DJsMrs

Can't wait !!

CocoCay dock is designed to handle two ships. That doesn't mean two Oasis Class ships, and it doesn't mean there will be two ships there every day.
After seeing CocoCay in its current state with "just" the beach and Oasis Lagoon pool, it handled the crowds extremely well. To the point there is ample seating all around. Now imagine when they add the water park, Beach Club and other offerings to further spread crowds out. I have zero concern about an additional ship in port from a crowd perspective.

When Oasis class was announced people forecast dire warnings.  "2 hours to get a drink",  "3 hour line to use the restroom",  "4 hour line for the MDR", etc.
Oasis class handles the numbers quite well and better than many other ships.
CocoCay was planned for two ships at the same time, including the biggest ships.  Yet people will forecast dire warnings.  "3 days in line at the BBQ" .
One thing Royal does quite well is traffic engineering and flow.  
Sure, there will be some people who will convince themselves it's a problem before setting foot on the island.  Having pre-determined that outcome they will find examples to prove their assertion.  That's simply human nature.  

Bring socks for your own skates... and ask your genie for ice time! A crowded rink full of rental skates and board huggers is... frustrating. 

35 long chilly days until we board Allure...  Needless to say the excitement is building.  We've been fighting colds in this house and while I'm not happy to be sick, I'm happy to be sick now and not a month from now.  Mind you, this has given me plenty of opportunity to do some pre-cruise-preparation shopping.   I've never been one for a door decoration - but have found one that will put a smile on some faces and will get people in the Christmassy mood too.  I've also been on the hunt for a coral friendly sunscreen.  I guess buying sunscreen in November in Vancouver isn't high on people's priority list so I've been saved by Amazon. Turns out Sun Bum original 50+SPF spray is coral friendly - so it's on its way.   Additionally, the thought of drinking a cold slushy drink through a paper straw is gag-worthy so we have invested in some reusable straws (with the hopes that the consumption of said slushy drink doesn't result in the straw being lost or forgotten).   I've also got my luggage tags printed and loaded in our tag holders, which were the best buy ever.   
Scored some good rash guards for the kids too - and I have to say these shirts are a life saver for sun safety, but man alive it is hard to find a good one that fits.  My eldest son is long and lean - so he needs about a size 8 for width and a size 12 for length.  I learned this on our last cruise when the shirt I bought him was a smidge short and after spending the better part of a day in the sun and snorkeling at Labadee he ended up with a band of sunburn about 4" wide on his lower back where the sun shirt had ridden up.  And because he had a sun shirt on we didn't even apply sunscreen to him where his shirt should have been.  Luckily it wasn't too bad and a bit of aloe gel soothed it - but we will not be repeating this error.  
On our last cruise in July on Anthem it was HOT.  So hot.  Almost too hot - and I love some heat.  But my in-laws had these portable fans in their bag and although I've made fun of people for using these fans in the past (because I like it melting hot), I have caved and bought one.  Such an awesome little treat on a sweaty day and they are rechargeable with a usb cable, so won't eat up a tonne of batteries while we travel.  Kids will get a kick out of it too.  I know we're travelling in December, but we were in St. Maarten last December and it was an absolute cooker on the beach.  
I'll also be bringing little battery-operated tea lights for the room and balcony in the evening.  It's nice for the kids to have a night light and I love having a bit of ambient light on the balcony when it's dark out.  
And last but not least - disinfecting wipes for the airplane seat and tray table.  I follow passengershaming and the stuff that I cannot unsee on that twitter feed is gag worthy and I will be disinfecting our surroundings on the aircraft.  Also - they're individually packaged, so can be handy for wiping mucky hands when lunching on the beach!
I'm about ready to start packing the fun bag with all the toys, travel games, snorkel gear, and various cruise accouterments ...  just waiting for our genie email.
 

Staples has magnetic hooks and clips
 
https://www.staples.ca/search?q=magnetic+hooks
 
https://www.staples.ca/products/392735-en-staples-1-34-square-magnetic-clips-nickel-3pack
 
We use the clips as you can use it as a  hook too ?

I am SO glad you mentioned this.  As soon as I read your post I went on Amazon and ordered some  non-bio-degradable good ol' fashioned run-of-the-mill, old timey clear plastic straws.  No Johnny Rockets malts with gag-worthy (where have I heard that ??) paper straws for ME on this trip !

