F1guynz

Much nicer weather there. it is raining in Auckland

They still have to purchase their own drinks (or use a voucher) so there is not a significant benefit for the non-pinnacle apart from being able to sit in a lounge that is more exclusive. To me, this seems more onerous on the wait staff who in theory now need to check whether the guest is eligible for a "free" drink. I feel that in practice, the non-pinnacle will also get free drinks.

They are loaded on to your sea pass card and I usually just mention I want to use it just to be sure. For casino cash you can log onto any slot machine using your card and transfer the money to your casino account. the Internet is much more expensive than pre-purchasing in the cruise planner so I would not use that on the ship.

Especially as @Matt said in his article "Adding the new benefit means Pinnacles can bring friends they know on the ship with them to enjoy the reserved space. Prior to this change, the benefit was only applicable to the Pinnacle Club guests." Which would not be correct, if they have to be in the same cabin.

The suite lounge on our Quan tum sailing was well below capacity, maybe 20 guests. It does not seem as popular as in the Caribbean as it was like this last year as well, I was allowed to bring my parents in even though they were not in a suite.

I do not understand what this means, in the same cabin?

They were bad on Quantum as well, they always seem to be at deck 14 or deck 5. Hmm I wonder what could be on those decks that is so enticing, could it be the food

I saw them for sale on Quantum from the same venue. From memory there were two sizes and one was $30 and the other $50.

It looked that for passengers too from the videos I have seen.

I tried a slot tournament on Quantum for the first time this week. I think multiple tournaments ran over the week of the cruise. i really enjoyed it, it was $25 buy in and $20 re-buy. There were numerous qualifying rounds followed by a final for the top 12. first prize was $500, I can’t remember whether it was casino play or a cash prize. Maybe I will get one of these offers, but I seriously doubt it.

Is the article below regarding some flood damage in January 2024 the damage you are referring to? https://www.cruisehive.com/flooded-cabins-impact-guests-on-following-royal-caribbean-sailing/122565# if so, I would not be concerned. They can/will replace any damaged carpet and there will certainly be no concern for your cruise next year. You will never know that it happened. We are scheduled to go on Voyager next year to Croatia and we have no concerns whatsoever. We have been on Voyager many times, you will find it a great ship, perfect for the itinerary you are doing with plenty to keep you busy. ‘Enjoy planning your cruise, and do not concern yourself with this news, you have made the right choice.

I did ask whether we could acquire digital copies and the photographer said no which was the other reason we did not purchase any.

As we could not use our C&A free photo coupon we did not purchase the photos.

They didn’t provide this option to us, and you could not view the photos in the photo gallery. They were only available for purchase directly from the photographer. Perhaps it is something they are trialing on certain ships, as some seem to have experienced it while others have not. Also, we were trying to use our C&A free photo coupon as we have done in the past, but it is no longer available for use with specialty restaurant photos.

This is further clouded by the fact that there are now Sky Junior Suites. What I personally dislike is that Coastal Kitchen is listed as a benefit of a Junior Suite, yet Royal Caribbean potentially limits your access simply because it is a Junior Suite. Full suite guests can book early through the concierge, securing reservations before you board, leaving very limited availability for Sea Junior Suites, or with only unfavourable dining times remaining.

At Captain's Corner, the captain mentioned that a special crane is required to help repair the damage. I am guessing they need to detach the capsule and arm to replace the motor.

I think the main work they will do is fix the North Star which requires a special crane. One of the robots in the bionic bar needs fixing and it needs a full repaint as the paintwork is shabby, otherwise the interior is in good condition. Maybe they will change Jamie’s Italian into a Giovanni’s Kitchen but I don’t see any major chances, especially as Odyssey is still very similar in design and features apart from Playmakers in the seaplex. i wish they would replace the lifts with destination elevators as lift waiting time is one of the worst features on Quantum ships. I just completed my blog from Quantum this week if you want to have a read.

