JohnK6404

YOLO booked it! Please add: Allure, 5/11/25... Western Mediterranean Book Later reservation from Next Cruise burning a hole in my pocket. I've never been across the Atlantic so this is a bucket list item for me! We'll see how the airfare works out... worst case scenario, I'll just lose my $200 reduced deposit. Will be our second time on Allure (was hoping for Symphony to return). Hopefully, at worst she'll be all cleaned up and shiny after her drydock, at best she'll be amplified!

Here are the digital Cruise Compasses for our sailing (10/29/23-11/05/23)... just in case anyone has any interest! 2023_1029_Cruise Compass_Day 1.pdf 2023_1029_Cruise Compass_Day 2.pdf 2023_1029_Cruise Compass_Day 3.pdf 2023_1029_Cruise Compass_Day 4.pdf 2023_1029_Cruise Compass_Day 5.pdf 2023_1029_Cruise Compass_Day 6.pdf 2023_1029_Cruise Compass_Day 7.pdf

Oh, another website quick question! Is there a way to get rid of the column to the right of the post? "Top Posters in this Topic", "Popular Days", "Posted Images", etc? When I pull up an old blog, it displays the full screen without the that column on the right... hmmm...

One of the examples I showed the photographer as proof from that same restaurant (150 Central Park) back in January... even has the date printed up top... at least we know now!

Good to know! Thanks! Will keep that in mind for the next time we purchase the UDP.

