twangster

Grand Suite and above, not Junior Suite.  It's a great benefit for Sky Class, just arrive before 10-15 minutes before show time when they open up reserved seating for everyone. 

I've spoken to a couple people on St Thomas today.  Island life is getting better and power is coming back on in many places.  Ships full of utility poles arrived weeks ago and crews have been busy replacing downed power lines.  The Charlotte Amalie area is very close to pre-storm conditions.  My friend told me in places you wouldn't know a hurricane had passed through.  That's not to say every home that was damaged has been fixed or that everyone has power, far from that.  However the curfew is no longer in place and life is so much better he tells me.  Paradise Point remains closed while they make repairs and work towards the goal of reopening as soon as they can.   This is a process and it will take time but they are definitely ready to accept tourists and they need the money that tourism brings.  I am looking forward to my visit there in December.   

Are you kidding me?  The photos have been great!  Wouldn't be the same without them. The tune melt dissection was awesome!

Thanks for the blog and photos!   

I am going on Explorer myself in June '18 - on the Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise!

When I did an Alaska cruise on a different ship this past June I had the drink package.  I managed to utilize the package to the point it had value for me.  I drink a lot of water and would take two bottles with me on excursions.  I had more specialty coffee than I might in the Caribbean.  I'm usually good for two glass of wine during dinner and two cocktails in the evenings at shows and not what.  Throw in some beers and a martini here and there and I'm confident I did better than breaking even.  I like not having to worry about it, or questioning should I have another, or trying a certain drink I haven't had before.  

We have four sea days on Explorer plus three long days in port where you can do an excursion, come back to the ship for a meal,  then go self exploring after that.  At lunch a glass of white wine or a beer goes down easy.  I would consider this cruise a DPFI - Drink Package Friendly Itinerary.   

Seems like a pretty decent price to me.  I've paid around that or even more for loft suites for just two.  

If you do some simulated bookings during peak like July or August how do they price a Royal Family suite for four?

@Matt who runs this site did a blog on free beaches a few weeks ago but it doesn't include the islands you have mentioned here.  There are some points from it though that are relevant.  

Most islands will have a free or public beach as technically most beaches are not owned privately.  Free beach meaning a place you can sit in the sand but often that is it.  Facilities including restrooms, fresh water showers to rinse off, etc. are often private and in many cases owned by nearby resorts on the beach. They typically are for their guests and not available to the public.   Food and beverage for purchase, loungers, chairs and umbrellas are sometimes available for an additional charge.

I've not cruised to Antigua yet, only flown there, so I can't comment on beaches close to that port.  St Maarten has a beach close to the port within walking distance if you don't mind a 10-15 minute walk or there are water taxis available at a small cost.  St Kitts, St Lucia and Barbados require transportation either purchased from the ship or purchased on your own (taxi, public transit, etc.).   

"Resort for a day" are a popular choice for many as they include the facilities of the resort and in some cases include food and/or beverages.  Often they feature a fresh water pool, restrooms, loungers and umbrellas and swim up bar service.  Amenities vary. These are available through the cruise line or independently.  

I spoke to Paradise Point this morning.  They are not ready to open yet. When I lived on St Thomas this was a stop I would bring all visitors to.  Given where it sits and the winds at elevation there was some damage done which they are working to restore but everything on island takes time and work resources are thin at the moment.  They don't have an estimate yet when they'll re-open but they are working towards that goal.  

19 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

Same prices as the last cruise planner on mine for Anthem in March 2018.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for a bigger discount come US Thanksgiving.  I really want the Kennedy Space Center excursion to go on sale...

For my December stop in Canaveral on Anthem, the Kennedy tour isn't on sale this weekend while a number of other excursions are.  Hope you have better luck on US turkey day.

1 minute ago, Sabrinaklai said:

 JS access to CK is for dinner only

Oops, forgot that important detail.  Good catch!

20 hours ago, JLMoran said:

I have this in my Cruise Planner for both of my upcoming cruises: Freedom (147 days out), and Anthem (344 days out!). Freedom was something like $85 per person, Anthem a bit more ($95?).

