Floski

@Lovetocruise2002 let me know when you are looking to book and I can get you the friends and family code. My family that came with used that and paid $149. 

I was so proud of my wife this past October on Grandeur (Halloween Cruise) ...
She won the "Finish The Lyrics" Contest...
It was Night 1 -- I kept telling her, YOU NEED TO DO THIS!!!  Her response was, I"M TOO DRUNK ?
My response was "EVEN BETTER -- THE LYRICS WILL FLOW OUT OF YOU INSTINCTIVELY" (Her musical knowledge can put people to shame)
I WAS RIGHT!!!! --- I'm SO GLAD I Scoped It!!!  We've watched it several times .... We laugh every time.
Now she'll need to Protect that Victory by doing it on the Next Cruise.
I think what shocked her was the number of people that came up to her to congratulate throughout the 7 Day Cruise.  I kept telling her she needs to wear the gold medal pendant they gave her ..... NOPE!!!!  I kept saying, "It's a Badge of Honor" --- Now you need to DEFEND IT!!

I hate when people bogart the trivia games.
I swear, every time we play onboard, the Rain Man comes out of nowhere and wins every time.
 
Whining aside - impressive, indeed.

I hate when people bogart the trivia games.
I swear, every time we play onboard, the Rain Man comes out of nowhere and wins every time.
 
Whining aside - impressive, indeed.

Thank you, Sabrina - as has been stated, it's been an absolute joy following along with you.
 
Already looking forward to your next!

My small group always gets late seating at a large shared table. Last cruise on the Symphony the waiter was from the RP and brought Filipino dishes (family style) for the table after I greeted him in Visayan.  The food was great, but the people Royal chooses to sit together has never let me down in 14 years.  That time there were a couple who just retired from the US State Department Foreign Service as Cultural Attaches, a couple who were both retired US Air Force Officers, and a tattoo shop owner/landscape photographer.    We'd miss meeting folks like that eating by ourselves at a premium restaurant - and I'm basically an asocial person.  We've been seated at a small table by ourselves a couple times and it just wasn't the same.  Obviously YMMV if you're newlyweds or traveling as a family.
 

We have drifted over to the Windjammer style option more and more, its a shame because one of our early memories that we really thought set cruising apart was getting the "special" level of service that you got from building the relationship with the waiters and really having a different experience than you got elsewhere.
More and more now we find the waiters are so stressed just getting it done that there is no relationship, throw in tablemates that randomly appear and disappear and it just isn't the same anymore.
We tried MTD a bit and it doesn't fix any of the things I miss about the MDR experience but certainly gives the flexibility of eating when you want, in all honesty though the buffet food is typically pretty similar and its easier just to go eat when I am ready. The service is nothing special so im not missing anything, I have to get my own drinks anyway, etc.
Have done some Specialty, hit and miss, sometimes worth it, sometimes not. I think the NCL model of eat where you want, when you want (subject to lines for some venues) is where we are drifting too.

Final Thoughts:
As I mentioned in a post by @twangster a few days ago, 2018 has been a great cruising year for us. After sailing mainly OA class for the last few years, we had a chance to revisit Voyager class and try out Quantum and Freedom Class.  I am, without a doubt, still an OA class girl.  There is simply no comparison.  Nothing comes close. My heart belongs to that class of ship. 
Indy is a great ship. Would I sail her again? Yes!  Will I? Maybe not. But that is because Hubby doesn’t like to sail the same ship in a short period of time. He already thought with this cruise that it was too similar to Mariner. So, we may not end up keeping our booking for next New Years. Time will tell.
Other than the MDR, I have no real complaints. The crew for the most part was friendly. The stateroom attendants seemed a bit overworked but they still took the time to acknowledge you while passing. The lines at the pool bars were long most days. The WJ crew was one of the friendliest I have encountered in a while on any cruise. Special shout out to the WJ “washy washy guys”. They turned that wash your hands song into a show every day. I will post a video when I get home. D12 has one on her device. 
The revitalization, IMO, was most definitely a step in the right direction. My kids loved the pools, sides, etc. and feedback from the Playmakers scope was that it is in a great location and is huge as a venue. The ship is showing her age in small areas like the chipped tiles and worn out chairs. I really wished they updated their furniture (couches and chairs) and curtains in the cabins. That really dates the ship. Like Mariner, only the newly added staterooms received new items.  But she was clean and functional for the most part. 
While I do not regret the stateroom that we booked, I did not care for it either. The additional space was nice but I completely hated the bathroom. For me that is a deal breaker. And I really missed not having a balcony. So for @WAAAYTOOO, @bellemiche,  @Boston Babe, and anyone else wondering, I have not left the suite snob club. Hubby is out of luck. His plan did not work. 
Once again, thank you all so much for following along. Blogging is so much more fun when you all are with me. And for people wondering if that consumes too much of my vacation time, it does not. I just don’t read anymore on a cruise. I blog instead. I have plenty of time to read back at home. I consider this relaxing and enjoyable. 
That’s all for now. I will report back on the disembarkation process tomorrow. We have never had issues at Terminal 18 so hopefully that is the case again tomorrow.
The countdown is finally on for our next adventure, and possibly the best cruise of my entire life...

