Lexster

PRE-CRUISE TRAVEL
Well, yesterday was the first leg of our 16 hour journey. It was relatively uneventful. We made a couple stops. We did get a really nice vehicle, so it's been fun driving that. We stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Perry Georgia and it was...yeah, it was bad. I've never stayed in a hotel quite so bad before. There were large puncture holes in the wall, the bed was a super bouncy spring mattress, and our traveling partners said they had bugs in their room. Would not recommend.
The drive today was also relatively uneventful, though once we hit Florida there was a ton of traffic pretty much all the way down the Turnpike. I'm guessing it's normal, but I have no idea how there is traffic on a road with barely any exits. Once we hit Miami and got off the highway, it took a half hour to go 10 miles. It was pretty ridiculous. We were considering going out to see a movie or something, but nah we're all just staying in. We did get food from the Flatbread House and it was pretty good! Radisson RED here in Miami is a nice hotel. I really like the asthetic. It has bare concrete ceilings and brick walls in the hallway. It's fun! Not too much else to go one about, but tomorrow we get on the ship! So exciting!

Was reading through some of the live blogs and figured I might as well do one for my upcoming cruise! We'll see if anyone is interested in reading it. Currently 21 days, 18 hours until vacation begins! We went on Oasis of the Seas last May and this year we decided to shake things up. My husband's dad (Dave) and brother (Will) will be coming with us. This cruise is kind of our anniversary and his college graduation all wrapped into one. His dad has been on a Royal Caribbean cruise before, but his brother hasn't. Dave's definitely excited. He told me he's been working the memorize the deck plan and had routes memorized from his cabin to various places. It's funny because I did the same thing, but planning means nothing once you're on the ship. It's super easy to get turned around.
Itinerary/Thoughts on
Day 1 - Miami
Day 2 - Sea Day
Day 3 - Costa Maya, Mexico
Day 4 - Roatan, Honduras
Day 5 - Cozumel, MX
Day 6 - Sea Day
Day 7 - Perfect Day at Coco Cay
Day 8 - Miami
I'm very excited for this itinerary since I've never been outside the US other than to the Bahamas. We've booked Nachi Cocom in Cozumel, so that should be a lot of fun. We're doing a rainforest excursion in Roatan and in Costa Maya, we're mostly going to wander the port, I think. There wasn't anything that really stood out to us that we wanted to do other than the Mayan ruins, but the trip is so far, we didn't want to be on a bus for multiple hours. I also like that the sea days are the bread on the cruise sandwich. It gives us a day to relax after getting on the ship and a day to relax near the end before going to Coco Cay on the last day. Our last cruise was a bit of a disappointment due to the weather. It left out of New Jersey and all along the coast, we were basically chasing a storm system which made everything cloudy, cold, and rainy. This meant we never really got to enjoy any of the outdoor activities on Oasis of the Seas, so I'm hoping this year to get to do the water slides and FlowRider and things like that. Coco Cay was also great, but hampered by the bad weather, so again hoping it's just perfect and gorgeous this year.
Pre-Cruise Preparation
As I've begun doing as of our first cruise, I created a spreadsheet to track budget, items to bring, meal planning for the cruise, everything. It helps keep me excited as the days tick down. I like to plan out my meals so I can make sure we hit a bit of everything on the ship throughout the week. I've ordered the Chops +1 meal plan. I plan on us going to Wonderland for the +1. I have wanted to try it from the first time I saw what kind of place it was. I love cuisine like that.
We also got the Refreshment Package since none of us really drink. I probably will get a couple cocktails, but for the most part I'm happy with mocktails. I also love that it comes with smoothies and milkshakes.
I've already got my luggage tags all set up and did Dave and Will's as well. I've basically taken charge of planning everything. I have a hard time giving up control sometimes, especially when it comes to my vacation! Dave's not the most tech-focused individual, so I got everything printed out for him.
We've got the car reserved and the hotels. Yes, we're DRIVING from Northern Kentucky to Miami. Insane, I know. It's like 16 hours. But, hear me out. It may be slower, but plane tickets would have basically been the cost of a cruise. It's crazy how expensive flying is now. So, our plan is to drive 8 hours on Thursday and then 8 hours Friday. i think it'll be a fun adventure, at least. I've driven to Jacksonville all in one before which is like 12 hours, so I knew we wouldn't make it going 16 hours straight.
At this point, it's just a matter of waiting. Only other things left are to get some new vacation clothes and some road trip snacks once it's much closer to the trip.
I'll keep up to date with anything new or exciting happening!

In case anyone needs this, the DBP dropped to $67.99 plus tip today.  Only the second time it’s been this low.  Just FYI if you paid more.

