A2Mich

My 8 day on Symphony for Dec 2023 is showing $77.99/day

4 hours ago, drb116 said:

In my opinion, the Windjammer on Oasis class boats is inferior to other classes, and this was definitely the case when I was on Harmony this past year. The Windjammer feels like it is about the same size as the smaller class boats, but the boat has many more people. As a result, the options are relatively basic compared to other ships. This is not to say that the food is bad, but it is just much more limited.

 

That said, there are so many other great options for meals on the Oasis class ships. My guess is that the Windjammer is relatively small because of this.

It may also be an intentional design in an attempt to push more people to the upcharge dining options. 

I’ve only cruised out of Port Everglades twice, and had a self parked car and a party of two at those times. This time, we will be a party of 5. We are staying at the Fairfield Inn a few miles from FFL pre cruise, and will need to get back to FFL post cruise to pick up a rental car for a few days to visit friends/family in Orlando. Does anyone know if any of the taxis are vans for larger groups?  I’ve sent a rate request to Jiffy Jeff, but am think that a Lyft/Uber is unlikely due to the size group we have. If anyone has any advice, please let me know. Thanks!

Our Dec 2023 Symphony DBP is currently sitting at $77.99, and with the apparent lack of availability on our particular sailing, doubting it will come down much, if at all. May just buy it soon and watch pricing. 

On 1/10/2022 at 7:13 AM, Jelly_Toast said:

I think that there is nothing wrong with everyone doing what they can to avoid plastics and single use items.  I also think that there is something to say for saving some punctuation for other people too. Maybe you should consider redirecting your energy into doing your part to save the planet rather than getting so excited about how you aren't.

Maybe you should do you, and not try and dictate what others are doing?🤔. Want to “save the planet?”  Go ahead and do your part to make yourself feel better.  Don’t worry about what others are doing….

2 hours ago, GarlicBread said:

 

You still have to have your sea pass card with your name on to pick up at AO. 

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

31 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

Now, to me that is interesting.   I have never experienced cold food in the WJ.  (unless, of course, it was supposed to be cold).  You can see the heating elements right there.  Not sure how it can be cold.

 

And I also never eat hotdogs or hamburgers or pizza for dinner.  Sure, they are there, for A2Mich's kids, but I don't want them.  I find much more interesting stuff to eat. 

 

And I really like rice pudding.  I have never ever seen that in the MDR.  🙂  

LOL...😁. I grew up at least trying nearly anything.  Even now, I’ll at least try different things.  But the kids?  Nope. Not a chance.  I don’t mind a burger or hot dog once in a while for dinner, but usually more for lunch.  As a matter of fact, just had smoked and grilled Costco beef dogs and homemade chili last night. 😉. That’s the beauty of a buffet.... options for almost anyone!

4 minutes ago, Miss-m said:

WOW, When where and how did you score that?

 

It is believed to have been an IT oopsie.

31 minutes ago, Diver2014 said:

Why would anyone want a 'cold' or 'wet' burger or hot dog when there are so many other foods available to try in the WJ?

Amazing how our experiences in the WJ are so different than some other folks on here......

When you have picky eaters, such as my kids, burgers and dogs are a welcome find. My kids won’t eat grilled chicken, and are super picky even about pizza and Mac and cheese, won’t eat spaghetti, and the list goes on and on.  

When we were on Freedom, I seem to recall the tables by the windows being for 8 or more. Seems like the two tops were along the middle of the dining rooms. 

4 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Simple to just walk in with your glasses of wine and find a table.  Grab a few bites for late night snacks...and done.  😉 

We aren’t wine drinkers, but know what you mean. Just as easy to stop at a bar before going in.  Getting subsequent drinks can be a challenge, though.

4 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Quality for sure on that occasion...  Carol said

it best the previous page: results will vary from ship to ship. This exact same answer goes along with Chops, Giovanni’s, your stateroom

attendant, the Coconut ranger cookies, production shows, etc etc etc etc. Unfortunately, as repeated on this forum often, RCI = Really Consistently Inconsistent.

