Neesa

Oh no! I hate that this happened to you. I'm sure you are in good hands and they will do their best for you. I'm so sorry this happened, prayers up for a speedy back to vacation. Take good care, anxiously waiting for update. Hello J this is the fam, can you let us know please??

Ah, the feather pillow. I always ask for one. We do the same for breakfast. On our last sailing we set up at the Solarium and Cabash & I took turns getting some food and returning. I don't know what is wrong with me, leaving towels and my odds and ends on my chair when I'm not there makes me feel a myriad of emotions and none are good. I love a good sea day! So my family knows if we set up one of us is staying there. It's super windy here as well North of Tampa good call on being on deck. Have they opened the ships library again? If so a quick Clorox wipe and a book bath should be in your future! So sorry about the loud neighbors, hopefully their excitement becomes contained by tomorrow....but you'll be at the gym anyway, I always wondered who went to the gym on a cruise besides my kiddo. Have an amazing day, be mindful of the warm sun rays. They lull you into sunburn!! That balcony is amazing....SCORE!! Now I see why you didn't RUB

Sounds amazing so far....even Cabash is interested. He was asking what are you reading so intently? I told him earlier and he has been asking "any updates yet?" So funny, but he ONLY cruises for me, huh!! Okay, I seriously LOVE those shorts! Can you take a photo of your balcony, please? Again, thanks for bringing us along. Maybe get @Poochcabin number and pass by on the last day, have the cabin steward hide the duck inside!! I just purchased my ducks for June; I have 57 days to go and sailing with you guys makes the time waiting so much more enjoyable. Have fun! Tru water, ewww agreed! Return it, yikes!!

So happy you are officially onboard! Have the best time. I'm looking forward to your trip reports and photos. Enjoy every moment, Neesa! ?? Any tribute bands onboard? If so who? Thanks a bunch

Well.....this just arrived! I know I have RUB issues, but it's a big no! I booked on day 1 so my pricing I felt for the CLS was fair/comfortable. After we decided to keep this sailing I thought I would throw my hat in the RUB ring. I won't bid on any cabin with just one bathroom and the others are just way out of my reach. Cabash would not be happy, oh well. First sailing ever I'm not bidding, I feel sulky.....it's a NO for me Dogg I'm sorry, I just can't get over those starting bids, yikes!!!!

Thanks for the tag @asquared17! Yes, the Ships Captain the night before scheduled disembarkation announced how he had to go super fast to "beat the fog" as they closed the port if the fog was thick. After dinner we realized it was very quiet, we were just floating, we were to late. Our cabin steward told us this happened frequently in Galveston as well. The ship did their very best to take care of us but you could often hear people's frustration and anger as they had missed their flights as the hours ticked away. We were in a suite and disembarked at around 1700hrs but we heard some could not get off the ship until 1900hrs. This was November 2022

Safe travels. I enjoyed your blog as always. I looked forward to your thoughts as well as pictures. As someone who just walks through the casino you had me wanting to go in and at least try my luck with my free play. Anxiously waiting on your next adventure!

Outside the box here, please don't hate on me I was wondering about the " like clockwork survey" after every sailing in a different way. They pretty much know their product and are happy with it, that's why we keep returning, right? Maybe they are "providing" an outlet as well with this tool for any complaints, negative experiences or personal perception misunderstandings. This way when you have left the ship and the experience is fresh in your mind....wow, here's an outlet, let me tell them how frustrated I am, etc. The survey comes hours after you step off the ship when you are still all emotions tied to the sailing. If you get it out right away, even in the form of other then 10 scoring it provides the "relief" of having unburdened yourself, leaving you less likely to continue expressing the product negativity with other outlets and as well. Allows you an avenue to feel "heard". "Well they care, so I will surely sail them again in the future" As I'm sailing only since 2016 it seems little positive changes for the customers anymore, just cost savings measures couched as "we are doing something wonderful for your experience" I understand this, any company is in business to provide a product for a profit, but does anyone see any positive or constructive change from any of the feedback, I'm not sure. Maybe ? I think it has become less to do with the content and more to do with the action. How do we keep those repeat customers sailing? The team members of the Ship are sort of a casualty of getting caught up in this cycle.

@Cile Land O Lakes here, but we usually say Tampa as no one knows where it is! Have you been watching the price jumps? OMG, after final payment lots of available cabins, some over 30,000 for 2 people!! Yikes! See you onboard

Crown loft, two bathrooms...score!!

DCL catching up, not passing....YES! My personal perspective, my thoughts. We started sailing with DCL when our daughter was much younger, we are Platinum so we watched a transformation before our eyes. The price point far outweighed the offerings and by 2018 we were beyond bored (my humble opinion) We headed over to Royal and have sailed her ever since. Albeit things are changing at Royal as far as costs going up & other things being cut our experience with Royal gives us joy at a much better price point. We just feel it makes more fiscal sense when you compare the two companies. (We will sail DCL new Wish ship this summer but I booked it day 1 at what I believed a fair price I am crazy curious about the new ship.) But I know it's a one and done type situation. With Royal I'm at the Next Cruise desk and/or at my computer CC in hand on new itinerary release dates. Be that as it may I think Royal does a better job of keeping things "fresh" where DCL does get mundane. Repeat guests are what a company needs to stay "a float, hahaha" and while kids are never in short supply I think the DCL pool shrinks due to the never changing product offerings as well as the price point. Royal is doing her best to go after the DCL crowd and if you have sailed recently, and now with Icon her sights are reaching that goal and making it happen. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that DCL homeport deal shrinks and Royal continues to make waves around the world. Oh boy I'm full of fun puns today!!

