Hutcherl

Following along!  Thanks for doing this 

As mentioned by others, the Diamond drinks are a game changer.  And what seems like a kinda new feature is that you can use them anytime of day, at any bar.  Additionally, there are (2)50% off coupons for beer and wine for when you go over the 4 freebies.  
We also took advantage of the free 8x10 photos for each adult Diamond member.
Also, utilized the one free day of surf Voom.  
We never stepped foot in a Diamond lounge so I can't speak on that.  Might check that out on our next cruise 

As mentioned by others, the Diamond drinks are a game changer.  And what seems like a kinda new feature is that you can use them anytime of day, at any bar.  Additionally, there are (2)50% off coupons for beer and wine for when you go over the 4 freebies.  
We also took advantage of the free 8x10 photos for each adult Diamond member.
Also, utilized the one free day of surf Voom.  
We never stepped foot in a Diamond lounge so I can't speak on that.  Might check that out on our next cruise 

I found this last year. Good reviews, but ended up using the free RC shuttle from Port Miami to Port Everglades (B2B on Symphony/Odyssey).
https://www.ride099.com/

Depending on the cost differences in the flights, hiring a mini bus for the group is VERY easy to do and the services are plentiful in this area. 

Congratulations! 😊
The free photo is a nice perk.

Second Set of Sea Days (Days 7, 8, 9)
We did the same kind of activities as we did on the first set of sea days. Relaxing on the deck, doing some trivia and other games, and eating and drinking...a lot. Something different though is that we reserved a casita:
It was kind of nice to have a "home" so we didn't have to fight for chairs on the deck. However, we probably should have spent the money on getting a beach bed or tent at Labadee than having the Casita. We had it from 9PM - 6PM but probably only spent a total of 3 hours in it. There was a "call" button to ask for a casita attendant for drinks but we weren't that far from the bar anyway. It did include a fruit plate and bottles of water. We put the rope up anytime we left it so that people didn't claim it as their own. For those wondering, it was about $150ish for the reservation. We did do a Captain's Q&A session in the Royal Theater. It was pretty neat. The Captain (I think it was "Captain Tore", I probably misspelled his name) will most likely retiring once this session is up - he has been working the seas in various capacities (not just with Royal) for 40+ years. The most interesting fact I learned - the Oasis clears the Verazzano Bridge by just 40 feet!) Last Sea Day picture at night:
Disembarkation Day:
Sad day indeed. But all good things must come to an end. We had three suitcases with us and we left two in the hallway the night before. We kept an empty suitcase for the last set of dirty laundry and all of the toiletries. Since we were Key members, we got special Key luggage tags - not a numbered tag like everyone else. We also got a special breakfast in the MDR. We ordered a veggie omelet, a bran muffin, and hash browns which were all delicious. Probably the same exact breakfast we would have gotten anyway but without any of the crowds. We were on Deck 4 and there were probably only 4-5 families there with us so it was definitely a more peaceful way to end the cruise. Leaving the ship was easy. There wasn't a long line to get off the ship and once we did, there was a special Key section for the luggage (next to the Suites section). Since we used passports, they used facial recognition for customs (I'm assuming it was because we used passports because there was a separate line for "birth certificates"). Other Thoughts and Last (Maybe) Impressions:
Overall, this was a vacation that went very well for 98% of it (all thanks to all of you! 😀). The 2% that didn't go right were very minor issues and was fully expected (lack of a variety of vegetarian food options, a bit of buyer's remorse for the casita). Of the 10 day cruise, it rained for a total of 25 minutes. Very lucky! Absolutely no rough waves whatsoever. Very lucky! The comedy show in Blaze was amazing! Very 18+ though so be warned. We did not watch Cats. We're dog people! lol. Music Hall is a very nice venue. It's two floors and both floors have a bar (the top floor bar is not always open though). Prepaid gratuities but gave an extra $50 to our stateroom attendance. We did not tip additional to any wait staff (we only did MDR once) or bar staff (The DBP includes an 18% gratuity). We tipped the excursion tour guide $20 Because of some sunburn, we bought some Aloe from the vending machines on the ship. It cost $15.99! But we got about $13 refunded in port fees for reasons that I do not know. So the final portfolio bill was $1.65. This was the best of both worlds - a nice/new-ish big ship and a unique itinerary. Nothing wrong with the Bahamas-Coco Cay itinerary that Oasis usually does from Cape Liberty but we have been to the Bahamas multiple times before. This went into the decision of NOT going on Oasis next summer - we decided on Liberty because it offered a more unique itinerary (Bermuda, Labadee, two different DR ports). Covid Thoughts: ::Knock on wood:: Both my wife and I haven't had symptoms (and therefore do not feel the need to test). There were a few reports on Facebook of people having to quarantine on the ship (unfortunately, for one family it was on Day 2) and people testing positive once they got home. Interesting observation that I'm not sure if this was Covid-related or not...on Anthem in August 2019, we had to put a card in a slot to be able to turn the lights and AC on. But on Oasis, the stateroom attendant told us to never touch the "master switch" that turns on the lights and AC (there was no card slot). I'm assuming this is part of the airflow improvements? Or maybe Oasis was this way all along and it had nothing to do with the Covid improvements? Overall, we felt pretty good about how Royal handles the health aspect of things. Me being a teacher and my wife working in a congregate day program setting, we felt more comfortable walking around the ship than our own workplaces. There was always crew cleaning and disinfecting. I do wish that there was SOME sort of airflow in the elevators. I don't believe there to be any air exchange besides the door opening and closing. The most random encounter on this trip - running into one of my students in an elevator! Never saw them again after that haha. I'm sure I missed some details so if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask! Thanks for reading!
 

