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Standard warning: My intro posts tend to be TLDR. Intro As most people reading this are aware, we just did our first Utopia B2B in early June. Even though Utopia is very similar to Wonder (which we've sailed five times), the small differences and inclusion of new shows to see made it a pretty different cruise than our past few on Wonder. While our general routine didn't change, I did spend a good amount of time checking out what was new or different from Wonder. I made my way through most of the Pesky Parrot drink menu, we saw every show (some twice), we ate several meals in the WJ (which has some significant differences in terms of food selection), we skipped the MDR entirely, I tried most of the Spare Tire menu, we ate in GK's new location on deck 11, etc. It was definitely nice to have new shows to see and the nuances of a new ship to explore but my favorite part after all of that is the end result. I now have my (new) favorites as well certain things that I now consider one and dones. I really like being very familiar with a ship. I'm sure others prefer exploration and variety but that's just how my mind works. So now that I have all this firsthand information, I can't wait to return, skip most of the exploring and taste-testing (although I skipped 1-2 Parrot drinks I'll go back to try), and head straight for my favorites. All that said, we will actually be trying a few new experiences, but more on that in the dining section. Cabin We have the same exact interior on deck 10 forward as last cruise. It was chosen for location which we knew we liked from Wonder but now we know specific details about it. The mattress was fine for me but a bit too hard for my wife so she's going to ask for an extra blanket to sleep on. The shower was great (and had a small repair made during our last cruise). The cooler is a good one that actually gets/keeps stuff pretty cold. Overall, we had no major issues with it. On a related note, unless they moved him, we will have the same cabin attendant (also named Mike) who was very nice and efficient so that's another small plus. Itinerary Obviously we're going to Nassau and CocoCay again (twice) but this one is a 3/4 and leaves on a Friday (the first was a 4/3). We saw a slight difference between the 4N and 3N legs last time. The 4N was full of families and people of all ages and felt like any other June cruise. The 3N seemed to have less kids and was a bit more of a party crowd but there was nothing overly crazy about the behavior (at least where we spent our time). Judging by the mentions of kids in both FB groups for this one, I think it's possible that the 3N may be more similar to the 4N this time but we'll find out. What I expect to prefer about the 3/4 over the 4/3 is that we will end with a sea day as opposed to a CocoCay day. I've always liked ending with a leisurely sea day to just chill, go around having some of my favorite food/drink items for the last time, packing whenever (although we pack pretty quickly and always use self-assist so we can leave most of it for the end of the night), etc. We will again stay on the ship in Nassau and spend our CocoCay time in our usual spot by the Oasis Lagoon. Day 1 - PC (Embarkation) Day 2 - Nassau Day 3 - CocoCay Day 4 - PC (Turnaround Day) Day 5 - Nassau Day 6 - CocoCay Day 7 - Sea Day Day 8 - PC (Debarkation) Having been at CocoCay with two Oasis class ships before, it's never a big concern which ship is there with us. We get off the ship early and watch as it doesn't get busy until after 10am. That said, we had two very good draws last time (Grandeur and Jewel). We weren't as lucky this time but we'll just try to make sure we get off first thing. We will be joined by Oasis on the first leg and Freedom on the second. Entertainment Entertainment reservations opened long before our June B2B so I again have every show booked on both legs. We already know we're not seeing All In again but I kept the reservations anyway (we still need to see the last 10 minutes that we missed due to a stage malfunction but that will likely wait until next year with the family who has never seen it). I can definitely see us going to Aqua80TOO twice again and the ice show once or twice (the cast was changing after our last cruise). We'll go to Name That Tune again b/c it's really just a game show and we always go to adult comedy (a 2nd time will depend on whether