whenismynextcruise

Just to add my two cents, for what it is worth especially for new cruisers or others shorter on funds. I have never been in any type of suite and never paid extra for a meal.  I have always enjoyed my cruises, the food I have eaten and especially the staff. The room stewards, MDR and WJ staff have always gone out of their way to help in any way possible.

@JLMoranWOW! What a recommendation and also informational. First I will say that I had no idea that CK was in included paid for perk! I wrongly assumed it was like the other specialty restaurants and had a fee. Thanks for that information!!
I really like what you said about the nights where there were only a few people and they sat you around in different areas to make it more intimate for each. That is great customer service!

We were invited to CK a few years ago on Oasis. A friend of mine’s brother was Director of Hotels and took us there. It’s always been a sore spot with me that they removed Viking Crown and put in suites and CK so I was excited to have dinner there for the great views. 
Food was very good, service was great but then again we were eating with one of 6 officers that runs the ship! Lol
I’d definitely go back if the cost difference between JS and unlimited dining were about equal.
 
 

We were in a Grand Suite earlier this year on Harmony.  Loved CK.  Never ate in MDR and did not miss it.  Had not had the best experience in MDR on recent cruises.  We ate most meals there.  Breakfast was very good and great to be away from the crazy busy Windjammer.  Our grandkids, 6, 8 and 10, were able to get "kids type meals" on any night as special requests.  They loved it there.  Staff is excellent.  We did eat at Sabor one night and were not impressed.  Expensive and not the best service. We are now officially spoiled and have 2 other cruises booked in a suite.

IMHO there is nothing special at all other then the exclusivity. The location is great!

Service, ambiance and location are the main reasons for us. We always stay in a full suite and eat all of our meals in the Coastal Kitchen. Will eat there 60 days this year.
To us the best nights are when they serve the filet and lobster. The wait staff are excellent.
The only times when we ate at specialty restaurants were when we twice sailed in Star Class. While specialty restaurants may be better, we prefer to spend any additional money for a full suite cabin.

You all know that I am 100% Team CK.  I agree with everything that @JLMoran mentioned above.  Having done specialty and CK, I feel that food quality is slightly better in CK.  And to add to what @STANMELB mentioned, I would prefer to spend my money in a full suite rather than get a balcony/ocean view/inside cabin and pay extra for specialty.  I also feel that the service in CK is more personalized and attentive compared to specialty.  Add in the ambiance (especially on Oasis class ships) and CK is the clear winner.
When sailing in a full suite, we never do specialty.  CK is more than enough for us.  We never feel like we are missing out on specialty because most things you can get in specialty, you can get in CK.  The only time we have done specialty in when not in a full suite or when we sailed star class.

When we did CK on Harmony back in December it was very polarizing. Yes, the service was leaps and bounds above our time in the MDR, but the food sometimes came off as “trying too hard”, over complicating things in the way you see a celebrity (the Bobby flay type, not the cruise line) chef would do. The lobster was swimming a champagne sauce that took away any lobster flavor.  I haven’t had the filet yet so won’t judge the steak, but most cruise line steaks don’t live up to those onshore for one simple reason, ?. A great steakhouse gets to use fire and fire adds flavor when done right. 

Coastal Kitchen is Royal's answer to a trend in the cruise industry to provide a dining venue dedicated to Suite guests.  You must be in a Suite (or be Pinnacle in CAS) to have access to CK.
In my experience it provides a better experience over the MDR and in some cases approaches or equals specialty dining experiences.
Unlike specialty dining, the CK menu rotates and differs from one night to the next.  It is possible to eat every dinner at CK and not repeat an entree.  Contrast that to a single specialty dining venue where the menu never changes night to night.  The Chops menu is the Chops menu from now and forever for example.   
Dining is very personal.  A menu one night in CK might not be appealing to some guests but very appealing to someone else.     
It's included for dinner when booking a Junior Suite.  Full Suite guests can eat three meals a day in CK.
Chops costs extra for all guests (except Star Class) while CK is included.  The handling of CK for Junior Suite guests does vary from ship to ship and cruise to cruise depending on how many full suite guests and Pinnacles are on that sailing.   

