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I’m on Enchantment of the Seas right now as well. I have a different perspective. Tuesday afternoon a 600 foot tanker ran into an 80 foot fishing boat at the entrance to the Houston-Galveston Ship Channel. 1 person confirmed dead, 1 person in the hospital. The Coast Guard abandoned the search for two other missing crew members today and they are presumed dead. The crew of the Pappy’s Pride fishing boat and their families are having a horrible week, much worse than I ever hope you or I have. I’m happy to be enjoying time on a cruise ship with my family this week. Due to this tragedy there has been NO ship traffic in or out of the ports of Houston, Galveston, or Texas City since Tuesday afternoon. The economic impact of shutting down tanker and other ship traffic in this area is staggering. After Enchantment waited offshore all day, the Coast Guard was gracious enough to allow her into port Wednesday afternoon as she passed within yards of the wreckage site at a very slow speed while the responders were still securing the wrecked vessel, controlling the environmental damage, and searching for two missing human beings. After waiting all last night and all day today, Enchantment was escorted out of port this afternoon in heavy fog with two pilot boats off our bow to ensure we safely traversed the fog. I was deeply moved as we passed the crash site at a very slow speed so as not to disturb the small fleet of boats and the crane platform that were continuing the recovery operation in the channel. Enchantment of the Seas was the ONLY ship allowed to come in or out of the area since Tuesday afternoon. Then Carnival Dream was finally allowed in this evening after she waited offshore all day. As of this moment the area remains closed to all other ship traffic. Only a few small service boats have been allowed in the area. Royal Caribbean provided text and email updates about every two hours yesterday as we waited to learn when we could board. Enchantment’s captain provided several updates last night after we boarded, and several more updates throughout the day today. There was little information that they could provide because they had no control over the weather or the tragic situation in the Galveston Jetties, but they checked in with us regularly to let us know they were communicating with authorities and trying to get us underway. They also did not offer false hope or speculation because they knew the situation was fluid and telling us one thing and then changing their story would have drawn much criticism. We’re now underway to Cozumel and I’ve been having a great time, all things considered. I’ve used my cell phone as a tool to find out as much as I could about what was happening with our situation, much of which is spelled out above. May God bless the crew of Pappy’s Pride and their families. May those who perished Rest In Peace.

Just watched a scope from @Galveston Steve - Enchantment was allowed to leave (although DAMN, that fog still looked thick). Hope your honeymoon and birthday aren't still ruined (but really, that attitude). Side note: I deserve a cookie for not typing the exact things that I'm thinking. Ok, so I typed them, but then I hit backspace. Ok, three times. But still. Cookie.

Guess we ran out of cookies

I feel like this should be our code word for when we hold our tongues on here.

Really? After the video footage shows him leaning out of the window, he believed there was glass there? Everyone can make their own call here, but personally, once I lean my body out of a window, I'm pretty confident there's no glass there...

We got the “no” today on M&M’s also. Now I’m going to ask for the Seafood Tower in the Escape Room - to be delivered by one of the CATS. In costume. I don’t know how to insert a smiley face or I would! Just seems bizarre that people request special bottles of booze and specialty lunches in the room on day 1 and that’s good but you cant get a bag of M&M’s!! I’ll keep you posted @Pookie.

Much more accurate perspective, God bless the families. If my cruise was delayed for this reason I would totally understand & be respectful

Amen, to that. Sad, sad situation. Thanks for the rationality and thoughtfulness. Hope you have a great cruise!

Sorry you feel your 50th birthday and honeymoon is "ruined." I can understand the disappointment of reality missing the mark of expectations. That being said, try to keep a positive attitude?! Just saying "we are going to make the best of a disappointing situation" can go a long way in turning things around....that and a few drinks at the bar. Hope it gets better for you. Control what you can control....

Are you serious??? the man stood there PRIOR to picking up the child and placed parts of his own body OUTSIDE through the window.

