Calvin

7 hours ago, ellenw said:

When I was on the Joy last fall, Irene was the bartender in the Observation Lounge. I'm assuming a move to the Haven is a step up if not a promotion for her. She is a delight!

It will be interesting if you see the same bartender.  I was on a sailing where I went on the NCL Bliss ~ 6 weeks apart, the first experience was in the Haven.  A number of people recognized me on the second cruise because they change the Haven employees.

6 hours ago, joestein514 said:

The big low point is the Entertainment.  There is very little.   I personally am bored by Elements - that is 2 nights of the cruise.  A third night is the magician from Elements (who is boring IMHO).  3 other nights were the comedians from the Social Comedy Club doing the same act in the Main Theatre.    One night was the Beatles who perform in the Cavern Club other nights during the cruise.   One of the comedians even joked how many people were in the theatre show because there is nothing else to do on the boat other than gamble.    

Wow, sorry you had such bad entertainment.  It almost sounds like a covid cruise the way you spoke of how acts were the same as those in the smaller venues.  NCL usually had top notch entertainment, and that's one of the reasons I sailed them.  I hope they get their act together.  It seems there are many cost-cutting procedures on many cruiselines.

On 5/16/2024 at 6:00 AM, ScottC4746 said:

Okay, this may sound like a dumb question

God bless you for making this statement, 😃.  IMO, there really are no dumb questions, and people should feel free to fire away.

Unfortunately, I submitted a review on the Royal Carribean board, and though I did a good job of highlighting the pros and cons for ME, I still got flamed, and was reluctant to post anymore!  What I thought was a helpful review, from the prospective of someone who had sailed on ~ 40 cruises, was not appreciated by at least 3 people on the boards (judging from their snarky comments).  I realized that it WAS helpful to many others who had commented.

Hi all,

I recall the first time I bought the premium plus beverage package, they had a list of specific wines that were available to you.  Does anyone know if Veuve Clicquot champagne is still included?

I can't seem to find it on the list.

Thanks so much for the review and the pictures!  I also posted a review on my 15-day Odyssey of the Seas experience, where I enumerated the pros and cons of the ship. I haven't posted much at all since, because a few MORONS decided to flame me.  I guess they believed they owned RCI and wanted desperately to defend it. I was shocked because I posted both the good and the bad.

One of the things I love about today's cruising is that we have so many, like yourself, who post reviews of various ships, so we can get a feel for it without sailing.  In the old days, 😁, we would have to grab a static brochure and use our imaginations.

I bought the Key, largely because it was only a nominal amount above the internet service.  On a 7 day cruise, I would likely purchase it again, but not on a 15 day cruise, because they charge a daily fee.  I'm a big kid so I always like to embark as early as possible.

16 hours ago, Etta1213 said:

I've never cruised on NCL. Is the 24-hour restaurant extra, or included? Are there items like hot vegetables, salad bar?

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/617ac6f28abd337ac8fc5f75/t/65a5b96543d23822e7a5bc94/1705359727065/The+Local+Menu+Norwegian+Cruise+Line.pdf

Above is a menu I found re The Local.

15 hours ago, Etta1213 said:

I've never cruised on NCL. Is the 24-hour restaurant extra, or included? Are there items like hot vegetables, salad bar?

The 24 hour restaurant is F-R-E-E.  It's called The Local on some ships, O'Sheehans on others.  It's a nice welcome from the usual sandwiches and pizza on other cruiselines.  One of the wonderful things about cruising is that most lines do something a little different, and possibly better, for your desires.

If you google the restaurant names and NCL, you will see the menus.  There was no salad bar.

On 11/23/2023 at 6:15 AM, lovesthebeach2 said:

We were also on that transatlantic as you.  We were on the ship from the cruise before also and I can say that it was totally different.  The TA was crazy crowded and with so many card and game players every table everywhere was full ALL DAY. I agree with people getting to lectures and games so early it was annoying so we just stopped doing those things. 
 