A wrap-up of our last few days on our cruise: After the Noumea stop, the headliner show that night was a hypnotist called Shane St James. The show was very funny and family-friendly. He called for volunteers to be hypnotised, and there was a stampede of people to the stage. The following day, our final port stop was Mystery Island in Vanuatu, a place we have visited several times. The facilities on the uninhabited island are fairly basic, featuring white sand beaches, shallow-water snorkeling, and market stalls in the centre of the island. Locals also offer boat tours for viewing turtles, snorkelling, and exploring in glass-bottom boats. Mystery Island is a tender port, so passengers who wished to get off early required tender tickets. We elected to get off in the afternoon, avoiding queues for the tenders, and it was a 10-minute trip to the jetty on the island. It was a very hot day, so we decided to walk around the island and then return to the ship. There is a sandy track that runs around the perimeter of the island, and there is also a grass runway down the centre of the island, built by Americans during World War II when the island held strategic importance. There are some half-day beds that can be hired for $159 AUD, which also include a massage. The day beds can be rented prior to the cruise and may sell out, so I recommend booking in advance. Be aware, these are very basic day beds, so do not expect CocoCay quality facilities. Many of the passengers who had come over early had already returned to the ship, so the tender queue was short, and we were soon on our way back to the ship. Dinner was at Jamie’s Italian, and the food and service were great. The final couple of days before returning to Brisbane were sea days, with the sea having a bit of a swell, causing the ship to pitch more than usual. The pool was closed, so it was fun to watch the pool slowly empty itself of water. Dinner was in Coastal Kitchen, which included lobster night. The lobster was nice, but I thought the portion size was less than generous. Our CK server recommended we also order the scallops as an additional main, as it was a very small meal. We both took up the offer, and I agree if this was the only main ordered, you would come away still feeling hungry. I had eaten one and half scallops before I took this photo but this was the whole main dish. On our final sea day, we were joined by Willie in the suite lounge and had a very enjoyable conversation that ended all too quickly as we had a dinner reservation at Chops. After dinner, we put our bags out ready for the sad reality that we would be leaving in the morning. Our final morning consisted of breakfast at CK before meeting Willie at 9 am to leave the ship for the final time. Getting off the ship was very quick, and Willie escorted us straight to our bags. It was time to say goodbye and thank Willie for everything he had done for us on this cruise. There was a Pier Genie waiting by our bags, and she escorted us straight through a special customs zone and out to the terminal forecourt where we had an Uber waiting. If we had preferred to use a taxi, there was a priority queue for SC guests. Sadly, another cruise has come to an end, but we will be back next year to do it all again. In the meantime, we look forward to our next cruise in September on Harmony.

I don’t understand why they would go back to printed photos, I only want digital. I can print any photos I want and I can crop the frame from the photos if I want to.

We also have some taken on Brilliance last November in specialty restaurants that were included. i think next time we will get heaps of photos taken, let them go away and have them printed, and when they come back will just say no thanks. I don’t ever want printed copies as it takes me too long to digitise them properly.

Have the photo benefits been amended recently? At the Chef’s Table, everyone had their photos taken, and towards the end of the evening, the photographer came back with printed copies (how early 2000s is that). There were no digital copies available, and she mentioned that free photo diamond vouchers were no longer eligible for photos taken in specialty restaurants. Sounds more like one of those policies enacted on a single ship in the fleet than company policy. I am going to check with our genie tomorrow about this.

Royal’s marketing information is woeful to say the least that’s why I don’t believe the cabin blurb can be trusted as to benefits received. On Quantum they don’t mention you get a royal genie (you do) with a Grand Loft Suite. I think it never got updated from when it was in Asia.

You will receive an email, in our case, on the day the cruise started just in case there are no-shows.

Today was the first of our two port stops, Noumea. We have been here a few times but never to the aquarium, so that was the plan for today. Noumea port is a working port, so you need to take a shuttle bus to the information centre in town. The bus ride takes around 5 minutes. A lot of passengers take this trip just to access the free Wi-Fi within the terminal building, which is air-conditioned and refreshingly cool. On the top floor, there are market stands where you can pick up souvenirs of your visit. Most, if not all, will accept payment in Australian dollars. Across the road from the visitor centre, there is a supermarket to purchase anything you may have forgotten. The prices are in francs, but you can pay using a credit card. There is not a lot to do in downtown Noumea itself, and it is not a particularly pretty place, and it can also smell at times. If you do not want to venture far, there are a few historic buildings, a square, and a place to buy gelato and play outdoor chess. If you walk to the top of the hill, you can also visit an old church. Outside the visitor centre, there are stalls to purchase third-party tours, including the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus for around $15 AUD per person. There are a couple of different vendors offering HOHO, and there is also the option of taking a tour on Tsu Tsu train to see the main attractions. The Tsu Tsu train tour is around 1 1/2 hours. The HOHO bus you board depends on the colour of the wristband provided to you when purchasing your ticket. You can only get on the same brand of bus when you want to be picked up. The buses are air-conditioned and clean. The HOHO stops at Lemon Bay 1, Lemon Bay 2, and the aquarium before heading back to the starting point, picking up passengers along the way. We took the bus to the aquarium, which took about 20 minutes. We walked to the aquarium, which is about 50 metres from the bus stop but found it is only open for group tours and opens at 1 pm. To pass the time before it opened, we went for a walk around the beachfront and found somewhere to get a drink and have some lunch. It was very warm, so we selected somewhere shaded to have a milkshake before returning to the aquarium. There was only a short queue for the aquarium when we returned, and we were soon inside. The aquarium was a little disappointing, as I felt, for this day and age, the tanks were too small for the fish and turtles that lived there. The tour of the aquarium lasts about 1 hour, and you exit through a gift shop. We finished at the aquarium and headed back to the ship as we had dinner reservations at Wonderland. Before dinner, we spent some time in the suite lounge and had a long chat with Willie, our genie, a thoroughly lovely man. He was one of the original concierges on Wonder of the Seas, and it was interesting to hear his take on the opening of a new ship. Dinner at Wonderland was enjoyable as always, and we ended the evening with the Starwater production show.

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