DJsMrs

Ending tonight with a bit of drama for @Ampurp85 and @asquared17 😉
This is a screenshot from our FB roll call group. 
 

Well a lot of things make it through airport scanners. I remember something that happened quite a few years ago when I traveled internationally extensively for work.
I had brought cake to the office and took a large carving knife in my briefcase to cut the cake as there were no utensils in the break room. A few days later I was due for a trip from Europe to Mexico and packed all paperwork and stuff in my briefcase which was one of those with leather on the sides and a large metal band around the middle. I had forgotten that the knife was still at the bottom of the case. BUT at no point during the trip did anyone notice it!
Also when I mentioned about how nice the security guys at the Allure were I really really mean it! I got to meet the top security boss and his deputies. All were the best people ever. Wish that I had took note of their names so I could have given them credit in my post-cruise review!

Our genie had to ask some people to move from our seats on Harmony one time - she was a gem  "you may sit anywhere in the theatre except in these two seats."   You can't argue with that... well, I guess you could, but they didn't after she repeated herself a few times and even pointed out several options for them.

Our genie had to ask some people to move from our seats on Harmony one time - she was a gem  "you may sit anywhere in the theatre except in these two seats."   You can't argue with that... well, I guess you could, but they didn't after she repeated herself a few times and even pointed out several options for them.

This is an ideal balcony breakfast!  Cupcakes in more ways than one 🤪
 
 

And lord help you if you have weapons...  knives, pepper spray, even ammo.
It's interesting because in Canada a DUI isn't a guaranteed criminal offense.   It's either an IRP (immediate roadside prohibition - which sucks, costs a boatload and the car is impounded for 90 days regardless of who owns it), or you can be charged under the Criminal Code.   Most first time offenders are not charged with a criminal offense.
I'm surprised they're so strict with people who have had one DWI in the US.   
 
This caught  my eye though:
 
Deemed rehabilitation
Deemed rehabilitation, under Canada’s immigration law, means that enough time has passed since you were convicted that your crime may no longer bar you from entering Canada.
You may be deemed rehabilitated depending on:
the crime,
if  enough time has passed since you finished serving the sentence for the crime and
if you have committed more than one crime.
In all cases, you may only be deemed rehabilitated if the crime committed outside Canada has a maximum prison term of less than 10 years if committed in Canada.

This is an ideal balcony breakfast!  Cupcakes in more ways than one 🤪
 
 

Our genie had to ask some people to move from our seats on Harmony one time - she was a gem  "you may sit anywhere in the theatre except in these two seats."   You can't argue with that... well, I guess you could, but they didn't after she repeated herself a few times and even pointed out several options for them.

I don't fear falling out. I fear not being able to get out

We always hang our hammock on ours...Even on our Alaska cruises.  Psycho loves taking naps out there.

okay friends, last post!
 
PROS:
the staff on symphony was among the best i have ever encountered. honestly the last time we had this great of an experience with the crew was on serenade in 2018, and that was mainly our MDR staff — whereas this was really every single crew member we encountered.
we’ve never had BAD crew members, but we understand that everyone is overworked and overtired in this industry. our expectations were appropriately low, and our empathy was high, for this reason. post-covid, the only other comparison we had was our last minute sailing on odyssey in december — that had its own issues, and while the staff was totally fine, they just weren’t the rockstars that were on symphony. legit EVERY SINGLE crew member — AMAZING. i know i keep mentioning it in this blog, but it bears repeating and OFTEN. we are looking to sail her again, just for this reason!!
the ship is still very shiny and new (rough seas and creaky cabin 11232 not withstanding 🙃) while oasis has my heart for both sentimental and practical reasons (being the only el loco fresh that serves breakfast, portside barbecue, etc), i am hard pressed not to name symphony as our new top contender.
vintages became our bar of choice and we would go every night to grab champagne with diamond vouchers. it’s nice to have a ritual and be recognized by the bartenders (who learn your favorites) while you’re aboard.
despite the bad weather in roatan, i felt our itinerary was balanced/great — when waiting in the boarding area at the airport for our return flight to newark, we heard a woman talking about how she had been on Norwegian (breakaway or bliss, i can’t remember) and they had to skip both costa maya — for weather (????) and also cozumel, because they were told the ports were full. i’ve never been more grateful that we arrived in time to make port in each stop.
our captain (captain angel) was really nice and funny! i loved the captain we had on odyssey (he always made a point to greet the guests AND crew, and we heard from our server in chops that he was very concerned and kept them all safe when on dead sailings during peak covid) but captain angel was very animated and jovial when on the PA. again, the staff aboard symphony was just really really wonderful, and i don’t think it’s any coincidence, given how nice captain angel was (at least from the interactions we had on the PA, anyway!)

