I_Love_RCI

What time of year are you planning? That will make one of the biggest differences in how crowded the ship is. Additionally, the newer the ship, the more likely it will also be crowded. Thus, your best bet would be one of the older ships sailing during non-peak times of the year. 

We've used the "wash and fold" bag service many times. In general, yes, everything is done in high heat so anything that may shrink or is sensitive to high temps (think a logo on a sports shirt) may not do well. Just be aware of what you put in the bag and how it may fare. 

On a related note, we've also had 3 separate occasions where an item was lost, so also keep that in mind in determining what you want them to wash. 

19 hours ago, wolfies said:

1- Do people bring insulated bottles from home for water, and if so where do you get water from, are there fountains? We drink a lot of water but I hate the thought of bringing/buying a case of water. (My husband and I also have the deluxe drink package but I will still want water for us and for the kids.)

 

5- I know tips are a hot topic...we prepaid for tips but I still want to bring cash to tip our attendant or any servers/bartenders that go above and beyond, plus our cabana attendant on Coco Cay. But I can't even decide what is a good amount?? Would someone be willing to throw a dollar amount out there? $100? $500? Honestly no idea what is a good amount.

As others have answered your original questions thoroughly, I will add on #1 that you can drink the water out of the tap in your room as well. It is perfectly fine (and likely even exceeds tap water in some local jurisdictions). On #5, there are numerous threads on this topic - the short summary is that if you have already done the auto-gratuities, then anything extra is totally up to your own judgement call. Do it or don't do it. 

The short answer is yes. That's the whole point of the "genie" to make things magically happen. 

As for activities, the flow rider time is usually not very convenient (early in the morning on a sea day), but depending on the cruise, you may or may not have it to yourself (we've had it a couple of times where we were the only family). YMMV. 

Just let the genie know that you want to do ice skating, laser tag, etc and they will help arrange a date and time to do the activity. There isn't a star only time for those activities, but the genie can arrange for you to go. IIRC, your kids may be able to skip the line for any water slides (just verify with the genie on any rules). 

I think the only main challenge you may have is the size of the group. Technically, the genie only serves the individuals booked in the room, so anyone not in the room is dependent on if the genie can include them or not. Sometimes they can and sometimes they can't depending on activity/reservations/etc. The shows should be no problem for everyone since the genie will put the purple cover over enough seats. 

Just remember - when in doubt, ask the genie. More often than not, they will try their best to accommodate a reasonable request (and sometimes unreasonable ones). 

16 hours ago, Atricks said:

The entertainment booking options just opened up tonight on our March 16th Icon cruise, and I've not seen mention of this show anywhere.  Is this "Effectors 3"?   Are we getting the first showing of it on Icon?

I just don't know anything about it and haven't heard anything about it (booked it anyway since we were on both Odyssey and Wonder before the Effector shows were ready):

Screencap of cruise planner below:  (clicking on it provides no further info except times, we reserved the first one day 5 (cozumel) at 7pm)

 

Thanks for flagging this. I had been checking the app (we're on the same sailing), but in typical RCCL fashion, the app doesn't have entertainment reservation options, only online. 

You're not missing anything if you haven't seen any of the other "Effectors" shows as it seems that is what Royal is starting to theme their own production shows. There is an element of "superheroes" to it (if I recall one of the other productions correctly), but there is no need to worry about missing any story elements or tying them together.

Separately, Oz is fantastic (we saw it on the inaugural), and I hope the full aqua show is ready as the inaugural was abbreviated. Also, hopefully they do the second ice show (family friendly one), which I thought was better than Starburst. Reservations are not required for that one. 

As others have said, nearly every time we've gone to the arcade, half the machines aren't working. 

Even on the inaugural for Icon, there were a couple of machines not running. 

If you want to spend time in the arcade, just pay as you play a few games and don't bother with any prepaid plans. 

On 1/2/2024 at 4:03 PM, VillainsGin said:

I've been scouring all over the internet for any definitive sources that answers my questions but to no avail. Hoping some fellow cruisers know anymore more than I do regarding the infinite ocean view balcony rooms.

