bonsai3s

Great question...guessing that CK will probably mirror the MDR formal nights.

* Best to just check the Royal Caribbean app. Happy New Year and happy sailing.

Our cabin fridge...Symphony and Voyager....genuinely enjoy a few sips in the balcony, and just watching the ocean go by...Happy New Year!

I think you already answered your own question...LOTR = NZ. 

We've visited most of the Asian ports and both Aus/NZ. Random thoughts:

* Sydney or Singapore...both beautiful cities and easy to get around. In Sydney, we use theOpal card to access the trains, buses, and ferries...or walk. In Singapore, you have the MRT or Grab (Uber)...it is one of the cleanest and safest cities we've visited.

* Aus/NZ or Asia...in Aus/NZ, it's English and dollars (Aussie and NZ dollars).  In Asia, you'll have several different languages and currencies.

* Visas...you will need them for Aus/NZ, Vietnam and China...not sure of your complete itinerary.

* NZ = Scenery and LOTR. Also Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Dusky Sound. Asia = Temples, pagodas, gardens...extremely cheap souvenirs. (faux/copies/fake...i.e. Ralph Lauren polo shirt about $5 in Vietnam. )

* Anthem and Ovation are sister ships...so not much difference.

* Food...if this is important to you...can be more interesting in Asia...NZ = good wines.

The sail-away in Sydney is one of our favorites...views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the skyline, and the iconic Sydney Opera House.

For U.S. military veterans, visiting Saigon/HCMC can be quite emotional.

Happy planning and sailing.

@taglovestocruise...as always, spot on.

We've also experienced inter-porting in Australia.

So now @Racer70...if it's your first time to Europe, your next question is: Which is the better port to start, Barcelona or Rome?

* IMHO...love both places...but Rome will be my choice to start my cruise. (Civitavecchia is about an hour away)

On 12/25/2023 at 11:46 AM, Racer70 said:

Hello - We’ve been on many cruises to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska, Hawaii and New England/ Canada.
 

This year, we’re strongly considering a 7 day Western Med cruise on the Oasis of the Seas in June 2024.

 

It leaves out of Barcelona and ports in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Provence (Marseille), France, La Spezia (Florence/Pisa) Italy, Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy and Naples/Capri, Italy.

 

We intend flying in a full day prior to the cruise and flying out the day after the cruise.

 

If you’ve been on this cruise itinerary before or sailed out of Barcelona or visited any of these ports, please let me know your thoughts and experiences of Western Med cruise & itinerary.

·       We recently sailed this same itinerary this past October on the Symphony.  It is a wonderful itinerary but do agree…it is port intensive.  There’s so much to see at each port.

 

Also, please advise of the following:

 

Did you use a travel agent to book airfare, cruise, hotels, transfers etc?

·       No

 

Hotels in Barcelona after arrival?

·       We stayed at Hotel Lleo…centrally located between Placa Universitat and Placa Catalunya.  Walking distance: Metro station, La Rambla, and many restaurants.

 

Transfers to hotel & cruise port?

·       The easiest way is by taxi.

·       We used Aerobus from BCN.  It is available at both Terminal 1 and 2, 24/7, 365 days, runs every 10 minutes…safe, cheap, and convenient for us because it stops at both Placa Universitat and Placa Catalunya.  Hotel Lleo was a 5-minute walk from the Placa Universitat stop.

·       From Hotel Lleo we took a taxi to the cruise terminal…about 10 minutes away.  There’s no Uber in Barcelona.  Side story: The morning of our cruise, we walked outside the hotel and a taxi driver immediately saw us (luggages in tow) and stopped.  He understood immediately we wanted to go to the cruise terminal.  As we approached the Columbus Monument and the bridge to the cruise terminal(s)…we got stuck in heavy traffic.  We couldn’t understand our driver but we soon realized what was happening…there was a marathon!  Our driver spoke to the police and managed to get us through…impressive driving and truly an honest taxi driver.  The cost was only 8 Euros…we gave him 20 Euros.

 

Differences between a European cruise & Caribbean cruise?

·       Oh my…currency, language, museums, ruins, history, and churches.  There’s so much to see at each port.  Barcelona: La Rambla, Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Cathedral, Park Guell, and of course La Sagrada Familia.  La Spezia: Cinque Terre.  Civitavecchia: Rome…you can spend a week here and not see everything.  Naples: Pompeii, Herculeum, and the island of Capri.  Palma and Marseille: Churches and Museums.

 

Are the majority of the passengers European?

·       Yes, but everyone spoke English.

