Tylor

The shows are good but never change. We have been on Radiance 4 times now over 2 years and always the same shows "The Piano Man", "Tango Buenos Airies" and "City of Dreams". We saw them once and recomemend people see them if they haven't but you know they could change them up every 12 months or have them move around to different ships. The guests they have on are usually good too. We always try and catch one of the shows but now steer clear of the RCI in house ones. Also soooo over the "Love and Marriage Game show" and it really should be mothballed.

 

The shows do change, but not every 2 years. Typically it will be 5 to 7 years before a new show is added to a ship, after a drydock has been performed. 

Hi everyone, I was wondering what the shows are like on Royal.  Are they like professional Vegas shows? Having cruised only with Carnival, that's all I know, but they are pretty good. There's comedians, both PG and rated R, some magic shows, including Destination Unknown, if anyone is familiar with that, really awesome. Of course they have lots of singing and dancing shows, including their Legends show (which is basically a souped up karaoke).

 

I'm sold on Navigator and convinced my husband to give it a try (yay!) Now we're just curious about the shows because we enjoy going to them.

 

If you sail on a Royal Caribbean ship that has an actual Broadway show, the quality is very good. It really just depends on the style of show you prefer. None of the shows I've been have been terrible, but some are better than others.

 

Currently, Oasis, Allure, Liberty, and Quantum of the Seas have Broadway shows.

I found ridiculous the fact that you have to tip for almost everything on Labadee..... If this is their private place, why do I have to tip? Plus the chairs were set up almost on top of each other's, barley any room on this place.

Beautiful place but packed!

 

I agree with you. However, the private destination employs Haitians and they survive on tips and probably a very low minimum wage. It is similar to the crew on the ship. Personally I wish they would include tips in the cruise fare and do away with all this tipping nonsense. It is confusing and an old and outdated concept. 

We are suffering from a lack of "shock and awe" that we got from the Oasis reveals. I feel like I don't know much about these ships and they are nearly ready. Also I feel the advancements and innovations are less thrilling this go around. 

Unfortunately there are no cruises departing from Boston to Bermuda. There are options, however, from Baltimore and Cape Liberty for Summer 2015 to Bermuda.  :)

I have not been on a cruise yet where the bars stayed open all nite or waited for people to leave.

 

The "main" bars were closed by midnight at the latest, the only bar that stayed open would be the "disco" club in the crown and anchor lounge and that was closed by 2am at the latest, maybe earlier some nights.

 

No options for any drinks after that untill the morning, 10ish before the bars re-open.

 

Bars onboard do have times posted in the Cruise Compass when they will close. Like others said some are listed as "late" with no specific time listed. I guess it would depend on the ship and demographic of people onboard. I've only sailed on newer ships with a lot of younger people, so the bars stay open later. On Oasis, the Rising Tide Bar was open way past midnight when there was a parade/concert going on in the Royal Promenade. And it was packed too.

 

Also on Oasis several mornings you would get "wake up bloody mary's" at the pool bar starting at 8am! I've also seen midnight martini's in the Viking Crown Lounge.  :P

Thanks guys - changing the booking is probably more hassle than it's worth now - but I'll ask at guest services and if an extra card is needed I won't be that bad. Can I just ask - a weird one but how do you actually carry the sea pass? Is it in a clip round your neck, or a slide plastic thing or just loose in your pocket?

 

I carry my SeaPass card in my wallet along with my cash, ID and other credit cards. But many carry them in plastic holders hung around their neck or get a hole punched in them and attached them to a lanyard around their neck. I carry my wallet with me most of the time, so feel it is safer in there.

Hello,

 

So upon boarding the ship, your son and wife will have the same room keys. All you need to do is go to Guest Services and have an additional key made for your room so your wife can gain access. If you explain the situation they will understand and know what to do. Don't worry and enjoy your cruise!  :)

Having never been on a cruise, I'm curious what is a typical day at sea for the members of this forum.

 

What time do you get up?  Where do you have breakfast?  What's a typical morning activity?  Where do you eat lunch?  What's an afternoon activity?  Where do you prefer dinner?  What about evening activities?  What time do you finally collapse into bed?

 

This is a great question. I will tell you, most people settle into an onboard routine very quickly. You find what works for you and repeat it each day. For me, I rise early. I always have and always will, no matter where I am. When on vacation I'm usually up by 7am. Especially when I'm on a cruise, I don't want to miss anything. After I shower and get cleaned up, its off to breakfast.

