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Neesa

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Everything posted by Neesa

  1. @Ampurp85 is correct Yes, this "tub" seems to be on the balcony of only certain suites. What class of ship are you looking at? On our Adventure of the seas I believe that's a Voyager class maybe there is only one, the Royal suite. On Oasis and Quantum class there are a few different suites with them. I think they call it a hot tub but it sure looks like a bath tub!!
  2. @MarvinS We were sailing with our cruise buddies but they ultimately canceled. Kids were friends now not so much, so......(teenagers) I was pretty unsuccessful booking entertainment, almost all very late shows only available I'm hoping to rectify once onboard. One reservation (the aquashow) would only allow me to book myself and hubby, kiddo no, no matter how I tried. I too was lucky enough to secure the Beach Club day pass at Coco Cay @ Black Fridays sale price and can't fathom paying the prices now, not for 3 of us. Wishing for you safe and drama free travel down here to Florida, sounds like an amazing vacation you have planned. I'll be hiding ducks so keep a look out. We love the Oasis class ships, first time on the Wonder.
  3. I'm thinking the same, beach club pass prices are going to be insane. The Icon being there makes it more desirable due to the crowds. We booked our cabin day 1, amazing price so I'm thinking unless we are there first Icon will take over the island. We might just stay on the ship in the Solarium for the most relaxing as well as cost effective day. Have a fantastic sailing!
  4. @OCSC Mike thanks for opineing on being the only ship at Coco Cay. I went to the port schedule and checked our sailing again, I thought the Adventure was joining us but I was wrong....we too are the only ship on the Island 6/26! The last time we experienced this it was right out of the shut down. Looking forward to it even more now! Ugh our Adventure sailing 2024 has us there with the Icon, need to reconsider this one! * they aren't even selling beach club passes just cabanas to the tune of 3,999 or 3,699 no thanks!
  5. Thanksgiving sailing out of Tampa, I bid on the sold out ship/cabins. I even spoke to my concierge and he confirmed all cabins booked as he was speaking to everyone's requests. I was 29 bids 0 upgrades. The day before we were to board my credit card alerts to a charge to Royal without card present. I investigate to find out my bid was accepted. (Not minimum but no where near the top) After boarding found out flights from up North were canceled due to a freakish weather situation and the family had to cancel as they couldn't make it to the ship. So 28 bids and 1 ability to pay a little more for an upgrade, if not for bids that cabin a 2 bedroom owners suite would have sailed empty. So now those bidding for my owners suite got moved up and so on down the line. Book what you would be comfortable in, bid and relax you're going on a cruise!! Good luck
  6. @OCSC Mike Have an amazing family cruise, seriously you can't put a price on quality time with the ones you love. But I know how to enhance it....besides keeping the nieces out, make an appointment & treat yourselves at the next cruise desk, just the two of you....enjoy it! Looking forward to your thoughts after you sail.
  7. I would choose the Oasis ship every time unless the itinerary was amazing. I am looking to sail the Anthem (in the far away future) but just to experience We Will Rock You show. Honestly I hope she is sent here locally (Florida) and does some shorties....my perfect world. I loved the Music Hall venue on the Odyssey and the cabin was very comfortable. I felt the ship felt small, I missed the Aqua show & Central Park. The weird little deck instead of the Promenade which I missed as well. The Wind Jammer was my favorite on any ship but the Coastal Kitchen separated from the suite lounge all the way aft was super strange. It felt different, not horrible but I prefer the Oasis ship & it would be my choice especially since Allure shows Mama Mia & that so far is my favorite Royal production. Seriously, both are great ships just different, we prefer the Oasis class to the Ultra Quantum. There are 3 of us and we had a 2 bedroom owners suite. Disappointed, no....different, yes. Great itinerary....go for it!
