If you're thinking of leaving Carnival

[pe4all]

Me too! As a result of reading this thread I have decided to not go on my upcoming RC cruise.

It's paid in full but I can't take the chance of being unhappy. I am so disappointed .

April Fool's right back at ya!! LOL!

[meatloafsfan]

It's true. There's no perfect cruise line, and there are several things where Carnival does excel over Royal. But IMHO, when you add and subtract all the pluses and minuses, Royal comes out on top...by a fairly wide margin.

 

For you perhaps but, like the OP, it does not for me.

 

Royal has some good plusses but it is not by far my favourite cruise line.

 

If the cost is right (i.e. less than $90 a day per person for the 3 of us), I will choose to sail Royal out of Bayonne but there's a lot about Royal that I'm not a fan of.

 

I agree with the OP that our room Stewards on Royal have both been lackluster; I don't enjoy either the set up or much of the food on the buffet; and the beds are terrible.

 

I like the freestyle coke machines, the small movie theatre (which isn't on all of their ships), the Promenade cafe, and the overall sedate feeling on the ship.

 

PS, on the Explorer last time, every day, twice a day, was "Bingo, Bingo, Bingo! .....4pm, tickets go on sale at 3:30pm.....Bingo, Bingo, Bingo!" Maybe it was just our cruise director but he loved to hawk bingo everyday, twice a day over the PA system.

[hereisjohnny]

Some people on this forum have forgotten that this is cruise critic ( where people give a critique or opinion of their past experiences on board cruise ships) You may disagree with that persons review or opinion since it is different from yours but it doesn't mean one is right and the other wrong. In short, stick to positive comments and refrain from discrediting the reviewer. Let's not turn the forum into critiquing the critic.

 

 

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[richstowe]

Some people on this forum have forgotten that this is cruise critic ( where people give a critique or opinion of their past experiences on board cruise ships) You may disagree with that persons review or opinion since it is different from yours but it doesn't mean one is right and the other wrong. In short, stick to positive comments and refrain from discrediting the reviewer. Let's not turn the forum into critiquing the critic.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ha! Good one.:D

 

This is what is done on CC. When you disagree with someone else's opinion ,THEY ARE WRONG !!

[cruise_girl2002]

Our family FINALLY cruised something new this month. RC Freedom. I was SO sick of the same ole same ole on Carnival. But after the first day onboard the Freedom, I missed my 'same ole, same ole' Carnival ships!

Biggest disappointments were:

The Cruise Director and Captain doesn't keep you 'in the loop' about anything! On Carnival they are engaging you each day in the events, activities and just daily announcements. RC does not do that! Missed it :(

The buffets during in one area...the Windjammer. And it is through ONE set of doors, (that are closed and locked when buffet hours are over)completely packed away in a tight area and there will NEVER be a table for you available unless you are practically the first ones in there at opening!! Carnival has 3-4buffets open at peak times. 1-2 is right by the main pool and the other one(s) are further back inside the AC and there is ALWAYS a table available for you and your family. They have two floors of tables! Inside AND out!!! I missed that SO BAD while on the RC cruise!!

Also RC did NOT have 'help yourself' drink stations like Carnival! The crew made it for you and if you wanted coffee, you had to wait for them to make it for you. Ugh this was horrible!! Oh and it wasn't available AT ALL during the times that the Windjammer doors were closed! So if you wanted , juice, tea, coffee during the morning, day or night but not during buffet hours..too bad! You had to take an elevator to deck 5 Promenade and get it from down there! NOT convenient when you're enjoying the pool or the decks)

No 24 self-serve ice cream!!! Only open 11:30-7! (And that's if the guy in charge opens it on time...which ours was late 5 out of the 7 days).

The food in Carnival is a LOT better!! I'm serious!! So disappointed in RC food when I've heard its the best in the industry!! Especially in the main dining room....and OMG did we miss our chocolate melting cake!!!!!!

Staterooms are ok but the attendants on Carnival are way more personable! They don't turn your room in to the 'day' room and later turn it into the 'night' room. And never any chocolate! Sorry to be petty but I missed that too! :( Oh and just forget about a welcome packet of sample amenities!! RC doesn't leave you a thing!! Not sure why but...I missed that too!

