ggo85

IMHO, Retreat is mostly a gimmick. On the non-revolutionized ships, it amounts to nothing more than before they called it Retreat. It’s not luxury. And I agree that X doesn’t read reviews. They look at the numbers and probably penalize the ship, when the real issue is corporate policy.

It's unfortunate. There are some good aspects of X. But more and more it feels like RCCL at a much higher price point. Crowded ship that felt very crowded. Overwhelmed staff (who did their utmost!). Lots of cheapening of the experience -- little things here and there but they add up. And now removing free gratuities for upper level suites. All of the above is fine if one wants a budget cruise. But X is charging luxury prices (and more) -- especially in Retreat -- and not providing a luxury product.

Hmm. Must be something new since they are included on our next cruise which, in fairness, we booked well over a year ago. Just another reason for us to leave X. The crews on the ships have been fantastic but there are too many "corporate" changes that have driven us away. We came back this year b/c we had such a great experience about 18 months ago on an X cruise. But things have changed . . . for the worse, based on the things we value. We have found the luxury lines a better option for us than X Retreat. Plus, we prefer the smaller ships. I realize that my view is subjective -- this isn't to denigrate X. There are lines and ships out there for everyone. X just isn't ours anymore.

I've heard you can't order from MDR from Luminae on E class b/c the kitchens are far apart. But you can choose to dine there any night. You can also order room service.

The "Retreat" experience will differ based on your ship and the level of suite you're in. [As an aside, I realize Zenith might get some of the benefits below based on that status regardless of their cabin]. Also, this assumes you booked the suite outright -- see other threads for what you do and don't get with MoveUp. All suites get priority boarding and disembarkation -- meaning you can show up any time to board (once boarding starts) and can be the first folks off. On the "non-revolutionized" older ships (M and S Class), there is no dedicated Retreat deck. You get Michael's Lounge, which is reserved for suite guests. It offers free sodas and beer all day and free cocktails / light hors d'oeuvres from 5-8 pm. You also have the services of the MC concierge to help with reservations or to address any issues -- never a need to go to Guest Services. Revolutionized older ships and E class have a special deck for Retreat passengers with loungers, pool, bar, etc. We've yet to cruise on one of those but will do so in June. You get reserved seating for the production show on "formal" nights (not all nights). You can eat all meals in Luminae. The MDR menu is available on non-E-class ships. Servers have fewer tables to cover and the service is excellent. There are typically 4 appetizers, 5 entrees (one vegetarian) and 4 desserts. RS and above get free specialty dining for lunch and dinner. RS and above get free laundry throughout the cruise. Not sure about Sky and CS. Also not sure if dry cleaning is included as we've never done it. RS and above (maybe others -- not sure) get free premium WiFi (4 devices), free gratuities, free premium drink package, and bottle of champagne upon arrival, and two bottles of wine or spirits per cruise. Minibar is stocked and refilled with sodas, water, juices and beer of your choice. Suites get free canapés in the afternoon. We got shrimp, cheese plates and fruit plates. RS and above at least get free monogrammed PJs. We also got one X beach bag. You get a butler (realize there is debate re butlers in Sky suites). Some use him/her, some don't. There are lots of threads about what butlers do. Whether the above is worth the cost is up to each individual.

Waiting until after final payment is risky, if you really want the trip. Prices ebb and flow based on occupancy and probably other factors of which we’re not aware and have no control. In my experience, most of the time, there isn’t a huge price drop across all cabins after final payment. Pre and post COVID, of course. If it were a frequent occurrence, more people would wait until the last minute- and cruise lines don’t want that. They also use Move Up to fill empty cabins. Cheaper than the atmospherics of dropping the price. First, you’ve got to pick a cruise that isn’t extremely popular. I suggest developing a price point for the cabin category(ies) you want and having a trusted TA check regularly. If your price hits, book and then check back until final payment. Then stop looking. Or wait until the last minute (by when you personally need to book something) and see what cruises are available at your price point.

I’ve decided that, when cruise lines want to take away something or start skimping on something, they almost always claim it’s in the name of “safety” or “security.” We should all want more of those, right? As the above poster says, they think we’re stupid.

