TakeMeSomewhere

I have been told by employees at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that the Quantum Class ships were originally designed for Celebrity. That is why there is similarity between the Quantum Class and Edge Class.
As many have also said on here, personally the Quantum Class is my favorite Royal Class of ship. I especially love 270 for both breakfast in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon and enjoying the view, and entertainment in the evening. Also, I want to rave about the Junior suites on the Quantum Class and their split bathrooms. I also love that Royal has a newer, beautiful class of ship that has fine touches.
It's also smart of Royal to have different ships for different needs. Cold vs warm weather, young children focused vs more adult focused. Even if Royal is a family brand it doesn't mean that's all they have to do. It is important for people to research or to have a travel agent to research the right ship for them. If you have children in your traveling party, then definitely book a ship with all the slides, skating rink, etc. Twangster did an amazing job breaking down the size differential between Quantum and Oasis Class and the restrictions in venues/neighborhoods that imposes.
Just because it is spring break in the Caribbean, doesn't mean that every ship has to be for families that want all the bells and whistles. I was on Odyssey with my 10 year old nephew over Christmas and he loved it. We did the research, saw the activities in Playmakers, and other activities in the ship, and knew it would work for us. If my nephew needed slides and everything else, we would have booked another ship. 
I will agree though that the elevators on Odyssey were horrible. Even the captain joked they are a horrible design choices. 

I have been on Odyssey twice. When she first came out, you just had to be within close proximity to have the buttons light up. I was on the same sailing as @jeffmw,
It seemed that the sensitivity had been adjusted from 2 years ago to reduce the number of false button pushes. When the elevator gets packed, there seemed to be a lot of people that accidentally leaned against the buttons. I don't know which was a brighter red -the buttons or the faces of those who realized what they had done😳
BTW Odyssey is one of our favorite ships for what we look for in a cruise.

I have been told by employees at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that the Quantum Class ships were originally designed for Celebrity. That is why there is similarity between the Quantum Class and Edge Class.
As many have also said on here, personally the Quantum Class is my favorite Royal Class of ship. I especially love 270 for both breakfast in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon and enjoying the view, and entertainment in the evening. Also, I want to rave about the Junior suites on the Quantum Class and their split bathrooms. I also love that Royal has a newer, beautiful class of ship that has fine touches.
It's also smart of Royal to have different ships for different needs. Cold vs warm weather, young children focused vs more adult focused. Even if Royal is a family brand it doesn't mean that's all they have to do. It is important for people to research or to have a travel agent to research the right ship for them. If you have children in your traveling party, then definitely book a ship with all the slides, skating rink, etc. Twangster did an amazing job breaking down the size differential between Quantum and Oasis Class and the restrictions in venues/neighborhoods that imposes.
Just because it is spring break in the Caribbean, doesn't mean that every ship has to be for families that want all the bells and whistles. I was on Odyssey with my 10 year old nephew over Christmas and he loved it. We did the research, saw the activities in Playmakers, and other activities in the ship, and knew it would work for us. If my nephew needed slides and everything else, we would have booked another ship. 
I will agree though that the elevators on Odyssey were horrible. Even the captain joked they are a horrible design choices. 

I have been told by employees at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that the Quantum Class ships were originally designed for Celebrity. That is why there is similarity between the Quantum Class and Edge Class.
As many have also said on here, personally the Quantum Class is my favorite Royal Class of ship. I especially love 270 for both breakfast in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon and enjoying the view, and entertainment in the evening. Also, I want to rave about the Junior suites on the Quantum Class and their split bathrooms. I also love that Royal has a newer, beautiful class of ship that has fine touches.
It's also smart of Royal to have different ships for different needs. Cold vs warm weather, young children focused vs more adult focused. Even if Royal is a family brand it doesn't mean that's all they have to do. It is important for people to research or to have a travel agent to research the right ship for them. If you have children in your traveling party, then definitely book a ship with all the slides, skating rink, etc. Twangster did an amazing job breaking down the size differential between Quantum and Oasis Class and the restrictions in venues/neighborhoods that imposes.
Just because it is spring break in the Caribbean, doesn't mean that every ship has to be for families that want all the bells and whistles. I was on Odyssey with my 10 year old nephew over Christmas and he loved it. We did the research, saw the activities in Playmakers, and other activities in the ship, and knew it would work for us. If my nephew needed slides and everything else, we would have booked another ship. 
I will agree though that the elevators on Odyssey were horrible. Even the captain joked they are a horrible design choices. 

