twangster

6218 is an obstructed balcony cabin where the lifeboats are stored just off the balcony.  For the most part you can look over the top of the lifeboat which is around the height of the balcony railing.  

From the balcony of 6218 you should not have a lifeboat davit directly in front of you but there is a davit in front of the next cabin forward of 6218.  This may be in your view when looking forward or to the right.

If you look carefully in the photo below you can see a lifeboat visible through the glass of the balcony.  Looking over the top of the lifeboat you can see the ocean in the distance but the view down towards the sea right beside the ship is blocked by the lifeboat. 

Here are some additional photos that illustrate how the lifeboats are stored relative to the deck cabins.

In this last photo you can see the white davits or towers that hold the lifeboats.  Some deck 6 obstructed balcony cabins have one of these davits directly in front of their balcony.  That shouldn't be the case for 6218. 

It’s a fixed view from a camera mounted on the bridge.

12 hours ago, Austin said:

Ovation Off to Asia? Anthem and Quantum are slated for Alaska season.

That's one possibility.  Another is sending her to the Atlantic.

Odyssey lacks the indoor family pool that is very popular out of Bayonne with two sea days leaving and two sea days returning on most itineraries.   Those tend to be cooler sea days year round but especially in the winter months.

It appears Quantum stays in the Pacific which makes sense as she has bilingual signage already and is high roller casino ready.  Second to Spectrum, Quantum is the most Asia ready alternate for Spectrum to augment or be available when Spectrum dry docks.

I suspect Anthem stays in Australia to give that market something different, splitting her time with Alaska.

That leaves Ovation.   Ovation to Bayonne checks a couple boxes including a new to Bayonne ship for that market just as Anthem is something new for Australia.

Time will tell.

Water is heavy.  The fountain has a large water storage tank.  The later OA class were built without Rising Tide fountains so that weight could be used elsewhere and the space for the tank used for other purposes.

6 hours ago, Traveling Mike said:

That is what I thought but I do not understand why they are entering their information.  I have done this for years and as soon as you select your room you get the final price on the left hand side.  That price has always been my final price.  

 

 

Refundable uplift shows on the final page right before making a deposit.

26 minutes ago, Jamesszy94 said:

IIRC (I could be wrong)- Most of the Enchantment sailings were Sydney > Adelaide > Hobart > Sydney (or some combination of this) or to the South Pacific. I guess it makes sense that she was bad for Alaska and had to be replaced. 

I feel so bad for the Vision class ships... it's like when a parent plays favourites. Royal is focusing all their attention on Oasis and Icon and basically feels like they're abandoning the others. (Vision and to some extent Radiance and Voyager class)

Imagine if Royal ever sent Grandeur or Rhapsody to Australia and were like "take it or leave it" 

Let's face it, Royal doesn't want the Vision class ships but they have no place to dump them with Pullmantur gone.  So they run them into the ground.   People book them, then complain, but there are enough new to cruise and loyalist booking them so why accelerate the last ride to a beach in Turkey we all know is overdue?

2 minutes ago, Jamesszy94 said:

I know Enchantment was supposed to come to Sydney during the 2022-2023 cruise season but she was replaced with Brilliance, did Royal ever say what the reason for that was? 

Pretty sure Vision class was too dirty for Alaska so they replaced her with Serenade the year she was supposed to do Alaska leaving EN in the Atlantic.  The following year Brilliance became the 2nd RD class Vancouver based ship for Alaska.  She (EN) probably would have failed to qualify for the NZ sounds as well.  

53 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Is that an official thing by Royal? That Diamond drink vouchers can be shared? I only ask because I have never thought to share mine (since we all have 5), but just a few days ago on Icon, I watched as one person told the bar staff they were using their D voucher for their friend's drink and the bar staff did not seem to care one bit. Then, this thread got me thinking because I do have a sailing next year with part of my group not in Star, but I will be in Star. So if I am not breaking any rules by sharing my D+ vouchers with them, that would be fantastic.

Yes, it's been officially blessed and frequently tested on group cruises. 

