Ampurp85

Have a great vacation. I want to hear more about the interport-ing process. I mean since you are sailing star class you have less to worry about when it comes to reservations, but it is nice to know how things work out.

Looks like they are offering the newly introduced Ovation summer sailings from LA as an offer.

If I was flying from overseas or something I would book a shorty then something longer....but that's just me

I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve which has a $595 fee but almost the same benefits. I have an annual insurance policy, but I am not renewing because the card covers me better and I pay for everything on the card. And there is less hassle. Travel insurance can be a pain to navigate.

I think this is an important PSA for most people. But I am in the same situation as @billdauterive I just don't advocate to others to do what I do. I also would never do this if it's over a 4hr flight. I used to fly more for work and have tons of horror stories but thakfully, knock on wood, have avoided that when it comes to cruises. Living in Chicago I am lucky to have access to lots of direct flights. For me it's much more stressful to do pre cruise hotel stays as a lot can happen and I'm having to deal with more logistics. The thing is that air travel has become more of a gamble. Sadly I've known people who were flying 3 days beforehand and never made it to their cruise. The most important thing imho is to have coverage in case life happens.

I agree that maybe you should start off with a smaller class over something like Oasis and Icon class. Also try a shorter itinerary so you can get a feel for cruising. Freedom and Mariner are great ships to start out on. I also think Fort Lauderdale(FLL) is much easier to navigate for first timers. The airport is visible from the cruise terminal and vice versa. The hotels are also more wallet friendly. I often fly in and out of FLL even when sailing from Miami.

@JohnK6404 the PB&J is sweet for a whisky drink but still might be on the strong side. Speaking of MJ drinks, I thought the peach tea drink would also be sweeter than it was. Imho none of the whiskey/bourbon-based drinks at MJ are "sweet" enough for my liking. If you have vouchers to waste because you are prime, then yeah try them but other than the Mississippi moonlight, I wouldn't pay for any of them.

Wow, if I had known we definitely would have went while on Wonder. I love learning something new.

I like sweeter drinks and the Mississippi moonlight was really good. As a prime person i like to avoid paying for drinks.I used my D+ vouchers but I would pay out of pocket for one.

Is that ceviche? My brother loves ceviche and that looks like a nice portion.

Is the late night MJ menu new?

I have not sailed Utopia. But I have done the UDP on 4-night sailings. Be advise that the prebook option you speak of might not work out well as there is a 24/48hr cancellation policy. The prebook option usually works for something like hibachi, Omakase, etc because there are far more limited seating options. But prebooking a lunch at Mason Jar, Chop's ect. sort of messes with the covers because they are already holding a spot for UDP. So they may charge the cancellation fee if you book an embarkation or sea day lunch and don't cancel within the time period. Playmakers will open later on port days, usually after 2pm.

@Jax that whole ordeal is insane. It is a big reason why because I have to fly I stack things. The sad thing is you can no longer say a specific airline is better.

I got an email that confirmed the slides and Abyss but extremely happy about Playmakers and MJ.

Day 41 Entertainment opened up. As previously stated, there is only one show that requires a reservation and that is Starwater. There are shows on day 1, 3, and 5. I chose a 7pm reservation for day 3 which is when we are in Sitka. I try to avoid shows on embarkation day. There is also a sale going on in CP, however I don't see anything cheaper than what I have already paid. So normally I have a pre-cruise ritual of not eating anything I didn't cook at least a month before I cruise. This gets me ready to enjoy/accept the blandness of non-specialty and specialty dinning for the duration of the cruise. My mother's situation has thrown a wrench in that because I have just planned and coordinated all her going away adventures with friends and family, of which three involve restaurants. So I may be that weird one who orders a dressing-less salad and soup.

I am glad you made it home safely and without incidents. I too want to know what of the skunk . I love watching animal videos and I recently seen one of a baby skunk trying to pounce, it was adorable. I was also this years old when I found out you can remove their stink glands and turn them into house pets

@SMOKEY0202 the husband is in Florida, getting their house ready. He told her not to bring anything but mementos. However, he has never been to her place, and she is a bit of a hoarder, so we have gotten exactly one of her cabinets and one storage bin done in 6hrs. I can only afford to help her once a week because of work and the short notice. I have no idea how she is going to get it done in less than 3wks. I mean she isn't working anymore but she gets distracted so easily.

