ultimate_ed

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Port-Royal-Caribbean-make-deal-for-third-14900202.php
Seems like this story has been going forever, but it looks like all the i's are finally dotted and the t's crossed.
 
Can't wait to feel the Oasis and Icon love for Galveston!
 
 

Biggest mistake - waiting so long to go on my first cruise!!
Otherwise...getting to the port at 9am was a mistake. Next time, we are aiming for 11!

I will gladly pay the $6.70 extra to be able to sail an Oasis Class from Texas  ?

I 2nd Curt's suggestions about getting up to Denali and, failing that, at least getting to Talkeetna.  The view of Denali from Talkeetna is spectacular...if the sky is clear, which only happens about 33% of the days.
Talkeetna also has an airport with several companies offering flight seeing tours of the area.  We did one last time where the plane landed on a glacier near Denali and we were able to get out on it and take pictures and have a snowball fight.

It is too bad that Denali is not an option.  We did it about 4 years ago and it was the highlight of the trip.  We made the trip 'kinda by mistake.
We wanted to book Vancouver to Seward and then southbound back to Vancouver.  The Royal Caribbean Booking Agent convinced us out of the return trip.  She said, "I am from Alaska.  If you are going that far, you need to go to Denali.  Do yourself a favour and sail northward, but take your own land tour to Denali and fly back from Anchorage".  Best advice I have received from any travel professional.  I think we had a little bit more time (than 3 nights), so you might have an issue getting all the way Denali and back (I think we had more than 5 days).
However, one option that might work (you need to do your own research).  There is a town north of Anchorage called Talkeetna.  They have phenomenal views of Denali and they are still about a day south of Denali (I think it took part of day to get there from Anchorage).  There is also a little coffee shop in town that plays Beatles Music every Sunday morning.  We went there for a coffee and ended up spending most of the morning.  Simple, relaxing, timeless fun on a sleepy Sunday morning in Talkeetna, Alaska.  Who knows if it is open.  Still that moment is frozen in time for us.
Other than that we just had fun walking around Anchorage for a day.  
 

Medical condition puts a couple off of Allure OTS
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/morris/2019/02/25/nj-couple-pays-thousands-get-home-after-being-forced-off-royal-caribbean-cruise/2669094002/
I would think with 15 previous cruises under their belts they would have been more savvy about what can happen when traveling out of the country.  Guess they had just been really lucky to never have had an issue before.

Concurring with the other posters - did you by chance go to a post office or other secondary facility for the passport application?  It's probably a rare enough situation that folks outside of a state department federal office may not understand it fully.  I'd go back to where you applied and take the printout from the state department website that others have referenced.
 
I also agree with the others to get the passport.  It's always been something of a hot button topic on cruise forums, but I fall in the camp that having that passport in hand is the gold standard for travel, particularly if you have to leave the ship in a foreign port and have to fly back to the US.

Concurring with the other posters - did you by chance go to a post office or other secondary facility for the passport application?  It's probably a rare enough situation that folks outside of a state department federal office may not understand it fully.  I'd go back to where you applied and take the printout from the state department website that others have referenced.
 
I also agree with the others to get the passport.  It's always been something of a hot button topic on cruise forums, but I fall in the camp that having that passport in hand is the gold standard for travel, particularly if you have to leave the ship in a foreign port and have to fly back to the US.

Tanzanite jewelry seminars are the timeshare presentations of the high seas. You can skip those...

