pcur

Yes, call whomever you booked the cruise through, RCCL or a travel agent, and have them request a "medium" size table for you. That's what a table for 4 is called. KansasK is correct, you should request this when you originally book the cruise in the future.

I recently sent an email directly to RCCL regarding the dining problems I experienced on 5 different ships. I didn't want my comments to go just to the ship's management, but to corporate.

I sailed with someone recently who had to have gluten-free food. She would order the next day at the end of dinner the day before. Even then, they got it wrong one night, and instead of preparing the dish the way she requested, they just scraped off the sauce. I watched as she had an allergic reaction to it, and luckily it was severe bloating, not anything that required an EPI pen or medical. But, it was distressing to watch. She would order her food "naked" with no sauces, because then she knew exactly what she was getting, and always ordered the day before from the next day's menu.

I'm actually happy to hear there are some wobbles with the rollout of the new menus. I sailed from the day started the new ones, 1/14/23, to 1/26. Then, I was back on b2b cruises from 2/26 to 3/20/23. 5 ships in all, and I had some bad experiences in the MDR. If you are not a beef or lamb eater, then your choices are slim. Yes, there is always a chicken, fish, vegetarian option on the menu every night, but the choices are limited. I really miss the "Classic" menu where you had the same choices every night as alternatives. I think now the food prep issues I experienced on several ships are more related to untrained staff in the kitchen who did not know how to prepare the recipes properly. One ship that was a b2b had a terrible time getting the food to the tables hot, and this was over 2 weeks. Family members of mine were on that ship last week and reported the problem had been solved. If they are still serving the old menus it might mean that they are rethinking this rollout, and might be staying or going back to the former menu choices. I had no problem with the decrease in portion sizes, especially with the appetizers: I would just order a double portion. By the way, a double portion is NOT counted as a second entrée: that's when you order two DIFFERENT main courses. I think they are back-pedaling on that one, too. I asked for the second one as a half portion side, and never had a problem (so far) with them accommodating my request. Here's hoping they get this to a more satisfactory level fleetwide in the near future. Ships: Enchantment x2, Oasis, Grandeur, Vision, Anthem

I've been at pier 19 and 25 in Port Everglades, and both times it's walk out and get picked up, usually to the left. Just ask the port staff person as you exit. I used the Uber app, and always describe what I'm wearing. That way the driver sees me before I see them. I've found a lot of Uber cars don't have front license plates.

I've been booking solos for 2 years now, and have never been turned down when booking on board the ship. Maybe she was trying to book with a special promotion that was for double occupancy (or more). But, she should have been able to book outside of the promo. I also book GTY occasionally as a solo.

I have been using Uber almost exclusively for several years. I like having my own private transportation and not having to wait for others. I also like not having the pushy-shovey luggage thing before and after the shuttle. Even if the hotel includes a shuttle, I will opt to pay the extra $10-$15 for an Uber. After the cruise, I think the WORST transportation option is a bus or van. You have wait for it to load up. With the van, the driver frequently stops at multiple piers. I use this when I'm planning my hotel / air / transportation: https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate/

Right. I've never known the certificate to be honored on board the ship: it's always been apply it before sailing.

My opinion is they are giving me transportation to see the subject of the tour. That includes maintenance of the vehicle, insurance, fuel, tires, etc. A few dollars per person there. Then, the guide is obligated to tell me where we are going and what we are seeing. That's a big portion of the tour. HOW that is done is where the personal tip/no tip scale is used. And, if the driver does a good job, ESPECIALLY on tricky roads (let's face it, the Caribbean Islands and Mexico don't spend a lot of money on infrastructure). Greece and Europe are hilly/mountainous for the most part. Every major city in the world has traffic issues and crazy drivers. If I get lucky and the tour guide is friendly, funny, and knowledgeable, that's a world away from a comment as we drive by someplace. If I get lucky and the driver is a dream on the Amalfi coast in a HUGE bus, that's tipping territory, too.

See my post #14 above.

