melmar02

Last night DH asked if we wanted a to go to a specialty restaurant one night. We checked MDR menus and decided to reserve 150 Central Park on night 5. He's calling it our third formal night. Right now the night 5 MDR menu is not listed in the app, but the current sailing shows the Taste of Asia. I also went ahead and booked flowrider lessons for me and the kids. There is an indoor flowrider about 45 minutes to an hour away from us at a community center's pool, and we have been to go a handful of times since our fall cruise. DD is almost able to self load for surfing, and once she's in the current, she can stay up for quite a while. DS has gotten really good at boogie boarding and has learned a few tricks that I don't think areRoyal Caribbean approved (there's a YouTube video out there by one of Royal's sports staff explaining what they will and won't allow. I'll see if I can find it again). DS says he wants to try stand up again. I really like the lessons because the wait time between runs is minimal.

I feel that we were very fortunate as we have always homeschooled, and the shut down barely registered for us. We just stopped sports and moved piano and scouts to Zoom calls. School went on like normal for us. I can only imagine how hard it was for everyone - kids, parents, and teachers - to be thrown into that without any sort of transition time or process to rely on. We have really enjoyed Paradise Beach in the past and are looking forward to enjoying it again. I'll be sure to get lots of photos that day.

There is a suite breakfast each day held in Chops. We love this perk because it is so much more relaxed than the Windjammer, but since it is right at the front of WJ on the Freedom and Voyager ships, our kids can quickly pop over to take a look if they want and bring anything back into Chops.

Here are our plans for the ports. Roatan: We booked the 3 Reef Stop Snorkel with Roatan Getaway Tours. We paid a deposit by PayPal and will pay the balance when we meet them in port. Communication by email has been pretty quick. Costa Maya: We're staying on the ship. The current plans are Flowrider in the morning, and we have Escape the Rubicon booked that afternoon. If that does wind up getting cancelled, we'll probably all laugh at how bad mom is on the golf course instead. Cozumel: Paradise Beach. We've been here a few times, but not since February 2020. Usually I can get the kids to wrap up our school year before we leave on an April/May cruise (we homeschool). This year though, they are both dragging their feet in a couple subjects. They will both have papers to finish when we get back and DD, who is taking Biology this year, will have a couple labs to complete. All their other subjects will be complete this week. This is also the last week for our co-op, so after Friday, my teaching duties are over for the year. I gave myself a break with work this trip too, and my last wedding is this Saturday. I'll have all next week to pack! DS is the only one who may need a new shirt for formal night. The rest of us are all the same size as fall's cruise, and I just replaced the kids' swim suits right before we went to Great Wolf. I actually feel prepared and calm - not normal for me, but I like it!

I agree, it was nice to always have a central location with enough seating for everyone. I'm sure we will gravitate to whichever room has the sofa closest to the connecting door. We had the second bathroom in all the 2 bedroom grands - the bath in the master bedroom is like a junior suite bathroom with tub and the second bathroom in those cabins has the tube shower. This will be DH and my first time with only the smaller shower. Hopefully it doesn't feel like a downgrade.

We took my MIL on a cruise for her 70th? maybe it was her 72? Anyway, we went with a 5 day sailing on Enchantment. She did have some mobility issues, but didn't quite need a scooter. She just brought her walker with the built in seat so she could rest as needed. It was very helpful along the long pier in Costa Maya when there was no shuttle. I think she would have been overwhelmed with a Freedom or Oasis class ship. The smaller ships are older and don't have all the bells and whistles, but your mother may not care about some of those things anyway. I know mine would have gone to watch the kids ice skate, but she was just as happy watching them at the pool. For us any of the Voyager class or smaller was going to be perfect for her.

I'm glad you had a good time! I think we went through 2 bowls of their guac on Allure. Their jalapeno margarita is pretty tasty too if I recall. Guess I'll have to order one just to be sure I'm remembering correctly.

