IRMO12HD

Yup, mini bar comes automatically empty these days with an optional form you can fill out if you want it to be filled.

Merry Christmas !
The mini bars (for those cabins that have one) will be empty.  They had too many instances of people being charged erroneously for mini bar items so they now leave them empty. If you want mini bar items, you can ask to have them brought (there is a list (or used to be) in your room of what items can be stocked in the minibars).

Courtesy of the Johnson and Johnson company.

Where I live, when people find out I'm 81, they say (without fail), "Oh, you're still a baby!" Neither my husband (84) nor I is fully retired, we both work part-time - he's a jazz musician, I'm a clinical social worker. One of our friends here is 106, and his girlfriend will turn 100 in March. Most of our neighbors are in their 90's. They're all retired. Come to think of it, we're going to have to make arrangements to take time off for our first cruise . . . in only 108 days!! ? 'Can hardly wait.

I thought I had done my homework for my first cruise BUT, here are some tips I learned on Harmony of the seas.  We booked this ship for all the “extra fun activities” (zip line, ultimate abyss, rock wall etc,). We found a few negatives.
The on boat zip line requires “secure shoes”.  My wife assumed the shoes she wears to theme park on roller coasters or even on dragons breath zip line are secure...not so!  Shoes must have laces!!! I could not find this anywhere!  
Obviously the rock walls include the same standard.  She didn’t pack shoes with laces so she couldn’t use these options!  
When speaking with guest services, we got an apology and “yeah we’ve heard that before”. Don’t miss out like we did!!  
the ultimate abyss has certain rules that are hard to find!  Do not wear a tank top!!  Yes you’re in the sun in 80 degree weather but your expected to wear some type of sleeve so be sure to do that...otherwise it’s a trip to the room!
waterslides!  You can have buttons or zippers on your back pocket but watch out for a smart watch!!  That Apple Watch you’ve always got on? That is NOT ALLOWED  on water slides!!  
long story short, ditch everything before adventures on the boat, wear sleeves, and make sure your shoes have LACES!!!  It will give you a much better experience 
 

Where I was near the forward elevator lobby the Glory was just a little closer than it would be across a pier.  Near the bow it came closer which you can't see from my angle.  

Based on his previous  exploits, there is an unconfirmed  report that he arrived at the dock just ahead of the Glory on her second  attempt ???

Here’s Captain Johnny’s opinion:

 

So I got the chance to meet the Cruise Director, and film a small segment for Royal Caribbean TV!
 
 

Of COURSE @twangster would have a balcony cabin on the correct side of the ship to catch this! Thanks for sharing! 

The Legend about an hour before the assault occurred.

Glory's original approach from a distance.

Right after the crash the Legend had to reset some lines.


This was after the crash and near miss as she circled around for a second try.

She did a nice turn to expose her stern to us.

















If at first you don't succeed, try again.



Round two the Captain's girlfriend wasn't at the helm so it went a little better.  Practice makes perfect.

I understand based on news reports one passenger on the Glory was injured.  Thoughts and prayers for that individual.
Here is the video I shot from my balcony on Oasis.
Despite the collision with the Legend, the bridge crew on the Glory did a pretty spectacular job avoiding a collision with the Oasis.  When I first saw the bow of the Glory come into view it was close.  Too close.  It occured to me a collision was highly possible. 
As I was shooting the video I was keeping an eye on the stern of Glory.  It was getting closer.  I knew they couldn't apply a lot of stern thrust to keep the stern off us without driving the bow into the bow of Oasis.  As the bow of Glory began to clear the bow of Oasis I could see them apply stern thrust to avoid impact.  It was a tight near miss and excellent seamanship on their part to avoid a second collision.  
 
The wide angle lens is misleading.  The people on Glory were close.  I could have tossed them a bottle of water.  

@JLMoran,, great example of the influence of the comma!
 

Commercial shippers aren't allowed to ship packages of magnets as cargo, but the TSA gives an OK to bringing magnetic items in checked or carry on baggage ( https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/magnets ).
 

Mt Rainier is only 70 miles away, and is an active volcano.  How are they REALLY going define an active volcano with regards to excursions?

