Leaderboard

Day 1 - Well we had torrential rains all the way to the ship. By the time we unloaded luggage it had slowed. You could walk or take a bus from the overflow lot. We got there a little past 10 and it was perfect a little line of cars, but nothing like Miami. Boarding was great and we were on by 11:30AM. We wore our hybrid suits and hit the flowrider and the Tidal Wave boomerang slide. Everything was empty. This was looking good for crowds and no kids. (kids are still in school here till about mid June) I'd recommend this week for cruising so far so good. We hit the cabin on deck 9 and we could see little differences to the spacious vs regular balcony. More closet and storage space, full size couch (not a day bed type), reclining chairs and a nicer balcony. Overall just a tad extra room here and there makes a nice difference. I would say its worth the upgrade. 2 layers of mattress pads were already on the bed which makes a huge difference. All 3 bags fit under the bed. The only outlets which we anticipated were on the vanity desk, so bring your cruise ready extension cords to reach the night stands. No 360 next to the Statue of Liberty and we departed at 3:30p. Sailing to Bermuda ships clocks go ahead 1 hour. They tell us because we booked this in February for Early MDR seating they had to switch us to My Time...ughh. Back and forth all day they got us in with hope of getting us a permanent table for early..no biggie. We did get a window first night...People have been so nice and courteous. I'm liking this 9 day clientele. Day 2 - Really liking the complimentary coffee and donuts (appropriate even after retirement for a cop) to the room in the morning. Although my favorite time to get coffee and explore the ins and outs of the ship is around 6 to 8a. Trish gets to sleep uninterrupted. Running track is small but was enjoyable with the sun coming up and crazy wind. they had to put the chairs away overnight. A little ship movement overnight, just enough to rock you to sleep. Love the door open at night and listening to the waves while in bed. Loving the portable fan and magnet hook ideas. Real relaxing day..naps, a little sun, solarium pool and hot tubs. (pool is heated to perfection) Great salad from the Windjameer and surprising a lot of empty tables and space. Didn't make the Ice Show, but everyone raves about it. Cafe Promenade/Starbucks great service and no lines. All Starbucks are covered under the drink package. I really feel a lot less restricted and crowded on Liberty then on the Oasis. I'm really liking this ship. We'll see after Icon in Jan. Just listened to Calista's review of the Icon on the podcast. I booked a lesson for Flowrider 6pm and i was the only one that showed. Got my blue wrist band woo hoo, but man I took a beating. The whole time again water rides were empty. We showed up to MTD w/ no reservation at 7 and didn't have to wait long for a table of two. This dining room is awesome and elegant. Beef Tenderloin was amazing! The crown lounge was great for silent disco and views reminds me of the old days haha on Majesty or was it Song of America/ Tomorrow Bermuda with ship wreck diving at 9, so no shows tonight..

we did win our Royal up to an Owner's suite! has anyone stayed in 1334 deck 10 on the Liberty of the seas?

