a symphony of experiences (post-blog 2.11-2.18; symphony of the seas)

[asquared17]

our new cabin as we bid it farewell (thanks for letting us sleep!!)

this line circled the entire running track...

abandoned.

the small break that necessitated a brand new suitcase, apparently!!

[Ampurp85]

I am very happy the rest of the cruise worked out for you. I agree on the fries, they have changed but I often feel they have the right amount of truffle. I almost got Away luggage, but they kept running out of the color I wanted, purple, so I went with SwissGear. 

Symphony is on my Jan 2025 shortlist. I am booked Jan 2024 on a S2S (Mariner and Wonder) with my brother and mother, our first ever vacation together. I love how some people are bougie but don't want to pay to be bougie. 

[asquared17]

58 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I am very happy the rest of the cruise worked out for you. I agree on the fries, they have changed but I often feel they have the right amount of truffle. I almost got Away luggage, but they kept running out of the color I wanted, purple, so I went with SwissGear. 

Symphony is on my Jan 2025 shortlist. I am booked Jan 2024 on a S2S (Mariner and Wonder) with my brother and mother, our first ever vacation together. I love how some people are bougie but don't want to pay to be bougie. 

i am a truffle fiend so i always want more

away just launched this cool tie-dye version yesterday (i swear i don't work for them or anything but it's fun to look at luggage) and i ALMOST pulled the trigger, but it seemed silly after i'm getting a brand new one. i will look at swissgear!

can't WAIT to hear all about your fam vacation!! i'm on the fence about wonder; i sort of want to go but i also am not sure about the fully enclosed solarium. (seems dumb that that's the reason holding me back though...) also port canaveral is not always a cost effective option for us, with flights, transport and hotels. i think the way to go is to do a B2B/S2S like you.

my mom is willing to pay bougie but she feels if she's gonna pay post-covid sky/star class dollars, she'd rather spend it on a bougie smaller all inclusive cruise. meanwhile my dad is like, "will we ever get to go away on vacation together as a family anymore??"

the struggle is real

[SweetPea]

Do you also keep truffle salt at home? i keep it in my freezer and use it generously. Hubs thinks it stinks and won't go near it. i hate mushrooms in general, but truffles are a clear exception. 

And i do get it, the struggle is real when you're not cruise compatible with your family. We've stopped cruising with ours . Too opposite and when everyone winds up compromising, no one is truly happy.

 

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! Loved reading your detailed, honest and funny review!

[asquared17]

13 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Do you also keep truffle salt at home? i keep it on my freezer and use generously. Hubs thinks it stinks and won't go near it. i hate mushrooms in general, but truffles are a clear exception. 

And i do get it, the struggle is real when you're not cruise compatible with your family. We've stopped cruising with ours . Too opposite and when everyone winds up compromising, no one is truly happy.

 

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! Loved reading your detailed, honest and funny review!

@SweetPea i think we are secret twins

i ALSO hate mushrooms but LOVE truffles and YES -- we have truffle salt at home, and sometimes splurge on truffle butter. i also found some good/pure truffle oil that i like that isn't overly cloying/artificial. it's a little pricey but well worth it. i think the brand starts with a U.

i actually miss cruising with my dad (and my mom, of course) -- my dad is the one who passed down the love of cruising to me -- and wish we could arrange a family trip but their cruise fair as a double occupancy is often lower than my single fare (even with single supplement on certain lines). not to mention, one cruise on the luxury lines is like my cruise fare budget for the entire year

thank you for reading and following along!! it's always so fun when it's interactive

[Neesa]

I'm so happy I didn't miss your trip report. I stumbled on it this morning when I had some unexpected down time. I enjoyed your style and no nonsense truth. I read it straight through, Vintage Magnet/ Cabash kept asking me things I was like STOP, please I'm engaged in this experience. 

Loved all the photos, I lost my Symphony sailing in the shut down and have yet to sail her, the one that got away....sailing much less now as we are partnering with kiddo to pay for college, we don't want her saddled with debt straight away. 

I could feel your stress and frustration regarding that first cabin, OMG that was hard even to read about, I can't imagine the anger after not sleeping, I'm so glad the Angel from guest services showed up to rescue you! 

