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I agree with that completely. But once you're at 30 nights (Platinum) we're talking most likely 5+ cruises. At 55 (Emerald), we're talking 7-10. Keep in mind, Royal is targeting families; not retirees who can travel 12 months out of the year. So if you take into account that most families with kids in school, etc., can only take 1-2 big vacations per year (if they're fortunate enough to be able to afford even that), that's considerable dedication. I have a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old. Every time I book with them. I'm choosing Royal over Disney World, cruises on another cruise lines [Disney, Carnival, Norwegian], all-inclusives all over the world, Mexico, D.R., South Florida, and every other potential option for a family with kids. So while I get that you don't want to give status to people who aren't loyal customers, I would say once you get to 5+ cruises, for most people in their target audience, that's a lot of dedication to one option.

My beef really is less coming at this from a consumer's perspective and more from the standpoint of business and marketing, which is a lens I tend to view things from. I don't need or expect a bunch of free things and discounts (although they're obviously appreciated). But it's a big missed opportunity from a marketing and customer loyalty standpoint. People love perks. They love to feel special and appreciated -- that their loyalty gets them something, even if it's not necessarily at a significant cost. A lot of the C&A 'perks' are actually self-serving for Royal. Discounts on spa services are only a discount if you already get spa treatments when cruising. What Royal is trying to do (and they're not alone in this -- this is what all sorts of companies do) is get people who would otherwise not book spa services to do so, driven by the minimal discount. It's almost certainly a net positive and a revenue driver for Royal rather than a sacrifice they're making to honor loyal guests. Same goes for discounts on Internet, etc. There's a often-referenced study in business that perks like additional days off, free snacks and drinks at the office, etc., are perceived as more valuable to employees than pay raises, even though the cost of the perks don't near that of the pay raise for the individual employee. But there's greater employee satisfaction out of the former because it's tangible and unique. Getting two bottles of water in your room after spending 55 nights on their cruise ships just seems lazy. There are so many ways they could make lower-level loyalty guests 'feel' special without affecting their bottom line.

My family and I are on the verge of going Platinum on Crown & Anchor. At first, I was excited to get there, but it really doesn't seem like you get much of anything. I'm sure this has been discussed here often, but do the lower levels of C&A not seem almost insultingly underwhelming? You literally get Gold for just going on a cruise. And it seems the only additional thing I get for getting up to Platinum (which represents a month on their ships, >$25k spent with their company, etc.) beyond everyone else who has ever been on a cruise before is a bath robe and an additional 5% off spa services and Internet (we're talking <$1 per day on Internet service.) And even the Emerald level, which represents additional 25 days -- and another $~20k spent on their ships -- seems to only get me a couple free bottles of water. How is this possible? I realize there are a lot of people at these levels so anything they give away needs to be of negligible hard cost , but how can they possibly pass these things off as legitimate perks for repeat customers? Even to get a discount on a sailing, I have to book a balcony or better. Why would loyal customers who repeatedly decide to vacation with Royal not be provided even a small discount for choosing a lower-cost room? There are so many things they could offer customers at this level that would cost them little to nothing and make them feel appreciated for their loyalty. To give someone a bath robe and TWO bottles of WATER as a thanks for spending $50k+ with them is almost insulting. Again, sure this has been discussed here to death before, but just wanted to see if perhaps I'm missing something.

Yeah don't worry about that. COVID is beating treated much like a cold at this point. It's not spreading like wildfire or God forbid killing scores of people like it was before the vaccines. There are almost surely people unknowingly carrying COVID on every single cruise sailing. If you're sick and allow the medical staff to test you, of course they're going to make you stay in your room, but this mostly has to do with the stigma of COVID from the original outbreak and everything it did to the industry. I got off Wonder two weeks ago and got pretty sick when I got off (wasn't COVID, we tested). It might've been something I caught on the ship. Could've been from the plane. Couldn't been from somewhere else. People get sick. And certainly there's a chance that after a week on a boat with 5000 people you may catch something. But unless there's some freak outbreak of a flu-type virus, they're not locking down your cruise ship or anything.

You're getting a lot of support here, which is great. But I think you're asking what to expect from others. Truthfully, I think you'll be fine. It's possible you get the occasional unintentional stare from people less comfortable with your partner's gender expression, but I can't imagine it would be anything overt or direct. Kids who haven't encountered it much in their own lives may whisper or something. But, again, I don't think you'll come across anything intentionally mean-spirited or direct.

My family was eyeing a December cruise on Grandeur because it goes to some great islands, but I'm having a hard time justifying it. I'm not terribly worried about the condition of the ship, but while my wife and I would love the islands, our kids do love the boat and there really appears to be very, very little on the boat to do, particularly for kids (and we aren't the type to just plop our kids in AO every night.) It's really the old-school model of casino/bingo/shopping/shows with a tiny little pool that feels like you're swimming in a sting ray tank at zoo. After going on Symphony and Wonder, I fear they wouldn't enjoy it.

