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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/09/2019 in Posts

  1. So, a while ago, while roaming the internet, I stumbled across this awesome list of which activities were on which ships throughout the Royal Caribbean fleet. It was perfect! Maybe I lost it, maybe it was taken down, but I couldn't find it any longer. So I set out to make my own. After going through every deck of every Royal Caribbean ship's deck plans, I noted everything I could find onboard. Bars, dining, entertainment, I listed it all. Here is the result: View in full screen I find it incredibly useful and I thought that I'd put it here because you all might like to use it too. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think. Disclaimers: This is my own creation and all information used is from https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/deck-plans (unless otherwise referenced) Therefore, there may be certain inaccuracies because of either certain things missing on the deck plans, or me missing something out If this is the case, please feel free to let me know and I will update it to reflect these. As said, I have not been on all these ships so do not have first hand experience for all these venues and activities, so please do let me know of any errors I may have made. It is quite large so it may take a moment to load, and you will need to zoom out. I intend to update it as new ships debut, or as ships get refurbished/amplified so it is hopefully always an up to date reference point. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!
    14 points
  2. I was on the recent extended Empress cruise (due to Dorian), it was my first cruise, and I just wanted to say that was the best consecutive eleven days I've ever experienced, and I'm an old guy that's seen a lot. I'm a huge Royal Caribbean fan now, can't imagine riding with anyone else from here on out. I don't know if it's appropriate but I'm posting a sunset photo taken the night before arriving back in Miami.
    12 points
  3. Yesterday was our 28th anniversary. The family surprised us with a cake made in the shape of our home away from home. Guess where we are headed in September:
    7 points
  4. AshleyDillo

    Lost Ty puppies

    I was on the Allure sailing right after yours and I went to Guest Services with no luck. The lady that helped me said she had seen the photo already and knew exactly what I was looking for when I asked her. Hopefully they will turn up and someone will reach out to you!
    6 points
  5. WAAAYTOOO

    Lost Ty puppies

    YEARS (more than 30 !!) ago, during one of the MANY military moves we made, my daughter dropped her Kermit THE frog behind one of the beds. Of course, we were many miles down the road before she missed him. There was nothing to do but turn around and go back to the hotel to try and fetch him. Thank goodness the housekeeper cleaning that room was not particularly thorough because we found him right where he had fallen down behind the bed. Peace was restored. I can sympathize with the OP.
    4 points
  6. ScottL

    We made it!

    We're on the ship and enjoying our lunch courtesy of Chops Steak house. We've done a little bit of exploring and I am totally in love with this ship! I want to thank everyone (especially Matt) for answering all of my silly questions and helping us prepare to make this the best vacation ever! The only sad part is that next week it will be over....but I'm going to enjoy every second while I can! Talk to you all in a week!
    4 points
  7. TetonPost

