Mrs. Regular Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 Mrs. Regular here again! It's my birthday today and we are about 2 months and 2 weeks away from our 5th and biggest cruise yet, I thought I'd start a pre-cruise report that will turn into a live blog when we actually embark in September. Plus I like procrastinating and planning for vacation much more than actual school or job work, lol. This one will be the most extra cruise ship we have ever cruised (Oasis class!) and there is a lot to keep track of. So, welcome to my part-planning-will-be-live-later-but-not-live-now-blog. The Cruisers Me! Mrs. Regular, 41 (today!) and my hubs Mr. Regular, 45. We live in upstate NY and pre-COVID had been scheduled to sail on the Oasis when she was going to do her first season out of NYC. That plan got scrapped (but we did eventually use the FCC to book Anthem OTS for February break 2022) and other life circumstances have led to us cruising Mariner in 2023 for my 40th and Brilliance just in May of this year in Alaska. We took our first cruise on the Rhapsody in 2017 for our honeymoon and have been addicted ever since. We have only ever sailed Royal (more on that in a moment) and I am usually checking the RC website for the next adventure. We (I, hubs doesn't know about this blog!) are called the Regular Family because at one time most of the blogs on RCB boards were about suites and extra luxurious trips that while still helpful were a little hard to relate to when reading. So my first blog was just about Regular People Cruising, meaning we usually don't book much else other than a balcony and drink package and maybe an excursion or one special dinner. Other than that, we do all the stuff that's included with our cruise fare, and the name stuck. It's not intended to be an insult to anyone who likes going big on vacation, you do you; YOLO Book It, and all that. We just like to cruise this way because it works for us and I hope others reading the blog find our perspective helpful. The Ship Symphony of the Seas! This will be our first Oasis class sailing. It wasn't necessarily cheap but the fact that we don't have to fly anywhere to catch the ship is the most appealing aspect. We can also spend the funds we would have on plane tickets on beverages and a couple onboard treats. Plus we can go on a more flexible schedule than when we need to fly, get a hotel, and have anxiety about the weather the entire time. We are in an aft-ish mid-ship ocean view balcony room on deck 11. I am both excited and nervous about being this high up on a large ship for motion sickness reasons, but I am looking forward to some spectacular views and I have ways to cope with the queasy if needed. The Itinerary Some really don't like the itinerary but it works just fine for us. This will be a new ship but a repeat schedule from our Anthem cruise, which I liked. 3.5 sea days and 3 ports is just right for our likes. Mr. Reg likes more ports and I'd like to never leave the ship, thanks very much, so this is a good balance for us. We always enjoy Coco Cay but I could leave Nassau. Cape Canaveral is "meh" but we hope to finally get to the space center this year. We have tried twice on previous trips and cruises to go and the first time it was cancelled due to late arrival at the port and the second attempt we had to cancel due to flight changes during that horrible stretch of summer last year that left us stranded at MCO for 24 hours. The Plans (for now) We decided to shake things up and go with MTD for the first time in our cruising history. We like the MDR food for the most part but we found 5 is way too early and 8:30 is way too late. The 7pm seating they are rolling out is not available on our sailing. MTD starts at 6:45 so again, like Goldilocks, we think it will be just right. I have made all our dining reservations for MTD, one night in Solarium Bistro, and I booked us at Chef's Table for a special treat. We usually do Chops but were just there in May on Brilliance so I wanted something different and CT was on a good sale in the cruise planner. For sea day and port activities, we are attempting Kennedy Space Center again for Cape Canaveral (third time is the charm?), Hideaway Beach at Coco (just the day pass, nothing else extra), and a Casita on the sun deck while we are ported in Nassau. We may get off the ship and shop around the port for an hour but otherwise I am relaxing and luxuriating this day. We can't book entertainment just yet but we LOVE live entertainment on a cruise so of course I will get us seats for all the production shows (Hiro, ice shows, Hairspray, Flight, and anything else) and Mr. Reg is a standup comedy fan so I'll have