HBCcruiser

I've reported the fake one, as I'm sure many others have, too.

Not that Facebook cares.

Also, be aware that there is a FAKE Royal Caribbean Blog page out there, too!
It's been reported, but still exists as of right now. (4/19 1:30pm EDT)
The REAL page has over 7000 followers while the FAKE currently has 949.

For those of you who Facebook, the official Royal Caribbean Blog Facebook page was taken down by Meta. @Matt has had no luck getting the page restored, so a new Facebook page has been created. Please visit the new page and like and follow it.  Thanks!
https://www.facebook.com/royalcaribbeanblogcom

Much like life, it's all good until the next time it's not.

I've already reached out to Royal Caribbean for impact on cruises

We been on many RC cruises and this was our first time on Enchantment of seas.we know before this is small and older boat in fleet but didn’t expect  room with lot of maintenance issues.( see photos) when I bring it up to guests service they didn’t care and even didn’t look what is issues  just shut me down that boat is old and  cruise is full and can’t relocate me 
I always thought that RC has some standard of rooms and service even if boat is old.
all employees been outstanding like always.
 
missing outlet plate cover
This is photo of ceiling bunk bed

 
what is missing on ceiling? ( maybe smoke detector)

 
rusty caulking and crack shower pan

 
bunk bed with some self tapping screws sticking out

 
bathroom door peeling

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/royal-beach-club

The whole loyalty thing based on nights aboard seems nuts to me.  It seems that a more equitable system would base the status on the amount spent, whether on the room selection or during the cruises.  
I have heard of several people being pinnacle because of the nights spent in an interior cabin all the while demanding that they be allowed in the suite lounge etc because of their status.  That seems like nonsense to me. 
In my case, my wife and I are spending $14,000 + on a 7 day cruise this summer.  I am paying for all of the perks.  I am getting 2 points per night because I stay in a suite. We are going to generate about $500 per point awarded by Royal on just our cabin fare.  I could have booked an interior cabin for two people at $1221.00 per person per day.  That works out to $174.00 per point based on 2 people in the interior cabin.  
Now perhaps a couple in the interior cabin will spend an additional $325.00 per day each on food, drink and other purchases and if they do, they should be rewarded.  If they are drinking lemonade and eat at the Windjammer all week they should not be rewarded the same as if they are staying in a suite. 
Just my $.02!

I concur!  RCC is severely lacking in its appreciation of its C&S members.  Many of you may know that in Florida, the only C&S status for priority check-in is for Pinnacle members - where Diamond & Diamond Plus use have access to priority boarding.  The Royal Caribbean Group needs to actively find ways to show its members appreciation on ALL levels.
No Bueno RCC 😑

I don't think they would offer that as a C&A perk for Platinum or Emerald because they already sell that privilege as part of the Key.  The last few sailings I have been on, they Key has been sold out, so I doubt they will want to do anything to affect that revenue stream.

I'm D+.  Usually in a suite and with a DBP.  For me, I don't see any substantial benefit until I hit 340 points.  That's where the single supplement drops from 200% to 150%.  That's a pretty decent savings for a solo cruiser.

Update...upgraded

Thank you! 😀

Ship will be on central time. Local times may be different depending on daylight savings time when you go, but the ship will always stay on central time. 

