June May

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

@June May  Congrats on your new "unencumbered" life. Enjoy !!! Hope you make lots of new friends and have an amazing cruise. Cheers.

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

Your nails look awesome! Oh and the food looks good too! ?

So if you've been following these boards for a while, you will already know how much I love La Bamba when sailing out of South Florida. You probably have already heard @JLMoran, @tonyfsu21, and @bellemiche make similar comments. Be sure to to give them a try the next time you are in the area pre/post cruise. Their food is delicious, portions are huge, their margaritas are perfect, and service is wonderful!  Here are a few photos to try to do them justice.

House Cheese Dip and House Nachos and Cheese:

El Patron Margarita:

Kids Chicken Taco (Hard Shell):

Chicken Quesadilla:

Chicken Fajitas:

Chicken Tostadas:

And to finish it all off (even though we were completely stuffed), Fried Ice Cream! (Minus the Whipped Cream).

Current situation: Food Coma 

My next cruise (6 and a half months to go, but who's counting, amirite?) will be my first cruise solo and only my second cruise ever. (Explorer, South Pacific, March 2019)
This thread has been hugely informative for planning purposes! I hadn't got much past the "drink package, here I come - cue the party goblin!" ?
So, here's the plan:
1. Arrive early!
2. Drink - and toast to the beginning of the rest of my new life sans overgrown man-child
3. Find a spot to sit and people watch
4. Spa open day - forgot totally about that! 
5. More drink! More people watching.
6. Check out cabin when ready
7. Food at some point, depending on hunger
8. MDR visit to secure two person table for solo dining
9. Muster drill
10. Sailaway party
And, like @KWofPerth, I'll be happy to achieve any part of this, so long as the first two items are done.
Oh, and I will be photographing my drinks, my stateroom, my view when people watching and everything else, and then posting it to social media. I want people to know just what a great time I'm having! 
 

I find chicken to be very therapeutic. Especially after a big night out, a couple of spicy wings really put me at ease ?

Send selfie to friends and family.  Wait for the bird-flipping emojis to come in.

Based off of previous Cruise Compasses and what will be open, I have pre-planned my embarkation day (Explorer, late October SP sailing):
1. Board, straight to the WJ.
2. Walk the ship.
3. Check MDR seating.
4. Try the FlowRider.
5. Register the kiddywinks in Adventure Ocean.
4. Check the Stateroom, unpack, get ready for dinner.
5. Muster drill.
6. Pre-dinner bevvy
7. Dinner.
8. Show
9. Post-show drinks.
10. Flop into bed.
I will be happy if about 30% of that plan actually comes to fruition ?

arrive early,  grab a cold adult beverage and find a seat in the promenade for some class-A touristy people watching and some food.   after a bit of that, relocate up to the pool deck, grab another cold drink and more people watching.     Once room opens up,   drop off carry on's,  back to the pool deck for another....     it's a vicious cycle but someone has to do it!  ?

Straws are low hanging fruit.  Something easy to eliminate. 
Over the past 30+ years when I've been provided a straw in a drink (soda, water, cocktail, etc) I haven't used it.  Frozen drinks excluded from that list, so eliminating straws is a no-brainier for me.  Zero impact to me and they went into the trash unused with each drink I ordered.  
To draw the conclusion that to give up straws one should also give up everything industrial in life such as cruising, flying, cars, electricity, processed foods, and so on is hyperbole.   
I've stopped drinking from plastic water bottles at home.  I still use them while traveling on occasion, including at sporting events and yes on cruise ships.  You don't have to take everything to the extreme to have an impact.  
Humans do cause a lot of pollution.  Many cities suffered terribly from smog issues decades ago.  By putting restrictions in place and changing human behavior that smog has been reduced.  Industrial cities in Asia are living this today, where North America was 40 years ago.  
Mass transit supporters often cite pollution reduction as a benefit but that isn't the primary driver for mass transit solutions.  Building 30+ lane highways in all major cities isn't feasible just to handle the volume of cars with a single occupant inside.  You simply can't build infrastructure big enough to avoid traffic jams without looking at means to more efficiently move tens of thousands of people.  Emissions reductions is just a side benefit of mass transit.
Electric cars simply move the problem to someone else's backyard.  Generate electricity here and through a maze of transmission systems recharge your car hundred of miles away over there.  Energy required to move a mass doesn't change because the car is electric.  This is especially true where electricity is generated by coal but nuclear is no saint either.  You are simply pushing the pollution somewhere else.

First they came for my straws, and I said nothing.
Then they came for my plastic cups, and I said nothing.
Then they came for my ocean cruises, but by then the internet had also been shut off to save electricity so I could say nothing.
?

Actually...I just read today on another forum that,  "Richard CEO Royal Caribbean told French Media around 6 months ago Australia should see Oasis Class by 2020"
Rumours...but never say never...

Never say never...

Suite Snobs!  I like it.
 
I need to find a name for us poor peeps who cruise down here:

I'm doing my first solo cruise next year. I'm looking forward to it, without the overgrown manchild who spoiled my first cruise a few years back.
I plan, after reading @twangster's posts and live blogs, to request solo MDR dining at a table for two.
I like people well enough, and may very well socialise all day long, and into the evening. Then again, maybe I won't. I'd rather plan to eat alone and do my socialising elsewhere.
That said, because @JLMoran wrote such an amazing review of his Chef's Table experience, I have booked that for my cruise next year. I'll socialise while dining that night.
I'm also very much looking forward to Wonderland on my solo cruise in 2020. I agree, someone to share that experience with would be rather nice - maybe I can share a table with some other people? Or the tables will be close enough together to share the experience even if not strictly speaking dining together.

Who's ready for the premier of "Like Father?" If you have Netflix, you may spot a familiar face or three!  Friday August 3rd, the movie that was filmed during the Royal Caribbean Blog Harmony of the Seas Group Cruise last September is finally here!  A few of us from the group volunteered as extras, so keep your eyes out and you may see some of us! 

Thanks, @twangster I think I will do it. The whole point of me traveling alone is doing what I WANT TO DO. I always travel with people and I love it. I also love being alone and not having to put anyone's wants above my own.

I did Wonderland solo. 
I'm not going to sit by and let an experience be missed just because I'm by myself.  Like cruising solo, eating in a specialty restaurant like Wonderland solo meant I only had to pay for one and I only had to please myself without worrying if it is something another person might not like. 
I have a cruise booked next year with friends I've cruised with before but I'm hesitant to book Wonderland again because I don't know if they would like it.  Jamie's is a safe bet I'm pretty sure they would like.
I think Wonderland is something everyone should try at least once for the experience but I feel like its something I don't need to do over and over again.

I'm doing my first solo cruise next year. I'm looking forward to it, without the overgrown manchild who spoiled my first cruise a few years back.
I plan, after reading @twangster's posts and live blogs, to request solo MDR dining at a table for two.
I like people well enough, and may very well socialise all day long, and into the evening. Then again, maybe I won't. I'd rather plan to eat alone and do my socialising elsewhere.
That said, because @JLMoran wrote such an amazing review of his Chef's Table experience, I have booked that for my cruise next year. I'll socialise while dining that night.
I'm also very much looking forward to Wonderland on my solo cruise in 2020. I agree, someone to share that experience with would be rather nice - maybe I can share a table with some other people? Or the tables will be close enough together to share the experience even if not strictly speaking dining together.