I have been told by employees at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that the Quantum Class ships were originally designed for Celebrity. That is why there is similarity between the Quantum Class and Edge Class.
As many have also said on here, personally the Quantum Class is my favorite Royal Class of ship. I especially love 270 for both breakfast in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon and enjoying the view, and entertainment in the evening. Also, I want to rave about the Junior suites on the Quantum Class and their split bathrooms. I also love that Royal has a newer, beautiful class of ship that has fine touches.
It's also smart of Royal to have different ships for different needs. Cold vs warm weather, young children focused vs more adult focused. Even if Royal is a family brand it doesn't mean that's all they have to do. It is important for people to research or to have a travel agent to research the right ship for them. If you have children in your traveling party, then definitely book a ship with all the slides, skating rink, etc. Twangster did an amazing job breaking down the size differential between Quantum and Oasis Class and the restrictions in venues/neighborhoods that imposes.
Just because it is spring break in the Caribbean, doesn't mean that every ship has to be for families that want all the bells and whistles. I was on Odyssey with my 10 year old nephew over Christmas and he loved it. We did the research, saw the activities in Playmakers, and other activities in the ship, and knew it would work for us. If my nephew needed slides and everything else, we would have booked another ship. 
I will agree though that the elevators on Odyssey were horrible. Even the captain joked they are a horrible design choices. 

I enjoy Quantum class because they are different.  I've sailed four of them and mostly to bucket list destinations like Alaska, Hawaii and New Zealand.  
Oasis class, until Icon came about, have always been in a league of their own and can't be compared to any other ship class.  Oasis and now Icon are very wide ships, much wider than all other classes of ship.  It's the extra width that allows things like Central Park and Boardwalk.  On any other platform without the extra width it's not practical to install these areas without removing all guest cabins in those areas.  Removing guest cabins to add more venues and features isn't practical for any cruise line.
Oasis class are much larger ships at 225,000+ GT while Quantum class are around 168,000 GT.  That extra 30% of space allows them to put more venues and areas on Oasis class.  
Why doesn't Radiance class have ice skating rinks and zip lines and central park and boardwalk and aqua theaters and so on?  Because Radiance class is one third the size of Oasis class and obviously you can't put the same features and venues on a ship that doesn't have the space for them.   
The Windjammer on Quantum class is my favorite across the fleet.  I really dislike the Windjammer on Oasis class.  The food stations are all over the place with some on the side and some around the corner on the back.  It's really hard to find seating on Oasis class Windjammers at peak times.  Oasis class Windjammers are truly jammers slammed with people.  Some Quantum class Windjammers have outdoor seating which I love.
The lack of waterslides is known before booking.  It appears odd to me to complain they are missing.  That's like buying a sedan then complaining it's not a 4x4 pick up truck.  Given where most Quantum class are deployed waterslides are impractical.  
It's okay not to like something but that doesn't justify calling it a dud.  
Royal's next class of ship, Discovery class, is not going to be a mini Oasis class ship.  They too will be much smaller ships that won't have the space for all Oasis class features.  Like Quantum class the smaller footprint will allow them to sail into ports that Oasis class can't fit into.  That's kind of the point.  They will be different too.  Different doesn't make them duds.  
Oasis and Icon class ships are the destination and the ports you visit are less important.  If the itinerary is boring it doesn't matter because the ship is as much the destination as the itinerary may be.
Other classes of ships can visit more unique ports of call where mega ships can't sail.  When visiting these areas the ship isn't the destination as much as the ports of call are the destination.  
Anthem out of Bayonne was a perfect pairing with two sea days down the coast and two sea days on the way back home in the cold Atlantic ocean where few would be using waterslides most of the time.  The indoor family pool means kids are not trying to sneak into the adult only solarium pools on those colder sea days in winter months.
What I love best of all my 14 Quantum class cruises are the memories of the destinations.  Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand for example.  Greek islands and Europe for Odyssey is a great summer pairing.  
I like that Royal's fleet is diverse and not just ships that are variations of the same thing.  With research I can choose a ship that fits my needs based on the region I'll be sailing.  I suggest doing more research next time and avoid booking a ship that doesn't have features that are important to you.  

