Top 5 Overrated RC things

[The Fun Researcher]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

Great Info., I did not know that.  I'll have to think seriously about that.  One of the minor reasons why I stick to RCCL is because of the Crown & Anchor.  I've always had the opinion that I didn't want to spread my loyalty and "points" around too much as they wouldn't accumulate as quickly and get diluted.  But, RCCL and X honor each other's system, why not, they are owned by the same umbrella company.  

 

Question though:  Do all "of age" people in the cabin have to purchase the "All In" package?

Yes I believe so but you may want to confirm.

 

For instance, we have a five night booked on the Equinox for December 2023. My wife and I have a balcony cabin and the up charge for the “all in” package (total, not each) was $480. $175 of that pays the gratuities for the two of us leaving $305 total for the both of us for Wi-Fi and unlimited drinks.

 

I would have to price out what the drink package will be on Royal for a five night cruise for two people. I know it’s way more than $305 (and don’t forget that includes unlimited Wi-Fi throughout the cruise as well for both of us)

 

Dan

[SarcasmSpasm]

1 hour ago, bretts173 said:

Did they really lose money or not make as much if you were buying them individually. Considering a a $14 cocktail probably only costs them $4 to produce.

I live in NYC. I’m used to $14-17 a cocktail - it’s disgusting. On our trip, they lost money.  If I paid individually for what I actually drank, they would have made significantly more.

Cheers to Black Friday deals!

[sandebeach]

On 12/13/2022 at 9:57 PM, Ashland said:

That would be our favorite Captain Johnny !!!! Over 40 RCI cruises for us and he's the only memorable one but a shout out to Captain Trym Selvag too. All the other's I have no idea who they were.

Captain Trym is great!!!

Edited December 16, 2022 by sandebeach

[grandgeezer]

2 hours ago, SarcasmSpasm said:

I live in NYC. I’m used to $14-17 a cocktail - it’s disgusting. On our trip, they lost money.  If I paid individually for what I actually drank, they would have made significantly more.

Cheers to Black Friday deals!

There are places around here that charge that kind of pricing too, we have other options where the pricing we pay are half that, that’s where we go. On the ship we get more free drinks, by being Diamond members, than we normally drink so drink packages are of no value to us.

[Ret MP]

We just became D on our last cruise.  We won't be able to take advantage of that status until our next booked cruise, which as of right now is Jan 2024 and as much as things are changing in the industry, I'm not sure the benefits will be the same or as pleasing, by then.  Having said that, if I book a Balcony cabin and the C&A benefits don't change, the Deluxe Beverage Package, or any adult beverage package, doesn't make sense.  We mostly drink juices, water, and soda anyway.  If I do exceed the C&A limit of 4 drinks a day for D, I think it is, I'd be more than happy to pay for them as I/we wouldn't be ordering much more, pitchers of beer for me excluded.  However, if I do my pitcher(s) of beer thing and they are probably not part of the voucher system, I'm not drinking much of anything else.  So, D status and above is a great benefit for many folks, like us.  If I have an adult beverage during the day, it will probably be a Bloody Mary or Screwdriver at breakfast, on occasion.  The Refreshment Package is still on the table for us though. We'll use up the vouchers on our first 4 adult beverages, use the Refreshment package and pay for anything above and beyond the 4 vouchers.  That should be a major savings for us.  

[The Fun Researcher]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

We just became D on our last cruise.  We won't be able to take advantage of that status until our next booked cruise, which as of right now is Jan 2024 and as much as things are changing in the industry, I'm not sure the benefits will be the same or as pleasing, by then.  Having said that, if I book a Balcony cabin and the C&A benefits don't change, the Deluxe Beverage Package, or any adult beverage package, doesn't make sense.  We mostly drink juices, water, and soda anyway.  If I do exceed the C&A limit of 4 drinks a day for D, I think it is, I'd be more than happy to pay for them as I/we wouldn't be ordering much more, pitchers of beer for me excluded.  However, if I do my pitcher(s) of beer thing and they are probably not part of the voucher system, I'm not drinking much of anything else.  So, D status and above is a great benefit for many folks, like us.  If I have an adult beverage during the day, it will probably be a Bloody Mary or Screwdriver at breakfast, on occasion.  The Refreshment Package is still on the table for us though. We'll use up the vouchers on our first 4 adult beverages, use the Refreshment package and pay for anything above and beyond the 4 vouchers.  That should be a major savings for us.  

