twangster

@Lovetocruise2002 in the WJ. Pics or it didn't happen.

The complimentary warm water or Caribbean lobster have never been offered on European cruises. This does catch some people by surprise from time to time.

The Overlook may be an obvious answer, but could be popular. If you are seeking an outdoor viewing spot anywhere along the side of the ship on decks 15 to 17 so you can see the ship pulling away from the pier.

A RoyalCaribbeanBlog group cruise is always a great time. I came in at a slight disadvantage having never sailed Icon before. I wanted to participate in everything Icon I could . There is so much going on Icon class that meant sometimes skipping group cruise gatherings. That’s one of the great things about a group cruise, you can join in as much or as little as you desire. I also wanted to capture Icon with my good camera. Everything I’ve posted here has been cell phone or 360 camera. Capturing Icon trying to avoid 7,230 other guests in my pics meant staying up late or getting up early further limiting my free time. I’ve got over 3,000 pics from my good camera to go through. It’s been good to see old friends again and meet a few new ones. I really enjoyed this cruise and if you haven’t done a group cruise I encourage you to join one in the future. Until next time, twangster out.

5:46am day 8 - waiting to debark IYKYK

Last night blues

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/11/03/guide-royal-caribbeans-single-and-studio-staterooms

Ironically I think the CDC and their relentless attacks on the cruise industry put the cruise industry in the minds of many who hadn’t really thought about it. Post CV everyone hates the CDC and cruising is hot. Estimated before CV was less than 3% of the US population had been on a cruise so it was an untapped market. The CDC it seems popped the cork. How long will it last? Hopefully a very long time. It’s saving the industry. Very few industries recover from billions and billions of losses and debt.

The cruise may almost be over, but there’s time for one last visit to…

All good things must come to an end. Sailing into the sunset.

Aqua Action is a pretty awesome show. The evolution of the Aqua Theater has worked well. 20240705_193921_1.mp4

Parts of Houston will experience flooding. That much is assumed.

I feel like they are multiplying. What’s going on in there when the lights go out?

CK hostess assures me lifeboat 16 won’t be inspected on turn around day. Maybe I should stay?

Now I understand the towel shortage for deck 11.

Last CK dinner. Mushroom Soup (same as Chops) Lamb Shank Dark Chocolate Brownie which paired very well with the Pinot Noir.

Getting the USCG inspection done is huge.

I suspect fewer newbie tip much. I haven't seen a lot of singles in play, other than mine.

Looks like the Grove caught onto my Popper hack to suite life. No more poppers. Another perspective on the height of Indy versus Icon. While I'm here, a mid-afternoon snack. Grilled Lamb Chops. Still hot and humid out here, need to cool down. This will help.

This was waiting for me. Looks like I'm going on another cruise!

Other notes du jour. BC, Before Crown, I wanted to snap some pool pics with the pools empty so I waited until 10am and hit the water. The Swim and Tonic pool is definitely heated versus the Hideaway pool, which was not. The Martini Glass shaped hot tub was definitely hot tub temperature unlike some ships that barely warm the hot tubs. After lunch on the island I wanted to see if I could figure out how tall Indy was beside us so I ventured up the stairs to Icon's slides which were open and very lightly loaded. The stairs are the highest you can venture. Save the water park fees, have the kids do Icon's slides. As near as I can tell, Indy's non-retractable stacks are a meter or two lower than Icon when Icon retracts her stacks. I was talking ship with a bartender I know. He likes Icon a lot. He said he doesn't make as much as he did on other ships but prefered Icon and hopes to come back or go to Star in the future.

Crown Edge this morning. Since I brought formal wear on this cruise to dress my best, I decided to wear it for the Crown Edge. They strap you into the harness pretty tightly. The first section dips in the middle and I was on tip toes to walk across barely touching. I felt like a baby in one of those baby jumping stands. A video was included in the $23.99 sale price a few days before the cruise. Yesterday they had to close Crown Edge due to high winds on a sea day. As they were rebooking them for today they had to cancel and re-book then manually adjust pricing. As it takes some time I got to see what other guests going through the re-booking process paid. $40.99 through $49.99. Newbies. It pays to watch for Cruise Planner sales. You do it twice. The first time with a camera attached to the rig and then a second time without the camera. It's a lot of fun!

It's so hot... but the balloon is up! It's so hot the balloon gave up. Just kidding. My 360 camera can really bend the perspective of things. It's so hot people are crowded under the bridge like fish hiding in the shadows under a dock. Must be a water drop on my camera lens. Or they installed a giant bubble making machine.

If Some like it Hot, they're lovin' PDCC today Ship happens. I feel the need for something frozen...

I suspect the cruise port area will have some minor wind damage but will mostly pull through unscathed. On the Western side and being on the edge of projected hurricane force winds the port area and town should be relatively okay for a fast moving storm. Some trees down and some clean up to do. The Eastern side of Cozumel island isn't heavily populated. A few restaurants and beach bars on the South East side will take the brunt of the storm.