Just did it on Reflection. Got $60 in OBC. Later tried to add $8 and couldn’t do it. Played $5 and then cashed out. Not sure if there is a total limit, limit per day or you can do it only once. I recommend trying the max OBC you have before last day of the cruise and see what happens.

I would be surprised if they offered a discount. My DH doesn’t drink alcohol ( for medical reasons), sodas, or specialty coffees. We’ve never sought a discount. My thought is you get things free but, if you don’t want them, no discount. For example, if you don’t use WiFi, no discount. If you don’t use specialty restaurants, no discount. If you get a positive response, let us know!

On our current cruise, a HUGE variety on Chic night. Some really dressed up - tuxes, sequins, etc. Most wore the same as casual night (collared shirt and slacks). Saw a few in shorts, though they may have dined in Oceanview.

For that price, I’d do a specialty restaurant. Luminae is good, but the menu is limited. 4 non-vegetarian entrees. We often order off the MDR menu (non-E-class). Would not pay $30 for guests unless they just want the experience. YMMV.

As with most “tight” connections, if all goes well - as it does 95%+ of the time with cruises arriving back in port, you’ll be fine. The question only you can answer is what happens if you’re the 5%? What is your backup plan? Know your Plan B and Plan C. If those are viable options, go for it! If missing that flight creates a really bad situation for you, choose a “safer” option.

No footstools on Reflection. Nothing has changed.

Medevac. IMG_2414.mov

I saw all sorts of people tripping over the loungers on the pool deck, myself included, because they are so close together. That’s why I like the one on my balcony - only one and not easy to trip. My DH doesn’t like the crowds in the pool deck - he only “lounges” on the balcony. If the policy re footstools and loungers isn’t changed back, no more X for us. It is that big a deal. For us. YMMV. As an aside, we were told loungers were removed because they took up too much space. Get your story straight , X.

June means lots of daylight and fewer kids than later in summer. Weather is always iffy. We cruised in mid-July a couple of years ago and it was in the 50s and rainy the entire time. They said the week before it had been in the 80s and sunny. First port - everyone bought sweatshirts! But it was fine. Fewer kids tend to ne on these cruises than Med cruises. But there can be exceptions. Fjords are magnificent.

We like the luxury lines. Costs more up front but, when you factor in all that’s included, not that much more. Smaller ships. Older demographic but not ancient. Exceptional service. Silversea and Crystal so far. Perks depend on your cabin and frequent cruise status.

Definitely reserve! We walked into the Porch for lunch. No one was eating. They told us we needed reservations. Checked back an hour later. Maybe 1/3 of tables full. Ditto with Sushi on 5. We asked at 1230 if you needed reservations for lunch and they said yes. Turned us away. There was literally no one in the restaurant. At dinner last night at Sushi (we had reservations), a couple came by and tried to eat. Turned away. Restaurant was 90% empty. Only thing I can think of is that they need a number so they defrost sufficient, but not too much food, especially with Sushi. But they are losing out on a lot of walk-up business. As an aside, Murano was very full on the third night of cruise. We found meal so-so. Ok but not memorable. Lobster was tasty but portion very, very small. Goat cheese tart wasn’t to my liking. I would not book it if it weren’t included for us. YMMV.

