jam19872016

Thank you! It has not been easy but I am so happy that I've been able to make it work. I love seafood so that is probably something that has helped. I can't wait to have all those yummy foods in front of me to photograph because that means I will be eating them 😋

Glad to have you along again! There will be many opportunities to check on salt and pepper shakers. I will be enjoying dinner in four different venues this cruise 😁. I wonder if they will all have their own style ?

Thanks for following along! I love Oasis but I do think Harmony is my favorite of the three in the class I have sailed. I've sailed all the Freedom class and I think Liberty was my least favorite. It surely needed the upgrades that got canceled in 2020. Nothing major, but it was certainly not as inviting as her sisters and I missed Playmakers. Sabor was nice though. I did Odyssey and I enjoyed it a lot. Very nice ship. However, that was at about 40% capacity and I couldn't help but notice how many choke points there were on the ship. I am not sure I would love it as much as full capacity. Royal usually does a great job of spreading people out so their ships don't feel crowded, but that did not seem to be the case on Odyssey.

That has always been my experience as well. I will know on Monday as that will be my first port day and will post my results in this thread.

It's definitely a different product than X with a different demographic. I enjoy so many different types of cruises but for different reasons. The zip lines and rock walls don't interest me, but I admit to enjoying the merry-go-round 😁. I would love to try the E class someday they do look very nice!

I have never had a problem dining at a specialty for lunch on a port day. I have not had UDP in almost a year, so maybe they are enforcing that rule now? Have it again next week, will see what happens.

I'm further along in the planning stages than last time. Packing is already done, and I didn't even have any help from my feline friends this time! Parking is done-ish, I'm just going to park at the port. Planning to park at Terminal B and walk to Terminal A. I have heard they charge $35 a day to park at A. I have heard it is still $25. I am not sure what it correct anymore, but I know Terminal B is $22 a day which is already insanity but it is what it is. Check in is done, I secured a 3-3:30 check-in. Umm ok, going to gamble on showing up early and see what happens. Don't be like me, but if you do, I have never had a problem showing up in Miami early if you come early enough. They do have the sings up to sort by boarding time, so probably at some point when they get backed up you will need to wait for your boarding time, but in my experience it is a large terminal and showing up early is ok. YMMV.

Thanks! I'll be sure to avoid that area.

Looks like you are all having so much fun! When I travel with M she loves to get out and do stuff I will keep Dunn's River in mind for us but probably pay the markup to book through the ship, I don't want to even go third party here 😂

I had to google it to make sure I was not mistaken, but they are just over an hour apart. Most of the interesting tours from here take you to Ocho Rios. Those pictures you posted looked lovely! I will have to give it a try just have to make it past the aggressive vendors. It will be worth it to find those spots that you posted.

Yes, that looks like exactly what I like to see when I go on my walks! Nice secluded areas just me and nature! I will have to check that out!

I've been 29 times and never found the secret path. #30 is the charm? It is such a shame because it is such a beautiful place but it is sketchy as he double hockey sticks!

I never made it there before the upgrades. First time for me was on Freedom in 2021 (35% capacity). Hope you get a chance to see it again with the upgrades, if you don't mind that it is built up to include water parks and such, I think you will enjoy it very much! Plenty of free options still as well!

I'm not a beach person. Somehow I do still really enjoy Coco Cay, although the heat usually runs me back onto the ship rather quickly. Not likely to be an issue this time of year. Maybe I need to give Labadee a chance and see if I enjoy that stop also.

I don't have Nassau on an itinerary after this (which is odd) so I need to try to get there this time! I just have a tendency to overdo it the first night onboard. I didn't have a problem last cruise, but the nightlight is a little more lively here compared to Celebrity so I suspect overdoing it to be a real possibility 🥳 Labadee is Royal's private island (but not the good one) so there isn't really anything to see besides the beach. I've never gotten off there, so I could be way off base but the reviews I've seen don't interest me. Falmouth I went to once, didn't leave the port area. Jamaica is not an island I feel safe in or even welcome in. The locals are too hostile and aggressive. I have not in a few years, but I don't suspect conditions have gotten better in recent years. I'll dig out my last time setting foot in Jamaica to post here later, it's quite a story but not one that I wanted to experience to be able to tell! So glad to have you along for the ride again! No funnel cake on the ship that I am aware of, but just like I would not buy a drink package and then go to an all inclusive, I won't be using precious stomach space on included food 😂 I do love that funnel cake though! So much of the food on the island is so so good! Happy to see the nature path does exist! I will make sure to seek it out.

