Sizzlechest

I know. There are so few outlets on these ships (especially the older ones) that a simple request like this throws so many things out of whack. Cruisers should bring non-surge suppressor multi-tap plugs.

Anytime I ask for a banana-flavored drink, all they offer is a BBC, which I'm not a fan. Can they make this on ships without a Bamboo Room bar?

Has anyone checked if the minimum bids are lower than if the room was purchased originally?

I guess any RCL ships that dock in Wisconsin are bound by this law j/k.

Your delusions have been noted.

Right. The whole Rising Tide Bar is where drinks are served. No trivia contests there.

The Windjammer has no high-tops. All those seats are open to anyone. They serve more coffee from the Windjammer "bar" than alcohol.

What do all bar areas have in common? Kids are not allowed at the high-top chairs. The other seats are a common area. The Rising Tide bar has all hightops. It was never intended for children.

No, not at the bar. The seats surrounding the bar are fine.

If all of Playmakers were a bar, that would be true.

It's literally called the "Rising Tide Bar." The whole thing is a bar. And for the record: Age Restriction 21+ on sailings from North America, 18+ on sailings from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Obviously, it's not enforced.

It depends on the Cruise Director. I've seen kids turned away on one sailing and then allowed on that same ship one year later. Personally, I feel that it's not appropriate for anyone not drinking to be on it. It's a bar, not a ride. If you want to go up and down, take an elevator. It goes much higher, too.

Confirmed. https://archive.ph/lUfQn

Here's the article: https://12ft.io/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/05/royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-icon-of-seas/677838/ He's the actual CHUD meme face.

I want to try this one, but I usually don't drink gin. If I were to modify it, what would I replace it with?

I went from NCL to RCL in part because of the crowding on NCL's newer ships. I don't have any issues with RCL mega ships getting seats at shows, dining reservations, etc. The adults-only areas are truly adults-only.

A good metric for food quality is to compare the MDR/Windjammer to the specialty options. I would expect a gap, but not very wide. The gap has widened. You might say, "Then get a dining package and pay for it." Yeah, you could say that, and that might not be a bad idea for the large ships like Oasis class that has lots of specialty options. What about Freedom class ships? I'm going on a 7-9 day cruise on the Liberty with only three options: Chops, Giovanni's, and Sabor. That's not going to work for anyone. I paid for Chops and Giovanni's individually for the MDR menu nights that I can't stand. Other cruise lines have more Chinese food* options. RCL has no wok station. They do have a lot of Indian food options. I assume it's because RCL can kill two birds with one stone: offer different food options that are also vegan-friendly. OTOH, I noticed the dining staff is over-represented by Indian employees, so maybe it's just that simple. *Yes, it's technically Americanized Chinese food, but the point still stands.

I've gone through this entire thread and I nominate PG_Cruiser as the best posted in Cruise Critic history. This was an incredible effort. Some of those drinks only available on Icon of the Seas look great. I'm assuming if you asked for them on another ship, they'd have no idea how to make them. Now with the recipe, they can. If you run out of official drinks, I suggest continuing this thread with off-menu drinks. A "Berrys and Cream" is something most RCL bartenders know how to make, but it's not on any menu in the fleet. A "Pistachio Martini" is another one the bartenders on the Liberty of the Seas knew how to make that was outstanding. (Sorry, I didn't get the recipe.) I also have a couple of drinks I instruct the bartenders to make that I have memorized. If anyone else does, maybe we can share them.

I get a small amount of real heavy cream from the espresso area. Order a black russian and then turn it into a white russian.

Add a shot of Frangellico to make a Nutty Russian. It's amazing.

I asked my TA about making dining package reservations pre-cruise and here is what he said: RCL is currently trying it out on the ICON and will be on the Utopia. There’s no word yet when they will be rolling out pre-cruise reservations at Specialty restaurants again.

I get it, but every cruise line has its pluses and minuses. RCL: Pay for popcorn. Free pizza. NCL: Pay for pizza. Free popcorn. 🤷‍♀️

Yes, but the ice cream you have to pay for is excellent. I'm GLAD the contract with Ben and Jerry's expired. The Sugar Shack stuff on the Oasis class ships is now on the Freedom class (from what I heard.) BTW, if you are on an Oasis-class ship and have the UDP, don't pay for ice cream at Sugar Shack. Go to Playmakers and get it for free (but without the cone). And yes, they have all the same flavors as what's in Sugar Shack. You don't have to stick with the Tahitian Vanilla just because that's what's on the menu at Playmakers.

Yeah. They have very generic vanilla in the MDR (sometimes), too But NCL has a whole sundae station in their buffet.

You should ask for a refund. That's unacceptable. Aqua 80 is great not because it's "80s music set to diving/acrobatics." It's not because Gen Xers enjoy it. It is because they created an entirely new soundtrack using multiple 80s songs simultaneously. They're going to make a new Aqua 80s show on another ship. I just hope they go the extra mile for the soundtrack of that one. I hate Cats, too. However, I met someone who loved it. I think it's because they read the book many years ago. I had no idea it was a book.