shirazcruiser

We still sail on RCCL as D+, but not on the mega ships anymore after our last 2 Allure sailings. I wish RCCL would do what X did by carving out a portion of the MDR to create a Coastal Kitchen on the smaller ships. Now we purchase the Unlimited Dining Package when CK is not available. RCCL Grand and Owner's suites are still our favorite cabins of all the cruise lines.

I forgot to note, that after cancellilng all of our cruises but one which we changed from Egypty/Israel in 2024 to 2025 is that we really want to take that itinerary....and that X gave us some FCC for the ship vibrations. Otherwise...we're done. When we changed the sailing with with the new Retreat booking policy, we lost our grats and OBC (even the OBC we got for booking onboard).

The medium plates were at all of the main food stations....not a large plate to be found. There were small ones at desserts.

We experienced on numerous buffet lunches, that we couldn't find a normal dinner size plate and only the medium size. I told DH that it was X's way of controlling the amount of food you take.

No butler delivered our breakfast...only handled the order with room service just dropping off the tray. We've never asked for a set up. We have about the same loyalty level on X, RCCL and Princess. We have always enjoyed the Princess Penthouse suites and when we sailed on the Sky Princess last May, we were pleasantly happy with the meals in their "Reserve Class Dining". Their new ships (Sun, Star) will have a dedicated "Reserve" concept like the "Retreat" which we're looking forward to as we do like a dedicated suite restaurant.

He introduced himself on day 1 and there was already a card with his direct number in the cabin. When we dialed room service and asked for an earlier delivery, I would be advised that they would notify our HB, acutally transfer me to his line or he would answer the room service number himself ...I imagine after seeing a suite passenger was callling.

We sailed on the Reflection on a B2B in Sept/Oct and were disappointed that we weren't going to have our dedicated butler; however, we were actually pleased that our team ended up being very responsive to everything. Every time we called room service asking that our breakfast be delivered earlier than previously requested, our Head Butler graciously responded quickly to have our breakfast delivered. The butler team was the least of our worries. We were in SS 2161 (totaly mid ship) and it vibrated for 19 days straight and the officer who verified the vibrations made so many ridiculous excuses. Also, we and other guests found the new Luminae menu unappealing (Pigs Feet Carpacio for an app). After emailing the Executive Office, they informed me that after many complaints regarding the new menu, they would be going back to the "classic menu". Luminae had been one of the main reasons we sail on X, but we have cancelled all of our future cruises except for 1 and that's iffy. Removing the OBC and grats is a big cut.

Reported on Nov 23rd: Immediate Media Live and Princess Cruises, the world’s most iconic cruise brand, have announced a new partnership to bring the renowned Good Food Show to the seas with the inaugural Good Food Show at Sea. After years of delivering exceptional culinary experiences on land, this new venture will bring the magic of the Good Food Show to the ocean, promising a 14-night gastronomic adventure onboard the luxurious 3,660-guest Sky Princess. Departing from Southampton and sailing to Spain and Portugal, the first-ever Good Food Show at Sea is scheduled November 2-16, 2024. The Good Food Show team, alongside a line-up of esteemed chefs, will transform Sky Princess into a floating foodie paradise. Guests can anticipate a delightful array of experiences, including cookery demonstrations by celebrity chefs, tutored tastings, cocktail classes, and hands-on workshops. Also reported on another site: Guests will enjoy classic Good Food dishes, meet culinary stars, participate in Q&A sessions, and have exclusive dining experiences, including book signings. The pages of the nation's favourite food magazine and website will come to life as guests savour Good Food classics, meet culinary heroes, participate in live Q&A sessions, and enjoy private meet & greet dining experiences and book signings onboard. In addition, Sky Princess will sail enthusiasts to a host of food lovers’ destinations where guests can experience culinary delights, from the pintxos bars of Bilbao to pastel de nata tastings in Lisbon. The Good Food Show at Sea is the latest in an ongoing series of innovative activations between Immediate Media and Princess Cruises as the special interest content and platform company has brought its talent and unrivalled content expertise to life for guests and promoted Princess Cruises to its 75 million strong global audience. “As our partnership with Princess enters its sixth year, we’re so pleased to take it to the next level with this dedicated culinary cruise. We’ll be running a raft of activity across our portfolio in 2024, celebrating the amazing food on board Princess ships and the great foodie destinations they visit. The Good Food Show at Sea is the culmination of this great collaboration and an unforgettable cruise that no foodie should miss,” according to Rob Hunt, Creative Partnership Manager at Immediate Media. Eithne Williamson, vice president Princess Cruises UK and Europe, added: “Good Food is a renowned and well-loved food and cooking brand, and Princess Cruises takes immense pride in its exceptional culinary offerings, so this collaboration makes for a match made in gastronomic heaven. The Good Food Show at Sea promises immersive experiences, cooking demonstrations and onboard entertainment that cruise-lovers and food enthusiasts alike will love. In addition, guests will experience the Princess Difference as they sail to fabulous foodie destinations onboard the beautiful Sky Princess. We are excited to work with Immediate Media Live on this partnership and look forward to revealing more details over the coming months."

