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It's not a fraud, or a scam. You received what you bought for a price you agreed to. Be mad at yourself if you want, its not like a quick Google search would have given you pricing online. Not mention that the information was available in this very thread. I don't think Royal is exactly secretive about trying to make additional revenue. I can get a bottle of Heineken for $4 at plenty of bars near.my house, and a whole case for $27.99 at Costco. It's $8 on the ship. I still buy it and I'm not being ripped off because they tell me that before I order.

I have an open offer to RC for me to help them fix their software bugs in exchange for cruise credit.

We have arrived in Amsterdam! We flew nonstop on KLM in business class. It was an outstanding flight. MisterZ and I decided long ago that the vacation starts when you leave your house, not when you reach your destination, so we budget for nicer flights than we did when we were young. Here’s my seat: And MisterZ’s adorable tiny welcome aboard Heineken: Ten hours, over night. Here’s the menu (it was all delicious, btw): Also, KLM does a cute collectible gifty thing — a house full of gin! There are 102 different ones to collect, a new one every year apparently. The flight attendant made it clear we should fly a lot more and collect them all We’ll see if they make our suitcases go to the Bad Kid room tomorrow or not! We’re staying at the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam. It’s quite lovely, although some rooms are more updated than others. The restaurant is excellent. This hotel chain is always a solid choice, if you have the option. MomMe was already here as planned. We used our BinaxNOW covid tests and all came back negative. Woohoo! We are currently waiting for the tiny humans to stop playing Minecraft on the hotel computers so that we can print our result. Heh. One more sleep and we’re ON THE CRUISE!!

There is always something nice about buying something on vacation and every time you look at it it brings you right back to that moment where and when you bought it. Sometimes that means paying a premium for a vacation memoir. In this day and age you can always find something cheaper online compared to what it costs in a retail store, brick and mortar or steel and sea. Chances are that bargain on Amazon is a fake. I've never looked at an online purchase, like my Apple watch, and remembered the moment I bought it, where I was, who I was with, did I use my phone or my laptop to do it? etc. There are simple things like a fridge magnet that bring me right back to the ship where I bought it. I probably could have found something like it on eBay, but what fun is that?

Cabin 9656, aft corner. Entry: Second bath: Vanity for second bedroom: Main room from entryway: Entertainment center: Second bedroom and closet: Master bedroom, vanity, closet, bath: Balcony: On the deck plan it looks like the balcony is bigger than it is. That said, you can actually get around the side and sit/lean against the side of the ship pretty comfortably. I wondered how this room would feel compare to the side 2-br GS on Enchantment, which is significantly bigger. I think we will be quite happy even though it’s smaller — we’re one fewer people and the balcony is definitely larger. I was also worried about windows on this particular itinerary, since there will be a LOT of daylight, but it turns our neither bedroom has any windows.

We just finished our 10 day Baltic cruise on the Voyager OS [June 5 sailing from Copenhagen]. We had signed up for the Berlin "discovery" excursion but were very hesitant given the excursion entailed a 3.5 hour bus ride both ways. I looked for any info on this board before we went, but didn't find much [that was recent]. So thought I'd provide a word here now [june 20, 2022]. Of course, Warnemunde is being given as one alternative on Baltic cruises instead of St. Petersburg [given the Ukrainian conflict etc] and Berlin is one excursion choice at that port. Well, in a word, we had a great time. The bus was modern, large, comfortable...and we had rest stops along the way. It was quite interesting viewing all the alternative energy structures across the German countryside [wind turbines and solar panels]. The 3.5 hours went by quick both ways. But the highlight of the trip was a professional guide that joined our group once in Berlin. He was great and we visited all the major bucket list sights (Brandenburg Gate, Bundestag, checkpoint Charlie, remnants of the wall memorial, and other sights) where we exited the bus for short guided walking tours at every site. Then, after seeing the sights, we were given 3 hours on our own. We wandered the streets buying some german chocolate at a large department store [selling nothing but chocolate] and stopped at a cafe for brats and beer We finished up perusing some requisite souvenir shops before getting back on the bus for the ride back to the Voyager OS. Whatever doubts we had about the long bus ride, it turned out to be a high point of our cruise. Berlin is a great city and so much history there, it would have been a shame to NOT have visited [even if just for the day]. Hope this helps anyone thinking about this excursion [actually there were several versions on a Berlin trip; but the trepidation is probably that long 3.5 hour bus ride like we were wary of]. For us, the ride was enjoyable and not the ordeal it might sound like when reading. And the guide that was provided really made the trip ;more than worthwhile.