I wouldn't lose much hope.  I don't see the cruise industry changing much for the worse.  There's always something that may go away, but there are also new things that show up with all these amazing new cruise ships.  I'm praying that the cruise industry is going just as strong, or more, by the time I retire.  God willing that will be about another 8-10 years and then our hope is to cruise A LOT, making use of those off season prices and just soaking it all in.

 

We'll be D after our March cruise, which for us is our major milestone with Royal.  It isn't for the status, but rather the drink package perks, and some of the others like the coffee in the D lounge, wifi, etc...  We'll certainly make use of the 4 drinks per day, but that's about our norm so we won't need to purchase too many more unless we decide to go off the rails a day or two.  (Hey, it's a cruise and we're on vacation after all).

 

Cheers, Dan

 

[jean87510]

I would like to see a list of 5 things you feel that Royal gets right.  

 

1.  Switching to vouchers.  

2.  Inside running track on Oasis Class.  Great concept.

3.  The App.  So much easier for those of us who hate paper

4.  The gyms.  I never see broken equipment.  Always clean

5.  The variety of shore excursions.  Although I prefer to go on my own, I like the more adventurous ones with smaller groups especially in the Caribbean.  I have actually booked a couple that are doing what I was trying to find an outfit to do and for a better price.  

 

My husband and I are not ones who do the shows, trivia, sit by the pool, go to the MDR, get a drink package, sit in the lounges.  We like to go to a shaded area out of the pool deck.  We like the Windjammer and Specialty restaurants.  We are gym rats.  We like the movie theaters onboard.  He does work for a few hours so he will at times hang on the balcony.  The overall experience on the ships we have sailed from the little guys to the Symphony has been great even when sailing during the protocol era.  

I did a list the other day in jest but I do stand by it.  However, I always have a great time.  And will continue to sail on Royal until they spill wine on my luggage or make me stand in line with non Diamonds 😉

 

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I wouldn't lose much hope.  I don't see the cruise industry changing much for the worse.  There's always something that may go away, but there are also new things that show up with all these amazing new cruise ships.  I'm praying that the cruise industry is going just as strong, or more, by the time I retire.  God willing that will be about another 8-10 years and then our hope is to cruise A LOT, making use of those off season prices and just soaking it all in.

 

We'll be D after our March cruise, which for us is our major milestone with Royal.  It isn't for the status, but rather the drink package perks, and some of the others like the coffee in the D lounge, wifi, etc...  We'll certainly make use of the 4 drinks per day, but that's about our norm so we won't need to purchase too many more unless we decide to go off the rails a day or two.  (Hey, it's a cruise and we're on vacation after all).

 

Cheers, Dan

 

Perfect!

[lenquixote66]

On 12/13/2022 at 3:00 PM, Husky1987 said:

Thanks for clicking...you get to read the results of my boredom at work.

 

1. Johnny Rockets milkshakes

2. Kummelweck sandwiches

3. MDR lobster

4. Towel animals at night

5. CC threads with lists

 

What are yours?

When I was bored at work the internet was not in existence.Of your five I have only experienced the latter two and towel animals would be on my list.

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, jean87510 said:

I would like to see a list of 5 things you feel that Royal gets right.  

 

1.  Switching to vouchers.  

2.  Inside running track on Oasis Class.  Great concept.

3.  The App.  So much easier for those of us who hate paper

4.  The gyms.  I never see broken equipment.  Always clean

5.  The variety of shore excursions.  Although I prefer to go on my own, I like the more adventurous ones with smaller groups especially in the Caribbean.  I have actually booked a couple that are doing what I was trying to find an outfit to do and for a better price.  

 

My husband and I are not ones who do the shows, trivia, sit by the pool, go to the MDR, get a drink package, sit in the lounges.  We like to go to a shaded area out of the pool deck.  We like the Windjammer and Specialty restaurants.  We are gym rats.  We like the movie theaters onboard.  He does work for a few hours so he will at times hang on the balcony.  The overall experience on the ships we have sailed from the little guys to the Symphony has been great even when sailing during the protocol era.  

I did a list the other day in jest but I do stand by it.  However, I always have a great time.  And will continue to sail on Royal until they spill wine on my luggage or make me stand in line with non Diamonds 😉

 

While I don't agree 100% of what's in your list (I only have very minor diversions from 2 of them and not worth noting) and that's your list, your preferences.  