35 long chilly days until we board Allure...  Needless to say the excitement is building.  We've been fighting colds in this house and while I'm not happy to be sick, I'm happy to be sick now and not a month from now.  Mind you, this has given me plenty of opportunity to do some pre-cruise-preparation shopping.   I've never been one for a door decoration - but have found one that will put a smile on some faces and will get people in the Christmassy mood too.  I've also been on the hunt for a coral friendly sunscreen.  I guess buying sunscreen in November in Vancouver isn't high on people's priority list so I've been saved by Amazon. Turns out Sun Bum original 50+SPF spray is coral friendly - so it's on its way.   Additionally, the thought of drinking a cold slushy drink through a paper straw is gag-worthy so we have invested in some reusable straws (with the hopes that the consumption of said slushy drink doesn't result in the straw being lost or forgotten).   I've also got my luggage tags printed and loaded in our tag holders, which were the best buy ever.   
Scored some good rash guards for the kids too - and I have to say these shirts are a life saver for sun safety, but man alive it is hard to find a good one that fits.  My eldest son is long and lean - so he needs about a size 8 for width and a size 12 for length.  I learned this on our last cruise when the shirt I bought him was a smidge short and after spending the better part of a day in the sun and snorkeling at Labadee he ended up with a band of sunburn about 4" wide on his lower back where the sun shirt had ridden up.  And because he had a sun shirt on we didn't even apply sunscreen to him where his shirt should have been.  Luckily it wasn't too bad and a bit of aloe gel soothed it - but we will not be repeating this error.  
On our last cruise in July on Anthem it was HOT.  So hot.  Almost too hot - and I love some heat.  But my in-laws had these portable fans in their bag and although I've made fun of people for using these fans in the past (because I like it melting hot), I have caved and bought one.  Such an awesome little treat on a sweaty day and they are rechargeable with a usb cable, so won't eat up a tonne of batteries while we travel.  Kids will get a kick out of it too.  I know we're travelling in December, but we were in St. Maarten last December and it was an absolute cooker on the beach.  
I'll also be bringing little battery-operated tea lights for the room and balcony in the evening.  It's nice for the kids to have a night light and I love having a bit of ambient light on the balcony when it's dark out.  
And last but not least - disinfecting wipes for the airplane seat and tray table.  I follow passengershaming and the stuff that I cannot unsee on that twitter feed is gag worthy and I will be disinfecting our surroundings on the aircraft.  Also - they're individually packaged, so can be handy for wiping mucky hands when lunching on the beach!
I'm about ready to start packing the fun bag with all the toys, travel games, snorkel gear, and various cruise accouterments ...  just waiting for our genie email.
 

🎶 Panama! 🎶 
I can't get that song out of my head.  You know, the song by Van Halen? Even though it has nothing to do with the Panama Canal.  
I thought about titling this "The cruise that almost wasn't".  Let me explain.  
My plan was to fly in the day before and stay on the Queen Mary.  I was almost as excited about the Queen Mary (now a hotel in Long Beach, CA) as I was about the Panama Canal.  Good ole mother nature had a surprise for me.
Snow! Lots of it.

At 5am I opened Lyft and Uber to compare prices and... no cars available.  Rut Roh.  Let's try again.  Nope.  Hmmm.  A little bit of panic was starting to set it.  A 3rd time.  Ding!  A car is on the way.  I went out to my usual pick up spot in the falling snow.  I wasn't going to let the driver get cold feet and bolt.  By the time he arrived I had an inch of snow on my suitcase. 
It had snowed the day before but this is Denver so no shocker.  However at this early hour the snow on top of the black ice from yesterday's melt made for very treacherous driving conditions.  Cars were in ditches, accidents were seen all over.  It was early in the season so people new to snow were learning the hard way how not to drive in the snow.
It took almost 75 minutes for the normal 30 minute ride to the airport.  My driver kept asking "Do you want to go back?.  No flights leaving today".  Then a text from Southwest - "SWA Flight 750 is cancelled".  Odd, the inbound flight was on time, my plane was landing in Denver but the ongoing leg to California was cancelled.  
I wasn't about to miss my cruise, onward to the airport, even if I had to sleep there tonight I was determined to make it out of Denver on the first flight that I could.  
Southwest wanted to rebook me on the next flight out scheduled at noon that was delayed until 5pm.   By this time I was at the airport.  Delta had a 9:15am flight to Salt Lake.  I stopped by the Delta ticket counter and asked if the 9:15am was actually going.  Yep.  Book it.  On the spot I booked a one way to Long Beach on Delta.  I've played this game with Southwest before and they tend to eventually cancel everything so I put my faith in Delta and for $500 I was on my way.  Or so I thought.