    Best Eleven Days

    Huge is a relative term for an old guy in a small Tennessee town. I saw lots of bigger boats along the way on that cruise and I imagined what it would be like on one and concluded that the Empress was huge enough. I don't need a water slide or a city within a city, I just want a limber little boat that I can walk from one end to the other easily.
    4 points
  8. Long post ahead, here's the TL;DR: Flights by Celebrity does indeed give a really good savings on one-way international flights, whether you compare with booking direct with the airline or going through a site like Google Flights or Expedia Their customer service is excellent; had a snag after booking and they resolved it quickly, plus answered all my questions while I was on the line with them I definitely recommend them (and by extension Air2Sea from Royal Caribbean, since it's the same group under the hood) My reminder to check for flight home from Dublin using the "Flights by Celebrity" service went off today. I figured before I went to them, I should see what the other usual options like booking directly or going through Expedia or Google Flights would run me. Yup, it's spreadsheet (or in this case bullet list) time! Since I was already leaning towards Iceland Air (@Ray said it's his second-favorite airline; I'd love to know what his favorite is!) I checked their web site first for the direct booking option. They did have flights for my desired week of August 16, including a flight on Thursday, Aug 20, that left DUB at 2:40 PM and arrived in JFK at 7:00 PM; very good timing, and the day we most wanted to fly out Flight includes a one-hour stopover in KEF; first leg is 2-1/2 hours, second leg is 6 hours; not awful flight durations Regular economy includes one checked bag, and the seats offer 32" of leg room; that's enough for me to sit comfortably without upgrading to a "premium" seat Listed price is currently $704.01 per person ($2,816.04 for the four of us) – OUCH! I tried Google Flights next, and couldn't even see anything yet for the week of August 16 What they do have for late July through August 2 shows a very consistent baseline price of $378.75-$387.50 per person ($1,515 to $1,550 for the four of us) That Iceland Air flight was listed for a few weeks earlier, on July 30, and cost a smidge less – $638.25 per person ($2,553 for the four of us); I'll assume that it'll be the same price when they finally show it for August 20 So next I checked Expedia. They also had nothing for the week of August 16 Like Google Flights, that Iceland Air flight was available on July 30 Unlike Google Flights, it cost more to book with Expedia than if I were to book direct with Iceland Air -- $855 per person ($3,418.52 for the family)!!! ?? My results didn't leave me with great hopes. I navigated over to the Flights by Celebrity site, entered my cruise booking info so I could get real quotes, and did my search. Spoiler alert: they won big time! They had plenty of flights listed for the entire week of August 16, including that exact same Iceland Air flight I'd found for August 20. Confirmed it was standard economy and not Iceland Air's "Economy Light", as the listing showed it included a checked bag The price for that flight through Celebrity? $366.13 per person ($1,464.52 for the four of us), or 48% less than booking directly with Iceland Air! The other listed flights on that day were all of $6 less per person, and departed / arrived at much less desirable times, so Iceland Air was the winner! I completed the booking, got my confirmation number, and was told I should get an email shortly. But... nothing, even after a couple of hours. Royal IT once again? Only one way to find out! I called up their reservations line and asked the rep if she could confirm whether my flight booking was in the system. She saw it right away, soon as I gave her our cruise reservation numbers. Asked me if I'd done the flight booking myself, and after confirming that she told me she could link it up for me. I was on hold for about 10 minutes total, but she came back on a couple of times to let me know she was still working on it and it was a lengthy process. But she finally got it all done, and waited on the line while I confirmed I got the confirmation emails at last. Gave her a big thanks, and asked if the fact my original cruise booking was through a travel agent might have mucked things up. She said she doubted that, and she knew the computer system sometimes just failed to correctly link the reservations together; so yeah, Royal IT strikes again! I also confirmed with her that my flight was indeed fully cancelable and no payment required until final payment date; she added that if I saw the price drop, I could call them and they would rebook it at the lower rate. She also confirmed for me that the confirmation number I had was the actual airline confirmation number, and verified it by looking up the booking on Iceland Air directly. She then waited while I went to Iceland Air myself and entered the number, and confirmed that I saw not only the flight details, but also the options to select seats, buy meals in advance, etc. I thanked her profusely, and was really disappointed that I got disconnected during the transfer to the survey; I actually wanted to complete that and give my rep a big two thumbs up! The service is definitely worth it, especially when you can get one of those bookings that allow for no payment until final payment date. I was surprised I had a ticketed booking that let me select seats, as I'd heard you didn't get that until payment was made; but I just re-checked the Iceland Air site, and my booking still shows the seats I selected this morning.
    3 points
  9. TetonPost

    Best Eleven Days

    I've got more pictures from the cruise on my blog if anyone is interested: https://www.oldmanjim.com/
    3 points
  10. TetonPost

    Best Eleven Days

    Thanks! I've been looking over that Fleet Guide pdf, very informative. My next cruises will be based on price of course, itinerary, time of year (although hurricane season worked out really well for me :-) and then work my way up the fleet classes with an eye on the amped ships. Thanks for the advice everyone!
    3 points
  11. fonemanbob