to make full use of the deluxe beverage package and drag myself with him at least once to the comedian. I am still in the process of writing my dissertation, so I will likely need to post up in the Solarium or a lounge to keep working through data and get some writing done. I recognize all these plans can change since we are also taking a calculated risk cruising in September, even out of NYC. Hurricanes do not discriminate so there's no telling what might happen weather wise, but hey. As long as we set sail somewhere I am happy. The Blog Title As elder Millennials who grew up in the 90's, the song Bittersweet Symphony looms large in our musical lexicon. So that song usually comes up in my head when I even just see the word Symphony. But, this trip is also bittersweet because it will be the last Royal cruise for us for a while, at least 2-3 years. We are taking 2025 off of cruising for various reasons (one main one being I promised my mom and sister we would finally take that family trip back to Italy after I graduate), and our next cruise will be with a group of friends on the Disney Fantasy in 2026. I am half tempted to book a weekender on Utopia right after the Fantasy but I doubt that will actually happen (I think Mr. Reg might never let me visit the next cruise desk unsupervised again). So, maybe we will be back on Royal in 2027. We are thinking Greek Isles but who knows what will come up between now and then. For now, we are going to enjoy this week just by ourselves on the Symphony! What are your tips and tricks for Oasis class newbs? We have sailed Vision, Radiance, Voyager, and Quantum class before. What are some good compare/contrast considerations for us to make and your favorite tips for mega-ship first-timers? Leave some wisdom below. JohnK6404, PPPJJ-GCVAB, SweetPea and 9 others 11 1 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 1 hour ago, Mrs. Regular said: As elder Millennials who grew up in the 90's, the song Bittersweet Symphony looms large in our musical lexicon. We're close to Mr. Regular's age and that song always makes me think of the movie "Cruel Intentions." I go by Xennial... sounds better than elder Millennial in my head, lol, and I also have a handful of years on you. 1 hour ago, Mrs. Regular said: What are some good compare/contrast considerations for us to make and your favorite tips for mega-ship first-timers? Leave some wisdom below. Unsurprisingly, I'll toss out some Oasis class food tipe... 1. If you normally do WJ for breakfast, check out Solarium Bistro instead. It used to be more of a secret & less crowded but most people have realized it's essentially the same thing, just in a smaller venue. That said, we still find it a bit more relaxing than WJ (and I'm someone who doesn't mind the WJ one bit) and there are a couple different items. 2. Park Cafe... I know some of the smaller ships have a pseudo-version but it's not the same thing. Good place to stop for a smaller breakfast item (bagel, egg sandwich, etc.) with a very nice atmosphere early in the morning. Also a good alternate lunch option for made to order salads (too healthy for me, but people like them), paninis, and the famous kummelweck (roast beef) sandwich. Not sure if Symphony has them but Wonder's has a grab n go section of small pre-made, packaged wraps & sandwiches that I usually grab and toss in the cooler to have on hand for a snack. 3. El Loco Fresh... unless you're a weirdo like my wife and eat no Mexican, great place to go grab tacos, nachos, quesadillas, etc. I wind up there sometime between lunch and dinner just about any day we're on the ship in the afternoon. Enjoy your 2 months of planning! Mrs. Regular, Sweety, SweetPea and 5 others 6 2 Quote
Ampurp85 Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 I was also a teenager in the 90s so I got your reference right away. That song however gives me melancholy vibes, so I avoid it like the plague. I have Symphony and Oasis as a S2S in Jan, Symphony was the last Oasis class on my bingo card........I am not counting Utopia. So, I am looking forward to reading about your experience. JR does breakfast on Oasis class ships but its heavy. I love eating breakfast in the Solarium.......but it will be vintage central If you gamble, there is a non-smoking casino on Oasis class. In most cases you won't feel the crowds. Also you really won't feel as much motion as you think being higher up. If I choose my room, it is usually between 12-14 and it's not bad. But how we all feel motion is subjective. Mrs. Regular, InmyElement, Sweety and 3 others 5 1 Quote
