Leaderboard

So previously I have only sailed on Liberty and some of the differences are subtle and some are drastic. Check in was super smooth and ran nearly an hour early. We were scheduled for 11:30 and parked the car just after 10:00 and were at the terminal about 15 minutes later and in line. We waited for maybe ten minutes and were brought into the terminal and went through the x ray and metal detectors in less than ten minutes. Checking in at the counter was a little slow mainly because I was just enjoying chatting with the ladies at the counter who were basically waiting for people to show up. We then went upstairs and waited for around 20 to 30 minutes before getting on the ship. The first thing we did was a quick tour of the ship. I am traveling with my girlfriends son and he has barely been out of the western Pennsylvania area until about 6 months ago when they moved to Oklahoma. We had already went over the deck maps a few times but I wanted to get him used to being on the ship and getting around together. We started with a walk through the Promenade with quick glances down towards the Lyric Theater as well as the Casino and Studio B. Having been on a Freedom class ship already it was easy for me to get around and I gave him some basics on finding main area's like the pool deck and the Promenade as well as where our room was. After a couple days he has now become comfortable getting to the Windjammer on his own from the room and I am not worried that he is going to get lost. I reiterated many times that all he has to do is get to a main area and there will be staff members around who can help direct him or he can find a touchscreen. The internet is a bit slower this time and the number of people on the ship is pretty close to the same as it was on Liberty a few months ago, it could be me but I kinda doubt it as i generally have a pretty good feel for internet speed based on how long it takes for a request to complete. Even going onto reddit and seeing a few video clips was a pain this time while last time there may be a little lag here and there but it was still a mostly painless endeavour. Using the Raspberry Pi 4 that I have with a few emulators and roms was just as easy as it was on Liberty so if you need to hook something up on either ship I would not forsee an issue and honestly would expect a similar experience fleet wide unless the TV's are mounted differently in a particular room. On this cruise I took the plunge and signed up to try out the Flowrider. I have a total of 21 nights on Liberty but with a bum shoulder I really have to weigh the risks of certain activites. Anyway after watching the video and doing the stretches I got in line and went for it. It was very interesting for a first time run and I was actually able to get up on my knees with the bodyboard but once there I wiped out pretty quickly but had a ton of fun sliding back and forth across the water before that while I got a feel for things. I started from the top and dove into the wave on the reset and was struggling to get back up as I was a bit winded and my shoulder was giving out. I was almost up and wiped out, I was plain wore out. A few people afterwards were asking me how it was and I told them it was fun but boy does it beat the crap out of you, lol. I caught my breath and went back into the line to do it again. I had a lot of fun overall and will be doing it again sometime tomorrow or Sunday on the way back after visiting Cozumel. Today was Progreso Mexico and we waited till things had cleared out quite a bit since we didn't really have a lot planned. Mainly I wanted to walk on the beach and explore a little bit in town since I had never been there. We walked through the port area doing our best to dodge the offers to look around and shop as we DIDN'T want to carry stuff around while in town. We got to the exit and a nice gentleman asked where we were going and after we told him to town and to walk on the beach he pointed us to the shuttle bus which was slightly hidden behind some planters and trees. We boarded the bus and headed into town. All I can say is BOY that is a long pier for sure. Once in town we walked over towards the downtown area a block or so then headed around the block to head towards the beach and braved the gauntlet of cigars, tequila, and massage offers. I do have to say there was one very funny guy in a wheelchair who popped off about me being his "brother from another mother" and wanted to sing me a song. I gave him a fist bump and told him maybe on the way back. The walk otherwise was not bad at all to me and the beach was nice to see. It's been a couple years since I have walked barefoot in the sand so it was a nice feeling. Not that I haven't been on beaches mind you but usually I have my dive boots on and peeling those things off is a pain when they are wet and putting them back on sucks just about as much. Anyway we got down to the sand and slipped our shoes off and just walked along a little ways. While walking we saw a few of the pelicans doing dives into the water and took a