Todd W

have an awesome trip!

thanks!   now that you mention it I'm positive that  i'm wrong and was most likely thinking of the cafe.   very clearly  I'm ready to get done with work and get out of here!

from what i read, looks like it only applies to cruises departing now through mid December.    Figured this out after failing to read @Mattwhole post and was getting red faced on RC's website because i couldnt find it for my April sailing lol

will sound goofy but last time i cruised RC i was 30lbs heavier and was over indulging way too much.   I still enjoy the indulgent while on vacation but I'm more apt to grab a few smaller , more sensible items throughout the day, and still splurge during the evening.   With that in mind, just curious as to any "grab-and-go" options the Liberty may have available.   Does Sorrento's still have pre-made salads and sandwiches that we can grab for a quick healthy(er) bite later on in the evenings rather than their pizza?    Any other good options for earlier in the morning or later in the evening while out and about on the ship?

like so many others, i'm of the mind set that if i can prepay for anything before the cruise,, that's my preference.    First cruise we took we didn't do that and while i knew i was going to have some charges at the end of the cruise, i sort of got sticker shock.  we planned for it financially so it wasn't an issue.   however to me couple hundred bucks for odds and ends, no problem. Now spending an extra 600-800 AFTER the cruise for drinks, spec dining etc sort of tarnished the after-effect for me.     

38 minutes ago, CruisinUngs said:

It will be our first cruise and the threads here are what helped us pick our ship, dates, departure port, etc.

Welcome aboard you guys.    My wife and I were instantly hooked after we took our first cruise which quickly became an annual vacation for us.      Tons of great info here and don't be afraid to ask if you can't find what you're looking for.   as someone who's asked plenty of questions myself,  this group has been great at providing answers without all of the drama of some of the other cruise forums.     have fun!

1 minute ago, JLMoran said:

You don't happen to know / have met a guy named Jim Dalrymple, by any chance? Your beard and his are equally impressive!

That name sounds really familiar.   Our paths may have crossed in one of the facebook beard groups i'm linked to.   Thanks for the compliment. by the way, much appreciated.    Fortunate to have a wife who loves my beard and won't let me cut it and also doesn't mind all the money i spend on beard products lol

@coneyraven  you need one of these!

glad you guys are having luck.    i can't even get past the 2nd passenger portion of the website.    Keeps wanting me to enter in my wife's CnA number, which she has.   Even though it says not required, when left blank, i can't move past this screen.    I don't know her number (never had a need for it since bookings are always linked to mine) and RC system won't pull it up when i try "i forgot".       yet one more issue in their joke of a website lol

@twangster  @JLMoran   thanks for the insight guys.   I had thought it wasn't possible for TA's to do that but figured this was the best place to ask.   I appreciate it!

just curious,  would TA's have any better luck with this exception?

add me to the list as well.  i wasn't even aware of this until @Matt made mention of this in the recent TA thread.    Sorry it took me so long to get here!

add me to the list.  Just moved my HOTS booking from Royal over to @michelle from MEI this afternoon!     May possibly have 2 other couples tag along once they've succumbed to my relentless badgering about joining my wife and I for this cruise also LOL

looks to me as though the FULL Day pass covers everything except the balloon ride as best as i can tell.   i'm figuring possibly not the zip line either.    That being said, i found it funny that a half day pass was $39.00 and the full was $44 a mere $5 bucks more.   Seems to me as though it's almost forcing everyone to buy the day pass 

3 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Because I have no discipline !!!  LOL  It's just that simple !

This is EXACTLY my same reason.   nice to know i'm not alone on this.   hah!

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

  As far as MEI - they sponsor this site.  There are costs to running this site

great point,  hadn't even considered that as a "hidden" benefit to using MEI.    I'm a stubborn Scorpio so sometimes it takes me multiple perspectives before i see the obvious  lol   thanks!

one other question in regards to TA's,   not sure if anyone can answer but are perks greater if the TA originally books for you as opposed to first booking through RCI and then switching over to a TA?    also  do TA perks change or increase based on the frequency that a customer uses them?    I've only used a couple TA's in the past and the only perk i've had was $25 OBC so far.  

this will sound petty but it's how i like to do things.  My biggest struggle with TA's isn't necessarily turning over control but it has to do with minimum payments they require for a payment.    I love to chip chip chip away at my balance on a weekly basis and in most cases, it's 25 to 50 bucks at a time.   So far i haven't had any luck finding a TA , MEI included, that will allow smaller more frequent payments to the balance.    i know, it's minimal in the grand scheme of things but it's how i prefer to manage it.    If anyone has had luck doing this with a particular TA from MEI or otherwise, please let me know because i'd love to be able to flip my 2020 booking over to them for peace of mind  and also potentially receive some perks to boot.

