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Stray observation: I'm sitting by the Snack Shack on South Beach. A man just walked by me with a tattoo that had a shark on it with the international no sign going through it. I thought, that's perfect for the Caribbean, now the sharks know who to avoid. Also, drunk pairs ping pong is hysterical to watch. It's only 12pm!

I went back to Vitality Cafe to stock up on granola bars. Same woman was working from yesterday. When I commented on how much I loved the granola bars she gave me yesterday, she gave me this entire box and told me to enjoy.

Hit the casino for my $4 in free play. The non-smoking casino was basically vacant except for one lady, so I was glad for that. I made a whole 75¢, which I then promptly lost and had 65¢ left. Cashed out and handed my certificate to the lady in there, noting that it wasn't much but if she could use it she was welcome to it. And that is my 5 minutes in the casino for the entire cruise.

Definitely not expecting to see a visitor like this on the cruise ships. Don't jump, sir! (I also just noticed the donut on the couch. I'm stockpiling...)

When your stockpile spills over to the couch, you may have crossed over into "hoarding" territory. I don't think Allure has them, but there's a grab n go section in Park Cafe on Wonder with wraps and sandwiches that come in plastic to-go containers with snap down lids. I would always get two wraps (you know how small they are) and combine them in one container and use the other one for my stockpile of items that don't do well in ziplocs.

Photos from out and about the ship. Rising Tides bar (Deck 5) Vitality Spa & Sauna (Deck 6) Torture Chamber, found in Vitality Spa & Sauna (Deck 6) Promenade on embarkation day (Decks 4 thru 6) Central Park (Deck 8 ) Main Dining Room (Deck 3) Noodle maker, Giovanni's Table in Central Park (Deck 8 ) Helipad, though inaccessible on Oasis-class ships (Deck 6, I think) Entertainment on the Promenade. They were fantastic! (Decks 5 & 6) Boardwalk (Deck 6) Aqua Theater (Deck 6) Zoltar, who can tell your fortune (Deck 6) My daughters' favorite friend on board, located just outside Cups & Scoops on the Boardwalk (Deck 6) Not on board, but Allure and Utopia in Nassau today. Boleros (Deck 5) On Air Club (Deck 5) Royal Promenade at night (Deck 5)

I just sailed another cruise line and something I found pretty useful was the ability to purchase OBC and add it my account. I basically bought $25-50 a week of OBC for the few months leading up to the cruise, then when we got on board we had $500 toward our onboard purchases (basically covering the packages we bought on board). Yes, it's still the same amount of money- but doing it in little bits instead of just dumping $500 into the package or charging it to the credit card the same day we cruised made it feel MUCH less painful, almost like it was gifted. Is the only way to do this with RC by buying the digital gift cards and redeeming them on the ship? I don't think there is a way to buy actual OBC, but at least with the new GC rules, I can save a bunch up and apply them to my onboard account, correct?

As seen on Facebook today..... Don't do this unless you want to make good friends with the medical staff.

But would you look at those prices.......ouch I'll stick to the free beach at Coco Cay

Taking the prices from ridiculous down to unreasonable, IMO. But for people who like to spend their money on such things, every little bit helps.

Not sure WHAT they do here, I assume some brows or lip stuff...but it looks way too much like a dentists office for me to feel relaxed. Also, here I am thinking the crew gets a break during dry dock...silly me.

My travel agent checked my cruises for the above months. The prices went down. Saved $300 for the casino.

5 days to go My living room is currently a mess. Because of the extra day in NOLA, I now need to pack a few more items and configure things. So packing cubes, and loose clothing are scattered across the room. Also, the weather forecast has improved dramatically across the board. It will be close to 90s in NOLA and almost the same when we leave Chicago. It will be high 50s/low 60s in the ports with light and regular rain. Instead of the storms and high 40s I had previously saw. But who knows, I am packing in a way to be prepared for any eventuality. A week ago, I received an email from Royal asking me to tell them about my upcoming travels. I took the survey and at the end they asked if I would mind taking others. I said yes and then a couple days ago I got an email asking if I would do a digital diary for OBC. I said sure and was selected. Because I don't know whether I can say more, I won't go into details until I have all the information. The app has populated a lot of the activities, and I added a few to my calendar. It looks like the puzzle break will have some space when you board. It also seems like the bumper cars have a theme. I plan to go on 70s night. The vintages continue to tell my mother and not me their plans. So far Robin has 3 checked bags, a carry-on and two purses/totes. MB has two checked bags (one is apparently all shoes ), a carry-on and a purse/tote. I didn't know what to say when my mother told me this. They coordinated with each other on themes: my mother said MB told her they brought about 5, out of the 10 new outfits purchased for the cruise, the same. Just in different colors. So, they will have the same dress on for formal/dress your best night. I don't understand any of this, but I am prepared to be entertained. Current plans over the next 2-3 days are self-care and to finish packing. I doubt I will have too much downtime, so the books are two biographies this time: Elvira and Pamela Anderson.