smokeybandit Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 I'm well familiar with Bittersweet Symphony, but honestly my mind went to Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Mrs. Regular and Ampurp85 1 1 Quote
GatorCruiser Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 Gen X for life here ! Mrs. Regular, Cactus527 and SweetPea 3 Quote
asquared17 Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 SYMPH!!!!!!!! my favorite!!!!!!!!! i am SO pumped for this! you guys are going to have the BEST time!! Ampurp85 and Mrs. Regular 2 Quote
CruisingAndy Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 Strong second for Park Cafe as a great food destination. If we aren’t in a suite, we do breakfast there basically daily and lunch frequently as well. This is true of any ship, but exploring Oasis-class ships on day 1 takes on extra importance IMO. So much to see and do and that just gives you a sense of where things are and how to get to various venues. Not a tip or trick but more of a personal taste - we’re big fans of the Schooner Bar (on most ships) but the location on O-class is terrible (again, IMO). We really never spend any time there. It’s open to the Promenade and massively spread out which seems to distract from the ambiance. Cactus527, Sweety and Mrs. Regular 2 1 Quote
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 Happy Birthday! You and your husband are in the age group of my three children (44, 43, 42). We definitely fall into the “Regular” category and are very content being there. I believe you will absolutely love the Oasis class ship. I was on Symphony in May (deck 11 port side mid-aftish) but have also previously sailed on a few other Oasis class ships. Utopia is next…in September and I am very excited about experiencing a new ship albeit another Oasis class! I agree with @OCSC Mike and @CruisingAndy…Park Cafe for lunch is a must! It’s also pretty decent for breakfast…if you aren’t a big breakfast eater! My favorite lunch is first heading to WJ and grabbing some chicken fingers…taking them to my room. Next, head straight to Park Cafe and have a delicious salad freshly made just for me with honey mustard dressing on the side. Bring it to my room, add the chicken and toss it with the dressing…head out to my balcony and enjoy! Looking forward to following along as you experience this beautiful ship! Mrs. Regular, Sweety, Robert M and 4 others 6 1 Quote
asquared17 Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 45 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: first heading to WJ and grabbing some chicken fingers…taking them to my room. Next, head straight to Park Cafe and have a delicious salad freshly made just for me with honey mustard dressing on the side. Bring it to my room, add the chicken and toss it with the dressing…head out to my balcony and enjoy! this is a phenomenal tip and i am sad i had not thought of it before!!!! InmyElement, Ampurp85, Sweety and 2 others 2 1 1 1 Quote
Jkaczano Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 We’re also on this cruise. Deck 12 Aft elevators. See you onboard! Mrs. Regular, Cactus527 and PPPJJ-GCVAB 3 Quote
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 6 hours ago, asquared17 said: this is a phenomenal tip and i am sad i had not thought of it before!!!! You definitely need to try this at least once in December! You just might get hooked on it…like me! asquared17 1 Quote
ScottD Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 You're going to LOVE the Oasis class ship!! So much to do, as someone also in the same age range of your hubby, and a huge fan of that era of music- I also started whistling the song and will ALWAYS think of the end of Cruel Intentions when I hear it...always! Although I consider myself GenX, and refuse to call myself elder anything, lol. Try JR at least once for breakfast, it's nice to sit out there on the boardwalk early in the morning. Big fan of the salads in the Park cafe, as well. We sailed Oct 1st on deck 14 last year on Oasis and it DID get rough on the last night, but it didn't matter what deck you were on- the ship was rocking. Otherwise, I think you'll be fine up higher. Have fun and looking forward to the reports back on how it was!!! Mrs. Regular, OCSC Mike and Ampurp85 2 1 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 12 minutes ago, ScottD said: will ALWAYS think of the end of Cruel Intentions when I hear it Love finding out something in my head isn't as weird or unique as I thought it might be, lol. Maybe that movie is more of a classic for our age group than I realized. ScottD 1 Quote