I've had an opportunity now to sail a number of different ships since this tragic incident. Everytime I see a window like this I've tried my best to pretend or preconceive that there is no window in an attempt to have an open mind and try to see if there is anyway, somehow, someone might not know a window is window. Without exception even the change in air pressure was a tell-tale sign. I've tried squinting, I've close my eyes briefly, I've worn polarizing sunglasses to reduce glare. I couldn't trick myself into believing there was no window. I simply can't accept he didn't know the window was open. Given the child was at floor level looking through the glass I am all but convinced he not only knew the window was open, but lifted her up with the deliberate intention to look out the open window compared to looking through the tinted and possibly sea salt covered glass at floor level. I've done something along these lines when my kids were young but never going so far to place them in danger of falling over a railing or through a window. I always approached it so that even if I did drop them the worst case is they would land at my feet. Often this meant standing back away from a railing so they could see but there would be no way for them to go over. He didn't do that, instead he was leaning out the window with her. It was poor judgement and bad decision making on his part. I'm glad to see the company respond to the case and defend itself after months of ridiculous and false accusations. In all my sailings before or after I've never seen anyone bring a child up to a higher level on the glass wall, window or no window, to look out. It simply never happens because there is glass at floor level for children to look through. There is no need to lift a child higher to have the same view they already have at floor level. "To touch the glass" was his excuse. The child was already touching the glass at floor level.

Insomnia sucks! Since I cant go to sleep here are pics of my dogs. Getting worried about them more and more when we leave. Our oldest skye is 15. They dont have an issue with sleep

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7896071/Grandfather-dropped-toddler-death-cruise-ship-aware-open.html "Unquestionably AWARE It Was Open"...…..

I take an extra small bag or backpack with me. I put everything I used the night before and morning of departure in it and carry it off. Then I add it to my luggage at some point before I check my luggage at the airport. Super easy.

Yeah, because Royal has total control over the weather, the Coast Guard, harbor pilots.......... I understand your frustration but your anger toward the cruise line is unwarranted.

And I wanted to know what new shore excursion this was! ?

That’s why I love living in Florida! I’m not a fan of the cold! Have fun!

Thank you!!! It started out great....when we landed at FLL, it was 70 degrees warmer than when we left home.

We just got the rejection email now. 6:10 pm the night before Best part? We’re still boarding Adventure tomorrow morning. ?

Do you have any idea how vile you are? The fog itself is a safety issue, do you really want your cruise captain navigating somewhere they cannot see? And on top of that, two people are missing and likely dead and you're concerned about your vacation being ruined? I do not, and will not, feel sorry for you. Get a grip on reality lady, and have some respect for the families who are grieving.

Rage is not a phase of grief, it's a component, and I doubt that they are "past it." It takes years to get over the rage at having your child snatched from you, from life! Think of them as being insane, because that's what grief is like, when it's acute, by which I mean severe. It's not insanity, in that it's normal and predictable, but it's indistinguishable from insanity. Maybe their rage is at the grandfather, maybe it's at God, maybe it's at the whole world, but RCCL is a convenient scapegoat for them. Let's hope the jury is strong and clearheaded and impartial, because the family cannot be those things, and will not be for quite some time. Also, don't forget denial, which is more powerful than you would believe. If they've looked at the video, they have not been able to see what it shows, because denial protects them from losing their minds permanently. My daughter was killed 31 years ago (not by me, but by someone else), and I was quite out-of-my mind for at least a couple of years, and sporadically for even longer. Her father was even more crazed than I was, and it went on for a very long time. Guilt, which all parents feel when they have failed to protect their child, creates even more misplaced anger. At its core, the anger is at themselves, for having trusted Grandpa with the baby. Please, no "sorry for your loss," I know that you would not wish this on me or anyone, just try to learn from someone who has been there. May it never happen to your family. I blame the lawyer, who is just using these poor people, and their suffering, to make a bundle from RCCL. I know lawyers, too, and some of them work for the benefit of the oppressed, and others work for their own benefit. This guy is a slime ball, in my opinion.

Did I read that right? On a carnival ship? I’m guessing you we’re trying to sell them a lifetime supply of rusty white paint?

I share!

That's because you appear to be a rational human being capable of empathy and not a... Hmm. Gonna need one of @SpeedNoodles's cookies.

I think I would have more respect and feelings for him (and the family) if they would have admitted his guilt and negligence. The whole "not me, it must be someone else's fault" approach in the face of clear and damning evidence has influenced my view of his situation and not in a good way for him (or the family).

Yes this entire FCC process is knew to me. You don’t know what you don’t know right? The letter we received the morning of disembarkation stated a 20% FCC but to be honest I don’t think I even looked at it until we got settled in our post cruise hotel. The agent I dealt with post cruise sent a request to the ship asking them to reconsider the amount; not surprising it was not adjusted. Oh well, the FCC helps offset a portion of the costs of our next star class on Oasis....which I am already looking forward to as we are coming off a week of -35

Sounds like a good day to just stay on the ship !

