bcarney

Just came to say nice profile pic! Lol

I saw the Kids Sail Free promo and was excited!  Went to RoyalCaribbean.com and found the perfect cruise. Started a mock booking, and it asked for number of passengers.
Then I realized my kids are no longer kids as they aged out into Adult-fare over COVID.
(sigh, and a little misty-eyed)

I saw the Kids Sail Free promo and was excited!  Went to RoyalCaribbean.com and found the perfect cruise. Started a mock booking, and it asked for number of passengers.
Then I realized my kids are no longer kids as they aged out into Adult-fare over COVID.
(sigh, and a little misty-eyed)

I just got off an NCL cruise.  I'm planning on writing up a contrast/compare later, but I have to say the number of cabin staff on Breakaway was the largest I've seen.  If I had to estimate, my steward had 10 rooms tops. Our rooms were half way between the mid ship elevators and the aft, and I passed at least 5 stewards along the way.
I also think that the bartenders pre-paid tips are all pooled, and the divided up by the number of transactions each bartender makes.  They were hustling and working non-stop when on duty, and I rarely had to wait for a drink.  There had to be some sort of incentive to work at that level for so long.
@BrianB I see you liked Breakway based on the number of cruises taken on it. I have to admit, I really liked the ship and Royal could take a few lessons from NCL.

I just got off an NCL cruise.  I'm planning on writing up a contrast/compare later, but I have to say the number of cabin staff on Breakaway was the largest I've seen.  If I had to estimate, my steward had 10 rooms tops. Our rooms were half way between the mid ship elevators and the aft, and I passed at least 5 stewards along the way.
I also think that the bartenders pre-paid tips are all pooled, and the divided up by the number of transactions each bartender makes.  They were hustling and working non-stop when on duty, and I rarely had to wait for a drink.  There had to be some sort of incentive to work at that level for so long.
@BrianB I see you liked Breakway based on the number of cruises taken on it. I have to admit, I really liked the ship and Royal could take a few lessons from NCL.

I saw the Kids Sail Free promo and was excited!  Went to RoyalCaribbean.com and found the perfect cruise. Started a mock booking, and it asked for number of passengers.
Then I realized my kids are no longer kids as they aged out into Adult-fare over COVID.
(sigh, and a little misty-eyed)

Guess you haven’t realized you’re getting older also. 😂 

I saw the Kids Sail Free promo and was excited!  Went to RoyalCaribbean.com and found the perfect cruise. Started a mock booking, and it asked for number of passengers.
Then I realized my kids are no longer kids as they aged out into Adult-fare over COVID.
(sigh, and a little misty-eyed)

Enjoy small ship cruising while you can.  We've got between 5 and 10 years to enjoy small ships with Royal.  
Start thinking about Celebrity.

As I await the opening of the rest of the 2024 summer sailing schedule, I'm going to cross this threshold, then, too.

I just got off an NCL cruise (my first post-COVID, a postponed cruise from the week in March 2020 when the world went off the rails) where we did the video muster drill.  They emailed us three times before the cruise to watch the video, and then asked us if we did when we showed up to the muster station.  On top of that, when you first turn on the TV in your cabin you are forced to watch the video again before you can change channels. I changed cabins (we booked two, one for my kids and one for DW and I) and we had to view the video again on the TV after switching rooms.
I don't know if Royal does it this way, but if you're on a B2+B I'd imagine you can just flip on the TV and let it run while you are getting ready for the day. 
In any case, watching the video is far better than standing in the heat with a thousand other people.  I'm glad that RCL pioneered this (Matt had a podcast about it a long time ago).

You mean they watered down the ice too?  

I just sailed NCL.  Royal's app, website, and IT Department stands head and shoulders above NCL's.  We couldn't even link two reservations on NCL - my wife and I had to log on at the same time to make restaurant reservations for us and the kids.

Yes, they make a terribly nasty cola, Coke and Pepsi have always been better. But you really should try Jolt... 🥤

How very, uh, Dynamic. Or something.

Thank you everyone.  We got lucky!  We were on Maya Chan's waitlist, and they contacted us to let us know some people canceled and now we're heading there. Looking forward to it!

Thank you everyone.  We got lucky!  We were on Maya Chan's waitlist, and they contacted us to let us know some people canceled and now we're heading there. Looking forward to it!

Thank you everyone.  We got lucky!  We were on Maya Chan's waitlist, and they contacted us to let us know some people canceled and now we're heading there. Looking forward to it!

Thank you everyone.  We got lucky!  We were on Maya Chan's waitlist, and they contacted us to let us know some people canceled and now we're heading there. Looking forward to it!

Thanks, @WAAAYTOOO. It's been a while, lots of life changes, COVID, etc.  Now post election both my wife and I are looking at unemployment, so this NCL cruise might be our last for a while. We'll see what time brings us.

They do exist but they are few and far between and not easy to find. Bermuda itineraries are among those that have them and I have also seen Aruba, Oslo and Lisbon. You're more likely to find them on Celebrity than on Royal. This is the sort of thing that a good cruise travel agent would be able to help you with. If you don't already work with a TA, you could consider contacting MEI Travel, who sponsor this website and have a wealth of experience. 

@JennaRCB had this great write up here https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/09/29/excursion-review-jaimes-the-blue-reef-all-inclusive-day-pass-costa-maya
This would be where I would head if Maya Chan wasn't an option.
 

I believe its Bottom of the Seas, if memory serves me right

This deserves to be a regular blog post on the homepage.

Don't freak out when you get back and you've gained a couple of pounds even though you've stuck to the diet.  They use a ton of salt in the food, much more than most people do at home, so chances are you're just retaining water.  Water weighs over 8 pounds per gallon, so just a little bit will really "tilt the scale".  It will be gone in a couple of days when it's flushed out of your system.
Avoid the "bacon" appetizer at Chops Grille, it's covered in a sauce that contains a lot of sugar.
I did Atkins back in 2000 and lost over 70 lbs, and stuck with it until 2006.  The weight has crept back, but it's taken over a decade (and the addition of 2 kids).  I started Low Carb again at the beginning of the year and have dropped 15 so far.  Stick with it, it works!