Hi All! Sorry for the delayed post about our travel day home, which was actually a week ago now. Work quite literally hit me like a ton of bricks this week, a lot more came up than I was expecting. I am actually posting this from my hotel room in Pompano Beach. I flew into Miami late last night and headed here for a wedding tomorrow, which definitely further complicated this week as I unpacked on Sunday to repack again a couple days later. Anyways, back to last Saturday, the final day I have to write about . We were picked up bright and early at 4am from our hotel by Stefano's Rome Cabs, the same company we used for all our transportation in Rome and I would definitely recommend them. They responded every time I messaged them, and we changed this post cruise hotel a lot as you guys know, and were on time for every pickup, if not early. We got to FCO with plenty of time to spare for our 8am flight and dealt with our VAT tax refunds customs stamps, we still don't have the money back for those so not sure how successful they were yet but we luckily didn't have to take any of the purchases out of our bags (they were all in our checked bags, hence why we did this before check in, they were accessible if we needed to but we were glad we didn't). Then we waited about a half hour until the check in for our flight opened shortly after 5am. A line started forming right around then so we got in line and stood there for that half hour, we were second in line for Club Europe. Once checked in, we proceeded through security (one note here: FCO has the new scanners so therefore very relaxed liquid rules, I believe we could have brought bottled water on the flight even, also nothing had to come out of our carry ons), and then through passport control to leave the EU which was fully automated with facial recognition, and finally to the BA lounge where we waited a couple hours for our flight and I ate breakfast number one that day, a donut. Similar to LHR, FCO does not announce gates until shortly before boarding. Once the gate was announced, we headed straight to the gate. After we headed to the gate, we had a bit of a wait and then waited even more on the jet bridge for them to open the plane, and then finally boarded. Our flight attendants handed us a club world menu shortly after boarding. I was surprised because I don't think we got one on this same flight in the opposite direction. They came around shortly after take off to take our order, I got the omelette: And after a rather uneventful 3 hour flight, we landed in Heathrow where we did the same thing we did going in reverse, this time transferring from terminal 5 to terminal 3. Maybe we just got lucky but terminal 3 had the new security scanners so they were barely enforcing liquid rules, they asked to see our liquids bag before we got in the security line but barely looked and then it went back in our bags and nothing had to come out of our bags, the complete opposite situation we had in terminal 5 nearly 3 weeks before where everything had to come out (laptops, tablets, liquids bags). Hopefully all terminals will be able to be consistently relaxed in LHR in the next few months as they are able to roll out the new scanners and rules. I know at that time their liquid rules will be similar to FCO but I heard it is delayed, although it is a good year until I am flying into LHR again (for next year's group cruise). Once we made it through security, we went to the Centurion Lounge where we spent many hours as we once again had an over 5 hour layover. We could spend so long in this lounge because we were on a connection, otherwise they have a 3 hour rule. I ate breakfast number 3 when we got here, a breakfast pastry this time. Here are some photos of the Amex branding in the lounge which is important to me for no particular reason : Once again, once our gate was announced, we headed to the gate right away where we once again waited until we boarded. Once boarding, we got the long haul Club World Menu for our flight: And I got settled into my seat: Then shortly after take off they did the first meal service. I had the buffalo mozzarella and the mezzaluna followed by the lemon meringue: Then it was time to try to nap a bit, thankfully I didn't need to try to get a full night sleep like you do on this flight in reverse as we landed in PHX in the evening. Here is a picture of the club world suite door closed, the door was just a novelty so I had to get a picture: And then here is a picture of my meal before landing, after watching 3.5 movies and trying to nap a bit, it is the salad: After an 11 hour flight we landed in PHX where we went through US immigrations (we have global entry so this was super quick, just facial recognition, I didn't even have to take my passport out), collected our bags and then went through customs, all very simple in PHX. We have a large international terminal and not that many international flights. The next day I unpacked and added my new magnets to my magnet boards: Thanks again for reading! Hopefully it won't be another week before I do cabin and ship reviews, but no guarantees . I promise I will do them though. Thanks and TTYL! - Ashley

RETREAT SPECIFIC INFO I reached out to Celebrity tonight because we've seen contradictary information online that left us (who am I kidding - me) with so many questions. The individual I spoke with was very cordial. I swear I was talking to Ramone (Oscar Nunez) from the movie, The Proposal! He sounded just like him - even his giggle! Here's the scoop: Celebrity has a specific number to contact them about the Retreat: 1-877-738-7328 @Royal - you really NEED to do this for STAR!! However, with as much as I appreciated having a dedicated number for the Retreat, the representative I spoke with didn't know as much as I expected him to! He had to put me on hold several times to check answers to my questions - which left me somewhat less confident in his answers. Here are the questions I asked specifically for us (remember, we're in a Sky suite - the entry level into Retreat): We booked a retreat guarantee and have been assigned a Sky Suite cabin # already, is it possible our cabin will change before the cruise? No On embarkation day at the terminal is there a dedicated luggage drop-off for Retreat guests or do we drop our luggage with the regular porters? No. Drop off luggage with any porter Will we have a dedicated butler in our Sky Suite? No, we will have a concierge/butler team. Royal Suite & up are assigned a dedicated butler Can we have specialty coffee brought to our room each day? Yes, ask the team when we get onboard and they will put that order in for us Is the mini-bar in the room included or will the mini-bar items be charged if used? Not included in the Sky Suite. They are included for Royal Suite & up at no charge My next question was if the mini-bar is customized per guest requests, but since it wasn't included, I didn't ask. Can we request a bowl of fresh cut lemons and limes brought to our room for waters each day? Yes, ask the team when we get onboard and they will order for us Are tips included in the Sky Suite? No. They are for Royal Suite & up For our 6 night cruise, he told me they would be $138 per person. Will we be able to get priority disembarkation at the ports? He tried to reach the ship concierge but they were closed already - I need to call back in the morning Will the ship concierge/butler team reach out to us in advance of the cruise to assist with reservations, etc? I need to call back for this too I know the email addresses for each concierge on Royal Caribbean ships is (semi) public knowledge. Does anyone know if the same is the case for Celebrity? I know, I know - I'm high maintenance. I'm extreme type A and love to know everything I can before I go on a trip so I can prepare as necessary. But I'm not a Karen - I promise!! Just well prepared - like Mary Poppins!

