Neaxan

We did a hop on hop off tour by bus which was ok to get a nice overview. I'd recommend doing a boat trip on the canals - I think it took about 2 hours and was really impressive. Another highlight is the changing of the guards at Amalienborg or the Nyhavn canal with quite a few nice cafes - on our last visit there was also an Irish Pub (2016). You can also visit the Carlsberg brewery, they have a visitors centre, although I wasn't that impressed. I prefer the guinness brewery in Dublin.

We did a hop on hop off tour by bus which was ok to get a nice overview. I'd recommend doing a boat trip on the canals - I think it took about 2 hours and was really impressive. Another highlight is the changing of the guards at Amalienborg or the Nyhavn canal with quite a few nice cafes - on our last visit there was also an Irish Pub (2016). You can also visit the Carlsberg brewery, they have a visitors centre, although I wasn't that impressed. I prefer the guinness brewery in Dublin.

I might enjoy to dress up from time to time - but on most nights I don't care. Dress jeans, a nice shirt or blouse is about all I can muster regularly. What I really can't fathom is how anybody would want to call the more casual crowd 'slobs' or restrict them to another part of the MDR. No matter what dress I'll be wearing, I don't give a damn about other passengers clothing. So if you want to relax and wear shorts, t-shirts or whatever, you're more than welcome to do so at my table. It won't lessen my dining experience in any way. If you want to dress up, feel free to do so - but many people have to conform to a dress code at work already, I can relate if they don't want to bother on vacation.

My personal favourite is the BBC - Bailey's Banana Colada - though definetly not a secret item. If I remember correctly Royal also serves a Chocolate BBC - must try that one next time.

My personal favourite is the BBC - Bailey's Banana Colada - though definetly not a secret item. If I remember correctly Royal also serves a Chocolate BBC - must try that one next time.

Yes, they'll know and can advise you. If you're open, you can probably get into a restaurant, but which one will be available may not be the one you want without a reservation. 

Make your reservations as soon as you board.  Other than a little flexibility here and there, you'll get the dates and times you're looking for.  Then you can go on CRUISE () control and enjoy your time.  

@Neaxan I'd say from experience it's 50/50 unless you're going right when the restaurant is open. Even with empty tables, they won't always fill them because of staffing levels. It's best to have a reservation. 

Reservations just make your life easier. I'd say they are a really good idea for formal nights, holidays, or a special occasion that you do not want to be locked out of.
In general, if it's some random night that doesn't fall in those categories, I've had very good luck with walk up reservations.  I think in all my cruising, I've been told "Sorry, we're totally full" perhaps two or three times.

I'd like to have a serious discussion here about the MDR.  Truthfully, I always love to try a lot of different, innovative dishes.  Rillettes, crepes, tarts, consommés, ceviche, vignoles, rum baba, panna cotta, pavlova, tapas, gateaux - made with indigenous island ingredients.  It's why I have always cruised RCCL in the past and loved their MDR.   I don't care for the normal steaks and pastas that I can get anywhere.  But, the majority of the cruise food reviews (here or on Cruise Critic) are about steak, broccoli, baked potatoes, shrimp cocktail, caesar salad and chicken breasts (ordered either in the MDR or Chops).   And now I hear RCCL is going to change their MDR to adhere to a more traditional menu that apparently everybody (but me) wants.
Does ANYBODY here share my sensibilities, or am I a lone wolf? 
 

I, for one, have given up packing a suit or even a jacket when cruising.  Since I need to fly to take a cruise, it's just not worth the effort of packing a jacket that adds weight and takes up valuable luggage space.  I will dress up a bit (dress pants, dress shirt, and tie), but for me that's it.  For some, though, this isn't considered formal enough, but I'm not going to let what others think change my style of dress until the cruise lines start mandating a dress code.  And rest assured, there will always be people who criticize, but there will also be others who will dress much worse and likely be allowed into the main dining room.  I've noticed this since my second cruise in 1996 when a family showed up wearing t-shirts printed with tuxes on them and were allowed into the MDR on formal night.
Personally, I'd love for all of the cruise lines, including Royal, to simply go with resort casual (pants, closed toed shoes for men, and a collard shirt) and be done with it.  Ironically, this is what most of the luxury cruise lines require now.

I might enjoy to dress up from time to time - but on most nights I don't care. Dress jeans, a nice shirt or blouse is about all I can muster regularly. What I really can't fathom is how anybody would want to call the more casual crowd 'slobs' or restrict them to another part of the MDR. No matter what dress I'll be wearing, I don't give a damn about other passengers clothing. So if you want to relax and wear shorts, t-shirts or whatever, you're more than welcome to do so at my table. It won't lessen my dining experience in any way. If you want to dress up, feel free to do so - but many people have to conform to a dress code at work already, I can relate if they don't want to bother on vacation.

