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An old woman, her ho-hum (so sweet) hubby and a genie. Anthem, February 26, 2023.


Yesiamthere6

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Yes, you can have anything from the MDR or any specialty restaurant delivered….but if you order from the MDR you will need to order it on a night that it is being served.  The Genie can work all of that out.

As far as what you have to order, I have found that ordering more is better.  IOW if you’re ordering spaghetti, you would want to ask for salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, bread, butter, extra sauce (if that’s something you might want….I find their spaghetti to be on the dry side sometimes).  If you want a Caesar salad you will need to order that.  Also be specific with what you want to drink and desserts.  The dining room servers will deliver exactly what is ordered and nothing more.  The Genie should help you with making sure the order includes everything you want but some Genies are better at that than others.

Glad you asked about the dining table setup b/c we have had a huge variety of results there.  Some Genies set the table personally (Charlie was the best at this….unfortunately no longer a Genie with Royal) and some Genies don’t even bother to drop by and find out whether your meal ever made it to your room (I’m looking at you, Allan).  You need to discuss what you want/expect beforehand. Yes, IMO you should expect SOMEone to come and set the table.  Whether it’s the Genie or someone else is rather immaterial but the Genie is in charge so he/she should make sure that is taken care of.

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1 hour ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

@WAAAYTOOO

@SweetPea What kind of room did you say in during your genie cruise?  How did you handle snacks for two people?

@Lovetocruise2002

Forgive me because my phone isn't being very cooperative and i can't delete other mentions. 

We were right above you in 10324 on Anthem. We became masters of throwing things up and down the levels because we were always forgetting something or other while we were on separate levels. 😅  I did write a live blog here, but it was from 2019. So I'm not sure how much help it'll be to you. 

But, i had a standing order for late breakfast, which came everyday. Even on disembarkation day. (Bloody Mary and a slice of bacon). We made friends with the folks who stayed in your suite and we shared a butler. There was an occasion where we all hung out in our suite and our Genie told us to contact him, especially if we were enjoying the weather on our balcony. Our neighbors were already pros, and would have wine delivered there on their balcony in the afternoon. Sometimes Johnny Rockets.

Looking back, i should've been more vocal about afternoon snacks since we typically only eat at dinner. Our snacks everyday were a standard fruit plate and cheese/cracker platter.  Every day.  I prefer veggies. On our next cruise in September, i do plan to be more assertive. IDK what my deal was since on Norwegian we're not shy about what snacks we want. On Norwegian, our afternoon snacks were saved for our late night feedings so there's that. 

However, our Genie knew we liked our "late night feedings." So we'd have pizza, nachos, and the like waiting for us as we came into the suite at night after our late evening entertainment. Hence our not really eating till dinner the next day. This is all making me realize that you shouldn't really listen to me. 😀

But, we will probably skip late night feedings and order light lunches on our next trip since i can no longer eat some sliced peppers without gaining 342 pounds ....

 

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20 hours ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

 

@Lovetocruise2002 I’m thinking, after this ‘couple’ genie cruise, I’ll go back to the grand suite/sky class, unless we have our grown kids with us.  Hubby and I both receive four free drinks for being diamond and the suite lounge/coastal for dinner since booked in a grand suite.  Grand suite’s bathroom is pretty darn nice too!!  

I too said to the boss that we could be very comfortable in sky class......it didn't go so well though...

Actual footage....

fist shake GIF

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Not looking good!

Got an email just after elven last night from our genie, Monica.  She wrote that due to unexpected “business” needs, she will be handing over Genie duties to Genie Gandhi.  She’s handed over to him our correspondence so far.  What the heck is unexpected business needs.  Thinking that due to genie shortages and she has to go to another ship.  

Where does that leave us?  Will there now only be two Royal Genies, with one having four (or five?), and mine maybe having 5 (or six) rooms to handle.  If so, we are all going to get short changed, for sure!  Too many rooms!!

Does anyone know anything about Genie Gandhi?  

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6 hours ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

What the heck is unexpected business needs.  Thinking that due to genie shortages and she has to go to another ship.  

My guess is that is exactly what it means...