We sailed on Beyond in the villa (won via move up!) and Edge in a sky suite. To answer a few of your unanswered questions - while there is not a specific porter for your luggage with the retreat there is a retreat representative that will expedite your boarding process. This includes a separate seating area with refreshments and snacks. Once check in is complete you will be escorted onto the ship to your muster station by a member of the retreat. There is priority disembarkation as well as priority tendering available to you in a sky suite and above. To get this service you will go to the retreat lounge and a member of the retreat team will escort you to the gangway. You can also get this access from being Elite or Above using the lounge designated by the loyalty ambassador. As for reservations/contact with the butler team pre-cruise we had access to a shoreside concierge with the villa however did not with the sky suite. With celebrity you do not need show reservations or reservations to luminae and/or blu which is honestly one of my favorite parts of booking with celebrity. If you are planning to do specialty dining especially Eden I highly recommend booking it before your sailing. Eden often sells out and our last sailing many people asked the retreat concierge for a reservation and weren’t able to get one since it was full pre cruise.

My kids had one rule regarding meals, we eat in the main dining room at our scheduled dining time. next was no one is allowed in the cabin and they were not to go into anyone else’s cabin Last was give me a small nod, half a smile in my direction or a quick hand at your side wave to acknowledge me if we passed each other, with a stern warning they’d be sorry if they failed to do that. One son failed, do I called his name out loud and told him to “come give momma a hug”. He did, and the remainder of the cruise I hit a small nod smile or hand wave. He told his siblings what happened, they also complied with that small rule. oh, also the speech that if they misbehaved and got us thrown off the ship they’d need to find a new home. Thankfully that never happened.

Suite life sure sounds complicated. We don't have these issues in steerage.

@CravingaCruiseLooking forward to reading your blog! We have sailed twice in the Retreat on Beyond and absolutely loved it. I think the rep may have given you some outdated info. The email Celebrity sent out recently noted by @Lovetocruise2002 highlights some great new benefits like the free minibar. Also, I believe as of June 1 all Sky suites on every Celebrity ship will be back to having dedicated butlers, not the team approach. As for gratuities being included- it depends on when you made your reservation. At some point in the last year, I believe, Celebrity no longer included gratuities automatically when you booked in the Retreat. Previously gratuities, as well as premium WiFi and premium drinks were included. Currently only premium WiFi and premium drinks are included automatically in Sky suites. If gratuities are included it should be noted on your reservation. There may be dedicated Retreat porters, but we have always used the regular porters and our luggage has arrived very quickly. Have a great cruise!

thank you!!!! this is great news for us!! (we’re on ascent in february) we are so used to disembarking with 6k passengers on oasis class that i forget how much easier this should be in theory with celebrity. LOVE THIS. can’t wait to show up at blu when we are hungry and not be rushing all the time

