OCSC Mike

7 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

But also being on Freedom, I am looking forward to the free food options.

Careful, you sound like me, lol. I would have to eat so much ELF on Freedom to survive, especially if I wasn't loving WJ and Sorrento's wasn't great.

7 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Help me, too.  Soon after we started cruising again, I was very diligent about making sure that I used all of my vouchers (usually at the end of the evening), even if it was for water or Cokes....but lately I have been slacking BIG time.  There are days when I don't use ANY of my vouchers.  So please be my voucher conscience and help me remember to redeem my f'ing vouchers !!!

I'll do my best... but not next cruise. I already told you June 6th doesn't work for me since I'll be on Wonder.

I'm extra motivated since you called them "f'ing vouchers" btw.

13 minutes ago, ScottD said:

I think it must be cooler related- our first time on Oasis, the thing got stuff COLD... like room temp bottles of water were actually fridge-temp cold overnight. The second time, barely got the bottles above room temp. We were spoiled the first time, I assumed they'd all get COLD...nope. 

Yeah, it's a crap shoot. We had 3 different cabins on Indy in 2022 (2 during a B2B in July and 1 in October). The coolers definitely varied by cabin... from cold to useless.

7 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

i always forget i should be using my vouchers to grab corona for the next day at the pool or on the balcony

I now have a mission next time you live blog. As someone whose goal is to not waste many/any of our now 10 vouchers, I'll remind you, lol.

2 minutes ago, FoxboroCruiser said:

This time we will be on Symphony and Allure will be there.  Based on that experience and the fact that there'd be two Oasis class ships there at once is part of why we decided to pay for access to Hideaway Beach .  Really hope it works out...

Yeah, that's a rough combo. Hope you enjoy Hideaway!

17 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

this is heartbreaking..... if you can't rely on sorrentos for crisp pizza

I obviously have plenty other stuff to eat but I really have enjoyed Sorrento's being crispier (hence better) over the past year. I'd be disappointed too.

17 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

this is the kind of stuff that kills me softly. when our "fridge" in our JS didn't keep things even remotely cool on oasis, i was so sad.

Agreed. I haven't had too many non-functional coolers but when I have it really is problematic. Keeping certain snacks and bottled/canned drinks from leftover vouchers at least somewhat cold is kind of important!

4 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Now that you have brought up the Mississippi Moonlight, I want one of each! Might as well throw a Big Bobba into that. lol

I cannot wait to go back to Mason Jar, and I really need to find a way to book Icon again. This blog is making me realize how much I miss it.

Is it too late to convince RC to put Mason Jar on Star?

7 minutes ago, FoxboroCruiser said:

On our last visit to PDCC, you couldn't even get near the in-pool bar at Oasis Lagoon, and there were ZERO available chairs anywhere close to the pool.

The pool bar itself tends to be crowded but there must have been a lot of people on PDCC that day. We've never had a problem getting our preferred seats by the pool (not right by the bar but not super far either). TBF, I've mostly been there either alone on Wonder or with a combo of Indy/Freedom. I'm sure it's different with a larger combo of ships. We also get off the ship ASAP but it still takes a while for the pool area to fill up.

1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Sort of! Whatever it was, it went down really fast when I drank it lol

Sounds more dangerous than the Mississippi Moonlight from Mason Jar. That really is lemonade but I don't think there's a ton of alcohol in the blackberry moonshine. I want one!

5 minutes ago, SplashOfWater said:

That pricing would be a no for us too. And if the dress code requires jackets for men, that would definitely be a "no" from my husband! 

I would have to agree... with both of you, lol.

5 minutes ago, Debstr66 said:

I always pack a couple different sizes of tupperware-like containers and plenty of Ziplock bags.

You got me beat with the Tupperware. We always have a stash of gallon Ziplocs though (one is designated as my cookie bag and is never empty, lol).

Park Cafe on Wonder has wraps and other small sandwiches in sealed plastic to-go containers in a grab n go section. I started keeping a couple wraps in the cooler last cruise... now you've given me the idea to re-use the containers for stuff brought back from WJ or wherever so thanks for that! They should be big enough for desserts and other small snacks.

3 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

Very good! Tastes like lemonade!

I know I'd like that one. Tell your wife it was my fault you were posting.

1 hour ago, JohnK6404 said:

I like the sound of your tour better! 

We were supposed to take it in 2019 but Harmony couldn't dock there due to high winds so we've never actually gotten off in Roatan. For our first time somewhere, we try to see as much as we can. After that on future trips we might just sit on a beach, not get off at all, etc. The company we're using (Rony's Tours) also offers to take you to a local school to drop off donations and since my wife is a K teacher, she wants to do that. Nice to see how locals actually live too.

So the current plan is to see the animals at Manawakie, go to a school where Rony lives, go to wherever the driver recommends for views/pictures, stop for a quick bite of something local (not a long lunch, I keep reading about "baleadas" which are kind of like tacos), then seeing the West Bay area where there are beaches, shopping, etc.

It's our one long excursion for this cruise. Besides that and CocoCay, we'll mostly just stay on the ship.

4 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

No negatives… the tour guide on the bus (Ana) would point out places of interest as we passed by and chatted with us about day-to-day life in Roatan, etc. Very friendly. The bus we were on was air conditioned and I would  estimate our group to be about 20-25. The tour was organized and we only stopped at the 3 places (no detours). 

