captainannoyed!

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

It's actually a nice pub...love the layout and design of the one on Serenade.  Been too long since we were on Brilliance.  Trouble for us is the close proximity to the very smoky casino.  No door on the entrance to keep it out. 😞 

I agree!  Crown is nice, and it was an upgrade I loved!👍😀

12 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

No where near an "arm chair quarterback" myself....and have never spent time in that pub on any of the four Radiance ladies.  Was just trying to suggest a venue to the OP.  

 

On Serenade (back on board again in July) it's called the "Crown and Castle" pub.  On Radiance it's called the "Quill and Compass".  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t been on Radiance proper in many years.  I did like the Serenade switch to Crown and Castle!  I hope they redo the Pit Stop.  It has weak draw, to the point that when I’ve been onboard it rarely seems open.  I have to update as to which Radiance class ships have updated.

7 hours ago, island lady said:

 

There is a pub with a type of sport's theme between the movie cinema theater and the casino on deck six.  You may find what you want there.  

Yes, it is called the Pit Stop, and it is the sports bar on Radiance class.  Even though I love the Radiance class, this is a weak attempt at a sports bar.  I’d check the Schooner Bar, as there’s often sports on the tv’s there.

13 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

We had an OV coming up and were only offered a balcony.  When we cruise in balconies we are offered suites of various levels. 

This is what I recalled reading.   Thanks for the confirmation!

3 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

You won't be offered any type of suite, not even a a JS.

Good to know, thanks!

2 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

It depends on the ship and how many categories of inside & oceanview cabins there are but in my experience, from the cheapest inside you’re unlikely to be offered much higher than an ocean view balcony.

Thanks for the info!  I'm mid ship on Deck 10, and kinda happy with where I am.  I wouldn't likely bid for anything less than a JS out of concern as to location. 

I have bid, and sometimes won, Royal Ups in the past.   Previously, I was always starting from a balcony or higher stateroom.  From a balcony,  I had the option to bid on every stateroom type all the way up to RS.

On my next cruise I have an inside cabin.  As I understand it, there is a limit to how high a stateroom I will be able to bid on.

My question is, how high will I be offered to bid on from an inside?

Thanks in advance!

2 hours ago, gatour said:

Licensing has a lot to do with this.  It is basically how many channels that RC wants to psy licensing for.  They must not think it is a differentiate enough  from other cruise lines to pay the licensing companies for additionsal channels.

 

In regards to offering suites more channels.  The licensing is a per ship basis and not a per cabin basis.

You raise good points.  Thank you for the post.

I agree with the OP.  I’ve stayed in cabins from inside all the way up to the Royal Suite, and this is something Royal really ought to do something about.  In particular, I really believe that in full suites should have extended TV options.  At a minimum, there ought to be the ability to access entertainment apps that people already have at home.  In a full suite, shouldn’t a passenger be able to log into their own Netflix using their own account?  I think so.

Just now, retired dude said:

according to the chef that i talked to on our most recent rccl cruise the grade of the strip steaks that they serve would be be select of even worse..He compared it to the cheap mexican beef that winn dixie now sells...the best chef in the world cannot make beef of that quality taste good....blame the food quality on the food and beverage managers at corp for buying sub-standard products for the ships...It is all about the mighty dollar.

I guess we just disagree about the food quality onboard.   I tend to prefer the filet over the strip, and that holds true on land or sea.

8 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I'm from NY. If I wanted to go to Central Park it was there. Now that I live in Florida I'm 2 hours from the big theme parks. I won't go on anything bigger than a Quantum Class ship. The bigger the ship the longer it takes to get from one end to the other and it's just more pay for venues and shops. We don't even shop at the malls on land anymore. A perfect day a Coco Cay is great if you are traveling with a family but as empty nesters we need more adventure than a pool day in an over priced Cabana 

I just look at those deck plans on Oasis and above, and it is more than I want to walk.  I can treadmill at the gym.  Why would I want this on a vacation?  Plus, most of the stuff they add is for kids and families - no me.  And as far as the Coco cabanas, I think they have a problem with the web site adding an extra zero on the end!  No way im interested in paying more than the cruise for a few hours in a cabana, unless Jennifer Love Hewitt is there.  Then they can charge whatever they want, lol!