I have commented previously on our last several cruises after the shut down it seemed to me that cruising etiquette as well as respect for fellow humans has disintegrated some what, everywhere but more pronounced on limited spaces such as cruise ships, clearly evidenced by deck 11 shenanigans on steroids. I'm so happy you were able to move and enjoy the rest of the sailing. 

Random fact, born and raised in NJ before moving to Florida, worked in Shop Rite for 9 years, loved Shop Rite!

Seriously, you met @WAAAYTOOO ? How cool is that!!!

As far as the beach club at PDCC our issue was the massive amount of flying insects attacking our food. It was so disgusting, I thought the plants surrounding the dining area while pretty played a large part in attracting them. It was gross. Clean bathroom, not gross

Thanks so much for bringing us along, I actually saw the  @Ampurp85 cat that caught my attention, I gravitate to certain posters here and I'm  so glad I did. I knew if she was commenting I'd be interested; and then I saw it was @asquared17 win win!!

 

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

@asquared17 I was looking forward to reading this ever since you mentioned on my SY blog that you were sailing her. I am so happy to hear that CK worked out for you and those food pics made me miss it all over again. I agree with you in that SY is still pretty shiny and new even though she has been around for a few years now. Thanks for blogging!

[asquared17]

2 hours ago, Neesa said:

I'm so happy I didn't miss your trip report. I stumbled on it this morning when I had some unexpected down time. I enjoyed your style and no nonsense truth. I read it straight through, Vintage Magnet/ Cabash kept asking me things I was like STOP, please I'm engaged in this experience. 

Loved all the photos, I lost my Symphony sailing in the shut down and have yet to sail her, the one that got away....sailing much less now as we are partnering with kiddo to pay for college, we don't want her saddled with debt straight away. 

I could feel your stress and frustration regarding that first cabin, OMG that was hard even to read about, I can't imagine the anger after not sleeping, I'm so glad the Angel from guest services showed up to rescue you! 

I have commented previously on our last several cruises after the shut down it seemed to me that cruising etiquette as well as respect for fellow humans has disintegrated some what, everywhere but more pronounced on limited spaces such as cruise ships, clearly evidenced by deck 11 shenanigans on steroids. I'm so happy you were able to move and enjoy the rest of the sailing. 

Random fact, born and raised in NJ before moving to Florida, worked in Shop Rite for 9 years, loved Shop Rite!

Seriously, you met @WAAAYTOOO ? How cool is that!!!

As far as the beach club at PDCC our issue was the massive amount of flying insects attacking our food. It was so disgusting, I thought the plants surrounding the dining area while pretty played a large part in attracting them. It was gross. Clean bathroom, not gross

Thanks so much for bringing us along, I actually saw the  @Ampurp85 cat that caught my attention, I gravitate to certain posters here and I'm  so glad I did. I knew if she was commenting I'd be interested; and then I saw it was @asquared17 win win!!

i thought of you immediately when we were encountering this new wave of fellow passengers. it was really something i'd never had to navigate before. you always have a handful of people who are just miz, and you deal with that because that's life. but deck 11... woof. it was a real eye opener. i never want to stay on any deck 11, on any ship, ever again!! i'm scarred for life haha

another NJ friend!!

YES! meeting @WAAAYTOOO was our highlight! she was great and so warm and funny. what a treat

we did not have the insect issue while at the beach club, but we were in the middle of the patio, away from the plants. actually, i am not sure if there was much plant life within the patio section to begin with, now that i think of it... maybe they learned from your experience!

rip mr cabash/vintage magnet tell him i said thanks for letting me borrow you for the live blog read through!!

[asquared17]

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

@asquared17 I was looking forward to reading this ever since you mentioned on my SY blog that you were sailing her. I am so happy to hear that CK worked out for you and those food pics made me miss it all over again. I agree with you in that SY is still pretty shiny and new even though she has been around for a few years now. Thanks for blogging!

and i was all hyped about going on her since reading your blog!! it's a beautiful cruising cycle thanks for following along!!!

[asquared17]

okay friends, last post!

