RobInMN

The Meyer Werft's Papenburg building amazes me. The fact that a ship the size of Odyssey (and CCL's Excellence class, NCL's Breakaway Plus class ships) is actually built indoors is unreal. The building hall is 504m long (482m of interior dock), 125m wide and 75m tall, with an 800 ton crane. Odyssey is 347m long and 49m wide. So the building is well over twice the width, and half again as long as Odyssey. Amazing. By comparison, Silver Ray is 244m long, and 30m wide. Can't find a height, but it's 11 decks compared to Odyssey's 16 The videos of the 22mile (36km) conveyance that ships built here have to do down the Ems to get to open sea are also amazing. The Ems is not that wide in many places, nor is it really all that deep in spots either.

We did this (from Rome) in 2018 on Symphony. We had the Orange card and kept it. I heard it was about 2/3 Barcelona, 1/3 Rome. Other than the ship/MDR schedule being the back half of one cruise followed by the front half of the next cruise, with the embarkation party stuff being half way through the cruise, zero differences for us. These last thing don't really matter to us.

If it's because it has not been Amplified yet, then you are going to be disappointed. Yes. Allure is going to be amplified in March of 2025. While the actual details have yet to be released, there is little reason to believe that they have altered plans from the original 2020 Amplification plans, which includes the Ultimate Abyss big purple slide. Hopefully they will make some formal announcement before too long

Just saw your live thread post. Glad to hear other captains giving out info also.

Forgot 1 other item worth mentioning. Captain Rumen said that their are 3 levels of command. Con, Navigational Command, and Full (Bridge?) Command. Full command is never given up, but the Panama Canal is the only place where the pilots take Navigational Command. This means that if anything happens, they take responsibility. Anywhere else, while the pilot has input, the Captain maintains responsibility. Navigational Command has Navigational override.

At the Captain's Q&A on Radiance, I asked what the status of Project Discovery was. Captain Rumen said that Project Discovery is still in design phase, and looking like 2029/2030 (not sure if that's a build start or complete).

At the Captain's Q&A on Radiance, I asked what the status of Project Discovery was. Captain Rumen said that Project Discovery is still in design phase, and looking like 2029/2030 (not sure if that's a build start or complete).

Wrong thread

From Guest Services: 2014 passengers Captain's Q&A (and hotel director): Only 29 kids. Didn't give numbers or percentage, but said that the Noro counts were "not severe" Project Discovery is still in design phase, and looking like 2029/2030 (not sure if that's a build start or complete). Delay on entering first lock was multiple pilot delays followed by a worker shortage for the locomotives(mules). Went slower than normal in the lake so that when we reached the Pedro Miguel locks, we could go right in without waiting again.

I'm not sure there's too far. If you've got your flights and hotel, try reaching out. I think I contacted them 5 or 6 months out?

Some ship pics: The Puerto Vallarta port is pretty compact for fitting 3 ships:

"Outbreak" may be a stretch, but enough cases that they did make an announcement and have implemented precautionary protocols. Reminders to wash hands. Pushing the sanitizer. Serving things for you in WJ, as well as MDR (rolls/butter, salt/pepper). No actual numbers. I've heard of a couple people that had it. They both said it ran it's course in about 24 hours. We have 2014 passengers. Not sure of crew. 3% of 2014 is 60.42

So.. After posting that, the BBC in the MDR changed. Tonight I asked the bar server if he would ask if the change was intentional or a different bartender or what, but the last 2 I had were definitely different than the many I had previously. Now they tasted just like what I get at Schooner or other bars. He came back and said it was entirely due to a change in the banana liqueur. They ran out of the previous brand. He said they did not put real banana in it the previous nights. I'm not sure I believe that. I don't think a change in liqueur brand alone would account for the change in texture. Not only was it a drastic change in the level of banana flavor, and I swear it tasted like real banana (not fake banana flavor), but it was more smoothly like, which also would have come from using a real banana, and not explained just by a change in liqueur brand. Also, the MDR one tasted different than any other bar I've gotten a BBC at in many cruises. Why would the MDR galley bar have a differ liqueur than any other bar on the ship (and many other ships). I've heard that if you can find a banana and take it to a bar, they will use it in a BBC, but I've never done it. I don't know what to believe. 😞 and don't want to steer anyone wrong. I don't know. 2 nights left. Not sure if I'll try again.

This thread says either 2-3 weeks or no more than 2 weeks

This is possibly a stupid question, but who does the CC charge show up as? I have a Delta AMEX. Delta purchases have higher rewards. If I use A2S and use my Delta AMEX, is it a Delta Charge? Royal Caribbean, or A2S?

In the Gulf Coast Departures forum (I linked to earlier in this thread), there's many positive reviews for GSW, We used them in September. For those (like us), that don't do FB, there is a number you can text. I put it here:

We seem to only be able to book Allure and Symphony, so our exposure is limited, but between the 2, our favorites are Symphony. LOVE Hiro! Hairspray is done really well (and I am not a musicals fan and really just go to keep my wife company), and the ice show 1977 with the projection mapping and drones is really good.

Discovered a new tip: If you order a BBC (Banana Baileys Colada) in the MDR, the galley bar will make it with real banana! Yum!! If you like it with the banana liqueur, you'll love it with actual banana

We found 1 "Normal" duck a few days ago, and re-hid last night. But yeah, I've not heard of many ducks this cruise.

This one is right next door to us, and we are "Rob and Karen". 🤣

Learned something new. I thought the escape rooms were only on Oasis and Icon class ships, and that they are all different. Turns out, Navigator, Mariner, and Spectrum have them also and there's only 5 different ones. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-activities/royal-escape-room

Look at the cute mini ducks my SIL and her husband found!

This was an on-ship activity, in the pub. 🙂

I captured the full transit from my balcony with my GoPro. And since I had no idea where else to put/share it, I uploaded my very first YouTube video! It's just the raw camera video, no music, no post production, no graphics.

We did pre-cruise 3 might extension in Prague with AmaWaterways a year ago. First post covers Prague. However, I tied in with a Christmas Markets cruise, I suppose things might be a bit different. Certainly colder, and not as nice for walking around. And not sure if their Christmas Markets will have started yet? My wife and I loved Prague, and would happily go back.