silentbob007

I thought lunch was going downhill in the MDR pre-covid and with the removal of the tutti salad, I don't see a reason to go back.  I've not found the lunch menus in the MDR particularly compelling for how long they would tend to take out of the day.

I always check to make sure the dish I really want hasn't been cut for the lunch menu or, if it has, there is something I'm willing to compromise for.  However, it has seemed generally worth the money to not have to fight crowds.  On our last cruise, we only did specialty dining at lunch (except for the first evening in Wonderland) because we were usually able to go to Coastal Kitchen for dinner (being in a junior suite) and it just fit our schedule better with our toddler.

I always wondered if they were actually premade ones though I would suppose that would take up too much space.  It's probably like the pancakes ... they are all thrown together by recipe (butter instead of frozen butter) and then overmixed by machine.  

Once you get onboard, you can book using the voucher.  They should see it on your reservation if you tell them you have a free dinner voucher from your travel agent.  One of the speciality restaurants is generally my first stop once onboard for these types of bookings.

Note that Utopia has several restaurants that require an up charge from UDP such as hibachi, chefs table, and Utopia station. 

There shouldn't be any risk of not having at a minimum the standard bed. C&A status won't cause any difference in terms of what is assigned.

I'd definitely book the ice show and water show ... those are things unique to Royal.  If there are no bookings available, try to check when you board. Otherwise there are standby lines.

I think you'd definitely need to switch the names in the cabin.  Then once onboard Guest Services should be able to make extra keys for each cabin. Everyone needs to hold on to their own keycard as a) that will be important for the drink package and b) you won't be able to get off the ship with someone else's key.

I've been a few times.  I've always let the waiter just bring stuff (they ask what you want for the main) and have been happy with that as there has been something different each time.  If there is something you absolutely want or don't want, just let them know.

As noted above, I booked but will look for price drops and may still cancel anyway before sailing.  I know ... it doesn't help that some have booked it at the outrageous pricing.  I believe it was $50 for a child.

Assuming Mason Jar will go where the Crown Lounge is now? Or will some other things get shifted around?

Availability still for all times/days on my 3-day in November.  I think the price has chilled the enthusiasm a bit.

The new pricing is a bit insane especially since it doesn't include gratuity.  I booked it for our November cruise but not sure I'll keep it.  I'd imagine they are trying to balance demand and pricing so the pendulum swung a bit higher on the pricing side for the moment.

The worst part of the buffet is an active imagination. 🫢 Or maybe it's when you don't have to imagine ....

Have fun!  Looking forward to your experience on a more "normal" three-dayer as we are doing that in November.

It is slightly annoying to switch devices but not too bad.  As noted above, I stretch our free hours so that we don't use them while we are in the home port and have access to cellular data.  If a longer cruise, I will also plan around port activities to use outside wifi or otherwise try not to use wifi credits for long stretches where we are off the ship. 

As noted above ... Lavazza Blue is the type of machine.  I bought one for home after our last cruise for a bit of morning nostalgia.  I've only purchased the pods from Amazon.  I've noticed different roasts and decaf, but nothing specifically flavored.

It is a little bit of a walk once you get out of the port area to the train station and then a bit of a ride (thinking 40-50 minutes).  Then once you are at the main station in Rome, you'd have to grab some other transport (metro, taxi, uber, etc) to get to your hotel.  It depends on how well you can manage your baggage, walk, etc, and your budget.  By myself, I'd do the train no worries.  With kids (keeping in mind mine is younger), I'd do a transfer. 

I've only done transfers once in Rome and used RomeinLimo and that was a good experience.  Any company you choose does this a lot so I'm sure they can also give you some good advice about timing, where to get picked up, etc.

Weird that you didn't get the email but it generally gives directions to email the account mentioned above with your sailing info and they will try to apply it. I've been rejected a few times because unbeknownst to me I had been put into a group rate which was ineligible.  

We have to fly to get to port and have limited vacation days.  Normally it would be 7-night but we are trying a 3-night Utopia in a suite that is quite a bit cheaper per night than the same suite on Wonder.  We did a Jr Suite on Harmony earlier this year and it was definitely an upcharge but with 3 of us, we did appreciate the space.

Thanks for sharing the pricing.

Looking forward to hearing your experiences.  I imagine there is extra enthusiasm for the inaugural.  We are doing a 3-night in November.  I'm trying to help my wife understand what 3-night cruises are like as she's only done 7-night ones ... but the price was kind-of-right as it was much cheaper than Wonder on a per-day basis for a sky-class cabin.

Standard Jr. Suite is basically just a bigger room with a coffee maker and a bathtub. It also has twice-a-day housekeeping. I had a deck 6 junior suite on Harmony in January.  I liked the extra space.

On 7/10/2024 at 7:58 AM, LisaLisa87 said:

This must vary by ship (and maybe other factors?). I booked a suite GTY for 3 on Wonder. I had planned to book a JS, but that was not an option for 3 people for our sailing. Needless to say, a suite GTY was much, much cheaper than booking a GS and choosing our room. I checked some other sailings further in the future, and when JS were available for 3, they were considerably more expensive than what we paid. I’ll be happy with whatever we get.

You have to keep checking. They will occasionally open up the GTY for more than two depending on how the cabins are selling. 

If doors are propped open while the cabins are being worked on in batches, the steward or anyone else who goes past the shut door have the same access to your bags. As others have said, for me it is more about how stressful the turn around day is already for these folks. 

The stairs are a turn off for some but it is nice being on the same level as CK and the Suite Lounge. Only bummer is that you can only use the aft elevators to get to your room.