few pictures together. I think Max had a pretty good time and on the walk over he spotted something he wanted. Eventually we turned around to head back and actually walked past where we had gotten onto the beach at as we were avoiding yet another offer of a massage. On the way back to the shuttle area we stopped at a shop and he picked up the figure he found for a decent price. He spent half of his spending money for the trip but the smile on Max's face was worth it. I did the haggling for him as he really didn't know what to do and his hesitation worked out in my favor anyway. I also bought a nice big bottle of vanilla to take home. We again saw my new "brother" and I slipped him a dollar and told him to keep his song for someone who really needed it, the little smile on his face made it worth it. We had to wait a bit at the terminal for a shuttle back to the ship but that gave us a chance to just sit down in the shade and relax. And I saw the prices for the tours offered there so next time I may be doing the little Cenote tour they have listed. Boarding the bus back was pretty easy as was getting back to the ship. I say easy compared to Costa Maya where the walk back from the bus/taxi area is a major endeavor if you are not used to walking much and I did that carrying all of my dive gear including about 20 pounds of lead weights. We have watched a couple of the shows so far and was able to see the ice show this evening in fact. I have learned a couple things so far on this trip because I had no clue the house bands played different songs when they opened up. I guess I am a little biased in a way as I like the Liberty of the Seas house tune better than the one on Adventure of the Seas, the Liberty one just seems a little brighter in a way. The Lyric Theater production show "Invitation to Dance" was very interesting and it was cool to see the band actually playing all of the music for the show, I really liked that and a few times ended up just watching the drummer instead of the show while he got really into the groove. Again the show doesn't feel as nice as Liberty of the Seas' Saturday Night Fever. The ice show tonight in Studio B was very enjoyable however and while different was just as good as the one on Liberty, sadly can't remember the name on Liberty but either one I would enjoy watching again. And I have to say that after watching the show Max's word of the week is "Legs", LOL. Adventure of the seas so far overall seems to have some better lighting in the Windjammer and the sinks were for sure a change after always doing "washy washy" with hand sanitizer on Liberty though the first day the exit being in a different area threw me for a little loop. And you can tell it's a bit shorter after walking through the combination art studio and picture studio and instantly being at the doors of Studio B where I was used to walking through the full art studio and then the On Air Club as well and having the picture studio outside of the Casino. A couple things I really didn't like however. Every time I walk through the Promenade and go past the stairwell down to the Casino I smell cigarette smoke. Personally I think the habit is a dieing trend and one that Royal needs to put the breaks on. Maybe the will loose a couple bucks on the smokers but lets be honest they will probably gain that back and then some when the rest of us who don't actually want to be in the casino. I personally hate even walking though and will often bypass it on the deck outside of the casino and will even avoid the smoking area's outside. The air draw from the casino onto the Promenade though is a killer for me for sure and I never noticed it on Liberty so maybe something needs to be done with the air handlers to fix the issue though I know that getting rid of smoking inside the ship will fix the problem once things are cleaned and aired out. So tomorrow is Cozumel where I have been quite a few times and I am hoping that my dive will still be good to go but it looks like the wind and waves may put the breaks on that one. I was able to dive there on my first cruise ever back in 2019 which was a few months after my wife passed away and was very bittersweet to say the least. I know I mention it a lot but that event changed me quite a bit. Then on Sunday I think I will try and do a livestream early in the morning from the ship however the internet speed is slower than I had while on Liberty in October and November so I am not sure how well that will work out. But I hope to do a quick walk around starting near the top of the ship and then head down towards the Promenade and finally stop on Deck 4 for a little question and answer time. Hopefully I can figure out how to get it all done this time. Anyway I have no issue at all coming back on the ship sometime in the future and can't wait for my Vision of the Seas sailing in November to see the differences it has a well. I will stop back and add a little more information on Sunday as well and I am sure I will have a few more things to add after I get home and have a few days to rest. MM

