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Happy Cruisers

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Everything posted by Happy Cruisers

  1. Beyond it becoming the most affluent consumer base in the world. But 'Merica.
  2. Excellent, enjoy your trip, my friend. And remember, if they try to charge a Euro to go 10-100, just crawl under.
  3. Hey Bandit, That may be a good bottle to buy at home and bring aboard yourself if you want to save a few bucks. Or send the bill to Big Enus Burdette... (I assume your username is a reference to that 70s masterpiece...)
  4. One of the Icons will probably go straight from shipyard to China - maybe Icon 3, maybe another one depending on how things go there.
  5. Nothing new, but cruise pricing has changed dramatically since the pandemic, certainly in the last two years. In late 2021, we started planning a multi-generational trip intended to be on Icon with extended family for when it launched. Long story short, we still took the trip in January 2024, but the family is instead just back from a land-based trip to Grand Cayman and saved quite a bit of money over Icon in doing so (AirBnb is great when it works out well). Recent comments from Bayley suggest that there is enough sustained demand that pricing won't be returning back to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon, at least with respect to the most-desirable ships and itineraries. We can all complain about it like we do taxes, discourteous drivers and all the other things in life that don't change to suit us - or, if its not worth it to you, do what we did: take your vacation time and dollars somewhere that offers a better value proposition for your travel party, whatever that may be to you guys. Honestly, it was nice not to worry about getting a package for this, a package for that, deciding where and what time we're going to dinner on a Wednesday night that is 6 months from now, waiting for the elevators, dealing with chair hogs, tiny rooms and inconsistent service/housekeeping, terrible on-board dining options, being constantly hit up for even more money in tips... it was like we were on vacation or something! Oh, and we weren't making our 1000th trip to Cozumel, St. Kitts, etc... The company makes a lot of noise about comparing the price of a cruise relative to the price of an equivalent land vacation (probably some fuzzy math in there somewhere, too), but a cruise vacation and land based vacation are not fungible replacements of one another. Cruising offers advantages (mainly economical in nature, but often also logistical) over land based vacations, where we find land based vacations offer significant advantages over cruising. After this trip, the evidence is in: it'll be quite some time before we consider a family cruise again.
  6. Yes! That is literally what this made me think of before I wrote my comment, @smokeybandit. Bob Crandall's handiwork. Companies in need of capital are more than glad to sell you a "lifetime" pass for something, then pluck it away from you years later - either directly or as part of a trip through the bankruptcy car wash (I think that's how AA did it back in the day, but that's been a few years) when times are better.
  7. I would do the 3x dining package and focus it where it has the most value. For example, the dining package is usually a great deal for Chops and Wonderland, but mileage varies a bit depending on what one orders at, say, Izumi or Playmakers. I suspect you'll spend less than you might think at both those places if you go a la carte (i.e., without a dining package). If you're going to try Giovanni's one night, I'd recommend using the package - the food we were served during both our visits on Odyssey last May was not worth the cover in our opinion.
  8. No way in the world that "lifetime drink package" doesn't get cut out, or at least pared back, over time, for one justification or another. Buyer beware and get that commitment in an enforceable contract. You know, to the extent anyone was seriously considering buying this.
  9. I think it depends on how much of an undertaking getting to the port is for you, to @WAAAYTOOO's point. I guess it also depends on how much to you a cruise fare is to begin with - some people reach to pay for an interior cabin, while others could live in the $80k a week family cabin on Icon without ever missing the money. Neither is a less legitimate vacationer than the other. Assuming getting to the port isn't prohibitive for some reason, I'd take two cruises over one in a CLS unless you're getting a great deal both ways. Be realistic about what you're getting by booking a CLS. Royal doesn't really execute luxury at a high level (indeed, this level of pricing is very much a new frontier for them), remember; this is more akin to splurging for a suite at the Hilton than splurging for a suite at the Four Seasons. The room is bigger and you'll get a list of benefits that have more marketing cache than practical utility. A cruise itself is a life experience and an opportunity to make the kind of memories with your loved ones that you'll be replaying in your head on your death bed - I would choose creating more vacation memories on the aggregate than paying more for something that - unpopular opinion - at best, will probably be more forgettable than you might think, and fairly frustrating (imagine: paying Four Seasons pricing for Hilton service...) at worst.
  10. We've had Izumi hibachi for a sea day lunch before. It was on Harmony back when it was new, so probably late 2017-ish. That account is so old that it probably isn't all that helpful in real life. Enjoy Icon!
