Lovetocruise2002

3 hours ago, spiralqueen said:

You would only save money on this if it's a cocktail that only involves a shot of one type of liquor. Something like a margarita with the tequila and the orange liqueur would end up being cheaper to just order and pay for the actual drink as opposed to the shots. 

^^^This is the key right here.  

As @Skid already posted, you could get the non-alcoholic version covered with your package and just pay for the shot.  Anything more than a shot and you will lose out.

10 hours ago, Mljstr said:

We are leaving Sunday on Liberty in an "ultra spacious ocean view" cabin. It has 2 twin beds, a sofa bed and some sort of built in separate bunk beds. I can't really tell from the pictures exactly the configuration of the room. We are taking two teenage grandchildren (cousins boy and girl 16 years old) and am trying to picture the space in the room. Has anyone been in a comparable cabin on the Liberty? (9200)

We have bid on a Royal up for a suite but doesn't look like we will get it.

 

Here is your cabin on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98t7v-KG3k0

I agree with what others have said already.  The 90 day rule does not seem to apply to holidays or March break.  I learned my lesson from last March.  I will still follow it for non-holidays (I did with the Anthem GC and noticed a drop within the 60-90 day mark) but I already have my flight for March 2020 booked.

Woohoo!  That's the YOLO spirit!  Book now, think later! 

1 hour ago, TheHobbys said:

I really enjoy the CK breakfast every morning.  It's really nice and peaceful and the food has always been excellent

+1 on really enjoying CK for breakfast.  I am there most mornings when I have access to it.

I did have that room but...the configuration of that room is very different on Deck 8 compared to the ones on other decks.  Ours was on Deck 8 but the ones on Deck 9 are configured more like a Junior Suite with the bunk bed replacing the space where the walk in closet usually is.  Still lots of space but you won't get the 3 room separation like the two on Deck 8.

33 minutes ago, 12thman said:

The lunch menu in CK does change the entire trip? What about breakfast? We have Sky class so we were thinking about having some breakfast and lunch in CK.

Breakfast doesn’t change. Lunch is the same day 1-4 then it changes 5-7.

8 minutes ago, Fairlynew said:

I see references to the breakfast menu, but does anyone have one to share?  

It's in my Harmony blog.  Link in signature below.

1 hour ago, TheHobbys said:

you mean you would actually stay in a non-suite now? 

I was just speaking hypothetically 

Going to jump in again on this one and say that we have done a number of Royal cruises and never really did specialty at all until this year. Up until 2017 we did none at all. Then we added in one per cruise in 2017 & 2018. The only reason for that was that there were unique restaurants that we wanted to try (ie. wonderland and Jamie’s because we cannot turn down pasta).

Anyway, in March of this year, we sailed Star class and I was so torn because I knew it would be specialty all the way to max out our Star class benefits. But I also saw this as a good opportunity to test them all out to see if it was really better than my beloved CK. My conclusion is that specialty is great but CK is most definitely comparable if not better (which is what I had suspected all along). And the other thing to consider, which we fell victim to, was that it really is food overload. Unless you are really good at portion control, which we were not, by the end, we felt pretty ill. I know that @WAAAYTOOO has made mention of this before too. It’s just too much food. 

That was our rationale for cancelling the UDP for our sailing on SY this July. We were on the fence about it but our UDP experience on HM helped us to decide.  I 100% agree with @spiralqueen in that I would save the UDP for the smaller ships that do not have a coastal kitchen or save it for when I am not in a suite that includes CK. 

4 hours ago, Fairlynew said:

Long story, but I booked the wrong cruise l

This is always a fear of mine.  Every time I book something, whether it be a cruise or airfare, I have a brief moment of panic where I am not sure if I got the dates correct.  Glad you got it worked out @Fairlynew

56 minutes ago, Matt said:

I'm shocked you did not start on New Years!

There's this annoying thing called work and report cards and graduation to plan...

Great video.  I've really only seen the Solarium in scopes, but it looks beautiful in this video.

60 days now!  @Matt Should I start my live blog?? 

Just now, Cruisemad888 said:

Thank you so much. This will calm down DH as I think he is still in shock that our bid was accepted

That is a great upgrade!  The only thing to note is that you won't get the double Crown and Anchor points that you usually get for sailing in a suite.  Other than that, the perks all come along with the upgrade!

Just now, Cruisemad888 said:

Very nice. Thank you. This is only my 3rd ever cruise! What are the perks you have saved up? Confused on that part

Sorry, that was misunderstood. I meant that I had the non-O/Q class perks saved in my files (which that is what I just posted for you).

1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

Wait, you have Tim Horton's in Canada, no?

Uh..YES!  And to derail this blog even more (sorry @Joe01 lol), Tim Horton's in Canada is way better than Tim Horton's in the US.  There is a difference!  Good tip about Macaroni Grill.  I've always wanted to try it out but have never had the opportunity.

