PRebecca

Hello All,
     I am headed out on Oasis this Sunday and a friend who is an executive at RCCL upgraded me to VIP status. As far as I know this just means I get a gift basket with some Champagne and other stuff but do I get anything else.  I would rather ask here than my friend because I'm trying to act cool. Thanks

Congrats, you've created an awesome place here! You're all great too ?

Excellent. I'll now spend a year trying to think of one. ?

No benefits, this is remarkably unmagical loyalty program!

I think you have Newbie rank until you've made around 50 posts. Then you get rank 2 (I forget that's called) until around 250 or maybe 500 posts, at which point you hit the top rank (Master?).
Any unusual titles you see, like "Oasis Class Denier", "Stubborn Canadian Scorpio", "Kraken Absconder", "Grandeur Poobah", or "Wants to be the Next Michael Poole" are all honorary titles given by @Matt to frequent posters who've become well known here. (and got on his very good side ?) 

It's likely a very high number, and not surprising. Heck, I hesitate to think about how many people actually logged in in the last 6 months. This is the nature of message boards, but the door is always open for them. 

Holy moly!
I've often said numbers and stats are nice, but not the focus of what I'm trying to do. I'd rather have a community of 10 people who are supportive, helpful and fun than 10k people who do not talk.
I think it's safe to say that we've retained a good balance of fun and knowledgeable folks here, while attaining a tremendous goal.
The credit lays not with me, but with all of you.  Seriously. These boards do not grow to 10,000 people just because of me. I can't answer every thread, start my live blog ridiculously early (*cough @Lovetocruise2002 *cough), share breaking news or comment for the umpeeth time if @twangster is indeed real.
So many of you have been posting here for years, and others have recently joined and already feel like part of the family. It's been a tremendous journey so far and I am so thankful you are all here to share in it.
A special thank you to the moderators, who help enforce the rules; to some special long-term members who help flag down spammers and alert me when @monorailmedic is being overly annoying; @WAAAYTOOO for answering all those casino threads that I know nothing about; the entire MEI Travel team for helping support our great community.
There's no question the needle is moving in the right direction, and I thank you all once again for being part of this. One of the few regrets I have in the history of this site is not starting the message boards sooner, and today is a great example of why that is.
Thanks all, and let's celebrate with a Kraken and diet coke while onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Wow! 
Congrats @Matt on 10, 000 members on the Royal Caribbean Blog message boards!  
Thank you for this unique community that you had vision for and created.  What an amazing and welcoming place this is, not only to learn about cruising,  but to meet fantastic people and friends along the way.  Proud to be part of the RCBlog community.  
Cheers to “YOLO Book It!”!

Hello everyone! My name is Sarah and I’m a first time cruiser ? my first cruise will be in September of this year and we’re going to Cozumel, Mexico. 
I currently live in Las Vegas with my husband, we moved from Los Angeles early this year. I’ve always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise but I figure México would be an awesome destination for our first cruise together. 
I found Royal Caribbean Blog from YouTube this week as I plan my cruise. 

Hello we are Mike and Sharon Kief from Nebraska. We will be sailing on the anthem on November 2. We would love to hear from anyone else on this cruise. This is a great group.

I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Paul and my wife's Hillary. The two of us are booked for one of Navigator's short sailings - September 13th - and have another planned in April on Independence to bring the kids along! So glad to find this community to help share and plan for the trips. I've definitely learned a lot already. 
We're from the Alabama gulf coast, so within driving distance of all the Gulf Coast ports. I'm excited to see RCCL ships leaving out of New Orleans again (since it's the closest). But the 7-day cruises are hard to get off work right now so I'll have to wait until they start some 5 day ones. Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome so far!
Paul

Not tacky at all..very smart thing to do.  My luggage tags were available to print at the 39 day mark with a set room number..shouldn't be much longer on yours.

You should be able to see them any day now.  Typically they are available about 42 days (6 weeks) from sailing.  

So as a devoted Disney guy and enjoy DCL I am venturing to Oasis for a January 2020 sailing.  
Really excited and I am glad I found this blog and forum to answer my questions.
Booked a Neighborhood Balcony Gty, would have been fine with an inside but splurged a little.
Thanks to all that post as reading about your experiences have been very helpful.
Thanks again!
Daniel

Pretty sure at least 2 of the vision class ships are for sale. 
 
$250,000,000-300,000,000 so if we all chip in....lol

I actually cancelled the bid last night until I hear from MEI travel to see their advice. I have has our cabin picked out since day one and I like the location AFT by the glass elevators. So that's where I am right now.

