Biker19

The Arcade tour can get expensive.

Pretty sure you can't get the camera view which is used on the virtual balcony screen to come on the TV.

No, you can only book traditional online when you first book or afterward by calling with whoever you booked with.

Usually, yes.

No, early and late traditional are still available.

Usually at 30 days out when eDocs become available.

Marketing wise, sure, but the reality is that there are so many variables that any single other ship from another brand at one time could make that claim. RCI hasn't and won't put any numbers in writing to make that claim because the slogans are good enough. BTW, the main goal for RCI was to save money by installing Starlink.

Not sure that is a fair description. RCI was one of the first with O3B and while they quit the upgrades once they finished with Freedom class, about half the fleet had it. Few other lines, if any, had that much installed base on a single brand. Unless you are downloading large files (few have that need), latency is the most important determinant of user perceived performance and O3B helped a lot with that. We are at that point again, with Starlink, where the latency improvement, not speed, will likely make the generic users happier with the performance. Yes, switching from Surf to Stream is meaningful, but upping the speed of Stream from 4Mbps to say, the 10Mbps you are seeing on Oasis, will likely be hardly noticeable for most users. Not sure any other mainstream brand (10+ ships) is zooming by RCI for best internet at sea.

Maybe:

Biker, who is waiting for the parenting/morality police.

Not sure why folks assume that once a ship switches to Starlink they should get something other than long ago established limits?

Like a GTY booking, it sounds like Royal Up is not for you.

For missing a couple of ports, yes, a 50% refund AND a 25% FCC, is generous.

Due to a propulsion issue and a medical evacuation, Royal Caribbean International has dramatically altered the current sailing of Ovation of the Seas, dropping two ports of call and returning to Sydney at low speed. Guests onboard have been notified of the changes and the ship is expected to arrive back in Sydney on time on Friday. Significant Changes to Ovation of the Seas Sailing Ovation of the Seas is currently sailing a 9-night South Pacific cruise, having departed Sydney, Australia on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. The ship spent two days at sea before calling in Vanuatu as planned, but has now had significant itinerary changes. According to guests onboard, the ship first diverted to Isle of Pines – a small island in the southeastern part of New Caledonia – for an unspecified medical evacuation, and will then return directly to Sydney rather than making its additional planned ports of call. Isle of Pines is 345 miles (555 kilometers) south of the ship’s last – and now only – port visit in Port Vila, Vanuatu, and is relatively in line with the ship’s route between Vanuatu and Sydney, so the diversion has been minimal. To protect the individual’s privacy, the nature of the medical evacuation has not been disclosed, and it is unknown whether the emergency involves a passenger or crew member. The ship is now en route back to Sydney, with tracking data showing the vessel moving along at just 15 knots (17 miles per hour / 28 kilometers per hour). This is significantly below the ship’s top speed of 22 knots (25 mph / 41 kph), and has been explained as a propulsion issue, though further details have not been released. The two additional ports of call on the itinerary – Noumea and Mystery Island – have been canceled, as the ship cannot maintain the appropriate speed to visit the ports and provide adequate onshore time for guests while still maintaining the overall itinerary schedule. Instead, the ship will now remain at sea for four days, with a planned arrival back to Sydney by 6:30 a.m. on Friday, December 23. Generous Compensation Offered In a letter sent to guests onboard, Royal Caribbean International has offered generous compensation for the missed ports of call. “We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused by this unexpected situation,” the letter read. “Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope you enjoy the remainder of your time onboard Ovation of the Seas.” All guests will receive a 50% refund of their fare for the current, now dramatically altered cruise. Furthermore, all pre-paid Royal Caribbean shore tours for the canceled ports of call to Noumea and Mystery Island are being refunded. Those refund amounts have already been credited to guests’ onboard accounts, and can be used throughout the remainder of the cruise. Any funds remaining at the end of the cruise will be returned to the card a guest has registered on file for shipboard expenses. In addition, guests will also receive a 25% future cruise credit (FCC) based on the cruise fare paid for this sailing, not including taxes, fees, and gratuities. This FCC can be used for any sailing aboard any Royal Caribbean ship departing on or before December 31, 2024. No Word on the Next Sailing Ovation of the Seas‘ next cruise is scheduled to be a 12-night sailing circumnavigating New Zealand, with seven amazing ports of call. There is no word yet as to whether or not this next cruise – or others thereafter – may be impacted. Any potential changes will depend on the nature of the propulsion issue the ship is experiencing, including whether or not repairs can be made while the ship is underway. It is possible that one or more ports of call may be canceled to permit the ship to sail at a slower speed while still preserving other port visits, or times in port may be shortened to provide more cruising time. If the engine issue is more severe, the entire cruise may need to be canceled for more extensive repairs. Guests booked onboard the next Ovation of the Seas sailing, as well as upcoming cruises in the near future, should stay in close contact with their travel advisor or directly with Royal Caribbean International for updates as needed. https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-ship-suffers-mechanical-issue-ports-cancelled/90759

Mods are fairly lenient in some cases.

Not sure Royal Up has affected assignments much - most wins come after GTY cabin assignments. Cabin upgrades were just as rare before Royal Up started.

Introducing RCI originated documentation from their web site into an evolving thing (menus on ships, especially a specific ship) is not a good idea. Even the app info could be a bit off from what someone actually experiences on the ship, though generally much more accurate than some outdated online reference.

The chances of your cabin changing are about the same as mask mandates coming back

It applies to most ships - what you see in the planner for times is what's available. Otherwise, the process is about the same as the last time you sailed.

Yes, that is the norm with RCI, especially with COVID related issues.

Welcome to CC.

You may also want to browse the east coast departures section for ideas.

Keep checking the app.

Welcome to CC.