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Look man, it's not an addiction. I can quit whenever I want to.

For me, it just ticks all the boxes for a great vacation trip. And it does it for less than I've seen it cost to go by air with a hotel stay. Visits to cities I can't otherwise see, with chances to experience their scenery / culture / etc It's only a day for each place, but that's enough to give me a sense of whether it's a place I actually liked visiting in the end, not just thinking "Man, I really want to see this place!"; and that's enough time to decide if I want to experience more (repeat cruise? land tour?) I get good to great food each night without paying extra I have a place to sleep each night, at whatever level of basic or luxury I want to go -- be that through cabin class or ship choice; again without paying extra And I have the transportation to each of those places, with as much entertainment and activities as I feel like indulging in for those in-between days; slower than a plane, but when that means a chance to recover from a crazy long day (or set of days), that's a good thing!; and once again it's all part of that total cost and not a penny more

Wishing you the best through this weekend and beginning of next week. Stay safe, stay dry and enjoy that UHDP (unlimited home drink package)!

There’s nothing like driving into any port and you see that first glimpse of the ship. Gets me every time.

Nobody does. It is supposed to be the % off the onboard price....but of course, nobody knows what the onboard price is ! It's an exercise in futility to try and figure out %'s. Best just to go with the bottom line and save yourself the frustration !

I am tortured every time I am on 95 and hit the high bridge going over the new river! I see Port Everglades with no smoke stacks! And it happens a lot because I am only 20 minutes from the Port!

Being out on the open sea....sunshine (usually), lots of dancing, truly being able to relax and not have to do any cooking or cleaning, meeting new friends, trying new foods, going to bed at night and waking up in a new place, never having to unpack, but seeing a new island or city every few days, great shows, feeling very pampered. ect. ect ect...

Ok, I miss cruises so much and it just hit me this morning how much, so I did a virtual drive from my house to Cape Liberty which is where we sail from. Went through every step on Google maps from house to Cape Liberty and then did a little Google maps look around the whole port. Even I did not realize just how much I was missing it. I mean it really hit me and got depressed especially seeing the port. Anybody else get depressed at no cruises that you did a virtual drive to the port?

This is where I took my moniker from, not the fact that they legalized weed (in Alaska). We had Baked Alaska on our SS Norway sailing at the Captain's table. Very memorable.

Best xiaolongbao (soup filled dumplings) - Asian Legend here in Toronto. I know Din Tai Fung has the pedigree, and I've never been able to make it over to the HK location with the Michelin Star, but the one I tried in the Arcadia, CA location wasn't as good. Best street tacos - 100% Taquito in Houston. Being that it's off the Southwest Freeway it's a little out of the way for anyone heading from IAH to Galveston, but the food has some great flavour, to the point where I don't even mind the cilantro (and I HATE cilantro). Best pho - Well, it WAS Lac Viet Bistro in Orlando. But they've closed down and now I gotta figure out a new "best" place. Their pho was really flavourful without tasting too salty. It was a go to for us whenever we went to visit The Mouse. I will give a shout out to Saigon Noodle though. They got some shine on DDD a while back, and it's certainly deserved. Smoked Meat - I keep trying to think of a place I liked better than Schwartz in Montreal, because that's almost a copout statement. And yet, it's really good stuff.

The only responsibility I have for 7 days is to make it back to the room under my own power, make it back to the ship on time and not be a ?head to anyone. I can eat and drink to my hearts content, I can choose to do it all or do nothing at all. It just doesn't get any better than that. I will also add that I am not a very social person on land but I find meeting new people and hanging out quite enjoyable on the ship.

It was a nothing burger in Fort Lauderdale. Passed abeam our city about 10am slowly moving N. We're about 3 miles from the coast and if we had 25 knots I'd be surprised. No power loss for us. Cruise ships in Port of Miami were asked to take to sea - a common approach for large vessels. Sea is safer (they just sail out of it's path) than port in a bad storm. There are two cruise ships docked at Port Everglades. Did not hear anything about them. This was a dress rehearsal for the rest of the Hurricane season in S. FL. It's very early. Chances of this region getting hit are pretty high through early October. From all reports state's emergency management strategy with COVID around looked like they had a plan. 7 shelters were opened in Palm Beach County to the N of us and yesterday, when that area was forecasted to be ground zero, the shelters took in about 500 people. Reportedly orderly, good distancing and compliant folks inside them. FL is good at this.

Yeah, that's what I do. I have a statistics degree and their numbers and calculations never cease to amaze me. I have pointed out obvious errors that would result in me paying more. They just insist the price is what it is.

