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Pretty uneventful day today, but much needed after a few busy port days. Before dinner, Hubby and I spent some time having drinks in the suite lounge. The ship has picked up a lot more motion as the day has gone on. The fog never lifted and that fog horn is still going. Over dinner in the MDR, we could see the waves and the white caps. No white bags in the hallway but for the girls and I, we can definitely feel it. Everyone has been taking Gravol (Canadian version of Dramamine) today. It was Royal Night in the MDR tonight. Food was decent. Probably the best meal so far, but still no wow.

This morning we took a 1/2 day tour to Peggy’s Cove through Royal. It was called “Halifax Highlights & Peggy’s Cove”. The tour itself was not bad, but our guide was pretty awful. It sounded like she read off a sheet the entire time. For those who are headed to Peggy’s Cove, it was pretty chilly and windy there so be warned.

Day 8 - Halifax, NS Good morning

After the tour ended we walked along the Halifax Waterfront towards the Maritime Museum. This is a really nice area with restaurants, coffee shops, and lots of photo op areas. We got lunch here. It was once again, delicious!

After lunch, we made our way to the Maritime Museum. My main objective here was to visit the Titanic exhibit. There was a family pass here for $24 (2 adults and 2 kids). Overall good value. We spent about 2 hours here.

Some more photos from Peggy’s Cove from Hubby’s phone. They gave us about an hour here. Video clips on IG. I forgot to mention that I have saved all my stories for the trip in highlights so if you were not able to catch it within 24hours, you can find it under highlights.

We sail from Galveston this year, a first for all of us. Two ports, Roaton and Costa Maya will also be a first for all of us. We’ve all been to Cozumel. This will be our first Royal sailing not stopping at one of the private islands and it feels strange since we really enjoy them both. (That’s if you don’t count a quick 5 night on the Navigator we took a couple years ago. Or the Royal trips I took in my younger days long before I met Nurse Ratchet. Back when I sailed on on The Song of Norway and The Song of America. And actually one of those Songs took me to Coco Cay when it was just a plain, beautiful island where we bbq’d on the beach. I think the Captain on that trip was either Cook or Columbus. ) In Roaton I have hired a car and driver to spend the day with us. Not sure yet exactly what we’ll do all day but I know a sloth visit will happen. The kids all have asked for that. I think it’s because they can relate: they move slow, eat, enjoy hugs and would love to sleep most of the day. No plans yet for the other stops. As you can see from our schedule we will once again eat well! We’ve left the last night TBD so we can repeat the restaurant we enjoy the most during the week. Since this is our third consecutive sailing on the Allure, we’ve seen it, done it and love it! So there’s no pressure to do, eat or see anything specific. It’s actually been kind of a rough year for all of us so we’re looking forward to RELAXING, laughing and just enjoying our time together. And, we’re looking forward to seeing Lusi who works in Cups and Scoops! Last year Jay provided really awesome, detailed cakes for special occasions. Mid-week we found out that Lusi was the artist who created them all. We had met her but didn’t know she was the one making the cakes. She is bubbly, extremely personable, happy, smiley and knocks it out of the park out dancing in front of Johnny Rockets! Meeting her was one of the highlights of the trip and we can’t wait to see her again.

Random photos from our walk along the Halifax Waterfront.

