BTE

For those of you that are cruising this month, Congrats and Smooth Sailing!
January 2019
4- KLA (Mariner of the Seas)
5 - FlowBro Ty (Majesty of the Seas)
5- Broons77 (Rhapsody of the Seas)
5- TCinME (Rhapsody of the Seas)
5- BeatArmy2010 (Jewel of the Seas)
6 - yaya luvs to cruz (Anthem of the Seas)
6- MaryCS62 (Anthem of the Seas)
6 - Deedeelynn (Anthem of the Seas)
9- BeatArmy2010 (Jewel of the Seas)
11 - SouthernYankee  (Mariner of the Seas)
12 - Ashlynne12 (Brilliance of the Seas)
12 - krwillia (Granduer of the Seas)
12- L454S (Vision of the Sea)
13 - tiny260 (Allure of the Seas)
13- Jolly Ogre (Allure of the Seas)
13 - jrmende63 (Jewel of the Seas)
13- Oliver (Liberty of the Seas)
13 - Casino Crazy (Oasis of the Seas)
14 - SouthernYankee (Mariner of the Seas)
18 - mworkman (Anthem of the Seas)
18 - kpersons09 (Anthem of the Seas)
19 - SouthernYankee (Symphony of the Seas)
19 - davelliott (Vision of the Seas)
20- lauraodonnell86 (Freedome of the Seas)
20- Irieman (Freedome of the Seas)
24 - JohnUK (Grandeur of the Seas)
25 - RBRSKI (Independence of the Seas)
26 - SouthernYankee (Symphony of the Seas)
26- Gabe (Symphony of the Seas)
26 - fbcmusicman (Rhapsody of the Seas)
26- Joy (Rhapsody of the Seas)
26- Tammylee63 (Rhapsody of the Seas)
27 - SPS (Freedom of the Seas)
27- BTE (Allure of the Seas)
31 - Rede411 (Briliance of the Seas)
31- KathyC (Brilliance of the Seas) RCPeriscopers Group Cruise! 40+
 

Well I went from not cruising for 8 years Jan 2011 to booking a cruise in Dec for Jan 2019. Than I put a deposit down on 1/9 for a cruise in Aug 2019 & today I put a deposit down for one in Feb 2020. My wife asked was I getting carried away all of the sudden LOL but she didn't say no.
Upcoming cruises
Allure          1/27/2019
Ovation       8/9/2019
Adventure   2/1/2020
Guess I'll just work on planning excursions ect.. for the last 2 & hold off booking anything else for now. Thanks to Michelle - MEI Travel.
 

Well I went from not cruising for 8 years Jan 2011 to booking a cruise in Dec for Jan 2019. Than I put a deposit down on 1/9 for a cruise in Aug 2019 & today I put a deposit down for one in Feb 2020. My wife asked was I getting carried away all of the sudden LOL but she didn't say no.
Upcoming cruises
Allure          1/27/2019
Ovation       8/9/2019
Adventure   2/1/2020
Guess I'll just work on planning excursions ect.. for the last 2 & hold off booking anything else for now. Thanks to Michelle - MEI Travel.
 

Well I went from not cruising for 8 years Jan 2011 to booking a cruise in Dec for Jan 2019. Than I put a deposit down on 1/9 for a cruise in Aug 2019 & today I put a deposit down for one in Feb 2020. My wife asked was I getting carried away all of the sudden LOL but she didn't say no.
Upcoming cruises
Allure          1/27/2019
Ovation       8/9/2019
Adventure   2/1/2020
Guess I'll just work on planning excursions ect.. for the last 2 & hold off booking anything else for now. Thanks to Michelle - MEI Travel.
 

I only have a single reference point, but our pours were plenty generous on Indy this past November with the package.  We would watch them mixing for someone without the package and then ours and didn't notice any difference.  I don't think it really matters much to the bartender (they aren't buying the liquor after all) and although we usually tipped an extra dollar with each order I didn't notice bartenders who didn't know us going any lighter than the ones who knew us.

@Todd W, just based on my only two sailings so far, I would say the pours are plenty strong. Had the Deluxe package on both, and every margarita or mojito I bought left me thinking I better pace myself or I'd be doing this:

According to "my bartender":
- mandatory tips (famous 18%) are shared among entire food and bar division
- cash tips (in the jar) are shared among particular bar stuff
- additional tip on the receipt goes directly to the person who serves you
 

Twangster hits it out of the park with advice here. Go cheapest for Alaska and use the money for excursions. Done two Alaska cruises, one with balcony and another inside. Seldom used the balcony. Spent most of the time on upper decks with my binoculars and camera taking in the sights. Go upper midship near stairs if possible. Just to add, we always tried to go up early for a nice breakfast spot. Saw so much wildlife and scenery while eating, Also the Radiance class ships have a nice solarium view, so we did the Solarium's Park Café for breakfast and lunch many times. 

