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So we lined up in the GenPop walk-off lane. Got there about 6:30 and there were already a LOT of people in line...I'm gonna guess there were 100 folks ahead of us. The line ran through the Deck 5 MDR which is what I had expected. I was able to sit, so I was happy. We started moving about 7:30 and we were outside waiting for our neighbor to pick us up at 7:50. Very smooth disembark. I have no idea how/when the Suites/Pinnacles disembarked but I saw some of them when I got outside so I know they got off ahead of us. Hopefully their disembark was smooth like ours. Our neighbor got caught up in an accident on 95S so he was a few minutes late picking us up....but we were still home by 10AM. I already have the wash started and everything is unpacked. Ready to start repacking for Freedom on Oct 27. Glad to be home sweet home.

Its like I fell of the ship..lol Halloween night was better than I dreaded..got way more compliments than I expected! The big hit was definitely the parrot..most asked question of the night: “Does he talk?” A group of witches even wanted a photo with “Captain Morgan.” lol Trisha goes, “We should pimp you out,” and I just stared at her like… really? Your not gonna get much.. Lots of great costumes, way more than I thought we’d see. First time this week doing the MDR for lobster night and one of my favorites, the tortelli. Got plenty of “arrrrghs” coming and going.. A little rough ride back to NJ, they had to close the pools, but we had sunny skies all the way..cabin creaked like a haunted house..but it put us to sleep..the poor crew were freezing, they should definitely move Symp south sooner, they have one more week than transfer.The solarium is useless in cold weather.. got see a lot of dolphins swimming along.. We had our debark breakfast..filet and eggs in the MDR — absolute perfection. The perfect “goodbye cruise, hello reality” meal. Walked right off around 9ish, on the road by 9:20… smooth as butter. The parking was seamless with the app..I actually prefer the lot over the garage. No elevators, no drama Sunday city driving was a dream..streets empty, lights green — made it out to LI with time to spare for our favorite deli stop before the party. Trisha was in heaven with her rare roast beef on rye, butter, salt & pepper, of course. Classic for her.. Nobody even blinked at the party about our sun-drenched faces… My mom’s side is totally anti-cruise, so we just “mum” the word and smile. It was my dad’s side.. the cruise-loving bunch..who got us hooked. He passed in 2019, but he’s the one who first introduced Trisha and I to cruising back when we were dating. We try to keep the tradition afloat…literally! Today we head over to Mt. Sinai Hosp. for some yearly routine tests and head home… Thanks for tagging along on the adventure! I appreciate all the comments Next up: Celebrity Silhouette and Eclipse out of FLL in November. Haven’t been on Celebrity since the Summit in 2001..should be interesting. I’m expecting fewer Yutes…and hopefully fewer arrrrghs

Last meal onboard ! We went to Chops. Dan had tuna tartare and Lamb Chops. I had mushroom soup and spicy shrimp. Of course, I forgot to take a picture of Dans tuna tartare but managed to grab a pic before he began gnawing on the lamb chops. We were both too full for any dessert so we wisely stopped after the main courses were decimated. Dan said his chops were good. My shrimp was a bit odd…very orange (as you can see) with absolute NO spiciness at all. There are usually little flakes of red pepper in there. Nuttin’ on these tonite but I finished them. Now we’re both miserably full. I dismissed myself from the table in a panic as I remembered that we had not retrieved our 2 complimentary photos. We almost never use that perk but we intentionally used it on this trip. Luckily the photo shop was still open when I rushed up. Photos have been secured ! I intend to scan those photos when I get home so I will upload them here once I’ve done that. We packed 90% of our $hit this afternoon so there’s little to do in the morning. Our process is usually to meet the Suites Concierges at some appointed place and time and walk off with the Suites/ Pinnacles but we’re going to do this on our own tomorrow just to see if the escort is really saving us any time or not. We generally find this process to be stressful b/c we’re never really sure exactly where to go. I think it’s just us… And there always seems to be general confusion about getting up to the scanner with GenPop snarling (just kidding) about the Entitled cutting in line. It’s just a bad system that needs to be overhauled. Either way, our ride won’t be outside to pick us up until 0800 so getting off first won’t really buy us anything tomorrow.

