sk8erguy1978

Just sent an email to my MEI travel agent. This cruise would check a few boxes of the list.

Looking forward to meeting everyone. 

3 minutes ago, Doug_Texas said:

I missed out too.  Never saw ordering info on blog, Patreon, or GroupMe.

It was in the event in one of the inaugural Facebook groups. I saw it by chance last week when I finally marked my attendance as "maybe."

I'm sure the alcohol will still taste the same .

Our shirts should arrive Monday or Tuesday. I added it to my phone calendar to remember lol.

I'm happy with either and love both designs. An adults only space that's not the solarium is all I wanted for Christmas ! It always felt disconnected, stuffy, like people who wanted to get away from kiddos were being punished LOL... That's just me of course.  

1 hour ago, TheMaxRebo said:

Just a heads up, looks like they have switched which areas are the adults only area on the ship - was to be Cloud 7 but now will be the Hideaway ... saw it mentioned in a cruise critic article and now appears that way in the app

 

It does mention in the description "adults only" so maybe just an oversight (fingers crossed for a few adult only pool zones). I'll submit the bug report immediately - LOL!

1 hour ago, TheMaxRebo said:

Just a heads up, looks like they have switched which areas are the adults only area on the ship - was to be Cloud 7 but now will be the Hideaway ... saw it mentioned in a cruise critic article and now appears that way in the app

 

That's where you'll find me! 

3 minutes ago, LandstromCruise said:

Darn I was hoping you would need a fill in  and be taking offers

LOL! You're first standby next time.

On 11/30/2023 at 8:38 AM, sk8erguy1978 said:

Sorry your wife cannot make it. My wife's time off hasn't been officially approved yet either, ER nurse. It's always a gamble for us booking something before she can put in the request. We'll know in a few weeks I guess. 

Well, my wife's time off request wasn't officially approved, but she's not on the schedule LOL. I think her manager doesn't know how to work the new system. Always react mode with staffing. Anyway, relieved she's making it.

On 12/13/2023 at 10:48 AM, thxultra said:

Ya must have gone crazy fast. I was on right at midnight eastern and got 12:00. Crazy they didn't put your wife in the same group with you since you are traveling together.

They'll let us board together, so no biggie. In the app you need do each person separately, strange but makes sense in a way. Gives you the flexibility to check in yourself or everyone. 

I started a few minutes after midnight too. Needed to sledgehammer the app for it to recognize check-in was open. 

40 minutes ago, thxultra said:

Check in started at midnight. What times were you guys able to get. I was on right away and was surprised the earliest time I could get was 12:00PM-12:30PM.

I got 11:30 and a second later only 12:00 was available for my wife. So, definitely got lucky myself but they went fast. 

6 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Just paid final payment on my replacement cruise.

 

Oh what could have been....

I was personally looking forward to it. Now instead I'll be on the Icon inaugural sailing. Blah, not the same

4 minutes ago, Scott M said:

Going to be my 13yo son and I, doesn't look like wife will make it unfortunately. 

Sorry your wife cannot make it. My wife's time off hasn't been officially approved yet either, ER nurse. It's always a gamble for us booking something before she can put in the request. We'll know in a few weeks I guess. 

24 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

If you booked through MEI, I know they were trying to see if they could get something set up for us as a group but no promises. We have a GroupMe chat going if you want to download that app and chat with us.

I'm interested. I'm in Facebook groups but no exciting chatter to make pre-cruise friends LOL.

Finally booked flights. Prices are down about $600 from last week. Little bit of points, little bit of cash. I'm definitely disorganized this cruise, working on fixing that. 

And hey, lay flats on the return. Rare for Miami to Newark flight. 

Travel agent charged my card yesterday!

6 hours ago, CHRIS WONG said:

I'm glad you will make the inaugural cruise. I've never seen this much hype for a new ship before!

We sailed Oasis of the Seas January 16th 2010 and it was a lot of fun keeping up with everything. My favorite was following Captain Wright doing the crossing.

