cruise-y

Yes, that page was missing.  When I called, the person I talked to didn't understand why they were missing.

I totally agree with Doc.  We aren't huge cruisers like many of you (we've been maybe 10 times) but the Itinerary always drives the choice.   Best by far: Barefoot Cruise to the very, very southern Caribbean with 35 people on board.  That cruise line is now defunct (for safety reasons) but talk about small ports.  We are doing southern Spain for the first time on Indy in August.

That's why there is a bar not far away from the viewing area.

I just checked in.  I was locked out and had to call.   Twice.  The guy on the phone told me I "probably didn't log out properly" when I was on a few weeks ago.  What?  Can't I just close it down when I'm done?  The last time I had to "log out" of anything was like, 1995.   What an archaic concept.  Then when I completed check-in I didn't get any luggage tags.   So I called again and that person had no  idea why they didn't show up -  but they "will probably appear eventually so keep checking back."  Or maybe they'll email them to me, even though the instructions said to print them off when you finish check-in.  I know I gripe about this a lot but seriously, the website is ridiculous.

I just checked in.  I was locked out and had to call.   Twice.  The guy on the phone told me I "probably didn't log out properly" when I was on a few weeks ago.  What?  Can't I just close it down when I'm done?  The last time I had to "log out" of anything was like, 1995.   What an archaic concept.  Then when I completed check-in I didn't get any luggage tags.   So I called again and that person had no  idea why they didn't show up -  but they "will probably appear eventually so keep checking back."  Or maybe they'll email them to me, even though the instructions said to print them off when you finish check-in.  I know I gripe about this a lot but seriously, the website is ridiculous.

We, too, had never done Windjammer for dinner.  It was always our Sea Day by-the-pool place and nothing else.  But on a trip in May 2017, after a really disappointing MDR dinner, we walked through and saw all the cold lobsters on ice and realized it was also a variety of some of the same things they were serving in the MDR.  We decided we should change our thinking.  Too bad, because the MDR was one of the reasons I first started sailing RCCL.

We, too, had never done Windjammer for dinner.  It was always our Sea Day by-the-pool place and nothing else.  But on a trip in May 2017, after a really disappointing MDR dinner, we walked through and saw all the cold lobsters on ice and realized it was also a variety of some of the same things they were serving in the MDR.  We decided we should change our thinking.  Too bad, because the MDR was one of the reasons I first started sailing RCCL.

Yes,  although I think the MDR is declining, the Windjammer does seem to be improving.  Here's my tip:  I always do Windjammer on the night after MDR lobster night because all the leftover lobsters are chilled and served on ice in the salad bar.  I like them cold better.
I'm hoping that my 2 week cruise from Southampton (to southern Spain) will have more English dishes on the menu.  My husband doesn't like to eat baked beans and stewed tomatoes for breakfast but I love it.  And I'm really hoping there will be more Indian food.  I think the cruise is 70% Brits - I am so hoping to see an improvement.  I really don't want Caesar salads and baked potatoes and grilled chicken.  Ugh.

JLMoran  I'm a little late to this thread but want to thank you for a fabulous post.  Very well done!  I loved the photos and descriptions and it makes me think again about possibly doing the chef's table.  

There are still cruise lines that are all inclusive.  Oceania (charges for alcohol only) and Crystal come to mind.  That includes bottled water, ice cream, soft drinks and juices all day.  Yes, they cost a bit more but I appreciated not having to pay an extra $30+ every night just to get a high-quality meal.   I was disappointed enough in the LIberty MDR that I probably won't be sailing with them again any time soon unless they add some new and interesting ports (not just private beaches) to the itinerary out of Galveston.
There are plenty of cruise lines that go the cheap-o route to attract that crowd.  People who are happy to eat hot dogs and burgers from a buffet so they can cruise for 3 days for $299.  I hate to see RCCL head that way.
 
 
 

Just got off Liberty and the Junior Suites all have 2 loungers and 2 regular chairs and a table, as Tiny said.  This is exactly the same setup on Navigator as well.  The balconies are very nice and large, but I actually would have preferred one less lounger to make a little more leg room.  The loungers lay flat.   They aren't super comfy.  You can see in Tiny's photo 

Yes I compained in the post cruise survey but never heard back of course.  Thanks for noting that. 
 I didn't complain on the ship, because I had seen so many people in line at the service desk griping about petty things and I just didn't want to add to that.  I was on vacation and just wanted to relax and not dwell on it.  Thank you Doc!
 
