F1guynz

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.

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 
 

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 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.
 

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.

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.

Hi all, got the Royal up email for our upcoming sailing, put in 2 minimum bids and within the week got notified that we were upgraded to a balcony. Wasn’t expecting this. Feel very lucky it happened.

Had a photo taken in Teppenyaki last night on Odyssey, we were told when they brought the print back out that we couldn’t use our C&A free print benefit. 

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.

This is true. I don't know when it changed exactly. We first noticed this for our March 2023 sailing on HM. It's been like that for every other sailing we've been on since then. But I don't know exactly when the changed happened.

We got hit with this surprise in Jaime's last year. We assumed the photos were going to be treated just like the ones taking in the MDR, so we happily posed and everything. Then, half way through our meal we're being presented with the photos to buy. We said "oh no we don't need the print/frame, we have the photo package" and that's how we found out it's an add on charge.
I do wish they made it clear that it wasn't included like allllll the other roaming photographers >.>

Happened to my family June of ‘22 in Chops on Oasis. It was Father’s Day-I thought it was for that occasion! They ran a special, I think 5 for $50. 
thru just for this in Chops on Anthem-$30 per pic-no thanks!
both times were dinner.  They do not come around at lunch.
 

Yes, they apparently changed it sometime last year. We had the same experience on Wonder last November. They took our photos in 150 CP and returned later with printed copies in a portfolio and asked if we'd like to purchase them. They also explained that specialty dining photos are no longer included in the photo packages. 
When I asked when this change occurred, the photographer stated over a year ago. I immediately showed him my phone with the typical "framed" photos (with the border, name of the restaurant, ship name and date) from our JAN sailing on Wonder (included in package that sailing) taken in 150 CP the same year and he was shocked! Needless to say, we were annoyed and skipped the photos. I cannot understand why they would exclude specialty dining venues. I can understand weddings, etc...
It's listed in the CP...

 

We do not have photos taken often but we recently ran into this as well.  I’m not sure if it’s a “new” policy or not.  But yes….apparently photos taken in the restaurants are not eligible for the free Diamond benefit….which completely sucks b/c that is generally the only time I will be patient enough to have my photo taken.  So now, we just wave the photographers “off” at the restaurants.  What a waste of money to have them print the photo and drag it back to the restaurant with that cheap paper “frame”.

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.

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.
 

Chefs table is included for Star Class guests so Willie made a booking for us. There is an additional $25 USD pp cost for alcohol but as I do not drink there was no extra cost for my reservation.
The Sommelier was from the Ukraine and was amazing. The chef for the evening was Dexter who apparently has the highest rating on all the ships.


Quantum is the only ship that is allowed to make changes to the menu and wine pairing so for this menu the Branzino fish was replaced with Barramundi otherwise the menu was identical to other sailings.

We had a great group of people around the table again so conversation flowed and dinner ended about 10:15pm. 

Here is the menu and prices from the Dim Sum restaurant.
i have not been able to ascertain whether it will change to Fish and Ships in the near future.

Yesterday was an uneventful day as it was a sea day. Willie met us in the Seaplex where we took a turn on the bumper cars. This is always fun, especially when you don’t have to wait in the queue.
during our walk around the ship I found this animated art which a really love.

They draw pictures over themselves then erase it.

We had lunch at Izumi which was very nice. Typically just before lunch, a whole of food was delivered to our cabin which will largely go to waste. We have told Willie we don’t need the extra food delivered as it is just too much.

After lunch it was back to the cabin but once the sun is on the deck, it is too hot to sit out there so we had a sleep instead. The aft cabins like ours do not get any breeze so when the sun is directly on them they feel like a sauna and the deck is too hot to walk on in bare feet.
Before dinner, we took the long walk to the suite. Much like it was like on Quantum last year, it was not very busy.

Dinner tonight was at 7:30pm in Chops. There were around 20 people there for dinner tonight. The meal was fine but I wish they would change the menu a bit as after 10 years of going there it would be nice to see a few different options on the menu, and I don’t mean pay extra items like icon.


After dinner we visited the casino which was busy but not too busy. The casino is non smoking when sailing in this part of the world which is great. It will be strange going on Harmony where they allow smoking as it will be the first time I have seen smoking in the casino.

