First time on Royal

[Sarahjane001]

Hi everyone,

 

First ever cruise with Royal, Symphony of the Seas in an owners suite on July 30th.

Traveling with my two nephews who are in a boardwalk view balcony room.

Having never sailed with RC before but have travelled with other lines in suites I feel like I’m floundering around trying to organize myself and usually by now I have had some contact from a shore side concierge team member who helps me organise my trip.

Do RC have shoreside concierge or do I have to wait until onboard?

Can I leave dining and shore excursions until onboard ? I’m looking at this now and it appears a lot of stuff is sold out or specialty restaurants are already booked. Does onboard concierge hold back dining slots at specialty restaurants and spaces on shore excursions for suite guests?

Can I bring my own sodas and alcohol onboard?

Do owner suite guest get free Voom internet? If so is it one device per suite or one device per person?

Is the onboard shop that sells spirits etc really overpriced or no? Asking because I’m not buying drinks package, it’s extortionate and we don’t drink a lot but would like to have cocktails in our suite with the family.

What other perks do you get for being in a suite like priority seating at shows etc?

sorry for the ton of questions but so far I am under whelmed by my RC experience. When I call I seem to get agents from overseas who just don’t have a clue, it’s irritating when you are a newbie and you don’t know what you are doing . 😆 

 

 

[sadiwest]

14 minutes ago, Sarahjane001 said:

Hi everyone,

 

First ever cruise with Royal, Symphony of the Seas in an owners suite on July 30th.

Traveling with my two nephews who are in a boardwalk view balcony room.

Having never sailed with RC before but have travelled with other lines in suites I feel like I’m floundering around trying to organize myself and usually by now I have had some contact from a shore side concierge team member who helps me organise my trip.

Do RC have shoreside concierge or do I have to wait until onboard?

Can I leave dining and shore excursions until onboard ? I’m looking at this now and it appears a lot of stuff is sold out or specialty restaurants are already booked. Does onboard concierge hold back dining slots at specialty restaurants and spaces on shore excursions for suite guests?

Can I bring my own sodas and alcohol onboard?

Do owner suite guest get free Voom internet? If so is it one device per suite or one device per person?

Is the onboard shop that sells spirits etc really overpriced or no? Asking because I’m not buying drinks package, it’s extortionate and we don’t drink a lot but would like to have cocktails in our suite with the family.

What other perks do you get for being in a suite like priority seating at shows etc?

sorry for the ton of questions but so far I am under whelmed by my RC experience. When I call I seem to get agents from overseas who just don’t have a clue, it’s irritating when you are a newbie and you don’t know what you are doing . 😆 

 

 

If you've been on other cruises I'd assume RCCL works the same way, especially when it comes to bringing or buying alcohol on board.  

Also didn't mention when you're going,  so it's hard to say if it's normal that you haven't heard from the concierges yet, or that things are sold out "for good".   Keep checking...often things will become available. 

[foxgoodrich]

You can bring 2 bottles of wine per cabin aboard, and it's best if you put them in your carry-on.  You can buy liquor at the onboard store, but you can't take it back to your cabin.  It will be held and delivered back to you on the last night of your cruise.

 

You'll have access to the Suite Lounge (but the Boardwalk cabin won't be able to come with you) for free drinks during happy hour and possibly all day.  (I think Symphony may have drinks available all day in the Suite Lounge, but as I haven't sailed her, I don't know for sure.)

 

There may be a way to purchase liquor and mixers for your cabin through Gifts and Gear.  You may find it in your Cruise Planner, or you can call.  Maybe somebody here who has done that can post a link!

[cloud_nine]

19 minutes ago, Sarahjane001 said:

Hi everyone,

 

First ever cruise with Royal, Symphony of the Seas in an owners suite on July 30th.

Traveling with my two nephews who are in a boardwalk view balcony room.

Having never sailed with RC before but have travelled with other lines in suites I feel like I’m floundering around trying to organize myself and usually by now I have had some contact from a shore side concierge team member who helps me organise my trip.

Do RC have shoreside concierge or do I have to wait until onboard?

Can I leave dining and shore excursions until onboard ? I’m looking at this now and it appears a lot of stuff is sold out or specialty restaurants are already booked. Does onboard concierge hold back dining slots at specialty restaurants and spaces on shore excursions for suite guests?

Can I bring my own sodas and alcohol onboard?

Do owner suite guest get free Voom internet? If so is it one device per suite or one device per person?

Is the onboard shop that sells spirits etc really overpriced or no? Asking because I’m not buying drinks package, it’s extortionate and we don’t drink a lot but would like to have cocktails in our suite with the family.