There's more I can add but my family had such excitement to try new things. See new shows. Take a 'step up' in the cruising industry...just to be terribly disappointed! I'm sure there are cruise companies that top Carnival...I am not opposed to trying others (we've done Disney and it's our top fav but it's too different for us to compare in this post on the common cruise companies) And I'm not even opposed to trying other RC cruise ships. I will just be expecting to not have the things I love the most from Carnival!!

The RC lacked the things that we find as major conveniences. And when we are on a relaxing cruise, having the convenient things available are on our top five musts!!

Bottom line...guess was NOT greener!

 

Booked our next Carnival for October!

 

 

 

 

Royal~FreedomOfTheSeas 2014

Carnival Glory 2012

Disney Magic 2011

Carnival Triumph 2010

Carnival Victory 2009

Disney Magic 2008

Carnival Inspiration 2008

Carnival Victory 2007

Carnival Triumph 2002

 

couldn't agree more. I went on freedom of the seas a few years ago with a coworker, her husband and my mom. she raved how great RCL is and so much better than carnival. I was disappointed. how do you not find anything you like on the dessert menu? lol. I did give royal a second chance, which was a tad better, but don't think i'll sail them a third time. well, I guess I will IF somebody pays my way

bigger isn't always better, and if its more expensive, isn't always better too.

 

not to mention...I hated I had to go to deck 5 just to get pizza

[yogimax]

 

But IMHO, when you add and subtract all the pluses and minuses, Royal comes out on top...by a fairly wide margin.

 

 

 

Agree!

 

Four or five years ago, I would have said the two cruise lines were basically equal. That has all changed. While RCCL has continued to innovate, Carnival has cut back significantly. We reached Platinum on Carnival and D+ on RCCL so we have experienced both.

 

There are two differences that jump out at me...

 

1. Entertainment. RCCL rocks, from Broadway comparable productions like Hair Spray to amazing Ice Shows. Their singers and dancers are totally professional. On our last CCL cruise on Glory, the shows were a joke. There were no dedicated singers and dancers, but rather a group of people who tried to do both and did neither very well. There were no sets, just computer generated background effects accompanied by deafening music. Sorry, CCL fans, but no comparison here.

 

2. Loyalty. Carnival has cut Platinum benefits and they are virtually meaningless. On RCCL, we receive free internet, free photos, etc.. In addition, we have a NIGHTLY cocktail time with complimentary mixed drinks, wine, soda, etc.. No comparison whatsoever.

 

I affirm those who are loyal to Carnival. That's a personal decision and folks are certainly entitled to it, but any logical comparison gives the edge, as Tapi said, to RCCL by a fairly wide margin.

Edited April 1, 2014 by yogimax

[Mysticks1]

OK,so now I am a little worried....my husband and I have cruised Fantasy several times and are taking our kids on their first cruise in three weeks, which will be RCI Liberty. I was looking forward to a nicer ship and more of a family environment. Hope we are not disappointed!

 

 

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Please don't worry about your choice. I have sailed on 4 different lines - Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian. The Celebrity cruise was a step above on most everything but the other three were very similar. The RCI ships are much nicer in my opinion. Not as much glitzy Las Vegas style décor as on the Carnival ships. My daughter loved the Royal Caribbean cruises we took. I think your family will have a great time.

[Warm Breezes]

Stu,

 

Princess' entertainment was better than Carnivals entertainment last time we cruised with them . The only thing I didn't care for was that they had the same entertainment back to back nights.

 

Their explanation was that they did this to accommodate all the pax since the theater holds 900 and the ship 3000 but it never used to be like that.

 

They like Carnival had cutbacks but still better than CCL.

 

Bill

 

We were just on Ruby Princess a couple of weeks ago and we had different shows every night. I did find their entertainment to be better than CCL but not as good as NCL.

[EasyBreezy83]

I have to agree with the OP. I've sailed Carnival, Disney, and just did RCCL and I found that RCCL was my least favorite for all of the same reasons the OP mentioned.

 

On my cruise, the ice cream was only open for like an hour a day!! An hour!! I found the buffet food to be awful, and it was always overly crowded and nowhere to sit. Having the drinks pre-poured in cups sitting out kind of grossed me out. But maybe that's just me. :confused:

 

For me it's not a "loyalty" thing as someone else said, its just more of sticking to what fits my family. We loved both our Carnival and Disney cruises.. I do have to say that I think Carnival has the best food out of the three.

