IRMO12HD

We have had both recent checkin open around 11.30pm NY/Miami time, which is 2.30pm Sydney time. Luck us, we don't have to stay up or get up early. Got to be some perks for living down under, apart from living in the best country in the world, of course. 

Thanks to all, appreciate the feedback. Will stay up all night and sleep all day!  Or was that "ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT AND PARTY EVERY DAY". 😎

@rjacbeing on Pacific time I was able to check in at 9:01 L (Local) for my cruises, so 12:01 am should work!

Using the app, it says my check-in opens January 12th. So, if I stay up and log in at 12:01 on the 12th will it be open or is it later in the wee hours of the morning? Thanks!😎

Pulled the same move on the cobblestones in Baltimore.  Also managed to save the oils & vinegars I had just purchased and hoped that my dignity took the biggest hit.  Here I am almost 3 months later & im pretty sure I broke the tip of my middle finger (and boy do I need to be able to use that!!)  Still aches if I press on it too much but I’m too stubborn to go to the dr!

on oasis the medical center is on the 2nd deck near the aft elevators. exciting moment as. we got to cross I-95 to get to it -- the utility corridor that runs the length of the ship. saw the big sign that said patients only, but when i saw the clipboard of forms i knew i had to summon my reinforcements -- aka my daughter -- as my right hand wouldnt comply
After my vital signs were measured we were placed in  a room with a sign that said "Operating Room."  after about 5 minutes a kindly tall man entered and introduced himself - Dr Ralph.  He gently unwrapped my wrist, looked at it and expressed his opinion that it was fractured and that he would need to take some xrays.  the xray machine was wheeled around and he himself took the first set. honestly the xray machine looked pretty old but it did its job. he then formed and fitted a fiberglass splint on my forearm.  i had some pain in my forearm near my elbow so he took off the splint and summoned an xray tech to take more images. once he was satisfied that the other bones were fine, he applied another splint. he then took us to see the xray images; we took some pictures of them, he offered to make a CD with the images which i (shouldnt have) turned down, and we left.  Total time spent there was about 2-1/2 hours. Total bill (hopefully covered by my travel insurance -- im pretty sure it will be -- was just $566 for the visit, x-rays, and splint application.
Next: after the Medical Center
 
 

Told you I'd combine “Oasis Medical Center” and “cobblestones” and “right wrist”) in one title (as mentioned in my "Simply Solo Freedom" blog).  And now, the rest of the story.
Caveat #1: i'm typing this with my left hand only.  it's time to channel e.e. cummings as it's a pain to use the SHIFT key
Caveat #2: im tired of apostrophes too.
 
im somewhat famous in my family for getting injured doing ordinary things. broke my tibia water skiing, collarbone while rounding 3rd base, fibula hiking down a trail -- and now add radius (wrist) walking  cobblestone sidewalk/street in Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten.
The bright sides--the bottle of vanilla in the bag on my left shoulder DIDNT break; my daughter and i had already purchased pretty much everything we wanted and had finished our amazing horseback trail ride/ocean swim; it wasnt raining (yet) and we had over two hours to make it back to the ship and tickets for the water taxi.
to make a short story shorter, in trying to avoid some guys on the sidewalk i stepped down into the street onto an uneven surface and fell. stretching out my free right hand was not a good idea as it turns out. OMIGOSH IT HURT -- that kind of pain that almost makes you throw up.  sorry, pretty graphic but true. big bump swelling up right away but i was hoping it was just a bad sprain.  people around were really helpful, offering assistance. since we were only about 2 blocks from the water taxi we decided to head back to the ship. note to self-- dont let the guy on the water taxi grab your injured hand to help you onto the boat and try to swing you around in a dance move.
once back aboard my daughter gave me some ibuprofen, i requested some ice from our steward and i steeled myself for dinner, cradling my swelling right wrist in my left hand.  Still holding out hope that it was a sprain, we begged an Ace bandage from the Medical Center and made it an early night.
the next morning, the swelling and pain belied my hopes of a sprain; we called the Medical Center for an appointment, and they said to come on down.
Next-- the medical center

Lessons Learned (continued)
 
6.  Be up front with your MDR servers -- if you're only there for the (CRAB CAKES!!) appetizers and have somewhere you need to be in 25 minutes (like a Casino Lesson), tell them, reassure them that you won't starve, enjoy your appetizers -- and go.  
7.  Have fun participating (not competing!) in the different activities onboard -- laugh!  smile! go for the improbable shot!
8. Don't trust Budget's Downtown Miami location to have the car you reserved -- there were SIX irate reservation holders there when we arrived; ended up  Ubering to the Airport Rental Center to pick up a vehicle.
9.  The Best Western North Bay Island is a distance away from the Cruise Port, but has pretty good transportation and dining options. Check out Sana's Cafe for friendly service and good coffee and breakfast options.
10.  I like solo cruising!  

