Sail2k

We were there on March 8th with Icon, the other ship with us in port that day was Mariner.  We arrived at Hideaway at 9am and there were still a lot of chairs available everywhere.  We picked a nice shaded set of chairs under an umbrella right by the pool.  

We loved are time there and highly recommend it.  The music is not as loud as it was when they opened it, Royal has said they listened and turned it down a little bit.  To me sound is all very subjective...some people will claim it is super loud and other will not.  We didn't find it too loud.  But on that note, there is space to get away from the DJ music all together.  Goto the On the Rocks bar and listen to the house band....or go all the way to the end of the area to enjoy a quiet area.  You have options.

As far as the pool goes....to us it was just a tad too warm.  We had to leave to goto the Oasis pool at around 1:30 or so.  It was a warm day...lots of sun, just too hot for that.  The oasis pool was cooler and felt more refreshing.  It will be interesting to see if they keep it that warm in the middle of summer!!  The pool never really felt crowded like it used to get at the Oasis pool...just seemed like more room and overall less people in the pool to us.  

Food was Coco Cay food...it will do.  I def think it was a step up from what is offered on the island currently, but nothing that you will go "OMG that was good!"  It is just functional.

So at $60.00 a person...Depends on my cruise I guess.  It is a break from everyone else...especially if your on a cruise with a ton of kids and you just need a break lol.  I would say the sweet spot is around $30.00 per person.  We enjoyed it, we will do it again and we recommend it.  

Side note...they pulled the DJ booth totally out of the Oasis pool area.

On 2/11/2024 at 7:40 AM, Cruise a holic said:

IMO a big difference in sailing in suite class vs. regular class- the lounge, deck and restaurant are so worth it to us-  We like to be in bed by 11 PM and I am concerned that the area might be noisy- however I would rather be in a an entry level suite then a regular balcony cabin.  We have put in move up bids.  But don't expect to get a move up as the prime suites sell fast and are limited.  You have a better chance of a move up from an interior cabin to a balcony cabin with a good bid.

 

We def get that...our last few cruises have been sky class.  What we found out on our last cruise is that yes you need reservations for dinner at costal kitchen if you are in a junior suite..you are also allowed in the lounge and at the bar.  The drinks are not free, but you can go in there.  I always thought different, but on Wonder the bar tenders told us otherwise.  We will test the water in March, as we booked a great last minute deal for a jr suite...but the one we are really excited to see is the sunset corner suite we have booked for Sept 24.  We love the sun decks and the suite sun deck looks great on Icon!! 

We looked at the Family Suite for my wife and I.  We decided to go a different route after reading some thoughts from people who stayed in one and watching videos.  Some things that swayed us were size of the room...lack of storage...no counter space in bathrooms.  Size is the biggest one...at only 265 sq feet..that is barely larger than the infinite balcony.  It is the cheapest suite option for sure, but not sure I would spend that money just to get the cheapest suite when the cheapest suite is not cheap.  Just my opinion tho...

I have heard that they have toned the music down a notch at the hideaway on this weeks sailing...I have no idea if that is true or not, but have heard and read that it appears quieter.  We will find out in 3 weeks....

We have purchased it multiple times and like everyone else if it is near the internet price, which I must have to stay in contact with work, then we get the Key.

For us it is worth the easy of everything, but the best perks for us is the reserved seating for the shows on the Oasis class ships and the ease of checkin and boarding (drop off bags).  We have it for our upcoming Icon sailing which will be great for getting good seats and supposedly they will have a fast lane for various things.  We shall see

I want to add to the conversation about the suite space on Icon.  It looks fantastic to me and I can't wait to see it this March.  I will say this...the suite areas are the most bare and least used places on the cruise ship IMO.  We did Wonder in a Crown Loft and loved going to the suite deck which was right down the hall from our suite...but 90% of the time we were lucky if there was 5 other people there.  Same for Costal Kitchen...very quite each night and also during happy hour at the bar.  We had the same experience on Symphony and Harmony with their respective suite area.  