In my general experience the Key will probably go down around Black Friday, however that experience is not based on a new ship. Everything on Utopia seems to be selling at a higher price. Given that it is only doing 3/4 night sailing the price may still hover around $40ish dollars a day when on sale. Or most likely it will go higher and then that $55pp will seem like a sale.

Day 42 My mother has begun packing for her move and I am helping. Which means she is sitting there saying "yes" and "no" to taking something but also telling me the origins of items.......as if I didn't buy these items So while she makes a phone call.......we haven't even gotten through one container, and we started 3hrs ago. I will mention some of the things we have purchased for Alaska in the spirit of @asquared17. Amazon.com: Columbia Women's Switchback Lined Long Jacket : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry I purchased this Columbia Jacket because it was lined and waterproof. I run hotter, and originally brought a waterproof coat from Kohl's that I wore during the winter in the snow. It was burning me up at 20 degrees, so I decided against it. Imho the type of this jacket seems run smaller than expected and I had to size up, but I can put a sweater on underneath if needed. Crush Boot - Crocs So weirdly enough I love Crocs, I know they are ugly, but I care about comfort more than anything. I brought these crush boots because of rain, Alaska and also a wilderness retreat we were doing. They are super comfy and protected me from rain, water, and nature shenanigans. I wore them on a 4hr hike and no discomfort, so they will be my go-to shoes for Alaskan excursions. Amazon.com : 300x25 Binoculars for Adults and Kids, High Powered Mini Pocket Binoculars with Phone Adapter, Waterproof Compact Binoculars for Bird Watching, Hunting, Concert, Theater, Opera, Traveling, Sightseeing : Electronics I mean you can't go to Alaksa without binoculars. My brother opted for a fancier pair. Amazon.com | Hydrapeak Nomad 32 oz Tumbler with Handle and Straw Lid, Leakproof Tumbler, Tumbler Lid Straw, Double Insulated Tumblers, 32oz Double Insulated Cup Straw, Stainless Steel (Peony): Tumblers & Water Glasses I brought the 24oz version so that I can bring cocoa or hot tea off during the mornings of excursions. Amazon.com: ZOMAKE Lightweight Packable Backpack 35L - Light Foldable Backpacks Water Resistant Collapsible Hiking Backpack - Compact Folding Day Pack for Travel Camping(Purple) : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry I have actually had this packable backpack for like 7 or 8 years and it still looks new. I take it on all my none cruise vacations because they often require another bag. Be advise it has no support, like no padding whatsoever. But it is great for those unexpected times when you buy more than intended. Considering I will be doing excursions/shopping in port, I am bringing it along. As previously stated, I didn't have to buy any clothing for this cruise because I have my Chicagoan fall/spring/winter clothing. We are doing one large, checked bag, split between my brother and I, and carry-on backpack. Not much needs to be packed for 10 days. The vintages have yet to give me their bag total . I believe Quantum only has one show that requires reservations, and I am waiting for that to open up. That will be the last sort of pre-cruise thing I will have to worry about. Now I will go back to my mother vacillating.

How did you like the steak and egg sammich? Also, you must be from the south because my grandmother says cheerenz too

There are usually standby lines, so you can have the option of seeing shows multiple times. But I know there was matinees on Allure and Oasis for Cats and Mamma Mia because that is when we booked ours. I personally would prefer to see a show during the day, on a sea day, when everyone is trying to be on deck

Please have a safe uneventful flight home Thanks for the blog and all the beautiful photos, congrats on 22 years.

Reflection is beautiful and I am looking forward to trying her out. The plan is to get premium internet, so hopefully it works well enough. I will say one thing that stuck out to me was the sliced apples at the buffet. It is one of the fruits I wish Royal had more of. The unsliced apples aren't as delicious.

I love the shirt, I am surprised no one else has said anything about it. But those cheerenz got you missing out.......but also enjoying the Grove so maybe a win/win

What have the tiny humans been like on X? Your Retreat suite came with internet and a DX right? How has the internet been?