frank808

4 hours ago, 3yorkies said:

Both of my last two cruises had small credits to my onboard account and they were described as decrease in port charge, once on Allure and once on Liberty.  No missed port, just apparently the charge was less than what it was anticipated to be.  Surprised me that they would even bother.   Last one was $8 and one in June was also under $10.   

On Navigator and we got $9.27 each because port fees went down. It was unexpected as we have had times of missed ports with no refund.

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Chopin is very nice.  My own taste prefers Belvedere, but on MSC we have lots of fun trying everything :).  Have never understood the popularity of Grey Goose.

 

Hank

On Royal right now. No Chopin but have Ben drinking up the Belvedere. Also has Titos but I can buy that for under $30 a 1.75 litter bottle at Costco. Plus Costco at home does not carry Belvedere.

We have great tastes in vodka.

15 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Aww Frank..indeed you are such a nice hubby!  🥰

 

I get up in the morning before Bucky (as usual), get dressed and take our travel mugs to one of the lounges.  Fill disposable cups at the machine (his strong black coffee, my Latte) then pour into those mugs (so much easier to carry up/down stairs for transfer).   As he is waking up, his dutiful wife is setting his fresh mug of Java next to him.  😉 

Happy wife happy life!

15 hours ago, island lady said:

 

They should be issuing coffee vouchers for specialty coffees...that is just not right with the broken machine at all.  😒

I am going to ask tomorrow for the next cruise. For us it is alright to go to DL, but what about the non D suite passengers?  Going to Cafe Promenade instead of DL is about 40 steps shorter.

Me too.

On 8/4/2022 at 12:33 PM, mafig said:

 

I guess if I was travelling solo I might feel as you do.  However, as a couple I never felt I was waited on "hand and foot."  If was more of a "isn't this nice" feeling.  I guess I can't explain the difference.

During my cruises the butlers have never waited on me hand and foot. Sometimes they anticipated my needs which was nice. Like bringing you to tender when Grand Cayman is 98 degrees and humid. 

I hung out at many bars during my cruise and met a lot of people at bars besides the top sail lounge. When the younger crowd came out late at night and it got loud, I just returned to the top sail lounge and resumed my time in the top sail lounge. When I was done it was less than 75 feet to my cabin. 

I say YC is convenience in its most basic form. Cabin not far from everything on a cruise. Nice quiet retreat when the rest of the ship is to wild and busy. Service when I did not know I would need it.

On 8/2/2022 at 7:46 PM, Hlitner said:

Lots of vodka choices  Tito's if decent stuff but if you have not yet tried Belvedere give it a try.  One thing we love about decent drink packages is the ability to try lots of items we would not normally try at home.  I will always go through all the available brands of single malt scotch, bourbon, vodka, and cognac.   Life is good!

 

Hank

Try the Chopin in YC bar. Pretty smooth and IMHO better than Grey Goose. Drank a couple of bottles during our cruises a couple months ago.

On 9/4/2022 at 9:23 PM, morpheusofthesea said:

Reports of Diamond Club cut backs on Seashore are not warranted. At least not tonight.

The water is a YC perk and not a Diamond perk. 

We did not get bags of Venchi chocolates like you mentioned on our Seashore B2B in June/July. Not in our cabin or the grandma's cabin.

3 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

Coffee machine was broken when we boarded on Aug 29. 

Well the coffee machine has been broken for at least 3 cruises then. Chances of machine getting fixed in a couple days, is not looking promising.

7 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Agree...though you actually have the locations switched.  Unless they have changed it...the CL was the one with the 2 story floor to ceiling windows facing aft (and always seemed etched from the sea air). 

 

The DL is across the way up the 3 steps and above the VCL.  Loved having them so close (as in Radiance series) to go to the other one if one has a broken coffee machine in the morning.  😉 

The machine on Navigator has been broken since last cruise. SL is so much closer than DL(just up 4 decks). Have to go down to 5, then walk to DL in the front of the ship, to get wife a cup of cappuccino. I tell her to use the machine in the room. She says it does not taste as good. So being the loving husband 😇 I get her a cup after breakfast and bring it back to the room. At least I get some steps in this way.  Hopefully coffee machine gets fixed this Wed on return to San Pedro. 

