WAYNO

Ok, Update!
It was 2 pools today.
The kids pool and the swim and tonic bar pool. 
Why they even allow kids in a pool that's a bar is beyond me. 
Royal Caribbean needs to rethink age policies on pools on this ship. It's really getting ridiculous. Lots of paying customers are MAD!

MDR Food was exceptionally good night one. Beef quality has improved. No tough as nails steak. 
Aqua show was awesome. 
Aqua dome at night. Nice place to just sit and relax. Very Star Trek / Star Ship kinda feel. 
That's 3. LOL. 
(It's a beautiful ship)
Oh, one more major plus. Natural light from windows behind Pearl Cafe opens up the promenade. Not everything faces inward anymore. 

Looking forward to hanging in San Pedro before the cruise. heh heh

We hide (and find) ducks on every cruise.  I'm sorry some folks are hiding them irresponsibly, and I'm sorry some fun-haters are put off by the whole concept.
We will continue to hide them, and if folks are not interested, just leave us alone.  We are on the cruise to have fun.🤩

 
 
 
 
 
 
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I got to enjoy a Cohiba Puro Dominicana in its homeland of the beautiful Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic. Tasted pretty good! And by that I mean, it was amazing. 

My grand kids love finding ducks!  It is one of their great cruise joys and just makes them happy.  

Our cruising friends always bring ducks…no tags.  Whenever they leave their room they take a few with them and if they see a small child…sometimes crying, sometimes not…they get permission from the parent to make sure it’s ok to give the child/ren the duck/s.  So awesome to see the faces light up!

We hide (and find) ducks on every cruise.  I'm sorry some folks are hiding them irresponsibly, and I'm sorry some fun-haters are put off by the whole concept.
We will continue to hide them, and if folks are not interested, just leave us alone.  We are on the cruise to have fun.🤩

 
 
 
 
 
 
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It’s like Easter egg hunts, it’s for the kids.  We never pick one up but frequently point one out to a kid and they are usually delighted.  We have a lot of grandkids so appreciate this opportunity for the kids to enjoy something like this.  Now it’s a different conversation if they start showing up on adult cruises like Virgin Voyages.  

About 2 years ago, I found a duck. I took it to see the tag, then put it back because I thought "I'm a grown man, I really don't want this duck".
A few days later my kid found another one and was incredibly happy about it. I should've given him my duck. I'm stupid.

We keep them until the next cruise, then re-hide. We found one once that the finders kept writing the duck's next cruise on the label and when we found it it was on cruise #4.  Almost to Diamond Duck status.

We hide (and find) ducks on every cruise.  I'm sorry some folks are hiding them irresponsibly, and I'm sorry some fun-haters are put off by the whole concept.
We will continue to hide them, and if folks are not interested, just leave us alone.  We are on the cruise to have fun.🤩

 
 
 
 
 
 
.

We hide (and find) ducks on every cruise.  I'm sorry some folks are hiding them irresponsibly, and I'm sorry some fun-haters are put off by the whole concept.
We will continue to hide them, and if folks are not interested, just leave us alone.  We are on the cruise to have fun.🤩

 
 
 
 
 
 
.

We hide (and find) ducks on every cruise.  I'm sorry some folks are hiding them irresponsibly, and I'm sorry some fun-haters are put off by the whole concept.
We will continue to hide them, and if folks are not interested, just leave us alone.  We are on the cruise to have fun.🤩

 
 
 
 
 
 
.

We hide (and find) ducks on every cruise.  I'm sorry some folks are hiding them irresponsibly, and I'm sorry some fun-haters are put off by the whole concept.
We will continue to hide them, and if folks are not interested, just leave us alone.  We are on the cruise to have fun.🤩

 
 
 
 
 
 
.

As of just this morning, my Wife and her brother are booked on this cruise.  I've never booked on such short notice.  It all came together reasonably easy, because I persevered .  Last night, Royal sales said we could not use our casino certificate on such short notice.  But today, talking directly with Casino Royale, they said "of course you can." 
The irony of this... We are now booked on this ship 3-times between May and September.  Packing will be easy.  We can leave our summer wardrobe at home.😉
 

So excited!  Our first cruise to Alaska.  Hubby and I will be onboard, one week from today.  😊⚓

Photographers on the ship are very similar to salesmen on a car lot.  They are there if you want them to be or not.

I have been buying photos on ships since the days when all they had were black and white prints that they displayed on boards.
Then a decade and a half later they moved up to color prints, and put them in slots on walls.
It was always a pain to walk around and search for your face.  Sometimes they missed some of your photos and stuck them with someone else!
One time I purchased ALL photos, and came home with 200 prints that weighed a ton, and many of the shots were not that great.
Now you find you photos online on a computer, and purchase digital and/or prints.
I stick to about the package of 10, and I always include my formal night photos, often our boarding photo, and maybe a dining room photo.  Sometimes we also purchase the port photos where you pose with the name of the place on a sign.  Many of the professional photographers take excellent photos, and they help you pose.  We try different backgrounds just for the fun of it.  Depending on the cruise line, some of the prints are exceptionally nice, and they also give you a cardboard display folder. 
I usually pre-purchase the package, just so I do not have to worry about having the costs added to my bill at the end. 
Do not wait until the end to purchase--check your photos out regularly so you have an idea what you want, and allow enough time to have them ready for you (usually the night before disembarkation). 
Enjoy your first cruise!!

Photographers on the ship are very similar to salesmen on a car lot.  They are there if you want them to be or not.

Multiple (bordering on endless) Facebook posts week after week, that at least one pool on Icon has been closed every single day of every cruise. This is due to parents allowing children who are not potty trained to go in the pools. Apparently many times it's the main large pool. Once it happens it's closed for the entire day to clean. People please don't be selfish. If your child is not potty trained, stick to splash pads. It literally takes a pool for 7000 people out of commission for the entire day. Selfish and ridiculous. 

But somehow not nearly has hovering as they were before the shutdown.

Photographers on the ship are very similar to salesmen on a car lot.  They are there if you want them to be or not.

We've been on most of the ships, Explorer and larger.  I like them all, for different reasons, but my Wife's preference is the bigger the better. 
As far as crowds go, I might be the odd person out, as I like the hustle and bustle of life on a big  ship with lots of passengers.
But I do get, folks have their own ideas of what draws them to, or away from, the cruising lifestyle. 
Heaven to me is a packed Promenade.  There's just that more chance to meet new folks. 
 

We've been on most of the ships, Explorer and larger.  I like them all, for different reasons, but my Wife's preference is the bigger the better. 
As far as crowds go, I might be the odd person out, as I like the hustle and bustle of life on a big  ship with lots of passengers.
But I do get, folks have their own ideas of what draws them to, or away from, the cruising lifestyle. 
Heaven to me is a packed Promenade.  There's just that more chance to meet new folks.