PatsFanBrian

We stayed there in January based on your recommendation.  It was a great choice.  The Dania Pointe shopping area was a great way to spend an afternoon and evening and all accessible just by walking out the door.
If we end up back in Ft Lauderdale again, we won’t hesitate to stay there.

We stayed there in January based on your recommendation.  It was a great choice.  The Dania Pointe shopping area was a great way to spend an afternoon and evening and all accessible just by walking out the door.
If we end up back in Ft Lauderdale again, we won’t hesitate to stay there.

I really like the Marriott Fort Lauderdale Airport: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/10/03/marriott-fort-lauderdale-airport-hotel-review

We had our first sail as Diamond this past January on Odyssey.  These are the perks we used:
Four drink vouchers per day We passed on the DBP as we don't typically drink more than 5-6 per day. When we ordered a drink, we specified when we wanted to use the vouchers.  We always saved them for the cocktails and paid for beer. We received 20% off our first beer (specified not to use the voucher on them). Free day of internet We knew we didn't want to be connected much, so we used our vouchers on different sea days and shared the connection. We had no issue finding free Wi-Fi on port days when we chose (except Coco Cay). Diamond/Crown Lounge We typically stopped by once per afternoon on sea days to get coffee, a snack if they were still out and just relax in a quiet environment. Picture discounts We used each of our discounts to purchase one picture each 15% Merchandise discounts (picked up a few trinkets and my Odyssey model ship) We may have missed a perk here and there, but overall, it added up to some nice savings for us.

We had our first sail as Diamond this past January on Odyssey.  These are the perks we used:
Four drink vouchers per day We passed on the DBP as we don't typically drink more than 5-6 per day. When we ordered a drink, we specified when we wanted to use the vouchers.  We always saved them for the cocktails and paid for beer. We received 20% off our first beer (specified not to use the voucher on them). Free day of internet We knew we didn't want to be connected much, so we used our vouchers on different sea days and shared the connection. We had no issue finding free Wi-Fi on port days when we chose (except Coco Cay). Diamond/Crown Lounge We typically stopped by once per afternoon on sea days to get coffee, a snack if they were still out and just relax in a quiet environment. Picture discounts We used each of our discounts to purchase one picture each 15% Merchandise discounts (picked up a few trinkets and my Odyssey model ship) We may have missed a perk here and there, but overall, it added up to some nice savings for us.

Agree about Aruba and Curacao.  We just did the Odyssey 8 day Southern in late January and chose it specifically for the stops (along with Coco Cay).  Both island ports are easy access to the downtown areas with plenty of shopping and food/drinks.
We were in Aruba until 11 PM.  We did Baby Beach during the 1st half of the day.  Then we walked the town, went back to the ship to eat, then went back on the town for a couple of night cap beverages at one of the local establishments.
Curacao is our favorite stop.  The walk from the ship to the town is great, lots of shopping, vendors and places to stop along the way.  The floating bridge is a quirky enjoyable experience.  And we love the town.  All we did was walk, shop, eat and stop for a beverage or two along the way.  We would never hesitate to go back there.

Regarding the Cheers bar (Bull & Finch), you've been warned.  Other than the outside facade, it is nothing like the show and is well known locally as a tourist trap.  But I get the desire to go once and say you've been there.

Agree about Aruba and Curacao.  We just did the Odyssey 8 day Southern in late January and chose it specifically for the stops (along with Coco Cay).  Both island ports are easy access to the downtown areas with plenty of shopping and food/drinks.
We were in Aruba until 11 PM.  We did Baby Beach during the 1st half of the day.  Then we walked the town, went back to the ship to eat, then went back on the town for a couple of night cap beverages at one of the local establishments.
Curacao is our favorite stop.  The walk from the ship to the town is great, lots of shopping, vendors and places to stop along the way.  The floating bridge is a quirky enjoyable experience.  And we love the town.  All we did was walk, shop, eat and stop for a beverage or two along the way.  We would never hesitate to go back there.

Southern Aruba and Curacao are great ports. Curacao is our favortite. Bonaire is a nice ship day unless you really like snorkeling, the island doesn't offer much more.  

Nantucket is a long way from Maine 😉

Nantucket is a long way from Maine 😉

We recently stayed at Marriot at Dania Pointe.  A bit more expensive, but Dania Pointe is an area built for social activities with several bars and numerous restaurants ranging from cheap to pricey.  Walk out of the hotel and it’s all within a few minutes walk.  We’ll stay there again if we go out of Fort Lauderdale again.

We recently stayed at Marriot at Dania Pointe.  A bit more expensive, but Dania Pointe is an area built for social activities with several bars and numerous restaurants ranging from cheap to pricey.  Walk out of the hotel and it’s all within a few minutes walk.  We’ll stay there again if we go out of Fort Lauderdale again.

