Ditchdoc

Well, if they will spend 80k for a week in the ultimate family suite, another 100k is not too big of a stretch.

I have a news feed I scan through daily. Every day there is some headline that sounds so dramatic but if you read the article, its pretty ho-hum. Take it for what it is. Its just click bait and what the internet has evolved into.

Ah ... the age old question ... can I drink a thousand dollars worth of booze in a week? Yeah ... maybe ... Or will you just be so hung over trying to get your monies worth the trip is not that much fun? The only way I would get my monies worth is if I focused on specialty drinks the entire cruise. This includes coffees, fresh squeezed juices, many bottles of water, bloody Mary for breakfast, drinks by the pool in the afternoon, wine or Scotch at dinner, a drink at the evening show and probably a night cap. Then I think, what could I put in my home bar for a thousand bucks? Many Diamond member's that already get 4 or 5 drinks a day, it is probably not going to be worth it. Nah .... maybe .... You gotta decide for yourself.

Nice clothes ... wear sparingly and rehang ... wear 2 or three times. Small clothes .... the laundry bag in your room ... pack it as full as you can get it with undies, Ts, shorts, socks ... free for D+ ... usually a 'special' at least once a week .... a full bag for a fixed amount ... maybe 20-25 bucks.

Well ... that is a boatload of questions. Will you get lost? Probably. Even though the ship is huge, its still a confined space and you can not go but so far in any direction. There are signs every where. There is an acrylic model of the ship on every level near the elevators that show where you are and where all the major venues on the ship are. I think everyone gets 'lost'. Most common is looking for your cabin. It can be easy to to go to the wrong side of the ship. On some decks, the hall or passageway runs the entire length of the ship with cabin doors on both sides. It is kind of a long walk from one end of the ship to the other, especially if you are looking for your room on the wrong side. However, again, there are signs in the 'foyer' of each deck with the room numbers much like any hotel. Rest assured that after a day or two, you will be pretty comfortable navigating the ship. When you first board, you will be amazed .... and clueless. Board as early as you can and use the 4 or 5 hours before the ship sets sail to familiarized yourself with where your cabin is, where the main dining room is, the pools and so on. Get a bite to eat and just wander around. You will figure out the basic layout and enjoy all the things offered from the auditorium to central park and everything in-between. Lines ... yes, sometimes there will be lines. Mostly at the elevator during busy times or major activities like dinner time or just before shows start and when they end. There are always stairs that are less used and help to burn off some of those deserts you will have. Be patient. Any crowded areas are usually short term and disperse pretty quickly. CoCo Cay ... its a large area with lots of nooks and crannies. The water park is an additional cost and I do not care for them that much. My view from out side is they are not very crowded. I would offer the same advise for most every big activity's, scope out the venue early in person or with a map so you know where you are going. Get there early, stake out your spot and enjoy. I think 'Hairspray' is the main theater show. I would definitely catch the Aqua show on the back of the ship as well as the ice skating show. It can vary but be aware some shows may require a reservation. Make them on line early if you can or make it part of your to do list when you first board. Is 7 days enough time .... well ... you can do a lot. With a bit of planning, you can pretty much do it all. Is it enough time? Very rarely do I leave the ship without wishing we were spending another week on board. Don't stress over anything. Enjoy. It will be and experience you will remember. Keep in mind that every crew member will help you with any questions along the way.

Basically ... your ticket to get on board ... your ticket to ride that contains your basic cruise info like ship, date and so on as well as a bar code that gets scanned when you are going through the boarding process. It is either mailed to you (old school), sent to you as an electronic document in e-mail that you can either print at home or display on your electronic device (phone) or via the RC app. Across the top of the document is printed "Set Sail Pass". At some point in the boarding process you receive a "Sea Pass" card (typically in a pocket beside your cabin door). This card is all you will need to get off and on the ship during the cruise, open your cabin door and It is often tied to a credit card and can be used to purchase anything on board during the cruise. So ... Set Sail Pass is your ticket to get onboard and the Sea Pass is your key to everything once you are onboard.

With dense packing accomplished with cubes, rolling undies etc....you can pack more in a single bag. Is it heavier? Well...yes. So the next step is a good quality roller bag you can pull behind you. Add A medium size carry on with sturdy shoulder strap you can carry or loop over the handle of the roller bag and you can manage one or even two weeks of travel stuff by yourself. Where this comes in really handy is when you disembark. You get to leave the ship first with no waiting. You can take all your bags With you and generally walk thought customs stateside straight to your transportation. If you had 3 or 4 bags, per person, this is generally not possible. It is a long process to put your bags outside the room, wait for your departure time, go to your assembly point, file off, find your bags in customs, get a porter or cart..... Being compact with good luggage choices has benefits. Cubes help.