SweetPea Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 First HAPPY BIRTHDAY !! Second, you know i feel you. Driving to the port is the best!! Nothing like that. It really takes cruising to a whole Nother Level! Also, we're GenX or Die too (hi @GatorCruiser!), and Bittersweet Symphony was Batman's alarm for the longest time. I can't listen to that song now without thinking "it's time to get up." I don't have many tips, but I'll say one thing we enjoy more on Oasis Class is the additional choice in specialty restaurants. So we enjoyed 150 CP and Hooked. And we loved this Jamie's. Oh and don't forget that on Oasis Class, Johhny Rockets has free breakfast. At least that's the strong rumor i hear. I mean i have zero first-hand experience with that .... Have fun deciding where you'll go! Mrs. Regular, OCSC Mike and Ampurp85 1 1 1 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 8 minutes ago, SweetPea said: Driving to the port is the best!! +100000000000000 9 minutes ago, SweetPea said: Bittersweet Symphony was Batman's alarm for the longest time. I can't listen to that song now without thinking "it's time to get up." Great way to ruin a song, Batman! Sweety, WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and 2 others 5 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/8/2024 at 1:03 PM, OCSC Mike said: We're close to Mr. Regular's age and that song always makes me think of the movie "Cruel Intentions." I go by Xennial... sounds better than elder Millennial in my head, lol, and I also have a handful of years on you. Unsurprisingly, I'll toss out some Oasis class food tipe... 1. If you normally do WJ for breakfast, check out Solarium Bistro instead. It used to be more of a secret & less crowded but most people have realized it's essentially the same thing, just in a smaller venue. That said, we still find it a bit more relaxing than WJ (and I'm someone who doesn't mind the WJ one bit) and there are a couple different items. 2. Park Cafe... I know some of the smaller ships have a pseudo-version but it's not the same thing. Good place to stop for a smaller breakfast item (bagel, egg sandwich, etc.) with a very nice atmosphere early in the morning. Also a good alternate lunch option for made to order salads (too healthy for me, but people like them), paninis, and the famous kummelweck (roast beef) sandwich. Not sure if Symphony has them but Wonder's has a grab n go section of small pre-made, packaged wraps & sandwiches that I usually grab and toss in the cooler to have on hand for a snack. 3. El Loco Fresh... unless you're a weirdo like my wife and eat no Mexican, great place to go grab tacos, nachos, quesadillas, etc. I wind up there sometime between lunch and dinner just about any day we're on the ship in the afternoon. Enjoy your 2 months of planning! LOL I know "elder" is a polarizing word for someone in their early 40's. The comedienne Iliza Schlezinger, who I love, has a standup special called Elder Millennial and I identify with it so hard. Yes, I also associate this song with Cruel Intentions. That last scene of Annette driving the car... iconic. Thanks for the tips! I am really looking forward to the non-Windjammie options for lunch. We were on the Anthem during COVID times so the Solarium Bistro was only open for breakfast and options elsewhere were still limited. Sweety and OCSC Mike 2 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/8/2024 at 2:40 PM, Ampurp85 said: I was also a teenager in the 90s so I got your reference right away. That song however gives me melancholy vibes, so I avoid it like the plague. I have Symphony and Oasis as a S2S in Jan, Symphony was the last Oasis class on my bingo card........I am not counting Utopia. So, I am looking forward to reading about your experience. JR does breakfast on Oasis class ships but its heavy. I love eating breakfast in the Solarium.......but it will be vintage central If you gamble, there is a non-smoking casino on Oasis class. In most cases you won't feel the crowds. Also you really won't feel as much motion as you think being higher up. If I choose my room, it is usually between 12-14 and it's not bad. But how we all feel motion is subjective. It's great to hear we may not feel the crowds. Being mid-September I am wondering if there will be fewer kids. If not, no biggie, we like to gravitate to the adults-only areas anyway. We orignially had booked a forward balcony room but I changed to by the aft-ish elevators because I got SUPER sick in the Solarium on our Anthem cruise when we headed back up north on the sea days. I usually have Bonine and I learned a few hacks from our room steward that a green apple and some ginger ale work well and I can confirm they do! Ampurp85, Sweety and PPPJJ-GCVAB 3 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/8/2024 at 6:33 PM, asquared17 said: SYMPH!!!!!!!! my