teddie

I think the OP made some valid points, and some, not so much. Info about upcharges, MTD etc was all available well in advance and were on the app, so there should be no surprises. It’s great that you had such a positive experience, but I think the OP had some valid concerns. I was on your sailing. We had a good time (we hadn’t cruised since way before Covid), but there were definitely some issues. Sure; chair hogging is everywhere, but it’s still annoying. No toilet seat covers is NOT okay and most of the public restrooms did not smell clean. That’s not something I can shrug off. Most of the Purell stations needed refills. Definitely not ok. There were a number of other issues, noticeable, but not enough to spoil our trip or even bother listing here. I’m not a nit picker, but there was a definite difference in service/staffing to us since our last cruise, and I understand COVID has taken its toll. RCI is the only cruise line we’ve sailed and this was our first cruise as Diamonds—we really really liked the daily drink vouchers, and many other positive aspects. We will likely never reach D+ so we may consider other cruise lines to see what’s out there. It won’t be NCL or Carnival, but maybe Virgin. teddie

Thanks for your review! You got on board the day we disembarked. We had a good cruise overall but agree with you on these points: Solarium chair saving: same. Definitely less attentive service in Windjammer. I felt many staff seemed tired and disengaged And here I thought it was just me losing out on the toilet seat covers! I was aware of how the MTD worked so I was ok with it. Teddie

That's pretty much what the one we were given would hold; more like 4; 6 cans would be pushing it. Teddie

Thanks for the detailed review. We were on the 2/4 sailing, and it was just the two of us--no kids with us. Agree about the embarkation/disembarkation--it was a breeze! We walked through the Seaplex once and then spent a good bit of our relaxation time in the adults solarium or on our balcony, so maybe that's why we never felt the crowd issue as you expeienced. We had over 600 kids on our cruise, which really surprised me! We also loved Coco Cay! It was definitely our favorite stop. Teddie

We received them on the 2/4 Anthem cruise. Also used our Diamond voucher leftovers for water each night if we needed it. Ted

Yes. We emailed special needs in advance of our cruise. It’s about as big as a lunchbox as the picture above shows. Did the job for our meds. Kept it on the floor near the desk. teddie

Thanks--Never browsing ships on the app again--I'll wait until I have an actual cruise chosen for my onboard booking.

Thank you! I ended up deleting the app and reinstalling. The home page option to "browse our ships" is what got me stuck.

Of course they clean the bathroom, vacuum, tidy,etc. and supposedly sanitize room for new sailings.Not sure what that entails, tho. Teddie

I'm not even booked on this cruise! I opted to explore cruises and now the cruise I picked to look at won't leave my app; dining menus and all! How to reset/remove? Thanks in advance! Teddie

Warning: Jersey joke: Wildwood, revisited! Lol

My opinion: If RCI is making the service reduction to reduce staff and therefore save dollars, I doubt that any amount of complaining from some cranky passengers will make a difference. Teddie

Correction: it was the 2/4 sailing.

Sailed on the 2/3/23 Anthem trip with new menus. We had no issues with MDR options or quality. If anything, the portions seemed a bit smaller, but we enjoyed everything. Teddie

We were at the Coco Beach Club on the 2/4 Anthem sailing, and the only ship in port. Even though the Beach Club was designated as sold-out, there were more untouched loungers than occupied ones. It was incredibly peaceful, and the food was fabulous. We loved it!

There is also a beach volleyball set up, which was in use while we were there. Here is their website which may have more info for you. https://www.riu.com/en/hotel/bahamas/paradise-island/hotel-riu-palace-paradise-island/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=my_business&utm_content=XPI

I am thinking the Anthem switched for the 2/4/23 sailing, as up until a few days prior, the old menus were still showing on the app

We only knew because we were at the Space Center earlier that day. Not sure how in tune the ship's staff would be to rocket launches--clearly not so much.

I have a feeling it will just go away at some point…

How long does it take post-cruise these days for the points to show up?

I initially booked a cruise for December 2022 and switched that booking to the 2/4/23 Anthem sailing from which we just returned. The December one is showing as a past cruise on my list on the RCI site in addition to the February one. Hmmmm. What, if anything, should I do? teddie

We pack our wrinkle-prone clothes on hangers in plastic dry cleaner bags, and stack them into one pile. Then fold the stack into thirds and place on top of everything before zipping the suitcase closed. Minimal wrinkles and ready to hang when you get to your cabin. teddie

We were on the same Anthem cruise as you, and I agree that the Windjammer offerings were excellent! After all the yammering here about the food going downhill, we were pleasantly surprised. And my husband lost his mind having a rocket launch in full view 😉 teddie

I was just at Beach Club last week. Tons of shady spots available. teddie

Glad that worked for you 🙂