either of the comedians change in between legs). Beyond that, we don't have many set plans. Other stuff like Love & Marriage or Perfect Couple or nightly musicians will depend on how we feel and what we're in the mood for. The second leg also has a new wrinkle that could affect our post-dinner plans. Dining If you've been reading my post-cruise ramblings in my June blog, you already know what the new wrinkle is. Our original plan was to use a BOGO for GK, have burgers at Playmakers one night, and switch MJ brunch to dinner (with another BOGO). That's been our usual specialty lineup for quite a while and I was very content with all the seafood and Indian food in the WJ on Utopia. My wife had a bit more trouble with the WJ but since she only likes one of the MDR menus on Utopia, she made do. Fast forward to June 12th and while checking random stuff in the CP as I always do, I was shocked to find the UDP on sale for 55% off! For Utopia, that brought it down to under $30/day pp before gratuity. We've never had the UDP before and I've had some concern over it being too much food even for me... but there's no way I could pass up that price. I booked it for both legs and we then spent a while debating if we wanted to just try it for the 4N leg rather than both. It's clearly a good deal on paper and I was on the fence but my wife agreed it would likely be too much food and said she really didn't care about finding stuff for the first three days knowing how much we'd be eating on the last four. Her opinion coupled with the fact that I was looking forward to the WJ seafood and the other included venues before the sale appeared led us to eventually drop the 3N leg. I also realized that we might as well book the MDR under MTD for night 3 since Bon Voyage is the one acceptable menu on Utopia for my wife and I can still go get seafood/Indian in WJ before and/or after. We kept the 4N leg over the 3N because the one sea day is the only time lunch is offered at restaurants at which we don't normally dine. Ignoring Izumi Hibachi (which didn't interest us), the choices for embarkation day were Mason Jar or Gio's Kitchen and the only choice for Nassau is GK. Those are our two longtime favorites so we're happy to eat there but besides value and quantity, we wanted to try new restaurants with the UDP so the additional lunch and dinner helps with that. *At some point inside of three weeks out (after I wrote the above) Chops appeared as another lunch option for day 1 of the 4N leg. We considered moving things around but my wife will already be eating multiple filets for dinner and she can get as many burgers as she wants between Playmakers, JR's, and Mason Jar so it didn't really make sense as that's what she would order and I was happy with the current plan. Subject to change, here's what we currently have booked for the 4N leg... Day 4(1) - MJ brunch / Chops dinner Day 5(2) - GK lunch / Hooked dinner Day 6(3) - CocoCay / GK dinner Day 7(4) - Izumi Sushi lunch / MJ dinner I can see having all those specialty meals and not falling into a full food coma if I don't go nuts; it's the daily credits for Playmakers, Gio's Wine Bar, and Izumi in the Park that I feel will turn the UDP into a crazy amount of food. I'm also not sure when we're supposed to go to Johnny Rockets (possibly never). I plan to use my Playmakers credit for late night snacks since it's open late (sorry Sorrento's). I usually just get the burger and garlic parm fries so I'm looking forward to going through the rest of the menu. I'm not concerned about Izumi in the Park since I can always eat some sushi (my wife will stick to the bubble cones). The Wine Bar might wind up as the odd man out since it's only open from 5-9pm most days and we have dinner reservations for 7pm three of the four nights (one night is a bit earlier so we can go to an 8:30pm aqua show). I suppose I could go there at 5pm for a pre-dinner snack and maybe get tiramisu to go and stick it in the cooler but I don't think I'll be looking to eat a pizza or anything heavy less than two hours before a specialty dinner. My extended family booked the UDP for all 7 days next March so this will also serve as a good test run. Miscellaneous Crystal Block - We are crossing 210 points on the first leg so we have our 2nd block coming, woohoo! Sleeping/Mornings - My wife and I both have some sleep issues and they often pop up on cruises, especially for her. This really messed