Va4fam

@PPPJJ-GCVAB...thank you for the suggestions.  I will work on linking everyone next week.   2 of our 3 ports are Royal beach clubs and that should make it easy.
Jamaica is the other port, and I have no idea what everyone will want to do.
 

Family dinners are nice, but honestly, I would try to avoid planning too much together time. That's what's great about a cruise, stuff to do together, stuff to do apart.

We just did Christmas on Adventure 2023, 11 of us total in 5 rooms.  We were given 2 round tables next to each other in the dining room.  I linked everyone to my app and got us all the check in time.  For shows if you want that many to sit together you need to show up EARLY.  We did it every man for themselves for shows - I was not going to try to hold seats for that many people (there was a Christmas ice show that 2 of my kids went to with me.  We all went and found seats, then they went to get milk shakes.  It was rough keeping people from taking the seats for the brief time they were gone, I can't imagine trying to save more than that!
For Labadee I got a Cabana (they sold out within a couple months of the cruise going on sale, I'm thankful we booked as soon as it opened up) and we tipped the attendant extra and he let everyone use it.  It was great having a nice area for all of us to hang out.

@ChessE4.......great comment and something I have thought about a great deal.
Going to use the word "Flexibility" a lot with the 10 other family members.
Check in, group photo or two, Christmas dinner, and hibachi are probably the only "must do" together activities.  If we can get together once a day, that should be enough.
Little kids will want to play in the pool, 22-25 year olds will want to do something else.  
 

It's a record until someone can beat it.
Congrats!  The rooms on Odyssey are nice!

For Aqua Show, arrive early to get seats close together. As an aside, reconsider whether everyone needs to do everything together. Sometimes one needs a little space to relax. Maybe one event a day together is enough. Just a thought...

Is this a record?? 😃 What's the earliest you've won a Royal Up bid?
More info: I didn't receive an email to bid, I used the "upgrade your stateroom" link in the Cruise Planner. The link was available 75 days before the sail date and I placed bids for maybe $20 over the starting prices. Received my "congratulations" email exactly 14 days later. Check in for the cruise doesn't open for another 14 days . . . 

We had 17 people in 7 rooms last July on Oasis.  Ages ranged from 10 to 66.   See my answers above…

White night & formal night table pictures.

I have a funny smile in the white night pic because the lady at the next table took it and didn't really tell us when, so I got smile fatigue. And my son's eyes are closed for the same reason.

Very tragic scenario with loss of multiple lives likely.
Local radio station said the ship reported a loss of propulsion.   Collision was approximately 1:30 AM. 
Even though we live in Virginia, we used that bridge frequently.  
 
 

it’s always my fault 😆💀
honestly though, i am all for MORE luggage. 
on our most recent trip (non cruise related), i brought TWO suitcases, a rolling carryon AND my personal item/bag that sits on top. 
…i don’t travel light, friends 😂

Just saying a quick hello here, first time in about four years. I just booked the 12-night Odyssey sailing in Jan 2025, which is an itinerary I've been wanting to do kind of since I first started sailing with Royal in 2018 and learned about it. Seemed like a nice way to celebrate turning 55. 🙂
To everyone I haven't spoken with in all these years, hope you've been well!

Wish they would mix it up every now and then and offer a 7 day itinerary for Allure and Utopia.    Booking a 3d/4d B2B to the same places is not quite the same.

We have had similar discussions about the repetitive ports.  Really want to try Utopia but not a fan of short Bahamas only options   Do you have more than a week?   Some of the southern/eastern trips tend to be 8-12 days with some built in seas days.   Really enjoy a sea day to start and end our trips now, very relaxing. 
We enjoyed the A and C islands (didn't stop in Bonnaire) on Odyssey of the Seas.   
Really enjoyed Odyssey, very modern--great ship, and Aruba is spectacular.
 
St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and San Juan are a great itinerary if you can get it.   Baltimore and Bayonne offer those during winter months.  
 

There are "traffic lights". If you sit in the aqua theatre and turn around the look back and up to the two top corners, you will see during the show that there are "traffic lights" there. A red and a green. The divers look at that before they jump. Normally, it's always red. You will see it turn green before they jump. You can see that I have spent some time doing this lol
I saw this in one of those RCTV documentary years ago about the workings of the Aqua Theatre and I always look now. Sometimes, I even miss the dive because I am so busy turned around 😂

I enjoy running on the track when we're at sea and I go like 10 miles in 3 minutes. Eat my dust! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Will let you know in a few weeks re: Icon track. 

Crew members with the 300 foot hoses at 5:30 AM?  Yes.   It gets pretty wet.  I feel bad running through their freshly cleaned areas.

What the jogging track is during peak sunbathing times:
 

Crew members with the 300 foot hoses at 5:30 AM?  Yes.   It gets pretty wet.  I feel bad running through their freshly cleaned areas.

Oasis class distances (taken on Symphony). Soooo much better than on the teeny tiny ships. 😂

 

@smokeybandit, I totally hear you - it doesn't matter if I'm on vacation or doing my normal day, I wake up at the same time ALL. THE. TIME. Argh.
While I'm not a fan of Oasis-class ships in general, I do love the track on there. It's fabulous at 5am, and then fabulous again after 9pm. 
@Va4fam 18 laps for 1 mile?!?? Holy cow! I remember the student rec center at my college needed 12 laps for 1 mile, and I thought that was ridiculous. You win!
Love getting out on those tracks for walking/running. While I like being on the top deck for Voyager- and Freedom-class ships, I really don't like how small and narrow it is. However, at 5am, it's never an issue of avoiding other passengers, it's avoiding being sprayed by the hose from crew members! 🤣

I do a lot of running on the ship (track or treadmill).  Anxiously awaiting pics and reports of the gym and track on Icon!!
Typically the left is for runners or fast walkers....always common courtesy to go back to the right lane after passing.   Early in the morning is best time for me with less people out and no sunscreen needed.  No shade for most ships.    Anytime after about 7:30 or 8AM turns into people and chair dodging.  No fun.
Oasis ships are better protected from sun and wind and have less people wandering around the track during day.
On Anthem, lanes are marked at starting area towards the back starboard side of the ship....before you get to the groovy van and rock climbing wall.  See pic below. 

Laziness? Allergic to exercise? I could go on...

I do a lot of running on the ship (track or treadmill).  Anxiously awaiting pics and reports of the gym and track on Icon!!
Typically the left is for runners or fast walkers....always common courtesy to go back to the right lane after passing.   Early in the morning is best time for me with less people out and no sunscreen needed.  No shade for most ships.    Anytime after about 7:30 or 8AM turns into people and chair dodging.  No fun.
Oasis ships are better protected from sun and wind and have less people wandering around the track during day.
On Anthem, lanes are marked at starting area towards the back starboard side of the ship....before you get to the groovy van and rock climbing wall.  See pic below.