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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/22/2021 in all areas

  1. Sorry everyone for having to deal with the spammers. They've been dealt with.
    11 points
  2. I got the email too. Trip booked. Looking forward to meeting her in person.
    11 points
  3. Please fill out those Post Cruise Surveys with names and what made them special. Apparently, with the restart, there are a ton of move up opportunities. Every survey is read and scored, giving the crew mentioned a point every time they are given a positive review. So help out those crew members that made your cruise special. I carried around an index card and pen, making sure to write down names, department, and action during my 4 weeks. The list is very long, but I will be giving many crew members 4 points, 1 across each survey, with details. They added to making our cruise so special, the least I can do is repay them by taking a few minutes to help them.
    8 points
  4. I AGREE! Look at my picture. I started shaving my head just so they would stop asking!
    8 points
  5. My family and I just got off the Allure. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with a Live Blog but wanted to share our wonderful experience. Background My wife and I had been in Star Class on the Allure in May of 2018. We traveled with my dad in a Star Loft Room and had Susan Flannery as our Genie. She was fantastic. We looked for other Star Class trips that we could do with family and chose a 2 Bedroom Aqua Theater Suite in 2019 that got interrupted by the pandemic. After a new search, using a Casino Discount and Future Cruise Credits, we got a great price and booked the Royal Loft Suite on what was to be the amplified Allure of the Seas, in September of 2021. Due to Covid-19 the full Amplification never happened, but we still liked the ship and what it had to offer and obviously the room was a big factor. Joining us (Bob and Martha) on the trip in this fantastic room would be my dad, my youngest sister (Sandy), our niece (Dina), and our recently widowed family friend of 40 years (Mike). As the months went by, I would send our family group video clips of the room, pictures and features of the ship, menus, etc. to heighten the anticipation. We were getting nervous about the resumption of cruises, but when we saw the Allure do a test cruise, and then begin income generating cruises, the reality was setting in that we may go on the trip. Our original itinerary included Nassau, Falmouth, Jamaica, Labadee, and Coco Cay. After the unrest and earthquake in Haiti, we received notice from Royal Caribbean that the Labadee and Falmouth would be replaced by Cozumel and Costa Maya, and Nassau would be the moved to later in the cruise instead of the 1st stop. Embarkation Cruising Cozumel Costa Maya Cruising Nassau Coco Cay Disembarkation Our group liked this itinerary better. We booked a day at Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel, and Maya Chan in Costa Maya. We did not plan anything for Nassau but did have something special for our group at Coco Cay…more on that later. We filled out the Star Class pre-cruise questionnaire when it arrived and got more excited when we received our first correspondence from our Royal Genie, Romina Gheorghe. We had not heard a great deal about her, but we made a few requests to her in our initial correspondence. We shared a few emails in the week leading up to the cruise and she always responded quickly which made us feel comfortable. Since my wife and I and my dad had sailed Star Class before, we did our best to prepare the others on what they could anticipate. My wife and I live in the Orlando area, and we were sailing from Port Canaveral, so we were the hub for this trip. The cruise started on a Sunday, and my dad, sister and friend were flying in together from Chicago on Friday afternoon. My niece was driving down from her place in Myrtle Beach late on Friday as well. The plan was to get rapid antigen tests on Saturday morning and then chill at our place until leaving for the port on Sunday morning. As time drew nearer to the cruise, my wife and I and Mike got rapid tests done on Thursday which was still withing the accepted protocol at the time. The protocol changed to testing no later than 2 days prior to cruising the day after we left Port Canaveral. Martha, Mike and I were thrilled when we got our Negative test results. 3 down and three to go. I had made the test appointments for everyone but Mike at a local CVS near us. On Saturday morning, we took my sister, my dad and my niece to get their tests. About an hour later, there was much rejoicing as all tests were negative and we were psyched to be able to get on board the next morning.
    6 points
  6. 6 points
  7. Sorry but it makes absolutely no sense that the staff cannot ask someone to comply with mask protocols unless another passenger complains first. That’s ludicrous. You are not, nor is any passenger, the mask police.
