la_croisiere_s'amuse

Excellent point. Of course, that's easy for me to say since I've enjoyed everything from the dearly departed Sovereign class to the Oasis class. But even those who are adamantly against the "floating theme parks" can't argue with the numbers. The megaships are selling like crazy, for top dollar. Personally, I haven't tried the Icon because I focus on bang for the buck, and consequently I never sail on the latest & greatest. Which also means I probably won't sail on this new class until they're a few years old. But there are things I love about every class of ship I've tried, and I expect that to continue as I eventually explore the new ones. 🙂

Wait ... so you're saying that they repeated the MDR menus rather than going through the standard rotation? Like, instead of the Welcome Aboard menu (where the fried chicken appears) you had another Italian/Mexican/Caribbean night? If I'm understanding you correctly, I can definitely understand why you were unhappy.

I usually see banana bread and sometimes homemade granola bars, and some ships will have fruit but I'm not sure about Symphony specifically. I've never seen anything more than that.

OH, what a relief!! I was so afraid that you wouldn't get a chance to see it. In my humble opinion, it's the entire reason that one sails on the Oasis. 😉 I'm not generally a huge fan of Boardwalk balconies, but on the Oasis I make an exception. As long as it's all the way aft on deck 8. 😄

It seems to be yet another case where experiences vary. 🙂 Since DH crossed the senior discount threshold, we've received it several times--probably not quite half the time, but at least a third. And I agree, 55 is awfully young, but no complaints!

Plus, many of them also guarantee that they will pay your expenses to catch you up with the ship or get you back to the home port if they don't get you back on time. They are really, really motivated to ensure that doesn't happen.

Depends on what you mean by "late November." 🙂 If you're talking about this year, Thanksgiving falls very late--November 28th. So if you're looking at the very last week of November, it could be done on the 29th or 30th. I've never experienced, heard or read about a ship decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving.

Thank you for sharing your experience, I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise! 🙂

I'm also a non-drinker. I find that swapping the alcohol in standard cocktails with soda or juice makes the concoction ridiculously sweet, but club soda works well. Another thing I've discovered is that the bar staff aren't necessarily familiar with the "zero-proof cocktails" listed on the menus in the app. Especially in the dining room. So I keep my app pulled up so I can just show it to them and say "I'd like this."

Looks like I have popular opinions! My favorite ship for Broadway is Allure (Mamma Mia), which unfortunately has my least favorite Aqua Theater show. On the flip side, my favorite Aqua Theater show is on Oasis (Aqua 80), which unfortunately has my LEAST favorite Broadway show. 😉 No strong feelings about any of the ice or secondary main theater shows.

WHOA!! It's a good thing you posted the screen shot, because even seeing it with my own eyes, it's still hard to believe that price. I'm glad to hear there's still hope if they find they aren't selling well. Currently, my two upcoming CocoCay stops are both over $200. No thank you. 🫤

I believe the question was about working from the ship, not working on vacation. The two don't always go hand in hand for those of us who are still of working age.

Possibly, or maybe it's just because they know people are still willing to pay the higher prices. Since they are a for-profit corporation dragging a massive debt, I can't say I blame them. Eventually the pricing will hit a ceiling, at least presumably, where people stop buying. But until then, I don't predict any price reductions to speak of. 🙁

Agreed, some of the appetizers are nothing special but some of them are quite tasty. And I find that on some ships, the CL desserts are leaps & bounds better than anything from the dining room, Windjammer or Coastal Kitchen--and some of the specialty dining desserts, for that matter.

No, the 18% gratuity is only for food and beverage items. The Bahamas tax runs approximately 10%, and it is added onto Beach Club, cabanas, kayaks etc.