 

PROS:

the staff on symphony was among the best i have ever encountered. honestly the last time we had this great of an experience with the crew was on serenade in 2018, and that was mainly our MDR staff — whereas this was really every single crew member we encountered.

we’ve never had BAD crew members, but we understand that everyone is overworked and overtired in this industry. our expectations were appropriately low, and our empathy was high, for this reason. post-covid, the only other comparison we had was our last minute sailing on odyssey in december — that had its own issues, and while the staff was totally fine, they just weren’t the rockstars that were on symphony. legit EVERY SINGLE crew member — AMAZING. i know i keep mentioning it in this blog, but it bears repeating and OFTEN. we are looking to sail her again, just for this reason!!

the ship is still very shiny and new (rough seas and creaky cabin 11232 not withstanding ) while oasis has my heart for both sentimental and practical reasons (being the only el loco fresh that serves breakfast, portside barbecue, etc), i am hard pressed not to name symphony as our new top contender.

vintages became our bar of choice and we would go every night to grab champagne with diamond vouchers. it’s nice to have a ritual and be recognized by the bartenders (who learn your favorites) while you’re aboard.

despite the bad weather in roatan, i felt our itinerary was balanced/great — when waiting in the boarding area at the airport for our return flight to newark, we heard a woman talking about how she had been on Norwegian (breakaway or bliss, i can’t remember) and they had to skip both costa maya — for weather (????) and also cozumel, because they were told the ports were full. i’ve never been more grateful that we arrived in time to make port in each stop.

our captain (captain angel) was really nice and funny! i loved the captain we had on odyssey (he always made a point to greet the guests AND crew, and we heard from our server in chops that he was very concerned and kept them all safe when on dead sailings during peak covid) but captain angel was very animated and jovial when on the PA. again, the staff aboard symphony was just really really wonderful, and i don’t think it’s any coincidence, given how nice captain angel was (at least from the interactions we had on the PA, anyway!)

CONS:

i would NEVER stay in our initial cabin ever again. and i would caution anyone looking to book 11232 on symphony as there was a cacophony of endless cabin creaks and movement (location undefined) all night long. while the external noise (neighbors, etc) was outside of our control, the endless cabin movement and noise kept us awake all night. there was simply no winning. by contrast, when we moved to our new cabin (10636), it was noticeably BLESSEDLY silent. no creaking or movement detected at all.

getting an elevator for self assist on disembarking was a fiasco. while we are not novices to the disembarkation experience, or the elevator shenanigans, we had a real time of it and eventually had to go UP to go down. we waited patiently around 7:05 for almost 20 minutes — with latecomers cutting in front of us left and right — before we finally went up from deck 10 to 17 and back down again, ultimately getting to deck 5 around 7:27am. (and even then, we had to block people from trying to cram in when we were clearly full/pushing the weight limits)

the lack of sleep for the first three days HIGHLY cut into our overall vacation and general well-being. i usually get up like clockwork around 6am or just before and get a few miles in on the walking track before kicking off the day. as you may have gathered from this novel length blog, my mind is a busy place and i usually count on that time to process and decompress. there was no way i could do that on this trip — i was just way too tired to function. and i missed that time immensely.

not sure if this is a real con, but i’ll add it into the list, anyway — we never ONCE departed on time. it was kind of insane; we were always at least a half hour or more behind — and it was totally wild to watch all the other ships in port leave before us (even the ones who had arrived after us). the only time we weren’t super late was our departure from PDCC, and i think that was only because the island itself was able to shut down ahead of time and force people to return to the ship on time.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS:

thought our trip started on a really low point with the death in my family, and the lack of sleep for the first few days, it had SUCH a drastic turning around for the better that it ultimately saved our vacation. i am grateful to the crew for working so tirelessly to help us, and their empathy, as it went a long way while i was already feeling pretty emotionally and mentally raw (between the family grief and lack of sleep). it would have been enough with all the concern they gave us, and honestly, i was so wiped from it all that i didn’t have it in me to think of requesting any kind of compensation for the first few nights — but on our last night, there was an envelope with a letter from guest services. they were giving us 10% of our total cruise fare towards a next cruise! given that this was the most we’d spent on a fare before, it will be a nice bit of credit to put towards our next sailing!!

meeting @WAAAYTOOO and dan were definitely among the top highlights of our trip! we instantly felt like we were among family, and have adopted them as our extended family haha. it felt like we had somehow known them forever! they gave us a crash course in casino life (J and i have never stepped foot in one) and explained the ins and outs. it was always a happy time when they would find us during our uno-card playing times in the evening as the guitarist played in central park, outside of the park cafe and jamie’s. if we hadn’t gotten so caught up in talking, maybe we would have actually PLAYED a game or two of uno with them!!