Congratulations @CHRIS WONG on not only being trusted with another launch but, IMO, the most important one since December 2009! Looking forward to crossing paths during the inaugural sailing... I've had our stateroom booked since bookings released. Almost couldn't make it, but things have changed and I'll be there!

7 hours ago, Xaa said:

Here's the thing.  Nobody has to open their wallet for the cookie.  Only those that see value in it.  The cruisers themselves will determine if there is a market for a $2 cookie by their actions.

Right. I'm thinking bigger than the cookie. I am a bit of a pessimistic person and can see this as the beginning of a lot of "complementary" offerings becoming à la carte. But, as you said/implied, cruisers will vote with their wallets. Time will tell.

1 hour ago, cruisellama said:

A charge for "warm" fresh from the oven.  What happens when they cool down?   Shouldn't depreciation kick in?  Seems much of these "tests" are poking guests in the eye.   

Yep. I get the raised prices, even the sticker shock ones like the $92 dollars per day for a drink package and the $3800 floating cabana I'm seeing in my cruise planner for Icon's Inaugural sailing. $2 dollars plus 20% gratuity to warm up a cookie is insulting. Typically I cruise about once per year (although guilty of cruising a bit more during the restart days) so for me, whatever.

But I feel bad for those that only take cruise vacations, multiple times per year. It's going to ruin the experience for them if they have to open up their wallet for stupid *cough, cough* stuff like a cookie.

Just my opinion of course and as long as the core experience is still the same people may be okay with the nickel-and-dime tactics, even if they are just suggestions or test pilots.  

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

https://www.cruisehive.com/celebrity-cruises-responds-to-cookie-charge-controversy/109436

Quote

Guests aboard Celebrity Equinox* earlier this week spotted a $2 (USD) plus 20% gratuity fee for a “warm, handcrafted Celebrity chocolate chip cookie“* at Cafe Al Bacio, the onboard European-themed cafe that offers pastries, coffee, and tea.

* Links removed

Quote

Now, Celebrity Cruises has an explanation: “Rest assured nothing has changed with any of our complimentary treats,” the cruise line stated to Cruise Hive. “Instead, we are testing the offering of a warm chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven for a small fee for guests that would like this. It is a pilot test meant to invoke that nostalgia of being a kid and enjoying a freshly made cookie – which pairs perfectly with our gelato offerings in the Gelateria.”

I'm sorry, how is $2.40 "a small fee" for sticking the (what sounds like) same old cookie in the oven? Is that per cookie? I'll stand there with a lighter and warm it up that way out of spite.

Side note, does anyone have a lighter I can borrow LOL! 

2 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

We need to knock these out one by one. First the hogs and then the folks that don’t know how to use an elevator! 

Windjammer line etiquette, heck line etiquette anywhere on the ship is another I'd add to the list. I bite my tongue quite often because, vacation... not worth it.  

On 8/17/2023 at 4:14 PM, tjcruisers said:

Surprised 20% answered they’d pay for that pizza 

I want to see the data, all of it. They have to claim SOME were okay with it. Let me do a few SQL queries in that database LOL. 

On 8/17/2023 at 3:42 PM, teddy said:

What do we do with all these pitchforks and torches now? 

It's obvious, we go after chair hogs.  

With the Panama Canal group cruise cancelled this cruise is looking like more of a possibility. I honestly was going to bail at the last minute (refundable fare) but now, why not. 

If I can carry a vacation day or three over to January, then I'm 100% in, right now, 99.9% LOL.

On 7/6/2023 at 5:03 PM, Wisdom said:

My wife and I will be there.

Question for you...Since this is a new class of ship, do you think our cruise will be at full capacity or not?  I tend to believe Royal Caribbean would like to get stellar reviews from us on this cruise, so they may not want to fill it to capacity on the first cruise. 

And if they only filled it half full, wouldn't it be easier for the new staff to learn the ship?  Just throwing it out there.  I know online it looks very full, but maybe they didn't open all of the cabins for booking.

I'm not an expert on the matter but I'd highly doubt that.