I have Anthem booked for 3 cruises.  The B2B in December 2017 have a price of $99, weeks later in January 2018 its $79.  For my Freedom cruise next week, it was never offered in the CP.

How odd.

Welcome to the message boards!

Symphony will be using a brand new terminal that is under construction at the moment.  If it follows the logic of Port Everglades terminal 18 where other Oasis class ships have all called home at one point, JS will be allowed to use the Suite entrance the same as Grand Suite and above.  Since the new terminal in Miami is under construction and no one has used it yet, I don't know for sure but I would imagine so.

JS includes access to Coastal Kitchen which I am a big fan of.  I'm fairly confident this access will continue on Symphony as it does on all ships built since Oasis including Anthem.  CK is almost like having a specialty restaurant available every night.  Reservations are required for dinner and you can make those once on board.  You don't have to eat in CK, you can also visit the main dining room (MDR) anytime you please.  My son and I recently visited the MDR on the 1st formal night on Harmony and quite enjoyed it. Here are some recent photos of Coastal Kitchen on Harmony.  Great views from up there on deck 17!

JS on other Oasis class ships have a nice walk in closet that many people are a big fan of and something that is missing in GS.  I'm assuming this walk in closet will remain a feature in Symphony JS cabins.

Currently you accumulate double Crown & Anchor points in a JS.  I'm not sure if you have sailed with Royal Caribbean before but this is their loyalty program.  Normally non-suite cabins receive a point for each night on board, with a JS you receive twice as many points.

1 hour ago, Sabrinaklai said:

Not sure what kind of conclusion to draw....

When GST first hit Ontario the big thing as restaurant goers was to not tip on the final total but only to tip on the food or beverage subtotal.  With PST and GST being 15% of taxes it could make a big difference!

59 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

Interesting....as I always thought we tipped more than Americans in a lot of cases.....I remember the days when there was NO tip jar at Dunkin Donuts which I thought was weird as here in Canada if you don't tip at your local coffee shop its frowned upon and has been the case for as long as I have been drinking coffee(however with more people using debit to pay it is changing).

That being said, servers in Canada do not get paid a lower wage for serving..which I know can be the case in many states. They all make the minimum wage in the province that they work ($11-15/hr) give or take.

 

So it is true that there is less "need" to tip in Canada as they all make the same wage and do not make LESS money simply cause they serve you. I am sure if servers in Canada made half the minimum wage it would be a very different story. I am sure that has a lot to do with it!

 

That being said, tipping 15-20% on a meal is certainly the norm for us at any sitdown restaurant or pub/bar.

Didn't mean to pick on Canada.  I was born and raised in Canada before moving to the US and becoming a US citizen later in life.  I'm proud of my Canadian roots but can see this from an American perspective as well having lived in the US for 20 years now. 

Yesterday @Matt informed us of a big reveal planned by RCI next week on Nov. 7.  Watching his periscope yesterday and in response to his call for speculation and guessing what could possibly be announced in the big reveal next week, I put my thinking cap on and started making wild guesses.  One guess is that Coco Cay may be making some big news soon.  

This post is purely speculative with no basis in fact or inside knowledge.  It's almost certainly going to be proven wrong next week, but let's have some fun!

What got me thinking last night was Matt's comment about a concept of staying overnight on Coco Cay and possibly arriving on one ship but departing on another as mentioned in this blog.  

• Guests on CocoCay may be able to get off the ship and stay there overnight, "we will be adding some private cabana accommodation for Suite Class guests who may want to get off and stay for a few days in total luxury and privacy before hopping on another ship to come home."

Coco Cay is also known as Little Stirrup Cay and it is located right beside Great Stirrup Cay (GSC) which is a private destination for Norwegian Cruise Lines.  Last year NCL announced plans to refurbish GSC including a private lagoon retreat for certain suite guests.  I had also heard rumors about a hotel operation on GSC although finding information on that is more difficult. 

