Thanks to a server crash, I'll repost this today.

A couple of years ago, Royal Caribbean International raised some eyebrows by ending their long running "Get Out There" and replacing it with "The Nation of Why Not."  The "Nation" asked "Why," and did "Not" like the new marketing campaign.  While a legitimate argument could be made for needing to replace a marketing program using an Iggy Pop song with questionable lyrics, how its successor was choose escapes me.

Thankfully we can enjoy not having the bizarre and unfathomable "Nation of Why Not" ads canned for 2012.  They will be replaced by "The Call of the Sea."

I took a look at a sneak peak sent to most Crown and Anchor members, and if the new adds are still a bit....quirky, at least they are catchy this time.  If my ears are serving me well at age 37, the previous voice of "Get Out There," can be heard coming from a large sea shell.

The TV spots basically have a large sea shell, which rings like a phone.  People, maybe random individuals, or actors looking the part, pick the shell up, and are lured to the sea by the "voice." The people are from all walks of life.  Parents with cute little kids, blue collar workers, each telling the "voice" about their stress' in life, or how long since they were at sea. At first, I wasn't sure how the ad was supposed to hook me.  But when you watch it for a bit, and then remember it is likely intended for folks who have never cruised more than anything, it grows on you.

In the end, the ads have one key aspect that other lines tend to gloss over.  You are on a ship.  You are at sea.  You are escaping the world.  The new ads really do something many, such as myself, have argued for.  That is, a return to the thing that makes all cruses special, the fact you are on a ship, in the ocean.  There will always be a powerful feeling of romance about that, which should never be forgotten by the lines.

Slightly more than 200 days until I sail on Freedom of the Seas.  The weather in the Cruise Capital of North Western Ohio is doing a lot to make those days seem much longer.  I'm set to take my kids on a Disney cruise ahead of it, so some relief is coming.  That cruise on the mouse line will be covered on my CruiseAficionados.com blog.  I'll also be covering the gear I'm taking with me at CruiseTravelGear.com's blog.    But in the meantime, there is no lack of things to discuss about Royal Caribbean International. 

My cruise is booked and paid for.  I'm now starting to ponder hotels in the area for the pre-cruise stay.  This will be my first cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, and while I will miss the traditional long sail down Government Cut at Port of Miami, this should be an interesting change. 

I'm looking to experience Royal Caribbean International more fully this time.  I had avoided most excursions and premium dinning in the past.  This time I look to enjoy both.  I'm looking forward to sharing it all with you!

Talk about it, in the Royal Caribbean Fan Forums! Join our community today, and get the Cruise Aficionados app for iPhone and Android!

My internal debate concluded, and I have decided to cruise Royal Caribbean International again, this time on Freedom of the Seas.  Oasis and Allure of the Seas have all the headlines, but my want is for a vacation.  I will cruise Oasis or Allure at some point, but not this time.

I won't state the precise date, except that it will be in January 2012.  I will likely report-in from the ship though.  More on that at CruiseTravelGear.com as I work to determine what I'm going to pack for the cruise. 

There are times that I find it hard to believe that it is over 12 years since Voyager of the Seas set sail.  The amount of excitement the ship set into motion has yet to abate, even with the dour economy.  By that, I mean simply that each new ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, has met with media and public attention.  For that matter, every new ship to the fleets of all other lines have likewise been compared to Voyager of the Seas.  This does not mean that they are unfavorably discussed either.  If anything, the media marveling over the grand new ships has lead to a greater appreciation as to what these ships present in terms of travel and vacations.

In the end, the common thread remains.  These are ocean going ships.  To cruise is to be at sea, in-port, and more.  There is no other kind of experience quite like it.

If I have anything approaching a "traditional" time to take a cruise, it has been the first week after the new year.  It is the lowest priced week of the year, and typically lets me stretch my dollars further.  Plus, the older cruise crowd has gone home for the holiday season, the weather is cooler, and traffic on the road to Florida is not as great.

I am taking the kids on a hybrid cruise/vacation with another line in September.  However, as with most such trips, there just isn't the same relaxing quality when I have the weeblows with me.  As such, I'm looking ahead to my traditional January dates for a personal cruise.  

As usual, lots to debate and figure out.  For the coming week or so, I am going to work through the issues here.

The real debate begins with which ship to choose, the choices having been narrowed down to Oasis of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.  The former is obviously the sexy new beast in the Royal Caribbean International fleet.  The latter is the lead ship of the beloved Freedom class, which I experienced as part of Liberty of the Seas' pre-inaugural cycle.

I am a huge fan of the Voyager class and her derivatives.  I think they may be the best expression of modern cruise ship design afloat.  I've been on Explorer, Voyager, Navigator, and Liberty already.  The class is familiar, inviting, and one I'm entirely sure of enjoying.  Oasis of the Seas is obviously the mega-ship without pier.  Absolutely a wonder of modern engineering, and historic if only because of her raw basic size and such.