67 days to go!! It’s Genie time! Excited is an understatement. 

Fabulous answers - thank you all
Looking forward to more!

Still awesome!
 
Does Playmakers offer only the two available espn Caribbean channels or is more like a real sports bar?
 
I love the Fish and Ships idea, but agree that there shouldn't be an extra charge, or at the most the prices should be about half those.

Thanks!
Go ahead and get a beverage and put it on JL's tab...

Still awesome!
 
Does Playmakers offer only the two available espn Caribbean channels or is more like a real sports bar?
 
I love the Fish and Ships idea, but agree that there shouldn't be an extra charge, or at the most the prices should be about half those.

Lived in Myrtle Beach for a while, very expensive airport to fly from.  Charleston was always cheaper. 
Suggest you look at Southwest since bags are free.  If you book it far enough out there can be cheap rates.  JetBlue may be an option too.  

@Lovetocruise2002 order Lemon drop Martini at Diamond Lounge. You might like it. 

That would be fantastic, save for a couple issues - since we live on the coast in SC, October is prime hurricane season and I'm scared to death about leaving
my home in the hands of my son (who is capable, just never had to be the responsible adult around the house), and also I'm so looking to do one earlier than 
that, say in early 2020.  Heck, if it were up to me, we'd be on the next sailing I could get a cabin for, but I also have to be responsible and get a lot of big $ things
done to the house.  
 
Being a grown-up is pretty much the suck.
 

Thanks!
Go ahead and get a beverage and put it on JL's tab...

Lol!  @JLMoran you owe me a drink! ?
Just the Caribbean ESPN channels and Sports 24 (no clue what that is. I’m Canadian, we just watch hockey ?).

Very much like a “real” sports bar Full line up of games.  On Sunday that had at least 5 different NFL games on at the same time 
it was also packed, and a ton of fun    A great addition  in my opinion 
 

Thanks!
Go ahead and get a beverage and put it on JL's tab...

Still awesome!
 
Does Playmakers offer only the two available espn Caribbean channels or is more like a real sports bar?
 
I love the Fish and Ships idea, but agree that there shouldn't be an extra charge, or at the most the prices should be about half those.

Let the festivities begin!  Happy New Year from Indy RCBlog family! ❤️

I think Royal really needs to address this ^ issue.  When we went in Nov on Oasis, even with reservations it looked like this.  Nowhere to sit, and with a bad back, I wasn't too happy.   
I have loved eating in the MDR for all of my past cruises, but that wait made me change and we only ate there twice, opting for the Winzhammere three times, and 
I'm not the biggest WJ fan.  First formal night was in the Solarium, which was pedestrian at best (we were all dressed up and yet there were a lot of people in there in shorts) and pretty unimpressive.

Fabulous blog, as always!
 
I'm so upset with myself since I don't have any cruises on the book.  You're giving me the YOLO fever, though.

Fabulous blog, as always!
 
I'm so upset with myself since I don't have any cruises on the book.  You're giving me the YOLO fever, though.

Lol. This coming from the guy who is at sea more than on land!