[Prinycesa07]

My sister just came back from a RC cruise last week and had almost the same comments as you OP. She also missed Carnival.

 

We sail on NCL in a few weeks and it will be interesting to see if I feel I miss Carnival as well :)

[andy.capitan]

I wouldn't get all wound up about production shows on cruise lines. Look for main show lounges to start disappearing. Simply not cost effective.

 

Don't be surprised if the new Royal ships have none as in zip, zero, nada.

 

I read it in a fortune cookie.

[mkdreams]

Speak for yourself.

 

Just because you aren't wracked by horrible convulsions, sweats, and headaches at the 25th hour of ice cream withdrawal doesn't mean everyone is so lucky...

 

LOL! Well said. I just got off of Brilliance of the Seas and they stopped serving ice cream when the Windjammer closed around 9:00 PM. Let me tell you, there were a lot of disappointed people on board and they were complaining about it. You could tell the employees were getting bombarded every few minutes with questions about the Ice Cream machines. When I sailed Freedom of the seas a few years ago they served ice cream until late. Sad to see they are cutting that back on all the RC ships. I hope Carnival does not follow.

[Socref124]

Our family FINALLY cruised something new this month. RC Freedom. I was SO sick of the same ole same ole on Carnival. But after the first day onboard the Freedom, I missed my 'same ole, same ole' Carnival ships!

 

 

I thought that RCCL, NCL and Carnival are more alike than different. I think Princess is a step above but still in the same category as the previous 3 lines. Each has areas where they excell. I did think that RCCL's food was better than Carnival's but not as good as NCL or Princess, but, that is my opinion. I like Carnival and keep coming back because they allow one to have a very good time.:D

[Kimnjimnkids]

I thought that RCCL, NCL and Carnival are more alike than different. I think Princess is a step above but still in the same category as the previous 3 lines. Each has areas where they excell. I did think that RCCL's food was better than Carnival's but not as good as NCL or Princess, but, that is my opinion. I like Carnival and keep coming back because they allow one to have a very good time.:D

 

 

How is the food on NCL buffets? And Is it overcrowded like RC?

 

 

Royal~FreedomOfTheSeas 2014

Carnival Glory 2012

Disney Magic 2011

Carnival Triumph 2010

Carnival Victory 2009

Disney Magic 2008

Carnival Inspiration 2008

Carnival Victory 2007

Carnival Triumph 2002

[Hendricks Clan]

How is the food on NCL buffets? And Is it overcrowded like RC?

 

 

Royal~FreedomOfTheSeas 2014

Carnival Glory 2012

Disney Magic 2011

Carnival Triumph 2010

Carnival Victory 2009

Disney Magic 2008

Carnival Inspiration 2008

Carnival Victory 2007

Carnival Triumph 2002

 

We were loyal CCL Platinum cruisers who ventured over to RCI and NCL back in 2012. Since then we have sailed exclusively on NCL. We much prefer the "Freestlye Cruising," aspect that NCL offers. IMHO the food on NCL is better and you have a lot more to chose from.

I always like seeing people use pricing as the reason for cruising CCL over the others. We just booked a last minute NCL cruise on the Epic sailing on 4/13. Our Balcony was $499pp where as a 7 day western Caribbean cruise on CCL for a balcony was $600pp (that includes my discount for being an airline employee). Given the choice of going on the Glory, Legend, Conquest, or Epic for roughly the same price...I'm going with the Epic and NCL every time. Granted our July cruise on the Getaway was roughly $250-300 more pp than a similar itinerary on CCL but thats the price you pay when going on a brand new ship.

[porcupyn]

We were loyal CCL Platinum cruisers who ventured over to RCI and NCL back in 2012. Since then we have sailed exclusively on NCL. We much prefer the "Freestlye Cruising," aspect that NCL offers. IMHO the food on NCL is better and you have a lot more to chose from.

