Bryce G.

Don't worry about asking too many questions--people on this blog get off on answering questions about Royal Caribbean, me included. Fire away! :-)

Hm. I'm going on Majesty for Nassau and Coco Cay. Very similar itineraries--different departure ports! Will offer feedback, for sure!

You do get 2x cruise points (for the RCCL loyalty program) as a single traveler.

I'm with you, Matt. The two deciding factors are work and airfare. I'm not going to pay for airfare for a 3-night cruise. If I pay for airfare for a 5-night cruise, I'll just book a 7-night for the same amount of time off work.

Hi. 1. Yes. Wifi is available throughout the ship. It's stronger in some places than others. 2. Access is controlled. You purchase a package, and every time you'd like to log on using that package's minutes, you have to login with an account that you created at the time of purchase. 3. What you suggested of keeping Airplane Mode ON and toggling Wifi should work fine when outside the US. 4. That is correct. Just remember that a text message (SMS) is not the same as a picture message (MMS). So when you turn data off, you may not be able to send/receive picture messages. Also note that those Sprint prices apply when there is a tower available. At sea, you won't have any reception. On-shore, you likely will--in the Mediterranean anyway. Hope that helps.

Oh God, please no. Besides, the kids aren't even necessarily up that late! At least not the kids that would thoroughly enjoy it...

If it's Wicked, I'm booking a sailing tomorrow on Quantum. I'd love to see RENT, but it's too riskay. West Side Story could be deemed "inappropriate" too.

I find the prices fairly reasonable. Considering you can go to an amusement park and find a crappy beer for like $8.50. $7 for my Absolut tonic INCLUDING tip? Fine by me.

My opinion? Save your money until you can do the All-Access tour on an Oasis Class ship. The "I-95" corridor is completely worth it. Only on Oasis-Class ships from what I understand.

What ship are you going on where this tour *might* take place?

Alas, I was hoping that the "advisors" program might also include repeat cruisers like yourself, Matt. After all, who knows best for what a cruise ship really needs but a repeat loyal passenger, rather than a celebrity that's on a TV set all the time? Just a thought.

When I did the tour, it did NOT include the two specialty restaurants. I did the tour on Oasis of the Seas in October. If you're going with a family, it will get pretty costly. It's up to you--if you're into technology, engineering, and behind-the-scenes, it's certainly a very neat experience. There's definitely no need to do it multiple times on different ships, but doing it once is certainly enjoyable. Note that it'll certainly be more worth your money if you do it on a Freedom or Oasis Class ship, only because they're newer and the engine room, bridge, theatre, etc. are likely to be a lot more technologically-advanced and interesting. If you're traveling with a companion, make sure that they're genuinely interested. If they're just neutral on the idea, tell them to go hang at the pool so you don't waste $150-$170 on them! Hope that helps!

We went out of Vancouver. Seattle? So you're sailing on Rhapsody then? You'll have a blast. She was JUST revitalized!

Yep. That's one of the excursions I mentioned in my review! It was a blast!

DANG! Lots and lots of people in the blog portion about this news item are NOT happy AT ALL about the ban. Wowsers. I really thought smoking was on the way out!

It was an older crowd on the ship, so maybe he was a better choice for that group of people than, say, one of the super loud and eccentric cruise directors. It definitely didn't RUIN the vacation by any means.

Just returned from Radiance of the Seas trip in Alaska. Check out my review in "Cruise Reviews" tab of this blog.

Majesty of the Seas. 4-Night Bahamas in June 2002. What hooked me was the Viking Crown Lounge. From the time I was a child, I always enjoyed watching. People-watching, animal-watching. Just sitting alone. But, as a child, I was banned from being unaccompanied in many good "watching" spots. Enter Royal Caribbean's Viking Crown Lounge. I could walk up there on my own, and sit for hours without being bothered OR kicked out for being an unaccompanied minor. I'd order virgin Pina Coladas, and the bartenders adored me--would always randomly bring me pretzels and peanuts, etc. I was hooked--at the age of 13. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Majesty. May hop back on-board in December.

I book way early because I don't live near a decent cruise port. That being said, I'm thinking about surprising my other half. We're gonna go to FL for vacation in December. I think WHILE I'm in FL, I'm going to quickly book a last minute 4-night Bahamas cruise for a great deal. The worst that could happen? No good deals, and we're still in Florida. The best? It'll be a GREAT surprise! ;-)

Fury Catamaran + Beach Break at Cozumel. Through RCI, I believe.

Oh no, don't get me wrong. I love the Oasis-class. But, from a logistics standpoint, I'm not sure it would make sense to continue building them.

I'm thinking it's just a Majesty thing. Cutting back staff since she's a smaller ship on a short itinerary. She's not their biggest money maker, since the newer ships are the ones with the for-a-fee amenities. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure why ANY of the gyms EVER close. They don't ALWAYS have a staff person in there, so it can't be a liability thing...?

My sister sailed on her late last year/early this year. She said it was 8 or 9am opening and was open until about 8 or 9. I was hugely disappointed to hear that, since RCI (used to) majorly prides itself in it's fitness center amenities--used to push the ShipShape program too!

A freaggin' shoe shine, darnit! They have formal nights, and offer dry-cleaning and tuxedo rental services. OF COURSE there should be a shoe shine service available! Okay, it's not an "attraction," but still... I LOVE the actual Broadway shows on-board. More of those! Flash mobs? Where random people in Central Park break out into song and dance? Hey, Matt--Quantum sailing in March...wanna do a flash mob?! Haha

One thing I will add, though, is that because of size, the waves are no longer a huge issue--not as much as the WIND is. Because there's so much more surface area, the wind, even if the seas are calm, will cause the ships to rock pretty heavily. Fortunately, they've figured this out a bit. They built the Oasis-class ships in pieces, and lefts "gaps," if you will. This allows the ship to expand, contract, and even "twist," in essence, to accommodate wind and waves. It's fascinating because, in certain areas, you can actually hear the ship creaking, but not feel ANY roll. Brilliant if you ask me.