twangster

A revised Day 5 cruise compass was found outside my cabin door.

3pm is showing as all aboard time so it doesn't look promising ?

Noon update from the Captain. Not much has changed as we slowly poke along at around 10 knots. Winds are expected to reach 40-45 mph max. Stabilizers are extended. Seas of 12-13' expected or up to 4m. We are hugging the Nova Scotia coast just far enough out I'm sure to be in international water. If anyone has been on a bus driving down an interstate and walked back to use the restroom that is sort of like what it's like. Not that bad at all. Not very good visibility but they aren't sounding the fog horn. Perhaps when it gets dark they will. First beer of the day tasted very good. It tasted like "more". A band is playing Caribbean music in the Promenade. I suspect Windjammer seating will be scarce. Time to find out.

Not yet. Strong winds, cool temps and rain make for a poor sports deck day.

January is the dry dock date. I've got her booked on the first cruise post-dry dock in February. Be aware that Scotch available for pre-order is a 375ml bottle, not a full size bottle you might expect. Plus it's Johnnie Walker Red. https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts/onboard-delivery-product/packages/johnnie-walker-red-and-coca-cola-package-copy/ Slides are open on port days but not all day. Typically later in the day, or afternoon when some guests might begin to re-board. They consume energy and have to be staffed so running them when only 1 or 2 guests might use them isn't a good use of resources. Cruise compasses from past guests are a valuable resource to look for times such as this: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass Wait until March and you should start to see some Navigator cruise compasses post-dry dock with slides.

My son is allergic to peanuts and shellfish. I've cruised with him a couple times on Royal. He is an adult now but that doesn't lessen the concern. Even when I cruise alone without him it's very common for MDR wait staff to ask "Any allergies?". They take it very seriously. Upon boarding I would visit the dining room and ask to speak to a chef about your allergies. They will discuss it with you. When you sit down for dinner mention it to the head waiter (sometimes assistant waitstaff are in training and you are better to mention it to the head waiter). They know to listen for the keyword "allergy" and that usually means they get a chef from the kitchen to come out and talk to you. They'll tell you what menu items are a go and no-go. The Apple Pie is a no-go for dessert for example. I'm on Adventure as I write this. I was on her in May and did a galley tour. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/6297-adventure-5-nights-5518-repositioning-san-juan-to-bayonne/&do=findComment&comment=68165 Mid-way through I mention how they have distinct cooking stations to keep foods separate to avoid cross contamination. Chicken at one, beef at another, shellfish somewhere else, etc. Waitstaff are not allowed to enter very far into the galley to avoid them introducing cross contamination. They are very aware of allergies and do their best to avoid issues. I'd also call Royal and ask them to document it. Carry more than one epi-pen just in case, just as you should at land restaurants and on airplanes. They can't stop other guests from eating peanuts or any other food that someone might have an allergy to.

I am sure the cruise director staff are very busy creating activities and planning them now. Obviously the cruise compass was printed and delivered last night so it won't be updated. I'm sure they will make PA announcements about activities soon. They've been through this before and they have a selection of things they can put together fairly quickly. We are somewhat at a disadvantage because the pool deck is not something we can take advantage of but I'm sure they'll find things, perhaps a movie in the theater, trivia, bingo, etc...

Day 5 - Sydney, Nova Scotia Sea Day I woke to take in our arrival to Sydney. Sunrise was supposed to occur at 7:11am although with the rain and overcast conditions it wasn't going to be a visible sunrise. All the upper decks were closed due to high winds but I found the sports deck was open. I ventured towards the Windjammer for it's 6:30am opening. Early I had some time to kill so I took some pictures of Giovanni's. The Windjammer opened a few minutes early and I enjoyed a custom made omelet and some fruit. The sky was beginning to brighten and I could see we were well off shore for a 7am arrival. I sensed something amiss. I walked trough the Solarium and planned to take some pictures out a window since the upper deck was still closed. The hot tub looked very enticing given the cool and wet conditions outdoors. Those city lights barely visible on the horizon are the lower tip of Cape Breton. Our progress so far: I checked the marinetraffic.com app and it confirmed my suspicions. Sharp at 8am the Captain made an announcement. Winds up to 40mph at the pier. Pier closed. Port officials offered anchorage which didn't make sense. We gain a sea day and plan to keep our scheduled call into Halifax tomorrow. As the remnants of Hurricane Michael approach us we are expecting 35-40 mph winds and 12' seas but with our slower speed towards Halifax the Captain predicts very little ship movement. At the moment there is very little movement. Once in a while you feel a little side-to-side shimmy, much like a really smooth subway train ride or if riding in an airplane and you feel just a little bit of bumpy air. It's barely perceptible.

