Hoopster95

3 hours ago, twangster said:

I'm a bit of a photographer myself 

A "bit"??? Twangster you are the best ever on this forum 👍

(You should post one of your time lapse videos and/or a couple of photos 😉)

1) Vision & Radiance tied for 1st

3) Close 3rd Quantum (as much, if not more "glass" and viewing area than both Vision & Radiance, SeaPlax, Two70, MusicHall as massive winners)

4) Freedom

5) Voyager (ruined by adding so many more cabins therefore making them way too crowded)

6) Oasis (where do you see the ocean? What ports/countries do you get to visit?)

If Oasis just sat on port for 7 days I suspect many people wouldn't even notice.  This ship class is equal to an all inclusive resort... stay on board within the walls of the resort. That's perfectly great of that's what you want. And obviously millions of people really prefer this over actually travelling the world and seeing different places. It's totally great for an obvious huge majority, but not for me

13 hours ago, eel said:

I think the extra 10 days they talk about is not how long it takes to go around Africa. It is the additional time that going around Africa adds to a trip to Northern Europe or North America. 

 

Even with no port stops it takes about 25 days at 23 knots to go from Dubai to Athens around Africa. It only takes about 8 days to go from Dubai to Athens via the Suez with no port stops at the same speed. There are a couple of websites that will calculate port to port times based on ship speed.

10 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

To go around Africa to Gibraltar takes additional about 10-12 days, to East Med little longer about 14-16 days. 

Thanks to both of you for the above.... I'm an idiot! I should've been able to see this. I'm almost thinking my conformation bias to believe that everything will be ok for the Athens 11 day got in the way of actually comprehending the info I was looking at.

Looking into this further, I agree.... If they do decide to go around Africa then the 11 day Athens to Istanbul has to be cancelled/changed/whathaveyou as well..... that just sucks 🤬

14 minutes ago, eel said:

I am also engaging in speculation here.

Great memories eel 😛

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2661933-ovation-may-13-24-live-in-alaska-wlots-of-photos/page/13/#comment-57495996

Lol!!! Good times

The way I look at  most things in life these days ....  K.I.S.S. So regard to the Suez and Red Sea, let's all pray that over the next couple of months there's some kind of agreement made whereby passage can be made safe. If not:

• Most all current reports say that the tankers require about 10 extra days to re-route from the red sea around Africa.
• The Dubai to Athens mini-segment is 18 days... well within reach to sail around Africa in the required 10 days (I think?) with very few (if any) port stops (fuel? supplies?)
• Dubai is the end of a 1/4 segment and therefore the start of the next segment, and thus there'll likely be more than usual disembarking at this port anyways. The cruisers getting on for the next 1/4 segment could possibly be delayed to instead embark in Athens, but at least they'd get most of that segment accomplished as long as Serenade gets to Athens in time.
• Whatever UWC passengers stay on Serenade, RCI could perhaps (doubt it) refund 100% of this 18 day segment making it more palatable to the full UWC passengers to stay on board all those seas days to get around Africa to Athens
• The above would minimize disembarking all passengers in Dubai and starting fresh with an empty ship with new itineraries and no tickets sold. It also minimizes lost revenue by having all the UWC cruisers already on board once in Athens. It also allows Serenade to continue the rest of it's Med/Europe 1/4 segment within cancelling out port charges, excursions, contracts to re-supply, refunding cruisers, etc etc etc etc

I think with regard to K.I.S.S., I think the absolute best thing to happen financially for Royal (which as we all know is #1, #2, #3 .... #100 criteria for the bean counters in Miami) is for Serenade to get to Athens. So to this end, I'm just thinking what the best possible way to get there with the least amount of financial strain (again, I'm trying to think like those making the decisions in Miami)

And I'm betting we won't hear what the final answer is until late April/early May at the earliest.

BTW I have a vested interest as I'm booked on that 11 day Athens to Istanbul! 😦

2 hours ago, NancyIL said:

For the UWC - do you mean rerouting from Dubai to Athens in May? I’m on the Serenade cruise just after that, and hope RCI doesn’t wait too long to decide what to do. 

In my very humble and unknowledgeable opinion, but knowing 100% that RCL is all about the bottom line $$$$$, there is no way that RC will cancel a full 4 months of the UWC after the Suez crossing, with all those segments prepaid. And the re-routing/home-porting the ship where? At what costs? How will they sell cabins? to who? and at what price??