How about the parents that have gone on national TV blaming RCCL? They should be ashamed of them-self! It was terrible that she lost her life, and the step grandfather will live with it for the rest of his life. The parents should have moved on ( which I am sure will be a hard thing to do) and look to other things that might help them find peace.

To the extent I saw him leaning your head would be pressed against the glass if you were leaning that far. The other factor at a port on boarding day - there is a lot of dock noise such as forklifts and trucks, backup alarms, carts being jostled and banging. You hear that noise at an open window, not so much when windows are closed or you are not near an open window.

@JLMoran, Thanks for the info again! We used air2sea for our upcoming Liberty trip and had good results. The flights were cheaper than what I could find directly with the airlines. While unfortunately we are flying into IAH on United, the price is okay. We looked at Southwest into Hobby and it was 1k more. All other flights were crazy expensive (presidents day vacation week, and I guess in Galveston is having a Mardi Gras celebration) Even with United baggage fees, that number from Southwest is way higher. We also got to pick seats with United via air2sea which buying from United directly I believe costs money. Speaking of picking seats, this turned into a free upgrade for us too. Our flight from EWR to IAH got changed by United after we had booked, and we lost our seat assignments. (this was shortly after booking )I had called United after and they told me since the tickets weren't paid for by Royal yet (this was prior to final payment date) I was SOL, and could call back after then and maybe pay for seat assignments......great........Any way, yesterday, I suddenly remembered what the United rep told me, so I pull the app up to look at our flights, low and behold, there are seats assigned..Awesome...wait, the assigned seats were terrible. They were middle seats in all different rows. Not good when traveling with two small kids. I called up United to see if we could maybe put us all closer together. I explained how we originally had seats, but then there was an itinerary change and we lost them. The representative was super helpful! He said, yup, he could see the change in the itinerary, and that the change was initiated by United. He looked where our seats were assigned and said, no that wont work, and moved us all up to the Economy Premium section, which if I did on my own would have cost $540, but he waived the fee since they caused the change and loss of original seats. I would have been happy having our seats closer together with all the other "steerage passengers" but I'll gladly take a free upgrade! For the Anthem group cruise I will absolutely look into air2sea again to price this out. I just need to figure out the day the flights get released and set a calendar alarm. We also plan on going a few days early to do some sightseeing. My wife is a huge Downton Abbey fan, so we plan on staying in a local pub/inn/B&B near Highclere Castle and visiting the castle grounds prior to the cruise.

If I added "more" before "money".....would that make you feel better? I think you're missing the point. Can't take a vacation if you're not working....making money.....otherwise it's not called a vacation, just unemployed.

Make use of that EU plug in the room with this... Syncwire 34W 4-Port USB Wall Charger, Multi-Port [Foldable US Plug] Travel Power Adapter with Interchangeable UK/EU Plug for Apple iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Android Phones, Tablets & More https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011KPRE1G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_oxriEb27XPWD5

This post made me laugh! Just roll with it, you'll have more fun. We've never been able to beat Mother Nature and I doubt we will in our GrandChildren's lifetime. Chill, relax and let the blood pressure drop.

Dinner on this night featured a souffle. Back in 2006/07, we went on a Princess cruise where the dessert chef made souffles every night, even doing a savory souffle on one occasion. To this day, I feel like that spoiled us because whenever we get a souffle on a cruise, we’re inevitably comparing it to something from (now) 13 years ago. Unfair? You bet it is. In this case, the souffles were a bit overcooked. It still tasted good, but you could almost imagine Gordon Ramsay throwing a fit and inventing about 20 new curse words to describe the not-perfect souffles. The mains, however, were on point. Kids aren’t big fans of alfredo sauce so we asked to get a red sauce for the linguini – no issues with that substitution. After dinner, we went to see the revue show, “Once Upon A Time”. This was a song and dance show with sets based around popular fairy tales. In a sense, it’s similar to what DCL does with their “Wishes” and “Believe” shows, subtracting Disney songs and any semblance of plot, while adding contemporary music and more choreography. Including what I think was an original disco song to open and close the show. The less said about THAT song, the better. I will not say that it was the most enjoyable show ever, but it wasn’t the worst I’d seen either. But certainly not a show I’ll need to see again, whereas I happily rewatch Blue Planet (Allure) and Columbus: The Musical (Harmony) again. So on my own again, I took another loss at the casino, and then I decided to take in the late night curiosity known as The Quest. I’d heard a bit about this, and after some time to digest this, my main impression is I mean the host calls out some task like “I need 5 different shoes attached together by their shoelaces” and suddenly shoes are raining down onto the Studio B floor and I’m all So yeah, this game is nuts. There are points awarded. But I think, like in Whose Line Is It Anyway, the points don’t matter. I tip my virtual hat to those of you with enough guts to be the captains. My team won, I think. Only the captains win a prize, so I guess I had a moral victory. So, yay? The next day was our final full day on board, as we headed back to Fort Lauderdale.

