Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[bobmacliberty]

12 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Thanks for your report.

I  was wondering if Gavin or Claudia was any of the concierges DL or SL? We loved them both.

 

I don't know who was in the DL/CL.  The SL concierges were Dexter and Cristiano.

[bobmacliberty]

I forgot to talk about the Royal App.  I found it both helpful and frustrating.  Almost everything that you need to know was in the app somewhere.  I'm very computer literate and it still took me a while to figure out how to navigate through the app to find what I wanted.  I figure it out after a few days.  It WAS helpful though to see what activities were planned a few days in advance (vs waiting for the cruise compass to be delivered the night before) and to see restaurant menus in advance.  All restaurants that we visited had QR codes on the table but gave us regular menus without asking.  We also received regular cruise compasses every night and had the normal amount of additional paper on the first day.

[Sunshine3601]

54 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

Final thoughts.  First a "first world problem" disclaimer.  Cruising has always been a great way for us to escape from reality and either do a lot or do nothing.  Either way was different from day to day life and very enjoyable.  As you know, I retired last year and we moved to our slice of paradise in NE Florida.  We have a great beach and belong to a club with a beautiful ocean front clubhouse, lounge chairs and umbrellas on the beach, a nice pool, 3 restaurants ranging from pool casual to formal, and outstanding wait service.  We are privileged to enjoy that lifestyle almost any day that we want.  Cruising therefore is no longer an alternative to the drudgery of work, it's now an alternative to what already feels like daily paradise.

 

With that as background, we found ourselves bored on sea days.  There wasn't a lot to do that interested us.  We spent some time in the Solarium and some time reading, both on our balcony and in the SL.  But we can do that any day at home, complete with ocean view and frozen drinks.

 

Ports were just OK because we've largely been there, done that.  It was good to see Magens Bay, good to get some bourbon in Philipsburg, and fun to spend some time on CocoCay.  I think we will need some new and different ports to keep us interested in the future.  I don't think we'll be like many of you who don't need to go into a port town because you enjoy the ship while everyone else is ashore.  

 

Our Harmony cruise next April will be our first time in an Oasis class GS, and will (hopefully) stop at Antigua (only been there once).  That combined with a hopefully more complete suite experience and more onboard activities should hold our interest.  We also have Alaska and a TP to Hawaii scheduled which should be great.  I wouldn't mind another southern cruise since we've only done that once, but the eastern and western cruises are getting a little repetitive.

 

We were always once, maybe twice a year cruisers before retirement.  I thought we might do several cruises a year now that we live in Florida, or maybe do a few B2B2Bs.  I think we'll stay with only cruising once or twice a year with a good itinerary and do a lot more land travel to countries that we've not yet thoroughly visited.  Time will tell.

 

I hope I didn't sound too negative or nit picky.  It really was a good cruise overall.  Most of you are very familiar with and like the Royal product so I didn't play up the good stuff much.  Those of you cruising soon should see a lot of what you have always like about Royal.  I tried to focus on what seemed different to me post Covid which in a few big ways, but mostly a lot of little ways, felt negative.  I think Royal needs a little more time to get newer crew members fully trained and to get everyone back into a routine.  I don't know when we will get back to this "normal" that everyone is talking about, but it will be nice when it happens.  Happy cruising!

I really appreciated your review and honesty of what you liked and disliked.     

I read on one of the Oasis live review threads some similar comments about the crew and having difficulty understanding with masks on and sometimes there was just too many crew asking if you needed anything instead of letting you just relax and enjoy.

It is a shame you didn't have the full suite experience this trip and hopefully your next sailing will be a better one. 

I absolutely love the southern sailings to ABC or take a look at the grandeur or voyager sailings that go to Tortola, DR, etc.  

We really enjoyed our sailing last year to Colombia, Honduras, Costa Maya, Panama, and a couple others.    Maybe these islands will give you the change you need for the caribbean. 

But there is always Europe.   That is where we really look forward to exploring once we don't have to masks to fly there.

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I can confirm that you can move OBC from your room account to a slot machine for a 5% fee, and then immediately cash out of the slot machine and get your money from the cashier.  No need for even one slot pull.  I did this for our remaining OBC on the last night.