The “Vibe” of the ship on the TA wasn’t nearly as good as the holy land cruise before. A lot of older people that sat around all the common areas all day. I’m older too so don’t flame me.

 

The lobster is nothing  special, and as others said it’s been this way since the new menus, which aren’t the same either. On the positive side, I no longer ever gain weight on cruises because I mostly just eat appetizers for dinner. 

It's a shame that you almost have to put the disclaimer "so don't flame me", LOL. 

Only the short-sighted people do that, especially when you are simply asserting your opinion.  My guess is that flaming is what stops a LOT of helpful comments, because many are not inclined to share their opinions because some people enjoy (themselves) because they get to make snide comments...

On 11/17/2023 at 6:02 AM, happy cruzer said:

Reviews that complain about things like the rock climbing walls, flow riders, etc. always lose me.  Those things are in addition to the traditional venues.  Things do change and sometimes go missing - that could be worth a moan.  But having additional new items even that have a few associated don't really affect the rest of the cruise.

 

Love the big ships with lots to see including people watching on the "play things".  But do realize that someday mobility issues or personal preferences may mean changing to smaller ships.

I'm with you!  I love the many options that big ships carry, but I don't always have to partake.  I enjoy just watching others...

On 7/30/2023 at 4:44 PM, NutsAboutGolf said:

Totally understand any product/service cutback is disappointing, yet this is unfortunately covered in your cruise contract.  I doubt complaining to an online chat person will yield anything yet perhaps complaining to the exec offices will result in an OBC credit or something.  Agree with it or not, it seems X's parent company, RCG, wants to standardize some of X's experience with RCI.  For now and I hope this changes in the near future, they're not taking any of the "passenger friendly" experiences such as better and more frequently entertainment

I completely agree with complaining directly to the cruise lines, but I'll bet they also read many cruise comment boards to see what people are generally thinking.

On 1/3/2023 at 7:13 PM, RichYak said:

We are watching a train wreck in slow motion. They are killing the brand. Did a hedge fund guy take over running the company on Jan 1?

I couldn't agree more.  I mentioned the pros and cons of a recent Odyssey sailing, and mentioned the extra fees.  I got flamed by morons who acted like they owned the cruise line.

On 11/23/2023 at 9:55 AM, sjb317 said:

We, too, were on the Odyssey TA 😂. The only places  we found really crowded were Giovanni’s Wine bar (very difficult to find a seat between 6 and 8pm every night) and the Solarium.  I couldn’t sleep one night so went for a walk and discovered the Solarium was packed with people’s stuff.🙄

 

And the Diamond Lounge was packed every night so we would just run in and grab a snack!

 

Sherri🙂

Yep, I couldn't believe there were sooo many diamond and higher loyalty club members.  I popped in the Diamond Lounge a couple of times but saw the same as you...it was packed.

On 11/23/2023 at 7:36 AM, Dan83 said:

We were on the Odyssey TA as well. As a family with young kids we didn’t fit into the main demographic of this particular sailing. For the first week, I felt like we were on a half empty ship. But it was port days for the first 4 days in a row. And we were doing lots of the kids and family activities. I felt way more crowded in Cinque Terre than I did on the ship. Even the windjammer at peak times you could easily find a table. I’ve been able to navigate the crowds on a ship fairly well on previous Royal sailings. But half of the ship was diamond or above. Everyone was using the same tricks and they just didn’t work. You couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting a pinnacle name tag. I gave up on solarium bistro the first day. I’m not lining up 15 minutes prior to opening for that breakfast. Lines to get in the theater started at least a full hour before showtime. We can easily deal with all that. I adjusted my strategies accordingly, and we continued to have a good time. I’m the type that absolutely hates being in crowds. Really I shouldn’t even like cruising because of this but I still do. Towards the end of the cruise I really started feeling the pinch. And the day of the Bermuda stop was the day I was ready to be off that ship. The one thing that really gets me is not being able to find a place to sit at the windjammer. Up until that day, we could walk in at peak hours grab a plate and have a seat. Now we have to spilt up to go table hunting. And take turns getting up to get a plate for us and the kids. Many other venues seemed more crowded those last few days as well. Surprisingly there were many more families with kids. There were just enough that my kids easily made friends but adventure ocean never came anywhere near capacity. On a typical 7 night Caribbean, getting the kids into the evening session means lining up 20 minutes prior to opening.
 