I have seen numbers like that too. I have never been able to understand how their percentage discounts are calculated because they never seem accurate to me. Same can be said for prices on the cruise planner. I swear they just put any percentage discount because they think nobody will do the math. I usually price a cruise online and then call in to get the actual price. Sometimes it is the same but usually not. Recently I called in to reprice a cruse based on a price I saw online and it was $400 less than the online price showed. I wasn't going to complain. The biggest mystery to me is that sometimes the cruise fare is the same but the taxes/fees are totally different. I really like it when the taxes/fees are $100 less because that price carries forward and always stays the same even if I reprice later on.

At 90 minutes to Cape Liberty that would be a lot of clicking! However, it does make me sad thinking of my last actual drive there. It was a bunch of friends and we rented a shuttle that a friend got for such a great deal. All the girls were singing and drinking white claws lol ... Fun start to the vacation.

We spent 30 days on a Tahiti to Sydney b2b on the Journey earlier this year. We loved the experience! Very relaxed atmosphere, good food, fantastic service. We invested in one of the upgrade packages, with gave us a wider range of included wines & spirits, Internet and onboard credit. We’ll definitely include the brand again in our mix... especially given their “itineraries” focus. Ramdom observations: There’s a relaxed dress code overall, with simply a general conscious effort to “look nice”. Daytime: Capris, skorts, nice jeans (colder days), Bermuda & hiking shorts, skirts, summer dresses for the women + Bermuda & hiking shorts, khakis, a few clean jeans, polo shirts, shirts, some t-shirts for the men. Evening: variable... far more classy than “flashy”... from nice dresses and trousers & blazers, to nice capris & summer dresses and khakis & polos. People tended to not dress up “fancy”, but at least took the effort to look nice... never saw shorts in the evening. The big dress-theme event is called “White Night”, with all the variations of clothes mentioned above, but colour-schemed. Never spotted those awful poly sport shorts that dangle to the knees, muscle shirts, tube tanks, pajama bottoms, etc. seen too frequently on the RCL ships. Pool attire is kept to the pool deck or spa pool. Dining is very good in all venues. The MDR was really excellent + one buffet and two specialty restaurants. We used a chunk of our OBC to book the specialties, but it’s really not necessary to ensure good food and a pleasant dining environment. All three ships are the same class, so there isn’t a variability of cabin types and amenities across the ships. Only one of the three ships still has a sad & lonely casino, and that’s the Journey. Quest and Pursuit have successfully repurposed that space into a much more popular social space called The Den. Journey was supposed to go into dry dock this Fall to get its Den conversion, but it’s docked “cold” right now, so who knows when that’ll get rescheduled for. Guests tend to be a mix predominantly from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Europe, Australia, N.Z. and a handful from elsewhere. Despite its older demographics, the brand tends to attract a narrower guest profile than on larger ships... mostly because the ships are older, smaller with less “play” amenities, and they definitely have some unresolvable accessibility issues due to the ships’ build. Really interesting itineraries: the ships can include ports that the behemoths can’t reach, and they tend to dock much closer to the city centers, have more tendered ports of call, and almost always include a frequent free shuttle service to the heart of the tourist district. The Captain and the Chef can, and do, exercise some leeway to make the most out of local conditions - that’s another plus. There’s always been that approach of bringing just a “little more” to the guest experience with the Azamara brand. It’s a ship-wide culture thing that I hope won’t gets lost in the post-COVID upheavals that will affect every level of the industry.

Just got back from my second Vegas trip... They have now banned smoking at table games.. Not only does everyone have to wear a mask but if you want to smoke you cant do it at a table game.. I hope Royal follows suit once they reopen..

How do you make a sweet 85 year old lady swear? Shout Bingo!

poached salmon ,served with spring vegetables.... served a la carte in a restaurant while staying in Aviemore Scotland ....never tasted better salmon before or after

^This^

For me, as a parent, it is truly the only time that I can get away and 100% relax and not do anything! That is what cruising represents to me. It is not just a vacation. It is more than that. In addition, I truly believe that cruising offers the best value for a vacation compared to other options.

I see cursing resuming much sooner. ?

