Vangrizz

So now that I'm back home and had some time to reflect, wanted to recap the cruise and the last day.  
For debarkation, we had to have our bags ready by 7am for the porter to come get them from the room.  We would not be leaving the ship until 9, so this was annoying to have to get up early, especially since on Anthem they came and got us and the bags at the same time.  I have a feeling this is a Port Miami issue though.  
We did have breakfast delivered to our room in the morning, and then we met Smitha on the Promenade to have her walk us off the ship.  Unfortunately, Port Miami does not allow the Genies onto the lower level, so she took us to the elevator and we said our goodbyes.  She apologized that she couldn't take us farther, as she knows other Ports the Genies can escort all the way to the CBP line.  Getting through customs was easy with Facial Recognition, although I am slightly concerned of where this information comes from, but that's a conspiracy theory for another day.  Once outside, it was an absolute nightmare trying to get transportation.  RC offered an airport transfer to FLL for $30pp, and in hindsight I wish we would have taken it as we got hit with surge pricing on Uber.  I tried Lyft as it would have been 1/3 the price, but we had 5 people, and the "XL" vehicles they kept trying to send us were far from XL.  Eventually we got a ride and made it to the airport safe and sound.  
Now for the recap:
As Abby and I were breaking this cruise down, we're not sure how to feel about it.  Overall, this experience was probably a 7 out of 10.  The problem is that we are used to RC cruises being a 7 on the low point with spikes of 10+.  So this was a "good" cruise, but not "great".  Even our non-SC cruises always have multiple memorable "wow" moments or crew members, but this was just kind of flat across the board.  
Our last two cruises have been group cruises, so perhaps that's tainted our thoughts a little.  Plus this one we had the in-laws, so that added some stress.  And there was nothing overall negative on this cruise, just not the large number of WOW moments.  
Kids:
AO Staff was amazing, and there was never a long line to drop off or pickup.  Virginia really liked the new AO layout.  She also loved the new Splashaway Bay.  She was really bummed she couldn't do the big water slides.  She missed that they didn't have Pajama night on the last night.  We also missed the "talent show" that they used to do on Oasis.  She had a great experience with the Ice Show.
Entertainment:
We did not do the headliner show, comedy, or Cats.  The main production show was pretty good.  The dancing and acrobatics were better than the singing.  The Ice Show is always amazing, and Virginia had a great time riding in the Swan.  Aqua80 is also fantastic.  That was the main reason we booked the ATS room because Virginia loved it and we wanted to watch it several times.  I think we saw it 5 times, and it was great each time.  The other musicians around the ship were fine, nothing spectacular.  The cruise director was fine, nothing great or terrible, which is how I like my CD.  
Food:
Room service was hit or miss.  A lot of errors or delays.  Smitha told us she'd had several issues and asked that we mention them so that perhaps they would be taken more seriously.  Giovanni's took forever, almost 2 hours.  150CP was excellent as always.  I was surprised at the lack of options in the WJ.  There were half as many stations available as what we just had on Freedom, and the only thing I can think is that they make it smaller since there are so many other options to eat.  Playmakers was good, and never appeared super crowded, showing the difference in demographic.  The buffalo chicken crunch roll was my favorite item eaten on this cruise, it was fantastic.  The campfire cookie is also very good.  El Loco Fresh was also fantastic.  The guac is really good.  We never made it there for breakfast, and I wish we would have.  Izumi is always good, and we had a great experience on both the Sushi side and Hibachi.  Johnny Rockets was good as usual.  Portside is also a good addition.  The turkey leg was my favorite item, and the wings would be better without so much sauce.  The mac and cheese could use help, but the beans and cornbread were great.  Also, FRESH ICED TEA!!!!!
Genie:
Smitha was super friendly and personable, and got more so as the week went on.  We finally started seeing some of her personality on day 6 and wish we would have seen it earlier in the cruise.  I do feel like the experience was more of a "personal concierge" than a Genie though.  There wasn't the WOW experience, but I feel like that was more a factor of how much physical ground they have to cover.  I also believe she had some other difficult families.  While I can understand this, from a selfish perspective, that shouldn't detract from my experience.  I feel like she was hindered by RC policy and decisions.  I can't imagine having to cover rooms so far from each other.  It did confirm that we had such a great experience with Shane on Anthem.  
Room: 
We love the room for being able to watch Aqua80 all the time.  We also loved that Virginia had her own room.  However, it definitely felt dated and not as high-end as the loft on Anthem.  It felt more like a large "standard" room.  Maybe the loft allows for more special feeling, but we are looking forward to the UPS on Oasis in a couple of years.  The fact that my head hit the ceiling in the shower was disappointing, and the bathrooms didn't have the large, opulent feel of those on Anthem.  
Crew:
All of the crew were friendly, but there were no rock stars like we've had on every other cruise.  Our stateroom attendant was very nice, but you can tell the difference between loft attendants and standard attendants.  The manager in Portside was excellent.  
Overall:
We had a good cruise, it was definitely relaxing and enjoyable, we just miss those super memorable moments.  Our cabin attendant making a towel animal with Virginia was super heartwarming, but that was about the only standout moment.  I love this itinerary with only 3 ports, but I'll be glad to not do it for a while.  Falmouth seems like a waste, and we were pretty bummed with El Cozumeleno.  
Now we are looking forward to Ovation in June with a bunch of cruise friends.  We missed all of you on this cruise!
 
