge of the Americas. This bridge is the lowest of three bridges that now span the canal. This is the original and lowest of the three. The NCL Bliss as the largest cruise ship to ever transit the Panama Canal squeaked under but only at low tide. Vision was built within Panamax standards so there is no question we'll slide under quite nicely. Once past the Bridge of the Americas our adventure really begins.
    2 points
  29. Bear in mind the Crown & Anchor Society is a loyalty program. We all had our first sailing on a Royal ship at some point. None of us could claim to be loyal the first time we sailed with Royal. Upon returning to sail again we could then claim loyalty and begin to reap the benefits. The more you return the better the loyalty benefits become.
    2 points
  30. My wife and I are still fairly new to cruising - we did one and have another booked. We’ve known each other for 12 years, married the past 2. We started traveling internationally once we got married. We did Sandals Royal Caribbean (isn’t that a coincidence!) in Jamaica for our honeymoon and Sandals Royal Bahamaian for our 1-year anniversary. These were fun but also started to get real expensive. Flights from NY airports only went to certain islands on certain days. Since then, we’ve bought a house and got ourselves a dog. So we decided to give cruising a try and went on Anthem to Bermuda last summer. We feel like it was a good value. It definitely was a good time but we had to shift mindsets of transitioning from adults-only all inclusive to a family-style cruise. I am a high school science teacher and my wife works for a non-profit, working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). We are able to pay for vacations because we each hold other part time jobs. In addition to teaching high school, I work as an adjunct professor at night, I am a union rep, I work at the local library as a librarian assistant during the summer and I proctor SAT exams on weekends. My wife does some side work as a respite provider as well. We live in south jersey so Cape Liberty is only an hour and a half away. My wife can take time off of work with relative ease but for me, my overall work schedule doesn’t allow for me to take a week off at any given point during the school year. So our “sweet spot” of value and time has been and probably will always be the last week of August. It’s in the middle of hurricane season so prices are a little lower. I presume since most of the country’s school districts and colleges are back in session, that’s another reason why prices are lower. Luckily for us in the northeast, schools (including the college I teach at) doesn’t start until after Labor Day. We both feel that the extra time working is well worth the one week of rest and relaxation. After the Bahamas cruise, we want to do NE/Canada and then the Caribbean (San Juan, Labadee, etc.) - both from Cape Liberty. After that, we’ll see!
    2 points
  31. Enjoying this so far. Great tip about the Uber ride. And happy cruise day!!!
    2 points
  32. Interesting topic, I enjoyed reading everyone's background and learning about yall I'm in the 1-2 cruise/year category because I live in Washington state and Airfare is my biggest enemy, but there are still strategies I have used to spend only what I want. When I was younger and didn't make as much I would book cruises out of the less desirable cruise ports and cheaper sailing season. The first couple cruises I went on, I probably spent less than $100 per 7 day cruise for 2 people(not including gratuities). I was just happy to be on vacation and would only drink the free ice tea and lemonade, walk or find cheap transport to a free beach on port days ect... We actually had just as great of a time cruising that way. I have a higher income now, but I also have 3 young children. Airfare is still our biggest enemy, if we lived in Florida we would easily be cruising twice as much. I only like to take off 2 weeks a year for vacation, but I am not going to go when everyone else on earth is going. We pull our kids out of school(even though the school hates it) usually in February when we are sick of the wet winter weather and the rates are cheaper. We spend more onboard these days, but we still avoid paying a lot on booze,food and extras. We also book 1 cruise a year as far out as possible and stalk changes in pricing like a obsessed maniac even though booking so far out is usually the best deal. I'm an Electrical Forman who builds schools and my work is feast or famine so I try and keep money in the budget for a last minute cruise as well for when I finish a project. Schools are build on a fast paced schedule and I am usually super stressed out trying to get the job done. I have to keep a reward trip in my mind to keep my sanity. Also this blog keeps my eye on the prize when work gets stressful. 92 days until Liberty ?? days until Alaska? 469 until Symphony Happy Cruising
    2 points
  33. The junior suite aft balconies on Navigator were pretty unobstructed as well. One piece of advice through, if you like to sleep in past 6 on port days, the aft can be a problem. Once the tie downs came out we heard everything while on deck 8.
    2 points
  34. Ok so I’m back home, so let me catch up the rest of the way thru the cruise. Day 4 was St.Maarten. Started off the day as with most days in CK, then went back grabbed my book bag and we were off. Island was beautiful, found a guide that offered a tour of the entire city (Dutch Side and a French side) for $10/person, so seemed like a pretty good deal. We did 5r tour which took about 3 hrs, then headed back, had to stop and pick up a couple “duty free items” lol. Finally back on the ship, showered and relaxes a bit then off to dinner at Jamie’s (sorry didn’t remember pictures) to end the evening we saw Hiro, excellent show, very entertaining. FD609043-B332-4576-BC15-08B533EFB001.MOV 305DE086-6B9E-413D-B437-BE2EB5C132C4.MOV 1B5F3547-F35D-478C-BB5D-1F7C8CE2B871.MOV
    2 points
  35. 3/8/2020 Oasis 3/15/2020 Oasis 10/18/2020 Allure 2/6/2021 Anthem - first time Star Class!
    2 points
  36. bhageerah

