OwassoDeb

We are on Adventure of the Seas sailing 11-17-19 and got our GTY cabin assigned last week.

We are on Adventure of the Seas sailing 11-17-19 and got our GTY cabin assigned last week.

Royal has learned a lot over the years and you can see that evolution in the ships over the years.  However Radiance class is an exception to that.  Radiance was introduced after Voyager  class was close to having grown to 3 ships (Radiance and Adventure both started revenue sailings in 2001). 
At one point in time Voyager class was never to leave the Caribbean as they were too big for the rest of the world.   Radiance class was built to not exceed then Panamax standards and designed to be cleaner or greener for eco sensitive environments such as Alaska.  They were built with different missions in mind, never to co-exist in the same market.  Fast forward to modern times and Voyager class are all over the globe.  
Radiance class has the lowest suite count of any class and we all know Royal has grown to become focused on the suites.  
Earlier ships suffer in that they were built in an era prior to azipods and used conventional propulsion with rudders.  While you can add guest conveniences like slides and restaurants it's virtually impossible to replace entire propulsion systems and engines to newer technology.  Ships are built around the engines.  They are the very first components that ships are built upon.  Once installed they are there for life.  Sure they are rebuilt from time to time but changing out an entire engine or replacing the drive system is never economical.  It's generally cheaper to sell it off and build a new ship.   
The same can be said for cabins.  Moving walls and infrastructure like plumbing and electrical is rarely cost effective.  It's one thing to add new cabins in open space but moving existing or converting regular cabins in to suites is very expensive and counterproductive if it costs two cabins to create a single suite.  The resulting difference in revenue never pays for the work required plus you have reduced the number of guests on board that reduces on board revenue (four guests in two balcony cabins will spend more on board compared to two guests in a one suite). 
Smaller ships also suffer from a lack of real estate.  There can be literally no room to place slides or a restaurant, or the weight allocation can't be accommodated without making the ship unstable.  Water slides require pumps and water storage tanks that if located up high can make a small ship tend to roll over in the right conditions.  The engineering often doesn't allow it to happen despite what guests or Royal may desire.   
At the end of the day it's much like owning an old car.  An old car is old, requires more maintenance, burns more fuel and doesn't have the latest features.  However it's paid for.  A brand new car is more fuel efficient, runs with little maintenance, has better safety, performance and comfort but it involves a monthly payment.   Keeping an older car can save money in the long term if you can deal with more frequent breakdowns and not having the latest features.  

I vote for getting rid of the tub and making it a larger shower. We have never used the tub but also appreciate the extra space. Have you ever noticed how high the tub sides are as well when getting in to take a shower? A nice glass door would be nice as well. I hate trying to avoid the shower curtain. @cruise-y  you mention how non-hygienic the tub is. I wonder how often the shower curtains get cleaned/replaced.........

I for one have stopped trying to promote the cruise industry and agree wholeheartedly with everything they said.
The last thing I need is more people to book cruises (driving up the cost for me).  
It's terrible out there folks.  The sea was 90' yesterday (away from the Promenade deck).  I hear that 99% of all cruise ships got stranded (away from a boring existence) yesterday.  Everyone on board is sick (of being on land).  I went missing (and none of my clients know I'm on a ship).  There were 75 mph winds (for anyone driving on the interstate with their hands out the window in Florida). 
Yep, it's not a life for the faint of heart.  Avoid cruising (so I can book cheaper cruises).
If they don't want to go, please don't try to correct them.  
 

I just sailed the Majesty a couple of weeks ago in a JS. It was a lovely cabin and if you’re already booked in one, I’m not sure the additional cost for the GS would be worth it. I’m not sure if there’s a designated suite area for breakfast, unless they set aside part of the MDR and there was *never* an issue finding seating for a show. Regarding the smoking area, I *believe* all suites are on deck 10 and the smoking area is deck 11. Our JS was actually underneath that part of the pool deck (starboard side) and I never noticed any issues, and I’m pretty sensitive to cigarette smoke. 
Only benefit I can possibly think of with an upgrade is if it impacts your Cuba refund, if applicable. We upgraded from an OV to a JS with a *very* aggressive bid... in fact, we figured we probably overpaid (still less than booking JS directly), but we were grateful for the extra space and balcony so we were okay with it. Then we got our statement for the 50% credit and it was considerably higher than I was anticipating. Only thing we could think of that made that happen was it was based on cabin category versus what we paid for our original fare (?) But that’s only a theory. Between that and the fact that I had just successfully purchased the $18 drink package on my 2020 sailing, RCCL has gained a customer for life ?
Enjoy the Majesty...we had a wonderful time. All the staff we encountered were excellent and the piano player in Schooners was a real treat. Small ship but we never felt crowded. 
 

As someone that drinks sparkling water regularly, I was disappointed to find that the Freestyle machines only had Dasani plain and lemon-lime (or maybe lemon?) sparkling water available.
I think that maybe the other flavorings available for sodas are sweetened and, therefore, unavailable for use in sparkling water. I encountered this on Grandeur and Freedom.

Dasani is just purified chilled tap water. 
So yes you will get purified carbonated tap water from the machine which probably source their water from the water tanks onboard.
If you want spring water from a source you'll need to choose S. Pelligrino