with our routine last cruise so we're going to do our best to prevent a repeat. I often delayed my early morning CL coffee runs and we didn't disembark on CocoCay as early as usual. Neither was a huge deal but I enjoyed the few mornings I walked across deck 16 to the CL in the early AM with most of the ship asleep and my wife usually goes walking in the morning more often than she did. I'd also prefer to get an earlier start once the UDP kicks in so I can have a little something with my coffee while leaving plenty of time to be hungry for the rest of the day. I don't plan to have large breakfasts on the 4N leg. Cruise Director - It was nice to sail with Marc "Bing Bong" Walker again last cruise. Unfortunately, he left Utopia at the end of June. As I mentioned last blog, we don't really care about the CD, Marc just happens to be from our area and his daughters went to my wife's elementary school (plus he's a fun CD). "Dan Dan" Whitney took over for Marc and he was our CD on Wonder in April. Photos - I vowed to try to take more non-food pics last blog... and I guess I sort of did but not really. I think I'm just going to have to accept that I'm not much of a photographer and stick to mostly food/drink pics. If my wife feels like taking pics of other stuff I'll have her drop them to me. Otherwise, I'll throw in as much random stuff as I can but no promises. Parking - Apparently we got to the port TOO early last time as the main outside lot right next to the garage wasn't even open yet. It was nearly empty but the payment machines hadn't yet been activated for the day. A miserable port employee tried to get us to park across the street (uhh... no). The good news is we confirmed that we like parking in the lot instead of the garage. Maybe we'll leave five minutes later than last time but even if we get there too early again, it's not a big deal to do a quick loop until the lot is open. It certainly beats parking across the street. Jen the Concierge - As I mentioned last blog, Jen the CL concierge was both very helpful in fixing an issue with our D+ internet credits as well as being sweet and friendly. After chatting several times over the course of the cruise, on the last night my wife asked her if there was anything she missed that she can't get onboard and she mentioned some sort of Chinese hot sauce we had never heard of. Fortunately, a quick Google search let me know that it was available locally so we got her a couple small jars on our last Walmart run. She mentioned that she may be switched to the SL but to just come find her if she is. We'd prefer her to be back in the CL but if she has been moved... SL here we come! It's not sneaking in when the concierge invites you, right? Other New Friends - Being the social butterfly that she is, my wife wound up chatting with a couple of the Mason Jar crew members multiple times since I stopped there for drinks so often (a manager and a hostess I think) and also asked them what we could bring. One requested chocolate and the other wanted coconut water. We had already asked Mike the cabin attendant and he also wanted chocolate. Lastly, some of you have either met or have at least heard me mention Jocelle, the amazing Mason Jar server we first met on Wonder in 2023 that my wife has kept in touch with via social media. Unfortunately she's not working right now (for a good reason) but her significant other is currently on Utopia. He works in the Royal Railway at night and I believe the WJ in the mornings. Since we can't bring Jocelle anything, my wife figured the next best thing was to ask her what we could bring him. So anyway, now my wife's carry-on (usually a beach bag or small backpack) will be full of various little gifts. I know some people don't believe in these small gifts and feel the crew just wants cash but none of them are in lieu of tips and some are for people we wouldn't normally tip to begin with (like my wife's new MJ friends). We also find the crew to be genuinely appreciative, especially when we bring them something personal that they requested. RC Blog Members - I know at least one member will be on the 1st leg and two on the 2nd. No set plans like meeting up with @WAAAYTOOO last cruise but maybe we'll run into each other. As always, questions, comments, and tangents are welcome both pre-cruise and during. With no significant travel I don't normally have much to share in the week leading up to embarkation day.

