Christie

Hi there! Thought I would start a live blog with our experiences with the group cruise with a toddler in tow! We have one previous Royal Caribbean experience (Oasis of the Seas), many Disney cruises, and a random smattering of other cruise lines. We were originally booked this week on Anthem of the Seas with just my husband and I for our anniversary, but changed itineraries when we found out that our 22 month old daughter would be tagging along as well. Group cruising is a new experience for us. I’m going to attempt to upload and add in some pictures as I can, so check in!
 
Pre Cruise
 
Like all smart and experienced cruisers, we arrived in Orlando the day before our scheduled departure. We decided to stay in Orlando in the Disney area and drive to the port on Sunday morning. We got a great deal on a one way rental car through Costco and Alamo and arrived to the cruise terminal right after 10 AM. My husband dropped my daughter and I off at the cruise terminal, the porters took the bag, he fueled up the car, returned it, and took the bus back over. Flawless procedure that took about 20 minutes. From the time he arrived back at the boat until we were walking on board was about 15 minutes. Terminal 1 is beautiful and the staff is well trained.
 
Onboard
 
We actually got on board prior to the Windjammer opening, so we hung out with other eager guests until they opened the doors. After a quick squirt of hand sanitizer (while my squirt from walking on board was still drying), we were off to the races! My daughter enjoyed her random smorgasbord of food, and my husband and I tagged teamed to get our own food. Surprisingly, we were out of the Windjammer in just about 20 minutes. The rooms weren’t ready until 1, so we wandered around the boat. Our daughter was pretty tired of being cooped up in car seats and strollers, so we set up a corner in R Bar and let her climb in and out of the port hole. We ran into (the fabulous) Annette who is coordinating everything, and it was nice to finally put a face to the name.
 
We went up to check out where the first group cruise meetup was going to be located and discovered a quiet little area called Cloud 9. We were the only people in there and my daughter was able to roam free, so we stayed there until 1 when it was time to check out our state room.
 
On the way down, we were able to get Mackenzie registered for the nursery. I appreciate all the details they want to know about her and for $6-8/hr depending on the time of day, you can’t beat it! You can pre book 16 hours and only one formal night, but can call for availability beyond that. We also checked out a bag of toys for the room which is a great program. Not only is it less to pack, but the toys are new to Mackenzie so she loves them! I think you can even switch out your bag later in the week.
 
Now, on to our room! We booked a Family Panoramic Oceanview stateroom (PF). Let me tell you, this thing is amazing! My biggest concern was that my daughter cannot sleep if she can see us across the room. These rooms are wedged shaped and have a divider for the TV in the middle of the room. We figured we could put her crib directly behind it. It also has a sectioned off area with some bunk beds and a closet. We are using this for storage, but this room would be great for a family with multiple small children. It also has 2 bathrooms- the standard bathroom of a shower, toilet, and sink and then another bathroom with a toilet and sink. Tons of storage room as well. I think the only reason they can’t book this as a suite is because it doesn’t have a balcony. But the windows are incredible and I don’t have to worry about my rambunctious toddler climbing on the balcony. We spent a little extra after final payment date to book this room, and I’m so glad we did. We will be spending lots of time in our room for sure.
 
Even though we had requested a crib for the room, it was not in there, so we called several times to get one. It was definitely nap time for our daughter, but no place to nap. Instead we handed her the iPad and headed off to the meet up where we enjoyed some lava flows and getting to meet names I know so well.
 
We came back to the room (still no crib) and decided to head down to muster early to secure seats. Of course our daughter finally fell asleep during muster, but wouldn’t nap when we got back to the room. We watched sail away from our nice air conditioned room, cleaned up a little, and headed to dinner.
 
