twangster

I'm a million miler on Delta.  That gets me lifetime Gold status but I'm only an entry level million miler.  
95% of my first million miles was business travel paid for by someone else.
The business traveler is the cash cow of airlines and hotels.  Their loyalty programs are written for business travelers.   
There are no business travelers on cruise lines other than some few and far between corporate charters to reward top performers.  
Airline and hotel loyalty programs can't be used to compare with cruise line loyalty programs.  Despite that, there is a permanent lifetime status component of Delta's loyalty program for their most traveled fliers.

Ironically Delta upset a lot of their loyalty members with their latest update where they made it all about spend on the branded credit card.  I actually don't fly them very much now.  As I've grown up and pay for business class now Delta is my least flown airline.  Since I buy business class I don't need their loyalty perks.  Kind of ironic.  Their loyalty program doesn't create loyalty.  
 

I'm a million miler on Delta.  That gets me lifetime Gold status but I'm only an entry level million miler.  
95% of my first million miles was business travel paid for by someone else.
The business traveler is the cash cow of airlines and hotels.  Their loyalty programs are written for business travelers.   
There are no business travelers on cruise lines other than some few and far between corporate charters to reward top performers.  
Airline and hotel loyalty programs can't be used to compare with cruise line loyalty programs.  Despite that, there is a permanent lifetime status component of Delta's loyalty program for their most traveled fliers.

Ironically Delta upset a lot of their loyalty members with their latest update where they made it all about spend on the branded credit card.  I actually don't fly them very much now.  As I've grown up and pay for business class now Delta is my least flown airline.  Since I buy business class I don't need their loyalty perks.  Kind of ironic.  Their loyalty program doesn't create loyalty.  
 

I'm a million miler on Delta.  That gets me lifetime Gold status but I'm only an entry level million miler.  
95% of my first million miles was business travel paid for by someone else.
The business traveler is the cash cow of airlines and hotels.  Their loyalty programs are written for business travelers.   
There are no business travelers on cruise lines other than some few and far between corporate charters to reward top performers.  
Airline and hotel loyalty programs can't be used to compare with cruise line loyalty programs.  Despite that, there is a permanent lifetime status component of Delta's loyalty program for their most traveled fliers.

Ironically Delta upset a lot of their loyalty members with their latest update where they made it all about spend on the branded credit card.  I actually don't fly them very much now.  As I've grown up and pay for business class now Delta is my least flown airline.  Since I buy business class I don't need their loyalty perks.  Kind of ironic.  Their loyalty program doesn't create loyalty.  
 

It was no where near as smoke filled as the Caribbean voyages, that’s for sure. I would have guessed the opposite considering the European smoking culture. Maybe the stars just aligned for us? I’m really curious what you see in August. 

Why maintain a fleet of 30 ships when you can sail with just as many berths with fewer ships in the fleet?
That's 30 captains and staff captains, 30 sets of bridge officers and 30 hotel directors, all high paid salary positions.  Do more with less.
Royal's biggest problem is selling off the older inefficient ships while avoiding selling them to a competitor who will buy a ship at a fraction of a cost and compete with Royal in the Bahamas and Caribbean where Royal makes bank.  Cordella was a nice fit as they sail only in India.  No overlap.  TUI wants new ships for the same reasons why Royal does.  So for now it remains optimal to sail the old crud into the ground while carrying passengers and generating lower profits but avoiding giving a competitor the means to take business away for the price of a song.      

I think they missed a digit, or two.  

Why maintain a fleet of 30 ships when you can sail with just as many berths with fewer ships in the fleet?
That's 30 captains and staff captains, 30 sets of bridge officers and 30 hotel directors, all high paid salary positions.  Do more with less.
Royal's biggest problem is selling off the older inefficient ships while avoiding selling them to a competitor who will buy a ship at a fraction of a cost and compete with Royal in the Bahamas and Caribbean where Royal makes bank.  Cordella was a nice fit as they sail only in India.  No overlap.  TUI wants new ships for the same reasons why Royal does.  So for now it remains optimal to sail the old crud into the ground while carrying passengers and generating lower profits but avoiding giving a competitor the means to take business away for the price of a song.      

When you look at Carnival's old VIFP program it was pretty weak.  I've been 3 cruises short of platinum for over a decade.  Over that period there was zero motivation to cruise in order to advance to platinum.  The only real benefit of platinum was early boarding.  Carnival creates chaos for the boarding process so they can sell FTTF.  Platinum and above don't need FTTF.  
The one free beverage had restrictions, only available on the last day after 5pm, or something silly like that.  
VIFP was always a terrible loyalty program.
What's fascinating to me is how strong the reaction has been.  Despite taking away very few benefits, the customer reaction has been explosive.
Can you imagine what Royal would face if they took away the real benefits that CAS currently provides.  Customer reaction would be nuclear in comparison to the strong reaction that Carnival received.