I have never been so grateful for a full nights sleep in a comfortable bed! We woke up and enjoyed some time out on our private terrace at the Palazzo Vernart. After a beautiful breakfast in the Hotel courtyard we headed off to the “People Mover” to catch the shuttle to the ship. I can’t help but think of Disney World when i hear people mover! We booked another private water taxi to take us to the meeting point which was again so worth it. We had an 11am shuttle but were told to arrive at 10:30am. I see why there have been many complaints about getting to Ravenna from Venice across the RCCL forums and Celebrity. If you have the option I would recommend finding a sailing that leaves from Ravenna and disembarks from a different port of call to avoid the super long trip back and forth. After an hour of waiting in line for the shuttle we boarded the bus. I do want to mention we had to keep our luggage the full time in line, a good thing to keep in mind for how much stuff you might be bringing on your trip. The trip was 3 hours to Ravenna and included a 20 min stop at an outdoor cafe. The cafe had beer and wine and we enjoyed a glass during our stop and made the most of it! We made it to the ship around 2:30PM and boarded the ship around 3PM. One disappointing thing was that the Ocean View cafe was closed from 2-4pm and with so many people arriving later due to the shuttle line in Venice i was surprised that they would close so early. We ended up grabbing a burger at the mast grill and enjoying some sunshine. As I mentioned in my earlier post, we got a Move Up bid for an Aqua Class room last week. The room was nice and clean but definitely showed its age. One good thing about the aqua class rooms on this ship is they come with the spa style shower and glass doors. All other balcony rooms and below come with shower curtains which we don’t love. After unpacking we got ready for dinner in blu. One thing i love about blu is no reservations are required so you can show up at your leisure. I love being able to move at our own pace and go to dinner when we wish especially after a shore excursion. After dinner we enjoyed a few martinis and the show at the martini bar and gave our daily donation to the casino. Tomorrow we will be in Trieste, Italy!

I got the Deluxe Bev Pkg initially for $63.99 for a 15-nighter in September 2024. Later I was able to repurchase at $59.99. A couple of months after that, I again cancelled and repurchased it at $51.99, which is the best I've ever seen. Needless to say, I was very happy when someone on the blog sent out word of a sale at the time.

The time to complete is so short because they obviously don't think cruisers are smart enough to remember more than a few days after the cruise ends.

Headed out today on a 10 night Italy & Croatia Adventure! My husband and I are in our early 30s and love sailing RCCL but have recently come to love Celebrity Cruise line! We love the loyalty transfer perks too as we are Diamond + for RCCL and that transferred to Elite on Celebrity! Excited to share more of the perks throughout our trip. This will be our 5th sailing on Celebrity and one of the smaller ships we have sailed on. We originally booked an ocean view cabin because the price simply couldn’t be beat, it was a group price through our travel agent which included the always included package for wifi and drinks. To give you perspective our coach round trip flights cost more than this 10 night cruise for 2 adults! We normally prefer to sail in aqua or a suite but the price couldn’t be beat. A week ago i noticed i kept getting emails with a new deal on Celebrity Moveup and decided to put in a last minute bid for aqua class at the minimum and we got it! On this 10 night sailing we will be visiting RAVENNA, ITALY TRIESTE, ITALY DUBROVNIK, CROATIA (Overnight) SPLIT, CROATIA ZADAR, CROATIA KOTOR, MONTENEGRO AMALFI COAST (SALERNO),ITALY ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY I selected this sailing because of the variety in ports of call and the overnight in Dubrovnik. We have never visited Croatia and i hear it is absolutely stunning. Excited to share this adventure with all of you! We head out tonight from Newark to Venice to spend 1 day there before embarking for the cruise! Ciao for now!

The survey should be split in 2. DId you like the quality of the food? Was the food served to the temperature (or something like that) of your liking. I've been served cold food-which I believe is the fault of the asst waiter pulling the food too early and not a kitchen problem. Recent cruise I actually received HOT food!!! I can't remember the last time I had HOT food on a ship at the MDR (I don't eat the soups)

We're a week away and I just found something exciting for us to do right after boarding (or right before boarding) the ship! Manned launch from the Cape at 1225 on June 1st! https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2024/june/rocket-launch-ula-boeing-crewed-flight-test-cft

What I don't like about the survey is that when it comes to the MDR, the staff gets dinged if I answer that I didn't like the food. One has nothing to do with the other. The staff is usually excellent, but the food can be a different story. So, instead of praising the staff, I ignore the MDR questions.

Right? So many mixed messages! We’ll find out for sure in 42 days! Let us know if you do and what you find out! Oh good! I’m surprised the rep didn’t know this! Glad to have you along for the journey! Thanks for the info! We just booked our trip a couple of weeks ago so it sounds like our gratuities aren’t included. Great to know we’ll have a dedicated butler though. I like that approach because they get to know things you like and dislike…or it seems it would be that way.

Nope. Not an option.