We were back in Galveston, off the ship and on the shuttle by 7:45am. Driving out of Galveston, there was a marathon on the south side of the causeway bridge, and a bike race on the north. Both caused lost lanes to drivers. We opted to skip breakfast on the ship, and stopped at Buccees about 30 minutes north. According to the FB group, there was a pretty bad multi car wreck sometime later that morning causing a delay for quite a few people getting home. We made it home around 1pm, and DH and I both had to start working. Only 193 days to the next cruise!

Here are a few more photos from Chachoben. If you want to take video, there is a $4 fee payable at the ticket office. They are still excavating the site, and found a structure just this year when doing some construction for improvements. Our guide and driver were both good, and the bus was clean with cold AC. We got back to the ship about 11:45 and relaxed for just a bit before going to our reserved ice skating session. DH has all those pictures on his phone. We grabbed a quick lunch at the Doghouse, and the buns were soft. The kids ate there several times this week. Probably more for convenience as it was next to Johnny Rockets and their milkshakes, but I was pleasantly surprised with the improvement. Dinner was Royal Night in the MDR. Vidalia Onion Tart, escargot, chicken marsala, and lobster. DD and I accidentally matched the decor on the ship. DH and I went to dance to the party band, and while the band was good, the set we heard was too fast to dance to.

We promised the kids breakfast in the WJ, and fortunately we were all up early so we beat the crowd. DH and I don't usually eat breakfast, but we decided it was the last day of the cruise so everyone stuffed themselves for the busy day ahead. After a LOT of coaxing, DS decided he wanted to take part in the 360 competition on the flowrider this afternoon, so I told him we needed to go over and see what was needed to sign up. When we got there we were told you have to be nominated by a lifeguard. So we ran back to the room to change as the morning session was starting in just 15 minutes. With very full bellies, DS qualified on his first run, and I qualified on my second. Names on the list, we returned to the room for a Tums. DD and DH went out galavanting after breakfast, so they had no idea of the struggle we had just endured. DS ran off to teen club with instructions to be back having eaten lunch (if he even wanted any) by 12:15 to get his swimsuit back on. I started packing - we were taking our own luggage off the ship, so there was no rush. The competition began at 1pm, and they lined us up in the order that our names were added to the list so we were at the back of the line with only one person after us. There were 13 competitors, and only one other adult in the group. I was the oldest and the only female that qualified. Besides the two of us in our 40s, every other competitor was between 8 and 14. With 12 spins I placed in the lower middle of the group (tied for 8th or 9th). When we added our names to the list we had to list a fun fact about ourselves which they announced during the competition - mine was that I was celebrating our anniversary, DS's was that his mom made him enter the competition. ...but it's a good thing I did, because guess who won with 25 spins! After the flowrider DS was off again to the teen club and the rest of us went to see Ron Lucas, a ventriloquist. The show was pretty good, and several people were seeing it for the second time. Then we got ready for dinner and made our final trip to the CL and MDR. The food in the CL was a step up this trip with some interesting offerings we had not seen before such as hoisin duck. There were only a couple of repeats throughout the week, and the quality was better than we have experienced in recent cruises. Dinner was lamb, turkey dinner, and salmon. We said goodbye to our waiter who has been with Royal since 1996! He was phenomenal and is headed to Star on his next contract. We did all the last minute things after dinner (select photos for our package, cash in casino tickets, etc.). Then we all completed our final pack, amd decided we were ready for our own beds.

If you buy 2 devices for one person there is one log in. Any two devices can be connected. If you buy one device for each person you will each have a separate log in. My husband and I always buy 2 devices for one person.

