dr martini

I would counter a bit and ask what are you expectations with dining and travel in general like now vs 2019?  Nothing seems quite like it used to be, and I work in the food business, I'm not terribly picky and understand what most hospitality businesses are going through.  

I can say that our family trip on Symphony in March 2022 was quite simply a mistake.  We were back and forth on it bc of restrictions etc, but wanted to get out of the house just like everybody else - the ship and staff were not at all ready for spring break crowds, the food and service and general overall experience were not great and nothing compared to previous cruises outside of one meal at 150 Central park that was very well done.  I shouldn't be too dramatic, it was still better than a week of working in winter weather at home, but was it worth the dollars paid?  I don't think so.  Probably should have just rented a house on/near the beach somewhere.  Hindsight 20/20 etc.

My parents and I have done several cruises, shorter freedom class, week long oasis class and one serenade from January 2023 to now and they've been miles better than March 22 in almost every way - activities, staffing, food and drink (big ups to the specialty dining).  Some small hiccups here and there, still not the more refined classic family cruising I recall from first taking Royal 15-20 years ago but I don't think that's ever coming back again.  Everything is just different now with almost everything, I haven't had any hotel visit or restaurant meal that's really been bang, wow, incredibly vibrant or great value either.  It's a drag we're just in transition to a new world and economy with a new set of standards and value.  I guess we just have to adjust.

Directly related to this conversation, air travel keeps seeing record demand.  Just broke the record for air traffic passengers, setting new all time records twice in just under three weeks.  Revenge travel indeed.

"The Transportation Security Administration has broken a new record after screening the most people ever in a single day.  On Sunday, July 7, the agency processed 3,013,413 travelers at U.S. airports.  The new peak comes just weeks after the TSA set record just shy of 3 million screenings, which was achieved on June 23."

https://abc7ny.com/post/airport-travel-tsa-sets-new-record-after-screening/15042466/

@Carlos A. thank you!   I have looked for this exact thing but never found it.  looks like that particular vid was just uploaded 4 months ago

thank you thank you thank you

Oh for sure appreciate the effort, I would say that meets expectations.  They’re not gonna have a high end place without an also high cover charge and I think the appearance and then disappearance of vintages kind of shows that.  I appreciate the fact that there is some variety across various bars, especially on newer/amped ships and not just the same cocktail menu everywhere with the same generic syrups (although there is a lot of that, and I get it out of necessity/supply).

Left to right here, thanks for the photo from @B. Lomax I'm sure I will miss or mess up something but we can group source. 

Pretty remarkable in that none of these are that remarkable?  Just that none of these in the photo would be classified as particularly 'hard to find' or high end (most of the front row are $25-40 dollar bottles, some of the back row around $75 but it is a nice variety to suit most pallets.   I have never been to Mason Jar, there might be a more secure place they keep other limited items out of view.

Front row Left to Right

Rail Rye, Rail Bourbon, Baker's 7 year bourbon, Knob Creek 9 year, Wild Turkey 101, Basil Haydn, EH Taylor Colonel Small batch, 1792 single barrel, Gentleman Jack, Woodford Reserve, Uncle Nearest 1884 93 proof, Jack Daniels single barrel, Jameson, Zacapa rum, some cheapos then Kracken then mystery round bottle could almost be Blanton's original but based on how 'normie' the rest of this is I highly doubt it.  John Bowman bourbon ? or even a cognac etc

Second row L to R

Patron silver, (tall bottle behind pitcher?), Grey Goose, Rittenhouse Rye, Jack Daniels Rye, Whistlepig Bourbon 10 year, Woodford Double oaked or master's collection?, a cheap 4 year scotch, Dewar's, Glenlivet, Mcallan, Johnny Walker Double black, Johnny Walker Black, Chivas Regal, Chivas 18, Monkey Shoulder, Canadian Club, Crown Royal, then into the cordials etc Franjelico, Campari, Midori  

Most 'expensive' bottle is that EH Taylor colonel around $120 retail in the states or whatever special edition of woodford that is in the second row.

my favorite sleep noise on the ship is actually on the tv current location channel, can't remember which number exactly but one of the first few channels of the provided TV guide on each ship has a channel that's just a map of current location, sometimes with a view from the bridge looking out for current conditions and plays an awesome soft chill beats sound track, kind of tropical, kind of pop I can't describe it exactly but it fits perfectly.  I have it on 24/7, it's one of my favorite parts of the Royal cruise.

thank you makes sense!  was wondering if it was also a play on the trusty old cruise friendly questions

"Is it too late for a coffee/is it too early for a cocktail?

having cruised plenty and stayed in mexico for different weeklong stays in houses on the beach and in a big all inclusive resort I feel pretty strongly that these long ferry ride/bus ride trips are much better idea for a land vacation, if you do them at all.  live how you want to live obviously it's your time and money, but when I'm on a cruise that's already really limited time to enjoy the ship and ports themselves, I don't want to sit on a bus or wait around anymore than I'm already doing on my flying travel days on either end of the trip.  

