rbschultz

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

What is masters level?

Pinky out version of D+ seems like...

I'm going to miss the days of 1/3 capacity and 1 ship per day. When we went for our Honeymoon Oasis was less than 30% full and the only ship in port. On and off every waterslide repeatedly

2 minutes ago, island lady said:

If I want theme park....I will save the money and go to Orlando.  

I don't think you're saving money going to a theme park for a week instead of going on a cruise.....

Our waiter on the last cruise used to bring us so much stuff from off-menu.. My wife and I loved the Indian food dish one night and every night after that a different dish would be sent to our table for us to try. Seems like they've incorporated more of that into the menus though, so we'll see.

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Not on Wonder. Deck 15 dead ends at the WJ, the windows on the pool deck only open about 6 inches, the solarium is completely enclosed with no windows that open anywhere, and the huge Crown and Anchor signs on both sides completely block the view at the pool bars. You need to go up to deck 16 if you want to actually feel the ocean (as long as you go aft - deck 16 dead ends at the forward elevators because of the Hooked restaurant).

Well that is excessively disappointing.

1 hour ago, olesiabr said:

I miss the open water views on the promenade deck (deck 5.)  Now it is primarily a jogging track with views almost entirely obscured by the lifeboats except for the aft section.  It's a great boon for joggers, because threading through the sunbathers above the pool was never a viable option.   Now deck 6 can have balconies because lifeboats moved down.   I understand the reasoning,  just really miss after dinner strolls.

I actually really like some of the views from Deck 6 on the Oasis class ships. The back of the ships have nice areas to sit and watch the wake.

As far as jogging track goes... I love it (as I am a runner and use it daily for that purpose)

1 hour ago, olesiabr said:

Entertainment is amazing. Period.

Is the lack of a full-length (or slightly appended) Broadway show not a detractor? We booked Harmony in April over Wonder because it has Grease whereas Wonder has a Royal created show. 

1 hour ago, olesiabr said:

I feel like in general this class of ship has its emphasis inward: the promenade, central park, even boardwalk with very little reminding you that you are at sea. 

Oasis is definitely geared more towards the "resort" crowd, but you definitely still know you're at sea when you step up to the pool decks in my opinion.

I personally love the Oasis class ships - they have the most entertainment, most stuff to explore, best outdoor space to people ratio, best use of outdoor space, and I could go on forever.

6 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Honestly nothing to do with the class. Totally dependent on ships management. Now corporate controls what theyvreceive to a large extent, but what they can do with it is up to them.

 

FWIW, Harmony is my least favorite of the original 4 Oasis ships. We sail Wonder Friday, so I'll soon know them all.

 

Try Oasis or Symphony next. I think you'll prefer it.

We decided against Wonder simply because there was no broadway show

On 8/10/2022 at 8:57 AM, Biker19 said:

Perhaps you don't remember Dynamic Dining.

I remember it! I was on one of those Quantum cruises where it still existed, and honestly it wasn't THAT bad. The biggest issue I had with it was that with the change they also cut staffing. This caused bussing areas to pile up with dirty dishes, poor overworked waiters, and upset customers.

On the flip-side, my cruise also had the kitchens go down one day which prompted Royal to open the bars for everyone as compensation.

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

Hey @Ocean Boy... wanna bake some lighthouse cookies?

 

 

 

I gave a hearty chuckle in my cubicle at work.

What others have said...Royal Caribbean has completely shifted to catering to young families. Thats their business plan and it seems to be working for them. Can't wait to sail on her... looks like a blast.

So we're all in agreement that "The Hideaway" will be a paid area of the ship right? Similar to how Norwegian does the Vibe Beach Club...

I never actually start threads here, but we're looking to book a cruise for next summer and my party has been debating whether to have Cococay be the first or last stop on the cruise. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to both... would love to hear others opinions.

First Day

Pro - great way to start vacation with a relaxing beach/pool day, no planning needed to start the vacation

Con - Coming straight from the stress of life its nice for this to be later in the vacation to truly appreciate the relaxation

Last Day

Pro - After a full cruise of entertainment, excursions, and island hopping, its a nice decompression before going back to reality

Con - Afterwards will need to pack for home which (depending on your group) may cut the island time down by a few hours

7 hours ago, RCCL Fan said:

The lack of staff onboard

That's because a large percentage of them are contracting covid....

In October between Delta and Omicron surges there was staff everywhere. 

On 12/3/2021 at 10:24 AM, AustinCruise said:

Yes, free is good.  They did charge my insurance $159.00 and BlueCross paid the full amount.  Good profit in covid tests!  You would think CVS would try very hard to not cancel any.