CONS:
i would NEVER stay in our initial cabin ever again. and i would caution anyone looking to book 11232 on symphony as there was a cacophony of endless cabin creaks and movement (location undefined) all night long. while the external noise (neighbors, etc) was outside of our control, the endless cabin movement and noise kept us awake all night. there was simply no winning. by contrast, when we moved to our new cabin (10636), it was noticeably BLESSEDLY silent. no creaking or movement detected at all.
getting an elevator for self assist on disembarking was a fiasco. while we are not novices to the disembarkation experience, or the elevator shenanigans, we had a real time of it and eventually had to go UP to go down. we waited patiently around 7:05 for almost 20 minutes — with latecomers cutting in front of us left and right — before we finally went up from deck 10 to 17 and back down again, ultimately getting to deck 5 around 7:27am. (and even then, we had to block people from trying to cram in when we were clearly full/pushing the weight limits)
the lack of sleep for the first three days HIGHLY cut into our overall vacation and general well-being. i usually get up like clockwork around 6am or just before and get a few miles in on the walking track before kicking off the day. as you may have gathered from this novel length blog, my mind is a busy place 😅 and i usually count on that time to process and decompress. there was no way i could do that on this trip — i was just way too tired to function. and i missed that time immensely.
not sure if this is a real con, but i’ll add it into the list, anyway — we never ONCE departed on time. it was kind of insane; we were always at least a half hour or more behind — and it was totally wild to watch all the other ships in port leave before us (even the ones who had arrived after us). the only time we weren’t super late was our departure from PDCC, and i think that was only because the island itself was able to shut down ahead of time and force people to return to the ship on time.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS:
thought our trip started on a really low point with the death in my family, and the lack of sleep for the first few days, it had SUCH a drastic turning around for the better that it ultimately saved our vacation. i am grateful to the crew for working so tirelessly to help us, and their empathy, as it went a long way while i was already feeling pretty emotionally and mentally raw (between the family grief and lack of sleep). it would have been enough with all the concern they gave us, and honestly, i was so wiped from it all that i didn’t have it in me to think of requesting any kind of compensation for the first few nights — but on our last night, there was an envelope with a letter from guest services. they were giving us 10% of our total cruise fare towards a next cruise! given that this was the most we’d spent on a fare before, it will be a nice bit of credit to put towards our next sailing!! 🤩💚😍💚🥰
meeting @WAAAYTOOO and dan were definitely among the top highlights of our trip! we instantly felt like we were among family, and have adopted them 😄 as our extended family haha. it felt like we had somehow known them forever! they gave us a crash course in casino life (J and i have never stepped foot in one) and explained the ins and outs. it was always a happy time when they would find us during our uno-card playing times in the evening as the guitarist played in central park, outside of the park cafe and jamie’s. if we hadn’t gotten so caught up in talking, maybe we would have actually PLAYED a game or two of uno with them!! 😍🥰💚🤩
our old post-dinner ritual (pre-covid) was to sit at cafe promenade with a cup of tea and people watch. while that was fun, it was soooooo much nicer to be sitting outside with a beautiful breeze and live music. much more relaxing and calm.
they have changed the tuna fish recipe slightly in park cafe but i didn’t mind it (as it became one of my mainstays during the cruise). the first day, there was barely a thin layer on the thick focaccia bread, but every day thereafter, it was a great and tasty bite!! (though we do miss the bag of chips you could get to go with your sandwich in former days)
we never did make it for hairspray, which i was kind of bummed about, as i had wanted to see it. i think the night of our reservations was the night we’d switched cabins, and we were in NO condition to be going to a show as we nearly passed out from exhaustion — if we go on symphony again, i’d happily try to make reservations (and keep them!) next time. 💚

