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Today is the day that we go on the cruise!
Today is the day that we gooooo!
It’s gonna be great!
I just cannot wait!
TODAY IS THE DAY THAT WE GO ON THE CRUISE!
?

Netflix has an episode of Mega Food from a Royal ship - I think it's Oasis but my memory could be wrong. Def RC though.

True, but they ruined it for themselves both too.  They will never cruise RCL again!  Can you imagine?  I got thrown off Freedom once.  Luckily, I was not banned for life...

Raye, it's a mixed bag. Had a follow-up at the wound center today; seems to be a bit bigger than it was, which the doc said is normal in the beginning but hardly helpful at this particular point. I've already canceled iFly, no way do I want to risk making it any worse from the high-speed wind buffeting me and making my shoe flap around in bad ways.
I'll definitely be looking for a scooter or wheelchair to rent at the aquarium and botanical garden so that I'm not walking on it too much (beyond what I'll already be doing just in the course of regular day-to-day on the ship). Will take my chances with Horseshoe Bay, since the majority of the beach has very well-packed sand that won't torque my foot around in bad ways; worse comes to worst, while Cathy enjoys the waves and sand I'll sit in the bar there and down a few Dark & Stormy's.
Good news is my doc told me to take Painkillers as needed to deal with any discomfort.

At least, I think this is what he meant. ?

I want you to know I read this in the way it was intended...by singing it.
Enjoy the cruise, get that sun!

I want you to know I read this in the way it was intended...by singing it.
Enjoy the cruise, get that sun!

Day 9, Sea Day
On our way to Nassau so we slowly sailed up the Florida coast and made the right turn into the Bahamas.
Oktoberfest is being celebrated on board.

WJ specials for the event.

Navigator sailed past tonight.

Top Tier event

The internet had been struggling all day but around this time it went out completely. 
Since it was Thursday they had the NFL game.  Oddly the ALCS MLB playoff game was not televised.  A guy at the Schooner Bar was having a meltdown.  "This is America!  How can you not have the game man!  Football?  There is a whole year left to watch that sport!  Baseball is America's pastime!  It's the World series right now!  Turn off the football!"  The other sports channel had cricket.  Poor bartenders didn't know what to say.  With the internet out there were no game updates to provide.  It was a scope worthy tirade but the internet was out and I didn't want to exacerbate the meltdown.
Football game over and it was time for a late night snack.  Glimpse of internet but the MLB app showed 3-1 then postponed so it seemed was the game was suspended.  Must have been the weather.
Pastrami version of a Kümmelweck in the Compass Deli as a late night snack.  Yumm.

Leave the political discussions out of this news, please.

Wow! What a great episode!!

All you need to do is ensure the license plate, make and model match what the app says should be picking you up.  If they don't, don't get in.
Not long ago coming off a cruise I was jumping in a cab after clearing through CBP at terminal 18 in Port Everglades.  A woman behind me threw her luggage in my cab's trunk and out of the blue joined me without so much as asking where I was going.  I could have been going home, to a train station, a shopping mall, an airport, a gentleman's club, etc.  She didn't care, she just jumped in the cab with me.   SMH.

From this morning news, starting today Tuesday 10/15/2019 Uber can pick you up at the SJU Airport after the Managing company that operates the airport reach an agreement with Uber.
 
Here the instructions given by the Airport to reach to your Uber ride; "Simple Steps to follow to use Uber from the airport, the user goes to the ground floor of Terminal A or B of the airport. Here you will find an area properly labeled as a "Ridesharing" platform area. Once there, use the Uber application on your device to connect with the driver partner. The car will be identified as 'Uber' with a sign on its front glass".
 
Hope this helps anyone who uses this platform.
 
But as with any other city, the regular taxi drivers are having protests for this !!!!  

Netflix has an episode of Mega Food from a Royal ship - I think it's Oasis but my memory could be wrong. Def RC though.

Yes! It's Oasis - last episode of the (first) season. I love this show!

