WannaCruise

Interesting there are no veggies options. I think the full restaurant has veggie burger?

Great thank you.  If we decide to try both, then we'll sit by the door at the comedy show and sneak out a few minutes early.  

9 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Definitely sit near the back if you want to do this ... you're safer!

Yeah...definitely don't want to get picked on as we make an exit

9 hours ago, CGTLH said:

Really it depends on where you want to sit at the Quest. If you don't might standing in the back areas you should be fine. If you want to be an integral role and sit up close you'll need to arrive early. The first 5 minutes or so is normally the safety video and team selection.

On Symphony the Comedy club is about twice the size as the one on Oasis and Allure, it is in the equivalent of Blaze. Door will be on the left side right near where you came in. Think there might be a few tables right near the door so that might be an ideal spot to sit if you want to make a quick exit. Distance from Attic to Studio B, maybe a fifty feet. Don't worry, they won't close the doors on Studio B.

We're more observers (although DH is braver than me).  I've only been to one Quest and it was quite tame on Independence, but DH said it was a bit rowdy on Mariner...and hilarious!   So he really wants to go.  It's not end of the world if can't get to the comedy show too but would be nice. (All other comedy show times are full now so we can't just switch the booking)

4 minutes ago, Sh2738 said:

It’s a pina colada with flavoring swirled in like strawberry or mango. Tasty. 

Yum!

3 hours ago, Sh2738 said:

Miami Vice, Blue Hawaiian. Two great frozen drinks. 

Lava flow another tasty frozen drink. 

What's in Lava Flow?  

We're sailing Symphony and I booked the shows when reservations opened up.  At the time I didn't know the timing of the other events going on and I booked the comedy show from 10:30pm-11:20pm.  Now that Royal App finally shows activities (had to log in and out a few times), I notice that The Quest is 11:15pm on the same night.

Would love to attend both but is this possible?  i.e. 

• I hear that the venue of the comedy show is small on Oasis.....so can we sneak out a few minutes early or is that rude (or get picked on)?
• Can you arrive a few minutes late for The Quest?  Or do they close the doors?

I think if we have to pick one over the other, it'll be The Quest as DH really wants to attend.

As a side note...it looks like the 2 venues are almost side by side

42 minutes ago, MotleyCruiser said:

Brilliance, Navigator, Explorer, Harmony & Mariner...never charges at all.

Thank you!  That's encouraging.  Hopefully same luck on Symphony.  

Interesting (and nice looking) Starbucks.  Had to look up the deck plans to see where it's located.  Looks like deck 4 near casino.

Ditto above.

If you are coming with kids, then I would stick to Oasis, Quantum, Freedom or Amped Voyager ship.

If you prefer smaller more intimate ships, then you have the Radiance,Vision and Empress class ships.  Or I think these are ones that have nicer itineraries so if that's important, then that would be a factor.

Then as other said...what is important?  Flowrider? Zipline? Promenade?  Neighborhoods?  Broadway shows?  Then see what ships match your criteria.

20 hours ago, Joe01 said:

No doubt that it will be added when HM goes to drydock in 2021.

When in 2021 is it's dry dock?

29 minutes ago, Doggidr said:

If you go on the single day view, you can tap on a time and an “add activity” button appears.  Then select “personalized activity”.  Just be sure to select the end time BEFORE you type everything in because when you change the time, everything you typed disappears.  Then select the people on the reservation that the activity applies to and click “add to calendar”. 

The only problem is this:  We are part of a group that has training sessions.  I went to add all of our workshops into my calendar so it’s all in one place.

I added a workshop 5-7:30 on day 2.  I tried to add it on day 3 and it adds a 2nd on day 2.  Same for group dinners.  If you try to add a similar activity at the same time on another day, it adds it to the first day you had that.  When you look at the calendar,  you see a colored square on the activity indicating who in your party the activity is for.

The more times I tried to add the workshop on day 2, the more squares on the same activity on day 1 kept appearing.

Stupid.

(along with the stupidity that you can’t book the same spa service for more than 1 person in your party.  Spa services default to # of people as 1 and then you can’t add it again because it says “already in cart”.  I called the 800 number and said “you mean to tell me that with thousands of people on this ship, they have 1 of those spa services available the entire cruise?”  They said “no but that’s how the system is set up, sorry we can’t book it”)

Thinking this is phone specific.  I signed in and out a couple times and show reservations finally showed up...but our Royal excursion is not there.   And there is definitely not the option to add an activity showing in general cruise planner to my calendar   

Where us the sing out/ sign in again?  Can't even find that option to try again. 

1 hour ago, twangster said:

The "Stowaway Piano" has made it to Navigator.  First observed on Harmony and Symphony another example how Navigator is like a new ship.

 

That's awesome.  We saw him on Independence too.  Very funny.  Haven't even told our kids about him (as they weren't on Independence with us) and hoping we'll bump into him (or his clone..lol) in an elevator on Symphony next week.  Such a funny concept and brings a smile to your face 

Thanks for the replies.  Seems like most don't get charged?  If anyone has feedback for Symphony specific, let me know.  Thanks.

