Todd W

@WAAAYTOOO thanks for the info. I had figured as much but wasn't positive if i was having a dumb-day and just couldn't find it in the cruise planner. I also appreciate your feedback. Sounds just like what we're looking for. Cheers!

Love the concept of the limited amount of people for Nachi so going to book it for our April cruise. Am i just missing it on Royal's planner or is it done only directly through the resort?

awesome news going into the weekend! cheers and have a great cruise!

awesome news, thanks Candie!

yeah the dang TABC stuff is goofy . seems like more people focus on that as a huge negative for Galveston. The time it effects anything is minimal in the grand scheme of things. As for me, put me on a cruise ship and as long as I can get some sort of cold drink for sail away, i'm happy.

if you can ever get your kids to figure this one out, please make sure to share your secret! LOL

As a Texan I have to chime in on this as well. While the state as a whole is deemed conservative, why the heck does that make any difference as to the opinion of the port? You can easily read multiple threads here and other sites as well when it comes to cruising out of Galveston. While the port itself has it's challenges, nearly everyone who's cruised out of there "generally" speaks very highly about the locals who are cruising on the ship as being some of the friendliest and polite people theyve ever met. I concur with others regarding your desire to be a CD. which such garish comments like the one's you've made, I would tend to question if thats the right career path for you. particularly when it comes to the melting pot of variable different cultures of the staff alone, not even mentioning the passengers.

I think my wife and I have an affinity for the club. Our first cruise on Mariner was for our honeymoon and seemed like we always ended up in there at the end of the night. Was a great wind down with a cigar and a glass of Porto for me. She never smoked herself but always enjoyed a cocktail in there chatting with everyone. and those leather loungers...you can just sink down into and easily doze off. Nothing against the current outdoor smoking areas on the ships these days, but for me it's always been the atmosphere. Whether its playing cards at my local shop, sitting out on my back porch or kicking back in the Connoisseur club on the ships.

@function12 thanks, that's great to hear. Will definitely check again as we get closer. Seem's like the Connoisseur clubs are on their last leg which is understandable. Always met some great folks in there and a very laid back place to wind down the evening.

I know it's still nearly a year off for my April cruise on LOS but i've been in full-on cruise mode for the last several weeks since we made it over the year hump and i'm ready to go! First off, does anyone know if LOS has the 70's themed party on the promenade or has that changed? Also I'm a big cigar smoker and the current deck plans i have may be outdated. Could someone confirm that the Connoisseur's club is still on LOS after the renovation? Wife and I loved hanging out in there on Mariner and was hoping Liberty still has one.

i have to agree with so many others, drop off any carry-on's and find the nearest bar for a cold drink! it's always 5 o'clock somewhere!

not one of your questions but from one parent to another... our boys loved their first cruise. they were 12 & 14 at the time and had a blast. we gave them quite a bit of responsibility to be on their own but it came with conditions that had to be followed or they lost the ability to be on their own and were going to be attached to our hip after that. We gave them watches and had set check in times every couple hours or so. We made sure they knew where they could find us or if we weren't sure where we would be, they had to pop into our room and leave a sticky note on the mirror to let us know where we could find them. I was nervous at first but they did surprisingly great!!

few weeks back i booked a 2020 trip on Harmony for my wife and I. Heard a lot of great things about floor 8 and the easy access out to Central Park and all that it has to offer. Read so many great things i booked an exterior balcony for our first Oasis class cruise. you might give deck 8 balconies a consideration if having quick access out to Central Park and the restaurants have any interest for you. Best of luck!

Last time i did an all-inclusive resort was when i married ex hah. Nothing but cruises now for myself and my new wife!

been lurking way too long and just now seeing this. can i get on this list with only 2 cruises upcoming? Wife and I haven't been able to make more than one a year like some of you other professionals. hah! April 28, 2019 - Liberty of the Seas (Western Carib) April 19, 2020 - Harmony of the Seas (Eastern Carib) first time on Oasis Class whooo hooo!

great point. i'll see if i can get everyone to agree to at least one specialty dinner and then get i'll reach out to try and reserve that. thanks!

I stayed in one a few years back on Mariner. We loved it, room had a bench seat at the window which made for great people-watching. If for some reason we couldn't get a balcony or better on a cruise, i wouldn't hesitate getting another promenade room again.

@WAAAYTOOO Thanks for your feedback! I've indirectly become the planner for our cruises over the past few years because of my compulsive traits that i have. Love doing all the research and what-not before hand (multiple files, spreadsheets and pdf's starting as far out as 2 yrs when i typically book lol). As you mentioned, i can very easily see myself getting all worked up trying to keep dining times scheduled organized. I'm obsessively VERY prompt for any and all plans. If you aren't early, you're late. It's a curse. My wife's family is pretty much the exact opposite but it's really my own issues which i acknowledge so i try not to take it out on anyone else. I'm sure eating together won't happen every night albeit we would love to have the opportunity to dine together in the MDR if the stars align. I realize now, probably the best thing to do is play it by ear. On a different note, would there be any issue with Chops or Giovanni's being able to accommodate a party of 8 if I try to make reservations when we first board? I've never been in either with more than 4 people.

yeah it was weird. i sent her a link yesterday at work to play from her work PC and all she could hear, very clearly, was Laurel. Last night i played the exact same link from my cellphone and then she could suddenly hear both.

Laurel all day. long. My wife can somehow simultaneously hear both!

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Our group, myself included, really doesn't like to tied down to any specific time for dining which is why we would like to keep MTD. Good to know that it sounds like they could potentially accommodate a party of 8. As we get closer, does anyone see a benefit in reaching out to the ship ahead of time or probably just easiest to handle once on board?

So 6 of us are cruising April of 2019 on LOS. I found out a few weeks ago that my brother and his wife are going to be joining us which is awesome. If we all have MTD, would it be possible to get a table for 8 ?

The Daily News in Galveston is reporting that Royal Caribbean wants to bring an Oasis class cruise ship to Galveston in the fall of 2020. So far, the Oasis class ships have been based in popular cruise ports in South Florida (Port Everglades and Port Canaveral). That could change in two years if the Port of Galveston has their way. However, in order for the port to be able to handle one of the cruise line’s 225,000+ gross ton cruise ships, a third terminal would have to be built that can support 6,000+ passengers. Port officials stated that a third terminal would cost over $100 million and there are questions about who will pay for it. Currently, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have multiple ships that sail year-round out of the two terminals at the Port of Galveston. Carnival will be sending their largest cruise ship, Carnival Vista, to the port in September. Disney Cruise Line also sails seasonally out of Galveston. Building a third terminal would pose a few challengers for the Port of Galveston. The first would be where to put it. A second challenge would be re-accommodating current tenants, such as Del Monte Fresh Produce, to new terminals at the port. When the Daily News reached out to Royal Caribbean about the matter, they refused to comment on it. Port Director Rodger Rees told the Daily News that in order for the port to be ready for an Oasis class ship by the fall of 2020, the project will need to be planned and designed by November 2018. There are currently four Oasis class ships in service with a fifth and unnamed vessel planned for 2021. Two of the cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are based in Port Everglades. A third, Oasis of the Seas, currently sails out of Port Canaveral. Symphony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, is sailing a season in the Mediterranean before heading to her new homeport in PortMiami.

yeah i read an article that was posted over on that other forum that had mentioned them wanting to build a second terminal for Oasis class ships, potentially by 2020 or 2021 if i remember correctly. i think it's all speculation still at this point as the logistics behind it all are huge.

No worries at all Annette. My intention wasn't to air my dirty laundry but to provide honest feedback of my experience to the OP. Thanks!