mommabean

anyone know who is on Radiance and where is Capt Manolis Kasselas and where is Capt Carl Graucob going?

Capt. Carl is the new captain for RD.

I've found my cabin door open recently. They hadn't finished vacuuming although the hall doors were open to allow entry to the rooms. Otherwise, the door has always been shut.

You are more fortunate than we are. They never charge us for mini-bar items while we're still on the ship. Our erroneous charge always comes as a higher than expected SeaPass charge on the credit card.

This happens to us from time to time. Last time my husband just paid it and never told me. Normally I call RCI from home and have the charge removed. This must do wonders for revenue if some of us let this slide from time to time. It all adds up.

I think the float would be good for Mardi Gras.

I'd rather see a no children rule. This isn't an appropriate meal venue for a small child.

You are correct.

If they are offering a special price for children now they should offer a special price for adults who don't want wine. And the children's night should be stated clearly so all children go on the same night. Won't that be fun? ;)

Exactly. But that's what he said. We thought it odd he would say such a thing. Because he did mean that. He also decided at the end of the meal that the casino would be coming his meal. It was all weird. No children needed.

Comping his meal.

Quote: She started coughing during the first course and couldn't stop, she left, he said "I think she's sick with the illness you read about" (meaning noro which ended up being on the ship) - really.

 

 

 

NoroVirus or Norwalk is a gastro-intestinal illness and does not have any respiratory symptoms (coughing).

Exactly. But that's what he said. We thought it odd he would say such a thing. Because he did mean that. He also decided at the end of the meal that the casino would be coming his meal. It was all weird. No children needed.

We had a child at Chef's Table on Oasis last January. Not a little one but a boy of about 10 -12 years old. It was a young French couple who brought the boy. I was concerned at first but it turned out to be no problem, a pleasant table, and they left early - maybe 2 or 2 1/2 hours into it. Usually the table goes on for about 3 hours and this was no exception.

After my last CT on Vision, I will ask the demographics of the table before we book a night. NO more very old people or women's groups for us. The couple that were 90ish - he could not hear and kept saying so, nearly deaf he was. She started coughing during the first course and couldn't stop, she left, he said "I think she's sick with the illness you read about" (meaning noro which ended up being on the ship) - really? and she came to the table? The women were a group of 4 traveling together and celebrating a birthday. More very old people who kept talking loudly as the Chef was speaking.

This isn't meant to cause controversy. We simply only want to be at a table with couples of any age because those have always been the best tables and lots of fun. Actually in most cases the 90 something crowd would be fine but I'd insist they be seated at the Chef's end of the table rather than the far end as these were.

No babies please...or I'd also cancel.

I managed to get 3 photos more quickly and clearly than I thought. Here they are.

I was standing up the street with a clear view of the parade. I was taking photos of every float as it passed. I saw a blah one and decided to skip it, not knowing what it was. At the last second I saw the logo. That was it! I snapped a quick shot as it went out of view. What a disappointment. I was expecting more. It wasn't working? WOW! Did the IT dept. create it?

Agreed. Additionally, there are the "many" times the Centrum area is closed off for "rehearsals", or "rigging safety checks". The area is really too small for what they try to do with it.

My personal take is that the disruptions are too many for the small benefit (that can only be really enjoyed by a small number of guests).

Ray in NH

I was so happy they didn't rip out the lighted stairs in Radiance or put in the Centrum aerial show. I can only hope they don't waste the mo eg doing it to Jewel eventually. Those ships still have peaceful and relaxing centrums most of the time.

Let's be honest....the food on Royal is bad....very bad.

This is a bit of an exaggeration. In most cases the main dining room is a respectable and consistent average. Specialty dining is usually even better. It would be difficult to have superior quality on a ship pumping out thousands of meals at a time. When people claim other mass market lines have better food, it's usually just because it's different from the same old menus they are used to.

Anyone know the email address for the concierge (Kat) on Enchantment?

en_concierge@rccl.com

Underscore after en

We missed Ron Lucas due to Chef's Table. I wish they'd have more musician headliners.

How does a 20 minute show take away hours of quiet enjoyment?:confused: I found there was still quiet time with maybe some soft rock bands and the delightful Evergreen Trio with easy listening music and light dance music in the Centrum.:)

I will suggest that the quiet time is replaced by people crowding into the centrum to stake out their spot for the short aerial show. They arrive an hour or more, usually more, ahead of time. This makes the centrum to be not the quiet, relaxed, uncrowded place it used to be. I've seen it happen.

Centrums aren't what they used to be. I find it very difficult to hear anything at guest services or in the loyalty ambassadors office if it's on a ship where it's located just off the centrum. Some ships do have loud music going on for hours of the day or night in the centrum.

I've been very disappointed in the aerial shows. They are no big deal and they are difficult to see if you don't arrive early to get a spot out from under an overhang. In my opinion, they aren't worth the time to do this. I find another quiet place while the crowds are there.

Oh yes...how soon I forget. Those mattresses. Worst ever. I said the same thing on our Sept 1 Vision cruise. All of the RCI mattresses on all ships have gone downhill. I believe they are purchasing cheaper quality mattresses for revenue, just like everything they do. But these are the worst. Hard, lifeless, and not flat. Worn out in other words. I totally forgot to mention that in my post cruise comments. If they had a "sleep quality" question it would have jarred my memory.

I slept great last night - didn't wake up once. My back didn't hurt either.

I thought the CD was in charge of booking, but I might be wrong.

 

One act was so bad that people started to walk out. This offended the performer charged up the aisle (trying to be funny) and slammed into the back of a man who was exiting. He knocked him to the floor. Not a pretty sight and totally unprofessional!