10 hours ago, steverk said:

Hmmm. I always thought gross tonnage was a measure of the passengers after visiting the buffet!

With the current buffet offering on Royal that would result in a growing reduction in GT.

With only Odyssey in the Atlantic basin it stands to reason they could bring another Q class over from the Pacific.  Odyssey doesn't make sense from Bayonne in the winter, the indoor family pool found on the earlier Q class is very popular on those two sea days in and two sea days out of Bayonne.

I'm booked on OV for a B3B, April 3, April 12 and April 29.  The first two show "closed" but as we are learning from other passengers the middle TP has been cancelled.  No word on the other two, yet.

There are so many possibilities so I'm just going to sit back and wait.  I'm tempted to do a train across Australia instead.  Maybe The Ghan or Indian Pacific or both.  Might have to change to another season and think about a TP another time.

I'm growing increasingly frustrated with their silence.  They know what they are going to do but for some reason they won't tell us.  I need to firm up my 2025 plans so it may not include Royal Caribbean at this point, at least down under.

10 hours ago, Babsy47 said:

Thanks, all!  I did not realize you could share vouchers.  That solves the whole issue!

 

CAS voucher drinks can be shared but you'll need to order the drink and tell the waitstaff or bartender that you want to use a diamond voucher for their drink.  Since you have the drink package from being Star it is important to tell them to use a diamond voucher otherwise it appears you are suggesting to share drink package drinks with them which is not allowed. 

The point is you need to be present to order the drink, you can't transfer vouchers.  They can't order their own drinks with them.  That may not always be convenient.  

Just to clarify...

Studio cabins for solo cruisers don't earn double points.  These studio solo cabins can only hold one person.

A regular cabin designed for two guests when booked by a solo cruiser will earn double points if you are paying the single supplement fee.

Are you in a studio solo cabin or double occupancy cabin and you are paying the single supplement fee? 

34 minutes ago, Fellus said:

Thanks, usually I get an updated invoice as soon as I do a payment and since I have booked through a travel agent, I believe the next invoice to be received would be following the final balance payment which is due in around 2months. I'll keep my fingers crossed

Ask for a new copy.  Tell your TA you can't find it.

If a new copy of the invoice still says ZI then I would keep that as my expectation.

I've been eyeing short Carnival for weekend getaways.  Royal's short weekend program here is high and goes up once Utopia arrives.

I'm a few cruises short of platinum on CCL so maybe it's time to fix that.

Request a copy of your invoice.

It has the category on it.  

Quantum class has limited ocean view cabins.  Weird to upgrade someone to this category but anything is possible.

I Wonder what ship might go there next?

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2024/01/25/royal-caribbean-rumor-wonder-of-the-seas-galveston

How are Voom speeds?

Ask for your own table.  They have tables for 2 that I request when solo.

Talk to the LA once onboard.

You can't change them online.  You can call CAS or talk to the LA but they want 6 weeks or so for the change to go into effect.

The glass is higher towards the middle forward area but is lower middle area. 

When Q class first visited Alaska I was curious how it would work out.   I spend a lot of time outside taking in Alaska.   The higher glass towards forward turned out to be a blessing blocking the cold wind when the ship is moving.

There are large gaps in the high glass sections, large enough for a big lens to fit through.

4 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I didn't even know that  Royal had ANY ships back in China.  Interesting....

Spectrum is still in SIN, leaving soon.

Royal knows has well it's been selling and if it warrants another ship in the region or one less.

I'm booked on Ovation's last cruise of the 2024-2025 Australian season followed by the transpacific to Hawaii.   Both have been closed for new bookings since December.  The next cruise from Hawaii to Vancouver remains open.

There may be something bigger going on involving redeploying multiple ships.  Or maybe not.   Time will tell. 

Unlike some other cruise lines Royal doesn't lock their wifi accounts to specific devices.  This allows someone to bring many devices and login and logout across the devices as needed.  It also allows an internet plan to be used by more than one person by sharing credentials. 

Over the years I have had a number of cancelled cruises for various reasons.  

Typically I just take the full refund.  The offers never seem to be very appealing.