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I got the new kind. I actually love the newer ones. To me they look nicer than just the clear kind.

Okay so a final wrap up. I still love Freedom, she is my favorite big, little ship. I would sail her as a 4 night or higher in a heartbeat.......I will stay away from the 3-nighters. With the exception of the one casino host, I believe she has some of the best crew around. I was disappointed in the new slot machines, but I have no control over that. On deck two and three we had stayed in the new rooms put in after the amp and I loved them. They had USB ports, routers, extra storage and nicer bathrooms. The last room, and my brother's new room on the first leg, were of the older kind and left quite a bit to be desired. I am on the fence about sailing in May again, it was too hot for me. I like 80s and those 90s felt close to 100s to me. Doing a B2B2B on a smaller class of ship leaves a lot to be desired on the food front. Traditional dining has hotter food but 8:30 is way too late and 5:30 too early. MTD seems to suffer in food quality. I went to the loyalty ambassador on day two of my first cruise and requested my 210+ block that I should have received the first day of my Jan Allure sailing. By the time I got home on Friday, my block was delivered. I will open it soon and see if it is the new one or old one. As I stated my mother refused to use her casino voucher for an actual cruise. They can only be combined if earned on the same sailing, so now it just has a money off value. Which she is of course refusing to use. She wasted my time and money, so she won't be cruising for a while. Thank you for following along. My next adventure will be Alaska on Quantum in September.......with two vintages (my mom's bff and her bff) and not my mother........and possibly my bff and his mother if they pay their cruise off next month.

I always begin my live blogs with a firm intention of keeping up with them and posting amazing pictures. As the drink pkg takes its toll, I begin to peter out lol. But this time, I will once again do my best!!! I'm Jane and this will be my 9th cruise. I took my first cruise with my 3 teenagers in 2015 because I had to escape Chicagoland's brutal winter. Since then, I have found my love of cruising battles my love of Disney for my money (and now Europe, but I solve that by visiting Disneyland Paris and taking Mediterranean cruises). This cruise came about as my husband and I was sitting looking at the gloomy weather after a bottle of wine and realized that our school schedules would give us a week off together before Jeff started teaching summer school! YOLO book it so we could planner purchase stuff on Black Friday. Our last cruise was on Harmony, and we never got off the ship except for perfect day, so we decided it was time to look at itineraries and a smaller ship for this one. In the end, Rhapsody was perfect. Our itinerary is 7 days out of San Juan: Day 1: San Juan Day 2: St. Croix Day 3: St. Thomas Day 4: St. Maarten Day 5: St. Lucia Day 6: Barbados Day 7: Sea Day We originally got an Ocean view guarantee. It took forever but we finally had a master station and I discovered with the barcode trick we were on the 2nd floor, midship. I was a little worried about being that low simply for smells etc on an older ship, but you get what you get with guarantee. Anyway, decided to try Royal-Up, which I've tried a couple times before and never got. I put pretty low bids on a js, ocean view balcony, ultra spacious ocean view and a spacious ocean view. We found out last week that we were moved to a spacious ocean view #8048. The room has a floor to ceiling window and is right across from the elevators, which I love. My only concern is that we are right under the pool deck. But Jeff and I could sleep through herds of elephants crashing through our room, so I think we will be ok!!!! We bought several excursions (great black Friday sales, because they never went that low again), the deluxe drink pkg (that price did get better eventually... Lowest was $64.99 and it hit that several times including just a couple weeks ago). I purchased the internet for $17.99 but then cancelled... Because I had fomo. I stayed up and was on right at midnight ship time for check-in times and got 12:00, which I think was truly the earliest for our 8pm sailing. But when I thought about all those key people getting on an hour earlier, I couldn't take it lol. So the key was only $2 more per day and it included the lunch. That and the 11am boarding are really the only benefits on this little ship, so I figure I paid about an extra $40 for the privilege of getting my Lava flow am hour early. For me, it was worth it. We are being thrifty with dining though, and are planning no specialty dining this time (we were so fooded out by the end last cruise). We may regret it.. especially since I hear mixed food reviews. We have never had a overall bad cruise meal wise though, and really aren't picky, so we will be ok. If we suddenly get offered a BOGO or big discount off, I will maybe do it (I really love chefs table and we decided not to do that when we splurged for the drink pkg). We are figuring after the port heavy days, we might just be tired and hit windjammer but we are really trying to give the MDR and the new menus/shorter time a shot! I will truly miss park cafe and solarium bistro breakfast, but might actually try the MDR breakfast for the first time. We stayed home this memorial day weekend (exhausted at finishing the school year) so we can pack. The puppies (our 8 and 6 year old schnauzers) make us feel very guilty about leaving so we have spent the rainy weather today snuggling with them!

