RogerDodger247

Does A2S book you with Basic Economy (typically no included checked bags for international) or Regular Economy (typical one included checked bag for international)? Or is it your choice? I have an NCL cruise coming up out of the UK and I've been scared off "NCL Air" with some of the horror stories I hear over there. A2S with Royal is sounding much better.

Hate digging up an old thread but @LibertyGirl7 how did this go for you? Trying to make sure I don't plan something that is impossible. 11am feels "borderline" so looking to hear how an Iceland debark after an overnight worked for others. Thanks!

Not to dredge up an old topic but... For anybody that has done the Prima Northen Europe itinerary ending with an overnight in Reykjavik, is an 11am flight out of KEF even within the realm of possibility (with self-assist at earliest possible time and an NCL transfer)? Reading through this thread it seems the answer is "probably", so I guess I'm looking for real world experience. Normally I wouldn't even consider such a thing, but this is a unique case where A) We arrive the previous day, so risk of delay is minimized B) Flight options are limited with most flights to the US leaving around 10-11am C) The lone 5pm option for me adds $500. Before it is suggested, while an extra day in Iceland would be ideal but just isn't in the cards for this trip. TIA for any feedback!

If Grace is still at Giovanni's, ask her why she lied to me about Izumi moving up to replace Samba Grill when I was on just before this dry dock. 🤣🤷‍♂️ Glad it's still there... nice to have different options on different ships. But I agree with others... I enjoyed it when we were on Allure but it was WAY too much.

Would love that but, that pool is so massive I doubt they would spend the money for it. Hope I'm wrong. I wandered by Oasis Lagoon after leaving Hideaway and the music was still loud enough that I noticed it. But for the short time I was there it was more "easy listening / pop" than "club / dance" music. It was definitely not the party I recall from past visits there. Seats were available at the swim up bar.

I was at CocoCay on March 4 with Radiance and Wonder was in port with us (unlucky for Wonder, they arrived after us and left one hour before us 🤷‍♂️). Radiance+Oasis Class is not quite Oasis+Oasis/Icon but, this was my experience... I made my way to Hideaway Beach by 9am and all of the chairs around the pool were already taken and it remained packed at least at until I left at 2pm. Not sure if the pool area thins out later in the day. The beach on the other hand was pretty wide open at 9am and I was able to score a front row seat way down the beach (away from the DJ) as my parking spot for the day: The beach area is rather large and at least on this day, it looked like chairs were always available. Maybe not right by the water but I always saw empty seats around. I did duck out from time to time for food/drink and to take a dip in the pool (it was WARM) and had no fear my chair would be taken (left nothing of value of course). I made my way to Chill Island by 2:30 PM and it was basically deserted. Probably because Wonder had an all-aboard time of 3:30 so people were already leaving. For an upcharge I would HOPE they limit it so Hideway does not go above capacity, but we shall see. I would love to hear some firsthand experience with two Oasis class ships in port (or Icon) especially as we get into the summer months.

Agree with all of the above and keep in mind how it is marketed: Nonstop Beats on the Beach There is truth in advertising here and there were "beats" all day from the time I arrived at 9am until I left for Chill Island at 2pm to give my ears a rest. You can find a somewhat quieter chair all the way down the beach, but you can never fully escape the DJ. So just know what you are getting into. The food options were different, but I didn't find them to be all that special. I liked the "upgraded" pizza toppings but didn't think the overall pizza was much better than Sorrento's. The best thing I had was the coconut shrimp basket. I had a good time and would do it again for the right price. In your case $60 seems a bit high and the heated pool may not really be needed in Mid-September. Just my two cents.

Haha... me too! But it wasn't mentioned. This was my first experience with the shower curtains but somehow, I managed to keep the bathroom floor relatively dry 👍

One I forgot from the Captain's Corner is that they are replacing the big screen TV on the pool deck too. Will be curious what quality outdoor, large screen TV's they are using these days.

Yeah, I agree and it seems like this would have come up during the Captain's Corner discussion. But my Giovanni's waiter seemed very definitive about it. I guess we'll know for sure in a couple of weeks. Radiance has quickly become my favorite class of ships so I'll be anxious to hear about how things are looking after this drydock.

