Lovetocruise2002

I've gone on/off with a TA that I initially found from a cruise bidding site.  I check for price drops and call him.  I've had no problems getting prices readjusted ever.  Just a word of caution for people who want to go that route is that you have to know what you are getting into.  The trade off with the steep discounts and extra perks is the sacrifice of service.  I don't mind because I am comfortable managing my own bookings but for others, that might not be the wisest route.
I love Ebates but I have never done travel through them.  It always says things like, "up to 14% off" and then I don't know what the discount is exactly so I give up and look elsewhere.  I would be interested to see how it works out for you.

Silent disco was the best.....never left the dance floor for like 2 hrs. Girlfriend said it was one of the most fun nights she's had ever out in her travels. Couldn't believe the lineup waiting to get in!
 
That is the type of thing I would love to see/experience more of. Unfortunately we found most of the rest of the cruise quite boring and by the 3rd night, we're looking for things to do instead of just sitting around drinking. So I don't think another Celebrity cruise is in the cards for us unless it was a hell of a deal or unless it changes. Back to Royal for our next cruise I would imagine.

Oh, now you're getting picky. Before it was just D+ or Pinnacle. Now she has to be an Ashley and 5"5"? What else...country side palatial estate with hot and cold running water....barn full of vintage sports cars.....humidity controlled room with collectible cameras that still operate.... 

Big salad and a glass of water for me.....62 days from my 2 week B2B on the Allure!

Pro tip: eat your meals before reading @twangster live blogs.  You'll be less depressed!

@C_Pepper, welcome to the boards!  We've done our share of Disney in recent years with our girls (tweens) and there are some differences between the two lines.  There was a recap done here not too long ago (I'll attach it) that highlights some of the differences. 
I personally love RC.  I have not been on the Adventure since my honeymoon so that was a while ago.  I am not a Disney fanatic, neither are my kids, so the lack of constant parade of characters wherever you go is a welcomed relief.  And the cost difference is huge.  We've done 3 Disney cruises now and each time the cost of one could have taken me on two with RC.
I find the two main differences between the two are the types of theatre shows, and drinks that are included.  Disney's alcohol is priced slightly lower that RC, but then again, you don't have the option of a drink package with them so makes sense.  Also, with Disney, all your soft drinks are included but with RC it's not.  If you purchased the refreshment package for the girls that would include the soft drinks, juices, bottled water, etc. minus the alcohol.  As far as the shows go, Disney's shows are all extravagantly done, while RC is on a slightly smaller scale but still great.  
I am a firm believer that a vacation/cruise is as good as you make it.  Read all reviews with a grain of salt.  Some people just love to vent and complain and most times people who have a great time don't follow up and write about it so you are only hearing from the complainers.  Every ship as it's pros/cons.  Like @twangster mentioned, there probably will be a live blog in the next few weeks from Adventure.  Worth it to follow along and ask questions.  And you have found a great resource here in these boards.  People are great here.  Ask away.

I am doing my research....

Still holding out for it huh??? LOL!!

I can only speak for Harmony as that's the only ship I've been on as a Star Class guest.
There is a priority line for flow rider at certain times of the day.  I don't think it's ALL the time but I could be wrong about that.  I do not know about ice skating but I would be very surprised if you could not get priority for ice skating.  This is the kind of thing that the Genies are best at and from what I've seen on other ships, the ice skating free skate is VERY popular.  I assume, but do NOT know for sure, that Star Class guests would receive priority for ifly, bumper cars and North Star.
I can only be sure about the things I've seen for myself and that only includes the flow rider.  The others are speculation.

When we were on Ovation there was a priority queue for Star class guests to use the bumper cars.
Because ifly requires reservations I would assume you would just get your genie to make the bookings

Coming from my Anthem experience... Bumper cars and FlowRider, yes. Not sure what the process for roller skating was. Don't recall North Star.
On iFly, reservations needed. Genie did make them it part of our agenda. Plus pre cruise I made an iFly reservation. The self made was still registered. Good thing on the precruise reservation, about mid cruise iFly was down the rest of the cruise. Would have never had a chance if I hadn't booked precruise.

Maybe take a stroll on the lifeboat deck and measure those rails too? 

This reminds me of a joke I heard recently:
I didn't realize, when I booked my next cruise, that it was the week of my wedding !  I am looking for someone who would be willing to trade with me.
Her name is Ashley, she's 5'5", a great cook and a lot of fun....
 

We teachers are eventually going to run into each other lol.

That ship is next on my list!  Let me know as soon as summer 2020 bookings come out please 

Sailing on Oasis on Feb 25th, and last Saturday was checking pricing, found ATS and CLS both lower than I paid for my Grand Suite. It's after final payment so I called was able to move to the ATS with a savings of $572. The RCL Rep told me that I would be receiving the credit back to the card I made my payments from. I told him that I thought that once final payment is made that no refund were given. He said the driffrence woud be credited back. I was not getting my hopes up but the credit showed up in bank account on Friday. Anyone else ever seen this before.

Walking along the Esplanade there was a temporary Voom kiosk setup for guest assistance.  I stopped and asked.  He looked me up on his laptop and reported my usage.  
I'll try to ask shore excursions tomorrow.  

@Sabrinaklai, this must be a teacher thing as I think @Sweety is too if I'm correct? Even though it was hubby who was the teacher, I'd just a soon stay on board too for some ports! LOL 

That sounds a lot like us.  With both of us working and running around with tweens, we cherish our once a year kid free cruise.  We would gladly take a cruise to nowhere but I have learned from @twangster why those do not really happen any more.

We don't get off on some cruises. We have a great time reading and talking with each other. We have busy schedules at home. My husband calls it Love Time. 

I was able to get a balcony for 2200 for two with obc of 175. That's not two bad. Same price on Harmony for school break. Husband loves the way I budget.

New Year cruise!  I am so envious!  I have found that Christmas/New year prices are the craziest.  Even more expensive than Spring Break and summer.

Also take into consideration the itinerary. If you are going to spend a lot of days off board in non Royal locations, ie, Labadee, Coco Cay, a drink package may not be for you.

Ever watch "The Lorax"?  lol.  That's what that last comment reminds me of.
There is lots of debate over whether or not it is worth it.  We personally have gone with and without in the past.  Lately we have gone with it.  It is nice not having to keep tabs on drinks and have a constant supply of bottled water in our stateroom (we drink a lot of water so that alone makes it worthwhile for us).  And it's not just alcohol, it's all your premium coffee, smoothies (without protein powder), fresh juices.  @Matt wrote a piece about it just this past week for more info.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/royal-caribbean-beverage-package-costs-info-tips
With the changes now to the package, that every adult has to get one, we will likely reconsider yet again.  My husband doesn't really drink much of anything other than water so even the refreshment package doesn't make sense for him.  Another thing to consider is how long your cruise is.  A shorter cruise it might make more sense but with a long one, drink fatigue might set in as well.  Hope that helps a bit.

We have the eight night New Year cruise December 2018.