Ampurp85

@SteveinSC I wouldn't think of it as going down, as there really aren't any bad ships in the RCC fleet. It is my personal opinion that when people "go big or go home" the first time they find their niche. By starting with an Oasis class they are already setting themselves up to be overwhelmed or eventually disappointed lol. So they might as well get the most out of this experience.

I have a hard top Olympia USA luggage that is about 23" and I use that for my less than one week trips. I have had it about 4 years now and it has survived many bumps and bruises. I brought into the hype and got an Away Travel Medium size luggage in Eggplant in 2018. I took it one trip so far and don't have anything good or bad to say about it yet. My go-to is still my Samsonite 26", which I have had for almost 8 years and only has a smidgen of fringe issues. I have heard good things about Tumi and Swiss, but it really comes down to need and style.

I would say it depends on levels of comfort, at must I would change the UDP to a 3/4 day. Harmony is a huge ship full of people, so having all the extra bells and whistles may go a long way in making this cruise worth it. You may find it more difficult to enjoy the free options and lets be real, a big ship is where paid options shine. Maybe you should ball out on this one since I knew you will have the cursing bug after. That way when you cruise a smaller ship, you won't have FOMO.

Well that really depends on what you mean by hair braiding. Some styes are culturally specific and can't be duplicated by the average hair dresser. I believe most ships have a hair salon but very few offer braiding.

@Balsam I am sure there are people who like to live on the edge.

I got my brother looking at cruise blogs and he is obsessed with Oasis class. He believes the more people the merrier so he is excited about the two Oasis sailings we have booked. On another note I would be barfing like crazy if I had to wear that 3D harness.

Try Amazon, I have a travel strip but unfortunately they no longer make them. Just search by the country and a ton will pop up.

Maybe its FOMO but that bed looks comfy. I can't wait to try Playmakers, as I am all about that bar food life....really I just looove fries.

They may do Greece, Spain or France IF this continues to play out. Some people say the virus will die when hot weather hits, obviously this is a lie because Iran and Italy have warmer climates. I think when more transparency comes into play we will be able to get a handle on things. The hyperbolic media is definitely making things worse. I am young, just survived the flu so I ain't worried about no beer virus.

@Tuggboat No worries, we all just want to cruise. I am an over planner so I check cruise planner every day?

Prices will jump like crazy because of promotions. Also there seems to be a ship premium, Anthem is quantum class so the price might be a bit higher to accommodate all the jazz. Also most holiday or spring break cruises seem to be at least 1.5 times the regular rate if not double. Like some of the others said book and reprice, a TA would save you the hassle of being constantly on the phone with RCI when anything happens.

@Tuggboat you actually cannot buy now for all sailings. I have a sailing about 349 days out and nothing but Cococay passes are available. As I stated during a large sale like black Friday, all bookings could be open.

For each cruise it varies and also by the sale. A huge black Friday sale may allow you to purchases packages for cruises 500+ days away. I would say anywhere from 8 months to maybe 10 months would be the average. But you could ask around if people have been on that type of sailing so they can give you a ballpark to aim for??

@klemire626 Is your room GTY? If you have not been assigned a stateroom then nothing would show up on the luggage tags until you do. Considering you have about 2 more weeks there is still plenty of time to reprint when your room gets assigned. If not, I am sure you can at least write your name and stateroom number for the time being. Edit I see you say you have a stateroom on your edocs. I would wait and try again, otherwise like I said you can fill them out yourself or reprint at a later date.

@JLMoran You never know, it could be serendipity. The Genie's other sc family could have sons who's only request was girls, girls, girls.?

That's not a bad price for a hotel on a weekend night. But I am glad you made it safely, did everyone clap for the pilot??

@Hoski But its not the best way to make money. If you take 8 cruises a year in an OV/OVB/JRS versus a person who take 1 or 2 cruses in Star Loft...RCC is making more money on the Star loft. As a C&A member, depending on your level, you are paying much less than a suite guest. That can be $15-20 thousand oppose to $30-40 thousand. Therefore, suite guest who are paying for these perks should get first dibs. Also they haven't taken anything really away, just made it a little less accessible on certain classes of ships.

I showed my brother your photo comparison of Oasis class to Liberty, this is his first cruise, and he immediately wanted the bigger boat. I love manatees because they are so cute. Dolphins like to steal all the shine because they talk

I love following your blog as we are doing Liberty for Halloween 2020, then our first Oasis class Halloween 2021?. You have provided so much information and pictures that when I get on I will feel like a pro. How were the manatees..... I love them so much, they are so friendly.

There is an option to check a box when you book. If you didn't check that box then I would suggest calling RCC or your TA to have them add the gratuity to your balance. Also if you are in a non-North American market the gratuity might already be factored into the cost.

@emsff02 Its kind of sad. As a child we went on a field trip with monkeys, I was about 8. My best friend, Adam, was playing with this monkey who kept touching his butt, laughing and sticking his finger in my bff ear. Adam caught a bacterial infection and couldn't fight it and passed away. I was 8 so I was devastated and blamed monkey's for their filthiness. Every time I see a monkey stealing peoples goods or digging in its butt it brings up horrible feelings. I just think they are the worst animals and can die in a fire...I said what I said. ...Also I don't know why Hawaiian shirts get such a bad rep?

@SpeedNoodles Rocket cuz he is a foulmouthed racoon. Wonderful pictures and like you I care more about the animals than people...most people aren't as adorable?

@PRebecca I really wanted to go to that one but booo....its during Thanksgiving. My grandmother is from the south and you spend holidays like that with family.

Glad you made it to Miami safely ?. I am one of those people who is a very picky eater, I don't like seafood....except fried shrimp. That being said I will try something once and I have learned that cold seafood is the worst?. Deep fry and blast with seasonings so I cannot taste please. Alligator bites looks a lot like stretched out calamari....did it taste good...or did the beer really help?

I don't know about OBC or specialty dining .......maybe my TA doesn't like me. But a TA (travel agent) might also have more insight and availability when it comes to cabins. I use John from MEI which I got from this site and he has been quite helpful. I have booked a few cruises and transferred to him because I wanted a particular room. It is much better to email him and ask for whatever than to be on hold with RCC customer service and get answers that vary.