goldfish65

Blueberry pancakes as a side dish.

We never left our balcony door open, so I don't know. When we wanted fresh air we spent time on our balcony. Will be interesting to read the reviews. I see it will have cabins with regular balconies too.

On Jewel I really enjoyed them...tender and well seasoned...asked for extra jus. Glad for this thread so I knew to try them.

Make sure you know your traveling companion very well. 😀

Royal has a shuttle, we used it last Sunday, no complaints. Our travel agent arranged it while I was on the phone. Around $39 pp I think. I feel sure you can call customer service and do it that way. I printed out the confirmation email just to be safe, but we just walked where we were directed and they had our name on a clipboard, a porter loaded our luggage and off we went.

Let's say you keep your cabin nice and cold during the night, in the morning you open that window and the warm humid air comes in, and then condensation forms on all those chilled surfaces.

I am only guessing but maybe the town is happy to be empty and get a rest after the summer tourist season.

Fact is, they realize their area is special and unique and they'll get plenty of tourists without cruise ships.

Cabin attendant brought different pillows when we asked, incredibly the one she provided me felt just like my pillow at home. Bed was firm but comfy.

Yes, but not too much.

Trivia......In the post-cruise survey, I suggested using staff who were more fluent in the English language for the Trivia sessions. Imagine how hard it would be to host such an event in a language and culture different from one's own.

Room service pizza was very good!

This was a long-planned and postponed 60th birthday voyage to cross an ocean in my lifetime and experience the feeling of a smaller ship with open decks and outward views. Eat, drink, rest, listen to musicians and spend time with my sister. Zero regrets, we had a blast! Another cruiser posted a thorough live review, as a first-time cruiser, I'm adding my comments in no particular order. We brought plastic straws, but never used them, the straws they have now at the bars, not sure if they are something biodegradable but they worked fine! So much comfortable seating wherever you go on the ship. Piped-in music was kept at a low volume, it was very nice to sit and read or play games. The live musicians were excellent. Sadly, the very talented pianist in the centrum had to play over two couples having a long and overly loud conversation just a few feet away. There was a large contingent of fellow cruisers with the most grim looks on their faces, looking as if life were miserable. I imagined everyone would be jolly, but I was wrong! We learned that the Captain will deploy just one of the stabilizers if the seas are just rolling a bit....when both are deployed, the ship rocks less but it shakes. Food was never overly salty! MDR food was very good as were our waiters. Early dining worked well and service was timely. Chops and Izumi were excellent, Chef's Table was fun but "one and done" for us. The food was prepared in Giovanni's kitchen, and we thought the kitchen staff there could do a better job searing/caramelizing, both the steaks and the pancetta in the carbonara which was pale and not rendered as I think most people prefer (?) These are small complaints. We felt that any dissatisfaction we had would be handled if we brought it to the staff's attention. That being said, the F&B director (forgot his official title) explained at length the challenges he is still facing with sourcing quality products consistently, and with so much new staff to train. Everyone is working hard and cheerfully. A little patience and forbearance goes a long way. The All-Access Tour was a major highlight. The different staff were so passionate and accommodating explaining their jobs and answering questions. We felt the extra space and amenities for suite guests was worthwhile. The concierge was a pleasure to deal with. We felt that all the staff from the Captain on down, genuinely wanted everyone to have a great time and they appreciated our business. There was a tangible feeling that the staff from Captain Mike all the way down, genuinely wanted everyone to have a great experience.

The suite lounge is a major amenity of being a suite guest, I would be very unhappy if it were too crowded and noisy to be enjoyed.

Amazon sells MODGY luminary lanterns, clever practical design and beautiful to look at, worked well on our recent cruise.

What would you consider to he a fair compensation?

Apologies for my comment about $100 not being "a lot of money." My mouth gets ahead of my brain and I can see how that comment can be insensitive. What I meant to convey is that $100 doesn't really buy much nowadays.

Sometimes I think people forget it’s not the 1970’s anymore….$100 isn’t that large a sum nowadays….I believe you lol.

Thank you @Lionesss, that was very interesting. The only time I carried over $10k in cash out of the country and back in (a land purchase that never happened) was over 20 yrs ago, no one checked but obviously things are quite different now.

Did customs confiscate $5,015.75? What if one were to hide some of the money in their luggage?

We can only speculate of course, but hopeful Royal will want to stay competitive in that regard, I'd welcome not having to bother with a test before Oct 25 transatlantic.

People who would get so butt-hurt when a crew member makes a comment like that.....saying they should get remedial training or even be fired....get over yourselves. If they fired every employee who spoke the truth, you would be complaining about the understaffing.

A chair is a piece of furniture designed for people to sit on. They are provided because there is a high demand for people to sit on the pool deck and relax and enjoy the vacation they paid for. When you use a chair as a place to store your stuff for hours, you are preventing someone else from using it for it's intended purpose, and enjoy their cruise. How would you like it if you were prevented from staying in the pool for hours? No once is being mean to you, they are merely trying to help you understand pool chair etiquette.

Yep, prices (and costs of doing business) are going up. The resort where I am employed has drastically raised prices for dining and drinking, people are paying and the place is full all the time. It doesn't make sense to fill up with bottom-feeders and have to turn away customers who will spend.

Urban slang Beat It Up or Blow It Up, I've heard it in other contexts though so maybe the original poster won't mind clarifying so we can participate.