Skid

I agree - most things can be worn twice, but be careful about packing only one bag.  if it gets lost (airline) and you don't get it back before ship leaves, you're up the creek.  Take two and pack some things for each of you in each bag.  If one gets lost, you both still have something to wear:)  And, it will leave more room for souvenirs:).
 
Also, I start putting stuff in a "cruise" pile in a separate room as soon as I have picked shore excursions (they may require unusual attire, e.g., hiking boots). That way I can see if I need to order anything special to take (i.e. water resistant pants for our Alaska outings!) and have them in plenty of time instead of discovering the week before that I'm missing something.  I start packing the suitcases the week before, leaving.  Laying stuff out to see what can be mixed/matched helps pack less too:)

Congratulations to your husband and JennyJenny. I know how hard it can be. I’m also a survivor also. Going on our victory cruise in January. Love the blogs. It really helps with the waiting.

Lil guy has made several friends in the pool already! So cute! They are racing each other and having a ball.
Dad and mom are relaxing...

Entering on the Promenade with seeing that car is always such a 'wow' and a great welcome.  Enjoy your cruise!

We’re on board this absolutely gorgeous ship and it’s instantly clear why she’s a favorite among so many. ??
We checked out Central Park and the Boardwalk. It’s too early to put cash on our account and the rooms are supposed to be ready at 1:30pm.
There is a different vibe on this ship.  The guests and staff are ready for a good vacation.  We already met “new familia” in the elevator. ?
Our fish is already in the pool...

Congratulations on conquering it as well!!!???

Today is the day for your Allure!  Have a wonderful trip and thanks for taking us along.
 

How severely mobility limited are you? When I went to San Juan last year I was capped at about 3 miles a day, which had to be spread out or the arthritis in my feet would get super-painful and leave me out of commission for much of the next day. I was still able to walk to El Morro (which has a fair bit of uphill climbing involved) at a relaxed pace, take lots of photos along the way, wander inside for a bit and take more photos, then head back to the ship by way of the old barracks and the pigeon park with a lunch stop in the middle (and many more photos! ?) without feeling like I’d overdone it. That was with a 2 PM departure and not leaving the ship until 9 AM, so I had to do the above in about 4 hours to make our all-aboard time. Since you’ll have two extra hours, you could move at a pretty relaxed pace, as well as take a taxi or trolley to your desired points of interest to really cut the time on your feet.
I cant speak to the rainforest, as we didn’t go there. But I’m sure other folks here have and will be able to chime in.

I have an ankle injury that acts up if I walk too much.  It seems like I will get more photos if I do a walking tour.  It might be manageable, if I tape my foot.
I was thinking of the Segway tour, but it might be too cumbersome to get on/off the Segway and whip out my camera, plus the helmet would give me bed head hair, so the photos wouldn't look so great ... lol

I'm glad to hear you were able to do a lot of walking without a lot of pain.  I agree, the next day can be very tiring and achy for most people.  We have a sea day after San Juan, so hopefully the itinerary won't change!
We're quite direction-challenged, so it was fantastic that you had a local guide.  I would really like to do a self-guided tour, save some money, and go about on our own schedule.  I was thinking I might need to "borrow" your pictures so I can refer to them, and ask people how to get to xyz!  Your photos are the exact places that I would want to see and capture!  Thank you again!
I was also thinking, even though our time in port is from 7-4, we'd like to return to the ship early and grab lunch there.  We spent way too much time on our last cruise doing so much that we were completely exhausted, lost weight (even from all the eating) and forgot to relax and enjoy the ship!
This walking tour is really starting to grow on me .... lol 
I don't think we would have enough time to do the rain forest, especially since I am now considering getting back to the ship for lunch.  The waterfall does not sound spectacular at all, thank you for pointing that out to me.  
We waited a very long time to cruise again, so I'd rather not waste our time or money.  Appreciate your feedback!!
 

I group and photograph all my clothes using Pinterest. I had a brain injury and can be forgetful and get tired so have to pack in stages . This meant I was forgetting what I was packing But now this really works for me. I use Pinterest to save it . And make notes in the description like “ can wear black heels with 4of8 dresses “ etc.  
I wish I’d read about packing cubes before I packed . They seem awesome but not really a UK think I don’t think.  I will try them for my next trip though. 
This is my first cruise so I’m just hoping I’ve packed enough and I’ve packed the right stuff.  We fly in 4 days so time will tell. Very excited though. 
My other half hasn’t even started packing yet an dit’s stressing me just a tad but I’ve made sure he does have everything when he finally decides to pack it !!!

@FionaMG, well said!!

