sk8erguy1978

... and somehow Slack won / more popular. ?

Hello! Nice to meet you... Thanks! I am Excited to watch! I'll save all questions until the end :). We sailed Liberty in 2015 from Bayonne, NJ to Bermuda. Great ship, excited to see updates via your vlog. Already watching.

Wife has it, she's not into the points game so besides her Discover, it's her only rewards earning credit card. So, outside of Discover 5% stuff she uses that. We do use it for cruises as well but not every purchase. Example, just booked a cruise and put the deposit on my Sapphire Reserve (3% and some travel benefits). We will use it for other cruise purchases but I was in the middle of YOLO-Book-it LOL. Also 3% towards flights is better than 2% towards an OBC. So, in our situation it's more of a way to get some OBC with everyday (and some cruise) spend. Like @JLMoran she got the 10k bonus too. It's too easy not to get LOL.

Specialty restaurants I've done both added to bill and left cash... Depends if I have the cash in my pocket, same as at home. Since bars and stuff has been mentioned. I tip them cash. I try and carry a wad of 1's with me so I can provide tips. Not every person gets a buck or two every time (not for any reason other than they ran off or I ran out of bills or I forgot) but I try and recognize them as often as possible. Sure, it has made service better at times but honestly, they work their tails off for us impatient alcoholics and deserve it! ?

Did iFly twice on Anthem, it was a lot of fun. I like the bottle holder, way better than what I used for me wife's bottle of sangria (that she never opened ... not enough room time & drink package .. so we brought it home).

That stinks. Oh well, safety first. At least you're still boarding on Saturday, I'd look at that as a positive. I was on the Anthem 5 day in September that had to leave Bermuda early because of Jerry, the two sea days back were actually fun. Hopefully it's a great cruise!

I think they mention something like 50 days or so is the sweet spot, but as @AshleyDillo and @Baked Alaska mentioned are tools I use ... I especially like Google because you can tell it to track the price and send you alert (like Kayak & Hopper alert). Also as mentioned by @ellcee and @ransrider, once you're comfortable with the price, book it and don't look at it again LOL!

Hopefully they got better over the years but my experience is ... On May 3rd, 2009 when booking my Oasis cruise for January 16th, 2010 I did it over the phone (feel like I had to because of something - but not 100% sure) and the customer service representative was trying to book my air too. I politely declined right away but they insisted to present me with a price. They asked for my airport, I said SWF (knowing JetBlue flies direct to FLL and it's 5 minutes from my house) and was told ... We don't have SWF, how about XXX, YYY, ZZZ; I forget if they mentioned all 3 NYC airports or just two, regardless, I repeated, SWF ... again with the other airports ... I politely said, we can stop now thanks. So, since they couldn't even get me a flight from my own airport that, while small, is still part of the NY Port Authority ... I was less than impressed. A side note, I wouldn't have done it either way as @Zacharius already said, I book direct because I feel it's best.

Just sailed Anthem to Bermuda on 9/21 (the shortened Bermuda sailing) and had a Grand Suite. We only dined in CK on 9/24 as a "date night." Reason being, we had friends on-board and made various plans to dine with them. While we enjoy CK, the company of a few friends was more important. :).

Same! We always ask for cash. No gift cards, they complicate the situation! LOL

I told my wife last night ... no matter what, we cannot stop putting X into the cruise savings account for next years cruises LOL!

Same. I don't turn into a photographer or anything. Some quick cellphone mugshots did the trick last time.

I talk about it everyday, look at the cruise planner every day, look at other cruises I want to take after (or before).

Last cruise wow band but if that's not an option ... just put it in my pocket (even bathing suit) or backpack that we are bring to pool anyway (sunscreen, book, etc). At one point I had 3 wow bands on when I went to get a round for everyone. LOL

I try and keep money a bit separate, a mini envelope system if you will. I take out about $500 or so for gambling. I take $200-$300 for just general needs: cash while traveling, cash for ports, etc. I also take $100 in small bills ($50 in 1's and $50 in 5's for tipping). If I run out of tipping money, I'll dip into gambling funds or general needs funds (since I usually return home with most of it) and ask casino cashier to break a bill, they are more than happy to help and faster than customer service.

My last cruise I gave a little extra to bar staff and cocktail staff ... It was a bit random with some exceptional getting it more often. I gave extra my two chops visits and tipped after a CK meal (only had one). I gave a bit extra to room steward and suite concierge. This was my first cruise tipping the suite concierge as it was the first time in 3 suites we actually used him a few times (only to make some calls and replace cards but it saved is some time and hassle.)

Four votes for Chops!

I agree about wanting to see more/new stuff. This year we added a land trip to London which neither had ever been. We do the Bermuda sailings with our friends now if it's not the only vacation we take as we have been there so many times - even got married there. It truly is a unique island and our favorite one. We will always want to see Bermuda but not as an only vacation. For a while with Explorer being in NJ for so long it felt like Groundhog's Day.

That's my guess which could make for a bit of a rocky sailing. I suppose anything is possible. Hey in about 24 hours I'll be arriving at Cape Liberty ... whatever, take me somewhere captain -- and where's my drink! LOL

That sounds like a fun trip. We did a 9 night to Caribbean from NJ on Explorer, I'd love that and Bermuda mixed for B2B 5-night/9-night.

Yes I agree. I complain every time "last 5 day cruise for me" and we still do it. We have friends that like the NJ connivence and nothing's better than sailing with friends... Plus we are 1.5 hours from port and if I was really tight for time, I could work 1/2 on Thursday and Friday (but I will not). Celebrity does 7 day sailings on the Summit. Also if you're into smaller ships this itinerary (see attached image) seems enticing, 7 days on Empress going to St. George and Hamilton. We considered it but think the plan is Oasis next year from NJ.

I Feel like CocoCay would be a stretch with a 5 day Saturday - Thursday itinerary, but that could be fun.

YES. When my wife and I saw that Oasis was coming for a limited time we were so excited. It will be our 3rd time but with all the changes it will be like our first time LOL.

I am a whiskey person but also a learning person. I am still a bit new to it all :).

@Pima1988 THANK YOU for all the details! I am a shorts in the winter kind of person but I'll bring an extra pair of jeans just in case. This is our 3rd sailing on Anthem and 7th sailing to Bermuda. We have done everything from cabs to pink busses and ferries. Now we usually rent a scooter and go on our own time. We sailed Adventure in 2013 and love it. Next September we are considering the Oasis, we sail her in 2010 and 2012 and excited to see the changes AND not that we don't love Bermuda but it's too much of the same trip. We also have Harmony booked in December of 2020, but like you, live close to Bayonne (1.5 hours in upstate NY) so it is convenient.