Question? If you sail utopia again is the thread going to be entitled Return of the Mike? And if so, would it be an homage to return of the Jedi or of return of the Mac by Mark Morrison?

So a sailing that goes that goes to Nassau and PDCC. PDCC you can get off, get free food and free limited selection of drinks, enjoy a free beach and a free pool and free splash park for the kids. (obvs, you’ve paid for this privilege within your cruise fare) Or… Spend a (relative to me) fortune on what seems to me, the same product? Nah. I’d stay on the ship, access to all the food you’ve already paid for, use you DBP or vouchers or the free drinks and have quick access to air con? There must be a market for it, but it’s certainly not me or my family

I think prices are fluctuating already. When they went live the other day for my cruise on wonder 4/6/26 passes were $250, now they are $200, which I still think is too much. Paired with the DX its $93.00 per day. I'll be staying on the empty ship enjoying my vouchers and empty suite sun deck. Cabanas are still very expensive

Also agree on this point. One day, when Hubby retires from the flowrider and we make Pin, I will migrate over to X more. The one sailing we had last year with them I really enjoyed.

Just so ya know...you were scammed ! Chickens do NOT have fingers...nor do fish... SO many people fall for this scam ! Thank you sooo much for your incredible reviews(s). I truly enjoy reading your missives....and I have a very soft spot in my heart for Scots, in general.

Not only all those points which I could not agree with more I'm hoping with the new beach club and lots of suckers the ship will be even more empty. The last few times we went and stayed on the ship a lot of people had the same idea so the ship wasn't quite as empty as we would like or as other ports would be.

I hadn't done any research, so wasn't aware that the RCI Nassau resort wouldn't be different than PDCC...I'll stay on the ship, thank you very much! For what the Deluxe Beverage Package costs, I'm not paying for drinks, or admission to a pool, all day within 10 yards of the ship!

Just for this and to make @asquared17 happy, I'm going to bring a cup clip to Scotland with me! I'll have to figure out how to blog that for the "pictures or it didn't happen" crowd

Since I had to work OT for work and just got home it officially puts us in the single digits till sail away!!!! 9 more days to go

Yup I was just looking at beyond over Xmas 2026 in a Royal suite (comparable to star class perks) and it was less than sky class where I have to pay for specialty dining, drinks, laundry and probably more. Plus I like having a chat feature to reach the butler because that’s what I am familiar with rather than having to wait for concierge hours.

Overall thoughts about our cruise, and apologies for the lateness of this post compared to the end of the trip! Ports- We loved nearly all of them. As previously stated, the Spanish are all normal cruise ports, however, off the beaten path for flying to for us. Cadiz and A Coruña were our highlights! I would be interested in spending more time in both places. I’m glad we seen Lisbon, but honestly, it was dirty and smelly in a lot of places, which was so disappointing. I’m also glad we did invest in the Tuk Tuk tour! It’s way more than we spent in all our ports last year, but it really has made me feel I can call Lisbon one and done. The… crowd- May I state now clearly for the record. I am a snob. My heart genuinely sank with the amount of Scottish voices I heard around me on the pool deck on boarding day (we were the only people thinking it was warm enough to be out there ) and I am not a fan of the “package holiday” crowd, which I feared greatly we had stumbled into. It was quite close to Scottish school holidays, so that explained our great numbers, but also the crowd that were on board differed greatly from the Norway sailing. There was very much a feeling of sun, sea and sangria. I didn’t personally witness any poor behaviour, but the Facebook group Big D joined reported a lot of anti social behaviour in corridors etc, and also a bigger incident that involved ship security and someone being confined to their stateroom for the remainder of the sailing. We did see police boarding as we disembarked, could be completely unlinked however. I’m sure there are plenty of reasons police may need to board in port. I don’t think I have articulated this point particular well. Can you just trust that there was a very different feeling on the ship? And we preferred the atmosphere on Anthem despite nothing ill happening near us or to us. We thinking the chance that there should have been quite sunny weather is what attracted that all inclusive holiday crowd who perhaps wouldn’t be attracted to the unreliable weather in Norway. All this being said, we would be hesitant to sail out of Southampton with Royal again for a warm weather cruise! Just our personal preference. Packages- I again, did not get full use of my DBP. We have had discussions that perhaps in the future, we could try the UDP instead, because we really enjoyed Chops and we really enjoyed the lack of people!! That being said, making a la carte selections during cruise planner sales might work even better for us. I had to change my Chop reservation and the staff couldn’t be more helpful, so I wouldn’t worry too much about being stuck with times. Obviously if one person can flex the DBP it can help make up the shortfall for the other person. But I think we should genuinely do the sums and figure out if it is truly worth it for us. We got it for an absolute steal there we felt, but I think you feel you need to order more drinks to get your monies worth when I probably would be fine with 2 drinks total. I do like that the DBP means you are covered, no dreading the final bill! The ship- I liked Independence overall, in particular the Royal Promenade worked well for us. I think, though, sailing out of the states, you would get so much bleed of smoke from the casino which would bother me massively. You’ve not been able to smoke indoors here for more than 20 years, I don’t want it near me. Playmakers and the Schooner Bar are either side and Vintages and The Pub. I glad we didn’t need to deal with it! The Viking Crown lounge, we went once, it lacked completely in atmosphere, no music being played and felt cold. The Star Lounge we used a few times and done the job fine! Food- A run down by venue Sorrentos- exactly what it needed to be, perfection every time Cafe Promenade- excellent staff at the coffee half, I gave them high praise in the post cruise survey, so many rude and overly demanding people and they dealt with them with such grace and politeness. Every beverage they made me was exactly what I asked for. The cookies and fruit was always plentiful and stocked well. We went through copious amounts of watermelon for 3. It was great to know it was so easy to grab and they would always have it. WJ- Totes fine. Layout was convoluted, but we always found a seat even at busy times. GET BETTER CHICKEN FINGERS!! MDR- Food was fine again, 3 stop us from going there more with their fussiness on overdrive. Our waiter and assistant waiter were wonderful and went above and beyond. Drinks- I drank a lot of ginger ale (can’t get it in cans here and bottle are quite spenny!) I love how available it is added benefit of keeping me settled. The piña coladas were so dependable. We generally had one each day! The wine was exactly what I needed every time and the standard is good. The IPA selection was just ideal again and Big D was contented with what was available. It’s so strange they don’t advertise the IPA’s really pre cruise! I’m sure that’s to do with their Diagio deal GOAL POST MARGS RULE (made with Patron, of course!)

