TubbyMrT

I always bring a big bar or two from home. It's what I'm used to and I want to be comfortable in my home away from home. Besides its easier to grip than those Barbie-doll sized slivers of soap with which they insult their guests..

I have never seen a mosquito on the actual cruise ship in the Caribbean. However, I have been to ports in recent years where they warn of mosquitoes and recommend using repellent, especially for jungle tours, etc. There are a variety of illnesses have been occurring for a decade. To me, its old news. I'm not sure why this one is making the "sky is falling end of the world" news. Perhaps because of the problems it may be causing with babies.

 

On the other hand, flu is common everywhere and can be spread by humans.

 

The best defense is a good offense.

I don't know when they actually close bookings or pretend that it is sold out. I have reserved Oasis a week before sailing before so I am guessing that if there are open rooms, they will sell them.

Bad decision. Make-A-Wish helps children/families at home. World Wildlife Fund buys who knows what. I hope its not fancy homes, airplanes and cars for management or money to help save endangered toads in Brazil. I smell a black hole. I will give $500 to Make a Wish. $0 for the feastivus fund.

I've been on Oasis class 14 times. I have noticed a slow but steady decline in the Windjammer quality. We live in a world where "good enough" makes most people happy. Not me.

The old-school method of tipping is the only method that works to reward those the provide superior service and have a continuous improvement in service. It works. These corporations will grow and prosper and retain the best service people.

 

The new method rewards complacency. Service levels become lower and lower while tips remain the same. These corporations will suddenly loose all customers without notice once they reach the last-straw. These corporations loose their best people because they can make more money/tips elsewhere. It causes poor service people to remain as they can't earn more else where. Although it may take years, in the end, the business will die.

 

I always cancel my prepaid's and hand out $100 to each person who Wow'ed me on the last day.

I wonder how many non smokers avoid the casino ? Like I've said I'm a non smoker but still go to the casino for a little...talk about smoke:eek:

 

I like to gamble. I check out the casino a couple of times during my trip. If the smoke is unbearable in the casino, I simply take the money back home with me. 90% of the time, there is too much smoke. Their loss, not mine.

 

I avoid people who smell of BO or cigarettes. They stink, but they can not smell it of themselves.

I've had to deal with pot smokers a couple of times. They left the ship at the next port. Not fun having stinky people nearby.

I travel light and have them do my laundry every day. A small price to pay to have fresh clothes and a room that doesn't smell like a locker room. It's a vacation. Enjoy!

I have never had any trouble getting a table on a walk up.

I have made all of my reservations on line then, when I arrived on-board, I checked the TV and had no reservations. Luckily, I was able to reserve everything again using the TV.

 

Make that one of your first checks when entering your room.

I have sailed Allure and Oasis about 14 times. They are always sold out or perhaps a few rooms empty. It never really feels crowded to me.

 

The flow of people is somewhat unpredictable. As such, some venues are at capacity. The secret is to get there about 15-20 minutes early and walk right in.

 

Some venues are popular on one sailing and those same venues sit empty on the next. It is interesting how different age groups and different cultures have different interests.

 

I have never had a bad time on Oasis class ships. Peaceful and relaxing.

 

My next sailing is this Saturday.

It sounds to me like a cancel is a cancel and the published cancellation rules always apply regardless of the reason. However, if there is trip insurance, then the reason may be relevant to the insurance provider.

Yikes!

Having a major web site go down, is a perfect example of how "dark ages" Royal's IT team is. The web site should never go down. Bring the new site up in parallel, then flip the switch. No down time. Zero. New web site doesn't work? Flip the switch back to the old web site. No down time. Zero.

I can't wait until Royal's IT guys retire and new young blood comes in. Or, better yet, outsource the whole thing to a fresh, innovative United States based company.

While the new site is more modern looking, it is clunky and the user is set up for failure by default. The user should be set up for success by default.

Lipstick on a pig. Swing and a miss. Waste of money.

I much prefer the websites that make the effort to highlight the available rooms on a graphic of the deck. I would rather click a room then read tons of text and scroll around.

 

Such a simple problem. Such a complex solution. The new web site is more modern, but it is still a swing and a miss for usability. I want to shop for a room, not play an arcade game.

The newer ships like Oasis and Allure don't make you wear the life jacket, and you just meet in a lounge to watch a short video.

 

The short video is fine. Its all the blah blah blah prior to and after the video that can be eliminated. The captain likes to make a little speech and we can never hear what he is saying so why waste our time. Lets Go!

I always travel single and I always have a suite.

 

90% of the time, I have to call in after the cruise and have them correct my C&A points.

 

Such a simple thing for computer software to calculate. Yet so difficult for a company with awful computer software

I travel light. I have them do my laundry each day. No stinky clothes in the room. Its the only way to travel. All I hate is the paperwork to request the service when I am anxious to get out of he room. One time, my cabin attendant did it for me when I forgot. Now that's service!

I always stay on deck 14 JS. It is a quick flight of stairs to the pool deck so no waiting for elevators. I also like to up high for a nice view of Earth. On rare occasion, I do hear kids running or the dropping of a lounge chair. I can also hear them drain the pool in the evening if I skip dinner.

As a diamond plus, I think I pay about $35/week on Oasis class.

Simple supply and demand. Demand is increasing and supply is limited. New ships are coming but not fast enough to keep up with demand.

I'm not certain but I think that my unlimited internet on Oasis class is about $35/week as a D+.

In my opinion there are no bad locations for JS on Oasis class. They are all located near the center of the ship. However, some have slightly deeper balconies than the others due to the "bump out".

 

On the 14th floor, sometimes I hear people running above but rarely. In the evening I sometimes hear them draining the pool.

 

I travel as a single and I love the JS. Add a couple of floral arrangements and it becomes my home away from home.

I might be wrong, but with my Diamond Plus discount, I think I paid not much more than $40 for the entire week.

I buy a partial case of bottled water on the first day. On the last day, I know exactly how many I drank. ;)