Thanks for following along! Or trying to if your attention should wander 😂 I've given up on rideshares, too hard to get and last time I got scammed by a driver who claimed I was not at the meetup spot, even though his GPS never showed him anywhere near POM. I got charged a fee and my dispute to Uber fell on deaf ears. Done with that mess, I just use a taxi now and pay a little bit more. This trip I am parking at the port because I don't see any places available that don't have terrible reviews. I used to park at various hotels near the airport and then Uber (or taxi now) in but last few times they no longer have availability, guess the word got out.

I've started my next review. I would love to see everyone who isn't sick of my ramblings yet to come join me for another week as I sail on board one of my favorite ships and favorite class of ship in the world, the mighty Oasis of the Seas!!

For anyone who did not read my last review, I've been on a weight loss journey that started in August 2021 when I hit 300 LBS. I've always been big, but that was a pretty startling number to see staring back at me from the scale. I'm also not getting any younger and am becoming more aware of the looming health problems if I don't take control of the situation. Especially as I see how my mother struggles with back pain and knee problems that impact her ability to travel comfortably for any length of time. The first several months I yo yo'ed between 285 and back over 300 again. Then my friend recommended the myfitnesspal app in May 2022 and that has been a game changer for me. It's essentially a calorie counting app and it made me conscious of the calories I'm consuming. It also opened my eyes to some foods that are not worth the calories. I was shocked at how many calories are in a caser salad. If I'm going to use up that many calories, it won't be on a salad! I don't bother with the three bites of lobster at formal night anymore either. I've had to adjust my strategy as my metabolism adjusted to less calories and heard about intermittent fasting which was a great addition to my diet plan. When I'm fasting, I can eat for eight hours, and then I fast for 16. Since you are asleep for 8 of those, its easier than it sounds especially after a day or two. In total, I was down to 198.8 when I started my 56 day adventure in September. Over 100 LBS lost from my starting weight. Since that trip and the trips since, I have been up and down again. On my last six day cruise I gained 10.4 LBS which left me at 26.4 LBS gained since I that cruise in September. As of today I have taken off those 10.4 plus another 1.6 just in time to start gaining again. I do allow myself to go off the diet when I am cruising and I suspect with the (almost)Unlimited Dining Plan I will be straining my scale for sure this week but as long as I can continue to trend in the right direction overall, I won't be too hard on myself.

I don't really have any plans in three of the four ports. I was looking forward to Coco Cay as I enjoy the vibe and the food is amazing. Much better than the food on the ship, but now I have the (almost)Unlimited Dining Plan so I won't be heading out for the food. It would still be nice to get off and take a look around for a little while and I have heard there is a nature path (I may be imagining that) but the casino will be open and not crowded so we'll see how much time I allow myself here. Labadee and Falmouth I doubt I will be getting off the ship. I never used to be a get off the ship person, but now that I try to keep up an exercise program while onboard I do enjoy the scenery walking around in port instead of the gym especially while it is a little bit cooler outside, but I am not sure either of these ports are suitable to walk around in outside of tourist zones. In the case of Labadee, I don't think I am even permitted out of tourist zones (nor would I want to). It is very timely that there is another ongoing live Oasis review, and even better that the reviewer is also taking time to work out in port. I have not got past Nassau yet, but I may copy his workout in the other ports if they look suitable to my interests (I like nature and other secluded off the beaten path type places). I won't be keeping his pace though 😮. I tend to walk at 3MPH at the gym and around 3.2-3.3 on the walking track. Nassau is up in the air. I want to check out the John Watling's Distillery that @ninjacat123 recommended a few cruises back but I have a sneaking feeling that I will end up getting a late start after my first night onboard and first night of drinks since the last cruise. If I am alive at a reasonable hour, that is plan and if time is really on my side still and I am feeling ambitious enough, I would like to also walk to the Queen's Staircase. I saw it once and would love to visit that spot again. It's really all going to depend on how well I pace myself on night one 🙂

Here is a link to my last review as well as my last review I did on Royal Caribbean.

