DunkelBierJay

Our family of five state in a suite in the airside de Inn, just a stones throw away from the port. If you rent a car from Hertz, their shuttle is free, and it's virtually in the hotel parking lot. I attached a phot of Freedom of the Seas from my room.

From the podcast.... Order two appetizers and two desserts in the MDR each evening....

Debris build up frequently, and as it does, affects the efficiency of the propellers and causes vibration. I had the Port Canveral webcam on Freedom that night, and noticed the delay. I also sailed on her a couple weeks ago and noticed a definite vibration. I wondered if it was due to the ship fighting strong cross winds most of the way, but this thread makes me think it may have been something else. I felt the vibration most evenings when I went to bed at night. It wasn't too bad, but it was definitely noticeable.

I completed that itinerary this past Sunday and loved it. Below is a link to a blog where I journaled the trip. Scroll to Day 0-1 and work your way up for the chronology. Cruisin' Bloggin' Vloggin' https://cruisinblogginvloggin.wordpress.com/ I didn't mention that I'm not a huge fan of the Windjammer, but it's not bad, and if you beat the crowd, it's a bonus just like on other ships. I really liked the ship, the crew and the itinerary.

I assumed it was because Puerto Ricans don't like being associated with Mexican food...that is if Adventure continues to port out of San Juan.

Heard on podcast...use the outdoor seating in the Windjammer on Radiance Class ships.

CJ, thanks for the kind words! I would absolutely book a panoramic ocean view. Sorry it wasn't clear in my blog entry. I got a good idea of the views by visiting the gym and the hidden observation areas just forward of the Solarium. I really, really liked the location. Although they were about as forward on the ship as you can get, they are all close to the elevators which I never noted were crowded except when the Arcadia Theater let out. The aft elevators were a pain in the neck, frankly. I never waited long for a forward elevator, and it was quicker to the Royal Promenade from Deck 12 than my room on Deck 8 aft. So going aft to the Main Dining Room from that location was easier than it would seem. The corridor is fresh and new, and although I didn't see into one of the staterooms, I have every confidence they are awesome. I think one of those rooms is a good choice.

Butterfinger Blizzard in Falmouth

We returned home from our cruise afterglow at Universal and Cabana Bay Beach Resort this morning.Universal was great fun, but didn't compare to our week on Freedom of the Seas. Below is a link to my last post regarding our cruise. Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to Matt for providing this forum. Cruisin' Bloggin' Vloggin' https://cruisinblogginvloggin.wordpress.com/

Day 5 Sint Maarten is up... Cruisin' Bloggin' Vloggin' https://cruisinblogginvloggin.wordpress.com/

Day 4, St. Thomas is up... Cruisin' Bloggin' Vloggin' https://cruisinblogginvloggin.wordpress.com/

Days 2-3 up Cruisin' Bloggin' Vloggin' https://cruisinblogginvloggin.wordpress.com/

I will post all blog entries for this cruise in this thread. The first entry is for days 0-1. I hope you enjoy it! https://cruisinblogginvloggin.wordpress.com

I got off Freedom about three hours ago, and I can report the only sms I found were Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and then a bunch of blends. None of the brands you listed were available, although I bought a bottle of Caol Ila in your honor in St. Thomas. I checked R Bar, Boleros, the Pub, the Sky Bar, the Schooner Bar, and the Pool Bar. It was pretty much the same story everywhere. I never went up to Olive or Twist.

A daily Starbucks on Oasis class ships

My apologies for not providing sufficient context to the original post. During Matt's daily Periscope broadcasts, he will utter at least one "gotsta" in reference to an activity, product or feature of a Royal Caribbean cruise, ship or port. In yesterday's (5/19/2016) Periscope, someone came up with the idea of tracking them perhaps in the hopes of creating a future "Gotsta" t-shirt with a top "gotsta" list prints on the back, perhaps a la Letterman's Top Ten list. So, here is a place to do just that.

Order honey stung chicken from room service ...and......GO!

You appealed to my tastes with that tip...thanks...somehow avis tell stories... I googled the labels you listed so it sounds like I know what I'm doing when I talk to the bartender...thanks to the actor and proud Scot Brian Cox on Youtube...

In the interest of being a star on one of your scopes, I copied your list into an Evernote list of things to do after boarding Freedom on May 29, and it's at the top. I will try some too since I recently transitioned from Gentleman Jack to Jamison and may have found my new thing -- I may have to make the transition from Dublin to Scotland to find another new favorite....I will provide a full report. I will also be on the Navigator GC, so I'll be looking to you for a single malt education!

Thanks! I am actually going to do both!

I know it's a mixed bag in some of the ports. Some people have great experiences and some don't. We will visit St Maarten and St. Thomas on an eastern Caribbean itinerary in a couple weeks, and I want to buy something nice for my wife. Does anyone have any favorite shops or sales people in either of those ports? Any shops that should be avoided?

We sailed Enchantment on our very first cruise...a 4 day out of Port Canaveral...and all I have done since is wonder why I didn't do it sooner! Nassau can be sketchy, but there's Atlantis, and the Colonial Hilton if you want a beach day or some fun.

I'm bringing a 20 year old (soon to be 21) daughter, another 18 year old daughter and my 15 year old son on an upcoming FoS cruise...I guess they will split up and do their own thing...I hate that they are at ages where activities seem to segregate them because they are pretty tight.

looking forward to seeing your sign on the Port Everglades webcam or Billy's scope! I bet you will be inundated with screenshots!

One possible contributor to the difference in pricing of the drink packages may point to the port of origin. Provisions are sourced primarily there, and it is possible that commodity prices for items in the UK are higher than in the US.