Matt

3 hours ago, Gregg said:

Can someone tell me about the Oasis of the Seas upgrades. When will it be done. And what is expected to happen. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

Royal Caribbean has not announced anything in terms of what will be part of the upgrades.  So at this point, it's still anyone's guess.

1 minute ago, JennyB said:

thanks!  does he have room for 4 adults?  we're looking at options for November Harmony OTS

Oh yes. He has a van that can easily accommodate 4 adults.

45 minutes ago, Big Dawg Ron said:

I LOVE BILLY!!!! Thanks so much for scoping him!!!!

I thought you meant @monorailmedic and then I realized it could not possibly be him, because, well...it's Billy.

34 minutes ago, JennyB said:

nibby nose question  ...who is Leo Brown?  
 

He's a local driver that I found one time and use everytime since. He is very inexpensive and offers personalized tours.  Great guy!

Here's a write up on him from a visit to St Maarten: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/07/30/freedom-of-the-seas-live-blog-day-five-st-martin

When you say Yucatan, do you mean Costa Maya?

For Cozumel, I recommend Paradise Beach or Mr Sanchos

The hooks have a great reputation https://amzn.to/2LgLDXR

1 hour ago, Karahvacatimes said:

And we always love coming home to a new “pet”! 

That's a towel animal creation I haven't seen before!

Did we miss any?

1 hour ago, AubieKermit said:

So, would you say the only chance for my wife and I to have alone time is to see if the kids will consider going to the separate places by themselves?  My 13 year old will have only been 13 by about 3 weeks by the time we get on the ship.  It can't hurt to ask.

I'd say there is a 100% chance of alone time if the kids go to their separate areas.  I have two kids too, and while they enjoy playing together, I think both of your kids will have a great time with other kids  too. 

Welcome Art from Maine, as well as Tine from Copenhagen!

On 2/21/2019 at 9:35 PM, Mark_Twain_Wiggam said:

On our first cruise we cruised out of Port Canaveral and the night before we ate at Fish Lips (on the advise from this dude on some podcast name Matt Hocberg).

He sounds suspicious....and like he would be incredibly handsome.

@Lovetocruise2002 Look what you started with live blogs beginning a month ahead of time!

You can now play the "one week from now we will be _____" game.  Or in your case, "One week from now we will be eating _______ because it's included with Star Class" game.

Great photos! Thanks for sharing

20 hours ago, twangster said:

Beverage packages not accepted for milkshakes with or without a meal.

Not surprised to hear that answer

20 hours ago, twangster said:

Ultimate Dining Package - This question was met with uncertainty.  They huddled and discussed it then proclaimed UDP does work here.  I wasn't left with a lot of confidence in that answer.  I don't have the UDP so can't test it. 

Definitely sounds like a "YMMV" situation.

20 hours ago, twangster said:

The Ultimate Dining Package does not work here on Navigator at Playmakers but he acknowledged that on some ships the UDP does work at Playmakers.  It's up to the ship, not a fleet standard.  

Pretty darn sure UDP worked for us at Playmakers on Symphony.  I'd just keep asking until a server goes for it.

St Lucia is basically "pitons or bust"

Pinging @monorailmedic

Here's also a copy of a menu that I think provides a good example of what to expect

36 minutes ago, janderson said:

Is there a limit to what I can order though.  If I wanted to try 2 of the appetizers or something of that nature?  I believe I have heard Matt say 1 main course but I've heard others say the appetizers and desserts are as many as you want.  The drink package is so straight forward with its rules but this dining package is kind of confusing.

You can order as many appetizers, entrees, side dishes or desserts as you like. The only restaurant that limits you to one entree is Chops (and I suppose Chef's Table or hibachi, but those are different experiences)

2 minutes ago, newcruiser2018 said:

In the MDR, can I order more than one glass of wine with my dinner?

Yes, you can order as much as you like. If you have a drink package, then as long as the wine is less than the drink package threshold ($12 or $13, depending on the ship) per glass then there is no additional charge. Else, you pay the difference.  If you do not have a drink package, then you pay for what you order.

3 minutes ago, newcruiser2018 said:

Do they have a separate drink menu, or you can ask for whatever?

There is a menu, but they have a full bar so you can order whatever.

3 minutes ago, newcruiser2018 said:

Am I limited to certain wines, because I like a good Riesling with dinner

I assume you mean with the drink package. Your only limit, per se, is with which wines per glass come in under the drink package allowance.

3 minutes ago, newcruiser2018 said:

Same goes for Specialty Dining, can I order more than 1 glass of wine with dinner?

Yes, same answer as for the MDR.

4 minutes ago, newcruiser2018 said:

For the specialty drinks, I've seen different pricing, we are on Oasis in a couple weeks, what is the max price before I have to pay out of pocket?

For Oasis and Quantum Class, it's $13. The rest of the fleet is $12.

19 minutes ago, JennyB said:

what are they doing NOW with the passengers who go there?  Is there anything for anyone to do?

It's a beach day, which is what's been available for years. The work being done is on the other side of CocoCay.

21 hours ago, ReyRod said:

Is the WOW band available for all ships? Specifically does NOTS use Wow Bands?

No, Navigator does not use WOWbands

Thanks for supporting our sponsor, MEI Travel!

Most of the time we do not carry a change of clothing with us.  If we go to the beach, we wear our bathing suits there and my wife and kids do have a cover up or pair of shorts/shirt to put on.  Ultimately we go this route to reduce the amount of stuff we need to transport.

1 minute ago, hoofbeats95 said:

Matt do you know att packages are overpriced?

The calling packages are vastly overpriced, compared to utilizing WiFi calling with Royal Caribbean's internet package.  

1 minute ago, hoofbeats95 said:

My sprint package has a international experience included. I can get calls and text in Mexico for no charge. Also in other countries as well. Their site just allows me to query by location and see the charges.

Keep in mind that international plan does not apply to cruise ships. It will be considered roaming and cost you vastly extra.

I once stayed in a room right off the Centrum on Jewel of the Seas back in 2013 and had terrible noise bleed. Only time that has occurred to me.  Since then, I've cruised Brilliance (sister ship) 4 times and never encountered that problem, but never stayed that close to the Centrum.