Again in my humble opinion with zero facts, the Dubai to Athens sailing is an 18 day sailing with 7 port stops, by removing the port stops I think perhaps enough time to send her around Africa and into the Med in order to get to Athens on time. BTW, RCG already did this in January with the SilverSeas Silver Moon, albeit without passengers. In Serenade;s case, they can easily sail around Afirca with passengers, however would be a lot of sea days I would think as there would be limited time for port stops I would think. 

https://crew-center.com/silversea-alters-silver-moon-cruise-route-amid-red-sea-security-concerns

There's a great CC thread about SilverMoon and her progress now around Africa here if you're interested

Late Nov 2023 - Oasis, available and advertised at the bar on day 5 of 7 night sailing

Early December 2023 - Odyssey, available and advertised at the bar on day 4 of 6 night sailing

These were both the first times I had seen it advertised since the pandemic

53 minutes ago, island lady said:

  This was an all day "foodie" tour I was looking forward to.  Crap.  

check out Lima Gourmet company… excellent!!! Wouldn’t be surprised if they’re fully booked however 
 

Also I was happy with Haku Tours… look them up. if you’re overnighting in Lima, their afternoon City tour + Magic Water full day tour is excellent.

or DIY walking Miraflores on the cliff walk is a must. Walk all the way to.Barranco, back up to Kennedy Park. (Map it out to see how far). Makes for an excellent day!

45 minutes ago, delmom18 said:

Oh no!  If I was traveling around the world I'd be so upset not to get to Machu Picchu! 

Machu Pichu is not viable as a cruise ship excursion. I bet many will regret having only a few hours there considering the length of travel and expense.

41 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Considering that someone on board stated that the shore excursions desk was selling the excursion at $5,000 per person, that would be a 7 figure hit to their revenue stream.😱

Yes, the bean counters in Miami are probably pi$$ed!!! I feel that the strikers are doing cruisers a favor. I did 7 days from Cusco with Kensington Tours ( a luxury land tour company like SilverSea/Regent would be to cruising) for the quoted price $5000 per person. Not to be mean, however $5000 for this limited experience to truly one of the 7 wonders of the world is way too much money.

7 hours ago, Randy_b said:

Base on the information that I got, they will be staying in Vancouver until 1:00 Am the next day. 

3 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

According to the itinerary, embarkation is Fri. Oct 4.  Departure is Sat. Oct 5 @ 1:00 AM.

55 minutes ago, CVU said:

10/5/24

Sat

Vancouver, British Columbia

1:00 AM

  This means just after midnight of Oct. 4 meaning 1 AM on Oct. 5.  

 

High tide that day is around 6:07pm... which means Ovation would be in danger of not passing under the Lion's Gate Bridge.

And guess approximately what time the lowest tide is? Yep .... 12:33am

1 hour ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Final sunset 

Hey SteelCity. great to see you enjoyed your cruise 👍 A couple of long work days prevented me from getting to those Tobago pics... not enough free time. Safe travels home and thanks for the review

7 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Doesn't look like there is much going on right in the port area.

7 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Nope 👎🏻 

I didn't lie when I said this at the beginning of the review 😉

Both Trinidad and Tobago are both excursion days away from the port/city. They are both likely not places you will walk off the boat and simply stroll around. However, I feel since these are both rare destination ports for RCI, anyone getting here should get out and see the island.

SteelCity, since quite a few people following you here are looking for Trinidad/Tobago info, would you mind if I add a post with excursion pics/description of my own? I don't want to hijack your thread.

32 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Moving on to tomorrow, St. Lucia, We have the West Coast Catamaran Cruise excursion.  

I did this excursion. Their rum punch is deadly!! By the time you get your vouchers tomorrow night in the lounge, your words might be slurring on this review lol! And do you like Soca music? If the boys running the catamaran start playing Carib music, there could be some dancing & singing going on.  Have an awesome day! 👍

1 hour ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

I have not seen the bar spin however I haven’t been up there for any late night festivities yet.

It was working great last May so hopefully SteelCity can still enjoy it. Just ask the bar tender to flip the switch behind the bar. If I remember correctly Serenade's and Radiance's bar have not been working for years.

57 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Yeah, it's going by fast!!  😮 

See you in Athens 😉

2 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Solarium roof open this afternoon 

This is a super rare photo SteelCity. A very small percentage of cruisers get to witness this, even those who have sailed on Radiance Cass many times.

1 hour ago, SG65CB said:

On my Jewel sailing in March the Maracas Beach Break excursion from RC is $79 per person. I'm guessing you paid a similar amount. But you still  had to pay for chairs and umbrellas. It seems like this excursion is just a round trip bus ride. Any idea what is the cost of a taxi to Maracas and back?