A family friendly comedy show is often not listed in the advanced reservations because it is typically held in the main theater which has proven large enough to hold enough people based on past showings. It is typically the last night of the cruise, or has been in the past. Allure is an exception. For some reason it has the family show (in the theater) bookable in advance. With this exception, all showings in the normal comedy venue are adult only, even the early vs. late ones, although I have seen some comedians go easier in the earlier showing because they assumed it's family. Comedians change frequently, they fly in mid-cruise sometimes so they can change mid-cruise. If you are Sky or Star Suite class it's quite easy to attend multiple shows. Past cruises compasses for your ship may help: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass

On board: Royal Caribbean International Wi-Fi Access Terms and Conditions You may only use the shipboard wireless Internet access (the "Service") supplied to you, a guest of Royal Caribbean International ("Cruise Line" "We" or "Our") by accepting the following Terms & Conditions. By using the wireless network you are acknowledge that you have read all the terms and conditions of this agreement, understand them, and agree to be legally bound by them. Onboard Wi-Fi is primarily intended to be available for the accessing of emails and low volume use of the Internet. To facilitate our ability to provide a great experience for all, we may block access to certain video streaming websites or otherwise restrict or set limits on your use of the Service. The promotion of 'face to face' communications (Google Hangouts, Skype) also seems to violate the agreement on board, unless you get written permission first: You will not use any type of voice application (including, without limitation, voice over Internet protocol) without written permission from Cruise Line.

Day 4 - 70s Party Like other ships with a Promenade, Adventure has a 70s party.

Day 4 - Ice Skating "Cool Art, Hot Ice!" 7pm and 9pm I showed up outside Studio B to find the doors opened early and a packed house at 8:20pm. I managed to find a single seat while it was standing room only not long after I arrived. Very good show but I'll let the pictures do the talking. Another 'don't miss' skating show.

Day 4 Sail away to more rain and overcast. The typical rolling hills that PEI is known for. Fall color is getting more intense. Day 4 dinner menu. I went to the Windjammer again. I wanted a quick dinner to try to catch the skating show at 7pm. Scandinavian Night. @Sweety, this photo is for you. All the Red velvet Cake you can eat. At 6:15pm I headed down to deck3 when stepping off the elevator I encountered the longest Studio B line I've ever seen. At 45 minutes before show time it stretched from Studio B all the way into the MDR. I guess with a rainy day and many folks not leaving the ship they were anxious for something and they all came to Studio B. I'll try for another showing...

@CruiseLifeRick just scoped after a day on Labadee and reports Labadee is fine. No signs of earthquake damage.

How about the terms and conditions for Voom that suggest streaming isn't allowed despite the plan name Surf and Stream?

I did a live blog in July from Empress https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/8865-empress-73018-5-nights-inc-cuba/ Deck 6 for sure including an aft seating area behind Boleros that's really nice. Deck 6 forward provides access to small public decks that few people find. No helipad on Empress but these forward decks overlook the bow area. Decks 10/11 are the pool decks and open the public.

I didn't have an excursion booked so I just started walking in the light rain. I'm glad I brought my rain coat. I had spotted a church from the ship and it looked like a natural destination so I headed in that direction. I can only imagine the sounds once this huge pipe organ gets cranking. Charlottetown is the birthplace of Canada in the sense that the founding Fathers from the original five colonies (Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec) gathered here in 1864 to write the document that would lead to formation of the British North American Act that Queen Victoria signed into law in 1867. That is how Canada was granted it's independence from England. Here are two of them. This is set in front of The Great George Hotel which in that day would have been the premiere hotel to stay at. Apparently some of the rooms still have the original furnishings from that period. Nearby is the Province House where the Colonial Government was located in the day. A memorial to the PEI Soldiers who lost their lives in the two World Wars, in Korean and Afghanistan. The building is being restored at the moment and was closed on this day. Continuing my walk I found the store for The Anne of Green Gables (it's a Canadian thing). Time for lunch. PEI Halibut and Chips and a local IPA. With that I headed back to the ship. First I had to get past the guard who wanted to see ship card and photo ID.

