lovetheplaya Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 After 16 long months, we are finally going back on a cruise! Since our resident Utopia sailor Mike isn't starting his blog yet even though he's cruising before me I figured I'd just get started. The cast: Me, DH, and the 14 year old is coming as an 8th grade graduation present. After a really tough 1.5 years, I felt like he needed this reward. Cabin: We booked an Ocean View guarantee. We did this last time on Wonder for a neighborhood balcony and ended up on deck 12 aft above Johnny Rockets (LOVED the location) but this time ocean view was actually cheaper and a guarantee was about $1,500 cheaper than choosing our own room. Cruising in the summer is so expensive! DH & I have the Deluxe Beverage Package and DS has the Refreshment Package. The DBP has been EXPENSIVE for me. People in the FB cruise group have seen it at $71.99 but the lowest for me was around $92! Then the DBP + Royal Beach Club price dropped to $98.99 so we figured we'd try it out for only about $50 more. I was able to get the non-alc one for my son for $91.99. So we were in for about $150. Today the DBP dropped to $84.99 but the DBP+RBC stayed the same, so we decided to cancel the RBC day and get the cheaper DBP price. We were really on the fence if we wanted to try it out or not but ultimately decided staying on the ship is the better option for us right now. We're going back on UT in Feb with friends so if the price is right then maybe we'll try it out. Recently royal came out with the $30 to get your cabin assignment so we decided to do it even after listening to Matt's podcast about it - WE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT DO IT Matt!! So we got our cabin assignment within like 30 minutes and it is deck 7 aft AND THERE ARE NO OTHER CABINS FOR US TO SWITCH TO which is super annoying but all part of the game when you book GTY. There are about 15 midship ocean balcony cabins open but we can only switch to those if we pay more (of course). I did the minimum Royal Up bids on the Ocean View with Large Balcony and the Ultra Spacious Ocean View with large balcony but of course know we aren't going to win. I feel like there is so much more! OH! Our little airport is now flying direct to Orlando (SANFORD THOUGH) on Allegiant (scary!). My husband and I are going to Orlando the first week in June so we can test out this flight. They only fly on Thursdays and Sundays which sucks, but we're going to try it out and hope it works out for us. We'll be flying out of our airport at 5pm on Sunday, getting us into SFB around 9pm and then we'll uber to Port Canaveral. We're staying a holiday inn near the port. Hopefully there are no hiccups because if something happens with that flight, we might have to drive up to MSP to catch an early morning flight the DAY OF THE CRUISE. Fingers crossed all works out... The good news about this is that it's a direct flight and checking a bag was cheaper than paying for a carryon so I can pack a LOT more than I normally would including a ton of sunscreen woohooo! ScottD, MaryS, KristiZ and 12 others 14 1 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 2 hours ago, lovetheplaya said: Since our resident Utopia sailor Mike isn't starting his blog yet even though he's cruising before me I figured I'd just get started. Serious violation of Live Blog etiquette! You're over a month early! I kid, don't blame you for being excited after that dry dock. I'm excited and we just sailed in March. My blog intros tend to resemble long-form essays; they take time to compose even though I basically take a previous one and edit it, lol. 2 hours ago, lovetheplaya said: Cruising in the summer is so expensive! I feel your pain. 2 hours ago, lovetheplaya said: So we got our cabin assignment within like 30 minutes and it is deck 7 aft AND THERE ARE NO OTHER CABINS FOR US TO SWITCH TO which is super annoying but all part of the game when you book GTY. You have the right attitude but that still sucks. What category is your cabin? If I search for an OV balcony for 3 I see quite a few available. 