UPDATED 13 February 2024 (Added Allure's return in 2026. Removed  Liquor Taxation Section - Have not seen them in the terminals since 2022.)
Galveston is home to Royal Caribbean's newest Cruise Terminal, a state of the art zero energy facility, and was home port for the 2023 President's Cruise on Allure of the Seas. Celebrity Cruises has advised that we should not be surprised to see one of their ships in Galveston at some point.
Galveston is the fourth busiest cruise port in the USA and the 9th busiest in the world.
Cruise ships calling Galveston their home port include:
Harmony of the Seas - 225,282 GT - 5,484 Guests - 7 night sailings (Repositions to Barcelona 16 Mar 2026) Allure of the Seas - 225,282 GT - 5,496 Guests - 7 night sailings (Arrives 17 Mar 2026 from Fort Lauderdale) Voyager of the Seas - 137,276 GT - 3,602 Guests - 4-6 night sailings (Repositions to Barcelona 1 May 2024) Mariner of the Seas - 139,863 GT - 3,344 Guests - 4-5 night sailings (Arrives 6 May 2024 from Port Canaveral) Jewel of the Seas - 90,090 GT - 2,191 Guests - 8-11 night sailings (Arrives 8 Nov 2024) Norwegian Prima - 142,500 GT - 3,215 Passengers (Winter Home Port now through Mar 2025) Norwegian Escape - (Dec 2024 Sailings) Norwegian Viva - (Winter Home Port starting Dec 2025) Carnival Jubilee - 182,800 GT - 5,374 Passengers - LNG Powered Carnival Dream - 130,000 GT - 3,646 Passengers Carnival Breeze - 130,000 GT - 3,690 Passengers Carnival Miracle - 88,500 GT - 2,124 Passengers (Arrives 16 Oct 2024 from San Francisco for 9-12 night cruises) Carnival Legend - 88,500 GT - 2,124 Passengers (Arrives 22 Oct 2025 from San Francisco for 4-14 night cruises) Regal Princess - (Winter Home Port Sep-Mar) Disney Magic - (Winter Home Port each year) MSC - has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Port of Galveston to build a fourth cruise terminal! Cruise Terminal 10 Information
Cruise Terminal 10 is owned and operated by a 50/50 partnership of Royal Caribbean and Ceres Terminals Inc. on land leased from the Port of Galveston. Ceres helped fund the project and will provide stevedoring and terminal operations.  As the world's first zero-energy cruise terminal you can expect to find innovative design throughout this facility in things you see and also things you don't see.
  

Below is a map of the new terminal area and parking lots operated by the Port of Galveston. In addition to surface parking lots, the Port offers covered and indoor parking. All parking lots have covered shuttle bus stops with buses circulating continuously to the cruise terminal, and there are plenty of covered walkways for a comfortable stroll from the walkable parking areas to the terminal. Electric Vehicle chargers will soon be available to the west of the South Lot. My favorite parking option: North Premium Covered Lot - it's only a few feet from the cruise terminal and it's covered. It's also the highest price option.  Go to the Port's parking information page for more information and sign up for their loyalty program.  You'll get an immediate $5 discount on your first reservation, the loyalty program equals a 10% discount on future parking, and they will send periodic discount codes that can all be combined for savings. Disabled veterans also get a discount.  
Tip: you will find less expensive options by using off-site parking operators which I have listed below in the Parking section of this post, which also has information on other things to consider regarding parking.

Luggage can be dropped off at the terminal on Royal Caribbean Circle (see map above). Upon entering the terminal building, General check in is located up the escalators on the left (west) end of the terminal, while Suites and Pinnacles check in is located up the escalators on the right (east) end of the terminal. The door at the right (east) end of the terminal on Royal Caribbean Circle is also the entrance for Suites, Pinnacles, and Star Class guests. Star Class drop-off is at area 6 (purple columns on Royal Caribbean Circle).
  

When disembarking at Cruise Terminal 10 there is facial recognition for quick passage through Customs and Border Protection. Then you claim your luggage and make your way out of the terminal to the pick up area on Royal Caribbean Way.  As you can see on the above map, the embarking passenger ground transportation area (on Royal Caribbean Circle) is distinctly separated from the disembarking passenger ground transportation area on Royal Caribbean Way for better traffic flow.
Planning & Tourist Info

You can't beat this website for information on everything that is happening in Galveston: www.galveston.com

Transportation

Fly into HOU (Houston Hobby Airport) if you can. It's much closer to Galveston than IAH (Bush Intercontinental Airport) and you won't have the Houston traffic to deal with. Tip: my favorite airline option is JSX, a "semi-private" airline that uses private jet terminals at several airports across the country. You can essentially fly "private" and avoid crowded airport terminals, for about the price of a first class ticket. JSX flies to Houston Hobby Airport and disembarks in one of the private terminals.