[crewsweeper]

On 12/13/2022 at 5:10 PM, RobInMN said:

1. Concierge Lounge for D+
2. Nightly turndown service (second room service)
3. Poolside Lounge chairs
4. "Classics" on the main dining room menu
5. All-you-can-eat small lobster tails
6. Diamond Lounge Happy Hour

 

😅

*runs for cover*

 

 

Your#4 will soon be no more.  And#5 is swimming away too.

Not a D+ some have no clue about their worth.  Probably very little.

[The Fun Researcher]

Things they do right:  Here's a few, in my opinion.  Basically what keeps us coming back:

 

1)  Their innovation with ship layout,  design, and venues.  IMO they are the industry leader here by a significant margin.

2)  MDR space (but maybe not Quantum class) and quality of MDR food

3)  Pool Deck design and layout

4)  Evening Entertainment

5)  Connecting inside cabins (2-3, 2-4, 3-3, 4-4)  Even though it's still costly, this has allowed our family of 5 to have an option that offers more affordability to cruise.

 

Dan

[jean87510]

21 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

While I don't agree 100% of what's in your list (I only have very minor diversions from 2 of them and not worth noting) and that's your list, your preferences.  

🙄

[Ret MP]

12 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

🙄

SMH

[Ret MP]

2 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

.....

 

I wasn't going to start doing a deep dive into checking out the "All In" on X until I was seriously looking for our next cruise to book.  But, out of curiosity, I just looked into X's adult beverage package(s).  Unlike Royal, X has two tiered adult beverage packages.  When you cruise with X and you select the "All In" fare, it includes the lower tier adult beverage package, "Classic Package".  Not the "Premium Package".  No real big deal for me/us.  I'm happy with the status/quality of the choices in the Classic Package.  It's just fruit for thought for those that don't know that, as of today, there is a difference.  Also, their included Internet Package is also the lower tier package.  Much like Royal's packages, or were. 

 

I find myself having to make a disclaimer these days, so here goes:  The above post is meant to provide information.  It isn't an attempt to sway any opinions one way or the other.  It's not intended to say one thing is better than another.  It's just a post on a social media site with no nefarious intent.  <not intended toward you, Dan.

[The Fun Researcher]

11 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I wasn't going to start doing a deep dive into checking out the "All In" on X until I was seriously looking for our next cruise to book.  But, out of curiosity, I just looked into X's adult beverage package(s).  Unlike Royal, X has two tiered adult beverage packages.  When you cruise with X and you select the "All In" fare, it includes the lower tier adult beverage package, "Classic Package".  Not the "Premium Package".  No real big deal for me/us.  I'm happy with the status/quality of the choices in the Classic Package.  It's just fruit for thought for those that don't know that, as of today, there is a difference.  Also, their included Internet Package is also the lower tier package.  Much like Royal's packages, or were. 

 

I find myself having to make a disclaimer these days, so here goes:  The above post is meant to provide information.  It isn't an attempt to sway any opinions one way or the other.  It's not intended to say one thing is better than another.  It's just a post on a social media site with no nefarious intent.  <not intended toward you, Dan.

Yeah, no arguments.  However  I believe  Celebrity’s classic packages similar to Royals drink package. The premium gets you high end liquors that are more pricey than royal’s per drink $ allowance for their standard drink package.  I could be wrong about that.

 

Sure the WiFi may not be the fast package, but allowing me to text others in our party or keep in touch with those at home is all I need.  

[Ret MP]

5 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Yeah, no arguments.  However  I believe  Celebrity’s classic packages similar to Royals drink package. The premium gets you high end liquors that are more pricey than royal’s per drink $ allowance for their standard drink package.  I could be wrong about that.

 

Sure the WiFi may not be the fast package, but allowing me to text others in our party or keep in touch with those at home is all I need.  

Yep, none of that would turn me away from, possibly, trying X one day.  That's for sure.

[Husky1987]

4 hours ago, jean87510 said:

I would like to see a list of 5 things you feel that Royal gets right.  

 

1.  Switching to vouchers.  

2.  Inside running track on Oasis Class.  Great concept.

3.  The App.  So much easier for those of us who hate paper

4.  The gyms.  I never see broken equipment.  Always clean

5.  The variety of shore excursions.  Although I prefer to go on my own, I like the more adventurous ones with smaller groups especially in the Caribbean.  I have actually booked a couple that are doing what I was trying to find an outfit to do and for a better price.  