2 hours ago, lovetheplaya said: Our little airport is now flying direct to Orlando (SANFORD THOUGH) on Allegiant (scary!). Never been to Sanford airport (not that I ever fly) but that's cool, assuming it works out. Nice to know I'll have your blog to follow in between my June and July Utopias. Cactus527, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Ogilthorpe and 1 other 4 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 13 Author Report Posted May 13 5 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: You have the right attitude but that still sucks. What category is your cabin? If I search for an OV balcony for 3 I see quite a few available. I think it's because it is category 3D since it's aft and those are 1D because they are midship? Or whatever the numbers are. Ogilthorpe, Cactus527 and OCSC Mike 2 1 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 9 minutes ago, lovetheplaya said: I think it's because it is category 3D since it's aft and those are 1D because they are midship? Or whatever the numbers are. Yeah, I figured it was something like that. That's the reason; it's all 1D's that are left. I'd keep checking, never know when someone will cancel, move, win a RoyalUp, etc. Ogilthorpe, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Cactus527 3 Quote
SweetPea Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 4 hours ago, lovetheplaya said: Cruising in the summer is so expensive! That it is!! 4 hours ago, lovetheplaya said: People in the FB cruise group have seen it at $71.99 but the lowest for me was around $92! Then the DBP + Royal Beach Club price dropped to $98.99 so we figured we'd try it out for only about $50 more. I was able to get the non-alc one for my son for $91.99. So we were in for about $150. Today the DBP dropped to $84.99 but the DBP+RBC stayed the same, so we decided to cancel the RBC day and get the cheaper DBP price. We were really on the fence if we wanted to try it out or not but ultimately decided staying on the ship is the better option for us right now. We're going back on UT in Feb with friends so if the price is right then maybe we'll try it out. This is one reason Royal is not my fave. I consider CP stalking a blood sport. It's exhausting! 4 hours ago, lovetheplaya said: OH! Our little airport is now flying direct to Orlando (SANFORD THOUGH) on Allegiant (scary!). My husband and I are going to Orlando the first week in June so we can test out this flight. They only fly on Thursdays and Sundays which sucks, but we're going to try it out and hope it works out for us. We'll be flying out of our airport at 5pm on Sunday, getting us into SFB around 9pm and then we'll uber to Port Canaveral. We're staying a holiday inn near the port. Hopefully there are no hiccups because if something happens with that flight, we might have to drive up to MSP to catch an early morning flight the DAY OF THE CRUISE. Fingers crossed all works out... I will join you in the finger crossing. Our little airport also flies direct to Sanford on Allegiant. We did it once. Once. I felt like i was in the middle of a QVC commercial. Beyond even that, i cannot begin to tell you what a fresh hello that was. Godspeed!! Cactus527, OCSC Mike and Ogilthorpe 3 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 3 minutes ago, SweetPea said: I consider CP stalking a blood sport. It's exhausting! LOL, I actually enjoy it even though we don't purchase much. Stumbling onto an unexpectedly good sale is an adrenaline rush! 4 minutes ago, SweetPea said: I will join you in the finger crossing. Our little airport also flies direct to Sanford on Allegiant. We did it once. Once. I felt like i was in the middle of a QVC commercial. Beyond even that, i cannot begin to tell you what a fresh hello that was. Godspeed!! Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. SweetPea 1 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 13 Author Report Posted May 13 1 minute ago, SweetPea said: felt like i was in the middle of a QVC commercial. Beyond even that, i cannot begin to tell you what a fresh hello that was. Godspeed!! i'M FRIGHTENED. i've seen so many hilariously bad reviews PPPJJ-GCVAB, OCSC Mike and SweetPea 2 1 Quote
SweetPea Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 Hey if you've ever braved Spirit, you can handle Allegiant! Meant to say, in fairness, the only time we flew them has to be more than 10 years ago. Maybe they've changed?? OCSC Mike 1 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 7 minutes ago, SweetPea said: Hey if you've ever braved Spirit, you can handle Allegiant I braved Spirit once, round trip from Orlando to AC, no issues. I saw on the news that they were basically the only airline that serviced AC. Quote
ScottD Posted May 13 Report Posted May 13 43 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: I braved Spirit once, round trip from Orlando to AC, no issues. I saw on the news that they were basically the only airline that serviced AC. Now Allegiant does AC. We looked at it for our last and next one out of Miami but it only flies like 3 days a week to FLL/MIA and never the days we need MaryS, Ogilthorpe, SweetPea and 2 others 5 Quote