things i LOVED and would bring again in a heartbeat from amazon:
(no affiliate links here or anything, i'm just a grateful shopper who picked up some tips from fellow cruisers here on the boards and felt like sharing the love to any who would need it!)
liquid IV - would start my day off with a 16 oz water and one of these and they combated the heat, sodium and drinking without any real heavy lifting on my party. i would NEVER travel without these again. https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-I-V-Multiplier-Electrolyte-Supplement/dp/B07HCNM7KQ/ref=sr_1_6?crid=RMRQIL7S4UF5&keywords=liquid+iv&qid=1677002479&sprefix=liquid+iv%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-6 sand free towel - https://www.amazon.com/ECCOSOPHY-Microfiber-Beach-Towel-Lightweight/dp/B08DR26LB6/ref=sr_1_4?crid=25CK9E27FD7AX&keywords=eccosophy+towel&qid=1677002500&s=home-garden&sprefix=eccosophy+towel%2Cgarden%2C83&sr=1-4 acrylic magnetic cups - these were great to keep makeup brushes, pens, whatever in and they snapped right onto the wall. i didn’t think i’d like using these as much as i did, but will not go away without them.  https://www.amazon.com/Organizer-Whiteboard-Refrigerator-Classroom-Accessories/dp/B0BKGF1195/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=2+pack+magnetic+pencil+holder+acrylic&qid=1677002545&sr=8-5 air mattress - sleeping on this means i can pretty much sleep ANYWHERE now. it’s the perfect size for the mattress onboard and if you can ask your stateroom attendant to put it BENEATH the bedding, it will minimize the noise when you roll over, etc. also something else i won’t travel without.  https://www.amazon.com/POWERLIX-Powerlix-Sleeping-Pads/dp/B08H5J5QWJ?th=1 ice packs - hardly a new item, but these were lightweight and small enough to pack a punch but not overly weigh down your bag or things for the day. https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Flex-Instant-Cold-Packs/dp/B081S8QJLG/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2KRFZF17YMNQF&keywords=arctic+flex+packs&qid=1677002451&sprefix=arctic+flex+packs%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-10  
thank you all so much for being willing to read through my novel length observations and take the post-blog journey with me!! it has been so much fun to share and i hope it made you laugh at least once 😊
i didn't know if i could do it live and was afraid of starting a blog and having it fizzle out, so this was a great way for me to stretch my blog-legs and perhaps i will consider doing it again for our upcoming sailings! 💚

Could be argued the most important/fun meal of the day?   😆🤪

My three favorites are the drink I most recently finished, the one I am currently consuming, and the next one I will have.
I made it a point to not repeat ANY drinks over the course of my 20 nights of cruising last year (I know, what's wrong with me that I only had 20 nights?). I used my 80 Diamond vouchers and a dozen of my wife's to sample 92 different drinks (none of which were beer and only a few wines) over the course of the three cruises.

With my torso being whiter than sour cream, I usually go the rashguard route for my upper body, and Banana Boat Sport Mineral for my face, legs, and feet if I plan on being out long.  Pro-tip -- bring some Aloe Vera and keep it in your cooler on board just in case you miss a spot with your sunscreen, you will thank me later.

Agreed - it's a starting point - with reef safe, and as we know better we do better.   At least you're looking at it!   It can be overwhelming for sure - I don't think you need to worry about laws and penalties.   You'll know when you get there if it's a hard core law and you don't meet the requirements because I can promise you someone will be there to sell you a 25 dollar container of sunscreen that they say meets the rules.   Just do your best 🙂
Not sure someone saw the worst...  probably just a rushed post that came off wrong - hence the trouble with these forums sometimes.
Wow - it's a big convo about sunscreen hey?   But I was really happy to see the mineral spray offered by sun bum (and other companies too probably) and I'll be looking into that next time we need to buy more.   I typically buy in bulk when it's on sale so we're set for at least one more vacation.  lol
Have a great cruise!

Royal's policy for at least another few months is a refund.
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-what-is-your-refund-policy-and-costs-covered
If you are sailing on a cruise that departs on or before April 30, 2023,  you will receive:
100% cruise fare refund for you and your Travelling Party, if any of you test positive for COVID-19 within 10 days prior to the cruise or at the terminal. Coverage of all costs of COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard, if you test positive for COVID-19 during the cruise. 
 