Fast forward to today and suddenly the prices that have repeatedly gone down for these cabins I've mentioned are suddenly WAY higher than I've ever seen. In the past week or so they went from the lowest I had seen to higher than the original booking prices from April. Just like cruise planner sales, it really pays to check everyday if you're keeping an eye on cruise fare price drops.

I did appreciate you approaching me and introducing yourself and your lovely bride. It was a proper friendly gesture. I actually like meeting people from the blog onboard bigly. It engenders even more of a sense of community.

This - A lot of people stay on the ship because they already have a drink package or diamond drinks vs paying outrageous prices for a beach day. I was hoping that Royal was going to provide a reasonable option but i guess that was wishful thinking. At this point, I'll stay on the ship if I must stop at Nassau.

YES. this is my biggest call out. dollar for dollar, you get more on celebrity and in the retreat. their suites come automatically with premium drink package. how the heck are we paying former star class prices for sky class without drinks?????? i don’t even DRINK that much and i’m floored by this. amen

That is essentially the trade off.

Onto more positive news! Our flight home was smooth! Even landed 15mins early at DTW. Crossing the Ambassador bridge was easy too today. Less than 15 min wait and that is a huge win. To put it into perspective, when we come home after spring break & NYE sailings, the wait is over an hour sometimes at the bridge. Got home around 4pm. So not bad at all from ship to driveway in 8 hours. Now completely unpacked, and settled on the couch waiting on pizza. Freeloaders had good intentions to do their laundry. However, when I got home, I noticed everything was loaded into the machine but it was dry. One freeloader, the one who was not working today, forgot to turn the machine on. So back to doing laundry for them. I actually breathed a sigh of relief when I stepped back into my own bathroom! Back to my shower where water will not go all over the floor and enough counter space for yours truly, the product junkie.

Yes, I will take it. One or two drops were so small I honestly couldn't even tell. I was like I thought that was the price before this drop. But I'm down about 400 in total since we booked which is something I never expected.

Hey, those little drops add up. Some of mine were for <$25 but the total savings has been > $1000 between the two cabins I've been checking. Definitely a nice feature to have. That's one thing mine doesn't do but since we've been booking almost nothing but group rates close to release, I normally don't even check. I don't mind doing it myself and I'm just happy to have saved my in laws some money since they're treating us to some nice add-ons for this family cruise.

Mine dropped a days ago, Maybe Thursday by 11 bucks. I haven't checked though because the TA does it and applies automatically.

Thanks, you're too kind. It was great meeting you and Dan and we felt the same way. I'm sure we'll cross paths again but glad that it happened to work out last month since our cruise windows are so limited. Maybe you need to work on those casino offers... I see a lot of people mention that they wind up on Utopia with them.

