Vancity Cruiser

Edge class is definitely a league of its own but that doesn't mean the other ships in the fleet are bad. Some of the older ships have been what they call 'revolutionized'. This was a much more indepth reno than the Royal 'amplification'. The ships were stripped down to bare metal and completely redone.

Edge class if definitely the best and if thats what you want then thats what you should book but you are still going to have an amazing experience on the other Celebrity ships as well. 

27 minutes ago, dianec53 said:

I have just purchased the Stay awhile option. On Oasis in July. Is it worth it?

If it was available in North America I would definitely purchase it when I have later flights booked

Somewhat surprised by the issues you had considering Summit is one of their 'revolutionized' ships.

5 hours ago, TexanTwoStep said:

 

Seriously though, I think Royal's loyalty program is kind of weak and needs some updating.

Which cruise line has a better loyalty program than Royal? I cruise different lines but would argue Royals loyalty program with the drink vouchers is the best in the industry 

7 hours ago, asquared17 said:

if i can use my vouchers on celebrity… it’s over for me aqua class all the way!!!!!

Same lol

It is possible to get off the ship without a passport. I am a Canadian citizen and am able to disembark in US ports with facial recognition so no reason why cruisers from India wouldn’t be able to do the same. I would be incredibly frustrated to be stuck in this situation. 

On 4/6/2024 at 1:34 PM, Laura Dion-Jones said:

9:21 Laura Dion-Jones

1d • €

Truthfully, My family & I just returned from a glorious week aboard the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas & it was everything several of you say it’s not worth the price.

The entire cruise WAS totally Indescribable from the second we set foot out of our limos until our final walk down the gangway. I actually cried once back in Miami when it was time to disembark.

This was one of the most fabulous vacations I've ever had.

Royal Caribbean International is truly "The Icon of the Seas." No other cruise line even comes close.

Everyone on board was superb. Always smiling, friendly, eager to please. Fantastic food. Spectacular, Broadway quality entertainment, more activities than you could ever imagine.

Never a dull moment.

It's totally indescribable and WELL WORTH THE PRICE! . OV

Comment as Laura..

You lost me at 'the second we set foot out of our limos'. 

On an instagram post by Princess Cruises announcing a partnership with Brightline train @Matt appears in the video lol 

On 3/3/2024 at 6:45 PM, Zentraveler said:

Do you think the news in Haiti will affect any upcoming sailing to Haiti? I have one at end of April. Wondering your thoughts if it port will be changed/cancelled or if it is still safe?

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68462851

The recent news in Haiti will not affect any upcoming sailings.

The port will not be changed/cancelled.

Labadee is as safe as any other port you will visit.

8 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said:

If @HeWhoWaits @Vancity Cruiser or anyone else really thinks you can compare the violence in Haiti with that of America on any given day, then you need to grow up and get out more. 

I am not comparing the violence. You stated that you could not party where people are being murdered in the streets 6 hours away. My point is that violence occurs everywhere ( over 20,000 people are murdered in the US every year)  and while we should feel empathy for the plight of the victims of violence, it should also not stop us from living our lives and enjoying the beauty of nature.

49 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Ultimately that's more responsibility than I want on a vacation. And I just can't party when I know people are being randomly killed in the streets miles away.

In that case you probably shouldn't party anywhere. Not trying to be snarky but murder and crime have been a part of humanity since civilizations have been formed. Sometimes by individuals, sometimes by groups, and sometimes by those in authority. This occurs in every country in the world no matter how 'civilized'. That doesn't mean as fellow humans we should not feel empathy and want to help but I also believe we are allowed to enjoy ourselves as well. 

The risk of violence happening at Labadee is no higher than it is in anywhere in the US.

The hiding under bed thing baffles me. You would think he would have to be there for hours in some instances. You'd think there would be some noise at some point. Also, he wasn't missed at all during that time?

2 hours ago, Nick560 said:

That is disturbing on so many levels. I think it’s safe to say not everyone can be a good human being. Not sure of how RCL can combat this outside of deeper checks, but if they have never been arrested for being a creep, how will the company know?

I think this is a good point for everyone who is saying Royal has to do a better job screening. If someone has never been caught/charged how are they supposed to screen them out? 

If I lived within driving distance of a port that was offering them I would take advantage of the weekend cruises for sure. I'm just surprised at how much inventory is being allotted. And as @steverk mentioned, I wonder how the mon-fri sales are doing.

I'm still dreaming about a ship based year round out of Seattle doing longer trips down to Mexico outside of the Alaskan season but the dream continues to shrink as trends to shorter itineraries continue to grow. Quantum would have been a good option with her 2 solariums. 

Its interesting to see the trends towards shorter itineraries. Its not just Royal, even Celebrity is getting in on the short cruise game. I'm curious if this is due to societies increasingly short attention span that even vacations are trending to short form?

I'll just be over in the corner searching for longer itineraries.......

I am diamond plus with Royal and have never received a lapel pin for any level lol. I'm sure I could have gone to the loyalty ambassador and got them but I really don't care enough

43 minutes ago, Rackham said:

Concering smaller ships, Icon 2 & 3 together have more passanger capacity than all 4 of the Vision class ships in operation combined. I could see the company sunsetting these ships before having even ordered a single Discovery class vessel

NCL recently did full refurbs of 2 of their older smaller ships. And not just public areas, all staterooms were done as well and the result is brand new looking, fresh small ships at about the 10th of a cost of new vessels. I feel like this is something Royal should do with Radiance Class if they don't want to build new smaller ships. The down side of course is you still have the older, less environmentally friendly power source propelling them. 

On 1/17/2024 at 4:16 PM, GatorCruiser said:

The worst thing to ever happen to this World was the creation of the original iPhone. Its creation as the first true “smart phone” allowed for the proliferation of social media which then became miniaturized in the form of apps and the rest is pathetic history.  It produced a lost generation who has no social skills because they grew up and live in their phones. 

Remember when we thought stupidity was due to lack of access to information............

Turns out that wasn't the problem.

We went on it once during a 70's party on the promenade just to get a different view and they actually stopped it at its midpoint and stayed there overlooking the promenade for quite some time.

It will be interesting to see if Royal goes with a more laid back 'relaxed' design with this class or if they go for a smaller scale 'theme park' ship.

21 minutes ago, DunkelBierJay said:

I'm curious to know what others are thinking.

Way ahead of you! Was on Symphony a couple weeks ago but that was a sailing I had booked a couple years ago. When I repriced just before final payment cost for a standard ocean view balcony had gone from 3K CAD to 8K CAD.

There are still deals to be found with Royal if you care to spend the time looking but my cruise dollars have been going to other lines for the last year and a half. I used to cruise about 90% Royal but now limit Royal to once per year. I still prefer Royal ships and entertainment but not to the point of paying the $ that others are willing to spend.

Guaranteed to find me in the solarium all day on a sea day (between snack breaks). I find a spot I like on embarkation day and I'll be in the same spot the rest of the cruise. I'll have a book in front of my face though.

20 minutes ago, jedooley said:

Thank You for the response.  She does not drink Coffee or Soft Drinks either.  So a water package?

 

 

I'm pretty sure she would need a refreshment package. If she is not going to use that at all either than it is most likely much more cost effective to just pay for your drinks, rather than get packages.

I was surprised they used the infinite balcony design on Icon. I wonder if it is cheaper or perhaps makes the ship more aerodynamic by reducing drag? I feel it must have some major benefit to the cruise line as most people who have cruised on edge class are not big fans of the design. I myself try to get a porthole balcony when on Edge class to still have somewhat of a true balcony.