I always like seeing people use pricing as the reason for cruising CCL over the others. We just booked a last minute NCL cruise on the Epic sailing on 4/13. Our Balcony was $499pp where as a 7 day western Caribbean cruise on CCL for a balcony was $600pp (that includes my discount for being an airline employee). Given the choice of going on the Glory, Legend, Conquest, or Epic for roughly the same price...I'm going with the Epic and NCL every time. Granted our July cruise on the Getaway was roughly $250-300 more pp than a similar itinerary on CCL but thats the price you pay when going on a brand new ship.

 

You are the first (real or "virtual") person who has said that NCL food is better than CCL food (granted, I have not been on the NCL boards).

 

We just returned from a CCL cruise and just loved the food. Before booking, we had the choice of CCL or NCL for virtually the same Western Caribbean itinerary. The pluses for NCL were a) nearly $300 lower for our family b) leaves from Tampa (much closer than CCL's Miami) c) supposedly higher rated cruiseline (based on *************). The minus was a) we could not find a waterslide for kids on either the Pearl or the Epic.

 

Besides, whoever we spoke to (at that time I was yet to discover these forums) said bad things about Norwegian a) they don't have good food b) kids won't have as much fun c) they are prone to upselling. All those comments turned the tide in favor of CCL. That said, if I get a better itinerary, I wouldn't mind switching just to see if they were all right :-)

[mrBit]

The Cruise Director and Captain doesn't keep you 'in the loop' about anything! On Carnival they are engaging you each day in the events, activities and just daily announcements. RC does not do that! Missed it :(

 

Yes, i Know what you mean, but on RC's NOS the captain did announce at noon everyday and the CD had 1 or 2 announcements. So on NOS we were glued to the daily letter they had. I don't know what i like more though... I think the CD announcing as they have on our Carnival cruises makes it more fun.

 

The buffets during in one area...the Windjammer. And it is through ONE set of doors, (that are closed and locked when buffet hours are over)completely packed away in a tight area and there will NEVER be a table for you available unless you are practically the first ones in there at opening!! Carnival has 3-4buffets open at peak times. 1-2 is right by the main pool and the other one(s) are further back inside the AC and there is ALWAYS a table available for you and your family. They have two floors of tables! Inside AND out!!! I missed that SO BAD while on the RC cruise!!

Also RC did NOT have 'help yourself' drink stations like Carnival! The crew made it for you and if you wanted coffee, you had to wait for them to make it for you. Ugh this was horrible!! Oh and it wasn't available AT ALL during the times that the Windjammer doors were closed! So if you wanted , juice, tea, coffee during the morning, day or night but not during buffet hours..too bad! You had to take an elevator to deck 5 Promenade and get it from down there! NOT convenient when you're enjoying the pool or the decks)

 

A lot in this paragraph...

Yes, the Windjammer was not as good as my Carnival experiences, I have a review the RCL forum.... as they had Indian/Paki food everyday. It was good the first day but not the rest, I would have preferred if it was going to be International food to switch it up. The salads were good but inconsistent in what meat was available like Turkey or chicken to go with the salad.

 

As for the doors to access the Windjammer, i think it was the same, just one set and we got kicked out of one line by the staff to go to the other and then comeback to see people in our original line. Carnival did seem to have more buffets open.

 

As for tables, we always had a table available though.

 

As for the drinks, our experience was that you could get yourself a drink at the same stations your waiter would.

 

As for closing times, it was VERY FRUSTRATING on NOS to have to go to the Promenade Cafe for everything when the Windjammer was closed which meant LONG WAITS... ugh and it crowded the promenade. That is a drastic difference from going to the Carnival buffet area to get what you need.

 

We preferred the MDR food on NOS vs its Windjammer. We were definitely in the Carnival buffets more than on NOS and prefer Carnival's MDR too.

 

No 24 self-serve ice cream!!! Only open 11:30-7! (And that's if the guy in charge opens it on time...which ours was late 5 out of the 7 days).

The food in Carnival is a LOT better!! I'm serious!! So disappointed in RC food when I've heard its the best in the industry!! Especially in the main dining room....and OMG did we miss our chocolate melting cake!!!!!!

 

Lol, well on this, i don't care for Icecream but Carnival's MDR is better but NOS's was not bad either.

 

Staterooms are ok but the attendants on Carnival are way more personable!

 

On this, both Carnival and Royal had awesome attendants, I cannot say which is better on that.

 

Things i liked for Royal are:

Alcoholic packages, awesome!!!! You can prepay it and have it active in port and in TEXAS. Carnival.. nope.