 

Last March, I had a pre-booked with a fb group on a mini-bus, same size of bus as SteelCity shows you here so about 25 people I think. We paid $25 return. IIRC a taxi was $30-$40 return. Again IIRC there are not many (if any) taxis sitting around at Maracas waiting for a return trip. So you'd need to arrange and pay a driver to wait for you. There were plenty of drivers/cabs available just outside the gate all of them pleading for your business.

:or $60 pre-booked non RC group tour

https://www.myguidetrinidadandtobago.com/experiences/maracas-day-trip-to-maracas-beach-from-port-of-spain

4 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Roads are super windy.  Driver says about 1 hour drive.  Longer than expected 🤔 

 

Just wait if they hit rush hour or some kind of event on the roads on the way back. My experience was about 1 hour 20min back... stop and go traffic. Hopefully SteelCity doesn't experience this.

Just now, Another_Critic said:

My next Oasis class sailing is a TA in April, which will most likely be close to full.  It will be interesting to see how the ship flows.

I'm guessing you might not not have a good comparison as you won't have 1500-2000 children on board like 7 day Caribbean sailings all jammed in triple and quad occupancy cabins

Perhaps many posters use their balconies more often than not, I don't know. I do not use my cabin at all except to sleep, so I am walking around the ship at all times from morning to night......

I sailed Symphony last Jan, Harmony last Apr, Oasis in Nov.... all 3 crowded almost everywhere.

I sailed Independence b2b 11 nights in Nov, then immediately onto Oasis.. Windjammer on Oasis was a joke regarding crowds, El Loco fresh had a 15-20 minute line that extended to the sports court, sports deck awful lines, slides and Flowrider 1/2 hour wait, every single hot tub had over 20 people in it at all times of the day including many hot tubs overrun with children swimming in the hot tubs with flotation aids and toys. We had a poor weather day.... Solarium was empty because of the winds, and the upper pool deck bare as well... try an Oasis Class ship with bad weather and see how the interior spaces are (ie. bars, Promenade, gym equipment, etc) with 6000 passengers all inside. Likewise the next day was great weather so all 6000 people wanted to get outside... pool deck was a disaster.

Best non crowded spots were the Boardwalk... hardly anyone ever goes there unless there's an aqua show or a scheduled event. Has become a colossal waste of prime real estate, which is likely why Icon has changed so much in that area in order to get better use. Also Central Park surprisingly was not overly crowded throughout the day, that was often my go-to (Trellis Bar, Jazz in the Park, etc)

Independence was way better for crowding. 

Just my 2 cents

19 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Heading to PIT stop next.

14 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

 

Hey SteelCity. Hope you're enjoying your time aboard. Thought maybe it be helpful if you mention more of the Pitt Stop (a couple of more photos?) as I'm only assuming that many reading this review may not realize that this is a one-of-a-kind venue found only on Jewel. (ie. where it's located, amenities, food, tv's? etc) It's kinda like the original long-lost Playmakers in a way I guess. It's great you're enjoying this area with all the games that are on 

53 minutes ago, SG65CB said:

Do you remember who you used for the Tobago island tour? Did you arrange in advance or find a guide at the port?

This is for SteelCity as well if you wish to grab your phone for a few minutes for some research while you''re sitting on your balcony.... islandexperiencestt dot com

They offer both Trinidad & Tobago tours. I did the mini-tour in Trinidad (meh), and a private circle island tour in Tobago (great!). The other two times at both ports I joined a group of fellow cruisers (from that other social media site) that pre-arranged Maracas and Bucco Reef. 

However, both ports (especially Tobago) had a ton of taxi/tour drivers wanting your business, so no need to prebook.

2 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Coconut Mojito

This is my go-to cocktail as well! Too bad they don't have the shaved coconut like most Boleros on other ships (I say "most" because Oasis and Odyssey did not have the shaved coconut in Boleros either which is b.s. considering it's one of their signature drinks). If you enjoy the coconut syrup and wish to try something new/different, head up to the Schooner Bar and order a rum old fashioned sometime

1 hour ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Received our D+ pins on this one 🎉😎🎉

Congrats!! Bon voyage Steel City 🙂

I wish to add, if you do end up deciding to do something on both days, in Trinidad look at Maracas Beach for an easy/calm day for 4-5 hours away from the city... great beach, and you can try local Shark Bake for lunch. And then perhaps opt for some island touring in Tobago. This way you get to do something in both ports.

