FlowBro Ty

What you really meant is that they are throwing their chump fish nets back into the sea !!??

How could we kick out SpeedNoodles -  you have one of the coolest names on the site. And, I had a collie in the past (she passed away at 13 years old) so what's not to like!

I'm sure you are correct, just wishful thinking.  Although an enclosed solarium is going to be hot in South FL.  Granted Texas isn't cool in the summer either.  
I'm hoping they rotate more ships into Galveston with the new pier.  Sticking with one 'anchor' ship for so many years in a row will drive people to look elsewhere. 

I always bring my passport off the ship.  Why put anything to chance with relying on others to deliver a passport to you? Not to mention if you get stuck in a hospital or wherever, the last thing I want to do is have to leave to go fetch the passports. To me, it's best to keep it with me in the same way I keep my wallet, phone and other valuables with my in my everyday life that could easily be ruined/lost if I got into an accident or whatever. There are no risk-free options, but carrying your passport is not inherently any riskier than taking cash, credit cards, phones, children on an excursion. 

Yeah the compact set up of Port Everglades makes it the norm to share the waterways with mega cruise ships and very large (soon to be PanaMax+) container ships. I do live at the Port Everglades inlet so we see ships all day & night but it’s a whole different ballgame taking the boat out when we have time on the weekends. Its a big spectacle when the cruise ships leave in the evening as you get front row seats to the action. Even better then riding through the Port is taking the boat out into the ocean past the last Marker point and being in the open ocean with an Oasis Class ship! Pretty awesome. We see drones flying overhead getting footage even that far out.

Look at the very bottom center of this pic -- Proof of non-botness!! He does exist! 

Six more weeks of cruising! 

I hate to break it to you, but twangster saw his shadow.   You all know what that means...

More Roatán pictures.















After this it was back to the ship for a Windjammer lunch.  I'm not going to show all the food stations for lunch, there is just too much food, but I did find that was of particular interest.

This container was full when I first approached.  What can I say other than... yum.
After this and with the 1pm hour arriving that meant the slides were open.  No lines!
The Tidal Wave requires two victims passengers.  Fortunately a passing guest was eager to share a ride so we did it twice.  We almost got to touch the wall at the top.  We both resolved to return to the Windjammer to add a few more pounds in our quest to touch the top of the tidal wave slide.  
The Perfect Storm rides were also awesome and with no lines I got my workout in climbing the stairs several times.  I think I like the green one better, more interesting lighting effects.

Thanks For Sharing @tonyfsu21  

This guy's face is meme worthy

A Twangster live blog? Telling my boss I'm busy this week!

Hello Fellow Cruisers!
New to the discussion, but still remembering this cruise like it was yesterday! Sunrise in Cozumel before heading to a Mayan Pyramid climb! Me with my nieces in the Promenade on Oasis of the Seas...and Me left...and my wife (3rd from left) with our "Sea Dogs" and our best friends, Arthur and Kutabi aboard Oasis. All from April 2018. We had a blast with family and friends! 

Just a few...






 

Symphony, Symphony, Jewel, and Anthem

Let's talk Passports and Documents
Even though I do tell clients what they need to bring with them to board a ship sometimes life
gets in the way and they forget or find out last minute they don't have what they need.  My rule of thumb
is when I make final payment OR you make your final payment CHECK your passport or Documents
and make sure they are in order.  if not you still have some time>  Trust me - I have had to run to DC
and get a last minute passport for my husband because we could not find his current passport or His
birth certificate and it cost me $500 but I did get it 4 days before sailing so it can be done, lol
Don't make my mistake. 

Here below is what is actually written on your cruise document from ROYAL with links too.