 

The ICE SHOW is the best entertainment i have seen to date.

 

Navigating the ship is easier IMO.

 

Flowrider! Flowrider! Flowrider! Flowrider! Flowrider!

 

Izumi... HOLY COW best Sushi on a ship to date.

 

The Virtual Balcony was a nice touch.

 

Things I liked for Carnival are:

 

More energy on the ship, it just has this atmosphere I cannot explain having sailed them 5 times that RC did not have.

 

Deck parties.... RC they sucked! Maybe it was the demographic of passengers... who knows.

 

Carnival's decor... i love love love the PIZAZZ/bling Vegas style on Carnival's ships, it feels like a Vacation where as RC is much more conservative and reserve.

 

I prefer Carnival's Atriums/promenade layout... yep i said it.... RC does have the WOW... it lasted all but 2 hours for me. The promenade is a pain in the arse and feels like I am at the mall once the WOW wore off, not like being on a ship, and having so much depend on the Cafe... just SUCKS!

 

 

Bottom line for us though, we will sail Carnival this December and RC next.. we want to try a Freedom or Oasis class but waiting to see if LOS will come to Galveston to replace NOS. We want to try the Dreamworks experience and because our kids ages I think they would have been a bit bored on NOS. 2 of them cannot use the Flowrider but they could use the slides on Magic and love slides anyway. My oldest loves Funship Freddy but wants to also try the Dreamworks on RC so the next RC cruise will have to have the Dreamworks deal.

 

NCL has come to Houston, I may give them a try in the future too.

Edited April 3, 2014 by mrBit

[mrBit]

Things i liked for Royal are:

Alcoholic packages, awesome!!!! You can prepay it and have it active in port and in TEXAS. Carnival.. nope.

 

 

I can't believe i left out the biggest point to the RC beverage program, it does not force everyone in the same stateroom to buy it. Major Kudos to RC

Edited April 3, 2014 by mrBit

[pe4all]

I can't believe i left out the biggest point to the RC beverage program, it does not force everyone in the same stateroom to buy it. Major Kudos to RC

Correct! I got the soda/water/coffee package for the first time on any ship I have been on, and loved it! The others in my cabin didn't have to get it. And I LOVED the freestyle coke machines they had placed around the ship! (though I hated lugging the heavy cup around with me - but solved that problem quickly- had dh carry it!:D)

[Mysticks1]

How is the food on NCL buffets? And Is it overcrowded like RC?

 

We cruised on NCL Star last May. To me the buffet on NCL for lunch and dinner is not as good as Carnival or Royal, there wasn't a lot of variety. BI would say that breakfast was about the same as the other two.

 

I did really like the grill area that they had out by the pool. They had fresh fruit on it pretty much all day long. The hamburgers and hot dogs were good. We were in a suite and could dine for breakfast and lunch in the steakhouse so we usually ended up there for lunch after trying the buffet a couple of times.

 

The MDR food was good and I really liked the Freestyle dining with one dining room casual on every night.

[Kimnjimnkids]

I'm interested in the FTTF...never heard of that in the past. If you are booked in a cloud9 Spa balcony room do you have priority benefits? Or do you have same benefits as all guests?

 

 

Royal~FreedomOfTheSeas 2014

Carnival Glory 2012

Disney Magic 2011

Carnival Triumph 2010

Carnival Victory 2009

Disney Magic 2008

Carnival Inspiration 2008

Carnival Victory 2007

Carnival Triumph 2002

[Mysticks1]

I'm interested in the FTTF...never heard of that in the past. If you are booked in a cloud9 Spa balcony room do you have priority benefits? Or do you have same benefits as all guests?

 

The only perk you get with the Spa Cabin is the unlimited use of the Cloud 9 Spa rooms and small discounts on treatments. Other than that it is basically the same as all the other regular balconies/cabins.

 

If you want priority boarding and luggage delivery and cabin ready when you board you need to purchase FTTF. I also have a Spa Balcony booked and have purchased FTTF. I mostly want it for the room being ready when you board so we can drop off our carry on things (including drinks).

Edited April 3, 2014 by Mysticks1

[oncruisecontrol]

Our family FINALLY cruised something new this month. RC Freedom. I was SO sick of the same ole same ole on Carnival. But after the first day onboard the Freedom, I missed my 'same ole, same ole' Carnival ships!

