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Does the Royal Genie Really Make a Difference?


JNS123

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We have been thinking to try a Star Class room and essentially the biggest perk that comes with Star, is the Genie. I know that Royal does not have a set list of what the genie can do because the Genie is supposed to basically do what you want them too, but it seems that practically all the things the genie does for you, I can easily do myself. For instance, if I choose to book Sky Class, I would have access to early booking to shows and dinning. I would still have to figure out what shows I want to do and where I want to eat, but the only difference is that if I was in Star, I would tell the Genie not the concierge. And the experience on the ship I don't think would be much different. Being in Star Class does not give me access to special areas. The only thing I can think of being useful on board, is how the genie can allow you to skip lines in popular attractions. Other than the room size, I don't see why it would make sense to spend so much money for Star Class. I still want to try to see if the Genie really does change the experience. But for all of you who have cruised in star class, what has the genie done to make your vacation more special. Thanks

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I have had wonderful experiences with out last Genie on Royal, and horrible experience with our 1st Genie.....

The 1st Genie literally just did the basics, got us reservations, held seats for shows, and got us on and off the ship(priority).  It wasn't worth the cost, and anytime we asked for something like chocolates in our room, or some popcorn for a movie night, they would just tell us were to go get it.....  It seemed this was the last days for this person on the boat.  

The last Genie we had did all the basics plus above and beyond!  We got private shuttle service off the pier at COCO Cay,& St. Martin, behind the scenes of all the shows, got to see the bridge and crew quarters.  We got what ever we asked for within typically 5-10mins tops(chocolate, band-aides, sunscreen, drinks, etc), including enough Sushi for our room party to feed 20 people!  He got us some awesome parting gifts, and gave us a tour of the other Star Class Suites on the boat, on day of de-embarking.  We also was with a party of 12 people(of which only 4 had Star Class), and he made sure all of them was able to join us with private reservations at the shows and dining.  He even got us my favorite water & alcohol (not served on the ship) for our room, and to take home.  Even in the Casino, if he saw me he would make a note to go to the closest waiter in my area and tell them to make sure me and my friends had a drink in there hands at all times, and that I didn't wait for anything.   It was really worth it with the second experience.

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14 minutes ago, Big Red said:

I have had wonderful experiences with out last Genie on Royal, and horrible experience with our 1st Genie.....

The 1st Genie literally just did the basics, got us reservations, held seats for shows, and got us on and off the ship(priority).  It wasn't worth the cost, and anytime we asked for something like chocolates in our room, or some popcorn for a movie night, they would just tell us were to go get it.....  It seemed this was the last days for this person on the boat.  

The last Genie we had did all the basics plus above and beyond!  We got private shuttle service off the pier at COCO Cay,& St. Martin, behind the scenes of all the shows, got to see the bridge and crew quarters.  We got what ever we asked for within typically 5-10mins tops(chocolate, band-aides, sunscreen, drinks, etc), including enough Sushi for our room party to feed 20 people!  He got us some awesome parting gifts, and gave us a tour of the other Star Class Suites on the boat, on day of de-embarking.  We also was with a party of 12 people(of which only 4 had Star Class), and he made sure all of them was able to join us with private reservations at the shows and dining.  He even got us my favorite water & alcohol (not served on the ship) for our room, and to take home.  Even in the Casino, if he saw me he would make a note to go to the closest waiter in my area and tell them to make sure me and my friends had a drink in there hands at all times, and that I didn't wait for anything.   It was really worth it with the second experience.

We will have Star Class in Feb. and was wonder what type of things to ask for, within reason, that they would/could do. That helped quite a bit. Thank you @Big Red

Anyone else have anything to add would be awesome.

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15 minutes ago, Midwest Cruiser said:

We will have Star Class in Feb. and was wonder what type of things to ask for, within reason, that they would/could do. That helped quite a bit. Thank you @Big Red

Anyone else have anything to add would be awesome.

Ask away, but, sometimes the Genie can't help with certain request.  We got our last Genie who really went above and beyond, but you really know who you will get.  Make sure to make request such as drinks choices, and what you expect to do, and favors to ask, to the genie in the questioniar sent out around 1-2 weeks before the. cruise.  

