PatsFanBrian

I haven't been on a cruise in almost 40 years (I would have been 7 or so my only other cruise I've taken). So this may as well be my first time. My wife and kids had never been on a cruise previously. 
 
We sailed on Indy over the weekend and some things stood out in relation to a lot of what I've read here and other places, both things that I felt lined up with what everyone said, and things that I thoroughly disagree with a lot of posters I've read. 
First - what an INCREDIBLE ship! I know it isn't the biggest anymore, but WOW what a lovely vessel to sail on! My family all agree, we loved her! The crew, the captain, the ship overall, just an absolutely fantastic way to travel. Really hard to believe there are much larger ships in regular use!! Lol she absolutely did not feel small. LOVE the promenade deck, LOVE being able to go to the bow. 
 
The third night we sailed through fairly rough seas and she rocked and rolled. My youngest (13) got seasick. But none of them were afraid. Some of us actually enjoyed watching the waves hit our porthole as the ship got tossed around a bit. 
 
Food - I read a lot about the desserts not being anything to write home about. I gotta agree on that one. Even the cheesecake, which is one of my favorite things usually, was just "meh". But aside from that I really do not understand the people that complain about it. We didnt go to any specialty dining and we NEVER went hungry and were never in a situation where we couldn't all find something we really liked. My prime rib in the MDR was tender and delicious and probably one of my favorite things I ate. (I've seen multiple posts staging the prime rib was bad). 
 
Windjammer was hit or miss. There was always at least a portion of what was being served that was really good. The roast turkey was delicious (I always go dark meat though so maybe the white meat wasnt). Even the steaks on the WJ were perfectly edible and tasty. I saw a lot of comments before I sailed that the Indian food on board was good and it REALLY was. But plenty of other offerings in the WJ were quite tasty as well. It IS too busy which can be frustrating but I expected that. 
 
Cafe promenade was impressive. Always open and always quality, tasty snacks. Sorrento's was perfectly tasty as well and my wife, who is gluten free, also liked their GF pizza. Fish and Ships was GOOD!! The only extra we spent on food was Ben and Jerry's and we all enjoyed all of our dining the whole time. 
 
The food on Coco Cay was, we all agree, really really good! The shaved ribeye sandwich was probably my favorite. The Cuban was also good. Of course the taco bar was great and most of my crew said that was their favorite on the island. 
 
Coco Cay itself is, in a word, fantastic.  Just beautiful beyond description.  
 
The crew was, without exception,  top notch. All of them. 
 
My nitpicks:
I really wish they had more freestyle machines. Having to wait in line everytime and hope it has ice was a little frustrating especially when you're REALLY thirsty. (Matters more to me than most probably because I dont drink alcohol and Im a bit of a soda fiend) 
 
The elevators being so full so often got annoying when we were trying to get somewhere. Minor and expected. 
 
The wifi signal in our stateroom wasn't very good. Nothing I couldn't live with, and on higher decks it worked really well. 
 
Overall, I, and the rest of my family, absolutely loved our experience.  My wife wanted to start with a short one to see how she and our kids would like it. I think the best way to summarize how we all felt about it is the fact that we went to NextCruise on our final night and booked a 9 night to Canada for 2024. (On Indy's sister ship, no less).  Cannot wait to sail again!
 
 

Not listed yet for Odyssey in Jan 2024.  But at that price posted above, that's a hard pass.  I'll go with a beach bed for half the price.
The high price may be due to it being Icon, I'll see how they price it for my sail, whenever they post it.

Not listed yet for Odyssey in Jan 2024.  But at that price posted above, that's a hard pass.  I'll go with a beach bed for half the price.
The high price may be due to it being Icon, I'll see how they price it for my sail, whenever they post it.

That implies to me that, even though you booked an adult in each room, your plan is for the teens to occupy the room w/o an adult.  Your kids might be fantastic, but I would not want to be in a cabin next to teens with no parental supervision.  Just my opinion.