72.99 for me on the 8-5-22 Oasis sailing.  Lowest was $67.  This will be the first time not buying it as that price is not worth it to us.  Luckily, we are Diamond so we will utilize the 4 daily free drinks and supplement by buying anything additional.  I, too, hoped for a drop but it never did.  

I’ve always stayed near the airport.  Plenty of hotel choices at decent rates.  Uber/Lyft to port is pretty reasonable.  

Hello, I have just booked my hotel with this site and it includes free parking plus shuttle to the port. 
ParkSleepFly.com

Anything under $60 is something I would jump on.  We have one that is priced at $88 and went down to $69 - still too high IMO.

Hi everyone, 
Curious of everyone's experience with regards to Cruise Planner price trends. Do you notice DBP is more/less expensive on larger/smaller ships? How about UDP? 
Some fascinating differences between our upcoming cruise (Oasis in October 2021) versus our last cruise (Anthem in December 2020):
DBP Oasis: $88/day BOGO 50% off Anthem: $50/day (as high as $63/day) DBP+VOOM Oasis: $79/day Anthem: $59/day UDP Oasis: $166.99 Anthem: As low as $190 (Black Friday), as high as $230 Coco Cay: Thrill Waterpark Oasis: $79 Anthem: As low as $39 (Black Friday), as high as $79 Chef's Table Oasis: $81 Anthem: $94 (never changed) Coco Cay: Floating Beach Mat Oasis: $17 Anthem: $9 (never changed) For us, MDR was average on Anthem, so seeing UDP at it's lowest price on Oasis is a no-brainer. For DBP, we were "in the black" at $50/day on Anthem, but anything above $60 is a no-go ($88/day is a joke). 
What's everyone else's experience been?

I left my agent at MEI.  Somewhat similar issue.  We shouldn’t have to beg an agent to take a booking, nor to do price adjustments.
 

Not true. I am currently sailing Oasis with my family. The casino is wide open w/o smoke pouring out which is a nice touch. I spent 3 hours in the casino last night so I can certify it is as open as it’s ever been. I followed that up with watching the ice show with my kids and also listening to the live house band in the music hall. Please don’t let the media rain on your parade. We feel safe with zero doom & gloom on this ship. Mexico bound!   

I don’t want to expend too much time posting while I’m enjoying the ship. I will post something more extensive upon return. The quick & dirty is business as usual w/ the exception of masks indoors which is not a big deal. All venues open! 

We have liberty in Jan 22 and radiance in alaska in Ausust at 53, but a 3 day on navigator out of LA in march for 63. Shorter cruises seem to have higher numbers. we usually get the internet and DBX because that combo sometimes saves a few bucks a day. All of it worth it in my opinion, we are picky red wine drinkers and for the three day cruise we have adult children and their spouses on my tab so it prevents surprises. It also prevents my wife from adopting random bachelorette parties and me finding 1500 bar tabs the next day and having to have those difficult conversations about philanthropy and tax deductions for donations that she never seems to fully grasp. She's a wonderful woman, I'd hate to have to repeat that experience, unfortunately the IRS doesn't recognize broke bachelorettes as an actual charity.

We paid $58 on the Black Friday deal for our Dec 20th cruise on Adventure. No regrets but I don’t think I’d be willing to pay over $60 for it in the future.

August 2021: Booked Anthem for December 2021 sailing September 2021: Purchased DBP in Pre-Cruise Planner for $50/day  October 2021: DBP floated between $50/day and $62/day November 2021: Black Friday Sale had DBP at $50/day, but also had DBP+1 VOOM Surf & Stream for $59/day. Ended up canceling original DBP and buying the DBP+VOOM Bundle.  December 2021: Cruise!

Remember this adage, the bigger and newer the ship the more expensive the drink packages will be.
Inflation in the USA is between 6-10% so expect package prices to rise also.

I'm Diamond as well so it's nice to know the coupons still exist.  Plus, the non alcoholic  package seems to be priced okay.  If prices never drop, maybe purchase non alcohol bev package to cover all other drinks and use the coupons where we can and just pay for alcohol drinks separately?  I know it all come down to your level of consumption.  But it's fun to be back in the planning phase of cruising again! 

Go to a "sell expert" lecture during a crabbiean cruise ?

It looks like you have an accurate understanding of your options.  They are what they are.
Over the months we have done a combination of all of these (as it seems, many others also have).  We L&S'ed our latest casualty to avoid final payment and to price protect our booking.  Had I not been able to do that, I would have made final payment and gotten my money back when Royal officially cancelled (mid-March.  It's a dead man walking/floating).  I am least willing to go the FCC route right now.

My girls dictate the schedule in my family. First stop is always the Boardwalk doghouse, second stop is the arcade and then it’s time to chill out on the balcony! So many great memories made on these ships! 

My chocolate martini at the English Pub on Symphony of the Seas last February.  This bartender was very good at making me drinks I never thought I'd like and having me fall in love with them (like a Blueberry Gin Fizz - I thought I hated Gin).  Man, I miss him.

Hanging by the beach in Labadee. Can’t wait to get back and enjoy it again soon!