lildawgscottFL

When does it become unhealthy? ;) When we have one of those stalker photo walls with Matt's face plastered everywhere?

(sometimes I wish I had photoshop - that would have made this post a lot funner - and more frightening)

My son does the same thing, Scott. When I'm listening to scope and my 8 year old walks by, he says, "Is that Matt again?" He's also convinced it's like FaceTime and that Matt can see us, too.

Okay. Just thought of another one as I'm sitting here listening to today's podcast (#123).

I'm so addicted to cruising that..... MATT is a household name in our home! :D :lol:

Seriously, I can say "Matt said this" or "Matt did that" and my wife knows who Matt is. I don't know too many other people whose name doesn't also require an associated description. Matt is THE Matt. No questions. No discussion.

Does that make me a RC addict or a RC BLOG addict!? ;) Is there really any difference though? It's all RC FUN!!!!!

Just one!? ;) :P This is one area my wife has us all beat, hands down. The woman makes it all a science! (Could be she's a little crazy though.)
 

New member here, just booked our first cruise ever.  April 2016 - Navigator Of The Seas - Caribbean Cruise.  So excited!

Lots of reveling confessions here, many I am guilty of too.
I'd say my worst is going online and discussing trivial things as if they were important, but you wouldn't know anything about that now would you ;).
 
I was just thinking... How many of you could spit out your 9 diget Royal Caribbean membership number without thinking twice, but need your phone to know your mothers phone number? Like this post if this is you.

You might want to check out my live blog from Navigator of the Seas: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/navigator-of-the-seas-live-blog
 
I also did a podcast review of Navigator of the Seas: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/podcast/episode-29-navigator-of-the-seas-cruise-review

I hope you are pre-booking your specialty restaurants to take advantage of that onboard credit offer for 3 or more reservations.

Personally I'm less than 'wow'ed by the MDR, so I go to specially restaurants most nights. 2-3 at Chops. Another couple at Giovanni's, and a couple at the Winjamaire on those nights where we just feel like bumming it (pool attire)

Best! Ship! Ever!!!

(Until I get on Harmony or Anthem ;) )

Thanks for all your help we just book 8 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Navigator of the Seas out of Fort Lauderdale with Stephanie from mei-travel . We decided to go with the Navigator of the Seas instead of Allure of the Seas because of the price and because of the ports we would be visiting and the extra day did not hurt. We are just setting up our online account with Royal and will start looking into shore excursions and dining. Again thanks everyone for there input and I sure we will have more questions as we go threw the process.

While I have the floor and I'm admitting to all my cruising shortcomings:
 
I'm so addicted to to cruising that I..... <deep breath> post video reviews of cabins that we have had in the past on YouTube.
 
I'll be completely honest--I AM A BALCONY SNOB. I go to great lengths to select rooms for our cruises. #1 criteria is Price; #2 what is the balcony like?
 
I can not be the only one who distrusts RCL deck plans. So I share fairly short, sweet videos of our cabins and their accommodations for all the world to see; usually when we first enter the room. I've posted 6 of them now.
 
My YouTube channel is  bobroo007

Here is what I have learned and other stray observations from watching Love Boat episodes:
 
 
When an episode begins, we immediately need to surf Wikipedia to find a biography of a former hollywood star/ or a wanna-be star. This is always a fun an informative stroll down memory lane. For example: Who would have thought that Olivia de Havilland is still alive, almost 100 years old, and currently lives in France? Or, what ever happened to ___ ___ (insert name)??? Or, why was so-and- so famous?
 
Some of the episodes were filmed on actual cruises during sea days. A frequent guest, Bret Sommers has said doing a Love Boat was easy, fun money--and a free vacation. It's fun to watch the actors in the wind.
 
I joke with my wife "Julie: she gets all the guys..." but in reality Captain Stuebing doesn't captain much but rather focuses his time on hooking up-- and is quite successful, nearly every episode.
 
I can now identify with being a crew member. Because when I hear Julie say at the beginning of an episode "we will be sailing to Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan" I say "AGAIN??? Yuk!"
 
It must have been great to sail when alcohol was included in your cruise fare. Sometimes the guest stars were wasted; and we think that is generally pretty funny. Makes me think an Alzamara cruise is not as expensive as the prices I've seen.
 
There is always a sail away scene with guests on the top deck throwing streamers galore overboard. Nearly everyone in those scenes is holding a cocktail. Ahh the good old days.
 
Baked Alaska was a big, big deal in the Dining Room; and everyones dessert. Ahh the good old days.
 
Extravagant Midnight buffets with bands and dancing poolside. Ahh the good old days.
 
Skeet shooting off the aft of the ship. Ahh the good old days.
 
Every night was a formal night. But Love Boat formal nights are what current sailings make fun of on 70's night. Most of the tuxedos on the 1977-78-79 episodes are G-R-O-O-V-Y Man!...and I secretly wish I had one.
 
The stars of the show always have a scene at the pool. The stars of the show are always fully clothed at the pool (unless the guest is Cheryl Tiegs or similar star known to show skin as their skill). Everyone else is wearing a scanty bathing suit. Not that I want to see Don Knotts in a bathing suit.... but the stars stand out for all the wrong reasons.
 
The pool on the Love Boat is very, very small and completely unattractive. The Oasis has larger hot tubs.  
 
How could Gopher possibly be the purser of the ship? He can't tie his own shoes. He's in charge of all the money????
 
The accommodations for the crew are spacious, single bed per room, and have phonographs and posters and windows and various souvenirs. So I'm calling out the stories I've heard about current crew members living below deck in cramped quarters with a couple other roommates. Obviously that isn't true.
 
