Ken23

Looking forward to your posts...and ty in advance.  

Looking forward to your posts...and ty in advance.  

The Golden Suite benefits are a lot better in reality than on paper. The concierges are almost like genies in certain contexts and they make sure that international (non-Chinese) guests get treated like royalty. For example, we were the only international Gold Suite guests during my sailing so we got private bridge tours and more. Also, Golden Dining is different to CK but is also better in some ways like the fact that you can get the filet every night (with foie gras) and the ambience is a lot better than where it usually is on Q class.

Hi John,
hopefully this link will provide some of the answers you are looking for.
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-golden-suite-program

Hi, we had a fantastic cruise on Spectrum in a J4 Silver Suite earlier this year (5-night July 7th). 
The indoor Silver Dining area, which is very nice, has a small lounge off to the side and a speck of a space for the concierge. The entire area connects to a HUGE solarium area for Silver Suite guests. Signage also indicated Diamond and up C&A could use the area. The Solarium is fabulous, with a couple of hot tubs, a mini-lazy-river thing, a dedicated bar, and tons of comfy seating with great views. I don't think we ever counted more than a dozen people in the entire area. That was awesome for us and we spent a ton of time enjoying the space (but as an RC fan, I couldn't help thinking the space was really underutilized -- although it could be because Silver Suites on our sailing weren't sold out). For our sailing the Dining/Lounge area had a small mobile bar cart that offered a limited selection of complimentary alcoholic beverages during certain times (5:30-8p I think?) -- so, basically, a Diamond lounge benefit. The lounge area was almost always empty, and hardly anyone got a drink at the bar cart.  We felt soooo bad for the poor bartenders in the Silver Solarium and really all over the ship -- the bars were ghost towns. My wife and I enjoyed some generous pours/conversation with bored bartenders who just wanted to chat with someone, lol! We noticed on the 2nd day that 12-drink punch cards were being sold for just $69 after tax (!).  We received 10 C&A points for our 5-night sailing. Hope this helps!
 

Hi! I will know for sure after December 22, when I am on Spectrum also in J4. However, I understand that they are hosting the Diamond Happy Hour in the Silver Lounge, which would lead me to believe that everyone who has Silver Lounge access will have happy hour drinks. If true, this is a nice perk for Junior Suites on Spectrum -- normally JS doesn't get access to the Concierge Club or Suite Lounge for happy hour. I plan to blog my trip so I'll be sure to let everyone know.
Yes, you get double points with WS.
 

Just arrived! Waiting to sign-on the ship.
 

Please let this go and allow Chris to continue his thread...

Alright I think thats enough hijacking of the thread, the topic was dropped so lets move on
@CHRIS WONG what are you most looking forward to checking out on Oasis after her Amplification?

Many of us here know that @JLMoran is about as far from rude as you can get. 
Perhaps it did not come off the right way, but I think that he is simply trying to offer advice and perspective to @CHRIS WONG who seems to have a serious interest in vlogging.  Sorry @CHRIS WONG for the side track on this post. ?

Which is why I prefaced my comment with (emphasis added):
My impression of Chris is that he is attempting to be a serious vlogger, maybe even an influencer to get people more interested in Royal. He is actively trying to grow a subscriber base, putting out videos very regularly covering a wide range of aspects about ship life, and doing other things that bolster this impression.
As such, a very common piece of equipment that I am aware the vast majority of influencers and serious vloggers invest in at some point is a gimbal.
I made as polite a request as I could figure out the words for, and Chris is perfectly free to ignore it if it's totally impractical.
Done here. Chris, very sorry for this particular sidetracking of your thread.

How do I look?
 
 

I'm still going to be the Assistant Casino Host, but with a lot more responsibility. This will help me step up to a Casino Host of my own ship very soon!

NEW VLOG IS LIVE!
Today I talk about the process of getting transferred to another ship, during the middle of a contract.
 

Kudos to you all driving your EV’s long distances to reach port. I will happily take my gas-guzzling SUV and leave our other vehicle snug and warm in our garage at home. ?
But if I did choose to go that route, I’d probably find the closest supercharger and top off the battery prior to the cruise and head there immediately after, before heading home. Seems to me, keeping your car plugged in for several days at a public location is not only risky (Sentry mode will only record who did what to your car, it won’t stop them from doing it) but not much different than the behavior of the chair hogs so many people complain about...

