Tyler80

I just looked on my cruise documentation and I noticed for the November 18th sailing I was upgraded from an obstructed view balcony to a non obstructed view and a higher deck level. I know I have in my preferences that I would like upgrades but maybe it's me, I dont know but I feel as if I should have been notified, asked if I wanted this, or been able to decline it. I'm kinda feeling the room isn't an upgrade. I really don't care if the balcony isnt obstructed. It's November who is going to be on it anyway? I'm not crazy about being on the higher floor next to the solarium. The room is the same size. I'm kinda ticked and my original room that I chose is unavailable now. Is there something I can do?:confused:

Some spend a lifetime cruising and never receive an upgrade. Be happy. Forward balcony rooms have better front to back views because there are no obstructions. Even though you may think the room change isn't better, maybe it is. :)

Do they have the option to get married on board just simply in the chapel ? Not having a whole wedding package ?

To be legally married you need to book a package and set everything up through Royal Romance wedding coordinators. You can be married in the chapel or other locations available on the ship.

If you want a less expensive wedding, just do the ceremony and skip the reception.

Like I said, you can almost get married anywhere...

Silk (Pan Asian Restaurant) looks really cool. The upside down lamps over the tables remind me of Celebrity Cruises Quisne. Again, another reference to Quantum looking similar to Celebrity Solstice Class.

I posted this on facebook and on twitter and was wondering what the cruise critic members thought

 

I decided not to go on the inaugural sailing of the Quantum out of principle and national pride. Royal Caribbean is taking this new ship out of the USA and sending it to China permanently.

No ship is ever placed anywhere permanently.

Curious to know what is in "blank" spots on the deck plans?

 

In general, but specifically, the blank spot across from staterooms 8600 & 8602 deck 8 on Freedom??

Blank or open spaces in stateroom locations could indicate a number of things such as crew only areas, crew stairways, supply or mechanical rooms, etc.

While I personally do not think the changes to Oasis that were announced today:

OUR BIGGEST SHIP GETS EVEN BETTER

 

will have any impact on 99% of the cruisers here on Cruise Critic it sure looks like RCI is attempting to attract more upscale cruisers.

 

For example:

 

1. A full time formal dining option

2. The new higher end shops

3. More suite perks/space/dedicated dining option

 

Only time will tell if these changes end up being wildly successful, fairly uneventful, or a huge failure.

 

However, I wonder what happens when that first time RCI cruiser comes to an area of a ship and they are told "Sorry, only XYZ people can come in here".

 

Do you see this as expanding/creating 1st, 2nd, 3rd class passengers or no?

Remember a lot of European's and South American's cruise and brands that are "upscale" to people living in the US are commonplace in Europe or other areas of the world. The Coach store probably started it all, and it seems to be successful. Higher end restaurants are also popular onboard.

This morning we made a tour on the Oasis of the Seas in Rotterdam and made pictures of all the changes. She is looking great. Enjoy!

 

http://www.cruisereiziger.nl/2014/10/11/fotoreportage-alle-veranderingen-aan-boord-oasis-of-the-seas/

Thank you for posting the photos and explanations. I got a kick out of the translations. American Icon Grill: The menu includes dishes of a typical American road trip where you will find many regional favorites. :D

So now 2 ships will have the same Broadway Show? :confused:

The Oasis Class Chapel no longer exists on the Oasis of the Seas.

I know. We were discussing the size of the venue.

Maybe Oasis was different, but we booked the Headliner show on Allure.

I sailed Oasis in 2012, so things have obviously changed if everyone else is booking Headliners now too. The "Showtimes At A Glance" pdf offered on Royal's website doesn't give times for Headliners, nor does it say who the headliner is.

The chapel isn't very big, and is more practical for a small wedding than religious services for a ship the size of Oasis. What I hear (not to be considered as accurate), most people choosing to have a wedding on Oasis prefer to have it not in the chapel, but elsewhere on the ship or in a port of call.

The Oasis Class Chapel is much larger than Voyager and Freedom class versions.

