HaveDogWillTravel

@flvol77thank you very much for doing this. The picture of the Diamond is particularly great as it also shows those last cabins on the side! I’m taking B750 on the Diamond this January. I’ve stayed in most categories of the aft facing suites on the Grand and Ruby. FWIW, my favorite (of course excluding the owner suite) is the Aloha deck penthouse suites. A750/751. No smells, no noise from above, the wake noise is evident but not too loud and the vibrations are less. Least favorite are the caribe deck PH in the middle next to the vents. On both Grand & Ruby I’ve had really bad food smells….could not use the balcony or leave the doors open anytime the kitchens were cooking. I will sail in a caribe deck side cabin over those stinky cabins. thanks again

First off EWWWWW! I am so sorry this happened to you during what should have been an elevated dining environment. It’s really difficult to know what I would have done. I think we all have a thought of what we’d do but until you are in the thick of it there’s no telling. I’d like to think the second he got uncomfortably close I would have stood up and either left or stood up while telling him in a loud voice to Back Off. Since the restart I’ve reliably simply turned heel and left when anyone made me uncomfortable. I’ve had A LOT of practice employing that response! But it’s never happened while I was in specialty dining or sanctuary. I’d hope in this case that I’d use an elevated voice to make it clear he needed to move away. But who knows. Again ewwwwww just disgusting.

I wonder if you could just use the ap to order the steak and have it delivered to MDR ? In theory you should be able to. Please let us know how the sanctuary works out.

Very true. This photo taken from the Royal princess docked in Mazatlan Oct 1, 2023. Starboard faces land this time. There are a lot of upper deck spaces that will work just fine.

Thank you for that. I am so very sorry to hear of your less than experience in the Sanctuary. That is just so unusual. I honestly don’t know what I’d do in that situation. You clearly managed it well.

Thanks for the information. I do love the sanctuary but would probably forgo it on this sailing. I think I’m going to have enough friends to fill a WM table. Glad to know I can get that set up if it’s offered.

Thanks for all the updates! I board in one week and am really looking forward to my first Sapphire sailing. If you don’t mind would you please ask how many are on board for next week? A quick Crew Chat question should get an answer to that. Enjoy your time in Cabo!

Will April arrange a wine makers table for you? Thanks to all for continuing to come back and relate their experiences. The Sky Suite is a huge splurge and from what I’m reading it’s totally worth it to me!

Thank you for the live from. I hope the internet works well and you can continue posting without too much trouble. Very happy to hear about the easy embarkation! I’ll be boarding as you debark.

I paid only $15 Sept 17 boarding in SF on the Ruby.

Yes from noon to 1:30. Ask Vincente your restaurant manager about winemakers dinner or chef table if you are interested. They fill quickly. Yes they do not allow anyone outside of CC mini suites or full suites in the CC area of MDR. The CC tables have grey table cloths and regular MDR has white ones.

Yes the regular MDR entrance for concerto is starboard. Glenda the hostess and Vincente the manager were outstanding. Once you get a waiter you like ask to be seated with them for each meal.

I’m not sure what you mean by blocked off. But the cc area is open to the rest of MDR and you can see and walk thru if you wanted. There was never a line for cc during my recent 19 days.

Here’s a picture of the entrance to CC on the Royal. It is port side Concerto MDR deck 6. If you search my posts I recently started a thread with videos of the cc specials from my Sept 27 sailing.

I just got off the Royal last week and was told by the restaurant managers in both Sabatini’s and Crown that full suite passengers need no reservation for dining embarkation night. Just show up when you are ready to eat. I was in a full suite on the second leg of a b2b and the second leg was at around 72% capacity. I showed up around 6:30 for dinner at Sabatini’s and was seated right away. I also ate at Crown later in the week. Both were very good.

Of course we will see those posts. And they will be as ridiculous as posts today that complain the rules changed since booking. The response is the same. Requirements for travel can not be considered static at this time. If one can not adapt and accept last minute changes (in any direction) with regards to testing, masking, vaccination……… travel is not an activity they should engage in. Everyone comes out of this pandemic at their own pace. What is right for one isn’t right for another. I felt I was slow coming out. But now I am and do completely understand and respect those that haven’t yet.

That’s so cute! Thanks. I’ll add that I showed this thread to the Royal crew and they were so happy to see their pictures and that other ships/crew were featured.

Omg did you see the 5 new family members I picked up last week on the Royal? if I come home with yet another bear I will have to go into therapy! My BFF and I are looking forward to our sapphire sailing with “eyes wide open”. Thanks to you. I’m sure lots more will be corrected by then.

@travelin.sistersyou did an amazing live from! I was on the Ruby and Royal the last 25 plus days so didn’t catch up to all the posts like I wanted. I have to give you props considering the challenges I’ve experienced posting with ship WiFi. I spent today planning with my friend for our November Hawaii sailing on sapphire. Your thread allows us to set our expectations accordingly. thanks so much.

You have over 52,0000 posts. You have actively followed and commented on “Live From” threads since the restart as well as multiple informational threads on current sailing onboard environments. You are extremely well informed about the changing and sometimes unexpected protocols. With your vast amount of knowledge you must have purchased ironclad CFR insurance. With your fears the safest time to cruise is long past. I hope you find new ways to travel and continue to have great experiences in the world. All the best!

Between Sept 17 and Oct 16 I spent 26 days sailing. 7 days on Ruby and 19 on Royal. I had my bivalent booster about 10 days before boarding making it 5 Covid vaccine shots for me. I have never had Covid so I’m in that small group. The sailings were 90%, 42% and 75% ( roughly) full. I went maskless the entire time. The outdoor crew did not mask. On Oct 15 the indoor crew no longer had to mask and very few chose to. I have tested negative twice so far and will test one more time before saying I came home Covid free. I did not have any symptoms the entire time onboard. I only saw one table outside a cabin for room service. And did not notice a quarantine deck. I also didn’t go looking for one. I was all the way forward so used those stairs and elevators for the most part. The crew were ecstatic about taking off the masks. I did enjoy seeing their smiling faces again! I get on the Sapphire Nov 2 and am looking forward to another great experience.

I just called guest services and he said Oct 16 sailing had 1744 as of now. That is similar to our Mexico leg. This pacific nw leg has 2700 and feels very crowded. Colin Salter has been playing crooners. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of him.

I’ve had a less than experience with respect to white wine availability on the Ruby Sept 17 seven day. And now an equally disappointing experience on the Royal Sept 24 thru Oct 16 sailing. It basically comes to making friends with a bartender who is then willing to find and stock something you will find palatable to drink. It’s exhausting work and you’re reduced to drinking the same wine in the same bar the entire sailing. I really do not want to drink the same wine for an entire cruise. While I am grateful to the bar tenders for doing this it is just wrong. I simply shouldn’t have to spend the first couple of days doing this. Every white wine served to me on the plus package when I just walked up to a bar and asked for a glass was undrinkable swill. No thank you.

But the best welcome of all came from the crew in the lotus spa. They absolutely fawned snd fondled and loved on them making them feel so happy.