henrysea13

T-minus 2 days to embarkation...
Today in Fort Lauderdale is gray, windy, and a little cool. Plus, there’s a riptide warning until Thursday. No beach for us today, and even the hotel pool is unlikely since it’s outdoors. We’ve decided to just make today a day to relax and hang out at the hotel. Which means @Lovetocruise2002 starts getting some pics of the place!
Main lobby

Atrium where the complementary breakfast is served


While it only says “omelets” here, I found you can get fresh eggs cooked any way except scrambled (since they already have a platter for scrambled eggs in the hot buffet line). Many people were ordering eggs over easy or sunny side up.
In addition to the fresh egg / omelet station, they have fresh grits and oatmeal, cereals, yogurts, assorted pastries (muffins, mini danishes) and breads, a juice station (one of those dispenser types, which my wife said came out really watered down), and a coffee dispenser that actually served good coffee (same flavor profile as a blonde-roast Starbucks). It’s really a step up from most complementary breakfasts and another element that makes you feel you’re getting your money’s worth for the higher price.
Next is “The E Spot”, the hotel’s bar and restaurant. It’s right next to the atrium area and from a quick glance didn’t appear to use separate seating for those having a meal.

To take advantage of the free happy hour, you need to show your room card. Drinks appear to be anything you want, as I saw multiple mixers and spirits getting poured along with bottles of beer and fountain sodas. There’s probably some limit on it, but the line was long and I didn’t want to hold it up asking a million questions of the poor bar lady.
I’ll try and get a pic of the menu later today; I got a glance yesterday, and it’s typical high pricing for a hotel restaurant. E.g., $20 for a chicken quesadilla. I’d say just go the regular restaurants like La Bamba that are in easy walking distance.
Last up is the hotel’s outdoor pool, which includes a whirlpool tub at the far end and a nice little waterfall.

Someone is realizing he’s about to be without his “hoo-man” for a long stretch...

So an update on the eyeglasses situation -- I remembered good old Lens Crafters and their promise of lenses in about an hour. I found we have one about 15 minutes from my house, and gave them a call to see if they can do the progressive lenses I use with Transitions color shift, and my rather heavy prescription. They indicated they can, so I will be able to see clearly again before flying out. Thank goodness!
I'm not sure I'll get a 100% match for my normal lens features; it seems that I can either get a progressive lens or a transitions lens, but not a lens that has both. Might just be that I can get their high-end progressive lens that has no distortion but not with the Transitions feature, and if I need a Transitions lens I have to settle for the standard distortion-laced progressive I've gotten used to. But at least I'll have a clean pair of lenses before I fly out!

Well, the good thing is that because my Mom's plans are the reason we are changing the date...she paid for the change fee AND the difference in the price of the cruise.  I offered to pay my 1/2 but she wouldn't hear of it.  Can't wait to spend this week with my amazing Mom.   

Jl I love the black kitty looks like my house beer and black cats it don't get any better then that

I would not be surprised if it is as described here a money grab this is becoming quite common with Royal sadly, but I am not sure if it is company wide or per ship after a long conversation with a friend who is a senior cruise planner with Royal I came away with several points Royal is making a big push to turn over control of the inner workings of the parts of cruising controlled by the hotel director making it his decision what goes on when it comes to these fees and it was evident in small ways recently when I lost or someone stole my drink cup on my majesty sailing to my surprise when I went to customer service to see if someone had turned it in they tried to charge me 9.95 for a new one.Barely 2 months previous on the oasis my son lost  his and was just handed a new one no charge also the drink card on different ships is differently priced with no apparent reason in view some 65 75 85 while I am sure Royal as a company still sets the hi and lows they may be attempting to create competition between the hotel ends of the cruising business.It does seem a bit early having just recently imposed the 795 penalty for room service to now raise it again and looks more like a money grab to me p.s. I agree charging that kind of money for rockets is stupid and would explain why on my last few sailings there was very few customers no matter when I walked by aside for burgers that are of the same quality free in the windjammer

And another black cat fan here on the boards! This is awesome!
Happy Caturday!

Always, always, always book with a travel agent. Using a travel agent is less about getting a better price than online (although that is always nice), and more about the level of service a good travel agent provides. They are your advocate and partner who does the footwork to make your life easier.

i  too need at least need one more cruise she is a grand lady I have many fond memories but refuse to sail out of mijami  now that she is coming to Canaveral I am looking at a cruise in sept 18 what a technical wonder she is having been cut in half and stretched absolutely I am going to try to get one of the ceramic models of this treasure hopefully there will still be some available ;(

bon voyage JL and family my first was on liberty what an experience new years eve cruise hope you have the time of your lives and enjoy every second I barely slept on my first but I don't recommend this. I am waiting anxiously for your blog and please don't leave anything out