I'm actually not although I don't dislike it (I've seen all movies but not the Disney+ shows). I was just struggling to find a title and for some reason the thought of coming up with a movie franchise with many sequels popped into my head knowing I had 5 of these Utopia B2B's on the books. I used to be a big Marvel fan so I thought of those but Star Wars is literally numbered with different titles I could play off of so it seemed like a good choice.

No need to be appreciative but thanks. If I wasn't an introvert I wouldn't give it a second thought. I'm not SO anti-social that I would avoid meeting you (and others) though. I'm just unlikely to make friends with total strangers on a cruise. I'm content spending time with my wife in our bubble but meeting Blog members is different... and I know how much you like meeting people. Sorry we didn't actually hang out for a bit but I know you were also busy with the kids and all. It was easier to go chat with @WAAAYTOOOand her husband for a while since we had to actually plan the meet up given that it was at PDCC on different ships).

You already know I'm there to see how it unfolds too, lol. I'm still worried in general b/c if I'm remotely hungry I might stubbornly go get food in between meals just b/c I can (like a wine bar snack at 5pm that I really don't need). I still don't think a bunch of sushi will be that heavy but agree that the last day part helps even if food coma has set in. Since I know how much stuff I like at Mason Jar I'm a little concerned about saving that dinner for last but it is what it is. We obviously didn't want to do MJ twice in the same day and my wife gets fried chicken there (she won't eat BBQ unless it's just chicken breast) so she didn't want to go there after having snack shack chicken... didn't leave us with too many options when we filled out the meal chart.

Most part I'm fine with most stuff. If I were to pick I'd say the Royal Kemmelweck is a disappointment for me. I live across the river from Buffalo and as @loki007 says nothing compares to those (I guess we're spoiled). I'll just hop over the peace bridge to gab a beef on weck and get some cheap gas to boot. By extension the chicken wings are also a disappointment (again for the same reason)

I'll keep an eye out for ya. I know to look for KC/FSU gear possibly in the CL or Pub. We're in the Solarium a lot so that doesn't help given that you have tiny humans and I don't expect you to track me down at a specialty restaurant but you do have my schedule, lol. It's amazing how easy it is to run into people with 6000 people onboard an Oasis class ship so there's a decent change we will. I wound up next to @GatorCruiser in the terminal before we even boarded (he had posted a pic of his embarkation day cruise t-shirt so I knew it was him) and I've had at least one other poster randomly find me. BTW, the Schooner Bar performer is changing on 7/11. I just noticed the other day and the app wasn't updated for 7/14 last I checked. I liked the last guy's adult humor but it got repetitive if you listen to him too many times so no biggie. The new guy is Andy Morris... seems to be more of a straight forward singer who has been on other cruise lines so I don't have much of an opinion from the couple clips I watched. Just figured I'd mention it since you seem to like checking out the entertainers.

Sorry that we will miss you this time, Mike, but we have no sailings currently booked on UT. We don't sail again until August 9 on Grandeur. I do wish you and Cori 2 AWESOME cruises and will try and coordinate something where we can meet up again, in the future. You are both such wonderful people...

I am here to see how the dining package unfolds for you! Your plans look good but I see a potential for food coma on this day. But it's your last day so who cares! You beat me to it! I was thinking the exact same thing! @OCSC Mike are you a Star Wars fan? If so, I never knew.

Hereforthistitle Also, you and your wife are so incredibly sweet to bring such thoughtful things to all the crew you made connections with. Honestly, my eyes teared up a bit! Looking forward to reading along, so rainy, cold and miserable here!

Probably my one main complaint would be the Dog Haus always shows chili dogs in the pictures, but Never on a ship have I seen that available, so I go to Johnny Rockets for my chili dogs. Their shakes are goo too. Yes, it's all subjective, I try to enjoy it no matter what or where. If you get into the Coastal Kitchen and get a great waiter (we've had several, shout out to Willsen! on Harmony) then follow their recommendations. Great tips and its always awesome. .

I’m ready for this one Mike. Let’s go!!

I will enjoy reading along and hope to see you on next Monday or sometime during the week!