6 DAYS LEFT!!
I am so happy! Yes, because the cruise is close, but also I FINALLY got my license in the mail. It's been an issue since March and they had to resend it once. I was so worried because since we're driving, we're renting a car and I wasn't sure if they would accept what the DMV had given me. I'd already experienced another business not accepting the "issuance" I got, but either way, I have it, so I'm good to go! I have a feeling this week is going to go by so slowly, but on the plus side, my vacation starts on Thursday since that's when we're driving so I only need to survive three days of work. We're all so ready for this vacation. Also, since I'm not getting internet, my live blog will likely be everything posted at once after we get home.

6 DAYS LEFT!!
I am so happy! Yes, because the cruise is close, but also I FINALLY got my license in the mail. It's been an issue since March and they had to resend it once. I was so worried because since we're driving, we're renting a car and I wasn't sure if they would accept what the DMV had given me. I'd already experienced another business not accepting the "issuance" I got, but either way, I have it, so I'm good to go! I have a feeling this week is going to go by so slowly, but on the plus side, my vacation starts on Thursday since that's when we're driving so I only need to survive three days of work. We're all so ready for this vacation. Also, since I'm not getting internet, my live blog will likely be everything posted at once after we get home.

6 DAYS LEFT!!
I am so happy! Yes, because the cruise is close, but also I FINALLY got my license in the mail. It's been an issue since March and they had to resend it once. I was so worried because since we're driving, we're renting a car and I wasn't sure if they would accept what the DMV had given me. I'd already experienced another business not accepting the "issuance" I got, but either way, I have it, so I'm good to go! I have a feeling this week is going to go by so slowly, but on the plus side, my vacation starts on Thursday since that's when we're driving so I only need to survive three days of work. We're all so ready for this vacation. Also, since I'm not getting internet, my live blog will likely be everything posted at once after we get home.

Was reading through some of the live blogs and figured I might as well do one for my upcoming cruise! We'll see if anyone is interested in reading it. Currently 21 days, 18 hours until vacation begins! We went on Oasis of the Seas last May and this year we decided to shake things up. My husband's dad (Dave) and brother (Will) will be coming with us. This cruise is kind of our anniversary and his college graduation all wrapped into one. His dad has been on a Royal Caribbean cruise before, but his brother hasn't. Dave's definitely excited. He told me he's been working the memorize the deck plan and had routes memorized from his cabin to various places. It's funny because I did the same thing, but planning means nothing once you're on the ship. It's super easy to get turned around.
Itinerary/Thoughts on
Day 1 - Miami
Day 2 - Sea Day
Day 3 - Costa Maya, Mexico
Day 4 - Roatan, Honduras
Day 5 - Cozumel, MX
Day 6 - Sea Day
Day 7 - Perfect Day at Coco Cay
Day 8 - Miami
I'm very excited for this itinerary since I've never been outside the US other than to the Bahamas. We've booked Nachi Cocom in Cozumel, so that should be a lot of fun. We're doing a rainforest excursion in Roatan and in Costa Maya, we're mostly going to wander the port, I think. There wasn't anything that really stood out to us that we wanted to do other than the Mayan ruins, but the trip is so far, we didn't want to be on a bus for multiple hours. I also like that the sea days are the bread on the cruise sandwich. It gives us a day to relax after getting on the ship and a day to relax near the end before going to Coco Cay on the last day. Our last cruise was a bit of a disappointment due to the weather. It left out of New Jersey and all along the coast, we were basically chasing a storm system which made everything cloudy, cold, and rainy. This meant we never really got to enjoy any of the outdoor activities on Oasis of the Seas, so I'm hoping this year to get to do the water slides and FlowRider and things like that. Coco Cay was also great, but hampered by the bad weather, so again hoping it's just perfect and gorgeous this year.
Pre-Cruise Preparation
As I've begun doing as of our first cruise, I created a spreadsheet to track budget, items to bring, meal planning for the cruise, everything. It helps keep me excited as the days tick down. I like to plan out my meals so I can make sure we hit a bit of everything on the ship throughout the week. I've ordered the Chops +1 meal plan. I plan on us going to Wonderland for the +1. I have wanted to try it from the first time I saw what kind of place it was. I love cuisine like that.
We also got the Refreshment Package since none of us really drink. I probably will get a couple cocktails, but for the most part I'm happy with mocktails. I also love that it comes with smoothies and milkshakes.
I've already got my luggage tags all set up and did Dave and Will's as well. I've basically taken charge of planning everything. I have a hard time giving up control sometimes, especially when it comes to my vacation! Dave's not the most tech-focused individual, so I got everything printed out for him.
We've got the car reserved and the hotels. Yes, we're DRIVING from Northern Kentucky to Miami. Insane, I know. It's like 16 hours. But, hear me out. It may be slower, but plane tickets would have basically been the cost of a cruise. It's crazy how expensive flying is now. So, our plan is to drive 8 hours on Thursday and then 8 hours Friday. i think it'll be a fun adventure, at least. I've driven to Jacksonville all in one before which is like 12 hours, so I knew we wouldn't make it going 16 hours straight.
At this point, it's just a matter of waiting. Only other things left are to get some new vacation clothes and some road trip snacks once it's much closer to the trip.
I'll keep up to date with anything new or exciting happening!

