yogimax

19 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I’m still amazed at how many Pinnacle members there are on Royal Caribbean. Does anyone know roughly the total number of pinnacles? I mean, it took us over 10 years to get the 80 points required for Diamond and we are the people that cruise the most out of anyone we know.

Reaching Pinnacle is a lot more difficult for those of us who don't live in Florida.  I would like to know what percentage of Pinnacles live in Florida and don't have the added expense of significant travel.

1 hour ago, klfrodo said:

I lit into the Director of Hotel Services

Happy Thanksgiving.  Be thankful you had the resources and ability to enjoy a cruise.

Dogs get a free ride.  Why is this cat being purrsecuted?

We were on one cruise with a good number of those who follow Jainism.  Royal closed off a section of the Windjammer which was limited to the serving of food prepared for Jains.  

No other venue was closed and we actually enjoyed partaking of some of the Jainist foods.  Not sure why Royal couldn't do the same thing for Yeshiva week.  Closing part of the Windjammer would allow full use of the Solarium Bistro.

Just now, smokeybandit said:

Indian food is on the menu. You don't need to make a special request

Sadly, not always

Like you, I enjoy Indian food.  In my experience there will always be Indian food in the Windjammer for lunch.  If you eat in the MDR at night, you can always ask your waiter for an Indian option.  Enjoy!

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Yes yes yes and yes. However if you reprice to get a better tier discount it might then drop the early booking obc. My ta said early booking obc isnt combinable with nextcruise obc.. 

"Early Booking OBC"?

Can I assume this is something your TA offers, not Royal Caribbean?

54 minutes ago, uncwmark said:

CATS! was, in my opinion, the least enjoyable show I ever attempted to sit through on a cruise ship.  I gave up after 30 minutes.

o.k., you are entitled to your opinion but I'm afraid comments like yours tend to discourage others from even going.  Who knows, they may actually enjoy the show, marvel at the costumes and walk away with a positive catitude.

To those who haven't yet seen the show... give it a try.  For us, CATS is by far the best show on RCCL!  

3 minutes ago, ace1zoe2 said:

Haven't seen it on any of our recent sailings. I loved that tower and wish that they would bring it back!

What is it?

13 hours ago, CaribbeanCrushed said:

He was great! I was surprised to have live entertainment. I thought it was a nice touch and the outside seating is an option for those who might not want music. 

The problem is that at this time of year it could be too cold to sit outside.  It just seems to me that Portside Barbecue is a dining venue and the limited indoor seating area should be for those who are actually eating.  If there are empty seats... no problem but we had to stand around until the performer finished and people left.

37 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

I didn’t know that they did live entertainment.  What type of music did they play?

Guy with a guitar in a cowboy hat.  Finished with Sweet Caroline.

6 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

It was walk in and when we went in March of 2023 it wasn’t busy that you had to wait to sit down. 

We went while the live entertainment was going on in the afternoon.  Every seat was taken, not by those eating but by those listening and singing.

We ordered the 2 meat dish and my wife and I shared it and had plenty left over.

27 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

 

 

 

Why dont you expect "exceptional service" to be the minimum base line for the level of service that a crew member is paid by the cruise line to do? Handing me a beer, doesnt made my experience "so much better" 

 

 

I agree with you that there’s no need to tip for someone handing you a beer but making “exceptional service” the new minimum base line means you see no need to tip anyone.

Are you really saying this?

38 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

 

In my world, removing auto gratuities that have increased while service has decreased is the only smart thing to do. I would rather be considered to be a cheapskate than a gullible rube

As a self-admitted cheapskate do you not tip anyone?

BTW, I confess to being a cheapskate who leaves the tips in place.  Am I a gullible rube in your words?   No, I understand the importance of financially saying “thank you” to those who have made my experience so much better by their exceptional service.

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 

hypothetical, a corporation comes to you and says “we will pay you 2.5X of your last years salary, for 9 months work,

So you really believe the crew are being paid for the time they are at home?  C’mon, the fact is they are only paid for the days they work and they have NO days off while they are on the ship.

41 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 

The MINIMUM is many times more than the average salary in their home countries. 

As has been stated numerous times, this is a false comparison.  They are not working in their home countries.  They are working on cruise ships which generate billions of dollars of revenue, largely on the backs of individuals who work 7 days a week for seven months or more and who depend, in part, on folks paying their fair share of tips.

20 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

No sir, those folks get their very generous GUARANTEED salary. Clean laundry and dishes are included as part of my fare. If one day I get a towel that is extra clean, I will track down the responsible party and tip him; short of that, I am just fine focusing on those I interact with directly. 

Ah, you say the folks who work behind the scenes, like laundry workers, receive a very generous salary.  This means you know how much they receive for working double digit daily hours, seven days a week.  Please inform us of your definition of “very generous.”

We were on Oasis twice recently and a highlight was CATS which we viewed from the third row and then from the balcony.  Both performances were amazing.

Recommendations...

1. Sit up front (first four rows).  The costumes are amazing.

2. Read a synopsis of the show before going so you know the plot.

3. Pay no attention to the naysayers on this board who think it’s cool

    to say they were bored.

two other comments on the shows..

1.  Don’t miss the amazing ice show, including the sand artist.

2.  We felt the Aqua show was too focused on dance and kicking water around and not enough on diving but by all means see it, at least once.

3 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Their room on the ship.  There's YouTube videos showing what they look like if you want to see.

Afraid of directly answering the question I see.

bunk beds... shared cabin

no windows

120 square feet

Wow, that’s sure luxurious!

2 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

They don't live at the ports of call.  They may get off the ship to buy a few items, or just as a break, but it's not like they have to pay for a place to live or even for food.  They don't even have to get off the ship.

 

Their "accomodation, meals, and medical" are all free to them on the ship, paid for by the cruise line.

 

The cruise line pays for them to travel to and from their assignments.

 

I think many of us are also wondering why service charges keep going up.  Many suspect that some of that money isn't going to the staff.

Please describe their “accommodation” which you attribute great value to.

2 hours ago, cruise20233 said:

To save money

Your gain is someone’s loss.  If you need the money so badly why are you spending thousands of $$$ on a cruise?

8 minutes ago, margo2011 said:

Sorry but I disagree with you I have friends and family who have cruised since 2000 and tip more than the required amount .We like to tip for the service once we have received it .

I'm sure some who remove tips ultimately tip generously.

My point was that a good number do not... thinking $20 is a good tip for a week of service.

2 hours ago, RFerrington said:

We actually prefer the "Cheers" format to the old "lunch" format.  I love how they now come in, say a few words, make a fake toast and then off they go.  Having some junior officer (obviously having drawn the "short" straw) stuck at a table, looking and sounding as if he/she would rather be ANYwhere else, was uncomfortable to me.  We had completely stopped going to the lunch but we now NEVER miss the Cheers.

Wow, you walked out on a complimentary filet mignon.   Not sure why though.   

Our experience was completely different.  We enjoyed chatting with the person in charge of the laundry and the officer in charge of air conditioning.  They all enjoyed talking about their jobs, their families and a time away from their regular routine.

Sadly, a thing of the past on RCCL.

Also, D+ "Meal with and Officer" has been downgraded to "Cheers with an Officer."

8 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

I'd go as far as to say it's definitely true for some.  Those of us who have been cruising long enough remember before auto-grats the half-empty MDR on the last night of the cruise because people didn't want to face the wait staff they weren't going to tip.

I'm sure it's not an either-or for those who remove tips.  My guess is that many who remove tips will give their room steward, waiter, etc. $20 bucks or so for the week and pat themselves on the back for their "generosity."