ATLgirl15

You might be able to get a walk up reservation in the MDR. Some days they are busy and some not so you might luck out. There are a lot of free options for lunch but I can't think of anything else for dinner other than Windjammer. Some venues like Park Café and the hot dog stand I think might be open until about 6 but those are small plates. On a previous cruise we went to Vintages one night and just had a few tapas because we were trying to get to a show. Its not free but its not pricey either. There is always room service - I've only done it for breakfast so I can't speak to the menu or speed. Good news is Oasis DOES have tons of options - we never ate at the same place twice for lunch and they were all free venues.

We were on the same sailing and have to agree - Oasis is definitely our favorite class of ship and this trip was one of our favorites. We love central park too - ate dinner outside at Giovanni's with live music. Never felt crowded - didn't even have trouble getting chairs at the pool. But we missed the water show - when was it? It seemed like all the shows were canceled and no matter who I asked I never got an answer as to when there would actually be one.

That totally made me laugh F27TW!!!!

I don't think any qualify as "musts," but they are certainly nice for a change of pace. We thoroughly enjoy eating outside at Giovanni's and listening to the live music in the park. We have not had good experiences at any cruise ship steakhouse so we avoid those (but we are very picky about steak-sooo many great places at home). We ate at Sabor last week on Oasis and enjoyed it. We wanted a casual, wear shorts night but not have to go to Windjammer. We found the service in all dining venues exceptional. Two of our party of 6 are gluten free and the staff really went above and beyond to accommodate.

I think today's cruise might be an anomaly and people were anxious to get off the ship and onto their Christmas destinations. But it was smooth and orderly and there weren't long cab/shuttle lines. I am already back in Atlanta and it's not even noon :)

Just disembarked Oasis this morning and it took longer than any other port we've been to. We did self carry off at about 7:00 AM and the lines were huge. They actually had to hold people in the promenade to wait for the gangway to clear. All in all it wasn't too bad but we did joke that it took us longer to get off the ship than it did to drive to the airport.

We were in Labadee 2 days ago and love the cabanas for the same reason - we travel with non-suite guests but they have access to Barefoot Beach when we rent the cabana. It really makes it worth it. We do over the water but I would not recommend that with kids. The standard ones are set back a little but spread out around the beach.

Just an FYI about the reservation policy. These can only be booked with the concierge-not on line. But since they rolled out the new Royal suite program they hold back the water and beach cabanas for Star class to reserve first. Only after they have all been contacted do they release any extras - 7 days prior to sailing. So there is no reason to reach out to the concierge prior to receiving the welcome email which is usually about the 7 day mark. Wiith only 2 beach cabanas it seems unlikely that anyone other than Star will get one. We didn't have any issues with water ones since there are 6 of them.

When I sailed on Silhouette they had one of those self serve coffee machines for lattes, espresso, regular coffee, etc in The Hideaway. I just assumed it would be the same on Reflection. Can someone verify if Reflection has this? it was the best option for free coffee.

That is a real disappointment if they are planning to do that. We typically sail in grand suites and love the openness of it. We sailed Anthem which has the divided room (and yes there are 2 TVs) and it felt so cramped. We had to move the coffee table onto the patio just to free up some walking space. It was a very awkward set up. I guess if you had a third person in the room it would be convenient but I think most travelers in grand suites are twos.

I've noticed this trend too and not just on Royal. The ships are huge but there aren't many suites. I think since deposits are so cheap, people reserve far in advance even if they aren't sure they will really go. Keep checking back, especially close to the "final payment due" date. I'm sure suites will open up. We had this happen on Independence a few years ago.

The grand suite floor plan on anthem is different than the other ships. I've sailed both and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. But overall I'd say I like the traditional grand suite with the open floor plan and large bathroom with double vanity. Anthems layout is a little cramped. And don't get sucked into the large wrap around balcony-it's waste because it is closed off to block the wind. We had the superior grand because regular grand wasn't available. But if you have the option just take the regular.

Did it on Allure a few years ago and loved it! Definitely glad I did it on one of the big ships.

We've stayed in the grand suite on oasis and the Crown loft on Allure and will be in owners suite on this upcoming oasis trip. Our previous sailings were before deck 17 became the suite lounge and added Coastal Kitchen. SL used to be in current diamond lounge and we ate in MDR so location was never an issue. I am curious to see if we will feel inconvenienced on this next cruise being "outside" of the suite area.

Most of our sailings are in GA we really do enjoy it and think its a great deal - all the perks without the price tag. My theory is always to get the highest deck available. We've never had an issue with pool deck noise above us (knock on wood).

I have mixed feeling about the CLS. We had one that faced the ocean which is a must for us. I would definitely eliminate this option if it was overlooking the sports deck. The 2 story windows were just amazing!!! The blinds were electronic with a control right by the bed so every morning we pushed a button and were greeted to fabulous views before even getting up. The deck was large and private. We don't have issues with stairs but the layout is kinda funky. The room is big but it felt very crowded upstairs. Yes there are 2 bathrooms but we mainly used the upstairs one because that is where are clothes and vanity are. The double shower was great but the single sink was annoying. I much prefer the one large bath in the GS with double sinks. There is lots of storage space but almost all the drawers are downstairs. We didn't want half our clothes upstairs and half downstairs so we crammed everything in. Don't get me wrong, I loved the suite and would sail in it again, but just understand, its not the most functional setup. Unless you had more than 2 guests - then it would be very convenient. Oh, you will also feel the boat sway a lot more in high seas. But like snooksie said, it's an experience you will always remember and talk about.