Ghandi is newer, but people like him. He spent some time on Spectrum (I think) before heading over here to North America.

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24 minutes ago, Murmer said:

I wonder what is going on too because I had a different genie on the same cruise and she also switched us to a new genie with the same wording. So that is 2 genies switching for the same cruise with the wording.

Someone else got switched too.  Do you now have Wendy?  It’s really odd.  Have you heard from your new genie?

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I’m feeling much better about the “late” genie switch.  Our new genie, Gandhi, has already reached out to me.   I’m impressed, especially after the positive reviews I’ve read about him on the internet.  I think he going to be awesome.  Well educated guy too!!  I did add about having a dinner in our room, or balcony.  It will be my spaghetti night!!  

A week from Sunday it will be our turn.  

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On 2/15/2023 at 4:11 PM, Yesiamthere6 said:

Someone else got switched too.  Do you now have Wendy?  It’s really odd.  Have you heard from your new genie?

I just heard from Wendy today. But something she said makes me think there will only be Wendy and Gandhi as genies on our cruise so will have more cabins per genie. I hope not but it sounded like it.

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@Murmer, I totally agree with your thoughts about having only two genies on board.  Adding two more rooms per genie is going to be hard.  They will be spread thin!  That said, our new genie has reached out again about our request for dinner in our room.  He seems really organized, but he is going to be super busy our week.  Thank goodness, it’s just going to be the two of us, instead of 7 of us next year.  That would really be a mess!  

What room are you all?

 

 

 

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54 minutes ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

@SweetPea I was thinking about getting Monica a gift, thank goodness I didn’t.  Remember the awesome gifts @Lovetocruise2002got her genie, that had her name on it!  

IKR? We had Derick and gave him a nice pen with his name engraved and personalized stationery. (Derick hand writes your itinerary for the day, everyday). If we were swapped Genies, i can't imagine anyone else would like that! 🤣

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1 hour ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

I’m thinking about cruise insurance.  Never used it, but thinking it would be a good idea for our kids on their next cruise. Who do you all go with, and how does it work?

We drive to the port and have no pre-existing conditions and our immediate family is reasonably healthy too, so we just use the insurance that comes with paying with the Chase Sapphire card. I know many argue against it, but over the years, we spent well over 10k (roughly 35 cruises) in insurance we never used (not once), and whatever happened, it would've been cheaper for us to self-insure.  Now I sometimes just buy a cheaper medical only policy that is primary. (Don't go through the hassle of insurance that is secondary.)

However, previous to my "living on the edge" philosophy i truly recommend the trip insurance store dot com (888-407-3854).  It's a small business that is extremely knowledgeable and will walk you thorough just about anything. I bought through them several times and the service is excellent.

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After over a year, it’s almost MY turn, just waiting for @GregDand his family to be done. 🙂  We fly out Saturday and stay at the Renaissance by the airport.  We will Uber to attend Mass then, most likely, get something to eat at the hotel.  We are cruising during Lent so no meat for us on Friday.  

We only have one excursion booked, Kennedy Space Center.  What the heck are we going to do in Nassau is beyond me.  Share any ideas you have!  I guess we could stay on the ship and sit in my grand suite eating bonbons!  

We got hooked up with our Genie, Gandhi Marquez, via WhatsApp a couple of hours ago. He comes across as sharp, but I’m worried that having only two Genie’s to handle all those star class rooms, is going to be tough.  Genie wrote where/how we should board.  He also wrote:

“If I am escorting other guests onto the ship, as I am responsible for other Star Class suites as well, kindly wait for me in the waiting area inside the terminal after the check-in area, and I will be there to escort you as soon as possible.  Kindly be advised that there might be some waiting time involved.  Please do not proceed to the ship on your own. (That sentence was highlighted). Also, I might have to escort multiple guests at the same time, if arriving together.  I thank you, in advance, for your kind understanding and patience in this matter.”