I would think so too.

I agree! We're close to Pinn status and sail in a full suite. Fortunately, we have the option to visit the SL or using our 5 free drinks at a bar; however, Suites passengers with no C&A status can only get their complimentary drinks perk in the lounge. I remember the old days before the drinks were loaded on your card and not being able to find a seat in the CL...standing room only. It's called a Suite Lounge for a reason...why don't they make a nice Pinn Lounge since so many cruisers have reached that status?

I think that's already been said by several other posters to include Starry Eyes, but I'm glad you felt you needed to repeat it. I'm satisfied with my UDP purchase and we'll enjoy dining in the specialty restaurants every night.

I bring this one from Amazon to ice my knees and love the velcro strap to hold it in place. It keeps ice cold for a long time in the mini-fridge. Cara Cold Therapy Ice Bag and Wrap

Thanks for your help!

Is the Suite Concierge email for Jewel of the Seas: JW_Concierge@rccl.com or JW_Concierge01@rccl.com? Thank you for your help!

That was my point that it's RCCL's decision after all this time. If we can't book decent times after Jan, we too will reconsider this package.

Yes, I just looked and it states additional reservations must be made onboard. We only booked the UDP since some of our tours end when the MDR 1st seating starts. MTD used to be civilized when they had a separate designated portion of the MDR, but after reading so many complaints about long wait times with the way they seat you in between the 2 MDR times...we would prefer to avoid that hassel and have a leisurely meal. There's no need to make excuses for RCCL in this day and age with all the advanced technology that they can't write a program to solve this problem for a dining package that has been offered for many years.

Only the lunches are a better deal. RCCL shouldn't offer a package if they don't have the ability to allow purchasers to select their dates/times when the options are available....instead of running to stand in line on embarkation day and only getting the leftover dates/times.

The single purchase speciality lunches on my sailing are currently on sale pre purchased at a discounted price of 40% off (Chops, Giovanni's & Izumi) so that's basically what I'm paying for my lunches on my UDP yet the single purchasers get to select the day and time of their choice in advance; whereas, we're spending quite a bit more totally, yet, we'll have less choices for days and times...maybe no choice at all on some days. It doesn't exactly seem right considering how much we're spending! RCCL could do a better job with this package.

I don't understand why we can't prebook UDP times since we can prebook excursions...seems like a similar computer program....but I'm no computer expert. This is the 1st time we have purchased the UDP since we'll be sailing on the JOS in May 2024 and there isn't a suite restaurant with flexible dining times and all of the complaints about the MTD long wait times. I did mock bookings for lunch times and the 3 restaurants are available everyday except the last day in 1 restaurant, However, none of the restaurants show any available lunch times for embarkation day. Is embarkation lunch day just a walk in or do the restaurants normally show up as an option to purchase? Since the Suite Concierge Host usually contacts you about 5 days before sailing, can they normally help with embarkation day? We're considering purchasing the lunches and getting a refund later...since it seems like anyone who purchases a single lunch gets precedence over those who spend more money on the UDP.

Thanks for responding. We haven't taken advantage of room service for years since we usually just run up to the buffet for early tours, but as of late we prefer to sleep a liltte longer....We never take advantage of the continental breakfast in the Suite Lounge which I think we'll do more of this time since I love the cappuccino machine.

I agree, but when you have an early tour and only want a quick breakfast...and we don't want to get up any earlier to go to the restaurant and wait for a meal...it's easier on those days.

It's been awhile since sailing RCCL and the RCCL website "Questions" section only mentions the cost of room service with no mention of Grand suites and above having complimentary full menu room service. Is there a charge now since they seem to be nickle and diming us? Thanks for any info!

Thank you so much for responding and kindly taking the time to post the 2 videos. They both look good so I'll let DH make the decision!

I've read great reviews on both cruise ship tours and can't decide which to book. I'd appreciate it if anyone who has taken the tours could help me select which one? Please, no suggestions to take private tours as DH will not consider it.

Thank you so much! I just pulled up an existing booking & I see where you got the link...I should have thought about that! Now I know to do when the link doesn't work. Thanks again!