I'm guessing your port for Provence will be Marseille? Personally, I don't like the town very much. I'd recommend an excursion to Avignon if you're in port for some time. It should take 1,5 to 2 hours by bus per trip but it's really worth it - and you get to see a bit of Provence on the way. Avignon itself is a gorgeous old town in part bordered by the river Rhone with an ancient town wall, numerous beautiful churches, the popes palace... If you're pressed for time, Aix-en-Provence is also quite nice with an old town, cathedral and especially Cours Mirabeau.

I'm guessing your port for Provence will be Marseille? Personally, I don't like the town very much. I'd recommend an excursion to Avignon if you're in port for some time. It should take 1,5 to 2 hours by bus per trip but it's really worth it - and you get to see a bit of Provence on the way. Avignon itself is a gorgeous old town in part bordered by the river Rhone with an ancient town wall, numerous beautiful churches, the popes palace... If you're pressed for time, Aix-en-Provence is also quite nice with an old town, cathedral and especially Cours Mirabeau.

Welcome! Looks like you're in serious need of a cruise,. I'm sure you'll love it. We did a Baltic cruise last year - albeit with another cruise line - and it was the best vacation we've ever had. If you have any questions on ports or excursions, feel free to ask.

Thanks for this awsome guide! It changed my opinion on the whole Chef's Table experience & 150 CP, I'm definetely considering it now. I fear I know where this is going to end... I'll plan to eat at every possible restaurant at least once. Luckily we decided to book Symphony's Transatlantic instead of 7 nights in Europe - we'll need the additional days to give everything a try 

Thought I'd post this here.  On the last podcast Matt talked about my love of specialty dining.  This is from the original thread from 2010 I posted on Cruise Critic titled, The Almost Complete Food Lovers Guide to the Oasis of the Seas.  I put it into one document.  It's a bit dated by now, but I think it's still useful for anyone wondering about specialty dining on Oasis class or pretty much any Royal Caribbean ship.  
If anyone has questions about dining, I'd be very glad to help.
The Almost Complete Food Lovers Guide.pdf

So Matt just posted about the 60% off second guest June promo, and I checked to see if there were still any JS rooms available for my Bermuda sailing next October on Anthem. There were indeed a few and I saw on the RCI web site that it would only cost about $550 more to upgrade to a J4 (Spa Junior Suite) on deck 7 from our C1 (Deluxe w/Large Balcony) on deck 9. So as we're so fond of saying here:
"YOLO! Book it!"
I spoke with my TA and confirmed the price, and I'm now switched from our old C1 room (9244) to the J4 (room 7238). Still port side, so we can enjoy the view of Manhattan during sail-away from our room and not worry about being in a huge crowd if we don't want to.
Not going to tell the wife about this; I'm figuring I'lll do like another member here recently posted about, and keep it a surprise until we're getting on board and she sees us directed to the Suites access line. Now I have to figure out how to keep my mouth shut for the next 499 days! 
I already know she's going to love having the spa-style tub to lounge in, not to mention the larger balcony to better appreciate that sail-away view! And we can now enjoy Coastal Kitchen for dinner one (or maybe several) nights. Can anyone comment on the menu / food quality in CK vs. regular dining room menus on Anthem? I re-checked @Matt's live blog from his 7-night trip on Anthem not long ago, but looks like he only did breakfast and lunch there, no dinners.