favorite!!!!!!!!! i am SO pumped for this! you guys are going to have the BEST time!! Thank you!!!! We are so excited. asquared17 1 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/8/2024 at 7:53 PM, CruisingAndy said: Strong second for Park Cafe as a great food destination. If we aren’t in a suite, we do breakfast there basically daily and lunch frequently as well. This is true of any ship, but exploring Oasis-class ships on day 1 takes on extra importance IMO. So much to see and do and that just gives you a sense of where things are and how to get to various venues. Not a tip or trick but more of a personal taste - we’re big fans of the Schooner Bar (on most ships) but the location on O-class is terrible (again, IMO). We really never spend any time there. It’s open to the Promenade and massively spread out which seems to distract from the ambiance. Ugh yes I am learning one of the downsides of the Oasis class is limited views outside from the interior spaces. We also usually enjoy a Schooner Bar moment for a drink and trivia and music. It seems like the location on Oasis class ships is not ideal but we will try it out and see how we like it. That's a great thing about a huge ship - there are always other options! Exploring on day 1 is on the list, especially if we check in well before rooms are ready. I have been browsing the deck plans to help me become a little more familiar with the layout but I have a hunch it will be day 3 before I catch my bearings! Cactus527, CruisingAndy, Sweety and 1 other 4 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted July 10 Report Posted July 10 13 minutes ago, Mrs. Regular said: Iliza Schlezinger I like her too... gonna have to find that special now. 13 minutes ago, Mrs. Regular said: I also associate this song with Cruel Intentions. That last scene of Annette driving the car... iconic. I definitely underestimated how classic of a movie that was for our age group. 13 minutes ago, Mrs. Regular said: I am really looking forward to the non-Windjammie options for lunch. You'll have plenty. We usually pop into the WJ just b/c something good may pop up on any given day (they keep having surprisingly good ribs on Wonder, there was respectable grilled shrimp in March, I like certain Indian dishes and those rotate, etc.) but then we also go elsewhere. 10 minutes ago, Mrs. Regular said: It's great to hear we may not feel the crowds. Being mid-September I am wondering if there will be fewer kids. If not, no biggie, we like to gravitate to the adults-only areas anyway. I agree with everything about this part. Oasis class really does handle crowds well. We always sail with maximum kids (school breaks) but we also gravitate to the more adult areas (or at least avoid areas popular with kids) and the kids rarely bother us. I've often wondered (no pun intended) if all the kids onboard actually help make adult areas like the Solarium even more peaceful for us since families with young ones can't really go there even if they want to unless they ditch the kids. Sweety and Mrs. Regular 1 1 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/8/2024 at 10:12 PM, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: My favorite lunch is first heading to WJ and grabbing some chicken fingers…taking them to my room. Next, head straight to Park Cafe and have a delicious salad freshly made just for me with honey mustard dressing on the side. Bring it to my room, add the chicken and toss it with the dressing…head out to my balcony and enjoy! Looking forward to following along as you experience this beautiful ship! That is a next level boarding day tip! PPPJJ-GCVAB, Sweety and Cactus527 3 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/8/2024 at 11:17 PM, Jkaczano said: We’re also on this cruise. Deck 12 Aft elevators. See you onboard! Oh my gosh YAY! Jkaczano 1 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/9/2024 at 8:07 AM, ScottD said: You're going to LOVE the Oasis class ship!! So much to do, as someone also in the same age range of your hubby, and a huge fan of that era of music- I also started whistling the song and will ALWAYS think of the end of Cruel Intentions when I hear it...always! Although I consider myself GenX, and refuse to call myself elder anything, lol. Try JR at least once for breakfast, it's nice to sit out there on the boardwalk early in the morning. Big fan of the salads in the Park cafe, as well. We sailed Oct 1st on deck 14 last year on Oasis and it DID get rough on the last night, but it didn't matter what deck you were on- the ship was rocking. Otherwise, I think you'll be fine up higher. Have fun and looking forward to the reports back on how it was!!! At