StayFrosty

Don't pay attention to the % off for the sales. Just look at the listed price. Royal will increase the % off but also increase the base price to that is more expensive than it was before.

Never thought I would be lectured about my parenting on this board (especially since I was speaking in hypotheticals as my kids are too young for phones). This used to be a pretty positive place. I guess things change.

Pretty sure people want it to help coordinate plans, find out where people are, or keep tabs on their kids. Is it necessary? No, but it sure is better than a whiteboard on your stateroom door.

Not every interior room can hold three people. Most likely those are in higher demand than normal 2 person interiors, hence the high cost.

I did a lot of work in food service in my youth including working enormous banquets. The fewer items you offer, the more efficient the kitchen can be. This includes not only food preparation but plating it and staging it for the servers. I've never observed the back of the house on a cruise ship during meal service but if they think that is where the bottleneck is, then that is probably where it is. I would guess that they have different lines for each dish or small grouping of dishes. By trimming these down it can reduced movements in the kitchen. The point is that fewer items means faster service. That being said, I liked the classics portion of the menu because it was a nice fallback if I didn't like anything else that night. But if the variety is large enough, I will probably be okay. I'll let you know after my cruise in June.

If you want to take the train (it is probably what I would do but I am a train guy), most service from Southampton Central goes to London Waterloo. From there you can follow the signs on the platform and go right downstairs to the Waterloo and City Line. This only goes one stop to Bank. From there it is an easy walk to your hotel. Or you can take a cab. If you do Royal's Windsor Castle excursion that is fine. At Heathrow, get on the Elizabeth Line and take it to Liverpool Street. From there take a cab, walk, or the Circle line 3 stops to your hotel(practically on its doorstep). Each option takes roughly the same amount to time. I realize the public transit option isn't everyone's cup of tea but I am a big proponent of public transit so I usually put my money where my mouth is.

Kids Sail Free is always a giant tease because the only times we can sail are during the blackout periods.

My wife and I will be aboard along with our 5 year old and 1 year old. Yep, we'll have our hands full but we haven't done a big trip since the pandemic. Why not do one that has child care on board! This will be my fourth cruise with Royal but the first on an Oasis Class! This along with it being drivable (a plus with little ones) are the main reasons for this booking. Two ocean balconies will help us keep our sanity. I am ready to go. Is it June yet?

Skip the beach and do the Kennedy Space Center!

Any friends of DeSoto here on the message board?

What do you think it’s lineage will be: Evolution of the Oasis Class Evolution of the Quantum Class Clean sheet design Or something else? My realistic vote is an evolution of the Quantum Class. My wish is for a clean sheet design!

I wouldn’t mind helping with something like this.

Correct, for a court to rule on an issue, someone has to sue. To sue you need to have standing. To have standing you need to have been ‘harmed’ by said law. There are plenty of historic examples of people purposely putting themselves in violation of a law in order to challenge it in court. This could be one of those times.

I don't think Florida has a leg to stand on when it comes to banning so-called "Vaccine Passports". In Zucht v. King (1922), the court ruled that schools could bar students who had not been vaccinated. The court has also ruled that denying service to a customer is legal as long is it not because of a person's status in one of the following protected classes: race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The unvaccinated are not a protected class. And federal law clearly has jurisdiction as the cruise lines are engaged in interstate commerce. Health privacy laws don't apply because RCL is not your healthcare provider and it would be you who would be divulging your medical status. Now a new ruling could change this, but the court has (at least historically) been hesitant to overturn previous precedents. Clearly Celebrity either has an inside track they are working or are very confident in their legal standing.

I second this. There are a lot of hotels near the Newport stop on the PATH train. You can walk to the Hudson River and enjoy the view of Manhattan, there are stores and a mall right there in case you forgot anything. A quick train ride will have you in Midtown or Downtown Manhattan. Lastly, it is a convenient 20 min drive to the port and about the same to Newark. Here is the area I am talking about.

My bet is stray marks outside the bubbles. Happens all the time.

Found it. Most likely the trains would be routed right through the middle of Philadelphia in order to cross the Delair Bridge. https://www.inquirer.com/business/philadelphia-lng-gibbstown-new-fortress-energy-port-drbc-fracking-trains-20200920.html

What stretch of rail was the problem? Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore?

It looks like Southwest is coming to MIA. That should mean cheaper flight directly to Miami instead of the detour via Fort Lauderdale. Link to article

Well if it makes you feel any better, they are simulated mines...

Apparently there is s a lot more going on off the coast of Coco Cay than you might think. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33090/how-american-and-allied-submarines-regularly-fight-to-the-death-off-the-bahamas That’s right, there is a US Navy shallows/mine field training area just to the west of a Coco Cay. I had known about the much larger deep water training area to the south but the minefield was news to me. The facility that support these areas, AUTEC, was used to support the US response to Hurricane Dorian. How cool would it be to see a sub surfacing while cruising near Coco Cay?

@twangster St. John. I paid attention to your live blog.

After a quick check of Google Maps, you are correct! Tamp never even occurred to me, I was thinking Europe somewhere.

I was this as B-Roll on a video about the virus and cruises and I couldn’t figure out the port. Any ideas?

Is this so you can get back before the new policy goes into effect or because of your original flight being canceled? (I assume you were on the Allure TA)