twangster

The last time I had unlimited dining I had my list prepared and hit the first table set up upon entering where you can make reservations.  It took a good 10 minutes to go through my list and for the crew to book everything.  Some people in line were moaning but what can you do?  
As the cruise progressed I made some changes both to times and venues.  It's a lot of food especially on days with specialty lunches available.  Those lunches are very close to the dinner experience minus some menu items so it's a big lunch.  On those days grab an early lunch and book late dinner times because it's food coma.  At 6pm I was still full from lunch.  Even on port days if you don't get an early lunch you might not be hungry at 6 or 7pm.  I ended up shifting nearly all my dinner times to 8pm except around shows.  

More often than not I start with Apple or Google maps.  Just search online for "map St Maarten" or "map Spain".
For my brain, doing this search for all ports of call, zooming in and out, changing to satellite vs road map let's me explore the region and I begin to visualize the itinerary, how far the next port is from the last port, what the body of water is like, how it all pieces together.   
The satellite view will often let you find the deep water ports with a ship in the picture so you get an idea what side of an island the cruise port is located on, etc.  
For me it's all part of the fun involved with planning a cruise.  It's a learning experience that broadens my knowledge of the world.  I'm pretty well rounded in Caribbean geography now but as I look to do more in Europe for example I walk away with a perspective of Norway, where the big cities are, what the shape of the country is like, what countries border it and so on.  

More often than not I start with Apple or Google maps.  Just search online for "map St Maarten" or "map Spain".
For my brain, doing this search for all ports of call, zooming in and out, changing to satellite vs road map let's me explore the region and I begin to visualize the itinerary, how far the next port is from the last port, what the body of water is like, how it all pieces together.   
The satellite view will often let you find the deep water ports with a ship in the picture so you get an idea what side of an island the cruise port is located on, etc.  
For me it's all part of the fun involved with planning a cruise.  It's a learning experience that broadens my knowledge of the world.  I'm pretty well rounded in Caribbean geography now but as I look to do more in Europe for example I walk away with a perspective of Norway, where the big cities are, what the shape of the country is like, what countries border it and so on.  

More often than not I start with Apple or Google maps.  Just search online for "map St Maarten" or "map Spain".
For my brain, doing this search for all ports of call, zooming in and out, changing to satellite vs road map let's me explore the region and I begin to visualize the itinerary, how far the next port is from the last port, what the body of water is like, how it all pieces together.   
The satellite view will often let you find the deep water ports with a ship in the picture so you get an idea what side of an island the cruise port is located on, etc.  
For me it's all part of the fun involved with planning a cruise.  It's a learning experience that broadens my knowledge of the world.  I'm pretty well rounded in Caribbean geography now but as I look to do more in Europe for example I walk away with a perspective of Norway, where the big cities are, what the shape of the country is like, what countries border it and so on.  

Thank you Twangster!

August 6 is the cheapest date for that itinerary so it promotes that date.
Your screen shot includes June dates available to book so I don't think it means anything.  
 

Royal doesn't always include an itinerary map on it's own website but there are many 3rd party cruise booking sites that do include a map.  You don't have to book through those 3rd parties to look at the maps.
My personal preference is to review an itinerary using online maps so I build the itinerary on an atlas type world map.  I find this creates awareness beyond the cruise itself so that I can see how close we are sailing to other countries not specifically on that itinerary.   Over time this is retained so when I see another itinerary with different ports I have awareness of where in the world that may be or if a certain country is in the news I can recall seeing that on a world map and I have some awareness of where it is.   
On the cruise as we sail along a coast I then have awareness of what country we may be sailing past.  This is of course more work compared to simply looking at a cruise generated map designed to sell the cruise but over time it builds more broad awareness of world geography.