Thanks, Gail. It seems like a year since we boarded that flight for Seattle ! I’m sad to leave my [new] crew family, but will be glad to get home. We have a whole week to recover (during which I have the joy of a colonoscopy !). We board Freedom on 10-27 and go directly from Freedom (S2S) to Oasis for Dan’s Signature [group] cruise. Then, home 1 day and board Explorer for a S2S with Rhapsody - our first ever cruise on RH. So that’s another 26 sailing days in 27 calendar days ! OMG I don’t even want to think about it !

As much as we lose power here at home, I wouldn’t want a report every time.

Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to create your wonderful travel blog. You turned a maze of ports, transfers, ships, and little day-to-day decisions that accumulate over a long sailing like this into something clear and human. Every day was like traveling alongside a wise and funny guide who knows the value of curiosity. And you even added pictures! You made this trip a story worth reading. Bravo.

you’ll be breaking her in for us and our may trip next spring!! also those dolphins!!!

Different room, different reservations. So if you add stuff in the CP to your cabin, but not theirs, then only your cabin have those items.

Nonsense! This blog was beyond informative. I only learned from the OG blog mentors like you and Twangbot.

Good morning y’all! I’m currently on Adventure and we made a humanitarian stop to drop off supplies at Labadee today. Definitely closed up for the long haul. Just a few photos below from the stop, in case anyone is interested. And yes, it was a beautiful (but humid) morning, have a great day!

We have it listed on our Harmony Transatlantic for March 16th. Refreshment plus 10 Drinks for $40/day. This is the first time that it has been on any of our cruises. We are getting the Drink package this go round due to having so many sea days even though we have our 4 Diamond coupons. We will use them to buy our friends traveling with us since they don't drink much anyway. We originally had the refreshment package (they didn't have the new one yet), then the we got a Diamond and Above pricing for Beverage package that was $10.86 more a day than what we already paid for refreshment. So I jumped on that one.

I wonder if a similar pending replacement is why Navigator slides have been offline.

If the power goes out at your home for two minutes, do you get a detailed report from the power company? I'm guessing no. Why would Royal owe you any explanation?

I'm surprised they would leave a 2 year old on the balcony out of their view for as long as it would have taken for her to crawl under. Kids can move chairs and climb also.

Out of 24 sea days where he had access to a sauna/steam, I’ll bet Dan went at least 20 times. I can’t tolerate the heat but he loves it. Maybe that’s why I’m sick and he isn’t !

Thanks for sticking with us, Jacquie. I am grateful to you for your help back at the beginning.

Life is tough. That sounds absolutely horrible. I hope you manage.

I am so grateful that we only had 1 flight (well, 2 since there was a connection) and that those flights were uneventful. My biggest worry was weight and we JUST made it under 50 lbs for each suitcase. All-in-all, I’m actually pretty proud of my packing job…considering how undisciplined I have become in the past few years. Honestly, I can’t think of a thing that I needed but didn’t have and there was very little that we took but didn’t use. Before COVID, I would come down with some kind of cruise crud nearly 100% of the time after I got home…but if COVID did one good thing in my life, it was to educate us on the miracle of supplements (and the evils of vaccines, but we won’t go there ! ). Since we resumed cruising, I can count on 1 hand the number of times that I have had the cruise crud. I know that this one will go away very shortly so I’m not worried. It’s just an annoyance at the moment. Thanks for coming along with us, Ali. I was a pleasure to have all of you with us.

There is one downside to buying 2 devices for 1 person and that downside is if if both of you are signed into the internet using your cell phones one of you does not sign out of cell phone and decide to connect let say for example your computer because you only have 2 devices for 1 person the system will decide at random which cell phone to disconnect. With 2 devices for 1 person you both have to remember to sign out of the first device for example your cell phone before signing in on your computer. It can be aggravating to be kicked off the internet because your partner forgot to sign out and connected a second device and the system randomly decides to disconnect the wrong device.