I'd skip the art auction personally.  I'm not in the market for fine art and if I was, I'm not sure a cruise ship would be where I'd want to purchase the art.  I like looking at the gallery, that's fun.  But the art auction, not even the free champagne can get me to be interested in buying art.  
Skip the spa tour unless you're honestly interested in getting spa services.  This goes for the "complimentary" 5 minute massages as well.  The spa tour in my opinion is too pushy, and this is across almost every cruise line out there.  This goes for the free acupuncture consultations, free collagen under eye treatments, free tooth whitening consultations, free hair consultations, etc.  In my experience they've all been high pressure to sell products not even the services.  Because their biggest profit margin isnt on the spa services themselves, but on the addon products.  Also dont do tooth whitening on a cruise.  1.  your teeth after a whitening are super sensitive, I dont like associating pain with margaritas!  2. After whitening teeth tend to stain quicker (just from my experience, I'm no dentist) so foods and drinks that are highly colored (more fun beverage restrictions!) will stain your freshly whitened teeth.  3.  Its ungodly expensive for something that costs far less even from your dentist, much less some crest whitestrips.  
Skip the jewelry and purses and watches events.  These are sales pitches.  Unless you want to buy jewelry, watches and purses on a cruise, you can always browse the shop on your own time without someone trying to make a hard sell pitch at you.  I'd do the same with the "liquor tasting".  This is more sales.  Unless you're planning on buying duty free booze, give this one a pass as well.  They claim there are free samples but you're not walking away from these events buzzed, drunk, or even mildly amused.  
You'll see the most of these sales pitches on embarkation and your first sea day.  That's when you have the most money and free time.  They know this.  If you have the disposable income or its in your budget to buy a purse or booze (that you cant drink on the ship) or overpriced skincare, by all means, attend.  But if you have no intention on buying these items on land, just dont bother going.  
 
Instead, head to the pool deck or solarium and enjoy a tasty cocktail (even if its 14 bucks, its less than you'd spend on skincare and teeth whitening)

I agree it was certainly slanted by the "journalist" to emphasize the couple's view of how things were handled.  I did notice there was a quote from a Royal Caribbean spokesperson, but I wonder how much of the full response wasn't included in the article.  It seemed like the spokesperson would have had more to say about the matter.
I see it's now been picked up by Yahoo news.  Most of the comments there aren't terribly sympathetic to the couple and that was my feeling as well.  I'm sure the couple and the paper were digging for sympathy over mistreatment by some faceless big corporation.  Instead, they are mostly getting responses along they lines of them being adults who should have planned better.  Of course, there are the usual horde of comments about what a terribly idea cruising is, and this story just fuels their animus.

Medical condition puts a couple off of Allure OTS
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/morris/2019/02/25/nj-couple-pays-thousands-get-home-after-being-forced-off-royal-caribbean-cruise/2669094002/
I would think with 15 previous cruises under their belts they would have been more savvy about what can happen when traveling out of the country.  Guess they had just been really lucky to never have had an issue before.

Why board early?  Because once I start up that gang-way I know all the paper-shuffling and bureaucracy is behind me and i can truly start to unwind

I wonder if its too much to hope for her to port out of Florida in which case may pave the way for an Oasis class to shuffle over to Galveston for the new
 terminal  ?

Just shared photos and a video, with the most important info....she will sail from USA!
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/02/01/odyssey-of-the-seas-will-be-royal-caribbeans-second-quantum-ultra-class-ship-and-sail

This. I mean, isn't it my responsibility to pay my bills.

Just saw the Chronicle article on my Google news feed - happy to see it's already here and generating enthusiasm.  Definitely looking forward to an Oasis class opportunity without having to fly!
I too also hope this means that we get some opportunities for longer sailings to reach some different ports.  Things are definitely looking up!

It's official!  Fall of 2021.  Michael Bayley hints at Oasis Class and eventually Icon Class but no definitive ship announcement yet.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Royal-Caribbean-to-build-nearly-100M-cruise-13444607.php#photo-16603325

The Doc thought you will have enjoyed that.  Back, to the.....you know.

I don't know, that one gives me an unfortunate connotation of a big wave breaking over the bow.
 
--Ed

I don't know, that one gives me an unfortunate connotation of a big wave breaking over the bow.
 
--Ed

I emailed her and pointed out her inaccuracies.  She updated the article, changed the headline, removed the references to Carnival having the largest ship in Galveston and that Vista is Carnival's largest ship.  Someone has to fact check the Chron...

Glad I did a search before creating a new topic.
This article from the Houston Chronicle focuses on the arrival of the Carnvial Vista taking the title of largest cruise ship serving Galveston.  However, the last couple of paragraphs transition to talking about how that title may be reclaimed by Royal with the arrival of an Oasis class at a new terminal.  Having read both articles, I'm not sure this one adds anything new, but it does lend credence to the story.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Port-of-Galveston-prepares-to-welcome-Carnival-13164679.php
Would definitely be cool to be able to enjoy an Oasis class without having to fly.

Oh this would be great! We really want to try one of the Oasis class ships, but the airfare on top of cruise costs are kinda scary. Driving an hour down the freeway to Galveston would be way better!