canderson

Actually, they did. Chantiers de l'Atlantique was expected to complete Ascent in 2022, and that did get pushed out to late 2023. Perhaps still not an ideal time to be shelling out those kinds of $, but delaying any further might have caused even more $ contract issues. And the schedule for the 5th E class, though ordered and originally scheduled for 2025, is in limbo at the moment.

Last Reflection 'refresh' was in 2017. Next one is due while in dry dock in Cadiz last two weeks of October '22 (soon). We'll be the first aboard on 31 October and will no doubt report what we find. No serious date for a Revolution.

I think many of us were originally 'talked into' the idea of our first TA, and, having experienced mostly port-port-port cruising, had some anxiety about how we would fill the time. The experience of waking up (after an additional hour of sleep!) and realizing we are beholden to no schedule whatsoever is a true joy. Many have lost track of what it feels like to just chill for a while, and TA and TP cruises are definitely a way to become reacquainted with that mode, even if just for a few hours each day at sea.

Wow, I have a stalker! Cool! The good news is that a great deal of their current debt was taken on at some historically low rates. Actually, it isworth looking at RCG's debt before and after the pandemic, not quite 2X at the end of 2021 (by which time they were barely getting restarted) vs. what it was in 2019. These E class build-outs came at a bad time in terms of cash flow. Income will have improved a good bit since Q4 2021, though. Will be good to see the 2022 EOY report.

Only questions I'd have are "How far?" and "How do I get there?"

No more cart! You will also find something nice to drink with your croissant. I often agonize over almond vs. pain chocolat, and as often as not, give up and ask for one of each!

Have had them for quite a few years. It's a combo coffee/tea/bar/pastry shop, and yes, is definitely where you'll want to look for the almond croissants.

I see a very definite positive trend with regard to cash flow now. Even with weaker bookings through June 30, the 2nd quarter came back to just about break-even. Granted, -$50,000,000 isn't on the right side of the ledger, but beats the heck out of over nearly a billion in losses for many previous quarters. Royal Caribbean Cruises cash flow from operating activities for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 was $-0.050B Royal Caribbean Cruises cash flow from operating activities for the twelve months ending June 30, 2022 was $-4.130B Royal Caribbean Cruises annual cash flow from operating activities for 2021 was $-1.878B Royal Caribbean Cruises annual cash flow from operating activities for 2020 was $-3.732B Royal Caribbean Cruises annual cash flow from operating activities for 2019 was $3.716B

Grab some of Iain's morning eye opener over some ice! ☺️ Our next TA is only a month away now! People often ask what on Earth we do with so many at-sea days. Often, I can't even put together a list, but can always say we felt more of them would have been just fine with us.

So has @airbalancer. I think you may have missed his <sarc> </sarc> tags! 😁

You sure it wasn't because of the 'fireman's carry'? 🤪

That comparison isn't working for me... Aircraft: Prices are up above pre-COVID levels. Airlines are currently capacity constrained on many routes. Cruise ships: Prices are up above pre-COVID levels. Cruise ships are not capacity constrained on many routes. Which of these is following bookings with price more closely? Pretty obvious. What could account for a smaller number of people willing to pay considerably more for a Celebrity cruise? Perhaps we're still burning through a year and a half of FCC where holders look at that as 'sunk' money and are supplementing it with additional funds? Let's watch what happens to bookings once the FCCs have been burned through more thoroughly.

Not easily done when it comes to portions. The galley has a standard plate for each item, and a waiter putting in that kind of request does slow things down. I order extra chops on rack of lamb nights, and the result is often another fully plated entree with sides. Sometimes the galley places a higher value on efficiency than waste management.

Susie, you're describing the 'golden days' with those 2:1 and 1:1 crew:pax ratios. We sailed in late Fall 2021, too, and yes, service was positively amazing. I think that what people are griping about is the current situation with nearly full ships and a good bit less than X's nominal 1:2.25 crew:pax ratio. Seems we began booking faster than the lines could find recruits.

The decaf version is still one of our family favorites in the late evening, and we always bring some of it along on cruises. Have always liked the mellow spice blend in Constant Comment.

Heaven knows we all owe you enough photos of our experiences. We certainly used yours to make a couple of decisions on our last cruises. OK. You're officially on the WBTA2022.docx itinerary as part of our Cartegena day! I guess it'll be what you'd call a one day 'PLOG'. I assume you will want dinner covered as well? (Am pretty sure you're willing to forgo the galley tour.)

Great! Thanks for the Excel-lent work there. Looking forward to finally trying one of these excursions. Will be interested in seeing how the 'cooking' part goes at lunch, too. Paella was traditionally cooked over pine and citrus wood to give it extra flavor, but I kinda doubt that 'campfire cooking' will be part of our experience!

Looks like a menu from Fine Cut, not Murano. Have another?

Just sent myself an email reminder to add this to the day's itinerary so I don't forget!

Often available once on a cruise, but you'll need to search each port to see where it's offered.

We will be taking one of these excursions for the first time in Cartagena. Glad I booked early for the 4 of us as it sold out fairly early. It begins at 10:00 with a duration of 4:45, which gets us back at 2:45. The description then follows with what I quote below. My question: What, typically, is the "appointed time"? "Back on the ship, at the appointed time, you'll meet our onboard chef for a fascinating tour of the galley, followed by an intimate chef-hosted dinner of Spanish treasures. Savor Cartagena-inspired flavors while learning more about the world of culinary arts. This is a uniquely hands-on dinner featuring flavors and ingredients from the day's exploration. The journey continues on board, where you'll taste the Modern Luxury version of the day's culinary adventure."

The new Aqua Suites, yes. As far as I know, only suite classes get the faster service included by default.

Bandwidth available to the ship will improve, and the same "hundreds of people" will be sharing a bigger pipe. Low Earth satellites cover a much smaller area on the ground, so service less potential users, which is why so many more are required to provide full geographic coverage. Being much closer, they also have a much more efficient bits/watt capability and a lot lower latency. On the whole, it should be quite an improvement. That said, each ship will undoubtedly be managing bandwidth per customer through artificial means, just as they do now.

@Baron Barracuda Asked for the recipe for the pulled lamb in phyllo served in the MDR. Definitely not a quick preparation. Yummy.

Received one in 2017.