I really don't think that Royal is all that concerned with going crazy developing the suite deck or Costal Kitchen when it is really not that utilized by suite guests in general.  And I would say that some nights, you see more Pinnacle Club members than suite guests  at the Costal Kitchen and Bar.  At the end of the day, as a Suite Guest, we have never been like "man I wish there was more to the suite areas!" Most of the time we are like "the people in the suite area are the bomb!! They take care of everything!"

Just my opinion..

We have a booking for September and decided to jump on early also...so we got a great deal on Christmas day for March 2nd and pulled the trigger.  Just couldn't wait!!! Now after seeing these videos on here....we are super excited.  

On a side note...I cannot believe how much the suite prices have gone up since we booked last year.  We booked a corner sunset suite...the largest size one they have...that room is now $15,000 per person.  That is just stupid...stupid...stupid.  Over 2x the price we paid!! 

Today I just received the update that my bids were cancelled (the one that said I was in a Crown Loft)....so now I was able to bid on a crown loft now (which I did)....much better.

But again, doesn't matter if we get the Royal Up, it would be nice, but we are totally happy with the room we have on the boardwalk

11 hours ago, LarryHD2 said:

Have you checked your Cruise Planner to see what cabin you're in?...  and to see if there is an outstanding balance?  Also check your CC to see if they charged you.

 

If you're indeed now in a Crown Loft, and there is no balance due and no charge to your CC, I would say you scored the ultimate upgrade....  free....

My cruise planner has my correct Boardwalk Room and there is no money due, which is all good.  The only time it said I was in a crown loft was when the Casino Royal lady accidentally made the change.

So here is a funny situation that I want to get changed but not sure if I can.  So this past weekend I called the casino to see what it would be to upgrade my free Boardwalk Balcony on Symphony to a Crown Loft...lady puts me on hold, comes back and says ok I moved you to the Crown Loft Suite....how do you want to pay the difference.  I said I am sorry you misunderstood, I didn't want to switch, I wanted to get a price on upgrading.  Long story short she got me switched back and gave me a quote.

2 days later I receive an email stating that my bids for Royal Up have been canceled, but I can make more bids.  So I click and it says my current room is a Crown Loft Suite and I can bid on all of these huge suites...so what the heck I did because Max bid at this point on 2 bedroom Aquatheater is 1,600 and 1 bedroom is $1,500 max..All the bids were super cheap...but I just want a crown loft suite, and they are available for our sailing..

SO anyone have this happen, and who can I call to get my room corrected so I can bid on Crown Loft Suite?? 

We have never done door decorations...but we do use them as landmarks...lol  Love it when the cabin next to us is all decorated, makes it so much easier to find the room after a long night! 

Not a guarantee balcony, but we had a large ocean view balcony for 3 of us and bid $1300 on a crown loft and it was accepted.  I know the room cat has a lot to do with what is offered for Royal Up.  I really think it is hit or miss as far as what is accepted and what is not as well as when it is accepted.  Our December cruise bid was accepted 30 days prior to sailing.

Good luck!!

Sometimes a bottle of lotion or sunblock will work also....maybe even a magazine from the early 90's...

I need to find someone on Harmony of the Seas Thanksgiving week so they can put a few towels down before I board on the 1st of December...just need 6 on the pool deck, by the beach pool, 6 in Aqua Theater...maybe 6 in the theater and a couple on the promenade.  I can handle the rest I think. 

I will be happy to pay whoever can do this for me with diamond plus republic credits, which are good for 4 free front of the line passes at customer service. 

38 minutes ago, Monk86 said:

Just get a towel embroidered with "Diamond Plus Member- Reserved Seating" and leave it where ya want...done.