 
 
 
 

I thought hard about this before posting and then decided it would be better if I did.    There are a lot of things that RCCL does right (at the top of the list is the roomy JS cabin with the huge walk-in closet and the big balcony). But they really need to work on their shore excursions.  I'm talking about the western Caribbean.  
First, the shore excursion description needs to match what you are actually doing.  It can't be that hard to get right - it's just editing.  I choose my excursions (and pre-pay for them) based on the description.  I totally understand island sensibilities and a laid-back atmosphere.  Sometimes things don't go smoothly or as planned.   That is ok and I get that.  I've spent many months in the Caribe and love the people and places.  What I don't get is when the RCCL description says you are going to get a leisurely, indigenous buffet lunch in a shady tree-top cafe with great views of the mountains - but you end  up with a Styrofoam box on an outdoor picnic table next to a parking lot with a tiny piece of chicken, beans and a cup of warm fruit punch.  I also don't like when the description says the excursion starts at 12 but your ticket actually says 10:45.   That's a pretty big difference.  The description should include the tender time.
Another complaint is overcrowding. On one excursion, we sat on a pull-down bench in the very back of the bus, straddling backpacks, with no way to see out, because it was so overcrowded.  The boat to the event was also way overcrowded - there weren't enough seats and at least a third of the people had to stand up in the sun for the 45-minute trip there and back.  No water or refreshments were offered during the 5 hour excursion, which also included no breaks for us to even buy a beverage or food.  When we returned to the port, there was another hour wait in the sun in a long line to board the tender.   So nobody got lunch (or even water) that day and everyone's experience was bad.  That can't be good PR for RCCL.
And finally, safety.  On another excursion we took a bus to some minor falls.  The hike up was around a half hour.  The guide told us to leave all of our belongings on the bus, because we could only wear a swimming suit to climb up.  She said she'd stay with the bus and meet us at the top.   There were no lockers.  At the top, the guide got off the bus to greet us.   We walked the few feet up to the parking lot and the bus had disappeared.  With our towels, our wallets, our phones, our sea passes, passports, clothes, cover-ups, shoes, etc.  The guide looked shocked as the bus had just dropped her off 5 minutes before.  We wandered around dripping wet for at least half an hour, totally exposed and worried about our stuff.  Nobody knew where the bus was or when he'd be back.  Someone finally placated us by saying the bus driver had an emergency and had to leave.  What?  How could an emergency mean driving off with all our belongings just 5 minutes after arriving?   It was all very strange and disconcerting.   Was this RCCL's fault?  Maybe not, but it doesn't sound like this tour was very well vetted.
I've cruised a lot and the itinerary is important in my choice of cruise lines.  Having 3 bad excursions in a row with RCCL doesn't bode well.  Just saying.....
 

This is perhaps my biggest gripe with the extra charge dining. If I've paid for dinner in the MDR, then whatever surcharge restaurant I dine it should be discounted accordingly. While I've enjoyed Sabor and Izumi, I can have the same, if not better, meals at home for a similar (and sometimes lower) price, so I feel as if I'm paying twice (for the upcharge and for the meal in the MDR that I'm not eating). With the dining plan, however, I do feel that there is a value there.

I literally had the exact same experience as the person above me. My wife and I went on Navigator in 2015 and were incredibly impressed with the MDR food as well as the Windjammer. When we went on Liberty in April of 2017 we expected the same. While it wasn't terrible, there was definitely a shift in quality from what we remembered. We still had great service and the food was still very much acceptable and at times great.
In my opinion this shift in quality is due to the recent changes to the "dining experience" on cruise ships. Now you have to pay what they will call a "small fee" to enjoy the same experience that used to be provided in the MDR. I will never be convinced that a meal for $30+ a person is a great deal. I would say that's about what it is worth, and probably even relatively expensive for the average person. We ate at Sabor on Liberty because they were running a $15 promotion at the time and it was good food, but it wasn't any better than what I could get for the same price in my home town. (Except for that Avocado Margarita, that is worth twice as much as it costs)
Even with the lower quality we noticed in the MDR we still choose to dine in the MDR mostly every night because we believe the value received from the complimentary meal in the MDR far exceeds the value received for the fee in the specialty restaurants. I definitely have a thing against specialty restaurants and kind of see them as a microcosm of what the future holds for the cruise industry. I wish that cruise ships were taking steps back towards an all-inclusive experience rather than taking steps away from it, but the wheels are already in motion and I don't think it can be stopped. From a business perspective I'm sure it's a great revenue generating move for Royal Caribbean, but from this cruiser's perspective it's starting to feel like I'm being driven towards paying extra if I want the same quality of food that used to be included.  