We did RCL for years, then moved to X and now mostly sail neither, though on X at the moment. RCL markets to families with kids. That’s their demographic, which has changed since we sailed RCL almost exclusively in the early 2000s. You’ll find fewer kids on the smaller, older ships and fewer on certain itineraries and at certain times of the year. But school break time, especially July and early August, can be overwhelming. While you’ll find kids on X, there is less for them to do and, in the non-school break season, very few. For example, maybe a dozen on current cruise of 3000+ passengers. Both lines nickel and dime you. RCL is slightly worse in that (as of last time we sailed pre-COVID), you had to check out beach towels with fee if you failed to check in and almost all activities on sea days either cost extra or were promos for paid spa stuff. There was CONSTANT harping for art auction, Bingo and the like. We’re finding more free stuff on X. The pay stuff is available but IMO not pushed as heavily. Food on X is better in MDR. We’ve found specialty on X to be somewhat of a disappointment. Ok, but not that much better for the price. RCL MDR food was so inedible and service so bad (waiters assigned too many tables) that we only ate in specialty restaurants. They weren’t terrific. I’ve found the entertainment on X to be quite good. Maybe it’s because the shows are new to me. 😀 The bands are good, playing a large variety of music among them. More geared to 50+ adults, though that might also be due to our cruise demographic. Also, the non-music entertainment on our X ship is more “adult” in a good way. So far, no belly-flopping or “Mr. Sexy” or “Love and Marriage.” Instead, there has been curling and chirping golf ball into pool net, origami, etc. Things for adults that aren’t (IMO) crass. Service is good, but nowhere near luxury level. Sat at pool for 6 hours yesterday (port day) and no drink server ever appeared. There is less “drink until you drop” (aka, maximize value on my drink package) on X as compared to RCL. Again, might be the demographic of an older crowd. If you are D or higher on RCL, your benefits are better than Elite on X. However, depends on what you use in terms of alcohol, specialty coffees, lounges, etc. With an older ship and a port-intensive itinerary in Europe, you should be ok on RCL. Stay away from July and early August — unless you want to be surrounded by kids. And be prepared to pay for specialty restaurants if MDR food isn’t to your liking.

I agree. Not end of the world. But it shouldn’t happen. And when it does, X should take responsibility. It’s not that hard to say, “I’m sorry.”

Yes, one excursion. But this should happen zero times. This excursion wasn’t a deal breaker for me as I’ve been to this island before. But X didn’t know that. What if this had been an excursion that was really important to me? The sad fact is X doesn’t care.

There have been other issues on this cruise that aren’t related to this thread so won’t detail here. I’ll write a review at the end. Generally (with the one exception), crew has been terrific. Issues are with corporate policies, not the ship. We only sailed X recently once since COVID. My sense then was that they were trying to position themselves as upscale of mainstream lines but not at the luxury level. My impression on this cruise is that they are moving downward, not upward. Much more like RCL, sans kids, than near-luxury, even in Retreat. Also that all their effort is with E class. That’s ok, but not our thing.

The change was 5 hours, not 30 minutes or even 90, which are generally manageable. And the morning tour wasn’t moved - it’s still going at the original time. I was just moved to the afternoon departure without my knowledge or consent. X claims to know EXACTLY how many spots are available on each tour - hence the “only 2 spots left!!” in bold, italicized type when you look up a crowded tour. So this shouldn’t happen. If there were a simultaneous booking, X should be able to notify one party promptly so they can select something else. Not apologizing profusely once a passenger calls them out on this is just poor business practice and evidence that X doesn’t care.

I’ve never had this happen on other lines and we’ve probably been on 80 cruises. Tour times have been charged on other lines, but there is always notice. Usually pre-cruise, sometimes prominently with the envelope (as in stapled to the outside). The problem with not notifying you in advance is that, if you don’t want the new time, by the time you find out, you may not be able to book anything else you like. As happened to me. It’s a terrible way to do business - and suggesting it was the customer’s fault and/or saying you (the cruise line) don’t care is reprehensible. I did try to get (back) on the earlier booking. Told it was sold out by the shore excursion manager.

I booked a 10 am excursion pre-cruise. When I arrived on board, the ticket had a 2:45 departure time. First notice I’d been given of the change. When I complained to the shore excursion desk, they first suggested I’d forgotten what I’d booked. I showed them my order receipt with the time clearly stated. They next said, “Well, sometimes the ship’s arrival time changes.” It hadn’t. Finally, they said that sometimes they just switch people without telling them. Blamed shoreside people. Seemed indifferent to my concern. Could not get me on the earlier departure. I didn’t want the later departure as I don’t like to snorkel late in the day when I’m sisters and it would have interfered with dinner plans. That’s why I only book morning excursions. They did refund my money but way too late to book anything else I wanted. Never had this happen before on any cruise line. Even when they do it last minute, they usually put a note of explanation with your ticket. Here, it’s as if they thought I’d forget or think I’d booked the later trip. And totally indifferent to the fact I was disappointed. In any event, don’t count on getting the excursions you booked or being notified of changes. Probably will happen. Might not.