When you look at Carnival's old VIFP program it was pretty weak.  I've been 3 cruises short of platinum for over a decade.  Over that period there was zero motivation to cruise in order to advance to platinum.  The only real benefit of platinum was early boarding.  Carnival creates chaos for the boarding process so they can sell FTTF.  Platinum and above don't need FTTF.  
The one free beverage had restrictions, only available on the last day after 5pm, or something silly like that.  
VIFP was always a terrible loyalty program.
What's fascinating to me is how strong the reaction has been.  Despite taking away very few benefits, the customer reaction has been explosive.
Can you imagine what Royal would face if they took away the real benefits that CAS currently provides.  Customer reaction would be nuclear in comparison to the strong reaction that Carnival received.

I think they missed a digit, or two.  

When you look at Carnival's old VIFP program it was pretty weak.  I've been 3 cruises short of platinum for over a decade.  Over that period there was zero motivation to cruise in order to advance to platinum.  The only real benefit of platinum was early boarding.  Carnival creates chaos for the boarding process so they can sell FTTF.  Platinum and above don't need FTTF.  
The one free beverage had restrictions, only available on the last day after 5pm, or something silly like that.  
VIFP was always a terrible loyalty program.
What's fascinating to me is how strong the reaction has been.  Despite taking away very few benefits, the customer reaction has been explosive.
Can you imagine what Royal would face if they took away the real benefits that CAS currently provides.  Customer reaction would be nuclear in comparison to the strong reaction that Carnival received.

Absolutely. 
Royal is not about trying to be everything and go everywhere.  They are a mass market cruise line engineered by design to visit mass market ports that want need mass tourism.
Want boutique ports?  Sail Celebrity.  

Why maintain a fleet of 30 ships when you can sail with just as many berths with fewer ships in the fleet?
That's 30 captains and staff captains, 30 sets of bridge officers and 30 hotel directors, all high paid salary positions.  Do more with less.
Royal's biggest problem is selling off the older inefficient ships while avoiding selling them to a competitor who will buy a ship at a fraction of a cost and compete with Royal in the Bahamas and Caribbean where Royal makes bank.  Cordella was a nice fit as they sail only in India.  No overlap.  TUI wants new ships for the same reasons why Royal does.  So for now it remains optimal to sail the old crud into the ground while carrying passengers and generating lower profits but avoiding giving a competitor the means to take business away for the price of a song.      

Absolutely. 
Royal is not about trying to be everything and go everywhere.  They are a mass market cruise line engineered by design to visit mass market ports that want need mass tourism.
Want boutique ports?  Sail Celebrity.  

When you look at Carnival's old VIFP program it was pretty weak.  I've been 3 cruises short of platinum for over a decade.  Over that period there was zero motivation to cruise in order to advance to platinum.  The only real benefit of platinum was early boarding.  Carnival creates chaos for the boarding process so they can sell FTTF.  Platinum and above don't need FTTF.  
The one free beverage had restrictions, only available on the last day after 5pm, or something silly like that.  
VIFP was always a terrible loyalty program.
What's fascinating to me is how strong the reaction has been.  Despite taking away very few benefits, the customer reaction has been explosive.
Can you imagine what Royal would face if they took away the real benefits that CAS currently provides.  Customer reaction would be nuclear in comparison to the strong reaction that Carnival received.

I think they missed a digit, or two.  

Why maintain a fleet of 30 ships when you can sail with just as many berths with fewer ships in the fleet?
That's 30 captains and staff captains, 30 sets of bridge officers and 30 hotel directors, all high paid salary positions.  Do more with less.
Royal's biggest problem is selling off the older inefficient ships while avoiding selling them to a competitor who will buy a ship at a fraction of a cost and compete with Royal in the Bahamas and Caribbean where Royal makes bank.  Cordella was a nice fit as they sail only in India.  No overlap.  TUI wants new ships for the same reasons why Royal does.  So for now it remains optimal to sail the old crud into the ground while carrying passengers and generating lower profits but avoiding giving a competitor the means to take business away for the price of a song.      