  8. Our sailing in a few weeks 6/25 on the Wonder was booked day of release, for just under 12,000 CLS. Our friends who we were sailing with were looking to upgrade from their junior but couldn't because the lofts were sold out. A few months ago 2 lofts became available at just under 23,000 for 3 people. I thought no way, now they are going to sit. Nope, gone in only 24hours! A 2 bedroom Aqua suite was available for the 3 of us as I pondered an upgrade, but at 42,000 I opted for staying where I am. I thought maybe I'll place a minimum RUB, well that cabin was gone in 3 days. So while the prices are sky rocketing people are paying the higher amounts. The RUB minimums are also skyrocketing, I can't begrudge RCCL I'm just thankful for the sailings I did/do experience. In my very humble opinion it's still a smarter fiscal output then DCL and a lot of DCL fans are realizing this as well, heck the DCL Duo bloggers are having an amazing family vacation right now on the Independence of the Seas, and blogging about it!
  9. All access tour; These were sold out or not available at any rate the entire time I looked. This weekend I logged in and lone behold it was offered on Sea day 3 and Sea day 7 during our Wonder sailing 6/25! The availability was at a price I felt fair for the offering. I booked it for myself and kiddo as hubby wants to chill.* *Code for sit in the Solarium and be the "vintage magnet" Lol! While I booked day 7 my cruise planner scheduled the two of us day 3. No worries though I'm still going, I'm looking forward to this experience. The one time we booked Star it was offered and then taken away tethered to the changes after the shutdown. I think the education alone will ensure I appreciate my sailings even more!
  10. Congratulations! Thanks so much for bringing us along. Have am amazing celebration. Following....
  11. Thanks so much, great video fantastic perspective! I loved the way you tell the story. Bonus for the true review, I hate when the videos try to just talk up everything to "sell" the ship and sailing. I watched it twice, first by myself and then with my family. So glad you had a great time.
  12. @Jdavid If you are at 30 days or less go to www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/cruise-room-upgrade You should be able to see the status there. Standing by wishing you positive energy for a successful bid. May the upgrade fairy be with you, Happy Sailing
  13. 1. Release the shows schedule early tethered to if I purchase the UDP I can look at it and make my dining reservations BEFORE I board. Boarding day should be reserved for making adjustments, it would just relieve some frustration on day one. I think they would sell more UDP if reservations can be secured before hand with the UDP. 2. For goodness sake standardize the suites product, it is different across the fleet and I think if the product was the same across the ships it would generate a better feeling of value, and possibly more bookings = more revenue. At minimum a Sky class experience for the Grands & higher, Sea for the Juniors. (Star on the smaller vessels seems not needed, ie. too small) 3. Along the same lines the Suites Lounge has become wildly popular and address in some way the capacity problems. If you stay in a suite you are afforded this amenity & if not then please enjoy another venue or make the lounges bigger with an additional concierge because one can't handle it. 4. This may be off putting but reaching 700 + nights sailings and achieving Pinnacle means a huge investment was made with the company, Pinnacles should be afforded "free room service" always no matter what class of cabin they are in as well as 9 drinks per day! Depending on the amount on board say 20 have a special luncheon service just for them.** 5. Open the theaters early before the shows and just allow people to enter at their leisure. 6. I've repeatedly stated allow cabins to be booked with or without Genie service (the Star ones) Have the service as an add on at booking for certain cabin types. ** I am not Pinnacle, but want to be one in the future! Only about 33 seven night sailings to go!! @FSUFAN thanks so much, this was fun!