Freedom Class Chapel

RCL has recently opened up dining and entertainment reservations for the Jan 3 cruise. As I was making entertainment reservations I noticed there wasn't any option for a Headliner Show. Is the Headliner Show another victim of budget cuts? Has anyone else seen this for 2015 cruises?

Previously the only shows that could be reserved were Hairspray (now Cats), Come Fly With Me, Oasis of Dreams, and the ice skating show. The Headliner Showtime shows did not require reservations. Just show up!

It is after 5pm in Rotterdam now, so maybe it is over?

A view from the front of the ship. From the Facebook group following the voyage to Rotterdam. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oasis-to-Rotterdam/547608215367233?fref=nf

I found this photo while looking through the Mamma Mia musical directors twitter page. Apparently last week there was a Royal PR event in Miami where the Mamma Mia cast did a short presentation.

The photo shows some of the proposed onboard stores. It shows Hublot, Cartier, Kiehl's, and Michael Kors.

I did not get it wrong or misunderstand what she said. She repeated it 2X when I expressed my displeasure with the musical change. In addition, I am not the only one that got it wrong or misunderstood because the call was on speaker phone.

 

I have no idea why she would say something like that if the information is not correct. :rolleyes:

Royal Caribbean has a lot of call center employees at several different call centers across the country. Sometimes people are misinformed or relay the wrong information. It is a mistake, and it happens in all industries. Even though it probably shouldn't happen, unfortunately it does.

I wonder if RCCL monitors CruiseCritic and if they did should they correct misinformation?

Does any cruise line monitor CruiseCritic?

Yes, Royal Caribbean does monitor Cruise Critic.

We booked Quantum almost two years out, and were given late dining, which we requested. About a year afterwards, I was called to make my dining reservations for dynamic dining. That was the first time ANY of us on our huge roll call had heard of dynamic dining.(That was April 2014, we booked May 2013 and cruise April 2015.) MANY people cancelled their cruises after hearing this. One was an elderly lady who is pinnacle and travels solo quite often and with her daughter a few cruises yearly. She enjoys the main dining room and meeting people at her very large table. She relies on her daughter to check out the internet(including cruise critic). She was VERY upset, since she would have to call and make reservations to sit alone at the different restaurants with different waiters nightly. I totally understand her dislike of the change.

 

I travel with my husband, and we request a table for two now anyway, unless we are traveling with others. We have cruised on NCL, and were not impressed with that type of dining.

 

One problem I personally had was getting the time 8:30 for dinners at the different restaurants. I had to take 8:15 and 8:45 several nights. Like I said, I was one of the first to make them, so, it was even harder to get specific dining times a month later, when others from our roll call began reserving their times. We still don't have the entertainment schedule for our cruise, but have seen it for one of the other 12 night cruises, so assume ours will be the same. When we made dining reservations, we assumed the entertainment could be worked around an 8:30 dining time, as it usually is on other cruises.....an early show some nights, or later one others. We will have to make entertainment reservations when they announce we can. If the same times are as the other twelve night schedule, Mama Mia will only have three showings. The first one will be the first night of the cruise, and the others will be a matinee the second afternoon and another night performance that night. The only time for that show which would work with our dining reserved time is the matinee show.

 

We have gone through many changes traveling different ways over 43 years, so are not opposed to change. However, I think our changes will be not as many Royal Caribbean cruises after ALL ships change to dynamic dining. Yes, we were told ALL Royal Caribbean ships will change during future dry docks. Cruising has been such an easy form of traveling for us, and I see making reservations for dining and entertainment too much hassle for a relaxing cruise. I can't imagine when we would dine if we booked a last minute cruise. They have begun adding earlier(4:30) and later(9:00) dining times already to some of the restaurants on Quantum. We are set to try it once, but actually still unsure, at this point, whether or not we are keeping the reservation. We'll make that decision after reading many reviews of the first two months of cruisers trying it out.

I understand your concerns. As of right now we are all in the same boat of not knowing exactly how Dynamic Dining will work. All that we do know is that Dynamic Dining will be the new face of dining at Royal Caribbean. I'm interested and excited to see and try it in person. I feel Royal Caribbean tries their best at making great decisions and changes to enhance their overall product experience.