I did Odyssey for my 1st quantum class ship just a couple of months ago.  Both my husband and myself liked this ship better than any other ship we have been on.  We loved the 270 theater, the music hall and the solarium with those 4 big hot tubs that were never crowded.  We too thought it was the best MDR food we've ever had.  We ate in the MDR 7 of our 8 nights on board.  We always sat in those back sections of the Windjammer that were never crowded.  The one thing we missed in the quantum design, was the outdoor area to walk around the boat on the 5th deck (I believe).  It didn't go around the whole ship.  We like to walk laps to burn calories.  We had to turn around at the end and walk back and forth.  But, that wouldn't keep me from coming back.   I hope to do another quantum class again, someday.

Also, anything that is confiscated, unless it is illegal, will be returned to you at the end of the cruise.

Hi, we had a fantastic cruise on Spectrum in a J4 Silver Suite earlier this year (5-night July 7th). 
The indoor Silver Dining area, which is very nice, has a small lounge off to the side and a speck of a space for the concierge. The entire area connects to a HUGE solarium area for Silver Suite guests. Signage also indicated Diamond and up C&A could use the area. The Solarium is fabulous, with a couple of hot tubs, a mini-lazy-river thing, a dedicated bar, and tons of comfy seating with great views. I don't think we ever counted more than a dozen people in the entire area. That was awesome for us and we spent a ton of time enjoying the space (but as an RC fan, I couldn't help thinking the space was really underutilized -- although it could be because Silver Suites on our sailing weren't sold out). For our sailing the Dining/Lounge area had a small mobile bar cart that offered a limited selection of complimentary alcoholic beverages during certain times (5:30-8p I think?) -- so, basically, a Diamond lounge benefit. The lounge area was almost always empty, and hardly anyone got a drink at the bar cart.  We felt soooo bad for the poor bartenders in the Silver Solarium and really all over the ship -- the bars were ghost towns. My wife and I enjoyed some generous pours/conversation with bored bartenders who just wanted to chat with someone, lol! We noticed on the 2nd day that 12-drink punch cards were being sold for just $69 after tax (!).  We received 10 C&A points for our 5-night sailing. Hope this helps!
 

Sadly we are so slow with regards to new politics over here in Europe. I hope the travel authorization also asks for facebook usernames and other useful stuff like that.
Oh and one day we will also get really long queues at the security at airports and if Europe is really brave we might even ask passengers to take of the shoes at the airport security. And maybe one day (probably not during our life time) we might even introduce an organization like the TSA who could randomly confiscate phones or laptops of arriving passengers.
 

For the record, my wife and I have shopped many times in the secured port in Costa Maya - It's actually one of the nicer ports.  I'm not sure if OP is referring to this area, or the downtown area of Mahahual.  The secured area is one of the largest of any port and has lots of shopping.  The vendors in my experience are active (standing in the door asking you to come into thier shop), but not aggressive.  In town can be more aggressive and there are vendors on the beach itself.  In either case, a simple "no thank you" is enough.
While there are deals to be had in some ports, generally you are probably not getting a deal on most items.  If you want to buy something, use google to check prices - it doesn't take a minute.