I was recently watching a Celebrity webinar on the Galapagos which opened my eyes to this exciting destination and other options within the Royal Caribbean Group family.  I quickly discovered a brand new ship that SilverSea built specifically for the Galapagos, the Silver Origin.  
The Silver Origin is a clever name since the Galapagos are known for Charles Darwin's famous book, The Origins of Species.  
The Galapagos is a unique bucket list destination.  Access to the Galapagos archipelago is strictly controlled and the few lines that operate there must confirm to controlled and approved itineraries.  These ships are unique in that they never dock, not even to embark or debark passengers, the Galapagos are that strictly controlled.  
SilverSea is known for luxury and you don't have to spend much time looking at the marketing material to see that Silver Origin fits the SilverSea brand very well.  It's an all suite ship with capacity for 100 passengers and a crew of 90.   The ship is so new that she hasn't carried passengers yet.  The pandemic spoiled the Silver Origin inaugural sailings but there is hope they can start soon.  Until then these marketing video from near the end of her construction are all we have:
https://discover.silversea.com/on-board/silversea-welcomes-silver-origin-to-the-fleet/
Deck 3: The Marina and Basecamp
Deck 4: The Restaurant and Explorer’s Lounge
Decks 5 and 6: Spa, Fitness Center and Suites   
Deck 7: Upper Deck, The Grill and Observation Lounge
Silver Origin provides a truly all-inclusive experience.  Short of spa services there is little on board that isn't included.  
It's amazing to me that the Royal Caribbean Group has such a broad spectrum of cruise products in the portfolio.  The Galapagos is not an inexpensive destination but there are a lot of reasons behind the scenes why it isn't mainstream mass market cruising.  As I began thinking about this incredible destination I was pleased to discover that SilverSea was within my budget for this extraordinary bucket list experience.  
In the coming months I hope to experience the Silver Origin myself and to bring this beautiful baby ship to you right here on RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com.  

Royal doesn't always include an itinerary map on it's own website but there are many 3rd party cruise booking sites that do include a map.  You don't have to book through those 3rd parties to look at the maps.
My personal preference is to review an itinerary using online maps so I build the itinerary on an atlas type world map.  I find this creates awareness beyond the cruise itself so that I can see how close we are sailing to other countries not specifically on that itinerary.   Over time this is retained so when I see another itinerary with different ports I have awareness of where in the world that may be or if a certain country is in the news I can recall seeing that on a world map and I have some awareness of where it is.   
On the cruise as we sail along a coast I then have awareness of what country we may be sailing past.  This is of course more work compared to simply looking at a cruise generated map designed to sell the cruise but over time it builds more broad awareness of world geography.

Ahh as a former Royal Navy signalman, this is right up my street. 
This is not a maritime law per se, but nautical etiquette.  A foreign flagged vessel, (RCL ships are registered in the Bahamas) visiting a port, routinely fly the flag of the country they are visiting from a prominent position. Usually the masthead, or starboard outer yardarm as a mark of respect. The flag for the country of registration is normally displayed from the Ensign Staff, at the stern.
It is endearing to see such maritime tradiitions continue in the modern age

I was recently watching a Celebrity webinar on the Galapagos which opened my eyes to this exciting destination and other options within the Royal Caribbean Group family.  I quickly discovered a brand new ship that SilverSea built specifically for the Galapagos, the Silver Origin.  
The Silver Origin is a clever name since the Galapagos are known for Charles Darwin's famous book, The Origins of Species.  
The Galapagos is a unique bucket list destination.  Access to the Galapagos archipelago is strictly controlled and the few lines that operate there must confirm to controlled and approved itineraries.  These ships are unique in that they never dock, not even to embark or debark passengers, the Galapagos are that strictly controlled.  
SilverSea is known for luxury and you don't have to spend much time looking at the marketing material to see that Silver Origin fits the SilverSea brand very well.  It's an all suite ship with capacity for 100 passengers and a crew of 90.   The ship is so new that she hasn't carried passengers yet.  The pandemic spoiled the Silver Origin inaugural sailings but there is hope they can start soon.  Until then these marketing video from near the end of her construction are all we have:
https://discover.silversea.com/on-board/silversea-welcomes-silver-origin-to-the-fleet/
Deck 3: The Marina and Basecamp
Deck 4: The Restaurant and Explorer’s Lounge
Decks 5 and 6: Spa, Fitness Center and Suites   
Deck 7: Upper Deck, The Grill and Observation Lounge
Silver Origin provides a truly all-inclusive experience.  Short of spa services there is little on board that isn't included.  
It's amazing to me that the Royal Caribbean Group has such a broad spectrum of cruise products in the portfolio.  The Galapagos is not an inexpensive destination but there are a lot of reasons behind the scenes why it isn't mainstream mass market cruising.  As I began thinking about this incredible destination I was pleased to discover that SilverSea was within my budget for this extraordinary bucket list experience.  
In the coming months I hope to experience the Silver Origin myself and to bring this beautiful baby ship to you right here on RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com.  