At the gate I discovered our flight and cabin crew were missing.  They had overnighted in local hotels but they were stuck in the now worse traffic and accidents heading to the airport.  We were delayed.  Eventually they made it and we boarded.  With 3 inches of snow on the plane we had to de-ice.  Another delay.  Finally we took off 75 minutes late.  Late enough that I would miss my connection in Salt Lake.  So much for getting into Long Beach in the afternoon.  I was rebooked on a 5pm flight from Salt Lake to Long Beach.   Salt Lake also had light snowfall.  I heard the pilots talking as the plane boarded in Salt Lake - "We're de-icing".  Another delay.  
After a 14 hour travel day I made it to the Queen Mary in California.  Phew.  

35 long chilly days until we board Allure...  Needless to say the excitement is building.  We've been fighting colds in this house and while I'm not happy to be sick, I'm happy to be sick now and not a month from now.  Mind you, this has given me plenty of opportunity to do some pre-cruise-preparation shopping.   I've never been one for a door decoration - but have found one that will put a smile on some faces and will get people in the Christmassy mood too.  I've also been on the hunt for a coral friendly sunscreen.  I guess buying sunscreen in November in Vancouver isn't high on people's priority list so I've been saved by Amazon. Turns out Sun Bum original 50+SPF spray is coral friendly - so it's on its way.   Additionally, the thought of drinking a cold slushy drink through a paper straw is gag-worthy so we have invested in some reusable straws (with the hopes that the consumption of said slushy drink doesn't result in the straw being lost or forgotten).   I've also got my luggage tags printed and loaded in our tag holders, which were the best buy ever.   
Scored some good rash guards for the kids too - and I have to say these shirts are a life saver for sun safety, but man alive it is hard to find a good one that fits.  My eldest son is long and lean - so he needs about a size 8 for width and a size 12 for length.  I learned this on our last cruise when the shirt I bought him was a smidge short and after spending the better part of a day in the sun and snorkeling at Labadee he ended up with a band of sunburn about 4" wide on his lower back where the sun shirt had ridden up.  And because he had a sun shirt on we didn't even apply sunscreen to him where his shirt should have been.  Luckily it wasn't too bad and a bit of aloe gel soothed it - but we will not be repeating this error.  
On our last cruise in July on Anthem it was HOT.  So hot.  Almost too hot - and I love some heat.  But my in-laws had these portable fans in their bag and although I've made fun of people for using these fans in the past (because I like it melting hot), I have caved and bought one.  Such an awesome little treat on a sweaty day and they are rechargeable with a usb cable, so won't eat up a tonne of batteries while we travel.  Kids will get a kick out of it too.  I know we're travelling in December, but we were in St. Maarten last December and it was an absolute cooker on the beach.  
I'll also be bringing little battery-operated tea lights for the room and balcony in the evening.  It's nice for the kids to have a night light and I love having a bit of ambient light on the balcony when it's dark out.  
And last but not least - disinfecting wipes for the airplane seat and tray table.  I follow passengershaming and the stuff that I cannot unsee on that twitter feed is gag worthy and I will be disinfecting our surroundings on the aircraft.  Also - they're individually packaged, so can be handy for wiping mucky hands when lunching on the beach!
I'm about ready to start packing the fun bag with all the toys, travel games, snorkel gear, and various cruise accouterments ...  just waiting for our genie email.
 

Just overheard a conversation about the waterpark. Tomorrow they'll be testing out a reservation system for just the Daredevil's Peak slide.
This is being done to hopefully alleviate the complaints of long waits once ascending the tower.

We will be on the same cruise. Lots of firsts for me: first cruise, first time in Florida, first time in Caribbean. Only a JS for us, that was plenty of money for our family. Looking forward to it already, although my wife claims I have already experienced the cruise by spending so much time here and viewing so many videos in advance.

We decided to make the switch!  Reading the star class blogs helped us to decide that the amenities would be worth it. We also saved over $1k off cruise fare, not including tips, dining and drink package savings!   Going to use it for a cabana on cocoa beach.   My kids (sorry, no matter how old they’ll always be that to me) said they’ll deal with loss of personal space since everything else will be first class.  
Now we just have to wait til 5/10/20 to get here!
 
 
 
 

So @Royalnewbie96, How was your first cruise? How was the Star Class experience?

I'm glad to see the deal to sell Oasis fell through and these cruises are back on. 
???