Thanks for following along, I hope everyone enjoyed.

Day 4: Final Sea Day
I woke up this morning before everyone else, so I enjoyed some time on the balcony before everyone woke up.  We had breakfast delivered and then grabbed a latte from the concierge lounge.  We booked a cruise on Rhapsody through Next Cruise and took the kids to the arcade.  We played a few minutes of mini golf, but it was incredibly windy, so we didn't stay long.  We ordered dinner to the room as usual, but ordered less this time since Steven and I had dinner reservations at Izumi tonight.  The brownie on the MDR dessert menu tonight was delicious with vanilla ice cream.  We dropped the kids off at the nursery and AO and headed to the concierge lounge for a drink before dinner. 
Even though we have had Izumi many times, tonight was a new experience for us.  We usually have hibachi or sushi, but tonight we decided to try the hot rock since Brilliance does not offer hibachi.  Steven had the beef tenderloin, and I had the surf and turf.  We also had miso soup and the spicy shrimp tempura roll (with cream cheese added).  It was very tasty.
After dinner, we decided to try our luck in the casino and lost $15 in about 30 seconds so decided to not push our luck.  We embarrassed ourselves in pool and then I crushed Steven in a game of checkers.  We headed to our room to pack, and then picked up the kids.  We are currently waiting for room service to be delivered.  I will update tomorrow about the debarkation process.

Day 5 - Mystery Island, Vanuatu 
The last port stop. Arrived into Mystery Island, Vanuatu at around 7.30am. This is a tender port and is only inhabited when a cruise ship visits. There is a local village which comes over for the day by sea and no one lives on the island. 
Weather wasn’t the greatest as showers off and on but proceeded to the island around 11am. A short 5 min tender ride. The island is beautiful lots of lush palm trees and vegetation and some clear waters. There is also market stalls like hair braiding, souvenirs etc. 
We left at 5pm later than the originally proposed 3.30pm on the itinerary this gave extra time on the island which was great. It also meant a bit more speed on the way back to Sydney. Almost 23 knots at one point! 
Bionic Bar 
You have to give it a go once! A fun experience and seeing all the stats of the drinks was interesting on the screens. 
Dinner at Jamies Italian 
A throughly enjoyable experience! Top notch Italian! 

Got the email that our cruise photos are in, this is one of my favorites.

Day 4 - Noumeá, New Caledonia 
Our first port stop was Noumeá the main city of New Caledonia. Which is a French outpost. Arrived into the container port on time around 7.30am due to our size. There was in that case a bus shuttle to the City Centre (only about 5 minutes). 
Our Shore excursion wasn’t until 1pm so got off around 9.00am and had a walk around the centre and waterfront. It ain’t the prettiest city centre that’s for sure but managed to get a French pastry and enjoy an hour or so and take in the local sights. 
Returned to ship after that and then got off for the excursion at 1pm. This was the Noumeá sights and wine & cheese tasting tour (2hr 30). We started on a bus journey and went through various points of interest and local spots and lookouts. Let’s say out of the city Centre it’s a completely different place and quite beautiful. 
Sail away was 5pm and we left right on time. Beautiful views exiting the harbour. 
Dinner at Coastal Kitchen
Managed to get a booking for dinner here firstly i noticed how serene the space was and how nicely decorated it was as well. Service was definitely superb and the food a step up from the main dining room. 
Show - A Beautiful Dream 
One of the headline shows on Ovation which used the spectacular sets, lighting and choreography that the ship has and despite a slightly confused beginning ended up being a throughly enjoyable show. 