I hear that my comments may have sounded judgey and I apologize for that. It wasn't my intent and I specifically didn't call out any particular sunscreen brand. But there are many people who really just want what is best for ME (I very much understand that you are not one of them) and don't care about the impact to others and or the environment. Some proudly, and some on this board. And some don't even believe that what we do as humans can impact the world negatively, as you also alluded to with the climate change argument. Some people really want to buy the minimum standard that is required rather than the total picture, or don't even want to do what is required if they aren't going to get in trouble. What I was hoping to do, and clearly did badly, was setting up the dichotomy between "are they going to check" and "what can I buy that is really safe for the environment". If someone comes to the thread and isn't aware that there is no regulation on labelling something "reef safe," now they can check ingredients. That is all. Again, apologies to you and OP for my unintended tone.

Sun Bum tends to meet all the sunscreen requirements of the Hawaii Act 104 (Reef Safe) ...  and it smells amazing.
Here's a link to some of their sunscreens - and I love they're in a bunch of different delivery methods.   Kids love the sprays, I'm all about a face stick/balm...  everyone is happy and hopefully avoiding skin cancer 🙂
 
Granted this not the only company that has reef--compliant sunscreens, I just like having all my options organised in one  place.  lol
https://www.sunbum.com/collections/hawaii-act-104-reef-compliant-sun-care

Sun Bum tends to meet all the sunscreen requirements of the Hawaii Act 104 (Reef Safe) ...  and it smells amazing.
Here's a link to some of their sunscreens - and I love they're in a bunch of different delivery methods.   Kids love the sprays, I'm all about a face stick/balm...  everyone is happy and hopefully avoiding skin cancer 🙂
 
Granted this not the only company that has reef--compliant sunscreens, I just like having all my options organised in one  place.  lol
https://www.sunbum.com/collections/hawaii-act-104-reef-compliant-sun-care

Turnaround Day
I had a couple of calls and a few things I needed to get done before calling it for work.  Hubby got coffee and breakfast in the WJ before it filled up with the entire ship trying to fit in breakfast before they had to get off.  He brought back coffee and a variety of good eats for me to enjoy before we had to go meet the other back-to-backers in the Star Lounge at 9am.
We hung out together until everyone had checked in and then waited for a couple of wheelchairs to arrive for those who needed assistance, then as a group we all walked off the ship, down the super long building to the immigration, got our lovely faces scanned and cleared, sat down for about 10 minutes waiting until we were able to get back on the ship, then all got back on the ship.  It was the simplest thing. 🥰
Once back on, we hung out at the R Bar for a while in very comfy chairs visiting with a couple we had met during the immigration process.  When it was time for lunch, the four of us went into the dining room for the turnaround lunch.  I was ready to eat my fingers off when we got in there, and it took them forever just to bring bread.  The other side of the dining room was for the Key, and they had all the servers.  We had 2 – it was super sad.  All the food came out cold and very late.  My hubby’s appetizer came out just before his meal after the other three of us had long eaten our appetizers and they had taken our plates away. We’re probably going to avoid that next time and just go get pizza or Windjammer. 🍕
After lunch we wandered around for a bit until the Diamond Lounge opened up and made our way to our “newly available to us” exclusive hideaway.  It was quiet in there and we stayed and played a game for a while we people-watched.  It was great.  We hung out until the Diamond happy hour began and nibbled and drank for a bit until it was time for the dining room.  Neither of us wanted to go put long pants on, so we went over to Playmakers and had a basket of wings and beer – in our comfy shorts.  I wouldn't say I've converted, but I drank it.  I mulled orange wedges and added that to my drink each time.  At the end our server commented that my beer looked like a fruit salad.  🤣
After wings we went over to the liquor store where they were holding a sipping event.  We hung out and got in line a few times to maximize our free sips, and enjoyed the different offerings.  Hoping they do that all week long!  😋
We wandered over to the Star Lounge and found some super comfy chairs and listened to some pretty good jazz while using our Diamond drink tickets (we each get 4 drinks a day as diamond members).  What a great thing!!
When the jazz took a turn into music that wasn’t as interesting to us we went up to the karaoke up in the Viking Crown lounge and heard a couple of amazing singers perform for the rest of us who all decided not to even try following them.  When it turned into just the teens singing because nobody else was signing up, we left.
We found ourselves at the Schooner Bar because we heard someone doing Elton John.  As it turns out, Andy Elton – the impersonator from Anthem that I had seen at the Zen Coloring – was asked at the last minute to fill in for the pianist who was supposed to be performing.  It was standing room only when we got there, and we stood on the outskirts of the crowd to listen to him – he’s that good.  That was a total treat and a fantastic end to our very long day.

