JohnK6404

If you have not experienced Chef's Table, you may want to consider that instead. It finally appeared this week for our May 2024 sailing, and I booked it because we really enjoyed it on Odyssey last year. Looks like it's 5:30PM every night... takes 2-3 hours to get through all of the courses and wine pairings, etc. With the UDP, you only pay $49.99 in the end (can't speak to the mechanics of getting the price adjustment)... We skipped the UDP this time, but if you have any interest in an elevated experience, Chef's Table is great!

Yes, but apparently, it's not across the board... we sail on 5/11/24...

Yes, it finally dropped to the price I paid on Wonder last JAN and OCT ($72.99 pp).

WOW! You may need a vacation after your vacation! Have an amazing time!!!

Have a great time!

Have a great time! Two things on our wish list... sail on Harmony and go on a Christmas sailing!

Have an amazing time! Sounds like a great itinerary for sure!

I wonder if all the negative press/politics/attention this summer played any role and made Royal's decision easier to cut bait with the brand (I'm sure cost-cutting was primary reason!)... I'm assuming they want to steer clear of anything that may be considered controversial! https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/ben-jerrys-independence-day-message-calls-stolen-indigenous-land-returned-native-americans https://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/2023/07/stolen-indigenous-land https://www.newsweek.com/ben-jerrys-icecream-indigenous-compensation-vermont-headquarters-1812807 This post made me think of this... maybe made the decision easier for Royal? Less expensive/cost-cutting alternative and avoidance of any possible controversy.

I think it also includes the scooter service back to your cabin after that 7th or 8th cocktail in 2-3 hours!

You will enjoy it! I agree with @RCIfan1912... Don't worry! Some of us (including me) are just nitpicking. We will definitely be sailing Quantum class again, we just personally prefer Oasis class if given the choice.

We really enjoyed our 8-night Southern Caribbean sailing early last year on Odyssey. Beautiful ship class with some unique features, but we still prefer Oasis class. The biggest issue in our limited experience (just one sailing on this class) is the crowd management/flow which is not nearly as efficient as Oasis class. The Esplanade was frequently congested since the Royal Theater and Music Hall dump directly into the Esplanade right near the pub. I was joking that it felt like the running of the bulls whenever a show let out! ... and that sailing was at reduced capacity (FEB 2022)! Also, since it's a more traditional ship design, you effectively only have two major common decks to traverse the ship... The Esplanade and the pool deck... no Boardwalk, Central Park, larger Promenade, or larger split pool deck of course to help traverse the ship. We will definitely sail this class again based on the itineraries they offer which are not available on Oasis class (Alaska, Bermuda occasionally, Greek Isles, 10-12 night Southern Caribbean sailings out of Bayonne, etc.).

Interesting read and comparison (pricing comparison to) between Star and the new Celebrity Xcel posted by Allie today: Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship prices are more expensive than Celebrity's new premium ship | Royal Caribbean Blog

Interesting comparison (pricing comparison to) between Star and the new Celebrity Xcel posted by Allie today: Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship prices are more expensive than Celebrity's new premium ship | Royal Caribbean Blog

Hi @JasonOasis! Yes, funnels are retractable… 42 second mark of the official RC video from their YouTube channel… I have no idea if it will clear the Verrazano, but one can wish! Here’s the official video of the bridge crossing… I also like the shot of the underside of the bridge deck looking up from Central Park!

I know! Insane! That is literally $1,200 more than my wife and I paid for midship OV balconies on BOTH Wonder (last month) AND Icon (next May) combined ($2,600 and $3,200 respectively)! We did book both sailings right after the schedules were released well over a year in advance.

Absolutely no desire right now due to the ridiculous pricing and since these are the identical itineraries we recently sailed on Wonder or will be sailing next May on Icon. This will give us a chance to book some of the many ships we have not had the pleasure of sailing on to date including Symphony, Harmony, Ovation, Anthem, Mariner, on and on!

I agree with the group. We've sailed Allure and Oasis and prefer Oasis overall post amplification (except for Cats ... Mamma Mia! was much better).

I'm sorry, I meant the instant messenger feature via Facebook. You chat with them live, not by e-mail. There just may be a wait until someone gets to your IM. One time they were available in about a minute or so... during peak times (Covid, IT issues, etc.) you may have to wait a couple of hours for someone to get to your IM.

We've had good results utilizing the RC Crown & Anchor line (800-526-9723) which generally has significantly shorter wait times (vs. general CS line) and can assist in all matters. Also, the Royal Caribbean Facebook page has a messaging feature (instant messaging). I've had 5 minute waits and some up to 2-3 hours, but someone will always get back to you relatively quickly via FB.

Yes, Wonder had WOW bands earlier this month. We forgot about them and started noticing them half-way through our sailing and skipped them this time. We've never had them on Royal, just the Magic Bands at Disney, but will try them some day!

Same here! Late last night the CC balance suddenly reflected the total charges, but no transaction details. This morning all 6 purchases are properly posted with the 11/8/23 transaction date. Happy this resolved sooner than later for sure!

Phew... we booked it for next May for the first time based (in part) on the recommendation of one of Matt's awesome RC blog videos from 2021. No kids, so we wanted a more chill atmosphere and we liked what we saw on the video. I guess it's changed in the last year or so? I've heard so many negative comments about Mr. Sanchos over the last few years and we had no desire to go there. Happy to hear you had a great time!

I didn't want to, but I did ... I contacted Royal via the chat function through Royal's FB page this time. I pushed and they too insist emphatically that everything is in order and they even sent me an e-mail confirming all 7 of my completed cruise planner purchases (6 from this sale) with transaction numbers, amounts, dates, etc. Excerpt... just Royal's FB chat comments... I called Chase again... this time they state there are no pending transactions (as previously confirmed in detail by Chase as waiting for "collection" by Royal) and that they all have dropped off... they assured me that if Royal collects these funds they were pre-authorized, etc., and not to worry... we'll see... There is nothing showing on my Chase credit card in any status related to these purchases. I have a feeling, as mentioned earlier, that the charges will mysteriously appear next month with 11/8 and/or 11/9 transaction dates.

I agree! I comment on the "crazy" price for now, but at some point we'll probably book it down the road just to have the experience (maybe not this sailing)!

Enjoy your cruise! We did the best we could to keep her tidy for you!