 

My husband and I are not ones who do the shows, trivia, sit by the pool, go to the MDR, get a drink package, sit in the lounges.  We like to go to a shaded area out of the pool deck.  We like the Windjammer and Specialty restaurants.  We are gym rats.  We like the movie theaters onboard.  He does work for a few hours so he will at times hang on the balcony.  The overall experience on the ships we have sailed from the little guys to the Symphony has been great even when sailing during the protocol era.  

I did a list the other day in jest but I do stand by it.  However, I always have a great time.  And will continue to sail on Royal until they spill wine on my luggage or make me stand in line with non Diamonds 😉

 

 

My OP was half in jest as well (after seeing so many Kummelweck threads)...but I would definitely agree with 1, 3, and 4 on your plus list!  I haven't used the Oasis track often (I usually do some yoga then camp out on an elliptical for an hour), but it seems to be a good one as well.  

 

Honestly, I've never had a bad, or even a "meh" cruise...any week away from work in the sun is always better than the alternative for me.

[RobInMN]

3 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Your#4 will soon be no more.  And#5 is swimming away too.

Not a D+ some have no clue about their worth.  Probably very little.

My post you responded to was not meant to be taken seriously, Hence the laughing emoji and the 5 people that "Haha"d it.

 

[mpdog42]

7 hours ago, Ret MP said:

We just became D on our last cruise.  We won't be able to take advantage of that status until our next booked cruise, which as of right now is Jan 2024 and as much as things are changing in the industry, I'm not sure the benefits will be the same or as pleasing, by then.  Having said that, if I book a Balcony cabin and the C&A benefits don't change, the Deluxe Beverage Package, or any adult beverage package, doesn't make sense.  We mostly drink juices, water, and soda anyway.  If I do exceed the C&A limit of 4 drinks a day for D, I think it is, I'd be more than happy to pay for them as I/we wouldn't be ordering much more, pitchers of beer for me excluded.  However, if I do my pitcher(s) of beer thing and they are probably not part of the voucher system, I'm not drinking much of anything else.  So, D status and above is a great benefit for many folks, like us.  If I have an adult beverage during the day, it will probably be a Bloody Mary or Screwdriver at breakfast, on occasion.  The Refreshment Package is still on the table for us though. We'll use up the vouchers on our first 4 adult beverages, use the Refreshment package and pay for anything above and beyond the 4 vouchers.  That should be a major savings for us.  

"If I have an adult beverage during the day, it will probably be a Bloody Mary or Screwdriver at breakfast, on occasion".....Sounds like a NCO getting ready for Morning Formation!!!!😁

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, mpdog42 said:

"If I have an adult beverage during the day, it will probably be a Bloody Mary or Screwdriver at breakfast, on occasion".....Sounds like a NCO getting ready for Morning Formation!!!!😁

Close!  Fireball Whisky is what I learned by my mentoring NCO's.  

[mpdog42]

1 minute ago, Ret MP said:

Close!  Fireball Whisky is what I learned by my mentoring NCO's.  

One time when i was a Spec4. my Sgt had me go wake up a PFC who missed formation and who had been up all night drinking "Mad Dog 20/20...Had to put in in a very cold shower!!!😁

 

[mpdog42]

14 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Close!  Fireball Whisky is what I learned by my mentoring NCO's.  

Didn't think they had Fireball Whisky during the Great War😁

[mk-ultra]

On 12/13/2022 at 12:00 PM, Husky1987 said:

Thanks for clicking...you get to read the results of my boredom at work.

 

1. Johnny Rockets milkshakes

2. Kummelweck sandwiches

3. MDR lobster

4. Towel animals at night

5. CC threads with lists

 

What are yours?

 

2. Kummelweck sandwiches

 

Them's fightin' words.  You'll pry my Kummelweck from my dead, cold hands.

Edited December 18, 2022 by mk-ultra

[Old Fart Cruisers]

As far as beef sandwiches go, I would rate Kummelwecks about a 3 to 4 out of 10.  I've had worse, but I've had a lot of beef sandwiches, from many different places that are much, much better than Royal's Kummelwecks.  That being said, I think the quality of beef they use now has really gone downhill.