Last Cruise before Dry Dock

[luckylady3340]

Considering booking Explorer of the Seas last sailing before dry dock.  If you have done a last cruise, what issues did you have, if any?

[blueslily]

I personally have not sailed on the last sailing given reports that I've read here throughout the years of the cruise experience being impacted by preparations being made during that final sailing so they can be ready to go when drydock starts. From reports I read, the impact varied on different sailings and different ships. Sorry, no first hand experience since I used that info to stay away from those sailings. Hope some folks share some helpful responses. Good luck 

[ONECRUISER]

If just a typical 2wk Marine Side Dry Dock that is done ever 2 or 5yrs, no issues. 

Edited September 18, 2022 by ONECRUISER

[Coralc]

31 minutes ago, luckylady3340 said:

Considering booking Explorer of the Seas last sailing before dry dock.  If you have done a last cruise, what issues did you have, if any?

We were on Serenade on the last pre-drydock cruise. There were a couple unpleasant things. The one I remember most was that they ripped out the carpet in the schooner bar a few days before the end of the sailing. They left it rolled in the entry hall. It made a huge amount of very nasty dust, and we all came down with respiratory colds after that sailing. They were ripping it out other places too. They ran out of some food and beverages, too, because they weren't doing the same re-stocking for the drydock. There was some banging as they started doing some early work. 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

We did a TA on an Oceania ship that was going to extended drydock in France.  There were issues with work starting at sea.  They closed one of two specialty dining rooms, but did alternate the menu in the other one.  Best thing was the ship was empty.  They closed three decks and upgraded everybody.  We ended up with a Butler.  We had to put up with some paint smells and closed areas, but with 175 pax on a ship the held 650 I was good.  

[Sunshine3601]

2 minutes ago, Coralc said:

We were on Serenade on the last pre-drydock cruise. There were a couple unpleasant things. The one I remember most was that they ripped out the carpet in the schooner bar a few days before the end of the sailing. They left it rolled in the entry hall. It made a huge amount of very nasty dust, and we all came down with respiratory colds after that sailing. They were ripping it out other places too. They ran out of some food and beverages, too, because they weren't doing the same re-stocking for the drydock. There was some banging as they started doing some early work. 

That sounds horrible.  I would have been very upset.😡

[mugtech]

Mariner OTS had a drydock scheduled after a TA in 2018 and then the TA was cancelled.   The Mariner came from Dubai to Barcelona and then we had to find another way to the USA.  About 1,000 of us took the Carnival Horizon on its first trip to the USA, spent two nights in Barcelona before boarding the Horizon.  Lucky for us RCCI gave us plenty of prior notice to book the alternative trip home.

[clskinsfan]

We did a pre drydock on Carnival Destiny (which then became Sunshine after the drydock) and it was a nightmare. Worst cruise of our lives and it actually ended our cruising relationship with Carnival. Bars and public spaces being torn apart, carpets being torn up, Deck chairs locked away and guests not allowed to use them, staff that didnt really seem to care about anything and worst of all painting parts of the ship that had the most toxic smell I have ever been exposed too. That is what really set us off. The staff painting with this stuff were wearing respirators. The guests? Nope. Now I have never done a pre drydock with Royal. But I would never book another one with any line.

Edited September 19, 2022 by clskinsfan

[Coralc]

19 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

That sounds horrible.  I would have been very upset.😡

We haven't had very good luck on Serenade in recent years, although we have sailed it more than any others. Last time we dubbed it "The remodeling cruise". 😆

 

About day 3, they said they wanted to work on our sink. It was a port day, fine. We came back onboard and they had replaced the sink and it had shims and we had to smell adhesive all night. They called and asked us to be out of our cabin by 8AM, the following day so they could work on the bathroom. It was a sea day, we said no. At 8AM, the jackhammers and hammers up started in the bathrooms on either side of us.  The loyalty ambassador called about 9, and asked what was with all of the noise? I told her they were remodeling. We went to guest services, and they said, you were asked to be out of your cabin. 😆

[blueslily]

Since other folks are mentioning other lines, I will as well. Didnt want to do that on a Royal forum. But, I believe the Escape might be in drydock right now.  I think her last sailing was sometime this month. Maybe check out the recent NCL Roll Calls to see if folks mentioned anything or ask there. But, that is NCL, and I know that each drydock prep experience will be different. (But, now you have me curious about how that final sailing week was for those passengers. I might even ask over there myself. Sailing on the Escape in Feb for my birthday. Sorry Royal 🙂) 

[Billy Baltic]

12 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

If just a typical 2wk Marine Side Dry Dock that is done ever 2 or 5yrs, no issues. 

Based on her schedule, Explorer is going into dry dock for 5 weeks. 