No, but another question, does anyone check their app 50+ times a day hoping for a new cabin number? Guilty...

Had the fastest departure process ever. We did self assist and came down from our room at 6:50. We were waiting for an taxi at the terminal at 7:04 AM. Now at the airport and waiting for my 10:15 AM flight home. It was our first time sailing since January 2020. What a great week and so nice to be back on a ship!

I just wanted to say thanks for all the answers I got a week or 2 ago about moving our cruise because our son was just born and wouldn't be 6 months for the sailing. We had Oasis 5 days you Canada but just missed the mark June 5th. Moved it to Adventure of the seas July 26th just a short 4 day cruise. It'll be a nice short first cruise out of the pandemic. John from MEI is really awesome, takes care of this right away. He just extremely nice and helpful. Now this was a double points cruise so I'm hoping it still is but didn't get confirmation about that. Even though short I am and we are so freaking excited. God is been too long since we were on a Royal Caribbean ship! Now going July and a few weeks later on Oasis to Coco Cay. Woo hoo!

Five negative tests, packed and ready for our airplane ride to Florida tomorrow. I had “high” hopes of losing lots of weight before our cruise and failed. I’m at (a high for me) 137 pounds, but that’s not going to stop me from eating what I want when I want. I’ll let you know how much weight I gained. I did pack a pair of grandma stretchy pants….just in case breathing becomes a problem. I do love to walk but I do love milkshakes too. It’s been a battle every since I hit middle age. I’m curious how the “masks optional” is going to work. What percent will wear them? I’ll keep you. Informed. I’m going to try and post everyday. Try is the key word. I’m sure there will be lots of posts about what happens in the “casino.” Hopefully, one of my kids will show me how to post pictures. If so, watch out for all those casino pictures!! Rumor has it we will be sailing at 70 to 75% capacity. I’m fine with that because we will have a Genie! Excited to try the whole star experience. Sunday morning we board around 10:45. It’s my turn folks.

We booked our next vacation! The Regulars will be cruising aboard the Mariner of the Seas on an 8 night Eastern Caribbean itinerary (with Labadee AND Cocoa Cay!) in July 2023 to kick off my 40th trip around the Sun. We booked a balcony for Mr. Regular and me, and an interior promenade view room for the SK’s. We aren’t done on our current trip and already looking forward to our next adventure!

All I can think about is Carl Weathers on Arrested Development explaining how he makes a living getting bumped from flights.

We are heading for Florida today. We will be in OS on 6 March. It will be my friend Lisa and me. When I was planning our last cruise, Lisa said she would love to go on a cruise. What could I do? I had a friend in need. I bit the bullet, made the ultimate sacrifice and told her I would go with her. It all started almost 3 years ago. My family and I were celebrating beating cancer the 1st time. Lisa has more seniority then me so I needed to make sure she didn’t want the same week. That’s when she mentioned she would love to go on a cruise. Her husband won’t go. He claims the sharks go for the heavy guys 1st. We booked for a February 2021 cruise on Empress of sea. Covid happened. With @michelle’s help we upgraded to OS and lifted and shifted to Harmony. That cruise was chartered so now we are going March 6, 2022. During Covid I beat cancer for 2nd and hopefully last time. I had to retire early and Lisa retired 2020.

I’m anxiously waiting on concierge letter. We have UPD and refreshment package. I have a RU bid on 2 bed Aqua theater still pending. I would like to book CK 1st night. We are almost out of PA. No snow on ground.

When my girls were little & would ask what was for dinner, our joke response was "snails on toast" . The first cruise we took them on, escargot weren't available (this was several years ago, there was some kind of snail shortage). However, last time we took them, they were available, & even though they were adults, DH & I insisted they had to try the "snails on toast"!

Before I do my overview, I wanted to let you know how dumb I am. On the last day I found two things. The first one is I found the trash can in the bathroom. I spent the week wondering why there was not a trash can in the bathroom. Yesterday I noticed that there were three drawers, and one was very long. I opened it and found.... it was a trash can. The second thing I figured out... the on-demand movies are all FREE. I was looking around the tv and figured out the cost of all the on demand movies was $0. Overview of the Celebrity Reflection I would like to start out with I had a good cruise and had lots of fun; I would do it again. Now with that said... Cabins: The cabin was nice, clean and comfortable but very dated. The first thing that caused me issues is power. It had no clue what USB was. Then the only power was at the table and the table is not close to the bed or couch. I can say my room Stuwart brought me 2 short extension cords and we ran them from the desk, behind the couch and over to the bed. The TV was new and played pretty well. There was a safe and it was big enough to hold my laptop. On port days I felt better locking my laptop up. The closet was as big as the one I have at home. Shows: The shows were very good. They had three different Bradway type shows, a Diva Singer, a Violinist, a 50's-60's Rock piano singer and a comedian. The 50's-60's Rock piano singer was so good they added a third show the following afternoon. The comedian was only scheduled for one show, and they ended up doing 3 packed shows. Hopefully in the future they do more comedy. Food: Save your money and do not purchase the specialty restaurants. The food in the buffet and main dining room was so good save your money. The specialty restaurants were good but not great. The buffet also was open all day except for 30 minutes between meals. It was also open until 1 am so we could get out late night fix. The food and ability to get it made it really had for me to maintain my diet. From the scale in the gym, I held my weight and did not lose any. I will know for sure when I get home. Staff: 90% of the staff was great. The one exception was the bar tenders. I talked to a couple of people, and everyone felt the bartenders did not like their job or helping us. The other staff that did not seem helpful is the people in the next cruise office. I went in there two times, and they were not helpful and acted like they did not want to help me.