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect.  We've been on every class from Radiance up.  This is my personal take on the classes
Radiance - My least favorite.  I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down.  I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group.  You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize.  Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager.  The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded.  As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14.  RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then.  I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail.  But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room.  I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea.  There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only.  You can never be bored.  I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows.  You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship.  But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children.   Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting.  You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

We have had itinerary changes on 2 sails due to tropical weather, once in Late June, once in mid-September.  No one can predict how busy a hurricane season will be.  The majority of cruises are not impacted, but it does happen.  The most common impact is an itinerary change.  The cruise lines will do everything possible to keep the ships out of the path of a storm.
Regarding rain, that can happen almost anytime in the tropics even without a large storm.  It's a possibility on any type of vacation.  The best advice is to go ahead and keep your booking, just be aware that storms do happen and changes are a part of the cruising experience.

Without a doubt, travel to the port is the most stressful part of the trip.  We have always gone out a day early.  Last June, even with a scheduled flight 30 hours prior, our trip was in doubt until the evening before.  Our late morning flight from Boston to Miami kept getting pushed back 2 hours at a time, with the final push back being 6:30PM.  The crew was sitting in the terminal waiting for the plane and the worry was that they were going to timeout before the plane got there (bad weather elsewhere caused the plane to be delayed).  We finally made it to Miami at 11PM.  If that flight had not gone off, the chances of making it to Miami the next day were slim and none.
Our next sail is January 2024.  For that time of year, we'll be travelling 2 days early.  Worst case scenario is we rent a car and drive 24 hours to Ft. Lauderdale or get as close as we can and drive from there.  But we have the extra day of buffer to deal with winter weather delays.
The only 2 times we didn't stress were sailing out of Boston (45 minute drive) and Bayonne (4 hour drive).

Without a doubt, travel to the port is the most stressful part of the trip.  We have always gone out a day early.  Last June, even with a scheduled flight 30 hours prior, our trip was in doubt until the evening before.  Our late morning flight from Boston to Miami kept getting pushed back 2 hours at a time, with the final push back being 6:30PM.  The crew was sitting in the terminal waiting for the plane and the worry was that they were going to timeout before the plane got there (bad weather elsewhere caused the plane to be delayed).  We finally made it to Miami at 11PM.  If that flight had not gone off, the chances of making it to Miami the next day were slim and none.
Our next sail is January 2024.  For that time of year, we'll be travelling 2 days early.  Worst case scenario is we rent a car and drive 24 hours to Ft. Lauderdale or get as close as we can and drive from there.  But we have the extra day of buffer to deal with winter weather delays.
The only 2 times we didn't stress were sailing out of Boston (45 minute drive) and Bayonne (4 hour drive).

Without a doubt, travel to the port is the most stressful part of the trip.  We have always gone out a day early.  Last June, even with a scheduled flight 30 hours prior, our trip was in doubt until the evening before.  Our late morning flight from Boston to Miami kept getting pushed back 2 hours at a time, with the final push back being 6:30PM.  The crew was sitting in the terminal waiting for the plane and the worry was that they were going to timeout before the plane got there (bad weather elsewhere caused the plane to be delayed).  We finally made it to Miami at 11PM.  If that flight had not gone off, the chances of making it to Miami the next day were slim and none.
Our next sail is January 2024.  For that time of year, we'll be travelling 2 days early.  Worst case scenario is we rent a car and drive 24 hours to Ft. Lauderdale or get as close as we can and drive from there.  But we have the extra day of buffer to deal with winter weather delays.
The only 2 times we didn't stress were sailing out of Boston (45 minute drive) and Bayonne (4 hour drive).

Never took that one, but looking at the stops, you’re hitting most of the highlights.  The USS Constitution is a good stop as is Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market Place.  Cheers is highly overrated and nothing like the bar in the famous show.  Boston Common is nice along with the Boston Gardens across the street.  If the Swan Boats are still out, you can jump on one of those.  The Boston Common is next to Beacon Hill which is a nice area.
Another option is a Duck Tour, you’ll get the land and sea highlights of Boston. The drivers make the ride fun, you hit the highlights, but no stopping.
Boston is a great city to walk.  You can do the Freedom Trail which only requires a map and some walking stamina.  And you can then walk to the Common/Gardens and walk around, won’t cost anything but the ride to get there.
The North End has amazing Italian cuisine and the Revere house.  Charlestown has Old Ironsides and Bunker Hill.