The CD doesn't do the bookings. He or she is stuck with whoever Miami sends. Some of the acts are scheduled far in advance for the same time, same ship every year. You can see their schedules on the performer's own websites. The CD isn't even assigned to the ship that far in advance. Other performers are booked only a week or so prior to the cruise - and it's the main office that does it.

All the ships have mostly bad headliners. NOT all are bad. But there are the same jugglers, magicians, and comedians repeated over and over again. I find very few comedians even a little bit funny. The jugglers do basically the same thing with different props.

The only thing I mostly enjoy are the cast performances. And there are a couple of those shows I skip every time just because I don't like the particular type of music.

Don't blame the CD for the entertainers.

Thanks for the info.... glad there is a seperate area for breakfast dining.... will look out for Heidi! I was just on FOS and thought the food was "ok" but table waiter was dreadful and very miserable. His asst was excellent, so I made sure to give him a WOW and let the Maitre'D know too.

Good weather is what makes a cruise for me, so I am hoping to get that and at least some palatable food which I am sure I will find somewhere...lol

When you look for Heidi...it's really Hydee! :) On my first cruise on Vision 15 months ago I was looking for Heidi and missed her the first week because I didn't know the spelling. She's a true gem. (Unless of course this is a different Heidi but I don't think so.)

Thanks Mommabean. Appreciate the feedback. I would likely only go to solarium bar during day, then RBar and concierge. Will try Schooner since you enjoyed the staff there.. :) thats so sad to hear re Izumi. I will give it one try then decide if worth returning...

Hopefully concierge not too crowded?

Can D+ use Chops for seating at breakfast like other ships?

Thanks again

It's the R Bar where I liked the entire staff. I have one guy at Schooner who I like (the others are probably likable but I didn't get to know them) but only went there 3 times.

The Concierge lounge was very full at times on our cruise but the concierge said there would be half the crowd this week. Our cruise went down to $199pp and when that happens, the bargain hunting C&A members come out in droves.

There is no breakfast in Chops. I don't know if they have a special D/D+ area on deck 4 for breakfast. There is a gold card only area on deck 5 for breakfast and surprisingly it was available for lunch, too, on sea days.

Mommabean,

I have a few questions if you dont mind....Would you recommend bars in particular that had the best/friendliest service? was the R bar the only place to get the "unlimited" Moet?

if the weather is good I will always be in the solarium area....bar there ok?

Disappointed to hear about Izumi being a "flop", what was disappointing to you? Love sushi, so was planning on eating there 2-3x on my cruise this NYE ...look forward to reading your perspective.. thanks

We don't go to all the bars. I didn't try either the pool or solarium bar. Nitre from Indonesia is an old friend in the Schooner Bar so we visited him a little bit. We have concierge access so we used the Viking Crown Lounge bar often in the evening. But our favorite bar overall because of all 4 bartenders there is the R bar. Arlene, Hilda, Allan, and Alex were working there. Alex from the Ukraine, you will need to warm up to, as he is quiet but you will like him if you go there enough. I know nothing about unlimited Moet. Sorry.

My favorite regular items in Izumi just weren't done properly. The Chicken Kara Agi was much too small in size, overcooked and dry, and stuck together - nothing like it should be. I said nothing about it. But my main course being the Crispy Philly had all the cream cheese melted out and the avocado was barely there and dark. The tuna tasted like dark tuna from a can. It was overcooked. I questioned whether it was even what I ordered. The chefs told them to tell me it was as it should be and that the frying process melts the cheese into the rice. NOT the way it has ever been in the dozen or probably more times I've eaten it. I let it go and in the end they removed the charge for it without my asking. I'd have rather paid and gotten it they way it should be. The soup my husband ordered, a miso ramen pork item, was just mediocre at best. After so many great meals there on this and other ships, it was obvious the chefs need some guidance from Chef Travis, the originator of the Izumi concept.

We were on the same ship. Some things the same. Some different as we all know that experiences can be that way.

We experienced great bar service and the worst internet service of any ship ever. Our favorite Izumi which we eat at on every ship was a total flop - food, service was excellent as expected. Love the CD. Of course he trained Bobby ;), another favorite, a long, long time ago. Worst embarkation ever - took 2 hours to board in the priority line - arrived at 12:30. Other things I can't comment on. Some things I could, but won't. :)

Thanks for your to the point impressions of my current favorite ship.

Exactly! Not the sort of person I have any interest in reading what they think - just see a few of their other posts. I would walk away from them in real life - 'ignoring' on cc is the on-line equivalent.

I'm in total agreement. There is often a pattern and it's very easy to look it up.

Why would you add someone to your ignore list for posting their thoughts about a Cruise Director? :confused:

Maybe they don't like the type of personality that would make such publicly insulting remarks and choose not to see any more of their rude thoughts. That's just my thought on the matter.

He was on our Radiance cruise back in 2012 and we thought he was one of the best we have seen. Didn't act like a juvenile a** like so many of the others do.

Us, too. I don't enjoy those over the top silly ones in most cases (I can make some exceptions). Bobby is one of my absolute favorites and I miss him. He's friendly and personable.

I don't watch television much at home and I never turn it on when I'm on a ship so what is on a CD's television show is irrelevant to my cruise experience.

I'd like to add that I have no problem with people having opinions but I disapprove of public insults of cruise line crew, staff, and officers. And that is my opinion. :)

Hi There!

 

We have Gustavo as our concierge on Indy in two weeks. Does he seem to be ok with D+ in the CL or is he more a suites only guy? I ask bc his email came across with the latter.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

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He uses his legal name and his actual position in his signature as required by the ship. He is the suites concierge, not the diamond concierge, but is as kind, welcoming, and helpful to all. We were in a JS on our sailing with Butcher this year on a different ship.