yj_eugene

723 days: booked one in April the day it opened which departed in April two years later.

Why is it different on Oasis anyway :what: Do you think it is because of the layout with the covered seating?

My guess is that Oasis class usually docks on the starboard side, so that would keep the smoke toward the ocean while in port so it will disperse quicker, and also to not appear to those on the shore side that there's a cloud of smog that hangs over the smoking areas all the time.

Table for two. Same reason as others have said. I don't eat with strangers on land and it's awkward making idle chit chat.

Same here. I'm not an outgoing person, and DW talks to the public all day at work, so the last thing we want to do on a cruise is be with others while eating. Mealtime is private time. Elsewhere is fine for making new friends, but not then.

The new policy is that smoking is only permitted in designated areas on the starboard side on all RCCL ships except for Oasis class on which it is allowed on the port side.

So on Oasis class, does that mean it's only allowed on the port side, or is it allowed on both sides?

The view from a hump cabin is great. Personally, because the wind is so strong while underway, I would not book another hump. Because you are on a part of the ship that projects out, you get the full impact of the wind.

Our favorite hump on the Radiance class is 9576. Close to the elevators and atrium but on the starboard side with a partition to block any noise from them; D1, so it has a full size couch instead of a love seat; big overhang from the pool deck that provides protection when it rains; and best of all, a large forward-facing balcony with both a "regular" part like the non-hump/non-aft D1s that's out of the wind and a pie slice-shaped "extra" part that has a lounger and juts out with a great view.

Just don't book it before me whenever the new schedules are released. :D

Not a bit tempted, especially since I'm probably one of the few that prefers having Oasis and Majesty in PC than Freedom and Enchantment.

Smoking "area" is a farce when smokers can't keep their pollution from drifting to areas where smoking is not allowed

Oh, lighten up (pun intended). I'd much rather smokers have decent, well-ventilated designated areas that I can plan around to minimize my exposure than having them smoke in random balconies or other areas on the ship. I'm as anti-smoke as anyone, but I refuse to treat smokers as pariahs when they are following the rules. It's not their fault the smoking areas chosen allow smoke to drift elsewhere. What's next, blaming them for the direction the wind is blowing? Sheesh. I appreciate smokers asking here for information about where they are allowed to smoke. To all you responsible ones out there trying to do your best, thanks.

I can tell you that we feel RCCL offers better perks than HAL. We have 8 cruises under our belt with HAL and have received nothing of value in their Mariner program.

HAL perks aren't much until you get to their 3* level, except for the Embarkation Lunch in the dining room which allows you to avoid the buffet zoo. Once you reach 4*, one of the best benefits, free laundry and pressing, kick in, which is great for reducing the amount of clothing you need to bring. For the most part we stick with RCCL for shorter trips and HAL for longer ones and enjoy whatever perks we get on both.

Any recent pix of 9576 Brilliance or Radiance class 9576. I couldn't find any! I need inside cabin pix please!

I found this one on the net of Radiance 9576. I've had Brilliance 9576 a couple of times, and can vouch that it looks the same on the inside, not much if any different from other Superior Ocean View Balconies on that class of ship:

As someone said though, it's the pie slice-shaped balcony addition that makes this cabin. Here's another pic from the net showing the view forward from it:

The balcony is quite roomy. I think 6-8 people could easily fit standing. For seating we had two chairs and one lounger on the Brilliance each time.

What about seating that is also wider as well as higher.

Alas, I have found that seating on cruise ships is mostly designed to fit Munchkins and Oompa Loompas. The only thing I've ever found wide and high is a volleyball net. :p

It´s one beverage each but only one bag of cookies for both.

"At Royal Caribbean, we care about your loyalty, and since caring is sharing, your loyalty means you'll be sharing too!"

At this rate we'll soon be wistfully reminiscing about when a cabin used to get more than one glass, pillow, towel and washcloth per cruise ... :rolleyes:

And that brings me to my next thought. The environmental regulations in the Chesapeake. (And I'm guessing the Chesapeake isn't the only place with environmental regulations in place either?)

Your guess is right. Here's a map:

I was under the impression Grandeur may have had some modifications in order to make it environmentally compliant with Bay regulations.

Pretty sure she's had scrubbers installed to make her compliant.