I am a history interested person and really enjoyed doing Tulum on my own while on a land vacation.  It's just - after doing a fair amount of travel for work and (probably) having some control issues haha I just don't want to be sitting in traffic or waiting around on other people on my vacation if I can help it.

I am a nerd and have a manila folder with info on recent cruises all saved, but you can also search here to find many similar threads, prices for everything are obviously up vs a few years ago and prices for everything cruise related will always be more expensive on holidays like Christmas, NYE, the month of March/early April for spring break.  Days at sea, newer ships all mean higher price as well.

There is occasionally a deluxe bev pkg with wifi that I get when it's available as that's the best deal in my opinion, but again, the cruise planner changes all the time without notice.  Here are a few examples of mine recent years

2019 Symphony 7 night March with Perfect day Deluxe Bev pkg with voom wifi $142 pp/pd (brand new ship, three days at sea plus perfect day)

2020 Navigator 4 night Feb 202 with Perfect Day Deluxe Bev $76 pp/pd

2022 Symphony 7 night Caribbean with Perfect day Deluxe Bev with wifi $168 pp/pd (still pretty new ship, three days at sea plus perfect day)

2023 Freedom 4 nighter Perfect day - Deluxe Bev with voom wifi $86 pp/pd (black friday deal)

2025 Independence 5 nighter Deluxe Bev is at $91 pp/pd has fallen a couple times to 85 will keep waiting for black friday.  Internet alone is $20 pp/pd

just did this recently and booked our expected child as "Baby (our last name)" birthdate Jan 1 of this year.  he's now a couple months old and I will call and correct before final payment date

loud music and overcrowding on pdcc is an overblown concern that gets repeated far too often here and other places imo.  sorry but it's just irritating seeing speculations and outright untrue things being said.  been to coco cay on symphony, on freedom, on navigator and always with another ship there and it's much less busy/crazy than any other island stop.  getting on and off the ship is so easy and not too densely packed along the pier and things across the island are certainly more wide open than the pool deck on the ship on a sea day.  Royal went to great lengths to have the DJ for the people who want that vibe, first right next to the bar, then (likely after complaints) on the little island straight across from the bar with speakers pointing back to just one part of the bar to keep the noise contained and that worked really well, a few steps away and it dropped off fast.  yet still a certain group of people complained who could have gone to literally 99% of the other available 140 acres plus on the island and not been bothered.   

if you don't prepare at all and wander around at 12:30pm, then yes you might be disappointed on what's available and that's the same for the ship, but if you like to sleep in then consider a balcony where you have a nice layout spot 24/7 or as others suggest pay for one of the more private spots.

these concerns could be solved by a simple click around and reading on a site like this, watch some youtube videos, look at a map, lots of places to stretch out and explore and find space.  it's an investment of your money and your time, it's like buying any other big ticket item - a land vacation, a new car, a nice watch, a new tablet or laptop - if you don't do any research ahead of time and then are disappointed that you're lacking this or that, you wish you had gotten something else, sorry but that's on you.

yes what @WAAAYTOOO describes is correct, our experience on freedom last year could only reserve sushi making class ahead of time (was held during the day on sea day), small counter for sushi dining was first come first serve 

issues here as well, but was able to clear cookies - refresh browser and get in.  my january of 2025 sailing beverage package was the same price as last week $85.99 pp/pd which is down from $91 pp/pd a month ago.

Vision class is 70-80k gross tons, Radiance class is 90k and fits those places, voyager 140k.  obviously this is all speculation and would depend on how wide/tall they settle on going.  will also need shore power capability and fuel cell or natural gas burning to meet strict emissions rules, still at such an early stage.  like, drawing on a napkin in the bar stage.   

Project Eagle that led to the voyager class started in 1995 and Voyager entered service in 99.  in that project the ship famously (infamously?) grew 40% from their first projected size.  I think the same inevitable growth happens here, there's just no way they go as small as I've seen some people here talking after all the success the mega ships are bringing them.  this is a business decision.  Icon will be icon, this is a replacement for the tonnage they will lose as vision/radiance/voyager all get retired in the next 15-20 years, think of discovery as a newer, more efficient hybrid of those classes that royal can probably also build a discovery plus of as they evolve and/or share the frame with celebrity.  royal is not an expedition line, they THE mass market big ship, big fun big family line.  

sure vision class still exists and is paid for, but how much EBITDA are they really kicking off vs the newer half of the fleet?  what's the repair/maintenance cost as a % of total net profit that they return and how does that compare with the newer ships?  these are the considerations Royal is weighing much more than "do we still need a ship that fits in new orleans or tampa or every other place?"  We don't have to listen to what they say, look at what they're already doing.  Royal wants to run more, bigger ships out of big port facilities that they control for a better, more efficient experience for the passengers and for suppliers and staffing.  Royal wants to then send those passengers to island/port experiences that they control and can also profit from and on and on.