our old post-dinner ritual (pre-covid) was to sit at cafe promenade with a cup of tea and people watch. while that was fun, it was soooooo much nicer to be sitting outside with a beautiful breeze and live music. much more relaxing and calm.

they have changed the tuna fish recipe slightly in park cafe but i didn’t mind it (as it became one of my mainstays during the cruise). the first day, there was barely a thin layer on the thick focaccia bread, but every day thereafter, it was a great and tasty bite!! (though we do miss the bag of chips you could get to go with your sandwich in former days)

we never did make it for hairspray, which i was kind of bummed about, as i had wanted to see it. i think the night of our reservations was the night we’d switched cabins, and we were in NO condition to be going to a show as we nearly passed out from exhaustion — if we go on symphony again, i’d happily try to make reservations (and keep them!) next time.

things i LOVED and would bring again in a heartbeat from amazon:

(no affiliate links here or anything, i'm just a grateful shopper who picked up some tips from fellow cruisers here on the boards and felt like sharing the love to any who would need it!)

• liquid IV - would start my day off with a 16 oz water and one of these and they combated the heat, sodium and drinking without any real heavy lifting on my party. i would NEVER travel without these again. https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-I-V-Multiplier-Electrolyte-Supplement/dp/B07HCNM7KQ/ref=sr_1_6?crid=RMRQIL7S4UF5&keywords=liquid+iv&qid=1677002479&sprefix=liquid+iv%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-6
• sand free towel - https://www.amazon.com/ECCOSOPHY-Microfiber-Beach-Towel-Lightweight/dp/B08DR26LB6/ref=sr_1_4?crid=25CK9E27FD7AX&keywords=eccosophy+towel&qid=1677002500&s=home-garden&sprefix=eccosophy+towel%2Cgarden%2C83&sr=1-4
• acrylic magnetic cups - these were great to keep makeup brushes, pens, whatever in and they snapped right onto the wall. i didn’t think i’d like using these as much as i did, but will not go away without them.  https://www.amazon.com/Organizer-Whiteboard-Refrigerator-Classroom-Accessories/dp/B0BKGF1195/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=2+pack+magnetic+pencil+holder+acrylic&qid=1677002545&sr=8-5
• air mattress - sleeping on this means i can pretty much sleep ANYWHERE now. it’s the perfect size for the mattress onboard and if you can ask your stateroom attendant to put it BENEATH the bedding, it will minimize the noise when you roll over, etc. also something else i won’t travel without.  https://www.amazon.com/POWERLIX-Powerlix-Sleeping-Pads/dp/B08H5J5QWJ?th=1
• ice packs - hardly a new item, but these were lightweight and small enough to pack a punch but not overly weigh down your bag or things for the day. https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Flex-Instant-Cold-Packs/dp/B081S8QJLG/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2KRFZF17YMNQF&keywords=arctic+flex+packs&qid=1677002451&sprefix=arctic+flex+packs%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-10

 

thank you all so much for being willing to read through my novel length observations and take the post-blog journey with me!! it has been so much fun to share and i hope it made you laugh at least once

i didn't know if i could do it live and was afraid of starting a blog and having it fizzle out, so this was a great way for me to stretch my blog-legs and perhaps i will consider doing it again for our upcoming sailings!

[WAAAYTOOO]

At the risk of creating a sappy mutual admiration society, let me say that it was a pleasure meeting A and J last week.  They are beautiful, smart and charming ladies and it was a hoot spending time with them.  We are already scheming to find a time that works for us to cruise together again.

to you both.

[Ampurp85]

I am a bit jealous; I can't wait to meet @WAAAYTOOO and hopefully @asquared17 @Neesa as well in the future. 

I hate sailing from port Canaveral, but I wanted to do Wonder, my other choice had been a B2B on symphony that included a 6n sailing and I believe an 8N ABCs sailing. But I wasn't going solo, so I went with the consensus. We didn't do much as a family, but a bright spot of the pandemic was my family wanted to spend more time together and I got most of them in to cruising. At least you will be cruising again in the very near future, and I can live vicariously through you and your blog. I won't be cruising until Oct and it a family cruise split across 4 rooms and 8 people, it's going to be a mess and I am here for it. 

