Cruising89143

We have cruise seven times out of Los Angeles and twice out of Miami since the restart on RCI. Each time they scanned “each” persons Set Sail pass. I fully expect that the cruise lines will eventually move back to the old system.

Not a big deal not as not every city or town wants cruise ships debarking thousands of guests. I have friends who owned a B&B in Key West for years. They absolutely disliked cruise ships. Only a handful of tour operators made money while those actually staying in KW had to deal with the large groups in town who spend very little.

Agree. The alternative is to just take away the vouchers completely. This place would explode. LOL……

On the Symphony now, Freedom last week along with the Navigator three weeks ago all in a GS. On both the NV and FR we had all MG products. This week we have MG conditioner and body wash and some yellow coconut smelling shampoo in a clear pump. On the NV we have had the Salt Breeze products in the pump bottles in a JS.

Just stayed at the Marriott prior to our cruise. They too have moved to using the three dispensers in place of the small bottles. This was a concierge level room.

Ah………Really?

Be careful, I got roasted here for making a comment on this board but for us it depends on the cruise. Last week and this week we booked a GS so we skipped the packages. We are also Prime in the casino so in all we receive drinks in the casino, suite lounge plus the daily drink vouchers. It did not make sense to purchase them but yes we have in the past and did not regret it. I just think that it’s a matter of time before the number of vouchers are reduced but that’s just my feeling.

Was on the Freedom last week and on the Symphony this week. Both were/are full ships. I would say that the Freedom felt much more crowded. Oasis class does a great job of spreading out guests throughout the ship IMHO. Our only question now is where we will go. Currently headed to Cozumel but there’s a tropical system headed in the same direction that we’re scheduled to cruise which is Roatan and Costa Maya. I’m guessing a trip to Nassau is in order after a rainy Cozumel. Captain announced yesterday when leaving Coco Cay that he was keeping an eye out for it. That should make some of the guests on this sailing happy. 😳🙂🤦‍♂️

I haven’t read all of the responses but what was booked today may be canceled tomorrow once people realize what they’re spending. Personally the ship really doesn’t appeal to us at this time. I’m sure one day we will give it a try. We’re currently docked at Coco Cay and after walking around, it appears as though RCI dropped this island on top of the Icon. The prices are crazy but if people want to pay to say that they were first on board then go ahead and enjoy.

Yep. Agree…. It’s 2008/09 all over again. With each new class introduced we read the same comments. It started with the Voyager OTS. It’s very simple. If you don’t like the ship then choose something else. There’s a ship out there for everyone. There is plenty of things that I don’t use on certain ships but that doesn’t keep me off of them. Royal Caribbean is no longer your grannies cruise line. Maybe Holland America is……. 😉😉

Depends on when you cruise. I have six sailings under my belt on the Oasis class. Four of those cruises had very few kids on board. One of the best ships that I have cruised that didn’t feel crowded.

They haven’t announced all of the information.

LOL….I remember when the Oasis entered service in 2009. I read right here on CC that RCI would be bankrupt in two years as they would never be able to fill a ship that size on a consistent basis or comments like “adults will not be interested in this ship”. Well a dozen years later we have the sixth Oasis class on order and the next generation of RCI’s cruise ship being introduced. RCI made it pretty clear when they introduced the Voyager in 1999 that families was their focus. RCG has a ship designed for adults that do not want a floating amusement park. It’s call Celebrity Cruise Lines.

I remember when the Oasis was introduced in 2009. I read everything right here on CC from RCI would be bankrupt within two years with building something that big that they would not be able to fill to adults will not like this ship. Many adults love the Oasis class which has IMHO the best entertainment at sea. The Icon will be very popular. I’m not in a hurry to book it but I’m sure it will one day be in our future. The good thing is that there’s a cruise line out there for most people depending on one’s taste and budget. Having a choice is good.

We cruise both but prefer Celebrity. Many reasons given prior but for us it’s the no smoking policy anywhere inside of the ship, only one announcement per day and Celebrity knows how to do suites. Both are great cruise lines but for a more relaxing experience, it’s Celebrity for us. I suggest giving them a try. It’s the only way that you will know for sure. We love the Solstice class. Perfect size. 🙂

A nice article on the ship. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/refurb-interiors/icon-seas-new-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-goes-all-out-families

That’s fine. We just see things differently. For me it’s not that different. It will definitely keep Royal as the leader of pushing the envelope with design versus their competitors. 🙂

We cruised on the Bliss a few years ago which is a sister ship to the Joy with a few minor differences. Both are Breakaway Plus class ships. While we enjoyed the Bliss if we had not booked the Haven then I don’t think we would have enjoyed the ship as much. Outside of the Haven it was crowded. Very crowded. They only had one pool area for the ship outside of the Haven due to the Vibe Beach club taking up space and it has a cost if you can even purchase. It sells out quickly. The rear Spice H2O only had a water feature. The ship was beautiful and had a very nice forward observation lounge. Specialty restaurants were good and on par with RCI as was entertainment. The very good thing is that they have an enclosed smoking area for the casino which made those of us wanting a non smoking casino a great experience. I much prefer the openness of the Oasis class but if it’s the same price then I suggest giving it a try. It’s the only way that you will know if you like it. I’m adding a photo of the pool area which includes the kids play area and the only water area of H2O for adults.

From what I have seen it’s not that different from the Oasis class ( a lot of shifting things around) but at least they’re adding a dedicated suite space as there seems to be a lot of suites on this new ship. I wonder if they will make this space strictly for “suite guests” only as Celebrity has done due to space limitations in the Retreat?

I think that it’s only available on the TA website. Not their general website.

Agree. It looks as thought the Boardwalk area will truly be a family area on this class ship. I also agree that the suites or staterooms in this area will be geared more towards family. From the photos that I have seen it looks as though there will be a dedicated suites area located just behind the Aquadome. This is also Royal Caribbean and not Celebrity so one has to expect the major focus will be more towards family.

I have taken this on four cruises this year. Two adapters as a matter of fact. https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Adapter-International-Worldwide-Converter/dp/B07S1Z44FL/ref=sr_1_30?crid=1IWV3MA6JUW2L&keywords=universal%2Btravel%2Badapter&qid=1666025065&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjUzIiwicXNhIjoiNC41MSIsInFzcCI6IjQuNDAifQ%3D%3D&s=electronics&sprefix=Universal%2Btravel%2Celectronics%2C155&sr=1-30&th=1

Thanks for the review. We will be on in December for the eight night itinerary. Easy drive for us though. We just returned home last week from two nights at Disneyland and the Navigator OTS. Both of us came home sick from the cruise.Tested negative two days in a row but had the exact same symptoms that we had in July when we had Covid. Very mild. I look at it as part of everyday life now. We just stay vaxed and boosted. Also, interesting that we had the same water temp issue on the NV. The water was either super cold or scalding hot and water was spraying all over the place. It was running out of the tub and soaked the floor. While showering, we could hear a “clunk” sound behind the wall and then came the scalding water. They replaced the entire faucet apparatus but it did not help. I’m sure whoever cruised after us had to deal with the issue. Glad that you had an overall nice time. We love the S class. One of our favorite ships and X is our favorite cruise line.

Tried to watch this. Bad! Really bad.

I’m one of the ones that is sad to see these ships head to the scrap yards. I remember how excited I got when reading about each new Fantasy class ships interior Farcus design. Back in the day they were the talk of the cruise industry due to their interior design. I still remember the first time that I boarded the Fantasy just after she entered service. Nothing like her in the industry. The neon was everywhere but in a good way. It was fun. Hopefully the Elation and Paradise have a few good years left. RIP Ecstasy. You did good.