  11. I remain quite puzzled why anyone would make a vacation decision over C&A loyalty benefits. For us, it's a nice kicker against another mass market line if we happen to be in the mood for a cruise vacation and if Royal is a serious option where we're looking to go on that cruise vacation, but it is by no means compelling as between one line or another or one type of vacation or another. Resetting my loyalty account balance after X years if, you know, I hadn't been a loyal customer during that time, wouldn't impact my decision making vis a vis a mass market cruise line. What does impact my loyalty is discrete service by a disciplined staff who value my limited time, and, frankly, an overall high end experience. And come to think of it, that's probably the compelling reason why I have exactly 0 cruises booked with Royal right now - that's just not the game they're looking to play - fine, of course; there are plenty enough other options for us.
  12. Agreed, particularly for OP's itinerary. Beyond showering and sleeping, we spent very little time in our cabin during our European itinerary last summer. Honestly, you'll likely be out exploring - all day - each day of your cruise. The evenings, you'll be trying to do as much as you want to do on the ship while getting ready for the next day. Other than maybe to the extent the natural light will help you wake up a bit more easily in the morning (you know, unless you close the curtains for privacy...), I don't see the value in this. And as someone else said, people can look directly into your cabin when your curtains are open. That fact is really easy to forget in the moment. Probably around two decades ago now (college-ish?), I was booked into a Prominade view interior cabin on a family trip back when those were the hot new thing and I think I might have accidentally overshared some personal details with some innocent passers by at some point Bottom line: I don't think the CP view is worth even a dollar more than the interior cabin on your particular itinerary. Stick to what you initially booked and spend the money elsewhere. Royal will make sure that you have plenty of opportunities to do so.
  13. We took our honeymoon on Royal years ago. The line really made it special with all the shrugs we got when we'd mention it to the crew. YMMV, but in my experience, no one on the ship could care less that it is your honeymoon (and my gratuities reflected that attitude, but that's a topic for another day). So, if you're going to make it special, it is up to you. I'd book the cabin you want to sail in; don't depend on any sort of upgrade, paid or otherwise. Good advice above re: MDR - you don't want to sit with randoms when you're trying to enjoy dinner on your cruise anyway, but much less with your new spouse. Better yet, skip the MDR altogether now that the food is on par with what they serve at a day care and go for a dining package. Two birds with one stone. Book a PRIVATE shore excursion through GetYourGuide or something similar. "Oh my God, you might miss the ship!! You HAVE to book one of the crappy RCCL shore excursions so they'll get you back to the ship!" Maybe well intentioned advice, but the local independent guides would have no business if their guests missed their ships often enough, and Royal's excursions honestly suck by comparison. On the notion of missing the ship, unpopular opinion, but, and depending on where you are, legitimately who cares if you have your paperwork (and everything else you need) and have good backup options available to you (and can afford them, of course). I've traded dinner in a nice port for an interisland flight the next morning - all in, I've paid more for worse dinners, and it's a really fun story - especially for the honeymoon. And if you're in Europe, this is even less of an issue since you can generally hop a ferry or train to catch up with the ship. If you want to do this, when it comes to the cruise line, forgiveness is better than permission - although I did call an hour before all aboard so they wouldn't wait around on us. I guess they could technically cancel your reservation - they didn't ours though. Most importantly, just ignore everything else on the ship. There will be jerks, there will be poor service, there will be problems. Who cares. You're there with your new spouse. Everyone and everything else can kiss your butt, no notes. ENJOY!
  14. Most people are looking for some secret handshake/book at 2:52 am on a Tuesday kind-of-trick to save money on airfare in a way that involves minimal action, but if someone is actually willing to try to help themselves, good standard advice for overseas travel is to search all available international airports, and then as-needed book a positioning flight to get there. And be as flexible as you can with your dates and times, because the logic is very linear; convenience = demand = higher cost. Real world example: We live in a major city and from our local airport can fly nonstop to most of the developed world. When traveling to Rome for our cruise earlier this year, we actually flew out of a major Canadian city (but direct home at the end) and that alone saved us something like 2x more than we paid for the cruise itself. And that savings more than paid for the flight from here to Canada and an overnight at an airport hotel, plus it sort of added an extra destination to our trip. Play around on Google Flights and see how you shake out. It's a pain in the rump, but it is easier to save money than make money.
  15. My friend, I know exactly what you're talking about. It is cheap, exceptionally crappy truffle oil and mostly definitely not real truffles. They had no problem leaving it off when we asked. BTW, if you haven't been, we went twice on a recent 10 day cruise (from Italy, to be fair), and twice left very hungry, frustrated and disappointed. Lots of people on this board love it, and that's great, but neither of our experiences was positive. Godspeed, just please don't pay "sticker price" for this place. In no event did I think either meal we had was worth >$50/head - thank God for the UDP.