6 DAYS LEFT!!
I am so happy! Yes, because the cruise is close, but also I FINALLY got my license in the mail. It's been an issue since March and they had to resend it once. I was so worried because since we're driving, we're renting a car and I wasn't sure if they would accept what the DMV had given me. I'd already experienced another business not accepting the "issuance" I got, but either way, I have it, so I'm good to go! I have a feeling this week is going to go by so slowly, but on the plus side, my vacation starts on Thursday since that's when we're driving so I only need to survive three days of work. We're all so ready for this vacation. Also, since I'm not getting internet, my live blog will likely be everything posted at once after we get home.

6 DAYS LEFT!!
I am so happy! Yes, because the cruise is close, but also I FINALLY got my license in the mail. It's been an issue since March and they had to resend it once. I was so worried because since we're driving, we're renting a car and I wasn't sure if they would accept what the DMV had given me. I'd already experienced another business not accepting the "issuance" I got, but either way, I have it, so I'm good to go! I have a feeling this week is going to go by so slowly, but on the plus side, my vacation starts on Thursday since that's when we're driving so I only need to survive three days of work. We're all so ready for this vacation. Also, since I'm not getting internet, my live blog will likely be everything posted at once after we get home.

Only one week left and we'll be on the ship!!
 

Have no problem with only one entree at a time because I do not like so many plates around me.  Another reason I rarely order a second.  However on my last 4 b2b the lobster is still very small so I also desired a strip steak, thinking it would be nice to have the little steak with the little lobster for a fun surf & turf on one plate.  They said no, so DW ordered a steak and put it on my lobster plate.  She enjoyed dressed up bake potato untill her lobster arrived.  Much enjoyed my Surf & Turf!

Yeah, one of the issues is the menus for specialty dining don't ever change, so once you've gone there once, you've seen everything they have. This is opposed to the MDR and Windjammer which changes things up every day. For me, personally, I think the Chops +1 or the 3 day package is a good balance unless you're on a shorter sailing where you won't have to double up on visiting restaurants.

We had issues the last two times we were in Cozumel (last April and 2 weeks ago). I second the advice to check the board, even if they are trying to rush you into a taxi, and know what you are supposed to be charged. 
Last year, our driver lied about Paradise Beach being full and wanted to take us to some other place. We were planning to split our day and had a Cabana reserved, so we just had him take us to the Cabana instead of where he wanted us to go (our guess is that he would have gotten a kickback), called Paradise Beach to confirm we could go, and then had to pay for a different taxi to take us there for the morning. 
This year, our driver ripped us off but luckily we complained and got our money back. I did a live blog and told the story here (third paragraph):
 

I would certainly either find the maitre d, but if you can't find them go to the customer service desk and let them know there are issues.

Hey all, I was just thinking about the new policy in the MDR of only bringing out one dish at a time instead of what they used to do which was to bring out every entree you order at once. I know this has upset some people, but maybe we need to shift how we think of this. When I think of this as a multi-course meal, it seems like less of an issue. If you want to get two entrees, say, then you could think of dinner as a four course meal. It almost turns into a chef's table kind of thing which normally is like 5 or 6 courses I think. If you get two appetizers, then it becomes a five course meal. In this case, I think it's all about perspective. Sure, before you could kind of pick off of two or three different entrees at once, but the new way more encourages you to enjoy that dish before moving on to another. I don't know, just a thought I had which might help others not be so annoyed by the change.

I would certainly either find the maitre d, but if you can't find them go to the customer service desk and let them know there are issues.

I think they mean getting hot dogs at a food business is relatively easy. Not so much with brats.

I usually eat at 5, so I'm okay with that.

I usually eat at 5, so I'm okay with that.

Yep, you're pretty busy! And hey, we're doing the Mayan Eden Eco Park too!

yeah I have never had the "hot dog" I always get the brats or sausage and they have been great.
I can get hot dogs at home. When I am on a cruise I like to eat things I don't normally get at home.

Yeah, it honestly is silly. Unless someone is ordering everything on the menu, there's no reason to not bring out all the dishes ordered. Heck, Royal's claim is they're trying to speed up the meal, but all this would do is slow things down.

Yeah, I've read that subsequent dishes are smaller than the first entree.

What I meant was them bringing dishes out one at a time as opposed to all at once is going to cause that person's meal to take longer to complete which goes counter to Royal's claims of wanting to speed up the meal.

Yeah, it honestly is silly. Unless someone is ordering everything on the menu, there's no reason to not bring out all the dishes ordered. Heck, Royal's claim is they're trying to speed up the meal, but all this would do is slow things down.