    6 points
  8. Given the line for not having to wear a mask is 2, how did you know how old the child was? Frankly I am getting a rather snooty vibe from your post. Perhaps I am reading it wrong.
    6 points
  9. Can I just say I love how this messageboard has become the unofficial Star Class live blog/review board?
    6 points
  10. You better! Don't let me down like some others around here...like @Matt
    6 points
  11. Embarkation Day Cruise day had finally arrived. We loaded the 6 of us in two vehicles with luggage and a mobility scooter for dad and made our way to the port. We had an official check in time of 1pm, but Romina explained that we could be within an hour of that time. It was a little after 11am when Mike and I dropped off the scooter, luggage and the ladies at the Star Class stand while we went up to park. When we got back downstairs the attendant at the Star Class banner had arranged for porter to get our bags and follow us in after an initial check of our vaccination cards, passports, and Negative Test Results. We had printed these out and this proved to be much quicker than bringing it up the few times it was requested from our smart phones. A side note, it appeared that a few folks decided to gamble and arrive before their “appointments”, and I did not see anyone being turned away. After the initial document check, we were led inside by the Star Class representative to the next area where our documents were checked again. This is where we received wristbands that they asked to keep on the remainder of our time on the ship. The Star Class rep then led us through baggage x-ray and on to an elevator (we had the scooter) to the 2nd floor. This is where we first met our Genie Romina. Romina brought us to another access point where our documents were scanned, and then she led us to the terminal exit leading to the ship. This was the fourth and last time our documents were examined. Romina led us onto the Allure and asked if we had watched the safety videos. Since we had done so, she brought us to our muster station, and we were checked in and completed within a few minutes. It was only 11:30am and we now made our way to the room. While we had viewed videos of the Royal Suite, it did not compare to seeing it in person. We let Martha use her key card to open the door and when we entered, tears of joy streamed down her face as she was thrilled to be back on a cruise. Romina was quick to ensure that Martha was okay, and they did a fist bump. We wanted to go to the Park Café for lunch and Romina was alerted that another Star Class Guest was ready to board, so we planned to meet later in the room where she would go over the itinerary that she had planned for us. At this time, we also met our room stewards Derry and Putu. We chatted briefly and they went over the features of the Royal Suite. We asked them to set up the jacuzzi tub on the patio as we planned to use our massive balcony for sail away. My family also presented them each with a bag of chocolates which they seemed to genuinely appreciate. Since it was only 11:45am and very few people were on the ship at the time, we were the only people in the Park Café for the first half hour, then other cruisers began to trickle in. All the personnel we encountered seemed genuinely happy to have folks back on board. The made to order salads and roast beef sandwiches were as good as were remembered. After lunch we explored the rest of the ship to show the newbies around. We then went back to the room to unpack. Just as we finished unpacking, Romina came to the room, and we all went over the plan for the week. Pre-cruise, I had requested early dinners, and early shows as we like to spend time in the casino afterwards. We made a few minor adjustments to her plan but overall, it suited us well. We also put in a standing order for Starbucks, fresh Orange Juice and a few chocolate milks to be delivered to suite each morning. We then enjoyed the next few hours relaxing on the balcony and using the jacuzzi. One note…due to our dining schedule and advice from this board, we asked Romina not to have afternoon snacks sent to the room to avoid food comas and waste. For dinner, we had requested Coastal Kitchen (thank you Sabrina) as it was Filet night. Romina met at 5:30pm and all 6 of us ordered the filet. It was outstanding as usual. After dinner, we moved around the ship some more, and we took some group photos until we were to meet up with Romina at Studio B for the Ice Show at 8:45pm. Romina had seats reserved and bar service lined up for us as we arrived. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. As a matter of fact, we really enjoyed all the entertainment this week. After the show we made our way to the Trellis Bar to meet some Cruise Critic members from our unofficial roll call. One couple Sally and Tom had set up a poker run for anyone interested. Our whole group participated and we drew our first cards. Then per our custom, our group ended the evening in the casino.