 

Question: Does the infinite view balcony rooms have some sort of partition/divider/door to separate the cabin and the balcony area to maintain the air conditioning?

 

I've seen countless of videos and pictures either showing no separation between balcony/cabin or curtains/folding doors.

I figured with all the money, time and resource put into Icon OTS they would include some sort of partition so you can open the balcony window freely without jeopardizing your air conditioned room. Caribbean is known to get quite warm and humid and without any way to separate your balcony window from the cabin it would immediately heat up the cabin and perhaps cause mold due to moisture or condensation between cold and hot air. This could constantly deter you from enjoying the balcony if you're aware opening it would cause your cabin to use considerable energy to cool down the cabin again.

 

 

See my post here: 

As you can see in pic, there is no "hard" divider.  There are 2 curtains, a sheer one and a light blocking one. 

On 2/10/2024 at 10:19 AM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

No. The bar at the Grove operated like the other suite sundeck bars on Oasis class, you have to pay, use your drink package, or redeem diamond vouchers. Evening happy hour is only in the suite lounge. We made it a point to find this out because Hubby wanted a soda one day and he asked the guys at the Grove bar. That was their answer.

That's interesting. I think that's consistent with what the policy is supposed to be (ie, no free drinks on suite sun deck on other ships, even during happy hour), but as is typical with RCCL being inconsistent, I had a different experience. I was lounging in the hot tub one early evening and bartender did not charge me during the happy hour time (never took card or asked for room number). Thus, YMMV depending on who is manning the bar. 

3 hours ago, Matt said:

 

Nice video and your points are spot on (as usual).

I am curious about flow/capacity (point #1 in video and raised above in thread) and whether it will hold true. The inaugural was only about 85% capacity versus a normal summer sailing is around 120%. We will be back on in March for Spring Break, and that will be the real test once we are at fuller capacity and including more kids (there were very few on board since school is still in session). 

8 hours ago, GJ_123 said:

We have an infinite ocean view balcony booked which will be interesting to see, I do wonder though if it really is a 'balcony' or just a bit of a bigger room with virtually a window 

 

We had an Infinite Grand Suite, so we had one of the infinite balconies. In that room, there are four "windows" that run floor to ceiling with the mid-point between the upper and lower at cruise banister height level (ie, about mid chest) and the right/left split was almost even. Only the left upper window would open/close. 

Thus, you get nice views out (regardless of outside weather conditions), and yes, you get a bit of a bigger room (it does allow for more space feeling). But, you have less of the the "open air" feeling out on a normal balcony. Read threads about Royal's premium line as there has been heated opinions on them after they were introduced on those ships. 

At the end of the day, it will come down to your own preferences. In my view, we like having them as an option, but they will not be for everyone. 

Its supposed to be every 30 mins, but as others have pointed out, it is highly variable. It depends on the staff and when they decide to go up and down. 

Also, as an aside, I think Oasis may still be the only one that has water jets that shoot up when the bar is on the 8th deck. I could be wrong in that they've removed (or don't activate it) anymore. 

5 hours ago, ScottD said:

which was the right thing to do. Sneaking a kid in because they ordered it a while ago is a lame excuse, just cancel and get that money back and use it for the something the family can do together, legitimately. 

??? I don't understand your reference here to being the right thing to do unless you are confusing my post with K-Canada's post from above. I have no idea of what they may have done or not with their minors. 

To close out this thread, I can confirm that the Hideaway is adults only. We had it booked for the inaugural and for our next sailing in March. We got refunded for having to cancel since we couldn't do it with our minor. 

On 2/3/2024 at 11:50 AM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I am hoping that @Matt will chime in more here with his thoughts on this one. We toured a few of them this week. I was not a fan before of the idea, I definitely would not do it now. IMO, it’s like having a giant window in your room. Hubby says it should be called infinite window as it is more window than balcony lol

We had an infinite balcony. I had read about them on forums for Royal's upbrand line, and know that there are two camps on them. I agree, it is basically like having a giant, floor to ceiling window in your room. Also, only one window opened (there were 4 windows total, but only the top left is the movable one - I thought that both of the top windows would have opened). 

