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Loading the drinks on the sea pass cards was one of the better post Covid changes RC has made only bested by the new lifejacket safety briefing protocol.

I've been in the airline industry now for 26 years (just celebrated my 26th year on September 15th started straight out of high school), I've gone through furloughs after 9/11, bankruptcy, and mergers, I've seen people loose their jobs, departments shutter, entire stations closed, because the airline industry was in survival mode. In 2020 and in 2021 the nations airlines received a total of 3 government bailouts to the tune of tens of billions of dollars. The cruise line industry unfortunately was left out in the cold. The nations airlines were allowed to operate without any government oversight during covid, while cruise lines were forced to shut down. Some of the money the nations airlines received from the government does NOT have to be paid back at all, some of the money does have to be paid back but at unbelievable low interest rates. Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean were forced to borrow billions of dollars. I'm sure every single penny has to be paid back with interest. Who knows what the interest rates are but I'm willing to bet Royal Caribbean's interest rates on their covid related debt is much higher than the interest rate the nations airlines are paying on their covid related government backed debt. No one wants to see anyone loose their job, but when a company has gone through what Royal Caribbean has been through without any financial assistance from the government sometimes cost cutting measure have to be put in place. Cruising is back and Royal has taken delivery of Odyssey, Wonder, and next year Icon will join the fleet. That is all exciting news for their customers because we all appreciate the fact we can cruise again. However, Royal Caribbean executives still have to deal with paying down all the covid related debt they were forced to take on just to survive. I think the last thing any of use want to see is Royal Caribbean forced into bankruptcy, or Royal Caribbean forced into a merger with another cruise line. To keep that from happening the executives at times must make hard, difficult decisions that unfortunately will impact the lives of some of their employees.

OMG Becky Of the Seas?

Worst ship ever is definitely the model of the HMS Ark Royal i made when i was 8 years old

My worst ship is the one I don't have scheduled yet. I like them all!

There is no worst ship when you look at it in a vacuum. And for those who do have a worst, or at least "bottom of the list," it'll all be subjective. Everyone has their favorite ships, and by the nature of that, their least favorite. But if someone comes off a ship with their cruise ruined simply because of the ship, they're doing it wrong.

KSF isn't always the best deal- they often raise the cruise fare so you're paying higher rates for guests 1&2

I like big ships and I cannot lie !

I would do the 8AM so you can relax after the excursion, walk around town, get lunch, etc. If you do the 12PM one but want to walk around town in the morning, you'll spend the whole morning checking your watch to make sure you don't miss the train.

I go every morning for multiple cappuccinos (and occasionally grab some pastries) and stop by most evenings just to check out the appetizers. Nice place to relax on ships that still have it in the Viking Crown like Freedom class. Not so much when it's in "the basement" like on Oasis class.

If Quantum class ships are the worst of the bunch, you can't go wrong with any ship in the fleet... which is probably the case. I was very impressed with Odyssey and had a great vacation.

Here are a couple of items I think help: Do what you want. Plan to do everything but don't try to do it. Take time to relax. Don't stay behind your camera taking pictures and video of everything. The internet is full of pictures of your ship. Enjoy the ship with your eyes. The walls are magnetic. I like to take magnetic clips to keep my paperwork for the cruise: Daily planner, reservations, shore excursion tickets... Find time to just set at a bar or on the pool deck and just enjoy the day. You do not need the internet unless you have someone not on the cruise you need to stay in contact with. You can find a Daily Planner for your ship and often cruise to see show times to see what dinner time is best for you. Here is the link Royal Caribbean Cruise Compass | Royal Caribbean Blog

This is for non-suite cabins: I am a guy's guy with old man hair, and I take my own shampoo and conditioner on all RCL Ships. With a week of their combo products my hair is all over the place.

No breakfast as a whole is not free, only continental. Hot/American breakfast will incur the fee. Basically, if you are ordering hot food, it will be $7.95. There is a menu, you can see on the app and the selection is very limited. If you are staying in a grand suite or higher, room service is free and during dinner times you can order off the MDR menu.

Any RC ship that you are currently on is always 1000% better than not being on any RC ship at all.

I can't even with the full size iron! Who drags that around in their luggage?? I don't iron at home, let alone on vacation

We bring 2 of these each cruise. One goes in my carry on and the other in one of the kids. We've never been stopped or had it confiscated.

New review of The Key from the other week: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/10/06/i-tried-the-key-again-see-if-its-worth-it

I sometimes use it for a quiet space on sea days, when I don't want to be out in the sun. I also use the diamond concierge instead of guest services.

We prefer the Allure because it in not updated with the view blocking slide and the useless robot bar (instead of the champagne bar). She is our favorite ship.

Very sorry to hear of your friend's condition. Unfortunately, I think anyone at Royal would be very hesitant to make any statement due to medical privacy and legal liability issues. Doctor's requests might be able to get medical records transferred from the ship but beyond that, I wouldn't expect much. Again, sorry to hear.