This was offered on my Odyssey sailing last week, first time I ever recall it being offered.  The big caveat is that your flight must be after 11AM (ours was exactly at 11AM), otherwise I may have considered it, especially since we were self-assisting and it can be challenging with multiple large suitcases.

This was offered on my Odyssey sailing last week, first time I ever recall it being offered.  The big caveat is that your flight must be after 11AM (ours was exactly at 11AM), otherwise I may have considered it, especially since we were self-assisting and it can be challenging with multiple large suitcases.

This was offered on my Odyssey sailing last week, first time I ever recall it being offered.  The big caveat is that your flight must be after 11AM (ours was exactly at 11AM), otherwise I may have considered it, especially since we were self-assisting and it can be challenging with multiple large suitcases.

I just got off Odyssey.  I had a boarding time of 12:00, got there at 11:20 and had no issues.  They actually didn't begin any boarding until 11:30, so I had to sit in a waiting area for about 5 minutes.  Once they started boarding, it went quick.

I just got off Odyssey.  I had a boarding time of 12:00, got there at 11:20 and had no issues.  They actually didn't begin any boarding until 11:30, so I had to sit in a waiting area for about 5 minutes.  Once they started boarding, it went quick.

Good Day everyone... AOS REVIEW... 
I am a Diamond Member on RCCL, Elite on Celebrity, Platinum on Carnival, and Platinum on NCL...
At the minimum I book a balcony room but we usually opt for suite level rooms
So, in 2023 we took 2 cruises on RCCL and honestly was very disappointed with the food on both ships. We travelled on Symphony of the Seas doing the Barcelona, Italy and France circle and over NYE we did a 6 day on Adventure of the seas.  On both ships we did purchase the key and would probably get it again. The key was beneficial in getting seats for the shows you wanted and when you wanted without making reservations or staying in lines. The "free" meal for Chops was average at best. It was not bad but i really expected better. Anyways below is my review of the food on AOS. I will preface that in my years of cruising we have only ever had 1 meal that was an upcharge and that was Mexican on the Norwegian Dawn. My wife and I feel that hey we already paid for our food why do we want to pay more for food. Yes it is to be better and a nice experience but being served is good enough for us.
Chops - We boarded the ship and a sign pointed us to the left and we were able to leave our carry on with the dining room staff as part of "THE KEY" Program. with the Key Program we get to have a Chops type meal for lunch. However the menu is quite limited. Unfortunately, we all had the filet and were quite disappointed. We all ordered our steaks to be medium rare but they were all medium well to well done. The steaks did not even have grill lines on them or any type of sear. We sent them all back and again they came back as being overcooked. Our waiter and head waiter agreed that they were all overcooked and so we had them cooked for a 3rd time. This time they were completed properly however the steaks were very tough and were only choice steaks. We did find out from the waiter that all the steaks were pre cooked and sitting in warmers which was a total let down. The steaks were also very stringy, chewy and really not prime quality. If I had to guess, the meat was not a solid piece of meat and had transglutaminase in it/ I know this because I used to be a butcher and know my cuts of meat and the tricks of the trade. If this is the kind of food that is served in Chops in the evening, I would not recommend going here especially since the dining is an upcharge. Now we usually do not do upgraded restaurants. We did it one time on NCL on the Dawn and had mexican years ago and it was very good. Anyways I digress. The food we received for our welcome aboard lunch just was not good enough to warrant spending extra money for the Chops dining room. What I did like about the dining room for lunch was the fact the windjammer was PACKED with people getting their food and so it was nice to eat without trying to find a seat in the windjammer.
Giovanni's - So after that disappointing meal, we walked around the ship a bit, checked into our room and unpacked. We had our luggage and our carry on by 3 pm. The Key really did spead things up with regards to our luggage. We then decided to go for a drink and while sipping on my jack and coke, and my wife with her glass of wine, we were approached in the schooner bar at approx 4 pm ( which was my favorite bar) ... a waiter came up to us and said they had plenty of seats/opening that night in Giovanni's that night for 2 for 1 pricing. We agreed to try this. There were 7 of us who tried it. We asked for 745 pm reservations and it was granted for us. We received a piece of paper ( looked like a menu order card confirming the reservation).  We arrived at the restaurant at 7:40 and there was a very long line in front of us. Now unfortunately it appears they overbooked the restaurant. We were finally seated at 8:45 pm the food was plain and had very little flavor in fact It was like the food was not seasoned. Now we are Italian and we do make our own food, pasta and sauce but we were not comparing the food to ours. The Branzino was decent. However the risotto was not fully cooked and was sent back. The Pasta Bolognase was also minimally flavored - it did not taste Italian. It seemed to be missing oregano and basil.  Weird I know but it just seemed bland. Anyways, all 7 of us ordered one of these 3 meals. Desert was pretty good but I found the Cannoli to be weird in flavor as the ricotta was lemon and tutti frutti flavored. Not what I expected from a true Italian Cannoli. I think they tried to make the meal too fancy instead of trying to keep the food more Italian traditional. 