Yes. I was assured more than once my cruise would not be cancelled. They told me the amount paid was equal to the total cruise balance and their system would not cancel my cruise. The final cruise payment date came and went in May and my cruise is still showing in cruise planner. I used the "Make a Payment" link at the bottom of the RC home page and it now shows balance paid in full. I did take a "leap of faith" that all was well the day before the final payment date

Sorry for the delay. We got back Friday to a few problems at the house. Our main refrigerator stopped working while we were gone, so we had to run out to get a new one. Fortunately it will be delivered later this week. Then I started feeling achy Saturday and tested positive for Covid. Everyone else is negative. I'm really just having body aches and what feels like a little more than my normal allergy cough. No fever or any other symptoms. Anyway, the short version - the scenery and wildlife were spectacular on both the land and cruise portions, but we would not do a RC land tour again. Before the cruise DH said this will probably be the only time we will make the trip to Alaska, but by the end of the land tour that changed to, "when we come up here next time we'll put together our own land vacation before our cruise." Service on the ship was phenomenal - the ship was at 70% capacity and felt very intimate. DH and I love this size ship, DS loved the Adventure Ocean as always, DD was a little disappointed in the Teen club. Details and pictures to come over the next few days.

I know right now (sailing from the UK) on Anthem, there is a Beatles tribute band, and others like The Dukes (doing Dua Lipa), and Real Vybez (doing Bob Marley) for certain sets.

When we were on the Anthem a couple/few years ago Cape Liberty/Bermuda/Boston cruise, there was a tribute band, U2, that was absolutely fantastic (perfect/exactly? No, but very good/close). They performed several times in the Music Hall and their big finale was in the 270 which made it even better with all the visuals, better sound, and atmosphere. I really wasn't much of a U2 fan until that cruise. Now, I can't get enough of them. Almost up there with Led Zeppelin, almost. When we got back I asked @Matt, on his live Youtube Q&A, if tribute bands are standard fare on Royal cruises. He said that they were, almost exclusively, on Quantum Class ships. 1. I hope the pandemic didn't ruin that. On our May cruise to Alaska on the Ovation, no tribute band. Not sure if it was because of the Pandemic or just not on an Alaska cruise or other reason. 2. I think it would be great to expand the tribute bands to other classes of ships. Especially if they are the quality of the band like that U2 tribute band.

Took about two weeks for ours, but don't worry, they will be looking at the physical card when you arrive regardless.

My favorite ship is whatever ship I am on at the time. If not on a cruise, my favorite is the next one scheduled. My wife's favorite is Freedom.

This is really getting to be ridiculous. I feel so bad for @OrlandoDadand @dodgestangand the others who are having to deal with this utter incompetence. At least @dodgestangwas able to have the due date pushed back. That is what they should be doing for all of these Charlie Foxtrots. Unbelievable.

Definitely not a scam. They weren't selling you fake watches. Just you have a preconceived notion that you'd be getting a great deal just because it's on a cruise ship. Always do your homework. Just like the liquor stores. I've rarely ever seen any good deals there. The only things that catch my eye are bottles that are hard to find in my neck of the woods.

