Rackham

It really depends on a multitude of factors. But the biggest one would have to be are you enjoying the cruises needed to climb the C&A ranks. Because if you're not enjoying the journey, the destination here is meaningless. With that out of the way, the major questions you need to ask yourself when it comes to dashing for Diamond (or higher) are: What is the cost of reaching the tier in terms of money and used vacation time (if applicable)? How often will the benefits be used once earned? Past that, there's a few questions which require predicting the future. How much will the benefits I actually use be worth aboard future sailings? How much will loyalty points cost to earn in the future? How will changes to the program affect my benefits received? Personally, I thought that it was worth climbing to Diamond over a two year period due to the fares I was seeing post startup back in 2021. I've sailed to Canada, Alaska, Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, and have been to both of Royal's private islands. It's been a blast, and I've done it for less than how much some people will spend to reach Platinum. I also have the interest and the time off from work to sail a few weeks each year if I choose to do so. The status makes for a nice set of perks just for booking a run-of-the-mill cabin which extends out my vacation dollars.

Based on information from that thread (haven't tried this yet!) here's the home version. Savory Bites for the HDR 48 servings Ingredients: 23g Potato Flour 431g Refined Wheat Flour 45g Marmite (the savory base) 36g Margarine 6g Instant Yeast 300g Water Directions: 1.Mix all ingredients for 2 to 3 min slow and 5 to 6 min fast speed in a stand mixer until well developed. 2.Rest the dough for 30 min. 4.Divide the dough in half. Roll each half, half-sheet pan long, then roll in poppy seeds. 5.Store in freezer overnight. 6.When ready to bake, defrost about 3 hours in the fridge, cut them into small triangles (24 pieces per roll). 7.Divide rolls between two half-sheet pans. 8. Preheat oven between 425F and 450F with one rack in the middle and another towards the bottom. On the lower rack, place an oven safe baking dish for water. 9. Once the oven is heated, place one sheet of rolls on the middle rack. Then pour 1 cup of boiling water into the oven safe baking dish. 10. Bake them for about 13 to 17 min until golden brown. Edit: If you're a baker, you've noticed there's no salt listed as an ingredient. That's because the Marmite is providing the salt in this recipe.

When I did it on Allure this summer, we were only offered one margarita and I don't recall a tequila tasting. There was a bit on the history and different styles of tequila, but no sampling of the different varieties. It was still a full lunch with a range of Sabor items alongside the guacamole we made however. I thought it was worthwhile for the price if everything on offer sounds appealing.

If you want to trust a poster on a message board over the port authority in charge of the port itself, more power to you. Until Royal themselves has the sailings under question on sale, I'm trusting the people in charge of the ports. Ships might be swapped later, but at the moment, the hard evidence is pointing towards Brilliance in Amsterdam. The Cruise Port Amsterdam has the ship listed for summer 2025. Multiple ports in Iceland have the ship listed for summer 2025. If Brilliance isn't ending up there, I'll be mildly surprised.

Could you provide your source? The only RCCL ships I'm seeing listed in their port schedule are Voyager, Explorer, and Odyssey. https://www.olp.gr/en/services/cruise-terminal

https://sea.cruiseportamsterdam.com/cruise-calendar/2025/ Brilliance is listed with intervals which match up with current longer sailings from Amsterdam.

I'm kinda surprised Royal hasn't instituted a package deal when major games are on like they do for New Years Eve. Get a table in Playmakers for the duration of the event with so much Playmakers credit and a pitcher of beer or soda for for X dollars.

Yeah. This comparison never made much sense to me since the products are at completely different price points. For comparison. Two itineraries with similar ports of call from the same port of embarkation and debarkation: Royal Caribbean, 8-night Southern Caribbean ($681-$1743 pp; starting at ~$85/day/pp, port fees and taxes are extra): https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/itinerary/8-night-southern-caribbean-from-san-juan-on-rhapsody/RH08SJU-4064789089?sail-date=2025-04-13¤cy=USD&country=USA#step=0 Viking, 11 Day West Indies Explorer ($3,599-$12,999 pp; starting at ~$327/day/pp, port fees and taxes are included): https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/caribbean-americas/west-indies-explorer/index.html Viking isn't "nickel and diming" because it's already covered in their cruise fare.

I'm surprised to learn that Royal sells C&A tiers. I thought the only way to gain status was by booking then sailing aboard their ships.

Can't imagine the drink vouchers costing Royal that much since they actually increased the amount given out at each loyalty level, by one, after they were introduced. Based on message board postings and Royal's actions, this perk sounds great on paper, but very few actual make full use of it. Thus Royal gets bookings because "free drinks" without having to cover X number of premium beverages.

