USCG Teacher

You are using the wrong TA.

I think we all know what the problem was...

I'm tracking a cruise for next year, actually a few but just now tried to do a "mock booking" but the screen goes blank. I find the cruises, find the date and click to continue to book but page goes blank, just a white screen. Anyone else having this issue?

In CT here, white screen for 3 days now.  I like the file change idea.  Whenever our IT dept said we were getting an update that would have “no effect” on our user programs, we all cringed at how much would not work for days/weeks while they fixed what the update screwed up. Wasn’t supposed to do that!!  And yet…

@deep1With all due respect, and sending the best of vibes, I've never seen a person who could use a TA more than you 🙂

Oasis has sustainable plastic straws! No more paper! 

On Allure we like the Solarium for breakfast, and most folks don't know they will cook your eggs to order if asked. They have out scrambled and fried, but you can get an omelet or poached egg to your liking. We tried Park Café and the breakfast sandwich was cold. Johnny Rockets is also a miss, as the eggs weren't great. The MDR has a breakfast bowl that is divine! We are early risers so in the MDR we get there at opening, and the meal time is around 30 minutes. The longest wait is for hot tea, the coffee comes right out. 
Man do I love breakfast on a cruise.  Don't skip it, if I was looking to cut back on the food intake it would be lunch. Lunch seems to be a petite dinner.  

I mean, I'd rather get it AFTER the cruise and not while ON the cruise.  But please know I just prayed for you. That is all.

Today, as I was told, was the first Aqua show with the new cast. They've been practicing all day today and then performed twice. It was amazing. 

I was on a similar excursion in Cozumel in the pre-pandemic era, and my wife and I were paired with another couple.  I was the only one who could drive stick, so that pretty much decided the driving situation.  Obviously a different company in another time, but RCI setting up a tour like that has precedence.

Oasis seems like what you want next.
Save Enchantment when you're ready for a "deep cut" of Royal Caribbean

I'll be parking at Bayonne next Sunday! Good to read all these messages of efficiency in parking and check in. I'll add it to my Live Blog. Stay tuned. 

I recall reading that you get refunded. This thread is long, but I read about someone who tested positive after getting a RU and got a cash refund. 

So, odd hypothetical: what happens if you win a RU, but then have to miss the cruise with a positive test?  What happens to the RU money?  Is it rolled into the FCC, refunded separately, or is it just...gone? 🤔

There are no implications or benefits for reaching a higher rank ,other than it just lets others know that you spend far too much time on the blog and type way too much (Hello, me).  The "rank" (i.e. gold, platnum, emerald, etc) rise strictly on the number of posts.  I believe reputation has to do with the number of your posts that are "liked" or to which there is a reaction (balanced by how many warnings you get, which are extremely rare).  As far as a page that actually states this, I haven't seen one.

This one is for all the Military Retirees here:

I watch and watch but nothing... but then I get an e-mail from my MEI agent and she says oh there was a drop here is a new invoice with a reduction. Yay!! 
That is why I use a travel agent.
Love you Michelle!

OMG!!  don't buy it on the ship. Wait until you get into a port to get some more if you really need it. It will cost you 10x what you will pay on land.

Have you tried it with ginger beer? It's quite good that way, too.

I want to read the post and understand, but it’s a giant wall of text.
Paragraphs would help. 

You are correct.  You could book pre & post hotel rooms for up to 2 days prior/after.  They also provided shuttle service from & to the hotel.  I believe RCL did away with this perk when they switched over to the current web site design.  Their current website design is terrible to say the least.  On the previous web design, you could also store traveling companion information for future bookings.  Do you also remember when an RCL representative met you at the airport and transported you to the hotel and/or ship if you provided your flight information to them?

