Sizzlechest

A good metric for food quality is to compare the MDR/Windjammer to the specialty options. I would expect a gap, but not very wide. The gap has widened. You might say, "Then get a dining package and pay for it." Yeah, you could say that, and that might not be a bad idea for the large ships like Oasis class that has lots of specialty options. What about Freedom class ships? I'm going on a 7-9 day cruise on the Liberty with only three options: Chops, Giovanni's, and Sabor. That's not going to work for anyone. I paid for Chops and Giovanni's individually for the MDR menu nights that I can't stand. Other cruise lines have more Chinese food* options. RCL has no wok station. They do have a lot of Indian food options. I assume it's because RCL can kill two birds with one stone: offer different food options that are also vegan-friendly. OTOH, I noticed the dining staff is over-represented by Indian employees, so maybe it's just that simple. *Yes, it's technically Americanized Chinese food, but the point still stands.

I've gone through this entire thread and I nominate PG_Cruiser as the best posted in Cruise Critic history. This was an incredible effort. Some of those drinks only available on Icon of the Seas look great. I'm assuming if you asked for them on another ship, they'd have no idea how to make them. Now with the recipe, they can. If you run out of official drinks, I suggest continuing this thread with off-menu drinks. A "Berrys and Cream" is something most RCL bartenders know how to make, but it's not on any menu in the fleet. A "Pistachio Martini" is another one the bartenders on the Liberty of the Seas knew how to make that was outstanding. (Sorry, I didn't get the recipe.) I also have a couple of drinks I instruct the bartenders to make that I have memorized. If anyone else does, maybe we can share them.

I get a small amount of real heavy cream from the espresso area. Order a black russian and then turn it into a white russian.

Add a shot of Frangellico to make a Nutty Russian. It's amazing.

I asked my TA about making dining package reservations pre-cruise and here is what he said: RCL is currently trying it out on the ICON and will be on the Utopia. There’s no word yet when they will be rolling out pre-cruise reservations at Specialty restaurants again.

I get it, but every cruise line has its pluses and minuses. RCL: Pay for popcorn. Free pizza. NCL: Pay for pizza. Free popcorn. 🤷‍♀️

Yes, but the ice cream you have to pay for is excellent. I'm GLAD the contract with Ben and Jerry's expired. The Sugar Shack stuff on the Oasis class ships is now on the Freedom class (from what I heard.) BTW, if you are on an Oasis-class ship and have the UDP, don't pay for ice cream at Sugar Shack. Go to Playmakers and get it for free (but without the cone). And yes, they have all the same flavors as what's in Sugar Shack. You don't have to stick with the Tahitian Vanilla just because that's what's on the menu at Playmakers.

Yeah. They have very generic vanilla in the MDR (sometimes), too But NCL has a whole sundae station in their buffet.

You should ask for a refund. That's unacceptable. Aqua 80 is great not because it's "80s music set to diving/acrobatics." It's not because Gen Xers enjoy it. It is because they created an entirely new soundtrack using multiple 80s songs simultaneously. They're going to make a new Aqua 80s show on another ship. I just hope they go the extra mile for the soundtrack of that one. I hate Cats, too. However, I met someone who loved it. I think it's because they read the book many years ago. I had no idea it was a book.

Oh goodie. A tipping post. Welp, this thread was nice while it lasted.

And hard ice cream, not just soft serve.

Carnival has better free options than Royal. Guys burgers, stir fry wok station, etc.

The MDR/Buffet food is subpar compared to Specialty Dining. Yeah, that's not a surprise, but the difference shouldn't be so glaring. I was shocked RCL floated the idea of charging for pizza. Pizza is the backup plan if dinner in the MDR is so-so. They start charging for Pizza and the MDR ratings are going to plummet.

I always put in lowball bids. The only way I can justify the terrible deal is if somehow the 4,000-5,000 other cruisers are too smart to fall for it. Never won a RoyalUP once. 🤭

There was talk about RCL allowing dining package customers to reserve before boarding. Anyone hear any updates about this?

The hard ice cream/gelato in Sugar Beach. UDP tip: Sugar Beach is not part of the UDP, but Playmakers is. Buy the football helmet full of ice cream at Playmakers and specify whatever flavors you want.

Not anymore. They're nothing special. The ice cream on the Oasis was WAY better than anything sold from Ben & Jerry's on the Liberty.

I was on the Oasis scouting for a receptacle to plug in a laptop. I found a 120V US plug near NextCruise, but all of the other ones looked like the picture attached. I believe this is a CEE 7/7. I see there are adapters that I can use for CEE 7/7 to my C5 three-conductor receptacle on my laptop's power supply. Yes, I'm aware that the voltage and frequency are 220V / 50 Hz compared to the US plug, which are 120V / 60 Hz. Laptop power supplies support both. Has anyone tried this? Any advantage to getting the right-angle plug? Do the other RCL ships use these receptacles, too? What about other Cruise companies in the USA?

I have the same question.

Aqua 80? One of the best shows I've ever seen. They could have just slapped together a show with a bunch of 80s tunes, but they took it to a new level by creating a new soundtrack using 80s music.

Well, correction. I am seeing it on the app, but not on the website. Not every show is appearing and the ones that do have the reserve button grayed out with a message below the button that says "Add to calendar after you board."

I'm sailing in 10 days and I don't see any Entertainment options yet.

I was on the Oasis last August. I don't know who the entertainment director is, but they must LOVE classic rock. As you pass the English pub on deck 6, you'll hear classic rock songs played on guitar like Rocketman by Elton John and Hotel California by The Eagles. The next stop is the Schooner Bar on the deck above. You can hear the piano player belt out tunes like Rocketman by Elton John and Hotel California by The Eagles. Up a few decks is the Music Hall. We had a band play 8 times...and they played the same exact set 7 of the 8 times. They played classic rock tunes like Rocketman by Elton John and Hotel California by The Eagles. The last performance included Jazz music for some reason. Walking towards the back of the ship, you can enjoy a meal at Playmakers while listening to music like Rocketman by Elton John and Hotel California by The Eagles.

I know. If they're going to allow bot accounts on here, they should be at least the same level as GPT4. That last one just started sputtering Wikipedia entries.

I see. So when I asked, "Are there any beaches that don't have that horrible seaweed growing on the sea floor?" I got the wrong answer because I used seaweed instead of seagrass. I guess their internal monologue went something like: "He's asking about seaweed growing on the sea floor and how it's unpleasant to step on. Could he be talking about seagrass, which everyone knows is home to many creatures including seahorses and invertebrates? No. That can't be right. He's explicitly talking about seaweed. Rather than ask for clarification, I'll give him a definite 'no' answer. That should resolve things nicely."