 

For breakfast, I usually go to the Main Dining Room. I like a relaxed eating environment, so the Windjammer Marketplace really isn't for me. But that is not to say I don't go to the Windjammer at all. In the Main Dining Room, you can choose ordering from a set menu that usually changes from day to day or go to the walk up buffet. Or you can choose both, it's up to you.

 

After breakfast I usually go back to the stateroom or I hit the walking track and check out the sights of where we are! I walk a lot while onboard, making sure I see the entire ship and always skip the elevator in favor for the stairs. Gotta feel the burn! 

 

Lunch again is in the Main Dining Room if it is open. It's only open on Sea Days. If not, then it's the Windjammer Marketplace for lunch or Sorrentos Pizza or Cafe Promenade. I try and go to the Windjammer a little before or after the lunch hour rush. It makes a more pleasant experience and the food is refilled and usually more fresh.

 

Afternoon activities might include a nap, more walking, people watching by the pool, or sitting in the Solarium staring out the window, thinking "I can't believe I'm on a cruise!" One afternoon activity I partake in each day, is getting an ice cream (or frozen yogurt) cone by the pool. I try and keep myself to just 1 cone, but sometimes it's 2. I won't lie.

 

I dress up for dinner each night. I dress up for work, so throwing on dress slacks and a button down isn't that big of a deal for me. My wife loves to wear dresses, so we always make a night of it. Dinner usually happens in the Main Dining Room. We check the dinner menu each day after lunch and if the menu isn't appealing, we book a specialty restaurant. We're totally not picky about food, but not thrilled with fish or Indian options.

 

After dinner it's off to the nights show. After a few more drinks and a walk and stroll through the shops, it's off to bed. 

Hi Tylor, not sure what this is ? is it a Creme Brulee with Baileys  :D and if so do you have any pics.

 

Yes! So there is a cocktail onboard Royal Caribbean ships called the BBC. It is Bailey's Irish Cream, Banana Liqueur and Colada mix. The BBC Creme Brulee is a take on that cocktail. So imagine creamy custard with a hint of Bailey's Irish Cream flavor and fresh banana. It's divine and part of the "always available" selection of desserts on the main dining room dinner menu!  

 

Mine too :lol:  , when we go back in October we are going to Chops on both formal nights and I know she will have this both times.

Great Creme Brulee photo! It is good. The new BBC Creme Brulee is good too! :)

I will be getting married on the Allure in June. Most of the experiences I've read about are on wedding site forums like The Knot. Though I still can't find much for weddings at sea, as most seem to get married in port.

 

From what I've read, some people have problems with the Royal Romance department, and I can understand why. The reps you talk to when you call are just basic reps and not wedding coordinators (at least that's what I was told when a problem arose). Every time I called they answered my questions right away and were great but apparently just telling me what I wanted to hear. I called numerous times with questions, especially about the date we want (very specific but is an at sea day) I was constantly reassured they would NOT pick my date. The contract came (wrong one but got that fixed) and called again concerning some wording about date, again they assured me they would not pick the date. So we pay up and months go by. Depending on how far in advance you start planning this can happen, we started in November and they really don't do much with you until 80-90 days out from sailing. I called with a question the reps couldn't answer (time of wedding and when would I find that out) and ended up talking to the person who handled the contract for us only to find out they won't confirm a date for me, I wouldn't find that out until embarkation. I was really upset seeing as though I'd called and asked a few times before even signing the contract. After many hours on the phone, going round and round (I fully understand the policy that if something happens the captain or first mate MAY not be able to marry us but was NOT okay with them telling me my wedding could be at any time during the sailing). We finally compromised on a requested wedding date (you can request a specific date but will only tell you, you have a 50/50 shot at getting what you request) and if for some reason the captain or first mate can't marry us it will change from a legal ceremony to a symbolic one. No price adjustment and I have to forfeit the $ for our marriage license but I still get a ceremony on the day I want.

 

We are in the process of making ceremony decisions now and getting our license paperwork in order.

