Tom and Ingrid

Lemonade from lemons 🙂

The one I noticed was gray and also had a little extra zippered interior "purse".

I am averse to combining "pool/spa/hot tub" and "bars". Sadly, I think those are more common than ever.

This is the classic challenge that poll & opinion analysts always run up against. Folks feel one way, but act another. Or feel one way about themselves but another about a broader issue. "How are you doing financially?" "Great! Never better." "How is the economy as a whole?" "Awful! On the verge of collapse." The reverse "grass is always greener". 🙂

I think fine alternatives that travel well are "golf pants". More breathable fabric, wrinkle free, some degree of stretch, and generally available for reasonable prices. They also work well OFF the ship when out in ports - either as sun protection or for hikes or general sightseeing. It's been a LONG time since I've bought or worn traditional khakis or Dockers type pants.

Do all Florida departures get the Florida resident discount? And how significant is that? I know when I look at prices using an online agent, I often see a long list of rates for the same cabin. I need to start deciphering that stuff 🙂

A few things I wonder about. If they push the Retreat much larger, at what point is that just overlap with Silversea? Especially, if the worry some folks have is that they also will evolve & target the "normal" parts of the ship towards "younger" and or "louder" types. If the latter happens, wouldn't most folks take their $$$ to similarly priced but not shared cruises on more premium lines? And as ever, I wonder how the 65+ crowds of tomorrow (2030) are different from the 65+ crowds of today vs the 65+ crowds of 2000. Or the same for the 45+ of those eras. My point being, if they pick a target demography - is it going to be by some generational "name" (Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, etc), or will it be the more rational "45-54" or "45-70" brackets that are age based and not generation based? By the time the 2030+ ships roll in, the current top age group for X will have already ceased being regular cruisers and have been replaced by the current 55-64 & 65-74 groups. As X will want to keep the pipeline full, they'll be depending on the 45-54 and the 35-44 cohorts to be engaged and considering cruising, and Royal should be a feeder for some (as well as Disney or Carnival or other non-RCL lines), but they have to ALWAYS be seeding the next wave of cruisers. I personally don't think a 65 year old person of 2024 is all that different from a 65 yr old in 2000 nor will be in 2035, EXCEPT they are likely a little more healthy and active later in life and may have a longer "active retirement" span (this really remains to be seen). As such, active and engaged cruising - good food, good shows, onboard variety, diverse activities, etc. - will need to be a core for X. They have that - skewed for families - on Royal, and X needs to think what empty nesters or 40+ DINKs will want and go in that direction.

VERY interesting. Why bother to ask that about 55 specifically? How about residency perks? I hear about them for Florida, but never have actually talked to people who have gotten them.

We sail out on July 28th on the Silly, so this is good timing. Good to hear it is relatively smooth both directions. We can easily carry off our luggage, so we might still do that.

...I am prompted to wonder what the "over 55" and the "state of residency" questions get you as a discount if you say "yes" to 55+ and/or are a Florida (or maybe CA or NJ) resident. I am approaching 55, so maybe I'll get a discount soon?

We seem to have a variety of "free" X tote bags from over the years. Sadly, I didn't pay much attention to when we got them as they are given to my wife after the cruise for whatever she likes to tote around. Some are super cheap, and some are pretty darn nice. Was there/is there a rhyme or reason for us having gotten one or the other? I feel like, at the least, you always get the sort of flimsy, the strap will break sort by default. But I just noticed a canvas one that is still looking in fine shape. Since we've never bought one, I wonder why we have such a mix.

That's sort of where I'm headed, I think. First step - avoid both - but if that fails or the rest of the itinerary is good, pick the private beach option. Still very unlikely to do a 4-5 day trip though.

I would like to see some of the E class ideas - like the 4 MDR - reimagined for an S-sized ship. I also, personally, would love an unobstructed (as much as possible) complete promenade loop around the 5 or 6 deck. Not sure if that's doable, but I'd much prefer spending a bit of time stretching my legs on a lower deck during a sea day than dodging folks up on the upper pool decks.

