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Currently sitting on the tarmac in Miami waiting for our gate. Food and service was excellent, the seat was massive and comfy, and I'm ready to be in a hotel room for SLEEP. CRUISE DAY IS COMING.

Giovanni's Table for lunch. Appetizer: free bread, then cheese & meat board Entrees: Eggplant Parmesan & wild mushroom risotto Dessert: cannoli Drink: prosecco I was actually surprised at how busy it was in there at noon for lunch. It was almost loud on the other side of the restaurant, but thankfully I was over near where the servers were coming in and out so it was nice and quiet. The free bread was the free bread, it wasn't amazing but it wasn't terrible. The cheese and meat platter was good but I didn't want to fill up too much on that (the pickled veggies, though, were SPECTACULAR with a touch of spicy). I honestly expected to like the risotto more than the eggplant parmesan, but it turns out the eggplant was so much better. I'm glad I ordered it based off of some suggestions on here. Nothing wrong with the risotto, it's just that the eggplant was amazing. The cannoli was delicious too. Pleasantly stuffed but not feeling like I'm going to be sick now from overeating.

First snack on board - Park Cafe. Tuna sandwich, apple pound cake, chips!!!!, and water. I consider it priming for Giovanni's here in just a little bit. Apologies for hulking out to the napkins when I was getting them.

Hey guys, so I'm two days back from my first Princess cruise, I'll post a little comparison, and maybe some pics (I have a full on daily blog on the other place if you wanna see lots of pics and details). Embarkment in Brooklyn: Luggage drop off was smooth, got dropped off at the front door, porter took out big bag and we walked right into the terminal. Princess has no check in time, they just send you a boarding pass that says "1030-2pm" SO we got there right at 10:30. We had something called green lane, meaning we completed all check in info AND got our medallion sent to us ahead of time. This meant NOTHING for the security check- waited a good 25-30 minutes to get to the xrays, but after that we walked right up to the check in agent, scanned our medallion and went to the waiting area...on our way, they noticed I had the "Elite" color medallion and swept us into the Elite lounge (I'll admit it was a bit awkward being on my first cruise, but being treated like a Pinnacle cruiser) Ship: the ship was BEATIFUL. Shiny, still very new (only sailing like 2 full years), and big. I'd say it was about the size of a Freedom class ship- just about 4000 passengers. Room: We had an OV Balcony, the cool thing about our cabin is that we were on the pool deck, and right outside our room was the adult pool area- instead of a wall, there was an all glass wall that went the length of the hall that you could see out into the pool area, but it was a one way glass, so they couldn't see in. It was nice to walk out the room and get natural sunlight for the whole length of the walkway. We did have a TINY bathroom, and the showers have curtains! Shows: all amazing. A few great comedians, and the production shows were all VERY good. They constantly had activities going on, as well. Trivia, movies at the pool, games and contests in the main Piazza area as well as live music almost constantly in the Piazza (the 3 deck, open promenade) OH it was the Love Boat cruise, so the cast of the show were constantly out and about, saw them everywhere- eating, on the tenders to shore, just walking around... very approachable. I got pics with "Isaac" and "Doc" from the show. We also had a performance from the band Air Supply which was fun. Food: The food itself was all pretty good. Lots available at all times, pizza, burgers, fries, fingers, and hot dogs all available until late night at the pool deck as well as their version of the Promenade cafe open 24 hours for sandwiches and desserts. Buffet was open a majority of the day as well, although I though the setup was really confusing...lots of walking around to get what you need. Grabbed a burger? cool... now walk three aisles over for that slice of cheese. Condiments were few and far between. But my only REAL negative on the food was the MDR. They did a reservation based system, so we reserved the same dining room, every night for the same time. The first two nights we waited over 30 minutes for a table, even with the reservation. We gave up after night two and just ate at the various casual restaurants (fancy pizza place, irish pub grub and buffet) Apparently they are switching to a set dining AND reservation based dining this month, so maybe a set early\late dining time will work better. The shops were pretty lame, too- the logo shop had like 2-3 shirts, model ships and a few mugs. No ornaments, not shirts with the logo on it..so I didn't end up with anything other than a tiny ship keychain that I'll convert to an ornament. Overall, the cruise was great- the staff was AMAZING, so nice and tons of fun. Food was good, room was nice, and we had a great, relaxing time. We did not bring our 12yo son, and I think that worked out- we saw about 3-4 kids his age and a few slightly older, but that was about it. The medallion system was great, too- no touch door unlocking, order food or drinks anywhere on the ship and they find you. VERY cool. Anyway, I'll post a few ship pics shortly....

...and for me...I have to have something on my stomach before I take the mountain of supplements that I take every morning. Otherwise, the supplements go into full, all-out war and my stomach is the [intended] victim.

THOSE ARE THE BEST GUMMIES IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!!!! i like to bite their heads off for stress relief

OMG I found a naked man in Central Park! (In his defense, he had teenie weenie swim bikini bottoms on with his socks and shoes)

Lyft driver was early and fabulous. Traffic was shocking in the port - it's no wonder Uber/Lyft drivers cancel like crazy. Waiting to board! There's nothing like the feeling of getting to the port to board.

