Todd W

13 minutes ago, rjac said:

Hey, we have fun here...just like when we are on a cruise!  And we poke fun at each other every now and then in good humor. Can you just imagine what folks from that other site are like on a cruise? 

Exactly!   at no point have i ever thought "oh it would be great to cruise with so and so" from over there.   it seems like it would be miserable, at least based on the majority of attitudes ive encountered.   Now here on the other  hand,  i've always thought just the opposite!

9 minutes ago, ltw said:

Figured this thread was fitting for my first post- I just got rid of my account over on that other website, I just couldn't take it anymore. So here I am! 

welcome aboard!    the two sites couldn't be any more different as i'm sure you've already seen.

1 hour ago, deckhook said:

Dear Sir advice and guidance would be appreciated as i am going to Cuba in May and would like to buy a small sample box for home, not looking to buy the most expensive cigar but on a budget.. your knowledge would be gratefully received. many thanks Colin 

it's really hard to recommend based on not knowing what you will come across while in Cuba or the pricing you will see when you get there.     I'm unaware of what your cigar palate or previous smoking history is but just know 99% of the Cuban's i've smoked are very mild cigars.    That being said,  I only smoke cigars now that pack a punch so what i like in a Cuban may not be relevant to your tastes.  That being said, my favorite Cubans in no special order are Trinidad Reyes,  Hoyo De Monterey petite robustos,   Romeo y Julietta short churchills,  Diplomatico #2,  Montecristo #2,  Partagas serie P,   Ramon Alones special select,  H Upmann Mag 46 and Cohiba Behike $ Cohiba Siglo Vi.    assuming what you find are legit Cuban's, you can't go wrong with any of these.

9 minutes ago, mook1525 said:

is there another RC Blog?

There is only one "Royal Caribbean blog" namesake website but there are multiple other cruising forum websites for most cruise lines including Royal Caribbean.   However, as many will attest to,  this is the only one that matters.  

I pop over to that "other" site every now and then.   Was just checking it out during lunch today and it never ceases to amaze as to how ugly it gets over there.   I see so many people (even mods) who just get salty and vile with people posting simple questions.    My wife was laughing at me the last time i was reading over there because i let it get under my skin way more than it should, if at all.   So many trolls as well.     @Matt it really makes me appreciate all of your hard work that has gone into this place, not to mention the great attitudes of everyone here.    Thanks again everyone!    My time spent here makes me really enjoy cruising much more than I ever intended.    I always log off knowing more than I started out and generally have a good laugh as well.   Cheers!

great pics as always @twangster thanks for sharing !

7 hours ago, AGSLC5 said:

on the first day of your cruise you will meet your stateroom attendant. At that point request that he brings you Ice in your ice bucket everyday. You do not need to give them an additional tip as long as you do the standard gratuities. I do this every cruise and works out great. 

+2  This is one of the first things i always ask our stateroom attendant like @tiny260 says, twice a day isn't out of the ordinary to ask for.     I'm certain i've never seen an ice machine on any ship thats accessible to the general public.  I would assume way too much at risk given all the hands that would go in it.  Now that being said,  the Windjammer has ice machines (don't they?   now that i'm thinking about it, i'm having a brain fart and can't remember)  at the fountains that you can also use to fill up the bucket from your room.

@twangster  Out of pure curiosity, did they have a "max capacity" posted for upstairs at the Lime and Coconut?  And is there bar access on each of the 3 levels?

drink packages typically run in the $60's per day (+18% for grats) on the ship.   They are constantly going on and off sale.  Don't pay attention so much to the   X% off as the actual price per day.   If you see a price you like, purchase it.  if it goes down, you can always cancel and repurchase.    As reference, i was able to get ours as low as $44 per person / per day (+18% ) for our April cruise but i had originally purchased at $47.    WIFI is only worth it if you really feel you need it.  If you need to keep in contact with the mainland it can be a viable route to go.   Main thing I always say, don't over think it.   Very easy to pack way more than you actually need.   Go with reasonable expectations and don't let the actions of others skew your perception of whats fun.    Prepare to get hooked!

It's hard enough for me to get any work done just thinking about upcoming cruises.  I would NEVER get anything done if that was my daily view.

2 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

I put my torch lighter in my hard travel case with my cigars that was in my checked bag and didn't have any issues.