Yup... good money in anything medical in the US. I've taken 5 covid tests at CVS in the past 6 months or so (last one resulting in a positive 😕).

3 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Hi,

We are on the 12/11 Symphony.  I have an appointment at our local CVS but if I had these I'd cancel our appointment and use these instead.  The only concern is we're flying out next Thurs, 12/10.   Do you think that is enough time for shipping?  

Thank you

Sue

CVS is free. If you were able to get a testing appt. I'd keep it.

On 12/1/2021 at 9:29 PM, MMarQuand said:

I'm struggling and really need help! My daughters and I booked a cruise for summer 2020 which was canceled. We rebooked for Christmas 2020, canceled. We RE booked for Christmas 2021. Jr Suite for me and 14 yr old, inside directly across the hall for 18 yr old and her 19 yr old boyfriend. Of COURSE they broke up this summer so my mother (73) agreed to go with us. Final payments long since made and tonight my mom called to tell me she is just too scared to go, she is canceling. I called RCI to ask what I need to do. The options are all unacceptable! My daughter can't stay in the cabin alone b/c she is 18. She can't move into our cabin b/c it only accommodates 2pp. We can move to a Jr. Suite for 3but they'll charge an additional 2k PLUS lose the entire fare for the inside cabin. And the kicker, If I COULD find someone willing to go, RCI won't allow them to cruise b/c we've changed the reservation once already. The only solution offered was to downgrade to an Oceanview and lose ALL the money I've paid for the inside and jr. suite.

Somebody PLEASE give me some ideas!

I used to cruise alone with my parents. Not sure if they allow this now, but Royal used to allow booking a parent in each room, me in a room with 1 parent. Then at the port they'd switch people in and out so parents were in one room and I was in the other. 

On 11/26/2021 at 8:37 AM, cruisegirl1 said:

Niceneasy - my point was that you could have been exposed anywhere, not just on the ship.  Everyone on the ship had a negative test just prior to boarding.  Can't say that about all the other people we come in contact with on any given day. 

 

M

The testing before embarkation helps with peace of mind, but in reality is it going to catch ALL covid cases? Definitely not. Sure at the time of testing none of the passengers were positive, but what if they were in the incubation period when they were tested? What happens if after testing they went to a concert and were infected? 5-ish days after said concert they are then contagious on the ship symptomatic or not. 

Cruising right now is a major risk, but yes theoretically they could have picked covid up anywhere. 

As Biker said, I'd recommend asking in the Roll Call thread and giving RCCL a call letting them know so they can properly contact trace (if they're actually doing that).

I can only go by my experience in mid-October. We had a 1pm check-in and it was VERY backed up. They were not letting in people with any later times when we showed up.

3 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

Yes!!! But does each device get its own unique username and PIN or does the system just monitor for amount of devices using a SINGLE u/n + PIN?

Single username and pin. It monitors number of devices. If you try to log into a 3rd it will boot the device that has been on longest to make room.

23 minutes ago, binro01 said:

I would just politely stay on the phone until you get an answer that you are happy with.

This is called entitlement. 

OP - Likely you will not end up getting an exemption just based on the sheer number of different answers you'll get from Royal Caribbean. Even if one support agent says "yes" you may arrive at the port and they say "no." Personally I'd be making contingency plans in the event the vaccine mandate does not go away by your cruising date (which it won't). 

27 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

Thanks so much!!! What does the log on info consist of if I may ask? Is it the same info x2, or does each device get unique credentials?

 

username and a 4 digit pin. Just make it something that you can share as opposed to something you'd use elsewhere like an ATM pin. 

On 11/11/2021 at 7:10 PM, dianajo67 said:

shrimp cocktail standard

Avoid the cocktail sauce. Loaded with sugar

On 11/11/2021 at 11:00 AM, marktwothousand said:

OMG @rbschultz I remember you from somewhere. Was it the Encore or the Bliss possibly?

Escape I think

19 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

Oh my Lan😱 keto on a cruise ship, what a nightmare at dinner and all the rest of it. 

Keto on a cruise ship is so easy. So much meat, cheese, and veg everywhere. Typical meals looked something like:

Breakfast: Eggs or an omelette w/ bacon (avoid the sausage, its loaded with sugars)

Lunch: bunless burgers on a salad or simple cold cuts with a salad.

Dinner: Beef or fish + steamed/grilled veggies. I'd generally ask them to put a small pat of butter on the top of a steak to finish it.