They have pee pad/areas in airports in the US for dogs....blew my mind the last time we travelled seeing them at various airports...none in Canada that I know of or have ever seen.
 
As for dogs on the cruise.....if only ppl would have common sense. You don't eat with a dog on your lap or take a dog out in public if they aren't trained and will pee everywhere.
 
Common sense has gone out the window for most ppl and not just when it comes to dogs..lol
 
That being said..I prefer dogs much more to kids......but I wont go there..lol

Yes, Captain's Bounty is awesome.  When inside Kuka ran right to the deck were there is a wall overlooking the beach.  She jumped up and her face lit up with a big smile!  This pic sort of captures that.  I am a Sox fan and my dad was a Yankees fan.  In fact my nickname is Mickey - and that did not come from a Red Sox player's name.  I am sure you can guess from whom it was derived.  I know what you mean about Fenway.  It is just sooo historic.  As they say, they don't make 'em like that anymore...

@ellcee  Thanks!  She truly was a once in a lifetime dog for us.  Unfortunately, we lost her a couple of years ago.
Here's Kuka on the morning of Jan 21, 2016 - her eighth birthday.  Such a sweet girl.  We still miss her.

Even without an enticing itinerary you can often find good prices for NOLA sailings..and it is totally worth it to spend some time in the city.  Plus sailing out on the Mississippi River is fun and different than your typical FL sailaways.

This has been my experience as well.  I always grab a glass of wine on my way in to the MDR, and then will tell our server to please send the bar server over when they can.  By the time that happens and they actually return with drinks, my wine is long gone and we are well into the meal.  There are also usually no less than 25 cards and slips on the servers tray as well, they are just covering too many tables.  This is fine, two glasses of wine is enough for me at dinner, I don't need to be pounding drinks at dinner.  
I am also a big advocate of tip well and tip early for better drink service, and this works in the bars and at the pool.  I just don't think it would work in the MDR.  The logistics are too difficult.  

There is a way to speed this service up. If the same waiter/waitress/barperson is going to be the same for the duration of the cruise, tip them generously the first day.

Also going to ditto that. Checked four days in a row, and only this morning did I finally see a price drop (also to $43). Bought my Deluxe Package today, at the "cost" of also having to buy my wife her Refreshment Package that she wanted at the same time, instead of doing that on next month's billing cycle; the rep at Royal's cruise planner number said this was what I'd have to do, even with a note that she cannot drink, for me to purchase the Deluxe Package for myself.
I know Matt's earlier blog posting about this did clearly show that with an exception, no additional purchase needs to be made. But since my wife did want that package, I didn't really feel like arguing the point and then having to argue it again next month on the new billing cycle.

I really really love this site!   I have been checking for days and at every cruise planet sale and the drink price for the deluxe has always been 55/ day for my March freedom cruise.   I looked at sabrinas post and decided,  ok I will look... won't be different but....   Well, it was down to $45/day for no reason so I hopped to buy.  If I get 30% on black Friday I will cancel and re book, but that saved me 75 dollars a person!   At 45 a day,  that is 3 cocktails, a coffee and a bottled water... even my husband would do that (he drinks a Lot less than I do) so I can justify the 2 adult pkg.  Wondering if pkg purchases were down with the 2 adult thing...but it's a long time till March.  Nothing else was on sale.    Thanks for posting...i never would have gone on today!  Jane 

The #1 problem solved is the fact that most cruises are too short.  
For someone who has to fly to a cruise a B2B saves airfare compared to taking two distinct cruises.
B2B allows you to unpack and unwind.  You don't need to take in every show because you can catch one on the next cruise.  
Cruises are great but if you try to do everything offered in one cruise you may end up exhausted and need a vacation from your vacation.  
Take Oasis class.  It's hard to participate in everything offered during a 7 night cruise.  More often than not you have to pick something but miss out on something else.  When you go a B2B you can do some things on one cruise and different things on the next.  Really enjoyed one show?  See it again!
B2B also lets you try different things in repeated ports while exposing you to new ports that are not common to both itineraries.  One visit you can go to a beach and relax, the repeat visit you can go on an ATV or tubing in a cave or you can stay on the ship and enjoy the ship empty of most guests.  
B2B solves the FOMO issue while leaving even more time to relax.
B2B also means one more week of not doing the dishes, cooking or cleaning.  
I have a B3B booked.  Three cruises in a row on the same ship.  B2B is cool, B3B is the next level.