Before You Leave: Required Travel Documents and Identification
It is the guest's responsibility to obtain all valid travel documents for their vacation. These valid travel documents such as passports, visas,
inoculation certificate and family legal documents are required for boarding and re-entry into the United States and other countries. Guests should
check with their travel agent and/or government authority to determine the travel documents needed for each destination, including the port of
embarkation.
Documentation and Immigration Requirements
· Guests are highly encouraged to travel with a valid passport, even when not required
· For your protection, we recommend that your passport expiration date does not occur within six (6) months of the sailing return date.
· Some foreign ports of call require a visa. Please contact the Embassy (Consular Services) of each country on your sailing itinerary or the visa
service of your choice for specific visa requirements, information, forms and fees for your nationality. Royal Caribbean suggests the visa provider,
CIBT at www.visacentral.com/royalcaribbean or 1.800.858.8579 (identify yourself as a Royal Caribbean guest for discounted rates).
· The spelling of the guest(s) name as booked for a cruise must match exactly as their valid passport or proof of citizenship / identification during
ship check-in formalities.
· Certain countries may have specific travel requirements for your itinerary. Please check any one of the websites below to understand what is necessary for your vacation.
· All guests (including children) must present a valid passport when sailing on U.S. Open Loop voyages. These are voyages that commence in a
U.S. port, travel within the Western Hemisphere, and end at a different U.S. port. When traveling on these sailings, please take extra caution in
understanding the specific documentation requirements.
· All guests (including children) require specific travel documents that may include either a passport or other documentation, such as a
government-issued birth certificate and laminated government issued picture ID denoting photo, name and date of birth, when traveling on U.S.
Closed Loop voyages. These are voyages that commence and end in the same U.S. port without leaving the western hemisphere. Please note that
Baptismal papers, hospital certificates of birth, voter registration cards or Social Security cards are not considered proof of citizenship. Please view
the websites below for more information.
· Should the last names of the parent and minor child traveling with them differ, the parent is required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if
required) and the child's birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy). The name of the parent(s) and the child must be linked
through legal documentation.
· Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of a minor traveling with them must present an original notarized letter signed by the child's
parent(s), authorizing the adult to take the child on the specific cruise, supervise the child and allow emergency medical treatment to be
administered.
· Guests on consecutive sailings must ensure they have the proper travel documents for their entire cruise vacation and for any port within their
itinerary(s).
Please refer to one of the following websites for details on documentation requirements as it relates to your itinerary:
· WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative):
· Royal Caribbean’s Recommended Visa and Passport Provider:
· Alien Registration Card
· Royal Caribbean International
Website: www.getyouhome.gov
Website: www.visacentral.com/royalcaribbean
Website: http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/greencard_renewal.html
Website: www.RoyalCaribbean.com
This booking is governed by the terms and conditions of the Cruise/Cruisetour Ticket Contract. A copy of the most current version of that

Howdy folks!!
 
It is that time of year for our annual trek to Miami for the Monsters of Rock Cruise out of Miami Florida. In past years the event has been held on Brilliance and Navigator. This year it was originally sold as being on the Navigator again, BUT shortly after booking opened it was changed to the newly refurbished Mariner Of The Seas!!
 
This year, like in years past, the cruise will be a 5 day action pack event featuring over 40 bands and solo acts from the heyday of hard rockin' 1980's
 
Itinerary is
Day -2  Pre-cruise party at magic City Casino, Miami, Fl.... Bands to be announced
Day -1 Pre-cruise party at magic City Casino, Miami, Fl.... Bands to be announced<<<<<<<we are arriving this day!!
DAy1 Miami, Fl
Day 2  Day at Sea
Day 3 Ocho Rios Jamaica 8am - 5pm
Day 4 Private Isla of Labadee 10am - 6pm  -  band to be announced
Day 5 Day at Sea
 
 
acts onboard the ship!!
Tesla
Tom Keifer of Cinderella
EXTREME
Queensryche
Saxon
Skid Row
U.D.O
Y&T
VIXEN
KIX
KINGS X
RICKIE KOTZEN
DANGER DANGER
NELSON
D-A-D
THE QUIREBOYS
FASTER PUSSYCAT
PAT TRAVERS BAND
PINK CREAM 69
THE WILDHEARTS
ECLIPSE
SOTO
ROSE TATTOO
JOHN CORABI
VAIN
BULLETBOYS
BLCK N BLUE
KIP WIND=GER
Tora Tora
killer dwarfs
Brighton Rocks
tuff
MIKE TRAMP of white Lion
FEMME FETALE
LIES, DECIET, & TREACHERY
JETBOY
MITCH MALLOY
MICHAEL GRANT AND THE ASSASSINS
MATCH 22 GUS G
JOEL HOKSTRA - TSO
NEIL ZAZA
TONY MACALPINE
HOSTED BY EDDIE TRUNK LUC CARL, NIKKI BLACK, DON JAMIESON, & JIM FLORENTINE
 
This will be a live/not-so-live blog about this crazy vacation crammed in to 5 days.
 
More to come...
 

I'm looking at this and my mind immediately says, "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well!" I'm sure the actual happening here, but the picture totally evokes it!