Hmm... maybe a new source of onboard revenue. Rental stadium seats...

Agreed. Even though there are cheaper options available (Walmart, Costco, private labs) and now Switch Health, our nearest Shopper's is literally 5 mins down the street (maybe not even). So for pure convivence, that's what we are sticking with.

Sweet I can get a bottle of water now with my Emerald status!!

Only when you put bread in the jar and say "man, what are you doing here?"

They got rid of vaccinated venues, so I'd imagine it would be open to all

Walk Eat Pack Play I got off the port in Nassau and it was not too busy considering there were 5 ships in port. To me it looked like most the other ports; jewelry and $5 t-shirts. I looked for a nicer shirt or hat for my son, but the Nassau logo is bad, and they did not have anything that looked cool for a 25-year-old. It is still amazing to me how there can be hundreds of stores and every one of them carry the same thing. I walked the entire port area and got 2.5 miles of walking. I wanted to eat in Nassau but did not see any place that looked like real Caribbean food. The food was the same thing i could get on the ship. I went back to the ship and got a hamburger and fries from the pool mast grill. I heard about how good it was and it did not disappoint me. I can say the fries were very good. It amazed me how a grill on the Celebrity Reflection could produce good fries but a specialty restaurant on the RCL Symphony could not. I took the food back to my cabin and ate while watching Jungle cruise. After eating I finished packing my cloths. It was not too hard because I followed something I heard on a different post, and it works. I have packing cubes. As I get dirty cloths, I pack them in one of the packing cubes. When that packing cube gets full I put it in the suitcase and start a new packing cube. On the last day of the cruise there is not much to pack. I fished packing everything except for what I needed for the last night and my trip home. I made a point in wearing my blue jeans and tennis shoes the last night, so I did not have extra cloths to leave out. I went to dinner with a friend I meet on the cruise. We went to the Lawn Grill and this time the food was not as good as the second night of the cruise. The waiting staff was not as good either. I just wonder if they were slacking because it was the last night. After dinner I went and made my last $10 donation to the casino, then attended the Broadway type show in the theater and then went and seen the comedian for the third time. Now I am setting in the airport waiting for 5 hours for my overbooked flights (3 of them) to go home.

First leg of the trip. Trying to figure out how to post pictures from my phone. Next stop to put mascara on! Fix my hair. I’m not a morning person.

We made it to Labadee on Feb 15 on Mariner. Captain Tor said ours was the third docking since reopening. IT WAS AS BEAUTIFUL AS WE COULD EVER REMEMBER!!! Spent the entire day on Adrenaline Beach.

I guess that would be a simular process to what airlines do when they overbook flights. You make offers to those wishing to go on a different flight upping the compensation until you find a volunteer. If no one volunteer the small print allows you to deny boarding. I also imagine RCL has a lot of data on the historical democracies of those traveling and can rather accurately estimate the number of unvaccinated they should expect on any given cruise given the booking patterns they see. Add a decent margin for error and I would be surprised if they found themselves in this situation too often (if at all). They could also stop selling tickets to certain cruses when they reach 'x' number of children on board. They collect this information when you book so could simply stop the booking process when 'x' number children have booked and then offer other sailings through the booking process. I really don't see this being too much of an issue for RCL as there are plenty of ways they can mitigate this occurring.

The only thing my 9 year old ordered from the kid's menu last week was the fruit cup appetizer - he had two every night before eating duck, lobster, salmon, or steak. He was really open to trying new things; although, no matter how many times I offered, I couldn't get hom to try the escargot.

