POA1

That's good news. Some of the partnership activities and excursions have been really interesting.

Someone, who writes well (sorry for forgetting his name) had a cabana on an Alaska sailing. I can't quite grasp the cold weather cabana appeal, but his writing made a compelling case for it. Took the time to look it up. (Because I am committed to quality!) The author is @visagrunt

Sorry for the delay. I just saw your post. We normally like the airflow in the cabanas that face the Lido pool. However, on the Pinnacle class ships those cabanas have solid Plexiglas dividers on all sides. So, we were looking for a cabana that faces out the side. We wanted one in the middle of the side row. Not too close to the entrance and not too close to the family cabanas. The family cabanas can be a little loud.

I'd feel the same way, so it's understandable. I was hoping that the CO entree would show up on the Navigator app.

Sure, but just having it in your pocket or on your person boosts your smugness by at least 37%. Serious question: If you didn't get the CO dinner item on your menu, why didn't you ask? As far as the tote bag goes (the WHOLE REASON for the experience, IMHO) they better hope they have them on our cruise. It's round trip Fort Lauderdale and we're really close to the port. I will hound them like the paper boy who wanted his $2 in the movie, "Better Off Dead." (Obscure, but hopefully someone remembers.) The crew shops at Publix, so I'll see them. All. Season. Long. I shall get my bag.

... If you book early enough and it's still available. (Act now! Operators are standing by.) Seriously though, aside from the Neptune Suite and Pinnacle Suite guests, there aren't a lot of Club Orange slots available. (Should I call them memberships? It is a club after all.) For single travelers, the in-category upgrade is a great benefit. They're already paying for double occupancy, so moving up in the category at $25 or $15 per day is very valuable. For people who are 4* Mariners and above, they're not gaining anything in terms of early embarkation because they already get that privilege. If you are not on a Pinnacle class ship, you're getting expanded room service breakfast choices, one extra dinner entrée, and a dedicated podium in front of which you can line up for open seating. On Pinnacle class ships, you get a dedicated dining room. (It's closer to a bar and the restrooms, which may or may not be a big deal to you.) For us, who are 4* and stupidly booked our desired stateroom at the top of the meta category, and didn't upgrade, because we didn't want an aft or spa version of our room, it's all about that sweet Club Orange tote bag. Well, that and envious glares from our fellow passengers when we whip out our orange key cards to pay for drinks. Our green-eyed fellow travelers will no doubt be jealously thinking, "A couple hundred bucks seems like a lot for an orange key card you're just gonna throw away. Besides, I can always find something I like on the regular menu. Who needs an extra dinner main course?" But their enviousness won't bother us. We'll know, as we tuck our sunscreen and beach stuff into our Club Orange tote bag, that we're superior human beings. 😉

This is stock Android specific (Pixel 7 Pro) but most flavors of Android work roughly the same. If you have an iPhone, the procedure is similar, only more apple-y. For each of the sound event types click on the event type notification. (I used Onboard in my example.) Scroll down and click on sound. If you have more thsn one sound picker, you'll have to choose. Here, I am using the default Android sound app. You can see that I'm using the default sound. In this case, it's the old, circa 2012 Motorola Droid sound. (Still great after all these years.) I can choose from any of the system sounds or the 168 personal sounds that I'm toting around. (It's a sickness, but I almost never have to look at my phone to tell me what app is alerting, who's texting, etc.) I have not yet set sounds for the Navigator app, but rest assured that I will. Please note that you can turn on vibration or override Do Not Disturb. I'll probably turn vibrate on so I can know about alerts when my phone is on Silent. (Don't wanna be noisy phone guy during a quiet dinner or theater performance.)

Excellent post! I've been wondering about this excursion.... And thanks to you, now I know! 😃

You would think so. Then what?

Can you start with a more readable font size?

Truly, an excellent first cruise report! Glad you had a trip that made memories. During the high season in the Caribbean, you'll generally find calmer seas, especially if you leave from south Florida. This would be December through March. The Mediterranean is usually less bumpy as well. I'll echo the advice you've been given about meclazine (brand nanes Bonine or Dramamine non-drowsy formula.)

They typically distribute priority tender tickets somewhere in the morning before tendering starts. You'll have to watch the daily program or check with the front desk or concierge if you are in a suite. Generally speaking, it's been a lounge somewhere.

Smoothies ARE included. We've had milkshakes in the past, but your mileage may vary. Here's the flyer that Roger (@crewnews) posted from his May 2023 Alaska trip. https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Beverage-Package-Contents.pdf

Thanks, all! It would appear that there are 3 different notification tyoes in the app. Each type can be assigned its own sound - at least in Android.

In olden times (2018) the chat app did not alert a user about an incoming message. You had to check the app to see if there was a new message. I thought I read that it does now. Does it alert a user about an incoming message. Is that true? (You don't have to tell me that iMessage works on the iPhone and Google Messages works on Android. I know that, but I'm curious about the Navigator app specifically.) Thanks!

Don't worry. It's a lot to take in on the first read through.

I would caution you about trying to wait for on board availability. Cabanas are a pretty scarce resource and I honestly don't recall seeing many available for daily rentals. We booked one for a mid December cruise in mid April and wound up with our 3rd choice of locations. (You now pick the cabana in advance, which is a nice improvement IMHO.)

We'll take Uber from our condo to the port, but we always take a taxi home. Same with the airport. It's almost always faster and the cost is roughly the same.

The device to WLAN connections are a function of access point placement. Starlink won't change that unless they add or move APs. I use an app to find access points and signal strength. (Sometimes it's better near the door of the room. Other times it's better deeper in the room. If I'm lucky, it's good at the desk.) Starlink will improve the ship to the internet speed and vice versa. The rest will depend on user load and the proximity of the access point to you.

There are signs for the various pick up areas in Port Everglades. The cab line is easy to spot. The other one is labeled Ride Share. There are almost always port employees or Broward County Sheriffs office deputies to direct you to the correct place.

As for the Internet, HAL is adding Starlink to all the ships in the flee the fleet. I don't know what the schedule is, but see if the Westerdam had a short two week dry dock recently. We're on the Nieuw Statendamin December a few weeks after a short wet dock and I'm hoping for some sweet transmit & recv speeds.

As long as you are carrying your luggage, you'll be fine. Taxis will be lined up and are the fastest way to the FLL airport. We've lived in Fort Lauderdale for a long time and the taxi is your best bet. (Honest advice. I'm not a shill for "Big Cab.")

Thank you for telling me that it's not your photo. I still appreciate it. So let me rephrase: @VMax1700, what a wonderful photo you chose! You really have an eye for choosing pix!

Let me unpack this.... 1) Your free cruise will have terms & conditions attached to the promo code. So... The answer is "maybe." 2) You'd need to book a cabin that holds three people, like you said. Club Orange is capacity controlled, so you could potentially be prevented from adding a 3rd person. If your free room is a Neptune Suite, you're fine. (I'll go out on a limb and guess that it's not.) If I were you, I'd have my cabin fully configured with all the people before I tried to add CO. I hope that helps. If not, ask again because I'm not always the best at 'spiainin' things.

That's a great photo! (I have nothing else to add to the thread, but I had to comment on your picture. It's got a super 70s vibe.)