Well...... It’s Finally Here..... It’s cruise day!  The plan is to be at the port by 11-11:15am.  Hopefully that works out. Couple things to do before then,  but it’s almost time for the adventure to start

We had very bad luck with this both times on Harmony.  It seems that both times our drivers got into the wrong lane that would not permit them to go all the way up to the Star Class banner....so twice we schlepped our bags all the way from the corner up to the SC area....all the while, baggage handlers trying to get us to drop off our bags.
I agree with dodgestang though...if you CAN get the driver to go all the way up, it's much better.  Just remember to keep your bags with you EVEN if someone at a Star Class area tells you that they are Star Class baggage handlers.  DON'T DO IT !  There will be a Star Class greeter who will pre-check you in....and he/she will tell you what to do with your bags.  If you have pre-arranged with the Genie to take your bags through security and onto the ship with you (which we insist on doing) then don't give your bags to ANYone until after you have talked directly with your Genie. After that, it's all auto-pilot.  You will not have to think about anything else after that !
Our most interesting SC embarkation was our very first one, with Reyno.  Once we got on board he took us back behind Guest Services, through back hallways, through hidden doors...and it was almost impossible to keep up with him b/c he walks at a forced march pace.  He's a trip !  The ones since that one have been fairly boring...but easy.

So, here we are 3 days from the cruise, and I now have the wonderful task of trying to pack ??.  Probably one of my least favorite things to do, a strong second to unpacking.  But I have suitcase number 1 completed, and then I checked my email....and who is it.... Sunil.  He has magically appeared lol.  
 
He addressed all the prior emails, and provided me with the schedule for dining etc.  Couple notes, 1- found out they will not confirm the various events and parties for the 50th Birthday until the day before embarkation (bummer), and then 2- Wish not granted (I asked for either Smart Water or Essentia instead of Evian). However Voss was offered, but I’m personally not a fan other than Sparkling Voss.  But, Not really a disappointment for me, just asked to see if it could be done.  But I live in Miami, so I can just bring it with me, so that’s an easy fix.
Im still a little anxious to see how this “at the port experience” goes, as I’m used to handing the bags off from the car, now I have to make to conscious effort to keep everything. But for now, starting to feel a little excitement, (like a little kid) “it’s almost here”.  
 
My intent is to try and add details of what happens and photos along the way, of the experience, the room, etc.      For sure, as a first time (Definitely not the last time) star class cruiser, this will be quite interesting 

If it were me, I would take the ATS for the star class benefits and deal with the tight quarters for a week. 
The ATS suites get smaller as you move up the decks.  The bedrooms are the same size but it's the living area and balcony that gets smaller.  Deck 8 is the largest.  The ATS suites lack the WOW factor of the loft (which you currently have) but the Star class benefits far outweigh the WOW of the loft, IMO.
All that being said, each family has different dynamics.  It is most definitely a tighter squeeze in the ATS, but 5 is not a bad number either.  I know quite a few people who have put more than that into the ATS. 
Like others have mentioned above, decide as a family what matters more, the separation from each other, or the benefits.  And, like @twangster has mentioned, it's one week.  It might make for some pretty awesome memories if anything.  And maybe just ignore my two cents altogether because we're squeezing 14 into the Villa suite! ?

Happy sailing to all our November cruisers!
November 2019
1 - SouthernYankee (Navigator)
2 - BrianB (Anthem)
2 - BigBrust (Anthem)
3 - Kerry (Harmony)
3 - AwwChuckIt (Brilliance)
4 - SouthernYankee (Navigator)
9 - SouthernYankee (Symphony)
9 - scanman18 (Anthem)
10 - mattymay (Ovation)
15 - lovecruising!!! (Navigator)
15 - PG Cruiser (Empress)
16 - SouthernYankee (Symphony)
16 - GatorCruiser (Symphony)
16 - Phillo (Voyager)
17 - monctonguy (Harmony)
17 - JennyB (Harmony)
17 - Rose City Cruiser (Allure)
23 - Larry Muster (Symphony of the Seas)
23 - Spiralqueen (Grandeur)
23 -  mikebarr (Jewel)
23 - 2Beeze (Adventure)
23 - WesKinetic (Adventure)
24 - AshleyDillo (Oasis)
24 - RWDW1204 (Oasis)
24 - Nana Pat (Allure)
25 - dochedges (Independence)
25 - WAAAYTOOO (Brilliance)
25 - CowboyMedic (Enchantment)
29 - Rob&Ana (Explorer

Another vote for Columbus Cove. There are plenty of loungers under the palm trees available, especially if you get there early. The water is much calmer than the other side where the beach beds are. Keep an eye open for the Beach Bungalows there too. We had one last year in June that we picked up on sale for $250 - best money we spent. There are only 8 available, so they can book up quickly. 