Here are some options for getting to Galveston from the airport:
Galveston Saltwater Moms - my first choice for transportation to Galveston... a highly rated "personal driver" service. You book by sending them a personal message on Facebook. They are a licensed Transportation Provider with the Port of Galveston, which means they can legally operate at the cruise terminals. They have a $500,000 bond and commercial liability insurance. Give them a try as an alternative to the big guys. I've used them and had a great experience! Galveston Limo - provides very affordable shared rides from the two Houston airports with either their scheduled service or you can arrange a private car. Owned by a local family of good folks. Galveston Express  Lyft and Uber - Lyft and Uber are the approved major rideshare companies operating at the Port of Galveston. The agreement with Uber was approved on 24 Mar 2023.  Blacklane - a premium option for upper end vehicles like Black Sedan or Black SUV. You can reserve days or weeks in advance and cancel up to 1 hour prior to pickup time. Rates include gratuities, professional drivers, no "peak" surcharges or port surcharges. Drivers show up when scheduled. A bit more expensive but worth the price to reduce the stress you have with Uber/Lyft drivers canceling or having peak rates when departing the ship. I've used Blacklane in Galveston and Los Angeles with good results. If you use black sedans or SUV's with Uber/Lyft, I find Blacklane to be similarly priced, and sometimes lower priced during peak pickup times. Enterprise Rent A Car - Enterprise is the only rental car company on the island. You should be able to rent from Enterprise at the airport and drop it off on the Island. The Island location is open on Saturday (before Covid it was also open on Sunday). Check with Enterprise directly for updated hours and shuttle arrangements. Here are a couple of transportation options for your departure after your cruise:
The pickup zone for Lyft and Uber is at the far northeast side of the terminal on Royal Caribbean Way. When you exit the terminal, turn left, and walk to the Uber/Lyft sign in Zone 1.
  
If you prefer to take a taxi to the airport, turn right as you exit the terminal, cross the street toward the east side of the covered parking area and there will be several taxis ready and waiting. Here's a photo of the fixed fare rates as of 30 July 2023:

Arriving By Car

I-45 is undergoing several phases of construction that will continue into 2024 and beyond. TxDOT is widening I-45 all the way to Galveston Island so expect some delays and congestion.
I-45 south ends on Galveston Island. When arriving on the island, if you turn off at the "Cruise Terminal" exit (Harborside Drive) you will hit a traffic back-up as you approach the cruise terminals. To avoid this traffic jam, as you drive down I-45 and arrive on the Island, continue straight on Broadway as the interstate ends and follow these directions:

If you've reserved parking through the official Port of Galveston website, continue straight on Broadway as the interstate ends. Continue to 14th street and turn left. Follow 14th and it will take you straight into the entrance to the Cruise Terminal 10 area. This route will avoid the lengthy backup on Harborside Drive. As you enter the Cruise Terminal area, follow the signs to your pre-arranged parking lot or to the drop off or pick up areas. 
Parking

If you search "Galveston cruise parking" you will see plenty of parking options. I highly recommend making a reservation on line with one of the parking companies, especially if you want an indoor space as these will sell out (especially now, with so many ships sailing from Galveston). Prepaying usually gets you a 5-10% discount and a guaranteed parking space. Things to consider in addition to price:
Elevation - heavy rains can quickly flood the streets of Galveston, and not just during a hurricane. Leaving your car in an elevated spot will provide peace of mind against flooding if an unexpected storm comes in. Inside Building, or Outdoor Lot? - outdoor surface lots are cheaper, but your car is exposed to the south Texas sun and weather. A building provides better protection and security. Discounts & Loyalty - there are extra savings if you sign up for loyalty programs online and apply for any applicable discount. Reserve your parking after your account is set up and tagged with the applicable discount. You can combine loyalty and one discount but you can't have multiple discounts. The loyalty programs often mail discount codes to members. Security - parking lots are fenced and gated. Buildings are enclosed and locked. Some facilities have security cameras. The Port of Galveston claims that the Port Police patrol their lots 24/7 which you won't find at the private parking lots. Electric Vehicle Charging - more and more lots are offering EV chargers. If you drive an EV like I do, you will appreciate having your car fully charged when you disembark. This perk is currently free at all parking facilities where it is offered. The Port of Galveston will offer EV charging for an additional fee by scanning a QR code and paying online after parking at the charger. Remember that even a 110 volt plug will fully charge your car over the course of several days, so bring you charge cord as some lots offer 110V outlet access. Here is my comparison of some of the parking options. I have used Port Parking, EZ Cruise, and the Port of Galveston parking all without any issues.