Final Wrap-Up, Random Thoughts & Observations As with every other cruise with Royal Caribbean to date, we all had an absolutely amazing time! Airports & Cruise Port Islip/LI MacArthur Airport (ISP) is an absolute pleasure to fly into and out of especially when you can book a non-stop early AM flight. We’re lucky that Southwest offers non-stop flights to Orlando (MCO) and Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) and that we can purchase the resident parking passes for the airport (ISP). We also now have TSA PreCheck, but with such an early flight, we didn’t need it as we flew through security (no line)! Orlando Intl. Airport was a pleasure this time around (vs. JAN 2023). The TSA PreCheck line was almost non-existent and we flew through security once again. Port Canaveral was also a pleasure to navigate overall with the Key. Our hotel shuttle bus was able to pull into Cruise Terminal 1 without traffic delays. We booked the earliest boarding window (10:30am-11:00am), but the terminal passenger traffic outside was building up already. Once we entered the terminal, we could see it was completely full and the line was growing outside! I can’t imagine that all of these people had early boarding times! Thankfully, there was a dedicated “Key” line to the far left just inside the terminal doors and we flew through the terminal to security with little to no waiting time. Once through security, we went up the escalator and we were greeted by dedicated cruise terminal employees that expedited our check-in process. The ship had started boarding, so we just walked past the waiting area and boarded the ship… no sitting/waiting/standing in line at any time in the terminal. We were in the Royal Promenade in no time! Hotel We liked the Radisson Resort at the Port (Port Canaveral). Nice property with an on-site full-service restaurant (Flamingo’s ) and so close to the port (we could see the top of the ship from the hotel). They offered a shuttle to the port (included for us since we booked the “Fly, Stay, and Cruise” package). Just keep in mind that this hotel is designed like a motel. Room doors open up to the outside. The décor was also very dated and badly in need of an update or “amplification” (textured walls and old dark brown colonial furniture), but the room was clean and served its purpose. Dining Experience We only had dinner once in the MDR this sailing (formal evening #2 – lobstertails) and the food and service was fine and as expected. On our last sailing on Wonder (JAN 2023), the MDR service was the worst we’ve experienced on Royal to date. The waiter on that sailing apologized profusely throughout the week and explained his assistant was a new trainee. We purchased the Unlimited Dining Package for the first time for this sailing. We ate primarily in specialty restaurants. Service in all of the specialty restaurants was amazing as usual. The waiters all went out of their way to ensure that we were completely satisfied with our meals. One of the folks in our party needs to follow a gluten-free diet and they were all very accommodating. Service at the Coco Beach Club restaurant, as well as the bar service, was outstanding as always! The food was delicious once again. Loved having the Starbucks machines/products in the Café Promenade. We made sure to work our DBP and ordered hot/iced coffees, cappuccinos, and Frappuccinos (I love the caramel) every day of the cruise! We usually ignore the Starbucks kiosks while onboard… the Lavazza coffee is normally good enough for us! Perfect Day CocoCay The beach club just never disappoints us! Once again, we were thankfully the only ship in port. We purchased it at $88.99 last BF/CM cruise planner sale, so we felt it was well worth it for the private resort feel, excellent service, and upgraded lunch (Surf & Turf). Next May (Icon), we booked Hideaway Beach for a change of pace as this was our third visit to the beach club. The infinity pool temperature was perfect and never crowded. The beach was beautiful as well, but we spent most of our time in the infinity pool! This time we spent the whole day at the beach club. We normally explore the island, but decided to stay at the beach club this time. Cabin We had an Oceanview balcony on this sailing (9156 – port side). My wife’s uncle had the same category cabin just down the hall (9186). We loved the location as we were just forward of the elevator tower and only one deck above our favorite neighborhood, Central Park! I love Oasis class since you can traverse the ship easily on three main decks to get to the other elevator tower and anywhere on the ship in between: Royal Promenade (5), Central Park (8), or the pool deck (15). No need to shuffle through narrow and winding stateroom hallways! Our stateroom attendant (Timothy) was absolutely amazing. Very friendly and helpful. He must have a 6th sense as every time we exited the cabin, he would mysteriously appear in the hall outside and say “Hello!”. No sneaking past him! Entertainment/Activities The Aqua Theater show, “inTENse: Maximum Performance!” was excellent once again. On this sailing, due to slightly rough seas at times, they had to cancel multiple performances for the performer’s safety. Thankfully, our show was rescheduled automatically to the final evening and the show went off without a hitch. “Tap Factory: Energy Machine” in the Royal Theater is worth seeing if you did not catch it on another ship (we saw it on Odyssey) or previously on Wonder. We skipped it this time since we’ve seen it twice since last year and it’s our least favorite of the main production shows on Wonder. “Voices” in the Royal Theater was excellent once again! If you love vocalists and music from different eras, then you will likely love the show. “Ice Spectacular: 365” in Studio B was excellent as usual. Another unique experience only on Royal ships that we never miss. “The Effectors II: Crash & Burn” in the Royal Theater. Simple plot… bad guy (Crash) escapes with help from new sidekick (Burn), tries to seek revenge by capturing each of the Effectors, and eventually is captured once again. It’s mostly about the technology including the lasers, drones, and drone “vehicle” that flies above the audience (think of the plane in “Flight” from what I understand) on the lower level. Some sequences were very similar to the original ”Effectors” on Odyssey (scenes introducing the characters). This time, we skipped the Key reserved seating section (upper level) and sat dead center on the lower level. Last time, sitting in the Key section, we felt disconnected from the show as all of the action (lasers, drones, etc.) appears in front of you and in the distance. Also, on the upper level, there is a balcony railing that tends to cut off the bottom of the stage. We all enjoyed the show much more this time as we were immersed in the action as the drones flew over us, etc. We skipped the “Adult Comedy LIVE” show in The Attic this time. We were too tired to go to the 10:00 pm show. The “All Access Ship Tour” was excellent! Something everyone should try to experience at some point! Of course, this is not necessarily something you would repeat on a regular basis. The “Pickleball at Sea” beginner clinic was fun. We have never played before and I think my wife is hooked! It’s amazing that we’ve spent 15 nights on Wonder this year and we still haven’t experienced all that she has to offer! Random Thoughts and Observations * We spent time in the solarium almost every day, but as was the case last January, we could not access the bridge wings on either side. They were always closed/roped off. * Photo packages: Just an FYI, they apparently have changed the policy. Back in January, the photo packages included photos taken in specialty dining restaurants. Many of our best photos were taken during specialty dining at 150 Central Park, etc. At some point this year they must have changed the policy and now these photos are no longer included. How did we find out? While eating in 150 Central Park, a photographer came by and took a number of photos. He returned later during the meal with printed photos presented in a nice cardboard portfolio. He explained that these photos are not included in the photo package and would cost us $29.99 for one, $39.99 for three, etc. When I showed him the photos we took at the same restaurant earlier this year on Wonder, he was very surprised. He had no explanation of course. We declined to purchase the photos out of principle. Before complaining to Guest Services, I checked the cruise planner description (we purchased the 20-photo package when it was $119.99) which now states these photos are excluded from the package. * The Key: Our first experience with the Key was back in May 2019 on Allure. What an amazing experience! We paid just $19.99 pp/day and it was worth every single penny! The embarkation day lunch was hosted in Chops Grille. The reserved seating sections were prime seating in the middle of the lower level in every venue. We were always just behind the suite guest reserved section. When we disembarked the ship on the last morning, we were personally escorted off the ship (in groups) to the dedicated customs line shared with Star class guests. Following that experience, we purchased the Key for 3 of the next 4 sailings, but on each subsequent sailing, the cost increased and the benefits started to erode (currently $41.99 pp/day for our May Icon sailing – more than doubled!). First, the Key embarkation day lunch was moved to the MDR. Our first experience with the Key lunch in the MDR was excellent, but the last few have not been nearly as good! The service has been progressively worse and it’s clear that they are utilizing trainees or newer crew members to help work these lunches. The temperature of the food is not consistent as well. Secondly, they moved the Key reserved sections to less than desirable locations IMHO in each venue. In the Aqua Theater and Studio B, the reserved section has been to the far left of the venue. In the Royal Theater, the reserved section is in the upper level. The problem with the upper level… sit too close to the railing and the bottom of the stage is cut off… sit too far back and the top of the stage area is blocked. Plus, with the more interactive shows like the Effectors, all of the action is over your head when you’re seated in the lower level. Finally, not as big a deal, you exit the ship on your own along with everyone else. No expedited debarkation process. We still enjoy the carry-on drop off service on embarkation day and the debarkation day breakfast, but we really never took advantage of some of the other benefits. The dedicated reserved times for activities (Zipline, Ultimate Abyss, Rock Climbing Wall, etc.) often conflicted with port excursions so we’ve never been able to take advantage of this perk. Priority departure at ports has never really been necessary. I haven’t sailed an itinerary with the need to tender in over a decade (at the old Coco Cay last time in 2010! ) and whenever we go down to the gangway to depart the ship, there is little to no wait. I think we’re probably going to pass on the Key next time and for the foreseeable future… * Dining: What is it with Royal constantly changing the MDR Traditional Dining times? We originally booked Early Traditional Dining at 5:30 pm. The cruise docs then moved it to 5:00 pm. OK, not a big deal… the same thing happened to us on Odyssey in 2022 and on Wonder this past January. We board the ship, collect our Sea Passes which now all state My Time Dining? Thankfully, we only wanted to make one MDR reservation for Day 6 (Formal evening #2). We explained the situation and they booked us a table for four for 5:30 pm. * Final observation/recommendation: Always check your onboard account activity at least daily! We were probably just lucky in the past, but we’ve never had to correct charges to our account. On this sailing, we had numerous incorrect charges to our account. One erroneous charge involved the application of the C&A 50% off any glass of wine/beer benefit… we had the DBP! There should be no additional charge of course. I went to Guest Services and they apologized and removed the charge. The next erroneous charge was at Playmakers. I had ordered the chicken tenders appetizer and a soda. The appetizer was less than $10, well below the $20 credit from the UDP, and the soda is included in the DBP. Somehow, the waitress charged me for a $15 chicken sandwich? I noticed it while we were still there and I went directly to the bar and they removed the charge. We had a couple of other small charges which were removed. I wonder if they get confused with the UDP and DBP. Just remember there is always the potential for human error. You don’t want to notice these issues on the last day (nightmare lines at Guest Services) or after you return home when it’s often too late to do anything about it. Bottom line, we had an amazing time and will continue to be loyal to Royal! Having another cruise booked always makes disembarking the ship much less painful! Our next sailing will be in 6 months on Icon (5/11/24). Can’t wait to see what she has to offer! We’ll finally reach Diamond after that sailing (77 points now). I wish we lived in Florida so we could jump on a 3-nighter! Thanks so much for following along!