I just got off Liberty so I'll throw my 2 cents in on this subject, if anyone cares.
We sailed on Navigator 2 years ago and thought MDR was great with lots of variety and innovative choices.  This trip, we were still pretty pleased with the variety but definitely thought the quality (and presentation) had gone down quite a bit, which was disappointing.  2 years ago, there were so many fun things to choose we often shared multiple entrees just to try everything.  This time, we had trouble selecting because many things just did not seem appealing.  One night, I even sent back the crepes because they were overcooked and dried out - they tasted like hard, tasteless cardboard.  Overall, I think the starters and desserts are still pretty fun and different, but the main dishes are lacking.
We do think the Windjammer has a great buffet, although we never eat there at dinner, only breakfast and lunch.  There is so much variety.  Indian, Asian, Mexican, British, and traditional American with many different options in each category.  One day there was chicken tikka masala, paneer, pakora, dosa, raita and a vegetable curry!  My only complaint is that I would like to see more exotic fruits and juices and not just the usual stuff.
For the first time we ate at a specialty restaurant (Giovanni's twice) and were very pleased.  The atmosphere is nicer, relaxed and more upscale.  The setting is much more intimate with just a few diners instead of thousands.  The waitstaff is better.  We had a great panoramic view of the ocean from our table.  The food was very good.   For example, the beef carpaccio was one of the best I've ever had and literally melted in my mouth with a wonderful pesto sauce (while the beef carpaccio in the MDR was tough and stringy, served with simply shredded lettuce).  The carbonara and osso bucco were also outstanding - as good as any high quality restaurant in a large city.  It was a nice change.  However, the menu is limited and I hate to see the MDR go downhill so that RCCL can charge extra for specialty dining.  And I agree the desserts were not stellar.
2 years ago, we ate at the same time every night in the MDR so had the same waitstaff.  They bent over backwards to be accommodating and friendly, because they knew we'd leave an additional tip at the end.  This time, we ate at different times so had different waitstaffs.  Everyone was efficient and nobody was rude, but the difference was huge.  Obviously because they knew that lack of loyalty  meant no big additional tip at the end. 
And finally, this observation on a much-over-discussed topic.  Dress.  I'm all for being casual and not forcing people to dress up if they don't want to.  Nice shorts with a collared shirt are ok.  Nobody needs to be formal.  But unless you are dining in the Windjammer, you need to be clean and neat.  I saw cut-off jeans, t-shirts and flip-flops in Giovanni's.  In the MDR, people came in straight from the pool area with dirty sweaty tank tops, sweaty hair and flip-flops.  Even on formal nights.  Again, I don't need to see tuxes and chiffon (unless you want to wear it) but please have some decorum.  Perhaps that is why the MDR quality is going downhill.
 
 
 
 
 

I just got off Liberty so I'll throw my 2 cents in on this subject, if anyone cares.
We sailed on Navigator 2 years ago and thought MDR was great with lots of variety and innovative choices.  This trip, we were still pretty pleased with the variety but definitely thought the quality (and presentation) had gone down quite a bit, which was disappointing.  2 years ago, there were so many fun things to choose we often shared multiple entrees just to try everything.  This time, we had trouble selecting because many things just did not seem appealing.  One night, I even sent back the crepes because they were overcooked and dried out - they tasted like hard, tasteless cardboard.  Overall, I think the starters and desserts are still pretty fun and different, but the main dishes are lacking.
We do think the Windjammer has a great buffet, although we never eat there at dinner, only breakfast and lunch.  There is so much variety.  Indian, Asian, Mexican, British, and traditional American with many different options in each category.  One day there was chicken tikka masala, paneer, pakora, dosa, raita and a vegetable curry!  My only complaint is that I would like to see more exotic fruits and juices and not just the usual stuff.
For the first time we ate at a specialty restaurant (Giovanni's twice) and were very pleased.  The atmosphere is nicer, relaxed and more upscale.  The setting is much more intimate with just a few diners instead of thousands.  The waitstaff is better.  We had a great panoramic view of the ocean from our table.  The food was very good.   For example, the beef carpaccio was one of the best I've ever had and literally melted in my mouth with a wonderful pesto sauce (while the beef carpaccio in the MDR was tough and stringy, served with simply shredded lettuce).  The carbonara and osso bucco were also outstanding - as good as any high quality restaurant in a large city.  It was a nice change.  However, the menu is limited and I hate to see the MDR go downhill so that RCCL can charge extra for specialty dining.  And I agree the desserts were not stellar.
2 years ago, we ate at the same time every night in the MDR so had the same waitstaff.  They bent over backwards to be accommodating and friendly, because they knew we'd leave an additional tip at the end.  This time, we ate at different times so had different waitstaffs.  Everyone was efficient and nobody was rude, but the difference was huge.  Obviously because they knew that lack of loyalty  meant no big additional tip at the end. 
And finally, this observation on a much-over-discussed topic.  Dress.  I'm all for being casual and not forcing people to dress up if they don't want to.  Nice shorts with a collared shirt are ok.  Nobody needs to be formal.  But unless you are dining in the Windjammer, you need to be clean and neat.  I saw cut-off jeans, t-shirts and flip-flops in Giovanni's.  In the MDR, people came in straight from the pool area with dirty sweaty tank tops, sweaty hair and flip-flops.  Even on formal nights.  Again, I don't need to see tuxes and chiffon (unless you want to wear it) but please have some decorum.  Perhaps that is why the MDR quality is going downhill.
 
