melmar02

We usually just go to specialty dining on a whim. My 10 year old orders steak and lamb off the adult menu at chops and they only charge us the kids price for him.

Lack of basic elevator etiquette - letting others out before rushing in, moving to the side or back of the car to let someone else in, and letting those who actually need it get on first. All that seems to go out the window for quite a few people as soon as they set foot in the cruise terminal.

No weight restriction listed? Guess they're giving grace after Thanksgiving/ Christmas/ New Year's.

I wouldn't let not having the right outfit keep you from the party. I've only seen a few people dress up for the 70s/80s etc party.

Could it possibly be just for NYE sailings? Anticipation of some guests taking more than full advantage of the drink packages so they just added it to everyone's account to be sure?

I haven't received one either. I wonder if they will count land tour days in the figure since they count towards C&A points?

We are getting shirts made for our star class cruise (only get them every once in a while, not every trip). I mocked up a design saying something like "You are in the presence of a Star" as a joke. The family loved it.

Good to know!

I thought the gift cards could only be used to make a booking, not for cruise plan er purchases.

It's an hour or so of the captain, hotel director, and cruise director talking in one of the bigger lounges. They recognize the new pinnacle members, and top cruisers. They also announce how many cruisers are onboard and the breakdown of how many gold, platinum, diamond etc. Usually the house band plays some music and some of the entertainers perform a number. You get a free glass of art auction quality champagne (at least that's all that was offered at the last one we went to in June, no refills were offered). If we don't have anything else going on, we might go to the event, but I have zero FOMO if I skip it.

We just tried the mushroom soup recipe posted above to go with our Christmas Eve lunch. I used 16 ounces white button, 8 oz baby bellas, and two portobello caps. I couldn't find any of the tiny enoki mushrooms for garnish, so we just cut up one of the baby bellas. We sliced the mushrooms before cooking (not noted in the recipe), and I had some half and half already so I added a couple Tablespoons of butter along with it instead of using cream. I also used 3 sprigs of thyme instead of just one. It was pretty tasty - it's been over 6 months since I have been onboard a ship, so I can't say if the recipe is quite true or not though. Maybe my tastebuds will remember enough to compare in 120 days when we're on Allure. I put a couple containers in the freezer, but I don't think it will last that long. We will definitely make the recipe again, but next time I'm going to replace about a quarter of the vegetable stock with veal or beef stock, and I'll add a couple more tablespoons of butter. I wanted it to be just a little richer.

We'll be on Allure, our first Oasis Class ship, in April. Does the Rising Tide bar have any special drinks only available at that venue (like the garden martini at 150 or the habanero grapefruit daiquiri at Schooner Bar)?

Boosting. We'll be onboard.

Brief showers / storms are not uncommon in the Caribbean - it's just part of the tropical climate. Usually they are over in 15-30 minutes, and certainly aren't long enough to call off a beach day. Everyone just gets under their beach umbrella or heads to the bar until the rain passes.

Nothing. I've been checking their website and Facebook for updates every month or so with fingers crossed and they've been radio silent since August 2020.

I'm sure they will offer the usual 4/5 night; they just aren't open to book yet.

Enjoy your hard earned break!

DH car is on it's last leg and I'm pretty sure the frame is broken on our couch... I don't need either of those things when I'm on a ship though!

My son wears black sneakers year round because they double as his nice cruise dinner shoes.

Our kids love the virgin daiquiris - strawberry and mango are at the top of their list and the go to sail away drink.

@Neesa I just looked and Allure's last sailing in Galveston is October 15, 2023. It will be interesting to see of Harmony stays over the summer of 2024 or if we get a different ship.

Allure leaves Galveston and is replaced by Harmony sometime before spring 2024. We have Harmony booked for April '24.

My youngest was 7 on his first cruise. 4 years later, and he still calls it getting dressed his fancy pants clothes. The only time he wears those clothes are formal nights and his piano recitals.

This is a grand aft balcony on Liberty, so it's bigger, but it gives you an idea of what the obstruction looks like from the balcony side.

We stayed in one of the Grands under the edge of the WJ on Enchantment just before the shutdown, and never heard a thing.