When you look at Carnival's old VIFP program it was pretty weak.  I've been 3 cruises short of platinum for over a decade.  Over that period there was zero motivation to cruise in order to advance to platinum.  The only real benefit of platinum was early boarding.  Carnival creates chaos for the boarding process so they can sell FTTF.  Platinum and above don't need FTTF.  
The one free beverage had restrictions, only available on the last day after 5pm, or something silly like that.  
VIFP was always a terrible loyalty program.
What's fascinating to me is how strong the reaction has been.  Despite taking away very few benefits, the customer reaction has been explosive.
Can you imagine what Royal would face if they took away the real benefits that CAS currently provides.  Customer reaction would be nuclear in comparison to the strong reaction that Carnival received.

When you look at Carnival's old VIFP program it was pretty weak.  I've been 3 cruises short of platinum for over a decade.  Over that period there was zero motivation to cruise in order to advance to platinum.  The only real benefit of platinum was early boarding.  Carnival creates chaos for the boarding process so they can sell FTTF.  Platinum and above don't need FTTF.  
The one free beverage had restrictions, only available on the last day after 5pm, or something silly like that.  
VIFP was always a terrible loyalty program.
What's fascinating to me is how strong the reaction has been.  Despite taking away very few benefits, the customer reaction has been explosive.
Can you imagine what Royal would face if they took away the real benefits that CAS currently provides.  Customer reaction would be nuclear in comparison to the strong reaction that Carnival received.

When you look at Carnival's old VIFP program it was pretty weak.  I've been 3 cruises short of platinum for over a decade.  Over that period there was zero motivation to cruise in order to advance to platinum.  The only real benefit of platinum was early boarding.  Carnival creates chaos for the boarding process so they can sell FTTF.  Platinum and above don't need FTTF.  
The one free beverage had restrictions, only available on the last day after 5pm, or something silly like that.  
VIFP was always a terrible loyalty program.
What's fascinating to me is how strong the reaction has been.  Despite taking away very few benefits, the customer reaction has been explosive.
Can you imagine what Royal would face if they took away the real benefits that CAS currently provides.  Customer reaction would be nuclear in comparison to the strong reaction that Carnival received.

Why maintain a fleet of 30 ships when you can sail with just as many berths with fewer ships in the fleet?
That's 30 captains and staff captains, 30 sets of bridge officers and 30 hotel directors, all high paid salary positions.  Do more with less.
Royal's biggest problem is selling off the older inefficient ships while avoiding selling them to a competitor who will buy a ship at a fraction of a cost and compete with Royal in the Bahamas and Caribbean where Royal makes bank.  Cordella was a nice fit as they sail only in India.  No overlap.  TUI wants new ships for the same reasons why Royal does.  So for now it remains optimal to sail the old crud into the ground while carrying passengers and generating lower profits but avoiding giving a competitor the means to take business away for the price of a song.      

The SeaPlex on Odyssey is a very different design while the earlier Q class ships have smaller pods that hang off the SeaPlex.  They can't implement a PM in those small pods so it would require major modification to add a PM to early Q class.  Weight is critical on a ship and the SeaPlex is at the top, so weight is even more critical.  It's a pretty significant re-engineering of the ship weight and balance, so not an easy undertaking.
Liberty is another matter.They must have plans to deploy her elsewhere in the future where a sports bar is less of a thing.

The Mahahual area and the short distance down the coast to Maya Chan is very different from Cancun and the tourist areas a few hundred miles up the coast where most tourism related violence occurs.  
This area is more remote from the big city like touristy areas of Cancun or the western larger towns of Mexico. 
I have visited this part of Mexico a number of times and never felt unsafe.  Maya Chan in particular has a meeting point a short walk from the port area.  The Maya Chan experience includes the van ride through Mahahual down to the Maya Chan property.    I was last at Maya Chan in early December a few weeks before Christmas and once again never felt unsafe. 
The shuttle ride down to the Maya Chan property is not a long distance but the roads are not very good so it does take a little bit of time to slowly make the drive over bumps and potholes.  However the rough roads are a testament to how remote the location is very far away from the mass tourism of Cancun.
I love the staff at Maya Chan and I'll be going again late January and probably again in February.  I've been to Maya Chan a number of times.  The bumpy shuttle ride is well worth the time given the great food, cold drinks and the remote ambience that is so different from the mass tourist feel of the port.  

Bad news!
There was a propulsion issue on an engine that required changes to the iternary due to speed limitations.  They cancelled the August 10 and 17th sailings to go into dry dock.
 
They did offer to move to any other sailing, price protected, and a very generous FCC, so we have to push it out a year since our bingo card is full this fall and winter.
 

Not really.  Royal is a family cruise line and it's very common for kids and families using the pools whenever they are open.  There may be times when the pools are lightly occupied and you may be able to get a few laps in but you will always need to be mindful of someone else jumping in to float in your way.  There are no designated "lap times", it's a shared pool for multiple uses.