    6 points
  12. I am both excited and terrified to begin my first live Blog here of my first ever Star Class sailing and also….our wedding! I can only hope it is HALF as good as the amazing bloggers I read religiously here! 48 DAYS! Here we go! The Story- My husband and I (I will explain!) booked this cruise for our wedding 2 YEARS ago during a Black Friday sale at an amazing price! We both LOVE cruising…so much so that we have a YouTube channel called BoosCruize so it seemed natural that we would choose to tie the knot in a small ceremony on the high seas! So after much research we decided on the Star Loft Suite 1720 on Oasis Of The Seas! This suite had a HUGE rectangular balcony that could fit guests and also give us the ocean view we wanted….and a Genie to help us pull it all off! What could go wrong?!? Enter…COVID As you can imagine we basically needed a new pair of britches every other day for the last two years as things changed. It’s a good thing I buzz cut my head or I’d probably be bald and NOT by choice LOL A year later we weren’t even sure if this cruise would happen but we also KNEW we wanted to be married. So when a company came to us and asked to throw us a huge West Coast “David Tutera” style wedding in Hollywood that will be published for magazines we obviously said YES! We now have two bi-coastal weddings Lol It was amazingly gorgeous but nothing was our choice. It was all chosen for us….right down to our tuxes. We feel BEYOND blessed but it also wasn’t what we had in our head two years ago. So now here we are….our guest list of 50 has gone down to 12 due to covid complications. Are we upset? HECK NO! We completely understand and are going to have the time of our LIVES on a gorgeous ship surrounded by people who love us! We can’t wait! Who: We are an LA couple. Jarell is an international Flight attendant (yaasss benefits!) and I am an actor who just moved from NYC in time for a pandemic to close Hollywood Where: We are sailing on the Oasis Of The Seas out of Miami in the Star Loft Suite 1720 with stops at Coco Cay, St.Thomas, and St. Maarten When: We sail November 7th-14th, 2021 I think that covers most of the back story and introductions! So happy to meet you all and take you along with us on this very special journey that is over 2 years in the making! Can’t wait to see who our Genie will be! For good measure I have included a photo of the happy grooms from our West Coast Wedding!
    5 points
  13. Pre-Cruise Planning: Excursions/Ports: Coco Cay- Thrill Water Park! We have NEVER been to Coco Cay! This is very exciting for us because we are thrilled seekers and couldn’t contain our excitement about the water slides! We also want to explore the entire island. Because of this we decided not to do a Cabana because we doubt we would spend enough time in it to make it worth it. We know that we will be in many locations trying out all the amenities and food!! Chicken sandwich and mozzarella sticks anyone?!? St. Thomas- The ONE excursion that we were set on doing was the Sea Lion Swim in St. Thomas! We had it in the cart three months ago and got ready to check out! Computer glitch….we call…SOLD OUT there is no waiting list either. We will mention this in our initial Genie wishlist and see if there is any magic to be done. If not it won’t be the end of the world. We will do something that involves a tour and beach day! St. Maarten- We have been to this beautiful island several times and each time we say we are doing Maho Beach and each time we decide not to becaus did crowds. Well NOT THIS TIME! We are absolutely going to go this time because with reduced ship numbers it seems like the PERFECT time. Plan to take taxi to Maho Beach and find some chairs, umbrellas, and cocktails! Travel/Hotels I am originally from Florida. Due to health concerns my Mom won’t be able to join us on this cruise. However, I may be a grown man but I am also an only child. If I dared step foot in Florida without seeing my Mother (She is a southern Belle but she means BUSINESS!!)Jarell would be a widow before we even got married LOL Also I am just realizing there is no gay equivalent to widow/widower. I digress because of this we plan to travel to Tampa and stay Thursday/Friday to visit family. Despite having free flight privileges we decided that it was better to rent a car in Tampa on Saturday and drive to Miami with all our wedding supplies like welcome aboard gift bags for our guests and decor etc. Plus Jarell has never made this car trip and wants to see Alligator Alley. If you’re from Florida seeing an alligator is just a Tuesday but hey get your thrills babe LOL We debated on where to stay in Miami on Saturday night knowing only that our one requirement was that we wanted a port view! We originally planned on staying at the Intercontinental but after checking pricing and locations we decided that for the same price of a room at Intercontinental we could get a suite at Holiday Inn Port Of Miami. That would also allow us to hosts our friends as they come in town if we choose to. Plus we can walk across the street to the restaurants and shops. And wake up early to watch Oasis sail in! This is the suite we chose! We are also super excited that on Saturday night we booked reservations for dinner at The Versace Mansion! People RAVE about the food and I can’t imagine a more fabulous or appropriate place to dine before sailing out of Miami for a Star Class Gay wedding than here! LOL This is getting long so I will be back when we hear from our Genie!! I hear they are all fantastic on Oasis but thanks to the expert suggestion from @Lovetocruise2002we made a plea for Shane as our Genie on our survey LOL *fingers crossed!