Biggest disappointments were:

The Cruise Director and Captain doesn't keep you 'in the loop' about anything! On Carnival they are engaging you each day in the events, activities and just daily announcements. RC does not do that! Missed it :(

The buffets during in one area...the Windjammer. And it is through ONE set of doors, (that are closed and locked when buffet hours are over)completely packed away in a tight area and there will NEVER be a table for you available unless you are practically the first ones in there at opening!! Carnival has 3-4buffets open at peak times. 1-2 is right by the main pool and the other one(s) are further back inside the AC and there is ALWAYS a table available for you and your family. They have two floors of tables! Inside AND out!!! I missed that SO BAD while on the RC cruise!!

Also RC did NOT have 'help yourself' drink stations like Carnival! The crew made it for you and if you wanted coffee, you had to wait for them to make it for you. Ugh this was horrible!! Oh and it wasn't available AT ALL during the times that the Windjammer doors were closed! So if you wanted , juice, tea, coffee during the morning, day or night but not during buffet hours..too bad! You had to take an elevator to deck 5 Promenade and get it from down there! NOT convenient when you're enjoying the pool or the decks)

No 24 self-serve ice cream!!! Only open 11:30-7! (And that's if the guy in charge opens it on time...which ours was late 5 out of the 7 days).

The food in Carnival is a LOT better!! I'm serious!! So disappointed in RC food when I've heard its the best in the industry!! Especially in the main dining room....and OMG did we miss our chocolate melting cake!!!!!!

Staterooms are ok but the attendants on Carnival are way more personable! They don't turn your room in to the 'day' room and later turn it into the 'night' room. And never any chocolate! Sorry to be petty but I missed that too! :( Oh and just forget about a welcome packet of sample amenities!! RC doesn't leave you a thing!! Not sure why but...I missed that too!

There's more I can add but my family had such excitement to try new things. See new shows. Take a 'step up' in the cruising industry...just to be terribly disappointed! I'm sure there are cruise companies that top Carnival...I am not opposed to trying others (we've done Disney and it's our top fav but it's too different for us to compare in this post on the common cruise companies) And I'm not even opposed to trying other RC cruise ships. I will just be expecting to not have the things I love the most from Carnival!!

The RC lacked the things that we find as major conveniences. And when we are on a relaxing cruise, having the convenient things available are on our top five musts!!

Bottom line...guess was NOT greener!

 

Booked our next Carnival for October!

 

 

 

 

Royal~FreedomOfTheSeas 2014

Carnival Glory 2012

Disney Magic 2011

Carnival Triumph 2010

Carnival Victory 2009

Disney Magic 2008

Carnival Inspiration 2008

Carnival Victory 2007

Carnival Triumph 2002

I agree wholeheartedly with the bits from your account that I highlighted in red. I just took my first RCI cruise back in January on Liberty of the Seas. The entertainment (the shows and piano bar) on this ship blew Carnival away. We really enjoyed the entertainment. But the food on Liberty of the Seas was horrible. Both the food from the main dining room and the Windjammer was nearly inedible to us. I never thought I'd say that any cruise line's food was worse than Carnival's ( I am not a fan of Carnival's food). But RCI's Liberty hit this low. As a result, we ate at Johnny Rockets a lot. I will cruise on Royal again because the entertainment is really well done, but I will only do a short cruise such as a 4-day. I simply do not believe that I can tolerate the food for longer than that.

[Socref124]

How is the food on NCL buffets? And Is it overcrowded like RC?

 

 

Royal~FreedomOfTheSeas 2014

Carnival Glory 2012

Disney Magic 2011

Carnival Triumph 2010

Carnival Victory 2009

Disney Magic 2008

Carnival Inspiration 2008

Carnival Victory 2007

Carnival Triumph 2002

 

I thought the food in the MDR on NCL was very good, however, the buffet seemed like they had the same food every day. The chocolate extravaganza on NCL was fantastic. The best I have seen and tasted on any of our cruises. :D

[Caribbeanqueen03]

Did one RC cruise and never ever again. We love CCL. The beds are awesome, the service and food is so much better, and the ships are so much cleaner.

 

 

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