DocLC

I totally agree with Doc.  We aren't huge cruisers like many of you (we've been maybe 10 times) but the Itinerary always drives the choice.   Best by far: Barefoot Cruise to the very, very southern Caribbean with 35 people on board.  That cruise line is now defunct (for safety reasons) but talk about small ports.  We are doing southern Spain for the first time on Indy in August.

You are right! The crew thought my husband was Ice Cube. They keep bringing him extra food. 

I would love to earn enough money to reach the point where deciding whether to change up my "cruise routine" ever became a problem.

We had such a great meal at chops that we well...my back the next night.   We tried a couple new things and got a few of the same things.   The menu is varied enough that you could repeat for sure,  especially at giovannis  where you could do pasta one night and steak or fish the other.   Jane

I am so dying to try this class!   Sounds like a beautiful ship.  I will agree with everyone....Tampa has been my favorite port to go out of!   Jane 

In almost 30 sailings, I've only been on 3 ships more than once and one of those was a back-to-back sailing, so I'm not sure that even counts.
For us, the itinerary has become much more important than the ship itself and we're seeking new experiences while using the ship for our base of exploration. Sometimes, unfortunately, this means that we have to go with other lines as Royal doesn't always go to where we want to go. For example, we have an affinity for Europe as of late and have done some excellent cruises on the Radiance class ships to the Baltics and Norway/Iceland. However, to experience more of Norway this summer and wanting to go much farther north into the Arctic Circle, our only choices were Holland America or MSC. Next summer, we're doing a Barcelona to Venice cruise, which Royal doesn't offer with the stops we want, so we're going with Celebrity for that one.
If we do the Caribbean again, it will likely be the Southern Caribbean as we've visited the Eastern and Western Caribbean enough. And while we have taken cruises for the ships themselves, we found that the ship itself wasn't enough for us and that we've become itinerary-based people.

It was AMAZING!!  best dessert I have ever had!   Jane

I have 114 days on Holland. I love the smaller ships. We did a 14 day Alaskan cruise on Amsterdam.

@Laurin On the three night package, you can eat twice at Chops and once at Giovanni's; you're not required to go to all three. When we did the five night package on Allure, we dined twice at Giovanni's and twice at another restaurant that's not on your ship.
I just didn't want you to think that you had to go to Izumi just because you're on the package.

Yeah, the flights are the worst part. We're in California, so to get a direct flight, we have to leave about 6 hours before our flight and then spend another 10-11 hours flying. And if we connnect, we're usually spending 24 hours by the time the traveling is done. Definitely not fun especially with the time changes.
We're going to Sydney in December for a New Zealand cruise and I'm dreading the flight (15-17 hours) and the massive time change. Plus, we lose a day going, but get the day coming back which I know will reak havoc on my body.

Thanks, @DocLC. Now I've got a huge hankering for chashu pork tonkatsu ramen for dinner tonight. Good thing there's a place right on the way home! ?

Thanks!  I'm glad to hear that there are other options besides sushi, although I still think my family would much rather dine at Chops or Giovanni's.  My husband is a "meat & potatoes" kind of guy and the kids (16 and 20) are steak and pasta fans.  I am more open to other dining experiences--except for sushi. ?

At first I was wondering what customs and immigration had to do with dining ?
I used the omelette station on Adventure last month.  I'm sailing Vision after you but I expect she will have one. 

I am not a member of this group on Facebook.  I will look for it.  Thanks

Brilliance and Tampa is a match made in heaven.    Did Tampa in February and parked about 20 spaces from the terminal entrance.  Did walk off when we disembarked at 7:30 a.m.  and we were on the interstate  at  7:45 a.m.   

I’ll follow up, in case someone else has the same situation. I called RCCL again...Was told if the First and Last names are the same on my passport and my Cruise booking info, I’m good. 
Happy sailing...

Welcome to the message boards!
Be aware this is an independent site not affiliated with Royal Caribbean.  I suggest you contact Royal Caribbean directly to verify your details based on citizenship and embarkation port.

I have been to Alaska 20 times. Can't get enough. Been to Mediterranean, Panama Canal, Caribbean, New England, and would like to try New Zealand. I like to relax and watch the scenery. We cruise 5-6 times a year. It never gets old. I find joy every time I cruise.

@Shari That looks AMAZING! Great way to finish off the experience. 
If you're a member of the Royal Caribbean Dining group on Facebook, this would be great to post there, too. This is a group that was started by @Matt and a place for Royal Caribbean food lovers to rejoice. 

I'm pretty sure there is some type of booth at the dock, but I'm not 100% sure. There's also a free tram that will take you up to the forts, which are worth the visit but can be hot. We were there in early January and were surprised how hot it was.

Putting that on my Genie list right now before I forget! lol

The very last one is one of the appetizers, Chicken Kara-Age. The ball-like ones are the Assorted Mochi Ice Cream, and the middle of the last three are the Izumi Sampler.
The menu for Izumi can be found here (http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/shared_assets/pdf/menus/izumi.pdf) although the pricing may have changed slightly.

There are a lot of choices besides sushi. They have ramen bowls, hot rocks where you grill your own beef, chicken, seafood, or vegetables, among a variety of other offerings. The Mochi ice cream is also a nice treat for dessert.
The menus at the specialty restaurants do not change, but there is an alternate menu for lunch and I have seen a "special" offered in Giovani's occasionally.

There are a lot of choices besides sushi. They have ramen bowls, hot rocks where you grill your own beef, chicken, seafood, or vegetables, among a variety of other offerings. The Mochi ice cream is also a nice treat for dessert.
The menus at the specialty restaurants do not change, but there is an alternate menu for lunch and I have seen a "special" offered in Giovani's occasionally.

I don't know if there's any kind of tourist information as we cruised from San Juan, but Frommer's has a map that might be useful: