Tylor

Well what types of gifts are you looking for? One year I bought my wife a fancy necklace that she could wear with a dress on formal night on the cruise. Women love jewelry, clothing, shoes. They really aren't hard to buy for. If you can't find something that she needs before the cruise, decide to get something on the cruise for her. Example: Pandora charm bracelet. Buy her the bracelet now and when you're in a port of call with a Pandora store you can buy charms. Each time you cruise you can buy a few charms that symbolize that trip. I bought my wife a pair of gem earrings in Grand Cayman once and she treasures them and each time she wears them it reminds her of that wonderful cruise we took on Freedom of the Seas!

Eventually as the Asian market ramps up I wouldn't be surprised to see both an Oasis and Quantum class ship there for at least part of the year. If everything pans out the way Royal Caribbean wants it, I've seen rumors that there are 4 Quantum class ships on order and eventually 5 Oasis class ships. With enough ships to go around we could see permanent ships in Asia, Australia, Southampton and the US. The Asians will probably go crazy over an Oasis class ship. And the new Kai Tak terminal in Hong Kong opened this year and is capable of handling Oasis class ships. There is even a photo of an Oasis class ship on the Kai Tak cruise terminal website. http://www.kaitakcruiseterminal.com.hk/ Some folks say 5 Oasis class ships would be too much. But in the next 10 to 20 years Royal Caribbean will probably be thinking about discontinuing the Vision class ships in favor of larger more energy efficient ships. The Oasis class ships are cash cows for Royal Caribbean, and money talks.

Is there going to be a food truck?

Okay so I did do some research on NCL Breakaway, because their Broadway show sparked my interest. Well I'm not interested in seeing Rock of Ages, but just their whole theater and how it compared to Royal Caribbean is what really sparked my interest. Is this really the space that is the Breakaway Theater where Rock of Ages is performed? I am really sorry, but this is one reason why I sail Royal Caribbean. They actually put thought and creativity into their public spaces. The Breakaway Theater looks awful. A lot like Carnival and MSC, monotone with no creativity and a low ceiling? Not impressed. Furthermore, I do not understand the design (I'm rambling here) concepts behind Carnival (I know that Farcus guy) and other lines like MSC. So strange! It is like they use one fabric swatch or one theme and repeat, repeat, repeat. The rooms are confusing, and not very appealing to the eye.

I caught that too. I didn't do any research because I figured they were right otherwise it would not have been written that way. I don't pay that close attention to what shows are Tony award winning and which ones aren't. But when I did read that I thought wait a minute. NCL now has Broadway shows, but then I reread it and caught the "Tony" part. Very creative indeed! Someday I won't have to go to NYC to catch any shows, I can just catch ships on my fav line and watch them all! :D

I too am somewhat surprised. But I still think Wicked would be an awesome addition to the Broadway entertainment onboard Royal Caribbean ships. Obviously we can more than likely expect Broadway shows onboard all Quantum class ships and probably all new ships from now on.

Ships that have Johnny Rockets are: Majesty Oasis Allure Freedom Independence Liberty Voyager Explorer Adventure Navigator Mariner

Grouping smokers together is a way to make everyone happy (the smokers and non-smokers) but the problem is that smoking is becomes less and less socially acceptable. And even though there might seem to be a large number of smokers (normally gathered together in a bar or two) when compared to the entire guest population onboard, there really aren't that many. Smoking was once a very big part of many peoples lives, but times have changed and many now are super sensitive to the smell of smoke.

Well if demand from UK is high then Royal Caribbean might think about placing more ships there.

I wonder if the Broadway show on Anthem will be British themed? I feel like a lot of ships right now (NCL's Breakway, Getaway, and Quantum) are customizing several elements or onboard experiences to the cities and or areas where they are home ported. :D We have yet to see the Broadway show on Quantum, but several shows would fit the ships theme including Jersey Boys and Wicked. How does Royal Caribbean keep all this so hush hush? In this modern age of instant technology how can something remain so quiet? We know the US spies on every country in the world in many different ways. :ph34r: We know who has what weapons and what they are doing with them. But we can't crack the code on what Royal Caribbean is up to with their latest class of ships. :unsure: It is interested to note the pace at which this new class of ships are being built at a different ship building company/yard when compared to the Freedom and Oasis class. Things seem to be progressing rather quickly this time around with the second ship already beginning to be built and it will be released only a few months after the first. Not a whole year like as in Freedom or Oasis class. :o

If you are unable to print anything, you will still be able to board as long as you've filled out everything online that is required. They will take care of the rest when you check in. Your problem does happen often and you would be surprised at the amount of older folks who don't use a computer and don't fill out anything before they sail or people who lose their set sail paperwork before getting to the terminal. They all still get on. :)

I have no children, but I do know several who have attended Adventure Ocean. The program varies widely depending on what ship you are sailing. Oasis Class has the best kids programs with lots of options and activities for them to do. The smaller and older the ship the less WOW the program has.

That is right. If you're going to Labadee, expect to pretty much tip for everything.

I don't want my post to sound anti-cash. That is not my intention. I just want people to be careful. I've read a lot of posts on Cruise Critic about things being stolen from stateroom safes. Personally I don't bring really expensive jewelry on cruises. I keep my wallet on me, I feel naked without it. My SeaPass goes in it while I'm on a cruise. I do agree that you do need some cash for things like you mentioned tips, taxi fares, and other things. I make sure I have enough cash for those items. But I don't bring (for example) a $1,000.00 onboard the ship to spend while on the cruise. I think that is dangerous.

What are you bringing cash for? I would not advise getting cash at the ship ATM as the fee is really high. I bring some cash, a few hundred. If I purchase things in port I use my credit card. If you do use a credit card make sure it doesn't have a foreign transaction fee. Otherwise you'll get charged extra for using it outside of the US. A lot travel rewards (hotels, airlines) credit cards don't have foreign transaction fees. I don't bring a lot of cash because if it is stolen, then you're left with nothing. I also don't utilize the in room safe. I keep everything on me, like I do in my normal everyday life. If you make credit card purchases and are left with bad merchandise or a problem you can always fall back on your credit card company to remove the charge. Also if your card gets stolen, your card company will protect you and send you another card. I bring 2 credit cards. My wife also has a few others. Using a credit card for all purchases also makes it easier to see exactly how much you've spent and where you spent it at. And it's one less thing to have to organize and keep track of. I also link my SeaPass account to a credit card. Not that putting cash down is bad, but I just don't do that. I don't restrict myself on spending money while on vacation because I don't vacation very often. Honestly, I've already spent thousands on the cruise and airfare, what's a few hundred more?

I would be interested in the Royal Replenish for the juice and coffee. But I could not justify the price for the other packages based on the minimal amount of alcohol I drink while on a cruise.

Chicago - In the Amber Theater, Deck 4 - 90 Minutes, No Intermission Condensed version of Broadway Hit. Does contain sexual behavior and inappropriate language. Viewer discretion is advised. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI1OQY1V0Vw Blue Planet - In the Amber Theater, Deck 4 - 50 Minutes Appropriate for all ages. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLWW89T_L7I Ice Games - In Studio B, Deck 4 - 45 Minutes Appropriate for all ages. OceanAria - In the AquaTheater, Deck 6 Boardwalk - 45 Minutes Appropriate for all ages. Showtimes At A Glance Schedule (updates periodically) http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/showtimes/showtimes_AL.pdf It is recommended that you make reservations for each show. Seats are first come first serve and will open to everyone 10 minutes before showtime. You don't have to reserve in advance but it is recommended. https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/asr/login.do?componentTypeCategoryId=11

They should probably partner with a celebrity chef like Carnival did with Guy's Burger Joint. The whole 1950's diner theme is just odd on a cruise ship. And I think Guy's is free. I've heard those burger's are really good.

Ok so not something the manufacture would repair as a warranty fix. So Royal Caribbean will have to fit the bill? That sucks. That ship is almost 3, I'm surprised this major of a repair is needed already. But I guess there is no way of knowing when an pod is going to have problems or stop working.

The Johnny Rockets brand in the US is not known for out of this world gourmet burgers. I've eaten at several JR's onboard Royal Caribbean ships and I've always been happy with my meal, but you are right, not excellent quality. For me, the onion rings and fries are better than the burger. I'm not a huge meat eater, so I could skip the (messy greasy) burger all together. I don't know why Royal Caribbean partnered with Johnny Rocket's in the first place. A 1950's diner and cruise line don't seem to have a lot in common. I know it is fun and different, but none of their other restaurants seem to be chain based. DARKCABBIE, you demonstrate a good point from your JR first impression. For the most part, dining onboard a Royal Caribbean ship is an upscale inviting experience with quality ingredients and attention to detail. This, however, isn't the case when dining at Johnny Rockets, simply because the food is, well, diner food and the experience would be dragged down if it were any more upscale than a 1950's diner could be. Right? So for people who are eating at JR's for the very first time and who do not know the JR brand or what it stands for might be let down by subpar service and mediocre food. After all, the servers at JR don't exactly "fall all over you" like they do at a specialty restaurant or in the main dining room. :)

I just read the Seatrade Insider article about switching Oasis and Allure drydock schedules. Not sure how this would work, even if Allure could wait until 2014 to repair this issue. Interesting gossip/rumors going around on this. Cruise critic thread has 625 replies. People sound really mad about this!

I think whatever is broken should be repaired now. People know something is wrong now, and for the most part they aren't happy about it. Do we know exactly what is wrong? Is this a manufacture issue? I'm not surprised by this. As this ship is newer and Royal Caribbean is probably concerned about this issue. Kind of like driving your car around town knowing there is a problem with your engine. Not the best feeling.

And when I say "didn't pack a suit" I mean I didn't pack a suit jacket, tie or slacks. But I did pack button down dress shirts, one for each night and a few pairs of dress pants. So we can eat dinner dressed in what I would say is work clothes. We have never eaten dinner in the Windjammer, but I wouldn't be opposed to. The less formal clothing is great because you can do "lifestyle" photos and they still look nice because you are semi dressed up. Also looking nice at dinner gives you the freedom to eat where you want without screaming "formal night" when you walk in the room.

I stand corrected! :)

I would expect an announcement about a new ship homeporting in Southampton soon. Possibly Anthem of the Seas. Either that or an announcement about Oasis 3 stopping there or Allure stopping there when she goes to drydock in 2015. I have not been on Adventure of the Seas but I do know that she does not have Chops Grill. Only Portofino Italian Restaurant currently. However, Adventure of the Seas is scheduled to be updated in April 2014, so Chops might be added (along with many other restaurants) at that time.