Just returned from a 5 night Bermuda cruise on Grandeur.  This was a "free" cruise for us courtesy of Club Royale so we only paid taxes, port fees and gratuities.  While certainly not free, the price was greatly reduced.
Grandeur has the Coca Cola Dispenser machines (sorry....can't remember what they are called.  We never use them) I noticed the 10 drink punch card on day 3.  It was $79 + 18% grat.  It may have been offered earlier.  I didn't see it in the Compass until day 3. Confirmed that Diamond Plus receive 30% discount on premium drink package onboard.  It was noted on the D+ amenities page in our stateroom plus got a printout from Guest Services that showed it Stayed at the Best Western Hotel & Conference Center on O'Donnell street the night before the cruise.  While not the greatest hotel or location, it was clean, the room was very large and the price included RT transport to the port, a nice breakfast and parking for the duration of the cruise.  Total cost for 1 night around $220.  I cannot recall the exact amount (this includes all the MANY taxes that are on top of the advertised $179.99 price).  Completely acceptable.  We drove to Fell's Point for dinner; lovely. Grandeur is still using the "old" dinner menus. Out of character for us, we purchased the 3 night dining package for $75 each (total of $150).  We had to eat at one of the specialty restaurants on either night #1 or night #2.  We chose to eat at Izumi on night 1.  The Izumi package proved to be very cost effective.  We each got $50 credit each time we ate there, meaning that we could spend $200 total on food at Izumi with this package (2 nights. $100 total each night).  We ate there twice (nights 1 and 4).  So, essentially, we ate more than the equivalent total cost of the complete package,  just at our 2 visits to Izumi. I think we spent $96 on our first visit and $97 on the second. Bill each time ?  $-0-.  Basically, Chops (night #3) was free !  Drinks are not covered with this package. While eating at Izumi on night #1, Dan was convinced that we needed to purchase a special lunch deal on Day #3 at 11:30 AM.  It was advertised as a buffet - the receipt we got even said "buffet".  Dan's greedy eyes were aglow with the idea of a smorgasbord of endless sushi options.  The price was $30 PP.  I am not the sushi lover that he is but he was convinced that this was going to be an epic WIN, so we purchased it.  Needless to say, whenever anyone gets that much anticipation rolling, it is bound to be a disappointment.  There was NO buffet.  It was a sit-down, 5 course meal, which may have been ok for a considerably LOWER price but the very idea that we could not choose our own menu was absolutely devastating.  We certainly voiced our disappointment and the server made us each a nice plate of nigiri and sashimi (especially after I flashed the receipt which indicated that this would be a buffet) but it was overall a very big disappointment.  I would NOT recommend it to anyone at the price they charged.  The 3 night package.  Absolutely.  This Izumi special lunch option - no way ! To my great surprise, they did offer the Fisherman's Platter (lobster, etc.) on formal night - night #2. I thought that they did not serve lobster on less than a 7 night cruise so it was a surprise.  We did not eat in the MDR that night b/c we had intentionally left our formal type duds at home.  We ate dinner that night in the WJ (as most of you know, I am not a huge fan of the WJ) as I had been convinced (from the postings on this site !) that the evening fare would be much improved over what they serve during the day.  To my great chagrin, I did not find this to be the case.  It was just more of the same - certainly no lobster !  That will, most likely, be my last trip to the WJ for dinner.  I was very disappointed. Chops on night #3 was good.  It was Chops. Nothing spectacular.  Food was good, not great.  Completely worth the $-0- that we paid !   Of course, we left a nice tip so it wasn't completely free, but basically, it was free. We did not eat at Giovanni's this trip. The only evening meal we ate in the MDR was the last night.  This was the night for the lamb shank, which is Dan's absolute favorite.  It was as good as it always is (I don't eat lamb so I will just have to take his word for it).  I was glad he got to have it. For the first time, we did the self assist walk-off early disembark.  The return transportation was exactly where they said it would be and we were back at the Best Western to retrieve the car right about 8AM.  I dropped Dan off at work on the way home and our trip was successfully completed. This was the first time we have been in an inside room in over 10 years.  I was dreading it since I have been living the suite life so fully, lately.  It was not nearly as horrible as I thought it would be.  Certainly, the room was small and we didn't spend much time there for that reason.  I find, the bigger and nicer the cabin, the MORE time I want to be there.  It was on deck 4, which is WAAAY lower down than I have ever been. It was probably the most convenient location I have ever had.  It was absolutely central to every activity we were interested in. It had been a while since I had sailed on a Vision class ship and I was afraid I would be bored with no Promenade or Boardwalk or Central Park.  I was pleased to find that I was NOT.  It is absolutely amazing how small the Vision class ships are, compared to the O class....but that was a GOOD thing on this trip.  You can literally stand in the Centrum and SEE the dining rooms and almost see the theater from there !  You are never more than a few steps away from either end of the ship which is NOT true on the O class ships.  I did not miss the bigger casino.  The casino on the Grandeur had everything I wanted with the possible exception of a full sized poker table. Table minimums for 3 card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em were $5.  I didn't play blackjack but I think the minimum was $10 at the regular BJ tables.  Not sure about craps, either.  The blinds for no limit hold 'em were $2 and $5 b/c I didn't get to the dealers the first night and get the blinds lowered to $1/$3.  I have done that successfully on many cruises but once they start at $2/$5 they will stay there for the rest of the cruise.  I will have to be faster next time !  It's just a way for the house rake to be more profitable for them. They had 1 UTH table, 2, 3 card poker tables, 1 craps table, 1 roulette table a number of variations of BJ, no Caribbean Stud or Mississippi Mud or any other poker variety table.  While I don't play slots, the slot machines seemed old to me.  There were a few newer ones but basically, I think they need to refresh some of those old machines. The water system did shut down twice that I know of.  The first night it was out when I got up around 2AM to visit the washroom.  Then, on day 4 it was out for about an hour in the middle of the day.  No explanation, really.  Not sure what the problem was, but it was apparently resolved quickly both times. There were only 3 Pinnacle Club members on this cruise !  I'm sure the PC's prefer the longer cruises.  I believe there were only 12 D+ on this one, too.  Dan and I received our 280 crystal block and got our pix taken with the crew that were present for the Top Tier event.  Normally we skip that event (we refer to it as the cattle call) but since we were getting a block, we attended. Both the Diamond Lounge and Concierge Lounge are very small on the Grandeur but both have nice views which is unusual.  Most of the CLs these days have no windows at all.  The CL on Grandeur is located on the port side of the rear of the Viking Crown Room and the DL is in a corner of the South Pacific room in the aft.  We were happy to see that we knew the DL Concierge (Rahul) as we had sailed with him numerous times before.  It was his first day on the job on Grandeur !  The CL Concierge was Carlington, whom we did not know.  He was very nice as well. The Cruise Director was Paul - can't remember his last name.  Good, I'm sure.  We didn't have much interaction with him.  The Hotel Director was Keith Murphy (Ireland).  The man was EVERYwhere.  Every time we turned around we ran into him.  Dan even ran into him off the ship !  What a great guy.  He was our "celebrity" dealer in the Casino one night.  Really, really nice and biiiiizzy. The best HD I have sailed with.  He had some interesting stories (told privately, of course) of his epic journeys on both the Quantum and Ovation during their 56-whatever day global odyssey cruises to  Asia.   While we were in Bermuda, they were holding the America's Cup races.  I am not a yachting fan so I really don't know much about them but it was, apparently a VERY big deal.  We could see the yachts out in the harbor practicing.  Dan went out and watched 2 races on Tuesday.  Sweden vs New Zealand (NZ won) and US vs France (US won).  I barely got off the ship as Bermuda is not my favorite port of call but the weather was nice and I got out for a few hours on Tuesday before we left.  I rode the tram around for a bit just to say I got off. Very nice cruise.  We enjoyed it very much and were happy to re-discover the virtues of the small ships.  Glad we decided to do this one.