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aladdin GIF

My experience, it was nice, and I would book star again but mainly for the unique cabin, Sky is my happy place. I'm the planner, it provides me joy. Our Genie was a delight, but it honestly caused stress sometimes because he was spread to thin at the time. We like to get up and go, sometimes change plans last minute and I felt angst at times having to meet my genie somewhere at a specific time being keenly aware that if we had a hiccup it would screw up his schedule with others, and that possibly negatively impacting someone else was stressful. We didn't need or ask for much and I felt he felt pressure to offer things that we had no interest in. For me personally I would love it if you could book a Star suite but forego the Genie except for maybe embarkation/disembarkation. I think it's so personal, the service in addition to the personalities, will you click?  We are quiet and private and having a stranger under foot everyday was a bit more then I bargained for. It was great in theory but didn't really work for me. I believe he was surprised at the nice gratuity I gave to him after the sailing, he kept saying are you sure I didn't do much? I think he was concerned because we kept telling him we were good and didn't need extra, so I wondered if he thought we didn't enjoy it. We did enjoy it, our way and I explained he was perfect it was just our style. I am an advocate for trying it yourself at least once for sure! 

 

 

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Honestly, it does depend a lot on the Genie.  We’ve had Genies who went waaay out of their way to make things extra special and we’ve had Genies who took short cuts and never bothered to make sure we felt extra special.

Dan is not a particular fan of the Genie, in general.  He feels a lot like @Neesa expressed - like the Genie is really more of a nuisance than a benefit.  I love having a Genie.  It’s truly a personal preference.  If you do not enjoy personal interactions, you may not appreciate the Genie’s function.  If you don’t enjoy being fussed-over in public, then the Genie may not appeal to you.  I enjoy the personal attention.  Dan does not.

If you have a large group, I believe a Genie is waaay more valuable than if you are a smaller family.  As @Bigred mentioned, having a Genie means being able to entertain in your suite and that can be an enormous advantage.  It’s just the 2 of us so we don’t require a lot of planning and executing large group activities.  In the past, I organized a couple of cabin crawls for large groups and the Genie(s) turned those into incredible party events.  I’ve long ago ceased doing that as it’s more work (even with Genie’s help) than it’s worth but if you have extended family or are part of a larger group, the Genie will be worth it.

It also depends a lot on why you are cruising in the first place and what “kind” of cruiser you are.  If you are cruising to get away, enjoy a lot of “down time” and relax, the Genie is probably not a great idea.  The Genie’s job is to organize activities for you and make sure you do everything you want to do.  Some people enjoy doing a lot of nothing…and for them, a Genie would not only be a waste of money, but a constant irritant b/c the Genie will be trying to “help” and you probably don’t want any help !  If you are a spontaneous cruiser who likes the flexibility to change your mind at the last moment then the Genie will be a frustration to you as you will have “plans” and you will (hopefully!) feel obligated to stick to them.

I recommend that you do it once and see how it goes.  

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We've been super lucky to have 3 star class cruises and have had 2 hits and one miss. 

Our first was with 7 of us (3 adults and 4 kids) in the 2BR AquaTheatre suite.  He was disappointing.  He made it hard to contact him (email vs. whatsapp or messenger), and didn't really do much to go above and beyond, only responded during specific hours and to the most basic requests that I could have done more easily on my own.   We felt like an inconvenience.  If we hadn't already had our 2nd star class booked I'm not sure I would have jumped again.   We were really disheartened - especially after having heard so many great things about star class.

Second - 4 of us (2 adults and 2 kids) - Star Loft Suite - December 2021 - our first trip out of the country after Covid (we 're Canadian) and Agostina was an absolute GAME CHANGER.   Anything we wanted - no ask was too big or too small.  She made my kids feel welcome and was happy to make them feel a bit extra (snacks, treats, general kindness).   Honestly, though, the biggest was our covid tests to get home - we had a couple of hiccups and she was an absolute rock star and sorted it all out - and we made it home in one piece.  Also, my luggage was lost on the way to this cruise and I did an emergency 11:30pm trip to target for 5 pieces of clothing that I would wear for the week... but Agostina did everything she could to follow up with the airline to get it delivered to one of our ports.   Sadly it wasn't possible (remove ports and Covid-reduced flight options), but it was nice to feel like someone was trying to do something.  I cried when we left Harmony for this cruise - she is amazing.

Of note on our second star-class cruise we ran into a couple who were on our first star class cruise and they had the same disappointing Genie experience as us - and they were so frustrated with him they had a meeting with the hotel director on day 2 and had him changed.   They had sailed many star class cruises and knew what to expect and knew that the service wasn't up to par.   Having said that, I think he was very new and since then I've only read really great things about him and that passengers are loving him - and I was thrilled to see that.. genies can't be easy to acquire!