I apply my gift certificates to obc for a booked cruise. I redeem the gift certificate and have it applied as an obc to my booked cruise. I've been doing this for years, and did it for my birthday, and after Christmas last year. Great news, Mom Mark & Bridget have sent you $100.00 To use towards your next Royal Caribbean® vacation. Happy birthday! Love M & B!! With a Royal Caribbean Gift Certificate, the possibilities are endless. You can use it for extra perks onboard or even to help pay for your cruise. Just remember to redeem your gift at least 10 business days before you set sail. Certificate Serial Number: XXXXXXXX Certificate Authorization Code: XXXXXXX Redeem by Phone: 1-800-722-5970 Redeem Online: RoyalCaribbeanCertificates.com

https://www.royalcaribbeancertificates.com/

Actually, you can purchase them online. My sons give me RCCL gift certificates for Christmas almost every year. I looooooove my sons!! https://www.royalcaribbeancertificates.com/

Politely disagree. Those who pay for Suite and solo rates should earn extra points to keep it equitable.

I'm picky about lasagna, too. I find that most restaurants are stingy with the sauce. I am not.

Agree. It sits in the fridge overnight so the flavors can blend, the sauce get absorbed a little in the noodles, and the cheese settle. Serving within 24 hours of cooking is my mark.

Well, it's like what my wonderful deceased husband used to say: money can't buy happiness, but it's just something one has to decide for themselves....... Same with these desserts.

Thank you, everyone. I expect if there's a hot fudge sundae in the mix, I would have 2 in a week. I agree that two of those pictured would not work for me, either. I'll go look at the other threads.

I noticed in my Princess Plus add-on to my Alaska cruise this May an item called "Premium Desserts, 2 per day". What is different about them, and do they make you scan/swipe your medallion to prove you are worthy of this uplifted culinary experience? (Of course my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. I'm not even a big dessert eater, but maybe I'm wrong if it's "premium".)

I firmly believe no Italian food is very good unless it's cooked fresh in the kitchen, and then served. That's why I always eat Italian in a highly Yelp-rated restaurant, and skip it the rest of the time. I'm spoiled by my own 45 year old lasagna sauce recipe (NOT spaghetti sauce) and my lasagna.

Agree. This is what I found on the Vision last week also. You can also have 2 smalls and one large, and dessert. I find the large plates to be, well, LARGE! Green tea ice cream is the best, IMO.

I had this happen to both my sons way back in 2008 after a family cruise. They were both well over 18. Just so happens that I enrolled them in C&A in 1994 when we took a family cruise out of San Pedro. After reaching Diamond, I received a letter listing all four of us with our C&A numbers, congratulating us. I went head-to-head with Customer Service in 2008, as I still had that letter. I argued with them for a good 15 minutes, telling them I would be more than happy to send a copy of that letter, with the C&A numbers, on the RCCL letterhead, with the date that my sons reached Diamond status. Or, they could write me another letter, with all the same info, telling me exactly why they WEREN'T Diamond anymore. A supervisor finally agreed with me.

This reminds me of a crew member I talked to in the Windjammer on the Vision. He said he was desperate to get off the ship and find some good Indian food, and that what he'd been eating was.......he hesitated, looking for a description.............I said, "McDonalds of Indian food?" He said, "Yes! Exactly!"

I got the news from my nephew and his family about the Enchantment a few days ago, and was greatly relieved to hear they had improved the food prep and service. My family are not frequent cruisers with RCCL, so they didn't miss the menu changes, like those of us who lost our beloved grilled salmon choice.😀

OK, then you have to decide if you want a lot Greece or France, Spain, and Italy. It's a tough decision, and it depends on how far back you want to go in history, and what you are interested in seeing. I'm prejudiced, I'll admit. I would much rather see art and the Renaissance first, then ancient ruins. I can only say that when I walked into the Sistine Chapel for the first time, I burst into tears. That's how incredible it was, and how overwhelmed I was by actually getting to see it. St. Peter's Basilica is an amazing experience, and if you take Option 2, add a day or two at the end to see more of Rome. What my friend and I did on our 2017 trip was plan for the city sites during the cruise (taking the Rome Express Train tour to avoid using up hours in the heavy traffic into Rome), and then got a hotel near the Vatican after the cruise. We went to St Peter's Basilica at 7am the first morning when it was just opening, always free to enter, no crowds, and could stand and look at Michelangelo's Pieta as long as we wanted. Option 3 with 2 days in Athens. Athens super crowded, and traffic is horrible. So, IMO the only way to get around Athens itself is underground on the metro. You take any tour using city streets, you end up in the traffic mess. So study up on the metro before you go with Option 3. I have an app on my phone, Moovit, that was a great help with buses in Rome, and the metro in Athens. Once you choose, come back and ask for suggestions for the ports.