1 hour ago, rjac said:

We were there this past March. Book on line and if you want lounge chairs and an umbrella ("palapa" to them) right at the waters edge tell them so, or if you want something away from the water let them know that. They are very accommodating. No pressure from salesmen, very relaxing and quiet! Enjoy. 

Glad to hear that.  i was wondering about this, thanks!

1 hour ago, twangster said:

  Follow @Matt on twitter or facebook as he usually posts when ever sales are happening. 

1 hour ago, tiny260 said:

Black Friday is the best that I have seen (Most of the time), they can always book it and then if it comes up cheaper have them cancel (Credit Card credit) and re-book.

Thanks for the info everyone.  much appreicated

now that i'm having to buy 2 unlimited drink packages, i'm a bit more frugal about it and we've got a 2 couples who are first timers heading out in April with us..  with that in mind,  any idea how often it comes up on sale?    Just want to weigh my options between now and April when we set sail.   not sure at what point a discount is worth jumping in on.    I see folks mentioning black friday deals as low as $43 but didn't know if that was a pipe dream or not.    What is the most common promo or price seen for the package,  20% off ,  $48 or $45 ?     We've got a couple going with us who isn't confident about buying now and canceling and repurchasing if price drops.   Sadly the state of RC website has them gun shy and i'm just looking for a good number for them to jump in on.   thanks!

yeh I totallyl agree about the hit-or-miss.      I've got an April 19 cruise in my planner and the only thing i can access right now are excursions.   As i write this after last checking yesterday, i just checked again mid-post and  POOF!   drink package is available at the moment at the 20% off rate of $48       still no entertainment and no dining.    LOL    i check daily regardless.  with all the issues they've been having on their new site,  i just want to make sure my cruise doesn't vanish.

Just realizing i've never introduced myself.    Name is Todd and i'm from a small town just north of the Dallas metroplex (Wylie).    My wife and I will be married 7 years in October.  I have 2 boys from my previous marriage (14 and 16) who definitely keep us on our toes.    Michelle and I both took our first cruise in 2012 for our honeymoon.  We chose Mariner out of Galveston and instantly fell in love with cruising!   Second cruise we took our boys on Carnival Breeze which was a blast for all of us but she and I quickly felt like we were missing something.    We were in such awe of Mariner and while Breeze was a great ship, the overall feel of it just wasn't the same for us.   Not to say we won't try Carnival again but we've opted to book our next 2 cruise back on Royal  (Liberty in '19 and Harmony in '20).    As an added bonus, through our love of cruising, we've also (re)introduced both of her sisters and husbands to cruising again.   Both couples last cruised back in the early 90's.   2 of them went on our Breeze cruise and loved it so now we have all 4 of them coming with us on Liberty next year which will be great!  As for me, i'm the obsessive planner and want to know everything about our trip LONG in advance.   She leaves me be and doesn't want to spoil the excitement ahead of time so i have to make sure i parse out my info to everyone, keeping it minimialistic at  best so as to not burn everyone out.    LOL   i can't figure out why none of them are as obsessed as i am   HAH!      anyway, happy to be here.   It's a very refreshing break from all the drama over at the other site.      Love getting to know everyone here and appreciate all the feedback i've received so far on my questions.     Cheers!

37 minutes ago, DunkelBierJay said:

book directly on their website...they take great care of you and make sure the cab comes and is ready when you want it to get back to the ship on time. We've been twice...it is a great time!

Thanks for the feedback.   I want it as trouble free as possible and sounds like that's the way to go.

1 hour ago, coneyraven said:

@Todd W  When in April are you going? 

set sail out of Galveston on April 28, 2019,  Think we are actually there on May 3rd