I was recently watching a Celebrity webinar on the Galapagos which opened my eyes to this exciting destination and other options within the Royal Caribbean Group family.  I quickly discovered a brand new ship that SilverSea built specifically for the Galapagos, the Silver Origin.  
The Silver Origin is a clever name since the Galapagos are known for Charles Darwin's famous book, The Origins of Species.  
The Galapagos is a unique bucket list destination.  Access to the Galapagos archipelago is strictly controlled and the few lines that operate there must confirm to controlled and approved itineraries.  These ships are unique in that they never dock, not even to embark or debark passengers, the Galapagos are that strictly controlled.  
SilverSea is known for luxury and you don't have to spend much time looking at the marketing material to see that Silver Origin fits the SilverSea brand very well.  It's an all suite ship with capacity for 100 passengers and a crew of 90.   The ship is so new that she hasn't carried passengers yet.  The pandemic spoiled the Silver Origin inaugural sailings but there is hope they can start soon.  Until then these marketing video from near the end of her construction are all we have:
https://discover.silversea.com/on-board/silversea-welcomes-silver-origin-to-the-fleet/
Deck 3: The Marina and Basecamp
Deck 4: The Restaurant and Explorer’s Lounge
Decks 5 and 6: Spa, Fitness Center and Suites   
Deck 7: Upper Deck, The Grill and Observation Lounge
Silver Origin provides a truly all-inclusive experience.  Short of spa services there is little on board that isn't included.  
It's amazing to me that the Royal Caribbean Group has such a broad spectrum of cruise products in the portfolio.  The Galapagos is not an inexpensive destination but there are a lot of reasons behind the scenes why it isn't mainstream mass market cruising.  As I began thinking about this incredible destination I was pleased to discover that SilverSea was within my budget for this extraordinary bucket list experience.  
In the coming months I hope to experience the Silver Origin myself and to bring this beautiful baby ship to you right here on RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com.  

Whenever I am near an open window or railing on a public deck I have a death grip on my cell phone.  I couldn't imagine putting a child on a railing to sit or stand while trying to hold them.  
If visiting a friend's high rise apartment would you hold a child up and hang them over the railing of a high rise balcony?  NO! 
Every year we hear of a child who falls into an animal enclosure at a zoo somewhere.   My reaction is always the same.  "How on earth did a child fall into that enclosure?  Where were the parents?  What?  The parents sat the child on the railing so they could look into the enclosure?"
I've tried to not think the worst about this family.  People do stupid things like what happens to children that end up in a bear or tiger enclosure at a zoo.
Here is what I presume to be a perfectly normal couple taking a picture on the Oasis sports deck near a Flowrider.  I was in the WJ eating breakfast.  She sat on the railing to have her picture taken.  The drop is only 12 to 16 feet.  A fall might only end in death, a broken neck, permanent paralysis, a broken arm or a bruised ego.  If she had fallen backwards from her perch I am confident we would discussing the multi million dollar lawsuit "so that this tragedy doesn't happen to anyone else".  

 
Otherwise normal people do stupid things.  I will give the family in question that much benefit of doubt.

A lot of public opinion was to the effect "He has suffered enough, why is PR torturing this grandfather by persecuting him?".
I'm not saying I subscribe to the notion that he shouldn't have been charged.  A child died because of his actions.  When parents leave kids in hot cars and they die charges are usually filed despite the grief, guilt and loss that results.
The sleazy way the family tried to spin it didn't sit well with me and still doesn't.  Were it not for surveillance cameras their fabricated lies might have changed the outcome of the legal proceedings.
The plea deal will end with people who view it differently.  If it is consistent with other similar cases in this jurisdiction then one can understand the deal.  A child lost their life.  Is probation enough?  If a stranger had done something accidently that led to the same outcome should that stranger get away with only probation?  "Oops. Sorry".  Would the parents be so supportive of that stranger? 
I think not.