    Door Decor Stuff

    I have decided to surprise the wife and ordered the Happy Anniversary pkg.of decorations and red velvet cupcakes. I did this for her birthday a few years ago and she loved it. 44 years and counting. She deserves it. As far as the white boards goes. I can guarantee those on Anthem this week I may place a message or two. L.O.L. BEWARE
    3 points
  12. Hi @Amygs1, welcome to the forums (if you weren't already welcomed)! You definitely have to try a Kraken Lava Flow if you're a rum person, it's way better than the regular kind (which is probably made with Captain Morgan's). If you're also into gin, you may want to check out the Collins menu in the Schooner bar; they offer a variety of Collins drinks there as specialties of that bar. Can't comment on those as I'm not into gin, but other specialty drinks I've gotten on board have all been great.
    3 points
  13. ThyriC

    Do Not Miss....

    I'm going to join in the chorus of Enjoy the sea. Watch a sunset over the open ocean. Watch a sunrise over the open ocean. Meditate (ok that's a little spiritual, sorry, its a thing I do) on the vastness of the open ocean when you're nowhere close to land. Its absolutely awe inspiring that I get on every ship I've ever been on. Also, find a quiet spot on the ship. You may have to search for one. Maybe its the library, maybe its a nook off of the centrum, maybe its the solarium. Maybe its in one of the specialty restaurants. Maybe its the art gallery. No matter the place, find a place to get away that's not your room, and its at least semi quiet. Have a conversation about your trip, what you've done, who you've met. Its amazing that in all of the hustle and bustle of a cruise so many forget to just take time to reflect on those experiences. I'd also suggest, dont miss formal night. Yes its adult prom. But I love it. No matter the cruise line, no matter specialty unlimited dining packages, take time to enjoy formal night. Take pictures. You dont get this moment many times anymore as an adult. So make the most of it. Get in those suits, get in those sparkly or flowy dresses or pantsuits. Have FUN at adult prom. Its 3 hours of your life. Suck it up for 3 hours and then you can put on your track suit again.
    3 points
  14. Cruise Day 3 Today We get to go to a new port that we have never heard of before this booking let alone been to. Progreso Mexico!! Breakfast was at the WindJammier as usual. I have never done breakfast in the MDR. Breakfast is more of grab and go type situation for me. We docked later than a typical port. So we had plenty of time to eat and get down to Deck 1 to disembark the ship. As previously mention Progreso has a FOUR MILE long pier. It is not a typical wooden/cement pier. It is land extended for four miles into the Gulf Of Mexico. Two lane road and multiple turn offs and building along the way. Progreso offers and free shuttle to the downtown area and then you are free to explore. Right where the ship docks there are some chatzky stores and the usual Duty Free shops offering free tequila shots. The shop owners and hawkers are relentless everywhere here. Worst I’ve seen. A simple No thank you does the trick most of the time. The heat was unreal. 88* F but is felt like 110*F. Oppressive is putting it lightly. The bus drops you a central bus depot and it is a 4 block walk to the beach area IF you can find your way out the maze of shops. After doubling back 2 times we found our way. RCCL offers an excursion for the public free beach. $35 pp will get you a bus ride, access to the beach and two loungers and a palapa. Umm, bus is free for everyone… beach is free for everyone…lounger and palapa you can haggle to $10. Am I missing something?? Along the beach are mostly restaurants that offer seating on the beach. We have a simple beach tent to protect us from the sun. This ‘tent’ folds up into a sack that is ¼ the size of a shoe box. Quick set up and tear down. We bought is on Amazon real cheap. https://www.amazon.com/Venustas-Umbrella-Outdoor-Shelter-Lightweight/dp/B07PNW1WPB/ref=pd_ybh_a_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7MGHW9HQSFG72NJ0BKZQ I hit up the convenient store across the street for some soda and water. I was thrown off for a moment when saw a 1.5 Lt bottle for water for $14.50….Yes with a dollar sign. BTW the Peso uses the dollar sign also. Easy translation 20ish pesos to a dollar….so 85c. The diet Pepsi Black was .5 Lt for 40c. Prices for locals are amazingly inexpensive….Tourist areas not so much!! We spent about two hours at the beach and headed back to a restaurant that was handing out little flyers on the way to the beach. Barlovento Restaurant and Bar had little dollar margaritas so that peaked my curiosity. Since my wife is pregnant I had four, two for her and two for me. Quesadillas and fries for me and the baby, enchiladas for the Mrs. she also had some Mexican flavors fruity water. $47 DOLLARS!!! Return bus ride was quick and painless for I hate shuttles and waiting on them to fill up to capacity. This one filled up quick. We were back to the ship by 1:15. That's the NOT the ship in the distance....that not even the half way point to the ship!!! Check out this old school high chair!! One question I had right off the bat was will the casino be open while in port? The ship is docked 4 miles for the coast of Progreso….essentially International Waters? Nope not open. Upon return it was nap time for the baby and mommy. I walked around a bit, then before you knew it was time for dinner. Dinner Me French Onion Soup Caesar Salad Chicken Parm Royal Chocolate Cake Wife IDK Zander Fruit Cup Steak off kids menu NY Strip After dinner walk led us to the ventriloquist show at the theater. I was a little hokey and nice and lighthearted. Zander being your typical 20 month old got bored real quick and we made our exit to explore some shops and head to the room. I then headed to the roulette table to turn $40 in to $240. Now I’m even. Of to bed. Tomorrow Cozumel and Nachi Cocom!!! 1st timer here someone is sleeping. this is part of the dock/pier in Progreso Zander waiting for steak!! These were cool. Fold on this sailing's FB page talked about hiding Rubber Duckies around the ship. They had dozens we found one for Zander. It took us to day 4 to find one, but we did!! Enchantments "added" 70+ feet of ship that was added after the original build
    2 points
  15. Ken23

