The Fun Researcher

47 minutes ago, purplegrapefruit said:

I hope on the new Navigator with the pool bar area having much more bar seating, this will encourage late evening pool bar parties.  I agree, watching movies at night isn't exactly exciting. Hopefully they roll out this design fleetwide. It looks like a lot of fun and should encourage socializing. 

It was reported that at least two late night pool parties were held on the 9 night Navigator cruise last week.

Dan

This must have been a ton of work for you, so thank you so much! 

I can tell you that I personally looked at this thread multiple times a day in preparation for the 9 night itinerary on the Navigator starting this Friday!  Super excited now, in no small part thanks to your thread, and Twangsters...

Dan

Glad the revamped Indy is even better than before!  If I HAD to pick one favorite cruise (adult friends only) of them all, it was on the Indy back in 2014 with the great 8 night itinerary that RCI runs (Labadee, St. Maartin, St. Kitts, San Juan).

Great to hear about Playmakers.  The new food options are very exciting to me, and I look forward to the beer selections now that you mention them.  I'm excited to try it later this week on the Amped Navigator.  

Glad you hear that you had a great vacay!

Dan

Dang Twangster, these are probably the best collection of ship photos I've seen in any thread on Cruise Critic!

Amazing.

Thank you.

Dan

31 minutes ago, EmilyJay said:

Today staff have been going round taking towels off beds!!! Horrah. There are also notices coming up on the big screen at the pool saying you are not allowed to reserve them. 

Shame it’s taken until the last day but hopefully it’s better from now on for the next cruises. 

 There is justice in this world! But like you said it’s a shame it took until the last day of a nine night  cruise for them to finally enforce some order.   I hope it continues .

Dan

3 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

If somehow it reduces the amount of kids on board by even a little bit, then... 👍

Understand.  I get it.    Kinda hard to do when they are trying to lure in families though.  “ Can’t have your pie and eat it too. “   You can have an adult only cruise but you have to pay for it 

Dan

1 hour ago, EmilyJay said:

The cruise planner states the sun loungers are on a first come, first serve basis which I think is why they all go so early. 

By 10.30-11am most the loungers had people in, but I had my eye on 2 right by the pool and nobody used them between 9am-2pm. 

 

There are enough loungers around the ship, it’s just the ones near the pool which is the problem. 

We were on a full capacity Harmony sailing 18 months ago and it was alot easier to get a lounger by the pool than it has been on sea days this week. 

 

I have noticed there is a large group on this sailing and 2 members will obviously come out early and reserve 12 or more chairs which don’t all get used, but they will make out someone is using them. If this was nipped in the bud and they were told no you can’t reserve that many I think things would slightly better. 

 

I appreciate the additional info, and everything else you've done this week to help us all.  Thank you!

Dan

4 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

That has been my understanding too, the rcldining email is primarily for requests for those assigned to traditional dining.

Yeah, it's been hit or miss for us.  We've always done My Time Dining, but roughly 1/3 of the time we've received a reply back with detailed info.  My kind of request, with My Time Dining,  is probably best handled on the ship to be honest.  If I like our table and wait staff the first night I'll ask to repeat.  🙂
 

Dan

 I just got my reply from Royal Caribbean about our cruise next week on the Navigator .   I guess this is how they are handling it.  Looks like I’ll be checking in with the maître d’ when I arrive on the ship. 

“Good day:

All table assignments for My Time Dining are done onboard the ship. Our onboard staff will be delighted to assist with your table request. Enjoy your sailing!”

Dan

41 minutes ago, Paulette3028 said:

The pool lounger situation and 'chair hogs' has been a problem for years.  I have solved it on my own....if all you have there is a towel.....then it is subject to removal by me.  IF you show up and belly ache.....my answer is 'nothing was on the chair when I came by'.  

I aware of that. ...and I like you're approach by they way. 🙂  The difference with the Navigator right now is zero enforcement of a 30 minute rule, which some ships will do.  Leave something unattended on a lounger/chair for more than 30 minutes and it's subject to removal (which is more than fair IMO)

Dan

10 minutes ago, EmilyJay said:

Day 9: Sea Day. 

This morning on our walk to breakfast at 8.05am, every single sun lounger was gone on the pool deck. Not one was to be had, which is insane as it was 8am!! What time are these people getting up for every chair to be gone?!? 

Breakfast was at the Windjammer again, and then we went in search of a lounger. Another look of deck 11 and all the loungers were covered in personal belongings, yet 0 people in the pool and about 10-15 people actually on the deck. 

