leesam82

when we booked Liberty (having done Freedom before) we didn't know they didn't have the machines. Honestly it was AWFUL only being able to get sprite or coke at the bars. I can't really drink plain water and not having the option for powerade or flavored dasani (the only way dasnit is acceptable lol) was awful! Any time we weren't in a restaurant I was DYING for water.
 
Here is the list which can be found at: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-coca-cola-freestyle-machines

Coca-Cola® freestyle machines are currently available on the following ships:
    Adventure of the Seas®
    Allure of the Seas®
    Anthem of the Seas®
    Enchantment of the Seas®
    Explorer of the Seas®
    Freedom of the Seas®
    Grandeur of the Seas®
    Harmony of the Seas®
    Independence of the Seas®
    Jewel of the Seas®
    Mariner of the Seas®
    Navigator of the Seas®
    Oasis of the Seas®
    Odyssey of the Seas®
    Ovation of the Seas®
    Quantum of the Seas®
    Rhapsody of the Seas®
    Symphony of the Seas®
Prior to buying my stainless steel water bottle, I kept one at my desk at work.
I've also used them as travel mugs in the car (for the one I have that can hold hot drinks) and the more recent cold drink-only design was a LIFESAVER when I was recovering from (1) getting my wisdom teeth pulled and (2) covid booster 1.

@JC123 I believe you can select digital and prints.  I recently purchased the 100 digital/print package on my most recent cruise. I didn't do both digital and prints so I cannot confirm this 100%. However,  One warning that I don't think is given enough to those who purchase the package is that once you decide a photo is going to be sent digitally you cannot remove it. For example I had some pictures earlier in the cruise that i thought I would get digitally. However later on I saw better pictures and wanted to replace those pictures with that. I was told at the photo center on board that once I select a digital photo I cannot remove it. They said for the staff to remove it I would need to essentially get rid of the pre bought package and then buy another package. So the lesson is select your digital photos towards the end of the cruise and make sure you know 100% that you want it. 

I'm jealous.  I can't think of a better way, other than actually being with all my kids, to spend Father's Day than being on a cruise ship.  
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all Fathers, sailing or not.

I second @Cruisin and Boozincall about cozumel. During our allure OTS sailing we were swarmed by people trying to get us to give us a ride to "their special beach with great beer and food" . I also found some of the vendors at Roatan a bit annoying. But Cozumel was definitely the worst. 

I second @Cruisin and Boozincall about cozumel. During our allure OTS sailing we were swarmed by people trying to get us to give us a ride to "their special beach with great beer and food" . I also found some of the vendors at Roatan a bit annoying. But Cozumel was definitely the worst. 

@megndanielle820 I have been to CocoCay twice. Both times I spent extra money on going to thrill water park. Both days I felt it was money well spent. If we do go back for a third time we may take it easy and not go to thrill water park. But me and my family really love water parks. I would also say if you are the only ship there, it makes it even better as there should be minimal lines. 

I love this proposal. 

I love this proposal. 

@Michael Bayley - My Proposal:
Platinum -> 1 Free Drink
Emerald -> 2 Free Drinks
Diamond -> 4 Free Drinks
Diamond Plus -> 6 Free Drinks
Pinnacle -> 10 Free Drinks (ideally unlimited, but understand capping it)

My wife and I had the same general idea when we were sitting on 76 points. We live an hour from Port Canaveral so we booked the cheapest 4-nigher we could to get to Diamond before our next standard 7-night cruise. It didn't exactly save us money as we'd never buy the drink package but the open bar happy hour (this was long before vouchers) and other perks were enticing enough for us. You do also get to enjoy the short cruise of course; you're not just buying points.
Now that we're approaching D+, we're playing around with the numbers and trying to find "extra" cruises. The jump in perks is definitely not worth it in terms of dollars, but when you're getting close to a new level, it's hard not to be impatient. 🤣

I verified this scenario with RC and that is correct.
We also want to congratulate you on your upcoming upgrade to Diamond Plus status! You are correct in your understanding of the way your status upgrade will be applied. As your status will upgrade at the end of your first sailing, you will be able to enjoy your Diamond Plus benefits on your next sailing. We do want you to be aware that for members whose status is upgrading on a back to back sailing, we ask that they inform the Loyalty Ambassador onboard during the first sailing of their upcoming change in status. Please let the Loyalty Ambassador know of this change and they will be able to note this change so that we are sure you receive your Diamond Plus benefits on the second sailing.

When we hit Diamond + on a cruise it was 2 days into a 8 nighter, we were at Chops Grille and I asked for something special moving to the next level, so at dessert had "congratulations" written on it!  Little things like this make a big impact on loyalty with us.

I recommend going with what the world gives you. My nephew popped the question during a Royal photoshoot on the first formal on Liberty two weeks ago. 
 
