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Wow, it's already Day 3! How to summarize? Day 1: Embarkation went smoothly, besides actually getting on the ship itself! We took the trolley (free!) From right outside the Marriott to Stop #7 -- Cumberland Ave -- right across the parking lot from Terminal 3. Aside from one grumpy Xray operator, Security was effective and pleasant. From Marriott to check in was about 30 minutes total (including the obligatory group photo before entering the terminal. Getting on the ship was a mess - not RCCL's fault -- lots of new cruisers, not a commanding voice on the PA system, and a lack of understanding of C&A boarding priorities. We made it though; grabbed table and chairs on the Pool Deck, and launched our drink packages. And yes, I had a Kummelweck! Cabins were ready at 1 (we boarded about 11) and we had our bags by 3 pm

Welcome back!

Eight hours until wheels leave the tarmac -- and my checklist is complete! Packed Got passport! Household tasks complete Uber scheduled Got cash * So all of these are pretty common checklist items (trust me, I didn't include the whole list -- I could be typing forever, and you'd fall asleep before you got through it!). The reason I put a star by the last one is because I don't usually carry much cash (much to my husband's chagrin), but for this cruise, I will! Remember those fundraising raffles? They start the minute we start the boarding process -- and I want to be ready! Here's a picture from the 2017 Pirate Bingo event; photo credit is to the HIGH SEAS RALLY'S T.V. CREW, and I found the picture at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/07/03/themed-cruises-wacky-time-at-sea-from-knitting-to-disco/1628552001/. Yup, I didn't know that we made USA Today! I wish I had one of the 50/50 raffles -- those wads of cash are too big for most hands to hold! Again, it's for a great cause -- and the interesting thing is, although the stories in the news focus on the parties and the <interesting> competitions during the Rally, the charitable functions are often overlooked. It's not just the money raised that should get attention -- it's the impact that the rally has on people's lives. This video from the 2013 High Seas Rally (on Freedom of the Seas, before the HSR moved to a full ship charter) shows that impact. You can see it at Time to go to bed!

Thanks for the terrific pictures and commentary!

Thanks, @DandA

? Only Four More Days Until We Go On Brilliance!! Only Four Short Days 'til We Cruise!!! ? Two days before we leave for Tampa -- well, make that 1 good night's sleep, 1 day, and then a very short night's sleep before we catch our O'dark 30 flight. I've been watching the weather reports pretty closely, but think we'll be all right getting from Eastern Washington to Western Washington, and then down to Western Florida . . . Had a bunch of stuff to get done around the house today, and so my suitcase is still sitting on the bed waiting to be filled. Another thing that needs to be filled . . . In looking at other Live Blogs, I realized that I haven't filled in too many details about our itinerary, so here goes! Sailing: November 30 – December 7, 2019, Brilliance of the Seas, 7 Night Western Caribbean cruise Sailing with: Me, my husband, and about 1780 of our new biker friends-to-be! Flying from: Pasco, Washington (yes, the state of Washington; 120 miles away from that city and university that Jimmy Kimmel doesn’t believe exists)! Pre-cruise hotel: Marriott Waterside in Tampa (with about 1,000 of our new biker friends-to-be) Itinerary: Day 1 – Tampa Day 2 – At Sea Day 3 – Georgetown, Grand Cayman Day 4 – Cozumel Day 5 – At Sea Day 6 - - Key West, Florida Day 7 – At Sea Day 8 -- Tampa Cabin: Junior Suite – our first one! Pre-purchases: We got a decent price on an internet package at $12/day and my husband and I will both have the Deluxe Beverage package. We loved the Segway excursion in Grand Cayman so are repeating it. In Cozumel, I’ll be exploring the Amazing River. In Key West, we’ll just kind of party with everyone else; plus, we will participate in a gigantic T-shirt swap! Oh, and I booked the Ship All-Access Tour for myself -- one of my cruise bucket list items, believe it or not! First departure from an "ordinary" cruise -- we'll be greeted in line by raffle ticket sales for both cruises and 50/50 drawings. These are the first examples of the fundraising that goes on during the High Seas Rally. It's not unusual for the the first 50/50 drawing to involve thousands (yes, $x000.00s) of dollars to the winner (and therefore a like # of thousands to the dialysis fund).

Was this a third party excursion?

Great tour -- it was so neat to hear (and feel!) your enthusiasm!

