tonyfsu21

A showcase sailing sounds like a sailing that @Matt and crew will be on.

It was no where near as smoke filled as the Caribbean voyages, that’s for sure. I would have guessed the opposite considering the European smoking culture. Maybe the stars just aligned for us? I’m really curious what you see in August.

Another reason to take full advantage of the Med season. There was literally nobody in the crown lounge on Odyssey for 7 days.

You must have missed the part where you have to continuously earn status. I don’t think that’s going to go over well. I too spend a significant amount of money on extras and the casino (that’s a whole other deal).

Agree. We used to sail CCL back in the old days when it was a bit different and somehow managed to have Platinum status. I haven’t sailed CCL in a very long time but I don’t recall the program benefits being anything even worthy of a discussion. These people up in arms over the proposed changes should bail out now and start accumulating status with a company that offers a better loyalty to the customer. RC seems to have the best program although I have not checked others like NCL or MSC. One thing is for certain, if anyone can jack up the current loyalty program at RC it’s Jason Liberty. Hopefully the BOD keeps this guy on a tight leash.

I don’t know, the D+ perks are pretty great. If they yanked my D+ status I would probably go elsewhere.

FYI- We spent last week on Odyssey sailing out of Civitavecchia and it’s such a different and welcoming casino experience when you are out of the Miami/Caribbean crazy. I have never seen a casino so empty and a casino bar so accessible. This is the first time in years I have been able to access any machine or table in the casino without a wait! Wonderful and highly recommended. Also, apparently nobody cruising the Med prefers to dine at the speciality venues because they were also empty. We booked a couple nights pre cruise thinking many meals would be had on shore but were approached by crew offering 30% off at any restaurant and the times were all open. Can’t wait for next year, Barcelona/Harmony of the seas bound (hope it’s the same).

Yes, I was trying to keep it “in house”. I normally get excellent reviews on YouTube with ship and casino walk throughs.

I second this^^^. We used Liv in Rome and Venice per recommendation from @Lovetocruise2002 and they were excellent.

I would agree, Santorini was really incredible (the views from the cliffs were stunning).

An entire loyal customer base turning on them would be a bad look. Think of the tier parties where they make a spectacle of the most loyal cruisers and even show bios of them during the event. Carnival will reverse course or highly modify this program before it’s implemented.

Solid review. I have been several times on this same voyage (on Oasis and others) and agree re: great stops. I am guessing Cabo Rojo offers a pier and doubt Bonaire could handle OA class and would require tendering. I have sampled the competition and would say it’s not so great (trying to be nice). OA class is still a game changer and nothing really compares unless you have been on Icon.

Epic. I read them from start to finish and it gets me in cruise mode. Keep up the good work!

Mike- you write some epic live blogs! I’m just looking for a simple format to relay some random thoughts on each ship.

Agree. Live blogs should be filled with pictures and thoughts while onboard. I am requesting something like the roll call sub but for ship reviews. I guess you could just write a review in the live blog but a roll call set up would be much cleaner.

Agree. IMO the onboard experience is better. I prefer the options and upgrades available for a fee and I believe the included options are still pretty generous. The loyalty program is top notch and I can only hope the company uses this to their advantage.

Yep, kids school schedule won’t allow.

So I am due a pretty good casino certificate on this Odyssey voyage at 9000 points and want to use it for Harmony next year in Barcelona 6/7. The certificate list does not show Harmony and ends on 6/1/26, will they make exceptions?

One thing we learned the hard way, if you plan to take the ferry to Capri while in Naples. Either book the RC excursion at the premium price or book via ferryhopper.com well in advance of your sale date (like now) to secure the best times.

Yep, I hear you. I am hopeful RC still sees the value in separating themselves from the other brands by offering the best ships, activities and loyalty program in the industry. I will reserve judgement until that changes or a better option emerges. We are in the last two days of a fantastic Mediterranean voyage onboard Odyssey and I have never had a better time. Highly recommended to anyone on the fence re: Europe.

@Matt can you please consider another sub for RC ship reviews? It would be so beneficial for this group to be able to reference a sub that detailed ship reviews and was not a live blog. I personally have lots to share but don’t prefer the live blog format. Thanks.

The problem is, MSC would follow. We as consumers are at the mercy of these dumb decisions because cruising revenue is at record highs. They don’t need us (or at least they think they don’t). It’s sad.

Yes, I see one of Odyssey. IMO, waste of prime real estate.

This should be interesting. They clearly made a decision (signed and sealed) w/o consideration to the loyal CCL cruisers (thankfully I am not one of them). It’s not surprising considering how quickly the industry forgot about the pandemic struggles and how the “loyal” cruisers (including banks) kept them afloat. I do want to mention the RC “top Tier event” is an embarrassment and a direct reflection on how this company views the loyal cruiser. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to implement this same program in the future.

Horrible feedback as expected. What a slap to the face to any loyal cruiser that has sailed CCL. The ambassador (John Heald) should be embarrassed to have to sell this program to his followers. I am gonna make an early prediction and say he resigns/retires over this mess.