Moby Dick

YES!!!!!! 10 il get you 20 they won't.

The little white paper caps! Ewuuuuuuuuu, are you serious? No way. Actually a good idea.

Being retired from being the GM of the parking facilities for both FLL and Port Everglades I can agree that FLL isn't too big. But, they have managed to stuff 100 pounds stuff into a 50 pound bag. As I have stated before, FLL and Port Everglades literally share the same property lines. When I was still working there, there were long range plans to build an intermodal elevated tramway between the both. I don't know if it is still planned or not. But, I thought it was a good idea and said so during many planning meetings there. It would reduce some of the traffic into/out of the airport which can get very busy. I'm thinking that there second large runway and building it over US1 may have taken up a lot of the future construction plans.

50/50 right now. Come on Sofa near the balcony slider! We can do this!

Oh, I forgot to mention, you'd be surprised how much an extra tip can relieve stress.

While I always try to be the best person I can be for the crew, I still have to think to myself that I paid a lot of money for the cruise and I'm going to have the best time and service I can possibly have. But, I do go overboard trying not to be the "ugly American". Okay, I can't help one of those things. But, unless you are asking for the impossible, I'd go ahead and ask for it. If they can't, they'll let you know.

I'm leaning that way!

Being a retired cop, I agree!

One of the first things I do, other than the morning trip to you know where, is go out onto the balcony just to watch the world go by and smell the ocean. I'd rather do that and not have to walk around the bed and bump into it while opening the balcony door and waking up my wife. Beside, if the bed is closer to the door, if I'm a little tipsy, I don't have far to fall to get into bed. Okay, I'm never a little tipsy, I'm a lot tipsy or try to be while on a cruise.

I'm not sure how it works. I've read a lot of it but as usual, there are several different experiences. How it's done on one cruise/ship doesn't mean it's done the same way on another. Having said that, as I've never done a B2B, I'm totally envious/jealous.

I just keep thinking that, "one man's treasure is another man's junk". So, what someone doesn't like another will like. That's not to ignore either opinion. But, it would be nice to know exactly what was good or what was bad about something, not just that it didn't live up to expectations............. I wouldn't cancel one cruise because of a bad experience with another. Remember, crews are changed out all the time. There could be a myriad of reasons why the food on one ship wasn't up to par. I've had cabin stewards that stunk on one cruise and the cabin steward down the hall or on another cruise was great. You just don't know what the cards will give you. Same thing with food service/prep.

Yep, didn't think of those. But, a much better idea. 16 oz too

My experience is that they, the crew, will bend over backwards for you, if it's possible, they'll do it as long as it's legal and non-fattening (well forget the non-fattening part). I just hope that extra effort by the very accommodating crew gets extra compensation for their efforts.

And I think you know what I meant! But, we really aren't far off of being on the same sheet of music.

It's a sign of the times! We must get used to it, at least for the "short-term".

Yes, that is 100% true. But, we survived. I survived growing up without a bicycle helmet as a kid. I rode in the back of Pick-Up trucks. When I got hurt, which I did and I did seriously (lost a finger once), I'm still here and better off for it. I got sick and got better. But, it's not all about me, I think we all did the above and survived. Yes, some don't survive. But, the very very very vast majority do, just like we have learned what to do with COVID, now. Far fewer people are getting really sick and or dying from COVID, like it used to be. But, I have to go back to one of my original statements, I really don't care which way Royal or other buffet serves or doesn't serve it's customers. Asl long as it looks and tastes good, I'm happy. BTW, once they found out what "Legionnaires Virus" is/was, they learned how to deal with it and stop/limit it.

