la_croisiere_s'amuse

8 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

My brother and I have stayed in the UK several times during Eurovision.  Will just miss the final (5/11) this year.  Doing a TA, then staying post-cruise outside Barcelona, but flying home on Friday, 5/10.

Aw, that's unfortunate timing. But if you have Peacock, they stream it live now!

As one of the relatively few Americans who actually watches Eurovision ... I think this is fantastic! 😊

I am a big fan of the Odyssey (other Quantum ships, not so much), but I also love the Oasis class. The Odyssey definitely does have less outdoor space, but for me, that's actually a bonus: I love Caribbean cruises, but I also love A/C. 🤣 And unlike Oasis ships, the Odyssey has a fully enclosed and air-conditioned Solarium.

I hang out on my balcony when I can handle the heat & humidity, but I also love having the panoramic views forward and aft from the Solarium and Two70. 

I seldom get seasick, but on our last Seattle itinerary I most definitely did. 🫤 We've done the Seattle route three times and the other two were okay, but I would absolutely recommend going in prepared!

I'm the type who will book anything from a Boardwalk balcony to a full suite, but I'm always conscious of the bang-for-buck ratio. Junior Suites have been a pretty common category for me in the past, but I'm wondering what will happen to the lowly Sea Class JS in the future.

Has anyone "in the know" heard word of taking away the traditional perks associated with Sea Class JS once the Sky Class JS are fully rolled out? I'm mostly thinking of Coastal Kitchen dinners and priority boarding. I can't imagine they would take away the double C&A points, otherwise they would have to change the name altogether and just call them super-deluxe balconies or something.

Oh, and happy New Year to all! 🙂

3 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Highly unlikely they will make any change for the first night, even if you go as soon as you board.  They will try to make a change for the second night and the rest of the cruise.  That has been our experience.  

Like so many things in life, it sounds like experiences vary. 🙂 Our experience has been the opposite. We always stop by the dining room shortly after boarding, and on the few occasions when we didn't get what we had requested, it was changed for us right away. 

Of course, the OP could still fall into the unlucky category, but it's probably worth a try since it's clearly important to their cruising group. It's important to us too, so we make it a priority and we haven't yet been disappointed. 

That has been my experience as well. My passport says Jane Smith Doe, my cruise documents (and many plane tickets for that matter) say Jane Doe. 100+ international flights and cruises, never an issue. 

For what it's worth, six cruises under the point conversion system would likely put them in the Platinum range, which isn't terribly exciting as far as benefits. If they plan to pick up the cruising habit again, their previous cruises could put them halfway to Diamond, so it would probably be worth the time & effort. But if this cruise is a one-and-done, I personally wouldn't bother. 

The price difference between the two can sometimes be really dramatic, or sometimes it's just a couple hundred dollars. My advice (which I also follow myself) is this: look at the deck plans for the ship in question and the cabin category in question, and decide which you consider to be the least desirable cabin. Next, ask yourself if you would be content with that cabin. If so, and if you would consider it worthwhile to save the money you did, go for it! Sometimes you are pleasantly surprised. 🙂

Granted, I've only done GTY cabins a handful of times because I don't bother unless the price difference is really substantial, but I've never been terribly disappointed. 

On 11/10/2023 at 5:37 AM, adolfo2 said:

And in the WORST POSSIBLE LOCATION!

That struck me as odd, too. Granted, location preferences are subjective, but ... they're definitely not what I would consider prime real estate. 🤨

On 12/15/2023 at 10:10 PM, Ozark_Kid said:

What do you already have?   If you already have a regular size balcony I would recommend to stick with it.

4 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

We have over 50 nights on Oasis Class. Always a hump balcony on deck 12.  If you enjoy sitting on the balcony the extra space is nice.  If you already have a balcony any thing over $10 - $15 per night would not be worth it to us.  

I agree, unless the OP plans on spending tons of time on the balcony, or if the centralized location of the hump cabins makes it a more desirable cabin location as well.

I would add, however, that with today's occupancy rates, successful Royal Ups are getting pretty rare. Not impossible, but definitely the exception rather than the rule. 