 

[asquared17]

1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said:

I am a bit jealous; I can't wait to meet @WAAAYTOOO and hopefully @asquared17 @Neesa as well in the future. 

I hate sailing from port Canaveral, but I wanted to do Wonder, my other choice had been a B2B on symphony that included a 6n sailing and I believe an 8N ABCs sailing. But I wasn't going solo, so I went with the consensus. We didn't do much as a family, but a bright spot of the pandemic was my family wanted to spend more time together and I got most of them in to cruising. At least you will be cruising again in the very near future, and I can live vicariously through you and your blog. I won't be cruising until Oct and it a family cruise split across 4 rooms and 8 people, it's going to be a mess and I am here for it. 

 

@Ampurp85 you and @Neesa are the top two on my list!! especially now that i've gotten @WAAAYTOOO on my dance card

it is good that you were all able to make arrangements for the october cruise. is this the one where they wanted the 4 bedroom villa and then got the prices and nearly expired?? i am HERE for that liveblog already i always love your blogs and the randomness that happens while you are calmly living your life, and people are just acting up all over!!

i feel the same about how close family became during the pandemic our family feels similar (despite our cruise preferences being at cross purposes ) my dad keeps saying, "i want to go on royal" and looks all dejected because my mom won't go so who knows what will happen.

[Ampurp85]

2 hours ago, asquared17 said:

@Ampurp85 you and @Neesa are the top two on my list!! especially now that i've gotten @WAAAYTOOO on my dance card

it is good that you were all able to make arrangements for the october cruise. is this the one where they wanted the 4 bedroom villa and then got the prices and nearly expired?? i am HERE for that liveblog already i always love your blogs and the randomness that happens while you are calmly living your life, and people are just acting up all over!!

i feel the same about how close family became during the pandemic our family feels similar (despite our cruise preferences being at cross purposes ) my dad keeps saying, "i want to go on royal" and looks all dejected because my mom won't go so who knows what will happen.

Yes, they thought I would pay for the whole thing but literally thought the Genie would only be for us and actually live in the room. When they found it was show planning and food delivery, they were so sad..........since half don't like the shows lmao. Then I planned suites, and they were like nope, balconies are fine. I did get them to get the UDP because they complained about the MDR and WJ on Odyssey. I am currently being my also type A self and getting hotels, transportation, and other things in order. I am looking forward to your April/May live-ish blog.

[asquared17]

13 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

Yes, they thought I would pay for the whole thing but literally thought the Genie would only be for us and actually live in the room. When they found it was show planning and food delivery, they were so sad..........since half don't like the shows lmao. Then I planned suites, and they were like nope, balconies are fine. I did get them to get the UDP because they complained about the MDR and WJ on Odyssey. I am currently being my also type A self and getting hotels, transportation, and other things in order. I am looking forward to your April/May live-ish blog.

THE GENIE WOULD LIVE IN THE ROOM 

I AM WHEEZING

[FionaMG]

Thanks very much for sharing your cruise @asquared17

I've really enjoyed following along. You certainly managed to make lemonade out of all those lemons!

That carpet in Miami Airport is just gross. I've never seen it looking anything less than filthy. Yuk!

 

[asquared17]

1 hour ago, FionaMG said:

Thanks very much for sharing your cruise @asquared17

I've really enjoyed following along. You certainly managed to make lemonade out of all those lemons!

That carpet in Miami Airport is just gross. I've never seen it looking anything less than filthy. Yuk!

 

thank you for following along!!!

between the carpet and the sideways hanging crooked bathroom doors, i truly was astounded. just watching people sit on the carpeted floor truly had me fleeing for my sanity!

[Ampurp85]

3 hours ago, asquared17 said:

thank you for following along!!!

between the carpet and the sideways hanging crooked bathroom doors, i truly was astounded. just watching people sit on the carpeted floor truly had me fleeing for my sanity!

Ewwww I saw this going home in Jan. A couple from my cruise were laying on the nasty carpet and playing cards.  I hate they don't have outlets in the chairs and just the whole tomfoolery of MIA in general.

[FireFishII]

Thanks @asquared17 for this blog.  I enjoy reading your story and getting my morning fix (living the cruise live thru others).  I wished you had a better time but it gave me hopes that if I am ever in the same situation, there can be a solution.  