We went up to deck 12 and found some loungers and even up here it was beginning to get full. 

I really don't know how they are going to keep this up without passengers throwing a major fit.  Is there someone you can speak with?  There has to be many others like you that are very upset that folks can "claim" a lounger for an indefinite amount of time while others are wanting to use it.
 

Dan

1 hour ago, CazV said:

 

As I'm sailing my first RCI cruise on Navigator after 2 NCL cruises were there is bar food available 24/7 and included, I was quite excited to see this in a post in that other place that shall not be named... the poster asked at the bar about how late they would really serve food and was told it would be closer to 11.30pm. Disappointed dot com over here. 

8 minutes ago, cot427 said:

As @CazV stated, it was posted elsewhere that although the compass said til 2 for food for Playmakers and Bamboo Room, they are only serving til 11:30. On Mariner cruise compasses I saw, they were only serving food til 12. Was really hoping they would extend beyond that hour, because I think it would be nice to have an additional option besides the boring Cafe Promenade. But beggars can't be choosers.

Ah thank you.  I’ll have to accept 11:30pm. Better than it used to be at least 

Dan

28 minutes ago, EmilyJay said:

 

 

Am I reading this correctly that the Windjammer has late night snacks until 11:30pm and Playmakers has snacks until 2am?  That would be a fantastic change to our previous cruises!  I get tired of pizza and finger sandwiches late at night.

Any idea if Playmakers will actually serve food from their menu all of the way until 2am?  I don't plan to eat that late, but the 11pm - 1am timeframe is certainly an option!

Dan

On 2/14/2018 at 5:58 PM, soremekun said:

Promenade instead of Esplanade.

I hope this is true.  The Promenade is a RCL feature that we've fallen in love with for a number of reasons:

• Sense of a large space inside of a ship
• Easy navigation around the ship
• One location and hub for events (dance parties, parades, sales), bars, stores, etc...

Dan

Great to hear OP!

I did our request about a week and a half ahead of time for our March 15 Navigator cruise.  Haven't heard back, and don't necessarily expect to.  I'll verify where we're at once on board.  We do my time dining, but tend to go toward the early side of the dining hours and if we like the table and wait staff we will request the same table for the rest of the cruise.  They can usually accommodate this as long as you don't try to schedule a time right in the middle of dining hours, like 6:30-7:30.   This allows us to get to know our wait staff, but also have the flexibility to change our dining time for a day or two if we need to.

Dan

Yes absolutely.  In case I forgot please reply to this thread again after the 24th of March and I’ll give a full report.

Dan

6 minutes ago, Florida_cruisers said:

With over 10 cruise on RCL, 1 in Carnival (first time cruiser - never again) always wanted to sail in Celebrity but I could never justify their prices. I often find them twice as much for the same itinerary as RCL. But I am still curious so I recently booked the Equinox for 2 nights out of Ft. Lauderdale. The price was too good to pass up for a quick getaway trial. 

 

I think you'll like what you see.  I know I did.  

Dan

Looking forward to hearing about the cruise.

Dan

Double post

Ah, you have young enough kids.  KSF is great for that!

Dan

On 3/5/2019 at 9:47 AM, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

Really? D and D+ have to wait in line with the "regular" folks? 

Heaven forbid.

Dan

2 hours ago, snowwmax said:

Not a good deal when you scored an Inside cabin on Deck 7 for a Family of 4 going on February School vacation for $1128! 

How in the world did you get 4 in a cabin for $1128?  That's insane.

Unfortunately in meant very little in future cruise credit also then.  Sorry to hear that.  This thread reminds me to check a ships schedule before booking!

Dan

4 minutes ago, klfhngr said:

What does JR serve for breakfast?

Bob posted that earlier.

Dan

1 hour ago, Reader0108598 said:

That is a shame we enjoyed the last time we went there as we do not have one at home. But I will not pay ten dollars a person. I cannot eat that much! Will find a burger included in the price I paid. 

 

This is exactly the reason I love the new a la carte format on the Navigator, and it's location right by the pools.  I'd rather just have a good burger for $5-$6.  Even a burger with fries can me a bit much for me at lunch.

Also, a couple of us in our party already have the soda package so that's a waste there at Johnny Rockets.

Dan

4 minutes ago, DolphinGirl73 said:

I am so incredibly sorry...this is the first time I have ever posted on a board like this and have no clue what I am doing.  I will do better next time

Welcome to the Cruise Critic forum!

Oh, no worries at all!  Happens all the time.  Now I feel bad for making you feel bad.  😞 :)  Happy cruising!

Dan