    5 points
  14. Thank you so very much! Yes getting married ON the ship required several hoops to jump through regarding same sex couples and also Maritime law etc etc. Truthfully we were ALWAYS going to do the paperwork in LA just the two of us as a formality. However it turned into a full blown wedding. However on the ship this is what we had envisioned. Small, intimate, just us and close friends exchanging vows at sunset with champagne and hors d'oeuvres followed by dinner. Then a WEEK long vacation with friends. Simple….and thankfully we are going to do just that! I am so thrilled to be able to show a different representation of love and I am SO happy for you and yours!
    5 points
  15. Day 4 – Costa Maya The day started as usual with our morning beverage delivery. I had made arrangements with Maya Chan Beach Resort for our group. Martha and I were the only ones who had been here previously. When I contacted the owner’s son David, I asked if we could have a specific location near the pool and restrooms. He quickly responded and our reservations were set. We found out when we arrived that this was only the fourth day they had been re-opened. Romina had also worked with the Port Authority to allow dad and Martha to take their scooters to the security gate where we would only have a short walk to meet the bus to take us to Maya Chan. This was extremely helpful as it is quite a hike from the ship to this gate. Security had us leave the scooters in a covered area where we could retrieve them upon our return. We crossed the street and met the representative from the resort. A short time later a huge van arrived and we were on our way. After a 20 minute trip where the driver skillfully maneuvered around the unpaved road, we arrived and David greeted us and explained the layout to those who had not been there previously. We were guided to our cabana which was nice appointed and had the right mixture of sun and shade. Moments later, rum punch and chips, salsa and guacamole arrived. We arrived around 9:30am and at 11am we were told by our server that lunch was ready, so we headed over to the dining area and bar. I had prepped my dad about the food, since he is picky eater and usually not open to trying new things. I assured him none of the food was spicy unless he added some spice from the taco bar. We had a choice of corn or flour tortillas, fresh fish, chicken, pork or beef and toppings of choice which was served by the staff. Everyone loved the food, but I was floored when my dad asked for seconds! This was a very chill experience versus Mr. Sanchos and we enjoyed the change of pace. This was a short port day and we asked for a return taxi at 2pm. The return was seamless as the van stopped just inside the gate where we retrieved the scooters and did a little shopping in the port. Once again a call to Romina and she escorted us back up to our room once we were back on ship. Plans tonight include 5:30pm Izumi Hibachi and Mama Mia at 8:30pm. After we all got back to the room, we showered and relaxed a bit and then it was off to Izumi. The food and presentation were great. Our group of six were joined by another couple and we all had fun. After dinner we sauntered around until it was time to meet Romina for Mama Mia. I did not know if I would enjoy this show a second time as I had seen it on the Allure in 2018, but in discussing with my wife, we think we liked this performance better. Great cast with great energy and of course the music. Back to the casino after the show, but the long days, sun and fun were catching up with us.
