imdamama

Hi all!

We got a bid accepted to upgrade from a Sail Away fare to a Haven Penthouse for the 22 Sep Alaska sailing on the Bliss.

Because it was initially a Sail Away booking, we weren't eligible for any "Free at Sea" promotions. Hoping someone might know if we might get any of those perks with the upgrade.

Also wondering if anyone knows if we'll get our double Latitudes points since we're now in the Haven?

I'm sure someone has navigated these waters before. We've never won an upgrade bid so I'm clueless.

Thanks so much!

Imda

Biker, as long as you don't cruise for a dining experience, you will have a fabulous time. Nothing beats the scenery and wildlife. It's fabulous!!!! Skagway and Juneau are both easily accessed by walking and there are plenty of things to do in both places. We've hiked in both locales.

And JMH, honestly, everyone's entitled to their opinion...and making whatever assumptions float their life rafts... My hope is that RC will read this feedback and integrate it to enhance future cruisers experiences.

Now, back to work...and whale watching...at the same time. Life doesn't get much better than this.

Wow...if announcements like that are totally normal I guess I've been living under a rock for the past 50 years...as have our fellow passengers. I vote with my money. Maybe Royal Caribbean just isn't the line for us. I'm not much on paying money to be treated like cattle on a feed lot.

And I don't think it's unreasonable to anticipate a pastry offering at 5 or 6 a.m. cruise ship time. Call me crazy, but how many over 20s eat subs during breakfast hours?

I was not clear. It was not embarkation day. It was lunch the first full day at sea. And even the very seasoned cruisers on our ship are less-than-thrilled with the atmosphere.

If you need to turn tables, you do it personally, table by table. You do not make an announcement that to paying customers that they're inconveniencing other guests by partaking of 15 minutes of sitting...which, by the way, I wasn't as I gave my chair to a young mother with children and stood to eat.

Alaska is amazing! If you're headed this way, make sure to bring binoculars (ours are at home) and plenty of layers. The scenery is phenomenal. We've seen brown and black bear from our cabin as well as a couple eagles and all kinds of marine life. This cruise ruined Caribbean cruising for me forever. Every moment of every day is just spectacular. Our Captain and his crew have been awesome...I don't know if it's corporate policy but he rotated our ship for quite a while at the glacier (fjord day) so that everyone got great views.

The food and beverage program needs a Six Sigma Black Belt to evaluate and fix it *now*. All four of the couples at our dinner table happen to be in the food and beverage industry. One is the comptroller at a large resort (9 restaurants and 4 hotels), one is an exec at Coke, one is in sales for a Sysco type company and one works for McDonalds. I'm not a complainer...the food and beverage portion of this sailing are a mess!

We are currently visiting Alaska on RC Explorer of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean desperately needs to evaluate its food and beverage program on this ship. There are so many issues that it's one of the most common topics of discussion among the passengers. That's never a good sign.

Some of my personal experiences with the dining program over the past 3 days:

1. There was not enough seating our first full day at sea in the Windjammer for lunch. The dining manager made an announcement over the PA system asking people to eat and leave so that others could sit down. There are many ways to hurry people along that still convey courtesy and professionalism. This announcement was astonishing and completely inappropriate.

2. We have ordered creme brûlée at dinner 3 nights in a row. Each time, the flavor and presentation has been different. Because it is a daily offering, this should be an easy dish to prepare with consistency.

3. Twice I've ordered steak rare and it's been med-well/well. I don't have a huge preference, but if this has happened to me both times I've ordered steak, it's a process issue.

4. Two mornings we have been among the first people at breakfast in the Windjammer. I have had to clean our seating area both times. It's never good to have your customers have to clean their table, but to be the first ones and find food residue is unacceptable.

5. The 24 hour Promenade dining area does not have any sort of "breakfast" offerings available for those who wake early. Because of the time differential here in Alaska, there are many people going down 2-3 hours before breakfast is served. The only food available is sandwiches. It makes no sense not to have a light fruit or pastry during the early morning hours.

6. The Coke Freestyle machines have a *lot* of issues. RC and Coca-Cola are aware of the problem and there will be a Coke technician from Atlanta on the next sailing to address the problems. Having said that, those on *this* sailing who bought drink packages are rightly upset to not have access to what they paid for.

7. My husband was charged for items which should have been covered under his beverage plan. While this isn't a *huge* deal, it meant I had to stand in line at customer service *twice* to get these charges fixed.

Our dinner mates have their own frustrating experiences. These are process/systems issues which needs to be evaluated and corrected. I am easy-going but the value perception on this particular sailing is not conducive to encouraging me to chose Royal Caribbean as my go-to cruise line.

On the upside, the scenery here in Alaska is beautiful and our Captain and his crew have done an amazing job maneuvering this ship. It's actually been awe-inspiring to watch how adeptly they can move such a huge vessel. We literally turned 180 degrees this morning (a pivot turn) and inched into the dock. We have met service personnel (Linci at Starbuck, Dexter the Coke Freestyle guy, and Hendry our room steward) who have really gone way beyond to be helpful and friendly. They have greatly enhanced our onboard experience and been wonderful ambassadors for Royal Caribbean.

Thank you Jwith2boys and SeaUs...you both made my only worry go away! Now if you could do that with my bills and dishes...

SeaUs, love the blog posts...reading them now. So much info! Thank you!

Since I am brand new to CruiseCritic, I realized that my post was better placed on the Alaska thread so I put it here to get more targeted responses for Alaska scenery.

Thanks so much Keith and Lisichka for sharing your experiences. Your responses helped me make better choices. :-)

Hi all.

We are headed to our first Alaska in May on RC Explorer of the Seas. We got a balcony room specifically so we could see the scenery. But for us to pick the room (instead of just reserve a guarantee) it was $500 (20%) more. My concern is that we'll end up with a terribly obstructed view...but $500 bucks is a lot of money...

I'd love to have some input from those who've been-there-done-that as to whether I should bite the bullet to upgrade or if I'm probably safe.

Normally, I'm happy with an inside cabin by the engine...giggle...so I just want to ensure that having a balcony is a great experience.

Thanks in advance for your input. =)

My kids were super reluctant to do the kid/teen thing, but when they finally did, they were hooked. They still keep in touch with kids we met while cruising. (So do I, but were both 50 now!)

Hooks you can try:

If she takes a foreign language, it may be a great way to have a cultural exchange.

Great way to find a dining or activity companion.

And she can try it so she can be welcoming to other kids who may feel awkward.

Enjoy!

My hubby and I are cruising RC Explorer of the Sea in Alaska. We have a Balcony cabin guarantee. It would have cost us $500 to select the cabin.

That's A LOT of money, but an obstructed view isn't any better than an inside cabin.

Any opinions on if you'd pay the $ for the cabin pick?

Thanks in advance!

Hey there,

Just this week, we compared RC to NCL for an Alaska cruise. Free drinks/dining on NCL was going to cost us a service fee of $400 for 2 people. We don't drink alcohol so I would have opted not to use the free perks.

The thing i like about NCL is the spa access package. Last time we went, it was $99/ea for the week. Great therapy pool, incredible heated chairs, quiet and luxurious place to lounge.

We've had great experiences on both cruise lines. It really does come down to how you want to spend your time.

Enjoy your trip.