PatsFanBrian

I've never seen a "service" animal on a cruise, but we did have a pigeon while on Serenade last September.

There will be multiple places to watch. They'll have all the national games (Pats/Cowboys, SNF, MNF), and at least one of the 1:00 games.

Best laugh I've had in a while. 😛 I'll be in the stands making noise for my team. Should be a good game, but the weather won't cooperate.

I'm not sure I could really answer the question since each class of ship, and each ship within a class, brings unique experiences. My first was Freedom back in '06 and then Liberty a couple years later. We are planning on getting back on Freedom in early '21. I have a fondness for that class, probably because you never forget your first Then we went on an Oasis class binge, going on Oasis/Allure 3 times in a row. I can;t say anything negative about it We were on Quantum's first full sail back in '14 and that may have something to do with us not getting back on a Quantum class ship. We didn't care for the style of dining or the layout of the public areas, along with shakedown issues which dampened the experience a bit. But I know much has changed since then, so perhaps we'll give a Quantum class another try someday. We really enjoyed Adventure and wouldn't hesitate to go back on that class, just the right blend of size and activities. We most recently sailed Serenade and I found the ship a bit too small for my liking, probably my least favorite of all the ones we have sailed. All said, we probably remember Freedom the best and we're anxious to get back on with the recent amping.

The pools are definitely not heated.

In my previous life, as a software manager, the money was good and my wife and I would take 2 vacations/year, 1 cruise and 1 not a cruise. After a forced early retirement 2 years ago (a fancy term for "you're approaching 60 and we have younger people to do your job cheaper"), the income is greatly reduced as I started a new career make half of my previous income. So going forward, it will be one cruise every 2-3 years (just finished one in Sept, so looking at spring of '21). Also, our kids live in other parts of the US, so we try to fit in visits to them every couple of years, funds permitting. Perhaps when we reach true retirement, and presumably more debt will be paid off, we will get back to once a year.

Study the Compass before the day starts. You will likely find an activity you'll end up enjoying that you would have missed otherwise.

Count me in with those who avoid the casino because of the smoke. I would spend time there if it was smoke free.

That was always a myth perpetuated by the tobacco lobby. As you said, nothing changed except for a more pleasant experience for all the non-smokers. Even most sports stadiums don't allow smoking anymore.

I'm enjoying your vlogs, I've always been curious about life as an employee. I'm not sure if this has been asked yet, but what do you do between contracts? Do you work another job to pay the bills? Along the same line, is there a required wait period between the end of one contract and the start of a new one?

I was in Bermuda last month and I came back the same crazy a-hole that I was when I left. Depending on who you ask, I may be a bit crazier.

I was on Serenade last month and came away feeling like it needed to solid facelift. Nothing major, just the ship showing its age. Nothing wrong with the amenities, we got what we expected. But some issues such as the large screen at the pool was not working. In the stateroom corridors there was a musty odor indicating it was time to replace the carpets. A few other minor annoyances. Overall, nothing to reduce my enjoyment. But it's time for a general refresh.

I know I'm just restating what others have said, but there are several factors here: Cruising is not for everyone just as all-inclusives are not for everyone, adventure trips are not for everyone, "staycations" are not for everyone, etc, etc. The unfortunate part of that is you have to try it to find out. Even if you didn't like this one, RC has many different classes of ships, each offering different experiences. Some prefer the smaller ships, some the largest, some find their happy zone in-between. Use this community if you ever go back to RC. The feedback will be overwhelming. If you decide to cruise again, even if it's not on RC, research the offerings before booking. There's so much information to be found which can mitigate a bad experience. For that matter, no matter what you decide for a vacation in the future, research until your eyes go blurry. I hope you find something in the future that suits you.

I had noticed the same thing.

After my recent cruise on Serenade, my question is how often ships go in for general maintenance. There were a variety of signs that the ship needs work, from the large pool deck screen not operating to a general smell in the corridors indicating that the carpets are probably due for replacement. The annoyances were minor and did not impact my enjoyment, but some of these older ships certainly need some work, not necessarily amping.