We should be at the terminal before boarding time, so I’m thinking, there will be quite a few of us boarding together.  If we board with a “room that has seven people” then there would be nine of us boarding together.  At that point, I would be happier for hubby and I to board on our own then trying to stay with a group of strangers.  That said, it is what it is, so we will play the game, and certainly not blame our genie.  He is only one man, who has been given additional rooms.  Hubby is so darn easy going and not one to complain.  Remember he is the guy that almost swallowed glass that was in his dessert.  Nice cut in his mouth with blood everywhere, but even then, he didn’t want to say anything.  I was surprised when hubby said, look we are paying thousands extra to have a genie, so I do expect our requests to be met. That’s big folks!

I’m thinking most of our boarding group will head to the suite lounge for lunch.  Hubby and I, most likely, will eat at 270 or Brass and Bock pub, so there is going to be a major split as soon as we get on the ship.  

I was excited that our genie said he would get us a preliminary drafter planner this afternoon.  Once again, it seems our genie is really organized and trying to get ahead of the potential storm.  I’m sure all his star rooms will be booked a lot together for activities.  I do want to see the bridge!  

So, yes, I am disappointed that our trip will start with an overbooked genie, but so happy that it is just hubby and I going.  What a mess it would be if it happened next January when it’s with our kids.  

Let the packing begin!  

 

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I wouldn't worry about boarding! We were also a party of 2. While ours was pre-CV19, we did arrive just after noon, which i think helped, and we went right on with just the 2 of us escorted.  However, debarkation was different as all 3 of our Genie's families wanted to leave at the same time. All it meant was that we were escorted together and Derick held the elevator for all of us and brought us down to the terminal. 

On Anthem, all the suites are in the same location so even if you're with others, it's really no issue. (I'm hoping they at least divided Genie duties by deck if they're are only 2).

If your staterooms aren't ready, I'm sure Ghandi's got a plan in place to drop off your carryons. If the others you happen to board with want lunch in CK, he may escort you there first so you're familiar with the location and then set you on your way to B&B.

All this to say, don't worry! I 😁

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1 hour ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

“If I am escorting other guests onto the ship, as I am responsible for other Star Class suites as well, kindly wait for me in the waiting area inside the terminal after the check-in area, and I will be there to escort you as soon as possible.  Kindly be advised that there might be some waiting time involved.  Please do not proceed to the ship on your own. (That sentence was highlighted). Also, I might have to escort multiple guests at the same time, if arriving together.  I thank you, in advance, for your kind understanding and patience in this matter.”

I wouldn't read too much into this. Most of my Genies have attached that message to their emails closer to sailing.

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1 hour ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

Hubby and I, most likely, will eat at 270 or Brass and Bock pub,

Warning, this was one thing I was mildly annoyed with. When we sailed Anthem this past summer, I had told our Genie we would eat lunch at the Pub on boarding day. He even put it on our planner. When we got there for lunch, it was closed. They apparently were open for drinks only. No food. So make sure that is actually open.

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55 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Warning, this was one thing I was mildly annoyed with. When we sailed Anthem this past summer, I had told our Genie we would eat lunch at the Pub on boarding day. He even put it on our planner. When we got there for lunch, it was closed. They apparently were open for drinks only. No food. So make sure that is actually open.

That’s good to know!  If it is closed then we will do 270 for salad and roast beef sandwich, so I’ll find out. Did you ever eat at the pub?  If so, how was it?

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1 hour ago, SweetPea said:

I wouldn't worry about boarding! We were also a party of 2. While ours was pre-CV19, we did arrive just after noon, which i think helped, and we went right on with just the 2 of us escorted.  However, debarkation was different as all 3 of our Genie's families wanted to leave at the same time. All it meant was that we were escorted together and Derick held the elevator for all of us and brought us down to the terminal. 

On Anthem, all the suites are in the same location so even if you're with others, it's really no issue. (I'm hoping they at least divided Genie duties by deck if they're are only 2).

If your staterooms aren't ready, I'm sure Ghandi's got a plan in place to drop off your carryons. If the others you happen to board with want lunch in CK, he may escort you there first so you're familiar with the location and then set you on your way to B&B.

All this to say, don't worry! I 😁

If the room isn’t ready, would you be comfortable giving your book bag (with valuables) to the genie?

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13 minutes ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

If the room isn’t ready, would you be comfortable giving your book bag (with valuables) to the genie?