Hello everyone! I'm getting ready to sail out for another adventure on Sunday and I plan to do a live review of my time on board. This time I will be sailing on the Oasis Of The Seas for seven days. The itinerary is quite possibly the least exciting I have ever done, but then again, you don't sail Oasis for the itinerary. Stops are Nassau, Coco Cay, Labadee, and Falmouth. I was going to book the 25th with this same route but the timing did not quite work out so I booked the 18th and assumed it would be Eastern and a slightly better run, but nope same thing. I don't sail for the itinerary anyway so it will be ok. I'm 36 and live less than two hours away from the big three ports in Florida. Miami is my least favorite because of the traffic and difficulty getting in and out of the port. The sail away view is spectacular though and is something I always looks forward to! Doesn't like the ports, doesn't like the drive to Miami why did he book this cruise? Good question. I'm prime with Club Royale which means I have gambled away enough money in Royal's casinos that I earn a free cruise up to seven nights each casino year. Used to be eight but now only seven, so unless I want to do a six day trip, we need to eliminate all the ships doing 8/6 day runs. I also want Voyager class or newer. I would sail smaller ships, but for the same price my money is on something with more bells and whistles. Obviously it needs to be a port out of Florida. That leaves me two choices, Wonder and Oasis. Except wait, Wonder is not eligible even though the exclusion has traditonally been no ships in the first twelve months of service, which has passed for Wonder. So Oasis and out of Miami it is. I did come close to choosing Symphony for six days since I have not been on that ship yet and it is Ft. Lauderdale, but in the end that extra day on Oasis swayed me. Even with the extra restrictions, still the best casino program out there when it comes to bang for your gambling buck! I will be sailing solo, have found a great deal (well the best I am going to find in these inflated times) for the Unlimited* Dining Plan so will have an unreasonable amount of food p0rn to share and beverages as well. I did not purchase a drink package, but have my five free drinks a day for being Diamond+ as well as unlimited drinks from the casino when it is open for being prime. If you have any questions about the ship feel free to ask away and I will do my best to find out. *I put an asterisk because is it really unlimited with a $20 per day limit at Playmaker's and Portside? I checked the new prices and $20 does not go very far like it used to.

The dinner situation on the Royal cruise just worked itself out. Caught the Unlimited Dining Plan on sale today. It was still slightly higher than what I wanted to pay, but close enough (and the best deal I will probably see again) that I went for it. I've definitely got to work on my pre cruise weight loss now since I will have unlimited specialty dining 🤪

That is so sad to hear. That is so so young, not that it would be any easier if he were older. Nothing is more important than family 🙂. I hope you and your son get to travel together someday, maybe as he gets older and wiser he will also realize the importance of family. My mom and I don't always get along, especially in such a confined space like a cruise ship, but I know that I am creating memories that I will treasure long after I no longer have the option to cruise with my mother.

I don't remember who asked now but someone earlier wanted to know when my mom would make another appearance. I just got off the phone with her today and she indicated she was ready to cruise again. She will now be joining me in March on Celebrity Constellation for a 12 day Ultimate Caribbean & The Americas cruise out of Tampa! I'm excited she will be joining me for this one, when I booked it I thought it would be a perfect trip for her because it has a lot of unique ports and will return to Cartagena which had a wonderful shopping experience for her right at the port as well as that very fascinating animal sanctuary right there at the port. Then she wasn't ready to travel so it became a solo trip. Happy to see her ready to tag along as like I said, I think it will have a lot of ports that will interest her.

I don't like making reservations. Defeats the purpose for me of MTD. I'd like to show up when I'm hungry and of course if I show up at a popular time, I would expect a wait and I have zero expectations of the same wait staff each night. The problem is, by not starting MTD until 6:45 everyone who wishes to eat early is lined up at the same time as the typical 7 dinner rush and the line never really clears. When I did Oasis with my mom who cannot stand in that line, we signed up for early dining. Our cabin was on the same deck as the dining room and the line was backed up most nights past the elevator banks and into the passenger hallways. This would not be an issue if they started MTD at a normal time like every other cruise line. On Voyager/Freedom class I've found I can show up early and be accommodated while early dining is still going on. I have not tried that on Oasis class, but again I am a slave to the clock. If I am not quite hungry I still know it's now or wait in a line that won't begin to clear out until 8:30. If I could eat that late without eating again it would be fine, but after a night of drinking I am going to eat before I turn in for the night either way. Did I nibble earlier to hold out until dinner? If so, now I have increased my calories. All first world problems, and like I said I will see how things go. Maybe the line up is no longer an issue. I have noticed it's gotten better over time (as people have switched to early dining to avoid the line up I suspect). Maybe I will not be hungry until late, maybe I will be content with the Windjammer or fast casual upcharge dining. In the end it will all work out, I just wish Royal didn't have to complicate something that other lines manage to execute much better.