Okay so I have a problem with the complaints for Quantum being "Reviewers repeatedly express that the ship is intended for a Chinese audience, "with little or no consideration for the nearly 40 percent non-Chinese."" 1 - 40 percent is still a minority and minority does mean you may not have things for you all the time. 2 - expecting a ship for the Chinese market to cater to Western or non-Chinese tastes is...rude to me. In the same way the ships sailing out of Galveston lean FAR more into Texas/country foods, music and entertainment, I wouldn't be surprised to see ships sailing out of China to skew toward Chinese tastes. In my opinion making that a complaint of the ship/cruise shows more fault with the cruiser than the cruise. My personal take on the worst ship - Enchantment. Small, boring and dated. Pretty atrium but everything else was compartmentalized and felt stuffy and if things weren't in a box in a room, they were in the middle of the ship in the way. (Looking at you Schooner Bar)

We bring our own too (non-suite). We also bring one of those pump containers of hand soap for the bathroom sink.

Navigator on November 11, 2022 First time post-covid! SO READY!

Not all cruises qualify for kids sail free

Lunch in Coastal Kitchen: We had a special lunch made from India.

Separate "higher end"toiletries that may or may not have you smelling like a salad.

Ask a cardiologist.

Might be a dumb suggestion, but have you tried a different web browser?

Ok, quick update, If you add your set sail pass to your Apple Wallet, the barcode at the bottom shows your room number. the last 4 digits past the dash. bummer, not only are we not conntected, he is in th Aft and I am in the tippy tip front. I'll give 'em a call and see if we can pay to be closer and if we can swing it. Still, not a deal breaker, it's better to be on the ship than not at all!!

We once had a situation where something onboard we wished to attend conflicted with our late dinner seating. We spoke to our Head Waiter and she was able to get us a spot with our usual Waiter (but not the same Assistant Waiter) at the early seating that evening. Letting them know you would like to be included in walk-up MTD will be greatly appreciated by the staff.

I've sailed post COVID and recently aboard Allure of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox and Infinity. I've looked at Silver Sea. I found no significant differences between the food quality in the two buffet type venues on AOSv. Equinox/Infinity- both offer varied selections, appetizing presentations and quality foods. Comparing the restaurant dining venues depends on what class of ships you might want to compare. Equinox, a Silhouette class ship, is not at all like AOS when it comes to comparing restaurants. AOS has many more dining options than any Celebrity ship. IMO, the table service within Celebrity's main restaurants is a bit more elegant - at least that is the corporate goal - than on AOS. Over the most recent years, specialty dining aboard Celebrity ships has not been that much better than main dining. That is likely because of cost control measures taken at the corporate level. I can't draw any distinction between food quality on AOS v. Equinox - main or specialty dining. I'm pretty sure sourcing of food on both lines is centralized through RCL. It then comes down to table service and presentation. I'd give Celebrity an edge there but that's just me and is a subjective opinion. I've not sailed on Silver Sea but have done a lot of comparing. If you're looking for smaller ships and what they can afford in general, Silver Sea is a good option when comparing this line to others in a similar niche. The issue for me is sailing nicely for at or below $200 per day, per person on an RCG brand v. sailing on Silver sea for upwards of $600 per day, per person. It comes down to 3 cruises on an RCG brand ship or 1 on Silver Sea or similar. As well, you'll see a different cohort of guests on Celebrity v. RCL and Celebrity v. Silver Sea. Service levels between RCL and Silver Sea are going to naturally be different with Silver Sea having a lower staff to guest ratio than either RCL brand. For me, I'm not willing to pay the higher price of Silver Sea for a higher level of service. I'm satisfied with Celebrity - my go to line since 2001.

If status helps on embarkation, then I may make mention. Otherwise no. Im with you on mixing it up with Celebrity. Cant wait to try the new retreat suites, less kids, and better food.

Being on the Crown Loft Suite on the Oasis, entitled me to dine at the Coastal Kitchen which Matt feels quite blasé about. I sat next to an older couple who were wearing their Pinnacle pins. They were quite proud of the achievement , as they only sail booking inside cabins, never had a balcony! I think also, the staff on board can recognize the pins as well, therefore the concierge do not have to embarrass any guests questioning their entry. I also notice at all the Crown and Anchor meetings, (to meet the captain and recent achievers they mostly wear their pins. I am still amazed when certain individuals are rewarded and acknowledged for getting 2,000, 3,000 points plus. Some are single!

Sorry about your friend. I'm not sure the concierge would know anything given it was a few weeks ago already. Best of luck.