Our family has always sailed in suites. DH and I in Jr Suites before we starting letting the kids tag along, and then the 2 bedroom grand every time the kids have been with us. We really love, and need, the extra space of the separate living room. DH is up without an alarm by 4:30 every morning, and he needs a place to go while the rest of us sleep until a more decent hour. DD is on the spectrum and needs a place to really move around to process the activities of the day before heading out to dinner. Being spoiled in the suite lounge has been a big perk for us too. We're budgeting to replace a car and living room furniture soon though, so we decided to try out connecting balconies for the next few cruises. We're almost diamond plus, so the drink vouchers help take care of what we are missing in the suite lounge, but we sure will miss the service and breakfast in Chops or Coastal Kitchen! Along for the ride: Myself, DH, DD (15), and DS (12) Rooms: 12150 and 12152 - pretty far forward for us aft facing dwellers. Itinerary: 7 day Western Caribbean - Galveston, Sea Day x2, Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Sea Day, back in Galveston. Pre cruise purchases: soda packages for the kids, 50 photo package (pared down from our usual 100), 24 bottle water package, 3 device internet. We have MTD with reservations at 6:45 each night. I would do 150 Central Park, Jamie's, or Sabor, but we were in a star class room a year ago on Allure, and didn't eat in the MDR. Since we have only had the new menus on our Liberty cruise this past fall, we will most likely stick with the MDR this time. Who knows, maybe DH and I will have a date night and just send the kids to the WJ. I'm sure we will do Johnny Rockets once for lunch - it's kind of a tradition, and the kids have already been asking about it. What else... I booked all our entertainment. I want to say it opened up about 45 days out. I meant to make a note, but forgot. I also was able to book Escape the Rubicon about a month ago. It's still showing on my calendar, and they haven't refunded my money yet, so hopefully it is opened back up. We have a little bit of OBC that will find its way to the casino from the RC card - we redeemed the points on the Bank of America site about 30 days out and they posted to the cruise planner just a couple days later. That's all I can think of for now - let me know if you have any questions, and I will try to answer them along the way.

I'm assuming that's not the case since I was able to book a day and time, and they charged me for the reservation. We are sailing at the end of next month. Hopefully someone sailing now or in the near future can confirm.

We just booked Escape the Rubicon for Harmony next month. I can't find it on the deck plans though. The "find on deck" button in the app takes me to deck 14 so the options are near/in Adventure Ocean or they converted the card room by the rear elevator bank. I am assuming the latter. Does anyone know where the escape room is located on HoS?

Did you have the added CC fees when you paid via PayPal?

Bucket list for sure! Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's trip, and thanks for bringing us along!

I can't find any info on the Waterpark's website. Does anyone know what the height / weight restrictions are for the slides and zip line?

She does as long as she gets a chance to recharge. She definitely has her bad days - like the last night of the cruise, she was just done. I think the water park the day before and walking all around Nassau did her in. Plus she was really absorbing the Pirate Museum exhibits - I think that really helped the books she read earlier this year come to life and click in a whole different way. It wore her out mentally though. Now if you get her fresh, say 10am, she'll chase you around a ship for hours telling you all about which Pokemon would be a good mash up with various Five Nights at Freddy's characters. She's going to make a great fan fiction author one day!