    5 points
  16. Day 3 – Cozumel, Mexico In my correspondence with Romina, I expressed concern of getting my dad (82) and my wife (extremely bad knees) from the ship to the cab stand in Cozumel and asked her for suggestions. As mentioned, we had my dad’s scooter and I rented another one from Special Needs at Seas for Martha to use as she wanted. Covid has limited some Genie flexibility as they are not allowed off the ship. Romina worked with the Port Authority to have two people from the port meet up with us at the gangway and assist dad and Martha all the way to the cabs. This saved them countless steps. We were told that we should let Port Security know when we returned and they would escort them back as well. When we were notified of the itinerary change, we made reservations at Mr. Sanchos as four of us had been there previously and liked it. The six of us were placed in a van and driven to the beach resort. On the way, as I spoke with the driver, he said he would remain the whole day and drive us back when we wanted to return to the ship. There did not seem to be too many people at the cab stand, so I could see why he would want a dedicated fare and tip both ways. He did not want to accept the first fare until our return, but I gave it to him anyway when we arrived. We took the obligatory picture at the entrance and then paid our entrance fee. We were some of the first folks at the resort and had our choice of locations. The boys chose a shaded area near the swim-up bar while the ladies chose a palapa near the beach. Norberto was our server, and he took extremely good care of us. Food and drinks were good and plentiful. We spent time in and out of the water at the beach and pool and took in the beautiful weather while applying sunscreen liberally. When it was time, Norberto alerted our driver who made sure the van was cool for our return trip to the port. We provided a nice tip to Norberto for taking such great care of us. We left a little early to allow some shopping time at International Pier. After arriving back at the port, we walked around a bit and shopped before we met up with the port employees to use the wheelchairs to help get dad and Martha back to the ship. We let Romina know that we were returning and she met us as we got back on the ship and secured an elevator for us. With a swipe from her magic Genie key card, we had the express back up to deck 17. For dinner, since we were back from a day in the sun and an all inclusive resort, we asked Romina for a low key dinner of some pizzas delivered to the balcony where we could watch sail away as well. We all showered and went to the Boardwalk where we rode the carousel and enjoyed some Ben and Jerry’s at Cups and Scoops. Then we met up with Romina at 9:45pm at the Aqua Theater for the 10pm Aqua Show. This show was fantastic as we continue to marvel at the athleticism of the performers. After the show it back down to the casino. Next up…Costa Maya.
    5 points
  17. Day 8 – Disembarkation and final thoughts Darn…no Starbucks delivery today. We went to Coastal Kitchen at 6:30am and told Romina we would be at the room ready at 7:30am. Everyone already was all packed, so after our final breakfast on the ship, we met back at the suite where Romina had a porter gather our bags and follow us off the ship. She had Martha and my dad drive their scooters to get off the ship. Romina was able to walk us up to the elevators that would take us to customs. Hugs were exchanged and she asked me to text her when we got home. When we got downstairs, we were met by another Star Class representative. Martha relinquished he scooter which another porter took back to the room. Our luggage was transferred to another porter who would take it all the way to our vehicles. We were led to facial recognition scanners and very quickly passed through to the parking garage. From the room to packing our cars and leaving was a little over 20 minutes. Remarkable…I love Star Class. Final Thoughts There was much anticipation and anxiety leading up to this trip. We were so relieved that we got to go. My family says that Star Class lived up to my hype and then some. I am pleased that we were able to share this with our friends and family. We were very pleased with Romina, she was different than Susan Flannery, our first Genie, but equally as good. She had 4 rooms to attend to on this cruise including our party of 6, but we never felt slighted in any way. Romina was good at anticipating our needs and was very good at responding to my pre-cruise emails. Cruising was different due to Covid-19, and masking in certain parts of the ship was mandatory. We had determined early on that if that was what we need to cruise, then so be it. For us it was really a minor inconvenience. Most of the areas we liked to spend on the ship were where we could take them off…Theaters, Restaurants, Solarium, Casino and of course our suite. Royal has done a fantastic job with the protocols they have in place. It was nice to have servers in Windjammer, drink stations, at the soft serve area on the pool deck etc., because…well, people will be people. Enough said. We felt very comfortable and safe on the ship. We were asked to bring documentation for our shore excursions in Cozumel and Costa Maya. Martha and I have another Star Class cruise on the Oasis in the Ultimate Panoramic Suite in April of 2022. Based on their experience here, the remainder of the family is seeking to possibly book Star Class as well…we may have created Star Class monsters. Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer. Bob aka drdestructo
    4 points
  18. As someone who is vaccinated, still masks up when in public and basically stays at home because I have family who is at risk and I want to be able to see them whenever... Was the 2 year old directly in your space? Have you tried to get a 2 year old to do anything? It's like herding cats. I also think the parents should try but maybe we should be a little more compassionate. Not trying to be argumentative and I realize anyone could spread anything but reprimanding a parent for toddler seems a lot.