I also vote for "slumming it" and getting an inside cabin, then using the savings to boost your excursion budget. Especially on a ship like Radiance, where you have views outside from all over the place without having to actually go outside. Just position yourself someplace comfortable with a view and easy access to a door going outside (and maybe easy access to a beverage or two), so when you hear the calls of "whale!" or just "Oh wow! Look at that!" you can quickly get to where the commotion is.

Swim hard and fast!

Bumping off a family member for the insurance money??? ?
 
Can you imagine the weight gain from all those meals and drinks? ?

Yeah, this. ??
10 more years to minimum retirement age. Would like to do it that early on, but I think it's more likely I'll end up having to work to the usual 65 (or whatever the modified age is where I can also start withdrawing Social Security). In the meantime, I'm getting by with 1 cruise a year (but doing to my best to make each one as memorable as possible via itinerary).

I'd like to be retired  LOL but I still spend time planning cruises or at least thinking about it!

Climbing to Diamond was a significant milestone for me.
Free nightly drinks and diamond lounge access with concierge  Free photo (each for a couple) Day of free internet (each for a couple) Free entertainment tour Coffee machine in lounge makes much better coffee than WJ coffee Climbing to Dimond Plus also added:
Another free day of internet (each for a couple) 30% off drink packages on board Free bridge tours Free laundry bag BOGO specialty dining (buy one get one free first night) Always have a bottle of sparkling wine waiting for me in my cabin upon boarding Reserved entertainment seating areas (varies by ship) The onboard drink package and Voom discounts translates into not having to search and hope for cruise planner deals.  I can wait until I'm on board and buy them typically as cheap as cruise planner sales ever goes.  With diamond happy hours drinks I often sail without a drink package.    I can wait until I'm on board and if I'm in the mood I'll buy the drink package, if not I don't or I can wait until day two and buy Voom or drink packages even cheaper.  When traveling as a couple we both get 2 days of free Voom.  That's four days between us.  For many cruises that's enough to avoid buying Voom all together.  
Plus balcony discounts start to mean something.  On newer ships that have higher balcony to non-balcony ratios that often means a balcony is cheaper than or near the price of INT/OV cabins.  Granted on older ships that have fewer balconies it doesn't do as much for you, but I generally now book more balconies because they are closer in price or cheaper than INT/OV.    
For a married couple since they will status match you, it only takes one sailing solo on a couple of cheap interior solo sailings and both people in the relationship are moved up the ladder due to double points.    
If we don't want to visit the over crowded diamond lounge during happy hour we both get 3 free drinks every night.  On a 7 night cruise that's 42 free drinks for a couple, including bottled water.  

Well , 
From my experience until now : Even if you see the activities on your personal calendar take a paper backup of the important things ...
When I was on the Allure , before the embarkation I saw everything was there , after the embarkation it vanished  . I am sure in few months the application will become stable and reliable , until then its a nice to have.   

Maybe RC determined it was crew related & that's why they refunded the cruise

Since I am a 911 dispatcher, I have 6 monitors for work and 1 personal computer to surf cruise stuff. Good thing my job forces me to be a good multitasker! ? Counting down the days until Freedom! 8 days!

I'm on dog shift, too. Usually 10 hour (9pm-7am), but we're so understaffed that it's often 14 hours (or on my supposed weekends).  I've got Free Cell down to a science. 

Just check your cruise planner occasionally as it dropped to $42 on my upcoming cruise about 4 weeks before sailing & the refreshment package dropped 3 weeks before

Talk to your cabin attendant.  Also an extra gratuity goes a long way.    As far as T.S.A. goes.   T.S.A. pre  check is  great to have. 

We got ours at check-in, before you get onboard, at the terminal. It'll have a sticker or printed part that indicates if/which drink package you purchased (if you did that ahead of time).

Lol...I think a lot of us can relate.  
I'm on here all the time.  Helps with research and just the excitement.  Also like following blogs hearing other's experiences and seeing ships I haven't been on .

Extra for room attendant, fold some bills and put them in the Seapass slot just inside the door, it will be the first thing they see. Bartenders at sea are the same as on land. A nice big tip with the first drink insures the follow-ups will be stronger and he/she may "forget" to charge you for one or two during your time at the bar.