Next question ... Any hid or found a duck yet on Icon

Think I found the answer after searching a bit. Here are two renderings, the exterior looking in the large port where you can see The Pearl inside, and The Pearl on the promenade where you can see the large port behind. As large as the "port" is, the lower portion may very well be doors onto the running track and the primary embark/debark to the vessel. It is just a very distinguishing feature on the exterior of the ship and I was just trying to figure out its place in the overall scheme.

Looking a photos of IoS exterior, on the port side is a large rectangular "port" midships starting on about deck 5 and extend up past decks 6, 7 and 8 it appears. On the starboard side is is similar "port' but perhaps only 2 decks high. Port side I think it aligns with 'The Pearl' and I am assuming these are ocean views from the promenade but I am not sure. In some night time photos, this same rectangle appears to be lighted. Anyone want comment.

Use em. They are flexible in so many ways. Organize your stuff any way that makes sense to you. Clothing type, by day, by activity, by snacks, by toiletries, by individual. They come in any size, multiple colors for further sorting. I like to think ahead how I will probably store my stuff in the cabin. Grab a cube, drop it in a drawer, put it on a shelf, done. I use one color, spouse uses another. Separate one night pre cruise bag, no problem. Separate bag for small electronics like phones, ear buds, USB cables, night light, charger....no problem. If you like to be organized, its a no brainer.

Its been interesting watching Icons development and arrival in the US for service. I am somewhat envious of those cruising on her soon and will continue to follow theIr cruising experience. For a long list of reasons, we will not cruise on Icon until November after Thanksgiving. I look forward to a more settled environment and holiday decorations.

Solarium during sea days. Usually aft corner looking at the ocean.

I like it !!!!

Well...for first time cruisers....it is probably fun and exciting. After you have sat thru it several dozen times..... Not so much.

Jimmy Buffet....nuff said.

Simple things ... bring your wine and cork screw with you. Open the bottle in your room and pour. Carry your glass to dinner if you like. The only down side is when your glass is empty.

Early for sure. Depending on your likes, you carry on can have a swimsuit and you can hit the pool deck. If it is a new ship or you are new to cruising, you can spend time wandering around, getting to know your new enviornment. There are things like the cruise app to familiarize yourself with, lunch, making reservations for shows, dinners and so on. Around 1 or 2 the rooms will open and with luck, your bags will be there so you can begin to unpack. Then there is the set sail party and dinner. Point is, there are lots of things to keep you busy when you first board so board early and have fun.

It is a great cruise either way. Should be moderate weather in October. Locking through is pretty exciting and most of the day will be spent traversing Lake Gatun. Puntarenas and Cabo were my favorite ports. You can spend all day just walking the waterfront in Cabo and if you are adventurous, there is an active volcano you can hike in Costa Rica. Due to the long trip, we had the opportunity to meet some really nice people on the cruise and would spend time with them playing trivia, having pre dinner cocktails and so on. A smaller ship, good companionship ... it all hearkened back earlier days of cruising without all the noise and blare of the current mega ships. My only disappointment was seeing the ship depart after the cruise. I wish I had done a B2B. That would have been over a month on board.

No doubt there are all kinds of pet peeves .... Kids handling various food items in the buffet line without putting it on their plate. People trying to get on the elevator before letting anyone off. Littering, anywhere, including onboard a ship. The list is long and the patience short.

Some interesting shots. Some of the sight lines seem to be a jumble brightly painted metal.

I am not sure about a ginger bread house making activity but some ships will have a gingerbread house TOWN set up at the entrance to Windjammer.

Last one Skagway for for the White Pass Railroad Icy Point Straight for the many whales in the area Hubbard Glacier .... well ... for the Glacier These are all standouts that you will remember and talk about for years to come.

Lots of guests dress for the season. The main atrium will have a tree often seasonal music is played. Many guest decorate their cabin door. Some more elaborate than others.

I know its an on going debate of 'is it worth it' but even the lower price, it is over a thousand dollars for a week long cruise for two. I just can not justify it. Especially when I think about what a thousand bucks could stock in my home bar. Then there is Diamond plus that gets a couple 70 cocktails in a week .... that is typically more than enough for us. If we get a little crazy, we might have to pay for a couple extra drinks one night but usually we are turning in drink credits at the end of the day for bottled water.