  Thanks for the follow up John, I appreciate knowing this!    i never travel with my good torches so at the very least, i'm out 15 bucks or so. 

There's a Robert Kraft joke in here somewhere but i'll show some restraint  lol

I've never had any issue using this DOT approved case for my torch lighters when flying.  It just has to be in my checked baggage.   That being said, i've never tried to use it to bring a torch lighter on a cruise.   I may have to inquire about it because i'm 58 days out for LOS and i'd love to have it in the Con Club.  I mainly smoke big gauge cigars and a triple torch is a heck of a lot easier to light than a standard bic or matches.

2 hours ago, Zambia-Zaire said:

I suspect when Harmony ever goes to dry-dock, a pool would be added in the Solarium. The Solarium w/o a pool, turned out to be a major miscalculation on the designers part.

I hope you're right. Given all that  I can only assume would be involved to not only build the pool but adding the water and filtration system needed to set in place, i can't imagine it being possible not only from a financial standpoint but an engineering as well.    But then again with the new slides and they are adding with "Amped" it may well be a reality. 

Hopefully it works out in your favor.   We may have someone here on the boards who is on your sailing and can confirm for you.   

Correct, casino doesn't allow it which drives me up the wall.   I don't understand the double standard but that's a discussion i'll keep to myself as I'm pretty passionate about cigar rights and want to keep my reputation nice and shiny here lol.

best bet is to reach out to Royal directly.    this is a fan-blog, not directly affiliated with the cruise line

Does Freedom still have a connoisseur club? 

22 hours ago, Mark_Twain_Wiggam said:

 I have mentally been onboard! I created a “cruise” playlist that is full of Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett, Zack Brown Band that I have been listening to at work

I love the way you think man!   We hit 60 days out yesterday and it really kicked into high gear for me which is saying alot.   I've been driving my wife nuts the last several months.    Not our first cruise but will be the first time we've cruised with both her sisters and their husbands (which we all have a BLAST when we're together) along with my brother and his wife who live out of state and we don't get to see nearly enough.    I came into the parking lot at work yesterday morning blasting Fruitcakes by Buffett and got parked and let it play 2 more times before i finally shut er down.

Don't let the attitude of others dictate your enjoyment of the cruise.   So often we read stories of people having "bad" cruises because of things that didn't even effect them directly (how people dress, how others act,  unrealistic expectations etc).    A bad day as sea is better than a great day at work!

On 2/23/2019 at 12:15 PM, Zambia-Zaire said:

Yet, one thing I do ponder...why don't any cruise line have cross-port itinerary? For an example: porting out of Galveston, include stops in New Orleans or Mobile or even Tampa(not all on the same itinerary; but rotate between, if stops was allowed), before heading to Progresso, Cozumel, Belize, etc. I suspect that would increase more interest & variety.

2

Maybe i 'm not understanding your question but if I am, they are out there, you just need to look harder.  I've seen Royal sailings out of NJ that port in Florida before sailing further to the Caribbean.   Also some San Diego departures stop at San Franciso as well as Seattle before finishing up in BC.   I would venture to say all lines do something similar

awesome job !   My son is also a big Vlogger as well.   Keep up the great work!

following along and can't wait to see more.   @cruiselife my wife and I are very much like yourselves.  all we've ever done is cruise out of Galveston but for 2020 we are flying to FL for our first Oasis cruise on Harmony too.   Thanks for sharing!

I was playing around on the Royal app today and added in the reservation numbers of the other 2 couples for our April cruise.   Being the idiot that i am, i failed to realize that the app directly linked those 2 reservations on my Royal Planner page now.   Top one is for my wife and I and the bottom 2 are the other couples reservations as seen online from my RC Planner login.   Not sure how i can "unlink" these or what, if any issue i may have caused.    I've never done this before and just wanted to make sure i haven't screwed anything up for the other 2 couples.  I'm assuming this is just a "view" function but i have access to their check in info fields and everything else now.   Sort of freaked out.   any help or friendly words to help ease my nerves would be appreciated lol.

@twangster  we are sailing on her 4/28 for our first time.   Will be the first opportunity my wife's 2 sisters and their husbands as well as my brother and his wife will all be joining us together for a cruise.  We can't wait,   until then, living vicariously through your great photos!   Thanks again!