We are booked with My Time Dining and decided to see how it would go with bringing our daughter to dinner. Dinner was just above “ok†for me, but my husband seemed to really enjoy it. Our main waiter was hit or miss. One second I thought he was the most attentive server ever and the next I was wondering if he jumped over board. Not sure if we will bring her back to dinner in the MDR or not. Ask me tomorrow :)
 
It wasn’t quite time to head to bed, so we threw on swimsuits and took Kenzie to the H20 Zone, which she loved! It was a giant splash pad. It was a little windy so she got a little cold, but nothing unbearable. While we were out there, my nerves from traveling and getting established finally calmed down and I finally felt like I was on vacation.
 
We came back to the room just in time to get her showered and to bed. She normally naps for 2 hours, but only had a 20 minute nap today and a very busy day exploring. A note about the crib- it did not come with a crib sheet, and when I asked my state room attendant about getting one, we were told that there was a problem in the past and she had to get special permission from her supervisor. I had brought her blanket, but it may be wise to bring a crib sheet as well to avoid the hassle.
 
We’ve been up since 5:30 today and haven’t slept well all week, so we have decided to call it a night. Since we are all the way forward, there is a slight rock to the ship and I am looking forward to it rocking me to sleep. Tomorrow is a sea day, and I pray that the little one sleeps in some… Hah ha ha

Hi there! Thought I would start a live blog with our experiences with the group cruise with a toddler in tow! We have one previous Royal Caribbean experience (Oasis of the Seas), many Disney cruises, and a random smattering of other cruise lines. We were originally booked this week on Anthem of the Seas with just my husband and I for our anniversary, but changed itineraries when we found out that our 22 month old daughter would be tagging along as well. Group cruising is a new experience for us. I’m going to attempt to upload and add in some pictures as I can, so check in!
 
Pre Cruise
 
Like all smart and experienced cruisers, we arrived in Orlando the day before our scheduled departure. We decided to stay in Orlando in the Disney area and drive to the port on Sunday morning. We got a great deal on a one way rental car through Costco and Alamo and arrived to the cruise terminal right after 10 AM. My husband dropped my daughter and I off at the cruise terminal, the porters took the bag, he fueled up the car, returned it, and took the bus back over. Flawless procedure that took about 20 minutes. From the time he arrived back at the boat until we were walking on board was about 15 minutes. Terminal 1 is beautiful and the staff is well trained.
 
Onboard
 
We actually got on board prior to the Windjammer opening, so we hung out with other eager guests until they opened the doors. After a quick squirt of hand sanitizer (while my squirt from walking on board was still drying), we were off to the races! My daughter enjoyed her random smorgasbord of food, and my husband and I tagged teamed to get our own food. Surprisingly, we were out of the Windjammer in just about 20 minutes. The rooms weren’t ready until 1, so we wandered around the boat. Our daughter was pretty tired of being cooped up in car seats and strollers, so we set up a corner in R Bar and let her climb in and out of the port hole. We ran into (the fabulous) Annette who is coordinating everything, and it was nice to finally put a face to the name.
 
We went up to check out where the first group cruise meetup was going to be located and discovered a quiet little area called Cloud 9. We were the only people in there and my daughter was able to roam free, so we stayed there until 1 when it was time to check out our state room.
 
On the way down, we were able to get Mackenzie registered for the nursery. I appreciate all the details they want to know about her and for $6-8/hr depending on the time of day, you can’t beat it! You can pre book 16 hours and only one formal night, but can call for availability beyond that. We also checked out a bag of toys for the room which is a great program. Not only is it less to pack, but the toys are new to Mackenzie so she loves them! I think you can even switch out your bag later in the week.
 
Now, on to our room! We booked a Family Panoramic Oceanview stateroom (PF). Let me tell you, this thing is amazing! My biggest concern was that my daughter cannot sleep if she can see us across the room. These rooms are wedged shaped and have a divider for the TV in the middle of the room. We figured we could put her crib directly behind it. It also has a sectioned off area with some bunk beds and a closet. We are using this for storage, but this room would be great for a family with multiple small children. It also has 2 bathrooms- the standard bathroom of a shower, toilet, and sink and then another bathroom with a toilet and sink. Tons of storage room as well. I think the only reason they can’t book this as a suite is because it doesn’t have a balcony. But the windows are incredible and I don’t have to worry about my rambunctious toddler climbing on the balcony. We spent a little extra after final payment date to book this room, and I’m so glad we did. We will be spending lots of time in our room for sure.
 