We was at the solarium, and she tripped on level difference between two area's We have decided to make the best of the situation. Thanks for caring.

Wife is doing ok. We are still on the ship. We will try to enjoy as much of all things the Oasis have to offer. Ship offered a x-ray at San Juan for the final assessment. And we got the wheelchair to make things easy. Now we are going to the cc meet and mingle, after that I have gift exchange at Jazz on 4 at 11 am 50 people signed up. 

This is probably the last update. Just after the muster drill my wife fell badly.
She was seen by the medical staff onboard and are now in a halfcast on her left leg, waiting to get a proper medical examination at the hospital in Puerto Rico. She got a wheelchair to use while onboard, no swimming, no walking. This vacation could have started better. 

Oasis received the Ultimate Abyss.  Here are a few pictures taken at various times.

I was a geologist and have a degree in it focusing on sedimetary terrains and structures...active volcanoes (which generate igneous rocks) are everywhere, as are fault zones. Nothing is predictable despite the various signs people encounter. If Old Faithful were any sign...we can't predict when the Yellowstone caldera will erupt, but one day, untold destruction in North America will result and affect the entire world. It is the largest super volcano in the world, and an explosive eruption, yes, will happen, & will change everything. It last erupted 1-2 million years ago. Who knows when it's due?
Geologic time is very, very long, and the odds of being caught in an eruption are more miniscule than getting Norwalk virus on a cruise ship when you wash hands regularly and sanitize. Would I walk around Whakatane, Yellowstone, Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, Kilauea, Krakatoa, Pinatubo, Montserrat or any other active volcano with steam coming out? Yep. If it goes, it will be quick. May those who perished in NZ rest in peace.

This is literally monday morning quarterbacking what happened. To suggest anyone knew yesterday, or the week before or whenever that the volcano was going to blow today or that the hundreds of tours that took place there in the days, months and years prior were unsafe is silly.

They sell excursions because people want to experience it.  
The tour operator is a local company that does these tours everyday even when cruise ships aren't present.  They are very popular.  The tour operator lost employees. They didn't know this was going to happen. Hindsight is 20-20.
Until last summer the federal government had a visitors center and operated a National Park on the rim of a volcano on the big island of Hawaii.  It's been closed since the 2018 eruption.  Why would the U.S. government run a park open to the public on the edge of an active volcano?   

https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/white-island-volcano-eruption-plumes-of-smoke-reports-of-injuries-in-bay-of-plenty/news-story/5cb1553515e0da994d4ad3587df99ff8
An evolving situation, it appears cruisers from Ovation may be caught up in a volcanic eruption at New Zealand's White Island, near the Port of Tauranga.

Everything I write here is from my perspective and may not match someone else's opinion. I want to use this time to say that English is not my primary language. This text is a product of nine years in the Swedish elementary school system in the seventies and the eighties. And we all know the seventies were the seventies. You might find some writing and grammar oversights. 
If the number of posts is dropping during the week, we likely have a lot of fun. I'll try to keep adding more and respond to all the questions you may hold. 
You lovely bunch, have likely already seen countless hours of footage from Oasis and hundreds of photos. So please excuse me if you view another picture of sliced roast beef in a kummelweck roll for the 356th time.
I love arranging the holidays as much as I like traveling on them. I am using lots of tools to help stay prepared. My preferred weapon for this is tripit.com. I also keep a binder to keep all documents and a few bits and parts together. I am sure there is a proper diagnosis for my behavior.
So who are we?
My name is Mikael, and I write this.
With me on the trip is as always, my lovely wife for the last 26 years Kerstin. I work as a field service engineer, and my wife is a registered nurse.
We live in a middle-sized area about 21 km northwest of Stockholm, Sweden.
 History and booking:
After our first cruise, on NCL Getaway in 2016. We fell in love with the cruising holiday product. After this, we have been on MSC Divina and Royal Caribbeans Oasis of the seas for a back to back cruise.
We want to cruise more, but the prices for the trans-Atlantic flights and the pre-cruise hotels are draining a hole in our vacation budget.
When we investigated the possibilities to get to the cruise, we had so many choices ranging from direct routes to flights with layovers. The layover flights usually are the more inexpensive alternative. 
After careful searching for a lengthy time, we noticed a ticket sold by Virgin Atlantic with a layover in London Heathrow. For this ticket, we paid almost four hundred USD return. That covered checked bags, and we made this our choice.
We are flying coach class, so we can afford to travel more. Its an uncomplicated equation for us. A few hours of cramped travel equals one more holiday week a year — an absolute win-win for us.
 
