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First Time Star Class 8 night Holiday Bahamas Cruise Anthem 12/20/19


Jax

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I think I would tend to agree.  This must be a Genie thing.  I am also very surprised.  Even after you mentioned "list provided" he did not think to review that with you ?  Very surprising.

I have held off on reviewing genie experience as I want to experience the full 8 days first but with only 2 sea days left I think some of the shortfalls may be due to his newness and inconsistent communication. The schedule the genie provides does not match up with the calendar in the app. So our app says we are eating in places that is wrong. Today for example the app had us at Jaime’s for lunch and Izumi for supper but we were actually scheduled for lunch at Izumi and supper at CK ?‍♀️ It has been frustrating to keep track of and it would be ideal if everything was loaded in app calendar.  I also think it would help if we had frequent check ins from Andreas to review the days activities and dining the day before. It isn’t uncommon not to see him until he shows up while we are eating supper. Being new to Royal and star class perhaps we should have done a better job at setting expectations.  We have no idea what the debarkation process is in terms of luggage or last day breakfast or time off Etc. So I will follow up on this. 

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2 hours ago, Jax said:

Being new to Royal and star class perhaps we should have done a better job at setting expectations.  

Please don't take this the wrong way...

I really think that Star class blogs are a double edge sword.  On one hand, it gives you really great information on what you can expect, on the other hand, you cannot help but to make comparisons. 

From what I have learned about Star Class over the last 2-3 years, the basics (saving seats, all inclusive drink/dining package, laundry, etc.) of the program is consistent.  Everything else is not.  All the "special experiences" you hear about, all the pics that people post, it all comes down to Genie and ship and what individual guests ask for.  If we did not know about the experiences of others, we would not know what to expect or ask for and the experience would be great because the basics of the program alone is better than Sea or Sky class.  At the same time, we hear about others and while knowledge is helpful, we expect the same sort of experiences as others.  When this doesn't happen, disappointment sets in. 

In my opinion, this is where Royal drops the ball on Star Class because the experience should be the same across all the ships in the fleet that offer it.  But is is not.  Even the Genies admit that what they can or cannot do really depends what ship they are on.  What I am trying to say is that with your last few days left, don't worry what your experience is like compared to others.  Instead, ask yourself if you are enjoying it.  If you are, then let it be that.  Your experience, while not the same as what you may or may not have heard, isn't any worse if you are still loving and enjoying every minute of it.  New Genie or not, it's still Star Class and that's the best!  And you're still getting way better value than DCL lol.  That's my two cents. ?

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Interesting. Since the Genie was restocking the drinks, that sort of confirms that he (the Genie) procured those drinks on his own.  Normally there is a bar attendant who takes care of the drinks.  Since Royal only has Coke products, I think your Genie got those Pepsi’s for you.  Great service on his part.

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We have a great final day planned tomorrow. The  boys are going to try stand up Wave Rider and hopefully the climbing wall — weather has restricted its hours; cold initially and then winds.  We hope the weather cooperates ?. Then 1 final I fly session followed by the bridge tour which Reyd and I are super excited about!! Supper at Chops and Lindsays last chance for the seafood tower followed by a headliner finale. 
Good news is that we do not have to put out our luggage tomorrow night ???? Andres will meet us at our suite with a porter and they will take us as far as customs before handing us off to a terminal porter.  We are planning breakfast at Coastal Kitchen Saturday morning. Andres says he has a few good hiding spots for us in life boats ? if only it were that easy ?.  

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There’s a ton of stuff happening on our last sea day. Check out Day 8 cruise compass. 
Our highlights today are to hit the thermal suite, I Fly, Bridge tour, hopefully wave rider will be open as it’s currently raining pretty hard, Supper at Chops, attend headliner comedy show starring Greg Vaccariello and fireworks later tonight.  Oh and I gave Harry our last 2 bags of laundry. (I will miss Harry ?) And I can’t forget making the final selections for the photo book. 

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2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I'll be interested to hear how things go in the thermal suite.  Being the last sea day and raining, it is likely to be very busy.  Wonder if being SC will make any difference for you.

It has been great all week. It’s felt like we have been at home using ours as we have never had anyone in there with us. I usually go in about 9 - 9:30 am and Lindsay goes in a bit earlier. I didn’t know what to expect but it has been great! 

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10 minutes ago, Jax said:

It has been great all week. It’s felt like we have been at home using ours as we have never had anyone in there with us. I usually go in about 9 - 9:30 am and Lindsay goes in a bit earlier. I didn’t know what to expect but it has been great! 

Were you allowed to use the thermal suite multiple times without a charge ?   That’s interesting if you were.  Usually it is only once, complimentary.  Originally, SC got unlimited TS access but shortly after the program began, they cut it back to once.

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Andreas ordered lunch in for us today. Pizza, Caesar salad and wings. Room service got everything right with the order ????  I am getting better at double checking the order before they leave. 
I ordered way too much pizza. I thought the small individual ones would be delivered but we each got a large from Sorentos. ?‍♀️ 
We told the in room dining attendant Clive he may as well stay for lunch.  

Rookie mistake was not checking out the hotdogs in the Sea Plex DogHouse before day 8. We have been going to Johnny Rockets all week but Lindsay and Reyd grabbed one this morning.  It was the best hotdog they have ever eaten! It offers New York style hotdogs - offering gourmet hotdogs and sausages and wide selection of buns and toppings. I am going to try later today. 