Hard to pull a fiber optic cable to America behind a ship.

Hang out at Captain Jack's on the island. Captain Jack is a bar, but there is live music throughout the day, swing seats and a fun vibe. It's also completely shaded and tends to get a nice breeze.

Semi live blog, we’ll see how that works out! 10 days to go!!! Crown Loft Suite - Deck 17 Day 1 - Port Canaveral ? Day 2 - Sea Day – Ship stuff – formal night, main dining anniversary celebration planned by TA Day 3 - Sea Day Day 4 - St. Maarten (Anniversary Day!) – Island tour, vow renewal in our suite, Izumi Hibachi, After Party Day 5 - San Juan – Beach Day Day 6 – Sea Day Day 7 - Coco Cay – Overwater Cabana Booked!!! Day 8 - ☹ This will be our second cruise and we will be celebrating out 10th Anniversary on this cruise. Myself, my wife and our 8 year old daughter are in a Crown Loft Suite, My sister in law and mother in law, and 2 other families that we are friends. 11 People total with 3 kids all 8 years old. Since we have the grandma on board so looks like we might have some good child care options for the kids! (not sure if grandma knows that yet though lol) We are flying out of Newark, NJ the day before into Orlando and staying at a hotel near the port. We used to live in Florida so we are very familiar with the areas. I only care about 1 thing at the port, I needs me a Cuban Sandwich. You just can’t get good Cuban food in Jersey. We put in a bid to Royal Up to a 2 bedroom aqua theater suite, that would catapult us into Star Class but I’m not going to get my hopes up too much on that! (but a guy can wish right?) Things I am most excited for to: · The 10 year celebration! We are planning to do a vow renewal. I wish some of my family was able to attend but it just wasn’t in the cards. My sister in law is going to host the service and it looks like we will be having it in our suite. · The overwater cabana! We booked an overwater cabana for our Perfect Day at Coco Cay. It looks like we will be one of the first to get to experience this. Expect lots of pictures! (They are supposed to be opening these up on Jan 31st and we are there Feb second… hope it’s ready in time!!) · Sailing with friends and family! This is going to be great. We should get lots of “adult time” with other people. Our last cruise was just the 3 of us on a Disney Cruise. It was our best family vacation ever but it’s going to be great to experience a cruise with friends on board. · The “suite life”! We were ruined years ago when we upgraded to a concierge experience on one of our vacations, now we can only travel like this. We take full advantage of the perks and it really does add to our enjoyment. I am an extreme over planner. Vacations are my jam. I have a bunch of activities already planned out. To make sure we see as much as possible I have been working on a scavenger hunt that will send us out in teams to take pictures of stuff and activities around the ship. I am very excited about this. So what are some must see things for Harmony? Let’s hear them! Now I just need to finish my vows… Here's the invite my wife made to send to everyone traveling with us.

So I am currently booked for the March 8th sailing on the Oasis with my son who will be on Spring Break. I am also booked for the March 22nd sailing with my wife and daughter because her break is during that time frame. My goal is to sail on the March 15th cruise which would make it a B2B2B! I have a couple feelers out to some friends who have shown some interest. God I hope it Happens! ? Cross Your Fingers for Me!!!!

I will do some research, but my first reaction is (as a born and bred Montrealer): Montreal is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Similar to Quebec City, it is a little slice of Europe in North America. You are there in June!!!! This is prime time Montreal. Terraces are open, the bars are hot and the livin' is easy. The US Dollar is so high that you can buy the entire city of Montreal for $4.72 USD. ? I would stay downtown, soak up the nightlife of Montreal ... it's like a slow rumba in a secluded bar with a fascinating person you just met. Curt from Canada

Have a FANTASTIC cruise!