Told you I'd combine “Oasis Medical Center” and “cobblestones” and “right wrist”) in one title (as mentioned in my "Simply Solo Freedom" blog).  And now, the rest of the story.
Caveat #1: i'm typing this with my left hand only.  it's time to channel e.e. cummings as it's a pain to use the SHIFT key
Caveat #2: im tired of apostrophes too.
 
im somewhat famous in my family for getting injured doing ordinary things. broke my tibia water skiing, collarbone while rounding 3rd base, fibula hiking down a trail -- and now add radius (wrist) walking  cobblestone sidewalk/street in Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten.
The bright sides--the bottle of vanilla in the bag on my left shoulder DIDNT break; my daughter and i had already purchased pretty much everything we wanted and had finished our amazing horseback trail ride/ocean swim; it wasnt raining (yet) and we had over two hours to make it back to the ship and tickets for the water taxi.
to make a short story shorter, in trying to avoid some guys on the sidewalk i stepped down into the street onto an uneven surface and fell. stretching out my free right hand was not a good idea as it turns out. OMIGOSH IT HURT -- that kind of pain that almost makes you throw up.  sorry, pretty graphic but true. big bump swelling up right away but i was hoping it was just a bad sprain.  people around were really helpful, offering assistance. since we were only about 2 blocks from the water taxi we decided to head back to the ship. note to self-- dont let the guy on the water taxi grab your injured hand to help you onto the boat and try to swing you around in a dance move.
once back aboard my daughter gave me some ibuprofen, i requested some ice from our steward and i steeled myself for dinner, cradling my swelling right wrist in my left hand.  Still holding out hope that it was a sprain, we begged an Ace bandage from the Medical Center and made it an early night.
the next morning, the swelling and pain belied my hopes of a sprain; we called the Medical Center for an appointment, and they said to come on down.
Next-- the medical center

on oasis the medical center is on the 2nd deck near the aft elevators. exciting moment as. we got to cross I-95 to get to it -- the utility corridor that runs the length of the ship. saw the big sign that said patients only, but when i saw the clipboard of forms i knew i had to summon my reinforcements -- aka my daughter -- as my right hand wouldnt comply
After my vital signs were measured we were placed in  a room with a sign that said "Operating Room."  after about 5 minutes a kindly tall man entered and introduced himself - Dr Ralph.  He gently unwrapped my wrist, looked at it and expressed his opinion that it was fractured and that he would need to take some xrays.  the xray machine was wheeled around and he himself took the first set. honestly the xray machine looked pretty old but it did its job. he then formed and fitted a fiberglass splint on my forearm.  i had some pain in my forearm near my elbow so he took off the splint and summoned an xray tech to take more images. once he was satisfied that the other bones were fine, he applied another splint. he then took us to see the xray images; we took some pictures of them, he offered to make a CD with the images which i (shouldnt have) turned down, and we left.  Total time spent there was about 2-1/2 hours. Total bill (hopefully covered by my travel insurance -- im pretty sure it will be -- was just $566 for the visit, x-rays, and splint application.
Next: after the Medical Center
 
 

Told you I'd combine “Oasis Medical Center” and “cobblestones” and “right wrist”) in one title (as mentioned in my "Simply Solo Freedom" blog).  And now, the rest of the story.
Caveat #1: i'm typing this with my left hand only.  it's time to channel e.e. cummings as it's a pain to use the SHIFT key
Caveat #2: im tired of apostrophes too.
 