Buying skin care products from a stranger in a foreign country on the street.  What could go wrong?

I think the world stops spinning when a scooter riding Pinnacle guest boards any ship. The sense of entitlement is completely out of hand. 

There’s always the pin as well. I am certain to get flamed for saying this but the pin is obnoxious. I wouldn’t be caught dead with that Pinnacle pin on. I don’t want that kind of attention. 

I would support this in that my 3 experiences being a suite guest sailing in Sept x2 and early May, pins tend to take over the suite lounge and camp out there during HH. I've told Royal 3x now that this cheapens their suite experience, but clearly they don't see it that way. I don't begrudge pins their due benefits, but combining suite perks and loyalty perks waters down the perk for everyone. I'm not sure what the cutoff is (I've heard 30? 50?) for there to be too many pins onboard to have them not use the lounge, but even 30 can overwhelm an Oasis suite lounge. Of course you never know which pins are in suites and which aren't, but sitting in large circles all wearing their pins and acting like they're holding court isn't great optics, especially for a first time suite guest who just wants to enjoy a single cocktail before heading for dinner. 
Our last cruise on Oasis is sending us back to the Haven where (novel concept), you have to book the Haven to use the Haven. 

I suggest Malarky.
And for those of you having a hard time determining if another passenger is Pinnacle, be patient, they will likely tell you. 

Not only will this person be put off at the next port, but this person will also be flagged and will never be able to board any cruise ship on any cruise line ever again.

Doesn't the TA send you an invoice? every time I make a payment to my TA, she sends me an updated invoice with a new balance, and it's directly from RC, so it has all of the itinerary info and passenger info on it each time they send it 

The itinerary time will be ship time. I can't say for sure but it's a good chance that there will be a time change on the ship at some point to bring it to the local time. Changing ship time and not having the same time as local time both have their issues/difficulties. When I was on ship in December, I believe that ship time and local time were the same. 
So the ship is expected to arrive at 8 am, then it takes approximately half an hour to be able to start tender operations. That's if everything goes smoothly and as expected. As other people mentioned, excursions, suites, Diamond/Diamon Plus, and The Key all get priority before others that got up early that morning for tender tickets. Then once you actually get on the tender, you still have to get tendered to the port. Long story short I strongly believe you won't be able to get to the port for 8:30 to meet the 3rd party excursion unless it's a private excursion and they are willing to wait for you.

I noticed a few complaints on these board regarding the service they have received from RCL. And while I am the first to say they aren’t perfect I thought I would share a couple of examples of where they have gone the extra mile to make things right when they have gone wrong. In each case we received service which was above and beyond what we expected. In each case we just let them know there was an issue and never expected anything in compensation. 
My advice. If there is an issue let them know. Be nice and polite. Remember every staff member wants to make your cruise  enjoyable and whatever went wrong it either wasn’t the staff members fault or if it was a mistake on their part they do it on purpose.
An issue with air-conditioning (we think)
We were in a room that had a bit of an issue with the air-conditioned. We mentioned it to our stateroom attendant who apologised and got maintenance to look at it. It took them a couple of days to fix it but eventually got it working. We thought nothing of it and forgot about it.
On our last day we got a letter in our state room saying a 30% refund had been credited to our credit card. They didn’t mention what it was for hence we ‘think’ it was due to the air-conditioner.
Cancelled excursion due to weather.
We were on an Alaskan cruise and had saved up to an excursion of a lifetime which included a helicopter ride to a glacier and then a bobsled ride. Unfortunately there was low cloud cover most of the morning so the helicopters couldn’t fly. This certainly wasn’t in RCL control but they offered us a more expensive excursion which also included a helicopter flight later in the day. Unfortunately this also got cancelled as the weather hadn’t lifted. We thought that was the end of it and resigned to not being able to take the trip. About an hour later we got a call on our cellphone only to tell us that they had one spare space on a flight leaving in 30 minutes which they guaranteed would fly. While it meant I couldn’t go as there was only one seat my wife had an amazing trip. What I was impressed with is they took the time t to ring us and see if we wanted the spare seat. They didn’t have to do that.
No sugar free soda in Coke Freestyle
We were on a cruise where they didn’t have any sugar free soda on the ship. We mentioned we couldn’t find diet free soda to one of the staff in the Windjammer out of passing. Before we know it a manager came and gave us bottles of diet coke and let us know we could go to any bar and ask for free diet soda.
We thought that was the end of it… then when we got back to our room that afternoon there was a plate of cookies waiting for us with a little note. Then every day or so another plate of cookies in our stateroom
Issue with on board credit
We made a booking for an upcoming cruise and there was a bit of an issue with the onboard credit. The indicated we would receive $400 when in fact we received $50. A quick email to RCL and not only did they fix the mistake but they added a whole $400 making it $450 onboard credit.
 
