chiguypaul

I am going on the Utopia of the seas on August 19, 2024. Is there a way to find out if there is a large group on my sailing?

My excitement and enthusiasm for the Icon will likely far surpass my thoughts on the food despite the pricing on the holiday sailing I’m on. Food is just one part of the overall decision on which line and ship to take.

Well I don’t think it’s that simple. No cruise experience is perfect and has everything. There are many things I really like about Royal and I’m very excited about the Icon. So just because the food is average, on average, doesn’t mean I won’t go on Royal again. The food is just one factor of many in the decision process. And feelings on food are very subjective - absolutely. But it’s a fact that RCL has taken steps to reduce their cost in the dining room.

Lots of chatter on this site about the food. I have been on 20 Royal Caribbean cruises. Three in the past 18 months. Just got off the Odyssey in December. Food in the main dining room is not good. All of the favorites we had like ossa buca , braised short rib, rack of lamb, fruit, soups, soufflé, etc. etc. etc. - all gone. Significantly fewer options in the main dining room. Overall main dining room quality is below average at this point. We’ve actually been rethinking our icon of the seas New Year’s Eve cruise because of it. Just my two cents.

Just a quick personal anecdote that I think some will appreciate. I am a diamond member, so I frequently will try to get to the cruise port as soon as possible to be on the ship as early as possible with my family. I used to value this because I wanted to savor every minute I could on day one, and to do things like flowrider when the lines were really low. Today, my family arrived for our odyssey cruise at 12:30, we checked in and walked right on. It was such a nicer experience. Honestly, getting those additional one or two hours really didn’t matter. And it was so great to not have to sit in the terminal waiting. And to stand in line, waiting outside for the terminal port open. Now that thing said, we did not have to worry about making unlimited dining reservations, there was nothing specifically we had to make reservations for as soon as we got on,etc. So not boarding right away didn’t really matter. The only issue we ran into today was that the complementary Ifly spots were taken. But my son has done a couple times so not a big deal. Anyway, I’m done trying to be “first”.

Hmmm. Maybe my cell phone wasn’t on the reservation in the past.

I leave on the Odyssey today. I received a text message about making sure I come at my designated time. I don’t recall ever seeing a text message like that sent by Royal. Anyone else seen it? Just curious.

Overall quality of the food in the master dining room is the biggest and most material change to me.

Convenience for me. Scooter delivered directly to my room and picked up from my room. Worth the money.

I booked through Scootaround. Very helpful staff via phone and chat.

Thank for everyone's thoughts and opinions. I saw my ortho doctor today and I'm in a boot that I can walk in immediately - so lucky on that front. Will have additional X-rays to two weeks to confirm everything is on track prior to leaving for cruise. So I will not need a special room or a scooter, but I do plan on renting a knee scooter from Scottaround or some other company.

Odyssey

I’m so frustrated. I fractured my ankle. On crutches and in cast. Can get around as needed. Have cruise on December 24th. I know I can get a scooter so good there. But given it’s a holiday sailing, and I plan to call tomorrow, I’m doubtful about an accessible room being available to move the scooter in. For those with experience in this area does RCL hold back accessible rooms in inventory? Can I leave my scooter outside a room? How accommodating with room options might they be this close to sailing? Any info that would help me or any tips I would really appreciate! My plan is to not cancel and to find a way to make it work. Thanks.

i have an 18 year old. And for $1000 less celebrity might be just fine.

Have you heard why that is the case for Celebrity?

(I've posted this in the Celebrity forum, but posting here as well given the separate audience) I'm Diamond on RCL. Have been on Celebrity a few times. I'm looking at booking a Celebrity sailing in NA for March 2024. I only look at interior rooms. I've noticed on several sailings with equal sail lengths that RCL is coming in more expensive on ships like the Quantum and Oasis classes compared to Celebrity ships. I am comparing Oasis and Symphony - NOT newer ships. In one case, I'm comparing to the brand new Ascent in one instance, but there are others where Celebrity is lower. Does this surprise anyone? I'm wondering if it's because it's Spring Break week and families are booking in large amounts on Royal driving on demand???

I'm Diamond on RCL. Have been on Celebrity a few times. I'm looking at booking a Celebrity sailing in NA for March 2024. I only look at interior rooms. I've noticed on several sailings with equal sail lengths that RCL is coming in more expensive on ships like the Quantum and Oasis classes compared to Celebrity ships. I am comparing Oasis and Symphony - NOT newer ships. In one case, I'm comparing to the Ascent in one instance, but there are others where Celebrity is lower. Does this surprise anyone? It is because I'm looking at interior rooms that Celebrity is cheaper since most on Celebrity are you looking for "nicer" rooms? Just curious if anyone has general thoughts about my findings.

The Sunset Bar looks like an amazing space.

Good point. I'm just assuming that the newer ship is priced more per night, but that may not be true.

Hello. I would appreciate some thoughts on how to approach the (you can't go wrong) decision between the Edge and Beyond. They both look great. We don't care about the itinerary. We will not be staying in a suite. We would probably go to speciality dining one night. We tend to like the latest and the greatest, but it seems like the differences between the Beyond and Edge are not that great. And even thought we like "new", the ships seem close enough where paying a premium for the beyond would not be worth it. We love outdoor seating areas. It feels like a real toss up between the sips. Would appreciate any thoughts on how to make a decision between the two ships given the above. Thank you!

For booking purposes. I said that in my original post.

I have a 17 year old and will be at the time of sailing. The Celebrity web site says a child is "under 17". A customer service rep said a 17 year old is a child. anyone know the right answer? Is my 17 year old a child for the purposes of booking and making a reservation?

Typically my family is on RCL, but we are looking at taking the Equinox the week of the 4th of July holiday. We will have my 17 year old son with me. He doesn't need all of the things like rock climbing, flow riders, planned teen activities, etc like on RCL. He's very good with connecting with people and social. Only concern I have is the quantity of older teens. I'm sure there will be fewer, but are we talking like ten or twenty? Exactly how sparse are teens on Celebrity during holiday related sailings - even 4th of July. Thanks!

Can be glitchy normally, but something definitely not working correctly today with page loads for reservations. Not just you.

I am unimpressed with the new menu. Overall quality has definitely decreased. Won't keep me from going back on Royal, but I still don't like it.