Sorry if I was unclear, I was only interested in your thoughts on Manawakie itself. We have a private tour guide taking us all over the island. He'll go wherever we tell him.

45 minutes ago, ScottD said:

we thought it was a great little spot

Thanks. The more opinions the better. We were likely sticking with it unless given a strong reason not to. I just didn’t realize Royal took people there b/c it’s not mentioned by name in the description of the excursion John took.

I might be the only one interested in non-Icon specific stuff, lol, but I keep finding random coincidences.

We have a private tour scheduled for Roatan in exactly 3 weeks. I could have chosen any of the half dozen or so places that has sloths & monkeys but we settled on Manawakie b/c it was smaller & recommended. I had no idea RC had excursions that went there. Any significant positives or negatives? I could easily switch since it’s a private tour. Thanks.

In addition to the above, be aware that this site is not actually affiliated with Royal Caribbean.

Posting this a bit late and this roll call is dead anyway but entertainment reservations opened today.

They're getting earlier and earlier. It was 50 days out for my June cruise... 60 days out for this one.

11 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I can imagine the ones in the middle of the Promenade would be much noisier.  

TBF, ours was really only noisy during the nightly promenade parties which won't be an issue unless you go to bed early... which we do on occasion, lol. It was as quiet as any other cabin besides that.

13 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

We have one coming up in a few months...on EX I think.  They are a bargain…only a few dollars more than the comp interiors but waaay better, IMO.

Can't argue with that. The CP view interior we had on Allure really wasn't much more than a regular interior either.

If you haven't had one of those and a similar situation ever comes up on Oasis class, I think you'd like them too.

2 minutes ago, Jax said:

Oooh I’m excited! I think you will enjoy #22.  #14, 15 & 16 worked great for our larger group as they were spaced together.   Regardless, for the price any daybed is a win imo. 

Totally makes sense to book what you had given that you needed several (not that #22 was an option anyway).

It truly wasn't a big deal but it seemed like a no-brainer for us to switch once I saw the pics. We wanted to be in our own little bubble eating and drinking the day away so any extra space seemed like a positive. That said, we also sit in free loungers on CocoCay next to other people and occasionally get to chatting. And we split a cab with another couple we met when went to Nachi last October and ended up sharing a palapa with them (two loungers on either side). I'm not so anti-social that I need total solitude, lol.

Now that this is settled, I can get back to focusing on the cruise I have in 18 days... which isn't this one, lol. I didn't even notice that entertainment opened this morning for the July cruise with Paradise Beach until I saw a FB post at like 2pm. Everything was still available of course and for our 4th time on Wonder in 13 months, we may not even go to any shows except for comedy, but it's nice to have reservations anyway.

34 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I got some coffee mugs and an inappropriate something for good friend who loves things shaped like genitalia

Hilarious. Kinda reminds me of how my wife's best friend from college who still lives in PA sends her profanity-laced gifts like a mug that says "I f'n miss you b-word!" All in good fun.

36 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

got ELF

Are those burritos in the wrapper? I did re-try the quesadillas on Wonder and they were good. Didn't get to the burritos.

20 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

the teenagers who just sit on the steps and congregate. I take the stairs as much as possible and I constantly have to stop and ask to be let by.

I'm sure you can tell I'm easy-going, used to sailing with tons of kids, and don't complain about much but OMG THIS!!! We see it a lot from kids of various ages and it's so annoying. You're on a giant ship... why the stairs?!?

23 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

They order drinks and say they are prime, but aren't. So when the bartender ask for their card, they say it's in machines . Thinking they will let it slide. Then they get charged and make a big deal.

Brilliant scam. I'm shocked that doesn't work.

51 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

The new promenade room layout is very tight and storage is almost nonexistent. There was also a lot of noise bleeding up from the promenade.

Those are the exact reasons we didn't love our promenade view on Indy... only time we've had one. The layout was weird with the TV on that corner unit.

We liked the CP view on Allure though. It was bigger and laid out just like a balcony room (or some of the interiors with the bed on the side wall that Wonder and maybe other ships have).

We learned interior window rooms can be very different.

48 minutes ago, foxrunner said:

Given your love of included food, you should give Icon or Star a go.

31 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I agree! The complimentary food options on Icon are above all other ships in the fleet.

You guys are spot on. The included food is incredibly appealing to me (as are a few of the new drinks). Even my wife would like some of the stuff in the Aquadome Market.

She wants to try Star so we'll see how bad the prices are during the next release.

It's refreshing to see some love for the WJ! We go there most nights... sometimes for dinner, sometimes after MDR. Never know what you might find.

Of course I understand many people prefer to avoid it or just don't like buffets in general... and that's fine too. Different strokes.

@Jax This woman, Estefania, is so nice & helpful & clearly speaks perfect English. She got back to me and started the e-mail with “Behold, Bed #22!”

We switched to the new one & she sent me a confirmation 4 minutes after I asked to switch. I would gladly send her a small virtual tip if I could.

It looks a little set apart from the rest of the row (more space on the #14 side plus a little tree/plant and a bit in front of the row). If people are walking by the other side, oh well. People watching can be good at times or we can always close the curtain on that side if it’s actually bothering us but I doubt we’ll even notice. My wife also brought up the point that the new one will obviously have less wear (although I’m sure the other ones are fine, just more over-planning).