I haven't been tracking prices outside of occasionally looking, and these seem to be slightly more than where they've been in the past. In other words, reasonable increases based on how much everything else is costing these days. With that said, who knows how high they'll go even a month after release?

They had these large, coconut macaroons during summer 2022 that were better than anything on the desert table at CocoCay (I've only visited Labadee once). The rest was alright, but CocoCay's lunch spread was generally better.

I did it last July on Brilliance's multi glacier cruise and it was completely worth it at $250 (booked during Black Friday).

Ship blocks.

5. And they're hoping to tell us more in a few months. So something new for the new year?

I've been speed running C&A levels to Diamond (between last year and this) because when looking at their different loyalty programs in 2021, and how the C&A program has evolved over time, this seemed like the next logical evolution. It was a question of when and the form it would take. I figure that Royal wouldn't go back to the old happy hour. Instead, they'd offer a generous discount on the DBP based on loyalty status instead of drink vouchers beyond what's currently on offer. For example, instead of 4 vouchers at Diamond, maybe they'd get 50% off the DBP once onboard. D+ receives 75% off and Pinnacle could receive 90% off. It still appears to be a great deal for everyone who hasn't reached these tiers, people who are already at one of these levels and still buy the DBP comes out ahead, and Royal would undoubtedly convert some people who wouldn't otherwise buy a package to do so. They would lose some higher tier members of C&A with this, but it might be a net positive in their eyes since the people lost might be those who primarily take advantage of the benefits, but aren't opening their wallets for Royal beyond the cruise fare.

Allure. Still kicking, but will probably be put out to pasture during the 2025 amplification. Liked it more than Chops.

The printed copies are like travel insurance. It's extraneous until you need it and don't have it. Printed copies are cheap and don't weigh much or take up much space in my carry-on bag. It's much better if there's an issue to hand someone a printout, versus a phone, if they're having computing problems and need to disappear for a moment to talk with someone to get the situation rectified. Paper copies are also seen as more official traditionally by many in customer facing positions. It's more likely to be seen as the truth versus a phone if there's a difference between a personal claim and what their system is showing.

I'm on team paper for this. I'll take the paper set sail pass, fold it in half (with the pass itself visible) and place as a bookmark inside my passport to the photo page. Then, during check-in, the agent has my passport on the right page and set sail pass right there. Things go super quick.

If you like the menu, then yes. If you don't like the menu, then no. If you have the DBP, then maybe not since the Taste of Royal lunch includes a specialty restaurant spritz in its pricing (on Anthem, they kept bringing them until we cut them off without an additional charge. YMMV.)

Historically, nights 1 and 2 have the fewest specialty dining reservations. The D+ and up offer is there to assist Royal in driving bookings when they'd normally have tables avaliable.

I'm not familiar with other lines' version of the solarium, but at least with Royal, I can't see them charging due to the size and location of the area. Charging for entry would cause major headaches with moving about the ship and further crowd the general pool deck. What I can see them doing, and what I suspect they're doing on Icon with The Hideaway, is adding upcharge areas aboard their ships which are specifically designed for this purpose. By doing so, Royal has a way for people who didn't book a cabin with access to the suite amenities to purchase admission to something like the suite neighborhood. 1. THE HIDEAWAY POOL First things first — let's talk about the neighborhood. The Hideaway is a beach club located in the cruise ship's Chill Island neighborhood, which is home to four of the seven pools onboard. This is where you'll find the Hideaway Pool, the only suspended infinity pool at sea. This engineering marvel offers uninterrupted, 180-degree ocean views and endless chill vibes thanks to comfy in-water loungers that will make you feel like you're at a beach club in Mykonos or Majorca. This epic cruise ship pool is flanked by ample deck space with additional loungers for laying out and enjoying the sunshine. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/guides/best-cruise-ship-pools-icon

Part of the problem with offering a paid, quiet, private beach with Hideaway is there's already one in the form of the Beach Club. Since Royal is choosing to make this an upcharge, there needs to be some differentiation besides more people and less upscale food offerings at a lower price. I'm kinda surprised with the direction they took this that admission isn't over $100 and includes two complementary drinks while in the area. Might as well go all the way with the beach party vibe.

Anywhere it doesn't specify the spirit ("house rum," "vodka," etc.) they reach for the ~$12 for 1.75 liter bottles, at least for as long as I've sailed with Royal. zimmerman's suggestion of naming the booze if you've got the package, or vouchers, is right on the money.

Assuming the menu on Royal's website has the previous prices (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/menus/portside-bbq-menu-sample.pdf) 2 cuts went up by $4.50 and 3 cuts went up by $6.60. Pitmaster fav increased by $5.