PocketsRN

My biggest issue is remembering to pack socks and long pants (jeans) for it.

Socks and long pants? Sounds too much like going to work. I'll stick with shorts and flip-flops, the official uniform of Florida, and the only thing I ever pack for a cruise.

I've only done it once, and I know my cruise buddy never has, which I'm sure is why she seemed so excited about it. We'll see if she actually goes for it. The comedian better hope he's up first, cuz ours will be a tough act to follow...

On those ships with ice rinks, is it just for the shows, or can you actually go and skate? I didn't pay any attention to it when I was on Freedom last year, but I have a new cruising buddy going with me on Navigator next month, and she seemed really excited about it. Navigator's page says "challenge yourself to the ice-skating rink", so I'm thinking so, but would it be something we need to book ahead of time, or just show up?

I've done juniors on Freedom, Brilliance and Majesty so far, and they all seemed pretty consistent. The balcony on Majesty did seem smaller, or more shallow, than the other two. I'll be doing a junior on navigator next month, so we'll see how it compares.

Not weird at all. In seven cruises, I've only done one excursion. The two I did this summer I never got off the boat. All depends on what you're looking for. I go to be on the boat and relax

Do they really have that? If so, I wonder what happened to the machines on the cruise where the hurricane really rocked the boat and knocked things over!?

Yup. Addictive as hell, too. Royal's have $100 bundles, but I heard Carnival has 'em with $500. Might have to jump on a carnival boat once just to see.

I think it'll come, but gonna be a slow process. Like you said, it's a lot bigger than the president. And there's gonna be a lot of back and forth between our government and theirs.

If all this is true about RC, I think they definitely jumped the gun.

Is smoking allowed in the cruise casinos then?

Generally, yes. Most of my cruises they've had one or two dedicated smoke-free nights. Although, when I was on Empress early this month, there was no smoking at all the whole cruise.

The only thing ive ever won at is the claw machine full of cash bundles. Just stick with that

She was told, by either a rep from RC or her travel agent, that RC is waiting to see what happens with the situation in Venezuela since Cuba gets their fuel from there. Although I would think the Empress would be able to carry sufficient fuel for a cruise.

I think RC was actually looking to station Empress in Cuba, not just make it an itinerary stop, so it should then be it's primary fuel depot. If what they told her is true, then that definitely would be a major factor.

I wonder how much the election and all the political shuffling will affect it, too. I can't imagine that's not all having an impact on the embargoes and everything

How do you book a btb? Do you have to book each half separately? What if you can't get the same cabin?

I did Freedom last year and loved it, and I've got Oasis and Anthem booked, but I actually don't even use a lot of the fancy new features they're offering. The casino, coffee shop, and mini golf course on the ships that have it are pretty much all I use. I go to be on the boat, and I like feeling like I'm on a boat, and you feel it a lot more on a smaller boat like Empress.

I had no idea they were having trouble filling her .... I thought it was just the opposite as an alternative for folks that enjoy the smaller, more cozy, ships.

I thought this too. Probably just with it being so old and less flashy and feature-filled than the new boats is dragging it down. I just came off earlier this month, though, and it's been one of my favorites so far.

Anyone know if RC is planning something with Empress? It looks like they have nothing scheduled for her beyond this coming April, but I haven't seen anything about them selling her or sending her back to Pullmantur or anything. Only thing I've come across is an article about them maybe homeporting her in Cuba sometime in the not-too-distant future. Cruise law news i think was the source, not sure about its legitimacy.

Anyone know about when we'll see the schedule for the second half of 2018, or, in general, about when to expect schedule updates throughout the year? I know they usually run a year and a half to two years out, but I haven't figured out when they usually extend the schedule.