    Voom Price Increases

    Thanks for the heads up @twangster. Fortunately my one RC cruise I have booked I already purchased VS&S.
    2 points
  16. I never check internet prices b/c I just buy internet once onboard and use our 30% D+ discount. However, urged on by Twangster's alarm bell, I went and looked. For our upcoming Grandeur cruise (Oct 12) the 1 device plan is 40% off ($13.19 PP/PD). I figured what do I have to lose ? 40% beats 30% PLUS if the rate goes up, it will be even more onboard. SO I went ahead and bought it for both of us. Granted, Grandeur's Voom is pretty sketchy at best but we always buy it....so why not try and save a couple of bucks. I checked some of our other cruises and the numbers are all over the place ! Some offered 20%, some 25%, 1 other cruise offered 40%. Thanks for the Head's up !!
    2 points
  17. For $120 that better come with a "happy ending"
    2 points
  18. Be sure to set up WiFi calling before your cruise. Meaning, ensure it works before you get onboard. You can test it at home by following the steps outlined above while connected to your home wifi.
    2 points
  19. After sailing Symphony and then Harmony, I made this my goal as well. Just got off Allure and I have Oasis booked in November..so that will be all four Oasis sisters in just around a year's timeframe. By far my favorite class of Royal ships, although I have yet to sail on Freedom class.
    2 points
  20. In fact, I did something stupid the other week! After one too many scotches and in that mood where you just wanna book a cruise, I went and booked Carnival Mardi Gras! ? Realizing what I had done the next day, I've now had to book a trip to Coco Cay each side of that cruise so I don't feel so dirty!!
    2 points
  21. Look I'm sure the current situation is fine for 90% of the population out there. It's that 10% who really love cruising that would like to see more variety in ships and itineraries. So the minority convincing leaders to expand ports seems unlikely. We've traveled to Miami before and are happy to keep doing so to have these experiences but it would be nice to spend that $6000 in air fares on more cruising!! ?
    2 points
  22. Royal has had Spectrum in the booking system long enough to know if the region can support two Q ships in Asia at the same time. It's possible with Spectrum now in China that they are looking to adjust capacity and have Quantum spend some of it's time elsewhere. Royal has been very successful in China but I'm not sure if that success would support Spectrum and OA5 at the same time. That's a pretty significant bump in capacity, demand would have to be very strong, like Spectrum is consistently sold out months in advance kind of demand. If OA5 goes to Galveston that could free up a Freedom class ship to find a new home somewhere. Freedom class would fit into Australia now and be something new.
    2 points
  23. Convince your leaders to expand your ports. Royal is trying to, that's why they spoke at the convention but they alone can't motivate your ports to expand.
    2 points
  24. Ovation was the newest Quantum class ship until Spectrum came along but Spectrum was purpose built specifically for Asia. So to say Australia is treated 2nd rate isn't fair. Australia has had the newest non-Asian ship that can fit into Sydney for some time now. If Australia had expanded it's ports 10 years ago Oasis class would probably already be there. Oasis deployed in 2009 so Australia has had 10 years to work on this. It's too bad Australia treats Royal 2nd rate.
    2 points
  25. The question that always confuses me. Reading that people who smoke in the US is at 14%. So why do the remaining 86% of us have to tolerate second hand smoke or skip a venue because of the heavy smoke that pours out of a casino. When Illinois went non smoking all you heard was bars and night spots would go out of business because of smoking ban. Yeah right their business suffered no side effects and in some cases doubled. So Royal needs to follow Celebrity and kick smoking off of cruise ships.
    2 points
  26. Unfortunately Voyager was the only ship cruising from Aus that had Johnny Rockets. I'll certainly be considering booking another cruise though, just as soon as I've actually gone on my first cruise.....(104 days away now)
    2 points
  27. Oh! If you want a rum drink, try a Dark & Stormy. Official drink of Bermuda but made everywhere nowadays. Just make sure it's made with Black Seal spiced rum and (if at all possible) ginger beer rather than ginger ale.
    2 points
  28. TetonPost