Never took that one, but looking at the stops, you’re hitting most of the highlights.  The USS Constitution is a good stop as is Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market Place.  Cheers is highly overrated and nothing like the bar in the famous show.  Boston Common is nice along with the Boston Gardens across the street.  If the Swan Boats are still out, you can jump on one of those.  The Boston Common is next to Beacon Hill which is a nice area.
Another option is a Duck Tour, you’ll get the land and sea highlights of Boston. The drivers make the ride fun, you hit the highlights, but no stopping.
Boston is a great city to walk.  You can do the Freedom Trail which only requires a map and some walking stamina.  And you can then walk to the Common/Gardens and walk around, won’t cost anything but the ride to get there.
The North End has amazing Italian cuisine and the Revere house.  Charlestown has Old Ironsides and Bunker Hill.

Never took that one, but looking at the stops, you’re hitting most of the highlights.  The USS Constitution is a good stop as is Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market Place.  Cheers is highly overrated and nothing like the bar in the famous show.  Boston Common is nice along with the Boston Gardens across the street.  If the Swan Boats are still out, you can jump on one of those.  The Boston Common is next to Beacon Hill which is a nice area.
Another option is a Duck Tour, you’ll get the land and sea highlights of Boston. The drivers make the ride fun, you hit the highlights, but no stopping.
Boston is a great city to walk.  You can do the Freedom Trail which only requires a map and some walking stamina.  And you can then walk to the Common/Gardens and walk around, won’t cost anything but the ride to get there.
The North End has amazing Italian cuisine and the Revere house.  Charlestown has Old Ironsides and Bunker Hill.

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect.  We've been on every class from Radiance up.  This is my personal take on the classes
Radiance - My least favorite.  I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down.  I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group.  You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize.  Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager.  The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded.  As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14.  RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then.  I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail.  But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room.  I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea.  There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only.  You can never be bored.  I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows.  You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship.  But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children.   Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting.  You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

I follow Jordan Bauth who is in the ice skating cast. She currently isn't on a ship but I believe she has a contract starting on Wonder soon.
https://youtube.com/@jbauth

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect.  We've been on every class from Radiance up.  This is my personal take on the classes
Radiance - My least favorite.  I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down.  I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group.  You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize.  Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager.  The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded.  As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14.  RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then.  I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail.  But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room.  I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea.  There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only.  You can never be bored.  I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows.  You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship.  But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children.   Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting.  You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect.  We've been on every class from Radiance up.  This is my personal take on the classes
Radiance - My least favorite.  I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down.  I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group.  You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize.  Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager.  The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded.  As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14.  RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then.  I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail.  But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room.  I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea.  There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only.  You can never be bored.  I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows.  You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship.  But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children.   Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting.  You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

Ideally, the questions for vaccination status and booster status should just be removed.  We are past the pandemic stage and in the endemic stage, meaning it is here to stay.  The questions have no more meaning than asking if someone had a seasonal flu vaccine or not.  Those of us that wanted the vaccine, and could get it, have had it.  And those of us that did not want it, or could not get it for some reason, did not.  I personally have been vaccinated and boosted, but that was my personal choice and my personal business -- the same goes for those that choose not to get vaccinated.  Outside of itineraries that have ports with vaccination regulations, this question should simply be removed.
The only reason I can see it still being asked is that adult non-US citizens or residence card holders entering the US are still required to be fully vaccinated by federal mandate.  I honestly believe Royal is just making sure their policy aligns to current US policy.  If that is true, and the mandate is lifted and not extended in May as currently planned, this question should hopefully disappear.  Foreigners flying to the US must still show vaccination status to the airline before boarding, so I am assuming this is the policy Royal is following to cover their legal butts.  This would make sense in some repositioning cruises, like from Barbados to Miami, but admittedly, makes little sense for closed loop cruises originating in the US.
At the end of the day, I don't think these questions are there to make a political statement, or to make anyone upset, or to deny access to cruising for unvaccinated US citizens or residents.  It does restrict access though to unvaccinated foreign visitors, but that is by US policy / mandate, and not Royal's policy.

