KWong

I'd book it if the itinerary appeals to you. Indy is a good ship. 

You're very welcome!

2 hours ago, Va4fam said:

Thanks @KWong.   That might work.   Now I just have to convince our UBER driver to take us there.   

There is also a Total Wine in the same plaza, two shops down from Publix. But it might not be open on Sunday morning. 

You start and end on the sports deck. There are stairs that take you to the top and you slide back down. 
 

apologies as I don't remember offhand what the deck number is. 

Maybe the Publix at The Harbor Shops off 17th?

https://goo.gl/maps/gcKERadASH3ywUVaA

17 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

We saw it a year ago in December and it was the full show. Great production.

Agreed. Saw it on-board in January. Get there early or you'll get the seats behind the pillar. 

My Symphony cruise in August is hitting both. 

12 minutes ago, DublinFC said:

@KWong Thanks for sharing the "On a Roll" photos.  I am trying this on Oasis later this year.  Now I am even more excited for it!

Bring someone to help you "take care of" the food. Believe me, it is a lot.

Thanks for the kind words  

Highly doubtful about becoming a CD - hours are way too nutty for me!

4 hours ago, ksam97 said:

We have the drink package, so we really will not need the wine. I was just going to bring some along in case we got quarantined. LOL 

You can make new friends with that wine. 

New screen doesn't appear to be giving me much troubles but I remember the issues from a couple of years ago so... maybe they're not using us to Alpha test the webpages now?

4 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

We have experience with our kids, nieces/nephew, and grandkids. The kids who DON'T have lots of time in day care or other similar arrangements tend to love the program and those who DO have day care, etc. do not enjoy it as much.

That being said - YMMV.

Interesting perspective. Hadn't thought of that. But my nieces might be the exception to the rule. They seem to have as much fun as my kids in the clubs. 
 

Mind you, my older one is now 12 and it's a whole new world going to the teen clubs. The club on Independence was empty for the post-New Year's cruise and I'm hoping that the August cruise on Symphony will be a different experience for her. 

35 minutes ago, wordell1 said:

I actually take pictures of my whole families passports on my phone and email a copy to someone who is not going on the cruise in case my phone is lost or stolen.

Same. This also helps when I do online checkin for flights, as it saves a bit of time and hassle in opening up everyone's passports.

44 minutes ago, SSprouse said:

I'm so enjoying your blog! We are heading out on Indy April 13th for the same itinerary with 3 grandparents in tow. This is giving me some great ideas and information!

Where do you sign up for ice skating? I was thinking I had read that it was just first-come, first-served at Studio B when it was happening? 

I believe the compass had an item about signups. Happened roughly 2 hours before the first skating session in Studio B. 
 

thanks for reading! 

14 hours ago, Floski said:

Do yourself a favor and save $15 or so for the porters at your debarkation.  

They can get you through customs much faster and you don't have to drag your bags all over.

You have to use them getting on, but it's optional when leaving.

I think porters are great for folks who have issues lugging their bags around. For example, my dad's using a cane now and his mobility is rather compromised. Perfect time to use a porter if there's more than 2 pieces of luggage - somewhat of a rarity for my parents, but it happens.

With that said, I'm fine with lugging my own stuff, and the ports I typically sail out of have Global Entry, and my NEXUS (best $50 I've ever spent wrt travel) grants me access there. But if I was sailing out of, say, Tampa, it might be worth the money.

On 1/31/2020 at 9:53 AM, SteveinSC said:

Man, I love The Onion.....

It really is great. 

3 hours ago, foxrunner said:

Great news about the casino! Wish Royal would limit smoking to outdoors only. Noticed that you are pretty loyal to Allure, why is that? We will give Harmony a try, and thanks.

Honestly it was more a timing and price thing that led to so many Allure trips, but I do love that ship. It'll likely be similar to Oasis after amplification and I won't know how I feel about that until I get a trip in. 

As mentioned, Indy has a swipe/barcode card so you (or guest services) can punch a hole through it. 
 

I'm not at home, but I'll post a photo of my SeaPass later. 
 

1 hour ago, foxrunner said:

 We are flying from Providence or Boston. Hoping that Orlando flights are less expensive than Miami. Why do you like Harmony? I wish Indy had a 7 night cruise. 

Harmony, like the other Oasis class ships, offers a lot to do for everyone. I like that there's no staircase to the casino, so no smoke wafting into the Promenade. 
 

The water slides and splash area were unique at first, so that was nice. I do think not having a kids area pool was a bit of a miss though. 
 

I do like Allure better but I don't know that this will be the case after the Amp. Empirical research is required. 

For me, I like Harmony, don't love Port Canaveral as you need to think about transport to and from MCO or Sanford if you're flying in, whereas you might not need to sailing out of Port Everglades or Miami.  
 

Still, that transport is not going to significantly eat into your $800 savings so it might come down to the cost of flights. 

I did Indy for the first time right after New Years - my trip report is in the "Live" section. 
 

i prefer 7 night sailings as well but I gotta day that I wouldn't mind another 5 night on Indy. It's a great ship and while there aren't as many amenities as the Oasis class, you will enjoy sailing on Indy should you give it a go. 

They are clearly not The GOAT Ken Jennings...

On DCL I was constantly concerned about my 5yo getting trucked by a 12yo in the Oceaneers club. Never happened (in part because 8yo big sister was with her) , but still I was concerned about the fact that the age range was 3-12 

Royal's new 6-12 range basically covers grades 1-6 and I'm ok with kids in this range being grouped together. It's not as well divided as the smaller groups were (IMO) but I can live with it.

2 hours ago, MotleyCruiser said:

Good to know. How did the configure the pool stage on 70,000???

I wasn't on the metal cruise itself, but from their Facebook page it looks like the stage was set up in front of the video screen. So basically the main pool area.

Just an FYI - if you need small bills you can go to guest services or the casino to exchange for ones and fives.