Ah, fair enough!  In that case, I'll echo @KristiZ's sentiments about Georgetown as a good starting spot.   Good food in the area, interesting neighborhood, but not a ton of Metro stations if you're not near Dupont Circle or Woodley Park.  It's also a pretty healthy walk to the National Mall.  There will definitely be a number of choices available in Georgetown.
Given your parameters, I'd probably be looking just north of the Capitol building, too.  It's not nearly as much of a neighborhood as Georgetown, but there are usually quite a few choices in the area right around Union Station (which is worth a visit itself!).  Easy access to Metro stations on the Red Line as well as the Circulator Bus, which is perfect for tourists.  You can walk to the Capitol building easily, which is on the far eastern edge of the National Mall, and convenient to the Air & Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art but that's quite a walk to get the western side where the Lincoln Memorial and the wharf are (that's where the Circulator bus comes in!).  It's also convenient to one of my favorite places to eat in the area, Cafe Berlin. 
Can't go wrong either way, imho.  Just keep in mind that the Metro in DC is NOT open all night, so keep an eye on the hours depending on when you're there, or else you'll be limited to bus lines or Uber/Lyft.  Also, don't sleep on the Ethiopian food in DC.  A large number of refugees in the 70s and 80s ended up putting down roots in DC, and there are quite a few fantastic restaurants and markets in the city as a result (there are 2-3 within a block of the U St. station on the Green/Yellow line, near the original Ben's Chili Bowl).  Have a great trip, and if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to do my best to help out! 👍🏼

Ah, fair enough!  In that case, I'll echo @KristiZ's sentiments about Georgetown as a good starting spot.   Good food in the area, interesting neighborhood, but not a ton of Metro stations if you're not near Dupont Circle or Woodley Park.  It's also a pretty healthy walk to the National Mall.  There will definitely be a number of choices available in Georgetown.
Given your parameters, I'd probably be looking just north of the Capitol building, too.  It's not nearly as much of a neighborhood as Georgetown, but there are usually quite a few choices in the area right around Union Station (which is worth a visit itself!).  Easy access to Metro stations on the Red Line as well as the Circulator Bus, which is perfect for tourists.  You can walk to the Capitol building easily, which is on the far eastern edge of the National Mall, and convenient to the Air & Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art but that's quite a walk to get the western side where the Lincoln Memorial and the wharf are (that's where the Circulator bus comes in!).  It's also convenient to one of my favorite places to eat in the area, Cafe Berlin. 
Can't go wrong either way, imho.  Just keep in mind that the Metro in DC is NOT open all night, so keep an eye on the hours depending on when you're there, or else you'll be limited to bus lines or Uber/Lyft.  Also, don't sleep on the Ethiopian food in DC.  A large number of refugees in the 70s and 80s ended up putting down roots in DC, and there are quite a few fantastic restaurants and markets in the city as a result (there are 2-3 within a block of the U St. station on the Green/Yellow line, near the original Ben's Chili Bowl).  Have a great trip, and if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to do my best to help out! 👍🏼

It'll be interesting to get on the ground reports from cruises departing this weekend if anything changed in AO

Ah, fair enough!  In that case, I'll echo @KristiZ's sentiments about Georgetown as a good starting spot.   Good food in the area, interesting neighborhood, but not a ton of Metro stations if you're not near Dupont Circle or Woodley Park.  It's also a pretty healthy walk to the National Mall.  There will definitely be a number of choices available in Georgetown.
Given your parameters, I'd probably be looking just north of the Capitol building, too.  It's not nearly as much of a neighborhood as Georgetown, but there are usually quite a few choices in the area right around Union Station (which is worth a visit itself!).  Easy access to Metro stations on the Red Line as well as the Circulator Bus, which is perfect for tourists.  You can walk to the Capitol building easily, which is on the far eastern edge of the National Mall, and convenient to the Air & Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art but that's quite a walk to get the western side where the Lincoln Memorial and the wharf are (that's where the Circulator bus comes in!).  It's also convenient to one of my favorite places to eat in the area, Cafe Berlin. 
Can't go wrong either way, imho.  Just keep in mind that the Metro in DC is NOT open all night, so keep an eye on the hours depending on when you're there, or else you'll be limited to bus lines or Uber/Lyft.  Also, don't sleep on the Ethiopian food in DC.  A large number of refugees in the 70s and 80s ended up putting down roots in DC, and there are quite a few fantastic restaurants and markets in the city as a result (there are 2-3 within a block of the U St. station on the Green/Yellow line, near the original Ben's Chili Bowl).  Have a great trip, and if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to do my best to help out! 👍🏼