im somewhat famous in my family for getting injured doing ordinary things. broke my tibia water skiing, collarbone while rounding 3rd base, fibula hiking down a trail -- and now add radius (wrist) walking  cobblestone sidewalk/street in Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten.
The bright sides--the bottle of vanilla in the bag on my left shoulder DIDNT break; my daughter and i had already purchased pretty much everything we wanted and had finished our amazing horseback trail ride/ocean swim; it wasnt raining (yet) and we had over two hours to make it back to the ship and tickets for the water taxi.
to make a short story shorter, in trying to avoid some guys on the sidewalk i stepped down into the street onto an uneven surface and fell. stretching out my free right hand was not a good idea as it turns out. OMIGOSH IT HURT -- that kind of pain that almost makes you throw up.  sorry, pretty graphic but true. big bump swelling up right away but i was hoping it was just a bad sprain.  people around were really helpful, offering assistance. since we were only about 2 blocks from the water taxi we decided to head back to the ship. note to self-- dont let the guy on the water taxi grab your injured hand to help you onto the boat and try to swing you around in a dance move.
once back aboard my daughter gave me some ibuprofen, i requested some ice from our steward and i steeled myself for dinner, cradling my swelling right wrist in my left hand.  Still holding out hope that it was a sprain, we begged an Ace bandage from the Medical Center and made it an early night.
the next morning, the swelling and pain belied my hopes of a sprain; we called the Medical Center for an appointment, and they said to come on down.
Next-- the medical center

Told you I'd combine “Oasis Medical Center” and “cobblestones” and “right wrist”) in one title (as mentioned in my "Simply Solo Freedom" blog).  And now, the rest of the story.
Caveat #1: i'm typing this with my left hand only.  it's time to channel e.e. cummings as it's a pain to use the SHIFT key
Caveat #2: im tired of apostrophes too.
 
im somewhat famous in my family for getting injured doing ordinary things. broke my tibia water skiing, collarbone while rounding 3rd base, fibula hiking down a trail -- and now add radius (wrist) walking  cobblestone sidewalk/street in Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten.
The bright sides--the bottle of vanilla in the bag on my left shoulder DIDNT break; my daughter and i had already purchased pretty much everything we wanted and had finished our amazing horseback trail ride/ocean swim; it wasnt raining (yet) and we had over two hours to make it back to the ship and tickets for the water taxi.
to make a short story shorter, in trying to avoid some guys on the sidewalk i stepped down into the street onto an uneven surface and fell. stretching out my free right hand was not a good idea as it turns out. OMIGOSH IT HURT -- that kind of pain that almost makes you throw up.  sorry, pretty graphic but true. big bump swelling up right away but i was hoping it was just a bad sprain.  people around were really helpful, offering assistance. since we were only about 2 blocks from the water taxi we decided to head back to the ship. note to self-- dont let the guy on the water taxi grab your injured hand to help you onto the boat and try to swing you around in a dance move.
once back aboard my daughter gave me some ibuprofen, i requested some ice from our steward and i steeled myself for dinner, cradling my swelling right wrist in my left hand.  Still holding out hope that it was a sprain, we begged an Ace bandage from the Medical Center and made it an early night.
the next morning, the swelling and pain belied my hopes of a sprain; we called the Medical Center for an appointment, and they said to come on down.
Next-- the medical center

OK, the long-promised Lessons Learned...
 
1. My COVID-19 testing plans worked out well.  It felt reassuring to know I had back-up and back-up to the back-ups which I didnt end up using.  I did receive an At-Home (proctored) test that I ended up not needing to use as I was able to make an appointment at one of (Northern) Miami's testing sites. A friend gave me a ride, but I could have reached it pretty easily using public transportation.  It was walk-up and not crowded at all - and very forgiving of my lateness due to traffic.  Received my test results in less than 3 hours.  Printed them out at the local Library branch.efits i
2.  The Key was really worth it for me as a Solo, not-yet-Diamond, Internet connectivity-seeking cruiser at the price I paid for it ($15.99/day).  The benefits included (early arrival, Chops lunch, carryon bag delivery to cabin, 25% discount on Specialty Dining, Departure breakfast and Disembarkation time choice) were all value-added to the price I would have paid anyway for Voom Surf and Stream.  Would I get it again?  Possibly, depending on the price and my cruising status.
3.  Interior Promenade cabins are pretty nice! I liked having the window -- but was also thankful for both the sheer and the blackout curtains.
4. my goal of using the elevator a maximum of two times per day worked really well; having a cabin on Deck 7 helped a lot.
5. Definitely make sure that if you loaded $ on your Miami transit card more than 30 days prior that it hasn't gone dormant!
 