Bring it

unvaccinated children without a mask will be chased around the ship and rounded up nightly by alternating housekeeping staff (taken out of their current four hours of down time), collected children will be thrown in a large cargo hold where they will remain until the following day or claimed by an immediate family member who has had four doses of pfizer and/or completed a 57 page health survey and waiver form and/or who has a healthy Body Mass Index of 25 or lower.

@AshleyDilloposted a great how to when I asked this in 2019.

Lots of changes on the construction site now. Most of the building is up as of yesterday when I got on Adventure of the Seas for my 5 night cruise. It was a cool dreary day and lots of people were looking at me odd while I wore shorts and a sleeveless shirt taking these but I think it was worth it. But things are looking good so far. I just hope that we don't just swap Liberty for something else and end up with less routes to enjoy the new terminal with.

Did a random search for cruises from Galveston and the calendar stops at the October 2023 sailing like it has been. Except today, April 2024 was also lit up. Clicked on it, and it's Harmony to the usual Galveston run of Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan. Perhaps a foreshadowing of next week's release?

We are awaiting news about our RoyalUp bid. Does anyone else waiting for news, who sees an email from Royal, especially with a title like "Special Message," have their heart skip a beat? It seems like recently there has been an uptick in daily emails (and heart palpitations). It's almost like they are trying to induce more excitement.

Y'all see anything wrong with just a couple booking a 2BR ATS? I like the location and I like it because it's Star class. Any possibility of Royal moving us elsewhere because there will only be two in the cabin at some point? THANKS!

We have booked 2BR ATS 3 different times. There are just 2 of us. There has never been any indication that they might move us. In the beginning, they would not allow only 2 people to book those rooms but shortly afterwards they removed the limit. I would not have any concerns about booking with just 2 people. Best of luck !

The same way @TXcruzer did.

A simpler explanation...guests #3 and up in a room pay less than guests #1 and #2. If you are already sailing at less than full capacity, you want everyone to be guests #1 and #2 so you make the most money!

I recall reading the card by the machine that hinted the ones in the room were complimentary but you would have to pay for more. No price was given and they were always replaced gratis without my having to ask, so it's likely they wouldn't charge for more. Just ask your room steward and they will let you know.

I used this CVS test report for my Brilliance sailing last December. It has no CLIA. No issues at the port at all.

We used the QR code for our sailings on Feb 12th and Feb 20th. We also crossed over to USA via land border. US Border Agent only checked passports and let us through with no questions asked. It was like pre-9/11 times.

This is another example of the horrific customer service which seems to haunt royal Caribbean. They just can’t get their act together and that’s sad considering how loyal of a cruiser you are at D+.

Ice, Ice, Emmy, do do do do-do do do... LOL We're using a cruise travel agent for the first time since our honeymoon in 2000. We used one then because it was a complicated trip and she did all of the flights and transfers and hotels, etc. The four cruises we've been on since then, I've booked and managed myself and was happy doing so and I was VERY skeptical about using a TA this time (I'm just using a Royal TA assigned when I emailed a question). BUT, I've been happy so far! She was able to move us from one cruise to a different one (the original one I had wanted but was pretty expensive when I tried to book so we chose an alternative and then the price dropped on our first choice) with no hassle, and she was able to find us additional discounts and an onboard credit plus picked us really good rooms that weren't showing online. I'm still able to do everything I want to do myself on the website/planner/app.

Yes! We used a SDM one around Christmas. Not a problem at all.

Any parents with children with special needs? Looking for advice/tips/suggestions on how to make our cruise go smoothly. Planning far in advance to be best prepared and hoping to make cruising our yearly trip. This will be my 4th cruise, 2nd on Royal, but first as a mother. I will also be traveling with my brother (usual travel companion) and my parents. Next cruise (2024) I will most likely be going alone with my daughter. My daughter will be 5 for her first cruise but developmentally maybe a year old. She is also very tiny and most likely to be about the size of a two year old by then. We are booking Oasis because they have the "baby" pool so she can have some water fun while in a swim diaper. She is just starting to walk (almost 4 years old) but will be walking by then. Not long distances though and I will still be bringing a small stroller. She is non-verbal and has some sensory issues. Looking for general tips, excursion advice, dining suggestions (she has dietary restrictions for eating plus feeding tube for all liquids), mobility advice, activities for sea days etc. Thanks!

