Bazza

@BazzaThe pre-paid gratuities are a daily gratuity for your stateroom attendant, head waiter, server, and assistant server.
The bartenders are not part of the daily/pre-paid gratuities and are tipped by each individual charge. That is why an additional 18% is added to the drink package price.

Yes.  That is normal. 

The Escape Room.  I've never done an activity that made me feel so incredibly stupid in my life.

Welcome !  It's going to be a great cruise.

Very happy if the Dr is now on board Ovation ahead of my March cruise.... good work @twangster 

Wife is relaxed as you can tell in the pic ?

I guess they only let Smart people use Smart check in...  I get the dumb check in.  You are how you check in.

@BazzaB2B turn around days involve disembarking the ship and going through a brief customs exercise and getting back on the ship. You don't actually leave the terminal. If you are in the same stateroom, you don't have to do anything packing wise. If you are different stateroom, a basic pack and they move everything for you.
You can leave the terminal and come back of course. But if you're going to shop for wine the cost for a cab, the wait and dealing with the crowds might not be worth it to search out another set of wine carry on.
Unless of course you're building up a 'banked credit' being the wine hero with you wife...

Hi @Sabrinaklai
Our 'real plan' is take on the 6 bottles we are allowed and then purchase the odd bottle whenever required. Or a beer or short etc. She is not a big big drinker so can't justify the deluxe package (and me having to prove I don't drink too!) so we are both doing refreshment packages. Based on the pics Twangster posted there are not enough days in the year to try every soft drink option!
Annoying thing is we can take on 2 bottles for a 3 day cruise as well as 2 for the 10 and 14 day ones! I am not sure she can make them last 10 or 14 days!! 
Maybe I need to find a couple or family who are getting on same time without wine and get them to be my wine mule!! 
 

Hi @Sabrinaklai
Our 'real plan' is take on the 6 bottles we are allowed and then purchase the odd bottle whenever required. Or a beer or short etc. She is not a big big drinker so can't justify the deluxe package (and me having to prove I don't drink too!) so we are both doing refreshment packages. Based on the pics Twangster posted there are not enough days in the year to try every soft drink option!
Annoying thing is we can take on 2 bottles for a 3 day cruise as well as 2 for the 10 and 14 day ones! I am not sure she can make them last 10 or 14 days!! 
Maybe I need to find a couple or family who are getting on same time without wine and get them to be my wine mule!! 
 

Hi @Sabrinaklai
Our 'real plan' is take on the 6 bottles we are allowed and then purchase the odd bottle whenever required. Or a beer or short etc. She is not a big big drinker so can't justify the deluxe package (and me having to prove I don't drink too!) so we are both doing refreshment packages. Based on the pics Twangster posted there are not enough days in the year to try every soft drink option!
Annoying thing is we can take on 2 bottles for a 3 day cruise as well as 2 for the 10 and 14 day ones! I am not sure she can make them last 10 or 14 days!! 
Maybe I need to find a couple or family who are getting on same time without wine and get them to be my wine mule!! 
 

Hi @Sabrinaklai
Our 'real plan' is take on the 6 bottles we are allowed and then purchase the odd bottle whenever required. Or a beer or short etc. She is not a big big drinker so can't justify the deluxe package (and me having to prove I don't drink too!) so we are both doing refreshment packages. Based on the pics Twangster posted there are not enough days in the year to try every soft drink option!
Annoying thing is we can take on 2 bottles for a 3 day cruise as well as 2 for the 10 and 14 day ones! I am not sure she can make them last 10 or 14 days!! 
Maybe I need to find a couple or family who are getting on same time without wine and get them to be my wine mule!! 
 

Ok, I have to ask?  How much wine do you plan on consuming in your 27 day adventure lol? 10-12 bottles?  And how much money are we looking at saving by smuggling in bottles in Plan 2 and 3?  I feel like this needs a @twangster or @JLMoran spreadsheet ? Is it even worth it?
In all honesty, I personally would go with @twangster's Plan 3.  To go with the "rules" and then try a light version at the end of the first leg.  That way, if they don't let you, you are only wasting one bottle of wine.  If you can get away with it then try your 2 more bottles on the third leg.
 