On a recent trip to Coco Cay aboard Grandeur of the Seas I spotted construction on GSC. 

In this photo of GSC just right of photo center you can see construction trailers and right of that a row of concrete buildings.  Left of the trailers is the beach that GSC visitors use when visiting there.

Here is a closer photo of the GSC beach area showing row and row of loungers.

Here are those concrete building under construction in an undeveloped area of GSC.

These are presumably building to fulfill the NCL vision of a lagoon retreat but could they also be part of that rumored future overnight hotel operation on GSC? 

A distinct disadvantage for any port of call is the lack of a pier.  That has an impact to daytime visits and lacking a pier it makes the idea of overnight stays from a cruise ship very challenging.   

All too often cruise ship visits to tender ports are called off due to slight seas.  That moment of stepping off a large and stable cruise ship onto a tender bobbing up and down in even a small amount of waves can be very dangerous.  Not only do you need calm seas in the morning but if seas are forecast to become larger later in the day that can also impact a visit to a tender port.   

That soon won't be an issue for Coco Cay, the pier is under construction and scheduled to start receiving ships in June 2018.  A pier will be a game changer for Coco Cay.

Maybe the big reveal next week is going to announce some very big upgrades for Coco Cay.  Will that overnight Coco Cay hotel hinted at earlier this year become a reality?   

Wouldn't that be the ultimate back to back cruise adventure?  Arrive to Coco Cay on one cruise ship, spend a few days and nights on Coco Cay, depart on a different cruise ship! Will we get Crown & Anchor points for Coco Cay?  

Maybe Mariner's post dry-dock relocation to Miami plays a role in this concept.  

What other new and exciting features will Coco Cay receive?

Back in 2013 Matt wrote a blog describing how Carnival would be making some stops at Coco Cay.  What if NCL was to use the Coco Cay pier as a mean to access GSC on less than perfect days?  Both have sheltered harbors were boarding a water taxi can be done safely and it would be a short ride between islands.  What if the cruise lines shared island resources?  Highly unlikely but hey, this is all about wild speculation. 

So let's hear from you.  What wild and crazy ideas can you come up with for the big reveal next week?

Dream on...

It is a complex issue to operate ships based in many different cultural norms.  Currently Radiance and Explorer spend the North American summer in Alaska then make their way across to operate in the South Pacific for that summer season.  In many cases crew contract timing works out so they end up working in both regions.

The crew need predictable compensation while the ships have to adjust gratuity to suit local norms.  Gratuity and tipping is very engrained in the American culture.  I'm confident that RCI doesn't simply inform its crew that there are no gratuity in Australia so you will receive less compensation, it's more likely base fares are adjusted to suit local norms when operating in areas where that is the norm. 

I've never seen a crew contract but I don't imagine they all gather around after we all disembark and split the tip jar figuratively speaking.  I've always assumed that contracts specify a wage but how that wage is delivered varies region to region.  While in North America fares are lowered but gratuity charged while in other regions fares are raised with no gratuity added.  All the money goes into the big wallet and crew are paid just like fuel and food suppliers are.  When averaged over months of operating fares are adjusted to be profitable yet competitive.   

In any service industry, motivating employees to provide great service is always a challenge.  Gratuity and tipping from a North American perspective is supposed to motivate employees to provide great service.  That is the justification here in many states to exempt restaurant workers from minimum wage laws.

How are beverage purchases on ships based in AU/NZ billed?  Do they add 18% gratuity to individual beverage purchases? 

In the US beverage packages are subject to an 18% gratuity charged at time of purchase.  Often these packages are offered at discounts or on sale pre-cruise.  When I buy a beverage package at $41 per day on sale, less gratuity is received compared to someone on the ship that buys the same package for $55 per day.  Yet we all expect great bar service despite some of us paying less gratuity having bought it on sale.

I find it very interesting and informative to have participation in this forum from different regions.  Thanks to all who participate in a healthy and respectful discussion.  

1 hour ago, F1guynz said:

Tipping certainly raises passion in people. You have to remember that Australia and New Zealand don't really have a tipping culture as people are on higher wages (the minimum wage in New Zealand is $15.75) so here service is built into the cost.