Even though we had requested a crib for the room, it was not in there, so we called several times to get one. It was definitely nap time for our daughter, but no place to nap. Instead we handed her the iPad and headed off to the meet up where we enjoyed some lava flows and getting to meet names I know so well.
 
We came back to the room (still no crib) and decided to head down to muster early to secure seats. Of course our daughter finally fell asleep during muster, but wouldn’t nap when we got back to the room. We watched sail away from our nice air conditioned room, cleaned up a little, and headed to dinner.
 
We are booked with My Time Dining and decided to see how it would go with bringing our daughter to dinner. Dinner was just above “ok†for me, but my husband seemed to really enjoy it. Our main waiter was hit or miss. One second I thought he was the most attentive server ever and the next I was wondering if he jumped over board. Not sure if we will bring her back to dinner in the MDR or not. Ask me tomorrow :)
 
It wasn’t quite time to head to bed, so we threw on swimsuits and took Kenzie to the H20 Zone, which she loved! It was a giant splash pad. It was a little windy so she got a little cold, but nothing unbearable. While we were out there, my nerves from traveling and getting established finally calmed down and I finally felt like I was on vacation.
 
We came back to the room just in time to get her showered and to bed. She normally naps for 2 hours, but only had a 20 minute nap today and a very busy day exploring. A note about the crib- it did not come with a crib sheet, and when I asked my state room attendant about getting one, we were told that there was a problem in the past and she had to get special permission from her supervisor. I had brought her blanket, but it may be wise to bring a crib sheet as well to avoid the hassle.
 
We’ve been up since 5:30 today and haven’t slept well all week, so we have decided to call it a night. Since we are all the way forward, there is a slight rock to the ship and I am looking forward to it rocking me to sleep. Tomorrow is a sea day, and I pray that the little one sleeps in some… Hah ha ha

In Orlando we drop off one person and the luggage at the passenger drop off area and then one person goes and parks the car. Maybe this would work in NJ?

According to http://www.cruiseportlandmaine.com/why-cruise-here/cruise-schedule/2018-2/ Freedom of the Seas is headed to Maine in 2018.
 
Let the speculation commence!

Only 2.5 hours of work left today!!

Only 2.5 hours of work left today!!

Hello All,
 
I wanted to see if we could commence a running Cruise Director and Activities Manager list here on the Royal Caribbean Blog Boards.   As many of you know, the Cruise Director can be very influential in providing a fun and interactive experience while on a cruise and for this reason the question is often asked "who will be the cruise director on my sailing?" However, as with any position of importance, the Cruise Director also enlists the assistance of his or her Activities Manager to host a number of events throughout a sailing (e.g. trivia, bingo, karaoke, etc...).  Therefore, I would also like to keep the list updated with the current Activities Managers whom many of us develop strong relationships with based on our varying degrees of participation in ship events. 
 
While I know there are similar lists maintained elsewhere on the internet, my desire is to provide an easily accessed (thanks in part to the long-term edit function of these boards) and more user friendly document than what currently exists.  In addition to receiving regular updates from the fantastic blog community that fill these boards with Royal Caribbean knowledge everyday, I also hope to leverage Kat's evergrowing Periscope community to obtain real time and accurate updates as to who holds these very important positions throughout the Royal Caribbean fleet.   Below is my first stab at a draft of the list based on information I was able to retrieve from various social media and online content.  As you can see, there are some blanks, which I am sure many of you will be able to assist with filling in.  Please feel free to respond here with any list updates or any comments as to the format or layout of the document.
 
I would like to thank all of you in advance for any assistance you can provide with making this list a useful resource for Royal Caribbean cruisers.
 

Yea, you'll probably be getting married that week.