As for the luggage in our experience all of our pieces were brought directly to our room by the time we finished getting lunch at luminae. They have a lobster roll on day #1 that is delicious. I sailed both Edge and Beyond in Europe so haven’t been to PDCC on a Celebrity sailing yet but in my experience when we had a tender port the suite guests we’re brought down to the gangway first and had priority. This also applied to getting off in ports we did on our own. I think its worth trying once. I think the food in Le Voyage is slightly better if you are going to splurge. The breakfast and lunch are not up to eden dinner quality but they are good. One thing to note is that you can enjoy the specialty cocktails at the eden bar with your drink package without a dinner reservation and they are very delicious! Some drinks are a few dollar up charge but worth it!

In Split it is very easy, the ship arrives a few minutes walk from the old town. There is a lot to visit while walking around the city. For those I want, there is a small beach nearby. For Dubrovnik, the ship arrives at the port which is a bit far. Take the shuttle or public buses. Again, there is much to visit and even more for lovers of "game of thrones". For the beach, from the small port of Dubrovnik, possibility to take the public boat to the island of Lokrum. Beautiful, without car. It is a nature reserve. Attention, the site is paid but included in the ticket of the public boat. If it’s a private boat, you’ll have to pay extra.

The late Dr. Demming would point out that management is responsible for the work system, the worker isn't. So I use the survey to give feedback to management. I don't fault workers who remind me repeatedly to do the survey. I do list the names of workers who I believe were exceptional.

Oh yes, slippers are alllllways on my packing list for land-based vacations (especially Mammoth every February!) but I’ve never seemed to fit them in my cruise luggage. THAT ALL CHANGES with the acquisition of RCCL branded slips!!! hahaha

Navigator. We love the ship. We love her ports of call.

+1 on the lazy river, that would be so damn fun. Imagine all the babies that could poop in it to enrage everyone further!!!

Nooooo we’re here for literally any commentary! The Tales of SweetPea and Batman are the best!

It's PUI (posting under the influence), just like DUI except it's OK because no one is driving! Ha, maybe i won't blog. So many of us cruising at the same time i won't have much to add! Boring itinerary, Symphony, nothing exciting to report! I'm glad, however, you triple checked the undergoodie sitch! Batman insists his are already packed. We all know how that turned out last time! I'll be following!

Bonjourno from Italy! We arrived in Venice around 9am after our overnight hop over the pond. We prearranged a private water taxi through our Hotel which was 100% worth it. A driver picked us up at the airport for a short 5 minute drive over to the airport dock and then we boarded our water taxi. Our Hotel had a private dock as well which made the experience so enjoyable. We stayed at the Palazzo Vernart which was a beautiful 15th century palace. We booked this hotel through the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts collection using our Platinum card which gave us $100 of dining credits, breakfast included, and an amenity of prosecco, fruit, and a candle with the hotel’s signature scent. our room had this private terrace After we checked into the hotel and got freshened up we headed out for the day. Our first stop was at All’Arco for Cicchetti and a spritz. We continued our journey to the Rialto Bridge and stopped at a wine bar to grab a glass of to go wine(yes you can take drinks to go!) to enjoy with the views and the rest of our walk to Piazza San Marco. We planned a 2pm tour of San Marco Basilica & the Doge Palace with a guide through Viator. The Basilica was breathtaking. The art inside all depicted different stories in the bible. After the basilica we headed over to the Doge Palace where we toured the various rooms, prison, and the bridge of sighs. I was so glad I only booked a 2 hour tour because we started to hit the afternoon slump! We did some shopping before heading back to our hotel for dinner. Our Hotel features the Glam restaurant which is the only two Michelin star restaurant in Venice. We booked the Glam bistro which allowed for us to order al la carte vs doing the full tasting menu. With the jet lag i knew there was no way we could make it through a 7+ course meal! The meal was fantastic and the service was incredible. I truly wish we would have had some more time to enjoy the hotel was it was SO beautiful and the service was fantastic. We will absolutely be back to Venice in the future, it is a beautiful city with so much to offer!

I think this may be one of the furthest departure ports from a major city I know of. The bright side was we were still very jet lagged so it was a forced rest day. I can’t imagine having to do that shuttle back to Venice post cruise and then fly back to the US same day. yikes! The Prosecco midway through also helped make the trip a little more enjoyable!

Note to self...avoid departing from Venice/Ravenna. That does not sound like a good time. I would have been super grumpy by the end of it all. I actually hate waiting for group shuttles, even on a good day. And I didn't even realize it was a 3 hour ride to the port.