Third - 4 of us - (2 couples) in the Royal Loft Suite - we scored a royal up from our AquaTheatre Suite to the Royal Loft and Andrei was our angel sent from heaven.   He made sure we had the best staff, great seats, anything we needed in our room, anything we needed period.   And it wasn't over-bearing... just kind and amazing.  Love him.  I cried when we left Symphony too.   lol

It's the intangibles with the Genie.   We overslept for our nap and would have been late to dinner.... reservation changed.  Hot tub on the balcony not working (first world problem, right?), fixed within the hour, escorted off the ship instead of waiting with everyone in a hour-long line, expedited boarding and straight to the room to drop off carry-on, snacks in the room when boarding and taking a minute to enjoy the room/balcony, morning coffee deliveries (with a morning text asking if we want it after I forgot to order the night before), hiccups with on-board credit handled by the genie, daily laundry is something I don't know how I will live without now that I've had it - lol!  I find it hard to ask for things (my husband finds it easier - go figure), so it took me a minute to get over "I don't want to bother him/her."   Which isn't to say we were texting all day, but for example -  on a work day we were stuck in the suite one day and we just sent a quick text asking to have some sandwiches sent up from Park Cafe - and boom - 30 minutes later we were eating a great lunch on the balcony.

Is a genie a necessity?  No.  Have we also sailed post-genie in a regular room? Yes.   Did I have a terrible cruise?  No.  Just different.   I don't mind planning and making reservations and handling the logistics of my cruise.   Having said that, I do all that stuff at home and it was really nice to not have to sweat it out for a couple of trips.

We have our 4th star class coming up this summer - we have a 2BR ATS and are travelling with friends who are in a different 2BR ATS - and I think the genie is going to be very valuable with our group of 9.  I'm literally counting the sleeps.

 

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I book Star more for the cabin and the bundled perks like UDP, DX, gratuity, etc.  

As a Pinnacle I've cruised a bunch and seen the shows, often from the front row or near the front row.  I can board right after the Star guests, like 40 seconds later.  There are some Star perks that have diminished value when you've seen all the shows and can board quickly already.

Despite that there are other perks like ordering specialty dinners to the suite that are simply not an option any other way besides being Star.  The genie can do things that no one else can do, or they can do things easier with a simple text message.

My next Star booking is with someone who is gold and only has a couple Royal cruises completed.  I think the genie will come is more handy for that cruise.

A lot depends on the size of tour group.  A genie for one guest solo is nice but not all that.  A genie with a group of four or more makes organization and dealing with last minute changes a lot easier. 

I think Star in general works best with larger groups, or brings more to table when larger groups are involved.

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On top of what everyone has already said, is a genie necessary, of course not. Does the Genie make a real difference? Depends on who you are asking. For myself, the Genie makes a huge difference because then I don’t have to be the Genie. That and many other points that others have already pointed out. In the words of @WAAAYTOOOlong ago, you cannot quantify the value of a Genie. The value is in the little things.

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I'll just add my perspective as a a new Royal cruiser. We had done one cruise on Mariner in a suite and it SUCKED. We actually said never again on Royal. Took us 11 years to try Royal again after that and that was with Star Class on Anthem, so we have absolutely no status on Royal (though we do on other lines).

Star was a game changer for us in that we didn't have to worry about not having status, having a SPOC, having everything included, being able to bounce ideas off an expert and not feel bad about it. Hubby said that embarkation and debarkation were worth the price of admission alone, especially not having to put your luggage out the night before. It was absolutely stress-free and blissful. It was a 180 degree turn around from our crappy Mariner cruise. 

Maybe i have a skewed perspective of what Star did for us, considering how much our Mariner cruise sucked, and that would be a fair assessment. I know Royal has done a lot to separate C&A benefits, esp for D/D+, from suite benefits, but when we sailed Mariner, the overflow lounge and concierge lounge together couldn't handle the load of eligible C&A members + suites, and we wondered why we bothered to book a suite. So take my review with a grain of salt. If we were Pinnacle or even D+, i probably wouldn't hesitate to book Sky.

 

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We have only cruised Star with Royal so for me the genie is important because I have no idea how to do what they do! LOL  Could I figure it out with concierge if we sailed sky class; yes, but I think I would be disappointed in the lack of flexibility and perks like laundry, specialty dining delivery to the suite, fully stocked mini bar, someone to get Bingo tickets and bypass lines. Basically I would resume genie duties for my family and having a genie is one of the perks I like most about star class. 
I wished the program was more consistent fleetwide and feel Royal needs to do better at delivering the “ all inclusive” experience they advertise. The recent changes to some perks are silly; why take away a $34.99 perk or priority access to certain activities. 🤷‍♀️ It’s petty and annoys people more than anything.  As others have said the genie is a personal thing; each brings their own style and personality and you may click with one more than another.  Our first experience was not good but others that followed were excellent. Whether star class is worth it for you comes down to intangibles. I am not sure the cost can ever be justified solely on price. Even with some of the recent changes I am still #teamstarclass. 

