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JKHawaii

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  • Posts

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About Me

  • Location
    Orlando, FL
  • Interests
    Cruising!
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Royal Caribbean
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Barcelona

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. When our Lahaina stop was cancelled in 2019 (Royal Caribbean), we spent an extra day in Honolulu.
  2. Refueling Stop? Cruise lines still losing money, trying to reign in costs. Fuel is very likely cheaper in Astoria than in Vancouver or Hawaii.
  3. Recent posts on the Cruise Critic Princess board state Princess will NOT refund the "diff".
  4. How about a swap of the Anthem & Ovation (Sydney/Alaska)? Same class ship, so similar passenger capacity, but different shows (as I recall). Unlike the Odyssey (or Oasis, for that matter), both ships have indoor family pools for the cooler weather. And the swap would allow for 2 Panama Canal cruises, which Royal Caribbean seldom schedules.
  5. I was on the Wonder for a Mediterranean cruise and the solarium was perfect morning, afternoon, eve .... for me. But I can see how it could get uncomfortable in there on a warm and sunny Caribbean day. For me, when it's warm and sunny, I like to be outside in the fresh air ................ if I get too warm, I'll jump in the pool or shower. But everyone has different tolerances: I often find the promenade or theater too cool for my liking, but it doesn't seem to bother other cruisers. Personally, I like the enclosed solariums because I can hang out there on inclement weather days. Another aspect of the Wonder solarium I thought were positive were that the solarium covering extended to the front of the area, so we never had to get up at 0-dark-thirty to find a chair that wasn't covered with a towel or wait until the forward section opened like on the Oasis. Finally, the Wonder Solarium Cafe is larger with more inside tables. On the Oasis, we usually had to sit outside, which was fine on nice days. But then if you wanted to get a coffee refill or a danish, you were supposed to walk around to the port side entrance and then walk back out the center or starboard side exits, making for a big loop. The Wonder had a table set up outside the cafe with drinks & baked goods. And then when it rained on the Oasis, the outside tables weren't covered, so they were all wet. I thought perhaps the staff would come around and wipe off the tables/chairs after the rain stopped, but nooooooooooooooo.
  6. I was on this 10-day cruise Jan 5-15. The windjammers I've experienced on the Oasis, Allure, and Harmony were poorly designed for the number of passengers. There are a limited number of tables on either side of the food islands, so most people have to look for seats towards the back of the windjammer. There is no exit from the rear of the windjammer other than slogging back past through the food area to the front exit. So you have to navigate already crowded areas around the food islands with plates of food as well as dodge people entering and exiting the windjammer. There's not even room for a bar in the Oasis windjammer. The windjammer food on the Oasis was OK to me, but the hectic experience detracted from the experience. On the other hand, on the Wonder, the windjammer was moved down one floor to deck 15 and the kitchen facilities were moved from the center of the windjammer to another floor. Thus, there is a nice entryway, spacious food islands, and walkways to navigate the windjammer without trudging through the food areas. All of the chaise lounges in the Oasis solarium were covered by towels (not necessarily people) by 7:30 AM. The outdoor area forward of the solarium was not opened until after 9 AM, so a lot of people had to wait for that to grab a chair. Additionally, the solarium area is not fully enclosed, so you have to deal with wind & rain on poor weather days (yes, even Caribbean cruises have nasty weather). Again, the Wonder has a fully enclosed, temperature-controlled solarium. Add to the fact that the Wonder is nearly brand new and has other improvements, I prefer that ship. I took the Oasis cruise because it was the only 10-day cruise on an Oasis-class ship this year, last year, or next year. For the usual 7-day Caribbean cruise, I'll book another ship.
  7. Having just sailed on the Wonder & the Odyssey (Quantum class), balcony rooms were similar with different color schemes. The Odyssey has over-bed storage and the Wonder has more USB ports. The reading lights on the Wonder are about useless.
  8. My vote is for Wonder of the Seas. It seemed like they went the extra mile to enhance almost every area. Highlights for me were the enclosed (climate controlled) solarium, blue-themed carpeting, split closets in staterooms, & relocated Windjammer. Plus, with a new ship, everything is pristine.
  9. One of 5 Cinque Terre towns, Oct 26
  10. I recently "spent" most of my C&A "coupons" on the Newcastle Brown Ale on tap at the Ale & Anchor on the Independence of the Seas ................... also on tap @ O'Sheehan's on NCL. Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean's choice of brews is most likely dictated by the masses. I frequent BJ's Bar & Grill, which has a zillion beers on tap, and more often than not, people within earshot order Bud Light or some other light beer.
  11. Food For Thought: I have an upcoming cruise not on an Oasis-class ship on which Royal Caribbean removed a port stop, citing "port congestion". I calculated eliminating that stop will shorten the cruise distance by over 600 NM, saving a ton (pun intended) of fuel. If cruise ships can cruise at a slower speed, they can shut off one or two engines. In 2008, Celebrity changed itineraries due to fuel price increases, saying fuel consumption on the new Solstice (at that time) would be halved by reducing speed from 23 knots to 15 knots. Whatever the reason, I would expect many more itinerary changes as cruise lines deal with massive fuel costs and debt.
  12. Wow! I'm just amazed by this blog. A year ago, we couldn't cruise at all on Royal Caribbean. Now, despite huge losses by the cruise lines during COVID shutdown, coupled with much higher fuel, food, etc, costs, staffing problems, and the need to cancel St Petersburg stops due to a WAR, we have people whining because the ship can't drop you off at the front door due to the constraints of the cruise terminal ...................... even though the city apparently offers a free shuttle. After spending thousands on my cruise in August, I'll just have to spend another 20 bucks or so to secure reliable transportation back to the ship if I have to. First world problems, just have to shake my head.
  13. All Riga Voyager of the Seas stops this year are at the SIA KRS dock. Voyager, being one of the, if not the largest cruise ship to visit Riga, is a tad too big to dock at the berth near the old town. The planned Riga RoPax cruise terminal near town will not be ready until 2025. Voyager is in Riga today, June 23, & June 30, so perhaps someone on these cruises will be able to post the transportation options.
  14. That "canal" is the Aarus River. It used to be paved over, called the Aboulevarden. In 1989, it was decided to uncover the river to promote recreation and enhance the environment. Project was completed in 2015. Hope to visit in August.
  15. Apparently, the Voyager was pulled from the 2023 Baltic cruises in favor of the Serenade. It's been hard to fill the 7-night Voyager cruises this summer, due mostly to the removal of St Petersburg from itineraries. Sounds like essentially, the OP wanted to do a "lift & shift", the program that died 1 Feb 2021. Doing a quick check, there are online options for the 7 May 2023 Serenade TA for a suite guarantee with free gratuities for about $4500. There are oodles of Jr Suites available, as pointed out previously, and you may even get a lucky upgrade. So if it were moi, I would collect the refund from RCCL and re-book online. Of course, I guess it's a moot point, due to the OP's sad farewell to RCCL. As for me, I always think twice before booking ......................... and then I book anyway ................. shame on me!
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