Izumi - For the 7 of us we spent approximately $200 but it was our best meal for the cruise. Now when eating here everything is a la carte. For example the signature rolls were about $13-17 each, Miso was $3 and Wonton $7. Everything was perfection. From the sushi to the vegetable fried rice and the sashimi and teriyaki they were all very good. I would recommend one consider eating here if you enjoy this kind of food. Just do a search for Izumi menu rccl and you should see images and pricing on the menu. 
Dining Room - The food in the dining room was just what I would call sub par. The food was warm at best it was never hot but we were sitting on the opposite side of the kitchen by the entrance.  The French Onion Soup was great as was the shrimp cocktail. Service was generally slow, then again we were the table farthest from the kitchen as we were at the entrance to the dining room on the 4th floor. The menu did not appeal to me at all. There was nothing really special about the menu's and my teenage girls actually thought the food at Johnny Rockets was better and they would rather eat there than in the dining room. The girls were 16 and 17.  Kind of says a lot for the food that was being served. Also, I wish they would bring back the different types of buns / bread every night instead of the same rolls every night. We are all diamond members and I have a been a cruiser since the 1970's. We all know that RCCL and all the cruise lines in general have cut back on the quantity and quality of food being offered to its guests but I think its getting to be cut back too much. 
Windjammer - I did enjoy my breakfast here every day as well as my lunch here but we never had dinner in the WJ. My favorite lunch item was the fried chicken. There were 2 omelette stations and what was nice was that you placed your order and then you were given a pager. Never had to wait more than 10 min for my omelette. I truly hope that RCCL will not take this away from their cruisers or do an upcharge. One new item that was for sale in the WJ was fresh cotton candy for $2.99 if I recall ( available at lunch 11 -2 or so). The AOS only got the machine on our cruise and i was the 3rd in line for the new offering. The kids did enjoy it but the sugar melts quickly in that hot humid air. I did like that they came around in the mornings and refilled our coffees and teas and water. I also really enjoyed the wide variety of breakfast options. I am sure there is something there for everyone even the pickiest of eaters. 
Diamond Lounge - My wife and I went here a few times up on deck 14 I think it was. Loved the coffee / latte machine there and loved the canapes they had both times we were there. Enjoyed the view sailing from port with a drink in our hands and a snack before heading to dinner. It was small but right next door was the Viking Crown Lounge and Blue Moon. I definitely enjoy the time we spent here. There was very little ambiant noise and people were generally talking at almost whisper levels. It was a nice place to go where the noise was left behind.
The Free Pizza/Deserts/Starbucks - So on deck 5 the AOS has a few options for food and drink. We all know about the free pizza and sandwiches as well as deserts, the ship coffee and tea as well at the ice tea and of course Starbucks and the ice cream which I think was Ben and Jerrys ( don't shoot me if I am wrong) So, I heard a rumor that RCCL was thinking of charging its guests $2 for the pizza/sandwich/desert but that was met with swift and fierce criticism. I did try the pizza and it was ehhh palatable lol... I don't really want to be a debbie downer here and put down the food continuously but i just have to speak what i feel is honest feedback. The sandwiches were better and actually i usually grabbed one on my way back from my excursion. The Starbucks was like any other Starbucks. I don't think RCCL can really change anything here without Starbucks agreeing and I don't think that will happen so you can be guaranteed the same quality there as you do an any other Starbucks. The premium ice cream was so much better than the free soft serve ice cream on deck 12. It was definitely a treat and I think it was $3 a scoop. 
Wishing you all Smooth Sailing
Tom

As others have pointed out, it's a math problem as well as a matter of convenience.  We used to always get the DBP for both reasons.
We just got of Odyssey and this was our first sail as Diamond cruisers, so we did not get it.  One thing we noticed about halfway through was that we were not drinking as much because we were tracking our four daily vouchers.  Not to say we didn't go above 4 on some days.  We were also carefully considering what we were going to have for our drinks.  We saved the vouchers for the pricier mixed cocktails and and used them on beer when we were out of them or we knew that we wouldn't be getting any further mixed drinks.
We also didn't miss the fresh squeezed OJ or specialty coffees as much as we thought we would.  And for water, we just preordered a 12 pack of Evian and paid less than if we kept ordering smaller bottles.

I’ll be doing this tomorrow, getting a batch of 5’s as well.

My wife and I had the same question as we will be sailing this Saturday for the first time as Diamond.  Thanks for all the answers.

My wife and I had the same question as we will be sailing this Saturday for the first time as Diamond.  Thanks for all the answers.

20th - PatsFanBrian (Odyssey)

Two weeks from now, we’ll be stepping on board.  😊