 
Final Thoughts for Cruise #1
Inside Cabin:
In order to make this room work, we had to have the beds apart.  Otherwise you literally have to climb over the end of the bed to get to one side. The bathroom isn’t as large in the inside cabin as in any other room.  The shower is the same – way too small! The storage in the room is ample with the help of a hanging closet organizer, a hanging shoe organizer, and multiple foldable drawer organizers (from IKEA), that hold all of our little things. Virtual Balcony:
It is a true live visual off the bow of the ship but the video is not super clear so it’s kind of hazy.  Hubby says it’s 720p at best. When we wanted to see if it was sunny out, it was hard to tell – it was light out but couldn’t quite tell if it was sunny.  When we went outside, it was very sunny.  Hair Dryer:
When using the hair dryer that comes with the room, I quickly wished I had brought my own from home.  It is fine for drying my hair – it might take longer than normal, but it’s fine.  However, in order to make it work, you have to hold down a button the entire time.  I have carpal tunnel in both wrists and have already had surgery on them once.  It was quite uncomfortable for me to hold the button down while using the hair dryer.  I know…first world problems. Ship Overall:
On turnaround day, there was an overwhelming sewage smell in our hallway.  I don’t recall smelling that on Anthem, Allure, or Oasis.  I don’t know if this is from the size or age of the ship in comparison, but it makes me not want to get on a smaller/older ship again.  I kept spraying our orange air freshener in the hallway to try to help - it didn't really help.  🤢 The ship isn’t in bad shape, but it is definitely showing her age.  The shell décor in the bathroom gives away that it was built in 2002. At least they don’t have geese décor anywhere!  It is nice not having to walk an eternity from one end of the ship to the other.  I find it refreshing that walking from one elevator bank to another doesn’t take us 10 minutes. The suite sun deck isn’t clearly marked and/or restricted.  It’s not super clear where it begins/ends, so I imagine it’s invaded by others regularly.  The sun deck on deck 13 is awesome!  It’s truly set up for hardcore sun-worshipers. The Schooner Bar is right outside of the casino and if you’re sensitive to smoke, you may not want to hang out there much as the smoke doesn’t stay in the casino. The mini-humans love the main pools and it becomes a splash-zone very quickly.  The pool in the Solarium was great for relaxing, but really needed to be bigger.  Oh!  The Solarium pool is painted dark blue and the blue rubs off on anything touching it!  When were in there the first time, a gal we were visiting with looked like a giant smurf!  It comes off easily, but if you’re wearing white or a light-colored suit, beware!   Food:
We’re just starting our second cruise and we’re looking at doing the dining package for our final cruise just because the limited menu in the dining room is not really doing it for us.  We’ll see – this could change. Would I sail Navigator again?  Jury is still out on this for me.  The sewage smell is really a turnoff for me and that is stuck in my head at the moment (I'm writing this on day 2 of our second cruise and the smell was just finally cleared from our hallway early this afternoon).  Right now, this is the only Royal ship on the west coast heading into warmer weather except for those from Vancouver to Hawaii once a year on their way to Australia.  Royal really needs bigger ships - or newer small ships on this side of the world.  Until that happens, I might opt for flying to Florida, Texas, or NJ for a larger class of ships that are newer.

