Deedeelynn

We just purchased the surf and stream package for football.  LOL, he doesn't want to take any chances

I agree. I think I like GIovannis table better! I’m excited to sail Oasis we have a CLS Thanksgiving 2020!

Yippee !  I am not a fan of Jaimie’s. Not a huge fan of Giovanni’s but it’s better than Jaimie’s !

My husband and I always get the deluxe.  The way we look at it is that we would never get anything less than the refreshment, since that also includes water bottles.  For our sail date we got the deluxe at 47, the refreshment was 21.  That meant to make up the difference we had to get 2 $13 drinks per day to break even if we did refreshment and out of pocket for alcohol.   Honestly it isn't hard to do, especially on my upcoming cruise since we have 4 sea days in total.  1 cocktail at the pool, 1 glass of wine at dinner, a cappuccino and amaretto side with dessert,  and a cocktail at the shows at night means I am making $$$.
Plus, remember if you are going to Coco Cay the beverage package works there.

The first day is always hectic, and you just want a clean room to come back to. If they hadn't been able to find their attendant yet, what can they do? Have to go somewhere...and Guest Services is the logical option. That's where I would have gone in their situation. Not their fault they couldn't find their attendant and just wanted a clean room to go back to.

BS.  Even a "Do Not Disturb" sign from embarkation - disembarkation would not prevent the attendant from cleaning the room after it had been vacated.
Too bad if she's in trouble.  She should be.

How many ships do they need to sail to CocoCay? I'm starting to not like this CocoCay Perfect day taking away other ports of call.  I for one will not sail on any under 6 days as it's not financial smart since i have to include airfare.  So Perfect Day is out for me unless it falls into a 6 or more day sailing.

I guess it's time to spread my wings!!!!

I would say its Royal pricing itself out of the market..which results in a lower demand......Royal is defn not the cheapest over on this side at all. There are many other cheaper options and other options with way more perks and benefits....And just think of all the extra cabin space that Royal is adding with all these mammoth ships...something has to give at some point.

So It Looks Like Royal Will Be Sailing Brilliance Of The Seas From Tampa To Perfect Day And Back Next Year !!!
 

No, it was pinot gris

Do you have My Time Dining? If so it’s very easy. Make your reservations in the cruise planner, go to the MDR at that reserved time and let them know your room number for the reservation for a table for 2. Shouldn’t have any issues. We did MTD on our last cruise as we hate to eat with strangers, very uncomfortable, and we never had an issue with getting a table for two. 
 
Now if you have traditional, I’m not sure if it is possible to get a table for two, I’ve never tried it. Thanks and Happy Cruising. 

We have eaten at Solarium Bistro on Oasis on two different sailings, we enjoyed it both times. My husband loves Mediterranean food, so he was quite happy. The appetizers and dessert are buffet style and you order your entree. We really enjoyed our meal, the ambience was beautiful and it was quiet. We have it booked for our Harmony sailing in September 2019, we will see how that one is compared to Oasis.

I've wondered about this myself.. So, I've come up with a plan.. With the exception of formal nights.. Ill run up and check what theme it is while my wife is getting ready for dinner.. If its a theme we like.. then its back to shorts and t-shirts lol.. if not.. Time to throw on Khakis and a polo and head to the MDR

Like that's ever going to happen.  :) 

When I did a galley tour on Navigator a couple months ago (right after refresh) they explained how the menu was created.  It varies by ship and sometimes even sail date.  
The food and beverage manager sits down with the head chef and they plan the menu.  They have a budget, such as $100,000 for a 9 night sailing.  Historically they know how much lobster will be consumed on the 2nd formal night so that consumes so much of the budget.  So many nights will have a steak entree so that consumes more of the budget.  Historically they know for each and every entree -  chicken, lamb, beef, etc. how much will be consumed so each offering is calculated how much of the budget is consumed.  
As the cruise progresses they track their estimates versus actual budget dollars consumed for that sailing.  If near the end there is surplus budget they may alter a menu and add something they know will be popular and consume more of the surplus budget.  They might even place lobster and other seafood in the Windjammer on the final night if the budget allows it.
It's all tracked against the budget so they are constantly fine tuning the menu to stay within the budget as seasonal and regional or cultural differences trends change over time.
Consequently they don't publish the menu in advance and the menu in the app doesn't always match what is actually offered on any given night of the cruise.