"MS Radiance of the Seas is a cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She is registered in Nassau, Bahamas, and is a gas-turbine vessel, the first built for Royal Caribbean. This system produces higher efficient speeds than other cruise ships, and emissions to the air are much lower than cruise ships powered by diesel engines." Seems like a good fit for the Chesapeake Bay and/or long distance cruising to Bermuda (from wherever)?

Depends. The gas-turbine's cost more to run. I would think Royal is very careful about where they deploy those ships. Until more of the fleet has scrubbers installed, they will probably be used in areas that require low emissions (Baltics, Alaska, Maritimes, etc, see map) for extended running. The Chesapeake would seem to fit the bill, and I'm pretty sure a Radiance class can fit. Both the Key and Bay Bridges have 5 ft more air draft than Tampa's Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which has had Radiance class ships (barely) pass under it for several years now. Whenever they decide to retire or redeploy a Vision class ship from Baltimore, I fully expect a Radiance class to end up there.

I saw some old topics about it and there was a link to a picture but it doesnt work, I wonder if it was removed

Not the greatest picture, but I found this of 9028's balcony.

What is the Carnival ship that they bolted balconies onto. Another beautiful idea.

Didn't Royal basically do the same thing to the entire Sovereign class, plus recently both the Legend and Splendour?

Personally I like that both the Enchantment and Freedom are leaving PC. Been on each once, and that was enough. For a short getaway I like the Sovereign class better, and for a longer trip there will be Oasis to check out.

If you originally booked a JS on Rhapsody you'll get $100.00 OBC

Yes, I know, that's why I said "$50 more OBC" and not "$50 OBC".

The only benefit to going there [Nassau] is the ship is empty and all to myself!

Agreed. We treat Nassau as a very slow moving sea day. :D

Rhapsody would have been a drop in passenger capacity from Enchantment.

Now that I would believe the PC Board wasn't too happy about.

By the way, FWIW the redeployment desk person I spoke to said that Johnny Rockets will be staying on MJ, and that in fact no existing restaurants will be removed during the dry dock. Hope that means the conference rooms are what's becoming the new restaurants. They are pretty much wasted space most of the time anyway.

What are they doing with RH passengers who booked a JS initially?

Giving us the raw end of the deal.

Doubtful. There aren't enough JS on Majesty to cover the people who booked a JS on Rhapsody, let alone those who booked a balcony cabin;)

Just talked with the redeployment desk, and it's true. Balcony bookings are being moved to JS. As someone who originally booked a JS, and one of the prime corner afts at that, I feel a bit gypped. Someone who booked a balcony at half what I paid is being upgraded from a 191 ft room to a 221 ft JS, while I'm being downgraded from a 241 ft JS to a 221 ft one at full JS price plus losing that huge wraparound aft balcony. Of course, I do get $50 more OBC, so that surely makes up the difference. Not. :mad:

What are their options? Are they price protected?

And where did you find that?

No problem cancelling Jan 2017, but the other 3 are a major bummer.

Ours is a major bummer too. We had corner JS 8096 booked. :(

That should be worth at least a GS on an equivalent MJ cruise, right Royal? :)

Disregard - I can't read...

We understand. You are a Buckeye fan after all. :p Go Blue.

Any ideas on how long it'll be before Royal starts contacting people with existing reservations on the Rhapsody PC cruises?

I wish they would add some other itineraries out of Galveston, only having two routes and one ship is very limiting.

Hard to do much more than they do now considering there's a sea day at the start and two at the end (or vice versa). It doesn't help either that your ship is too big to stop at Key West. Perhaps someday Royal will add a Western Gulf route (Veracruz, Dos Bocas, Progresso). A HAL cruise we were on a few years ago did those ports, and we had a good time at all of them.

It was interesting that the added Tampa Rhapsody sailings seem to be a singe itinerary with no alteration from week to week for the entire season.

Which is the same itinerary its twin sister Vision did this entire past season I believe. Must be profitable enough if they decided to repeat it. This coming Winter though they throw in a few 9 and 10 night Eastern and Southern cruises to mix things up a little.

It's extremely expensive to move thousands of people by ship to points in the Caribbean. It takes a lot of fuel to get there compared with ports out of Florida. It's much more economical to have them fly to Florida, then board where they're closer to where they want to be.

I think the fact that the announcement today of the Majesty moving to Port Canaveral and subsequently of the Rhapsody, now free to go anywhere, heading to Tampa instead of NOLA, just emphasizes that point.