On Navigator now. Night 3 (day getting into Cabo) we set our clocks one hour forward. Tomorrow night we set our clocks one hour back.

5 hours ago, wallyj said:

@frank808, thanks for responding, I just got off the Navigator on Friday, after being on the ship for 14 days. Living in Los Angeles makes it convenient without flying.

 

Appears Royal did not modify your planner title saying 3 day Unlimited Dining Package like they have done for the December 9 sailing.

 

Please report back if you have any issues using the dining package as I am pretty sure the $99 price was a mistake. 
 

Haffnar was the Diamond Lounge Concierge when I was on the Navigator earlier this year and it was nice to see him return for another contract, as he moved to SL even back then. I believe he is scheduled to be on Navigator till the end of November.

We got on day you disembarked. Met a couple cruisers that were on the 4 day last week.

Haffner is very good and welcoming. He actually welcomed me to the lounge on Friday when I went in. He made it a point to come over and introduce himself that friday evening. Made sure we were comfortable and does a great job anticipating needs. Wife wanted some water before we left and he must have overheard and brought us a few bottles. 

Yes either end of Nov or might be Dec.  Will ask him tomorrow.

You tried another cruise line. Sorry it did not meet your expectations. Keep sailing HAL, by all means, as you enjoy what they offer. 

58 minutes ago, wallyj said:

Hi @frank808, are you on the 7 day Navigator on December 09?

 

This sailing was originally a 3 day sailing and I think in May, Royal combined it to make a 7 day sailing instead of the original 3 and 4 nighters. I saw for the month of July when I booked the December 9, the UDP was pricing between $99 and $106, as if it were a 3 night cruise.

 

In early August, I noticed in my cruise planner, the banner saying  ‘reserved’ on the UDP icon was gone, and when I pull up the calendar on Day1, it says 3 day Unlimited Dining Package’ which of course for this  7 day sailing, this is not an offering?

 

If you are not on the December night sailing, then it appears Royal has made this pricing error on another 7 day sailing as I believe the lowest price I have seen it for a 7 day Navigator sailing is $209 plus the 18% gratuities.

 

Please go into you cruise planner and let me know if the ‘reserved’ banner is showing on the UDP icon and if you are not on the December 9 sailing would you share which sailing.

 

I just went to the October 14th roll call and it appears the same thing happened that Royal combined the 3,4 day cruises into one 7 day sailing. I see someone also posted the UDP was pricing @$99, so it will be interesting what Royal does.

 

I am curious if Royal removed the ‘reserved’ banner in your cruise planner?

I am on the same cruise and posted a while ago to that the UDP was a good price.  This is what is showing on my cruise planner. Seems like we are good for our first UDP. Am on Navigator right now for 10 days, so will be ready for a menu change next month.

6 hours ago, desibee said:

Lmao where are people seeing these cheap prices for Chops?  My Spectrum cruise in December it’s over $100 pp for a dinner in Chops.  The beverage package is $88 pp on sale.  Royal seems to think anyone departing from Singapore has Crazy Rich Asian money or something.

Holy Crap that is high. Is it $100 USD?

For our 7 night cruise on Navigator next month, got the UDP for $118 with 18% gratuity.  Have never had an UDP in the 7 years of cruising. Have done speciality restaurants maybe 8 times in all our cruises. Have always been satisfied with MDR or Windjammer. For the price of $17 a day for UDP, just had to purchase it. Will be eating Specialty restaurants every dinner for the first time in our cruising life.

18 minutes ago, rudeney said:

It makes no sense that they swipe your SeaPass card in the Suite Lounge.  If only full-suite guests can enter then why bother?  They used to not swipe cards in the old Concierge Lounges.  

Those were the good ole days in CL. Especially on Radiance and Brillance with the beautiful bar you can sit at.

P can also use SL if the numbers of P are not a lot. No hard numbers of how many P are sailing to get access to SL. 

This cruise is only 5 P so no problem. Back in Feb/March on Navigator, there were many P (30+ IIRC) and they did not have access to SL. The following week, P numbers were lower and access to SL was allowed.

