Babsy47

I've enjoyed all of the seafood options at Hooked. But, I prefer fish to anything else. My top speciality is 150, obviously not a popular opinion! I also love Wonderland; for me, the best dish on the whole ship is the Wonderland garden dish (it's the beets). I've concluded that no one shares my dining preferences, so likely my love of the Hooked seafood does not translate. I also enjoy CATS . . . Sigh.

I have sailed in Star class cabins several times. I want the large (and gorgeous) cabin for my larger family. Without the cabin, I would never pay extra for just the genie. For just my spouse, me, and one child, I might chose a suite but never Star class. You can always add the UDP and DBP. The access to shows, etc. is just not worth all that much and they already took away the front of the line benefit.

We are on the Rome to Bayonne as well. Our first post-retirement trip! Sept 30 is the last day of work after almost 40 years . . . Off to Italy on Oct 1!

I dive at least once on every cruise. We always rent equipment from the operator. We used to take fins, but no more (my husband takes booties because his feet blister without them — strange issue). I do always take my mask because I love it. After 100+ dives (I lost count long ago), we’ve only had an equipment problem once (it was in Grand Caymen). On that occasion, air was free flowing into the BC, and I needed to disconnect the BC during the dive. After that, I always do a thoughtful weight check before starting the dive. My only other issue was at PDDC where the BC would not hold air, but I figured out the issue before the dive started, so it was fine. The pain of hauling equipment is just not worth the effort for me.

In Santorini, I choose a RC excursion because of the tender situation. The no RC excursions drop you at a dock and you either need to ferry to Oia or take a chair lift to Fira, waiting in a long line. The RC excursions go to a different dock where you load directly onto a bus that takes you up; far more efficient. We went on the ‘Oia on your own” tour. When we got to Oia, we told the guide that we were not returning and walked back to Fira; it is one of the best hikes ever, if you are a hiking person. Back in Fira, we found a restaurant and enjoyed drinks while the sun set. It was a fabulous day! The tender in Mykonos is short and easy. Mykonos is an easy “do it yourself” port. You can get off, taxi to Mykonos town and wander.

I did this excursion with my 18 year old son in December. We had a great time and enjoyed all of the attractions. We met in the theater and went directly to the ferry. We do not get sea-sick, but if you are at all prone to this malady, take bonine as soon as you enter the theater. We were in the park by about 10 and the guide led us to the front of the zip line queue. From there, the guide directed us where to go to take advantage of everything. We took the ATVs after the zipping. My son thought he would not enjoy them, but he had so much fun! We got food and then headed to the underground rivers and then rafts. We had skipped the hammock thing and had no time for the water slide ride, but we had a full and super fun day! Because it was through RC, we never worried about returning to the ship on time. We gave it an A+.

To OP’s inquiry . . . With a larger group, the space of a suite along with genie services cannot be beat. The genie helps coordinate the desires of many people with different needs and priorities. If I am planning a multigenerational trip (kids and grandkids), Star class is my preference. The genie takes care of one group wanting a nice dinner, others wanting cabin dinner, nursery reservations, show changes, ice skating, fun things for the kids, and on. The genie plans so I do not need to. If, however, it is just my spouse and me, my youngest and me (he is in college), or spouse, youngest, and me, a Crown Loft Suite is our choice. We do not drink so the DBP is wasted in Star. The CLS with the UDP works for two or three if you want dining. The suite lounge experience is the same for Star and Sky. We know how to reserve shows and there is suite seating. For a first cuise on an Oasis class with kids or a larger group, Star is awesome. For an experienced Oasis class cruiser with a small group (3 or fewer) of non-drinkers, the Star upcharge may not be worth it.

Mission Viejo to the ship is not all that far. The distance from Disney World to Port Canaveral is probably comparable. Traffic can be a problem on a weekday, but if you leave Mission Viejo after about 9:30 am, it should not be too bad.

Comparing Star class on RCL with a DCL suite, here is what RCL does better IMO: Drink package for all in the cabin Far more included restaurant options Genie (nothing on DCL remotely matches a genie) Teen activities (Flowrider, rock climbing, better water slides Adult-oriented shows (Broadway, Aquatheater, Ice show) Coastal Kitchen for breakfast is better than the DCL suite lounge as is CK for lunch I prefer RCL Oasis class suite lounges to the DCL concierge lounges PDCC is better than Castaway Cay for all ages, and you can get a cabana easily at PDCC. DCL and RCL just offer different products at different price points. RCL offer a broader array of price points and benefits. Here is what I think: If you are traveling with only littles who are not toilet ready, RCL wins. If you have 4 - 10 year olds, DCL wins. For teens, RCL wins hands down. If it is just my spouse and me (we have 3 grandkids), Viking Ocean or Celebrity will win every time (depending on price and itinerary).

I've done suites on both. On RCL, the 2 bedroom aqua theater suite has two bathrooms with private bedrooms as do some of the other 2 bdr suites. The Royal loft suite is amazing on RCL. On DCL, the 1 bdr suites are smaller than the Owner's suites on DCL. From a price perspective, DCL is far more. I recently had a 4 bdr villa on a 7-day cruise on RCL (4 bedrooms with doors and 4 bathrooms) for the price of my upcoming 1 bedroom 4-day cruise on the DCL Wish. Now, the RCL cruise was covid pricing (before prices on RCL went crazy). Even so, with the crazy RCL prices, I have a 4 bdr villa in December for a 7-day for 8 people that is less than double what I am paying for a 1 bdr Wish suite for 5 people for 4 days. With the Villa, you get a genie, Coastal Kitchen, a Suite lounge, drink package for all, and dining package for all. It is really a much better product than the DCL Concierge lounge for our family. The DCL advantage involves littles. For the under 10 set, DCL offers better shows and characters. Once the kids graduate out of kids club on DCL, RCL offers far more activities.

I was looking at Legend. The Royal Suite was about $100,000 for three. I wonder who makes up the market for a $100,000 seven day trip? It is not famous people. Is it low key really wealthy people? And why? For 100k, the world offers many options.

I thoroughly enjoy CATS every time. My theater kids listened to the soundtrack non-stop for years. It is better than Frozen in my view. You just need to accept the absence of any plot and go with the song and dance thing.

I am currently sitting and waiting to leave my hotel to head to the port. Suite concierge changed our dinnner reservation to 8:30, so they should be letting us on by 8:00.

What is now upcharged in Star Class? I agree that the SS genie is an awful change. It would make sense if it actually helped the ship genie. As far as I can tell, however, it creates far more work for the ship genie (or at least it did in our case). Our ship genie spent a ton of effort moving everything around that the shore genie had gotten wrong.

In December, the Bahamas can be a bit chilly for unheated water sport. For me if the temperature is below about 74, it is a bit cold for the ocean and that can happen in the Bahamas. On a cruise last winter, the surf was too high to dock at PDCC and it was rainy and cool in Nassau so we never got off of the ship. We still had a great time!