Hotels

Galveston hotel prices are quite variable depending on day of week (weekends obviously much higher), whether there are major events happening, and the season (summer is the busy season here). Booking hotels during Mardi Gras (February), Lone Star Biker Rally (early November), Art Walk (every 6 weeks) and other major events will be much more expensive. Some hotels have a 2 night minimum on weekends. Ever since travel resumed following Covid, hotel prices on Galveston Island have gone way up.  I love staying on the island before a cruise, but if the price is too high I stay along I-45 in Webster, League City, or Texas City where you'll find much lower hotel rates. Note that I-45 exits south of Webster can be very congested, especially during morning and afternoon rush hours.
There are a couple of hotels near the port and the historic Strand District in Galveston, but no hotels are near the Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal 10. It's a great idea to arrive a day or two early and enjoy the island ambiance.
The Harbor House overlooks the port area and Cruise Terminals 25 and 28, and is very convenient to many nice restaurants, museums, and shopping. The Tremont House is also very walkable to the Strand, nice restaurants, museums, and shopping. This is my preferred pre-cruise hotel and is now a Marriott Tribute property. The Tremont House is located in a beautiful historic building. The Tremont's rooftop bar has wonderful views of the island and port area and has been under renovation with a planned re-opening in the fall of 2023. The lobby bar has live jazz on most Thursday nights.  There are plenty of other hotels on the Island, many along the Seawall facing the Gulf of Mexico.  Hotels providing transportation to the port or offer park & cruise options can be found here.  Call the hotel that you are interested in to confirm that they provide cruise parking. Galveston Dining (And A Few Drinking Establishments)

Please avoid the tourist traps and chain restaurants that will leave you disappointed. Eat at these locally owned restaurants that use locally sourced, fresh food, including fresh Gulf seafood right from the docks in Galveston. All restaurants are casual dress unless noted, and all are family friendly (even most of the bars). Many serve craft beer on tap from Galveston Island Brewing. My only connection to these places is that I have personally eaten at them multiple times and I love them all!

Rudy and Paco - 2028 Post Office St (21st and Post Office) - Arguably the best restaurant on the island. Wonderful food with a South and Central American flair. Best service on the island. A little expensive but worth it. We like going for lunch because it's very affordable (lunch served weekdays only). No shorts allowed at dinner. Reservations suggested and are a must on weekends or when The 1890 Grand Theater has an event.

Riondo's Ristorante - 2328 Strand (24th and Strand) - Our favorite Italian restaurant on the island, and they also serve great seafood and steak. Beautiful historic building built in 1895 in the Strand Historic District. "Farm to Fork" sourcing and they make their own pasta.  Tell them you "want a table in the vault."
Katie's Seafood House - 2000 Wharf Road (On the water, adjacent to the Port of Galveston) - This is the only restaurant in Galveston that catches their own seafood! Enjoy great food, good service, and a wonderful view of the Port of Galveston from their covered outdoor deck. They offer free parking in the lot in front of the restaurant at 20th & Harborside (call the restaurant at (409) 765-5688 and select to option to hear the parking code).

Blum & Co. at the Tremont House - 2300 Ships Mechanic Row (Mechanic Street) - Beautiful historic hotel built in 1879 near the Strand Historic District. An urban bistro, wine bar, and market offering a carefully curated menu that is indigenous of the region.  There is a beautiful bar at the opposite end of the lobby with several Galveston Brewing options on tap. Before or after dinner, take the elevator to the top floor, turn left, and walk to the end of the hall to the rooftop bar to cap off the experience. The rooftop bar is being renovated and will re-open in the fall of 2023.

