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That doesn't affect me as ORD/MDW aren't included in that announcement. I saw that AA and SWA posted losses and will change their service a bit. However, the news of less hiring and such could affect the service at airports.

I’ve been on just a few classes of Royal ships and enjoyed each one for their unique style. Have truly never experienced feeling overcrowdedness (?) on any…so far. Perhaps the other cruise lines do not quite match what Royal has achieved? Since the OP mentioned Mardi Gras…I look forward to seeing it for myself as it’s going to be one of 2 larger ships for me in September! I am definitely partial to Royal! I do hope @RCVoyager will give Royal another chance by taking the advice of the above comments!

Didn't someone buy it a couple of cruises back?? There was a thread on it. Maybe it was one of kind?? or they haven't been able to make another one.

What exactly do you mean? 7night cruise are just that, 7N cruises. Short Carribean cruises are 5N or less either of the Eastern or Western variety, with Long being cruises over 6n of the same Eastern and Western variety.

Recently we were on Allure of the Seas, first time back on an Oasis class since the pandemic and absolutely loved it. I think the bigger ships do a much better job of dispersing the crowds. Service was excellent. I have not yet been on Icon but was told by an experienced cruiser they are not sure they can go back to Oasis class after being on because of the incredible experience. Everyone needs to cruise on the ships that they love the most. For us Freedom class would be the smallest we would do for a weekend cruise. For a week it would have to be Oasis or above.

I can appreciate liking the smaller ships, but no matter the ship size, I've never felt it crowded or felt the staff was overwhelmed with crowds.

Maybe if you think service was the issue because the number of passengers, give a Voyager Class ship a try or really go try a smaller Celebrity Cruise Line, still owned by RCCL. Reviews I read on Celebrity is that they say their service is always great and never lacks. On RCCL sometimes you could get that service lacking because that crew is at the end of their contract and it isn't an excuse for them but it's sometimes hard to keep it going after 7 plus months on the ship. Don't know if you have ever seen some behind the scene shows but man the crew on the ship work HARD! If you can find it watch Mighty Cruise Ships on the Smithsonian channel.

Party time!!!

PEG LEG WILLY'S PUNCH Captain Jack's Perfect Day at Coco Cay NOTE: This cocktail is not on the menu at Captain Jack's but it can be seen on signs at the bar. Has anyone seen this recently?

Yeah noticed that so I grabbed it for my August sailing.

Just stick with the smaller ships that give you the connection you desire. We love Freedom Class, like smaller classes, tolerate slightly bigger, don't plan to set foot on megaships.

It’s cruise day!

THAT is a shortcoming that needs to be corrected.

Everybody wants the newest ships. Europe expects them. Singapore expects them. Australia wants something newer. It should be no surprise Texas wants one too. Royal doesn't deploy based on emotions. Royal deploys where a ship, from the oldest to the newest, will generate the most revenue. A competitor making a dent doesn't matter. For decades Royal didn't serve the LA market. They let Carnival brands own that market. They only returned with a twenty year old ship when they thought they could generate revenue to the point it made sense to do so. What a competitor was doing wasn't a significant factor. If a competitor knocks it out of the park in Galveston and bookings decline Royal's response could just as well be to downgrade to a smaller ship if the larger ship could generate more revenue elsewhere. Placing a new ship there would be risky if a competitor has discovered a secret sauce that would make it even more difficult to book out an even larger ship when they know with certainty that new ship will make bank somewhere else. They'll take the guaranteed money everytime. No emotions, just revenue numbers. Only Royal knows how well Oasis class in Galveston is generating revenue compared to other Oasis class homeports. They have the data. That data is far more important over any other factor including the emotions of what a particular market wants. The numbers don't lie.

I LOVE the Oasis class ships and feel the crowding is at a minimal due to the amount of activities and areas to congregate. So over crowding hasn't really been an issue to me, BUT I will agree, and have brought this up in other forums and platforms- the lack of ocean views and connectivity to the water is definitely lacking. The fact that you can't see the ocean from the bars and lounges, or the restaurants and even the promenade unless you go out to the running track, is something they really seemed to have dropped the ball on. The Older\smaller ships have windows in the Schooner bar and most of the restaurants, along the promenade areas....so you can see outside, Oasis does not. It does look like they opened it up some more on Icon, especially with that giant window on the side. And the Quantum class ships have the lounge in the back with a great view. I am a huge fan of Oasis, and the lack of interior views is really my only critique.

I've been thinking about this for several months. I don't want to sound like a grumpy or winey old man. I think, in the end, my wife and I are done with the big ships. I know many here love them, and I've been trying to put my finger on why we didn't like our cruise last October on the Mardi Gras... yes, I know this is a Royal fan site, but Royal even more than Carnival is in the big ship game. If this post offends you, please back out of it while I try to make a short, but I think relevant point that I think some here will agree with. For my wife, it was simply the number of people jammed onto the ship, the poor service associated with managing 6500 people in such a small space, ect. She probably wouldn't go back for free if offered. For me, it was something different. I didn't like the crowds that were everywhere all the time. I didn't like having to use my phone on the ship to make reservations, but that really wasn't it. I think it was the loss of connection with the sea. It used to be when on a cruise, you were one with the sea. There were great vantage points everywhere, and people would stand at the rail staring at it, being part of it, looking a the horizon, perhaps daydreaming of what could be or what could have been. Now with all the activities and people, the ships are more like an amusement part, and the people are everywhere. On the Mardi Gras, in the public areas, the rails are higher and set back from the side by an extra foot... the panoramic view is substantially cut for people of average height. On these ships, the sea has become just another interstate. It's nothing more than a way for the cruise line to kill time while they fill you with food, drink, and activities that drive revenue. I haven't been to this site or posted as much in the last six months, and I think, sadly, it's because I've lost a lot of interest in cruising. Again, not wanting to be a winey child, I've really tried to figure out why I didn't enjoy that trip at all, and wondered if any of the long time posters here have any of the same thoughts.

For anyone interested, about 2 beaches North of the cruise terminal, on Governor's Beach, there is a pretty good amount of sea glass. I picked up a nice handful when we were there, and I could have gotten a lot more had I wanted to work for it.

The app gave us a 7.30 departure time while our excursion tickets had a meeting time 45 minutes later. We went to GS and the girl walking the line gave us the necessary tags. She told us to ignore the ones our room attendant would bring if they were any different. In the end, they were exactly the same so we ended up with a second set of tags.

Once you have checked in and have your setsail pass: 1. If you are an Apple user, download the setsail pass to your Apple Wallet, or 2. If you are an Android user, scan the barcode with a barcode-reading app. In both cases, if you see a number on the right-hand side after the hyphen that is your provisional cabin number. It could still change but this is rare. If you see "GTY" after the hyphen it means you still have no assignment.

If anyone has an extra Royal Caribbean blinged out tumbler that was in the gift shop on Icon, please let me know. I forgot to purchase. I can't find it anywhere. Still on ship, but won't let me purchase because it's to late

Do you feel like they answered your question or do you think this is a “form” letter ? I don’t see where they addressed your low sodium issue….but maybe it’s the thought that counts ?

I emailed and they’ve already matched! Third time to Vegas so I’m ready!

Yeah seems like it to me. I guess for 2 expect 500. Odd that it's just Bermuda but there must be some good reason.

Me too

WIth the weak western Caribbean routes, an Icon ship would be perfect there.