@twangster  we are flying WestJet and have done it multiple times.   Unfortunately the airport in Bellingham, which is about the same distance as YVR, only does connecting flights through Seattle - and is prone to weather delays in the winter so we avoid it.   And driving to SeaTac is a 3 hour journey and after having done it a few times that drive home after a travel day is a gong show.   Our bags will be checked through, so we don’t have to collect them at Pearson, and because we are in plus we get priority boarding.   Our Nexus will help too.   Also - WestJet usually has us go through a back hallway to clear customs in Toronto and it’s been pretty seamless.  Previously when we’ve flown through Toronto it’s taken about 10 -20 minutes from gate to gate.   
 
I will not stress.   I will not stress.   ??

@twangster  we are flying WestJet and have done it multiple times.   Unfortunately the airport in Bellingham, which is about the same distance as YVR, only does connecting flights through Seattle - and is prone to weather delays in the winter so we avoid it.   And driving to SeaTac is a 3 hour journey and after having done it a few times that drive home after a travel day is a gong show.   Our bags will be checked through, so we don’t have to collect them at Pearson, and because we are in plus we get priority boarding.   Our Nexus will help too.   Also - WestJet usually has us go through a back hallway to clear customs in Toronto and it’s been pretty seamless.  Previously when we’ve flown through Toronto it’s taken about 10 -20 minutes from gate to gate.   
 
I will not stress.   I will not stress.   ??

I literally can't take it... 45 days out and I can barely wait to have our first Star Class experience.   I know, I know, 45 days - why blog now?  Why so early?   I have to vent some of this energy, and I've seen some other blogs start a smidge early which has assuaged my angst about jumping the gun!
I'm inspired by some great writers on this blog (fellow Canadians included!), so thank you for some great reviews providing inspiration.
A little about our crew.  Hailing from beautiful (albeit very wet lately) Vancouver, BC it'll be me (Alison), my DH and 2 boys (ages 9 and 11).  We've been on 7 cruises to date, most recently in a 2BR Grand Suite on a 9 night Anthem Bermuda/Caribbean out of NJ, a 1BR Grand suite on Oasis 7 night Eastern Caribbean, and a Boardwalk Balcony also on Oasis 7 night Eastern Caribbean.   We booked this cruise December 2018 wile on Oasis... but it wasn't in a star class - that came about 7 months later.   We are sailing with one of my best friends and her two boys (ages 6 and 12).  They've never been on a cruise and I cannot wait to "sea" and Oasis-class ship for the first time again through their eyes.  Plus they get star class on their first experience - it's doing to be a doozie!
We initially booked this cruise in a CLS last December when we were on Oasis for our family.  We then convinced our friends to come along and they booked an ocean view balcony about a month later.  We had a bit of trepidation about travelling with peeps who weren't in a suite as the suite lounge and CK are both a big part of our cruises when we're in a suite.  Afternoon reading and drinks in the suite lounge is a real treat for us and we love it.  Fast forward to July of 2019 and DH noticed a 2BR Aquatheatre suite is available on the website.  It was right after the itinerary change was announced (lost St. Kitts to San Juan - mega bummer) - so we inquired with our travel agent.  There was a definite price increase, but when weighed against all the Star benefits we decided to bite the bullet and we merged everyone into one room.   None of the kids know - and it's been the hardest secret to keep.  I have said to my boys a few times "wouldn't it be fun if we were all in the same room -  maybe we can have the other boys over for a sleepover one night...  too bad they're not on the same deck as us... etc."   I can't wait to board and all go to the same room - hopefully they're half as excited as I am.
We've also had angst about travelling Dec 8 rather than waiting for the Christmas school break.  Not because we are worried about them missing a week of school (I know - we're terrible parents!), but because both boys play hockey and my youngest son is the sole goalie on his team.  Ugh.  We obviously didn't know he'd be the lone "tender" on his team when we booked or we may not have, but c'est la vie.  Luckily I'm co-managing the team and will attempt to reschedule any games for before we go or after we get back.   My husband also plays on a senior men's team as their lone goaltender - so hopefully we can find backups or reschedule games for him too.  Having said that, I will be ready for a break come December, it's been a literal gong show this season managing three players and getting everyone to games, practices, and development sessions, and we're only a month in!
Feeling like I've let some energy go ...  will update as the nerves and excitement to build.