  16. I asked on a behind the scenes tour on Allure years ago why there haven't been nuclear powered cruise ships when the (first) world's militaries have been using nuclear power for maritime operations for years, and the engineer or whoever we were speaking to looked at my like I had just asked him to drink molten copper through a curly straw. I was taken aback by his unprofessional reaction as I didn't then and don't now consider it to be that crazy of a question. One possible issue I see is that it could become yet another reason to deny cruise ship's access to key ports. If the folks in, say, Bar Harbor, for example among other places, didn't like the idea of a big diesel ship emitting large amounts of particulates and passengers into their area, I can't imagine they'd be comforted by the news that there's now a nuclear reactor involved, too. (and I'm not suggesting that Mainers are or aren't fans of nuclear energy - just using the recent political issues with cruise ship calls there as an example). Copy and paste Norway, Canada, Alaska, etc. One would think that some of the environmental-types might be enthusiastic about nuclear ships in those areas given their beliefs around climate change, but nuclear energy has had a PR problem that goes back more than a few years, unfortunately. Net-net, I'm more comfortable with a nuclear reactor on my ship than I am riding around on top of a big LNG tank - by a country mile. All of this is riskier than good ole sludgy bunker fuel ever was, but that's none of my business.
  17. Congratulations on your wedding! When we told RCCL it was our honeymoon on the cruise, we received plenty of free congratulatory messages orally from the crew, but that's about it. I really wouldn't expect anything. There are stories online about something like a bottle of champagne showing up at the room as a surprise, but I think the chances of that happening are similar to your chances of finding $20 on the ground on the walk into the cruise terminal. The chances are never zero, but they're close.
  18. On Odyssey recently, I wouldn't say we were given much of a choice. Our cabin steward informed us that they would be cleaning our cabin in the evenings, and asked us what time we would be leaving for dinner each evening. I asked if morning was an option, and was told they were already fully committed for morning cleanings so my only option was the evening. All that to say, solely in our recent experience, you may or may not actually get to make this choice. I hope you do!
  19. The cruis planner or the app should show the Royal Tranquility Stargazing Experience booking available soon. Depends on the sailing, but for around $49/pp (usually $44 for the kids), they'll turn down some of the lights on the port side of the pool deck for 15 minutes of semi-private stargazing with other guests. It's capped at only 200 participants on Quantum-class ships, and other than for the flashes from the on-board photographers doing their thing, it's quite dark and peaceful. For a modest per-minute fee, one can rent binoculars or use of a telescope (careful around the photographers' flashes, though), and there is an opportunity to buy Royal Tranquility merch that isn't available in the other onboard shops. I kid, I kid. It's a bit tough to stargaze from a cruise ship with all the light pollution, but your best bet may be to go as far aft as you can and look behind you. It was dark and quiet enough when walking back there (sort of behind the iFly tube) on Anthem with my then-girlfriend/now-wife almost 8 years ago, she's since told me she thought I was about to propose! A potentially dangerous situation for the gentlemen, but I think you should be able to see a few stars if you go back that way.
  20. Looking at the above screenshot, FWIW, just off of Odyssey last Sunday, and I think the UDP surcharge for Teppanyaki was slightly more than $10 - maybe $16 or so, I don't remember the exact amount. There was an a la carte option at Izumi both times we had lunch there, but we were highly encouraged by the staff to do the prix fixe since we had the UDP. Fine, of course, but too much food for us for lunch! Seemingly, Johnny off the street could have come in and ordered a few a la carte options with no problem. For a 10 night cruise, I think the UDP came out to about $26 pp/day when we booked it around 6 months ago. In practice, we felt it was a pretty good deal since, because of certain necessities in our itinerary, we dined exclusively at specialties other than a (disappointing, unfortunately) breakfast in the MDR one morning and a handful of room service orders. It was nice to have the flexibility - in particular, the Chops maître d took good care of us whenever we turned up - with or without a reservation.
  21. Agreed with @Ampurp85. Normally, there will not be much in the way of organized activities beyond trivia, with an occasional and somewhat minor exception being for certain ports that are materially less popular than others (whether your cruise has such a port, who knows). Most of the common areas will be open as normal when the ship is in port, such as the pool, and the spa will be open for paid appointments (nothing complimentary that I've ever been aware of), but other than trivia you might not find much in the way of organized activities. There won't be as many dining options while the ship is in port, either, and you can expect the casino to be closed.
