goldentrio

This is not a lateral comparison. You did not purchase the cruise because it was advertised as having a sauna, with the sauna prominently displayed on the marketing material that convinced you to take the plunge and spend your money. You used the sauna two years prior on the ship and assumed it would still be there.

Do you have to use this cup to get soda, or can you get a fresh soda from a bar or restaurant without the cup? It seems so unsanitary to keep reusing the same cup over and over.

They were ready at 2 pm for the sailing I did recently.

Ah, okay. they're just sold out on the cruise date I'm looking at.

Very helpful. I don't think it will be the same on Icon with the noise issues. The suite sun deck is forward on decks 18 and 19 on Icon, and the sports deck is on 17 and is aft, so that aspect, noise from the sports deck shouldn't be a concern since I see on Wonder the suite decks are 17 and 18 and overlook the sports court down on 16. As for the soot, I know the Icon ships will use liquified natural gas, and will be the first Royal ship to do so. There are significantly fewer particles released from LNG, according to this research study: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5b02678 Doesn't resolve the problem for Wonder of the Seas, but looks like future ships using LNG instead of marine fuel oils will no longer have the soot issue since it burns more cleanly with fewer and smaller particles released. Better for the environment and our clothing.

Curious who has experienced the suite sun deck on Wonder of the Seas and if they liked it. Is this on other ships? I see it will be on the upcoming Icon of the Seas.

I went and looked at other ships, and it appears the difference is the big suite deck they've added to some ships like Wonder and the Icon. Sky Class has access to it. On the Icon the grand suites and owner's suite are Sky Class. The only suite that is a higher ranking is the Icon Loft Suite and that is Star Class. There is a class that is below Sky Class called "Sea Class" for junior suites. It looks like that is the same for the ship I looked at for 2024, Harmony of the Seas. But the difference is there is no suite deck listed for Sky Class on Harmony, but ships like Wonder and Icon have it. The Star Class benefits are listed as these: Exclusive Access to the Suite Sun Deck Exclusive Access to Royal Genie Service All Day Access to Coastal Kitchen Complimentary Specialty Restaurants Complimentary Ultimate Beverage Package (for guests 21 years or older) Complimentary Royal Replenish Package (for guests under 21 years old) Complimentary Gratuities Complimentary VOOM The Sky Class benefits are listed as these: Exclusive Access to the Suite Sun Deck Concierge Service All Day Access to Coastal Kitchen Specialty Bottled Water (upon arrival) Complimentary VOOM Priority Boarding & Departure The Sea Class benefits are listed as these: Dinner at Coastal Kitchen, based on availability* Priority Boarding Royal Caribbean Classic Bathrobes for Use Onboard Luxury Bathroom Amenities *Reservations are required. Beverages are not included. Icon's suite deck has a large sun deck on two levels and they're calling it a "neighborhood" now, and it has a pool and hot tub, etc. Here are pictures of the suite deck coming up on Icon. I guess it's deciding if this is worth the upcharge.

Has anyone taken a look at the Surfside Family Suite on Icon of the Seas? I'm considering it for a cruise way in the future - 2025 - and would love input on who thinks suite benefits are worth the upcharge even if you don't get to look at over the ocean. It's the cheapest sky class suite and has tons of room and looks like fun. You get access to the suite sundeck and free Zoom internet since it's Sky Class. I'd have to pay $9,900 for this suite vs. $6,300 for an ocean view balcony but that upcharge seems worth it to me for the suite sundeck access and there is the bonus of the internet so that saves a bit, too. The next step up that would give ocean views, but no balcony, is the Ocean View Panoramic suite and that goes up to a steep $13,400. The views are gorgeous, tho. Just curious about this particular room overlooking what will be the new Surfside neighborhood. I'm sure it will be noisy like the Boardwalk. There's an infinite balcony, so it's like the ones on Celebrity, with the window that goes up and down to form a balcony of sorts. Seems ideal for this type of interior balcony. I actually like it.

That's true - probably lots of answers and might be ship dependent, too. My friend is on Brilliance at the moment. I was on Harmony when I had the frantic steward who was never around.

That makes sense. I hope you find exactly what you need. Thanks for the advice!

My friend is on a Royal Caribbean ship right now and she talked to her room steward and he said he has 24 rooms to clean every day now, once a day. She said that he said before the once a day cleaning rule was put in place he only had 12 rooms to take care of, and he cleaned those twice a day. Obviously, it's easier to take care of 12 rooms twice a day, since they're already clean and just minor things have to be done on the second visit. No wonder they seemed so frantic and harried on my recent cruise. I barely had a chance to talk to my own room steward and only saw them a few times, unlike in the past when I was able to get to know them a little better.

I'm so sorry about your mom's death. My mom has dementia and is in her 80's, so it's always a possibility in my life, too. How do you find a good TA with refundable group rates?

I fold and put into the plastic holders for cruise lines. I bought mine on Amazon. It was $6.74 for five with the stainless steel wire loops. They worked great. Previously I just folded and taped the luggage tags and stapled them but that meant packing a stapler. Using the plastic holders means one less thing to pack and they're reusable. Here's the link to the ones I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q94FLCC

even better. thanks!

I have only cruised a handful of times, and I'm looking at a cruise for March 2025. Should I consider booking it now, or waiting a while to see if the price drops or just to make sure I don't change my mind? I've never booked a vacation more than 6-7 months in advance. What are the pros and cons of booking this far in advance?