After 2 long years in dry dock, I just completed a cruise on Adventure of the Seas out of Port Everglades.  I sailed with my wife (my much better half) and surprised her with the Key.  I have read many reviews of the Key and I thought I would include my experience in the hope someone else might benefit.
 This was my first opportunity to purchase the Key.  When Royal introduced the Key I was quite intrigued by the offering and thought it was something worth trying; especially at the sale price of $19.99 per person per day.  My logic was similar to others, I had already committed to the luxury of purchasing the 2 device Surf + Stream so I would only be paying the difference for the Key.  It took Royal a long time to post the Key on my Cruise Planner and the initial price was $34.99.  This was way too expensive for me, so I initially gave up on the Key and purchased the 2 device Surf + Stream on sale.  Eventually, and it took months, the Key price dropped and after a couple of purchases and cancellations I got the Key for the sale price of $19.99.  It would seem Royal priced the Key beyond their customer’s interest and were forced to reduce the price.
Below is the Key welcome letter Royal provided once on-board.
 
So let’s talk about these Key benefits:
 Priority check-in and boarding.
We arrived at the port early, about 10:40, and after leaving our luggage with the porters approached security.  I looked for signage to direct Key guests but there was none so we just entered the single security queue with everyone else.  The line was short and it only took a few minutes to get to the front but once there I overheard someone ask the port employee where guests with the Key should go.  The employee opened the ropes and let those guests enter security, in front of us, bypassing everyone else in the queue.  Lesson learned, never assume and always ask.  Shame on Royal for not having any signage, still no harm, it maybe cost us 5-10 minutes.  After clearing security, I saw the Key signage for check-in and went there.  There was no line at the Suite/Key check-in area and with our expedited arrival we were on-board in less than 5 minutes.   Truth is the other check-in lines were no more than 3 people deep so the Key saved us a maximum of 10 minutes during check-in.  So to recap, arrival to on-board was probably 10-15 minutes with the Key and 20-30 minutes without the Key.  I am sure this benefit would be significantly more beneficial later in the day when most of the guests arrive.
 
Carry-On luggage drop off and welcome lunch
Once on board we went right to the dining room to drop off our luggage and have our welcome lunch. There was large signage at the dining room entrance on deck 4.  The crew there asked us for our cabin #, provided us our Key welcome letter, took and tagged our carry-on luggage and asked us if we were ready for lunch.  We told them we were and were seated immediately.
Lunch was by far the best benefit of the Key.  The dining room was relaxing and quiet.  My wife kept commenting how wonderful lunch was with a big smile.  She loves the service in the dining room and we tend to eat there for lunch (when open) and all dinners.  It was such a contrast to eating in the Windjammer on embarkation day, no looking/fighting for a table, no running around the buffet and the quiet was soooooo relaxing.  The lunch had us in vacation mode immediately and set the tone for a wonderful cruise.  Of course, the food was delicious, but we so enjoyed the ambiance. I would definitely consider booking/purchasing a specialty lunch on embarkation day if/when we don’t purchase the Key in the future, it made that much of a difference.  Shortly after lunch the cabins were ready and our carry-on luggage was there waiting for us.
 Private sessions for on-board activities
Royal provided the letter below detailing the times for the Key private sessions.
 