#6-10 to follow

Sounds like you are off to a good start!

I've always wanted to play table games but have no clue how to play any of them. People always look like they're having so much fun at the tables. I've heard reviews before of the lessons and they didn't seem great but reading your experience makes me want to do it. 

Nope 😞

I don't think so, cruise lines operating out of the US have made it abundantly clear they will not be going back to "normal" operations when the CSO ends.  I think all the lines have done a great job managing customer expectations as we head into 2022 and I would hope that would be enough for the CDC to drop the CSO.
Also according to the Washington Post which just put out an article about the cruise industry they are saying from June through October they could only find 1,350 COVID cases out of an estimated 600,000 passengers who've boarded a cruise ship here in the US.  
https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/11/05/covid-cruise-cdc-positive-us/
 
What gets under my skin still is the continued flip flopping and/or double standard the cruise industry continues to face. The vaccines are meant to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death as long as you're on land.  But the moment you step foot on a cruise ship the CDC, NIH, and the news media all of a sudden believe the vaccines are supposed prevent 100% of all COVID cases.  Having 10 people test positive on a cruise ship with over 3,200 people onboard shouldn't be cause for alarm especially when you have states like Illinois that have been averaging over 12,000 positive COVID cases every day for the past 10-11 days.   

Way post facto, I know — I’ll get into my excuses in a separate post (some foreshadowing here — its title will include words like “Oasis Medical Center” and “cobblestones” and “right wrist”).
Debarkation Day — AKA Desolation Day — went super smoothly from ship to shore and was made really pleasant by The Key.  
Since I didn’t have a flight to catch, I was in no hurry to exit Freedom. M “The Key” tagged large suitcase had been picked up the night before, so I headed down to my special section of the MDR, enjoyed my breakfast (the Chops Grill Crabcake Eggs Benedict was superb, especially the crab cakes!), and headed off the Freedom about 8:15 (with The Key, you get to choose when you disembark).  Grabbed my suitcase from The Key area, and headed through the “Look into the Camera” Customs with no issues.  Although it’s probably my overthinking, the signs for which direction to head if you had a US Passport were confusing, as the sign pointing to the left was for US Birth Certificates and the one to the right was for “All Other Passports,” or words to that effect.
I went outside to track down my new-found friend and sister-in-arms and her son to see if we could Uber together downtown.  More details on THAT experience to follow in my “Lessons Learned” post, to follow.
Now, some D-Day pix:
 

Day 4 (Perfect Day at Coco Cay)
Fast forward back to today (that’s an oxymoron, I know):  once I had staked my claim on my daybed at the Beach Club, I made a dash back to the ship to 1) charge my keyboard, 2) charge my phone, and 3) while #1 and #2 were happening, go ride the Perfect Storm slide.  Yup, no line at all — everyone’s at Coco Cay.  I just did it one time; frankly, I didn’t go very fast — but it was still fun.  I had to push my way through a couple of the spots that were less steep, so the run was more sedate than scintillating.  However, I made it back to the Beach Club just in time for my 11:00 lunch reservation — took @Matt’s advice and had the appetizers (I found the ceviche pretty fishy-tasting; the tzatziki sauce and the hummus were really good, as were the shrimp) and the “surf and turf.”  I found that the Platinum C&A 50% discount on wine and beer doesn’t work on Coco Cay.  The sorbet for dessert was excellent; I found the rum cake to be kind of dry and not really “rummy” enough for my taste.  Overall, though, the meal was really good.
After giving myself about an hour to digest the lunch, I went for a snorkel — out by the lifeguard stand I found a fairly large school of fish near an old pylon, got stung (I think) by a jellyfish, and found that it gets very shallow very quickly over by the cabanas! Came out by South Beach and walked back to the Beach Club.
Today’s ending step count:  17,455!
I came back to my cabin to see the saddest sight imaginable — the dreaded luggage tags.
More tomorrow on disembarkation with The Key.