Yea, you'll probably be getting married that week.

Yea, you'll probably be getting married that week.

The secret to enjoying a Labadoozie for someone that isn't sure whether they will like it or not,
is to try one. Then, immediately repeat the process. After the second one you will be enjoying
yourself whether you like rum cocktails or not.
 
Eric

This small contribution that I may have made to the Fantasy may be the closest I'll even come to being an imagineer.

There is so much to do on Oasis that I would enjoy the boat while you are in port at Nassau

There is so much to do on Oasis that I would enjoy the boat while you are in port at Nassau

I totally feel you on the chief deployment officer... I plan traveling with our daughter down to the smallest detail because I love it. I'm a sucker for baby gear for travel too. We've done Europe via cruising too (and planning another for next summer), so feel free to shoot me a PM!

Also, in Europe it's very common to have transit times of 1-2 hours each way in port. Many excursions are 10-12 hours long. There are usually not many sea days to recoup either. All things to think about when looking at excursions.
 
Many of the ports have uneven terrain that might make navigating with 2 smaller ones difficult. A double wide stroller won't fit in the door of a standard room, although the suite may have bigger doors. It won't fit down the hallways when the cleaning carts are out. Even my standard single stroller wouldn't fit. We have a smaller stroller we use for cruising (mountain buggy nano) that just barely fits past the cleaning carts when they are out.
 
All fun things to think about! I'm sure you guys will have a blast.

I just wanted to post real quick about how great most of the customer service/booking agents have been with me lately. Due to some family medical issues and some indecisiveness, I've spent a lot of time over the past few months on the phone with RC moving cruises around. It's always complicated (multiple rooms and moving of some future cruise credits) plus cancellations. Everyone has been so patient with me and worked to get everything straightened out. Most of them have great personalities and make all of this bearable for someone who hates being on the phone.
 
Plus, I never hold for very long to speak to someone! Good job, RC!

There needs to be a similar club for people who spend all their $$ on specialty dining. Club Foodie or something

Great!  We actually switched to the family sized wedge room (1804) today!  They opened them up after final payment date for smaller groups.  I think it will be nice to have the extra room with a toddler.  Did you periscope your room when you had that room?  I think I remember it.  
 
Look forward to meeting you!

I just wanted to post real quick about how great most of the customer service/booking agents have been with me lately. Due to some family medical issues and some indecisiveness, I've spent a lot of time over the past few months on the phone with RC moving cruises around. It's always complicated (multiple rooms and moving of some future cruise credits) plus cancellations. Everyone has been so patient with me and worked to get everything straightened out. Most of them have great personalities and make all of this bearable for someone who hates being on the phone.
 
Plus, I never hold for very long to speak to someone! Good job, RC!

I just wanted to post real quick about how great most of the customer service/booking agents have been with me lately. Due to some family medical issues and some indecisiveness, I've spent a lot of time over the past few months on the phone with RC moving cruises around. It's always complicated (multiple rooms and moving of some future cruise credits) plus cancellations. Everyone has been so patient with me and worked to get everything straightened out. Most of them have great personalities and make all of this bearable for someone who hates being on the phone.
 
Plus, I never hold for very long to speak to someone! Good job, RC!

I'm so ready for that first lava flow with you guys.

Maybe I should walk in with a lava flow from the pool deck. Place it in the water bottle holder

I think they are $12. I've even read some places that they might have a package for several classes available at the beginning of the cruise. I'm going to make it a point to head to the fitness center on the first day to see what they offer.

I looked and looked for a FOS Group Cruise thread, but couldn't find one.  If there is one, feel free to delete and point me in the right direction!
 
So who all is going?  What are you most excited about?  
 
For us, it will be my husband Nick and I celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary (Sept 1) and our almost 2 year old daughter Mackenzie.   
I'm excited to stay in the panoramic ocean view room on Deck 12 and for the bike riding excursion we booked in Grand Cayman.  
 
96 days and counting!