gmerick

I find the snorkel excursions enjoyable. After all this is the Caribbean. The fish are colorful, The water is bathtub warm. Bring a waterproof sealable swim bag for your cell phone, and take pictures. Basic agenda from 4 different excursions (one on St Lucia). Walk from the ship to a big pontoon boat (14' wide, 40'long). Motor along the harbor to some wreckage placed on the harbor floor as reef foundation. Put on an orally inflated plastic vest (think airline life vest without the inflator or light). Float on the surface looking at the junk 10 to 25 feet down on the bottom. Highlights may be fish, stingrays, turtles, or maybe even a sunken ship hull. Drink rum punch on the way back to the pier. Please remember to put your "reef safe" sunscreen on before departing the ship. Please bring water and a towel from the ship. For the health conscious, consider bringing your own mask and snorkel, or you'll be kissing cousins with guests from the past excursions. That safety vest is not optional, and again, if you blow into the vest tube, again you're kissing cousins. For the experienced free divers, that vest is not optional, so disassemble the tube and flood the vest to ensure all the air is out, and bring your own ballast if needed because it is not supplied. Otherwise you'll be bobbing around on the surface with the tourists gradually turning into a lobster.

... and on the Anthem there is a heroic stainless steel sculpture that no-longer so innocent minds can only see as "quite masculine". Not quite sure the prelate in red formal dress (even down to the red yamulke) chose the most appropriate place to wait for dining guests.

Starlink is a LEO satellite constellation. What that means: Coverage worldwide is all the same. Starlink can't have better coverage over continents, because the satellites are all moving. The only areas with no coverage is over the poles, because the polar orbits haven't been populated yet. My guess will be internet is free after StarLink is adopted. The equipment is cheap, the subscription cost is lower than Comcast, and the speed is (quite literally) out of this world.

Correct price. Two people in the cabin, fare is +1000. I can get $1500 off by applying diamond discounts. Sailing is near sold out, and 7236 is a CB fare rate. I've been looking at a good number of sailings, and looks like the post-Covid rates are all through the roof. Maybe if a whole bunch of you would quit booking all the good cruises some of us might get a better fare.

Oh come on, folks. UDP is an experience. You're already blowing wads of cash vacationing. The purpose of a cruise is to conspicuously consume ship fuel, service employee time, food and drink. This is a vacation, enjoy yourself. Don't obsess over whether you've paid slightly less than your cabin neighbors for overpriced food. (same goes for drinks, beach loungers, bus rides at foreign ports ...)

Third time in a RCI solo balcony. Yes the cabin is so small the ACLU would prohibit it from being a prison cell. But I've loved it each time, and I've got another booked for Jan 23. Tip -- try to get a xx48 cabin. The balcony for these cabins is bigger than the cabin. Many nights I've slung my hammock between the balcony wall supports and slept under the stars. The balcony is big enough for two recliners with footstools and the table, and the hammock, and two clotheslines for my SCUBA gear, and still room enough to walk around. (xx50 balcony slightly larger than "normal", xx52 balcony just normal). Be sure to watch for price drops. The studio's start out at $400/night. About 15 months from sailing, the price goes down to $210/night, and I can usually book it with just a $100 deposit. I'm now 8 months out, and today I called in for the latest price drop to $145/night.

I save my tray from Room Service breakfast, and take it to the buffet. I can get drinks, entree, desert, salad, cutlery, condiments.... and I still have room for my book and sunglasses. If I don't find a pleasing table with great ocean view, I carry the tray back to the solarium tables. Sure do wish the buffets had a stack of trays.

Price drop this week on Jan 2023 Anthem OTS. 11 day cruises less than 150/day for studio balcony.

If you have the figure to conceal the GoPro chest mount under a halter top, go for it. The attendant will never know. Just adjust the halter discreetly at the beginning and end of the ride.

Before your cruise do a bit of shopping at Party City. If the person manning the camera makes an issue of your scarf or beanie, swap it for something that rather inappropriately qualifies as a "wig".

Will make good use of stream. Surf is adequate for intermittent use, but for online collaboration stream will provide a more satisfying time. My rationale - I absolutely will have internet access, $250 added onto a $4000 cruise for internet is hardly noticeable. If I know I'll actually be depending on it for work, I bump it up to stream for the duration. If I get called in for work consultation during a cruise, I bump it up with a phone call to guest services. Another consideration - Ludites born before Woodstock may be able to cut the cord for a month. Anyone without landline telephone probably needs stream (teens, tweens, included). The rest of us can be satisfied with surf, and have the comfort of being in touch, but not "needing" to use it. Give the guy stream, and ask him after the cruise how much else beside class it was useful for.