Thanks! My daughter doesn't usually have many behaviour issues and her disability is quite visible. Our biggest issue is usually people thinking she is much younger than she is and therefore treat her as a baby. Currently she is almost 4 but developmentally (cognitive and physical) only about 12 months and she's the size of an 18 month old. I will definitely get the letter though because there are some accommodations that might be helpful as well as giving them a heads up of her feeding needs (restrictions plus feeding tube).

Benefits changed. But RC's copy editing has not

Maybe this will help... from onboard Brilliance. Same rules for a vaccinated 9 year old as a vaccinated adult.

I pretty much live on planes and, while I sometimes have to do work on planes, I much prefer just zoning out and watching TV. So yes, absolutely, I am constantly downloading TV shows and movies (or games if I missed watching them live) to my iPad and watching them on planes. We have done it once or twice on ships too, and cars. But doesn't matter, it's all the same thing. Keep in mind not every movie/tv show is available for download in most cases.

One more change I just added. No more bracelets!

Need to fast forward another year and a half. The Aussie cruise market is going to be red hot. Virgin are sending Resilient Lady to compete with Celebrity Egde. Royal better send Icon so they are not left behind! haha

I have to take issue with "any TA". Some are just not good. My first one charged a service fee for anything she did related to my booking (and I didn't know better at the time). "TA"s with AAA or Costco may not have the flexibility to do things like RoyalUp. Some are simply not responsive. Some have never been on a cruise (reference my prior TA) and don't even know that fares can be repriced. Go with a good TA.

I like to go back and reminisce about past vacations and cruises. I'll look at my pictures and/or anything else related to the past vacation and relive the memories. I also keep a planning document or folder for the upcoming cruise to keep track of all the little details - if I read something on the boards that seems like it relates to me, I'll note it in my planning docs. I try to find a cruise compass for a similar sailing on my same ship. I'll update my packing list if I think of something. Other than that, I try to stay busy with other projects and just keep my mind off of it for a while.

I can't get off the ship without booking another one. Not only do I get the shipboard credit, but the number of cruises in our Cruise Planner doesn't go down. I can't wait till we retire and the number can go UP instead.

This just made my heart smile !! GOOD FOR YOU ! I have these same anxieties and they always hold me back. Maybe your courage will inspire me next time.

A Hard Day's Night I pulled out my bags to start packing a week ago. I did laundry and ironed things this last Saturday. Tonight... the bags are empty. Tonight, I did the most important things; I printed and organized all my paperwork for both cruises. I am following recommendations and printing copies of all items I need to get on the cruise ship. The items are Boarding Pass, Luggage Tags, copies of my covid immunizations, copy of my negative covid test, list of all dinner bookings for when i get on the ship. I also am packing my passport, my global entry card, my traveling credit card. Next, I packed my large suite case. I started loading it and when it was full, I was done. The nice thing is I am a person that does not have tons of cloths and I am leaving for 14 days on cruise ships. I did make sure I had the few things I would need; dress slacks and button up shirt for nice dinners, bathing suit and swim shirt (with my body I need the shirt to cover up), shoes for (dress, walking and water), shorts for workouts and daytime adventures. Then I fill the remaining with all my socks, underwear and polo shirts and t-shirts (that I can wear in public). Preparing for Travel Day Before I star telling you about my night preparing for travel, I wanted to let you know I am flying out of Fresno. Fresno is a smaller airport, not tiny but smaller. I have been getting emails from American Airlines trying to get me to volunteer to move my flight to a different time or day. All of the flights out of Fresno on Thursday and Friday are way overbooked. That is putting a panic in me. One of the main reasons is I am a big man, and we are putting this big man in a packed plane. So, with this fun coming tomorrow I have to be at the airport much earlier to make sure I am on the plane and not cut off the boarding list. Getting ready I have my computer bag that I have to fill with all my travel needs. Just so you might think about what you might forget here is my list: Cash money, ones for tipping the people dealing with my bag. Pens for dealing with any paperwork. Face Masks, cloth and N95 (for the plane) miniature flashlight (if there is a crash, I have a light to get out) ... ok it won't work but it makes me feel better Mouse for my computer Phone charging cord and battery pack for recharging my phone Change of clothes (socks, polo shirt, gym shorts) Hairbrush, toothbrush and deodorant My laptop and power cord My noise canceling headphones **** I am on a diet so no snacks Now off to bed to see if I can sleep