Empress. Loved everything about that little ship. Smallest ship with the biggest heart. Despite no DL the Schooner Bar became the regular spot for frequent cruisers and I made some ongoing friendships on her despite no DL. Best Boleros in the fleet. Best Chops in the fleet. No smoking Casino. Great aft public deck behind Boleros, forward access decks below the bridge for Stargazing. She didn't feel small on the inside. Great crew, everytime.

Got your mouse ears on tonight?

I'm not a big fan of Ports of Call. I would love to go on a 7 day cruise to nowhere. But since that ain't gonna happen, I love the almost empty ship on port days. It's almost like having the whole ship to myself (and my wife, of course).

I do them for my entire family on my phone.

I did everyone’s on my phone while we were driving to the port. Ditto the safety briefing.

Indy was 4100+ this weekend (6/17 - 6/20)... It was the first time in a long time I'd seen the MDR with so many full tables. Crew was hustling and in my opinion did a GREAT job!

I will never, ever, ever, ever again purchased a single item on board Royal Caribbean Cruise ships. They are a TOTAL fraud, and waste of money. Purchased an Invicta pro diver ss 40 Gold Band and I was told it cost $495.00 was 70% off for $149.00 What a joke it actually sells on land for $49.00 at any store. When I emailed Royal Caribbean and complained about this they didn't even answer my email. I guess the buyer beware model is alive and kicking at Royal Caribbean offices. PLEASE BE AWARE THERE IS NOTHING NOTHING worse than been taken for a ride with a huge company doing the fraud. Save your money and don't waste it on Royal Caribbean it all. If they gave a crap about their customers they would at least respond to the complaint. Well I guess the next time one of their staff members asked me to buy a watch on board, I'm goin to make sure I give them a piece of my mind in front of all the other guest, and make sure that everyone knows what a big FRAUD and SCAM they are doing to their guest.

The service is definitely better as there's a better guest/crew ratio. Regarding the food, there are good menu days and less attractive menu days. If you're not satisfied with the menu on a particular day, you can order from one of the 4 MDRs also. We've done that especially for appetizers.

Me! Second part of a b2b! Love cruising on the Anthem out of NJ in winter. The Solarium is the best place to be during sail out…fully enclosed in glass, heated, surrounded by tropical plants and trees, sipping a cool drink, maybe lounging in the hot tub or the cascading pool. Beautiful view at the very front of the ship as we sail out of the harbor, under the Verrazano Bridge with just meters clearance. Or, if you have kids under 16, in the family pool just behind the Solarium…heated, covered in glass, large space with hot tubs and the pool bar. The Anthem is a beautiful cold weather ship with lots of inside activities…and then, as the weather warms, the outside pool and sun decks are beautiful! The NorthStar, Rockwall, FlowRider and the iFly are great activities. And the SeaPlex is great! Don’t miss the shows…We Will Rock You in the Royal Theater and Spectra’s Cabaret in the fantastic Two70 venue with the robot screens are wonderful. Enjoy!

Generosity begets generosity.

As an aside while this sailing again was not as enjoyable as I had hoped, I did follow up and send an email to Royal regarding Dudley & the energy he put forth trying to mitigate the ship's so many short comings. I didn't harp on those though. The email was focused on Dudley the man who represented the company in a stellar way, I wanted to celebrate his efforts and let the higher ups know what a gem they had in that man. I hope my sincere communication is met with a smile and just maybe some type of positive recognition for him. I just received an email back stating they received my email so I am excited that I could shine a good light on/for/with this very weird experience. They said they were in receipt of my email and appreciated it. Woo-hoo!

Favorite - We Will Rock You Worst - Frankie and The Dreamers (We walked out, nobody needs to see a Frankie Vali soundalike perform Eminem, nobody)

Unfortunately I had Royal refund a FCC (they did this without me asking for a refund) of over $2000 (yes thousand) to the wrong person's card, several emails, phone calls, and chat session ensued to no reasonable solution other than having to pay the balance of our cruise again.