I don't think the CDC has been unfair. When you take the politics out of the equation the science supports restricting many activities including cruising. The CDC does not have direct oversight over all of them, the CDC can only provide guidance for things controlled at the state level. If states don't follow the CDC guidance that's within the rights for states to choose to do so, right or wrong will be determined in the history books. The CDC does have the ability to influence cruise ships. While I wish this wasn't the case the CDC is right to prevent cruising at this time. Without the ban, cruises would sail, there would be spread and deaths that occur and the media would have a field day all but putting the last nail in the industry coffin. Right now the CDC is saving the cruise lines from themselves and the inevitable outcome if they were to sail today. Other regions have managed to better contain community spread. As a result some cruising is beginning in a very limited fashion. The US isn't there yet. It will be at some point. When it gets there the work that cruise lines and the CDC are doing right now will allow us to be prepared for that moment. It won't be cruising like it was, not for several years. The CDC isn't to blame for the ban, Americans are. The CDC is just the messenger delivering a message we don't like. Don't shoot the messenger. We The People put us where we are with respect to cruising. We The People can get us to a happy place where cruising can begin in a limited fashion. Politicians will never agree and people who have a political agenda will make it political but at the the end of the day it's We The People that will ultimately move us to a better place.

no they are not formal on dress code - some people are "country club attire" but that is the most dressed up I have seen. I have never packed more than a summer dress or two so its much more relaxed than I expected as well. really like it and the crew and staff

Anyone with experiences to share? Most curious about the different cabin levels and how to distill from the marketing. Thinking we'd like to try them out once the ocean opens up again.

What I'll to calculate the base price of a sale (let's use my current $61 as an example): 61 / .80 = $76.25. So the price before sale is $76.25. With that number you can calculate the other prices (which are not always what Royal puts up as price). 25% = 76.25 * .25 = 19.0625. 76.25 - 19.0625 = 57.1875 30% = 76.25 * .30 = 22.875. 76.25 - 22.875 = 53.375 Obviously I'm using actual and not "dollar" rounding either. The actual formula is something like .... Original price = sale / (1.00 - percentage off). That's where I get the 61/.80 above.

We are about 15 miles inland north of st Augustine. Hoping for a breezy day tomorrow. Our coast is going to get battered though.

Never thought that day would come. Used to live there when you could get the cheap prime rib at any of the casino hotels. Didn't gamble but ate out a lot.

Guinness stew at the actual Guinness Brewery in Ireland....I dream of this stew often Beignets from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.......also Deanie's seafood because they had the best, freshest shrimp.

This look like what happened when my parents came home early and I had a house party going on...... Everyone is running away lol....

YES! Great choice! For me: Stroganoff Strudel from Ludwig's Garten in Philadelphia. Crispy Rice and drunken noodles from Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. Peanut Butter Pie from Willow Valley Resort in Lancaster, PA. Sweet crepes from literally every street vendor in Paris.

You'll quit when you ready.

I think a great many of the blog posters on this site would recommend that the person (who cannot make it) just be a "no-show" rather than cancelling the third person prior to sailing. As @HeWhoWaits mentioned, if you cancel that person prior to sailing, the entire booking will be re-priced at prevailing rates, which usually means an increase in price (but not always). This is where a good travel agent is so important. He/she can evaluate both options and let you know which is the best way to go. Of course, you can do this on your own as well...but it can be a big hassle. The important thing to remember is that at least 1 of the original people must always remain on the reservation. The others can cancel, change names, etc. but at least 1 original "booker" must always remain. If that third person simply does not show up for the cruise (is a "no-show"), the taxes, port fees and any gratuities (if prepaid) will be refunded but no cruise fare for that person will be refunded.

We'd like them to bring back the traditional English Breakfast in the MDR. Mr Speednoodles really misses that.

IMO, the CDC absolutely IS part of the problem, and its not just in the arena of cruising. I work for an airline in the US that implemented (and still has) 60% seat caps on our airplanes to maintain "social distance." Within the past month, United and American dropped their 60% seatcap and will now sell their airplanes to 100% capacity. It took that announcement that they were returning to 100% capacity for Fauci to come out and say "I'm not sure thats a good idea." But, the CDC never issued a recommendation for the 60% seatcap restriction in the first place. Individual airlines were left to their own devices. There wasn't a decree issued that said "airlines must do X,Y,Z in order to be airworthy during this pandemic." Things we are doing, like handing out purel wipes as each passenger gets onboard, and serving snacks and water in a ziploc bag to minimize touching, were things we came up with on our own. The airlines were never shutdown and have been operating continually through the pandemic. Why is Royal / Norwegian's "healthy sail panel" comprised of former CDC employees? Why isn't the ACTUAL CDC just telling the cruise lines "here is what you have to do to sail again."? Seems rather lazy to me. Have an independent panel come up with their own recommendations, and then the CDC may or may not give that document the papal blessing? Hmmmm. But, this is part of the larger problem in the US that those abroad tend to forget ... We are actually 50 little independent countries here. Day to day, you don't really notice it except for things like speed limits and booze laws. We have had to wade through a daily bombardment of voices during this pandemic. Trump. Fauci. Brix. Redfield. 50 governors, each with their own agenda. Mayors of big towns with clout (NY, LA) that get extra air-time. Etc. Etc. The CDC doesn't really do anything besides issue guidelines. The regulations need to come from 1 place, 1 voice, but that isn't how the US is politically designed, and IMO is a huge part of why we aren't getting ourselves out of this hole anytime soon. Rant over. I can't wait to get back to cruising with you all soon, and that'll be when it is safe to do so! Carry on!