[asquared17]

12 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

Ewwww I saw this going home in Jan. A couple from my cruise were laying on the nasty carpet and playing cards.  I hate they don't have outlets in the chairs and just the whole tomfoolery of MIA in general.

i regret booking our april/may trip in and out of miami. even though it would cost us a little more in uber rides/convenience to fly in and out of FLL, i think we may try that for our december trip on oasis because i.... am OVER that airport in so many ways. so much tomfoolery!!!!!!!!! from everyone!!!!!!!

 

1 hour ago, FireFishII said:

Thanks @asquared17 for this blog.  I enjoy reading your story and getting my morning fix (living the cruise live thru others).  I wished you had a better time but it gave me hopes that if I am ever in the same situation, there can be a solution.  

thank you so much for following along!! i am so happy it turned around so drastically once we switched cabins; i would have been so sad if the entire trip was a bust.

i remember hearing repeatedly on the forums how so many other members stressed the importance of getting your issues resolved/documented while on board -- because once you leave the ship, ITS OVER. so i opened that dialogue ASAP sunday morning because i knew it needed a paper trail on the off chance it didn't resolve. i would also stress the importance of being kind and really treating the crew with respect, even when conveying a super frustrating issue. other than the third night when we had to get security to legit BEAT DOWN THE DOOR to get to our neighbors, i am happy that (somehow!) i was able to remain calm. i really think it helped the entire experience, on both sides.

[DDaley]

On 2/22/2023 at 5:48 AM, asquared17 said:

away has a lifetime warranty on all their suitcases, but i wasn’t sure if mine was considered cosmetic or covered damage. i filled out a claim the next day (sunday), thinking it would be a few days before i heard back. within an hour, i received a notice that they were shipping me a brand new suitcase!!!

This is amazing news as I have an Away soft sided carry on! Also! I bought two of them at the same time (second for my husband) and only 1 came, I contacted customer service and they sent TWO replacements! So now I have a backup brand new carry on waiting for me boxed up in the garage. I had no idea I could have my current one replaced if it were to be damaged! Away all the wayyy

PS I was CACKLING a few posts back because my next cruise is on the Dink Dink to Cozumel in March! haaahhaha I am still excited to try a bebe RCCL ship. 

[Ampurp85]

3 hours ago, asquared17 said:

i regret booking our april/may trip in and out of miami. even though it would cost us a little more in uber rides/convenience to fly in and out of FLL, i think we may try that for our december trip on oasis because i.... am OVER that airport in so many ways. so much tomfoolery!!!!!!!!! from everyone!!!!!!!

After this time, we decided we will only fly into FLL. It is actually cheaper in airfare, so the extra cost and time to get to Miami isn't that big of a factor. When we did Odyssey in Nov 2022, we had a 5hr wait for our flight. FLL was clean and we were able to charge devices and work from wherever we sat. I only had a noon flight from Miami, and those two hours were a struggle to get any real work done. Just floored at the state of the bathrooms, the lack of water bottle refill stations, and that carpet.

[asquared17]

59 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

After this time, we decided we will only fly into FLL. It is actually cheaper in airfare, so the extra cost and time to get to Miami isn't that big of a factor. When we did Odyssey in Nov 2022, we had a 5hr wait for our flight. FLL was clean and we were able to charge devices and work from wherever we sat. I only had a noon flight from Miami, and those two hours were a struggle to get any real work done. Just floored at the state of the bathrooms, the lack of water bottle refill stations, and that carpet.

do NOT get me started again on the bathrooms.

in terminal H, there was this one, semi hidden bathroom at the end of the terminal that looked like it had been plucked out of FLL and nooked inside; bright lights, automatic sinks, soaps and dryers; clean floors and toilets, etc. it was like narnia. i will now only visit that bathroom.

but it's almost cruel, because then you step out and realize.... oh right. here i am again. IN THE PAST.

ugh the carpet. i'm getting twitchy just thinking about it.