Allure was supposed to go in and get Playmakers & the Abyss, etc. (all the stuff the original Oasis ships got if they didn't have them already) in March 2020 and when COVID hit they limited the dry dock to all mechanical, no "AMP". After COVID they announced they scrapped it entirely. Good to hear (as said by someone above) that they plan to do it in 2025.

I just got off Wonder and was shocked at how fast the Internet was. Perhaps it was because I was used to what it was always like in the past (where, really, it barely worked.) This time around, the speed and consistency were in line with what I would consider typical wifi access. For example, on the old wifi you could send texts and maybe an email, but websites were slow and there was no chance at video. This time I could watch videos on social media, pull up websites, and use the Internet in other ways we'd consider typical. No one else seems to be reporting this experience, but it was mine for the entire week on the ship.

I agree for the most part. However, the link you sent with the dress code specifically says, "suggested attire." Which clearly denotes an option and not a mandate. There is a printed dress code but it's clearly noted as suggested.

These answers are a bit misleading (no offense to those who provided them.) While there are "Dress Your Best" nights, there is absolutely no requirement to dress formally on any night of a cruise. Whenever this comes up here, there are always people who suggest formal nights are mandatory. I think this is either because people don't know that formal nights aren't mandatory, or they like to imply that they are because a lot of people are oddly protective of the old-school cruising vibe and want everyone to play dress-up. I won't wear a t-shirt to the Main Dining Room, but I also do not wear pants. To the MDR, I wear a golf shirt and nice shorts. On top of not wanting to dress up during my beach vacation, staterooms are small and it costs a lot of money now to check larger, heavier bags on flights, so I don't want to bring a bunch of extra formal clothing. To summarize, while you should be respectful of the dining room and not dress like a slob, there is NO dress code for "Dress Your Best" nights.

I think your issue is that the decision will ultimately be made at the port and you have no idea whether or not they're going to let you, even if you were to call RC ahead of time. It seems like one of those things where you are going to show up with it and the person at the port is ultimately going to be the one to make the decision regardless of anything anyone will tell you before that moment. And there doesn't seem to be precedent for it so it could go either way. So unless you're prepared to show up and not be able to bring it, I wouldn't.

Ours on the Wonder sailing in a couple weeks came up maybe 45 days ahead of time? Might've been 60. We were more recently on Mariner and Adventure and they didn't have bookable entertainment, but Oasis definitely should.

I'm no expert on these things -- and there are people on here and other places online that are -- but I suppose it's possible the stabilizers may be slightly different since the Wonder is newer and maybe the system doesn't work quite as effectively? I don't know if the stabilizing system on the Wonder is identical to the other Oasis ships. It wouldn't surprise me if the technology was slightly different. But more than likely it was just the sea conditions.

Actually, as a neutral third party with no affiliation to any of the parties involved, I'm sure it was a U fan.

Just wash your hands and eat. You encounter way more germs going about your everyday life than in the Windjammer, where at least you can be sure 90% of the people have recently washed their hands (which can't be said for everywhere else you go). The surfaces you encounter everywhere you go, your cell phone, your remote controls -- these things have way more germs and bacteria than a buffet that's cleaned thoroughly and regularly. This fear of buffets is mostly driven by optics and myth. And norovirus is not a major worry on cruise ships. Most outbreaks happen in healthcare settings, nursing homes, schools, etc.

My wife happened to see the package posted on a Facebook group over the weekend and we booked it right away for our cruise on Wonder in a couple weeks. Right now, it's still showing up on our planner. If they take it away I won't be taking that lightly. To me, it's just crazy that a massive corporation with billions in revenue should expect its customers to bear the burden of its own mistakes. And it's not as if there are massive hard costs they would be absorbing here by granting the packages at the advertised rate. A ship tour, priority boarding, and Internet access don't actually cost the company anything. Reprimand someone internally. Don't disappoint thousands of loyal customers because someone on your staff messed up. It's not your customers' responsibility to pay for your employees' mistakes.

A few observations from my own experiences: If you're worried about injury or a major issue, I wouldn't be. It's a very controlled environment and they have strict protocols for everything. The kids are behind walls where other adults can't get to, and the check-in and check-out processes are tight. If you're worried about the kid getting upset or freaking out, the best thing you can do is check in on them often. Even on the Oasis ships, you can get to the AO from just about anywhere on the ship in 5 minutes. Take turns checking on them every half hour or so. If they're fine, give it an hour. You can easily peak in and see how they're doing. If you're worried about them seeing you and getting upset you can usually do it in a way where they don't spot you. I've found the staff to be hit-or-miss. Much of the time you get staff who legitimately loves kids and enjoy spending time with them, and other times you'll get a group that's more ambivalent and operates more like a babysitter. Talk to the staff and get a sense of their overall vibe. After the first hour or first evening at AO, ask the kid if they had fun. Ask them if the staff was nice. Finally, if your kid is outgoing, encourage them to make friends with some of the other kids. It's a great way to get them to want to go back when they have new friends they want to see. If you see the other parents you can make plans to go back the next night and the kid might be excited to see them again.

