_Quinn_

For sure read the boards and watch the video's available.  If you want a quick walk around with a few flaws since there were a few things I couldn't remember I posted a video while I was on a B2B on Liberty.  
I did notice that the average age on the ship was a little older.  That doesn't mean much for the most part but while on the ship you would often see people trying to figure out the reservations for shows and such.  It's also a little more laid back and less of a party atmosphere, this is partly due to the average age being older but also due to distancing protocols so the belly flop competition isn't running among other things.
The biggest thing I always try to do is explore and look for interesting things.  I am a geek of all trades and understand a lot about the electrical, mechanical, and other systems on the ship but love to look around and find other things. (Big geek thing here so skip if you don't understand or want to know) I was knocking around and found one of the electrical substations on the ship that allows the power to be distributed to the floors.  But it was interesting to me they had the door listed at 11KV as that would mean they generate power at a high voltage for transmission to the "substations" and then drop it down to the required voltage.  I would have expected something like that but at a range closer to around 2KV.  And it was interesting to explain it to my girlfriend as well.  Other things you may notice is the way the lifeboats steer without a true rudder which means they can only steer effectively while moving under power, or the cooling system for the lifeboat engines which is just a copper loop that sits in the water.  If this is your kind of thing and stay on the ship during a port day you will see crew doing multiple tests around the ship, I saw the flood/fire doors on the promenade being opened and closed, lifeboats being started and checked, and they even had a backup power test done at one point so the elevators were shut down.
But enough of that, like I said I am a geek.  But you are sure to find a ton of stuff to do and the food is great.  The only thing I can say is if you picked my time dining make your reservations the first chance you get as later on it will be tough to get anything before 8:00pm.  We ended up just having pizza at Sorento's most nights and then going to watch a show, don't try and drop in after a show though as everyone else at the show has that idea...
 
And I am sure many others will also say that if you have a question about something specific all you have to do is ask.  There is a ton of knowledge out there but sometimes it helps to have someone break it down a bit.

I so agree with you on this, @_Quinn_.  It is almost NEVER a $$ savings issue for us but is more of a convenience factor.

I'm a long-time drink package skeptic, but took the plunge when my wife and I sailed out of Tampa in October (to be fair, only our fifth cruise). I'm sure I didn't break even, because my wife doesn't drink very much and I couldn't drink enough to make up for her. But--I'd encourage you to think of it in terms other than just "am I saving money." It was really nice to try different things, not worry about if we were wasting money if we didn't finish something, and not have to constantly check my cruise account against my budget. And besides booze, we hit Cafe Lattetudes several times, which I probably wouldn't have done at all without the drink package. We're on another cruise out of Baltimore in December which is slightly longer and will include adult children, but I'm seriously thinking about biting the bullet and buying the drink package again.

I feel your pain. I'm the planner in the family, so I'm the one who has to identify and mitigate all our travel risks. I was anxious about everything leading up to getting on board, including the possibility of a false positive. Luckily my wife knows me well, so first thing she said when we woke up Saturday morning (for a Monday afternoon departure) was, "Let's take a Covid test!" The process was very easy and done start to finish in about 20 minutes. As somebody else said the time on the printout is UTC so it's a few hours later than local, but the date is all they care about.
It never helps when anybody says it to me, but relax--you're going to have a great vacation!
Quinn

For veterans who don't otherwise have an ID card, you can get a "Veterans ID Card" from the VA here: https://www.va.gov/records/get-veteran-id-cards/vic/
It might be more convenient than carrying around a DD214. It's not on Royal Caribbean's list of approved documents, but I can't imagine anybody saying it wasn't enough proof. As others have said, though, I can't imagine anybody at the port having any idea what to do with a DD214, either.

For veterans who don't otherwise have an ID card, you can get a "Veterans ID Card" from the VA here: https://www.va.gov/records/get-veteran-id-cards/vic/
It might be more convenient than carrying around a DD214. It's not on Royal Caribbean's list of approved documents, but I can't imagine anybody saying it wasn't enough proof. As others have said, though, I can't imagine anybody at the port having any idea what to do with a DD214, either.

For veterans who don't otherwise have an ID card, you can get a "Veterans ID Card" from the VA here: https://www.va.gov/records/get-veteran-id-cards/vic/
It might be more convenient than carrying around a DD214. It's not on Royal Caribbean's list of approved documents, but I can't imagine anybody saying it wasn't enough proof. As others have said, though, I can't imagine anybody at the port having any idea what to do with a DD214, either.

The only time I was asked for my DD-214 at the pier, I swear I could have just as easily have handed the rep an old "E-ticket" from Disneyland 🙈
 

You could always run a search on the Royal Caribbean website to see if checking the military box gets you any additional discounts before you decide to call. In my experience, though, it's unusual for the military discount to get you anything more than the other promotions and discounts they run.
Take care,
Quinn

It depends.  Not all discounts are combinable so it varies by state, age and C&A status.  TA’s shouldn’t be hard to get in touch with.  Consider your options for your next cruise.  

Took the 25 October sailing on Serenade of the Seas. I'd booked a JS, and the minimum bid for GS was $155 per person. Bid $160 per person and got the upgrade. Was notified by email two days before and never got the concierge letter, but all was forgiven once I met Ava.