  14. Okay, I'm treading lightly here with no intention to offend. Please don't read on if you are offended easily. So I'm Gen X & went a totally different direction then most responses here. At 6 or 10 years old my idea of a cruise vacation was a tire tube floating around our flooded street after a heavy rain. We never cruised as a family, we hardly vacationed. Dinner choices were eat what is prepared or don't eat. Period. We didn't start sailing with our kiddo until she was 12 or 13, only child so she was mature for her age. We of course started with DCL as they catered to the kiddos. I'm just saying this because we were careful to anticipate that our family would have to be flexable to the ships culture and mitigated different scenarios ahead of time. Yes I will complain about a missing ice bucket or no trash bin in the cabin but I won't allow it to ruin the vacation I paid lots of hard earned $$ for. I am blessed beyond measure with health & love and the ability to sail once in a while. When I look around the world & realize the real world problems right now in this moment in time, yes my friend your post seems a bit whiny. Not to say your disappointment doesn't have merit, you were disappointed and your inability to pivot is frustrating as the things piled up but this I believe was your one off. I'm sure if you wait until the kiddos are a bit older you will find your JOY on any ship you choose. Heck my kiddo now eats things that I refuse to, most of which she tried at MDR meals on ships. Please focus on everything that went right, your post does help others cultivate their expectations & allows them to prepare (see @asquared17 & her special milk.) Thank you for sharing & share on the feedback form you receive after the sailing BUT then put it behind you and do it again in a few years. Remember the kiddos are always watching and listening, the way you handle this will teach them how to handle their disappointments in the future. I think you're an amazing dad wanting this fantastic Holiday for the family, don't allow your efforts and energy to be ruined by the little things. Safe travels
  15. We left DCL even after attaining Platinum status over there. Now that was a money grab of epic proportions! It just became ridiculous. DCL has also made adjustments that felt wrong. More $$$ less experiences. We lived through the DCL staff becoming not so Disneylike. The change was real and every sailing it became worse. Cast members seemed miserable. Fast forward.... Royal was so much more prudent, I felt a better sense of money well spent on Royal. We have sailed Royal enough to attain D+ and love the Crown & Anchor society. We do have the new DCL ship (Wish) booked as it was always my plan to experience the newest ship (years ago, 2019 I think) and I did not book refundable at the time, so one more DCL. 3/4 night. I prepaid gratuities as well as have TA OBC & Disney Dollars OBC. Going in we are going to put our best attitudes in place and leave our wallets in the safe, save the wrapped packet of singles we put aside for hard working cast members additional gratuity.... if warranted. Our enjoyment will be the sailing and what's included....no extras. Not one extra dime on alcohol, cabanas, spa services, nothing. This for me personally and honestly will be compared to my Royal sailings and hopefully won't fall too short. We booked the smallest concierge stateroom to take advantage of the forward & adult sundeck as my kiddo has seriously out grown this experience (what was I thinking?) So I guess it's a personal thing, even with the cut backs at Royal since the shutdown, I can't stop thinking Royal will still be the clear winner. We shall see, DCL Wish 6/9 Royal Wonder 6/25. Nervous and excited at the same time!
  16. @anneglubis go to #CK the first day, you can express your desire for Coastal Kitchen dinner. If you're flexible CK dinner is a perk you can enjoy. You can get it for dinner! @sammy79 I am pretty sure you CAN use the voucher for Starbucks at the Cafe Promenade, just NOT the stand alone Starbucks. I think on the main page there is an article @Matt just put together confirming this. Different licensing I believe was the reason given, enjoy it! Woops, so slow, @twangster beat me to it, lol!!!
  17. @WAAAYTOOO put it best! Sky is also our "suite" spot as well. In the past we boarded right after Star and Pinnacles but sometimes alongside Pinnacles. It seems to depend on the mood at the port! The wifi included, the #CK embarkation lunch, the concierges who really work hard to make sure you want for nothing and the express disembarkation opportunities. The all day availability of #CK, just perfect! Don't forget there are always roped off sections as well for the entertainment offerings, sometimes good locations, sometimes not but it's there for you if you would like. A very nice elevated experience without the Genie but honestly I enjoy being my own Genie so I'm actually more relaxed as well. In my perfect world you could opt in to Genie services for an extra cost and allow those gorgeous suites to be booked sans Genie, yes that would be nice!
  18. I understand the lounge is connected to #CK and am trying to choose a dinner time. My crew really likes the appetizers before hand but we hit it early for a lite bite before sitting down for dinner. Does the happy hour service and small food offerings begin at 4:30 or 5:00? Thanks so much!
  19. Want to have added fun and be an even bigger hero to your nieces? Bring some ducks along for them to hide, I can't tell you how much fun and joy this brings. Sometimes we hide them and sit nearby and watch the joy they give. Duck hunting is truly an experience! This little batch I picked up on Amazon.