 

Did you exchange US $ to Euros when you landed?

·       No, we had leftover Euros from a previous trip.  We usually exchange Euros before leaving but ATM’s are easy to use all over Europe. Read up on credit card and ATM use in Europe.

 

Was the language barrier difficult in Spain getting to hotel & cruse port.

·       No, most spoke English at the airport, in tourist areas, and at the hotel.

 

Thank you for your information, recommendations and tips.

·       You will be visiting many churches and religious sites…please be mindful of what you are wearing.  If you plan on visiting inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome…exposed shoulders and exposed knees are not allowed.

·       Try to at least learn a few words or phrases in Spanish, French, and Italian. If they hear you trying, they will smile and help.

·       Be careful of pickpockets.  Yes, it can be said anywhere around the world but be careful in Barcelona, Naples, and Rome.

·       Cruise Critic has a wonderful European Forum with tons of information.  Our favorite websites for doing cruise research are: Cruise Critic, www.whatsinport.com, www.rometorio.com, and YouTube. 

 

@Mum2MercuryYes, the Royal Burger is available in the MDR, during lunch on sea days. 

Safe travels and have a great time!

* Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

4 hours ago, GW248 said:

Hi bonsai3s How would you rank JR vs CK?

 

Edit:  Would you prefer one over the other, ignoring cost factor?

Oh my...take away the onion rings and that bowl of chili...

...and just the cheeseburger...

I would pick CK over JR.

* At CK, I may be the only one ordering a cheeseburger for lunch (when no children around)...at JR, it is a burger joint.

So at CK, I will politely ask for sourdough bread instead of a regular bun...swiss cheese instead of cheddar. And honey-mustard instead of ketchup.  It can be "customized" depending on how busy they are.  That burger, IMHO, becomes uniquely special.

1 hour ago, asctony said:

Free refills on soda. Then when you get ready to leave, have another fill-up for home. Now you cannot beat that. 

We just spent 41 days on the Symphony...not once did we eat a hotdog onboard.

We get home...what's the first thing we eat?...yup, Costco hotdog and soda!  Just crazy!

* Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the wonderful members of Cruise Critic.

Costco hotdog...and soda...$1.50 

On our recent sailings on the Symphony, we did a taste-test of all the burgers we could find.

* Windjammer...good.  I get the meat right off the grill.  I go around the bread section and find sourdough instead of using the bun. There's also a nice selection cheese if I wanted other than cheddar.

* MDR...the Royal Burger. Better than the WJ. Love this burger because I can get a side order of onion rings. 

* JR...we ordered this to go and ate it outside our balcony. (Not free, but we had OBC) The double burgers with extra cheese were cooked to perfection. The fries and onion rings...we dipped into a bowl of chili. It was total bliss just watching the ocean and dropping chili on my shirt.

* CK...ordered the cheeseburger and fries. Our wonderful waitress smiled and said: "Of course!". She smiled because it's off the kids menu. Outstanding burger...with the charbroiled taste...cheese melting off the side and the fries came in hot and crispy. It was meant for kids...but wow! it was big. If only they had onion rings.

On the Spectrum of the Seas earlier this year, we visited Kobe, Japan.

All of us (of course) wanted to taste Kobe beef. (Where's a better place to try Kobe beef than in Kobe.)

There was a popular street vendor selling and cooking Kobe beef...that redolent aroma pulled us in...it was worth the wait.

After we all paid, one of the employees came out...first we thought we didn't pay enough. Then someone explained to us that the gentleman was only, and politely, returning the small change we left as Tip.  We all went "Oops"...tipping not customary in Japan.

Just curious...Jordan left the ship because...?

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Can a pinnacle member eat in CK for b/l/d if numbers permit? 

Yes...b/l/d at CK on Symphony recently.  Agree with @cruisegirl1 we had to make reservations for dinner...but once they got to know us, the Host made it for the rest of the week...and the subsequent weeks.

* We eat late (8pm), so it was easier to accommodate us.

* @little britainDid you get a chance to eat at the Gold Dining Room on the Spectrum? Your thoughts...thanks.

47 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Radiance class has music in that timeframe in the Centrum too.  Oasis class has music in Central Park for part of that time.  Sometimes it is only one performer who takes breaks after an hour or so.  Other times there are different performers, so there is no gap in music.  

Yes...we enjoyed sitting by the Trellis Bar, Central Park - Symphony, having drinks and listening to jazz, or singers, or a pianist....it felt like we were young again and enjoying a date night. 

* Only one problem...it was difficult sitting there...and smell the wonderful aroma coming from Chops. 