Brews Brothers Brew Pub - 2404 Strand - Huge craft beer selection, creative American bar food. Very casual. You wouldn't expect it for a bar, but the food here is excellent. Burgers (try the "Mission From God"), fresh made chips (try them with Buffalo Sauce & Bleu Cheese), local fish tacos, salads, etc. Order at the bar, grab a table, and enjoy a beer while waiting on your food to be delivered to your table.
Texas Tail Distillery - 2416 Post Office - On-site distillery for whiskey and vodka. Try the honey whiskey and other infusions.  Friendly staff, fun place to try crafted drinks with local liquor, or try them all with a flight of shots! New: several food trucks are often located adjacent to their new location!
Blvd. Seafood - 28th and Seawall - One of the best seafood restaurants on the island. There isn't a lot of curb appeal outside but the inside is very nice. The food and service are both quite good and the seafood is all local. The red snapper is amazing and always comes fresh from Katie's Seafood Market.
Shucks Tavern - 414 21st Street - Newer hot spot downtown for oysters, seafood, and drinks. Fresh oysters from the most famous oyster beds in America!
Mama Teresa's Flying Pizza and Italian - 416 21st Street - Next door to Shucks Tavern, this is the place for pizza. These guys hand toss the pizzas so high they almost touch the very high ceilings in this historic building! They also have nice Italian dishes. Convenient to the Post Office Street Arts District for a nice after-dinner stroll.
Grotto Italian - 5222 Seawall (In the San Luis Resort) - Classic Italian restaurant featuring delicious veal, chicken, seafood, pizza, and house made pastas. This one breaks my rule of avoiding the Landrys restaurant chain, but we are convinced it's a great option.
The Cove Poolside Bar - 5222 Seawall (In the San Luis Resort) - Beautiful outdoor poolside bar with a swim-up bar too, all overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.  The pool is heated so expect swimmers even in cool weather.  Great place to people watch and enjoy a drink with one of the most picturesque views of the Gulf of Mexico on the island.
Koops BBQ Kitchen - 4501 Broadway - the only barbecue restaurant on the island that I would recommend.  Very clean, very casual, very good meat and homemade sides. Only open for lunch from 11 am to 3 pm or until they run out of barbecue.
Leland House - 2711 Market Street - a nice neighborhood bistro serving breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner. Grab a menu, relax at a table, and order at the bar when you're ready. Closed Monday/Tuesday.
Maceo's Spice & Import Company - 2706 Market Street - Excellent muffaletta's, sandwiches.  Simple menu to eat in or carry out in this little spice shop.
Freckleberry Teahouse - 2724 Market Street - this has become a hot spot for a relaxing hot or iced tea or coffee and a light snack. Comfortable seating is plentiful inside or in their large outdoor area.
Red Light Coffee Roasters - 2728 Market Street - popular spot serving locally roasted and sustainably sourced coffee and drinks along with light snacks. Like many places on this list, they are located in a beautiful historic building.
Hey Mikey's Ice Cream - 2120 Post Office Street - Ice cream is made in the store. Unique treats like Ice Cream Nachos (share with a friend) and traditional favorites. You gotta' go here! Note: this place is owned by a nice island family.  It is sometimes closed over the winter holidays.

Mod Coffeehouse - 2126 Post Office Street - comfortable with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Live music many weekend evenings. Coffee, tea, espresso, latte, home baked goods.
Waterman's Restaurant & Marina - 14302 Stewart Road - great sunset and water views overlooking Lake Como and West Bay. Steak and seafood. The restaurant was built of long leaf pine salvaged from the 100 year old cotton warehouses that were part of Galveston's glory days. Relatively expensive and a bit of a drive from the hotel areas but this is a unique restaurant with a great ambiance, great service, and great water views.
Jimmy's On The Pier - 9001 Seawall - On the 2nd story above the fishing pier (enter the souvenir shop, exit to the left, and up the stairs). Very casual with great views of the seawall and Gulf. Owner has their own farm and livestock for a true "farm to table" concept; other items locally sourced. Fish tacos, burgers, seafood, local beer, full bar, etc. 

Galveston Webcams

Galveston has some great webcams if you want to see what the cruise port looks like, or if your friends and family want to watch you sail away on Royal Caribbean via several live full-motion HD video cameras.
 

As a recovering Suite Snob, let me offer some hope.  There was a time when I thought I could never go “back” to GenPop cruising.  I was wrong.  It definitely takes an attitude adjustment, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.
I miss the big suites - don’t get me wrong - but not as much as I thought I would. 
For us, the decision was simple:  either learn to enjoy the simple life or find another hobby.  We chose #1 and we found that we still enjoy cruising !  Hopefully you won’t have to choose.

Monday morning we headed home. Breakfast was included at the hotel, nothing special, typical hotel fare. The drive to the airport was uneventful. We dropped the luggage at the southwest counter, and headed through security. 45 minutes from leaving the hotel to through security, including the stop for gas, and shuttle from the rental lot to the airport. 
I somehow got an exit row seat!!

We had a connection at BWI airport. We even ran into my Aunt who was on the same flight to Albany with us. She was coming back from California where my cousin is for his special spinal cord injury rehab.

The travel day was actually pretty easy. The connection in Baltimore was a little tight because we left Houston a little late, but we, and our luggage made it in time. 
Our puppers was retrieved from puppy camp, and all is right in his world again

Houston hotel: We called an audible the morning of the cruise for our post cruise stay. After a night of listening to the freeloaders complain about who was touching who, who was taking up too much space etc, we decided we needed a bigger room. The room by the airport was going to be the same arrangement we were just in. 
We expanded our hotel search space and ended up at a Homewood Suites Houston/clear Lake/NASA. The room was a 1 king, 2 dbl beds 2br, 2 bath suite. This was perfect. Everyone had their own space, and the freeloaders were on the other side of the room from us. The locations was great too. It was just off I45 midway between Houston and Galveston. With a late morning flight we had plenty of time. 
Here is the main living room

Freeloaders room

Freeloader Bathroom

Kitchenette

Master Bed

Master bath, my only complaint here was that to get to the shower/toilet you had to come completely out of the bedroom and cross that space. minor gripe. That door to the right of the mirror leads to the master BR.