I can't speak yet about the OS compared to the GS. I think you will be happy in any of these. And richer if you go with the GS :)

We sailed several years ago during Thanksgiving and ended up in the windjammer. MDR serves a thanksgiving turkey meal but if you want a leg or wing or anything other than precarved slices then windjammer has you covered. They have bird at the carving station as well as all the usual sides.

Coastal kitchen's food is far better than the complimentary restaurants. Its not crowded so you can have quiet enjoyable meal with very personalized service. Since its relatively small, all tables have nice views out to sea. You can get reservations easily unlike the other venues that book up months in advance. It's definitely a nice addition to suite perks.

Love solstice class class! We've only been on one celebrity cruise compared to a dozen of Royal cruises. It's a different experience for sure. It's not a late night party crowd but there was always something going on. We loved dancing with the stripes, liars club, the wine and cheese picnic on the lawn. It's a quieter crowd but not boring. And the ship is so beautiful.

Did I read correctly that you are zenith captains club members on celebrity? If so have you signed up for reciprocal status in Royals crown and anchor? You may end up with the perks you are looking for without changing your room. But a suite is a nice splurge for an anniversary.

This post could have been mine a month ago. We just booked our July 2017 Alaska cruise after going through so many of the same questions. I did a lot of reading on here and asking questions which led me to booking Infinity. I love solstice class ships but decided I'd rather be on a smaller ship and cruise the inside passage from Vancouver and go to Hubbard glacier (especially considering all the trouble with Tracy arm this year). I am bummed that the itinerary does not include Skagway but that just gives me an excuse to go back in the future.

We chose a sky suite because we like having the perks that go along with the suite (private dining, priority boarding, etc). I keep hearing that starboard side is better but it seems like that side was already full even a year in advance.

I haven't booked my excursions yet but have narrowed it down to helicopter/dog sled in Juneau, whale watching in Icy Straight Point, and misty fjord float plane in Ketchikan. Each will leave us with time to explore town as well and eat some local seafood! There are lots of great recommendations here for vendors.

Good luck with your planning.

I'd also agree with the suggestion to book a suite or aqua class for the private dining room (I think on Royal its only the Oasis and Quantum class that has Coastal Kitchen). The food is a step above the MDR, service very personalized and quiet.

Our last Celebrity cruise they were in the process of building Luminae and offered suite guests complimentary specialty dining for every night in order to avoid MDR crowds (I really lucked out with that timing!) We tried all the restaurants but Murano and Tuscan Grill were favorites.

On Royal we have tried various restaurants but none recently to give an accurate opinion. I think Celebrity wins out especially if you are on S-class. But they are pricier than Royal with the per person charges.

I'd stay away from the steakhouses on any ship. Its not in the same league as Lugers or Del Friscos - I'd say closer to a Longhorn. My big issue is that they always overcook the steak - we like medium rare and its like they don't know what this means.

I haven't sailed yet but also was grappling with the same issues. I too like the bigger flashier ships with lots to do on board. I ultimately decided to book Infinity for the better sailing views in the inside passage and seeing Hubbard Glacier. I did a lot of research here and took the advice that Alaska is more about experience than ship. I can't say I'm 100% confident its the right decision but I feel good about it. We sail July 2017 and super excited for it.

I've been on Oasis and Allure - last time in the loft suite. But both times were before they enhanced the suite program. We sailed NCL last year in Haven (although our room wasn't in haven we had haven access). NCL really does excel in treating their haven guests well. Loved the private escort onto the ship. Loved having 2 concierges in the lounge. Loved the private dining (although we had a free specialty dining package so we really only used it for breakfast) BUT, the haven was the only thing we liked about NCL compared to royal. anytime we left the haven we kept wishing we were back on royal.

I never felt the suite experience was lacking on Royal but when we went on NCL it was clear they could step up their efforts. CK is now added as well as the expanding drink availability in the suite lounge. I think everything else is the same as it was previously for sky class. But overall Royal, particularly oasis class, kicks ass! There is so much to do on the ship and so much variety and so beautiful.

We mainly use the concierge to reserve dinner reservations especially if we are traveling with others. They also booked us a cabana in labadee and the zip line. Reservations to shows, etc. we never booked anything in advance until our anthem cruise a few months ago. We never had any issues arranging everything once we were on board. Although I'm skeptical of that nowadays. I usually ask their opinion of things to do in port because I think they are more objective and not just pushing the ship excursions.

In summary, I'm not sure the Royal suite experience will win you over but the Royal overall experience will :)

We plan on doing the whale watching tour in Icy Point too. How big is the boat used for the ship excursion? I've read reviews that the smaller ones are better. Does it start shortly after porting or are there several time slots to choose from? I'm having a really hard time with Celebrity's website when it comes to excursions.

We typically sail in grand suites on Royal and did the sky suite on celebrity last year. Yes it is similar to a royal junior suite except that you get all the suite perks. We ultimately decided on sky over celebrity suite because we didn't like the idea of the bedroom being enclosed. Sometimes we like to just relax in bed mid day and wanted to have a view.

So excited to follow along. We will be doing this cruise exactly a year from now. I hope the Lights Festival in Vancouver is starting beforehand because we will spend a few days there pre cruise. I've been hemming and hawing between Solstice and Infinity and ultimately decided on infinity. We are also about same age and mostly Royal cruisers and will be in a sky suite so your review will be spot on. Excursions are similar to what we are looking at too. so far I love your pics and feeling good about my decision. Have an awesome rest of the trip!

We watched dancing with the stripes on our silhouette cruise last year and had a blast. It was in the theater so there was plenty of room to dance. It was definitely geared to be comical and we enjoyed the judges commentary even as much as the dancing. NCL did this too (don't know what it was called) but it was in the atrium area and wasn't nearly as fun.