Yes, i would, but i live on the edge 😅. But I'm guessing that the Genie would likely have access to your room before you and would drop off your bag there if not some other secure location. 

 

 

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14 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Yes, i would, but i live on the edge 😅. But I'm guessing that the Genie would likely have access to your room before you and would drop off your bag there if not some other secure location. 

 

 

On the very few occasions that our room was not ready when we boarded, we were always allowed to drop our things at the suite, anyway.  We dropped and scrammed to stay out of their way.  I’m sure they will allow you to drop your bags even if the room isn’t quite ready.

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19 minutes ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

That’s good to know!  If it is closed then we will do 270 for salad and roast beef sandwich, so I’ll find out. Did you ever eat at the pub?  If so, how was it?

Yes, I've eaten there before. The food was good. Nothing extraordinary, but not bad either.

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32 minutes ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

Got a message from WhatsApp from our genie with the schedule for our meals.  I was a bit surprised that he scheduled us for breakfast and lunch too, like one day we eat lunch at the Italian restaurant.  Anybody else had their genie schedule your breakfast and lunch?  

Lunch, yes.  Breakfast, never !

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On the star class royal Caribbean page someone wrote that the waiter told her that the most outrageous request by a star class passenger was……drum roll……the guest demanded that all staff serving them be dressed in a tuxedo and white gloves.

You can’t make this crap up!  

I think I will request the same, but add that they “bowed to me” before speaking or serving me.  

I’ll be famous!  

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1 hour ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

On the star class royal Caribbean page someone wrote that the waiter told her that the most outrageous request by a star class passenger was……drum roll……the guest demanded that all staff serving them be dressed in a tuxedo and white gloves.

You can’t make this crap up!  

I think I will request the same, but add that they “bowed to me” before speaking or serving me.  

I’ll be famous!  

That's just drinking from a cup of the crazy right there 🤪 😜 

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The game has begun!  We are sitting in the USO club In Cincinnati waiting to board the plane to Newark. We are flying Delta, and only have lounge access with American. USO clubs are for active and retired military. They have comfortable sitting and lots of snacks/drinks.  It’s really quiet in here!

It’s going to be rather chilly when we land - around 31 degrees.  Tomorrow for boarding should be warmer.  As we make our way to Florida we will continue to warm up, to rather hot for an Old White Woman.  Plan is to avoid the sun, if he comes a knocking!

Hubby thought he said another funny yesterday when we were talking about how the last year (when we booked this cruise) has just flown by.  He then looked at me and said, Should we really go to the all of the trouble of packing and going on the cruise when we will just turn around and be back home and have to unpack.  

He is packed and sitting right beside me!  

 

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17 minutes ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

Shoot fire, sitting on the plane that has computer issues. Going to be at least a 45 minute delay. If we can’t get out today via plane, we will be driving, eleven hours .  
 

 I’m alive and feel great. 
 

life is good. 

 

Oh no, not an auspicious start, but thankfully you have plenty of time. It's just cold here, but the weather is clear in case you have to resort to Plan B. Safe travels!

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Perfect timing on landing!  We were able to grab our first out bags and head straight to Mass.  We are staying at the airport Renaissance, and everything has been great.  I was a bit worried with their mixed reviews.  Split a sandwich at their restaurant and now chilling in our room.  Hubby reserved our Uber for 9:45 tomorrow morning.  Our checkin time is ten to ten thirty.  

It’s 32 degrees so colder than what we left in Kentucky (44), so we are armed with warm clothing.  We should warm up time we hit Florida!  

Curious to see how checkin goes with our genie having the responsibility of extra rooms, but will soon find out.  I’m excited about our loft suite, as I’ve never stayed in one…..exciting new experiences!!  

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29 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Welcome to NJ. Please don't judge our state based on its armpit. 😀

Sleep well. Looking forward to your boarding report tomorrow. 

My mom, born in Philadelphia, but was raised in Atlantic City.  Hubby and I lived in Holmdel, NJ for three years while hubby was working with Lockheed Martin.  I got some close ties to that state!  Newark is not New Jersey. 🙂  

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