My wife and I took part in the Flowrider session on day 2 and I did the Rockwall on day 7, we skipped the ice skating sessions.  During normal hours, the Flowrider appeared to have a queue of ~15 people (45-60 minute wait minimum) whenever I happened by.  During the private session, we started with 5 people and ended the hour with 8.  During the hour, we each received 4-5 turns.  The crew were very attentive and encouraging, they even convinced my wife to take a turn doing stand-up (wish I had videoed that), but I think they were just great crew members as they appeared to me to be just as attentive and encouraging the whole cruise.  Personally, I enjoy riding the Flowrider although I never have the patience to wait 45+ minutes standing in the sun.  During the Rockwall session, I had the activity almost all to myself.
 Priority departure from ship to shore at port of calls
This was a failure.  The Key letter specifies that priority departure is only available during the first hour after arrival.  We went down 5 minutes after the ship was cleared and could not find the Key waiting area.  When we asked about Key priority departure at guest services, they told us we had missed it they had already left.  That evening, guest services called to ask us our opinion about the Key and embarkation.  After complementing the lunch, my wife explained what had happened earlier that day regarding priority departure.  Without prompting, the guest services agent offered my wife a complimentary bottle of wine.  My wife asked if each of us could instead order a drink at dinner.  The agent said sure, told her to order the drinks, put them on our seapass card and then call her back and she would credit our account.  We followed her instructions and we received the credit with no issue.  Surprisingly, the next day the bottle of wine showed up in our cabin.  We tried to return it but were told to keep it.
 Reserved VIP seating at the shows
For the welcome aboard show we went and found the Key seating area, it is on the second (balcony) level in the middle.  Royal had an agent at the seating area to ensure only Suite and Key guests sat there.  Once seated, my wife looked down and saw plenty of great seats available on the first level and she decided “we” would rather sit down there, so we did. For the rest of the cruise we bypassed the Key seating for any show in the theater, none of the shows were well attended so there were always many good open seats available.  We did use the Key seats at the ice show.  We arrived at Studio B a little late and found almost all the general seats filled so we made our way to the Key area and found great seats.  For the ice show, the Key was definitely beneficial since we did not have to arrive 30-45 minutes before show time.
Debarkation
My comments on the debarkation breakfast are almost identical to the embarkation lunch.  Being able to avoid the craziness that is the Windjammer that morning is a fantastic perk.  The food was delicious and cooked fresh.  They announced the times a crew member was going to be available to escort people off the ship, approximately every half hour.  When we were done with breakfast we were escorted to the gangway, bypassing everyone else in line. Our seapass cards were scanned and then we were off the ship.  We had been provided special Key tags for our luggage which was waiting for us in the designated Key luggage area.  Here again Royal failed with signage.  We looked for a special line for customs but none was marked and there was no one close to ask.  All of the Key guests moved together to enter the single customs line.  One of the guests ahead of us asked the first port employee about the Key when we were about half way through the line.  Instantly she opened a pathway for us to enter an open lane that took us to the front of the line.  This pathway was very close to the Key luggage area so it seems possible there was an intended way for Key guests to gather their luggage and enter a priority line for customs. 
In conclusion, is the Key worth it. I believe this is a personal decision each person will have to make for themselves.  There are a lot of little factors that will make the Key more or less beneficial.  For example, the Key might provide more benefits on an Oasis class ship that has more cruisers getting on and off, has more on-board activities and more desirable shows to attend than Adventure.  If anyone has any questions, please ask and I will do my best to answer them.

As I write this I’m sitting on my balcony watching Aqua80 again. #poorme
I really want to know what shoes they were so I can buy them as water shoes for the beach. 
 
we got off the ship for about an hour today and walked around the port, and then we did my favorite thing to do in Falmouth or Nassau: enjoy the pool on a much more empty ship. My MIL definitely took advantage of the $18 DX today. 
 
Around 3 pm it was back to the room for snacks. Chips and Guacamole from El Loco Fresh, and more tequila!  Smitha definitely read the survey and I get at least one tequila shot in the room every day, plus captain and Diet Coke for Abby, milkshake for Virginia, and then one or two random drinks. Today was a Kraken Colada and a Sexy Ocean. It was nice watching @Matt periscope while taking a shot and eating guacamole. 
 
Dinner in PortSide was pretty good. God Bless actual brewed iced tea!  Between the 4 of us we got pretty much everything except the brisket and turkey leg. We will have to get those for lunch. the chicken wings and burnt ends were good. While not “traditional” burnt ends, they were very good. Sliced turkey and sausage link were dry. Mac and cheese was just ok. BBQ beans were phenomenal. Cornbread was also pretty good. Skip the brookie and get the Banana Dream. It’s amazing. 
 
flavor wise, Portside was very good.  I consider myself a barbecue connoisseur, living in STL and having lived in Memphis for 4 years, and it’s serviceable. As mentioned, some was dry, but flavors were all good. I wish there was a better system for paying and getting your order. It took some time. I think it would be a fine replacement for another restaurant if you have the UDP and are trying to cut down on food coma. They offer takeout, and it or Playmakers are my choice for balcony snacks and food. 
 