32 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

This isn't true at all

I would agree that Royal isn’t going to let proper maintenance slip.  And while I haven’t sailed Vision class in many years, when I see YouTube videos of these ships they do seem to be letting decor become dated.  Perhaps that is what they were referring to.  I would say that Royal doesn’t put the same emphasis or effort into the shows on the older ships.  I see people here posting about shows on the newer ships, and that seems to be a fair observation.

7 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I hate those monstrosity of the sea ships. Would be very excited for a smaller class ship that can fit into smaller ports.

With you 100%.  My vast preference is Radiance class, though Freedom and Voyager are okay.  But I’ll never sail Oasis or bigger.  No interest whatsoever.  Great for kids and families, and they should stay there.

26 minutes ago, MtnSeaGirl said:

Sailed on the Explorer of the Seas in April.  Second Royal cruise as we cruise another line often. MDR was hit and miss with the strip steak being ...well...not really good.  BUT, overall the food was just fine and sometimes exceptional.  I still can't believe they make fried chicken so good. Did not expect that to be honest and wish I had ordered it instead of DH ordering it.  The short ribs are to die for.  The Jerk Chicken was incredible.  If you want a good steak, go to Giovannis.  It is excellent.  The staff on Royal is outstanding.  Windjammer is dang good and allowed me to try a lot of Indian food I was not so sure about ( and ended up loving ).  We were so impressed with Royal that we booked another cruise while onboard.  I sit here thinking that even my fav land restaurants are not as good as they once were, but this is part of being in recovery mode. Everyone is trying their best to provide good food without doubling the cost.  I don't feel I can have the same expections I had prior to 2020.  That is unrealistic.  Yet, Royal did a good job in meeting most of them.  

I have to admit I’ve always found strip steaks to be hit or miss, anywhere.  I’m pretty much a filet mignon guy exclusively at this point.

I’ve been cruising Royal for a long time, and I’ve never had a bad meal.  Yes, some ships do have a better food program than others.  But the OP, as of just a moment ago, has only two posts on the forum.  They are entitled to their opinion, clearly.  But their opinion isn’t accurate in my experience.  I’d advise, as others have, to cruise the line you prefer.

3 minutes ago, TheInnocentAge said:

Yes, that's us!

 

 

Awesome!!!!  Enjoy!!!

On 4/26/2024 at 7:09 PM, TheInnocentAge said:

That made me laugh!

 

We have the RS on Jewel for 15 nights beginning in mid-May, and it's great to hear about the experiences that have been shared in this thread so far.

 

Speaking of the piano, did you play it at all, or just use the auto-play? I do play a bit here at home, nothing fancy, but just wondering what variety of songs there was in the auto-play feature, if you can recall.

 

Thanks in advance. 

I just saw that the Jewel is just heading into dry dock, and first cruise is May 15.  You just might be first cruise when everything is completely refreshed!  

7 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

+1. We love radiance class.  

Agree 100%❤️

13 hours ago, TheInnocentAge said:

That made me laugh!

 

We have the RS on Jewel for 15 nights beginning in mid-May, and it's great to hear about the experiences that have been shared in this thread so far.

 

Speaking of the piano, did you play it at all, or just use the auto-play? I do play a bit here at home, nothing fancy, but just wondering what variety of songs there was in the auto-play feature, if you can recall.

 

Thanks in advance. 

I did play it a bit for fun.  There is a disc player at the lower right side that plays it also.  So, it’s either.  I suspect that if it was desired you can even arrange to have a player brought in if you are entertaining.  I forget the songs available.  Btw, if James is still the cabin steward he’s really great!  We had this RS just a few weeks ago, and it’s still on our minds.  We even decided to upgrade our cruise next year to the RS!