first I feel excited when I see 90's music trivia on the schedule but then I get sad because that means I am old and the 90's are now nostalgia. But do I win each time? Yes, yes I do. OCSC Mike, ScottD, Cactus527 and 2 others 3 2 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 10 Author Report Posted July 10 On 7/9/2024 at 10:03 AM, SweetPea said: First HAPPY BIRTHDAY !! Second, you know i feel you. Driving to the port is the best!! Nothing like that. It really takes cruising to a whole Nother Level! Also, we're GenX or Die too (hi @GatorCruiser!), and Bittersweet Symphony was Batman's alarm for the longest time. I can't listen to that song now without thinking "it's time to get up." I don't have many tips, but I'll say one thing we enjoy more on Oasis Class is the additional choice in specialty restaurants. So we enjoyed 150 CP and Hooked. And we loved this Jamie's. Oh and don't forget that on Oasis Class, Johhny Rockets has free breakfast. At least that's the strong rumor i hear. I mean i have zero first-hand experience with that .... Have fun deciding where you'll go! Thank you! Always feel lucky to drive to the port. I am not looking forward to having to fly to the Fantasy in 2026 (I am excited about the cruise part though) and have been holding out for the Dream to come back up to NYC but still nothing. Also, that song gets nobody out of bed, Batman. SweetPea, Sweety and OCSC Mike 3 Quote
GregD Posted July 19 Report Posted July 19 On 7/8/2024 at 6:33 PM, asquared17 said: my favorite!!!!!!!!! but....but.....Oasis and Aqua80 Also @Mrs. Regular Gen X, also from Upstate NY, having teenager flashbacks when you mentioned that song Mrs. Regular 1 Quote
asquared17 Posted July 20 Report Posted July 20 18 hours ago, GregD said: On 7/8/2024 at 6:33 PM, asquared17 said: my favorite!!!!!!!!! but....but.....Oasis and Aqua80 listen, aqua80 for now and for always but…. oasis and i have mutually agreed to a parting of ways after our most recent sailings Sweety 1 Quote
GregD Posted July 20 Report Posted July 20 19 minutes ago, asquared17 said: oasis and i have mutually agreed to a parting of ways after our most recent sailings HAHAHA, it's probably for the best.....that relationship was a bit toxic Cactus527, asquared17 and Sweety 3 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 23 Author Report Posted July 23 We should be able to book entertainment tomorrow at the 60 day mark! I am really looking forward to all the shows but need to keep Monday night open for the Bills game. Come find us in Playmakers in our formal night attire housing wings and beer. Ay-ay-ay-aye let's go Buffalo! asquared17 and Sweety 2 Quote
Ampurp85 Posted July 23 Report Posted July 23 5 hours ago, Mrs. Regular said: We should be able to book entertainment tomorrow at the 60 day mark! I am really looking forward to all the shows but need to keep Monday night open for the Bills game. Come find us in Playmakers in our formal night attire housing wings and beer. Ay-ay-ay-aye let's go Buffalo! Don't be upset if this isn't true, I am 55 days from sailing Quantum and no show reservations have showed up. WAAAYTOOO and Cactus527 2 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted July 30 Author Report Posted July 30 On 7/23/2024 at 4:29 PM, Ampurp85 said: Don't be upset if this isn't true, I am 55 days from sailing Quantum and no show reservations have showed up. You're so right, still nothing available to book yet. I'm not stressing about it. Ampurp85 1 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted August 5 Author Report Posted August 5 Entertainment reservations made! They opened up on Saturday, I happened to be scrolling Facebook and someone in our sailing's group shared they had booked their shows so I immediately got on the website (years of Genie+ and FastPass use have trained me for this moment) and got all the reservations I wanted. We are basically seeing everything we could reserve, hahaha! 1977 (the ice show) on night 1, Hairspray night 2 (we will have to miss part of the Bills game but that's ok), nothing night 3 because we will be coming back from Kennedy late (if it works out!) and we might just hit the Windjammie and then take it easy. Night 4 we have dinner at Chef's Table and then HiRO after that, night 5 Flight, night 6 stand up comedy (my least favorite) and I left night 7 open for iSkate. iSkate is not available to book at the moment but a cruise compass from last month had it on the schedule for the last night. I am an avid figure skating fan so there's no way I'm missing that! I'm frankly not very happy about having to make reservations for the shows. I get that it helps with capacity and crowd management on