2,500 passengers with very limited opportunity for upcharge items vs 6-7k passengers on newer classes spending alllll of the extra money on shopping/dining/play.  it's going to become a very simple equation and it's not going to be a 'small' ship in any sense, it's going to need space for the bells and whistles and space for the people needed to pay for those amenities.  

150 central park is a great choice for dinner, that's our favorite restaurant of the 6 or so RC specialty restaurants we've dined in.  there are recent menus available out there if you just google for it on some various travel blog/cruise sites, they have a specialty martini listed but no mention of any special wine pairings or a 6 course menu. 

I would say based on my last couple post - 2020 cruises knowing how brands on different wine and liquor varied even from bar to bar in the same ship this would be a supply chain thing.  obviously can't speak directly for RC but I'm in the food business and I'm sure they would say they're not able to offer something with wine brands changing out as often as they do, they can't guarantee that the experience would always be available at the high level they want to deliver on etc 

from this past winter

Royal Caribbean sample menu from cruise planner

I would also add that while the wines by the glass available with the deluxe beverage package are very basic and not usually that exciting, the dbx does give you a discount on buying full bottles which my wife and I took advantage of on our specialty dinner nights.

booked connecting balconies with our 3 kiddos, lots to love about this itinerary, love the voyager/freedom class.  along with a couple nights in Florida makes for a nice weeklong trip.  Very glad to see indy and freedom get off the nassau PD 3/4 merry go round.

half of my family is in south florida and october is my favorite month to visit.  snowbird season hasn't started yet, at the very tail end of hurricane season, weather is nice and warm everyday, ocean is very comfortable.  here's a table of nassau ocean temps, which is a good comp for PDCC and you can see october is 10 degrees warmer than feb (mid 80's vs mid 70's) mid 80s is perfect, but it has to be a very hot day to enjoy or even get into 70 degree water (that or i need to p** pretty badly) 

tried the cc beach club last year in january only because we found an $89 rate, I don't think we'll be back.  it's a beautiful area and liked the quiet, but had the same experience with a very slow bar and nonexistent waiter service around the beach chairs, we have been to PDCC several other times and bounced between south beach (i really like the four sided pavilion bar at the entrance to the beach as well as the swim up which, yes, gets crowded) and the Oasis lagoon pool if you're into that vibe (we were).

here's the view looking out from the pavilion bar on SB (with back to the road and the ship looking out towards cabanas on the left, swim up bar from south beach to the right)

Number 27 on this map, apparently it's named "coconut willie's"

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/perfect-day-at-cococay-wayfinding-maps.pdf

great updates so far, tough work but somebody has to do it!

yes @Cactus527 unfortunately the past few years of travel explosion post covid it's been really crazy in miami, they had these restrictions a few years now, believe the curfew started in 2021.

Another factor would be Hurricane Ian - Florida's southwest coast was pounded in fall of 2022 by that storm (category 5 of 5) and devastated Fort Myers Beach, which was nowhere near Miami level but still a good sized spring break destination.  now those kids have to go elsewhere as FMB is nowhere near to back up and running, even when they are rebuilt it will likely be a lot different aka more expensive (family and retirement focused).  Miami's #1 status only getting bigger

freedom might be favorite ship in the fleet currently - perfect blend of size, features and familiarity.  we just were on her for the same 4 day pdcc trip a year ago and i live blogged, have a great time!  our next cruise will definitely be freedom or independence when they get on some different itineraries a year from now

Other posters are correct and you definitely do not have enough time to get to saint johns and see or enjoy anything. 

yes @Thom Cruise I am US based and not aware of separate programs by region or continent but would make sense.  I think we heard on the last earnings call that 80% of royal's guests are North america, sorry I realize that doesn't help you and I'm not an expert on the program, but do know that the commission is almost nothing on these compared to normal sailings and while it is possible to transfer casinos reservations and make more changes I have been told by travel agents from more than one company they don't like to do them (in so many words, "you may have better luck if you contact casino royale directly.....") which is fine, totally get it. 

pardon the pun, but just another game we have to play.  there's a sliding scale for slots but for me, as an exclusively blackjack table player, there's very little to know about how they rate your playing/winning or what goes into the status.  I just try to tip well and have a good time and hopefully they keep coming.  I will say the offers are a lot more aggressive if I walk off the ship with more money than I came aboard with, which is pretty obvious.

In a pretty steady 5 years of getting and using casino comps I have seen allllll of the short Caribbean out of FL, smaller ships weeklong out of FL, the Navigator Pacific cruises, just started getting some Oasis weeklong and more Galveston, very rarely an Alaska but have never seen a Europe offering