Curt From Canada

@twangster ... The "bot" with a sentimental streak. Curt from Canada

Radiance Class ships are one of our favourites. They have the best sea views (from all over the ship). When sailing to the destinations where scenery is the "star" (Alaska, Norway, Panama Canal, Iceland, Antarctic and Canada [in the fall], etc) they are "must do" ships. They have very few (maybe no) bells & whistles, but they are ships that help you feel like you are a part of the sea itself. It will be very difficult to replace these ships. @WAAAYTOOO ... We are greatly looking forward to Serenade in January. We are particularly interested in: Centrum Bar and dance floor: Is it used for lots of live music? (Jewel in June was OK, Radiance in May was fantastic). Speciality Dining: Is there anything of note? (Chef's Table on Jewel was excellent, but it is hard to mess up a meal with that much wine in one sitting). Diamond Lounge: On neither Radiance nor Jewel did they open up the Diamond Lounge at night to the "Viking Crown Lounge". The Diamond Lounge was always too packed to be of use. Which arrangement are they using? Name of best Bartender in the Centrum: We tend to hang out there a lot. Anything special of note? Our sense is that Serenade to Antartica will be very different. An Ultimate World Cruise will introduce a very new dynamic. Still, we are interested in anything special about Serenade. Curt from Canada

Wow ... that is an excellent itinerary. We just got back from Norway, but only two cities overlap with your itinerary: 1). Alesund: This city has a really nice Viking "Museum". It is really only one large set of garages with Viking boats in it and an outside grouping of buildings (55) representative of architecture through various time periods. If you like boats (hmmmmmm ... how many cruisers don't like boats? ) and/or architecture it is worth the visit. We did not have time to see the indoor part of the museum so we can not comment. Sunnmoere Museum link below. https://www.vitimusea.no/en/musea/sunnmoere-museum-en 2). Olden: There is very little to do in this town (maybe it is really a village). However two great things (not related to Olden) to do: The sail in is spectacular. This is why Norwegian cruises are fantastic. We spent over 2 hours on our balcony (over breakfast and a drink later). If you do not have a balcony, camp out in the lounges on deck 13 or in one of the many spaces with tons of windows (the Radiance class of ships was built for this itinerary). Loen (which is a 5 minute bus ride away) has a "Skylift" that takes you from "sea to summit" in about 5 minutes. It is worth it to travel well up the mountain. There they have extensive trails to walk and/or a nice restaurant that cantilevers over the cliff (I had Finnbiff there ... which is basically reindeer stew [my daughter was not impressed that I called it Rudolph Stew]). The food was basic, but good. The price was high, but that is what the entire country is ... "high priced". Two pictures from Olden (Jewel of the Seas is the small little white "ant" in the dead centre of the second picture ... taken from the Hover Restaurant): Curt from Canada

Good News ... Bad News: GOOD NEWS: Air2Sea has never worked for us in the past (not real difference in price). This time it is perfect for a Refundable Rate (signifiant savings and maximum flexibility). Flights out of Canada are extremely pricey these days. Air2Sea saved $950 CAD ($17.52 USD ... actually $712 USD) and we do not need to lock in until the fall. BAD NEWS: The Cruise price has risen almost $5,000 USD since our booking (just under double what we paid). OK for us, but the small segments on the Ultimate World Cruise may be selling out quickly. The information on Air2Sea experiences is mixed, so fingers are crossed. Curt from Canada

Yes

Quit ... Not a practical solution, but a solution. Curt from Canada

My soulmate and I have been on most of the Oasis class ships and on Anthem 4 times (so no Odyssey experience yet). However, we could LIVE in Central Park on Oasis class ships. For us, it is by far the best environment on any ship at sea (and worth having to "suffer" through Cats once). The good news is you will have a blast on either. Use this board for getting lots of detailed information on the things you may want to do. In particular, we are the self-professed Dance "Experts" (where are the best places for dancing on each class). For everything else ask @twangster ... Curt from Canada