Thank you @themillennialcruiser! Great information! Feel free to share all your tips and must-dos on the Beyond!

I think many of us have offered the idea of a Lazy River…I even suggested a way to implement, structurally, the idea on Oasis Class ships. However, I have mentioned several times before, of a venue on Oasis Class ships, very reminiscent of 270 on Quantum Class; but that wouldn’t be a new concept. Also have mentioned somewhat similar to the thread starter, on a much grander scale, a mini-Dining Room position below the water line, if one can engineer out or buffer, the vibration & noise, that inherently will befall that area of the ship.

ROYAL15 is the code, so give it a try No, just to the airport. Take Lyft or Uber. I do this every time. It's a very inexpensive ride

We liked center section about half-way up last week... we were in the 4th bench row from the pool/stage, dead center...

I agree... just sailed Icon last week. Smaller theater, but much more immersive and intimate for that reason. Technology is incredible and the variety of "acts" exceeds what Oasis class has to date (at least compared to the shows we've seed on Oasis, Allure, and Wonder). Of course, the diving platform is not as high as the outdoor theater, but the show is amazing... our favorite to date. Seats are uncomfortable... get there at least 30-45 minutes ahead of time for decent seats. People started lining up about an hour before the show!

I miss my dorm!

Nonsense... every blog is so different! Skip if it if you don't feel like blogging but not b/c you think you have nothing to add. Do you realize how similar mine will be to my March blog? Same ship, different itinerary but we're only getting off the ship once (besides CocoCay) for an actual excursion so really one new port... and that's about it.

Resurrecting a dead thread since it's a good question.... Indoor shooting range? Bungee jumping to the board walk. Parasailing off the back of the ship

thank you makes sense! was wondering if it was also a play on the trusty old cruise friendly questions "Is it too late for a coffee/is it too early for a cocktail?

Followed all of the directions from the article and got Express Boarding for tomorrow. Nothing better than RCB!

Proceed!

I'm home, I've picked up a stinker of a cold and my ears are unhappy after my flight. But I had the best time. Let me recap where I left off from: So, I left you all in La Spezia. We picked up a car from the Hertz place there, and drove to Pisa, to take the obligatory tower photos, and then decided, as we had a lot of time, to go to Florence, via Lucca. Oh, this was a fun adventure - Lucca is a walled city and we got totally lost and trapped in its one way system trying to find parking. After an hour or so, we managed to escape! Once we got to Florence we only really had time to grab some lunch after parking, before heading back to the ship. Dinner that night was the Mediterranean menu, which we enjoyed, and then One Sky. We actually got chatting to the boyfriend of one of the dancers, and he pointed her out to us afterwards. Really fun show, I love that kind of performance, and this was one of the best I've seen, second only to Burn the Floor on NCL. Although, for technology, this has Burn the Floor bear in my opinion - although it was over 5 years since I saw it so my memory could be playing tricks. We were in the front row, so some of the performers got very close! The next day was Rome - a day I'd really been looking forward to - and we had a small group tour booked with Driver in Rome. There were 8 of us on the tour, and I think we hit pretty much every key sightseeing location, all in the air conditioned comfort of our van. My favourite was the Colosseum, and also the Trevi fountain, although this was SO busy it was a melee and I was very aware of my phone, which was the only thing I took out of the van with me. I did also throw a coin in, so hopefully I'll return to Rome one day! When we got back, it was a quick turnaround as we had reservations for Frozen in Time. WOW. WOW. WOW. As a skater, I was blown away by the level of difficulty and the complexity of the skills being performed. I enjoyed the theme, and particularly the sand artist. I actually never ended up skating - forgot to pack any leggings and lived in shorts and dresses for the week. However, seeing the rink in person, I'm not too upset! The last thing I need is an injury from being taken out by a new skater! After the show it was dinner - our final one in the MDR and it was Italian night. We tried a few different things, some good, some not so good, but again great service really helped make our evening. Naples was the next day, and the day of our last minute excursion. I have to say, it was great getting back to Pompeii but I really struggled getting around the place. The guide took a while to realise she was going too fast at points, and Jamie had to help me a lot. It was enjoyable, but HOT! We were then taken to a restaurant on the way to Vesuvius where we enjoyed a "light" lunch and wine tasting. If this was the light lunch option I dread to think what the heavier option would be! I was so full after this. We were then driven to Vesuvius, and were able to hike to the crater. This was mentally and physically tough for me - the ground was loose underfoot, the incline just kept going and I'm out of shape. Jamie got me through it though and really proved himself as a friend. I was so tired after this, and possibly a little dehydrated. A nap on the bus back to the port helped, as did taking it slow when we got back to the ship. We spent some time in the hot tubs, healing our aching muscles! Then it was time for dinner - Chef's Table. I have mixed feelings about this, the food is good, no doubt there, but knowing it's the same menu constantly, and across the fleet, it felt like the chef and waiter/sommelier were just reading off a script - there was no passion there. The company was good though, got to chat to some cool people from various places. The next day, was a much needed sea day! We didn't surface until 10, and managed to make brunch in the dining room. This showed just how lucky we'd been with our waiter, the service felt rushed an impersonal. However, the food was tasty and that's what we needed. After brunch, that's when it happened. We went to NextCruise. Short version, we went away and after some research, went back later to put a deposit down - hoping to get the actual itinerary locked in this week. We then spent the afternoon at the pool, and solarium, then packed our bags ready for them to be collected. Then it was time for 150 Central Park. I enjoyed the food and think the menu is interesting, but the experience felt rushed (as a Brit, I do prefer a break between courses - we found this in Orlando too, there weren't the pauses we're used to back home) and the comments our server made, plus having the bill dumped on the table while we were still enjoying drinks just left a bad taste in the mouth. After that, we grabbed a drink, took it up to the balcony and enjoyed the still of the night and the sound of the sea. Today we disembarked after one last breakfast at Park Cafe, and flew home. So that's it. My Mediterranean Oasis has come to an end. Thanks for sticking with me