The Oasis class ships handle capacity very well. You seldom feel like the boats are crowded and, while things do get booked, there tends to be availability. Odyssey, last I checked, has the highest ratio of passengers to ship size. So, theoretically, there is less space per person on a Quantum class ship than an Oasis class ship. But not sure how that manifests itself in the day-to-day of the ship.

Oh you'll smell it. Don't worry.

Looking to hear about people's experiences being able to secure Ubers to and from Port Canaveral. Last time we cruised out of PC we arranged private transportation both ways. Long story short we ended up taking an Uber on the way back to Orlando due to my own mistake. We didn't have very much trouble getting the Uber from the port after the cruise and it was similar in price. This time around, I'm considering just going Uber/Lyft both ways, as it appears it could end up being considerably cheaper. Has anyone had any trouble getting an Uber/Lyft to or from the port? I've had issues in other cities with drivers not wanting to go places (they can turn down a trip when they see the destination before they pick you up) and I wasn't sure if anyone has had a problem getting a driver from Orlando who is willing to go all the way to the port. Also wondering if our getting the Uber/Lyft relatively easily from the port after the cruise was the norm or if there's ever a considerable wait. Any experiences one way or the other would be helpful. (Not looking for private transportation recommendations .)

I was on the Nordic Empress back in 1993 (later renamed the Empress of the Seas.) From my recollection, it was essentially a very primitive version of the ships these days. Everything was mostly like it is now, it has just been modernized by 100x. Similar staterooms. Main deck with pool and hot tubs, casino (although it was much more centrally located), MDR, auditorium for shows. I remember the "Wave Review" shows being a lot more cheesy and review-ish than the big production shows they do now. The MDR felt a lot more upscale, but it might've just been that I was younger. Looking back at the photos, it's pretty similar, just with a super-80s/early 90s feel to the decor and everyone's attire. Lots of big hair and shoulder pads on women. The first cruise I took with my family (my wife and kids) in 2017, we got to the port in Miami and the Empress was docked right next to the boat we were going on. It felt like some weird kind of fate. I was also on the Majesty of the Seas a couple years later. Similar vibe but larger, and I remember there being a small, unassuming "movie theater" on one of the stateroom decks that showed movies all day and evening.

People who are late for selfish reasons are rude and deserved to be heckled. That said, you have no idea why someone is late getting back. There could've been an injury or a crime or a car accident or something else unfortunate that was upsetting and at no fault of the person walking back to the ship. I can't imagine having to go through something stressful or dangerous in a foreign country and having people publicly shame me after the fact. For that reason, I don't think it's appropriate.

The program has to be great revenue driver for RC. The perceived allure of the program is that it provides the opportunity to get a discounted upgrade to a better, unsold room. And sometimes that's what it is (and when that happens, it's a good deal for both passenger and RC, as it's still incremental revenue for them). But for popular cruises the recommended bids are often more than the difference would've been had the customer originally booked the room. So rather than a chance for a customer to snag a good deal on an unsold room, it becomes an auction for an upgrade. They're basically taking advantage of people excited for their upcoming cruise suddenly deciding they want to splurge. I don't blame them for doing it, but the perception that it's a chance at a last-minute bargain is often not the case.

The list of RC excursions in Charlotte Amalie is pretty limited (and a lot sold out very quickly.)There are quite a few third-party companies online offering excursions, but it's tough to determine what's reputable. We typically like to stick to RC excursions for this reason, but we're really scrambling to find something since the RC options are so limited. I have two kids, 8 and 10. We're looking to hit up a beach or two, maybe see the mountain top. They don't love snorkeling in deep water, which it looks like is the primary option for St. Thomas. Any ideas or recommendations?

There were a few itinerary changes. The Harmony, and then I believe another ship or two had the order of ports changed to move around the weather. I'm on the Adventure starting tomorrow out of NJ and going to Bermuda, which just got hit indirectly. By all accounts, it seems like we'll still be going there. The damage doesn't seem too extensive and flooding doesn't appear to be an issue. Adventure is up in Canada now, coming back to port tonight and just dodging the storm as it comes north. There was a non-Royal ship (can't remember if it was Norwegian or Carvnial) that was supposed to go to Bermuda today and got re-routed to Canada, where it's honestly not much better. The new tropical depression brewing in the South Caribbean now seems like it could cause some changes for Western Caribbean sailings next week.