It was a formal night; the Royal photographer was there;  and the dinner guests waiting for their seating, Boleros crowd, and the rest of the promenade gave a raucous ovation when they saw what was happening. In short, it happened just like it was a movie.

@Sifsig It sucks that you had a sub par experience onboard with regards to the entertainment. A lot of different factors can come into play with regards to your experience on board. 
My family trip on the the Oasis OTS in June the entertainment was great. But I will say that there were some staffing issues as 1) There were nearly 6000 passangers on board and I was able to see that the MDR staff seemed a bit overwhelmed especially on day one. It did get better later on as less people were dining at the MDR as passengers went to other restaurants. 2) We got very lucky in that the weather was agreeable for us. We had smooth sailing majority of the cruise. 
One suggestion is for you not to write off royal due to one experience. If port liberty is going to be your main port to sail out of I would also suggest trying the Fall/Winter cruise on the Anthem OTS. Though the ports are the same its a different ship and you will have a different experience. 

Here is my personal opinion on what is going on with RCL stock and also other cruise stocks. Disclaimer: I am not a professional investor this is just my opinion. 
1) Cruise line stocks have had a huge dip most likely due to the macroeconomic pressures: - Inflation of goods/resources/employees - Tightening of the borrowing market (eg its harder to borrow money as many central banks have increased their rates) - Supply chain issues (delays in obtaining goods/resources) - Recession fears if we do go into a full blown recession discretionary spending will take a hit. This means if people take a pay cut or lose their jobs they won't be traveling as much. 
2) Covid/ Public health: Covid will always be part of cruising just like other viral outbreaks. However cruising overall has a high public image of being more unsafe than other travel/vacations. The Asian markets have not fully returned to full cruising as well due to covid. 
3) Worldwide tensions: There are ongoing tensions going around the world not only the issues in Ukraine, but other areas of the world. This has impacted cruising and could impact cruising in the future
4) Environmental Impact of cruising: There is growing public knowledge of the environmental impact of cruising. Cruise lines understand this are taking steps to decrease their impact eg. utopia OTS LNG fuel, environmental stewardship programs onboard and at the company level. But this all costs money and capital investment is needed by the cruise lines
 
With all this stated I do believe that cruise lines are undervalued at this point in time. However the volatility of cruise stocks will continue in the short term. I do think that cruise stocks will recover in the next few years. As a long term buy and hold I think it will be fine. 
I personally have bought additional stock and plan on buying more to get to the 100 shares for the share holder credit on future cruises. 

Here is my personal opinion on what is going on with RCL stock and also other cruise stocks. Disclaimer: I am not a professional investor this is just my opinion. 
1) Cruise line stocks have had a huge dip most likely due to the macroeconomic pressures: - Inflation of goods/resources/employees - Tightening of the borrowing market (eg its harder to borrow money as many central banks have increased their rates) - Supply chain issues (delays in obtaining goods/resources) - Recession fears if we do go into a full blown recession discretionary spending will take a hit. This means if people take a pay cut or lose their jobs they won't be traveling as much. 
2) Covid/ Public health: Covid will always be part of cruising just like other viral outbreaks. However cruising overall has a high public image of being more unsafe than other travel/vacations. The Asian markets have not fully returned to full cruising as well due to covid. 
3) Worldwide tensions: There are ongoing tensions going around the world not only the issues in Ukraine, but other areas of the world. This has impacted cruising and could impact cruising in the future
4) Environmental Impact of cruising: There is growing public knowledge of the environmental impact of cruising. Cruise lines understand this are taking steps to decrease their impact eg. utopia OTS LNG fuel, environmental stewardship programs onboard and at the company level. But this all costs money and capital investment is needed by the cruise lines
 
With all this stated I do believe that cruise lines are undervalued at this point in time. However the volatility of cruise stocks will continue in the short term. I do think that cruise stocks will recover in the next few years. As a long term buy and hold I think it will be fine. 
I personally have bought additional stock and plan on buying more to get to the 100 shares for the share holder credit on future cruises. 

Here is my personal opinion on what is going on with RCL stock and also other cruise stocks. Disclaimer: I am not a professional investor this is just my opinion. 
1) Cruise line stocks have had a huge dip most likely due to the macroeconomic pressures: - Inflation of goods/resources/employees - Tightening of the borrowing market (eg its harder to borrow money as many central banks have increased their rates) - Supply chain issues (delays in obtaining goods/resources) - Recession fears if we do go into a full blown recession discretionary spending will take a hit. This means if people take a pay cut or lose their jobs they won't be traveling as much. 
2) Covid/ Public health: Covid will always be part of cruising just like other viral outbreaks. However cruising overall has a high public image of being more unsafe than other travel/vacations. The Asian markets have not fully returned to full cruising as well due to covid. 
3) Worldwide tensions: There are ongoing tensions going around the world not only the issues in Ukraine, but other areas of the world. This has impacted cruising and could impact cruising in the future
4) Environmental Impact of cruising: There is growing public knowledge of the environmental impact of cruising. Cruise lines understand this are taking steps to decrease their impact eg. utopia OTS LNG fuel, environmental stewardship programs onboard and at the company level. But this all costs money and capital investment is needed by the cruise lines
 