Scenes on the bridge are funny because it so doesn't look like a bridge and Captian Stuebing is so unconcerned about the heading the ship. If he ever needs binoculars-- they are hanging on the wall.
 
Captain Stuebing's quarters resemble a boardroom in a way. It makes me say myself "Why have I never seen a photo of a current captions quarters?" I bet they are equal to a Owner's Suite.
 
Debarkation: When the entire crew shakes your hand and thanks you for coming aboard. Ahh the good old days.

I think that being on the ship is very safe, and security in and around ports has been heightened since 9/11.  All port workers are required to have TWIC cards (Transportation Worker Identification Credential).  Getting a TWIC card involves having a background check, fingerprinting, etc.  So port workers with access to non-public areas are thoroughly screened.
 
DocLC notes that ships are escorted in and out of port by the Coast Guard.  That's what I have observed as well.  On Liberty in Galveston we noticed a group of Coast Guardsmen taking a tour of the ship.  I believe this was not just a courtesy due to Liberty being new in Galveston, I believe it was to make sure they were familiar with the ship in case they needed to respond to an emergency.
 
Also, the pictures below show the Coast Guard gunboats that escorted us out to the Gulf of Mexico.  They patrolled in the Port of Galveston prior to our departure and then escorted us all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.  Notice in the pictures that the gunboats have a machine gun mounted on the bow with a Coast Guard person manning the gun.
 
Coast Guard Gunboat (foreground) and Pilot Boat (background) - Galveston, Texas - 13 Nov 2015

 
Liberty of the Seas exiting Galveston Ship Channel and headed to the Gulf of Mexico - Coast Guard Gunboat is the small boat on the right - 13 Nov 2015

I was just on Liberty (Freedom Class) and did not see the Cigars under the Stars event in the cruise compass. If so I would have been there!  I think that's a great idea and hope they do it on more ships.  Liberty does have a Connoisseur Club but unfortunately when I stopped in to check it out there were both cigar and cigarette smokers in there.  I agree that cigarettes should be banned from a cigar venue.
 
On Serenade several years ago one of the night clubs on the top deck (where many Concierge Lounges are now) was designated for cigar smokers.  My son and I lit up in there and enjoyed some live music and a drink with our cigar. The waiter knew cigars and offered to clip and light them for us.  That was a nice time and I agree with others that it would be nice to have a venue on the ships that allows cigars as a social event with live music and drinks instead of just a room that you can smoke in.

There's an RCI group already that was started in Australia but is now expanding - called Royal Caribbean Fans Past, Present and Future. It's at - https://www.facebook.com/groups/788818574479629/ - I find it very good and the people are really nice. They have 5,800 or so members and are a mine of useful information. I don't have any affiliation with it myself though so just mentioning it if people might be interested in joining - though of course you might know about it already??

You tell them they're wrong, of course. ;) :lol:

With the amount of money you'd pay to park, you could stay at any number of local hotels for JUST ONE NIGHT and have parking for the entire time you're cruising included FOR FREE!! Plus, they'll shuttle you right to the door - also included FOR FREE!!

I know a lot of folks like the Radisson. We used La Quinta. They both have the same offering. And there are many others.

Thanksgiving dinner is always fun with my family.  My wife and I are avid Royal Caribbean fans, my sister and her husband are loyal Carnival customers, and another sister and husband lean towards Norweigan and Carnival.  This makes for some fun dinner conversations!

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I would recommend working with a travel agent to coordinate groups.  It will make your life FAR easier.

Okay, so now this is getting weird. Two more couples are highly considering joining us!

Which makes me really have to consider the question about group rates/perks for me, the organizer. I know I've heard Matt address this, but I cannot remember where and when. I'll quickly search the boards, but if anyone knows, please help a brother out!

Thanks!

I'd don a Royal Caribbean Blog Speedo! It would have to be more of the thong style. I like for my cheeks to breathe. But, if it was printed on the front, mine would read, "Roy" and nothing more. :( People might think I named my fella! ;)

Obviously, you need more friends.

So now two others are also cruising with us! The six of us will be reunited from our Oasis 2013 cruise together! :D :D :D
Kerry & Mike from Whitegate, Cheshire, England, UK Barbara & Damian from Fingal, Ontario, Canada The Queen & I from Orlando, Florida, USA As Doc's kid pointed out, one of the best things about cruising is meeting people from all around the world. Doc clearly has a brilliant child!
 
When I heard the news, I was, at first, super excited and then immediately got more concerned than I already was. "Had I known, would I have picked Navigator? The price was amazing, but now there's Anthem! And Harmony! Who knows when we'll reunite again? Is April the best time of year? Will the weather be good? Do I persuade them to do all the specialty dining we had intended on doing, or do we sacrifice for the benefit of all? What about excursions? Breakfast? I suck in the morning. Morning for me is 1:00 pm. My wife knows I do not speak for at least 30-60 minutes after waking up. I can't do that with them! That would be rude!" My neurotic brain keeps rambling off these sorts of questions and concerns.

But then I remember, I'm a "glass is half full" sort of guy. I'm sure that monctonguy is right when he said, "Hopefully the fact that you made friends with them during a cruise and it worked out well then, that things would be similar with them this time!" And Jerel is right too, "they wont mind, nor would you" - I'm pretty laid back about stuff. So I'll be honest and tactful, and keep my fingers crossed. And to quote the sage thoughts of Jerel once again, "Keep in mind your going with cruisers, im sure you will all have a great time, together and apart." Absolutely correct! These are fun people!!! If they weren't, I would never have met them in the first place.
 
The only question left is, at what point do we qualify for the group rates? Or better yet, at what point do I get deals as the group organizer! ;)