Good to know!  Thanks for the info.

8 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Thanks!👍

If at all possible we will stick with the MDR - dinner in the WJ is just not what we would like!👎

 

Just the site of the melting mushy ice-cream and the line at the crepe - station and people working on their laptops or reading books....is turning me off enough - to leave that place - before I even looked at the mushed up foods....😱🙄🤢

Well, some things are just not suitable for buffet serving due to their temperature or consistency.  I don’t really mind people on their laptops or reading in the buffet area, so long as they aren’t tying up tables that others might be waiting for.  In the dining room, I would agree that is not an appropriate place for that, as it may be making it more difficult for the kitchen and wait staff, not to mention, just not the proper place for it, with the intent and perception  of being a more refined dinner venue.  

4 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

 

Caveat to the above positive feedback... it’s not always positive. My experience on Explorer and Jewel WJ were very bad, so much so on Explorer the one time we left most of our food on the table and quickly dashed down to MTD before they closed. WJ was quite unacceptable

that night, shocked me frankly.

 

 

Was it the selection, presentation, or quality that made it so bad? I’ve found some dishes that were either rather bland, over seasoned, or some that were just not what I was expecting, or how I would make something.  Which is why I enjoy the selection and variety, as I can generally find something that appeals to me.  Inconsistency seems to be the norm for many buffets in my experience.  While the preparation should theoretically be the same each time, I think the holding times for various dishes is not consistent, whether they are kept in a hot box too long, or on the serving line for too long.  Dishes can become flavorless, dry out, change in texture, etc.

2 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

🤢

Even if they were dripping in grease, you’d be able to remove most of it.  Their burgers sometimes seem as if they are boiled and are wet in what looks like gray water.  Hot dogs seem to be a better bet than the burgers.  Curious to checkout the hot dog place to see if it’s better,  yet their hours seem rather limited.  My only disappointment with the WJ is purely personal, and that is there seem to be quite a bit of curry and Indian dishes (which I’m not a fan of), but there is usually a rather good selection where I can find a few options that I like.  Kids love the cookies at WJ in the evening, though.  

2 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Selection and quality of food will be about the same as MDR, give or take a certain dish.  Much less hectic than MDR or WJ at breakfast/lunch

 

Pros: You can sample everything and take a much or as little as you like. Plus, as someone mentioned, much better selection of desserts.

 

Cons: You have to get your own food and drink service is iffy. Sometimes a server will take your drink order, other times it's get it yourself.

 

 

Have to agree about drink service.  Ok if you have a drink package and carry that plastic cup around if you want soda.  Otherwise, you are limited to whatever is pre-poured into glasses or coffee.  Outside of that, it seemed to be looking for a bar nearby.

5 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Totally Agree! 👍

We are still not ready so settle for self-serve cold burgers from a buffet.....!🙄😱

Never actually gotten a cold burger, but ones that are dripping wet, yes.

2 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Guess we cruise way tooo much....!🙄

Well that’s awesome if you are able to do so.  For a family of five living in Colorado, we have to fly to any cruise port, and pay for a few nights in a hotel.  Along with spending money, etc, that tends to push a single cruise vacation upwards of $6K on the low end.  Airfare alone is easily $1500 plus.  Combined with wanting to take other vacations and balancing work schedules with school schedules, it can make vacationing a challenge.  

46 minutes ago, barb1256 said:

We will be on Anthem of the Seas in November and I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of the WOW band I'm reading about.  I realize the cannot be used to disembark the ship.   In particular, I was wondering if these bands waterproof.   Also, is it the type of band that is put on and cannot be taken off?   I still like to dress for dinner and I don't want to be stuck with a band, but it might be useful during the day.

Same here.  We will be on Harmony and wondering about the usefulness of them.  We have 3 kids, who will be 15, 13, and 6 at the time.  Thinking they might be good for the kids so that they can’t lose them as easily as a card.  Curious if the WOW band can be used as an ID for the little one when she’s in AO (not sure if they have a band reader in AO fir this purpose).  

