captainannoyed!

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!

• Okay, thanks for clearing that up.

After the cruise I just returned from I have made D+.  I was looking over the D+ benefits, and saw one I hadn’t noticed before. Specifically. Under ‘Drinks and Dining’ Onboard Benefits, there is a discount on any glass of wine, beer, or soda, listed at 25%.
 

 Now, this is separate from the 50% discount on same at 2x per sailing.  

If I understand this as it is written, does this mean I now have the 25% discount on all wine, beer, and soda (apparently mixed drinks, shots not included)?  I’ve always bought the drink package since it was offered by Royal.  But if I understand this benefit, between the 5 D+ drinks and this discount I’m thinking I could skip the package.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

8 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I always get asked. And the drinks go on my folio (at $0). But that's more to find out who's in a suite and who's just a Pinnacle who has to use vouchers.

Interesting.

Nope.  Open bar, won’t even ask your stateroom number.

3 minutes ago, Miss Vickie said:

We srarted sailing Radiance class ships in 2002, and this past February was our 18th Radiance class sailing, all out of San Juan. It’s our favorite class of Royal ships. We stilll miss the Seaview cafe, although we did enjoy Izumi this time. It was better than I remember it being in 2018. 

I am also a big fan of the Radiance class.  Yes, Seaview Cafe was one of the ‘hidden jems’ of the original deck plans.  I still miss that, especially because Izumi doesn’t appeal to me.  Perfect size ship for me, everything I want and none of the things I don’t.

12 hours ago, Miss Vickie said:

We sailed Jewel in February 2018 and returned to her in February 2024. Rita’sCantina must not have been on there for long, because it wasn’t there in 2018 and it wasn’t there in February.

Rita’s wasn’t originally on Radiance class ships.  I’m not sure when they were added.  It was (is still on Brilliance) just outside the Windjammer on the port side.  Location of Rita’s is / was problematic, because access is more difficult when the Windjammer is closed.  Actually, I’m not certain you even can get there when the Windjammer is closed.  I believe there is access adjacent to the sports court and water slide to Izumi.  Then, one could use the stairs next to Izumi to go back to deck 10 to the outside aft Windjammer seating and thus access to Rita’s. You'd have to really want to get there.

As others have said, the loss isn’t important.  I’m not sure if Royal really even thought out what they wanted Rita’s to be.  It always felt like a half thought out concept, and just tacked on like a Lego block.  If it was meant to be a Mexican themed bar, shouldn’t it have had chips and salsa?  Who knows, maybe it did?  I’d never know because I never saw a Rita’s open!  Ultimately, the space is better used for seating - though a bar in this spot is a good idea.

8 hours ago, Coralc said:

Rita's has been removed from all of the Radiance class ships and is just Windjammer seating. On Serenade, the bar remained last time we were onboard. But I have read recently on the World Cruise posts that it has been replaced by a smoothie bar. 

Okay, this must have happened recently.  Because this was the first time I saw Rita’s actually removed.  Perhaps I was catching sailings just before the changes.

I am just off the Jewel, and noticed that Rita’s has been completely removed and replaced with Windjammer seating.  I’m thinking this is recent, because I just did a search here and didn’t see any posts about this.

IMHO, this is probably better.  Rita’s seemed like a half finished concept.  I’ve been on all of the Radiance Class (except the Radiance itself) over the last two years.  Rita’s was rarely open, and just sat dark.  I think the idea could have been interesting had it been fully executed.  Anyway, figured I’d post in case anyone is interested.

32 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

Not with how full ships are these days. I used to book fairly last minute (3-6 weeks out), sometimes during the GGG sale, but even those deals are few & far between.

I can easily believe that.  It seems like they’ve got 100% occupancy pretty aced.  But if you have flexibility and live in FL I do feel like that’s the basis of opportunity.

55 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

 

 

Just a follow up to this post.... This morning is 57 days before sailing date/33 days after final payment.

 

Interior guaranty = $345pp before taxes  

Ocean view guaranty = $480pp before taxes

Balcony guaranty = $583pp before taxes ... $463pp with my C&A balcony disc

 

While I subscribe to early booking being most advantageous form pricing and the ability to take advantage of (increasingly unusual) price drops before final payment, I will agree that booking last minute / post final payment date can offer deals.  However, I would argue that the savings come with other costs.  
 

First, the cruise you want may sell out - and this happens a lot.  

Second, if cabin location / choice matters to you this is unlikely to give you the vacation you desire.  Think about it.  What cabins are likely to remain unsold?  The ones everyone else doesn’t want.  Cabin location matters a lot to me, and I’d never book a GTY because of that, and playing kamikazi with last minute cabin availability isn’t for everybody.  True, a great cabin might show up via a last minute cancellation.  But if I want to gamble, I’d rather do it in the casino than my cabin.

Third, airfare.  Last minute airfare tends to be higher than further out.  If you have to fly to your cruise, the savings on a last minute cabin fare could be more than eclipsed by the cost of the flight.

Fourth, everything I just wrote goes out the window if you live in Florida.  If you can drive to multiple major cruise ports, have an openness to destinations, and don’t have a preference in regards to cabin, you can game the system.  As far as I see, cheap last minute cruise opportunities would rank as the number one reason to move to Florida.  I have to believe that I the few days before the cruise, aside from the requirements to have a set passenger list 48 (?) hours before sailing, there’s got to be a last minute spot to be had at big savings.

I agree with the other responses regarding booking early.  From everything I’ve seen in the last few years the best rates are at the opening of booking.  I haven’t seen a pice drop on any cruise I have booked in the last few years, but many price increases.  So, there’s every reason to book early with a minimum deposit.  In the event a price drop does happen it can only help you.

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

I remember "Sea View Cafe" on deck starboard side, which is now Izumi on all four sisters.  Really good onion rings...  😉 

 

I miss the Sea View also!  I am not a fan of Izumi, not my interest.  Sea View was a real hidden gem.

 

 

 

I have no interest in the mega ships.  Radiance class is my favorite, though I will sail Freedom class.  But RCCL lost me Oasis and larger.  I’d rather just go to an all inclusive resort than have to walk those halls.

It’s outside the Windjammer, near back of ship.

I’ve been on several Radiance class ships in the last few years.  Rarely is Rita’s open.  When it is it is just drinks.

After nearly 25 years of cruising with Royal, and wanting this suite, I finally have the Royal.  To make the suite even ‘sweeter’ is that on this cruise I will hit diamond plus, as well as these things all happening on my favorite class of ship, Radiance.

My question to the forum is to people that have stayed in a RS on a Radiance class since the pandemic has subsided.  I have heard many rumors over the years of perks not mentioned on the official RCCL website, such as dinner at the captains table, etc.  If you feel comfortable please share your experiences if there was anything outside the official listed perks.

TYIA