Hoopster95

Ok…. Let’s talk Windjammer….

On my plate right now are taster sized Chicken Parm & gnocchi w/spinach & garlic (yes, you can actually taste the garlic).. both of these could easily be served in Giovanni’s. I also have lemongrass rice, lamb Kofta w/excellent tzatziki, tomato & mozza salad, and a spicy beef dish that is actually spicy!

Last night they actually had the real Royal cheesecake and the Red Velvet cake (equal to Chops). 
 

All of the above super good!!! 
I have been critical of RC food for years, but I have to applaud Jewel so far. I think this also adds to my theory that foods sourced in Europe sailings are far superior than the lower quality product sourced in North America. 

10 hours ago, twangster said:

Looks like my Geiranger afternoon has become free.  

 

Missed you again… unless I walked right passed you as you were trying to wave me

down?? Lol

We still good for the morning? Need to arrange time & place to meet 

9 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

I’m sitting bottom left row 4 closest to where Bern was standing. If you’ve got a sec find me on the way out.👍 

I’m sitting bottom left row 4 closest to where Bern was standing. If you’ve got a sec find me on the way out.👍 

Left - Tony hotel director

Middle - Capt Michael

Right - Mario chief engineer

7 hours ago, Cherful59 said:

Do you know how long they will be onboard?  Thank you

Same question.  Do you know how long they will be onboard, or is it only for this cruise?  Thank you

No clue. If I get a chance to say hi to him again I'll ask and report back here

59 minutes ago, twangster said:

Captain’s Corner at 11, Top Tier at 4

 

Formal night.  

Great morning photos twangster. Gym sauna/steam room morning for me... Maybe I'll find you (you'll find me) at Captain's Corner? How's your hangover?🙃

By the way to anyone following this thread who’s on board… I encountered Ryan Molly in the elevator today. I met him a couple of times in the last two years and spoke to him for a bit in the gym on one of those cruises. He’s the lead singer of Frankie and the Dreamers… they perform tomorrow night (day 2)

This is a MUST SEE show. Ryan was lead for the group Frankie goes to Hollywood (“Relax Don’t Do It”). It seems he only works the Europe cruises. The best very best headliner I’ve seen Since covid for sure. I’ll try to get some photos/video 

9 hours ago, twangster said:

it's hard to make an 18" rise exciting.  Even for an old guy.

You’re on fire tonight! 😝😈

9 hours ago, twangster said:
The Vintages bar now rotates!

Wait.  I think I’m sliding off my barstool. 

ROFLMAO!

Live inebriation on Jewel of the Seas!!

(p.s. yes VOOM has been poor this evening for sure)

9 hours ago, RFerrington said:

 

Doesn't sound like #2 is starting out very well.

 

🤭

9 hours ago, twangster said:

Wave Benders in the Centrum are sounding great tonight.  

Both game shows in the Centrum tonight were a major bust… barely anyone there and the new activity staff struggled. Karaoke stopped temporarily as they had minimal Participants…. Singers were super poor.

Wave Benders really good, but not one sign of a pulse anywhere… no one dancing. The ship is really dead tonight more than usual on night one in contrast to my last 3 sailings in the last month.

DJ up here in the Vortex is excellent so far.

Here’s a confirmation that the Viking Crown Lounge bar (Vortex) does in fact still rotate as it’s supposed to. I was on Brilliance 2-3 weeks ago… it is broken on Brilliance with no eta for repair

Good Welcome Aboard show in the theatre tonight. The “Claudio Duo” performed… I assure you it was not me 😆

Also, if I’m not mistaken, I think this looks  like a new “curtain” in the theatre. I’ll have to check my photos from last year to confirm.

Ok… now back to my regular scheduled program of rum old fashions and/or coconut mojitos 🍸

Great lock photos twangster.

Quite funny… after I posted the forward video I headed back to the Colony Club to check out the “event”. I came across a couple I had sailed with a couple of times before so hung out for a bit. After a quick dinner and the “Yes or No” game show I headed up top deck and then to the helipad to record the locks… looks like I missed you at both ends of the ship lol.

9 hours ago, twangster said:

Thank goodness @Hoopster95 is here.  Now he can take over posting. I’ll be in a bar.  Where it’s warm.   

My turn’s comin’ 🤪🍸

I’m up front 😃

Hey @twangster! I’m in the waiting room waiting to board as you’re posting. It’s packed down here. Looks like Key, Pn’s etc just starting to move now.

Thx for all your updates. I caught up on this thread last night and this morning. Are you ok with me joining this thread to add photos etc like we did on the Ovation-Alaska thread a few years back? I not interested in posting my own reviews anymore as you know. I understand if you wish to keep this thread yours alone. 

5 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

Did you see us get underway? 

Yes, sure did The view from Chops wasn’t clear in the rain.

Once the port saw that tender line, the elderly, the kids… they should’ve directed at least 2 or 3 of those shuttles for brilliance passengers. After Q had finished embarking, only then the shuttles took over from the tendering process in full. 

It was a despicable call by Skagway port authority

8 hours ago, twangster said:

In some places, yes!

 

No concerns so far.  
 

Thx for these updates twangster! Have a great sailing and see you on the 30th

This is what it looked like from

my Brilliance balcony last week (May 9).

Quantum was docked behind us, farther from the bus/vehicle loop. They got shuttles from the bus loop to their gangway (a 1 minute drive). We on Brilliance got to stand outside for 1 hour 30 minutes in 20mph winds at 40degree temps with driving rain at 45 degrees angle as the tender process was a nightmare with swells and weather. Port of Skagway didn’t give a rats a$$. 
 