I also think Portside and Playmakers are the two best value props if you don’t have a dining package. I am in love with the buffalo chicken crunch rolls at playmakers. And we had the Campfire Cookie in the room tonight. You should get one. 

We only saw Smitha once today  We didn’t need her to get off the ship today since we didn’t have an excursion  She stopped by the room around 5 just to check in on us and told us she probably wouldn’t be seeing us at dinner since we were up on 15 and she had her other families, and that we were planning on eating at an in between time, which we understood.  She also had us down to go to the adult comedy tonight, but we had told her to cancel that so we could watch Aqua80 again as it was rescheduled from Day 2.  

So far the Aqua80 show has been packed every time.
Tomorrow is a sea day as we steam to Cozumel. We will probably try to hit up some trivia and we are doing the escape room in the afternoon. 

Day 2 & 3 - At Sea 
After a few port stops I’ve finally got some time to come back to update. There was a bit of swell on day 2 so a bit of movement on the ship. Spent Day 2 mainly relaxing on deck and around the pool not a lot of sunshine but still very warm. 
Fish & Ships (Day 2) 
Enjoyed fish & chips for lunch. Half of the menu is complimentary which is great. Tasty fish and chips! 
Sorrentos (Day 2) 
Went for casual dinner on Day 2 instead of Main Dining. Pizza was very good! 
Wonderland (Day 3) 
Dinner here was fantastic and whimsical. What a fabulous experience and I’d most recommend! 
 
Headliner show: Steve Larkins (Day 3) 
Show on Day 3 was “A tribute to Freddie Mercury” which was both a energetic and entertaining show! 
 
70s Disco Party (Day 3) 
This was quite the party that shook Two70. The dancers, singers and overall atmosphere was awesome the place was packed and the sound system was amazing! 

Day 3 - Another Sea Day!!! (also, OMG - Dullest. Blog. Ever.)
I love sea days.  The are so relaxing.  I woke up before the DH, caught a quick breakfast at El Loco Fresh, and hit the Solarium to enjoy a quiet soak in one of the hot tubs.  Unfortunately the Solarium was already full of people.  I did find an unoccupied hot tub on the port side of the main pool, though, so I enjoyed that for a little while. After about an hour the sun finally woke up Mr SpeedNoodles, so I followed him into the WindJammer for his breakfast.  We typically avoid the Jammer, but we were pleased with the variety of breakfast offerings, and more impressed that we were able to find a place to sit. For the first time it was calm enough (although the ship was still rocking and it seemed almost as windy) for the staff to open up deck 16 and the water slides.  I took one turn down the racing one (DH doesn't like heights) but I just left it at that.  
We then just wandered around aimlessly for a while, then headed back to our stateroom to read on our balcony in peace and quiet, until lunch rolled around.  I swear that we're mostly killing time between meals #unlimiteddiningpackagewoes

We had lunch at Jamie's - our first time there.  I'm not a big lover of Italian food, but #diningpackage. We had a very friendly waiter, Victor, who brought us more food than we ordered, and refilled every drink, without us requesting it.  I hadn't planned on eating OR drinking that much, but it is what it is.  It was good.  It may have been great, but not having a great love of Italian food, I'm not much of a judge. We had the Crispy Squid, the truffle ball things (I can't remember the name of them - I personally thought they were bland). DH had the eggplant parmesean, I had the Caeser Salad. Victor overheard us talking about the Truffle Tagliatelle and insisted on bringing it to us, despite our desperate pleas to not do so.