Exactly ..... I'm 57 and can still hang with the young whippersnappers ?.  To me, elderly is 70+.  At least of the age when you can collect Social Security, NOT when AARP hounds you with mailers on a daily basis.

It's not clear.  
The attorney was involved so quickly.  He was issuing statements very soon after the news broke.  On one hand it was reported they were so distraught they couldn't speak to local authorities and they had to be sedated.  On the other hand they were contracting with the attorney in Florida during the same time frame.  
How would an attorney in Florida track down the family and get through to them in their distraught, sedated state?  Were they taking phone calls from strange phone numbers that could be news reporters?  I know I wouldn't be taking phone calls or going through voice mail.
Given her legal background I suspect she lawyered up immediately and had someone in her office back home or the legal circles she runs in track down the Florida attorney.  This is speculation but as it played out, that attorney was instantly engaged and making statements very soon after the incident.  

Screenshot of Royal's Guest Conduct Policy:

Thanks for your support. I guess I may have gotten carried away by my feelings. I am grateful for your understanding, both of you . . . .

No, I think there's still something YOU don't get . . . . it's not the family pushing this for profit, it's the LAWYER!!! HE is the one who stands to make a lot of money from this, for no good reason except that RCCL may want to protect their good name. I do NOT believe that the family should be awarded any damages, I just think that they should not be blamed for this circus going on. Blame the person who in all likelihood was the one who initiated it, namely the lawyer. That's all I'm saying.
I was approached by a lawyer, too, and I was advised to engage him and was prepared to initiate a lawsuit following my daughter's death, but the law firm reconsidered and advised me that they changed their minds and would not go forward, because the defendant (who in that case WAS clearly at fault) didn't have any money for us to go after. I was so brain-numbed that I would have gone along with anything they said. I'm glad it worked out the way it did, because money wouldn't have brought her back, but I couldn't think straight then.
Now do you understand? I am NOT in favor of RCCL being sued. I AM in favor of the lawyer being strung up and tarred and feathered and disbarred. I just hate to see the family being manipulated and criticized, when they need to be left alone to grieve.
I'm through. This is as clear as I can be.
 

Thank you. I guess I can talk until I'm blue in the face, but no one who has not suffered such a tragic loss can understand it: losing your child, especially violently, especially needlessly, makes you crazy for a long time. The family is out of their minds and cannot be held responsible for behaving like sheep, accepting the invitation of the TV show and parroting the words of the lawyer. The lawyer is the one who should know better than to take advantage of them this way. He is behaving disgracefully. Years from now the family may well be embarrassed by their TV appearances, if they can bring themselves to watch the tapes. They are still out of their minds with grief and deserve to be left alone.

I posted this on the TODAY SHOW page:

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!
 

Day2 - At Sea
Sheesh! Am I ever going to catch up??!!  It's really Day 4, so I'll give a quick review of Days 2 and 3, In my defense, I'm typing with my thumbs on my Samsung Tab A.
Day 2- woke up at 8:11; remembered I had volunteered to sell raffle tickets from 9-11. No time for coffee, let alone breakfast so I hastened to my post in the Centrum. Sold about 180 raffle tickets (pretty good odds -- 1 in 200 chance of winning $2000 at $20/ticket (did i mention how generous bikers can be?). Brunch in the WJ, dinner in the MDR.  Still waiting for crab cakes to appear on the menu.  No dice but there was lobster (or mzy e crawfish on steroids).  I tried to be good, and had one lobster tail and herb crusted salmon (really good!). Early shore excursion the next day so went to bed early.
 
Day 3
Oooffff!  5:45 came way too Early! 0645 (that's military for 6:45 am) show up time in the Pacifica Theater for our Segway tour on Grand Cayman, It was great, just like last time, and we got to ride on the beach ( I didn't know the can go through (shallow) water, but they can!  Walked around Georgetown looking for a new smaller SD card for my camera -- it's an older DSLR that doesn't like the 16GB card in it now -- but no dice, do I'm stuck with my phone (or this tablet) for now.  Dinner in the Windjammer -- including some awesome Caribbean meat pies -- and then an early night.