We still have next year’s Odyssey TA booked so it wasn’t all that bad. However, I won’t book a 7 day holiday sailing on Odyssey.  I feel like Oasis class handles crowds for that demographic much better. 

You've expressed many of the same sentiments as I.  I have my criticisms, but I would sail her again.

5 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

Sometimes we prefer the older cruise ships without the activities because it means there won't be many children on it. 

I was dying to make one other point: We just sailed on a 15 day Transatlantic cruise, there were very few children, but that may have influenced the number of adults present!  We could NOT get a seat in the trivia rooms, for example.

4 hours ago, wreckem2013 said:

Midnight buffets have been gone for what over a decade? Not just on Royal but pretty much all lines. Most lines late night dining is minimal. I don’t see a whole lot of people who are clamoring for gorging on a fourth or fifth meal late at night. Plus on Odyssey they have the nicest playmakers in the fleet that is usually open  till 11pm.

I agree that midnight buffets have been gone for quite some time, but there are still those of us who clamour for them.  As I mentioned, NCL has a 24 hour restaurant and, though used sparingly, it was still used (I can personally attest to that).

2 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Though DH and I tend to be early birds, I know late night food matters to other people.  If we all kept the same schedules and enjoyed the same things, the ships would feel more crowded.  I recall how unhappy fellow cruisers were as midnight buffets became less lavish than disappeared.   
 

Even on the same line, some cruises feel different than others.  For example, several years ago we did a back to back cruise, so same ship, same departure port, same month.  The first cruise was a five night sailing to Bermuda.  There were lots of young couples and families with young kids plus some seniors.  It was very active with long lines for pizza and a very busy buffet, even at dinner.  Boisterous crowd.  There were only a few b2b guests.  The second cruise was nine night Canada and New England.  There were lots of seniors, far fewer young people, very few kids, and far more high loyalty members.  More card games, no more long lines for pizza, the MDR was busier at mealtimes.   Sedate crowd.  We enjoyed both cruises, but the contrast was quite noticeable.

Yes, it really was a different experience back in the day.  I remember when I used to make all cruiselines regret their "all you can eat" concept.  I also recall eating dinner at 8-10:30, then attending the midnight buffet at 11:30.  I really, really, made a pig of myself.  Now as I've gotten older, they surely make lots of $ off me, LOL.

8 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Ah, so none of your other 37 cruises were transatlantic or other ocean crossings.  We have done 96 cruises on a variety of cruise lines, including multiple transatlantics.  They draw a different crowd and have a different pace.  Passengers on a TA behave differently than passengers on a 7 or 10 day cruise.  Obviously the TA worked out for us but it does not suit everyone.  Try to think about the TA demographic and TA crowd behavior separately from your feeling about Royal Caribbean.  That will help you decide if long transoceanic cruises on any line suit you at this point in your life.  

 

There are other points that are specific to Royal Caribbean and your cruising style/preferences.  For example, free late night food seems important to you (that is not important to me at all, showing personal preferences really matter here).  If Royal’s offerings (typically pizza, sandwiches, cookies as I recall) do not appeal, another cruiseline might suit you better for most or all of your cruises.  That’s why there are multiple cruise lines.  Many of us have taken a cruise that was good yet did not quite fit.  We go back to the line(s) that feel right.

"That's why there are multiple cruise lines"

I couldn't agree more.  I was simply giving my opinions.