DAY 8: * DEBARKATION DAY * - (SUN, 11/5) Oh noooo! The dreaded morning arrived all too soon! I woke up earlier than Christine (surprise, surprise ) and saw some lights shining through the balcony curtains. We were already docked at Cruise Terminal 1 and the MSC Seaside passed by us making her way into Port Canaveral. We met up with the rest of our party and headed to Deck 4 of the MDR for our final special “Key” breakfast. I ordered my usual, the “Royal VIP Signature” breakfast with Smoked Sausage Links, and some freshly squeezed OJ (gotta milk that DBP until the very end!). We finished breakfast, grabbed our carry-ons, and headed to the Royal Promenade to exit the ship (same level, Deck 4). After we snaked our way down the ramps through the terminal and down to the luggage claim area, we found our bags in the designated “Key” area. Customs was easy since they utilize the facial recognition equipment in Port Canaveral. Our “Fly, Stay, and Cruise” package purchased through the Radisson, also included shuttle service directly from the port to the Orlando airport. We had a 9:00 am pickup with Cocoa Beach Express, but we got to the parking garage literally two minutes late (9:02 am) and they had just left! We saw them pull away! The parking garage was a madhouse as our sailing had a very large group of disabled guests onboard, many in wheelchairs, that understandably created a logistical nightmare for these shuttle services! The woman handling the Cocoa Beach Express check-ins was frazzled and kept saying that this has never happened before. We were a little aggravated when they explained that the next airport shuttle would not arrive until 10:00 am! I wasn’t too stressed since we now have TSA PreCheck. Last time, it was a disaster at MCO waiting to get through security (45-50 minutes), so we applied for the TSA PreCheck as soon as we returned so we would never go through that stressful delay again! Thankfully, the Cocoa Beach Express folks were kind and called dispatch to arrange for another smaller shuttle to pick us up around 9:20 am so we didn't have to wait until the 10:00 am shuttle. We made it to the airport a little after 10:00 am with plenty of time to spare! I love the TSA PreCheck as there was barely a line and we did not have to take anything out of our bags, remove our shoes, etc., when going through security! The return flight was uneventful… we had a changeover at Baltimore (BWI) before returning home to Islip/MacArthur (ISP) on time. I'll be back to finally wrap this blog up with my final thoughts/comments and observations! Thanks for following along!