1 minute ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Sure is faster - when you are in a hurry!👍

Many times, there ends up being some event scheduled during dinner time that will be missed sitting in the dining room for nearly an hour and a half, while one could simply grab a small plate or a burger, etc for a quick dinner.  Dining room service isn’t the same experience it was many years ago, and simply doesn’t seem to be much of an upscale experience as it once was.  Food used to be better quality years ago, in my opinion, as was the course by course service.  Then again, ships tended to be smaller and didn’t offer so many diversions as they do now.  Years ago, spending two hours in the dining room wasn’t a big deal, as there weren’t many other things happening at the same time.  Now there are so many options for things to do, I would rather spend my vacation time doing other things, instead of being in the dining room.  Many years ago, there were no dinner options other than the dining room.  First cruise was on the Carnivale, and there was no buffet option, other than a continental breakfast on the pool deck, and no MTD type option.  We are the type of people that go on a cruise every few years, so our time is better spent exploring the ship and it’s activities.  

9 minutes ago, Diver2014 said:

We take most of our meals in the Windjammer when on RCI ships.  The MDR is fine for those who want it but we've had such fabulous experiences on RCI ships that I wouldn't consider bothering with the MDR or specialty restaurants.  We thought the food on the Radiance of  the Seas in the Windjammer was awesome, then we tried Oasis of the Seas and had the same great experience.

We're going on Harmony in January and we can hardly wait.  We love the wide variety of  food available at each 'station' and love trying things we would never order off a menu.

We've tended to split dinners between the MDR and buffet.  Some night the sit down waiter service is nice, but can take too long.  WJ is great for those times when you want a quicker dinner experience.  We also enjoy the variety the buffet offers, where we can try several different things.  We don’t personally see the need for the extra expense of the specialty restaurants more than once or twice, as we can have similar dinners in our home town for about the same cost.  Our local grocery store has pretty good fresh made sushi for less than what RCI charges for Izumi.  We may very well switch to all WJ dinners, especially with 3 kids who don’t really even like the kid menu or the always available options of the dining room.  We would rather be enjoying the ship than being in the dining room for an hour and a half.

1 hour ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Yeah some people.....!🙄

Me thinks it is also a cultural thing - some cultures are more sophisticated than others!🤔👍

Here is your previous post.....you appear to be implying that you are more sophisticated than others.  That’s the issue, not that YOU enjoy a more upscale setting than others might. Your post was insulting and condescending.

2 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Absolutely agree!👍

For some people the WJ is heaven send!👍

Maybe it is.  Everyone is different and has different expectations.  But, your attempt at generalizing them as being beneath you, or less sophisticated was uncalled for.  Here’s an example....cities such as NYC, LA, London, Paris have some very nice restaurants with top notch service and cuisine.  People who live there, or visit there often, may very well be used to that atmosphere and enjoy it.  Now, take someone who lives in a more rural area that doesn’t have that type of restaurant available to them.  Their local options may simply be fast food, or family owned sit down restaurants, and that is what they are accustomed to.  Windjammer may very well be what they enjoy, and that’s fine.  Cruises offer many options to appeal to a wide variety of people.  Your cruising neighbors could be anybody from well off persons who cruise every other week to the family living paycheck to paycheck and have had to save up for ten years to go on one big vacation, whose lives are vastly different from one another.  Either way, they are all on the same ship to enjoy a vacation the way they want.  These same people also place different values and priorities on what is important to them.  To some, money is no object, to others, forgoing the more expensive upscale eateries is a trade off to being able to be on the ship at all.  Just let everyone enjoy what they want and what appeals to them.

I would also let a crew member know that he is hearing impaired, and they should be able to locate you both closer to a speaker and to a crew member who can also repeat the info if need be.

I’ve always found at least a few bars open at boarding time, particularly pool deck bars.  Nightclub bars may not be open until after muster, though.