Since you've sailed on 96 cruises you're likely to have a different perspective.  This should be shared with as many cruisers as possible, because not everyone is aware of the differences, and that's why many come to these boards.

You've even implied that there can be different types of cruises within  the same line.

BTW, though YOU don't care about late night food, I think very MANY people do care, that's why they used to have midnight buffets.

I just realized why I tend to appreciate the NCL ships a little bit more.  I just got off of a 15-day Royal Caribbean sailing (Odyssey) and I realized that on this particular ship, they didn't have water slides.

Though I don't use them everyday, I missed it. For me, cruising has always been a "Fun in the Sun" experience and I suspect that I have a little bit more fun when sailing on NCL, Carnival, or the other RCI ships.

On 11/23/2023 at 6:15 AM, lovesthebeach2 said:

We were also on that transatlantic as you.  We were on the ship from the cruise before also and I can say that it was totally different.  The TA was crazy crowded and with so many card and game players every table everywhere was full ALL DAY. I agree with people getting to lectures and games so early it was annoying so we just stopped doing those things. 
 

The “Vibe” of the ship on the TA wasn’t nearly as good as the holy land cruise before. A lot of older people that sat around all the common areas all day. I’m older too so don’t flame me.

 

The lobster is nothing  special, and as others said it’s been this way since the new menus, which aren’t the same either. On the positive side, I no longer ever gain weight on cruises because I mostly just eat appetizers for dinner. 

I can empathize with that card/game playing issue too!  My group decided to play cards one day, and we ended up having to go to the music hall where we were pretty cramped.

I guess I should take the demographics into consideration, should we take a long cruise again. Up until then, the longest cruise we had ever taken was 10 days, and that was only twice.

I'm starting to wonder if that had an effect on the entertainment? I tend to go to all the shows because I like them so much, but their shows were a little bit underwhelming, and I thought Royal Caribbean's entertainment was their forte.

On 11/23/2023 at 5:41 AM, Biker19 said:

TAs have a somewhat different demographic than the typical 7 day sailing and perhaps different show/trivia attendance pattern.

Good point! Perhaps the passengers were more sedentary? I'm also certain there were not a lot of kids who could take 15 days off from school between October and November, LOL. 

16 hours ago, sjb317 said:

We, too, were on the Odyssey TA 😂. The only places  we found really crowded were Giovanni’s Wine bar (very difficult to find a seat between 6 and 8pm every night) and the Solarium.  I couldn’t sleep one night so went for a walk and discovered the Solarium was packed with people’s stuff.🙄

 

And the Diamond Lounge was packed every night so we would just run in and grab a snack!

 

Sherri🙂

It's funny. For my group, the wine bar wasn't crowded, probably because we went during lunch.

But I had already forgotten the crowds in the solarium, as well as the Diamond lounge.  Like I said, it was a very nice ship and a very nice experience, but the common areas were very crowded.

No one wants to go on a cruise and have to get to venues a half an hour early, just to get a seat.

5 hours ago, mugtech said:

The only thing you HAVE to do is die.

And pay taxes.

But you have not made a valuable comment at all.

It was your suggestion to take food from the Windjammer, not mine.  

2 hours ago, mugtech said:

So you could not eat enough at second sitting MDR to hold you until morning.  Perhaps you could take things back to your cabin earlier from WJ to get you through the night.

While I could have gotten food from the WJ to save for later, why should I HAVE to bring cold food to eat later?

Royal Caribbean could also only have 1 venue open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but they don't, and I'll bet you, and others would not want to cruise that line.  Variety is the spice of life.

Everything you've said could be true for some but, I hadn't sailed in more than 1 year.  Re lobster tails: "aren't that good" is a matter of opinion, but surely pax ate more than 1, whether because they were good, or because they could. 

We ate dinner during the 2nd seating, so the WJ being open until 9 was not late enough for us.  The pub food and room service were not free.

In comparison, NCL has a 24 hour restaurant, and some cruise lines have their buffet available until 11-11:30 at night.