I completely missed the buffet when we sailed on Wonder last January! I had heard somewhere (either here or on YouTube) that they served breakfast. I got up early on a couple of days (around 6:00 am) to walk the ship to take pics and I noticed they were open a little after 6:00 am (no guests of course were eating yet). That's when I asked the crew member for their hours. I bet some days there could be a delay in opening, but at least for Wonder, that was their schedule.

We had El Loco Fresh for breakfast one day on Wonder just last week... I spoke to a crew member and he stated they open the breakfast buffet at 6:00 am on port days and 8:00 am on sea days... I hope they open it up for you too on Oasis! Some pics:

Will be following! Have a great time!

Matt answered your question, but here is the schedule Royal released so far... "Coming Soon"... 2025-2026_Deployment_Opening_Schedule.pdf (rccl.com)

Welcome! Start here: Best shore excursion in every Caribbean cruise port | Royal Caribbean Blog

** SORRY! SOMEHOW DUP POST! PLEASE DELETE IF POSSIBLE! **

With the DBP now at $85.99 even with the BOGO 50% for our May sailing (Icon), I think we're going to pick up the refreshment package too this time! I can't justify paying and extra $62 pp each day just to add the alcohol. We'll have to a-la-carte the alcohol until we hit Diamond after this next cruise!

Not surprised in the current rate climate, but was hoping the 2025 rates would be a little lower. * Alaska (MAY-JUNE) on Quantum/Anthem roughly $4,600-$5,000 for OV balcony (when you choose cabin). * Western Med (MAY-JUNE) on Allure roughly $3,100-$3,500 for OV balcony (when you pick). * Greek Isles (OCT) from Rome on Odyssey (7 or 10 night) roughly $3,600-$4,400 for OV balcony (when you pick). Hmmm... need to make a decision soon either way. Probably a wash since the airfare to Seattle will be cheaper than airfare to Barcelona, Rome, etc., from NY.

DAY 7: * SEA DAY * - (SAT, 11/4)… Conclusion! We headed to dinner at Giovanni’s… The rolls/garlic knots they bring out to the table were very good! We also ordered Caesar Salads and a Meatball Gigante… I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana. Not New York Italian restaurant good, but still very tasty. For dessert… We ordered Mamma’s Tiramisu, Go Bananas, and the Pistachio Panna Cotta… … all delicious! After dinner, yep… back to cabin to pack some more! Tonight we have the rescheduled Aqua Theater show, “inTENse: Maximum Performance”. Once again, we just showed up 20 minutes before the show and sat dead center in the theater. We skipped the Key reserved section this time because last time on Wonder (last JAN) it was on the far left of the theater. Once again, we were dead center and the performers would often pass just above my head! Soooo close… felt like she could have walked on my head as she passed over me! The show was amazing as always! Just like the ice skating show, completely unique to Royal. After the show I took a few pics of Central Park and then headed back to the cabin to complete packing. CP from Decks 15 & 16 facing forward… Now, looking to the rear/aft of the ship… Peeking down in to the Royal Promenade… Bags packed with the Key tags… saddest sight! I’ll be back to wrap up the final morning, etc. Have a good evening everyone!