On 12/17/2023 at 7:01 PM, Ocean Boy said:

You are correct. I'm not sure if the Wipeout has now been transformed into some other type if food venue or not.

It's still there, but it's now serving the El Loco Fresh menu.  Good news for some, less good for others. 🫤

31 minutes ago, NRWPA said:

I find the first 10 minutes to be boring but then everything picks up and I find it fun to watch

Totally agree. That's the advice I give to people who haven't seen it: don't go into it looking for a plot, and don't give up and leave in the first few minutes! 😉 

I respect that it isn't everybody's cup o' tea, but DH and I quite like it.

15 minutes ago, jerick said:

Firefly333 - that was the show called “The Book”?
 

No, "The Book" is on the Odyssey only. Firefly appears to be referencing a headliner on the Harmony, apparently in response to the assertion that RCI doesn't typically have shows that aren't family friendly (or at least identifies them if they aren't).

I agree with what others have said: certainly not inappropriate, although whether or not they would enjoy it is another matter. Some kids would, I'm sure, but many would probably be bored. 

3 hours ago, MLP12 said:

Do you get your Crystal Block while on the current cruise when you reach the number of nights or do you receive it later?

It can go either way. Sometimes they're in your cabin waiting for you, sometimes you can get them from the loyalty ambassador, sometimes they mail them to you later ... apparently, sometimes much MUCH later. 😉

Hi all,

First question, does anyone know if the old etched-style Serenade crystal blocks have run out? I'm guessing that even if they haven't, they probably will during the world cruise.

Second, if the new version has been released, does anyone have a picture? A Google image search and a CC search both turned up empty.

Thanks, and happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

We had it a couple of months ago on the Ovation, as well. But yes, it does seem to be far less frequent these days.

8 hours ago, Jenna said:

I did - I could see it for the dinner listing and also for Hooked’s lunch listing. It simply isn’t there. 
 

Since you also have Giovanni's Wine Bar, that's another option. They serve some of our favorite menu items, but it's a la carte rather than the prix fixe menu. DH and I will split a margherita pizza and a banana & Nutella dessert that's to die for.

Of course, with the 40% sale, you wouldn't save that much money doing it that way if price is a factor.

4 minutes ago, budmeister said:

Does a drink package cover drinks here?

Yes, it does.

6 minutes ago, kmsnyg said:

We just booked it for 78 per person. Early Black Friday deal, maybe? There will be 2 ships in port and I wanted a relaxing quiet place, so looking forward to it.

Wow, that's a great price these days! I don't remember the last time I've seen it below 100. Enjoy! 🙂 

I also quite enjoyed La Main à la Pâte.

22 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Actually Sky Junior suites were launched almost a year ago with the Icon and then again last summer for the Utopia and they absolutely did include and those 2 ships still include the internet. 

 

Thanks for the clarification, Ken. I should have specified that I was talking about the broader Oasis (minus Utopia) and Quantum classes.

15 minutes ago, bretts173 said:

Complimentary internet was never included because there were no such categories on these ships.

Technically you're right in saying "was never" and "were no such." The Sky Junior Suites were announced for cruises beginning in May 2025.

According to the original announcement, free Wi-Fi was among the perks. Now, it will no longer be included. That is what's being taken away.

2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I've yet to experience British night, I think I may have the opportunity in March on my Odyssey 8 day

I quite liked it, personally! I had the leek and potato soup, chicken & mushroom pie, and sticky toffee pudding. All delicious. 😋

6 minutes ago, chriscec2012 said:

 From my YouTube videos that I’ve watched odyssey almost has an old carnival ship feel, like really old carnival ship with new amenities lol. I was hoping I was missing something or someone could tell me why they liked odyssey. 

Ah, gotcha! Well, in that case, here is what we love about the Odyssey. 🙂

I LOVE the fully enclosed and air-conditioned solarium, unlike the Oasis class. DH loves using the skydiving simulator and the bumper cars. Both of us love the Two70 venue and the North Star for incomparable views while in port, and Giovanni's Wine Bar where we can buy our favorite menu items a la carte instead of paying for the full meal.  

But as I said, I really like the Oasis class too. I wouldn't hesitate to sail on either ship, but for two extra days and better ports (IMHO), I personally would go Odyssey.