However, we fall into the "like" camp. I enjoy having the extra interior space with good views without having to deal with wind and/or rain. That made a big difference on the night when we sailed through some rainy weather and could enjoy watching it. Also, the window does open and provides "outside" air and feel. In addition, it made a good place to put wet swimsuits without having to worry about them blowing away. 

The nice thing is that there is choice between preferences and the infinite balcony will not be for everyone. 

On 2/3/2024 at 11:13 AM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I am not sure how to wrap up my thoughts on this sailing so I think I will split it into my likes/dislikes. For full disclosure, you all know that I am a die hard, long time Oasis class fan, and a suite snob. So I am looking at things from those view points. 

We did not get the UDP, or drink package. We ate all dinners at CK, and lunch was at complimentary venues.  Our D+ drinks and SL drinks were more than enough for us. 

Likes 

- Destination elevators! Best thing ever! Even in the busiest of times, like leaving a show, we never had to wait more than a minute (most times less) for one, and it was never crowded. 

- Promenade: the two levels made this area such an open space. The Pearl is beautiful and the Pearl cafe is such an upgrade from Cafe Promenade. 

- Thrill Island. Like Hubby mentioned before, this area lives up to its promise. It is so similar to Thrill Waterpark that you could save on the Waterpark tickets and still get a very similar experience. 

- Aquadome Marketplace: the complimentary food items here are a fantastic addition. Quick, easy, good, no need to go to the WJ. 

- New bars, especially Rye & Bean and 1400. When I think back to what I will miss the most from this ship, some of these drinks make the list. 

- The Grove. This area is a huge winner, and beats all suite sundecks. No contest. The addition of the food venue here means you never really have to leave, if you don’t want to, and some clearly did not The two levels create a ton of space and there was always plenty of seating available. The only thing this area could use is more tables for eating. Or maybe it just felt that way this week because there were those who literally never left the tables all day long. I am very curious as to how busy this area will get on a full capacity sailing. Even with the addition of all the pins this week; this area was never crowded. 

- Hubby said FlowRider staff was good and they added more advance rider times as needed. 

- Hubby also said he felt like moving from one end of the ship to the other was a breeze. 

Dislikes

- Location and setup of SL/CK. I really dislike that it overlooks the Aquadome. Not a good change IMO, it is very distracting for dinner and that area loses its ambience without the ocean views. I hate the flashing lights from the show while trying to eat dinner, and the whole area is way too crowded with furniture for my liking. So a big thumbs down here. The crew is though in this area, from the bartenders, to the CK crew. All wonderful! Many of them are from Symphony. That is what I heard. 

- Suites have all shrunk. Or fees like it. Less storage, small bathrooms, most of them have lost the WOW factor of some of the Oasis class suites. The biggest disappointment is the Icon Loft which is smaller than a crown loft. Cruise deck plans says it’s not, but when you are in there, it is. The balcony is bigger, but the room itself is more compact, and less storage. You cannot put a rollaway in there unless you move out furniture. 

- Aquadome: not a fan of having this indoor location. IMO, it loses some of the WOW factor when it’s inside. I prefer it outside. The seating is ultra uncomfortable. Your back and bottom are sore by the you leave lol. And people walk all over the seats to get down to the next level. Not the best. On top of that, because the show is dependent on not much motion, the fact that it is at the front of the ship means that chances of cancellations are still no better then having it outside. 

I like your summary, and I agree with most of what you said. The destination elevators were game changing and a much better experience. The 1400 bar is a lot of fun (and the menu booklet gives a good history on Royal's ships). 

I would agree that the seating for the Aquadome show isn't great, but I loved the Aquadome concept in general. That was my favorite new neighborhood/area of the ship. 

Is this truly confirmed? If so, dabnabbit. We booked a day bed there, with the intent for the whole family to lounge (under 18 minor). Any suggestions of how to move to another daybed? Should we wait to see if the suite concierge can fix? 

Also, all the other options are showing as sold out. 

Just adding that we will be on this cruise. 