Only been to CK on one ship - Anthem - but that was all I needed. For me, the experience and food was better than any of the specialty restaurants I've been to; only Chef's Table surpasses it, but of course that's not a restaurant unto itself and it's as much about the experience as the food.
The filet that CK serves is, for me at least, waaaay better than what I've had from Chops. You can only get it on one night, but I'm not a huge steak person and once on any vacation is enough. In addition, many of the items served at Chef's Table actually come from the CK menu (or perhaps CK picks up the items that are noted as most popular / enjoyed at Chef's Table), so you have a chance to experience some of that without an up-charge.
I also loved the service and ambiance of the place compared to the specialties. While there are indeed a lot of tables, on all but one of the nights we practically had the restaurant to ourselves; maybe 5 other couples dining there at the same time, and each of us was put into a separate section so we each had a very intimate setting. Even on the "busy" night it wasn't close to packed. Our server was always fantastic, giving me great wine recommendations each night and making us feel very well cared for with every meal.
As far as having to "beg/hope for an open reservation", I do understand that on the Oasis class ships that is a definite issue due to the number of suite guests and pinnacles on a typical sailing; but on Anthem (and it seems the other Q class ships) this was not an issue at all; we went straight to the CK desk on embarkation day and had no problem making our dinner reservations for every night of the cruise even though the ship was sold out.
So to have all of that, and have it included as part of the price of the JS or higher room? That is definitely special, and a genuine perk of the suites. I would ask the counter-question -- why you would feel any obligation or strong desire to pay extra for another specialty restaurant at dinner when you have your own limited-access specialty restaurant included and available only to you and the relatively handful of other suite guests? Especially when it's paid for in your cruise fare?
I'd argue to save the specialties for lunch time on sea days, when it's cheaper and the menu is nearly the same as dinner.

I have a dining plan for Anthem for a thanksgiving cruise this year. so things must have changed or its ship based rules. You had also asked about anything special going on during that week. In my experience that would be no. This will be our 6th year in a row on Royal at Thanksgiving and they barely even mention the holiday. You will notice them starting to put up Christmas decorations on the day you are leaving the ship though. :)

Interesting, thanks for the information.  I think we need to be expanding our horizons all around that area to “freshen up” The Caribbean experience; as it has gotten quite stale. 

I am frequently amazed that passports are not a requirement for travel by cruise ship for any cruise.  
It wasn't that long ago that you could drive to Canada and back without a passport.  Those days are gone.  It's just a matter of time before all international travel, including travel by cruise ship, requires a passport.

Just another reason to get a passport if you don't already have one. Its the international form of ID. That's really all that needs to be said. You can print all of the paper work at home. Obtain a passport pic from your local CVS, Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens, etc if you don't have the means to print one at home. The cost is $145 but it lasts for 10 years. For $14.95 a year its worth  it and you never have to worry if you have the right documentation or not.

Just another reason to get a passport if you don't already have one. Its the international form of ID. That's really all that needs to be said. You can print all of the paper work at home. Obtain a passport pic from your local CVS, Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens, etc if you don't have the means to print one at home. The cost is $145 but it lasts for 10 years. For $14.95 a year its worth  it and you never have to worry if you have the right documentation or not.

If you're taking multiple trips a year and spending $15000 or more ONBOARD each trip, I'm available to be adopted!

They are essentially charging your card temporarily to make sure you can cover it.  That affects your available credit available and if it takes 2 weeks to fall off you are holding onto charges you have already paid for on your final bill.  No different than buying something and returning it to the store.  They take your money right there and it takes them 3-5 days to return your money back to your account.  Thats why I like using my AMEX because the holds fall off very quickly.

Next choice is room service on the balcony! This is particularly nice in port. We have been able to upgrade ourselves to the mini-suites when available and that gives us plenty of room to have a quiet dinner for 2 out there! We can eat at our own pace and enjoy our time before heading out to do whatever we have plans for that night.