My opinion, yes, but people are okay with the ship's free option. My experience on Anthem was to get at least 2 coffees a day at La Patisserie and Cafe 270. They got to know me immediately and as soon as they saw me would start my order. (I almost always just order a misto - coffee and steamed soy milk.) The knowing what I want and starting it right away also happened on Harmony. I'm a creature of habit and they catch on quick. A few bucks here and there helped.
La Patisserie was open by 6am.

Netflix has an episode of Mega Food from a Royal ship - I think it's Oasis but my memory could be wrong. Def RC though.

Same for me , I got 3.5 years Visa my spouse got 1.5 years , but as I understood its many time pending on your expiration date of your passport. 

Netflix has an episode of Mega Food from a Royal ship - I think it's Oasis but my memory could be wrong. Def RC though.

I've had the card for about 15 years and managed to get 3 free cruises during that time.  Well the cruises aren't exactly free.  In all free cruise cases (125K points), you need to pay port charges and taxes.  They change the rules as they see fit, so you have to deal with that.  The basic free deal is this:  You can get a RCL 7 day Ocean View Caribbean cruise for two at a value up to $2500.  That's about a 2% return if you do the math (assume you book a room close to $2500 in value, some of your points are doubled from RCL purchases, and minus the port charges and taxes you have to pay).  This is tricky, takes patience, and not an exact science.
Also, if you use that card for only RCL purchases you will find that exchanging points for OBC will yield a 2% return. 
These days, I use the Citi Double Cash Card (2% for every purchase!).  I find this is just easier to deal with for the same return.
NOTE:  During the time I booked my second free cruise, RCL's policy had changed and they made me pay more for the cruise than I could actually purchase it for!  They had some sort of lookup table that they were required to book the complimentary cruise using.  Needless to say, that free cruise netted me less that a 2% return and I was NOT happy.
My 201101 Harmony cruise is a free BOA RCL card reward.  I upgraded to a Balcony from the standard Ocean View and our total cost was around $650.  An OK deal, but the old C&A balcony upgrade for diamond was $175 and they used to honor that upgrade deal - back in the old days...  ?

Day... Something?  Eight I think.  Key West.
Not the base pier, but not the primary Mallory Square pier either, but we have a later departure so maybe that plays into it.

As work ground to a halt a Mojito in Boleros seemed in order.

Then out of nowhere a sunset threatened my bar time right as sail away was also occurring.


Not bad.

And then we sailed away.

Obligatory sunset pictures

Hello Everyone. It That Time Again. It Cruise Time. Anyway I Am Going To Keep This Story Quick. So Here Is Are Ports Of Call.
-Day One- Port Miami
-Day Two- Coco Cay
-Day Three- Nassau 
-Day Four-  Coco Cay
So With That Said Let The Blog Begin!!! 
 

Glad to hear it is a pretty island, usually on our first trip,to a new place, we enjoy some kind of tour to see the island and its history. Thank you.

Ok I guess I'll jinx myself like @Matt and start the live-ish blog early.  
So this cruise was many things to my husband and I.  First, it was a yolo black friday sale and I had been eyeballing cruises to take my husband on for a while.  He's not really the vacation-y type and I adore exploring and vacationing.  I've been very comfortable travelling solo but I really wanted him to experience a cruise.  He's a Marine so his idea of a cruise is hot bunking, doing fire fighting training onboard a carrier and being miserable while the Navy got him where he needed to go.  Vacationing to me is at least 4 star hotels, gourmet meals, relaxation, spa visits, etc.  We're like night and day when it comes to travelling.  His last experience with "Thyri Style" travel was our honeymoon in the Poconos doing the whole champagne glass whirlpool thing.  He needs to get out more.
I adore cruising, I adore the water.  I'm not married to any cruise line in particular but Royal does give us the option to sail out of Baltimore, which is a 20 minute drive from our house.  
So when the price was right on black friday, I asked hub, "can I book this PLEASE?  I need a vacation, WE need a vacation"  mega SWMBO guilt trip pouring on and he allowed it.
5 nights to Bermuda.  But it has to be "Thyri style".  So I debated for about 20 minutes between the Grand Suite and the Owners Suite.  I knew I didnt want or need the Royal Suite because well, my logic is I dont play piano.  The price difference wasnt too much, and the larger balcony just sealed the deal for me.  So I booked it.  
Then I found this blog and these forums and learned about MEI travel.  I was considering being my own travel agent for this but Pam Richter at MEI really has been a godsend.  She sorted me out on a name discrepancy on our tickets and our travel documents.  Hub's last name has a III at the end.  That wasnt on our tickets.  Pam to the rescue!  She also helped us sort out travel insurance.
I kind of was excited, relieved, and nervous at the same time.  I've wanted to go on a cruise with hub for a very long time.  I also must be the only woman on the planet who cant remember her anniversary to save her life.  I realized at the time of this cruise, it would be 15 years of putting up with each other.  
 