What a whilrlwind!  I knew the four night would go too fast and the week home catching up and recuperating flew by even faster!  We had an amazing cruise overall and it was a great experience in our junior suite, I can see how the full level suite life becomes the way to go, especially on the newer and bigger classes.  I will say though, however, we absolutely loved Freedom and loved chatting with the staff, all around we heard the same story, a lot of crew with repeat contracts on Freedom and other Freedom/voyager class ships, many of them said the same things my wife and I would say about Oasis class - it's just a lot.  That can be a good thing, but there are just so many options, even on a full week long cruise, you might only make it to a venue once, even if you really like it you're out catching other shows and venues, seeing other places and never make it back to the spot you first liked!  It's a good problem to have, I suppose, but it was remarkable hearing many crew say the same thing, they really like the balance and size of Freedom.
 
Highlights from Day 3, our sea day, include the sushi making class in the morning and actually getting a pair of chairs on the top deck in the afternoon!  It's been posted elsewhere but Freedom of the Seas has bright pink seat covers throughout the ship that stand out on the blue lounge chairs asking folks not to save seats and behold and by golly, they actually work!  Great improvement from previous cruises, thank you Royal!
We started the day steaming at a brisk 30 knots according to our map channel in the stateroom and we could feel it on the balcony after previously doing 9-12 knots the first couple days.  It's one of the great things about these 3/4 day cruises to CC and Nassau, not far to go and generally smooth seas.  After coffee and fruit with a few pastries out on our balcony ordered from room service that we ordered every evening for the following morning, we took a walk out on the promenade with the Palm beach/FLL/Miami skyline out to our right, I had seen enough of that around the forums and news sites to guess that there had been a medical emergency and, sure enough, the captain made an announcement around 9AM that we had an ALPHA ALPHA ALPHA code type call in the previous night and the wind and other conditions were too strong for a helipad landing, we were close enough and would be taking a gentleman back to Miami but it would not affect our itinerary, never heard any other details.  We chatted with one of our favorite bartenders about it and he either played it cool or genuinely didn't know that we were going back at all until the captain made the announcement, which makes sense, they don't need to get everyone excited over something that won't affect us much after all, it was our sea day. I also did not realize that on many or even most medical emergencies that Miami Fire and Rescue comes out to meet the ship and we avoid having to steam all the way into port to dock etc etc.  



We watched the passenger exchange just in time to walk into Izumi on deck 4 at 10 for our class.  The sushi making class was full, the instructors were very patient and obviously very skilled, it was a really fun activity and a lot of food, plenty enough for our lunch and well worth the $30-ish per person we paid.  I would highly recommend it if you're a sushi fan.  If you're not a fan, then don't do it (we had a couple people absolutely over the top worried about various food allergies and tastes and preferences and to those people I would love to say, please just sit it out next time and let the rest of us enjoy instead of interrupting every 5 min.  We have some limited diets and those with conditions in our family, it's nobody's fault and it's unfortunate and they have a tough time certain places, but they also don't have to make it everybody's problem either).  Anyway, +1 on the class. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent up top as I said on some comfy loungers with a view of the Atlantic with the usual bellyflop competition and reggae band in the background, so great to feel a cruise at full staffing with full range of activities going on, truly felt just like many others pre-covid.  For dinner we returned to Izumi for the Hibachi and it was fine, the food was good although I should mention that we found during the sushi class that supply chain issues and seafood sourcing in general was very tough, not just for Royal but for the whole world right now, they used to have dozens of different sushi and seafood options and on this sailing had less than five.  In any case our meal was entertaining, we knew that going as just us two we would be paired with whatever spot they have open but we had fun with it, met another couple our age who had a very similar approach to cruising and hung out with them in the casino later that night, had a lot of laughs and some late night nachos at playmakers which were awesome!  Really impressed with the food there and just the whole venue overall.

 
Day 4 Nassau -
Our final day we did the Pearl Island Escape with Snorkel, overall we really enjoyed it and it's gorgeous, but cannot recommend it to everybody and I'll explain that a bit later.  The boat ride out was great after getting past all the usual herding cats that is necessary with any group tour and we rode our large water taxi out of the industrial always under construction and not very clean port of Nassau.  It's well documented plenty of other places that Nassau isn't the most glamorous destination, so we were looking forward to a little boat ride and something else outside of the busy town.  The ride to Pearl Island took about a half hour and it was a perfect, just perfect day, mostly clear with a few fluffy clouds and a high in the low 80's forecasted.  Exactly why we all take trips like this.