4 minutes ago, Cruisemad888 said:

Ooh tell me more. On the Explorer sailing from Southampton on Friday 

This is for Navigator but it is going to be pretty much the same thing.

Dear Suite Guest,

It is my pleasure to welcome you onboard the beautiful Navigator of the Seas. We are honored that you have selected Royal Caribbean International for your cruise vacation.

My name is Nadja Durdevic your Concierge onboard. I am available to assist you with any special requests you may have throughout your cruise vacation. My hours in the Concierge
Lounge are daily from 8:00 am to 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

As a Suite guest, you are offered exclusive amenities and services not available to other guests onboard Navigator of the Seas. For your convenience,
here is a brief summary of those services:

·        Use of the Concierge Lounge, Deck 9 aft.
·        Spa Bathrobes for use onboard.
·        Upgraded amenities for the bathroom.
·        Complimentary pressing service for the first Formal night.
·        Continental Breakfast served daily in the Concierge Lounge, From 7:30 am to 10:00 am
·        Hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary bar setup served in the lounge every evening before and after dinner from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
·        A la Carte Breakfast served daily in Chop’s Restaurant on Sea Days from 8:00 am to 10:00 am and in Port days from 7:00 am to 9:00 am.
·        Daily menus displayed and pre-ordering for your dinner wine.
·        Limited VIP lounge chair set-up near the Pool Bar area between Decks 11 and 12 ( no chairs reservation ).
·        Full Dining Room room-service privilege (available when Dining Room is open).
·        Reservations for any of our specialty restaurants, sports activities, Shore excursions! Salon and Spa services, etc.
·        Our new additions i.e. Chef's Table, Sabor, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi  Restaurant ,Chops Grille ,get booked early, to avoid disappointment we suggest you make your reservations early.
·        Arrangements for private parties.
·        Reserved private seating during breakfast and lunch in Chop’s Grill restaurant (please see your service personnel for directions).
·        Business services such as copies, etc.
·        Cocktail party hosted by the Captain (invitations will be sent).
·        Reserved VIP seats for production shows the suite area will be open 15 minutes prior to show time (please show Cruise Director’s staffs your Gold SeaPass card at the entrance).

The Concierge Lounge is a private area accessible on a 24 hour basis with your Sea Pass Card.

We respectfully request that guests follow a smart casual dress code when visiting the Lounge (no swim or pool attire is allowed, footwear is required at all times).
To ensure all our guests are able to enjoy this exclusive lounge we require that all guests 21 years and younger must be well behaved and accompanied by a parent
or guardian at all times.

Please come and see me in the Concierge Lounge or contact me by dialing 8903 from any vessel’s phone. If there is any way I can be of assistance to make your cruise vacation
more enjoyable, please do not hesitate to ask. We hope you will have the vacation of a lifetime onboard the Navigator of the Seas.

Best Regards,

 

4 minutes ago, joshvc said:

Gotta be honest, scratching my head at this one. Orlando is home to some really fantastic food, but Cheesecake Factory doesn't make the list for most people.

It does if you are from Canada or Europe and there is no Cheesecake Factory in sight! 

23 minutes ago, Cruisemad888 said:

My RoyalUp was accepted today. Going from Guarantee balcony to Grand suite

 

what extra perks arks should I be expecting?

Awesome upgrade!  You will get Sky Class perks if you are on Oasis or Quantum class.  I also have the non-O and Q suite perks saved.  Let me know if you need it.

16 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

@mom2mybugs Actually no! We took a 12 day last fall and were pleasantly surprised that the menu was different every night. Maybe it depends on the ship.

@mom2mybugs...apologies, @Mljstr might be right. I was thinking of CK when I posted the answer earlier. There’s too much talk of CK lately I got confused between threads

7 minutes ago, 12thman said:

Did notice that the menu is very similar to Allure in CK. 

It is the same but Anthem follows the usual rotation as Harmony, Symphony, and Ovation.  Not sure which rotation OA does.  But the menu is the same.

1 minute ago, Baked Alaska said:

Will they also make rezis for CK before embarkation ?

Yes most definitely.  Also for the entire week if you wish.

@12thman, I just thought of something else.  When we cruised Anthem last year, I took quite a few pics of the food at Coastal Kitchen.  It is documented in this blog.  I have pics from every night except night 7 (that is my least favourite menu of all the night so we went to Jamie's).  Maybe the pics will help in your decision too.  Disclaimer:  They are not @twangster quality photos.

12 minutes ago, 12thman said:

Did forget to mention this cruise is for our anniversary so this is the most important cruise that I can give my wife...she's my life and deserves everything I can give her!!

Ah...I am showing this to Hubby!!! 

Very sweet.....

4 hours ago, Baked Alaska said:

Thanks @WAAAYTOOO for the info. Is it possible to give our suites concierge all of dinner rezi requests in our reply email? I would prefer to get that squared away.

We usually do this and it's not a problem.  They can reserve the whole week.