Really looking forward to your review. And so glad all is ready for Mar 1 as I know  your first cruise was cancelled.  We'lln Navigator in August.  Have a wonderful cruise!  Changes look amazing!

3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

I look at it this way -- that $15 they potentially charge for the bottle is what I would pay for a single glass, and your average bottle gets you four glasses. Considering that the wine I typically drink with dinner goes for $8 a bottle, and a nicer one will be maybe $15, I'm still coming out ahead over buying a bottle on board. And for that corkage fee, they are doing me the favor of taking the unfinished bottle, sealing it back up, and putting it in their wine storage area with all the other stuff on the ship, nicely isolated away from the sea air and temperature-controlled to boot. And then wherever I have dinner next, I can ask my waiter to fetch the bottle and there it is!

So it's not like the crew is doing absolutely nothing besides opening the bottle for me. And since I'm the only wine drinker in my family, there's no way I'm drinking an entire bottle at dinner unless my table-mates ask for a glass or two. (which I hope they would only do with the intent of letting me have a glass of whatever they brought to the table! ) So I'm definitely taking advantage of their storage service for a night or two per bottle.

Thanks.  Cause we wonder if it's worth it to bring our own wine if we have to add another $15, but it seems like it is cost affective ..plus less hassle with them storing the rest for us (vs keeping it in our stateroom)

43 minutes ago, DDemuth said:

 

On Oasis in Nov 2018, we brought our bottles of carry on wine for both nights that we dined in 150CP.  Corkage was never mentioned and bottles were opened without questions and served without extra charge.  Charging corkage is inconsistently applied, consistent with the prior replies that you have received.  

Thanks.  Good to hear.  

Did you finish a bottle in one night?  And if not, did you take the bottle back with you?  Or the specialty restaurant stored it for you?

34 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

It was what we booked.  But I switched it to the Ultra Spacious Ocean View instead. That cabin did not have the panoramic windows.  However, we have the Panoramic suite booked (1804) for Navigator and Indy later this year.

So nice!  When are you going on Navigator?  We'll be on her last week in Aug.

OP, thanks for the video.  Amazing view with those windows!  Is the room at the front of the ship? If so, how is movement?  (If you mentioned in your video, I had to turn off sounds as I'm at work now....lol)

20 minutes ago, NS8VN said:

Sadly some people take great pride in their misunderstanding of a pretty common term.  It has nothing to do with a cork and was not invented by RCCL.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/charge-corkage-fee

Whether it is charged is pretty hit and miss, but the fact is that they can charge you if you drink it outside of your stateroom.  Technically if you open it in your stateroom, pour it in your stateroom, and then take the glass in to the hallway you are subject to the corkage fee (though in that particular scenario I give it about 0% chance a crew member will call you on it).  If someone tries telling you that already opened bottles or bottles with a twist-off don't count then they are just making up their own stories in their head and expecting reality to conform to them.

Yeah...so the debate is...do we take a chance and bring our bottles to the MDR (one for DH, one for me)?  Or do we just pour it and walk with the glass to be certain there is no charge.  I know people will bring a glass of wine from suite or Diamond lounge so it's common to carry a glass...guess just a pain and risk of spilling.

2 hours ago, HtownHolly said:

Man... the very idea of corkage fees is annoying. I don't drink wine, and this is another reason not to, for me. Why are they able to pull this off? It's just pulling a cork out of a bottle, no? Why is that $15??

Yeah kind of sucks.  On our Allure cruise in 2016 there was no such thing, but they've introduced it since then.

4 hours ago, hooked-on-cruising said:

I've heard both sides.  Some do, some don't.  I guess it depends on, ship, server, day of the week, full moon??  

Yeah.. that's why was hoping to hear of recent experiences on Symphony...but as you say it can even vary by server.

Ugh..so they do charge (and even when they didn't open!).  Haven't heard many complaining so wasn't sure if it's followed.  Good idea to open it in our room on a BOGO night if we end up wanting it then.

I know Royal added corkage fees if you bring your own wine ($15/bottle?).  Wondering from recent experience if the servers are actually charging?  And what ship did you bring on wine?  We'll be on Symphony if anyone has recent experience.

PS - On a different note....If we have BOGO, then we are probably best waiting until night 3 to bring the wine to dinner, right?  (We're not the type to finish a bottle in one evening as DH drinks red and I drink white)

13 minutes ago, BTE said:

I've always booked an interior (cost reasons as who really stays in the room) until this year & booked an ocean balcony on Allure. Really enjoyed it & have booked a balcony again for my Feb 2020 cruise. Still can't justify a suite cost yet. 

Once you try it, you see how nice it is.  We tried balcony on Mariner last summer and really enjoyed it.  So I do always price balconies..but even those can be pricey.

Very cool photos.  I know it's not, but the blue area with the Royal trademark looks like an ice rink.  Is that the sports court?

Same thing...my 13 year old asked if he can roam by himself.  For the most part he'll be with us, but he has strongly indicated that he is not interested in the show we have booked first night.  We do not get internet and Symphony doesn't support internal texting yet.  We'll probably set boundaries and have a meeting spot for a certain time (or our stateroom). He is quite responsible but at home when he goes out himself, he has his phone for us to contact him...so am a bit nervous too (and same kind of momma as you )