asquared17 Posted May 14 Report Posted May 14 i know about the sanford airport!!! i feel so connected actually though it’s because a coworker used to fly out of there often. but yayyyy a new liveblog!!! OCSC Mike, lovetheplaya, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 3 others 4 2 Quote
jbrinkm Posted May 14 Report Posted May 14 On 5/13/2026 at 4:54 PM, ScottD said: Now Allegiant does AC. We looked at it for our last and next one out of Miami but it only flies like 3 days a week to FLL/MIA and never the days we need Have you ever looked at Wilmington, DE airport? It's Avelo air which I've never flown but looks to have decent prices into FLL. Quote
jbrinkm Posted May 14 Report Posted May 14 On 5/13/2026 at 10:43 AM, lovetheplaya said: After 16 long months, we are finally going back on a cruise! Since our resident Utopia sailor Mike isn't starting his blog yet even though he's cruising before me I figured I'd just get started. We're sitting at 28 months! I'm itching to start mine for July but holding myself back, not just because I feel silly but also I have a ton to do at work between now and then and just cannot devote the time to a new blog lovetheplaya 1 Quote
ScottD Posted May 15 Report Posted May 15 2 hours ago, jbrinkm said: Have you ever looked at Wilmington, DE airport? It's Avelo air which I've never flown but looks to have decent prices into FLL. I did check them for the last one, but same issue. I will definitely look into them for the one next year when it starts getting a little closer. Those smaller airlines don't seem to book more than 3-4 months out Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 15 Author Report Posted May 15 I wonder how much, if any, the sun country + allegiant merger is going to change things! I know a lot of people have issues with sun country, but it was Minneapolis's baby and we always had amazing crew and no issues when we flew on them. I keep checking every day for my DBP to go down and to see if any 3D cabins open... so far nothing Cactus527 1 Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted May 15 Report Posted May 15 I’ve never even heard of Sun Country. It must be very regional. Ogilthorpe and lovetheplaya 2 Quote
Southern Dan Posted May 15 Report Posted May 15 I’m 4 months away from starting up my blog for Wonder so it’s nice to have activity in here to enjoy following everyone else’s sailings. Cactus527, lovetheplaya, WAAAYTOOO and 4 others 7 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted May 20 Report Posted May 20 On 5/13/2026 at 4:54 PM, ScottD said: Now Allegiant does AC Orlando-Sanford International Airport will add service to Trenton-Mercer Airport in New Jersey beginning Oct. 2, with fares starting at $59. I wasn’t even aware Trenton had an airport. Cactus527 and SweetPea 2 Quote
ScottD Posted May 20 Report Posted May 20 39 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Orlando-Sanford International Airport will add service to Trenton-Mercer Airport in New Jersey beginning Oct. 2, with fares starting at $59. I wasn’t even aware Trenton had an airport. I only do because we stayed at a hotel literally across the street from it a few years ago for one of the kids soccer tournaments. It's actually IN Ewing NJ, and from what I could see was one tiny building and a runway or two. Cactus527, SweetPea and OCSC Mike 3 Quote
MaryS Posted May 20 Report Posted May 20 44 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: I wasn’t even aware Trenton had an airport. Frontier has been going out of Trenton airport (Ewing NJ) for over 13 years. Use to fly out of Trenton to Atlanta to visit my parents. ScottD, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527 and 2 others 5 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 20 Author Report Posted May 20 Well, the DBP price has not gone down for me, but the DBP+RBC has. They must not be selling a lot of passes for my cruise...if we change our minds AGAIN, we can go to RBC for $115 more total for all 3 of us. It seems like a no-brainer, but I think we still might skip it. I'll talk to the kid & hus and see if they REALLY want to go. I feel like for that price we could get off and check out the pool, beach, hve a snack and get back on and get our $ worth, but at the same time the ship also has a pool and food sooooooooooooooo