At 1:30 we met in the MDR for our All Access Tour.  This was totally worth the money. It was fascinating to see the various parts of this massive ship that is usually out of view.  We went first to the galley, then to the Engine Control Room.  We saw the provisions coolers/freezers, and then the laundry, before we headed up to the Bridge. There were a few areas where we had to present our SeaPass card to enter and leave - they keep VERY close tabs on anyone who's out of a public area!  Our guide was a very nice woman from Shore Excursions - unfortunately I cannot remember her name.  She was from Russia, and there were a few things that she either couldn't find the English words for, and/or I couldn't understand her, but overall the communication was very good.  Unlike some bloggers (and I love you guys (guy?) for doing so) I have no memory for facts and wouldn't be able to really relay any of the various things they told us about the areas.  Sorry ?
Galley





Engine Control Room



Provisions (cooler/freezer)


Laundry






Ecolab is a company that started in St Paul, MN in the 1920s.  It was fun seeing, what we consider to be a home-town company name, way out at sea.

Giant washing machine for sheets/towels:

I-95:
:
Bridge



I'm pretty sure we literally did almost nothing of note until dinner, which was, again, at Jamie's.  This time we devoured a meat plank - DH had the lamb and I had the bolognase.  I was still full from lunch, and thought everything was good, but pretty much nothinged it.

We went to bed early so we could be ready for our excursion in St Maarten the next day!

 
 

I'm as boring as they get over here. First initial, middle initial, last name. But on other forums you'll find me by the handle "Aralim" -- picked that up ages ago when I was on AOL and playing in a superheroic RPG; got the name from a class of angels I'd read about one time (as I recall, it translates roughly from Hebrew as "the burning ones"), and it fit the martial artist character I'd come up with.
Now, @twangster -- there's a handle I don't get. I've listened to his scopes and there isn't a hint of twang (southern or otherwise) in his voice at all. Maybe he plays a killer banjo? ?

There's a 50,000 coin 7-day Caribbean cruise up there now. Of course you'll have to leave on Monday. They've got a few others a little further out, but they are a little more expensive (125,000 - 250,000)

The upper deck, above the pool, didn't open at all until today - it's just been too windy.  Even today the ship has been rocking - I've read lots of people that are bothered by it or have said they've never had such a rough sailing on an Oasis Class ship.  We survived 35 foot swells on Jewel in 2003, so this is just nothing to us - we like it. But the ship is definitely rocking.
My kids are definitely Borzoi! We've been living with the breed since 1999 - and we could basically make our own clothing from the amount of hair that they donate to the household! They're worth it, though.
I'm trying to catch up on my blog - I'm just having trouble downloading my photos, so I'll hopefully get Day 2 and 3 taken care of before I hit the hay tonight, but it's not looking good. Voom is being ridonkulously slow right now.

They are definitely in the splash zone, and it was quite windy and chilly last night. 

Having not edited any of these photos, here we go.  
Dinner was in Izumi on the Sushi side.  There was only one other couple in the entire Sushi side.  Both hibachi tables were full.  Easy to tell that few people know about specialty dining on the first night.  
Smitha came by while we were at dinner and asked what we wanted for snacks to eat during the Aqua80s show.  We finished dinner early and made it back to the room to watch the 8:30 show.  When we came in off of the balcony we had our snacks of chips and nachos, plus more chocolate covered strawberries (up to 12 so far), and our drinks.  Even though we asked for hard liquor, Smitha had our drinks delivered for the show.  One let down was not getting soft pretzels.  Shane, our genie on Anthem, had them pulled from the pub.  We asked Smitha for them since Virginia is a huge fan, and she wasn't able to get any to our room.  We'd even asked about them pre-cruise, so that was kind of a bummer.  As soon as Virginia came back to the room from Adventure Ocean, she was immediately asking for soft pretzels, so it's a big time bummer around here on that front.  
The 8:30 show was very good.  They took a couple of elements out due to the wind.  Oasis is a ship that you can rarely feel any movement.  Not sure if it's because we are all the way aft, but the seas are definitely rocking tonight.  It's cold and windy on the balcony, and the ship is moving enough to rattle the hangers in the closet, which is quite a bit for Oasis.  
Random thoughts from the day:
AO check-in is super easy now, and Virginia loved the new set-up.
Izumi was fantastic, as usual.  
While we love the room, it is disappointing they didn't update the SC rooms during the dry dock.  After having been in SC on Anthem, Oasis just feels dated in styling.  Also, we loved the loft for the large amount of space it gave us, and miss having the two stories, but the private bedrooms and a true "living room" are really nice.  
The Aqua Theater show is amazing.  Having not seen Aqua80s before, it is a big upgrade from Oasis of Dreams.  Also, watching from our balcony gives you a completely different perspective of the talent and "guts" required to do some of the things they do.  Also known as a "big box of NOPE" from me on some of these things.  
I will say the noise is a little loud in the living room, but in the bedrooms it isn't too bad.
I did a room tour, but the file is too big to upload.  Perhaps I'll upload it on dry land.  