Thanks for the heads up.  I have heard others talking about this.  Nice to hear a recent cruiser who was able to take advantage of it. 

[Keksie]

Our cat Elmer is very laid back and has never gotten upset with the dogs or other cats - he just shrugs it off.  Samantha is no exception.  He was eating and she thought his tail was the most fun ever.  He just kept eating and raising his tail out of her reach.  LOL

 

[Coralc]

5 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Thanks for the heads up.  I have heard others talking about this.  Nice to hear a recent cruiser who was able to take advantage of it. 

Check out this thread from today. It has Step by Step instructions: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2803696-obc-and-casino/

[Ozark_Kid]

17 minutes ago, Coralc said:

Check out this thread from today. It has Step by Step instructions: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2803696-obc-and-casino/

Thanks.  With a $300 limit, I may have to play a few times!  We still have $975. OBC.  Maybe I will need to eat more Maine lobster. 

Edited September 27, 2021 by Ozark_Kid

[George C]

25 minutes ago, Keksie said:

Our cat Elmer is very laid back and has never gotten upset with the dogs or other cats - he just shrugs it off.  Samantha is no exception.  He was eating and she thought his tail was the most fun ever.  He just kept eating and raising his tail out of her reach.  LOL

 

Love it, great picture 

[Sunshine3601]

2 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Thanks.  With a $300 limit, I may have to play a few times!  We still have $975. OBC.  Maybe I will need to eat more Maine lobster. 

I was surprised to see the poster mention a $300 limit, that must be a new rule.    Also surprised to hear that some people are being charged 5% fee and other people are not being charged, guess it depends on the ship.

That will be lots of starbucks and lots of lobster 😂

[akcruz]

1 hour ago, bobmacliberty said:

Final thoughts.  First a "first world problem" disclaimer. 

 

Agree, while we love cruising, doing the same trip over and over is not an interest for us.  Yes we do repeat some things but try to fit in new ports and/or ships wherever we can as well as land trips.  Living at the beach definitely changes your perspective.

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I was surprised to see the poster mention a $300 limit, that must be a new rule.    Also surprised to hear that some people are being charged 5% fee and other people are not being charged, guess it depends on the ship.

That will be lots of starbucks and lots of lobster 😂

The TA deserves at least a latte a day 😂.  It was the first time I noticed the $300 limit mentioned and I am noticing the 5% paid by some but not all.  No biggie. 

[A&L_Ont]

On 9/26/2021 at 7:32 PM, ReneeFLL said:

This is what happens when one of the cats want to get on Mike when he is lying down.

 

Is the cat trying to suffocate Mike?  😉😂

[A&L_Ont]

5 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Last week Corrie was wondering if Gpa would take her on the cruise.  Today see thought, maybe if I give him a cookie and a smile……. But the cookie was so good she started eating it.

 

She is smiling because there are no raisins in that cookie. That’s a smart girl. 😀

[jagsfan]

4 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Thanks.  My TA 😊  just got off the phone with C&A.  We were seeing if they could get us on the same flour with friends .  While on the phone they credited back our 4 device package.  Just what we needed, more OBC 😂.  We are on the 8th deck and they are on the 11th.  They are just one room over and 3 floors up.

You might want to think twice about moving. Deck 8 has Central Park. 
Deck 11 just has cabins. 
There’s a wall across from your door, instead of people coming snd going, so it’s quiet. Walk forward or aft to the elevators, and you’re in Central Park!

[Ozark_Kid]

16 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

You might want to think twice about moving. Deck 8 has Central Park. 
Deck 11 just has cabins. 
There’s a wall across from your door, instead of people coming snd going, so it’s quiet. Walk forward or aft to the elevators, and you’re in Central Park!

Thanks.

Looks unlikely they will change it but we let C&A know if they had a GS come available on 8 then move our friends but we do not want to move. 

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

Needed this today.  Cheers!

Is that a Cosmo? I would love one right now.