DAY 7: * SEA DAY * - (SAT, 11/4)… LAST DAY! We woke up and stepped onto our balcony to find the Caribbean Princess just off the port side of the ship. Today is the last day of the cruise, I’m assuming she is also heading back to Florida to conclude her sailing. We had breakfast once again in the Solarium Bistro. My wife's uncle and GF headed back to their cabin to start packing. We also began packing, but then decided to head to the Solarium for some quality hot tub (and pool) time. My wife is a water baby and I can’t keep her away for too long! Here’s that double hot tub that cantilevers over the side of the ship on the starboard side (right side) of the ship just as you enter the Solarium. Amazing views from that hot tub! Just a couple more pics of the Solarium… For lunch, we all met at Hooked Seafood… Nice biscuits… Most of us had the Claim & Crab Chowder… also very nice… Half of us had the Maine Lobster Roll and the other half had the Messy Fish Sandwich… … a side of Cajun French Fries… For dessert, I had the Coconut Cream Pie… My wife of course had the Decadent Chocolate Brownie… After lunch, we all went back to pack some more. We met in the Solarium an hour or so before dinner to relax in the padded loungers by the windows. Our final dinner was at Giovanni’s…

DAY 6: * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)… conclusion! Taking a short break while I work! Just wanted to wrap up Day 6. After the show, we all stopped by the Schooner Bar to listen to the piano player and have a few drinks. I forgot how loud they crank the volume up in the Schooner Bar. I’m all for loud music, I also love my home theater system, but it was REALLY loud! On top of that, none of us were impressed by the performer. Probably the worst performer we’ve heard to date in any venue on a Royal ship. I had heard Royal created new drinks for the Schooner Bar, so I ordered the Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Toasted Marshmallow Syrup, and Cocoa Bitters… Served with 4 mini toasted marshmallows). I love the PB&J Old Fashioned in the Mason Jar so I figured I give this drink a shot. Not a fan… a little funky for my tastebuds and not easy to finish. I like bourbon, so it must have been the other ingredients. We finally had enough of the piano player and left the bar. My wife’s uncle and GF headed back to their cabin. Christine and I headed to the Boardwalk and grabbed a table outside at Playmakers. Hey, gotta use that UDP once again! I ordered the Pile On Nachos with Pulled Pork and Christine ordered the Playmakers Fries. Both were tasty. Not the best pics! We walked around for a bit and finally headed back to the cabin for the evening.

Thanks! I'll take a look at their products.

Thanks so much! Just my iPhone 14 Pro Max. My Nikon DSLR camera body is ancient and not worth taking on cruises at this point. The outdated sensor in my camera is unusable in low light without flash and it's only 10MP. I'll probably have to splurge on a new camera body if we go to Alaska down the road so I can take advantage of my lenses.

DAY 6: * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)… continued… To speed this long day up… We had lunch at Chops Grille. We all had the Wild Mushroom Soup and the Colossal Shrimp Cocktail for our appetizers… Loved the warm pretzel rolls! Compared to the 6 ounce on the Key lunch menu, Chops offers an 8 oz. Angus Filet Mignon on the lunch menu. I like mine cooked medium to medium well. The waiter offered to have my filet butterflied so I gave that a try. The meat was perfect! Just enough pink for my taste and more flavorful and tender than the filet we had on embarkation day in the MDR. We ordered multiple sides including the Gruyère Cheese Tator Tots, Mashed Potatoes, and Mac & Cheese. You know you’re on a cruise when you always have dessert with your lunch! I went with the Key Lime Meringue Pie which was excellent. A couple of pic of the inside of the restaurant… We spent the afternoon on the pool deck and in the Solarium. We never had a problem grabbing a convenient lounger in either location which was surprising. Maybe they are really monitoring the chair hogs! Fast forward to dinner. This night was the second formal evening… lobster night a.k.a. “The Royal Night” in the MDR. This was the only evening we ate in the MDR. A little background on the MDR dining time. When we booked the cruise, we all selected the Early Traditional dining time of 5:30 PM. Royal later changed it to 5:00 PM on the Cruise Docs. However, when we received our SeaPass cards onboard, they changed it to My Time Dining! Since we all purchased the Unlimited Dining Package and only planned on eating in the MDR on this evening, it wasn’t that much of a hassle. We went to the MDR on the first evening and explained the situation and they made a 5:30 PM reservation for the four of us. I ordered my favorites off the menu… Baked French Onion Soup, Maine Lobster Tail, and the Baked Alaska. We all enjoyed our meals. After dinner we posed for some photos and then headed back to our cabins to change out of our formal wear. Tonight, we have “The Effectors II: Crash & Burn” in the Royal Theater. For those not familiar, this is the “sequel” to the original production currently on Odyssey. It’s all about the tech and meant to be a fun show (characters are video game or comic book type characters/heroes). Don’t worry about following a complex plot! Spoilers… LOL! In the first installment on Odyssey, the Effectors eventually capture Crash (main villain) and imprison him somewhere in the Caribbean Sea (they say somewhere between Miami and Coco Cay ). In this sequel, Crash escapes with the help of a sidekick (Burn) and tries to capture all of the Effectors. Naturally, in the end, the Effectors capture Crash and Burn. Last January, we made the mistake of watching the show in the reserved Key section. In the Royal Theater, the Key seating section is in the upper-level. One issue we had was that the railing cut-off the bottom of the stage. Also, all of the action (lasers, small drones, and large drone) occurred well in front of us. This time around, we decided to sit mid-way up the center section in the lower-level. There were plenty of seats when we arrived 20 minutes before the start of the show. We found the show to naturally be more immersive as all of the lasers and flying objects were overhead. OK, time for bed... I'll try to wrap up Day 6 soon! Goodnight everyone!