Love the Helipad at night. I have an app called "Night Sky" on an iPad. With internet package it brings a whole new dimension to star gazing. It's a great spot for late evening stroll or bring a glass of wine. Seating is available and is usually not crowded.

For us, our favourite is the Radiance. Great solarium area with the Park Cafe in the adults pool deck area and overall connection to the sea, with lots of glass and great places to sit, both inside and outside to socialise, relax and watch the world pass by. If we want a ship with lots to do, we love the Symphony.

Thank you, Neesa; that was super informative. We've never cruised Mariner, although we have booked an 8-day next May, and now I'm a little concerned. Balconies were stupid high, so we opted for a promenade inside room, which was our cabin on our first two cruises on Freedom. I'm hooked on balconies, and am a little disappointed to be back inside, but the itinerary is fantastic. I hope by May '23 perhaps the Elon wi-fi will be installed and we won't have to deal with crappy zoom.

No, that ended as well. They went from most restrictive testing regime to least restrictive overnight.

Or if nothing else, that one voucher is getting you a double or triple pour each time.

If you get in the habit of tipping a few bucks with each of your six pinnacle drinks you may find by the end of the night you haven't consumed all of your six coupons. Establish a relationship and have an "anchor bar" for your coupons to go farther. Worst case use the two 50% CAS coupons for two beer/wine during the cruise. Even if you have to buy a few drinks during the cruise between the 50% off two beer/wine and a handful of "overage" drinks at full price by the end of the cruise your out of pocket can be under $100 pp including those cash tips with every drink. Way cheaper than a drink package.

I told you those days are long gone! @GregDand I were just discussing how much we should tempt fate and when we should start our Fjords blog lol

Gosh, I've never even seen Cats but now it's my least favorite!

The wife and I are excited about our cruise, and it's still 460 days away!

Surprise you must vacate your stateroom by 0800, Dudley saves the day. We met him at Schooner Bar which was packed with all cabin types. He told everyone to remain seated except suites and pins. Son of a gun if he didn't wisk us off the ship in minutes. I'll leave with some nice memories and am glad we did it but please beware the Mariner was a shock. Maybe include internet? Maybe allow more then one towel per person and maybe don't make me hunt down a garbage can because you say no. Probably our worst Royal sailing to date as far as ship, but Dudley and that itinerary just wonderful! Parked next to the Mouse this morning.

And the cruise is cancelled. Just keeps getting better.

Chicken of the Seas

It was Mariner, as she was my first RCG ship, but when I sailed her in Jan, I fell out of love. The bigger class ships seem to have a better flow of traffic. For non-oasis/quantum class I would have to go Freedom, love how it doesn't feel crowded in the aft areas. I also won really good in Freedom's casino. I sail Nav, Odyssey, Oasis and Grandeur (in that order) so we will see who ends up being the favorite.

I have, and I think it's better the 2nd/3rd time around (after that, port depending, it can get old - see The Bahamas, Nassau) - the 2nd time you go there, you feel more comfortable, not only with the ship, but the ports - and you usually want to see more and more or go back and attempt to relive the previous experience. I say go for it!

Adventure of the Seas, she was the first cruise ship I ever sailed on and after my first 7 night cruise I was hooked. I've sailed on Adventure multiple times and it is always a great time. Of course there is Oasis Class but most people love Oasis Class however a ship that I believe is underrated or looked over is Anthem of the Seas. I've done the ferris wheel once on Oasis Class ships and I don't know but I felt like i was to old to be on a ferris wheel, but on Anthem with the bumper cars it is the best it's like I'm a kid again at Six Flags Great America and the whole idea behind the SeaPlex is great. Then there is the entertainment, every time we've been on Anthem, Royal knocks it out of the park with the artist they book to perform in the Music Hall. I don't know who is responsible for booking the artists for Music Hall but whoever they are they are great at their job. Then combine that with the shows We Will Rock You and Spectra's Cabaret, and you can rock out on Anthem from start to finish.

