KLA

My kids have been to the waterpark twice, and after the 2nd time, they basically said they don't care to go anymore.  When two ships are at Coco Cay, the lines in the water park get long really quick.  When you only have a certain amount of time in the park, it's terrible to spend half of it waiting in lines.  
Supply and demand though I guess.  If they keep selling it out at prices in excess of $100, then they will never lower them.  

Just off of Symphony this weekend - still completely closed at all times of day. Was bummed, it's a favorite of ours for breakfast and lunch. We had made a reservation at Solarium Bistro for dinner and we received a note on day 1 saying that our reservation was cancelled due to the venue remaining closed.

Just off of Symphony this weekend - still completely closed at all times of day. Was bummed, it's a favorite of ours for breakfast and lunch. We had made a reservation at Solarium Bistro for dinner and we received a note on day 1 saying that our reservation was cancelled due to the venue remaining closed.

Oh - and Heineken 0.0 if we really want a cold beer on board. 
 
Also not a mocktail, but I’ve come to love coconut lattes from cafe promenade or two70 on board. 

On Symphony now….per the Suite Concierge, there are 5075 of 6600 onboard…estimating 90-95%. 

I could 100% do a TA solo. It sounds so peaceful, and would be easy to fall in to a routine on board.

Username checks out. 
Seriously though, this is all great advice and I hope you feel better soon @Kirsten!

Username checks out. 
Seriously though, this is all great advice and I hope you feel better soon @Kirsten!

I could 100% do a TA solo. It sounds so peaceful, and would be easy to fall in to a routine on board.

I could 100% do a TA solo. It sounds so peaceful, and would be easy to fall in to a routine on board.

Even if the country was reopened for US visitors it's unlikely we'll see cruise ships ever return until a new terminal facility is built from scratch.
https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/legal-regulatory/cuba-cruise-lawsuit-appears-headed-jury-trial-miami
 

This happened with us as well. We still went on the cruise (Cozumel and Costa Maya instead) and had a wonderful time, but really bummed we couldn't make it to Cuba. 
Actually, I absolutely loved Empress in general. It was one of my favorite ships and I had a second cruise booked on her before the pandemic shut everything down. Really need to get something booked on a small ship. Radiance class is still my favorite.

Amazing! Doing a writeup right now, been crazy.

Wow - that cabin looks incredible! 

Got accepted to move from an OV window to OV Balcony last week - happy with that move, and it's in a location I would have picked on my own anyway! Though it looks like suites are pretty booked up at this point.

Oh, weird! I was able to book Solarium Bistro for dinner on my Symphony cruise in just over a week. It hadn't occurred to me that it hasn't been open yet.

CK is reasonably casual - no strict dress code.

Just won our bid for a Villa Suite! Too bad we can't add people to it after the fact.

Royal Up offer just processed for our 4/30 cruise - OV to OV Balcony! YAY! 16 days! 

Royal Up offer just processed for our 4/30 cruise - OV to OV Balcony! YAY! 16 days! 

Yes we do tip above an beyond the pre-paid gratuities.  Having worked a decent part of my life in the service industry, I always tip better than average/expected.    I divided the pre-paid numbers across what I thought it would cost to stay in a nice hotel, eating in restaurants, etc.  Lets just say that the numbers came out below 10% and I'd be the worst tipper ever.  The beauty of tipping on board is that it improves the already fantastic service, and for so little money.  Giving the room steward $20 on embarkation day will pay off for the duration of the cruise.  Tipping bartenders and waiters will only make them even more attentive.
The crew is away from their families for months at a time just trying and earn a living and provide, and I am sure none of them are getting rich doing so.  A few bucks here and there isn't a huge expense for me, but it may make a very big difference in their lives.  It's just the right thing to do. 

Personally, I would just pay for an upgrade unless it is prohibitively expensive.  The chances of getting a successful RoyalUp are quickly diminishing with increased ship capacity.  On the other hand, we sailed in 3 Boardwalk balconies in the past and actually enjoyed it very much.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do !

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/blog/a-very-royal-recipe-ranger-cookies/
Here's how to make them. Royal shared the recipe a few years ago.

Well, I have a new 'dream' port stop. That looks like it would be incredible. 

Royal Up offer just processed for our 4/30 cruise - OV to OV Balcony! YAY! 16 days!