    4 points
  19. Already planning to skip breakfast in favor of a filet and grilled lobster lunch
    4 points
  20. Well now I don't feel special that carib_life wanted to fly everyone to the Caribbean! I thought she just liked me!
    4 points
  21. That two-timer! Ivsa also wanted to cruise with me.
    4 points
  22. Not that we are aware of. T&C's state "booked by". I don't know for certain but I don't think Royal is looking for ways to get out of this promo. They want loyal customers to be happy (and loyal).
    4 points
  23. I see nothing wrong about reminding someone to put their mask over their nose in a POLITE AND FRIENDLY MANNER. But OP indicates in both instances an altercation was imminent which leads me to believe not friendly or polite. Registered for the site just to post this review about 6 weeks on board. Sounds fishy or at the very least, entitled to me.
    4 points
  24. Interesting, our first was a 7 day Bermuda but we were literally docked in Bermuda for 3 days so it didn’t feel like a 7 day cruise, more like a short (very rocky) cruise with a floating hotel in the middle. Then. 5 day out of Tampa which hubby immediately proclaimed too short, a 4 day out of PC with the grandson to see if he’d like it. Well he did and it was WAAAYTOOO (get how I did that?) short. Now it’s a 7 day on Harmony and an 8 day on Explorer for next year. Working my way up!
    4 points
  25. Wait. You're telling me that "carib_life" , aka "Sexy Silvia" isn't real? She doesn't really want me to come to the Caribbean? I got the email notification, but, the message has since been removed from the boards. Thanks @Matt and the moderators.
    4 points
  26. For my own selfish reasons, I would like to see ports where more passengers get off. I’m done with lines, shuttles, ferries, fees, beach-hawkers…NO! I DO NOT WANT MY HAIR BRAIDED!…iffy food choices, stress. I love having the ship virtually to myself. Calm, quiet, peaceful…. I have had some great times visiting so many wonderful, new and exciting places…been there, done that…but now I’m just content to stay aboard. Except CocoCay. That place is freakin’ great!
    4 points
  27. America to open its boarders again to the UK in November? Looking forward to hopefully seeing my fellow Brits onboard US ships again. This is great for cruising!
    4 points
  28. @Matt I have received an inappropriate email from this blog, including pictures I do not want to see. The email was sent from the email address of this blog. I would like to block and report. Thank you
    3 points
  29. @ellcee Exactly, I have seen exactly one 3 yo comply with their mask and he was basically enticed with the promise of ice cream after dinner.
    3 points
  30. Is the OP not vaccinated? If so then they should be protected against the virus. Plus I thought that everyone including young children have to produce a negative test prior to boarding?
    3 points
  31. Well said. Unfortunately some people think to get COVID to zero they must be a hero.
    3 points
  32. Not new but before all hell broke loose, I was hoping to go to Cuba and Key West. Small dreams I know but I was really looking forward to those stops.
    3 points
  33. I would never DREAM of it! Conversely, I am also not missing out on @Matt favs like the famous chicken parm sandwich on Coco Cay or Izumi either so never you fear. Needless to say I will be packing some stretchy pants…..or a tarp for the ride home
    3 points
  34. BeachGal

    Changing a TA

    Thank you all for your advice/memes!! After speaking with Daniel at MEI we decided to leave my two reservations with the current TA (one is just under 60 days out), and for my celebration cruise in June I will refer my traveling buddies to Daniel instead of the current TA. That way I am not pulling business away from anyone, but I know that my friends will be taken care of.
