DiamondSuiteCruiser

5 minutes ago, HLR said:

How much do menus vary ship to ship? Would Grandeur Of The Seas have the same menu as it is in the same class of ship?

 

HLR

I'm not sure, maybe Bob Clarea can answer that.

11 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

Thank-you!

 

What was the itinerary?

7 Nt. Western New Orleans to Cozumel, Puerto Costa Maya, George Town Grand Cayman.

Attached are the menus from our 7 NT cruise on the Vision Feb 18-23, 2019. If anyone is interested, and sailing on her soon.

7 NT dining room menu's 18 Feb 2019.pdf

On 2/2/2019 at 10:06 AM, gooch47 said:

Since I can't seem to get the actual name of the lot to try to google it, can someone tell me how much they charge per day?

They call it the Whale lot because it is parking under the whale mural at the Julia Street Terminal#2  and they charge $20.00 a day. Not cheap for and open air parking lot.

https://portnola.com/cruise/parking-directions

This YouTube video shows grab bars in the tub, but no non skid surface. I know the room steward used bring us a rubber mat if we asked, they may have them so just ask.     

This is also an option. Courtyard 300 Julia St. We  usually stay here. https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/msycn-courtyard-new-orleans-downtown-convention-center/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

Yeah, that's what I said in my last sentence, didn't you catch it?: "and then they have back tracked that a little since their announcement....lots of complaints I guess."

All the news that I've read says it's just being delayed. So it sounds like it is still gonna happen, just not right away.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2019/01/08/carnival-cruise-line-delays-plan-charge-more-room-service-items/2511565002/

49 minutes ago, dawebber0922 said:

I am on the Feb 16th sailing as well.  I last cruised on the Rhapsody, so I am familiar with the Vision class.  I enjoyed Rhapsody.  What I am most concerned about is the noise as I am on deck 8 😞    

We too are on deck 8 and under the Windjammer, we had the exact room on the Enchantment as we do on the Vision, and we heard only a few times carts rolling out early in the morning. Looking at the deck plans we appear to be mostly under carpeted areas, so shall see. I’m bringing the soft shooters (32 db) ear plugs just in case, because I’m a light sleeper. I also have a white noise app on my iPad if needed. Food in the main dinning room I’m not so worried about, we can eat in other places, Chops, Izumi, Giovanni’s, & the Windjammer. On our roll call we have several b2b, b2b, b2b’ers (puerto penaco lady/ Brenda & Blizzard54/John & Marilyn) that love this ship, and hopefully they will chime in on how it is going for them. It will be fine I’m sure! 

3 hours ago, Lovincruisin1321 said:

DH and I are cruising the Vision in March out of New Orleans.  Was hoping for a more positive report  😞

We leave on the Feb16th cruise. There is still time for them to get their act together. I always heard great reviews about this ship and the crew. I wonder what changed, is it the new Captain, contact changes? Strange but hoping for the best, and I’m sure we will still have a great time either way. Stay positive and enjoy!

22 minutes ago, creel5857 said:

We have only been on princess, holland american and royal Caribbean.   Our friends and family with us have also been on carnival and Norwegian as well as holland and princess.  Right now our consensus is that holland and princess rate the highest overall for cruise experience and services with royal and Norwegian coming in next and then carnival last.  But all this is subjective and just our 11 opinions (LOL).   We come to that decision based on ship accommodations, level of services by all employees (food, cabin, tours, front desk), and the entertainment/recreation/activities provided which we think creates an environment or flavor of the ship/cruise line.   For us Holland and Princess is more subdued, calm, quiet while still active, employees present very very polished and professional and there are typically less young children which result in a more quiet organized environment.    Royal is billed out more for younger active couples and families with young kids which we have experienced even on this smaller older royal ship sailing during school season.   And then there is carnival.......what can we say........party hardy and bring on the booze.   (Not for us but for others) with a loud party environment on most itineraries.    So vision will be a bit of a let down from your holland american cruise.   But you can still have a good time.  Just hope you dont get a cabin under the pool deck as we are located.  We took the last rooms they had and we knew we probably should not have done it and we regret it.  Loud and noisy with chairs scraping and people running and music banging a lot.  But it’s only 4 more days. (LOL).   I would not turn down a cruise on vision if you already have one planned, just know ahead it is not Holland and Princess environment or level of services 

Try Celebrity when you get a chance, it sounds a lot more like what you are more used to. Very calming, not many children, great food, no loud intercom announcements, but they still have lots of shows and activities, & no pushy up selling. We cruise more on Celebrity now that we are older, but if we find a great deal on RC we do occasionally switch. Our Feb cruise on the Vision was extremely inexpensive and the port is only 4 hrs from home, so we couldn’t resist. 

Thank you for your updates and honest opinions, please keep them coming.

6 minutes ago, creel5857 said:

Weather was great yesterday with departure and today it has been great at sea.  