I am certain my "Canadian" is showing. @twangster has said, in the past, that Canadian humour is sometimes hard to get. We are booked on the Antarctic portion of the World Cruise (18 days Buenos Aires to Valparaiso). It was "dirt" cheap when it came out, so we booked a refundable fare. The airfare is almost the same price as the cruise. We are "World Cruisers" for only 18 days. Still, is sounds nice ... We always plan cruises like it is an Apollo Moon Landing, and Antarctica will be our biggest challenge. We hope this thread will contain some valuable information and inspire others to jump on this first attempt by Royal. The dynamic of 18 day cruisers vs 274 day cruisers could be an "interesting" Netflix series called: "Beachfront Bargain Hunt meets Selling Sunset". @deButler ... there were too many smaller legs of this cruise that were of interest to us. Some of the itineraries are on our wish list. We are on the second leg and will try to keep people in the loop on how it goes. I would not be surprised if we booked another leg while on the cruise (although the prices are skyrocketing at the moment). Curt from Canada

This may be a little early, and may be in the wrong discussion group, but ... We Are Going on A World Tour!!! ... (Not really, just one of the "small" segments). We were looking for some details from anyone who is booked and for information from the cruisers as they head out from Miami in DEC 2023. This will be a very different experience, and since it is a first, many people might be interested on what the experience is like. I will post some questions if there is interest. Curt from Canada

@asquared17 Norway in JUN 2023 (top of the world) and then Antarctica in JAN 2024 (bottom of the world). We have cancelled both cruises twice already so we are hoping third time is a charm (for both). Our version of Delightfully Drink Dining and Dancing all over the world. Curt from Canada

Lots of "4D Pictures" please (Dancing, Drinking, Dining and Delight [things that really impressed you]). Our next cruise is 49 days away and we desperately need some "living vicariously through others". Curt from Canada

It has been my experience that: "The most important things in life are rarely easy" I put "Vacation ... Relaxing ... Cruising ... Relationship Building" in the important things category (amongst a bunch more). The more difficult the trials now will result in a better payoff. Best of luck and make this cruise an extra special one. Curt from Canada

Sounds like the scale was in kilograms ... odd, but 50ish lbs can't get to 22.8 lbs on this planet. Have a great trip ... and no complaints about the heat (it is less than 50 degF here with rain and no end in sight). Curt from Canada

Tips for Matt (this is based on a SUMMIT sailing ... therefore on a larger ship YMMV): Standard internet (as a part of their Always Included rate) was terrible. A large lineup resulted on DAY 02 to upgrade to their "fast" internet (which was not great, but was good enough). Standard drink package (as a part of their Always Included rate) was "OK" (we are "low maintenance drinkers" ... nothing fancy). They have the cutest little martini glasses (emphasis on little ... really, really little ). Returning Cruiser Event was a zoo ... this is now officially on the "Do Not Attend" list. Rendezvous Lounge was the best place for dancing of any ship we have been on. Not sure if the larger ships try to (or need to) recreate that vibe. Cafe al Bacio is fantastic. we could have lived there. Coffee to go or stay was a highlight. Entertainment was "OK" (nothing special) ... again this was a small ship. Food was "hit and miss" (some very, very good ... some not so good). I think this is similar to most comments on most lines since the restart. I hope this helps ... Curt from Canada

Scooter is correct. The full price includes wine, but you can get a discount by not having it ... the discount was not that much, but if you do not drink it is an option. We have considered it, just haven't costed it out yet. I hope this helps ... Curt from Canada

My first date with my soulmate was at Portofino's in Montreal (gone as well). When we boarded our first cruise on Radiance we were surprised to see that Royal had put a restaurant on a ship just for us. Very sad to see it go ... Curt from Canada

I would add Enchantment to that list. I must eat GF. The head waiter would see me every night and plan the next meal. The first few times I did not believe him when he said they would adapt anything. I tried to order very different things and they tried all of them. Most were very good. With the old "wheat symbol" system I never asked. Looks like "asking" is a better process. Only one data point so far ... I will have more data by July. I hope that helps ... Curt from Canada

We have been many times. We love it, but it is not for everyone. Pros and Cons below: PRO: Great food prepared extremely well. Nothing exotic, and most dishes are excellent. The wine pairing is quite good. No wines are excellent, but all of them are very drinkable. The pairing is done very well. I have a gluten problem, they are very accommodating and did a great job with the substitutions. Sometimes can be combined with the 3 night dinning package (look above for the "CC Shuffle"). This is important on small ships with 1 or 2 specialty restaurants. We like other people, so the conversation can be very enjoyable. CON: Tons of food (too much for us). Plan the entire evening, because you will "roll back to your room". Too much to drink (too much for us). Plan the entire evening, because you will "roll back to your room" ... possibly a slow next morning. I hope that helps ... Curt from Canada