The island is larger than we expected, you never know from youtube videos and tripadvisor etc, some things you just have to see in person to understand and it was very beautiful spot, maybe 25 yards at the widest and maybe a hundred yards long?  The very northeast end of the island was closed off and still had work going on, it was unclear if it was repairing damage from a storm or building new spaces.  The island itself just had a lot of highs and lows, depending on your preferences and what you want or expect.  Having traveled the islands plenty before, we knew to keep our expectations low and go with the flow.
Service was very slow to nonexistent, the island is naturally gorgeous but the manmade elements are all quite aged or currently under construction, the boat you take out to the island is very full to capacity and very dated.....being out at the mercy of the wind and the water all this is certainly understandable, if you have a relaxed island attitude and are good with walking over rough surfaces and prepped for a little adventure etc then great, go enjoy, but if you aren't in great shape and don't want to be out in the sun all day, out in the water, if your group is on the older or younger ends of the spectrum, it might be a tough day.  Bar service was painfully slow, we had a lot more luck at the tiny bar at the end of the island where they just had a few liquors and beer on ice as opposed to waiting for every group of 5 at the bar who wanted 5 different blended frozen drinks, the food was very low end (paper plates, fried fish) but we were in for this, we didn't plan on eating much and had been eating too much for a few days straight!  It was nice to just chill and enjoy the view. 


There were two boats back and the first one to return to the port area was absolutely packed, I think that speaks enough to what those folks thought of the day but we loved it and were the last ones to board the later return water taxi.  We spent our honeymoon in a small Mayan coast fishing town, we knew the deal and had been around that vibe before and had no problem with it, we were there for the sun and the swimming but there seemed to be a lot of confused or upset customers who didn't really know what they were getting into.  Snorkeling was also kind of a disaster, they didn't have a good head count on equipment and were always going back to a supply shed for more gear, they made everyone wear a life jacket which is kind of cheesy in 10 feet of water, but I suppose after seeing the mix of people they have to work with I can understand where they're coming from.  Reef had some parrotfish, clown fish, small rocks and clumps of coral.  Not world class, but hey, better than an afternoon in my office with snow out the window!

The afternoon brought just a few grey clouds in the distance and while we never got any rain, we did get to see a nice sized waterspout across the small cut next to another little island.  Having visited family in Florida a lot over the years we had seen them before and weren't scared as some were, but certainly remained aware and in respect of nature - it's like a rainbow or a great sunrise, who doesn't appreciate something so beautiful and unique?!  Weather in the caribbean and bahamas is predictably unpredictable, on warm days the heat rises off the land, creates clouds that head over the water and little showers pop up and dissipate all afternoon.

Final night dinner we returned to Giovanni's Table, which for my vote was hands down the best restaurant on the ship.  Best vibe and decor, best menu with a bit of variety and freshness for every course, best wine list (although I do with Royal had more by the glass options for the deluxe bev holders) and just best experience we have had on a royal ship outside of maybe 150 central park a few years ago.  It was outstanding.  Back to the schooner bar and the casino and just like that, we were back in Miami.  
As our flight options weren't great I chose a 1:30 out of Miami instead of trying to push it with a 9 or 10am and be in a big rush.  We had our final breakfast in the main dining room, our first time in there and it was great.  I do feel a little bad almost for not eating there earlier, but as I said earlier this was a splurge and we won't always be doing the unlimited specialty dining.  It is so much food!  And just like the deluxe bev package, one does feel the need to keep squeezing every bit of benefit out of the package because it's paid for and there's so much to see and do and eat!  Definitely need to get back on the bike and hiking trails now that we're home but we truly enjoyed it and I am glad we tried it out.  In the future I will probably just go with one night at a specialty restaurant or look for a chops +1 type deal, I don't think we need that kind of indulgence every night.  
We loved Freedom and were absolutely reaffirmed with our choice as we booked this cruise largely out of our love for Navigator.  Freedom is a slightly larger and I think slightly better ship, mostly just because the slightly larger size gives her a few more venues and options.  We were so very relieved to see that our experience with staffing and activities etc etc on Symphony in March of 2022 was the exception and not the rule, Royal had things back to our expectations on this sailing and we loved it.  The newly built junior suites on deck 11 are amazing as well, when Freedom changes home ports to Fort Lauderdale and gets off the 3/4 night Nassau/Perfect day cycle we will absolutely be back on her again and look forward to booking one of those staterooms again.  For now, it's back to cutting wood and plowing snow.  Oh well.  Trips like this are why we work.  Top highlights have to be the Hilton Bentley on South Beach, Giovanni's Table, Playmakers, the Lime & Coconut and the PDCC Snack Shack!  Can't wait to be back, thanks for reading along.