I know there is more than one snack shack, but I only ever go to the one by Oasis Lagoon. How was the humidity for you? Also I once saw drunk billiards at PDCC and almost expired from laughter. But my true favorite is the people who come up to snack shack or the buffet and ask how much the food cost

The easiest way I tell people to find it is to take the path to Oasis Lagoon and find the bridge that goes over the pool towards the dry side of the swim up bar. That path behind the bar area goes right to the Snack Shack behind Oasis Lagoon. You'll also find the soccer style billiards setup over there.

Lunch. It's the only reason I got off the ship - to go to the Snack Shack. Incidentally, I can never find the Snack Shack that is on the map that is not on South Beach. Every time, I wind up at South Beach! It's kind of frustrating, but at least I know where that is. Secret sandwich, fries, cookie, fresh pineapple, and a hungry seagull watching me. Picked up a funnel cake and brought it back to the ship with me. I really loved seeing the Sandcastle decked out for the ultimate world cruise. That was kind of a fun take on it. And now some stray pictures that I took in my 1+ hour of sweaty sweaty madness on PDCC.

ah PDCC shenanigans. i can’t wait for for a full report that was a great tip from @OCSC Mike about the containers; i remember when we got on symphony and park cafe was grab and go for more than we’d ever seen on the previous oasis ships so i will be trying that out next time.

I'm gonna walk through Chops and Gio's as soon as I see someone leaving and swipe the fat and veggies they left behind on the plate. Specialty dining fees... not this guy!

Yes! I always bring two sizes of tupperware type containers for my desserts to save as snax in the cabin. I also bring several ziplock bags (Gallon and Sandwich) that come in handy. I put my ice in the gallon bag in the cooler and swap it out every day because it doesn't stay very cold.

Someone in the dining forum mentioned that they bring tupperware-type containers. I didn't want to pack extra stuff but their post inspired the idea. It was a game changer for certain items like iced/frosted desserts or pastries where the top touching the ziploc kinda makes a mess. Of course I'm not so wasteful that I was tossing the wraps just to get the containers; I like having something besides chips, cookies, pastries to snack on (when I'm too lazy to go get them of course).

I believe they offer teeth whitening onboard......hence the disturbing chair I also think many of the crew are probably happing to be working during the drydock, it keeps money in their pockets. I remember during the restart talking to crew, I was doing mostly solo trips then, and they always expressed how they love having people onboard but still appreciated being able to earn money if there wasn't.

Rocking ship plus dental work- what could go wrong!

Agreed! I hope that they enclose Playmakers when they put it in. It could definitely be brutal if it was super hot outside.

Ocean Aria! While I did see it last summer, it was still just as exciting and worth my time. I chose a seat kind of towards the back in the very middle - this will be key here in a moment. I just went straight there after my dinner, so when they opened up the seating at 7:25, I was among the first to grab a seat. Seat. The seat I chose was kind of under the overhang above Allure, and so I was just browsing on my phone. About 7:45, I noticed that it was starting to sprinkle just a teeny bit and began to wonder if the show was going to happen. That was about the time that they opened up the will call line, so the show went from being 2/3 full to completely full in about 5 minutes. At about 7:55, as the the comedy act began, it started to rain some more. Being under the overhang, I really wasn't noticing much except a few sprinkles on me. Just as the show started at 8:00, the sky's opened up and it POURED. The show was just getting started and I see these massive droves of people getting up and leaving the show in front of me. I turned to the woman next to me and asked her if there was something going on that I wasn't noticing? She said that we were under the overhang, so we weren't feeling the full effects of the rain that was coming down, unlike the people in front of us. All those people ended up standing in the back where it was dry to watch the show until the rain let up, and then most of them came back to their seats. The show itself was about 40 minutes in length. Definitely recommended, just don't sit where it's going to rain. (the video at the end was trying to show how much rain was coming down when the show started. I don't know how successful it was, and it's probably going to be loud) PXL_20240911_000445121.TS.mp4

I booked my January Mariner cruise for a JRS on 8/23 which included $75 OBC and noticed the next day it was $70 less so I called and rebooked. Two weeks later the price jumped a little but the OBC increased to $275 so I rebooked again and saved another $120 so I saved $190 in a two week span. Definitely pays to keep an eye on the prices!

I discovered the granola bars last year when going to try a smoothie. Big fan, they're realllly good!

I check several times a week & have gotten $1400 in price drops and $100 in OBC on our March cruise. Checking frequently is a no brainer to me. It only takes a few minutes and could lead to substantial savings.

I seem to recall seeing a Diamond + discount before on certain items but today is the first time I ever recall seeing a C&A discount. Today it just seems to be on the cabanas. ...and so on. There are C&A discounts on all of the cabanas for this sailing. Frankly, still not particularly good sales....but sales, nonetheless.