    3 points
  35. Day 2 – At Sea This morning we were all up shortly before our beverages arrived. We then ate breakfast in Coastal Kitchen. Today was a lounge day with time on the balcony. After breakfast, we headed up to the Mast Bar to meet Sally and Tom and pick our 2nd and 3rd cards in the poker run. We chatted for awhile and invited them to join us for lunch on the balcony. We had arranged with Romina to have Johnny Rockets delivered to the room for lunch. At first, they were reluctant but after some coaxing, they decided to join us. I asked what they would like for lunch and Sally asked for a Chicken Caesar Salad. Tom did not want lunch. We asked them to meet us at Noon. We went back to the room and relaxed. Tom and Sally joined us shortly before Noon and food was delivered promptly. Everything was great except that Sally’s Salad was missing the grilled chicken. A quick call corrected that and Tom ending up eating the extra salad as a new one with Grilled Chicken was delivered. The burgers, fries, onion rings, shakes and Cherry Cokes were a big hit with the group. After lunch Sally and Tom visited awhile longer before they went to do their own thing and we lounged some more. For Dinner we had reservations at Giovanni’s Table at 5:30pm. We met Romina and she ensured we were seated, and we chatted briefly about our plans for our first port stop of Cozumel. She would meet us at the room in the morning. We arranged to meet her at 9:45pm for our reservation for the headliner show (Tony Tillman) scheduled at 10pm. Dinner was fantastic, as we all ordered an entrée and our server TJ brought out everything else family style so we could sample everything. After dinner, we split up and moved around the ship trying to walk off dinner. We also had more pictures taken. We met up with Romina at the Amber Theater for the headliner show. I had seen and heard mixed reviews on Tony Tillman, but he was quite the performer infusing a great deal of energy into his show. Our group agreed that we all enjoyed it. Following the show, you guessed it…back to the casino.
    3 points
  36. Well it happened! A much hoped for Royal Up from a casino comped Junior Suite to the Royal Loft Suite sailing this Saturday from Ft. Lauderdale. 4 Sea days (well 5 if you count Nassau-which I do) is the perfect cruise for this to happen. I plan to live blog this trip and hope you will enjoy following along. I wanted to go ahead and get started and do some test posting and photos before we leave since I haven't done a live blog on this site before. I haven't seen any photos of this room on this ship so I will be happy to post photos and answer questions along the way. A little about us-we are Janet and Leslie (a guy Leslie) married 5 years but together 20 and we currently live in Deland, FL. We are from Metro Atlanta and moved to Florida last March right before Covid. We previously owned a commercial construction business and right now we are enjoying traveling and our new Florida home. We have 2 cat babies that my husband adores and will miss terribly while we are gone. This is our second Star Class cruise, our first was a similar casino upgrade before the Royal Up plan was in place. We are pretty low maintenance and not big snackers so some of the Star Class perks are a little lost on us. I am a pretty big foodie and love to cook and critique other people's food so prepare for a lot of food photos. Last night in anticipation of finding out about our room today I made a little sample dining schedule as well as giving myself a "Star Class" pedicure for good luck (thanks Color Street!) See pedicure below...
    2 points
  37. Looking at the deck plans for Wonder it clear Royal designed this ship with way less suites than any other Oasis Class ship. Although there are quite a few junior suites there are only a handful of grand suites and even fewer suites in categories above the standard one room grand. Depending on how many suites about a junior Royal sold on Allure many customers may be in for a partial refund if the only cabins available are junior suites or ocean view balconies. One thing is clear judging from the deck plans, if Royal sold at least 50% of their suites in grand suite or higher on Allure not every passenger who booked a grand suite or higher will be in a suite on Wonder of the Seas.
    2 points
  38. It's so hard to keep up with RCB, FB, and CC. I did that before the shutdown, now my cruise social media game is lagging behind haha. They do design the rooms well to block out the noise. It is really interesting how quiet it is, and then you open the balcony door during Hiro, and wow, it is so loud. Then, you shut the door and can barely hear it again. Cruising really is a great way to make friends. So often, those we cruise with (passengers and crew alike) end up feeling like family by the end.