When we book the Promenade view rooms I always book right next to the aft elevators and have never ever had any noise issues. We have 2 of these rooms booked in the next month - one on Freedom and one on Explorer. Aside from there being a lack of storage in and around the vanity, these rooms are a great value.

You mean like this?

That must have been some crazy motion for the pool to look like that. Thanks for sharing another one of your trips!

Thank you for the blog. I really enjoyed seeing all your pictures

This -- this isn't a cute story at all, it's one step away from making national news about a 2 year old going overboard. Parents, control your kids no matter the age. The sea is a cruel and unforgiving mistress.

Hi we are Matthew and Lindsay, going on our first cruise as a family, from Alberta, Canada. I haven't cruised for 15 years and am very excited to make brand new memories.

From a cruiser on Star today: "currently on Star OTS and they have a section of the water slide disassembled and it appears they are replacing, the same that was done to Icon"

We are sailing the 7 night Greek Isles Cruise Oct 18-25, then the Transatlantic 14 night, same cabin and we are very excited for both

Also the UDP is not a must buy for everyone in the cabin only the DX. You could buy the UDP for one person but obviously it can't be shared.....unless you get something like Playmakers to go

Shoreside employees don't have access to ship logs. Royal will not likely post or publish any details of the incident. Most companies don't.

Different port but we made the same switch at PC several cruises ago. If you don't mind the lack of covering, it's more convenient for us there as well for what I infer are the same reasons. It's a shorter walk being on the ground right outside the terminal and much easier to get in/out of. Thanks for all you shared!

I will look right now! Oh, swore off Miami departures. Have a great time!! Any other Feb/march itineraries?

It's an 8 day. The cruise we just got off was was also 8 days, but this was not offered.

Joe, MMM, Dan and I will be on Icon for [one of] their Signature tier level cruises. 3-21-26. You and Roger come and join us !

From what I’ve heard, this is offered on longer sailings only…like 9+ nights. I’m curious as to the length of OPs sailing to see if that is holding up.

Not a loophole in the least. If they don’t have The Key, they don’t get the benefits…same as everyone else who doesn’t buy it. No lunch for them as they will not have the Key logo on their Sea Pass card allowing them entry.

raye!! i am so glad you will be home safe and sound shortly. what a journey!! praying we overlap at a port in december and hope you are on the mend soon

Thank you, Fiona.

Awesome trip !! Great blog reporting !! Safe travels to PSL and we'll see you soon .

We were just on Utopia last week and the casino bartenders were swiping cards. The servers didn't take the cards but asked for your cabin number.

Thanks for sharing these!

We just docked back in Galveston so I'll try to catch up a little as the kids get ready for the sad walk day. Day 7 was Costa Maya, and because we were only in port from 7:30-12:30, we selected a ship excursion. It didn't feel like enough time for a beach outing, so DH and I made the decision to tour the Chachoben ruins. Our excursion tickets had us meeting in the theater at 6:45, so we ordered room service for the kids again. DS, like his mother, is not a morning person, and was the height of teenage grump-ery all day. After a short wait, we exited the ship and made our way down the long pier. The bus ride was about an hour long, and we spent about 2 hours at the ruins.

No, no shows get taxes, port fees & prepaid extras refunded. They do NOT get their cruise fare back. If they have purchased trip insurance and their reason for missing the cruise is covered, they can put in a claim with the insurance company for however much the contracted reimbursement might be.

I make myself prime and then my brother. Keep in mind that your offers are based on your play and the same will be for your wife. With that being said since I play more for me, my offers range from Interior, OV and balconies for two. While my brother only gets BOGOD offers, making them sort of hard to combine. That means if you cruise twice a year like I do, one of you may get better offers and the other sort of crap ones.

Ok let’s be honest, escargot is just a vehicle to get garlic butter to your mouth!

Any cruise which embarks or disembarks at Canada Place passes under the bridge. I really don't know what to make of your comment outside of your lack of knowledge on Vancouver sailings and basic online searches.