At the risk of getting caught up in your shenanigans, there are some VERY good prices on Freedom in the first two weeks of December... DH and I are booked on the 8-night sailing on the 7th of December. This was a shenanigan in itself. Royal cancelled it and several others around the same date then subsequently re-instated them, at which point they contacted everyone who had been shifted and asked if they'd like to move back! We did because we wanted the itinerary but others preferred to stick with some very lucrative deals that they'd snagged by being moved to Oasis with price protection. This will be our first time on any Freedom class ship.

Gathering has started, can’t exactly call it Packing until I actually oPEN the suitcase, currently it’s sitting in it’s dust/storage bag near the items I have been collecting from throughout the house. Sadly there will be no beaching this trip so my Swimways floats, beach tent, bag and sheet all have to stay home. Much to the amusement of the over packers of RCB.com, I will be bringing the EXACT same amount of luggage that I brought for 17 days in Greece, 8 in Alaska and soon-to-be 13 days in Europe. One soft sided Away carry on and one Lo & Sons Catalina tote bag is all I require!! Of course on a lil bebe 3N sailing, quite a bit of it will be vacant room and I can probably forgo a few packing cubes. This summer the same luggage will be packed to the gills with nary a spot for all the Christmas ornaments I am planning on buying (Luckily we fly home in Polaris on United -AHHHHH- so I know they’ll let me on with an extra shopping bag or two). Thinking I will bring my camelpak for our zipline excursion which takes up nearly half the suitcase, as will our insulated tumblers for shoreside DBP usage. Additional Bezos items on their way - new phone lanyard since mine was tearing, travel size containers for my sunscreen and lotions and a CUP CLIP!! HEYOOOOooo CCG4L

I am always very grateful for a sea day on these longer international cruises. We slept in a little bit and missed breakfast at blu so we headed up to the Ocean View for breakfast. After some food we grabbed coffee before heading to the Beyond the Podium lecture. I love learning something on vacation and Celebrity always has amazing speakers. Today’s topic was on the transatlantic exchange diving into the history of the americas and some of the food that is unique to the americas. After the lecture we walked the shops before heading to Sushi on 5 for lunch. Sushi on 5 is an al la carte restaurant. After lunch we headed to the Loyalty event for Elite and above and enjoyed hearing the captain and cruise director speak with a glass of wine. The art on the ship is so beautiful! By this point it was mid afternoon so we decided to take another glass of wine to the balcony to read. It was such a beautiful day and with our ports of call to come I wanted to take it easy and stay out of the sun. Tonight was chic night so after getting dressed up we headed to the martini bar for a pre dinner cocktail followed by blu for dinner. After dinner we hit the casino for a little bit and enjoyed some of the music on the ship. I was still a little bit hungry after dinner so we grabbed a slice of pizza at the ocean view. We ended the night with a late night hot tub soak. Using the pools and hot tubs at night is often underrated but such a good way to relax. Tomorrow we will be in Croatia!

You're being penalized for winning on Royal too often! J/K, that's dumb, clearly they don't know who you are!

Yessss, I love the Lime and Coconut so much! Freedom and Navigator are my faves for this reason. The escape room DOES exist and looks ultra fancy on this ship although I did not book it. Look at this amazing pic from the cruise planner! Haha, nooo worries at all! I love a good hijacking. Now I really wanna see @SweetPea ’s Photoshoppery!!

Can't beat perks with Celebrity with status match. Lately Celebrity sailings have been cheaper. On Celebrity sailing now and got Concierge class cheaper than Royal for a basic balcony. Celebrity does have some unique itineraries.