Chef's Table is discounted down to $59.95 this 4th of July weekend. We grabbed the opportunity on Night 5 of our sailing.

You need to be careful on questions like the Windjammer. Lots of people have different opinions. I have seen people post about formal night that you need a tuxedo or dark suit because that is what they believe or want. People go the other way and tell you gym shorts and flipflop are OK at any dinner. I suggest you use common sense when reading responses. With that said here is my opinions: After 31 cruises one of my biggest problems is over packing. When me and my adult son cruise together we can pack in one suitcase and still over pack. RCL will handle 5 suitcases but how many days do you need to pack for. For boys and men the thing I always run out of is socks and t-shirts. What I do not use and pack is dress shirts and dress pants. Dockers and polo shirts is good for me. One thing for you to think about is do you want a family photo on formal night and what do you want your family wearing. The Windjammer is a buffet. It is meant to be casual and it is on the pool deck on purpose. They expect people to come in from the pool deck and eat. Just make sure the boys are not barefooted and do not lave seat wet for the next person. The last thing is my mothers rule, if you do not have a shirt on you cannot walk in the dining room or kitchen. That rule always made since to me and makes mom happy.

Actually, when it comes to my social media, the company has been very quiet...

You are correct; it's not like MSC and Disney where you have to sail every 5 years to keep your status. With Carnival's new rewards program, status resets for everyone every 2 years, and everyone starts from scratch again. Sailing a cheapo 3 night cruise every 2 years won't help keep your old level. It's gone no matter what you do. Instead of rewarding lifetime loyalty, it's "what have you done for me recently"

100% agree.

I found it too... Just updated yesterday, July 4th… I believe only minors 12 months to 10 years-old with Honduran citizenship traveling from Honduras to a "listed country" (U.S. included on the list) are required now to provide evidence of vaccination (more details in link below). Minors with dual U.S. and Honduran citizenship must also adhere to the guidelines. *** There is NO requirement for any age group to provide proof of vaccination or testing if you are arriving in Honduras (at least for now!): STEP Message for U.S. Citizens July 4, 2025 - U.S. Embassy in Honduras

I don't think any of this is about a cork screw. It's about bringing your own beverage into an establishment that sells its own beverages, then expecting them to serve your beverage purchased elsewhere. Not much different than bringing in your own hotdog to Jamie's and expecting them to serve it for free.

I like hearing different perspectives on the RGP. As many of you know my experience with Royal is limited to star class so what I’m saying won’t be relevant to everyone. As I mentioned earlier, I have always wanted the option to buy a genie but I also don’t want to give up amenities like entertainment, specialty dining, activities and a comparable stateroom to that of a 4/5 star hotel. One of the biggest drawbacks with the RGP (for me) is the outdated staterooms on the older ships and that alone will likely keep me from trying this program. I have learned to never say never so given the right ship, room, itinerary and price I may still consider it but would go in with the right expectations. Star class at current pricing and our preference to sail over Christmas has me looking at other options. By the time I add $6300 to the cost of a 7 night sailing, I could be in an edge class ship in the retreat enjoying elite perks or on Oasis/Quantum in a non star class room with Diamond perks. I really wish Royal would update staterooms when their ships go in for updates.

Who am I to argue with the Duchess @asquared17? SHEIN’s finest, we have a trip to Lanzarote before Christmas, you better believe they are coming with us!! Also, Aldi here has started stocking AMAZING cocktail tins I think @asquared17 and @OCSC Mike would appreciate… pictures below… trying to live my best life during what is looking like a very long extended dry dock… I’m now thinking it would be super easy to turn this into a goal post! I now have a task for the weekend!

Nuts? Yes. I completely agree with you. Are any of us who know Royal surprised? Not really. Whatever makes them more money. We all know who to thank. That is my rant.

I’d like to see Jersey Boys or Chicago.

