Matt

Oh man, good luck with that one! ;)

I'm such a sucker for a sunrise/sunset photo!

I don't think you can go wrong but if you're an American, it might be easier to stick with dollars. Everyone takes dollars on land.

Some features are free to use onboard, like looking at your calendar.

Bingo.

Yes, that is correct. Royal Caribbean will let you on with just birth certificate and you can get off the ship in ports.

That's right. Should be almost exactly the same dimensions, tonnage, capacity, etc.

It was previously announced Liberty will go to Galveston after she leaves NY. The release assumed the dates began in 2016.

I played with it briefly and thought it was good that it was responsive, unlike the previous site. That being said, my phone still goes to m.royalcaribbeanblog.com which is borderline useless.

I can tell you gratuities are included in all the packages. The best thing to do is add a package to your cart in Cruise Planner. Once it's inside the cart, you will see RC breaks down the price with the base price with a "service charge" added on. Having the packages in your cart will show you exactly your cost of either one.

I'd call your TA or RC to get insight into what's going on. It's odd it was showing up in your My Cruises section and now not. You've probably seen their website was just updated so perhaps it's related to the changeover.

Great review! I loved my time at Paradise Beach and would love to get back there again.

By far the simplest activity in Fort Lauderdale is the beach. It's beautiful and should be easy to get to. Also, don't forget Miami is very close (30 minutes by car) so if your flight is not until 5pm (or later), you could spend the day in Miami.

Royal Caribbean does not post that information so it's a matter of people reporting who they are. Which ship are you interested in?

Thanks Michelle. Looks similar to what we've seen the other week: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/02/20/royal-caribbean-2016-2017-deployment-opening-schedule-dates

Yes it did. I'm not certain of prices there but I'd imagine it's similar to Quantum of the Seas: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2014/12/04/royal-caribbean-reveals-prices-new-fast-quantum-of-the-seas-wi-fi

That's my fear. I think I will give it a day or two to see how I'm doing before opting for a package. Regardless of if my wife is there or not, 6-7 drinks per day is a lot over the course of a week.

Most specialty restaurants are between $20-45, depending on the place. Johnny Rockets is only $5 per person (except on Quantum) and 150 Central Park or Chef's Table will run you above those figures.

I've always come to the same conclusion Peter but my upcoming Quantum of the Seas cruise is 8-nights, with 6 sea days and one day at Labadee. Plus, no wife or kids so I feel like the drink package might actually be worth it but then again, would I be drinking for the sake of drinking?

I can tell you they won't talk about their home life unless you ask. In fact, I can't recall a crew member giving me a "sob story" about their life back home. Many are proud of their homes and do what they can to support their families. I will also tell you not to worry about tipping in terms of concerns. With the automatic tips now, there's nothing to think about really and I wouldn't let it get in the way of taking a fun vacation!

That's what I keep telling my wife! I'm not taking vacations by myself. I'm going to work and doing research!

I wouldn't worry about taking a cruise right before dry dock. It's still the same great experience and the work isn't really started until after the cruise is over.

Need to go on a cruise with you to "research" how to gamble properly on a RC cruise! I think the IRS will let me write off my gambling loses, right?

I say throw down $200 in the casino and if you can double it, you go on the tour!

Life in general is easier to cope with when another cruise is imminent