This is an excellent question ... I SUMMON THE GENIE FROM INSIDE HIS BOTTLE: @twangster ... please come the rescue with your thoughts. (I was going to call you The Oracle, but I thought your would like the idea of living in a bottle). Curt from Canada

Last posting ... honest. Below is an example of a cruise where the "CC Shuffle" is not allowed (only Teppanyaki ... in this case): There is a similar issue with the Ultimate Dining Package. You need to read the fine print. Curt from Canada

@Mturk ... agree, it is a part of some Dining Packages (make sure you read the fine print on each). However, we wanted a particular night (there was only one night we wanted the Chef's Table) AND there were 5 of us. We were worried if we waited to book the 5 spots at the Chef'sTable on the only night we wanted (once we got on the ship) it would be totally booked. Therefore we: Booked the 3 night package (before the cruise). Booked the Chef's Table for all 5 on the night we wanted (before the cruise). "Cancelled" the Chef's Table booking (at $99.99 per person) and made sure that they did not cancel our reservation for 5 on the night we wanted. Paid $49.99 for Chef's Table on the night we went. @Jill ... agree. Although, I hate lines and they were able to do it for us at Chops on the first night. My guess is we could have done this in the afternoon on embarkation day at one of the Speciality Restaurants as well. The Guest Services line and I don't get alone too well. Curt from Canada

Oooops ... I forgot to say: Bonjour Montreal! We are just around the corner (Rosemere). Curt from Canada

The Chef's Table is not included in the 3 Night Dining Package, but there is an option to take one of the 3 nights and go to the Chef's Table (instead of one of the Specialty Restaurants) for an extra $49.99 per person ... the regular rate fluctuates between $79.99 to over $100. The main difficulty is that the Chef's Table can book up quickly and typically we want to spend a certain night there (Chef's Table is an investment in time ... it runs from 6:30PM until late). Usually we can only fit the Chef's Table in on one or two of the nights on a 7 night cruise. Therefore, we book both and "shuffle" to a cheaper rate ... instead of (in this case) going to Chops 3 times in one cruise. I hope that makes more sense ... Curt from Canada

I forgot to mention the MOST IMPORTANT PART ... The CC Shuffle can be turned into a song to the tune of 10CC's "Wall Street Shuffle" (look it up ). Now I have dated myself with a not too kind super old reference to a somewhat mediocre song. Oooooooops ... Curt from Canada

Just off Enchantment this month. This is how the "Chops Grille / Chef's Table Shuffle" [CC Shuffle] worked well for us. The background is that 3 meals in Chops is just a little too much for us. Therefore, the 3-Night Dining Package is not that interesting for us on smaller ships. In this case, the "CC Shuffle" turned out to make at least one night very interesting. We understand that the Chef's Table is not for everyone (a lot to drink and too much food), but for those who do enjoy it ... 1). We booked the 3 Night Dining Package well before our cruise (at the best discounted price we could find). We booked our first night in Chops, at a time we wanted. 2). We booked Chef's Table on the exact night we wanted (4 nights later), and paid the full price before our cruise (no discount was required ... due to the "CC Shuffle"). 3). On embarkation day (at Chop's) we told our waiter we wanted to book one more night in Chops AND use our third night at the Chef's Table we had already booked. Much confusion ensued . The waiter and head waiter said they had never seen this done before. Luckily, in the 3-Night Dining Package Description on the RCL APP it was very clear. The Head Waiter had to take a picture of my phone's screen ... It was a comical interlude to our nice meal in Chops. 4). By the next day, our full Chef's Table payment had been refunded to our On Board Account (full refundable) and at the Chef's Table (later in the week) we were charged $49.99 each. CAUTION: Be very careful to read your Dining Package Details to make sure that the $49.99 Chef's Table Upgrade option is available. We have seen other cruises where it was not allowed. Also, have your cell phone at the ready! Your Mileage May Vary ... Curt from Canada