I've taken a look at the dates on the other blogs so that I am not too early to start mine.
I figure there is at least one blog already for the same week I am going, I have already got my set sail pass, and luggage tags (allegedly) will be up for print some time today, I am well within my window to begin blogging? Part of the early start is so that as I prepare and pack, I can pick up last minute tips, hints, advice, and guidance from folks out here. You all are a wealth of information and even though I don't post often, I do read daily and feel like I have gotten to know so many of you ?
Itinerary: Baltimore to King's Wharf, Bermuda back to Baltimore.
Prologue: I had always wanted to go on a cruise but my former spouse (key word being FORMER) would pitch a fit if I suggested it. I won't list his complaints, I have seen you all are familiar with all of them. FINALLY during our 12th year of marriage, my parents offered to take the family on a cruise. Our daughter was 5 at the time and I was so looking forward to it. Without going into detail, the cruise was awful. Wait. No. My x was awful which made the entire trip one that I remember with just sadness. We went for the Thanksgiving week that year and on the 6th of December (a few weeks after) I was escaping in the middle of the night with two packed suitcases and my baby girl. I share this so everyone knows that "cruise" has held such unpleasant memories and feelings for a very long time for me and there was a time that I swore I'd never go on one again. (I thought I had gone on RC but I found my old card in a box of papers a few months back and turns out we'd taken a line that must not be named...)
Fast forward ten years. Yup. Ten years. December 2019 was my 10 year anniversary of sneaking those packed suitcases out of the house in the dead of night. I celebrated last year with my daughter (we are both doing amazingly well, are incredibly happy, and have not once regretted the decision to evacuate) and by deciding that I would like to try another cruise because it's not fair to let that one bad experience taint an entire vacation option. To be fair, the cruise was miserable because I was stuck with a falling down drunk x who was being a jerk face and refused to do anything other than drink endless Grey Goose martinis and sleep in the dark room. There were a few highlights like taking my daughter to swim with dolphins but overall.... ?
The universe sent me a sign last year in the form of a Fraternal organization that I am a member of decided to take a group cruise. It was so spur of the moment and the price was so good and there is another single lady that has a similar background to me as it pertains to the x so I had a room mate to share the cost and I just decided to, as they say here, "YOLO Book It!"
I am really excited for this cruise. We will be going to Bermuda, which I have never been to. (The previous one was to the Bahamas). Sailing out of Baltimore MD which is right near where I live in Washington DC (NOVA) area. Last weekend, I had breakfast with the group who is going. There are 32 of us! Our travel agent is the wife of one of our members (it's an International organization) as well as a member herself. The "core group" that is going from my Chapter is myself and my single gal pal and two other married couples we are quite chummy with.
I have been slowly preparing since we booked so have been buying a few cute outfits and other goodies. For Xmas, Santa gave me a huge box of those Chlorox with Hydrogen Peroxide wipes and the special luggage tags and a charger thing that I have seen recommended out here by many so my gal pal (GP) and I can charge our stuff up.
Side note: we are all a bit on the older side (40s, GP is in her 60s, etc) and no kids coming with. Many of us work long hard jobs so we are looking forward to relaxing and decompressing versus "party all the time".
I hear the Neil Diamond Cruise Director guy has left this ship so I am a bit sad about that.
Things I am looking forward to:
Not working. Although I will stress a little about leaving my assistant in charge without me there for a full week. Prepping her now. She can do this. It will all be fine. (Right?)
We are going to be touring the Crystal Caves on a special tour our TA set up for us. We are docked in Bermuda for three days so there is no worry about missing the ship if it runs late.
I hear we are going on a pub crawl. I don't drink but I adore a nice pub (there were some gorgeous ones in London when I went).
Karaoke and Trivia.
Mocktails by the pool.
Sunshine.
This will be my first real vacation in over ten years. (I think y'all know what I mean when I say that I have gone on holiday but have ALWAYS had either my daughter or parents with me so that's not always a "vacation"....)
I plan to live blog as the internet allows. I am going to plan my packing here as that kind of helps me focus and make sure I am not forgetting things. I am taking my fancy camera as the wife of one of the couples we will be with does photography so hoping she helps me learn more how to use the camera. And with all respect to those who like bigger ships, I am so looking forward to sailing the Grandeur before she leaves Baltimore because I feel like I prefer the smaller, quieter, less "Mall of America" ships. (Even though I have never been on any RC ships so a research project is probably called for ?)
I've also found very little in reference to what Grandeur has with menus and food etc so I'll share that for those like me who are trying to find things and can't.
My GP also booked this as a YOLO and both of us are kind of apprehensive about our first solo vacations in YEARS. We have spent so many years taking care of others that going on a cruise by ourselves and not having to tend to children or elderly parents is like...... what do I do?
My ultimate goal is to erase that prior "incident" and make happy new memories with friends. I am calling this the "DO OVER CRUISE!"
On that note.... 60 Days to Go!!!!!!