Pre-cruise travel Itinerary:
December 6th
Radisson Blu Airport Terminal 
December 7th
07:15 CET - 09:35 GMT ARN - LHR
https://www.flightview.com/flight-tracker/SK/525?date=20191207&depapt=ARN
10:15 GMT -12:05 Club aspire lounge 
12:55 GMT - 18:05 EST LHR - MIA
https://www.flightview.com/flight-tracker/VS/5?date=20191207&depapt=LHR
EDT 19:25 pick up the rental car at Alamo.
EDT 19:45 Arrive at the Holiday Inn Express Miami Airport Doral Area
EDT 20:00 Papa Johns on order 
EDT 21:05 Lights Out.
December 8th
EDT 07:10 Hotel Breakfast.
EDT 08:00 Last Minute Shopping at Walmart and Walgreens.
EDT 11:00 Return the rental at the airport.
EDT 11:15 Board the Almo courtesy bus from the airport to the port. 
EDT 13:00 Raid the buffet and get that bar tab going.
 
With this part completed, let's go forward with our semi-live travel report.
 Although we live so nearby to the airport, we decided to go a day earlier and check-in at the Radisson BLU Arlanda Terminal hotel. I reserved this with points that I have gained during many of my work trips. We had to add breakfast, which is an extra cost at this hotel. The price is about 160 Sek or $ 16 per person. This arrangement is rare for a hotel in Sweden. It may sound like an overprice to pay for a simple breakfast, but this is more like the breakfast in the windjammer than a typical American hotel breakfast.
 
At 7:00 pm, there are only two real possibilities to get to our flight. The first obvious choice is a taxi for about 60 dollars. The second choice is to drive. There is no problem to find a parking space at Arlanda. Pick from outdoor to heated indoor parking. You have to let the wallet decide what right for you. As winter is officially here in Sweden, the choice fell to a covered parking space near the terminal. This cost almost 90 USD for the ten days we are gone. Indoor parking may not be the most affordable option. Still, it sure beats an open-air parking space with the risk for iced windows and a few inches of snow surrounding the car when we return.
 
The drive to the airport was smooth even in the light rain, and we arrived after about 35 minutes.
We drove on a more or less an empty highway to the airport. We pulled up to the indoor parking space and headed up the ramp to the 3rd floor. That gives us direct access to terminal 2. Our first stop today is the Radisson hotel at SkyCity. All terminals on Arlanda airport connects with indoor walkways, and it is a comfortable walk for about 15 minutes. After the check-in at the front desk, we went up to our room. Our room is on the first floor, and we checked out the amenities and bed. After the compulsory bed check, I headed down to the self-service kiosks to get my luggage tags and boarding cards. So we can use the self bag drop at the star alliance area. Time well spent that will give us a few extra minutes to enjoy that pricy breakfast at the hotel.
Now its time for the room tour. This hotel room is not large more on the small size, but it is adequate for a night's sleep.
The room is clean and decorated in a trendy Scandinavian style. The bathroom is bright and tiled from floor to ceiling. Here we will most likely sleep well in the bed that is not in the bathroom. 
We headed down to SkyCity to get something to eat. The choice fell on the restaurant "on my way." And what does a swede eat at the airport, Swedish meatballs of course. That plate of restaurant meatballs with lingonberry and sweet pickled cucumber and the velvet-smooth cream sauce are as good as it gets. After that dinner, we went back to the hotel room to shower and wind down before the early wake-up call.
 
More to follow in tomorrow
 
 

Yes, that is true. This sailing was FILLED with deviant gamblers ! Oh wait....I’m talking about myself !
Don't tell anyone, but I am secretly glad that the casino is closed. Now I can spend ONE quiet night outside of that loud, obnoxious smoke-filled den of iniquity.
????