Are teens allowed in bars and casinos? I see so few on board, I never thought to wonder. I thought they are also restricted from some hot tubs (Solarium) and maybe that pool too?

Was watching youtuber Fraser at Sea recount his tough CA/NE cruise last fall. 😄 MSC and not X, and all either his/MSC's doing or weather related. But definitely, things can and do go wrong sometimes.

Yep - it all seems to be about RELATIVE value, vs historical or even perceived/remembered value. COVID was a huge disruption. Add in inflation and even the changing options from Russia's assault on Ukraine (& other wars), environmental adaptations, and popular destinations limiting or planning limitations - lots of disruptions. And then the surge to 100+% occupancies and that much of the cruising demographic for X is sitting on piles of cash. So, the "value" metric seems really out of whack vs pre-COVID for just about everything. We, personally, are cruising more than ever. We're also traveling more than ever. Consuming "experiences" more than ever, and so on. The value we place on living our lives to the fullest possible at this time is very high, so X is able to ride that even with higher prices. So, very hard to pick an answer to this poll and gotta go "not sure".

Still nothing on my Delta card 😞 But did get my $20 for my Zappos order, so at least "saving" some money.

He is doing a good job convincing me that I should try CocoCay at least once 😄. So much comes down to the "alternative" that was swapped out to put CocoCay in. In the poll, I mentioned that it probably is a good swap for Nassau nowadays if you're looking just to find a relaxing beach. Back in the old days, we would just plop down near the Paradise casino/hotel, and wander up into it after spending time on the beach. Nowadays, it's a bit more of a challenge to get off and out to a relatively quiet "public" beach area there, so I'm more open to trying CocoCay instead - especially if I can simply find a pretty & quiet stretch of beach and water to enjoy.

What's wrong with polls - especially if they stimulate some conversation?

Us too! And NoVA is hot and humid in July & August, so the Netherlands and Norway are looking like a nice "break" from it all.

October in Atlanta should be one of the best times to be in Georgia. Maybe you need to consider travel from there in July & August. 😄 Hawaii is ALWAYS nice!

I have no "excitement" for CocoCay except as it might be interesting, and as a "swap" for the Bahamas regular stop, it might be better. I will and have, if possible, book around any cruise including a "private" island experience. If I have two choices - a 7 night 4 port cruise or a 7 night 3 ports/1 private island cruise - I am choosing the 4 port option. The exception would be if the trade is the Bahamas (Nassau/Paradise Island).

Yes and no 😄 SUNSCREEN, sun shirts, hats, and beach umbrellas are pretty much requirements in the height of the season (and good ideas anytime else). But the islands often have a nice breeze off the ocean, so that's why you can be pleasantly warm but not overwhelmed by the heat. We were in Aruba and Curacao in April 2022, and it was like Vegas in the summer with the intensity of the sun. But, with the sunscreen, hat, & sun shirt, and a bit of time cooling off in the ocean, it can be quite pleasant. But it is hot POTENTIALLY and October might be simply wonderful or, like our Oct Western Caribbean years ago, the weather (storms) caused us to skip the Cayman port. The rest of that cruise was beautiful and pleasant, and we even skirted most of the rougher day of weather.

As expressed by others, it looks like the Dive Dominica folks sell through the cruise lines and not directly, so your best (only) option for their tour is to "manage your reservation" and check through the available excursions that are taking place on the Summit. Find the Dive Dominica one (matching the description as much as possible) and reserve that on-line. For excursions, on board (or even off), the Excursions desk (in the lobby area) is generally who you're going to deal with, not the Cruise Director who is an officer level person with a whole heck of a lot of responsibilities that don't include the being down in the weeds. You can, though, always call the 800 number for Celebrity and work through them. The web is easier, the app is easier, but the phone number is an option. Often, for us, that's a last resort since you don't want to wait on hold, etc..

Roger Daltrey? Roger Waters? Roger Taylor? The other Roger Taylor? They're all getting up there! 🫣