What other perks do you get for being in a suite like priority seating at shows etc?

sorry for the ton of questions but so far I am under whelmed by my RC experience. When I call I seem to get agents from overseas who just don’t have a clue, it’s irritating when you are a newbie and you don’t know what you are doing . 😆 

 

 

Concierge will contact you about a week out. You can then reply to the email to ask them to book your dining for you. If you want to eat in Coastal Kitchen for dinner (the suite restaurant) you also should book this with your concierge. You should book your shore excursions through the cruise planner - I wouldn't wait until you're onboard as many may be sold out or overpriced then. Keep checking your cruise planner daily, they might add more or the price may fluctuate. Yes, you can bring sodas and 2 bottles of wine/champagne per stateroom. If you buy alcohol on board (in an inboard shop for instance) RCI will keep it until your last evening on board, at which point it will be delivered to your stateroom. You can however, go onto onboard gifts on the RCI website and buy a bottle to have it delivered to your suite on the first day. Voom is included as a Sky Class guest, yes, and priority seating used to be a thing, but I haven't cruised since Covid so I don't know if that's changed. Someone rlse should be able to help more with that.

[broadwaybaby123]

I believe you can bring 2 bottles of wine onboard and 12 bottles of soda onboard (or something like that).  You can leave booking shore excursions and dining options until you're onboard, however, I wouldn't suggest that with the shore excursions.  Sometimes those sell out quickly!

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Sarahjane001 said:

 

Do RC have shoreside concierge or do I have to wait until onboard?

Can I leave dining and shore excursions until onboard ? I’m looking at this now and it appears a lot of stuff is sold out or specialty restaurants are already booked. Does onboard concierge hold back dining slots at specialty restaurants and spaces on shore excursions for suite guests?

Can I bring my own sodas and alcohol onboard?

Do owner suite guest get free Voom internet? If so is it one device per suite or one device per person?

Is the onboard shop that sells spirits etc really overpriced or no? Asking because I’m not buying drinks package, it’s extortionate and we don’t drink a lot but would like to have cocktails in our suite with the family.

What other perks do you get for being in a suite like priority seating at shows etc?

sorry for the ton of questions but so far I am under whelmed by my RC experience. When I call I seem to get agents from overseas who just don’t have a clue, it’s irritating when you are a newbie and you don’t know what you are doing . 😆 

The actual ship’s concierge will contact you by email about 10 days prior to cruise. 
 

You get one Voom Stream account per person

 

There is reserved seating in the theater, aqua theater and ice rink. 
 

ShoreEx has sales pre cruise. Once sold out, you can’t get a ticket. Shore Ex is limited in many ports due to Covid. 

 

You can eat at the suites restaurant. We’re just off another ship and the food at Coastal Kitchen was awful. Like send multiple dishes back to the kitchen multiple nights. Raw beef. Fish so dried out that it was inedible. Other parties were asking for MDR food to be brought up. 
 

Suites lounge has a happy hour nightly with free drinks. Order a half dozen or more and shuttle back to your room. 
 

 

[Jimbo]

21 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The actual ship’s concierge will contact you by email about 10 days prior to cruise. 
 

You get one Voom Stream account per person

 

There is reserved seating in the theater, aqua theater and ice rink. 
 

ShoreEx has sales pre cruise. Once sold out, you can’t get a ticket. Shore Ex is limited in many ports due to Covid. 

 

You can eat at the suites restaurant. We’re just off another ship and the food at Coastal Kitchen was awful. Like send multiple dishes back to the kitchen multiple nights. Raw beef. Fish so dried out that it was inedible. Other parties were asking for MDR food to be brought up. 
 

Suites lounge has a happy hour nightly with free drinks. Order a half dozen or more and shuttle back to your room. 
 

 

Wow, Coastal Kitchen being so bad!! which ship? Very disappointing.

Edited June 21, 2022 by Jimbo

[BirdTravels]

44 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Wow, Coastal Kitchen being so bad!! which ship? Very disappointing.

Quantum of the Seas

 

We have dined at Coastal Kitchen on multiple other ships and know what to expect. This time it was really bad. Every night. One night we walked out the door of CK and directly in to the adjacent Windjammer to get edible food. 

Edited June 21, 2022 by BirdTravels

[George C]

18 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Quantum of the Seas

 

We have dined at Coastal Kitchen on multiple other ships and know what to expect. This time it was really bad. Every night. One night we walked out the door of CK and directly in to the adjacent Windjammer to get edible food. 

CK never impressed me on any ship we eat breakfast and normally lunch there but  eat dinner in specialty restaurants.

[rudeney]

20 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Quantum of the Seas

 

We have dined at Coastal Kitchen on multiple other ships and know what to expect. This time it was really bad. Every night. One night we walked out the door of CK and directly in to the adjacent Windjammer to get edible food. 

 

What was so bad about it?   For me, I have wide range of acceptance for food.  There are some things I don't like, but I consider that a personal preference.  I think the only think I might find inedible is undercooked chicken, or food that should be hot served stone-cold (or vice-versa).

[Norwich Cruiser]

1 hour ago, George C said:

CK never impressed me on any ship we eat breakfast and normally lunch there but  eat dinner in specialty restaurants.

We’ve also never been impressed with the dinner menu and food in coastal kitchen.

 

Usually only eat breakfast in there.

[Tlbecker1]

20 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Quantum of the Seas

 

We have dined at Coastal Kitchen on multiple other ships and know what to expect. This time it was really bad. Every night. One night we walked out the door of CK and directly in to the adjacent Windjammer to get edible food. 

That is really sad.  We also have enjoyed CK on other ships, we had a great experience recently on the Anthem.