The biggest logistical hurtle now is the online reservation system. Similar to what folks have experienced with My Time Dining and booking entertainment, there are kinks to work out to ensure a smooth transition. You are very well traveled in the cruise world and as I can see you've dedicated a great deal of your voyages to Royal Caribbean. Hopefully this "change for the better" will make your future Royal Caribbean cruises even more memorable. :)

A few questions that I have about the Allure.

 

Can you get steak from room service? DW and I usually try and have one meal onboard just the two of us.

 

Where can I get coffee early in the AM. Most of the time onboard I get up and about around 4:00AM.

 

I plan on getting a small knife or box cutter in FLL after our flight to cut off our luggage cable ties. I'm trying to avoid the naughty room.

 

Comments on the DECT phones onboard. Do they work in most areas?

 

Lots of questions from someone who need a lot of help, and i do mean a LOT!!

 

Thanks, XRAY

Okay XRAY, as you name implies, I think you might be in trouble if you smuggle a box cutter on the ship. A pair of scissors that you can pack in your checked luggage should cut your luggage cables (?) and tags. No steak on the room service menu. You know you can have a very romantic intimate dinner with just your wife in 150 Central Park, or Chops Grill. ;)

Have had just the opposite experience. White have always come back white and when instructed to wash items in cold water and dry at low heat, they have come back perfect.

Yes, I used the laundry service once and my clothes came back brand new! It was great. :D

And they will also shrink your clothes and make your whites gray.

My clothes still shrink on a cruise, even without using the laundry.;)

It's mind over matter. You think one thing, and another is actually happening. Psychology. ;)

So does that mean that the Freedom will have dynamic dining after dry dock? I thought dynamic dining was going to be tested on the Quantum for a while and then added to the Oasis? That would not be much time for dynamic dining to be tested.

Royal Caribbean is not testing Dynamic Dining on Quantum, it was built to run Dynamic Dining. A lot of thought and money has been put into developing the Dynamic Dining program, the 3 Quantum class ships will be built to run the concept and newer ships in the fleet with be converted.

The concept model is similar to NCL's "Freestyle" Dining program. The biggest hurtle for anything new, and what causes the most problems, is getting people to try, like, and follow the rules of a new concept. People don't like change, obviously.

There are no guest laundry facilities on any Royal ship. No guest irons to use either.

Bob,

Would you agree that "laundry" is the most asked question on the Royal boards? I never knew it was such a big concern for so many people. It is interesting how people "assume" that because other lines have guest laundry facilities that Royal Caribbean does. To me, that is like assuming Carnival ships have FlowRiders because Royal Caribbean ships do. :confused:

Not seeing a "guest laundry" area on Royal Caribbean ships is the best sight ever! It means I'm truly on vacation, not seeing a washer/dryer for a whole week!

This is not uncommon. Construction zones are roped off to guests. There is a lot to do during a dry dock and sometimes work is completed after the ship sets sail again. I wouldn't worry about it.

I have been sitting here today watching the conveyance from Papenberg to the Sea. I have eagerly studied what we could see of the ship from the outside and through the windows once it was dark.

 

To me, the ship looks severe and utilitarian. All of the angles seem to be acute or right angles. Gone are the sweeping walls of glass like the Voyager, Freedom and Oasis classes have. Ceiling decor, (looking through the windows) is rather plain.

The only whimsy visible on the outside of the ship is the pink bear.

 

At night, the ship looks dark, the RCCL anchors on the funnel are not lit, and all of the lighting seems subdued. Possibly due to the use of fluorescent and LED bulbs.

 

I look forward to seeing some pics from the finished interior spaces.

I agree with you that the ship does look different from the 3 previous classes that have been built. But you must keep in mind that the Oasis, Freedom and Voyager class of ships were all built at the same shipyard, a (then) different company than Meyer Werft.

Each yard builds ships in their own unique way, like car companies build different looking vehicles to distinguish themselves from the competition.