Either way, you'll have a great beach to choose from on either island

3 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

So I know just about everyone is interested in the Trinidad & Tobago ports in particular.  To be honest, so am I, and we still aren’t fully decided what (if anything) we will do there.  At minimum we will get off and explore whatever is in the immediate port area.  We are considering a beach excursion on one but not both.  We were not sold on anything pre cruise.  So we are basically winging it on those 2 ports right now.

Sailed on Rhapsody last March b2b2b... twice in Tobago, 3 visits to Trinidad.

Trinidad is not a pretty city where you would want to walk around in on your own around the port... do some homework (google is your friend) on this. If you do anything it should definitely be on an excursion, RCI or private. I did both on the first two visits, then stayed on the ship the third (first time ever not getting off the ship). Trinidad to me is like what most here on CC say about Nassau (sea day).

Tobago is another story. Lots and lots of private tour guides wanting your business at the port gate. Lots to see (island tour), Argyle waterfall is a great little hike/walk and swim/climb. Buccoo Reef snorkelling and Pigeon Point Beach are highlights, however all tourists go there. I thought Buccoo Reef was over-stated... snorkelling was underwhelming, but the beach is gorgeous (but far from port 50min). knowing both options I really enjoyed the island tour... driving, scenery, lunch at a beach, photo ops, hike/swim waterfall.... great day!

Bottom line... if you need that "rest" day on the ship, stay on board in Trinidad

Royal ships typically dock at Crown Bay. I doubt you'll be walking to the SkyRide.

I was just there 2 weeks ago. Very well run taxi/tour services at the port gate herding people into different open air vehicles going to the various different beaches. Also available are combo island tours with beach time that you should look in to. They will arrange to pick up at specific time if you wish.

Emerald Bay two loungers + umbrella = $25

We opted to walk back to the ship for a bit of exercise. The walk was not difficult and no more than 25 minutes to the gangway. A $6pp each way shared "taxi" (open air bus) would be 3-4 minutes tops.

1 hour ago, actuarian said:

Moreover, I think that, after adjusting for inflation, cruises cost more back then. In fact, it is probably possible to purchase the unlimited dining package and still pay less in total than the inflation adjusted price that we spent to cruise in 2004.

Perfectly said. If cruisers want the "yesteryear" cruise experience, it definitely exists... All they need to do is book Oceania, SilverSea, etc. Those prices are adjusted for inflation to today's true prices.

On 1/11/2024 at 7:01 PM, shofer said:

I'm thinking about taking my next trip on Celebrity.

I just sailed on Silhouette Jan 2-11... 1st time on Celebrity since 2012. MDR was a bit better, but not a whole lot better than Royal unfortunately. The Ocean Cafe (aka Windjammer) was fantastic! Should've had dinner there every night. Specialty venues QSine and Tuscan were both a noticeable step above Royal's specialty. There were other positives besides food,.. surprise surprise the entertainment and game shows/trivia were way better than expected, easily equal to Royal (ie. Voyager Class and below with headliner and Production shows). I enjoyed the change of perspective... classier environment, more mature/learned demographic, there was no slamming of doors, screaming/yelling in adjacent cabins, and running in the hallways at all hours day and night.

Regardless of all of our previous million+ cruises, wealth of experience, and personal/recent experiences on other sailings, we all need to remember::

"Royal Caribbean reserves the right to modify the Crown & Anchor® Society, Club Royale®, and MyCruise® Rewards programs along with their terms and conditions, at any time and without notice. ©2023 Royal Caribbean Ltd. Ships Registry: The Bahamas."

To me, and knowing RCI over the last decade, this to me means "If we can make more money from cruisers by changing or reducing something (C&A), even if temporarily (so that we don't piss too many people off), we will"

We also all need to remember that each ship makes decisions independently... a "rule" or "benefit" applied/change/removed on one ship may not have occurred on another ship docked next door. So the OP's experience on Explorer may have been different on Adventure for example.

RCI = "Really Consistently Inconsistent"

Who remembers Project Genesis? How about project Sunshine, and Project Eagle?

And for how long before the actual official announcement were any rumours. and how long after after the official announcement were they actually built and in service?

For me, Discovery does not exist. I suspect there will be 4-5 more Icon Class ships built until approximately 2030 before we have confirmation of anything else..

2 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

The rumored "small" RCI ships are going to most likely be 3x the size and 4x the passenger capacity of Azamara.

I know.... And this has nothing to do with the point I was making anyways

4 hours ago, alfaeric said:

I can't see RCI making a new ship much smaller than than a Quantum ship.  Doesn't make economic sense.

This is exactly the point I was making.