On our last Harmony sailing embarkation day we meandered up to Coastal Kitchen for lunch after a walk around and the check in at muster. Between the other suites guests & Pins there were zero empty tables. Embarkation lunch was packed, again not one table. I learned my lesson, I book embarkation lunch at a specialty when #CK is not available on the ship, otherwise we will visit #CK first. Lesson learned, plan for an unhurried first day luncheon experience. Fair is fair, those who arrived ahead of us enjoyed their experience but sadly the tables didn't even free up quickly as people seemed to stay at tables until cabins opened up.

The RUB dilemma, I get it. I took great care and loved my Serenade OS cabin, the balcony was fantastic. When I won the 2 bedroom owners suite on deck 7 I for a second did think when i entered, oh no! I was never on deck 7 ( I loved it) but the balcony was smaller then I expected as well as the no hot water for days back on the aft. Also, I did notice moving forward even the minimum bid prices are ridiculously high. Actually I'm excited for your review of that cabin, seems like a "score"

@asquared17Oh heck yes! Following along. I was the water package cancel person. They gave me something other then spring water, at my request they took it back and I was refunded refundable OBC within the day. Like @Ampurp85 I don't have social media either, this is it so I also learned something today. We don't even facebook, just never felt it added anything to our lives. Kiddo put up a fight at first, now she doesn't even miss it. ( I think) I prefer Jaime's as well to Giovanni's for Italian. Did you submit a RUB? Details please, lol! Harmony was my first Oasis class and my first Royal sailing. We tried it after DCL became full of themselves, cost ridiculously high and product diminished. We are going to sail her new ship the Wish, but Royal is where our heart lies now. Ugh, Symphony has continued to escape me, 2 sailings on her canceled, I'm hoping to sail her while everyone else is on the Icon!

[email protected]. Super responsive and participates here as well. She was priceless to our family during the shutdown. Been using her talents going on 4 years now.

RC desserts don't wow me. I either have a glass of wine with dinner or the banana split ice cream sundae off the kids menu. It's good in the MDR but really good in #CK. Baked Alaska, we enjoy that one also!

Yikes, price! The price point is high enough. I fear if they designated it Star on the Ships that run that program the price would most likely price us out. I can be my own genie, I maintain I enjoy a larger cabin and I wish I could purchase it without the Star price tag or designation/perks. This one is perfect, I enjoyed the Star perks on my one Star sailing but I would rather pay a little less for my cabin. In my perfect world you purchase your cabin and then had a choice to add on the "Star" package.

@Ampurp85 is on the money, as soon as you connect to the ships wifi, sometimes even while in the terminal waiting to board you can go in the app and reserve the activities. They are very strict with age I believe because of liability of course. While they limit players it's a true laser tag experience. Others even adults excited and running around in wild abandon. They do in fact take care though to create groups that are balanced for lack of knowing any other way to explain it. A four year old will be a hard no. Perfect excuse to hit the Next Cruise desk and book a 5 year old birthday cruise!! Haha, see what I did there? When my kiddo was 15 (little weightlifter, natural) the way she carried herself and communicated she looked much older. Royal would not allow her in the fitness center without wavers and an adult to supervise, like mentioned above they know their age. Have a great sailing, there are so many things to keep you occupied you probably won't even miss it!

@sammy79 big fans of the two bedroom grand suite! (When there is no #deck17, I enjoy a Crown Loft for sure) We stayed in the 2 bedroom on Odyssey & Adventure (huge balconies) and finally my lovely Serenade, balcony on deck 7 was smaller but the space is comfortable. Two bathrooms, well everyone knows I'm a super fan of that with a teen. Sky class amenity(yes on Odyssey it was great) or similar WOULD be nice on the other class of ships but it's a nice respite while on vacation. I sound like a broken record but I just wish Royal would get their act together & streamline the suite product across the fleet. It's a really enjoyable cabin.

My daughter enjoyed it, she did not use the goggles. They were not consistent with types of clothing. Whomever was in charge of the contraption called the shots. It honestly seemed tough on the staff as well. She did say, one and done.

I am in Sky on the Wonder (Crown loft) June 25th, 2023. I will give you all the details while onboard. We booked this on another sailing with friends, parted ways and were going to cancel. (Well teens parted ways, so.....) Devil on one shoulder had the phone dialed to cancel, Devil on the other was waving around my credit card, needless to say....

On my evening walk I was actually contemplating sending an email to Mr. Bayley questioning the reasoning and playing dumb asking if it slipped thru the cracks. Lone behold I'm home and read @Sea Squirrel comment and honestly don't want to call attention to the amenity in place thus maybe causing them to be tampered with or stripped down, now I ponder like Winnie the Pooh, what shall I do?

I understand the cost of a cabin in the Suite category is almost always a bit cheaper on the smaller ships then the bigger ships. I can kind of understand how they can't extend Sea,Sky,Star to the smaller ships but the product is such that the price is going up, up, up for a lesser experience in my opinion. Why not just include the wifi? Why not a special embarkation lunch even if in the MDR? Streamline the suite product onto itself a bit more. It truly is something I was contemplating this afternoon and was wondering what everyone here thinks about it. Come on Royal read this post, please?

Hahaha.....NO! While I did enjoy the consistency of the products and they worked well the fragrances were powerful. I would love to know how they landed on those specific ones. Didn't complain as the product is superior to the regular combo detergent type soap in a regular cabin in my opinion.

Our Harmony out of PC ALL suites and Pins were escorted to a roped off comfortable area. First we watched Star being escorted onboard and then the announcements started. Pinnacles were invited to board and then "all suites guests". Very orderly and oh so quick! Love stepping onboard each and every time watching the ship come alive!