Recapping Day 5 - from Rome, Italy(civitavecchia). Today on the agenda was - Destination Highlight: Civita di Bagnoregio and Pairing Lunch at Local Winery which luckily started at 9:30 AM vs all of the other Rome excursions which left the ship around 7am. We have done the best of Rome tours in the past but wanted to check out a different part of Italy on this trip. We got some breakfast at Luminae before heading out to our excursion. We visited the disappearing city of Civitia di Bagnoregio. This was one of the first times i have ever been on an excursion combined with another ship. Celebrity Reflection was docked next to us and we had passengers from this ship joined with our Celebrity Edge group for the excursion. The city was breathtaking, it felt like a city lost in the clouds. To get to the city you have to walk up this large pedestrian bridge. No cars are allowed in the city. Our shore excursions tickets said this trek was strenuous and i would agree. The incline up and down felt more like a short hike - from the original look out point it took about 30-40 minutes for our entire group to get back and forth. Once we made it to the top it had started to rain pretty hard so we went into the local church to visit there. Our group had a lot of rain soaked umbrellas so the workers in the church asked that we place our umbrellas near the door and while organizing the umbrellas our guide ended up hitting her head on the stone of the church. She was in pain so there was some choice words said in Italian which then lead to some of the church visitors and workers at the church yelling at our group. It was a little uncomfortable and awkward to be honest. Once this settled down a little bit we took a pass through the church, this was one of the first times i have ever been in a group where we continued to use the headsets throughout the church. Normally the guide will tell you a few details about what you are seeing and you visit on your own without the audio portion. Not doing this unfortunately continued to upset the church visitors and workers which caused some more yelling throughout our walk through and on the way out. YIKES! I didn’t catch 100% of what was said but all you needed to hear was the tone. At this point we all needed a free moment to breathe! We walked around the city independently before heading back to our bus. After about a 15 minute bus ride we arrived at the Antica Cantina Leonardi Winery where we would be enjoying lunch. We tried 3 different wines - a white, a red, and a dessert wine with our 3 course lunch of Lasagna, Salad, and Cake. Lunch was a little underwhelming but the wine was pretty good. Overall the shore excursion was as good, outside of the akward experience in the church we enjoyed the day. From here we drove back to the ship, it was about an 1.5 hours to get to the city and another 1 hour to get back to the ship from the winery but beat the 2 hour each way bus/train ride to rome. We got back to the ship around 5pm and it was very dead. We got ready and headed to Luminae for dinner. It was filet night and didn’t disappoint. we ended the day catching the tail end of sunset & looking for the full moon on the retreat sundeck in the pool/hot tub.

summed it up for me i was laughing so hard; a triumph and a let down. +1 thank you @Jax and co for explaining beaver tails. i’m still on the fence, though they sound delicious! (i am not a huge donut eater) even truffle salt may not save us now also that cheese tortellini from the royal dinner in the MDR is TAUNTING me. i see you, cheese tortellini. you just need a fried sage leaf and black truffle butter and small cubes of squash to be my beloved CK dinner...

Baked Alaska is the only dessert that Royal's MDR gets a 10/10 for. It is crazy that the random stuffed tomato is sending me off. It looks nice? but I can also only picture that random cooked tomato that comes on breakfast plates.

A few of the details. We’ll sail September 10-17 on the Allure in the Royal Loft, 1740. It’s the third sailing in a row in that particular suite so I guess we’re in a pretty good rut! It’s an awesome suite that we’ve been spoiled to sail in. This trip will be our “core” sailing group of my bride Stacy, the nurse and restaurant owner, Katie the Nurse Practitioner, and Taylor the preschool teacher. Joining us this trip will be someone who would legally be described as a close friend but in reality is another daughter, Melissa who works in retail and hospitality. She sailed with us about six years ago on our very first Star Class voyage in the RL and we’re excited she’s joining us again this year! I received the generic Star Class survey right about 60 days out. I filled one out and seriously don’t even remember my responses. We’re all convinced it’s hit and miss on if they’re read or not. We do communicate often with the Genie we sailed with last year. Several weeks ago he returned from vacation and I messaged him saying we would love to sail with him again. He responded and told me to please ask for that in the survey! Oops. So I submitted a second one. I don’t recall my exact answers on that one either but they were something like this: Who is sailing with you? Jay. if you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be? Jay. Are you a morning person or a night owl? You’d have to ask Jay. You get the picture for the rest I received the email from our Genie at 31 days out. We were somewhat shocked, but thrilled, that we’ll be sailing this year with Royal Genie Jay! Our family had such a great time with him last year. I don’t believe we have ever laughed as much or had such amazing spontaneous memories as we did sailing with Jay. He’s fun. An example is our schedule he provided to us. Note the travelers names on the top.

I believe it’s referring to the actual site of Ephesus being strenuous, more than the Basilica or House of Virgin Mary. The entire site is quite a walk, with a slight incline and some uneven footing and stairs throughout. It took us just over an hour to walk the length of the city ruins (at the pace of the tour guide, not us) and there is no shade to be found, so it’s pretty exhausting if you’re going in the summer. It was so awesome and definitely worth the heat!