Whenever I am near an open window or railing on a public deck I have a death grip on my cell phone.  I couldn't imagine putting a child on a railing to sit or stand while trying to hold them.  
If visiting a friend's high rise apartment would you hold a child up and hang them over the railing of a high rise balcony?  NO! 
Every year we hear of a child who falls into an animal enclosure at a zoo somewhere.   My reaction is always the same.  "How on earth did a child fall into that enclosure?  Where were the parents?  What?  The parents sat the child on the railing so they could look into the enclosure?"
I've tried to not think the worst about this family.  People do stupid things like what happens to children that end up in a bear or tiger enclosure at a zoo.
Here is what I presume to be a perfectly normal couple taking a picture on the Oasis sports deck near a Flowrider.  I was in the WJ eating breakfast.  She sat on the railing to have her picture taken.  The drop is only 12 to 16 feet.  A fall might only end in death, a broken neck, permanent paralysis, a broken arm or a bruised ego.  If she had fallen backwards from her perch I am confident we would discussing the multi million dollar lawsuit "so that this tragedy doesn't happen to anyone else".  

 
Otherwise normal people do stupid things.  I will give the family in question that much benefit of doubt.

This is also why I have long said that when cruising first returns to the U.S. it should initially only involve U.S. citizens.  As soon as multiple nations are involved that's when things get complicated and politicians make public statements to impress their constituents banning foreigners and causing ships to be denied entry. 
Once we establish that cruising is just like life on land, after several months they can consider allowing more than just U.S. citizens.  Sorry Canucks...

I was hoping that loyalist demand for new ships like Edge and Apex would create a glut in demand on early classes of ship leading to price opportunities.  Then the virus happened and all sense of supply and demand factors have been thrown into a salad spinner.  
I'm not a fan of paying new ship premium charges.  I sailed the Symphony transatlantic because it was bargain relative to Symphony fares upon reaching America.  I'd like to try Edge or Apex at some point, maybe years down the road when "new ship" premiums wear off.   Until then the prior classes have a lot to like about them, especially the M class that were refreshed in a meaningful way.

I have to believe they learned from Edge.  A new ship in any class will always create some great intentions that require fine tuning for the real world.  That's how innovation happens.  

A lot of public opinion was to the effect "He has suffered enough, why is PR torturing this grandfather by persecuting him?".
I'm not saying I subscribe to the notion that he shouldn't have been charged.  A child died because of his actions.  When parents leave kids in hot cars and they die charges are usually filed despite the grief, guilt and loss that results.
The sleazy way the family tried to spin it didn't sit well with me and still doesn't.  Were it not for surveillance cameras their fabricated lies might have changed the outcome of the legal proceedings.
The plea deal will end with people who view it differently.  If it is consistent with other similar cases in this jurisdiction then one can understand the deal.  A child lost their life.  Is probation enough?  If a stranger had done something accidently that led to the same outcome should that stranger get away with only probation?  "Oops. Sorry".  Would the parents be so supportive of that stranger? 
I think not.

A lot of public opinion was to the effect "He has suffered enough, why is PR torturing this grandfather by persecuting him?".
I'm not saying I subscribe to the notion that he shouldn't have been charged.  A child died because of his actions.  When parents leave kids in hot cars and they die charges are usually filed despite the grief, guilt and loss that results.
The sleazy way the family tried to spin it didn't sit well with me and still doesn't.  Were it not for surveillance cameras their fabricated lies might have changed the outcome of the legal proceedings.
The plea deal will end with people who view it differently.  If it is consistent with other similar cases in this jurisdiction then one can understand the deal.  A child lost their life.  Is probation enough?  If a stranger had done something accidently that led to the same outcome should that stranger get away with only probation?  "Oops. Sorry".  Would the parents be so supportive of that stranger? 
I think not.

