WAAAYTOOO

Thank you. The time isn’t the issue. It’s my patience that is short. I have spent 20 minutes on these 2 pix from the AA Club. What a nuisance ! ???

Thank you so much, John !

So, here we sit at the Admirals Club. First Uber ride I’ve ever taken where the driver never uttered a single word. Wasn’t creepy b/c Dan was there but would have been very bizarre if I had been alone. Nothing particularly striking about the Club. Pretty standard stuff. For those familiar with AA Clubs, there is the obligatory avocado kiosk. Not quite sure why AA has put all its chips (pun intended) on avocados, but I have yet to enter an Admiral’s Club anywhere around the world where they don’t have someone serving avocados in some form. Dan, intently pecking away on HIS iPad Approximately 30 minutes before we have to board. According to the AA app, our plane is at the gate so no reason to believe we won’t depart on time. Tampa, here we come !

Thanks so much !

What great friends !

Congratulations ! I know you will have a ball. SJ is a great port. Just walk around and take it all in.

I can't believe it's over already ! They go by SO fast.

Bingo !

Thanks so much ! We're very excited about this one.

Thank you !!! I know we will.

Thanks, Twangbot. See you on 12-1.

$20/DAY ? That's horrible. Not that I would probably want to gorge on BBQ multiple times per day but this is the first I have EVER heard about there being a per day limit on ANY specialty dining with the UDP. I really don't understand how Royal allows this kind of avoidable confusion regarding the UDP. I completely understand that each ship is a separate cost center and that they have the ability to make individual decisions about how their programs are implemented but with things like UDP there needs to be some RULES, for goodness sake ! IMO, if the ship does not want to adhere to the rules that Corporate sets down for the UDP then the ship should have to opt out of it altogether. Never knowing what the rules and situations are going to be from ship-to-ship is just WRONG. Dismount soap box.

I promised Sabrina that I would do this, so here goes. First: I am the worst live blogger EVER since I hate to take pix. I DO realize that long, text review/live blogs are less effective b/c nobody wants to sit and read line after line of text. I hate it myself ! So I am going to TRY and be brief-er than usual and TRY and incorporate photos, which are 2 things I am not very good at (brevity and photography). Who: Dan and I (Raye) What: S2S cruises on Brilliance and Oasis. Where: Tampa then Miami When: 24 - 30 Nov (Brilliance out of Tampa) then 1 - 8 December (Oasis out of Miami) Why: Because we can...and this will be our first S2S At home, writing this but leaving for the airport (DCA) at 2PM. Uber, cost $81.56. We have to have an XL due to luggage. Honestly, it's not that far to the airport. We live about 20 miles south of DC so it's not more than 15-17 miles to the airport. Kinda high, IMO but still cheaper than parking the car in Long Term Parking for 15 days. We will pass some time at the American Airlines Admiral's Club prior to boarding and then fly First Class to Tampa. Flight is at 5:00, arriving TPA at ~7:30PM. Will Uber from airport to the hotel (Tampa Marriott Water Street); used rewards points for the hotel. We could have used airline miles for the air but we're saving those reward points for a yet-to-be scheduled Alaska trip !! One piece of luggage still missing as it is awaiting inevitable forgotten, last-minute items. So looking forward to Brilliance. #1, we have never sailed on Brilliance before and #2, it has been many years since we sailed on a Radiance class ship. PS. I am already having fits with just 1 pic. I don't know how the rest of you do it !! More, later from the Admiral's Club !!

YIPPEE !! I see Joyce ! She will be our Genie next week. So it looks like there are 4 Genies on now. I guess that makes sense with the addition of 2 new SC rooms way up front.

YIPPEE !!! Some vindication for my Genie. She said that all of the rooms were refreshed. Glad to see it !

Have a a GREAT cruise. We will pass you as you’re leaving and we are boarding.

There is a current thread on Cruise Critic. Apparently Explorer had a Cruise Compass showing that the Solarium age is 18. It has not been confirmed that is true or was a typo in the CC and other ships have not shown a similar age requirement.

Congratulations !

What are you referring to by "bonus amenity" ? Are you talking about welcome gifts ?

I don't think anyone knows the answer to that yet. Maybe Matt can tell us. IMO it should be...as an a la carte restaurant it seems that you would get a $35 PP credit just like you do at Izumi or any of the other a la carte restaurants. I can tell you in 9 days but for now, it's just a guess.

I LOVE this. What a cute idea.

I know, right ? Who steals stuff off of other people’s’ doors ? I know it happens....sadly...but I just don’t get it.

We have never done matching shirts but I am always impressed by families that the time to do this. I think it’s very cute.

Coincidentally, our MEI Agent, Michelle Cunningham, lives less than 10 miles from us. She has booked us on dozens of cruises, and we have met in person, only once. So the Agent’s proximity to you is not important.

If it’s any consolation to you, our Genie has made our lunch and dinner reservations for us for embarkation day and they are not appearing in our cruise planner, either. We have had our Concierge and/or Genie handle reservations for us, precruise, literally hundreds of times and never once have we failed to have the correct reservations when we arrived. If they’ve told you it is taken care of, it is taken care of. Don’t worry, and don’t expect them to show up on the app or cruise planner. Their process is separate and very dependable. ??