Just take some $1 or exchange them. This was my 7th RC cruise and for most I've had the DDP. I know grats are already added but I decided after reading facebook and blogs like RCBlog to tip a few bucks when getting drinks. This was helped by winning $20 with my free slot rolls I have to say while you don't need to tip it really made a difference. I get beer mostly so it didn't impact the alcohol level but the friendliness of the staff (they were always friendly before but the level of friendliness increased) and the speed at getting served was improved. Perhaps not noticeable if you haven't tipped before but I definitely noticed it when the pool bars got busy. I will definitely be tipping bar staff in the future.

It was good. I will give them that. It has shrunk though. More evidence of cost cutting. That thing was a stuffed pepper!

For a minute there I got really scared cuz I thought you meant Gordon Ramsay was on board filming an actual episode for TV! That would be a true nightmare if that ever happened on wonder of the Seas hahaha!

I think the whole chicken & waffles thing started this place Roscoes. Based on the pictures I think they are meant to be separated. It looks good though!

Just sprinkle some truffle salt on it! Yeah, like that trifle that D17 ordered the other night on Taste of UK night was just messed up. It looked more like jello. I thought it was was jello at first. Nope. I am booked solid and maxed out our budget all the way until March 2025. No next cruise for a while. I could never eat it like that.

I use Allianz with an annual policy. Cost wise it doesn't make sense for me to book on a per trip basis. Mostly I'm looking for medical and med- evac insurance. It covers much more, but I've always felt that you should insure against risks you can't afford to take. If I can't afford to lose the price of a cruise, then I should reconsider taking it.

80th Birthday today, will celebrate with two solo cruises in October. Family doesnt like cruising and friends would rather stay home and watch TV LOL!

Have you made the stroll over to Next Cruise yet??? You can't keep us in suspense..... This has been a great blog and we all can't wait til the next blog

@Ampurp85 this comment is perfection! I have a love/hate relationship with so many of the desserts on board. Such high hopes that are quickly dashed after one bite...sigh.

THAT POUTINE AND LOBSTER ROLL GOODBYE STICK A FORK IN ME I'M DONE

Hubby and D17 ate it all, but I did not think it was good at all. It was! Decent. Not quite Chops but decent.

A previous post similar to this was a family with two older kids who did not want to sleep together on the couch that folded out. Could be the case this time, too.

I know for me it's because I have my elders from when I was kid telling me i'd get hit by lightning.

It looks so small and sad, I just assumed a tomato. What is worse is I love red peppers, they are my favorite, but it was so small!!!!!

There are oh so many red flags about the OP's post number 1.

So you booked through a TA, then the TA transferred the booking back to RC?

That burger is just right. Mmmmm

I thought this was going to be a thread complaining about the food on board

Reminds me of the shirts that are printed up proclaiming both participants as Super Bowl Champions so they're in stock regardless of who wins. In the past, incorrect versions were donated to charity (not sure if that's still true). There is an entire generation of African orphans who believe the Buffalo Bills won four consecutive Super Bowls.

The bars on a cruise are never so crowded that a bartender will obviously pass over anyone. They may see a few people lined up at the bar and go to the one they know will tip first, but they aren't going to lean past you and serve the guy behind you, they are still getting paid and are being watched so they won't be THAT obvious. Relax. BUT in a regular land bar, damn right this will happen. Bartenders on land work strictly for cash tips and will gravitate to the bigger tippers, and rightfully so. If I'm a bartender and 2 people are standing there that have been there, and one tipped me 5 bucks last round, and one tipped me 50 cents last round- I don't care if the 50 cent person has been waiting longer or not- I'm serving the 5 dollar tipper first

Regarding whether or not a staff member actually keeps the cash tips or puts them into a combined fund...I have finally decided that it isn't my business and I don't really worry about it. I leave the tip I'm going to leave and what happens to it after it leaves my hand is irrelevant to me. Sure, I would rather have the person who provided me the service get the money, but the tip sharing policy is not something that I have any control over. The only thing I can control is whether or not I leave a tip, so I do. I follow this "rule" whether it's a bartender or a meal server. I tip at every meal whether I eat at a specialty restaurant or the Windjammer. 99% of the time I leave my tip on the table and depart the pattern. What happens to that money after I leave is, and will always remain, a mystery. It's simply none of my business.