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Interesting thread.  We have never stayed in one of those fancy rooms , so just giving my perspective on the "thought" of having a genie.  The rooms look amazing but to me, having a genie is almost a negative.  Service is always amazing and we always say hello and a chat with our room attendant but I really don't want someone waiting on me hand and foot. And Neesa's experience would bother me.  I'm a planner and love it.  The shows on our Oasis cruise should open soon and can't wait to book them. It's part of the fun.  I just like having the control and doing things for ourselves.  Don't get me wrong, it's interesting reading others experiences and I totally respect it and can understand how a genie would be wonderful for some, just not for us.  I don't know..I grew up with a mom in a wheelchair so we always had help in our house, so that could also be a reason I wouldn't want someone "helping" per se.  (And maybe if we actually had one, my thoughts would change as it's just my perspective never having one)

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  I sailed Star after it was first implemented.  Boy what a difference!  The Genies really were on the ball delivering the wow.   Priority bracelets gave you access to short  lines on the flowrider, ice skating, rock wall etc.  It was a new and exciting program for a few years, then the newness wore off, social media tended to give reviews of all the things the genies did for you and those requests started to explode and genies started to become spread thinner especially on the ships that added Star Class rooms on Oasis Class without adding additional staff.  Couple that with corporate cost savings and ship's management starting to say no. 

For example

I would get Starbucks delivered to my room in the am, then one day Oasis said no longer can you have it delivered and brought a pot. 

Flowrider priority got put to 1 or  2daily hours at 8 am similar to the KEY program versus going every third person.  The wristband no longer allowed you to cut the line on many of the activities.

No longer free Sushi and Cupcake classes.

Now no surprise delivery's from the genies unless you ask specifically for them. (Granted there was much wasted food)

You are not allowed in your rooms when you board and in many cases luggage isnt there waiting for you as promised. 

They won't reserve seats for you outside of shows ie, rising tide on party nights, karoke etc.

You now are required to purchase chefs table and hibachi ahead of time with a promise of OBC or refund.

With that being said for those who do not cruise a lot or want a special time, I would say go for it, but your experience will not be the same as before.

 

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We just sailed Star class for the first time last week. I did not know what to expect even after watching all of the videos. The room was AMAZING! 

Our Genie was changed on embarkation day-I didn't have a warm fuzzy with the communication from the original. Our new Genie was Fantastic. We let her make all our show and dining reservations (with the exception of Cats...lol). Half way through day 2 I realized there was no way to cram everything the Oasis has to offer in a 7 day cruise. We just went with the flow and it was the most relaxing and fun packed cruise we've been on. Our Genie was within easy reach with What'sapp. We did not go overboard with special requests. There were a few in room surprises on return from shore excursions. I would venture to say a good Genie gets into a rhythm with their clients. 

We were taken directly to our room on embarkation and the luggage soon followed. In pre-cruise communication it was recommended to make reservations for Chef's Table and Hibachi. Once on board the Genie started the refund process. Refunds showed up within 3-5 days.

It is an incredible experience to try at least once. I think it will/would take 2-3 sailings in Star class to fully understand and maximize the perks of Star class and the Royal Genie.

It will be difficult to go back to Sea/Sky class . I will definitely book SC again to celebrate a special anniversary or birthday.

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We did our last Star Class cruise, and first since the COVID shutdown, this fall and I just have to ask about the list @MLH shared.  Things were still evolving and we had some of the first Galley/Bridge tours but the sushi/cupcake were not back.  Still most of what was listed seemed to be active and available from the Genie, if desired.  We did book the Chef's Table ahead of time since we really wanted a specific day and did not want to chance it, though it would have likely not been an issue.  

As for the general theme of this thread, the Genie is a great perk in our experience but there can be variations in what you feel your are getting.  We don't mind planning and can do it but the difference for anyone who plans is that you can make your plan and give that list to the Genie for execution on the reservations, etc.  If there are changes or issues the Genie can really help.  it can be a challenge to see and do it all on the largest ships and for anyone that has limited time or sailing with Royal the Genie can help get to more of the "must do" items.  The Genie is a great help in planning once they reach out via email so have your list ready if you are a planner, once onboard they are great for changes to the plan or spontaneous requests.

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Good Morning Everyone,

                                          This post was very interesting. We are booked in Star Class with our 10 year old son for the first time ever and are wondering if it would be a big benefit for doing activities such as laser tag, flow rider and the abyss. Would he be able to decide when to do those activities or is there only certain times the Genie would help him with lines ? My wife doesn't like to be held to regimented times for dinner  do ALL the dinner plans need to be made in advance or could you decide say one day we'd like to do Chops Grill last minute and the Genie could arrange that ? I guess what I'm really asking in a long way (sorry) can things be done spontaneously each day with a Genie ? Thank-You everyone that could help us with this.