I always tip the delivery staff.  I find, and it just might be my experience, that delivery is quicker in suites.  At least, that has been my experience.

14 minutes ago, SuzD123 said:

BTW...Love this thread, because for the first time in all of our cruises...we are booked in our first RS on Adventure...albeit not until Jan 2026, but we finally got her.  🙂

You’re going to LOVE IT!!!!  We loved it so much we just upgraded our 11/25 cruise to the RS!

35 minutes ago, SuzD123 said:

Beverages in the Suite Lounge are complimentary to guests staying in a GS or above...regardless of loyalty status/level.  They are not charged to your SeaPass account, nor are they counted against your D/D+ drink vouchers.  However, if you are getting your beverages in the Crown Lounge (formerly "Diamond Lounge") you will likely see they those drinks count against your allotted vouchers...same as if the vouchers are used at any other venue.

Perfectly explained.  Kudos!

1 hour ago, 1 Buffett Fan said:

I see that within one of the documents mentioned earlier in the thread there is a mention of drinks in the Suite Lounge / Concierge Club:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-suites-program

Suite Lounge/Concierge Club Access (Hors d’oeuvres and Cocktails Each Evening)

 

Are these drinks complimentary for suite guests (above JS), or does this just mean that drinks are available there but have a cost, much like a regular bar?

 

We get five free per day based on C&A status, but wondered if these happy hour drinks would come out of that voucher allotment or are in addition to our free five.

 

Seeing conflicting answers in other threads (imagine that).

 

Thanks.

The suite lounge, and happy hour, is for grand suites and higher.  JS doesn’t get the perk.  But you shouldn’t have to use you vouchers.  It’s a nightly open bar for full suites and Pinnacles.  I always tip the bartender, but it’s never been a voucher issue.

Just now, TheInnocentAge said:

@captainannoyed! Thank you for the quick response, and especially for the positive vibes! We will be in that cabin for 15 nights, and I will definitely let you know how it goes.

15 nights are going to be awesome!!!!  Enjoy!!!

1 hour ago, TheInnocentAge said:

Captain, just curious how your experience was in the RS. We have the RS on Jewel in May. We are D+, so I'm aware of those benefits, but just wondering what additional perks (champagne, wine, etc.) that may have come along with this cabin.

 

Also, did you use the piano, and if so is it fairly in tune?

 

Thank in advance...

@TheInnocentAge I did find that there’s not so many ‘secret’ perks.  I did ask about being able to be on the bridge for sail away.  But only the standard bridge tour was offered.  As others have stated, there’s no dining at the captain’s table anymore.

However, the experience was absolutely wonderful!  You will be personally escorted onboard to the suite by the Concierge, and the Royal Suite will be ready for you to go to directly without a wait.  I do think they sent us a few extra nice things.  Chocolate covered strawberries and I think an extra bottle of wine.  

You will be extremely happy with the RS, as the Jewel was the ship I was on also.  The AC was awesome!  We tried to turn it down.  But it took us a bit to find the FOUR thermostats (yes there are four ‘zones)!  The showers are the VERY BEST I ever experienced on a cruise (I’ve been in a number of GS and an OS before - no comparison)!  Room service was very noticeably faster, and the food hotter on arrival than I ever had on a cruise before.  We ordered from the main dining room and had dinner on the balcony when the wind or humidity were not an issue.  The rest of the nights we had dinner at the dining table in the suite.  It was awesome!  You could live in this suite!

There was a feeling that we were being looked after with more than normal attention, yet never with any kind of intrusion.  You just know there is elevated attention.

Overall, and I wanted this suite for about 25 years since I first cruised and found out about it, the Royal Suite was absolutely everything I hoped it would be!  I’ll definitely sail in it again when budget permits!

Enjoy your cruise!  You are going to have a great time!  If you remember, please reach out here and let me know what you thought after your cruise!