Guest beware, and make sure when sailing on Wonder of the Seas from Rome If your sailing is a "Interport, (2) itineraries on the same ship" be ready for problems. We have been out on multiple sailings for the past month. Independence from Port Canaveral prior to flying to Europe, then onto Odyssey, then finally Wonder both from Civitavecchia. We were never told that Wonders sailing originally started in Barcelona, and that if you board in Civitavecchia you are not included in certain amenities. Main problem is with the Royal App. Because we did not board with the original sailing in Barcelona, the app is very basic for us 1200 that boarded in Civitavecchia. No booking anything with the app. No dinner reservations, no show reservations "and they are scanningsea passesto get into shows now", no excursion reservations, no tapping the kiosk to view your photos, no viewing your account, ect. When you want to make any reservations, you can atempt to call during the hours that the restaurant has someone to answer the phone, and or wait in line at guest services. Keep in mind that for my sailing Thursday to Thursday there were 1200 of other angry and or upset guest who had the same issues. Now for guest who boarded Wonder Saturday to Saturday "the main sailing" had 5 days head start to fill all the reservation slots before you. For us that boarded Thursday, the festive feel when you board is pretty much nonexistent. No sail away parties, no exciting feelings of thousands of fresh new people boarding with you. When you board, all the other guest for them, it was just another port day. I spent the first 2 days literally working. Working the phones, standing in lines in attempt to make reservations and fix issues. Now to add insult to injury, after spending 2 days and hours and hours trying to fix everything come Saturday when the original "Barcelona sailing, turn around day" happened everything we finally got set up in the computer was wiped out. Because it was turn around day, going into a new sailing everything started from zero and because we have no access to the app, we had to start all over again with calls and standing in lines. We tried working with the representative in the Diamond Lounge, but she was experiencing all the same issues with long hold times and reaching the right people during certain hours and don't forget I was 1 cabin of 2 of 1200 people with the same issue. When trying to speak with Management in CS and work up the latter all they can say is sorry. Royal Caribbean App is not set up to handle 2 itineraries at the same time. After 22 years sailing with RC, working our way into Diamond + being as they say Loyal to Royal, I do not feel that they have been loyal to us. We have sailings still on the books including a 27 night sailing out of Australia in April, and we are diligently shopping to rebook with another line. Yes this is long, but if I can help that this does not happen to another guest would make us happy.

My April cruise I was assigned my cabin 7 days before my cruise. My September cruise I was assigned my cabin 20 days before my cruise. My November Cruise I was assigned my cabin 6 months before my cruise. Do you see a pattern.... I don't

You can use your UDP any time the restaurant is open, so whatever restaurants are open on boarding day you will be able to use the package. When I went on Freedom last November I had Giovanni's Kitchen for lunch on boarding day. Playmakers was also open and I could have used the package there as well.

The best price guarantee is not the same as the lowest price guarantee. The best price says if you find a price cheaper within 48hr, you will get the lower price plus the difference back as OBC. The low price guarantee allows you to reprice a cruise all the way until final payment. During the restart some people were spoiled as it allowed pax to reprice until 48hrs before the cruise left and get the balance as OBC.

Glad you got all squared away @Pinky, hope you enjoy your trip!

Aren't they all?

Balconies in general start on deck 6 on this class. Deck 6 has more obstructed compared to the deck 7 obstructed cabins. The obstructed cabins on deck 6 & 7 are the same price so compared to deck 6, deck 7 is much better. Keep in mind both are advertised as "obstructed" so take them for what they are - a way to get a balcony cabin ar a lower price with the trade off of accepting some obstruction. These are not sold to unsuspecting cruisers, anyone booking an obstructing cabin should expect... an obstruction. There are a few spots on deck 6 & 7 that are not obstructed by the vast majority of deck 6 & 7 balcony cabins are obstructed. Once your look at deck 8 only then are there no obstructed balconies on this class. Here are some pics from a deck 7 obstructed balcony on a sister ship. The reason to book deck 6 or 7 is save money knowing there will be obstruction. If this sort of obstruction exceeds your desires then look to balcony cabins on deck 8 or above that typically book at a slightly higher cost compared to deck 6 & 7.

Norwegian Cruise Line ends all Covid-19 testing, masking and vaccination requirements (msn.com)

Our August, 2022 cruise we got an email 7 days ahead of the cruise. Enjoy your cruise!! Bill

Live and let live... If somebody has earned something let them show it if they want. How many drive fancy cars or live in big houses or wear custom tailored suits? I doubt that those opposed to pins in the higher ranks ranks here would be open to non d or d+ using their lounges? So maybe you don't wear pins but you're still proud of the status you've achieved?

They are definitely some people like that. The first cruise that we ever took on Royal after we had been cruising Norwegian we met a couple in the coastal kitchen day 1 of the cruise. We saw them a number of times after that and over that week the wife must have said “Diamond Plus” 10 million times (and we definitely knew every possible benefit that came with being a diamond plus before the week was done because she mentioned them all a few times).

A warning for those that use ANY 3rd Party to book a hotel.

Absolutely yes. Love that place. Best service of any all-inclusive I've been to.

CDC published a couple minor changes today. -Cruise lines can use their own discretion on how to handle weather delays for boarding that would push the pre-boarding test window past two days (which I believe Symphony did for that tropical storm recently) -Removed a clause that said if you're in quarantine for covid and one of your day 5 get out of jail tests is still positive that you had to remain in isolation for a full 10 days