such a large ship, and I had to make reservations on our Anthem cruise, too, but that was during COVID times and the ship was at 55% occupancy so we really didn't need them anyway. I love entertainment so much that I would like to see shows multiple times because live theatre is never the same twice. Plus I feel like the shows are always so weather dependent and performer safety has to come first, so for them to offer HiRO only 3 times and the risk of cancellation is so high for that one. I don't want to sound entitled here, and I do think we will get to see as much as we can, but is this something that's different on Oasis ships? There are also zero matinees on sea days, which I find interesting. There were afternoon performances We Will Rock You! on the Anthem. We have two sea days in a row on the way back to NYC so I find it odd there is no production or ice show in the afternoon either day. Next up is check in on Thursday. I am going to go for check-in anytime from noon to 1 p.m. We aren't sure if we will drive from home that day or go down to NJ to visit some family the day before and stay over. I would like to avoid the worst of the traffic getting into the port but I just think it always stinks unless you have the last time of the day, but that is way too risky for me! GatorCruiser, JohnK6404, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 4 Quote
Ampurp85 Posted August 5 Report Posted August 5 There are usually standby lines, so you can have the option of seeing shows multiple times. But I know there was matinees on Allure and Oasis for Cats and Mamma Mia because that is when we booked ours. I personally would prefer to see a show during the day, on a sea day, when everyone is trying to be on deck Mrs. Regular 1 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted August 8 Author Report Posted August 8 All checked in! Well, arrival time is selected and the rest can come later I picked 11:30 but may modify it back a couple hours later on depending on how plans shake out to visit some family and friends in the area. It may be more like 1:30/2 p.m. I honestly like getting to the port after the initial surge of passengers and the rest of the previous guests have left. Plus, fewer lines in the port terminal and the rooms are ready so we can go right there and start settling in. So over the next month or so we will go about our lives and just anticipate this awesome vacation! PPPJJ-GCVAB, MaryS and JohnK6404 3 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted August 27 Author Report Posted August 27 26 days to go! I am getting so bored waiting around for this cruise, lol. I don't have much shopping to do beyond reef safe and jellyfish repelling sunscreen. We haven't been to Coco or the Bahamas this time of year before and I'm mildly aware of jellyfish being around when the waters are warmer but unsure what to expect. At least there are also pool options at Coco so we don't have to go in the ocean to cool off. Holy moly as we get closer to the sail date prices for excursions on Coco have shot way up! I got our Hideaway passes for $29 each and they are now $68. It looks like our sailing is close to sold out and I am sure the Reflection, which we are docking with, is also close to full so I'd assume demand for a limited number of available passes is going up. The Key is also down from $39 per day to $29 but we aren't interested in that. It's the lowest I've seen it since booking the cruise, though. Other things seem to remain relatively stable. Hoping the time will go by quickly and then slows way down once we board, lol! Cactus527, MaryS and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted September 5 Author Report Posted September 5 Update: the cruise is sold out. I'm actually quite surprised because 1) NY and northeast schools are all back in session and there are no holidays that week; and 2) it's hurricane season so I assumed people would be a bit deterred from booking a week vacation. Apparently, this is a Signature cruise for casino members, whatever that means. We don't gamble so I am 1000% oblivious to the casino status program. Does this mean that while the occupancy is completely full the casino is going to be where most of the bodies are? I made entertainment reservations ages ago so I'm not worried about getting seats for shows, and we have MTD reservations most nights and if there's a long wait we will go to the Windjammie or a grab & go (after 3 cruises in a calendar year I am tiring of the MDR menus). I'm just not sure what to expect now on a ship this large that's full up. We will roll with it, but now I'm starting to get a little unsure. In shopping land news, I bought a new