Shut up!! Follow my lead here: Dear Michael Bayley, I have a personal favor, and I'm certain you will help. I was adopted. Recently i found my birth mother and learned that i have a half-brother. As it happens, he will be boarding the Wonder in Port Canaveral on 6/2 when we will be docked there on Symphony. I don't feel like getting off the ship that day (you should really reconsider that port stop); however, and here's where you come in, it'd be great if you could arramge a ship tour for him on Symphony so we can reunite after many decades. If not, I'll be forced to scream like a lunatic and wave like a mad woman and say hello for the first time from a hundred yards away. Does that sound silly to you? It does to me, so make it happen! I look forward to your prompt positive reply. Thank you. Best, SweetPea (find me on the Royal Caribbean Blog).

This is my first X sailing! lol It shouldn't count against me.

Be very careful with the move up offer. I think you might have seen my post in the FB Retreat group, but my move up offers were WAY more than if I upgraded directly! I have never seen that with Royal before and was quite surprised.

First of all make sure everyone is on airplane mode so they do not connect to the ship cellular. I also turn off the roaming on my phone. Second: when you get on the ship you can select the ship wifi from your cell phone. It should automatically load the ship page that asks if you want to connect to the free wifi or the paid wifi. You should select the paid wifi. the next step will show how to pay and one of the opions will be your paid package. Next it will ask you to select a user name. I just set that to my last name but you can set it to anything your family will remember. Then it asks for a 4 to 6 digit password. Then you are connected. When you connect to the ship wifi and it does not load the connection page go to the ships app. Select the right most icon of the three on the top; the one that looks like a little man. About two thirds of the way down you will see the option to connect to the internet. You will use the same user id and password for all three connections. it keeps track of how many devices are connected. If your family is switching between computers and cell phones make sure they sign out or it will tell you all three are taking and you will have to tell it to disconnect one.

looking forward to your blog and loving your pics so far! We will be going on voyager for an Italy/Croatia graduation cruise next June, and already thankful we are embarking out of Rome and disembarking in Venice! Thank you for taking us along! Jane

i am excited to know which block you got!!! i am calling shenanigans already

I meant to mention this last week and forgot... I posted a picture of something on that other forum and it happened to have the cup clip in it. Someone asked about the cup clip so I of course gave them some info and said this brilliant poster over at RCB recommended it and a bunch of us ordered them. At least 3 people responded that they were placing a Bezos order. You really do deserve a commission!

I have noticed with celebrity they do a starting bid at the 90 day mark and then do a “special price” around the 60 day mark for a lower price on some sailings. The special price is how we got our last 3 move up bids.

Thanks for sharing @themillennialcruiser. I'm following along with interest as I am looking to do a similar itinerary next year if I can make the dates work for us. I agree the whole Ravenna thing is a royal PITA.

I am SOOO excited to read your blog. We have besties in California that I finally convinced to sail with me on Navigator in March 2025 for the 4 day cruise. It will put me just short of reaching diamond on my Alaska cruise in July 2025 and get me another national parks stamp (I think!). I have been so trying to get on a ship with lime and coconut, an escape room (does it still exist?), and a bamboo room. Can’t wait to read your blog and see your pics! Jane

I have a feeling I will really like X. The main problem will be no wave (Hubby), and no C&A points

I feel like I will spend a lot of my time here, especially if they have pistachio biscottis.

one of you DM me what this means with some creative asterisk pls bc i am not about to look it up

Recently we’ve been getting an email with the attached bill either the same day we disembark or the next day. We haven’t had a paper bill in quite some time.

Ahahaha I was THIIIINKING Gang but we’re clearly more of a Bezos Camaraderie Group.

LETS HEAR IT FOR THE CUP CLIP!!!!!!!!!! CUP CLIP GROUP FOR LIFE!!!!

July 13, 2025 - Symphony of the Seas out of Bayonne. Joining #TeamDeck17 for the first time.