Here is the info that will be given to you prior to your departure day.

agreed.. I don't understand at all the point of this restaurant.

No, it wasn't as windy, but the water was definitely choppy. A little chilly, but nowhere near Lake Ontario-in-summer frigid, if you know what I mean. To be honest, I had stronger feelings, but I was trying to keep it PG. Cruise Compass says it was Cuddy. But in my mind I saw him as Not James Corden.

Best route is to develop a relationship with a travel agent you trust. Good TAs will often share part of their commission and purchase on-board-credit. Such OBC can be converted to cash or credit to card if not used. Also: OBC is often part of the ship lines' promotional effort, so watch for same.

Why, yes, I did zoom in on the full shot to Where's-Waldo the shorts dog. He was having a well deserved rest from all that crowd pleasing!

I have every confidence that you will have a fabulous time on the cruise you just booked but I think you should also book some intermediary cruises just so you’re fully prepared ?

If you decide to carry the bags off yourself, the elevators will be crowded. A great tip is to take an elevator up with all of your luggage before riding it back down. ?

You actually don't need to print any of that out. I usually print the "Cruise Summary" and "Travel Summary" pages (in my e-docs those were pages 2 and 3) just because I like to have them. And I kept the whole document saved on a tablet that I took with me. What you do need is your "Set Sail Pass" and you get that by checking in online. It sounds as though you may not have done that yet. If you haven't, then you should go ahead and do it. Since you're only 3 weeks out it should be available and there should be a link in your account. During the check-in process you should be asked what type of account you want to set up (cash or credit card). All you have to do is tick the box for cash account and that's it. Hope this helps and you have a great cruise.

Day Two - Key West Afternoon Activities After finishing lunch, I decided to make my way to Kermit's to grab a slice of key lime pie. On the way, I stopped by a cute second-hand shop, though I didn't purchase anything. I spent some time looking through the many key lime flavored items at Kermit's, there's so much! Candy, jellies, lotions, soaps, and even some surprises like olive oil and salsa. The also had samples of their limeade, which was delicious and very tart. I got a slice of pie and headed to their outdoor seating area. It's a nice, secluded little place with a koi pond, and a good spot to take a breather. The pie was delicious, I enjoyed every bite! Part of the outdoor area has a relaxing waterfall feature, as well as a koi pond. As I finished my pie, the time was about 3:15pm. I didn't want to go back to the ship yet, but I wanted to make sure I gave myself extra time before the 5:30pm all aboard. This is about the time that I also realized, the other things that were lower on my list of things to do, and wasn't sure if I'd get to, were back where I'd already been. Oops. I decided that I would head back up Whitehead Street once again, so I could take a photo the Mile 0 marker (I had passed right by this on the way to the conservatory and hadn't realized it. The lure of magical butterflies was too strong) and another photo of the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S. I had seen buses for a free Duval Loop earlier in the day that would have taken me where I needed to go for those two things, but I'm guessing they ended early for the holiday because I didn't see any while I walked. Me & the Mile 0 marker, start of US-1 Finally, I got to the southernmost point. There were many food and drink carts around, where people could get drinks in whole pineapples and whole coconuts for about $15. I did take a photo with the bouy, although I did so from a bench in front of it, rather than standing next to it. This is because there was a very long line of people waiting to take photos standing next to it. Even if I had felt like waiting, I think it would have caused me to miss the all aboard time. Many people lining up to take a photo with the Southernmost Point Buoy I took a couple more photos out on a pier beside the Southernmost House Hotel before heading back down Duval street to get back to the ship. I got back to Mallory Square around 4:40pm and took a couple of photos in front of the ship before coming back on board. After dropping off my bag in my room, I went up to the pool deck to get ready for sail away. The clouds had come back in, so our last sunset of 2019 was not quite as big as I'd hoped. No pier runners today, but there did appear to be someone unhappily waiting with an officer as the ship left the port. Many in the square waved as we departed, and we waved back as we headed back out to sea for our New Year's Eve celebration. Various performers in Mallory Square as we prepared for sail away. Testing out the zoom on my camera to get a photo of this dog in shorts. A subtle last sunset of 2019.