To an extent Canadians can find themselves in similar hot water when traveling in the US.  There is a long standing joke that US restaurant workers say of Canadians... "What's the difference between a Canadian and a canoe?...  A canoe tips".  

In the US it remains common for some restaurant workers (in some states) to not be eligible for a standard minimum wage and much of their income is based on tips alone, even to this day.  That's a very 'foreign' concept for many outside of the US.  

That's a bit of a conundrum for all lines these days.  Sell off the smaller fleet only to create or supply a low cost competitor with ships that undercut you.  You also have to consider the RCCL perspective compared to the RCI perspective.  

That raises an interesting idea, like Jazz versus Air Canada (but maybe done better), introduce a new brand that does the low cost simple itineraries while the prime brand does the more lucrative market.   A new low cost brand that targets the entry level or low cost demographic while trying not to cannibalize their own (bigger fleet).  In doing so RCI would become more of a premium product. Hmmm.

On the flip side big ships work in certain markets but Oasis class and even Freedom class to a lesser degree have limitations where they can sail.  

In my cruise planner for Anthem the costs are $69 for group lesson, $345 for private lesson and $552 for private wave experience.

13 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Wait, @Matt, I thought that you could still rebook with a non-refundable fare as long as you did not change the ship, room, and sailing date.

I booked the Alaska GC non-refundable and could re-price under the current promo but I'd lose $100 in OBC for a $20 drop in price so I didn't do it.  I exchanged emails with MEI on this a few hours ago.

1 minute ago, Matt said:

My understanding is they do not.  They get their tips from restaurant cover charge. 

Again, that's just what I had heard since the beginning of specialty dining.

Ahh, okay, I misunderstood earlier.  My bad.  I'll tip better on my upcoming BOGOs.

22 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Mmmm, love a good tuna melt. I don't suppose you noticed if the tuna was just diner-level fish-and-heavy-mayo-only, or if it was REAL tuna salad with mayo, celery, chopped red onion, relish, and/or...?

1 minute ago, CGTLH said:

Tuna melt dissection...

Incredible - near instant remote feedback from a request a thousand miles away.

How does it taste while floating in a pool? 

2 minutes ago, rjac said:

Is it true that photo ops or even a handshake with the Captain of the ship are going to have an 18% gratuity?

On demand handshake is $5 but no gratuity.  If you buy the Captain and Crew handshake package it is subject to 18% gratuity at time of purchase.

1 minute ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Actually, I think it's just the opposite - at least for now.  They APPEAR to be charging only for individual specialty restaurant reservations made on the ship (onesies and twosies) but not applying the new grat to the packages. My guess is they will eventually get around to adding it to the packages pre-booked but right now there is no additional grat added on to your package (I did a mock booking this morning and there was no additional charge that I could identify).

Yes, I am sure that they will eventually get around to adding a surcharge on top of everything.  When they're charging you 18% for a robot to make you a really BAD drink you know things are headed in the wrong direction !

The photo above on the ship shows it listed under the 3/4/5 packages on board (but not yet in the CP).

The important question goes back ... Do specialty dining staff get a portion of the automatic daily gratuity?

If yes, then the new dining package gratuity charge has the appearance of a price increase plain and simple, hoping no one notices as we all get lulled into paying gratuity for everything.

If no, then the MDR dining staff are getting gratuity they don't deserve (the corresponding dinner portion of the automatic daily gratuity) while the specialty dining staff get the shaft.  This should be fixable based on number of guests dining in specialty and easily remedied using automation.

Why on board but not in advance?  Likely another experiment to determine customer reaction before rolling it out fleet wide and for advance purchases.  

Youtube Dragon's Tail

11 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

I've watched several YouTube videos of this ride, there are definitely not restrictions on GoPro or phone use for recording. 

I like the one Youtube video where the girl and her bf are all nice and comfy going up, then as they start down she is yelling "SLOW DOWN!  SLOW DOWN!!!"