Freshly caught King Salmon in Sitka AK. Once I started having King Salmon, it makes the stuff you get in the lower 48 pretty lame. Same with fresh haddock.

And the same to @rjacfor a couple days early next week. We can use the rain in Winterville, so I assume New Bern can as well. We don't have concerns about surge flooding like you, though.

We enjoy seeing/visiting different places without having to unpack. For us, it offers such a diverse experience. The crew is phenomenal! I’ve yet to have a land based (in the US) vacation where the employees are all so courteous. It’s so nice to feel like you’re appreciated for coming. This particularly stands out when you first get off the ship and go to the airport. Now that’s a slap in the face right there! Lol

I like being pampered as much (or as little) as I am willing to pay for. I also like that my daughter loves Adventure Ocean so it gives me a break, and I can actually have a conversation with my husband without being interrupted 1000 times. I like that my extended family all enjoy cruising, so it's an easy, easy way for a large group to enjoy a vacation together with someone else doing the cooking, cleaning, etc. and not having to worry about where to stay, where to eat, how to get around.

I get away and 100% relax. I get away from my house, my job, politics, having to feed the animals, driving....yadayadayada... And one thing that has always stood out for me - the crew members treat me like I'm somebody, which is so rare these days. They are unfailingly courteous, friendly, and respectful - as I am to them. I've only been on 4 so far, but I'm as hooked as I can be - I would cruise right now at 11:30 on Friday night in the middle of a pandemic if I could. Just love it.

The CDC did publish requirements. Royal and most other lines ignored them or didn't follow them claiming ignorance. "Oops, we'll do it right next time" was Royal's response when busted. The CDC has been interacting with cruise lines this whole time. Just because it hasn't played out in the media on a daily basis for all of us to follow doesn't mean it hasn't been happening. One cruise line took time to read and follow the CDC requirements. They submitted a response to the CDC and they were approved to sail. That's one ship out of hundreds. Other cruise companies haven't tried to submit plans or respond to the CDC. That's on the cruise lines but that does not equate to the CDC saying nothing for 4 months.

@crisgold52 You have been blessed to have the funds to do such traveling. Many have not been as blessed as those of us who can travel. I haven't done as much as I would like, but I have been to a few places. I see you went to big cities. Have you ever been to the little towns in places like the NC coast or parts of Louisiana? They have a culture and even language all their own. Big cities are all the same. Little towns, like where I live, are, or can be, a completely different experience. They are often dismissed, but are rich with history. I never said people shouldn't travel outside the US or that Americans don't because they dislike the idea. All I'm saying is that there are many things that most Americans are trying to see first. We want to see what is in our own backyard. This country is falling apart (partly, and please let's NOT go into politics. I hate it.) because many don't go out and meet people that live in the same country and have meaningful conversations. "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." ― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad / Roughing It

On it already.

I've found that their website highlights the ships pretty well as far as finding out what's available on each ship - just go to the website, and at the top (or in the menu bar, depending on if you are mobile or not, the desktop site offers a better experience, imo, even if it's the same information), and next to "find a cruise" click "ships". Find the ship that you're interested in learning about and then scroll down to "Things To Do". The Cruise Planners offer details, but I like to know which bars and restaurants, activities, etc, are on each ship and these offer a bit of detail. Welcome to the forums!

So .... does that mean the party in January is cancelled?? ??

Ireland will be a great cruise

Wow, you're only on edge when Thanksgiving comes around? I've been on edge for at least 4 months now, and if we're still cooped up by Thanksgiving I'll be full-blown NUTS!! This dad joke brought to you by your friendly Chief Science Officer, a proud dad for going on 20 years now. ? ?