Day 2: At Sea
I wanted to try eating breakfast in the MDR, so I got up in time to make the 8:00 opening of the MDR, and sat at the exact same table (by the window) that I had had the day before for the Chops luncheon.  I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, and then headed up to the 13th deck to participate in my First Annual RCL Mini Golf Tournament (note:  I did say “my” 🙂 ).  I did not win any prizes as I chose to take some of the more adventurous routes to the hole, resulting in a few extra strokes (well, more than a few).  The winning score for 9 holes was 19.  I had 26.  ‘Nuff said.  It was fun, though, and we taught our Sports person (from Macedonia) a few select golfing terms, like “neck and neck” and “scramble” and OMIGOSH.  
And then I . . .  Don’t remember what I did.  Ummm — Oh, yes!  I went to Izumi for the Sake and Sushi pairing!  It was really good!  I did receive my “The Key” 25% discount, which was nice.  If you have The Key and it includes the discount on specialty dining, make sure you remind the restaurant when you make your reservation, or at least when you go in.  We had five different courses, and four different sake’s — including a sparkling sake, one that was milky white, a “house” sake, and a more refined sake.  Did you know that the grains (kernels) of rice are polished before being made into sake?  It takes off the outer husk so that only the inner part is left; the one with all of the sugar.  Many people in the north enjoy their sake warm.  Oh, and sake production in Japan (and maybe elsewhere) is heavily regulated by the . . . Yakuza!
After that, I went to the Ice Show (“Freedomice”) — it was a retro (70’s)- oriented show but really well done, I thought.  I figured I’d be cold (it is an ice rink, after all!) but I was not!  The first row of seats is reserved for social distancing, so the closest you can get is the second row.  The “short” end of the rink seemed to be the most popular for seating, but I sat in the middle of the “long” side, and could see perfectly.One of the male skaters made a round of the rink with one of the female skaters balanced on the top of his head.  Talk about core strength!
Also went to the Headliner show — “Once Upon a Time”. — a retelling of several fairy tales in contemporary style; a lot of fun.

Day 3 — Nassau (Continued)
Once we got back to the ship, my new friend invited me back to her and her son’s stateroom — she bid the minimum on a Royal Up to a 2-bedroom aft suite — from a balcony!  It was gorgeous!  BTW, I received my “sorry, your bid wasn’t successful” email at 7:14 pm on the day we sailed.  I think I had figured that out already, but it was nice (?!) to get the official word . . .
 
I did visit the Casino to make the most of my remaining $20 in Free Play — well, the Casino made more than I did, but I at least netted $5.00!  Then, I tried using some of my OBC ($20.00) and got back $19.00 — so I was $4.00 to the good!  I am not a gambler, that’s for sure.  I did enjoy my two free drinks though!  I think the Casino lessons (they cost $25) are a good deal if: 1) you don’t have the drink package AND 2) you’d like to learn how some of the games in the casino are played without risking any money AND/OR 3) if you’ll use (and enjoy using!) the $25 in Free Play you receive.
 
Went up and relaxed in the hot tub for a while after dinner (tomato soup, tenderloin, asparagus and mashed potatoes, with creme brûlée AND soufflé cake with vanilla sauce for dessert — yup, two desserts; after all, I put 15,000 steps + on my Fitbit today!  
 

Best activity we have ever done in the Caribbean. We are looking forward to do this one again in January!

I do realize this is a good problem to have.  I am booked on a B2B Alaska 2022 sailing with my husband and two kids.  I would have made Diamond status after 1 night on the second  Alaska sailing.  Ug!  So frustrating!  Well...there is a great promo going on so I booked a 3-night cruise with a friend of mine that will allow me to have Diamond status for the second B2B.  WOOHOO!!!!  Ladies weekend! 
Because Diamond status is honored for your spouse and kids under 18 (only 1 of my kids will be under 18 at the time of Alaska), I was able to save buying drink packages for Alaska and that more than covered the cost of the 3-night cruise!
I am using miles for airfare so the airfare is a whopping $11.20. 
I think it is a great trade - cruise for Diamond status and no drink packages needed for 3 of us.  My 18-year old is autistic and only drinks soda anyway.  
Score for me! 🙂

For anyone interested, I kept my booking with bernards tours and I am actually posting this from the French bakery. We have not ran into any issues at all and our tour guide told us that the issues were pretty much in one certain area which we avoided. The tour has been great and we are now headed to the Dutch side. 

Park Cafe is on some of the older ships too - I know Radiance and Enchantment both have one in the Solarium. Enchantment's Kummelweck was a little dry and needed a side of au jus though.☹️
You can get smoothies at the Vitality Cafe.