 

I am not saying your TA is wrong about not being able to downgrade your brother's room to an interior but I will say that I have booked clients in a balcony and then they changed their minds and requested to move to an oceanview. As the final payment hadn't been made, and there were oceanviews available for the number of passengers, I was able to change their room from a balcony to an oceanview.
Two things come to mind in this situation, there aren't any interior rooms that will allow the number of passengers for your brother's room (I am assuming 4 or 5 which greatly limits availability). The other thing is that going from the current room to an interior will most likely reduce the commission the TA will earn, while upgrading would most likely increase the commission. 
If the booking has been made within 30 days you can change your TA or move the booking to Royal. 

I also want to say I met a solo D+ woman in the DL on my Grandeur sailing last month and she said she has been dealing with racist D+ and pinnacles since she joined the lounge, and she is at 305pts. She told me that's why I get all the stares and inquiries, I always assumed it was because I was so young. I wanted to believe she was just one of those that can't see they might be an A*hole and it has nothing to do with her skin color. But then one went on a rant about how there is so many black people cruising now and proved her point. 
On Oasis my brother and his young, ethnic self went several times a day to get coffee.......he was always accosted by someone and their cruise stories. 

I know a couple who encountered precisely this on their first cruise as D; he's Asian and she's Afro-American. 😕

Now I know every ship and cruise isn’t like this, but our first impression:  
The Diamond Lounge isn’t all that and a bag of chips. 
 
We are currently on our first cruise as Diamond.  On boarding day we went in the lounge for a coffee.  It was really good coffee.  We went back after sail away for another cup and were approached by an old guy (a complete stranger) who asked how many cruises we had done.  When we said we’re on our 11th he started telling us how many he had and asked if we belonged in there. He asked how many points they lowered Diamond level to. 
 
Normally I’m aggressive to people like that, but we laughed, acted nicely deferential, drank our coffee and walked out.  After all, we know jerks exist all over the place, not just on cruise ships. 
 
We went back a couple afternoons later for a cup of coffee and he was holding court again.  He saw us and started in on C&A points, and number of cruises he has that he knows is more than years I am old.   This time I quietly stared at him until everyone became uncomfortable and found other places to be.  This  approach ended up with us being able to sit in some comfortable chairs since they were vacated after five or six  minutes of complete silence. 
 
Today we went in for a cup of coffee and he asked if we were still on our 11th cruise.  🙄  
 
I’m not looking for help with dealing with idiots, I work retail and am very comfortable doing so. 
 
My reason for posting this is to remind older Diamond Plus and Pinnacle cruisers that they aren’t the future of Royal Caribbean.  People like my wife and I are, along with the young families we’ve heard people in the lounge complaining about.  
 
Another reminder….no matter how much money you like to brag about spending, it costs nothing to be nice to someone else, especially people who obviously share a passion with you  
We’re heading back for happy hour tonight.  It will be fun to see what all the regulars do when we walk in  
 

Placed down payments on these today so going for real…