With all this stated I do believe that cruise lines are undervalued at this point in time. However the volatility of cruise stocks will continue in the short term. I do think that cruise stocks will recover in the next few years. As a long term buy and hold I think it will be fine. 
I personally have bought additional stock and plan on buying more to get to the 100 shares for the share holder credit on future cruises. 

I do agree with this. Is that there are so many factors that can play into how enjoyable a sailing is. I know for myself, passenger make up can be a huge factor. I know I sound like a grumpy old man but when there is a high percentage of annoying passengers onboard, it takes away from the experience. So I go into every cruise with an open mind as much as I can and try to enjoy myself as much as I can. I will say the deluxe drink package helps 🤣. I don't remember who said this quote, but don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Plus overall I would say to each their own. This is why I think is so important for cruisers to do as much research as possible before going. Make sure that one is ok with an imperfect experience.  

I do agree with this. Is that there are so many factors that can play into how enjoyable a sailing is. I know for myself, passenger make up can be a huge factor. I know I sound like a grumpy old man but when there is a high percentage of annoying passengers onboard, it takes away from the experience. So I go into every cruise with an open mind as much as I can and try to enjoy myself as much as I can. I will say the deluxe drink package helps 🤣. I don't remember who said this quote, but don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Plus overall I would say to each their own. This is why I think is so important for cruisers to do as much research as possible before going. Make sure that one is ok with an imperfect experience.  

I do agree with this. Is that there are so many factors that can play into how enjoyable a sailing is. I know for myself, passenger make up can be a huge factor. I know I sound like a grumpy old man but when there is a high percentage of annoying passengers onboard, it takes away from the experience. So I go into every cruise with an open mind as much as I can and try to enjoy myself as much as I can. I will say the deluxe drink package helps 🤣. I don't remember who said this quote, but don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Plus overall I would say to each their own. This is why I think is so important for cruisers to do as much research as possible before going. Make sure that one is ok with an imperfect experience.  

Here is my personal opinion on what is going on with RCL stock and also other cruise stocks. Disclaimer: I am not a professional investor this is just my opinion. 
1) Cruise line stocks have had a huge dip most likely due to the macroeconomic pressures: - Inflation of goods/resources/employees - Tightening of the borrowing market (eg its harder to borrow money as many central banks have increased their rates) - Supply chain issues (delays in obtaining goods/resources) - Recession fears if we do go into a full blown recession discretionary spending will take a hit. This means if people take a pay cut or lose their jobs they won't be traveling as much. 
2) Covid/ Public health: Covid will always be part of cruising just like other viral outbreaks. However cruising overall has a high public image of being more unsafe than other travel/vacations. The Asian markets have not fully returned to full cruising as well due to covid. 
3) Worldwide tensions: There are ongoing tensions going around the world not only the issues in Ukraine, but other areas of the world. This has impacted cruising and could impact cruising in the future
4) Environmental Impact of cruising: There is growing public knowledge of the environmental impact of cruising. Cruise lines understand this are taking steps to decrease their impact eg. utopia OTS LNG fuel, environmental stewardship programs onboard and at the company level. But this all costs money and capital investment is needed by the cruise lines
 
With all this stated I do believe that cruise lines are undervalued at this point in time. However the volatility of cruise stocks will continue in the short term. I do think that cruise stocks will recover in the next few years. As a long term buy and hold I think it will be fine. 
I personally have bought additional stock and plan on buying more to get to the 100 shares for the share holder credit on future cruises. 

I was on the Anthem OTS last November. The roof was closed. It was nice that it was closed especially since the weather in the north east is chilly. I never saw it open when we were in the Caribbean. 

I got to meet and talk with Michael Bayley last week. The President of our company is so nice!
 
As you can imagine he is a very busy man, so I couldn't speak to him for too long, but thankful he wanted to be in my vlog.
 
 

My cruise is coming up on Friday and I’m so excited. It’s a little bitter sweet at the same time. It’s fun planning and reading on the blog, watching videos. I feel that I got to know some people here and soon I won’t be on as much since the cruise will be over. Until next year I guess lol. But I just wanted to say this was a great find and I appreciate everyone’s input and ideas. Thank you to Matt and all the members! 

I do not go all out for formal nights. I usually will go business casual. Nice pair of pants and shirt with no tie. Overall my family is not too big on formal nights. But I do know others who love formal nights as it gives them a chance to get all dressed up.