Final thoughts - Liberty is starting to show her age in a few places, especially in hard to reach parts like the superstructure. I probably would be too after 16 years in the water, and we could look past the few blemishes. The crew was out painting throughout the sailing. The sports court was closed for the entire 6 days of the first leg because they were resurfacing it. All of the aft balconies need the same TLC - I believe they are covered in the same material, and there are major pock marks in the floor from the chairs. Laundry - We sent out 2 Wash and Fold service bags the first leg since it was more than 5 days, but we had to specifically ask for the right forms. DH also sent out a couple of things on the second leg. Our D discounts were applied without us having to ask. Everything came back just fine except for our socks. They had all shrunk. None of the other items - t shirts, polos, undies, pants... just the socks. They stretched back out and fit fine, but it was comical just how much smaller they were. Jayson, our concierge was amazing. We mentioned to him in passing that we elected to get an Uber and not wait on the turnaround day excursion bus to go to Miami airport before dropping us off. He casually asked how much our Uber was - $11 and change. The next day we had a $20 credit to our account. It certainly wasn't necessary, and it was a nice gesture. I don't think I have ever had anyone smile at me so much and it feel genuine. I hope we can sail with him again in the future. Crown Lounge - I poked my head in a few times, and never did see the concierge. Flowrider lessons - worth it. To us anyway. My kids are at that age where Splashaway Bay isn't quite as cool, and they are ready for the next big(ger) thing. We have done the Flowrider in the past, but it was very nice to have dedicated instruction. We plan on taking what we learned and practicing here at home before our next sailing as we have access to one about 45 minutes away. Perfect Day - My kids continue to surprise me, especially DD who is on the spectrum. Before this trip Thrill Waterpark would have felt like a waste as they would have spent most of their time in the wave or adventure pools. We bought it on last year's Black Friday sale for just under $50 per person. Both kids went on multiple slides, some way outside of their comfort zones. For the right price, we would definitely go again. DS and I think they should add a few Flowriders to the island, but outside of the waterpark. It was nice to have 2 full days there so we could experience things outside of the waterpark. Ship size - I still think the Freedom/Voyager class is the sweet spot for our family, but with only one experience on an Oasis class, and that being in Star class, it's hard to say that for sure. Our next cruise is on Harmony, so we will get a better idea then. Drink package - I think we are going to try to go with no drink package at all this next time. We dropped to only the refreshment package when we hit diamond and it has worked out fine for us, but DH and I are starting to drink less and less as we get older so our Diamond vouchers are pretty much covering us. Instead, we'll get the 24 water package for the next one and save $600 on pre-cruise purchases. Well, maybe not save... I have my eye on an excursion or two in the spring. Photo package - I will continue to pre-purchase a package. I use the images we get plus the pictures we take and make photo books. I have no baby albums for my kids, but cruise books, you betcha! I usually get the 100 images so I don't have to think. The past several years it has been on sale for about $125 on Black Friday. This year's sale though has it over $200. I think I'm going to get the 50 image package instead which is $179 right now. Crystal block - Jason had one waiting for us on day one, it was the old design. Brought it home in my carry one and it was not flagged at FLL as anything weird that needed inspection. Overall, our family loves to cruise, and we have 3 more on the books - one every 6 months or so. I don't see this changing anytime soon, especially now that we are expanding our itineraries. The three we have booked are all connecting balconies which will be different for us as we have only sailed in the 2 bedroom suites with the kids. I think current pricing is going to keep us to balconies instead of suites unless we drop to 1 a year, and right now I think we want to keep our current pace. We will turn D+ on the last night of our fall '24 cruise. Thanks for following along!

We were too, and it was certainly a much needed funny encounter after a long day at the airport!

That's nuts! Glad we were Star class when we were on her last spring! It will be interesting to see how Harmony disembarkation compares in a few months. DH is teaching DS to play solitare with a deck of cards we had in one of the carry on bags. An young airport worker was walking by and stopped trying to figure out what they were doing. He finally asked if that was solitare and when we said yes, he said he didn't know you could play it with real cards. #iamofficiallyold

@asquared17Yeah, that was about 9:30pm too. We went to Chops for breakfast to avoid the craziness of the WJ, but the elevators are always crazy on the last day so there was no avoiding that mess. They had stairs roped off so everyone would be on the right side to disembark I guess? That created a lot of elevator traffic on one side of the ship. After breakfast we went to the suite lounge to wait for Jayson who said he would be there at 9am. He was taking a couple groups off earlier from the Schooner Bar, but our flight is not until 7pm, so we decided to take our time and go with the later group. They had muffins and pastries available. We found were off the ship too soon, and with luggage found went through the facial recognition line at customs. We poured out onto the sidewalk with 4400 other passengers and had no idea where an Uber would pick us up as there were arrows pointing in conflicting directions (some hand drawn and taped over the sign) and no discernable waiting area. We decided to just take a cab to the airport which was available immediately and $30. We can't get our luggage checked in until 3pm, so we are parked in the lower level of the terminal across from the baggage claim. Should be good people watching.We looked at changing flights, but the only one we could find had only 45 minutes between the connecting flight and a plane change. The odds would not be in our favor with kids in tow, so we're sticking with our non-stop this evening. I'm secrectly hoping the bar we are sitting in makes us order something. "Oh no! I have to get a bloody mary on our last day of vacation!" I'll post final thoughts later.