 
 
 
 

Just boarded Liberty and I can report there is nothing in the fridge and no bottles of water on the vanity.  So it looks like this practice has been stopped. 
The 12-pack of Evian I pre-ordered and paid for is here. 

Just boarded Liberty and I can report there is nothing in the fridge and no bottles of water on the vanity.  So it looks like this practice has been stopped. 
The 12-pack of Evian I pre-ordered and paid for is here. 

Just boarded Liberty and I'm pleased to report that the original, diverse and innovative MDR menu is still being used.  Yay!  Lots of different things to try and many with a Caribbean theme.  I'm happy.  Hope it stays.

Just boarded Liberty and I can report there is nothing in the fridge and no bottles of water on the vanity.  So it looks like this practice has been stopped. 
The 12-pack of Evian I pre-ordered and paid for is here. 

I hate to be a party poop, but the new menus I have seen have LESS options than the old ones and the options are more traditional and less innovative.  I've seen this same comment on other boards.  RCCL is appealing to the masses that want shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad and steak.   I guess I'm in the minority, because that is not what I want.

I'm sailing on July 16.  If they really stopped this practice on July 1, I'll be thrilled.  That means I can fit all my pre-paid water in the fridge (without having to take out the stale candy bars and airline-size vodka bottles) and I also won't get charged for additional water left on my counter.  I'll let you all know if it really got stopped.
Now if they'd only package individual water bottles instead of those damned giant liter sizes all would be perfect.  I can't even lift those to my lips with one hand.

I hope they do stop leaving anything in the fridge or on the counter.
I always order a big package of bottled Evian (it is the only bottled water you can pre-order).  They leave the package in our JS closet before we arrive.  We drink a lot of water, take it on excursions, take it to the pool and have it on our nightstands.  I really wish they were regular individual water bottles instead of those giant quart bottles - because those big ones are so hard to carry around and are heavy in a backpack. You never can drink it all and it ends up getting warm.  It's just dumb to make you buy that giant size.  I also wish the fridge was more than just barely cool so the water could be cold, and we have to take stuff out of the fridge to fit it in.  However, with all that said, there are always 2 additional bottles left on our counter that we never use because we have to pay extra for them.  Nonetheless, because we have empties from the pre-paid package in the trash, we inevitably get charged for those 2 extras.  I guess the cabin steward just gets confused.  I always have to call to fix it and it's really annoying, because they do act like it's a "courtesy" rather than a correction.  I think RCCL just assumes most people won't bother with 2 incorrect charges for $4.75 each or whatever it is.

If you have overlapping treatments, just tell them when you check in and they should accommodate you.  Any good spa would do that; they want your business.
As for tipping, RCCL adds 18% automatically.  If you think the service was great you can add an additional 5% or 10% or whatever you want.  In the past, I thought the spa folks kind of stood over me and watched while I signed, expecting me to add more, which kinda bummed me out.  Not because I didn't want to do it, but because I thought it was pressure.  I usually tip around 25% for land-based spa treatments, but it is because I want to, not because somebody is watching me and expecting it.   In the RCCL case,  I caved and was sorry afterwards, because the average treatment didn't warrant the extra amount I felt pressured to add.  I finally learned to grow a backbone. When they are standing over me watching, I circle the 18% gratuity line before I sign to show that I recognize that they have already received a tip.  If they don't put that pressure on me, I add a generous extra amount.