Baked Alaska

following! Thanks for posting your blog!

I hear nothing, but crickets.

If, during dry dock, RCCL decides to replace Samba with another specialty restaurant, what would you like to see? Hooked would be nice since they closed Rita's Crabshack.

At home, we have a Cuisinart coffee maker that grinds the beans just before brewing. There is no warming element, only a water heater. This helps with keeping the coffee from going bitter. We also use espresso beans. If we have left over coffee, I put it in the refrigerator for later and have an iced coffee or two. My frugality and coffee addiction both satisfied!

Thank you @Sweety @Lovetocruise2002 @WannaCruise @Brobbins246 @melski94 @BunnyHutt @WhiteSoxFan for confirming my thoughts, everyone. I do plan to fly into FLL, rather than MIA, even though our cruise departs from Miami. Just too expensive to fly into MIA from STL. I don't follow the 90 day rule. I like to feel relaxed that 1) got flights booked, and 2) got my seats (or boarding group) I wanted, and 3) I got a flight instead of facing sold out flights. I even did this with our 7/2019 Alaska cruise (southbound) and vacation. I bought our tickets (1 way) back in August 2018 (United and Delta). Then the 737-Max groundings happened. Even though we never got bumped from a flight in the airport, we did get put into comparable seats (if not better) when our flights were changed (3 times!) in the months leading up to our Alaska vacation and cruise. I can't say with any certainty, but I feel that since we had already had those booked waaay out, that helped our situation. Carpe Diem!

Hello everyone. I've listened to this podcast episode: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/podcast/episode-245-airfare-tricks-and-strategies. I am wondering, though, if it holds true to book 90 days out for spring break airfare to FLL? We are on Oasis on March 22, 2020. We are flying in to do a little fishing in the area on Thursday, March 19th. We will fly Southwest, which I believe we can reprice just like an RCCL cruise. Any suggestions for Florida spring break flights?

I know that it will be getting a refurb, but I'd doubt being Amped, Radiance specifically, anyway. Guess I like her just the way she is. Note: I've been wrong before.

I would recommend looking at the hibachi experience as a "show". That is, 4:30pm, 5:00pm and 5:30pm are the show times. If there are three or four hibachis going, one will start at 4:30pm, one at 5:00pm and the other one or two at 5:30pm. Because of the nature of the hibachi experience, you must come at one of those times and not somewhere in between. Further, how long does each "show" last? And finally, how long, once the first show is over, does it take for the first round guests to leave, to prep and set-up for the next show? This thought process is what goes through my head when I see the times offered for the hibachi. I've never seen it offered between 6 and 8pm. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but that's my experience. YMMV.

I tell my son (who's now a freshman) and the kids I teach* at school that Algebra and higher math is a way for colleges, etc to weed you out during the application process. That is, do well in higher math and YOU can weed the schools out! HOWEVER, now I will also tell them it will come in handy when planning their many vacations (as they will have many since they did so well in Algebra and higher math! LOL). . . (*I pinch hit Algebra, Sciences, and Music when the regular teachers are not available.)

@kittysoul The website has been very glitchy over the past 24 hours. I would try again. Thermal passes ALWAYS show up in my cruise planner and never go away. I bought for my southbound Alaska months in advance then repriced during Black Friday sale. For our March 2020 on Oasis, it's there, available for me to purchase. Give it a couple of days and try again. You can also call Royal to reserve.

If you click on Past Cruises tab, your past cruises will populate. Then when you click on current/booked cruises, your upcoming cruises will populate. However, YMMV. The cruise planner is VERY glitchy this evening.

Yes, if I had any dining package, I could make reservations through my concierge via email. However, it's a moot point now since I am not taking a dining package.

Decision made! We have decided to ditch the three-night package. We are going to eat at CK for all but 3 nights,. We are planning to eat at Giovanni's once and Izumi twice. When we've eaten at Izumi in the past, we could not eat our combined allowance's worth in our dining package. So, unless it goes further onsale, which I doubt it will, we will just pay as we go.

EXACTLY why we didn't go to the casino on our Radiance cruise this past July. And guess what, we didn't miss the casino AT ALL!

Hi @KLA. So, I know you've been on a few cruises since 2/2016! Have you been able to book and do this excursion, since? We are avid kayakers, but have never been through mangroves and would like the experience. Jerk chicken is always good, too!

I'm pretty sure that the unlimited plan also has the exclusion for the hibachi.

This is very helpful. I will probably ask for drawn butter given the this info.

As Crown Loft Suite guests (Oasis March 2020), we are planning on eating most of our dinners at Coastal Kitchen. I am considering the 3 Night Dining Package for two nights and hoping to use it for one lunch at Izumi. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of attempt?

Kraken and Coke

Radiance does have a thermal suite. It is not free.

We had surf and stream on our ROTS Alaska southbound sailing last month. Horrible speeds and coverage, but I was expecting that for the reasons @twangster stated above. We will be headed back to do the same sailing in two years. Will not purchase it again for that sailing. We have AT&T and were able to use data and not get dinged for international roaming. It was faster than surf and stream. Same AT&T bill as always (no surprises). Check with your carrier, please don't take my word for it! ?

@Karma We booked our own via the Alaska Railroad. Did the Goldstar Service from ANC to Seward. Left at 0645 and was the most amazing train trip! When you check in at the ANC train depot, there is a separate area for Royal Caribbean passengers to check their luggage. You will see your luggage again in your stateroom. Don't worry, the depot is small enough that you won't miss it and it's on the outside of the building. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this train and the Goldstar service. It may become your most favorite part of your vacation! FWIW, we took an Uber from our hotel (Marriott Anchorage) to the depot. Yes, you could walk as it is already light (never was dark, really) but it's faster. There are closer hotels, but there is still a hill to walk down with your luggage if you choose to walk. When you get to Seward, you can choose to walk (or take a shuttle) to the cruise terminal (check in, get some lunch and then leave for your excursion, which is what we did).

That does make sense.

Is there an attendant to bring drinks or is that something you need to get on your own?

@Finally Retired Which port of call? We fished every port about 4 weeks ago. Pre-cruise outside of Anchorage (Rusts Flying Service to McDougall Lodge for Lake Creek fishing), Juneau (RCCL fly-out fly fishing), Skagway (private charter - Never Monday Fishing Charters), Icy Strait (RCCL Stream fishing), Ketchikan (RCCL Knudson Cove Salmon Fishing). @HeWhoWaits is correct, the lack of darkness at 6:30 AM will make it much more bearable. We loved this trip SO MUCH! We will be booking as soon as July 2021 is released for Alaska.