    Best Eleven Days

    You're right, I can't just book future cruises on nothing but the Empress. I will expand my horizons...
    2 points
  29. PG Cruiser

    Door Decor Stuff

    I've taken this magnet with me on MOST of my cruises. Too bad I can't say ALL of my cruises because I left the first one I made on the Harmony.
    2 points
  30. TetonPost

    Best Eleven Days

    That's very nice, thank you!
    2 points
  31. From RC policy page https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/food-drink-onboard-policy
    2 points
  32. Mike P

    Bringing Drinks On Board

    Here's a link to a blog post that explains it all... https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/08/28/royal-caribbean-now-allowing-guests-bring-non-alcoholic-beverages-onboard
    2 points
  33. MikeK

    Do Not Miss....

    Don't miss the flying fish! Every morning I order coffee for the room and I stand out on the balcony to enjoy the sea. If you watch closely you can see the flying fish. Depending on how high up you are will determine the size your looking for. If your above seven they will be about the size of a dragon fly. Once you see one you will be hooked.!
    2 points
  34. Mike P

    Older podcasts

    Although a lot of info in the older ones is no longer relevant, it's still nice to see things that have changed. For example @Matt wasn't always Team DX (Deluxe Drink Package), where now he is! Or @Matt and @mpoole3 debate which is better, Labadee or Coco Cay (well before Perfect Day was even a thought!). One thing that hasn't changed is Matt picking on @monorailmedic, haha!! Although, I've met them both and they have a great friendship!
    2 points
  35. Cruise Day 2 A Day at Sea Let me back up a little. In reference to check in…My wife is 23 weeks pregnant. RCCL limits pregnancy to 24 weeks on Disembarkation Day, but no one ever asked if she was pregnant, (it would be rude if they did) and most likely no one would if she was 30 weeks either. I guess this is a rule that is only a concern if you go into labor but then again that is too late. Anyone have any experience with this?? Another early day with the baby Zander. We always do breakfast at the Windjammier. I noticed RC is now cooking their bacon to my and most folks and likely everyone’s liking…crispy! Another observation. They do not serve bananas in the Windjammier in the morning….odd. Beautiful partly cloudy day. We are not ‘lay out by the pool’ kinda folks. We attended the Art auction as we occasionally do. Free Champagne is always a plus. Wifey likes the art and I ended up surprising her with a Thomas Kinkade portrait of the American Flag and Statue of Liberty. She completed 30 years in the Navy Reserve last year and I found the portrait to be fitting for her. Lunch at Windjammier then a quick donation to the casino while mommy and baby napped. Many folk complain about the age of this ship. The only things that, to me, make it appear dated in the exterior has a lot of rust and that cigarette smoke has just permeated everything around it. You can smell smoke all the way to the Centum on deck 5 and the forward elevator atrium on 4 5 and 6. Everything else about Enchantment is fantastic. I find it odd that the run movies in the room that are 3 hours long. Today was Aquaman. I never got to see the full movie for it always ran into other activities ☹ Day 2 is formal night and we didn’t overdo dressing for it. Khakis and a dress shirt for me, fancy slacks and blouse for the misses