Another view from Splashaway Bay Not sure how Hubby is doing out there with the FlowRider but I sure as heck am not going to check on him

A reputable travel agent doesn't transfer a booking to a cruise line, they make the booking in the cruise line reservation system. It sounds like you got scammed by your agent. I'd call your credit card company and dispute the charge if your travel agent isn't responding.

My favourite lobster roll was still the one in Boston but this one had way more lobster in it. So good value because we paid in Canadian dollars

Yes, we have been completely blessed this trip with good weather. Even days when the weather did not look good, it turned around.

I wonder if the cruiser was evaluating a few cruises. Other lines often have specials that include the drinks package and possibly they conflated what they chose with the benefits of one they didn't choose. With the amount of information we have, it could be a ton of different things.

I'm wondering how they get that boat to landlocked Moscow and Milan? Maybe they are "...in the spirit of" Royal Caribbean. For example, when Royal claims to sail from Orlando?

Doing a land tour before the cruise sounds like a great idea. Hadn't considered doing it that way. Plus, it gives you a few more days to look forward to the cruise!

I've never done self parking at LAX, but my friends in LA who do often use the garage(s) inside the terminal loop...they feel it's worth the extra money. If you book ahead for the cheaper parking (that requires a shuttle), they sometimes throw you a deal to upgrade to the terminal parking. Yes, it depends on the airline AND the fare. And you often won't know the real fare ahead of time, if at all. Many of the fares Air2Sea uses are specially negotiated, so even on the same airline and same route, two people may have very different experiences.

Trying to follow. A travel agent booked the drink package on RC directly for you? Usually you get a confirmation number from Royal about the purchase which your TA should have given you. I would expect if you logged into Royal you would be able to see it in your purchase history. With the confirmation number it would be pretty easy for RCL to address. Or you bought some cruise package that was suppose to include drinks? Seems to be more something with you TA, in either case they should be the ones dealing with it

Sounds like an issue on your travel agent's end. To be clear, you booked and paid for the packages through the travel agent? Why are they not working this with Royal? And in the future, I highly recommend letting your travel agent manage the cruise itself, but all other purchases and excursions through the cruise planner.

@Neesa Still time to join me on Wonder in June... only ship there (hoping not to jinx myself into a schedule change). That won't help any of the Beach Club or Cabana prices of course and I'm not trying to talk you into feeling differently but you know that. I just hope you you enjoy your remaining booked cruises. I know I'm more easily pleased than many but I hate seeing so many people (especially those I've posted with a decent amount) souring on their experience. At least I know you have an awesome cabin on Utopia.

At best that cabana is worth $1500/day and the beach club maybe $100/pp. I enjoy them both but will sideline them until the pricing gets more reasonable. I don’t mind an up charge for something special but this is just pure craziness. We still enjoy PDCC but it’s best to be off the ship early AM and back onboard right after consuming some tacos and a few Kraken pina coladas at lunch. I save the solarium days for the real dumpy ports like La Romania or Nassau where it’s probably better to just stay on the ship.

Interesting comments, 12+ cruises this year and my take is it depends, I tip two dollars every drink, but find that it more depends on the individual bar tender than on the tip. Yes some hit you up, but I have cruised all week at $2 a drink at a specific bar and seen absolutely no return from my tips, no better service when crowded, no strong pours. Definatly newer bar tenders recently are more on the exact jigger than during "come back"

Lol yup! It turned out great because our travel couple, Rich and Rhonda, were with us and they are joining us on this cruise! So our conversation kind of rolled around our cruise next year on Utopia and Rich kind of slipped in that he thought there was something on the books before that one. I chimed in agreeing with him and we all at the same time told him we are going in November! He was quite surprised at first but it turned into a huge laughing event with us all goofing on the fact that he just had no clue at all! He did ask me what else I’m hiding from him…hahaha. The funniest part was when we were driving home he told me I need to put it in his phone calendar and I told him…it’s already there! I had added it months ago! We took a fit of laughing so I called Rich and Rhonda to give them one last laugh as they were driving home! So I guess our anniversaries will continue to add up…and hopefully each one will coincide with yet another cruise!

I always tip the bartenders…they work hard for their money!

My personal favourite today was probably the Sea Caves at St Martins. I had very low expectations for here. These nature things are not really my scene. But when I stepped out on that rocky beach and took it all in, something about it was just breathtaking and mesmerizing to me. I really wish we had a bit more time there. Night time sail away from Saint John