Tin can

Like many others have said atmosphere and service is the reason we like Coastal Kitchen. It can be a sanctuary from the noise and chaos sometimes in the MDR.

A good point but I’ve not seen such high August demand from Southampton 11 months out before. I’ve just done a mock booking 7 day cruise in June for the three of us in a balcony and it’s nearly £4k 😳 I really thought with ship fatigue from another Anthem season and the new MSC Euribia arriving that it may have thrown us some really good deals but I’m not seeing them.

I'm sure you are right but we are restricted to travelling during August in 2024 and prices still seem very high to us. Especially departures from Southampton which are horrendously expensive with limited cabins choice especially suites which are pretty much sold out on all August sailings. I thought MSC debuting Euribia out of Southampton may have influenced Royal pricing but apparently not.

I'm finding the complete opposite for European cruises and especially UK departing cruises. We are flying London - JFK for 9 nights on Liberty for less than 7 nights on Anthem from Southampton in 2024. Just checked now and no price cut so you have a very good TA working on your behalf.

The same I reported ours to our steward. I'm from the UK so to me it was a nice cup of coffee but I'm guessing when something makes as much fuss and noise as that thing does then to people who know their coffee it must be very good.

I'm the same, when I hear the clanking noises of docking I want off. I don't even stop for breakfast, I'm not sure there is anything more depressing than last morning Windjammer.

As others have mentioned this is still offered in Europe. Personally I think its a terrible idea, who wants to be on board at the end of your cruise with excited new cruisers coming on board listening to the Cruise Directors announcements knowing you are going home, It is though very popular by all accounts, apparently Royal are unable to offer it in the US due to a requirement for a zero count before new passengers are able to board but I may be wrong.

Not that it is a big problem but ours recently on Explorer was exceptionally loud. So much so that I had concerns about using it very early in the morning out of courtesy for our in neighbours in rooms next door to us.

Agreed, I was just making the point that where they can they will. I think your comment was that they (Royal) were pandering to smokers elsewhere but they aren’t in Australia but it’s just business. Statistically any casino that allows smoking will generate more income than one that will not. Statistically any casino on cruises from the US or UK will generate more income than an Australian cruise that will not allow smoking. I don’t smoke and don’t like smoke in the casino but if I owned a casino I would want smokers.

It is purely a business decision by Royal to allow smoking in its casinos.

We had a great time on Explorer recently and wouldn't hesitate booking another cruise on her. The only negative was the internet often kicking you off as someone else mentioned above but no big deal.

As people have mentioned it appears to be a manual process of recording the drinks. Last Easter at the main pool at Coco Cay it was so busy at the bar that on a couple of occasions they just gave me the drink. I'm sure this will change...

There is a regular bus service from the airport to Venice, you catch it right outside the airport. They put your luggage in the hold so it's very easy. It takes about 20 minutes from memory. I think RCL are probably right stating 3hrs for their shuttle from the airport to the dock at Ravenna. That wouldn't be for me but we got talking to a some fellow passengers on our cruise and it all worked well apparently but because the traffic was heavy some shuttle buses weren't able to stop for a comfort break.

That is a great recommendation, an absolutely superb hotel. It is also an easy walk from where the coach drops you off from the airport and is across the Grand Canal from the train station as we went to Ravenna by train. I don't think many people consider the train train to Ravenna from Venice but it is very easy and was enjoyable.

I don’t think there is the cultural appetite to change things otherwise it would have happened already. Our attitudes to dress are different, no one’s view is better or worse we are just different around the world. I personally like it that with Royal on an Italian departing cruise the dress is different to a British one and that sailing from Singapore is different to the US. As a Brit I actually notice quite a difference departing from New York compared to a cruise that departs from Florida even if both are sunshine cruises to say the Bahamas & Coco Cay. Neither is good or bad, better or worse just a different style of dress. I enjoy the differences to be honest and I’m cool with being asked to wear a pair of trousers in Singapore for example if that is how they roll. I guess some wouldn’t but that’s my take on it.

What people wear doesn't bother me but I'm glad we are all different around the world. Who wants exactly the same experienece when we travel. I'm formal when I travel from my native UK, I enjoyed ditching the formal and going smart designer in Italy as most of the passengers were Italian on our recent Explorer cruise and I enjoy Caribbean casual when sailing from Florida. People seem to get really angry here defending their right to wear a certain item of clothing to the dining room and there's a big world out there with more important things to get excited about, I just don't get it.

Royal seems to adapt things to the local market it is sailing from. I saw people turned away from the MDR in shorts on Anthem sailing from the UK last summer. It was the same on our Singapore departing cruises. Whenever we have sailed from Florida we have seen bare feet, bare chests, bikini’s and pyjamas in the MDR. All cool with us but you would rarely or probably never see this in Europe so I think Royal adapts the ‘rules’ (for want of a better word) according to the market.

It is where I am sitting 😄 and you do realise that the history of Royal Caribbean is Norwegian?

On a Florida departing cruise I would completely agree, cultures and expectations (in our experience) are slightly different on Royal sailings around the world.

Is this really formal night? I don't think I have seen such a small line with so little people on any ship since we started cruising 15 years ago. Everything about this photo would be completely different in Europe with the size of the queue and the style of dress but hey people can wear what they want I don't care. I'm curious though why the guy has chosen to carry a completely full backpack to dinner.

This is off topic so apologies but I'm a bit shocked by that, things must be different in the UK. It's two days to fully test and screen the blood sample here and then after final checks the blood transfusion that was taken and then stored is issued for use by day three. I'm amazed that its been mentioned on this thread that a Captain would be on the PA asking for people of a certain blood group to come forward on a sailing so it can go out of one and straight into another but I'm not a medical man so I guess its ok.

I'm surprised at this as when you give blood you also have samples taken which are tested and the results take 1-2 days to come back. I'm not sure I would want blood straight from someone else but I guess it depends on how serious the circumstances are.

Hasn't the booking terms changed recently with Royal in that irrespective of which jurisdiction you book your main country of residence dictates your terms and conditions. I think you confirm this when you check in. I recall receiving an email from Royal but perhaps this is just a UK thing.

As bonsai states, as long as you are flexible around the peak times our experience in a junior suite has been that we have been able to have dinner in coastal kitchen every night.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. The two formal/dress your best nights on our Greek Isles cruise we’re absolute chaos. Everyone must have been in the MDR. It was all handled very well by Royal in fairness.