 

Regarding earlier comments on updates:  we have sailed other cruise lines who would take their short 2 week drydock times to upgrade some of their mattresses or linens and do some cosmetic work.  We have been told they updated a little of their carpet in some public spaces and did some painting and maintenance outside ship but we have observed several areas that have some rust spots and some carpet even in public area that looks old.  As mentioned, we are in jr suite and our mattress needs replacing and the sink is rusty along with some rusty spots on balcony rail..........room is plenty spacious and we have a sofa and 2 side chairs and balcony plenty large for small table and 2 chairs.   For us the limited TV channels and mattress and noise we hear is the most disappointing so that is why i called myself just being upfront for those that are asking ahead about detail......i very much appreciated the others who shared info ahead that helped prepare me for the trip

 

We have run into several travelers who have been on multiple cruise lines who are a bit disappointed in ship and services and food quality but that is often subjective and based on a persons taste.  I can say that service level in cabins has been less than we have had on other ships as we have had to ask for ice (still have not received on day 2)  and they dont come to cabin and tidy and check things out twice a day automatically like some cruise lines do......but it is ok as we dont need to be catered to that much, just an observation.  On other cruise lines we have had cabin stewards speak to us in hall, rush in while we are at meals to tidy up, set the bed up for night, put our the next days agenda on the bed along with either towel animals or chocolates.......but none of that in our cabin thus far........again, not necessary but just observing services is different

 

i enjoyed a while in the solarium today and it started off nice and quiet as it was described but got a bit noisy in there as a few couples were having loud conversations.......but it is still pleasant option to the very loud main pool environment.  The snack area to the back of the solarium (park cafe) is very nice as quick option for a small salad or sandwich and drink without having to go to the noise and congestion of windjammer.  

 

Regarding question about windjammer:  it is just plain standard buffet food.......nothing outrageously great......some salad items, some sandwich items, a couple of entrees and veggies.......a sweet,dessert area with good cookies and small pieces of cake or pie......sweets are ok but nothing spectacular.   Family says soft serve ice cream has been pretty good.  Some tried the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for a fee that they said was good.

 

 

 

 

Wow, I understand that with RC in some rooms you have to request ice, but not having twice a day service is a real cut back, and not what we are use too on Celebrity. I sure hope we see better in our suite in Feb, or we will not be doing RC again, which is a shame since we are D+ On them and Elite + on Celebrity.

Have you tried asking for a mattress topper, maybe it will help. I can deal with a bit of rust, wear and tear on the carpets, but lack of service and food being just meh is not a good thing. I sure am hoping for more on our Feb cruise.

Thank you and please keep reporting. I hope you have a great cruise!

Delete

3 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Under desk/vanity didn't work out?

I've put the ice buckets in the shower since they sweat 

Great idea. I usually wrap the bucket in a towel, or ask for a double bucket and put it on a plate.

8 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

They will bring you a medical fridge if needed.  If you need  something to keep wine cool, they will bring you a plastic container for the wine and keep it filled with ice.  If you need more, bring a collapsible cooler and they will keep that filled with ice.

 I was going to say the exact same time Bob. Either way no worries they will make it work for you, just ask!

Following, we will be on the Feb 16 cruise in rm 8500, (1st time on this ship) and from what I remember from the Enchantment being forward we had a lot of motion and some noise from the WJ, but we are mostly under the carpeted area.

4 minutes ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

How about the "Key"??

I don't believe KEY gives you access to the lounges. https://www.*****.com/category/category/the-key

17 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Between a group we have booked 3 grand suites .One of their mums wants to come but there’s only a junior suite available.

Can the concierge ( for a good tip) give the junior suite access to the lounges with the silver card?

From experience the concierge can bend the rules.$$$

It could happen, but please do not bribe them, it could get them in trouble or embarrass them.  On several trips both on Royal and Celebrity, we were in the RS and PH suites and was asked by the concierge why we haven't been in the lounge. We explained that we have my MIL with us and she is in a balcony room so we are just hanging out at other bars/places. It was no big deal because we always have drink packages and we are not a big fans of the crowded CL or MC, but every time we have been told to bring her in with us, that it would be no problem. We never asked for them to break the rules nor make an exception for her, but they did make the offer and we appreciated it. We took her in a few times so she could see that we weren't missing anything special. Maybe if you nicely mention to the concierge that you won't be in the lounge much because no larger suites were available to book for your mother, so you will need to find places that you can go with her, they may make an exception. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

If you are staying in Star class on RC, Celebrity doesn’t compare, but if you are in any of the lower suites on Celebrity with the 4 included perks, I find Celebrity much cheaper than RC when you add in the extra perks. The upper suites also include unlimited specialty restaurants, and two full size bottles of alcohol with mixers. These days I prefer Celebrity over RC, unless we get a really good deal on RC. It is all

subjective, everyone has different likes and expectations.

To us it is worth it. If you drink a specialty coffee or two a day, plus several bottles of water, a glass of wine at dinner, and a few drinks after dinner, and maybe an occasional soda or fresh squeezed OJ. It is so worth it to us! Only you can determine how much you will use it and only you can determine if it is worth it. Some use it to the fullest, some are happy with the included offerings only. Way out the pros and cons for you.

