TeeRick

I have been told repeatedly on board by the dining staff that only about 40-50% of available specialty dining slots are pre-sold.  They hold back the remainder on purpose.  When you board the cruise on any RCCL ship there will be availability if you go to any dining venue or restaurant right away when you board.  Make your reservations then for any restaurant.   

12 hours ago, squadron said:

In Canada there has been warnings about how serious rhinovirus is for seniors.  However the vaccine is about $150.  

Do you mean RSV?  There is no vaccine anywhere including Canada for Rhinoviruses.

58 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

Did you have a Crown Loft? They have two attendants to service the CL’s.

mac_tlc

Yes we had a very nice Crown Loft on Deck 17 on Symphony.  We loved it!

32 minutes ago, Colorado Buffalo said:

Doesn't the Drink Package only cover drinks up to $14.00 ?

If so then if I order a Mai Tai and it's $15 or $16, does that extra cost get changed to my account ?

 

On the ship we were on last week (Symphony) the limit was $14 a day.  We are D+ so we had 5 drinks per day each.  We ordered what we wanted and never got charged anything but we did add tips.

Just now, leisuretraveler223 said:

 

I think most of the people here would have absolutely lost their minds if they ever tried to take a commercial flight in the 70s or early 80s.

You know back then I didn't even think about it as smoking everywhere was the norm when I was growing up.  Both of my parents smoked.  As did most of my aunts and uncles.

5 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Kinda like the peeing and non peeing sections of the swimming pool. 

Yes that was mentioned above by @RobInMN.  😁

I do remember smoking vs non-smoking sections in airplanes.  And in restaurants.

7 minutes ago, ajtaylor29 said:

hmmm, what was the negative feedback? Celebrity is already non-smoking in the casinos, right? So, they introduced vaping as an option to totally non-smoking and got complaints....i can imagine why?!? in RC's case they would be taking away some form (smoking) which i think would be met with cheers?!

Yes exactly.  The experiment on Celebrity was bound to fail for that reason.

They presumably studied revenue on the vaping-allowed ships vs. the smoke-free ships over a month.  They did not release the data of course but they decided against introducing vaping casino areas fleet-wide.

13 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

I might agree, if stewards are given the full duties for services I expect (and a reasonable number of suites). It is that way on some lux lines. There, the stewards do everything a steward and butler did on X in the Retreat, and are assigned a fewer number of suites in order to do so. But, as I have observed, the stewards only make up suites on X and have so many that is all they have time for. Thus the need for butlers on X Retreat. 

Just sailed in a mid-level suite (SKY Class) on RCCL last week.  No butler (or genie).  There was a cabin steward and an assistant cabin steward.  They met all of our needs and requests.  We did not ever think about a butler.  There were also two dedicated suite concierges.  Service was excellent overall.  I think I remember back when Celebrity serviced cabins with two people (steward and assistant).

Just now, Biker19 said:

The detailed financial records of RCI which show casino revenue.

Yes for sure!

50 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

Well at 74 your story did make me reconsider travel insurance and also that maybe our cruising days are almost over.  I got the RSV on Allure last September on our 5th day.  Made it home with no ship clinic visit (I thought it was allergies)  and then spent 4 months getting over it and the side effects.  That one is a doozie!   Pray your Mom overcomes Pneumonia or whatever she has, it can happen, it did to my MIL, she is still with us after her hospice in 2021.

Did you get the new RSV vaccine this year?  

3 minutes ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

 

And there is an equally simple answer: Yes they can. But it doesn't matter, as they have chosen not to.  You can waste all the time you want speculating about this and it won't make any difference.

So I in turn as a simple question- is this a deal-breaker for you?  If so, easy choice is pick another line.  If not, then let it go.  Share your thoughts on your post-cruise survey and move on.

Brought it up as a discussion topic.  That's all.  I did bring it up on my post-cruise survey.

12 minutes ago, ajtaylor29 said:

If they would outlaw smoking in the casino but allow vaping, most everybody would have a MUCH better experience, the smell would be gone, and most smokers (i think) could tolerate this rule because they could vape while gambling then go out to the pool deck for a regular cigarette. I doubt this will happen but imo it's a viable solution.

 

They had a recent trial on Celebrity allowing casino vaping on a few ships in the previously non-smoking casinos.  The experiment was abandoned due to negative customer feedback.

My experience last week on Symphony was that in the entire main casino there was very much a strong smoke smell.  Coming out into the nearby areas.   People seemed to be smoking everywhere particularly at night.  Not sure if there was any kind of enforcement of the sections.  People would come into the bar, smoke and leave.  I am not judging the smokers.  In fact, I enjoyed a cigar outside one afternoon in the designated outdoor smoking area.

I am just asking the very simple(?) question - can they switch the casinos?  That would not eliminate smoking, just distribute it differently.

Sorry to bring up this topic of casino smoking.  Not trying to start an anti-smoking thread as there are thousands of those.  But really a policy question that I brought up with an officer on board Symphony on our cruise last week.

