CruiseGus

OP's experience is not typical on either Allure or Radiance from experience on both all within last 8 months. I will say if you're looking for a 5 Star experience, this is not it, but then neither in my opinion is the reasonable Royals price for this restaurant.

" (excludes Izumi Hibachi, Teppanyaki, Chef’s Table & Hooked Seafood)" I understand Izumi and Chef's Table being excluded. But anyone have an opinion on a valid reason for Hooked?

The very reason I never order a drink in the Dining room. Most of the time I carry in from my free bottles of wine and make that glass of wine last the meal. To many problems with Dining room drinks is a reoccurring complaint

Interesting comments, 12+ cruises this year and my take is it depends, I tip two dollars every drink, but find that it more depends on the individual bar tender than on the tip. Yes some hit you up, but I have cruised all week at $2 a drink at a specific bar and seen absolutely no return from my tips, no better service when crowded, no strong pours. Definatly newer bar tenders recently are more on the exact jigger than during "come back"

Good Luck, had a friend misplace/forget to pick up their bag departing, actually set it down picking multiple other bags in departure hall, on Allure in late February when I was doing 2 more sailings. It took me all of 2 weeks to recover it, checking every other day with Senior Officers, but it also went back on the ship and was recovered 2nd week after their departure on day 5 of 7. All I can say is good luck.

And I love the earlier dinner times, but then I'm up no later than 5 am also so you can imagine what time I go to bed. Dislike that Windjammer doesn't open till 6 PM or 6 am Spent my whole career working in the Midwest 6am to 2:30; like slot of the Midwest we work earlier and eat earlier than the coasts

You can ask once on board to change to MTD if you do it the first day. You are more likely to get that change, than to try to change from MTD to early traditional. Seems post Covid the most desired dining in order is Early traditional, MyTime, Late traditional. Late traditional has always been the least desirable time, and is always open.

If you have traditional dining either early or late and want a table for 2 by yourself, email [email protected] about 3 weeks before your cruise and request a solo table for 2. Ido it all the time and get a 2 top alone. I want to order, eat and go, I dislike the BS of other folks dictating my schedule, as they always want to wait for the whole table to be seated to take orders.

Would love that, if true. Will look middle of Sep

I would think a closer comparison is the major All Inclusive resorts like these examples in Mexico. Bahia Principe, Riu, Secrets, Dreams, Iberostar, Grand Oasis, Grand Palladium, Hard Rock, etc

Has anyone seen an Artists rendering of what the purposed venue is supposed to look like. Even a layout like seen for the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island would be helpful.

And then limit the lounge access to that new level and Pinnacles. Problem with overcrowding as well a service complaints solved.

TERMS

current Set Sail Pass for Allure Jr Suite states "Sea" and we have always boarded through the suite line, I have before had to explain what "Sea" meant but have always been then allowed to board in suite area

When we have access to CK we eat all of our meals there. If for no other reason than the ambiance and service is better than the MDR.

Freedom of the Seas - booked Dec 2022

I did b4b on Allure early May this year and on the weeks I stay I checked both Lyft and Uber (off site p/u corner) and both surged as @lkg276 said later in morning.

Agree with having to pay the $250 pp deposit on the new booking. Just canceled a next cruise booking last week and only lost the $100 pp NC deposit. No other charge.

And an Aft JS on Mariner would be a score, as the balconies are huge. They normally sell out fairly quick

Yes the welcome aboard benifit has been change to water only.

Yes congrats, we cross over2nd week of September, 1st week of b2b Btw @twangster has at some point outlined 2nd day stratagy where you go without on boarding day, use spouses 2 free days, the use your 2 days as the discount for remaining day purchase. I actual made a spread sheet that calculated the doing this vrs pre purchase. With 3 D+ on board and sharing internet access on an 8 day cruise its practical free

On b2b you will receive a letter telling you where to meet and what time, you will be escorted off as a group you have to ding out with the sea pass from the first cruise. You will go through customs and then they will turn you around and you will re-board the ship with your new sea pass card, there could be a short wait before re-boarding. When you are given your new sea pass card has been different each time but you will have by the time they let you back on. Generally you board again before all other passengers, but things can happen. The consecutive cruiser lunch is usually pretty good as the chef is not cooking for thousands. Generally 3 choices of entre, don't missit if it's your first b2b. Know that if you bid royal up it is for each cruise separately, personally if you have the same cabin for both legs I would not mess that up by biding. If you have the same cabin let you cabin steward know on the first leg, you CAN go to that same cabin as soon as you re-board, but I usually go to the lunch first. If the corridor doors are closed with signs that room are ready at 2:00 just go ahead and open it. Don't linger in the hallway or go back and forth often out of respect for the crew trying to prep cabins. If you change, have to different cBin you must wait to go to it like all the other passengers. Good luck and enjoy. b2b's are the best way to go, love them. But same cabin is my requirement.

I believe you are mistaken that MTD dining does not follow Early Traditional (5:00 or 5:30ish) on deck 3 of the larger ships. MTD has followed the Early Traditional in on of the dining rooms on every ship I have been on this year. If as it was pre-Covid and MTD had it's own dinning room or at least a section of one of the dining rooms it would not have the delayed start of 6:45 (which is after Early Traditional has started to clear out) I will agree with you that MTD is almost exclusively on the lowest dining deck, normally Deck 3.

Almost All of the Travel industry, Tour Company Vacations (ie Globus Trafalgar, etc), Vacation Resorts like all inclusive's, ect are based on Double occupancy pricing. It is just the standard in the industry.

Please DO NOT encourage folks to just show up late when they have Early Traditional dinning it causes major problem, not only for early time staff, but increases the wait time for folks on MTD if you happen to be in the dining room that services MTD. Royal in the past year has been brining forward Early Traditional times on some if not most ships in an attempt to accommodate the changes to MTD that were made after the restart.