Took the 25 October sailing on Serenade of the Seas. I'd booked a JS, and the minimum bid for GS was $155 per person. Bid $160 per person and got the upgrade. Was notified by email two days before and never got the concierge letter, but all was forgiven once I met Ava.

Took the 25 October sailing on Serenade of the Seas. I'd booked a JS, and the minimum bid for GS was $155 per person. Bid $160 per person and got the upgrade. Was notified by email two days before and never got the concierge letter, but all was forgiven once I met Ava.

Took the 25 October sailing on Serenade of the Seas. I'd booked a JS, and the minimum bid for GS was $155 per person. Bid $160 per person and got the upgrade. Was notified by email two days before and never got the concierge letter, but all was forgiven once I met Ava.

Took the 25 October sailing on Serenade of the Seas. I'd booked a JS, and the minimum bid for GS was $155 per person. Bid $160 per person and got the upgrade. Was notified by email two days before and never got the concierge letter, but all was forgiven once I met Ava.

Hi!
So I was really worried (I'm the designated worrier) that between Covid restrictions and reduced capacity that it wouldn't feel like a "real" cruise, but my wife and I had a fantastic time. It certainly felt less crowded than our other cruises, but it wasn't a ghost town by any means. I thought the Covid precautions were clearly stated and reasonable, but we generally don't take issue with wearing masks so may not be the best ones to ask.
My biggest complaint (and it's not big), is that there was no traditional seating in the MDR. When we got our SeaPasses they had "My Time Dining" printed on them. When we went to clear that up, we were told that everyone had My Time Dining. We were able to make reservations for the same time every night and had the same waiter, but he seemed a little overwhelmed by having so many tables at different stages of dinner. I know traditional dining is probably on its way out, but that's what we still prefer. We had reservations at Giovanni's Table for my wife's birthday, and then they offered us a discount for a second night so we took advantage of that (highly recommended). I wouldn't say that we were dissatisfied with the MDR, just that it seemed a little off.
If you need anything else, just let me know,
Quinn

How did you like the Tampa cruise, Quinn?  

My Indy Christmas cruises are closed for everything but suites.  That's new.
I suspect when the CSO was extended they had to close many categories to maintain capacity limits.  
I wouldn't read too much into this change just yet.  

Still shows on United cruised website with balconies and suites sold out.

Day 7 - At Sea
We should have been in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua today. I’m disappointed this stop was canceled! Nicaragua is a newer addition to the cruise ship routes, so not many have had the opportunity to stop here. The country is also very poor (eclipsed only by Haiti in the region) and could very much use the tourism dollars. Fortunately for you all, we live in Nicaragua right now so you’re going to get my Virtual Shore Excursion photos!

San Juan del Sur (SJDS) is a small town very popular with the surf crowd. Serenade (or pretty much any cruise ship) would have tendered in, but the wide bay is very smooth and the process would have been painless.

Walking distance from drop off are a number of great restaurants situated right on the beach, including this fun one:

Towering over SJDS on a hill north of town is Nicaragua’s answer to the Cristo Redentor:

Lots of small resorts up the lovely coast from SJDS, where you can rent a hammock or a shade for the day, and take a ride on the beach.



A number of the shore excursions (or private tours) from SJDS will take you to Granada, a picturesque colonial town about 45 minutes inland. Spanish churches and colorful houses, with lots of artisans and restaurants.





Adjacent to Granada is Mombacho Volcano. There is zip lining, hiking, and a working coffee plantation on the slopes of the mountain.


A bit further inland is the town of Masaya, which has lovely lake and a volcano of its own.


 (Those are not clouds. Masaya is a very active volcano and you can sometimes see the lava in the caldera at night!)
Nicaragua is a beautiful country and the people are welcoming and warm. If you get a chance to visit, take it!

 

A quick trip to the Loyalty Desk got me the C&A stats for this cruise:
617 passengers
 - 105 Gold
 - 73 Platinum
 - 64 Emerald
 - 145 Diamond
 - 136 Diamond Plus
 - 33 Pinnacle
So right about half of the passengers are Diamond an above, which is why they closed the Viking Crown full time. I think they’ve gotten some complaints though, because it sounded like that was a very temporary change. Here’s hoping!

Hi! Welcome to the forums! 
Yes, the app is confusing about the MDR. You don’t have to worry. Late seating is on Deck 4 of the MDR. I believe it is broken up in the app so that it can show the different times available for unvaccinated folks. 
Let me know if you have any other questions and I either answer or go find out! 🙂
 

Hi Kristi!
Really enjoying your blog and hanging on every word since my wife and I will be on the 25 October sailing out of Tampa. We're in a JS so I'll also really be disappointed if we can't go in the Viking Lounge. It's always one of my favorite spaces.
I have a question about the MDR, if you can help. I was looking at the app yesterday and noticed that the late seating is now in the "Dining Room: Seven Hearts." Which I assume is the...Card Room?! We tend to be late eaters and 5:30 seems really early to us, but I really don't want to miss out on the MDR experience, either. Any intel you could share would be greatly appreciated!
Safe travels,
Quinn