Poor children always getting a bad rap. Newsflash to those complainers you encountered , it’s a family cruise line!! 

So my wife and I just got home from our 1st cruise, it was on Oasis of the Seas last week. Thought I'd share a few observations that might help other newbies.
First thanks to Matt for all the great videos and info, I can't tell you how much they helped!
 
So we have just reached that point in life where our kids are old enough to leave home alone and we don't have to plan vacations for them, but now for us. So we decided to cruise.  I'll just say, overall about the experience...wow. I've never had a more relaxing and fun vacation. The staff and amenities of the Oasis were just incredible.  They were eager to help, and went out of their way to answer any need we had.  There is so much to do on the ship, I don't think we even saw it all.  We had a great time, and we are already planning next years cruise. If you've never cruised before and are on the fence, I'd say jump in and give it a go! (A caveat to this - we enjoy relaxing and having a drink, sitting on the beach, etc - we don't need to go hiking, biking, be busy all the time, we are happy to sit, chat, and watch the world go by.  A cruise seems like the perfect place for this.)
 
Some standout stuff:
Portside BBQ - wow great bbq, such a surprise! Recommend the chicken wings or brisket, so tender!
Izumi sushi - we did both the hibachi and sushi sides, the hibachi was great, but the sushi dinner was a highlight!
CoCo Beach Club restaurant - one of the best meals we had, and easily the best steak (Chops was decent but this place killed it)
Globe and Atlas Pub - Our bar of choice, relaxing , great staff, and entertainment. Spent a lot of time here! (although for comfort - Schooner Bar had the most comfortable chairs heh)
 
Things that could improve:
The mattresses, uhg, not great.  We found out too late that you could get a mattress topper and they were all out.
The AC (in stateroom) is not quite cool enough, and hot water was not quite hot enough.  Not enough to be a real annoyance, but noticeable. (I understand that the ship has to make all its own power for these things so it is forgivable)  Our cabin steward was able to bring us a fan for the room which made sleeping just fine.
 
Other thoughts:
Unlimited Drink package...we were going to get it, then decided not too as the wife didn't think she would drink enough to make it worthwhile.  Boy were we wrong hah. Luckily we were able to upgrade to it a couple days in.  So if your teetering on the fence whether to get it or not, I'd have to say go for it.
Main dining room was great, never had a meal that we didn't really enjoy, and the staff was outstanding.  Windjammer buffet was average, about what you'd expect from a buffet.
Shore excursions - seemed so short, like there was never enough time.  We did splurge on a cabana at Labadee and it was sooo worth it, the privacy, comfort, and service were well worth the price of admission.  I was surprised by the number of people that just came up and sat down in our lounge chairs and stuff, wierd, then you have to feel like kinda a dick shooing them out, and of course they all got mad when we said anything.
Speaking of other people, wow people like to complain.  We had a hard time meeting others, seems all people want to talk about was the bad things...its too crowded...there's kids on board...I waited 7 minutes to be seated....etc etc.  All things that we hadn't noticed or didn't bother us at all. People need to learn to relax and enjoy.  (We did meet some nice people, it wasn't all bad hah)
 
Anyway, overall we had a great time and can't wait to get back! Our only question now is do we stick with what we now know will be good (RC) or try out some other cruise lines? Either way it will be fun to figure out!
 

You are in for the treat of a lifetime!!  Navigator has the BEST PUBLIC WASHROOM at sea.  Deck 11 aft elevators port side.  Do not pay any attention to any "passé" gender based signage ... you will be DIAMOND!!  If I remember correctly, Diamond members can use any public washroom regardless of gender.  Please check this out ahead of time with the Diamond Concierge (as I could be wrong)
😉
Have a blast ...
Curt from Canada