Depends on ship.  On Wonder they have several "old school" games like donky Kong, space invaders, etc that are free to play.  Other ships are mix of what you would find in regular arcade and require paying.  

I actually got my open water certification on board. I did it a long time ago, so some details are fuzzy.  It wasn't too bad in terms of time commitment. We were on a week long cruise, so it was a few hours of class and pool time each day with the first check out dive about mid cruise and then cert dives towards the end. Instructors were RCCL staff and also did dives with us.  I wish I remember their names as they were fantastic. I did it on a Voyager class, I believe on Adventure. Only negative is that I'm not a morning person and classes started early. I do think it's worth it if 2) you cruise frequently so doing it on ship doesn't really take away from overall vacation as you're used to being on ship; 2) Caribbean is far better diving experience than quarry dives; and 3) doing it while on vacation was great compared to finding time during normal work/life schedule. 

9 hours ago, castle25 said:

yes - was actually on boat fron 18th dec 2022- 2 jan 2023 (6+9 B2B)   Going to Cadiz for dry dock

We were at the same event.  Confirm Castle25's take.  Not much more detail as it's not a full "amp" but definitely adding more than new carpets.  Captain said, "there will be a slide that goes out over the water."  

3 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

While I personally couldn't care less about the lobster (as I don't eat it) I do think it would be a nice gesture to extend the drink vouchers to at least Emerald at 1 or 2 per day.

 

I actually heard once upon a time that Emerald was created to lessen the gap between Platinum and Diamond. Which is kind of why, in my estimation, there are far fewer perks at that level - it was an after thought.

I think that it's important to remember how we got here with the current point system:

Until Jan 1, 2003 it was 1 credit per cruise no matter the stateroom category or length of cruise.

After Jan 1, 2003, an extra credit was given for cruises of 12 days or longer.

After Jan 1, 2004, an extra credit was given for cruises in a JS or better.

1 credit - Gold

5 credits - Platinum

10 credits - Diamond

24 credits - Diamond Plus

100 credits - Pinnacle

I raise this because there was just as much consternation about people "gaming" their points to level up quickly to earn new perks. People would take short 3/4 night cruises to rack up the points while those who took the more traditional 7 night cruises were upset they were not gaining points as quickly. At least by making the points equal to number of nights on the ship, it balanced things back out. With that said, people will always find a way to game the system to their advantage. 

Just tell them you have 4 booked, and then only the 3 of you can show up. We've done private flowrider several times on the ships. What are your questions about it? 

Reviving this with pics of the mythical pillow menu as proof it does exist. Pics taken on current Anthem cruise. 

When in Rome...  Yes, you follow the rules of the port (not the ship) when you are on land. I've seen plenty of drunk teens that did not know their limits in ports where they could drink. 

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Up to this point the policy has read that only a significant other in a relationship is conveyed Pinnacle status.  Dependent children can not be conveyed Pinnacle status, only up through D+ are dependent children matched.  

In the case of the baby the parents are Pinnacle.  The LA decided to update the baby status to Pinnacle and went so far as to print out a new Seapass card for the baby that was a Pinnacle card. 

On another ship I was talking to the LA  who showed me the Pinnacle Youth letter with on board offers.  I expressed my surprise there would be many Pinnacle Youth as I assumed they could only get there by earning 700 on their own merit.  He told me there was a recent change that allowed dependent youth to be matched to Pinnacle.  

However the T&Cs on the CAS benefits page still displays the previous policy where dependent youth can only match up through D+.

So it's one of those Royalisms and inconsistency we all have experienced with Royal.   

That verifies what I thought, the baby was not actually Pinnacle, just had a seapass card given to him with it listed on there. I also agree that Royal is not always consistent with things. 

I just checked our status with C&A - while we are Pinnacle, our son shows as D+. The interesting part is that his points show the same as ours online and in the app but lists him as D+. I had to call to verify the exact amount of points he has on his own. 

The other thing to remember, and to your points - C&A benefits are different for adults than minors, thus even if a minor is Pinnacle, I'm not sure what real world benefit they would gain from it. As an adult, you get basically many of the suite amenities without having to have a suite, but minors do not get all of those same benefits.