    Silly Question!

    OMG AK was absolutely AMAZING, and I too spent quite a few hours sitting outside on my balcony, FAR more than I have for any other cruise. We went in early June and I did have to bundle up but it was well worth it. Definitely something I would wake up to everyday! Almost wish that the ship could have docked during the evening hours so we did not miss any scenery outside!
    2 points
  37. I have found all conditions on the balcony, but none have prevented enjoyment. If it gets too hot, air conditioning is only a few feet away!!
    2 points
  38. 2 points
  39. I piggyback off my wife who is a kick butt attorney. She files suit against the cruise lines, they pay her and then we book a nice cruise!
    2 points
  40. MamaBurgs

    Lurkers Unite!

    Also a lurker... but I'm trying! Hey everyone! ?
    2 points
  41. Refundable or non-refundable I do my best to spend it a'll.?
    2 points
  42. Like others mentioned, separate vacation account. Mine is actually a small coffee can (ok, you can stop laughing now). $20/week. No exceptions. Sometimes more. I just emptied my can from this past year and had $1380! Time to start planning!!
    2 points
  43. Great topic, and I think a lot of the responses are interesting to look at. I certainly get this question a lot, and there are definitely a few factors or decisions that factor greatly into one's ability to cruise a lot. 1. Living in Florida (or near an embarkation port). No cost to fly saves soooo much money, and opens up a great deal of cruising opportunities. 2. Choosing to cruise over other vacations: In my opinion, cruising a lot means forgoing other types of vacations/trips that may otherwise eat into your time off. 3. For those that cruise more than twice a year, I think finding deals is a major component as well. If you cruise 1-2 times a year, I think you can afford to pick from almost any sailing out there and be able to afford it. Once you start using up fingers on your hand to count the number of cruises in a year, you have to start playing the "find a deal" game. Did I mention living in Florida really helps?
    2 points
  44. Matt

    Lurkers Unite!

    Gotta agree with @S.Marie , your gif game is impressive
    2 points
  45. Just like the bacon trough in the windjammer, one of my favorites?
    2 points
  46. After Dinner I Headed To Back To The Helipad To Take Some Photos Of The Stars!!! Here Is One With A 5 Second Shutter And A 30 Second Shutter.
    2 points
  47. Nobody ever says this one; bring a watch set to ships time. It gives us ultimate peace of mind when in port and out on excursions. Cell phones can change time when the connect to the cell network at port and for us, we prefer to leave the phones off and locked up in the safe anyway.
    2 points
  48. Can I rent a kid from Adventure Ocean for 30 minutes on day one?
    2 points
  49. I am sure this is a punctuation issue. It should read: “fully covered; shoes and shirts required. “ ???
    2 points
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