Yet, for her size and the temptation to be drawn to the biggest and newest out there, I can not bring myself to simply lock Oasis into my plans.  The lack of a true promenade deck, a feature I personally value and use intensively on every cruise, just does not exist on the Oasis.   I also tend to look at the features and wonder if it might not be better to wait to travel with a group, or perhaps my kids again.  Though the number of places and ways to "people watch," is greater without question, aboard Oasis, compared to Freedom.

In the end, I don't think selecting a ship is going to come down to the class.  I think I would be perfectly happen cruising on either ship.  So the debate will boil down to itiniary, stateroom category, etc. 

Talk about it, in the Royal Caribbean Fan Forums! Join our community today, and get the Cruise Aficionados app for Android!

I've heard of environmental outreach by the cruise industry, but this is a new one.  When Royal Caribbean International revealed that they would put live trees and landscaping on the Oasis class of ships, I was curious how they might handle this.  Beyond stray birds, it becomes an entirely valid question as to what might prevent stray insects from making similar attempts at stowing away aboard the massive Oasis class.  I don't pose the question to sound negative either.  I'm very certain there has long been an answer to this, and I hope to learn what it is soon. 

A work of love is never complete.  So it is with RoyalCaribbeanFan.com.  For years, dating all the way back to my first cruise on Sovereign of the Seas, I extended and enhanced my cruise experience by having a webpage.

Now, some 11 years later, I believe our community here is better than ever, and ready to join with its sister sites in making waves online!

All of this depends on you however.  No community can thrive unless its members participate.  In the coming weeks there will be many new members, as the first commercial promotion of our community commences.  This remains a hobby for me.  Surely, one in which I can dream of being able to set-out and do full-time.  However, it is a labor of love always.  As such, I hope you will avail yourselves of the many great new features.

You can now chat live again, leaving messages for those who may visit later.  So now there is always a reason to try our chat room.  The forums are better than ever, faster, and fully upgraded.  We have a great new review system, where you can share your cruise experiences with everybody in detail, pictures and all!  Our new community system lets you use your Twitter and Facebook accounts with the website.  And heck, we even have our own new Twitter and Facebook accounts!  Plus, we have an all-new, easier to use personal Blog system, so you can blog until your heart is content, free!

I hope you will visit often, and enjoy the community!

Best regards,

Nathan W.L. Boyle

Creator, owner, head web-lacky

www.CruiseAficionados.com

www.PortTalks.com

www.CruiseTravelGear.com

www.CruiseTravelLine.com

I'm pleased to say the testing of the new cruise review section at www.CruiseAficionados.com is coming along and should be online by the end of next week. Photos, reviews, chat, and forums, we should have it all shortly! Regards, Nathan

RCL (Common Stock)
Last Trade:	$13.34
Change:	+1.08
% Change:	+8.81%
Volume:	2,236,625
Day's High:	13.39
Day's Low:	12.55
Previous Close:	12.26
Exchange:	NYS

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I have never bought cruise insurance.  I'll admit that up-front and directly.  Each time I had taken a cruise, the offer came from my travel agent, and in turn I would decline.  Granted, when I first cruised the wider cruising world was not yet as religious about advocating insurance.  Personally, I lumped the products that were on the market into the same category as extended warranties on refrigerators and DVD players.  I came very close to buying the insurance on my last two cruises, both with Royal Caribbean of course.  Yet I still didn't push myself to spend the extra money to guard against the unexpected. Looking ahead towards future cruises, assuming my entire family were going with me, I figured I would buy the insurance.  But it was this past week which is prompting me to "get religion" on the topic.  As some who read here already knew, my father was set to take a cruise on Mariner of the Seas over the holidays.  As you'll appreciate, I reframed from talking much of it for the same reason you wouldn't want to hang a banner in front of your house to announce you weren't there.  However as matters unfolded an appearently benign enough health matter developed just prior to the date he and those going with him were due to depart.   Thankfully all appears to be well, but suffice to say it is bad enough to have any cruise canceled on such an account.  To then also lose the money for said cruise would be that much more crushing. Any talk of travel insurance spurs thought of bad sales pitches and people padding commissions.  Yet having seen it happen to my dad, and considering how such a disaster could stall cruising for a year or more with my own family, it is something I am figuring into my budgets.  To which, I'll have to research a primer on the subject for 2009.  My advice for now?  Talk to somebody about it, it is worth knowing about, and likley it is worth having. You can always drop by our message boards and ask about it if you like! Today's Stock Price.

RCL (Common Stock)
Last Trade:	$12.26
Change:	-0.33
% Change:	-2.62%
Volume:	1,044,084
Day's High:	12.59
Day's Low:	12.03
Previous Close:	12.59
Exchange:	NYS

Talk about this on the Royal Caribbean Fan message boards!