Try it, what’s the worst that can happen, they take it away from you? I doubt it.

I am happy to hear this, but I don't have much faith that they will enforce the new policy or challenge anyone. They can't even control the chair hogs at the pool. Only one time was I discussed by a dog and his owner, and that was in CHOPS. The dog was on this lady's lap and she was hand feeding her little Yorkie and giving it kisses on the mouth at the table next to us, and talking to it like it was her little baby. Her poor husband just sat there quietly and ate his dinner, and she never said one word to him the entire meal.

I have seen several service dogs on different ships, and they all had on a vest with "Please Don't pet me, I'm working" and they all just sat under the table or quietly beside the person they are helping, well behaved and not phased by their surroundings (True service/working dogs).

We have done this a few times and it worked out fine for us, plus we got the diamond plus discount taken off the 7 day cruise, was very reasonable.

My wife and our adult daughter sailed on Adventure of the Seas on July 6 to the Bahamas. This cruise was our birthday gift to our daughter, who had never been on a cruise before. My wife and I have been sailing almost exclusively over the years with Celebrity. We gave our daughter the choice of a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda or a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas. Both were for one week and both were on older ships. Our daughter chose the Royal Caribbean cruise because of the itinerary. She and my wife shared a balcony cabin.

 

Some observations, courtesy of my wife:

 

1. The public restrooms were filthy. There were no attendants to clean them during daylight hours. The bathroom floors on the pool deck were wet, slippery and dangerous.

 

2. Hand sanitizers which should be ubiquitous on all cruise ships were no where to be found. Sinks at the entrance to the Windjammer buffet restaurant were not used by all passengers. My wife had to actually ask for hand sanitizers and she was told on one occasion that none were available.

 

3. Overheated passengers returning to the ship from shore were not offered cold face towels or cold drinks to refresh themselves, and of course, no hand sanitizers were on display. Clearly, cleanliness was not a priority on this ship.

 

4. My wife described the vaunted on-board entertainment, allegedly a Royal Caribbean strength, as nothing special.

 

5. On a number of occasions the staff was slow clearing dirty plates from tables in the always crowded Windjammer buffet restaurant.

 

6. Even though disembarking at the port of Coco Cay (Royal Caribbean’s private island) is a ritual the ship performs on a weekly basis, you would think the crew would have learned how and known better. Thousands of impatient passengers were trapped in small, narrow, overheated, confining exit ways for 90 brutal minutes before being allowed off the ship. There were no water fountains at hand. Not surprisingly, under these extremely uncomfortable conditions the mob of passengers became unruly. My wife said she’s seen better organized riots.

 

7. My wife noted the door frames in their cabin shower were rusty. Same with the floor surface on the balcony. Curiously, these features did not appear in the Royal Caribbean cruise brochure.

 

8. Although she was Diamond class by virtue of her past cruises on Celebrity, my wife had to actually ask for basics like a shower cap and lotions and a robe. The cabin had no carafe of ice water.

 

9. Having purchased a soda package, my wife had to continually ask for straws, which the crew were stingy to hand out allegedly due to environmental concerns — but they were ever present on more expensive alcoholic beverages.

 

10. To be sure, and in fairness to Royal Caribbean, there were parts of the cruise my wife did enjoy. Contrary to her low expectations, my wife said the food was decent, though selections on the MDR menu were limited. She said her cabin attendant and MDR server were very good. But maybe because we booked this cruise late, the fare was no bargain compared to what we pay on Celebrity (where we normally book early) — and yet she received a lot less for our money. For years we’ve heard Celebrity described as an upscale version of Royal Caribbean (they are both owned by the same parent company), but until my wife’s upsetting experiences on this cruise we were unable to appreciate what upscale really means.

I am Truly sorry for everything you had to put up with from all the cheerleaders. If you dare have a negative opinion, they are vicious attack! This is why I hardly post anything anymore, all Social media sites are the same. Easy to attack people you don’t know, and you aren’t face to face with.

Celebrity and RCCL are not even close in comparison. Also it sounds like you usually cruise Aqua class by the pitcher of water in your room. RC does not have this even in suites.

I find the entertainment worse on Celebrity and we sail Celebrity way more than we do RC.

Food I think is just so so on both lines. But better in Blue and suite dinning.

Hand sanitizer: I have always seen them on both lines, in all dinning events, and also when coming back on board. Cool wash clothes being handed out after a hot day at port, RC just does not do this.

You will not see bathroom attendants handing out towels on RC, but the public restrooms are usually very clean.

Again sorry your wife didn’t enjoy her cruise. She may want to give is one more shot, but on a newer ship.

Happy cruising!

I’m in favor of real emotional stress pups and real service dogs, but to many people take advantage of this and just buy service dog vest and ID’s on line and these dogs are just pets, with no training. My sister has two emotional stress pups for PTSD from being in the Navy, but then again they let her have guns and a Concealed weapons license. REALLY? What is wrong with this?