  20. Sounds like you have a terrific plan. We are staying on the ship in Costa Maya for the reasons you state, to enjoy the ship while most are off exploring. We also feel of course we trust the food and drinks quality more so on the ship then off. We are looking forward to the Coco Cay Beach Club as well, we really enjoy the private Islands experience. I believe the Adventure of the Seas will be joining us on the Island that day so at least she is a bit smaller then another Oasis class ship. It takes away from the experience when the Island is covered in bodies, so in that case we get off the ship super early to find a nice "home base" if we don't have the Beach Club access. Next year our final sailing for at least 4 years will be a Southern Carribbean. Then we pause until we get a handle on college & "kicking the birdie from the nest" At that point God willing we will start sailing again.... We didn't purchase a drinks package because the vouchers are usually enough, plus the suites lounge beverages (is it an 11-11 type situation for water & soda?) and honestly I'm pretty bored of the UDP restaurant offerings so Coastal Kitchen here we come. I of course am bringing & hiding ducks on this sailing but like you we will enjoy the suites neighborhood and the Solarium...I do love the fact that Coco Cay is on the second day of the sailing. I do wish we would be stopping at Labadee also but again like you we are there for the ship!
  21. This will be super insightful comparing the two sailings with the same itinerary weeks apart. We need 2 bathrooms with a teenage daughter....her lotions and potions need their own space, ugh! Just much more comfortable. I booked this CLS on release day so I did feel the price was fair. Cabin has gone way up since then. 3 GS are cool, opening all those balconies up super cool. I laughed with your RUB comment, we were invited on a family sailing an overlaping week.. so maybe this date was supposed to happen. I'm sure I would be "hiding" in the Diamond lounge the entire sailing, lol! I'm thinking when I receive the concierge email if I can't secure some earlier show times I will respectfully ask if they can reserve us the earlier times. We are going to Nachi Cocum I'm Cozumel for the first time as everyone on this site raves about it! We have cococay club day passes we purchased last black Friday sale...the cabanas for the 3 of us are to pricey, I just can't do it. A party like yours makes so much more sense. There is nothing wrong with frugal...honestly most things frugal I enjoy that much more as I don't feel "cheated" You are going to have the best time!!
  22. Yay, the suite neighborhood! We are in a CLS and will be doing #CK nightly. Curious and excited to hear about your experiences. We are staying the night before at the Residence Inn driving over from Tampa. You are going to have the best time.
  23. @OCSC Mike OMG, thanks so much you made me chuckle! I'll talk to you for sure!! 8 people? You are brave. I think since you explained your experience maybe the earlier shows will open at the 30 day mark. I look forward to hearing about your experiences on the ship. I'm nervous about so many people. Funny, I was going to book the one you are on but we were sailing with another family (teens were tight) and they begged us to change the date so they could make it, thus 06/25 not my choice!!! Fast forward our schedules and finances are challenging (college around the corner) we almost canceled; kids had a falling out and now the other family did cancel. Thanks for the 411! Did you RUB? Were your offerings ridiculously high like ours? I hope for you an amazing sailing!
  24. Happy check in day! I was fortunate enough to secure the 1030 slot. The shows are available to book but it's strange they display the times of the shows but will only allow you to book mostly the late shows. 2230 and later! Example, day 3 ice show 2030hrs & 2230hrs but only 2230 is available to book, do they hold back the early shows? Inquiring minds want to know. Hummmm, I Wonder if I should do a live blog????
  25. Wow, that was a fun one! I get it, I do, I do!!! @asquared17 you will have a beautiful day today, looks like Adventure is joining you today at PDCC ! They are pulling in now. You are right on their tail. I prefer when there are NOT 2 Oasis class on the Island. (I'm glad it's a bit smaller class of ship joining you today, for sure.) I feel like at that point (when there are 2 Oasis class) there's just to many people, just because the Island reports holding 10,000 doesn't mean it's wonderful for the guests, I don't enjoy that. Have a perfect day!! Oh no, I'm now singing that song in my head
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