I believe they take the rude and nasty guests to the bone crusher... LOL! ... or to the larger, secret trash compactor...

Thanks again! Yes, the all access tour is one of those things you should definitely book down the road. Not something you would probably repeat for some time.

DAY 6: * SEA DAY * - (FRI, 11/3)… continued… Our busy, busy day continues! I met Christine in the Windjammer for breakfast. It was still early, so there were no crowds and plenty of tables. They still had not opened up the whole restaurant when we arrived. Next up this morning was our “All Access Ship Tour”! We’ve always wanted to do this tour, but we never got around to booking it. With the “Premier Pass “ Cruise Planner mini-fiasco, we both had OBC which we used to offset some of the cost of the tour. Also, what better ship to tour than the largest and most technologically advanced ship in the fleet (currently in service). Photographs were encouraged, but video is not permitted. We all met in the MDR and the guide provided us with an “All Access” pass and lanyard, as well as, an earpiece that was used throughout the tour for narration by each of the speakers. Surprised we got to keep the pass and lanyard... too bad we couldn't sneak onto another tour! LOL! We started in the MDR and took a tour of one of the MDR galleys… Next, we jumped onto “I-95” (of course named after the interstate) which traverses the entire length of the ship. Think of Disney’s underground network that their cast members use to get around the park, etc. We stopped next in the Engine Control Room… we first had to go through a security check... Next, onto the recycling/waste disposal area (forgot technical name, LOL!). They explained that waste food is actually dumped into the ocean (fish food). Some items are recycled, while other items are incinerated onboard or crushed and removed from the ship upon return to port. I believe this is where they take the rude and nasty guests to... Back onto “I-95” and a tour of a couple of the food storage areas. They explained there are 21 provision refrigerators and freezers on the ship. They also explained that they generally store enough food for 7-9 days (closer to 9 during hurricane season). The rooms are somewhat empty because we toured the morning of Day 6. Next, on to the Laundry Facilities area… all washing is done on another level and sent down to this level… Huge and amazing machine that dries, presses, and folds the bed sheets! Area where they repair garments, etc… Demo on how they steam and press pants. They explained crew uniforms are all laundered and pressed here as well… Demo of they steam shirts, etc… Next… up to the bridge! Of course, another security check before entering the bridge! When we arrived, Capt. Rob, was not on the bridge. The tour is of course handled by another officer. We spent most of the time on one of the bridge wings (port side)… As the bridge tour wrapped up, Capt. Rob returned to the bridge (on right side)… A few of us had stayed back a little to speak with the officer that gave the tour. The rest of the group had moved on and as we headed off the bridge, Capt. Rob came by for a moment. One of the other folks in our group took a selfie with the Captain, but we just said a quick “Hello!” and headed out to catch up with the rest of the group. Maybe I could have stayed for a quick pic, but we didn’t want to take advantage and push it! The tour finished in the Aqua Theater. The speaker (one of the guys that provide underwater support during the show wearing scuba gear) provided and overview of the theater, equipment, safety protocols, and answered the group’s questions. A few of the performers were hanging out and practicing some basic dives off of the trampoline…