Coming soon: Cats 2... Electric boogaloo

The Royal Genie Package experience: Our Genie for this sailing was Lissandra. She is coming from a suite concierge role into Genie. It would seem like all 4 genies working in this RGP role are newer genies on their first or second contract. Despite being newer to the role, Lissandra was fantastic for what we needed. She was able to anticipate our cruising needs rather quickly and once she got to know us a bit, conversations flowed easily. She constantly checked in on us, both through WhatsApp, and in person. She was very thoughtful as well. The genie experience itself was no different than regular Star Class. Everything that a regular star class genie could do for us, she did as well. Embarkation and disembarkation process remained the same as Star Class. The RGP experience is similar to Star Class, but it’s not. They are not trying to market it as such either. It is marketed as the RGP, right down to the banners, literature in the room, seapass card, reserved seats signs, etc., nowhere is the word “star class” mentioned, because they are not trying to make it star class. Their target market for this program is new and/or suite cruisers. For those who are familiar with SC, it makes it trickier for them in that you should not book this expecting it to be identical. There are many similarities: the genie and their “powers”, the inclusion of dining and drink packages, dedicated flowrider sessions, priority embarkation and disembarkation (identical in procedure to SC), etc. But there are definitely differences as well. One being the exclusion of gratuities, and laundry is questionable. On Freedom it seems to be pressing only; and Indy might be full laundry? The other difference is the room. When you book regular SC, part of the WOW is the suite. With the RGP, depending on what room you book, there is not much WOW. In fact, the smaller rooms hinder the ability to really take advantage of the food delivery etc. The smaller ship also limits what the genie can do. Not as many activities and amenities to offer to guests. So is it worth it? In my opinion, at the right price, maybe. Let me try to clarify. If I was booked on a Non-QN/OA/IC class ship in a category lower than a GS, then it would be worth it at the right price. At $300pp/day, it’s still a hard sell for me. The disclaimer here is that I am already D+ and have access to the crown lounge even without the suite lounge. If I was booked in a GS or higher, no way would I consider the RGP. I would probably be just as happy buying the Unlimited Dining Package, VOOM, and Evian water package. The only way I would consider the RGP if I was booked in a GS or higher would be if the price went down considerably to make it worth it. For the amount it costs (regular price) for the RGP, my money is likely better spent sailing true Sky Class on QN/OA/IC class. Overall, Hubby and I think the RGP gives you the SC “lite” experience. If you have never tried SC and want to test it out at a possible lower cost, then it’s worth trying. It’s quite similar. If you are familiar with SC, then book with the mindset that it will be a slightly downgraded experience from true SC due to the reasons mentioned above. Happy to answer any other questions anyone might have. 3 weeks to SY! This cruise was easier to end knowing there’s a short dry dock.

Sandy was not the female lead in the original musical. Rizzo was. But Stockard Channing (who could act circles around ONJ) was not enough of a box office draw so they rewrote the show to give ONJ the bigger part and more songs. But my issue with the show is not its performance. It’s the horrible message it sends. Being pretty and smart and funny is not enough girls, gotta tart yourself up to get your man! You gotta “cream for greased lightening” and justify your promiscuity because “there are worse things I could do”. But it’s all good in the end cuz I gotta stop at the drug store. I got my period!! ALL of this is in the musical. How does it become a staple of community theater & high school music departments?!!!

I could try to bring one but I'm pretty sure monkeys are on the prohibited list. I wouldn't want the poor little guy to wind up in the naughty items room with banned extension cords. After muster, since we don't mind WJ if you get there as soon as it opens, I usually grab a drink at Mason Jar (right next door) then head for the seafood spread. Hopefully we'll catch up at some point. Please do! I enjoyed the last joint blog I did, especially since the other poster was in Sky Class and doing far more specialty than we were that cruise so there was little overlap. Just in case I'm not hungry enough onboard (OK, not possible), seeing/hearing about specialty for our 3N leg will just get me even more ready for the 2nd leg UDP. We're a little busier than I'd like right now (some good stuff like visiting family for July 4th, some annoying stuff like home repairs and appointments this week) so I'm not as focused on how soon the cruise is as I'd like but I'll definitely be ready by Friday. See ya onboard!

Too kind @WAAAYTOOO

Can you please attach a video clip of the return of the Mac when you do post ? Man I love that song