greenline627

Great blog, I always wanted to work on a cruise but my wife says no, happy wife happy life ;)
$45 actually sounds like it must have gone up in price. I thought it was less than that here (will need to check when I'm at the store again).
It depends, I kicked myself once as I saw a great deal with Johnny Walker Blue and the Reserve for $225 and I oued and awwed and at the airport, the same combo was about $300. There has been other times that the cruise is tricky like 3 for ... but if its only 2 of us we really can only bring back 2 (at least to cayman).
If I won the lottery this would be the first thing I bought and a really nice box of cigars. 

Yep, there rolling out the old website ?

Yes and body armor is hot on the job 40 years.

I will let you know we have a GS in August.

On board now!  Ship looks great.  Here are pics of our junior suite aft!  All new carpet, furniture, and bedding.  

I will let you know we have a GS in August.

Yes just read that also can't wait for some pictures I wonder if they did anything to the GS at all.

Adventure is on the move for Miami. 

i just saw this picture on Facebook. Izumi will be on the Royal Promenade .

Stop right there.  Completely ignore the reviews. Seriously.
There are negative reviews out there of Star Wars, chocolate ice cream, Disney World and more.  The fun of a cruise vacation is subject so many different factors, and a few people's experiences may not remotely mirror yours.
It's perfectly okay to be doing your research on what the ship offers, activities to see and do, etc, but online reviews are like yesterday's weather report...it tells you what happened then, not what is going to happen next. 
Go into your cruise with an open mind, plan ahead, and you are more than likely going to have a fantastic time!

So I'm a bit slow... speaking of reactions, I just now realized that the little number under my screen name and above location is actually a sum of all reactions to my posts;  my online reputation.  Compared to others on the board, it seems that I have a relatively poor reputation...;  so what else is new    But the good news is that it is shown beneath my screen name.  Usually, my reputation precedes me

Yes, your understanding is correct!

We sort of do the same think we have a fund we call extra and put money away every week so we have enough for vacation and any spending money needed that way when we get back from vacation everything has been paid then just start the whole process over again plus I still referee so all that money goes for vacations also.

As many have mentioned there is no right or wrong answer for this.
For some, they will prefer to pay a certain amount each month off the total to avoid having to find a large lump on the payment due date. If you don't regularly save and find it tempting to dip into savings then this is a great idea.
Personally, I do something simular but instead of paying the money to RCL I put the money into a separate savings account and then pay a lump sum the day before the cruise needs to be paid off. In our case this because we have an offset mortgage (i.e any positive funds in our bank accounts reduces the principle we have to pay interest against) it is better for us to keep the money in our own accounts as long as possible which reduces the interest charges on our mortgage. If I didn't have a history of saving I would probably pay off a certain amou8nt each month but I am confident of not touching the money so in our case it is better to not pay it until the last moment possible.
It really is up to you and what makes you feel more comfortable.

I pay it off right before the pay off date.

Usually, after you fulfill your drink quota for the day on your ultimate drink package, you will have quite a glow on. The friendly bartenders will point you in the right direction for the party, which is typically at the end of the bar with all the other glow-ees.

Disembarking!
 

Ignore all the reviews. Seriously.  
I can find you negative online reviews of Star Wars, puppies and ice cream.  All it means is some people have no soul different tastes, but I recommend not relying on the reviews in picking a cruise ship.  I've found these reviews to be notoriously unreliable.

Bermuda is AWESOME!!!! - We live 2.5 hours west of Baltimore (just west of Cumberland).  We went there for the first time last September, love it so much, we booked it again THIS September ..... then, when we saw the 1-time 7 night sailing out of Baltimore NEXT October ...... No brainer, SOLD.  As Matt would say, YOLO BOOK IT!!!

Was thinking of taking a cruise on the Grandeur that goes to Florida, Cococay, Nassau, and the Florida Keys and was wondering what the weather would be like when we get as far south as Florida. It leaves from Baltimore so I know it will be chilly for a while.
 
Ed

I sort of did this I just booked two more cruises :)

The only way to tell is to book a cruise for each ship  :)

Found this on another site for the Pride the times should be about the same for the Grandeur they both leave around 4PM:
 
Murrayb is just a little off on the time you will be at the Bay Bridge. I live off of Exit 28 & 29 of Route 50 (the highway the Chesapeake Bay Bridge serves. The ship departs from Baltimore at approximately 4:30pm, with the maneuver the Captain has to do to get the ship turned around to sail down the bay takes a while to do. There is no way that you can make it to the bridge in 30 minutes. You will most likely just be going under the Francis Scott Key bridge by then. Expect to be at the bay bridge around 7pm. There should be enough daylight so you can see the spans as you approach them and go under them. The Sky Deck (Deck 12) is the best spot. That deck is at the funnel and skylight for David's Steak House. You can only access the Sky Deck from outside from Deck 11. Murray is correct about the ship being at the Bay Bridge and Tunnel around midnight. You will be able to see the lights but nothing else.

We went under it on the Pride last year but don't remember what time it was. The first bridge is not to long after you sail. My wife and I will be on the Grandeur also in a few weeks so maybe I will remember to look at my watch this time. :)
 
ERS

I sort of did this I just booked two more cruises :)