[asquared17]

2 hours ago, DDaley said:

This is amazing news as I have an Away soft sided carry on! Also! I bought two of them at the same time (second for my husband) and only 1 came, I contacted customer service and they sent TWO replacements! So now I have a backup brand new carry on waiting for me boxed up in the garage. I had no idea I could have my current one replaced if it were to be damaged! Away all the wayyy

PS I was CACKLING a few posts back because my next cruise is on the Dink Dink to Cozumel in March! haaahhaha I am still excited to try a bebe RCCL ship. 

you're goin on the dink dink!!!!

i'll tell ya this; she could use a fresh coat of paint in some places (though, to be fair, who of us couldn't at this point, amiright??) but she sailed away and still looked pretty damn good. i am sure you guys will have a great time!!

we've been on jewel and serenade -- had a wonderful time on both. radiance class is soooo pretty with all the glass and natural light. i loved those aft balcony cabins too. the crew was AWESOME; MDR staff really really great. maybe one of the best MDR experiences we had ever had, tbh and we were on serenade for a 10 night. i appreciated the time getting to know them with the extra days. and if i recall correctly, i believe there were self-leveling pool tables in the aft of the ship, past the schooner bar. worth def checking out if they're still there!! can't wait to hear all about your trip

sometimes when we're feeling extra spicy, we'll just call something small, a 'dink.' feel free to adopt and use these terms at your leisure

AW YIS AWAY LUGGAGE FOR THE WIN. i really thought they'd have me send it in for repairs but i do need it for traveling again next month (not on a cruise sadly) so i'm wondering if they just elected to send a new one to spare us all the hassle. either way, i am NOT complaining. happy for that lifetime warranty. will never buy another luggage brand, ever.

[DDaley]

2 hours ago, asquared17 said:

radiance class is soooo pretty with all the glass and natural light. i loved those aft balcony cabins too.

and if i recall correctly, i believe there were self-leveling pool tables in the aft of the ship, past the schooner bar. worth def checking out if they're still there!!

I originally had the JS 1100 that has the mega aft balcony! Unfortunately they cancelled that date so I had to snag what I could for March, I so envy everyone facing aft, it’s still on my list. 

Also, we’re big pool fans so I can’t wait to try these self-leveling tables out! On Oasis, the ones in Playmakers noticeably slanted and rolled all the balls around of their own accord 

Thanks so much for the blog! Loved reading it. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

I totally get it about the carpets at MIA. I complain about it every time we fly in/out of there. It is such a pain to roll luggage on those floors. However, I went through a phase where we said we would only fly out of FLL as well and just pay the Uber/Lyft cost to drive to Miami. That was all before our "almost lost" March 2022 cruise. Call me silly and slightly superstitious, but it was the MIA hang up that caused us to almost miss our cruise. I still remember when we were booking air for that sailing. @bellemiche and I were discussing what airport to fly into. She chose MIA and I chose FLL. She made it to MIA with no issues. I took a road trip to Pittsburgh and almost missed my cruise lol. Since then, Hubby and I have decided that we will let cost and schedule dictate which airport we fly into. I am literally still traumatized from that experience a year ago.

[asquared17]

5 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I totally get it about the carpets at MIA. I complain about it every time we fly in/out of there. It is such a pain to roll luggage on those floors. However, I went through a phase where we said we would only fly out of FLL as well and just pay the Uber/Lyft cost to drive to Miami. That was all before our "almost lost" March 2022 cruise. Call me silly and slightly superstitious, but it was the MIA hang up that caused us to almost miss our cruise. I still remember when we were booking air for that sailing. @bellemiche and I were discussing what airport to fly into. She chose MIA and I chose FLL. She made it to MIA with no issues. I took a road trip to Pittsburgh and almost missed my cruise lol. Since then, Hubby and I have decided that we will let cost and schedule dictate which airport we fly into. I am literally still traumatized from that experience a year ago.

oh god cue a new fear unlocking

i think we flew into miami once and then ubered to FLL (so a weird reverse) once bc we were sailing out of everglades. we’ve also done the opposite, but i just find miami such a navigational nightmare from start to finish

like you though, i think we will have to see what the costs wind up being. i will say for us, an overnight stay at a holiday inn express in FLL is much more affordable than the same hotel range  in miami. but there are so many factors, like you said.

[asquared17]

new suitcase from away arrived!! slightly lighter in tone but another positive win from the trip! 

the sunlight is hitting it a little weirdly; it’s not as light as it looks but there is definitely a slight difference. 

not gonna lie guys, i almost left my airtag in the old one and had to scramble to retrieve it before i sent it back