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@Ducky57 your requests are some of the benefits of the Genie.  Having some added flexibility to the overall time on the ship is a plus of the Genie since you can ask them to make the plans.  They will interact with you daily at minimum and you can adjust your plans requests at that time.  

The one caveat is "last minute", that can be a little tricky even for the Genie.  If you mean adding something the day of that can usually be accommodated.  Very late requests on certain days or places might be tough.  For example asking in the afternoon for Chops dinner on the formal night might not be so easy.  Our Genie on Ovation, in 2019 when our son was 11 got him, and me in some cases, to many of the things we wanted to do, including multiple bumper car rides and we took turns going with him since I didn't need to be bumped around that much.  There are some things we did coordinate with the Genie like the iFly, NorthStar (the glacier day) and the trapeze but most were just spontaneous when the activity was open.  On Allure this fall we did have a dedicated Star class flow rider session.  Didn't coordinate any other activities except shows on that cruise.  Not sure how much this is different post restart. 

Have a great cruise!

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4 hours ago, Ducky57 said:

can things be done spontaneously each day with a Genie ?

I will answer your question this way:  If you have last-minute/day-of changes of plan, your chances of success increase exponentially with the umph that a Genie possesses.  Will there be times that even a Genie cannot make your wish come true ?  Yes…but it will be rare.  As already mentioned, there are a few dining options which can fill up early (Chef’s table and Izumi teppanyaki to name the major ones) and when those are filled, they’re filled.  Not much the Genie can do.  But if the changes can be made, the Genie is your best option for making it happen.

Truthfully, the Genie is the absolute definition of a spontaneity-enabler.  It’s their job to make arrangements…even if those are last-minute.  There are parameters for things like Flow Rider priority use but you will be informed of what those are and how to make use of them.

Someone earlier in the thread mentioned daily delivery of Starbucks on Oasis.  I can verify that daily Starbucks delivery on OA is alive and well.  I do believe that there was a brief period of time when some were experiencing a hesitancy in suite-delivery of Starbucks (although I never did) but I think that hesitancy is now gone and things are back to reliable delivery from Starbucks !

It’s interesting….someone upthread mentioned WhatsApp and how that feature was a benefit in their experience. I found that to be exactly the opposite.  I do NOT want to have to constantly check my phone for updates or inquiries from the Genie.  I found the texting feature to be intrusive and a sad excuse for the Genie to minimize personal interaction.  I saw almost nothing of my Genie (in person) on our latest SC cruise and I missed it.  I truly felt like the reliance on texting reduced the level of service considerably.  Our feelings were certainly reflected in our tip at the of the cruise, too !

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13 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said:

I may have missed this in the comments above, but doesn't sailing Star class and having the Genie also allow you to book your specialty dining pre-cruise making it less "stressful" once you board the ship?

The only time that pre-boarding reservations are usually necessary are Chef’s Table and Izumi Hibachi.  The rest can be made any time by the Genie.  He/she can almost always wrangle a table for SC.  Large parties are more problematic, of course…. I have found that the Genie usually creates a preliminary dining schedule based on your pre -arrival discussions (remember…you will be in comm with your Genie for a month prior to boarding !  Lots of decisions and options are made during that pre-boarding time) when the Genie learns your preferences but inevitably, changes will need to be made and the Genie is your golden ticket for making changes happen.  Less stress is the goal !

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On 1/26/2023 at 9:02 AM, JohnK6404 said:

I may have missed this in the comments above, but doesn't sailing Star class, and having contact with the Genie beforehand, also allow you to book your specialty dining pre-cruise making it less "stressful" once you board the ship?

Yes you should not have to worry about specialty dining times.  We have never purchased any specialty dining through the cruise planner ahead of time; our genie has taken care of this for us including hibachi and we have always been happy with our dining times. Some report that their genie has requested they pre purchase Hibachi but we have not experienced this. More flexibility in your dining times may be needed for Hibachi. Once we ate at 5:30 vs our preferred dining time of 6pm and another time at 7pm. Both worked out perfectly as our genie scheduled us for shows that worked well with the dining times. We always cruise Christmas week and there tends to be more changes to the entertainment than on other sailings. Essentially these changes become your genies problem to sort out; not yours. This is something I really appreciate as it could get overwhelming to try to rebook specialty dining to coincide with the revised show schedule during full capacity.  

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