    2 points
  39. Day 5 – At Sea We lounged around the suite this morning after our juice and Starbucks delivery. We wanted to eat breakfast at Johnny Rockets and Romina met us at the restaurant. They had a corner table for 6 set up for us. We have always enjoyed breakfast here and today was no different. After our meal, we met up with Sally and Tom to draw our final two cards for the poker run. Mike had a chance to win with two pair, but we found out later that someone actually pulled four of a kind to win the pot. We all separated to do our own thing and met up back at the room around 10:30am. Sally and Tom came to our suite and we all played some games we had brought with us. It was quite enjoyable to spend time in the suite all week. Sally and Tom left just before Noon, and shortly thereafter lunch arrived. We had requested lunch from Izumi, and it was a big hit with our group. We ordered a few appetizers and entrees to split as dinner was scheduled at 5:30pm at Chops Grille. After lunch everyone went their own way, but I will say that a good deal of napping was involved. We showered and met Romina for our Chops reservation. I will mention that I have never met a cow I didn’t like, so I had the filet at Coastal Kitchen, Giovanni’s, Chops and Coco Cay Beach Club. I enjoyed them and would have a hard time choosing a favorite. The meal was outstanding as expected. After our meal, we went o look at the pictures we had taken during the cruise and spent some time selecting our preferred pics to a manageable amount and disposed of the others. We then met Romina on Deck 4 for the Adult Comedy Show. She had front row seats reserved, but we were skeptical about being fodder for the comedians. Romina said not to worry as she would ensure we would not be “part of the act”. The comedians were extremely funny and Romina was true to her word as we did not “picked” on…however a gentleman behind us became part of the act after some interaction with the first comedian. After the show, our fairly well rested group again headed to the casino. Next stop...Nassau.
    2 points
  40. Hi Royal Blue, Terexy has sent you a message! Hi. Looking for a partner for a vacation in the Caribbean Hi. I'm Silvia. I am looking for someone to fly to the Caribbean. Here are my photos Can you keep me company? It would be gr... ************************************************ i have a feeling her cruise partnering offer will be very expensive. Someone left a door open somewhere!
    2 points
  41. FionaMG

    MDR Menu on app

    From looking at the menus in the app, there appear to have been a very few new dishes added but otherwise the menus are the same ones they introduced back in 2018, when they brought in the single-page menus. That said, a couple of people who have recently sailed on Harmony in the Med have said that the quality of the food in the MDR has been much superior to what it was before Covid shut everything down. Those people speculated that this might be due to the reduced numbers on board and the fact that the WJ is currently closed for dinner. I don't know what the situation is in the Caribbean other than the fact that the menus appear to be the same.
    2 points
  42. I agree. On our next cruise I plan on using my camera phone to document the superior service we receive.
    2 points
  43. Matt

    CVS Covid Test Results

    Unless I misspoke, I thought I was referring to this article: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/09/04/should-be-your-approach-getting-covid-test-your-cruise
    2 points
  44. Next season on 90 Day Fiancée...
    2 points
  45. We went to his museum and enjoyed talking to him.
    2 points
  46. Matt really annoyed as i didnt get any of these emails lol Joking got 1 from carib-life
    2 points
  47. Srp431

    Double Points

    We have added it at a later date and no issues. We've done it up to 30 days before our cruise. I've called Royal and also have had my agent do it, both methods worked just fine
    2 points
  48. I think given all the negatives in this posting it might be a......idk fake. Why would the young girl expect the op to tell her to put mask up and not the crew member? Also why would this warrant her being held back by her "hot" boyfriend?
    2 points
  49. Trust me I am already thinking of how we can make our honeymoon a Star Class Mediterranean cruise! Lol I may as well just drop my wallet and a non vital organ off at the Next Cruise desk
    2 points
  50. Thanks, Jill !! We do love it. We are soooo glad we made the decision(s) we did. We were actually pleasantly surprised at the summer heat. Maybe we were just prepared for it to be much worse, but it was no worse than the summers in VA. I think the "hot season" is just longer than it is elsewhere...but I've been MUCH hotter in TX than I ever was in FL this summer. Closed on the house on 9-15 and we are busier than ever with all of the add-ons. Got the garage epoxy floor done, ceiling fans, pendant lights and plantation shutters all installed. My motorized bamboo curtain will be installed probably on Thursday. Signed contracts for the water treatment system and the emergency generator on Thursday and got the contracts all in place for the bird cage enclosure. The built-ins will start in late October. The move is Sunday, 9-26. Can't wait to be done with all of it !!
    2 points
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