Your cruises have been added to the list, available here: 
 
Enjoy your respective cruises.

I sort of did the same thing last year, I wanted to go on the Harmony, I couldn't get on her inaugural cruise but I was on her 4th cruise out of Barcelona, so far out of my 12 cruises that Mediterranean cruise on Harmony last year ranks as my best, Harmony is a beautiful ship and definitely had plenty of things to do and see, I', sure Symphony will be the same. 

Up to now itinerary is my main criterion.That's why our 14 nights Baltic Cruise (with TUI Cruises) ranks highest for me. All ports were different but each in their own a magnificent experience. And cruising in the archipelago of Stockholm at sunrise is an item for any bucket list - that was absolutely amazing. For our first RC cruise we're trying a completely different approach, making the ship the destination. We're on Symphony's transatlantic cruise to enjoy its amenities to the fullest - might change my perspective completely.

Up to now itinerary is my main criterion.That's why our 14 nights Baltic Cruise (with TUI Cruises) ranks highest for me. All ports were different but each in their own a magnificent experience. And cruising in the archipelago of Stockholm at sunrise is an item for any bucket list - that was absolutely amazing. For our first RC cruise we're trying a completely different approach, making the ship the destination. We're on Symphony's transatlantic cruise to enjoy its amenities to the fullest - might change my perspective completely.

Up to now itinerary is my main criterion.That's why our 14 nights Baltic Cruise (with TUI Cruises) ranks highest for me. All ports were different but each in their own a magnificent experience. And cruising in the archipelago of Stockholm at sunrise is an item for any bucket list - that was absolutely amazing. For our first RC cruise we're trying a completely different approach, making the ship the destination. We're on Symphony's transatlantic cruise to enjoy its amenities to the fullest - might change my perspective completely.

Hi everyone!
My name is Kerstin, 33 years and I'm from Germany. My husband and me will start cruising with Royal on Symphony OTS Transatlantic Cruise next year. This will be our first Royal cruise and also our first one with a non-german cruise line - and the first out of Europe. We've already got 3 cruises with TUI Cruises under our belt (Canaries, Full Metal Cruise, Baltic) and will cruise Western Mediterranean with AIDA this year.
We've always wanted to try an Oasis class ship but I wasn't up to such a long distance flight. Guess I won't have a choice when it's time to go back home ;) To make up for the dreaded flight we're also planning to spend 2 weeks in the Caribbean, but haven't decided on an itinerary yet - 14 nights with Regent's Navigator seems most likely at the moment.
Guess I'll have a lot questions although numerous are already answered thanks to you guys =)