Whenever I am near an open window or railing on a public deck I have a death grip on my cell phone.  I couldn't imagine putting a child on a railing to sit or stand while trying to hold them.  
If visiting a friend's high rise apartment would you hold a child up and hang them over the railing of a high rise balcony?  NO! 
Every year we hear of a child who falls into an animal enclosure at a zoo somewhere.   My reaction is always the same.  "How on earth did a child fall into that enclosure?  Where were the parents?  What?  The parents sat the child on the railing so they could look into the enclosure?"
I've tried to not think the worst about this family.  People do stupid things like what happens to children that end up in a bear or tiger enclosure at a zoo.
Here is what I presume to be a perfectly normal couple taking a picture on the Oasis sports deck near a Flowrider.  I was in the WJ eating breakfast.  She sat on the railing to have her picture taken.  The drop is only 12 to 16 feet.  A fall might only end in death, a broken neck, permanent paralysis, a broken arm or a bruised ego.  If she had fallen backwards from her perch I am confident we would discussing the multi million dollar lawsuit "so that this tragedy doesn't happen to anyone else".  

 
Otherwise normal people do stupid things.  I will give the family in question that much benefit of doubt.

A lot of public opinion was to the effect "He has suffered enough, why is PR torturing this grandfather by persecuting him?".
I'm not saying I subscribe to the notion that he shouldn't have been charged.  A child died because of his actions.  When parents leave kids in hot cars and they die charges are usually filed despite the grief, guilt and loss that results.
The sleazy way the family tried to spin it didn't sit well with me and still doesn't.  Were it not for surveillance cameras their fabricated lies might have changed the outcome of the legal proceedings.
The plea deal will end with people who view it differently.  If it is consistent with other similar cases in this jurisdiction then one can understand the deal.  A child lost their life.  Is probation enough?  If a stranger had done something accidently that led to the same outcome should that stranger get away with only probation?  "Oops. Sorry".  Would the parents be so supportive of that stranger? 
I think not.

Whenever I am near an open window or railing on a public deck I have a death grip on my cell phone.  I couldn't imagine putting a child on a railing to sit or stand while trying to hold them.  
If visiting a friend's high rise apartment would you hold a child up and hang them over the railing of a high rise balcony?  NO! 
Every year we hear of a child who falls into an animal enclosure at a zoo somewhere.   My reaction is always the same.  "How on earth did a child fall into that enclosure?  Where were the parents?  What?  The parents sat the child on the railing so they could look into the enclosure?"
I've tried to not think the worst about this family.  People do stupid things like what happens to children that end up in a bear or tiger enclosure at a zoo.
Here is what I presume to be a perfectly normal couple taking a picture on the Oasis sports deck near a Flowrider.  I was in the WJ eating breakfast.  She sat on the railing to have her picture taken.  The drop is only 12 to 16 feet.  A fall might only end in death, a broken neck, permanent paralysis, a broken arm or a bruised ego.  If she had fallen backwards from her perch I am confident we would discussing the multi million dollar lawsuit "so that this tragedy doesn't happen to anyone else".  

 
Otherwise normal people do stupid things.  I will give the family in question that much benefit of doubt.

Unfortunate but understandable.  With four ships out of the HAL fleet there will be jockeying for positions on remaining ships.  More senior officers may displace junior officers on some remaining ships, etc.  This will ripple through many departments leaving some crew without a chair after the music stops.  
So many jobs and lives impacted by the pandemic across the world.

Whenever I am near an open window or railing on a public deck I have a death grip on my cell phone.  I couldn't imagine putting a child on a railing to sit or stand while trying to hold them.  
If visiting a friend's high rise apartment would you hold a child up and hang them over the railing of a high rise balcony?  NO! 
Every year we hear of a child who falls into an animal enclosure at a zoo somewhere.   My reaction is always the same.  "How on earth did a child fall into that enclosure?  Where were the parents?  What?  The parents sat the child on the railing so they could look into the enclosure?"
I've tried to not think the worst about this family.  People do stupid things like what happens to children that end up in a bear or tiger enclosure at a zoo.
Here is what I presume to be a perfectly normal couple taking a picture on the Oasis sports deck near a Flowrider.  I was in the WJ eating breakfast.  She sat on the railing to have her picture taken.  The drop is only 12 to 16 feet.  A fall might only end in death, a broken neck, permanent paralysis, a broken arm or a bruised ego.  If she had fallen backwards from her perch I am confident we would discussing the multi million dollar lawsuit "so that this tragedy doesn't happen to anyone else".  

 
Otherwise normal people do stupid things.  I will give the family in question that much benefit of doubt.