@JLMoran  We have never missed a late show, and never had to rush through dinner.   I think the only times we kinda had to rush was on Adventure for the Ice Skating show and We Will Rock You on Anthem, but we still got there @15 mins. prior to the shows.    We have this down to a system now.  we always get a balcony. 
We go to the WJ at 6 and make 2 plates.  With every cruise I have seen the WJ get busier and busier at dinner.
Our 1st plate is meats, cheeses, bread, etc like an anti-pasti salad.to nosh on our balcony while the sun sets and we get ready for dinner. It holds us over until the late seating.  We than either go for drinks or the early shows.  Shows last 45 mins.  Thus, the 7 pm show is over by 8, and many ships actually keep their doors closed for traditional.  IOWS, even if you have a late traditional seating, no need to rush to be there at 7:50 bc the doors will be closed until 8 on the dot.
The 2nd plate is snacks for late night, such as, desserts in a cup, cookies, and also, their salads,  fried chicken, or Mongolian stir fry, etc anything that we can eat cold (to fit in the mini-fridge aka cooler place it in their small bowls).  We prefer this than eating pizza or their limited sandwiches, every night.  
@whenismynextcruise  I get your point about being over crowded in the MDR.  I have found it that way for MTD.  I also find that compared to traditional seating that it appears they seem to have those tables right smack on top of each other, whereas, in the traditional dining rooms, they are roomier.
Again, my belief that with all of the specialty options plus, MTD the traditional dining room is used less now. Caveat I have never done the 5:30 traditional so I don't know how crowded it is for that seating.  We have never asked for a window table, but luckily for us 90% of the time that is what we have always been given.  
I would say the late seating regarding occupancy has been basically the equivalent of eating in the MDR for lunch on sea days.  Lots of open tables around you.  I have found the specialties are much more crowded now than the MDR, but than again the specialties are smaller in size, so I think that is why it might feel more crowded to me.  That and we do specialty, we usually do a 6:30 or 7 pm reservation, which is peak time.
I am not anti-specialty.  Heck, I will pay for it for just 1 item on the menu that you can't get elsewhere on the ship.  IE Goat cheese salad in Chops.  The bread tray in Giovannis with their roasted garlic.  Spicy shrimp tempura roll in Izumi.  The world in Wonderland. 
I do agree that it is a personal desire when it comes down to it and also a wallet issue.  I am someone with a budget.  If upgrading to a better cabin, or doing a unique (expensive) 1x in a lifetime excursion means that I have to forego specialty I would in a heartbeat.  Heck if it came down to the Chefs table or 3 nights specialty, Chef's table wins hands down.  
Than again like we both are saying it comes down to your personal desires, and I think RCL is doing a good job at trying to offer everyone different options for eating preferences.   Want to try Chops, but not buy the dining package, than you can just do the lunch.  Want sushi, but not the dining package you can do the sushi class for 1 (they allow extra people to come after the class and share what you have made).  Want a long meal paired with wines than you have Chefs.  

I’m not a sophisticated computer user and couldn’t figure out how to quote the post on Dorian missing coco cay but here is my response:
Honestly, I’d rather see it centered on a currently uninhabited island!  Vacation structures can be replaced over time.  People and their dwellings not as easily.  N.C. is not a tropical paradise but we still have homes with tarps a year after a relatively minor hurricane flooded our eastern area.  Please show some compassion for the humans suffering in this horrific storm and stop worrying about coco cay. 

Not looking good for the Bahamas. That storm is a monster. We are supposed to go to Coco Cay the first week in October. I’m glad to hear they evacuated the island.
Prayers for those in the path.....

I am more concerned about the local residents that work on the island and the clean up and sorting of their personal life they will have to do. This historic storm will change the northern Bahamas as we know it today. Prayers to all. 

I vote for getting rid of the tub and making it a larger shower. We have never used the tub but also appreciate the extra space. Have you ever noticed how high the tub sides are as well when getting in to take a shower? A nice glass door would be nice as well. I hate trying to avoid the shower curtain. @cruise-y  you mention how non-hygienic the tub is. I wonder how often the shower curtains get cleaned/replaced.........

This is one of my pet soap box subjects. As a regular gym user, I am pretty sure the ages mentioned are correct but I can't remember where I saw them. I can say that I  would have absolutely no objections whatsoever to a youngster using the gym appropriately in the company of a responsible adult.
What really gets my hackles up is seeing stupid, irresponsible adults "having a go" on the equipment just because it's there and is included in their cruise fare. And then such stupidity being compounded by the total absence of a responsible instructor in the gym to prevent them from doing so, and made even worse by the total lack of safety instructions posted anywhere in sight to perhaps make said stupid irresponsible adults think twice about what they are about to do.
I have personally witnessed a woman in a long, floaty dress and sandals on a treadmill in the gym on Oasis. And I have seen a man wearing flip-flops on a treadmill on MSC's Poesia. In the first case there was not one single member of RCI staff to be seen anywhere in the gym. In the second case, the offending flip-flop wearer had not been on the treadmill for more than 20 seconds before the on-duty instructor had given him a thorough telling-off and ejected him from the gym.
On MSC, you have to sign a waiver to use the gym. On Royal that has never been the case for as long as I've been cruising, not even in the good old days when they did always have an instructor on duty in the gym.
Rant over. Apologies.
Having got that off my chest, I can tell you that the gyms on board are great, far superior to those you will find in many land-based hotels and resorts, with plenty of space and decent equipment. I have always found that a good time to go is late afternoon (after 4 pm) as they are always quiet at that time, although this does work better if you're ok with having a later dinner.
 

I think sometimes there is complaining for the sake of complaining.  If tourism leaves an area, there are complains that the local economy suffers.  I don't believe there is no impact, but I also believe there is benefit, as well as, drawbacks.