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect.  We've been on every class from Radiance up.  This is my personal take on the classes
Radiance - My least favorite.  I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down.  I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group.  You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize.  Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager.  The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded.  As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14.  RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then.  I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail.  But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room.  I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea.  There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only.  You can never be bored.  I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows.  You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship.  But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children.   Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting.  You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect.  We've been on every class from Radiance up.  This is my personal take on the classes
Radiance - My least favorite.  I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down.  I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group.  You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize.  Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager.  The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded.  As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14.  RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then.  I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail.  But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room.  I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea.  There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only.  You can never be bored.  I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows.  You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship.  But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children.   Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting.  You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

There are so many opinions and all are personal and none are incorrect.  We've been on every class from Radiance up.  This is my personal take on the classes
Radiance - My least favorite.  I would go on again if the itinerary was too good to turn down.  I just found it too small and I missed not having the Promenade and other entertainment options. Voyager - You can't really go wrong here, especially with an all adult group.  You get the ice rink, flow rider, promenade and plenty of places to socialize.  Many of them have been amped with added amenities. Freedom - A bigger version of Voyager.  The layouts are very similar, they are larger and will have more people, but it shouldn't feel overcrowded.  As with Voyager, you can't go wrong. Quantum - My opinion is blurred because I've only been on once and that was the first full sail of Quantum back in '14.  RC was going for the restaurant concept, more technology, very different layout and they had many kinks to work out which they have since then.  I'll be on Odyssey early next year, I'm assuming my opinion will likely be different after that sail.  But it is a very different ship from the others with the Seaplex, Northstar, Music Hall and no main dining room.  I only wish it had an ice rink, I love the ice shows. Oasis - It speaks for itself, it's a resort on the sea.  There will be lots of families if that's a consideration since you'll be adults only.  You can never be bored.  I love the additional specialty dining options and I never miss the water shows.  You'll get your exercise just traversing the ship.  But I'm entering the cranky old man phase of life and would prefer to stay away from over stimulated children.   Based on what you stated in your first post, I would suggest Voyager and Freedom classes, from there, pick the itinerary that looks the most interesting.  You'll have a great time no matter which one you choose.

It's more than a bit puzzling that the only place you can purchase RC branded merchandise is on the ships for the exact reason you stated.  I guess they just don't want to be in the business of selling merchandise online, but it seems to me they're missing a potential market for those who either want to get something before the cruise, or, as you stated, have regrets after the fact.

I agree 100%!  Not sure why Royal is not promoting/offering online merchandise sales... any swag and logo merchandise is advertising and additional revenue for them.  Even if they only had a select inventory and charged slightly higher than the onboard prices. Maybe a few mugs, t-shirts, lanyards, ornaments, ship models, etc.  I'm sure many have disembarked and regretted not purchasing something from the shop while onboard.
We started collecting the ship model (3D) x-mas ornaments... we were able to grab Allure and Oasis, but on our more recent sailings on Odyssey and Wonder they were both out of stock literally before the merch shop opened on day 1. On Wonder last month, they stated they have been out for almost 4 weeks!  

I really wish RC would sell the models on their website.  I recently decided to start purchasing and displaying models of the ships we've been on (have a new finished room and I'd like to theme it around our vacations).  I bought Explorer while on the ship, my kids got me 2 others via eBay for gifts.  But they said the cost was fairly high.  The ones they got me came fully boxed and unopened, so my suspicion is that crew members and/or passengers are buying them onboard and then reselling them at a good profit.  Such is life.  I'll count on them adding 1 or 2 a year until I have all 9 models (6 more to go), and from now on I'll make a point of purchasing one when I'm on a new ship.

Ill be on that ship in 2 days. For 4 weeks.

Can't speak to Odyssey, our first time on will be in January, 2024 and we're on it specifically for this itinerary.
Everyone's mileage will vary regarding their opinion of ports, but Curacao is one of our favorites.  We've only been once, we were supposed to be there this past June until a tropical storm forced an itinerary change.
You can do a general search for Curacao on this forum and you'll get lots of info and advice.  For me, it's all about the town itself and the walk from the ship to the town.  Most Curacao stops go well into the evening because the town is magnificent after dark.  The people are great, excellent shopping, there are excursions to choose from (we did the distillery and a beach break), but save time to just walk the town.  Don't be afraid to explore side streets and alley ways, you may find some hidden surprises.