Maybe she should just stop drinking!!! Solves everything!!!  (Don't tell her I said that!)

Every cruiser should be able to take @twangster with them in their carry on.....it should be mandatory especially for 1st timers like me!! 
I do like your Plan 2!! Now that is thinking outside the box!!

Plan 1 is 'guaranteed'.  A modified version is have the wine split between carry on bags so maybe they don't catch it all or any if security is busy.  If all bottles are in the same bag they will notice.  I did bring the email from C&A stating I could bring 4 bottles on my B2B in case of a new security person.
Plan 2 - I've considered plan 2 but it might vary depending on cruise terminal and how consecutive cruisers are processed through security.  I've even thought about pre-printing individual SetSail passes for each cruise and presenting myself to security as if I'm just like every other new guest for 'this' sailing, then once past the x-ray machine, whipping out my consecutive cruiser SeaPass card or paper.
Plan 3 - maybe try a light version on the 2nd cruise in case you get busted.  If it works on cruise 2 (day 1) you will know what you can get away with on cruise 3 (day 1).
Plan 4 - I like plan 4 but it means lugging around a lot of wine until cabins are ready.
Plan 5 - bring me and I'll smuggle wine 6 more bottles for your wife

When I bring wines I tend to bring screw top wines.  There are some really good ones now especially from AU and/or NZ.
I was at a nice restaurant at a marina in Chesapeake Bay one time.  Our young waitress was struggling to open the bottle we ordered fumbling with the cork screw for several minutes as she answered menu questions.  Finally I asked if she needed help with the wine.  Her relief at my offer quickly turned to embarrassment when I simply twisted the screw top off.    Poor girl...

I haven't showered for the whole cruise...

Sweet dreams, because here comes Windjammer dinner photos.
Formal night tonight, decided to eat in the Windjammer for a change.
Full disclosure - I've missed some food.  There are too many food stations to capture it all so I've tried to capture the popular ones.


































I think that stick is supposed to represent North Star however objects in photos may appear larger than they are.

I see they have added Dr. Pepper to their menu.  

From time to time I see people asking about what drinks are included in the Coca-Cola Freestyle drink dispensers. 
@Matt has written blogs on the Freestyle machines.  Here is one from 2015:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/07/20/coca-cola-freestyle-machines-royal-caribbean
While I am on Anthem I have some free time so I grabbed some pictures of all the Freestyle drink menus.  
Let's start with the main menu:
 
From here you can see the types of drinks available in each category.  First are two pages for the "All Drinks" category:
 
 
Here are the types of drinks available within each option:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And of course plain water:
 
The same drinks are sorted by "Low/No Calories" options:
 
The same drinks sorted by "Caffeine Free" options:
 
Finally the same drinks are sorted by flavor:
 
Here are the Cherry drinks:
 
 
Orange drinks:
 
 
Raspberry drinks:
 
 
Grape drinks:
 
Lemon drinks:
 
 
Peach drinks:
 
 
Strawberry drinks:
 
 
Lime drinks:
 
 
Fruit Punch drinks:
 
Vanilla drinks:
 
Cherry Vanilla drinks:
 
Mixed Berry drinks:
 
For those that are asking what is a Freestyle drink dispenser?  
Certain Royal Caribbean ships have these Freestyle drink dispensers.  See the blog above for a list of ships that have them.
 
Freestyle dispensers work only with special cups provided with beverage packages.  The souvenir cups have a chip embedded in the base that is read by the machine when you place the cup into the machine.  There are various designs that are provided.
 
When a cup is first used it is registered in the system and an expiry date is assigned.  The expiry date is usually a few days longer than your cruise.
 
The machines also function as ice dispensers.
Lastly, these menus were captured in January 2018.   It's possible that menus will vary over time and by ship.   
 

Nope, tried that and still no dice. Will try again when we get closer to sailing date and the IT department has gotten fresh hamsters running the server wheels.

FWIW - here is the on-board offer in the gym while I'm on Anthem right now:

The schedule for this 9 night cruise:

i still say they should tow a dinghy behind the ship with a rope ladder attached, and smokers have to climb down to it to smoke

55 Ovation
58 Ovation
61 Ovation 
I don't like change!