I was on Radiance last week prior to the drydock and picked up a few tidbits... At the Captain's Corner Q&A, Captain Jeffry Thomaes mentioned that they were doing a full azipod replacement with this drydock. He said it was unusual because normally they refit/rebuild an azipod in place. No reason was given but I would guess it is related to the propulsion issue from last September. He also mentioned that they would need to cut a hole in the side of the ship. It was not clear if this was related to the azipod replacement or something else. On the Hotel side, Director Robert Taggart (great guy BTW) mentioned there would be lots of fit and finish work including carpeting, especially in public areas, a full re-do of the floor in the pub, and replacement of 750 toilets (ha). No specific venue changes were mentioned at the Q&A (that I can recall) but my waiter at Giovanni's stated that Izumi would be moved from its current location in the Windjammer up to Deck 12 replacing Samba Grill (as it is in Serenade). I didn't eat at Samba so I could not confirm with the folks up there. This could be the beginning of the end of Samba Grill since the rumor is it will be removed from Allure too at its upcoming drydock. I asked my waiter in the MDR what he was doing during the drydock and he said he would be remaining on board. He is a supervisor in the Windjammer and during the drydock, they use it at as the crew mess. He said they are expecting 2000 contractors for this. That sounds like a lot, but I have no context to say if that's more than usual for a routine drydock. That's all I was able to pick up from random discussion and conversation so take it for what it's worth. Radiance is a great ship, and I had a wonderful time, but it is definitely showing some wear and tear. I'll be interested to hear how cleaned up it is after this drydock.

If I remember they had some light breakfast items in the morning (juice, danish, etc) but other than the amazing lunch, I don't remember any other food options. There is a bar of course (and drink service at your chair) so no problem with drinks. I was completely stuffed after the lunch and didn't have the need to eat again until back on the ship. But if you are still hungry, you can always wander down to South Beach and hit the Snack Shack. The full Coco Cay is available to you if you wish to leave the Beach Club and come back (they were doing wrist bands when I was there for re-entry... not sure if they've switched to scanning your seapass like at Hideaway).

There's probably a limit but I didn't hit it. By default, they seem to bring ALL of the appetizers out for everybody. I ordered both the lobster and the filet and they gave me three lobsters and asked if I wanted more. That plus dessert (the rum soaked cake was legitimately "rum soaked") was more than enough for me. Not sure what they would say if you tried to order all the entrees but, ordering two was no problem and in fact, was their suggestion. My experience is from August 2023. Maybe somebody else can provide some more recent updates.

I've done both and personally prefer the Beach Club (but my wallet prefers Hideaway). I would jump on $125 with the way prices have been lately. Beach Club is a quiet relaxing day at the beach (or pool) in a smaller, exclusive area. The lunch is a sit down meal with really elevated food options. I did the "surf and turf" which was really good and would love to try some of the other options if I go back (the grilled grouper or lobster sandwich perhaps). Hideaway is a huge area and is a non-stop party at the pool. Yes, you can find quieter areas further down the beach but there is no escaping the music from the DJ, the sound carries. I thought it was fun but at my age, after 5 hours of non-stop beats I had to leave (yes even at 9am there were beats but they were a little more "chill"). There are different food options at Hideaway but it's typical grab-and-go stuff. I didn't find the pizza to be that amazing but thought the shrimp basket was pretty good. It really depends on what you are looking for. I attached a Beach Club lunch menu from August 2023.

I have a port stop in Progreso with Royal Caribbean coming up in March 2024. There are two available excursions to Chichén Itzá that I am considering: Chichén Itzá Ruins & Cenote Tzukan with Lunch Visit a massive Mayan complex, which is one of the new wonders of the world with its magnificent pyramids and stone structures. Submerse yourself into beautiful waters of a deep natural sinkhole surrounded by lush green vegetation. Enjoy a delicious Yucatecan style lunch and flavored water. Chichén Itzá - A World Heritage Site Guided walking tour of this pre-Columbian Maya civilization and explore its 1,000-year hallowed history. View the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors, and stand in awe of towering El Castillo. Includes roundtrip bus transportation as well as a box lunch during the two-hour trip. Other than the Cenote and the lunch, does anybody know if there are any significant differences between these excursions? Both are listed as 8-hour excursions and the first one is only slightly more expensive than the second so cost is not an issue. Going to the Cenote would be great but I have no interest in swimming in it. The lunch I can take or leave. If the Cenote visit and lunch cuts short the tour of the ruins, I will definitely take the second one. But if the tour is the same for both, I would go for the first one. I realize an excursion from Progreso will involve A LOT of bus time and limited time at Chichén Itzá so my goal is to pick an excursion that maximizes the time at the ruins themselves. If anybody has experience with these excursions or other thoughts, any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yes. I got cans of Coke Zero on Serenade last month, so you aren't limited to just what's in the gun. Not sure how vast the selection of canned soda is but I had no trouble getting Coke Zero at any bar.