  22. I have to say, when not booking with a travel agent, there's surprisingly little communication from Royal when a final payment is due. I've always been surprised to not get a shake-down email a few days ahead of time. I've dropped the ball on that before, but thankfully realized it before my reservation was affected. How unfortunate for your friend!
  23. It is interesting that this is cropping up at a time when the company has apparently rolled out a new revenue management strategy - the text below is taken from Matt's article from last Thursday (5/4/23) summarizing RC's recent earnings call and the emphasis on the new revenue management mention is my own. If one believes correlation can mean causation, then this overbooking trend does indeed seem to be a feature of the new revenue management model. To be clear, I think most of the inventory discussion below relates to periods further out than what some are seeing in oversold situations; rather, I think the interesting tidbit is their apparent newly-found sophistication in revenue management. A question was asked about how booking and inventory will be handled in the future, and Mr. Liberty talked about their process. "We used to kind of put everything out there and all the suites would be sold basically right off the bat. And then you would kind of work your way down to the inside cabins," he said in answering the question. "While now, we we hold back inventory, and we release it based off of our what are much more sophisticated revenue management models that we have today."
  24. Why not set it up so that a SeaPass doesn't open the cabin door until it has been scanned at the emuster? People can still get their embarkation drinks, etc. in the meantime - plus, for the diligent among us, it would have no impact because we would have completed the emuster well before cabins come available in the early afternoon (check in time permitting, of course). Plus, that's a great way to smoke out any technical issues with the emuster well ahead of time. Nothing says "we're not really serious about this mandatory briefing before we sail thing" like having a wrist-slap letter posted to the internet. If I'm new to cruising, I see that and say "oh, okay - well, I'll go when they come and find me". And they're not wrong - by not disembarking the stragglers, this is what Royal has now seemingly made policy. Following the rules is for schmucks, apparently.
  25. My wife and I stayed at Hilton Bentley in February 2021 for a pandemic era vacation - also on a points redemption! *fist bump* First off, I think this would be a perfect place to bring your children before the cruise. I would 100% do the same thing. Yes, it's South Beach, but it's definitely on the "quiet" end of the beach (search online for the SoFi district of South Beach and you'll see from people who actually know the area). We see more flesh on a Royal Caribbean pool deck than we did on that end of the beach. The "exciting" end of South Beach is further uptown, toward all the notorious hotels (e.g., Fontainebleau) - that's the area I'd probably keep younger children away from. The hotel itself is pretty nice - sort of feels like a condo building that went hotel, honestly. Our room had a *lot* of marble, which felt like an odd choice for the beach, but it made for a nice room. It's definitely a nicer Hilton (way better than the Hilton Cabana South Beach), but I'd stop short of calling it a truly luxury property. For 2 nights, I think you'd be fine there. [Edit: I just saw after posting the earlier replies about Hilton Cabana - I'm not throwing shade at those folks, but on our trip in early '21 we spent about half our trip at the Cabana and half at the Bentley (5th night free point redemptions...) and found we liked Bentley materially better, although it is significantly more expensive from both a dollars and points perspective. Cabana reminded me a LOT of the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina (minus the marina), if you've stayed there. You get what you pay for, of course.] Hotel guests have access to the adjacent beach club - a discrete tip to the guy leading you to your included chairs and umbrella should get you close to the water in the "members only" area - or that trick worked for us, anyway. Access to the beach club was one of our favorite perks of the property - we got a ton of value out of that. The on-site restaurant, Santorini, is perfectly fine considering they'll bring food and drink to you on the beach. If you're a Hilton elite, you'll probably get a fairly generous daily breakfast credit there, too (I'm Diamond and think the credit was $30/person, but that was also before Hilton rolled out certain "improvements" to elite benefits last year). We had dinner there one night and it was fine - probably fair to say that they have a stronger breakfast or lunch game, though. Lots of good restaurants in the area - for example, Carbone's Miami outpost is almost literally across the street. Ocean Drive is just a short walk away - during the pandemic, they had Ocean Drive closed to traffic for pedestrians. I have no idea if it's still that way, but it was nice at the time and a great place to take an afternoon walk. That said, the crowd in the evenings is not one I'd have young children around. In our experience, the TGI Fridays on Ocean Drive was our turn-around point if we didn't want our walk to get too interesting. You'll also be able to see the cruise ships come and go - get an ocean view room and I'd think you'd be able to see your ship arrive the morning of departure if you're up early enough. I wouldn't hesitate to return to this property on points. The cash price gets aggressive, but it's a great point redemption property. Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions. We don't have kids, but I'd answer the best I can.
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