Mworkman, oh my...thought Hubby and I were the only ones that had seen that video! Thanks for the laugh!

I hope that island doesn't capsize with that many people....??
 
For those that don't get it...google island capsizing..watch that video

I think the entirety of the Oasis Class is perfection in its current form. Adding $168m in upgrades to an already amazing ship can only be a huge win for everyone! 

I used my phone for all 4 of us.  After boarding I went to the bar to get a drink for my wife and I (both had DX) and the bartender just swiped from mine to hers to ring up the drinks.

Yes, absolutely. On our second cruise, we were seated for 11 nights with two couples who complained about every meal to the waiter and the supervisor. They thought the sauce wasn't right for the dish and this was too cold or tool hot or they prepared it better at some restaurant in NYC The waiter was so nervous bringing them food that his hands shook. One night we received a basket of chocolate covered strawberries from the head chef apologizing for the food and service. We were so embarrassed because we loved the food and the only problem with the service was the complaining couples.
So on the next cruise we determined that we had paid for this cruise and we would not be miserable. My husband went downstairs when we got on the ship to find our table and there was a group of elderly women also waiting to talk to the Maitre D. He overheard one of them say, "I have my table and I have my seat and I am not moving!" Sure enough they seated us at their table. It was a group of 6 elderly women and 1 gentleman who was deaf and us. We knew this would not be a good match. and this was a 12 night cruise. So the next day we found the Maitre D again and asked to be moved. We were seated at a table with 3 couples close to our age and had a wonderful time. 
It does happen and it should because you are paying for the cruise and should be satisfied.
 

Wait, family doesn't count WHY? (And that's why I would never cruise with family beyond my DH, lol)

Most definitely!!! I have a 3 nite getaway on MotS for my Bday and they have The Key for $31.99 per day!! I called RCCL to confirm this pricing on a 3 nite cruise and the C.S. said that price is too high. What do I know!! I take her word for it and she spoke with her supervisor and here I am, 2 months later. The price is still the same!! Now, ask if I would pay $31.99 per day which comes out to $95.97 total to get on the ship 5 mins earlier for a 3 nite cruise??? Ya crazy!! I'd wait and spend that good'ole change on something better especially since I paid next to nothing for this cruise!!

A few random thoughts about dining, just disembarked Anthem this AM.
This is our second cruise on Anthem, we also sailed one year ago, but the week after Easter instead of the week before Easter.
Was much more impressed with the food.   I still miss the "old" menus, but the food coming out of the kitchen this year was much better. Bread was not stale, like last year Fish of the Day was actually interesting.  Last year the fish rotated with the same sauce and sides.  This year every night was different.  We were very pleased with this change. We got stuck with My Time Dining, but it worked out fine.  I prefer to have the same wait staff for dinner.  I reserved the same time slot every night, so the maitre'd seemed to be able to pre-allocate our table into the system.  The only drawback compared to traditional is that you still need to wait in line, instead of going directly to your table, and you need to meet the rest of your party outside the restaurant, instead of at the table. I love Cafe Two70 for breakfast.  All sorts of fun breakfast sandwiches.  Smoked salmon is also available.  My wife and I would run down and have a nice breakfast there most mornings, then grab some cereal for my son and some donuts for my daughter to bring back up to the room.  Last year we only "discovered" Two70 breakfast on the last sea day.

Summary
I had heard great things about Mariner and they were all true.  Having now seen what "AMPED" means I'm looking forward to Navigator and beyond.
There is nothing that would prevent me from sailing Mariner again.  I might even do the same excursions - scuba dive in Cococay and the 737 jet simulator in Nassau.
Next time I'll likely do a B2B or maybe even a B2B2B.  Four nights is too short.  I imagine the 3 night weekend cruises are probably pretty lively.  If I lived locally, Mariner would be dangerous to my bank account.  
Given a choice of a small ship 3/4 Bahamas cruise or Mariner it would be Mariner every time.  
For short cruises like this I can see getting the drink package on Mariner.  
If you haven't sailed or booked Mariner yet the only question is... why not?
Thanks for following along and I hope you've enjoyed it.
Twangster out.