SteelCityCruiser10

Quick comparison of home vs Miami. Yeah… can’t complain about this weather in Miami.

Here is the itinerary:

Hello Everyone & Happy New Year! We (DW and I) are embarking on another ( much needed) adventure on Explorer of the Seas (again) for an 8 night Southern Caribbean itinerary beginning tomorrow 1/7. We have sailed EX 2 other times. 2020 - as part of a side to side and in 2018 for Alaska (also did a LIVE). We are departing from Miami and currently residing at the fantastic Hampton Inn Miami Brickell which we have stayed several times before. Always have had a good experience here so we keep returning. We have an 11 am boarding time and signed up for the 10 am hotel shuttle which is the first available time slot. $8/person We have traveled from the Pittsburgh area (in case you haven’t deduced that from my username 😂) The 6 am flight was a bit rough as far as wake up times go but we have since napped and cashed in our hotel free drink vouchers so all is well here!! 🍻 Hey… look at the bright side, our flight left on time and we made it to Miami without a hitch so we are grateful of that. We know traveling can be equally frustrating as rewarding at times. We have sailed several times during COVID and this is the first where pre cruise testing isn’t required. Thank you baby jesus! lol Cannot wait to get this thing started!! Cheers all 🍻 Mark

Agree on the lunch - barefoot beach food is supposedly upgraded but i don’t see it at all. nothing special at all IMO

technically yes- however our cabana attendant claimed he did not know how to use vouchers on barefoot beach.

Not 3am but I’ve ordered room service in an OS close to 1 am. no issue

same … not even close 👎🏻

See you saturday! 🍻😀

IMO - no. Any suite - any time for me Sounds like we are sailing together on Sat? coincidentally, I just got an upgrade today for JS to GS. GS is more forward but not a problem. Some don’t like being under the pool deck but we’ve been on that deck for just about every cruise we’ve been on with no issues ever.

I got heart palpitations just reading the question.

🤨

Ditto 🍻

so is this #3 on the over/under of 4?

Jan. 7 - explorer 8 night aruba/curaçao/grand cayman 🍻

From Yesterday

We found one on Mariner earlier this month. A blue duck wearing a police uniform with a tag from Tennessee. I wanted to re hide (leave it on the ship) but DW kept it.

Just got the email today…

I can tell you it was $62 for us on Mariner in February. It was the package with the tablet. Forget how many cards. There was extras for being diamond and above like an extra crack it or extra cards.

I’m just off of Mariner & we were at Coco Cay 2 days ago. Symphony was also there & all beds/cabanas - everything was sold out. It was pretty full there - not much quiet anywhere that i could see. We headed back to solarium & that was the best choice by far for us. Quiet & only a few at the pool. we did a beach bed once before south beach was completed. others beds were pretty close and not very private. wished i hadn’t bought one to be honest. lesson learned

Just off Mariner - no paper compass. Cabin stewards had them on their carts in the hallways i noticed. Just request a paper copy to be left each night. There were none in the racks outside guest services. No effect at all on me as the royal app was sufficient.

Best post in CC in years IMO

I’m also onboard now & there were long lines for our shuttle to stop and drop bags to porters. Lots of vehicle traffic at terminal 5. If you are in a suite you will move through checkin quickly. I cannot speak for the others lines though. Our checkin time was 11 and we were onboard by 11:45. We had most all our materials pre printed which helps speed things up rather than searching through phones. Hope that helps.

beachfront is an option in the email from Dudley for my Mariner cruise departing tomorrow

Yes I actually had my bid accepted about 30 min AFTER I had to cancel the card I had on file for the royal up. Of course the day I get fraudulent charges my bid gets accepted! why wouldn’t it! lol Anyway I had 2 emails from Royal when I got off the phone with Discover Card that my Royal Up had been accepted however the card on file had been declined. There was a link to update the card. I updated the card and crossed my fingers & ended up still getting the royal up. I would change it to the card you want it - IMO it’s more about the amount of your bid/availability etc than what order your bid is in.