Fast forward to tax time.  I had expected my work bonus as well as my tax refund (YAY), and I just said the heck with it and paid off the cruise.  I wanted it done, I wanted it to be "complete".  I wasnt planning on changing cabins or ships.  I knew I could get the time off of work because I always book my time off so far in advance before anyone else can take it.  So now what else.
I decided to completely splurge and do the "as close to all inclusive as you can get on a cruise" method.  So there was a WOW sale that happened with a deal of $52 for the deluxe beverage package and the voom internet.  Ok that was a no brainer, I wanted a beverage package anyways.  I'm not a huge drinker, but I do like the convenience of being able to have that extra drink after dinner, or at a show, or a latte with breakfast.  I also wanted that convenience of knowing that was all taken care of before the cruise.  And the price was nice for both the drink package and the voom.  Then I started looking at specialty dining.  I knew I wanted to do that.  I kind of like doing a "pre dinner" at a place like Izumi and then go to Chops or Giovanni's for the real dinner.  Or have the option to go to the windjammer for pregame, go to Chops for the main course, and then maybe have dessert by room service.  Again this was more about the flexibility than it was "getting the most" out of specialty dining.  I'm sure my hub and I wont come close to making the ultimate dining package worth it, but its the flexibility for us.  Also I can devour a lot of sushi.
Ok with drinks and food taken care of.  I pivoted to excursions.  I really wanted to show hub the beauty of Bermuda, the history.  And about 24 hours to do it in, it would be challenging but I'd use this as a teaser to go on more cruises.  So I booked a snorkeling excursion and a glass bottom boat ride for our first day, and a history bus tour on the 2nd.  Well unfortunately the history bus tour got cancelled, so our 2nd day has become a free day.  Personally I want to explore more of the Dockyard this visit.  I really REALLY wanted to go to St George but with all of the activities booked on day 1, it just wasnt going to happen.  I figured that the first day it would give us something fun, and then something relaxing while really taking in the sights of Bermuda.  
I also decided to "treat yo self" and get a few things for the room as well.  I got the anniversary decorations gift thing, I got a bottle of champagne, 2 beach towels, a tote bag, rum and coke, and some sodas.  Since hub is a bit of a homebody, I didnt want him missing out if he didnt feel up to going out and about with me.  I wanted things to be as absolutely smooth as possible for his first cruise.  Excessive?  Possibly.  But that's just my kind of style.  
And that was it for the planning phase.  Then it was 10 months of waiting.  Stalking the cruise planner for better deals (except on the intern mistake day of course).  Reading the blog, chatting with other cruisers.  I was in full cruise planning mode and 10 months felt like forever.
 
Now its 10 days and I'm starting a blog.  I'll do my best depending on the Voom to post as many photos and details as I can.
At 10 days out I have not heard from my concierge yet.  But I'm expecting to hear from them in the next week to book dining reservations.  I do tend to be a little cavalier with my dining on a ship though.  So I just want to book Chops on the first day because hub desperately wants the seafood tower and I promised I'd get him one.  We even say to each other now "seafood tower?" and give a thumbs up.  I fear our little inside joke will happen onboard when we actually get it.  
But I'll do my best to share the suite life on a Vision class ship.  

I love your style. Enjoy every second. Happy to follow along.

My wife and I have signed up for our first Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise (Oct 2020). I know it is a long way off but we were already looking at excursion options and other activities. We know that the group cruises will sometime feature activities that are exclusive for the group. We are curious to know if any of these are known in advance so that we minimize the chance that we will book something else at the same time.