It was a really bad scene with kids and elderly. Sincerely, if they cannot give support on the pier, then they should

not allow ships to dock there

16 hours ago, DFWPalm said:

Captain said today that we will be entering the Vancouver Harbor at 15:00 on Thursday, docking between 21 and 22:00 in Vancouver Thursday. 

15 hours ago, IrishWhisperer said:

Marine traffic shows: Estimated time of arrival:2024-04-24 11:30 (UTC-7)

 

this would be this morning rather than tonight, so I think it’s just not been updated. Sounds like it’s going straight to Vancouver.

 

Ugh! That was stupid of me.

11:30 …. Not 23:30.

So she arrives a day early. Hopefully they can do the repair right there without affecting the next cruise.

fingers crossed for everyone.

16 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

But, yes, if the blades are available (some ships carry a spare set on the bow), then it would be just a couple of days to replace the blades by diver.

11 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Marinetraffic is showing her destination as Astoria, pointing to her going to Portland for drydocking.  Currently Vigor's dock is empty, Victoria's dock currently has Norwegian Sun in it.  Radiance doing 15.8 knots.

What do you make of this @chengkp75? Marinetraffic has Radiance at 15.5 knots "arriving" at Astoria at 11:30pm this evening. I don't understand if she keeps going down the river right to Portland and into Vigor's drydock.... surely not with passengers on board?? Do they perhaps first inspect the ship (divers) overnight in Astoria before deciding on repairs in the drydock? I guess I'm asking what the process may be, especially arriving at 11:30 at night

Personal opinion.... if this requires drydock, maybe they may limp to Vancouver to complete the sailing (way cheaper than forcing 2000 passengers off in Portland), then sail her back down to Vigor drydock for a few days or whatever time is needed. I feel this will likely play out kind of like Brilliance last month with at least one upcoming cruise cancelled for repairs.

37 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Currently Vigor's dock is empty

I immediately thought of this. I remembered that Radiance was drydocked here in 2016.

There are some interesting photos here to give everyone an idea (Stabilizer, props, etc)

https://vigor.net/projects/radiance-of-the-seas

1 hour ago, c-leg5 said:

They may well be “in an area” but choice of ports is undoubtedly smaller.

1 hour ago, Saab4444 said:

But to a very limited range of ports and Voyager class is as old as Radiance class. 

Totally wrong. Name ports in the Med that Voyager Class or Quantum class do not go to compared to other mass market lines like NCL, Princess and HAL only.... if you want to compare oranges to apples, we can compare Azamara, Oceania and others at triple the cost of Royal, with obviously smaller ships and much much less passengers,  but we cannot do that here.

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

I think Royal are perfectly happy visiting a very limited range of ports.

THIS 100%.

Royal wants Utopia, Wonder and other 6000 passenger ships to go only to CocoCay, Labadee, and coming soon a fake man made Bahamas private Beach and a fake man-made private St Thomas Beach. I feel any new class will mimic Oasis, Q and Icon classes as an "internal" stay on the ship, the ship is the destination type of resort. There will be little value to cruising for the ports imho to "experience" culture and new places in the world

You know, Royal is brilliant. They've got it so right. They see tens of thousands of people buying time shares, or going to all-inclusives and just sitting within the compound, week after week, month after month, and then year after year. Obviously the majority of the cruise market does not want to see the world via cruise ship either. Those that do can easily River Cruise or go on cruise lines with smaller ships. It's that easy of a decision.

The majority of mass market cruisers seem to want the all-inclusive resort experience however on cruise ships... especially for families. No way a parent will bring a 4 and 7 yr old, wake them up at 6am to get off in Civitavecchia to walk around Rome for 10 hours. These families, Royal's target market, want to wake up and go to a private, safe, secure private beach where their kids can play (at a massive price), they can all sit in their over priced $1000+ cabanas, and drink all day for free (ahem... at $80 per day per person on a drink package). Unvbeleiavble return on their investment compared to dropping a couple of 60 years olds off in Civitavecchia (insert any port in the world here) so that those cruisers "leave" Royal to spend their money elsewhere for the day.

I wish I had bought more Royal stock. Seriously, they are totally brilliant and I cannot blame them one bit for this approach.

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

When I say smaller ships it is smaller. I have never said less than 100,000 tons.  I havecskwsys said that project Discovery is slatedvto be around a VY class size at 140,000 tons

Ah ok... got it. Thx Ourusualbeach

14 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I guarantee you 100% that Royal will build ships to replace Vision and Radiance class ships...Celebrity is not Royals market. 

• Maximizing berths on ships to maximize revenue from as many cruisers as possible
• Stock holder returns
• What's the building cost of each ship vs. profits over 20-25 years capital cost depreciation?

The above is all that is important, nothing else.

If a building less than 100,000 gross tonnage ship with max 2000 passengers is more profitable than an Oasis or Icon Class, then I agree Royal will build them. I truly doubt it.

You may be right...I may be wrong. We'll see in 2030.

I repeat for the millionth time on this forum, Royal Caribbean calls this a "gratuity", however it is part of the the employees wages. Royal, under maritime law, pay their staff an incredibly low base salary... the employees are contracted to work at this "base" salary PLUS the contract stipulates that they earn portion of the tipping pool which makes up their total wages.

If the tipping pool does not reach a minimum amount, then Royal Caribbean has to pay the employee the shortfall under their contract.

Calling this a "gratuity" is a gross misrepresentation by the cruise lines. At very bare minimum, it should be called a "service fee" or "resort fee" like you have all over the United States in hotels or restaurants. More transparently and honestly, it should be included into the cruise fare up front.