Just politely asking...who's the:

HD

F&B

ROM

GSM

Guessing they will all be replaced sometime during the WC.

* Also, has there been any goody bags given to WCer's...or hats, shirts, sunglasses, etc.  Thank you.

A more comfortable bed.

21 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Well...I'd "like" to see some RCI roundtrips to Hawaii out of San Pedro 😁

Or San Francisco.

* The sail-away out of SF...sailing by Alcatraz, then Angel Island...with views of SF and Sausalito on each side...then sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge, with fog rolling in.......is truly magical. 

* Ok, I'm admittedly biased...graduate of Galileo HS, located one block from Fisherman's Wharf...with views of the Ghiradelli chocolate sign visible from my algebra class....love chocolates, hated algebra.

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

As I said its bought with my play money, because no dividend, but I also cruise a lot and it plus a little from TA pays my auto tips and more. Keeps me from complaining about service. My cabin steward seems to think no service is ok this week. I'm glad im changing cabins. She is moving my suitcase after I pack up so I dont want trouble so not saying anything. I just sat my trash in the hall after 3 days not emptied. I've been seeing others doing this. None of the keep things on hangers either, she said after I pack up. And yes I tipped her extra to move me. 

You should really speak to her supervisor. 

Following.

Safe travels, stay healthy, and enjoy.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! 😊

12 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

On January 17, 2020 was at $132+ a share and paid a $3.16 per share dividend. Then the pandemic hit, and within a few months, the share price fell below $20 and the dividend was eliminated.

It is December 8, 2023 and the share price is about $120 and still no dividend. That doesn’t look like the coming back is faster than the descent to me.

Agree...

But...politely,

There are some who purchased shares...at the low price $20-$30...to simply get shareholder's OBC.

They will argue that they've cruised more than enough, and received more than enough OBC  to pay for the purchase price.

* Disclaimer: I am not an expert in stock trading....just happy to still be able to cruise. 

1 hour ago, BlackForest said:

Sorry, I am late to respond to my afternoon tea comment. My memory is poor but it may have been Celebrity? We are diamond plus on RC but have sailed many times on Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess and Carnival. It may have been Celebrity that offered the high/afternoon tea. Sigh, it was lovely.

 

Side Note: we used to be biased against Carnival for the longest time...we had a negative attitude that Carnival was a cheap version of the other cruise lines with rowdier passengers. But over the past 5 years or so we have sailed on Carnival (when the price can't be beat) and the food was excellent. We are still loyal to RC and Celebrity but we will sail on other lines.

@BlackForest...I'm just trying to remember where else afternoon/high tea and scones were served. Guessing it may have also been on Princess. Yes, it was lovely. 

* If I remember correctly, Princess also served fresh baked cookies every afternoon...hot off the oven. Sorry, I know this is the RCCL forum.

1 hour ago, Snowbird_in_training said:

I know my opinion won’t be popular among the frequent cruisers, but here goes.  
 

Royal is after the first time cruiser family.  Those families don’t know what all of you used to experience on their ships.   They look at the slides and other entertainment options and they’re in love.  
 

For those of you who are D+ or P, yes service has been reduced.  So has the quality of the food. Royal is gifting you several free drinks per day. I know many claim to have “earned” those drinks.   That’s your choice to believe that.  Most loyalty programs have changed drastically as of late.   Is Royal concerned about losing your business?  Not really.  Ships are sailing at mostly full capacity.  If you decide to take your discounted business, with many freebies elsewhere, they’ll  just replace you with a family paying full price and purchasing drink packages.  

i always wonder how many of the posters here who claim they’re never cruising again because of some freebie cutback have actually stopped cruising.  
 

I think it’s better to enjoy whatever type of vacation you’ve chosen.  

Agree. We share your sentiments...we accept and understand this reality.

* And to add...there are many old cruisers who simply stopped cruising for a number of reasons...most simply die.

2 hours ago, Coralc said:

Unfortunately, we learned that on our second cruise. If there is a problem on the ship you need to address it with the persons that have responsibility for the problem while you are on the cruise. The ship or corporate seem to have little interest in correcting things after the fact. ☺️

Coralc...thank you! 

This is an extremely valuable advise, and perhaps the most  important lesson we learned as well. 

* When addressing a problem, I do it politely.

11 minutes ago, amindu said:

Do pinnacle folks get priority over those in JR Suites?  Just found out the ship has 120 pinnacle vs 75 capacity in CK?

Additional info:

Casino Masters also have access to CK...Masters have priority over P's.