[bonsai3s]

12 hours ago, Coralc said:

We haven't had very good luck on Serenade in recent years, although we have sailed it more than any others. Last time we dubbed it "The remodeling cruise". 😆

 

About day 3, they said they wanted to work on our sink. It was a port day, fine. We came back onboard and they had replaced the sink and it had shims and we had to smell adhesive all night. They called and asked us to be out of our cabin by 8AM, the following day so they could work on the bathroom. It was a sea day, we said no. At 8AM, the jackhammers and hammers up started in the bathrooms on either side of us.  The loyalty ambassador called about 9, and asked what was with all of the noise? I told her they were remodeling. We went to guest services, and they said, you were asked to be out of your cabin. 😆

Coralc...Oh my, that response from guest services was crazy...a perfect scenario to escalate it up to the GSM.

 

* Hope they gave you some FCC's. 

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, Billy Baltic said:

Based on her schedule, Explorer is going into dry dock for 5 weeks. 

So she is being Amped/Upgraded? 

[moposh]

When is this happening?  I have a cruise in April on Explorer.  I guess it will take place before then.

[Billy Baltic]

20 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

So she is being Amped/Upgraded? 

 

I don’t know but I doubt it. I’d expect RC to be publicising it if they were and they’re not really rolling in cash either. 

[Billy Baltic]

5 minutes ago, moposh said:

When is this happening?  I have a cruise in April on Explorer.  I guess it will take place before then.

End of January into start of March. 

[PhillyFan33579]

I made the mistake of going on the last cruise prior to a dry dock once. As others have stated, they almost always start pre dry dock work during the last cruise. I don’t think it will ruin your cruise, but it can definitely impact it. I would never do it again, especially considering the number of ships RCI has cruising these days. 

[orville99]

Not on RCL, but did the last cruise before drydock on Disney Magic. They started ripping up the decking on the pool deck and in the solarium (Cove) on the second day. By day 4 the entire pool deck was covered in sheets of plywood and the adult areas were roped off from passengers. Will never do a pre-drydock cruise again on any ship.

Edited September 19, 2022 by orville99

[twangster]

4 hours ago, Billy Baltic said:

Based on her schedule, Explorer is going into dry dock for 5 weeks. 

 

2 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

So she is being Amped/Upgraded? 

 

I think that 5 week break include transit time to Europe to reach the shipyard and then return to the US.  It's not 5 weeks in the shipyard.  

[ONECRUISER]

23 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

 

I think that 5 week break include transit time to Europe to reach the shipyard and then return to the US.  It's not 5 weeks in the shipyard.  

Yeah forgot that is the usual extra weeks on a usual Marine Side Dry Dock, not normally any major upgrades. Thanks

[Coralc]

6 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

Coralc...Oh my, that response from guest services was crazy...a perfect scenario to escalate it up to the GSM.

 

* Hope they gave you some FCC's. 

Nope, not a thing. I guess we were being difficult, by not accommodating them. 😄

[Jimbo]

20 hours ago, Coralc said:

We were on Serenade on the last pre-drydock cruise. There were a couple unpleasant things. The one I remember most was that they ripped out the carpet in the schooner bar a few days before the end of the sailing. They left it rolled in the entry hall. It made a huge amount of very nasty dust, and we all came down with respiratory colds after that sailing. They were ripping it out other places too. They ran out of some food and beverages, too, because they weren't doing the same re-stocking for the drydock. There was some banging as they started doing some early work. 

Had some of the same on Adventure of the Seas years ago. Not pleasant, wouldn't do it again.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Nothing is worse than being on the last cruise before they sell the ship.  We did that on an old Royal Cruise Lines the Crown Odyssey on an Alaska cruise that ended in San Francisco.  We had sailed her before on a Panama (San Juan to San Francisco) and she was great.  Then RCL was going broke and they decided to sell off ships.  The Alaska cruise not so great.    

[ONECRUISER]

17 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Nothing is worse than being on the last cruise before they sell the ship.  We did that on an old Royal Cruise Lines the Crown Odyssey on an Alaska cruise that ended in San Francisco.  We had sailed her before on a Panama (San Juan to San Francisco) and she was great.  Then RCL was going broke and they decided to sell off ships.  The Alaska cruise not so great.    

Heard it can be worse, this from my Grandfather about a couple Pacific Cruises in the early 40's. He did say the Navy Food was lot better then the Army's 😁

[Billy Baltic]

5 hours ago, twangster said:

 

 

I think that 5 week break include transit time to Europe to reach the shipyard and then return to the US.  It's not 5 weeks in the shipyard.  

I’d be surprised if they did that. Even RC isn’t that disorganised to take 5 weeks out of revenue generation to sail a ship to Europe for a dry dock, bring it back to the US for a couple of months and then sail back to Europe for the Summer season.