Symphony has a very small smoke-free casino and a very large casino that allows smoking.

There were about 5500 passengers on board.  The vast majority were non-smokers.  A few percent of people on board were smokers, reflecting the general population these days.  

So why not just switch the casino areas?   Smaller one for smokers and large one for non-smokers?  Reasonable?

I do not think this is about revenue from smokers.  We are non-smokers and usually gamble a decent amount on a cruise. Not this time.  There was a very small selection of tables and slots in the non-smoking casino.  The main casino had people smoking who just came in to smoke (not gamble) and left.  Easy to see them doing that.  They could easily use the side of the pool deck for that.  

So why does the RCCL casino policy cater to the very few (smokers) instead of the vast majority (non-smokers)?  Just switch casinos!  Am I missing something?

PS.  We usually sail Celebrity with smoke-free casinos so this was a big change for us on Symphony. 

16 hours ago, soremekun said:

I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's condition.  My condolences.

 

I'm not prying, no need to respond.  Were there any pre-existing conditions that exacerbated the Rhinovirus?

Interesting question.  A rhinovirus is the most prevalent of the viruses causing common cold.  Usually no severe symptoms at all requiring hospitalization (about 3% of total cases and those have underlying conditions).  Sorry it happened to dliteu's mom.

We always carry a GeoBlue Trekker annual medical policy renewable each year.

I just came off Symphony.  A few patches of higher seas here and there in the wind near Aruba- we did Southern Caribbean.  Honestly it was nearly impossible most of the time to feel ANY motion on the ship at all.  Rock stable.  I was impressed with how smooth it was.  We were in the center on the highest deck (17).  But all over the ship it was unusual to feel any motion.  I know anything can happen at sea, but this ship is a very good choice to avoid motion.  We brought some ginger chews just in case, but never had a need to use them.  Several of the shops on board carried motion sickness medications up near the checkouts.

3 minutes ago, boltnut55 said:

Is that $14.99 for any burger, 1 side, and refillable soda?  Thanks.

Yes I believe so.

I wish they would!  But they don’t.  If I added together my cruises and points on RCCL and Celebrity I would be both Pinnacle and Zenith!  Spent a lot of money with the RCG corporation.  No extra credit for that.

Jamie’s was very good tonight.  The best of the three specialty restaurants that we dined at on Symphony.

Symphony at Labadee today.  Beautiful weather!

We have dined so far at CK and also Wonderland and Hooked. 
 

Our favorite entrees at CK so far have been the Filet Mignon and the barramundi for sure.  Last night we had the lobster and it was tiny.  Not Maine! Tasted ok though.  We ordered the scallops too and they seemed a bit fishy because they came with caviar on top.  Appetizer favorites have been the risotto and the Wedge.  We tend to order Caesar salad and escargot.  Seafood veloute soup was very good.  We did like the crab cake.

At Wonderland the predishes we ok if a bit gimmicky.  Beef short ribs were excellent.

At Hooked, honestly we were disappointed.  The Royal Seafood platter had mushy Maine Lobster tail and somewhat tasteless halibut.  We would not go back.  Heading to Jamie’s tonight.

The CK food in our opinion has been better than the pricey specialty restaurants

20 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

 

Please let us know some of your favorites during the week. 

 

And how's the service at CK?

The service in CK and in the SL has been very good.  Very friendly and attentive.  The two concierges are excellent.  The bar staff and bartenders are also quite good.  We are on the same deck in a CL so everything is convenient.  Our two suite attendants also very good.  Really we do have not a single complaint.  Very impressed.  This coming from long time Celebrity suite cruisers.  We find CK to be on par with Luminae which has been a pleasant surprise.

Update from onboard Symphony- current cruise.  The CK food and service has been outstanding.  I agree with the Filet Mignon recommendation.  It was really good!

There are ATMs on board.  
We use cash for extra tips mainly to the bar staff, concierges and cabin attendants.  And waiters.  Envelopes at the end of the cruise.

Off the ship there is tipping for the luggage porters for example.  

A big reason for cash for some of us is the damn casino!

12 hours ago, RFerrington said:

I hope that the "out catching thrills" signs are back.  To my knowledge, only Adventure is still using them.  I really don't understand why them banished those signs but it was not a coincidence that they disappeared at the same time as they decided to go to once-a-day cabin service.

 

When we were on AD a few months ago, I asked our room attendant for one of the "out catching thrills" signs, which he graciously gave me.  I put it in my luggage so that I would have it to use on our next cruise.  I can't recall which ship that was...but when I put the 'out catching thrills" sign up, it disappeared !  I assumed someone had snatched it off the door....but when I asked the room attendant about it, he said that he had taken it and that he had been "ordered" to remove that sign, if he saw one.  I demanded it back, which he did.  So now I have one, but I dare not use it.  🙄

As I mentioned in my post just before yours, on Symphony we have the “out catching thrills” magnetic sign on our door this week.  So not just Adventure.