OCSC Mike, Cactus527, Ogilthorpe and 2 others 4 1 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted May 20 Report Posted May 20 1 hour ago, lovetheplaya said: but at the same time the ship also has a pool and food sooooooooooooooo When I add in our 10 vouchers (of which most are used by me), that's exactly where I wind up with stuff like this, especially since we're not beach people and enjoy an emptier ship on port days. I've made exceptions, of course, like going to Paradise Beach in Cozumel (which I love), but they're made knowing it's not really "worth it" on paper. SweetPea, MaryS, Debstr66 and 2 others 5 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 20 Author Report Posted May 20 7 hours ago, OCSC Mike said: since we're not beach people and enjoy an emptier ship on port days. Yeah I am a beach person so I say, but I don't like going in the water because I don't like things swimming by my feet, so I like to sit on the beach and listen to the waves but I do not like swimming in it! I don't even think I walked down to the water at Coco Cay last year OCSC Mike, Ogilthorpe, SweetPea and 1 other 4 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted May 20 Report Posted May 20 2 minutes ago, lovetheplaya said: Yeah I am a beach person so I say, but I don't like going in the water because I don't like things swimming by my feet, so I like to sit on the beach and listen to the waves but I do not like swimming in it! I don't even think I walked down to the water at Coco Cay last year Hey, whatever works. I generally only go in the ocean as part of a snorkel excursion off a boat and I only hop in the pool on CocoCay or at a beach club if it's hot enough that I need to cool off. Take those away and I'm happy to lay in the shade with drinks and snacks. Ogilthorpe, MaryS, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 4 Quote
Cactus527 Posted May 22 Report Posted May 22 First off, HELLO! Yay blog!!!! Excited for your cruise. One of these days, I'm going to have to get on a ship that has the Mason Jar... Second: Sun Country. NO. The one and only time I did a roundtrip flight on them was in...1999? 2000? I'm dating myself...but we got delayed in Detroit for 6 hours, and then delayed in Las Vegas for 7 hours on the way back. NO WAY. That is also the flight that as we were landing in Detroit, the wing came THISCLOSE to hitting the ground (windy landing). Every time I see Sun Country as an option now, I back away slowly and make hex signs with my fingers. It took me FOREVER to figure out you guys meant Atlantic City with AC. In Arizona, we're talking about lifesaving air conditioning with those acronyms. Me: "Why is anyone flying without AC? That's weird, they keep referring to it as a location..." Ah, 8th grade graduation present. Lovely. I have one that is graduating high school next year (2027), and I feel half sick to my stomach thinking that she's now a senior (since school is done for the year now). How do they grow so fast?!?? Definitely celebrate the milestones, no matter how big or small. Heck, I took my youngest out to Dutch Bros. yesterday for a drink because she managed to get a C in math this semester. WOOT WOOT! I'm here for this cruise! MaryS, Ampurp85, SweetPea and 4 others 7 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 22 Author Report Posted May 22 4 hours ago, Cactus527 said: Second: Sun Country. NO. The one and only time I did a roundtrip flight on them was in...1999? 2000? I'm dating myself...but we got delayed in Detroit for 6 hours, and then delayed in Las Vegas for 7 hours on the way back. NO WAY. That is also the flight that as we were landing in Detroit, the wing came THISCLOSE to hitting the ground (windy landing). Every time I see Sun Country as an option now, I back away slowly and make hex signs with my fingers. HAHHA, that is TERRIFYING. So many people have had similar experiences...maybe I've just gotten lucky! I know they've also left people stranded in Mexico before which is not a great look, but here we are! Cactus527 1 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 27 Author Report Posted May 27 19 days to go! All cabins for 3 are sold out with the exception of suites and I don't have $10k hanging around so I guess deck 7 is where we'll be! It's been in the upper 80s here so we've already been in our pool a couple of times which has gotten me ready for summer. I am so READY to cruise! I printed my luggage tags, now I just need to find where I put the luggage tag holders... I wonder if they are still