I have found that on the monster ships believe it or not the higher up you go the more you feel I was in the mdr after a pretty rough and windy night I was talking to the head waiter who I got to be friends with over the 8 days and he told me something I hadn't considered the ship is so large that the 20 knot speed and the 20 knot wind cause a 40 knot wind capable of rocking the ship with out the waves and if I want a far less rocky experience go to a lower deck so I went to my daughters room on level 3 o/v it was in fact much much calmer than my 12th floor balcony room her ocean view window was huge I actually sat in her window I don't get affected often by motion having sailed crew on my uncles schooner (83) island hopper but sometimes I get it . my suggestion is to look at the deck plans and decide which areas are closest to the things you like most (theatre schooner bar elevators spa etc. and book what you think will do you the most good 

when on her in jan wow she rocked and they closed down the decks above the pool mostly  at night it didn't bother me but my son was complaining constantly I actually sleep better with a little rocking 

vee welcome to the blog I have had extreme experience with debit card holds to avoid it being a problem put at least twice what you expect to spend in your debit card they will release the holds in a very few days after the cruise but if you have bills and such about to draw against the card figure them also in 2012 the problem was terrible but this and last year they have stream lined the procedure by watching your spending and only hold what they need to in the past they would hold much larger amounts then necessary (in my opinion)but in this world everyone out there is not honest and they are only protecting themselves check from time to time to see what you have in there and what you spent and customer service will be glad to assist you and this is a common problem faced on board in your situation I would set up a cash account with what you anticipate yes the lines can be long first day but there is no rush at dinner time or later at night first day use cash or use your debit to set up your cash  seapass acct you know what you spent against your balance if you need more just add it once again welcome to the blog if I can ever be of help post here and I or one of these very knowledge seasoned cruisers will help CRUISE ON MY NEW FRIEND

My feeling is that they are following the Disney business model.
Disney World (love it or hate it) has made a conscious and ongoing effort to take every penny you spend on vacation and make sure it goes to Disney in some way shape or form.
You arrive at the airport, the free bus picks you and your luggage up and takes you to the hotel .... no need to rent a car or pay for parking.
They have all kids of parks ... wait you want to leave and go shopping or to a restaurant ... fine lets build out Disney Springs to have all that so you don't leave.
 
To me Royal has been heading this way for a while.
When I first started cruising with Royal there was a debate about water slides on ships and at the time I recall it being strongly held that Royal would never do water slides because they looked tacky, were a Carnival "thing" etc. Clearly times have changed and now its all about cramming as much on board as possible. 
Now lets take over the islands and turn theme into theme parks as well.
 
To each their own ... times change ... if you don't like it you don't have to pay for it ... they are a for profit corporation ... all true and so I certainly don't condemn Royal for the changes, they are doing what Market Research tells them they should do for the profitability of the company.
But for me as a consumer, I feel like the focus has moved to "wham, bam, zoom, glitz" and charge as much as you can ... we don't care if you never come back because we have a line out the door waiting to take their turn. I used to be a Loyal to Royal ... but increasingly feel that is a one way street and although the other lines are going in much the same direction, more slowly.

Dr. Strangecheese. Or, how I learned to relax and embrace the Sorrentos.

Do you also like getting caught in the rain? ?

I consider this to be TRAINING !

I wouldn't want anyone to misconstrue my statements or opinions as one who doesn't enjoy fun. Believe me, I am usually the life of the party and the last one to go to bed and the first one up. And I enjoy many of the things they are adding.
 
What I was trying to say I guess is that Coco Cay was nice as it was. Labadee is already more of an "amusement" type place so why not just build that up. Plus the ships are all getting updated with slides and sportsbars etc so really they have that already to cater to the crowd that enjoys that. There is NO beach or sand or ocean swimming on the cruise ship..only option was Coco Cay....and now that is totally changing.
 
I enjoy Royal over Celebrity for many of the reasons @twangster mentioned...I just didn't think they needed to turn Coco Cay into a theme park with charges for almost everything.....
 
I am sure I will still enjoy it..just wont be the same as before and I didn't feel it needed to be "fixed". It was relaxing and peaceful and tranquil just the way it was....

Doesn't make me excited at all....if anything kinda sad. I liked Coco Cay for what it was...a nice relaxing private island beach in the ocean..
 
 
All the noise and theme park feeling and upcharge and cost for everything....can get that anywhere/everywhere else....why cant they leave one place just to relax.....Labadee is busy already..whynot add all this crap there?

Yep, there rolling out the old website ?

I'm trying to but I'm on @henrysea13 's diet at the moment ?

I start about a month away from sailing I go on a sea food diet all the food I see I eat 

PINA COLADA made with captain morgan  yummy

Is it true there was, yet, another brawl at Royal? Not on one of their cruise ships, everyone was sober and cranked up on coffee/expresso and it occurred in their
IT department!