[BonTexasNY]

I just checked pricing for Liberty out of Galveston, Feb. 2022.  I didn't think we would cruise until Friends of Bella but these rates popped out at us!   $1.060 for PR cabin for two, not p/p. Balcony $1,350 for 2 which includes Emerald balcony discount.  Doesn't say anything about refundable deposit which would be a deal breaker for us.  We do not want a future cruise credit if we have to cancel.  Credit on our card would work best.  I think I might have to talk to my TA!

 

I also follow you tube"s Aboard with Jord, the pro skater now on Adventure,  I had no idea it was going in dry dock  and then coming to Galveston for 4-5 night cruises for a short while.  Interesting,

[Sea Dog]

57 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

 

I also follow you tube"s Aboard with Jord, the pro skater now on Adventure,  I had no idea it was going in dry dock  and then coming to Galveston for 4-5 night cruises for a short while.  Interesting,

I watched Jordan's video too and was surprised to hear about the dry dock. I curious as to what all will be done?

[Lionesss]

NEWS FLASH

 

RCI will for a fee offer COVID testing at Port on future sailings.

Must pre register in advance.

Takes approx one hour turn over time.

 

You have to have had the vaccinations.

 

No change on criteria for children.

 

This is great news for those who have trouble getting the test scheduled.

[BonTexasNY]

43 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I watched Jordan's video too and was surprised to hear about the dry dock. I curious as to what all will be done?

She said it would be a 1-1/2  to 2 month dry dock which sounds like quite an overhaul. I'm curious too!

38 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

NEWS FLASH

 

RCI will for a fee offer COVID testing at Port on future sailings.

Must pre register in advance.

Takes approx one hour turn over time.

 

You have to have had the vaccinations.

 

No change on criteria for children.

 

This is great news for those who have trouble getting the test scheduled.

I agree. It's good RCI is giving folks a choice, but I would prefer to hear the bad news of a positive test close to home rather than after a plane ride and a hotel stay possibly affecting others around me.  Too stressful waiting up to the last minute to find out if we're safe to board the ship.

 

 

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

She said it would be a 1-1/2  to 2 month dry dock which sounds like quite an overhaul. 

Some of the full Amps didn't take that long. Given her early Nov return to sailing, I can't see the dry dock being more than about 2 weeks.

[ReneeFLL]

5 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

…I read on one of the Oasis live review threads some similar comments about the crew and having difficulty understanding with masks on and sometimes there was just too many crew asking if you needed anything instead of letting you just relax and enjoy.…

That was one of the problems we also had was the crew constantly asking if we needed anything else. It became annoying. I have been booking more cruises because I really like it with the less capacity, but it does have its drawbacks. Right now I just want to be on a ship and I don’t care where it goes. 🥂 🛳

 

Edited September 28, 2021 by ReneeFLL

[ReneeFLL]

3 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Is the cat trying to suffocate Mike?  😉😂

Her favorite place is on Mike’s lap. Chest also works for her as long as she is with him. She practically never leaves his side. 😻 Me, I’m the one that found her in bad shape at a Publix parking lot and the only time she pays any attention to me is when Mike is gone. I’m chopped liver when he is home.😸

He has allergies to the cats and this sort of helps keep her away from his face.

 

1 hour ago, Lionesss said:

NEWS FLASH

 

RCI will for a fee offer COVID testing at Port on future sailings.

Must pre register in advance.

Takes approx one hour turn over time.

 

You have to have had the vaccinations.

 

No change on criteria for children.

 

This is great news for those who have trouble getting the test scheduled.

I received the email with this info. It did say there would be limited tests.

Edited September 28, 2021 by ReneeFLL

[BonTexasNY]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Some of the full Amps didn't take that long. Given her early Nov return to sailing, I can't see the dry dock being more than about 2 weeks.

Just listened to Jordan's blog again.  She stated at the beginning that there wouldn't be guests on board for one month and at the end, she said that there wouldn't be passengers on board for the next 1-1/2 months.  More than that I don't know.  How long do dry docks usually take?

[dani negreanu]

9 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

Doesn't say anything about refundable deposit which would be a deal breaker for us.

 

Only refundable deposit for us too 👍

 

If it is, go for it. The best trips are those which didn't involve a lot of planning to begin with 😉

Edited September 28, 2021 by dani negreanu
added "go for it"