Dinner in the MDR. I really enjoy Caribbean night because they always have chicken korma. The Asian bao tacos are also a favorite. Then, blueberry cobbler and pineapple sunshine cake. I got a photo of my roll just for @Ampurp85 . One fun note: My server asked me if I have been on Allure recently. I said that I had been on it last summer with my daughters. He then turned around and asked me if I recognized this server? And it was our server from last summer! I swear, the wait stuff in the MDR have photographic memories!!!! So good to see our past waiter again, so glad to hear he's going off contract in 23 days.

I use...an envelope next to my nightstand. About 6-8 months before I sail, every Friday whatever cash I have leftover in my wallet I put in the envelope. The interest rate is terrible, but the hours are terrific.

Ahhhh....we saw the guy working on this when we were there on Sept 6. It did not occur to me that it was intended for the UWC folks. I will have to show Dan. We sat and watched him for a while. Very impressive work.

I was on Galveston this morning. Seas were rough and there were a few fools trying to surf. Otherwise, things were pretty normal there.

I'll post a map with marked directions next time if you want. Our spot by the pool is strategically located between DJ iPod, the Snack Shack you can't find, and Chill Grill.

I'm with @Ampurp85, your beard is AMAZING. I appreciate the photos too!

Just a teaser to get you to spend more money haha.

I love that the glass is on the sanitizer dispenser....seems so... appropriate?

Genius!!

That would be from the same type person that would eat a half-eaten doughnut from the top of the receptacle. Seinfeld reference

I have been to several of their parades. It was like a family outing when I was growing up.

We'll be there on a back to back beginning the 13th.

Docking at Navy Yard gives you opportunities whether to stroll around there, right at pier you can hop on shuttles that are $7 each way to Horse shoe Bay or go to tourist booth at pier and can buy token for ferry over to Hamilton or bus. Also there is a board right as you start walking pier( little shack) by where all boats are lined up that list available activities able to book that day with times. Bus pick up is right by clock tower. Shuttles to Horse shoe Bay for pick up is same as drop off right at entrance. Never an issue. Shuttles line up and constantly running usually up til 5 pm headed back to pier. Bermuda has friendly and easy transportation options. There is even a sign at pier that lists prices for taxis to popular locations. It's a set amount. No need to book excursion thru ship, many options that are good and much cheaper are easily available. Enjoy Bermuda

Overheard: because Sabor was so slow, one of the servers was talking to another couple about the dry dock coming up in 2025. He said that he will still be on at that point, but once they reach Barcelona, they will go from having 2200 crew on board to 1500. The 1500 on board for the 45 days they are in dry dock will be helping the 200? 2,000? contractors with the amplification. The crew on board will be helping the contractors by moving things, packing things up, etc. He actually said he's looking forward to the transatlantic because the crowd on board tends to be much calmer.

Dinner at Sabor. I must just be hitting servers that don't want to actually serve me. While everything was good, I did order the yucca barrel fries and they never came out. Whatever, I guess. Chips, salsa, queso fundido, margarita, chicken/bacon/jalapeño appetizer, chicken tinga flautas, steak, and something con leche. If anybody wants to know what to get me for my birthday, get me about 100 of those chicken appetizer items and the con leche dessert. This restaurant is so not busy. I'm sitting here at almost 7:00 p.m. and the restaurant has about four tables in use. It is definitely not air-conditioned, but it's not terrible after the rain either. While I love the food, I kind of understand why RC would want to change it because it's probably not much of money maker at this point. Missing my dang fries.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2024/04/03/review-is-royal-caribbean-playmakers-owners-box-worth-it Here is what our amazing Admin Matt had to say about this VIP box.

A few pics..starting with the cabin and the hallway right outside with the glass wall, a few of the ship areas, Liberty of the seas we met up with in Halifax, and a couple of me with some of the Love boat cast and the bar from Fenway park that got added to the post by accident, lol

Was just in a GS (1278) on Indy a few weeks ago. Didn't hear a thing from the pool deck.

We tried it on our early August sailing. We viewed it as an experience to try and not as a special dining occasion. The food was good as was the show and virtual tour. Would I do it again? Maybe when they bring other shows and meals, I wouldn’t do this experience again. We paid $74.99 and were okay with that price. We weren’t able to reserve through the cruise planner and booked it as soon as we boarded. That’s my 2 cents.

Love those things! Similar experience for us on Allure last October. Felt bad for our server but she was super nice... and had plenty of time to chat since there wasn't much else for her to do until a large party finally arrived near the end of our meal. I'm a big fan of Playmakers but wish they could co-exist.

Right? I've never heard people commenting on the quality of things at Vitality Cafe, so I wanted to check it out. Those granola bars are the bomb. I may have to stockpile those with the chips from Park Cafe. EDIT: The bottom is coated in a really thick layer of chocolate, if that helps.