I am really hoping that once we are on board our experience is better than what we've seen so far. For the money we are paying for the at sea wedding (almost $5000 once the cost of the marriage license is included) and the cruise I expected better service. This will be our first cruise with Royal and the Royal wedding at sea package is the most expensive of all the cruise lines I talked to. So far they seem a bit hands off (I had to request the wedding brochures and other information be sent to me, it was never offered), once a problem arose I was sent an email regarding the time line and what would happen when but never saw that before hand. If we (and some guests) hadn't already booked and paid for the cruise I may have just cancelled and gone with a different cruise line.

 

I would say as long as you know you have to stay on top of everything, making the effort to contact them and get what you need, and as long as you get EVERYTHING in writing, things should be fine. They certainly won't hold your hand through the process or even give you much guidance.

 

That's my experience so far and we are at 73 days out. We are sailing June 8th with the wedding Friday the 13th (yes really :) ) Its a Friday the 13th with a full moon and that won't happen again for 35 years, hence why we need that date. I just hope we don't have a superstitious captain. ;)

 

Lks, I hope your wedding was wonderful. One thing to note, Royal Romance is a separate contractor from Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean does not manage its own wedding and vowel renewal program. Royal Caribbean subcontracts spa services and its onboard shopping as well. I did have a few issues with my royal romance people, but once onboard the wedding coordinator and officiant were wonderful.

 

Lks - I would be REALLY interested to know about your experience. I am planning a wedding on Brilliance of the Seas in April 2016. I was told that they won't even talk to you about dates/times until 2 months out from the sail date. But, they want you to sign the contract and pay for everything in advance. I'm very hesitant to do that because I don't see why I would pay everything up front before knowing what I am getting.  They won't even tell me if I can have an outside wedding. Actually, won't even tell me what locations are available on their ships for an outside wedding.  Not cool.

 

I want my wedding outside, on a day when the ship is at sea at about 5pm. How hard is that for them to agree to 22 months out?

 

I am not planning on having a reception. We have our dinner in the formal dinning room for 6pm each night so I want to get married at 5 and then use our regular dinner in the formal dinning room as our reception - cutting down our costs.  It's super frustrating.

 

Please, please, please update this blog with your experience. It will really help me figure out what I am going to do.

 

Thank you!

 

Caz, I understand your frustration with locations and dates. One thing to remember, a lot of things on a moving vessel can't be guaranteed. A lot of stuff happens outside and most public places can't be made private for a wedding. I hope things work out for you and you get the wedding of your dreams. 

G'day, Just wondering are we allowed to go onboard with a bar of chocolate and some potato chips etc in our luggage for snacks ?

Peter

 

Also, if you love chocolate and coffee together, I suggest you have the Italian dessert Tiramisu. It is amazing and expertly prepared and served in the Main Dining Room on Italian night as well as in the Italian restaurant onboard. 

G'day, Just wondering are we allowed to go onboard with a bar of chocolate and some potato chips etc in our luggage for snacks ?

Peter

 

Of course! I always bring snacks on the ship with me. Honestly, you won't find a lot of snacks onboard, like chips, candy bars, etc. They do have a limited supply in the general store, but most of the food you'll be eating or that is offered on the ship is made on the ship and not snacky type junk food. People do bring bottled water and even soda/pop with them on the ship. Royal Caribbean says they will only allow 2 bottles of wine, but they most likely will allow water and soda. Also your stateroom fridge will have snacks and soda available for a fee. 

My wife and I are walkers. During the summer we walk 5 miles a day after dinner. So on the ship I have never felt the need to utilize the gym. I take the stairs and then we do a lot of walking usually using the walk/jog track. I eat and drink more when I'm on a cruise then I normally do, so I gotta keep up on the walking.  :)

Equally excited about Mamma Mia, Sonic Odyssey and Starwater. I enjoy the functionality and technical aspect of a space just as much as the content the show provides. Two70 looks like a really unique performance space. I hope Royal Caribbean does more behind the scene videos on how the Two70 performance space works.

 

Still waiting for Wicked though... It would be so "popular".  ;)

I have seen the gyms onboard the ships but haven't use one or the spa. I'm not a super work out person so I don't feel the need to use the gym. I take the stairs when I'm on the ship and get my exercise that way. Nothing like seeing someone come out of the gym and wait for the elevator.  :rolleyes:

I was curious what other members here do regarding keeping up with their teens on a cruise.

