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Just curious where you got this information ... fortunately the Mariner didn't lose her awesome fitness center changing area with lockers, showers & steam room when she was amplified. That would definitely be a bummer it happened to the Explorer.

Absolutely, completely, totally agree! I really hope they let one "classic Oasis" remain in the fleet. If for no other reason than that heavenly Diamond Lounge.

Odyssey is not a Oasis class ship, so no Broadway show. The major production shows are The Book and The Effectors, both of which are kinda love-it-or-hate-it. 🙂

Quite so! I was mostly thinking of the passengers, who aren't necessarily masked. I find it interesting, though, how much you actually can read from just the upper face--before 2020 I had no idea that you can actually tell when somebody is smiling behind a mask! 🙂

If you paid for expedited, I doubt panic mode will be required. 😉 The post-COVID travel backlog seems to have eased up. I bet you'll have yours in plenty of time. 🙂

I deal with this issue a lot in my line of work. A couple of tips that might help: 1. If you are speaking your native language but the other person is not, understand that you have the advantage. You are better equipped to manipulate your delivery, phrasing etc. because your brain isn't using "bandwidth" to come up with the words themselves. SLOW DOWN, simplify when possible, don't hesitate to repeat or rephrase if needed. 2. Facial expressions and simple gestures convey more meaning than you might think. 3. When both parties are equally fluent (native or near-native) but the issue is regional accents or vocabulary, you can usually laugh it off without causing offense: "I'm sorry, my Midwestern brain didn't process that. What do you mean by XYZ?" 4. BE PATIENT, remember how you feel when you're at the linguistic disadvantage, or just try to imagine what it would be like to do your job in your second or third language! 🙂

Zone Zero (virtual reality) was $18 a few months ago, and appointments went fast. Unfortunately I don't recall how much the "extended experience" on the North Star was, but as others have pointed out, there are free appointments available. With a beverage package and a dining package, you certainly wouldn't need to spend anything else ... spa, maybe? Photos?

For once I'm glad to see a thread veer off topic ... when I saw the page count, I wondered how on earth people could argue for 13 pages over whether or not becoming Pinnacle is a worthwhile goal! 😉

They are not water tight, no. They would definitely cut down on the amount of rain that got through, and the bird would have to have really good aim. 😁 FWIW, I personally haven't had issues with seagulls on the roof.

Full disclosure, I'm not a huge fan of Coastal Kitchen, but this is a case where the ship in question really does make a difference. Allure has some of my favorite specialty dining in the fleet. It has the Oasis-class standbys (150 Central Park is a personal favorite) plus Samba Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse, which I believe is only available on two ships fleetwide. I don't usually get a dining package, except on the Allure. 🙂

I'd be interested to know what you think after you've tried all three! As for the water park ... unfortunately none of them are very close. 😕 I've never used the water park, so I relied on the map and my guess would be 1. South Beach 2. Breezy Bay 3. Chill Island, just because the beach beds are in the far corner of that area. But it looks like roughly a five-minute walk to any of them. You probably already know this, but there are cabanas you can rent at the water park itself. Cabanas run pricier than beach beds, but if distance is a important factor, it's an option to consider.

I'm curious, for those who who have dined with large parties before. I don't recall ever seeing single tables that fit more than eight (maybe I'm wrong there) ... for situations like the OP's, where ten people want to dine together, do they just string together a series of 4-tops or 2-tops?

Well, I will provide what input I can. 🙂 These are the Chill Island beach beds, on the lower left corner of the island. They are pretty isolated, as you can see, so they are indeed "chill" and fairly quiet, but also closer to the arrival area. The downside is that they're farther from almost everything else--Oasis Lagoon, waterpark, food and bars. Breezy Bay is closer to the main food areas and Oasis Lagoon, which has pros and cons. The music can be on the loud side, and there's typically more foot traffic. But you are more centrally located. South Beach is the furthest from the arrival area, so it tends to be on the quiet side as well. It's pretty far from Oasis Lagoon and the main food areas, but it does have its own Snack Shack and a bar. Hope this helps! 🙂

Glad to hear you enjoyed the Mariner, she's one of my favorite ships. 🙂 Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Thanks for the chuckle! 😄 Unfortunately, I doubt the MDR could accommodate that request. I suppose you could always ask, they won't throw you overboard if the answer is no. 🙂

That's difficult to say without knowing what you're looking for. Could you give us an idea of what's important to you--quieter, closer to food, etc.?

I always head to the French side of the island, St. Martin, and I highly recommend La Main à la Pâte in Marigot. French, Italian and creole specialties, and I've never been disappointed in any of them.

One factor to consider is that the really big suites with multiple bedrooms & bathrooms do come with some pretty significant perks. You definitely pay for them, as they are quite pricey, but if the upper end of the perks are 1) important to you and 2) within your budget, it's something to keep in mind. Personally, when I've treated family members to cruises in the past, I found what worked best was to get one big (but one-bedroom) suite as the "home base," and inexpensive cabins nearby so that our guests could have their own space to retreat to as needed. For us, that worked better than having genie-level perks, but to each their own.

Federal workplaces also have restrictions based on the level of transmission in the county in which they are located. Which means they change from week to week.

Thanks @Jerseygirl1416, you beat me to it! 🙂

Sorry, my comment was in reference to the passage I was quoting: "Specialty shoots is supposed to be the separate photo sessions you buy separately." In other words, the specialty shoots (which cost extra) include things such as iFly, so yes, they also cost extra. Didn't know about Wonderland, though--I guess it's been a while since I've had those pics taken!

It has also typically included the pictures they take at various activities such as the skydiving simulator, laser tag etc. Specialty restaurants is a new one to me, though. 😕

Yes, you still choose an arrival time, but you can come up to an hour earlier than your assigned time if you wish. Enjoy your suite! 🙂

Glad to know it's not just me who's confused! I'm hoping the OP will come back and let us know ... if the original JS was "no longer available" AND the upgrade isn't going to happen, then yes, that definitely constitutes being screwed! If not ... still a bummer, for sure.

Good call, if you're at all particular about hair dryers, it's smart to bring your own. The ones in the drawer are better than nothing, but ... just barely. 😉