They announced self assist could get going at 6:30 this morning. I'm guessing there will be a lot of people taking their own luggage off the ship based on the amount of luggage that was in the hallways last night.

We have had a version of the ray before, but not with the curled edges. I think it was one of the kids' first cruises and we got something crazy like 14 animals on a 7 night cruise. DS wanted to see In the Air. To be honest we all did - don't miss it if you are on Liberty. DH went with him and I crawled into bed and watched the end of Mrs. Doubtfire. When the movie ended, I was flipping through the channels and hit the schedule channel at just the right time. The photo gallery hours were at the top of the page. I almost forgot! I ran back downstairs and picked our 10 for this leg. If the Fitbit can be trusted, I've hit 7 miles today. After walking up stairs all day yesterday at the waterpark, my ankles are toast. I'm kind of looking forward to sitting around the airport all day tomorrow. We are all checked in for the flight and are boarding group B26-29.

DD wanted to eat in the MDR one last time, but DD wanted to go to bed early. DH went with our son, and I stayed I and ordered room service. Cobb salad, cheese steak with fries, and the fruit plate. They brought me bonus fries.

Man did I get my steps in today! I was up earlier than usual, and DH usually drinks all the coffee in the room. I wait until we go to breakfast and get a cup from the suite lounge then. Instead I went once by myself, and a second time with DS right at 7 when they were setting out the continental breakfast. Here he is, sadly getting ready to gobble down his last pre-breakfast donut of the cruise. It was gone before we reached the elevator. I brought the second round of coffee back to the room just in time for DD to be ready to go to breakfast. I'm case you were wondering, here is the menu for the suite breakfast at Chops. We could get the same thing at the MDR or WJ, but it is cooked fresh and the service can't be beat. After breakfast we wandered off the ship for our self guided tour. I had Google ready to guide me to the Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle which is really small, but right next to the stairs. We felt fine as a group, but Google took us through a neighborhood that felt a little off the beaten path - not sure I would have walked it by myself. According to the the Bahamas tourism website, the fort admission is free with donations appreciated. That info is out of date as it cost is $3 each plus VAT for a total of $14. Kids 5 and under were $2 plus tax. A warning about the additional VAT tax on 12% was listed on the front page of the Cruise Compass. This fort is small the round exterior with three canons, access to 2 small rooms that were maybe 10' x 14' and a small platform at the top. This was plenty for my kids though. Next we walked back through the neighborhood and on to our next stop thr Pirates of Nassau museum. Admission was $14 for adults and $7 for kids 17 and younger. They had a display of a shanty town and the interior of a ship. Several mannequins along the way to display the various parts of the ship. The mannequins made it a little hokey, but it was a decent 45 minute field trio. DD had quite a bit of reading and writing assignments relating to pirates at the beginning of our school year, and she enjoyed the museum. There are only a few actual artifacts and several replicas. From there we visited the straw market to get a couple souvenirs and then went back to the ship. Google said our trip should have been 1.8 miles from the port entrance and back. We had lunch in the WJ, and spent the afternoon packing. We were able to catch a nice sunset from the suite lounge. Jayson said he is getting some time off in November and December, but will be back on. Liberty starting in January. DD left a small crochet jellyfish for our cabin attendant, and the kids received two towel animals tonight.

I guess everything is not only bigger, but sweeter in Texas?

@Ampurp85 the funnel cake was OK. I think their batter could have used more sugar - it relied heavily on the powdered sugar on top.

Suite lounge and then DH and I weren't hungry so we took the kids to the WJ. Then we headed to the theater for the juggler, Adam Kario. We enjoyed his show. After the show, the kids ran off and DH and I grabbed a snack from Sorrento's and Cafe Promenade. We returned to the room to find another towel animal and the saddest delivery of all - departure tags.