The drive to Hobby the following morning was only 20 minutes, so not bad at all. 

Departure....
Berty gave us two options for our bags. We would have them out by midnight the last night, or six am on departure day. Looking at the departure sheet they are really pushing for people not to do self assist. There is bold print that self assist is only for people with one bag, as the terminal has minimal elevators, and they don't want people going down the escalators with multiple bags. 
While I have never been lucky enough to have the earlier star class experience with the genie coming with a porter on the last day, we had ours out by midnight except for the small suitcase for the infamous weighted blanket and makeup etc etc. We have never lost a bag, nor do we put anything valuable in them so it has not been an issue for us yet....
On the last morning, we were up in coastal around 7:30. We weren't necessarily rushing since we didn't have anywhere to be right away, but we did want to be out to give the attendant as much time as possible. 
At breakfast, I got my last Mediterranean Plate

Johnny had one last frosted donut for @Lovetocruise2002

Lydia was done with pictures 

At 8:30 Berty met us at CK to walk us off the ship. He was also escorting the 4 guests in the villa off at the same time too. He used his magical powers and the elevator went straight to the promenade, where we got a picture of him with he kids

We were whisked around the long line of people off the ship.
Galveston must do some things a little different because he was able to accompany us all the way past the facial scanners to our waiting luggage. The scanners here were great, and super quick. 
All of the star class luggage was grouped together in the corner and easy to get to. 
With our belongings recovered, we too quickly said our final goodbyes and were on our way. 
Total time from pickup at coastal kitchen to our car was 18 minutes, including the few extra minutes it took to get to the car because we accidentally walked the wrong way
 

So I think we are now up to the special treat for the wife.
I know I have been hinting at sparkly things that we have been looking for, and not having any luck.
But.....
But............
We went another route. I really did want to treat her, to something special. She recently got a big promotion at work that she worked so hard for, and it was really a wonderful thing for this position to become available in her company, and in this location so that we wouldn't have to relocate....plus she deserves it from putting up with me🤣 right @TheBoss518
So may I present to you Luis....

She is beyond excited....and can't wait for work on Wednesday to show it off a little bit.
For all of you that were hoping on sparkly things...FEAR NOT!!!! I have found the exact thing that she was looking for on the Effy site and I have ordered it!

Bridge tour:
I have to make one correction, it was Berty who contacted Dan, not the concierge...
Anyway we all met at the front of the ship with the other Star Class guests. We were chatting with Berty and thanking him profusely for all the things that he was able to include Dan and his family on. He said he was happy to, and that ultimately is was actually pretty easy. This sailing, he was responsible for our deck 8 ATS, he had the deck 9 ATS above us and the villa. 
For this cruise, there were only 2 passengers in the ATS above us, and the villa only had 4 guests in it!!. Ten total guests. He was surprised that they were able to book with 4. They said that they originally had more but they had all canceled. With so few guests he was able to be more flexible and inclusive. 
Usually when a genie has the villa its VERY stressful for them because its almost like managing three or more cabins. Many times he will have some guests want to eat at one place, while others want this or that and it's a lot of moving parts and coordinating can be difficult. He was very happy for the low guest count and relatively easy bunch. 
Berty led the tour today, and he did a good job. The kids were in awe of all the things on the bridge and had a good time. 




 
Here we were discussing all sorts of things from helicopter off loads to the changes since the shutdown.

We returned to our cabin to do some packing before more activities. Our towel animal collection has grown

 

Those. Thanks for your quick response. Those cabana areas look nice for larger groups. 😁

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking here, 
The casitas, you reserve in the cruise planner on the website. These I don't think are worth the money. 
On the suite sun deck there is various types of seating. There are chairs, loungers, couches, beds, and more private cabana like areas. These are all first come first served. We found that our favorites were the beds.

After Columbus, we, as already discussed, went to the quest......it's crazy all right.  Not much more needs to be said that hasn't already been said.