dress for formal night and since it's now Halloween/Christmas season swimwear is on sale so I got a $100 suit for $38. I need to get some new shoes and jewelry to jazz up the dress (it's nice but plain so sparkle is desperately needed). Also need to check with Mr. Regular on how he's doing for clothes. He, of course, will pack 10 minutes before we leave that morning. Good thing we will be in NYC the day before so if there is anything we forgot we can easily find a plaza or a mall. Speaking of the day before, we reserved a room at a Marriott property by EWR for Saturday using points, so other than some taxes and paying to park the car that's a nice savings. We are still working out visiting some friends who live in Jersey City and then hope to take the ferry or train into Manhattan. Mr. Regular wants to see a show at The Comedy Cellar and we also got in the ticket lottery for a taping of Last Week Tonight. Whatever we end up doing will be fun! 17 days! Cactus527, Ampurp85, DDaley and 3 others 6 Quote
spiralqueen Posted September 6 Report Posted September 6 On 7/8/2024 at 12:30 PM, Mrs. Regular said: and a Casita on the sun deck while we are ported in Nassau. We also have a casita on a port day for our Thanksgiving cruise on Symphony so I’m very curious/eager to see how you like it! Have fun and I’ll definitely be following this one Mrs. Regular 1 Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted September 6 Author Report Posted September 6 18 minutes ago, spiralqueen said: We also have a casita on a port day for our Thanksgiving cruise on Symphony so I’m very curious/eager to see how you like it! Have fun and I’ll definitely be following this one Thank you! I am very excited for that Casita day and will share all the deets! While I plan to take full advantage of the Casita, the service, and an emptier ship, I think we will still get off and walk around the new improved port and do some shopping. Quote
Mrs. Regular Posted September 8 Author Report Posted September 8 Y'all I almost got found out. I caught Mr. Regular looking at RCB this morning. We were doing some planning for the cruise (he wanted Hooked lunch, ok!!) and I was showing him around the deck plans. I always have the app on my phone but he will delete it and re-download between cruises. So we were looking through menus, etc., and I was telling him that we may want to skip French night in the MDR and just dress fancy at Playmakers to watch the Bills game. He saw the word "Arcade" and immediately got his phone to Google what games Playmakers has. He loves bar arcade games like pinball and PacMan or Donkey Kong and Galaga but hates when the arcades are redemption that you have to pay to play and win stupid prizes Dave & Buster's style. So anyway while I am booking our Hooked lunch, I glance over and there he is browsing these message boards! I almost jumped out of my skin. Now I know how @SweetPea feels when Batman nearly catches her. I said "What are you doing?!?!" and he goes "I Googled 'Playmakers Symphony of the Seas games' and this is what came up." I made sure he read through the thread and then closed it out once he got his answer. He knows I use RCB as a huge source of information and will post our trip reports and read others' but he's not super aware the, ahem, *extent to which I write our reports, lol. I don't need him getting wise to all my tricks and schemes Two weeks from today we'll likely be eating breakfast at some diner near Newark and then making our way to the port! Robert M, WAAAYTOOO, asquared17 and 6 others 1 8 Quote
SweetPea Posted September 14 Report Posted September 14 The fear is real!! Cactus527, asquared17 and Mrs. Regular 3 Quote
Cactus527 Posted September 16 Report Posted September 16 On 9/8/2024 at 6:42 AM, Mrs. Regular said: I caught Mr. Regular looking at RCB this morning. LOL it's a fear, right? DQ found my blog report from my Freedom trip. She was highly offended that I referred to her as DQ (Drama Queen), but liked looking at the photos. I think we made a deal that I would take her to the community pool that day in exchange for her not telling Spouse. So far, so good... Also, with your reservations: I just got off Allure on Friday. Reserved seating was only about 1/3-1/2 full at each of the venues I was at until they opened it up to people in the stand-by lines. Then it was full. So, if you want to go see a show that you don't have a reservation for, you probably won't have any issues doing so. This was the case for the aqua show, ice skating, comedy club, and theater shows I saw. Ampurp85, Mrs. Regular and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote
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