Absolutely correct. Back in the day (when I was on Oasis in 2010 and Allure in 2012) the Wipeout Cafe had burgers, fries, etc. They were average at best, but they were included and certainly more convenient to the pool deck on an Oasis class ship than, say, the Boardwalk Dog House or Johnny Rockets. I do love El Loco Fresh and the food there is much better IMO, but it was certainly nice having a quick burger option outside of the Windjammer.

So far there's no "solo supplement" on the drink package. 😅

Nope. When traveling solo, you buy the package for yourself and that's it.

Last week was Gregory Behrendt. Very funny. He did a "clean" show at the Welcome Aboard then a late-night (11:15pm) adults only show later in the week. Not sure if they have a comedian every week but looks like they do get some decent talent on board. The other headliner last week was Greg London (3-time Winner “Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year" apparently). It was super cheesy but by the end I was oddly having a good time. Welcome Aboard Showtime: Gregory Behrendt Greg is the co-author of the three-million-copy bestseller, “He’s Just Not That Into You”, and established himself as a voice of reason and inspiration for all of us negotiating, and sometimes drowning in, the treacherous waters of romantic relationships. Behrendt was a consultant for three consecutive seasons on HBO’S “Sex and the City” in which he brought his original male point-of-view to the writing staff. His acclaimed stand-up comedy has been seen on HBO, The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman and others.

I wouldn't be too discouraged. I did my first trip on Serenade (or any Radiance class for that matter) last week after mostly cruising the megaships (Oasis and Quantum) the last few years and I was quite surprised at how nice the ship was for its age and size. I had a really great time. My only real complaints were with the new MDR menus (relative to MDR food in the past) and MyTime Dining issues. But that's certainly not unique to Serenade. Obviously, reviews are subjective and YMMV but I wouldn't discourage anybody from Serenade. I think it was a great choice for the World Cruise. But that's just me 🤷‍♂️

Just off Serenade (Aug. 12-17) and this is correct. Pizza, little sandwiches, cookies and other sweets plus coffee/tea/water are available in the "Park Cafe" inside the Solarium late night. You won't find as much variety as Sorrento's (for the most part I saw just cheese and pepperoni) but it's late-night pizza and I wasn't picky. If you are watching a movie on the pool deck (they had Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 last week) this is very handy. During the day, you can get pizza in the Windjammer during lunch/dinner service. FYI, this is also where you get the Kummelweck in the afternoon and they have the Park Cafe salad bar there too.

I wanted to try the new MDR menus so we only did a Chops Grille lunch on embarkation day. A good way to start the cruise by avoiding the Windjammer chaos (plus it was very cheap). Showed up for a 1:30 reservation and at first, they didn't believe me until they looked it up. It was completely empty so you'd think being the ONLY occupied table in a restaurant would get you good service. Nah, they seemed to forget we were there. As for the food, the appetizers (wedge salad and beef carpaccio) were very good and they nailed the temperature on my filet entree. The sides (mac and cheese, gruyere tots, asparagus) were pretty meh. Dessert was a decent key lime pie with way too much mousse (the random slice of pie I had in Key West the next day was better). That said, Chops was probably the best meal I had on board. Next time I'll do more specialty dining. Hope the UDP works out for you. And good luck finding Izumi... it's a bit out of the way up there on the sports deck 🤣

Thanks for the info, that's interesting. Always wondered how they kept the COVID folks isolated. Of course, that's exactly where my cabin was. Just forward of the front elevators (3530). 🤷‍♂️

Yup, looks like it happens a lot. Just happened to me on the Aug. 12 sailing. Left from Terminal 3 and returned to Terminal 2 so no big deal. They may not tell you beforehand (we got officially notified on Day 4 out 5) but this is planned well in advance. I knew this was coming by checking the cruise schedules on the Port Tampa Bay web site. Worth a look if you are parking at the port. Just off the Aug. 12-17 sailing. My first time on a Radiance class after only sailing Mariner (once) and a bunch of trips on Freedom, Oasis and Quantum class ships. I have to say, the ship is in great shape and I enjoyed my time on her. As for the food, not much to say that hasn't been covered elsewhere. The new MDR menus were disappointing and the food quality was very average. Not sure if the quality was just Serenade or if this is the new standard but there was a definite drop off since my last cruise on Oasis in 2022. The jerk pork chop on Caribbean Night was quite possibly the worst thing I've ever had in the MDR. Even with a steak knife it was tough to get through.