7 days to go We have decided to extend our NOLA adventure by one more day. We will now depart on Friday after 3pm. That now means we get a whole extra day of eating, which my brother is super excited for. At 2pm on Tues I will be officially done with work until the 29th, my brother can't officially clock out until Fri at 10am after his last meeting. Since I will be done a bit earlier than expected, I have booked a sauna at the new gym/spa they put in my neighborhood. I used to do this all the time when I did international vacations because usually, I am doing a ton of activities and excursions. I have been eating pretty healthy, so I am excited for the food and drinks. Saunas help me shore up physical and mental energy, which I think I will need a lot of for this cruise . The vintages continue to do the most. They have decided to book a limo to take them to the airport, so they can sit in wheelchairs . This limo is $175. For reference we catch a Lyft to the airport, and it is usually $30-35 with tip. I am sure you know where I am going with this. The vintages expect us to use the limo and pay $75.......... as it stands, they will only pick up from one location and we would have to take a Lyft to one of their houses. Not happening. Why would we pay almost 3x the amount???? I informed them that an Uber/Lyft Black would still be a cheaper option. I should point out that some limo services use big, sleek black SUVs anyway. We had this same conversation last cruise, and they still acted brand new. But now they are vacillating about which to use.......either way we aren't riding with them. My brother and I are sharing a checked bag and my half was packed. But with the extra day added, I will change out some outfits and add the extra's I need. The airline has sent me a couple of emails asking to preorder snacks and Wi-Fi. With T-Mobile I get in-flight Wi-Fi on Alaska, so I am disregarding them........also the snacks are expensive and leave a lot to be desired. I will get my DD munchkins and call it a day . My brother went to the bank and apparently was confused and got $100 in singles and $100 in quarters because I said to get change. I will take the quarters back and get $5s. The lens wipes and trouser socks arrived from Bezos on yesterday so I can get my carry-on packed early this week. After work today I will do my vitamin and supplements, I am bringing extra Emergen-C. I will print ss passes and luggage tags on Thurs after I complete my last load of laundry. I will also be dropping my fur baby off with her babysitter for the next couple of weeks, my grandmother, who always request her early. But also, that means I can clean and repack without all of her "help" .

I get hangry, so I NEED something in my belly before boarding. If, by chance, there is a crowd, a delay, an issue or any kind at the terminal AND I am hungry...forget it, my first day is ruined. So I always grab a little something at the hotel breakfast, if available, or run to McD's for a McGriddle to hold me over until I'm successfully on board.

Compared to the days I work from home, my standard attire during the day on cruises IS dressed up.

I'm safe!

It's great weather in Philadelphia. 1st class snacks are amazing too.

@OCSC Mike and @Ampurp85, I went back down to Park Cafe and asked what all of my chip options were. The people working said that they only had two choices at this point, so I took both. Stockpiling.

OK, fine, I'll stand alone as the starve yourself before a cruise guy. Whatever works...

Hotel photos

Believe me, it's very inadequate compared to what's on the ship, but since all I have right now on my person is a protein bar and twizzlers, I'm glad this place had breakfast.

GOOD MORNING, MIAMI, IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First class! 1F, which isn't ideal, but FIRST CLASS!!!! Everybody is still boarding and they've already served us drinks. Bonus- my bags made it onto this flight! Philadelphia bound, then MIAMI.

Fast forward to iPhone 15 pro max in 2024. I have actually used this phone I am currently typing with as a paddle to swim in St Maartin. I took this picture (no case). Alien technology perfected.

I do think there are valid reasons for TAs to charge- as the commission structures work, we only get paid if you travel. So if you cancel we do not get paid. Royal does not pay commission on change fees, cancellation fees, shore excursions, beverage packages, etc. Only the base fare gets commission. So sometimes it is a ton of work for less money. However that is the nature of the job and the structure at MEI is currently (and no plans to change) no fees. Sometimes I do wish I could charge for my time! But I just get the flat percentage and that's how it works.

I was so happy to see them in Park Cafe! They were behind the station where they're making roast beef sandwiches, I had to ask for them. THE POUND CAKE WAS AMAZING.

Wait those chips are available? The cheddar and sour cream ruffles are my brother's favorite chip ever. Also, I actually really enjoy that apple poundcake, it's the second best tasting one behind the pistachio.

I've got a 12:00 reservation at Giovanni's, so I'm not too worried about being hungry for too long.

Once upon a time, we had a travel agent from a local travel agency who we used for our honeymoon, anniversary trip, and first Royal cruise. Nothing went wrong so there were no complaints. Service was okay but questionable at times. Then Covid hit, and all of the sudden, there were consultation fees (for putting together a quote), cancellation fees, and change fees (for changing cabins, dates, or re-pricing). For two of us, we had to pay a $300 cancellation fee for our Covid-canceled cruise of 2021 (which was clearly not our fault). We left that travel agency and switched to MEI-Travel. We are much happier with the service and no-fee structure with MEI. Shoutout to Daniel Wanderman at MEI for being an awesome TA!