and a Tuxedo onesie for our son. I am an extremely picky eater, but I am consciously trying to “try” new things. This trip it’s escargot eh the garlic Me: Escargot Classic Caesar Salad Filet Royal Chocolate Cake Wife: Classic Caesar Salad Filet Sugar Free Dessert Zander Fruit cup His own Filet Cookie & ice cream After dinner we headed for the pool deck to walk of some calories and enjoy the peacefulness of the outdoors. It early to bed for mommy and baby, and I headed to the casino for some Roulette and had to shower to get the smoke off me upon returning to the cabin. Wifey is highly sensitive to it. PICTURES TO FOLLOW
    2 points
  36. We love the main Dining Room. We can order fast and be on our way to have more fun within an hour or usually less. We also love the food. I usually get prime rib sometimes twice each cruise. I love the lamb dishes and the duck! And did I mention lobster. There are many many other dishes that are very good! But, occasionally, I will order a steak from the specialty restaurant. The major problem with the specialty restaurants is that it takes so long. Granted the food is very good also, but you have to pay. In summary, we usually eat only in the Main Dining Room and on a rare occasion eat in a Specialty restaurant or the Windjammer.* * Exceptions: We enjoy the fun Mexican Specialty restaurants, like Sabor, for lunch. And, we do want to try Hooked on Seafood when we cruise on a ship that has that.
    1 point
  37. If you connect to wifi and THEN put phone in airplane mode it will turn wifi off also...so make sure you go back in to turn wifi back on and connect to ship wifi
    1 point
  38. PRebecca

    Best Eleven Days

    My favorite post I've seen all weekend and I've seen a lot of great ones! Thanks for sharing ?
    1 point
  39. Put phone in airplane mode then go back to settings and turn wifi on and connect to ship. You might have to make sure you have wifi calls turned on too in settings. You also have to imessage to text (both devices have to be apple...send and receive devices).
    1 point
  40. Hoski

    Best Eleven Days

    Here is a chart of all their ships if you want to book your next sailing based on size. http://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/content/uploads/Fleet-Guide.pdf
    1 point
  41. To add to my above post, I forgot to put "total". I would pay no more than $300-400 total. Definitely not per person on non-O and Q class.
    1 point
  42. We peaked on day 4 spending 4x the daily value! After that we kept at a respectable 2-3x the daily value ?
    1 point
  43. ...and people will be hitting it hard! People learn the hard way on day one that they need to pace after that ?
    1 point
  44. "Guest" is a strong word for that fella
    1 point
  45. I think this extended stay is not available for US departure ports. I’ve never heard of it being offered in the US.
    1 point
  46. Actual live blog: it’s the last morning in Windjammer and based on behavior I think nobody here is ever going to see breakfast food again. We are one step away from children filling their Paw Patrol backpacks with banana pancakes.
    1 point
  47. Matt

    Johnny Rockets

    I haven't had a shake at Ben and Jerrys yet. Sounds like I need a "research trip" to find out ;)
    1 point
  48. DAVE(Darkcabbie)

    Johnny Rockets

    Thanks Matt & RCL4Life. That's really helpful, all I can say is look out Johnny Rockets im coming for ya.
    1 point
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