The best time to book is when you see a price you're comfortable with and this applies both to booking the actual cruise and booking cruise planner items.
For cruise planner purchases, it is definitely worth checking the prices on a daily basis and being aware of the prices of the items you're interested in because some real sales do crop up from time to time, offering genuine savings. When this happens you can cancel your previous purchases without penalty and re-book at the lower price, with the caveat that you have to pay for them a second time and wait a few days for your refund to be returned to your account. The exception to this is if you paid using OBC from Royal, in which case you see that returned to your cruise planner the second you cancel the first booking.
For your cruise fare, if you're booking under US rules, you can sometimes get it re-priced to reflect a sale price but it can be a tricky process that is probably easier to navigate with the help of a well-qualified travel agent. Note that if you're booking from somewhere other than the US (UK, EU, etc), you're likely stuck with the original cruise fare you paid unless you are prepared to lose your deposit. In some cases, the difference in price actually makes this a cost-effective option! 

just a suggestion: 
https://www.amazon.com/Biodegradable-Compostable-Plant-Based-Eco-Friendly-Individually/dp/B078J4N5XF
still just like any other plastic straw, but safer for sea life because they break down, wont desintegrate like the paper straws... $2.50 more than regular plastic for 200, and individually wrapped...
 
or these:
https://www.amazon.com/200-Pack-100-Plant-Based-Compostable-Straws/dp/B07MZLLDZD/ref=pd_bxgy_121_img_2/140-0683482-6559335?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07MZLLDZD&pd_rd_r=b06ad743-b059-48ac-b132-1b023ab99857&pd_rd_w=3C5HA&pd_rd_wg=QoJgP&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=MR1GXHF0KXHV63Y4XKAW&psc=1&refRID=MR1GXHF0KXHV63Y4XKAW
$1.99 more than regular plastic straws for a 200 count, bendy, but not individually wrapped. :)

One day to go!!
I am in the waiting place today since our flight is so late, so I spent the morning at the zoo to relieve pre-travel waiting anxiety! 
Here are the San Diego Zoo stars of the day. Sadly, the baby hippo Tony got sent off to another zoo when he reached 1 year (he has been the star of the day countless times). 
Finally not all asleep! 

Ibex cave hangout (he fought off two baboons to claim his space)



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5 days to go! 
Today my boyfriend’s mom (hmm should I refer to him as CBF? for cute, haha, dear is too formal) let us know she’s got a family birthday on embarkation day and wont be joining us for El Morro/OSJ crusin’ before boarding. 
We were discussing dropping bags at the Pan American Pier and ubering to OSJ for a mid morning frolic and I mentioned that we’d have to taxi from the airport and then could uber from the port as they can’t pick up at the airport. He said “thanks for looking that up” and I got to say “oh actually, that’s just something I knew offhand from my months of cruise research!” Special thanks to these boards for getting me prepped! 
Gonna ask this question under a different forum but — has anyone left bags abandoned at the port pre-check in? Or would you check in and board and then leave? With boarding at 11am and departure at 8:30pm surely they let you off during those hours. 
5 more days till we go on the cruise.. 5 more days till we gOoooo! ?

You guuuuuys! You could see her upon arrival waiting for us! ?

Greetings from Miami! 
IT’S CRUISE DAY! 
Leaving for San Juan in an hour. Zero days till we go on the cruuuiiiseee ✈️??  and I am so excited!! 

 
Leaving Miami time-lapse

IMG_9749.mov

@IslandBoundMama, big congratulations to your husband on beating "the big C"!

Some images from last night...some VERY nice cars and one of many snails that ventured out after the downpour we had.
 

Good morning! It’s FINALLY cruise day!!!! We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and five ships in port! One NCL, one MSC, two Carnival and of course...our beauty!!! ?
We plan on catching our UberXL (too much luggage even though we tried to minimize) around 9:45ish.
I can’t wait to share pictures from onboard.  My husband’s medical issue that I vaguely mentioned at the start of this blog was an aggressive form of cancer. He had surgery for removal and is cancer free, but as you can imagine...it’s been a very stressful time for that and just other life reasons.  WE NEED THIS!!!!
 

This week our only planned excursion is the rain forest in Puerto Rico.  Our time was cut short in that port because of the azipod issue so we are doing the excursion through the ship to be safe.
I want you all to know that this is a big sacrifice for me because it most likely means I’m giving up my Barrachinas pina colada.  THAT NEVER HAPPENS!
Little guy has the soda package this week and he’s hoping for a blue cup. ?
We don’t have it reserved yet, but we plan on doing Izumi one night. 

We are in the waiting area at the terminal!!! The shuttle at the hotel would be $6/person but UberXL was $9 for all of us. Arrived at the port with no issue. Lots of sad faces on those departing this morning.
The port worker checking the set sail passes looked at ours that clearly says expedited arrival, squinted and said, “Have you ever cruised before?” Then she sent us on to someone else. We got seated in the right area and we are waiting for the green light. 
 

Late to follow but enjoying catching up. Survivor here as well, so glad to hear your husband is clear and enjoying this wonderful time with you and your son!

I was beyond excited to see sea turtle nests roped off on the beach.  I am a sea turtle super fan a.k.a stalker and it made me so happy to them.  If I saw hatchlings I may have not boarded the ship tomorrow.  

We took an Uber to the beach here in Ft. Lauderdale. My crab phobic son decided to snorkel again.  He saw fish and even a stingray! That made his day.  For some reason stingrays are on the okay list. ?‍♀️
The water is just BEAUTIFUL!!!!! We swam/snorkeled for a couple of hours, then went to have pizza right across the street.  Best pizza crust ever and I’m not a crust eater.
Now we are taking Lyft back to the hotel to swim some more. Looks like a storm is rolling in.