Bizaro86

I wouldn't bother in the Caribbean, but we are doing a summer holiday sailing which includes tenders in Greece. I would have paid for priority tenders there, and my kids love the Flowrider so a priority time there has value to me as well. Othe people think the same as it does appear to be sold out for my sailing. I don't care about priority boarding, lunch, or theatre tickets, but will buy internet separately now.

We're on Explorer of the Seas August 3rd and I'd like to buy the key, primarily for tender priority, but can't find where to do so in the app. Can someone provide directions, or knows whether it's sold out for this sailing?

Thanks for the detailed response. We've already booked a land based vacation in Italy, so we've got 3 choices for cruises. All depart from Rome - Odyssey of the Seas (RCL), Escape, and Epic. I'd prefer the eastern med ports as my wife and I have previously done the western med, which is the biggest reason I'm thinking NCL. However, realistically my kids aren't going to be happy with no kids club, and one of the NCL itineraries has zero sea days. Which is great, but not if they shut down the amenities we want while in Port. I'm probably not willing to book this on a "maybe the individual ship will have it open" which I think puts us on RCL, or just coming back early and cruising another time.

Were they ever open when the ship was in Port? We're considering NCL for the end of a European trip next summer, and I suspect the kids will be ready for some down time even during Port days by then. I like the NCL itinerary and food better than the RCL option but this is a big factor for us.

Thanks! I realized that later and read through it/commented. The photos are super helpful for making comparisons - thanks for taking them!

Yeah, the fact I didn't cancel my cruise when I found out about these changes after my final payment was made and my flights were booked for my first RCL cruise shouldn't indicate customer satisfaction to anyone.

Ok, I found your review in your signature and read it. The pictures are very helpful! The tenderloin entree you posted was much larger than what we received. The meat slices are considerably thicker and it appears that you have a full scoop of mashed potatoes there. I would also comment that a double order of shrimp is not what we received - and the single order was small. I would say the risotto in your picture was representative of the quantity of food we received - consistently small portions. I also agree with your description that the Indian dishes are designed for people who don't eat Indian food. They were, imo, quite bland and the rice was poorly prepared. I've had good quality Indian food on other lines in the past so this surprised me. It's possible that my standards are too high on this matter as we eat quality Indian food on land (although we aren't of Indian descent). I agreed with your perspective on the desserts - they were generally excellent and were by far the highlight of the food in my opinion.

Glad you were pleased. I think it's possible different ships/sailings are implementing in a different way - can you link to the photos you took? I'd be curious to see whether it was different than what we had.

I dont know how the food was before from a quality perspective. I'd say its ok on Adventure right now, and the desserts have been excellent. I BBQ regularly, and the roast tenderloin today was absolutely a 4 oz serving of meat, which is positively child sized.

I asked someone else and was told the same thing. And to be honest, having a second plate brought out only after the first is done is a deal-breaker for me, because dinner already takes well over an hour and I have 2 elementary aged kids, I wouldn't be willing to wait any longer. Having a soup and salad along with a steak (and the couple of tbsp of potatoes that apparently come with it) isn't out of line - I'm not talking about ordering 4 entrees here. Wouldn't be an issue except the portion sizes are (imo) quite small. Today was French night and the tenderloin serving was about 4 oz of beef. My 55 lb nine year old was still hungry after finishing it. Imo that isn't fighting food waste, that's just being cheap. The same attitude (policy?) seems to be pervasive. At breakfast in the buffet the juice machines are blocked off with someone serving. But the juice cups are only filled half way. At some point if they only want to serve me half a cup of watery juice I don't feel welcome. Anyway, as I mentioned this was my first cruise on RCL and I definitely won't book again. I'm 37, 6 foot 2, and 200 lbs and healthy. I'm not looking to eat 6 lobster tails or 3 giant pieces of prime rib. But if you're going to hassle me about a reasonable amount of food then I'm done.

On adventure of the seas right now for my first RCL cruise. I had read they changed the dining room policy (after we booked) but thought it was only entrees that were limited? We had our first meal tonight and I was denied a second appetizer, so royal saved the 8 tortilla chips and 2 tbsp of spinach dip that would have come with a serving of that. I'm not generally someone to complain but thought that seemed ridiculous. Is my waiter correct in the rules (in which case the solution for me will just be never cruise Royal again) or is it a poor training of the waiter issue (in which case I'll say something while on board).

I can't answer your question - but am sending prayers and best wishes for your wife's recovery. Hopefully your cruise will be restful and restorative for her and you!

One (somewhat complicated) option would be to try and find someone sailing with a different larger group. IE we have a group of 4 booked into an ultra spacious ocean view. Book 1 person from the other group into a separate cabin, but have them stay with their party, while your sister is booked into your suite but stays in the separate cabin.

If your kid has a regular cold don't send them to the kids club.

My kids are now just past this stage, but my memories are still fresh enough that I strongly recommend bringing plastic bibs. They aren't expensive, won't take up much room, and will make the experience more enjoyable than trying to use cloth napkins.

Thanks! I just checked and it's ~$500 more than when we booked. I'll continue to monitor regularly. That does bring up a somewhat related question. When I was checking I noticed a stateroom I'd prefer has become available. It is in the same class (ultra spacious ocean view) as my booking. Can I switch rooms without repricing? I'd prefer the other room, but not for $500. Can I do so online or do I need to call?

We're booked for our first Royal cruise and I had a related question. We booked in May for a cruise in 2023, so CWC doesn't apply, and the price difference for refundable vs non-refundable deposits was enough that I booked non-refundable. If the price declines can I still call in and get the discount or would I be out of luck due to the non-refundable deposit? Ok either way, I just won't bother watching prices if non-refundable. But if I can get a discount or OBC I'll be a bit diligent in checking...