We absolutely loved Pinel Island and definitely plan on visiting again the next time we are in SXM. We visited in December as part of our all day boat tour with Coconut Reef. I think there is an official RCCL excursion there, but it’s a bit pricey. Our all day tour wasn’t much more and we got to visit Tintamarre Island, Creole Rock and Maho Beach as well. We never visited SXM before the hurricane, but Pinel Island is still beautiful even after the storm. Both restaurants have been rebuilt and the beaches are back to normal. If we ever stay in SXM for longer than a cruise visit we will definitely spend a whole day or more on Pinel Island.

Thanks For The Great Review @SpeedNoodles

Thanks For Sharing @tonyfsu21  

Since it seems to come up a lot, and although Twangster's detailed blog is far superior, I thought there may be one or two who might be curious about a recent experience.  I purchased it for my 4-night Mariner of the Seas cruise to Nassau/Coco Cay.  I was a solo traveler and I had a $25 onboard credit, so the price came to $55.  Between Voom and lunch on embarkation day, I'd already gotten my value, so it was really a no-brainer purchase for me.
Embarkation:  They called The Key people with the Pinnacle/Diamond/Diamond Plus members when they opened up the doors.  I suspect they just threw us in with them because it was so early and there were very few people in the terminal yet.
Delivery  of carry on luggage to stateroom:  A few of us wandered around trying to figure out where to drop off our carry on luggage when we first boarded - they were a little behind and didn't have a sign on the theatre door, or anyone in the theatre to take the bags yet.  In about 10 minutes we all figured it out (all 5 of us at that point) and someone did show up to start the process.  Unfortunately that person hadn't been provided with any luggage tags, so anyone who hadn't tagged their luggage had to wait a little while - I had my luggage tag on my one rolling carry on.  They also had business cards with Voom codes on it - but none of them matched the names of anyone who was there, so staff was confused. In the end they just gave us a card for whoever (sorry Adam Davis, or whoever's I had), and we were on our way.  I assume they managed to work it out in the end, but it was never an issue for me.
Lunch at Chops - was a nice treat!
Reserved seating section at shows - I only went to the comedy show really late on Embarkation day and on the last night.  There was a section roped off for The Key next to either higher C&A or suite folks - it really didn't matter at this show because there was really hardly anyone in the theatre.  The first night I sat in The Key section, the last night I sat somewhere else - it didn't matter.  But this is Mariner, not a Quantum or Oasis class ship, so I imagine it would make a difference on one of those ships.
Reserved times for Flow Rider/Rock Climbing Wall/Sky Pad/Perfect Storm - they had at least 2 hours set aside during the week for each activity. They weren't at the most convenient hours, but, at least on my sailing,  it wasn't necessary for a separate time - there was never a line at any of those activities - I never saw more than a few people in line for any of them and most of the time nobody was using them. Apparently this was a "sit by the pool and drink" cruise for folks.
On the 2nd day, I happened to stop by my cabin to pick something up and someone knocked on my door and delivered a fruit plate that was complimentary for The Key people. That was unexpected.
Priority tender - We only tendered at CoCo Cay - I went down to get on the tender about an hour after we anchored and there was a line (not a ridiculous line, but a line as you'd expect there to be).  There was no staff along the line at all to ask about The Key benefit, and I'm just not the type to walk past a bunch of people who are waiting to also get on the tender to get in front of them, so I just got on with everyone else.  I was able to get on the tender right away anyway, probably because I wasn't trying to get on the first tender of the day, so it was just fine with me. I could have been more assertive, but that's just not me. And the ending result would have been exactly the same in this case.
Disembarkation Day - it was nice to have a quiet, unrushed breakfast in the MDR.  It was the only time I'd sat with other people during a meal - almost the only time I'd spoken to any other people all week (I did talk to the iguana and the chickens on CoCo Cay earlier, that's a whole different story #retiredzookeeper) and I did enjoy that.  After breakfast, I ran back up to my room, grabbed my carry on, and went down to Deck 4, where there happened to be a staff member manning the line.  I asked him about The Key disembarkation, and he personally escorted me to the gangway past a long line, which was REALLY nice.
I liked the program, and it was defnintely worth it on a short sailing.  I was getting Voom anyway, and there were just enough things that I was going to enjoy along the way that it made it worth it to me.  I very much doubt that I'll get it on my Ovation sailing to Alaska in June - I will be going with my husband, who has no interest in Voom, and we will be meeting up with old friends, who will not have The Key, so we won't be taking advantage of reserved seating with shows and special times for activities since they won't be able to partake with us during those times. We'll evaluate it again on our Symphony sailing in Feb 2020 - things may have changed with the program, or the hubs may decide he wants internet access, so we'll see then.
Hope this helps someone out there!

Hard to pick a favorite so here's a few of Oasis and Grandeur