attached to the bigger suitcases downstairs. I'll have to check. When we went on our girls weekend earlier this month, my friend still had hers attached to her suitcase from last Feb OCSC Mike, Ogilthorpe, Cactus527 and 2 others 5 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 30 Author Report Posted May 30 I have located the cup clips (!!) but cannot find the bag tag holders. I found some on bezos for $5 so I guess I’ll just rebuy. Otherwise we might just staple. I had to buy all new clothes because I’ve gained so much weight this past year stress and health issues but whatever! I have cried enough about it so I’ve been ordering clothes and returning like crazy. I think I have a decent wardrobe of comfy and cute dresses for dinner, not that I’ll be happy with how I look but another espresso martini or prosecco can help! What else do I need from bezos? I feel like I might need one of those traveling fans Ampurp85, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527 and 4 others 7 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted May 31 Author Report Posted May 31 4 hours ago, GatorCruiser said: White noise egg for sleep Ohhh I like that! Quote
GatorCruiser Posted May 31 Report Posted May 31 5 minutes ago, lovetheplaya said: Ohhh I like that! We got one from Amazon I believe as recommended by @asquared17 that works very well with multiple sound settings. It’s called dreamegg. Cactus527 and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote
wordell1 Posted May 31 Report Posted May 31 I use a phone app called sleep sounds. Its free (ads are only mildly annoying) Quote
GatorCruiser Posted May 31 Report Posted May 31 20 minutes ago, wordell1 said: I use a phone app called sleep sounds. Its free (ads are only mildly annoying) Yes so does my wife, but charging a phone and using it simultaneously is bad for battery health. I’m neurotic like that. wordell1, Ogilthorpe, lovetheplaya and 1 other 3 1 Quote
Cactus527 Posted June 1 Report Posted June 1 On 5/30/2026 at 12:51 PM, lovetheplaya said: I had to buy all new clothes because I’ve gained so much weight this past year stress and health issues but whatever! I have cried enough about it so I’ve been ordering clothes and returning like crazy. I think I have a decent wardrobe of comfy and cute dresses for dinner, not that I’ll be happy with how I look but another espresso martini or prosecco can help! Whenever I get sad about my weight as well, drinking on a cruise definitely makes me feel better. Yay for new clothes though! That's always a bonus. MaryS, WAAAYTOOO, OCSC Mike and 3 others 4 2 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted June 1 Author Report Posted June 1 2 hours ago, Cactus527 said: Whenever I get sad about my weight as well, drinking on a cruise definitely makes me feel better. Yay for new clothes though! That's always a bonus. YESSSSSSSSSSS! I got a couple of super cute dresses that I'm excited to wear! Cactus527, OCSC Mike, Ogilthorpe and 2 others 3 2 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted June 5 Author Report Posted June 5 We did a test run on Allegiant and all went smoothly! Currently in Orlando hanging out with the next gen Ogilthorpe, OCSC Mike, ScottD and 2 others 5 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted Tuesday at 10:19 PM Author Report Posted Tuesday at 10:19 PM On 6/4/2026 at 11:44 PM, lovetheplaya said: We did a test run on Allegiant and all went smoothly! Currently in Orlando hanging out with the next gen I had no ideas what I meant ^. We were at a bar that I think had a lot of young cast members. That must’ve been what I meant by “next gen”. Lol too much wine i feel soooo unprepared for this cruise. I’m probably gonna end up just throwing some stuff in the suitcase and hoping for the best. I did pack our passports in my carryon already!! MaryS and OCSC Mike 2 Quote
OCSC Mike Posted Tuesday at 10:36 PM Report Posted Tuesday at 10:36 PM 5 minutes ago, lovetheplaya said: i feel soooo unprepared for this cruise. I’m probably gonna end up just throwing some stuff in the suitcase and hoping for the best. As long as you bring your thirst & appetite you’re fine. ScottD 1 Quote
lovetheplaya Posted Wednesday at 01:12 PM Author Report Posted Wednesday at 01:12 PM 14 hours ago, OCSC Mike said: As long as you bring your thirst & appetite you’re fine. That I can do! My husband wants to get wings at playmakers, so we'll see if we actually make that happen. Ogilthorpe and OCSC Mike 2 Quote
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