We tried that...came back and there was a line about a mile long of people just waiting for a chance to sit on it... Another line of people asking where the overflow towels were....and a small group of people going back and forth complaining that they need more Blue Towels....was a nightmare

Could you imagine if they had a pool bounty?  That would also be a great idea...you could pay for your cruise in pool credits....it would make the drink package appear cheaper, so instead of calculating how many drinks you need to break even, you can calculate how many chair hog towels you need to swipe.  Or maybe we can turn the towels in for cruise points...maybe like 2500 towels to get to Diamond + 

On our last cruise I finally realized the almighty power of the "Blue Pool Towel" as my wife and I watched one after another appear around the pool deck.  I watched as blue towel after blue towel were placed on chairs for hours on end with no bodies to hold them down.  One after another a blue towel was left for hours on end on a lounger without a care in the word...no body touched them, it was like some mystic magic...a blue towel held spots for everyone!!  Passengers and crew are afraid to touch or move them!!

So this got me thinking...I went to the pool stand and asked for about 20 blue towels.  With my towels in hand I made my way around the ship...I put 2 in the theater...2 in the Aqua Theater...2 in the Diamond Lounge...a couple in the casino...2 in Windjammer...some at the pub and a few in good parade locations on the Promenade.  Was the best day ever...all our spots were now reserved all day without a care in the world.  We showed up whenever we wanted for everything!!  Magic I tell you magic!!  The mystic power of that blue towel keeps everyone from touching it, even the staff!! We saw a few people try to get some crew members to remove the towels from the Promenade, but he knew there was nothing they could do as that towel was blue...maybe a red towel he could remove and most definitely he could remove a white towel....but not blue.

So now we have taken this blue towel into our everyday life....I place them everywhere...before a good movie comes out I goto the theater and place them on prime seats...I use them at Disney World for firework and parade locations I would love to have...I lay them on the ground at the mall in prime parking locations a couple of days before we go...  It is all magic!!! Spots saved!!  I even think I may start a business just selling blue towels...

*intended to be funny...please no flame war...no blue towels were harmed in any way

I too wonder how the heck it is all done and figured out.  I would assume it is all programmed for various configurations and data sets...but I will say it definitely doesn't always go-to the highest bidder...friends of ours all had booked balcony rooms together for a post wedding cruise...all but 1 room on same floor, 2 people bid on RoyalUp, the one who got upgraded bid 200 less than his friend.  The only real difference we all noted was he (winning bid) was a 1st time Royal cruiser...

I imagine the people who run this for Royal and other Cruise lines are kept in a hidden compound, with no contact from the outside world...their identity is hidden...phones are tapped... Because it would be great to know someone who does this...lol they would become our new best friend!!

On 11/8/2019 at 1:58 PM, junglecat said:

Does Royal Caribbean ever hold Black Friday Deals?  We've booked a resort for mid January and just recently received an email that they are adding over $100 for parking and the costs to rent a car are a lot more expensive than the last time we rented a car.  Right now, due to these two expenses, the cost to cruise or go to the resort are about the same so we are considering a cruise.  We've found one we like, but are just on the fence about what to do.  Someone suggested a Black Friday Deal??  Not sure if this is something they do or not.  Thoughts?

I would have to agree that slots are much easier to get points than table games, at least for me.  Table games for me is a very social thing...my wife and I enjoy talking to other players and good dealers, but as ratings go this can be difficult.  My bets go up and down depending on the people at the table and the way they play, and that affects my rating...not going to bet 100 a hand with a crazy table.  Hell we have spent hours at a $10.00 table because we were having a great time chatting it up, but we know at the end of the day, not really getting any points.

I fell like with slots, it really doesn't matter what people are doing next to you...your bet is not affected by someone hitting 14 on a dealer 6...it is you and the machine.

On Majesty this summer, you could not have a drink in the pool, but hot tub nobody said anything.  Pool it was fine if you were sitting on the side of the pool, but when I reached over to grab a sip, was told not to do that.  

Royal appears to be cranking them out today!! Congrats to all!

True, true. And Zipline and Putt Putt...

43 minutes ago, LadyShiva said:

Thank you... that explanation lessens the sting a bit!

 

Enjoy!!  Good luck in the tournament!

What Tournament?

29 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Di you get at L1 or an L2?

L2

My bid was $1,300 per person, not total. Sorry for the confusion, when I bid it is per person for the 1st 2 people in the room.  So it comes out to $2600 total for the 3 of us