“Formal” = leather

High Seas Rally (30 November - 7 December 2019) In case you ever wondered what a full ship charter is like – I’ll be chronicling this, our third High Seas Rally, and 2nd time on Brilliance of the Seas as a full ship charter. A few quick notes. This is a biker-oriented cruise, but with an awesome cause. Many people don’t realize just how giving motorcyclists tend to be . . . whether it’s looking out for another rider on the road, swarming with support at funerals and memorials for military veterans and community heroes, or donating to a cause, bikers are super generous as a group. This cruise’s whole purpose is to support dialysis patients. In fact, each HSR cruise hosts at least 8-10 dialysis patients and their caregivers ON THE CRUISE! Yes, these patients receive dialysis while on the Brilliance – and they and their caregiver pay $0.00 – yeah, nothing! On the last cruise in 2017, in addition to hosting our dialysis guests, we raised over $700,000.00 for kidney dialysis. With three days before we leave for Tampa, most of my prep work is done -- well, except for actually packing the suitcases! Because of the theme, and the nature of the cruise 'crewmembers,' our packing differs a bit from the standard cruise. We'll have numerous fundraising opportunities while on board -- 50/50 raffles, Pirate Bingo, Treasured Chest, and numerous other raffles for prizes. Our formal night will be in leathers (vests), and even our shore excursions will include many biker-friendly possibilities -- like Segways on Grand Cayman and scooters on Key West. For me, one of the most awesome opportunities is getting to meet and talk with one of the 9-10 dialysis patients who are coming with us.

@WAAAYTOOO Have a fantastic time! We'll be boarding Brilliance the day you disembark -- thanks for doing this blog, as I hope to do one as well for our cruise (which is a full ship charter, but I think to the same ports you're visiting, but in reverse order). Just out of curiosity, when you use your phone for the pictures, do you have to resize them or does the forum format do that for you?

Thanks so much, @twangster!! I'm in the process of reading Path Between the Seas, in preparation for our cruise on NCL Bliss through the Canal in April 2020. I've been taking copious notes as I read your account. How do you keep your notes aligned with your pictures? It's amazing!

I believe you'll be Gold once you complete your first sailing.

We usually get the drink package, but we also bring aboard our two bottles of wine -- in part, due to wanting a greater variety of wines than are offered on board .

Our 14-night Transatlantic Surf and Stream Voom dropped to $15.99/day, so I grabbed that (just one device -- my husband and I will share :-) ); if the Key went down to $19.99, I'd grab it; any higher than that and I think the costs would outweigh the benefits. Right now, it's $29.99 a day; $840 is a bit much in my book.

I would not consider the area "unsafe;" it is not in the middle of a built up area, but there's a gas station/convenience store on the corner, then a mini-golf site, then the Zachary's restaurant I mentioned. I think if we had gone in more than one day in advance, we would have rented a car, and would have explored more. That said, I never felt like I couldn't walk around (there's actually a park nearby; I just didn't walk to / through it), and there were a few restaurants/breweries that we would have visited (on foot) if we had had more time. It's not a resort area in terms of beach access; at least not within walkable distance, but I think the amenities (pool, nearby parks/etc.) would lend themselves to a more-than-one day stay. I'm sure an Uber or Lyft to/from the beach would not be more than a few dollars...

We stayed at Radisson Resort at the Port before our cruise in February 2019. The room was fine and its price was very reasonable; we didn't avail ourselves of the pool, but it did look inviting. However -- DEFINITELY try eating at Zachary's (right next door). We had breakfast there the morning of the cruise -- delicious, and an excellent value. They have dinner as well -- we should have eaten there rather than at the Radisson, which had okay food but at somewhat elevated prices. If we hadn't been so tired (traveled from Washington state), we would have ventured further out. Great customer service at the Radisson, too.

Thanks, @twangster, I missed that one. Have downloaded it and am ready to devour! Your point is well-taken about my request for Rhapsody or Brilliance was based on their itineraries for this fall -- but this one will work well too!

We'll be on the Allure for the November 2020 Transatlantic. I found and downloaded pictures of a 2015 Cruise Compass for a Transatlantic on Allure (October-November 2015), but they're only from Day 6 (At Sea), and are a bit dated. If anyone is going on a Transatlantic this year on Brilliance or Rhapsody, could you please post some pix of the Cruise Compass dailies? This will be our first long cruise on RCL.

Thanks for revealing the technique, @JLMoran!!

Still $17.59 for one device on Allure in November 2020. I'll keep on watching; with a total of nine sea days, I may spring for it, but am hoping for a lower price. If not, I'm sure the ship will let us in on election news . . .

Well, we'll be on Allure while Odyssey is making her way westward -- it will be interesting to see when/how she sails. We leave Barcelona on Nov 1, and reach Miami on Nov 15. Enjoy, everyone!

I did the class on Enchantment in February this year -- it was a BLAST! There were about 10-12 people in the class; we all washed our hands first, and then had little "stations" set up on tables. The Sensei showed us how to do it, and then talked us through it. I think it would be ideal for anyone who's interested in sushi but is intimidated by it (that's me!). After we were done, I couldn't eat all of mine, but they provided me one of the dish covers and I took it back to our cabin so my husband could try some of my "masterpieces!"

A little bit late to the party, here -- but I'm wondering if Royal has added liqueurs to their name inventory? Grand Marnier, perhaps? (see Is that the Grand Marnier of the Seas?

Some sample views from the cockpit . . .