Famous Proverb: Only guest who boards ship with empty stomach may fully enjoy embarkation day. -OCSC Mike (who was quoted in a crappy online cruise food article so he must be a reliable source)

Backing up - this hotel is just fine for one night. It's Tru by Hilton - Miami West Brickell. One of the things I love is that it seems to be located more in a neighborhood versus in the city. Literally just sitting here having breakfast this morning (free/included), I just saw a school bus making its rounds. One weird thing is that there doesn't seem to be a closet in the room, just kind of a hanging hook area for the things that you would like to hang up. However, staying up near the top of this eight-story building, it was quiet as a pin last night. Caveat: I'm exhausted, so maybe an atomic bomb went off last night, but I didn't notice. I had Hilton Honors points to use, so I don't know if I would stay here again if I had to pay full price. Nonetheless, perfectly fine pre-cruise stay.

I can see my house.... well, the general area of my house... BUT you can see the USS United states which is finally about to be moved after years of sitting there, rotting away.

No you just had to take a picture of the answer in the casino. 1. Coin 2. deck of cards 3. chips (should of had fun and taken a picture of potato chips) 4. Dragon. The photos I used.

Hooked and all the upcharge restaurants.

PHL is not laid out in any semblance of normal (to me). Why is 25 so far from 22 but right by 32????? On my next flight. Miami bound!

Say hi to the cheesesteaks and pretzels for me (and @ScottD). Safe flights!

In a pinch, Twizzlers can be an adequate breakfast .

absolutely...if I wanted to dress up i'd stay at work

This again?!?

We saw the Haribo factory in Wisconsin when we were driving through there this summer.

My wife will only eat Haribo. When her class parents ignore that part from her "favorite snacks" list and get another brand, they go to me of course and I really like those too. They are squishier with more flavors, IIRC.

I got hit for 50 bucks for towels last month, took me almost 3 weeks to get the refund ( I turned them into GS the last night and they said they would take care of it= but it took an email a week after returning to actually get the refund moving). I will say, I hate that they do the towel check out thing, I just got of Princess and it was so nice to just have towel stations every where that you could just grab a towel from, drop wet ones in the bin and keep going- no scanning, no waiting... and NO charging!

Thanks, Ashley. It seems like all of the ships have different rules. I just wanted to be sure. Hooked is the only one that will affect us. We’ll do Hooked on the first leg with the UDP. Big help !

LOL that's exactly what I did!!!! Gummy bears are definitely along my favorite snacks.

They really are, they also taste the best no matter what flavor. I always bring some on a cruise, never enough but some

True story. Love oking forward to it. Not quite Port Saint Lucie...the cape will have to do, lol. Really looking forward to being able to use those prime freebie cruises.

Have a great last leg of your flight!

I also came in 9th on the free slot tournament. $100 in free play.

YES!!!!

Showed up at the airport, checked in, dropped off my luggage, went through security, and as I got to the concourse, I get a notification that my flight to Chicago is delayed by 3 hours. That means that flight was going to leave an hour after my flight in Chicago is supposed to leave for Miami. That's not going to work. As I was speaking to the American representative in the airport, I got rebooked. Thankfully, still getting into Miami tonight, now I'm just concerned that my bags get transferred over to the correct flights. I'm really glad that an American has a great functioning baggage tracking thing in the app, and they did take all the information to make sure that the bag gets pulled from the other flight. It's actually situations like this that make me really glad that I make my bags highly ugly and identifiable! So, I'm leaving Cincinnati a half hour after I thought I was going to, but I'm still going to get into Miami at about the same time that I initially was supposed to. Fingers crossed that everything goes the way it's supposed to. Must be a football game going on or something.

YEP!! This guy included... I do try to throw a pair of khakis or dark jeans in the bag for Formal night, but 5-6 nights, I'm showing off my pasty whites!

Well sadly the trip has come to an end. It was just amazing. We got up and grabbed a last breakfast in WJ around 7:20. Then of course the wife still had 2 punches on her coffee card so had to grab another coffee from Pearl Cafe before we left. Line to get off ship was minimal at 8:30. We grabbed a porter to help with our luggage and breezed through customs. Our shuttle I had told probably around 9 and they got there just a couple mins before 9. Traffic to FLL wasn’t too bad. About 30 minutes and now sitting at gate. Luckily we weren’t heading to Miami as there was a really bad accident we passed and traffic was a disaster going that way. Our flight is at 11:30 so hopefully no delays and we can get back home. I know have 2 free casino certificates from the 2 cruises this last 3 weeks so will need to figure out how I plan to use those.

That’s old fashioned thinking. I have an high school diploma and a smidge over 4 decades in supermarkets (I started at 13). My retail career (along with my hs educated wife who has a work from home job she’s been in for 25+ years) allowed us to raise three kids and live wonderful, debt free lives. To keep it cruise related, we cruise multiple times a year. While I do agree that retail has become absolutely horrible over the past 4-5 years, staying in school has nothing to do with working it. Full disclosure, I hit my breaking point a month ago and jumped ship. I parlayed my hobby of 25+ years into a better paying job….all with my high school education. The pandemic changed the rules of retail and I’m tired of playing.

If your kids show up in polos and khaki shorts, they'll be amongst the most dapper kids there.