I have no idea why our MoveUp bid was so crazy high like that. I even check back day after day to see if they made a mistake, but hope. It's still thousands higher to bid. Crazy

I would purchase it for two reasons. 1. All of the things mentioned by @Geezer of the Seas. 2. Purchasing an annual policy makes sense if you travel more than a couple times per year. Since I do this, it will cover trips to Canada & New England. In fact, it covers any trip more than 100 miles from my house. Heck, that means I'm covered just going to the other side of Houston!

Yes I would. When starting this cruise thing 2 years ago, there was much I didn't know. Medical insurance was top of the list. We both have traditional Medicare with a supplement plan. While we're in the continental US ,Hawaii (or most but not all US territories) we're covered. Canada, generally not, except for some very exceptional circumstances I found reading the Medicare website. Onboard in international waters, no coverage. Our supplement plan provides a lifetime maximum international medical coverage benefit of $80K (which is secondary payee to any other insurance coverage). This would b primary absent any other coverage. A travel expense we can't live without.

Congratulations on school ending. We have until June 7th. Then I am off on a cruise. I taught an extra class, so we will be going on Utopia in July. Thank you Chicago Public Schools. Have fun on your cruise. I will be following. I am thinking about this cruise in 2026.

Thank you so much for your blog! I've been chomping at the bit to get on my cruise in a week, and this kept me sane! I am so tempted to try and Gamble now...I just need someone to show me the way to prime! Hope you had fun along the way, and thanks!!! Jane

I'm usually ok, but Jeff can get a little seasick. I was soooooo excited to win that bid for sure!!! My first one . Jane

I know i probably wasn't supposed to, but i literally LOL'd at this!

I just have to say, i am bookmarking your blog for when we ever get to Europe again. Great tips and so detailed. Thank you! Also, i see Eva as alerting Interpol about her 2 missing headsets .....

I was watching @Bill OH on the Port Canaveral webcam for sailaway and posted a screenshot on that other blog. Since I’m here now and found Bill’s roll call thread I figured I’d post it here as well. It sure looked like you had a beautiful sailaway. http://www.portcanaveralwebcam.com

Thanks for the heads up, I saved a heap on our Thanksgiving week cruise on Icon. Great discounts on transfers, shore excursions, etc.

You'll have a card in your room that gets you started and from there it's self-explanatory.

Read/seen this story on multiple media outlets. So tired of suggestion/implication the cruise line (whoever it may be) is the villain. Rank amateur, but reading the cruise ticket contract answers a lot of questions; sorta like learning about travel advisories issued by the US State Department. Just think of all those folks in Turks & Caicos with 'bullet problems'. Sure, it seems extreme, but it's THEIR laws and as a guest in any of these nations, I'll abide by them.

I heard some people talking today that they were walking around the ship offering it for 50% off a few hours before dinner. Obviously just word of mouth but wouldn’t be surprised, they’ve been offering speciality dining at all 5 meals we have had so far this sailing.

Yes, i think the coffee is better than RCCL! They offer milk alternatives including soy, almond, oat, etc. They have stevia offered in Cafe al baccio + blu, main dining. And the pastries include a selection of muffins, danish, and croissant with GF options. Cafe al baccio also offers a sit down service ceramic coffee cups and biscotti

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

Nope. Not an option.

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

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.

once again, i am thankful for your knowledge!!!!

Who else is sailing the week after July 4th? Hoping for a great cruise, our first one out of California.

Re: I looked up incognito because I didn't want them recommending anything like that for me.

Not until you get up into the highest level suites and even THOSE are sometimes hard as a rock. I will say this - we just sailed on Wonder in an average balcony and that was the most comfortable mattress I have EVER slept on, on a ship and that includes the Star Class rooms that we have had ! That mattress on Wonder was nearly as comfortable as my [very expensive] mattress at home. Royal made an enormous mattress buy a number of years ago and replaced a huge number of their mattresses. Whoever made that purchase should be required to sleep on one of those torture devices EVERY night for the rest of their lives. I think perhaps those awful mattresses are being replaced with "better" ones since Royal got such an earful over those awful mattresses.

It occurred to me on the Icon Inaugural that not one staff member even mentioned the survey once to us.

Insane sunset , did I mention how much I love cruising? You either know or you don’t. Seems insane to me that there are people you couldn’t convince to step on a ship.