RCI staff are much better at health protocol than anyone I know. Was very pleased my cabin every day. Roy was so consistent about double mask, gloves all the time, and sanitizing his gloves before he came in (yes, he cleaned his gloves after parking the cart in front of the door and setting the door stop). I was conscientious about either being gone, or being on the balcony with the door shut during his visits - I wasn't protecting myself so much as giving him the space and freedom to do his tasks without worry. No, I want the twice daily maintenance, I like a professionally made bed, the filled ice bucket, the towel animal, the candies, the "have a good day" notes, the turned down bed, the pajamas folded and under the pillow. Yes they are little things, but they make a day so much better. I got lists of pleasing things other staff do - waiters, bar staff, pool attendants, even the friendly lady that makes so many trips up and down my staircase to wipe the banisters every hour. I'm on vacation -- PAMPER ME!

Massage is always good on day 1. I need it after 12 hour flight, but sounds like you're within shouting distance of port. Push that Chef's table well into the evening, and chill out for a couple hours before to let the massage glow settle. While chilling, be sure to order your breakfast for 10:30AM delivery. You don't have a planned excursion on day 2, so the evening can go as long as the music lasts. Spend some time after O`dark:30 watching the midnight movie under the stars wrapped up in the spare comforter under your bed.

That roatan online piece is 4 years old: Given in the port city of Roatán, on the 15th day of the month of August of the year 2018. A lawyer Myril Yannell Brooks Municipal Secretary

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/shoreExcursions/downloadBrochure/ Navigation path: Click the "Hamburger" icon in the upper left corner to access the menu, Select "manage my cruise" from the drop down (not the blue menu on the top bar), select "shore excursion" onthe sub-menu.

Why have something dangling around your neck? It reminds me too much of the spinster librarian with the steel grey hair that always had glasses hanging down. Seems like folks use those dangly things to draw attention to "massive tracts of land".

Have used the laundry service most every cruise. I do dockers and UnderArmour polos in the wash and fold along with underwear and socks. Never a problem, and it's so much cheaper than checking an extra bag on an airplane. I've twice had them do a natural hemp formal Guayabera (of course not wash and fold), and it has come back gleaming white with nary a wrinkle. I use laundry service at home for everything that goes on hangers, and the Royal Caribbean service is better.

Staff is supposed to give reminders to fill out the survey. If my cabin attendant, dining room waiter, or any other RCI staff member failed to remind me of the importance of the survey, that should be a downcheck. The surveys are very important for corporate governance. RCI e-mail makes it clear the surveys are valuable, and do much to improve my experience with the company. I answer "Yes" I was reminded to fill out the survey. I answer "Yes" my cabin attendant says my survey response is personally important.

Experience from December and February on Anthem: My first try at Flowrider was in December. I did boogie twice in Mixed sessions. I wasn't impressed. During the mixed sessions, some passengers were attempting stand-up. They either succeeded or failed on their two tries (which really worked out to three falls, in each of two turns on the wave). Most managed to get onto the wave standing, some reverted to boogie, no one went away disappointed. I wanted to try the stand-up thing, but I'm an overweight senior citizen, and wanted to avoid getting hurt, because I had SCUBA excursions ahead. I paid for a lesson, and had 6 tries at the wave with great assistance during my hour. For my 4th session on the wave during the December cruise, I was again in a Mixed session, and did successfully earn my blue band. During the February cruise, I paid for another lesson on Day 2 AM, got my blue band on Day 2 PM during a mixed session, then participated in 5 advanced sessions. The Mixed sessions were all somewhat crowded, I could get maybe 2 or 3 turns on the wave in an hour. The February advanced sessions were very relaxed, with 3 or 4 riders present. There was plenty opportunity to ride, but often as not, I skipped a turn on the wave. The Flowrider team were wonderful coaches. Sometimes I think they encouraged harder skills on us to keep the excitement up and getting an earlier wipeout so the rider rotation went quicker. Big take-away -- pay for a lesson or two, it makes the rest of the cruise a whole bunch more fun.