8 hours ago, molly361 said:

That doesn't sound right if they are actual charges. All.mine have shown up but at a zero charge for each of them 

Yes the charge shows 0 just like when using vouchers. 

Verified that drinks rung up during happy hour in SL do not count against my 5 vouchers a day.  Had 4 drinks in lounge during happy hour. Then used 2 at MDR and went and got 3 waters before going to cabin. Checked my account and there were no charges. The server rings drink as SL or D from what I understand. 

7 minutes ago, JupiterTwo said:

I just bought the 24 water bottles in my name and the soda package in my wife's name. No alcohol package, as we're Diamond and in a suite.

 

I hope that's going to work out.

If your next cruise is on Allure in a Grand Suite or above, I would reconsider buying the case of water and the soda package. You can get bottled water, soda, beer and wine from the suite lounge from 11am to 11pm (or 1130am to 11pm). With water just ask for extra bottles to take back to room. With soda it is a little harder as you have to goto suite lounge to get it. But the soda package let's you get it at any bar and the freestyle machines. 

Just spoke with Haffner. The "charges" are just on my account for accounting purposes. He said if I get my 5 drinks and get charged he will remove them.

On 8/30/2022 at 11:33 AM, tweakes said:

Because MSC is not really great at anything other than their price point. It doesn't mean they're bad - I'm Diamond with them - but they are not really great at any aspect of cruising. Everything is mediocre. But their ships are beautiful, their staff is untrained, their food is fine, their entertainment is laughable, but when it comes down to it... if you can't have fun on a cruise, it isn't the cruise line's fault. 

Also Diamond with MSC and D+ with Royal.

I would not say everything on MSC is mediocre. Have had the best waiter ever on MSC out of our 60+ cruises. Had great service from bartenders, room stewards, etc that I would say comparable to Royal. Only real difference is with their guest services always having to ask shoreline for guidance. Food in YC restaurant was better than the food we have eaten in Coastal Kitchen(Royals restaurant for their suites guest).

I am fine sailing MSC. But we have averaged 2 MSC cruises (14 days) vs 7 Royal cruises(60+ days) a year.  Royal is still our cruise line of choice but gladly sail MSC twice a year. 

I say go ahead and give MSC a try. You will never know if MSC meets your needs.

The view from you YC1 would be better as it would be private us you would be "closer" to see. The TSL has good views from the couches on the side but you have glass between you and the ocean. While your own balcony the ledge goes up half way.

On Navigator right now. In SL during happy hour and waiter/waitress charged my drinks against my 5 vouchers. Will have to speak with suite concierge Haffnar about correcting the charges. As I had a few drinks that were charged since my vouchers were used.

On another not just 5 Pinnacle, 83 D+ and 113 D on this cruise. No one is turning P on this cruise. 

On our past 2 weeks, I went out on the balcony once or twice for a total of no more than a minute total.  I find it too hot to use the balcony in the Caribbean. 

The one place I will need a balcony is Alaska. Nothing beats watching the scenery go by from your bed or couch. 

18 hours ago, island lady said:

 

We did not have access as D+ on Brilliance out of Tampa, before shut down.  Nor on Vision after that.  

 

Do love the vouchers though now...happy hour is any hour, any bar, any where.  😉  We rarely use the lounges any longer...except for morning coffee.  

We sailed Radiance right before shut down and was told D+ were welcomed the cruise before. We were the first D+ to get the boot from CL unless sailing in a GS or better. Though our cards still opened the CL for the next 31 days we were on (had to try it 🤫).  The Diamond event at the club in the aft was pretty good replacement.

We still use the DL before and after dinner to meet people on Navigator.  Did that in March and will be still going into DL for our cruises that start this coming Friday.  Will visit DL and see if any friends are there. If no one there, just head on up to the SL as there is at least a nice view up there.

18 minutes ago, island lady said:

Actually as D+...just lucky to gain access to the Concierge Lounge on some ships at all if not in a suite.  

I agree. Did not have concierge lounge access without being in a suite since Feb 2020. Been on 3 different ships with CL and no access as D+.  Glad that Enchantment still gives access to D+. Have not been on her for at least 5 years.