After the casino we popped into the silent disco in Cafe Two70 which was fun to watch.
Then it was off to bed as the clocks go forward as we get closer to Noumea, but tomorrow is another sea day so it is okay to sleep in.

Well, it is finally time for another cruise! Yes, we are sailing from Brisbane on a 7-night cruise to the Pacific Islands with 2 port stops: Noumea and Mystery Island on Quantum of the Seas. On this cruise, we are in a Grand Loft Suite on deck 10. We chose Quantum primarily because it is less expensive than Ovation and is better value for us. We also wanted to cruise again with Hailey, who was our Royal Genie last year on Quantum. We have sailed from Sydney many times, so we are not concerned with the scenery on the sail away; it gets dark quickly anyway.
I think this blog will be a mini-blog, as the itinerary is similar to the one I blogged last year, so there will not be too much new information to impart.
We flew into Brisbane from New Zealand yesterday morning and are staying near the airport at the Novotel. It is a convenient location for getting to the cruise terminal in the morning. The hotel is clean and quiet, despite being near the airport, and there is an outlet mall around 100 metres away that also has a few places to eat. We spent the afternoon wandering around the mall, and made a few purchases— who can resist a bargain?




After a good night’s sleep, we took an Uber to the cruise terminal at around 10:30am, which is about a 15-minute trip and cost around $30 AUD (approx $20 USD). It is important to note that there is no public transport to the port, as it is in an industrial area far away from any amenities. There is parking available at the port if you have a car, though I do not know how much this costs.




Our genie, Hailey, had an unexpected medical issue and is returning home prior to the start of our cruise. We were very lucky to bump into her outside the cruise terminal before she left for the airport. It was great to see her again, and even though we are sad not to be sailing with her, Hailey’s health comes first. We are happy she is returning home and will be able to get the care she needs in Korea.
So now for this cruise, our genie will be Wilfredo (Willie), who was the concierge for our last sailing on Brilliance in November. This is his first time as a genie, but we are not demanding, so he will be able to ease his way into the job.
Getting onto the ship as a Star Class guest is very quick and took no more than 15 minutes. We were escorted every step of the way by a lovely pier genie as she expertly handled a guest who complained to her that, as she had purchased the key with priority boarding, she should be receiving the same level of service.




At the end of the gangway, which is actually quite a long walk, we met up with Willie, who escorted us straight onto the ship. We went right to the assembly station and completed the final step of our muster drill.

The gangway from above
Our cabin was already ready, so Willie took us up to our cabin. It felt similar to the royal loft suite we had last year, just on a smaller scale. Perfect for the two of us, though I will miss the hot tub on the deck.






After settling into the cabin, the food started arriving on a regular basis, but we headed up to the CK for a light lunch. I just had some scallops and bread, which was just enough considering all the food we will be eating on this cruise.
After lunch, we spent some time refamiliarising ourselves with the ship before heading back to the cabin for some R&R.


We left Brisbane just after 4:30pm in glorious sunshine and calm seas, now we have 2 sea days and a clock change before we reach our first stop in Noumea. After watching our departure from our deck we heading up to the suite lounge for some nibbles. The lounge was not overly busy and there were plenty of seats available. While there we caught up with Willie and made a few changes to our daily schedule.


Then it was off to Coastal Kitchen for dinner which was quite busy. We had organised to sit at one of the tables at the very end in the partially walled off area which was a bit quieter than the main restaurant. The food was very nice, I had the chicken leg as a starter, a dish I have not had before, but enjoyed very much.
For the main we both had shrimp crusted pollack with rice which was also fabulous. The meal was rounded off nicely with vairhona chocolate bar dessert.
After a quick wander around the shops and an order of Starbucks coffee it was back to the cabin to relax and retire for the evening.
Some quick observations 
1) Fish and Ships has changed back into a Dim Sum noodle restaurant.

2) Royal has learned the correct way to spell theatre, now if only they could learn we have holidays, not vacations. 😉

3) We received star class wow bands. Wow bands where not in use last year.
See you tomorrow for the next installment.
 

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