This is exactly the type of random headache a good TA takes care of for you behind the scenes.

Late to the party on this thread but favourite is definitely We Will Rock You. I just told my kids yesterday that for our Anthem sailing coming up, one of the things I am most excited for is to see We Will Rock You again. Least favourite...without a doubt, Cats.

@Lovetocruise2002@GregD stick with the aft for sure. I promise you especially for 9 nights. This is quite short of a suite. Even the cabin attendant, not a suite guy....did you see my towel animal story? We never saw him and honestly I felt our gratuity 17.50 was a rip off. He had so many cabins, not fair to either of us. Dudley in concierge was the only resemblance to a suite experience, the suite amenities are non existent on this ship. This itinerary was the best, this ship and cabin are a one and done for us. The wifi was hit or miss. OMG the activities were a miss and the entertainment was lacking well, entertainment. Views A+ and people watching is great, other then that it's still to expensive.

Views for days, in Coco cay this morning. We are the first ship. Told Symphony is joining us, cruise mapper has her on our tail. Sunset last night.

Day 4 Random thoughts and sea day. We started at Chops for breakfast the offerings for suite guests. The venue is very pretty inside but I still don't like how you have to wait in the Windjammer line to enter, huge gathering of people utter chaos yes I just didn't like it. Once inside the venue was lovely, food well can it be greasy and burnt/well done at the same time? This morning not so good. Stopped by the suite lounge to make tea, as no tea kettle on entire ship I'm told and the fancy coffee thing in the room makes hot water that tastes like coffee no matter how many times I run water through. Just one couple there, wow great but then I knew why, they were clearly sick. Sneezing, coughing wet coughs, lots of mucous sounds OMG we ran. We went to the Diamond Lounge much better. Why wouldn't they at least stay in their cabin? I like the gray curtains in our cabin. Sky pad 2X, first time we waited in the line all the way up the stairs, got up to the man and he spat at us daughters shorts were to short, needed to be at her knees or longer. Okay, safety I get it no worries they were about 2 inches above her knees. Go back get in line again, get to the top now her shirt only hits her belt line must go change to a longer one. Wait what? You could not have told me that the first time? So I proceeded to stay in line and told the guy I'm taking off my shirt right here and giving to my daughter, my bra is black and full coverage bigger then some bikini tops. As I went to lift it he said she could ride, gees. It was all good after that, I was just done but no one wanted to see my top come off, lol. I was relieved myself. What we do for our kids! Funny story, after Labadee yesterday our feet and shoes were still sandy, we all marched into our shower tube where we rinsed our shoes and feet and placed our clean crocs on the floor, hubby used one of the bathroom towels to dry everything including the wet floor. Well shower time and I'm last, guess what no towels left; we get 3, that's it. So long story short our towel animal is no more, sad! On the way to Coco cay. Doing the Beach Club for the first time tomorrow. Bingo in a few, thats all for now. PS entertainment last night was missing the entertainment. It was tough, like watching paint dry. Ouch, it seemed as if they were just doing fill in stuff. The comedian I think is an adult comedian so the family show was pretty painful, sorry! I tried to enjoy it but the best part was walking out the theater, yikes! And it was standing room only, it amazes me how people arrive at the show 2 minutes to showtime and then are angry they can't sit together.

Not looking for an argument but stating my thoughts that have been eating at me for awhile now: So not only would I love to see the pre-cruise testing stop…how about allowing the unvaccinated back onboard? I have never taken sides and I do not think it is my place to do so. I am me…and nobody else. I am vaccinated and boosted (twice) and got COVID for the first time 2 weeks ago after returning from a family vacation to Disney. There were nine of us and only 2 did not get sick…both unvaccinated! I think this virus is pretty close to becoming our next head cold or flu. Some will get very sick…some will have mild symptoms…some will never get sick! So…….why are the unvaccinated still being penalized this late in the game? I certainly hope my thoughts here do not start a war on words…but I feel better having finally stated how I think.