Day 4 - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island The Captain was right on with his weather forecast for the day and it was cold and wet upon our arrival. Our first look from the ship. The terminal building has a variety of shops and food available as well as free wifi. I guess the AARP cell plans don't include roaming in Canada as the free wifi area was very popular. The opportunity for real lobster presented itself quickly off the ship. Real lobster meaning not that Caribbean lobster stuff they serve on the ship on formal nights. A short walk down the shore led me to another seafood store and restaurant. The menu was bilingual - English and Japanese. The store side of the building had a pretty good supply of live lobsters sorted by weight. Lobster was also available cooked, ready to go. Other types of seafood also available.

Late Night Snacks Working on maximizing my waterslide velocity, I'm pretty sure I've got a few pounds of buffer before I'm over the slide weight restriction so this should increase my speed by at least 1-2%. The BBQ Chicken pizza is really good late at night. In other news, a Kraken and Diet is $8.26 including gratuity.

I had the same problem with noise on Enchantment in an aft JS. The deck 6 aft lounge is right below you. Thump Thump Thump.

Day 3 - Dinner MDR Menu I ate in the Windjammer - Italian Night. We've entered a dead satellite coverage zone. Some channels continued to work such as BBC News and The Weather Channel that is temporarily available while Hurricane Michael is in play. Royal worked out a deal with it's TV provider Global Eagle and The Weather Channel to allow this channel, not normally part of the TV channel lineup, to be available on some ships (according to James Van Fleet, Royal's in-house Chief Meteorologist). Our progress and location where satellite coverage is absent. I checked out the Las Vegas Tenors in the main theater, pub singer, Schooner Bar piano player and the silent disco in the Viking Crown Lounge which was surprisingly well attended. After that it was time for bed.

I'm on a cruise, not on land. Rain happens. Still enjoyable, just won't experience wonderful PEI to it's full potential.

It just dawned on me... Mariner, Adventure and Explorer had similar new cabins added, same area. Panoramic ocean view suites, a couple of Junior Suites, some spacious ocean view cabins with floor to ceiling windows. I think @Lovetocruise2002 stayed in one on Mariner. These Voyager class ships are smaller than Freedom class ships and the total passenger count is lower, so adding the same cabins represents a greater total increase in passengers on a percentage basis. Yet all received rave reviews post-dry dock. Not a word about over crowding. I've sailed all three recently and didn't find any crowding. (I'm on Adventure now as I write this) Mariner knocked it out the park with it's AMPED upgrades. Everyone loves it. I think this proves the rumors of over crowding on Indy are false, just some glass-half-empty people looking to complain about something.

Drink package prices vary by sailing, dramatically. More so region to region. Where are you from and what ship?

I recall the pre-revitalization naysayers all claiming doom and gloom before she went in for her dry dock. With those seeds planted, glass-half-empty minded folks will find everything they were determined to find before they boarded. In reality, it represents somewhere around a 5% difference. All ships seem crowded during the muster drill, yet the naysayers will claim it was never like that before. All ships have crowded elevators when the main theater lets out, yet the naysayers will claim it's only that way now. All ships have lines at times, all bars (even on land) have a small wait at times, yet the naysayers... In a recent 'Captain's Corner' where guests can ask questions one cruiser voiced his dismay they shrunk the cabins to fit more in. He was convinced they moved all the walls and made existing cabins smaller. You could not convince him otherwise. They never did that. In a few places that used to be open space they have added some new cabins and in so doing they raised the total cabin count. Yet this man was convinced all cabins had shrunk. They have welded metal walls, it would be impossible to do what he claimed, moving all the walls, electrical and plumbing would require gutting the whole ship. It would be cheaper to build a new ship. Years ago ships didn't sail full. Years ago airplanes didn't fly full either. That's all changed in this day and age. There are a lot of unhappy cruisers who are convinced their negative review will cause the cruise lines to re-think everything they don't like, right or wrong. Not long ago the internet and cruise ship reviews didn't exist. Like watching the evening news it's easy to find the bad in things while there is plenty of good as well, but we have to look harder to find it despite it being right in front of us. I have sailed all the Freedom class ships including including Indy just before her upgrades and very soon after Libery after she received new cabins (I stayed in one). I didn't notice any difference despite "all those extra people on board" (including me). Seek and you will find, but that works both ways.