My TA repriced my cruise that night and although that should not affect cruise planner purchases, I'm wondering if it was a glitch. She says she's only ever seen that happen once before and they were able to resolve it with OBC. I'm confident she'll figure something out. Counting my blessings here because it could definitely have been worse. I can't imagine having my whole cruise accidentally canceled.

We just got off Liberty and the captain said April 2026 was the amplification date. He expects 10-12 weeks because of the extensive work needed

As great as the aquatheatre shows are on Oasis class, the water show on Icon blows it out of the water (pun intended). The seats in the Aquadome theatre are back breaking though.

Day 5, continue. So we got our small car and some information how to operate it . We took turns on the driver seat , I must say It felt comfortable also on the back seat. Our first station was to the view point with the crown chair "Flydalsjuvet" . We were almost alone there and could spent as much time as we wanted. Overall it felt nothing like a big ship is in port. We also stopped near some waterfalls, endless waterfalls Seems we were not the only one that enjoying the sun After this stop (that also have clean bathrooms) we went into the second view point in some farm with a restaurant. Some one asked us for how long we are going to park , we said 5 minutes and he said no problem. If you want to park longer you need to buy something in continued restaurant or pay parking fees (at least that what I was reading) From there we continued to the last point on the other side of the villages, that is actually located on the road outside Greinanger. All in all it was very nice experience. With the amazing weather we had I think it was a good choice. We did our way back to the car shop, total around two hours.

I'm so glad you had such a great time in Olden. I hope the weather stays good for your stop in Geiranger. Unfortunately for DD and myself, we had low cloud there for the whole day, so we never did get the chance to fully appreciate its reported beauty. Fingers crossed that you do. If you have time and want to try a tasty local snack, look out for this place in the pedestrian street: https://emob.no/en/fish-cake/# We bought some fishcakes for lunch and sat and ate them at a picnic table. In fact, the first pic above was taken from that picnic table. The fishcakes were delicious. We had them with the mashed potatoes. I could have sworn I'd taken a picture but I can't find it now.

And that's what you see if you wake up at 4 am in Norway

Do they not have the "don't flush your undies" sign over the toilet?! C'mon!!

It was indeed a paella. Not like any I’ve ever had either but it was delicious! There’s a lot of joy among UK cruisers that Independence is coming back to Southampton - I saw her when I did my first cruise from there and mistook the side of the ship for a building! I suspect Oasis is going to blow my mind!

I L-O-V-E-D the peppermint shampoo, and thought the body wash was just fine. I hate cilantro and my hair is done with a #2 clipper on top and fades to shorter than that, so I have no feedback on the conditioner.