You will absolutely love Bermuda.  My wife and I have been there 3 times, on Grandeur (love that ship) --- wee too live within driving distance from the port so it's real easy to get to.
You mentioned Crystal Caves.  Here are a few photos to get you excited.  If you have specific questions regarding Grandeur, I'm here for you.  If you have questions regarding Bermuda, @JLMoran and I have both been there more than once and will be more than happy to share our experiences.
 
Mark

Indeed, thanks so much for taking the time to keep us entertained. It's been a really fun read.
And since Royal deducted the $88K tip, I think we know where the budget for the next cruise is coming from. Royal Suite anyone?
 

Thank you so much for the review of the Dinner Theater.  I always struggle deciding on activities where a large part of the cost is tied up in the alcohol as we don't drink, but the food looks marvelous and the show sounds fun. A little extra for entertainment with dinner never seems like a bad idea.
Did you figure out who done it though?
 

Indeed, thanks so much for taking the time to keep us entertained. It's been a really fun read.
And since Royal deducted the $88K tip, I think we know where the budget for the next cruise is coming from. Royal Suite anyone?
 

Indeed, thanks so much for taking the time to keep us entertained. It's been a really fun read.
And since Royal deducted the $88K tip, I think we know where the budget for the next cruise is coming from. Royal Suite anyone?
 

Everything was covered at Playmakers for SC. 
 
probably not staying up for the balloon drop. 
 
after Muster Drill we grabbed a drink at Schooner Bar. We were delayed out of Miami due to an Alpha call and an ambulance needed. Now we’re going and beat the Norwegian Encore out of port since it had to turn around. Heading to Izumi for Sushi tonight and we can’t wait. Then watching the Aqua80s show from our balcony at 10:45. 
 
 

I handed Mr SpeedNoodles the NextCruise flyer that our stateroom attendant left on our bed today. He said "let's do it, but only if it's an Oasis Class ship".  I'm just dying, lol. 

We have a new pilot....they let anyone pilot a cruise ship, plane, you name it these days!

So currently still sitting in the airport in Houston waiting for our flights. The shuttle ride was uneventful. We got here around 11am and through security quickly and settled in for our long wait. Our flights were scheduled to depart at 4:30. Heather and I are diligent about monitoring flights etc to be aware and proactive about delays. We are flying United and have their smartphone app. All morning our flight has been stating "on time." A neat feature of the United app is that we can see where our plane is coming from. Clicking on that link, we have been following that the plane that is arriving in Houston is starting to get delays. We soon discovered that the plane was going to be departing for Houston over 3hrs later than scheduled. At this rate, we would absolutely miss our connection to Albany. (Our flights still showed on time)
Heather quickly went to the United counter to inquire about our flight status. The agent confirmed our suspicions and was able to schedule us on different flights. We will arrive in Albany 20 minutes later than originally planed, but that sure beats the next day. United was nice enough to give us $50 in food vouchers as well. I feel lucky since we now beat out all the other passengers who may be looking for new flights. The departure boards only just updated that our original flights are delayed.  We got our flights changed at noon Houston time.

@pamici I'll be reading your blog, I'm hoping it helps with the cruise hangover I'm still suffering from. Now that we're back it's like my family wants me to cook...and clients want to talk...and nobody makes my bed twice a day...ugh!