Having worked for Marriott-In-Flight Service, no longer in business as Marriott decided to go virtually entirely Hospitality, I know a little bit about food service. Marriott-In-light Services was, at one time the nations leading food preparation and transportation company in the U.S. for Airlines at airports around the world. I did learn a little about the business. I think there is a lot more regulation in dealing with "repurposing" food than many know. Food can only sit on a steam table, under a light, a hot plate/counter for a, I don't remember the time frame but it wasn't long. I've also toured the Crew's Mess and their menu looked a lot different than the one in the Windjammer. Is it possible that some ingredients were use to make some of the ethnic/culturally appropriate foods in the Crew's Mess, I guess so. But, I think there is a lot more waste than some people think. But, I also think that they do a good job of limiting the waste. But, I don't think repurposing food is as big a deal as we think. If I don't eat all my diner and I throw away a few ounces of peas or pork chop, I don't feel like I'm causing the starvation of anybody else elsewhere in the world. The amount of food is planned for and cooked/prepared well in advance of the first person sitting down to eat it. What isn't eat is discarded. Also, I'm sure they don't scrape the food I don't eat off of my plate and send it to a "repurposing" station or to the Crew's Mess. Once again, do I think they do a good job of limiting waste? Yes. But, it ain't perfect! JMHO, your milage may vary.

After looking at the video one more time, I'm even more confused. I'm thinking that, MAYBE, the sign is welcoming the crew to THEIR new home, The Ovation of the Seas. MAYBE, when it's time to actually start cruising again, they will move the ship to pier 91. Okay, I'm going to my room now, get in bed, curl up in the fetal position and just wait for cruise day to find out everything I need to know about embarkation day, then! Yep, the sign says, "WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME" then at the bottom it says, "Ovation of the Seas".

For about a year now, I've been following VLOGS about Ovation of the Seas departing from Pier 91 in Seattle to go to Alaska and back. I've been worried/concerned and bugging people about transportation to pier 91 and where Star Class is to meet with their Genie and drop-off luggage. Well, today, my wife was in Facebook (I don't do Facebook) and found a video made by the Assistant Casino Manager. He was leaving England yesterday and arrived in Seattle today. The crew has to quarantine and get the ship ready, I guess, before the Alaska cruise season. But I digress. As he is videoing, it is obvious that he is entering pier 66, not 91. And as he is entering the terminal, there is a sign saying, "WELCOME TO THE NEW HOME OF OVATION OF THE SEAS". So, I guess all my bugging people, including people in this forum, the transportation (shuttle/limo) people about how to plan for our arrival at pier 91 was for not. Cruise terminal 66 looks a lot nicer than 91. But, you never know until you see it for yourself. The Port of Seattle website still shows Ovation as embarking from pier 91, so I'm wondering which is right: Oh, the cruisemapper shows Ovation at pier 66.

This thread make me think of a question. Cans are what 8 - 12 oz., I remember when we would depart the ship at port(s) of call, they, the crew, would be at the exit/gangplank selling liter/2 liter bottles of water to take with you while in port. I wonder what they do now? I don't think I want to carry around several "cans" of water OR one large "can" of water. Like I said earlier, you can't seal off an open can of water. Unless they have though of a work-around, I don't think I like this new policy. Maybe they should sell beer cans as we exit the ship, no waste there.

I hear ya. That's one reason I really like drinking water from bottles, you can close them up as you go along. Cans - well, if I can't/don't finish whatever is in it, I just throw it away especially carbonated drinks, they go flat and are nasty. BTW, I don't throw away much beer, imagine that!

I'm just not a height kinda guy. I've got to get Valium before I fly. I'm also a little claustrophobic. Those cigar tubes that fly bug me. This is all manifesting as I get older. While in the Army, I'd hang out of helicopters, crawl through drainage pipes, etc etc. Moral of the story, don't get old!

I'm looking at my Royal App right now. It says the ship's time is 9:37 AM, it's 12:47 PM here in Central Time Zone. I believe Seattle is in the Pacific Time Zone would would be a 2 hour difference. It's not only off by an hour but it's of by an hour and 10 minutes. I just checked again and it's off by exactly an hour now. BTW, the cruise ship mapper shows the Ovation as being in Seattle.

By the way, it looks like Cunard does take deposits less than full payment at time of booking or by the next business day:

I found a youtube video (ca't find it again, can't remember my exact search term) that was made late in the season last year. It panned, incidentally, by a Star banner. It was located across the street from the actual entrance to the terminal, by the covered area that you would pull into to drop off your luggage. I guess that's much better than what I was expecting. It really depends on where our shuttle will drop us and our luggage off, I would assume it will be close to the Star banner.