Quips, quirks, and biases

One of the great things about cruise vacations is that, in many cases, they are what you make of them. Because of that, I always like to include this little introductory section where I describe where I'm coming from, as context definitely colors any review. This was my 9th cruise on Royal Caribbean, and 19th cruise overall. I've been "loyal to Royal" lately because I like their ships, have received competitive pricing, enjoy the C&A perks, and enjoy the OBC I receive for NextCruise bookings. I made my booking directly through Royal Caribbean. Before leaving, I deemed this the "anti-me" cruise. I usually book at least 3 months out, I always fly in the day before the cruise leaves, and I've never gone stag.

I'm currently a graduate student, and I booked this cruise on a lark just over a week before its departure because a) the cruise rate was phenomenal ($189 for a single person in an OV cabin) b) the airfare was tolerable, and c) I needed a break from school (already, sheesh!). The fact that this cruise would push me into Diamond territory for my 10 day Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel in December played no factor at all .... Read more