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1 minute ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Were you allowed to use the thermal suite multiple times without a charge ?   That’s interesting if you were.  Usually it is only once, complimentary.  Originally, SC got unlimited TS access but shortly after the program began, they cut it back to once.

We purchased the couples thermal package. I wish it was still included in star class benefits.  I wasn’t aware of the 1 complimentary use.  

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I received the letter offering a 20% FCC as a goodwill gesture for the extensive HVAC problems we had for the first 4 days. This was not something we initiated or asked for or even knew existed so we appreciate their steps to make it right. I will receive a certificate within 30 day’s outlining the amounts per person and other details.  This definitely motivates me to find our next cruise. We are thinking oasis class ships, maybe out of Miami. Let me know your recommendations!

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49 minutes ago, Jax said:

I received the letter offering a 20% FCC as a goodwill gesture for the extensive HVAC problems we had for the first 4 days. This was not something we initiated or asked for or even knew existed so we appreciate their steps to make it right. I will receive a certificate within 30 day’s outlining the amounts per person and other details.  This definitely motivates me to find our next cruise. We are thinking oasis class ships, maybe out of Miami. Let me know your recommendations!

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Do Symphony or the newly Amped Oasis out of Miami.. I am pretty sure Star Class on Oasis class ships are even more fun than on Anthem. You will love it

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One of our highlights today was a private bridge tour! Access on DCL was restricted to all guests. So we were very happy to hear we would get a chance to visit it on Anthem.  
We were allowed to take pictures but no recording of video. We spent about 30 minutes with the 2nd officer and were treated to champagne and other beverages. As traffic was light and weather conditions optimal only a 1st and 2nd officer along with a spotter are required on the bridge. 
Some interesting trivia: the ship carries 3000 tonne of fuel which = 3,000,000 liters.

This was a great star class perk for our family! Loved every minute of it. 

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So it’s our final night ?. We’ll grab breakfast in CK in the morning. Back to suite by 8:30. Andreas has arranged for a porter. Transportation p/u scheduled for 9:15 and off to Central Park hotel where hopefully we will get an early check in ?
I need your help as I have no idea how we tip our ?. DCL left envelopes in our stateroom so I assumed a similar process. But nothing has been left in our suite. Help please! We have always added our tips to our stateroom onboard account. 

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Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said:

You can get white tip envelopes from the suite concierge or guest services. We brought a card with us and tucked the money in with the card.

We assumed we could charge the tip to our on board account like DCL. We do not travel with a lot of US cash. Do you know if this is possible?? I can’t believe I didn’t bring a card or cash ?‍♀️ 

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12 minutes ago, Jax said:

We assumed we could charge the tip to our on board account like DCL. We do not travel with a lot of US cash. Do you know if this is possible?? I can’t believe I didn’t bring a card or cash ?‍♀️ 

Unfortunately, that I do not know. I have never added gratuities to my on-board account for a specific person. Going to tag @twangster @WAAAYTOOO and @CGTLH and maybe they will know. 

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1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Unfortunately, that I do not know. I have never added gratuities to my on-board account for a specific person. Going to tag @twangster @WAAAYTOOO and @CGTLH and maybe they will know. 

I phoned guest services and I am sending Lindsay to pick up gratuity form. We can add ? tip. 

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22 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Sorry you have to leave. I know this feeling well.  Have a fun stay in NYC and a safe trip home.  Thank you for sharing this wonderful trip with us.

Thanks for following along and sharing your insights! Much appreciated.  I will stay in touch about the FCC. 

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1 hour ago, Jax said:

We assumed we could charge the tip to our on board account like DCL. We do not travel with a lot of US cash. Do you know if this is possible?? I can’t believe I didn’t bring a card or cash ?‍♀️ 

You can do that. Guest services will charge the tip to your account. It's not a problem. Enjoy every last moment!  And thank you for a great review. 

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8 hours ago, Jax said:

Do you normally book direct through royal or travel agent? 

I find what I want and then contact my TA.  The value I'm referring to is overall pricing..but we also book when the itineraries are released.  This last release for the Oasis class ships made me feel as they perhaps made the Star Class too affordable!  

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Disembarkation is so much better with star class. Another perk I love! We didn’t have to put our luggage out the night before (I didn’t realize sky class had to), had a porter come in the morning to collect our luggage, Andres and the porter accompanied us all the way to customs before handing us off to a terminal porter.  It took about 20 minutes in total. We didn’t have any problems adding our ?‍♂️ tip to our on-board account. You just pick up a gratuity form at guest services.  Life without star class has set in; we had to find and pay for our own lunch and we miss our ?‍♂️. We have started looking at Oasis class ships for our next cruise.  

Port Transportation:  Dial 7 was waiting for us as scheduled and we had a quick trip to Trump International at Central Park. An SUV cost $130 with tolls and taxes. 

Thanks for following along and sharing your expertise throughout the BLOG.  This is a great forum and I hope some of what I posted may help you plan a future cruise.  Over the next few days I will share some final thoughts.  

 

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Staying at Trump International, Central Park was a great choice. It is directly across the street from Central Park. We received an upgrade to a corner 1 bedroom suite overlooking Columbus Circle, had a bottle of champagne delivered to our room upon arrival. The hotel offers complimentary access to its spa which has a steam sauna and infrared sauna .Complimentary water is delivered to your room during morning servicing and nightly turndown.  There is a full kitchen with toaster so we have been enjoying morning bagels ?. Whole Foods store is right across the street making it very convenient to pick up anything you need. The hotel has a complimentary car service for guests which has been great! It’s based on availability but we have lucked out a few times. 

 

 

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