She Sails Away

I've cruised a for years, and last year was the first time we had a medical emergency requiring helicopter evacuation at sea. I have a feeling a ton of medical emergencies happen that we never hear about, if they are able to be handled quietly at a port stop. My guess is that there are always viruses aboard, and we won't necessarily know about them unless it impacts us directly or our staff. On a separate note, it seems to me that there are more cases than ever of people going overboard.

I'm the same way! (Or should I say, I'm in the same boat!) I cruise way too often...(and I , too, am cheating on Royal in a few weeks. But following it up with Symphony, so it's all good). Cruising is awesome!

Following! Sounds like lots of fun!

This is tremendous! Congratulations. You be you at dinner. Nice people make me want to get to know them. Having to force chit chat with tablemates that seem judgey is NOT fun. I almost always eat in Windjammer for that very reason.

And this is why I can't go more than a few months before booking one! I'm booked out to 2025....

Naive question of the day: What happens if you're on a cruise and you choose to pack up and leave permanently at a port stop? I called and was told this is not allowed. So believe me, I'm not planning on doing it. But I just wondered. If you packed your bags and informed guest services that you weren't coming back to the ship, would you be banned for life? Fined? Charged with some kind of crime?

This may be obvious, but I just want to point out that sometimes shore excursions don't go on sale, they actually go up in price. Example… My Greenland cruise. They offered a shore excursion for a certain price that seems kind of high, but literally eight hours later they had bumped up the price $50 and then the next day they bumped it up even further. They continued bumping until it sold out. so sometimes the initial offering price (even if it's not on sale) will turn out to be the best deal.

That's insane. Somehow I ordered a 24 pack for only 30 something dollars. I guess it's gone up since then.

Wow, I love both of those jumpsuits! You gals are rocking it.

Both are things some people really enjoy adding to their cruise. For various reasons, both of these things are polarizing and can lead to some forceful comments. I don't do magnets--I can't imagine messing with it-but some people really put a lot of work into it and it appears to bring them added enjoyment to their cruise. I sometimes bring a few ducks. I've seen both kids and adults find them and react with glee. And crew, as well!

I had a hot stone on Enchantment and it was divine!! Nothing strong smelling. But yes....expensive of course...and there is a push to buy stuff. You just have to decide if it's worth it.

I must see this jumpsuit! i have been shopping for one that doesn't make me look like a toddler. (I'm five one.)

Can't wait for the cruise! Freedom is a great ship, too! Love your packing list!

There were many kids on my September TA, and they had a blast. Many were homeschooled. Some seniors, some solos, all in all a normal mix--however, the crowd overall is smaller. The ship will have (most likely but not definitely,) a less-than-full sailing, with a healthy mix of ages. I am doing a TA next month and our FB group is relatively small, but there is a good number of kids on board.

I've noticed on the Princess website, when browsing port excursions offered by the ship, each excursion has a star value and reviews left by previous cruisers. So you can right away look at a Port excursion and see whether or not people who have taken the excursions in the past really liked it or really didn't. I find that so helpful. And then there are written reviews you can browse right there on the spot as well before you decide whether or not to book that excursion while you're there on the website. I would love to see something like that either on Royal's website or somewhere independently like you are planning to do. The additional comments people have the option of leaving aside from the star reviews are so helpful. People point out things that are important to know and that come in so handy.

Love this idea. I would also appreciate info on how walkable/accessible it is, as in: how hard is it to walk to from port (if applicable) and back. For us folks over 50, any info about the physicality of tours is always welcome.

PS, I most definitely bring "weird" stuff with me all the time. I always bring a box of crackers or cookies, ginger candy as well, in case I get seasick, which so far has not happened. I bring tons and tons of OTC medication's and items… Better to have them and not need them then the other way around. And I usually need them! It's gone to the point where my suitcase is so taken up by all the extras that there's not a lot of room for clothes let alone shoes

I'm going on a two week transatlantic soon and there are so many people in our Facebook group bragging about how they're only bringing one backpack each. How in the world? Never going to happen here.

I am right behind you! Leaving from Barcelona on May 21.

Well, symphony of the seas will be in the Mediterranean this season but it will be quite a bit more expensive than enchantment. It's one of their very best ships and you couldn't ask for more, but it will most definitely be a different price. I think you can get great cocktails on any of the Royal ships and staff has been great on all the ships I've been on 99% of the time.

I sailed enchantment in January and had mixed feelings. I found there to be a strong smell of sewage in my bathroom for the entire cruise and in the atrium most of the time. There were pockets of the ship that were worn out and the cabin felt quite small and dated. Pools were small but nice. Outdoor TV was in awful shape. But overall it's still a very nice ship, and the lounges are all beautiful. Staff is great. Live music wonderful. Very elegant atruim. (Just very smelly on embarkation day.) perfectly nice Casino. Lovely theater. Nice dining room. Chaotic and not-so-good Windjammer. I blogged about the cruise and the ship and put up lots of photos of it if you would care to look through it and see if it's helpful. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/37612--semi-live-enchantment-of-the-seas-florida-nassau-cococay-jan-26-feb-3-solo/

I sailed Enchantment in January, and they had trivia identified as Harry Potter trivia. They also had trivia labeled Lord Of The Rings trivia.

Congratulations! That's amazing!

Anyone? My son and I will be on board.

@CHRIS WONG we love your videos! We will be on Symphony in May and hope to meet you!