 

I'm planning my first cruise with my 12 and 6 year old daughters.  The 12 year old has Type 1 Diabetes, and so while we are fine with her being off and doing her own thing on the ship, we would like to be able to at least communicate via text with her to make sure her blood sugar numbers are good.  All excursions would be family events, so not as concerned with off ship.

 

Thanks,

Neil

 

Hi Neil,

 

Will your 12 year old be exploring the ship by herself or participating in the Adventure Ocean or Teen programs? There are different devices like walky-talky's and cellular based phones that you can use onboard the ship. Cell phone usage might incur a separate charge for using the ships wifi internet.

 

Because your 12 year old requires medical assistance during the day, it might be a good idea to meet up a specified locations to check blood sugar levels. Older kids typically roam free, but teens in my group normally stick close to the family during the day and night.

 

The ship you are sailing on will make a difference too. Some ships are huge and you don't want your children getting lost. 

I would be curious as to why Royal keeps changing their stance on NO. Is it financial? Are those taking cruses from NO not big onboard spenders? Do they need to discount the cruises to get people onboard? I can't imagine any other reason besides financial to justify the changes.

 

My wife goes to NO every year for a public health conference and lets just say it isn't her favorite place to visit while traveling for many reasons. Also I've heard a lot of people say the Port of NO is very unorganized with long wait times to get on and leave the ship. Hopefully that has changed.

Yes there will be several types of outlets available. Are your outlets different than European outlets? Staterooms have US and EU outlets. 

So to make sure I am getting this all right I am curious....

My wife and I will both purchase a drinks package as I don't want to have a worry about costs of drinks etc

so if I am siting down to dinner in the main dinning room and a waiter comes and offers drinks do I hand my card over and he gets a drink for us and takes it from the credit on the drinks package

or

if I want to use the drinks package for dinner drinks I need to go to the bar and use my card each time

 

also when we board if we are offered a welcome drink is that paid for from our drinks package or charged separately to my seapass?

Peter

 

If you buy the all inclusive drinks package, you won't be charged for any additional alcohol you get that is included in the package you buy. You'll show your SeaPass card which will have a sticker or other notification on it telling the bartender you've purchased the all inclusive drinks package.

 

You will only pay for alcohol that isn't included in the package, if you choose to buy those drinks. I don't know if the drink packages offered in AUS are the same as in the US. There are different ones that include different types of drinks. 

I am a little worried now, that if I don't tip copiously to every person that does anything at all for me then I am going to be treated poorly.

Being from Australia, (yes the dreaded non tipping Aussie) I am comfortable knowing that every service I use is done by a person that is paid to do the job, probably over paid, and that is another problem, Us Aussies are so accustomed to overpaying for every product and service we use it is hard to then pay somebody extra after already paying a fairly high price for the cruise originally, and paying a gratuity to people we may never even get to see.

I wish I could get tipped every time I go out of my way to please a customer, it would certainly make my take home pay a lot better, as I always go out of my way to please customers.

Peter

 

Hi Peter,

 

Don't worry about tipping. Royal Caribbean will pretty much take care of it for you. If you feel that it is necessary to tip extra, then do so. Otherwise enjoy your cruise!

Hi Peter,

 

Typically waiters and stateroom attendants accept tips at the end of a voyage. Tips are automatic now, so not much you have to do. Royal Caribbean will distribute the money directly to your staff. If you want to tip over and beyond the recommended amount, then you can do so at anytime.

 

Ship staff will not wait for tips after each and every time they serve or do something for you.  :)

Hi Peter,

 

Are you sailing on a Royal Caribbean ship from Australia or from the US?

 

If you're sailing from AUS, then all currency most likely would be AUS. Excursions are quoted in AU because you are viewing the Australian version of RoyalCaribbean.com. If sailing from the US, pricing onboard the ship is in US currency. If you pre-book excursions, you'll pay AUS price. Anything you buy onboard the ship you'll pay US price.

 

You can pre-book excursions and drink packages or buy them on the ship. If you wait to book excursions on the ship, some might be sold out. 

We are getting close (June 23!) to our first cruise.  Can someone explain the best procedure for tipping? Who to tip? Etc.

 

I'm sorry this topic got off track. Like monctonguy said, tipping is automatic now so there really isn't much you have to worry about. Tips are collected for your Stateroom Attendant, Head Waiter, Main Waiter, and Assistant Waiter. Feel free to tip extra if you feel necessary. Enjoy your cruise!  B)