twangster

It would mess up Mariner and everyone parked in the A garage to move them to G just so Navigator can use A.  Mass chaos for no apparent gain.  

The trick to G is not arriving early, very little waiting room.  Better to arrive after 1pm when cabins are ready and the huddled masses have finished stampeding each other up the gangway.  Once cabins open the Windjammer is no longer a waiting room and seats are plentiful.  

7 minutes ago, eroller said:

  Hopefully NAVIGATOR will use the brand new terminal at PortMiami that was really created for SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS and the new Icon Class. 

Nope.  Not initially.  

On weekends Oasis class uses terminal A and on Mondays and Fridays Mariner uses terminal A.  Once Mariner repo's to PC then Navi. might begin using A but for now she is pegged to G.

https://seaport2.miamidade.gov/dailydock/Default.aspx

Anyone else notice the first 5 night after dry dock is now showing Feb 24 - Feb 25?

Apparently they are adding a time warp drive in the dry dock.  5 Nights worth of cruising in 1 day.  🙂 

Or...

Forward facing deck 11 balconies?  And now for something completely different...

5 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Still there on Adventure, with her new deck 11 staterooms.

True, but Adventure and Mariner only received starboard deck 11 cabins.  Navigator is getting many more deck 11 cabins.  On Mariner and Adventure you have to use the port side door to reach the Peak-a-boo bridge.  On Navigator both sides will be blocked.

I wonder if the new deck 11 cabins means the Peak-a-boo bridge is no more?

Diamond Lounge is moving in to replace the Connoisseurs Club (former smoking lounge) next to the Star Lounge.

Guessing but confident JR express will have a charge.

I though the JR sit down area was being blown out for the landing area for the new water slides.  Their design is very different compared to other ships that have recently received slides, coming down to end where JR is now, or so I thought.

7 minutes ago, gkbiiii said:

There is nothing on royal's website about this, in 2019 do we still get double solo credit?

It's there but buried and hard to find.  While the link below dated is June 2018 no further updates have been posted or word that double solo points have so far been eliminated.  Until I hear otherwise I'm assuming my 10 booked cruises will yield double solo points.

https://dlxffu6hwewxp.cloudfront.net/cas/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/CAS_Member_Benefits_Grid_JUNE-2018.pdf

In the fine print, item 14:

14 One Cruise Point for each completed night of sailing and an extra Cruise Point per night when you purchase and sail in suite accommodations (categories RL, RS, PS, SL, TS, A1, A2, A3, CL, OS, FS, GS, JS) and/or sail in any category and pay a single pricing type for double occupancy staterooms. All other rates including Travel Agent rates are excluded from single price type extra point promotion. Cruisetours are included as an additional night per each day on the cruise tour. Points will be awarded by rate paid not rate berthed, for example, in the instance of an upgrade from an outside to a suite category including reduced rate upgrades. Allow up to 30 days from the date of debarkation for Cruise Points to post to your account. Requests to add missing Cruise Points may be submitted up to 12 months after the debarkation date of your sailing.

On 1/4/2019 at 5:40 PM, Lloyd555 said:

Hmmm. The ship stopped at Terminal A on the way out of the port.

Pee break already??! 

 

Trying a turn at the grown up table while the bigger sisters weren’t around 😂😂😂

4 hours ago, inforthethrill said:

My husband and I are booked for 2019 as well. We are 30/36 years old. We are used to the crowd being older as we have done lots of Med/Greek cruises with similar demographics. How much of the "choppy" water do you think was just "normal" vs the tropical storm? 

3 hours ago, chadmom said:

 

See you on board!  We’re 56/63 😊

I’ve booked 2019 as well.   See you both on board.  I really enjoyed this cruise and look forward to doing it again in 2019.  

3 hours ago, chadmom said:

Did you have a wi-fi package? We’re trying to decide if we need it.

I did but I was working and blogging.  One day near the Gulf of St Lawrence Voom and Satellite TV was out.  

I have Tmobile so I get LTE data in Canada and the US.  This is absolutely a cruise you can do without Voom if you have coverage in Canada and don’t need to be connected at sea at night.  It’s port intensive so if I didn’t need Voom to run my business I wouldn’t feel the need to buy Voom.  

On this particular sailing we had the remnants of Hurricane Michael a couple hundred miles away from us.  I think they were preparing in case it was worse than it actually was.  Other than that there isn’t anything about this itinerary that is any different than any other cruise.  

7 minutes ago, serialcruiser48 said:

 

It’s time for RCL to deploy its own 03b and cut out the middleman. I bet if RCL would start making inquiries about starting their own 03b service, the folks who currently sell 03b would get wind of it and RCL would suddenly see a significant price drop.

Deploying a series of earth orbiting satellites and maintaining them is a billion dollar venture. I think Royal would rather build another ship.  

O3b has finite capacity.   They added two more satellites last year and more are on the way but there are other users both in and out of the cruise industry using them.  

Plus it’s cheaper for Royal to continue selling geosynchronous Voom under the same name.  Why invest more money in new equipment only to be able to charge the same price?

As a consumer of Voom I hate it but as a business owner I get it.  

1 minute ago, caribbeanboy said:

 

Can a D+ member use the Concierge Lounge on the Mariner or Jewel?

No CL on Mariner any more.  New Suite lounge is off limits to D+ unless you are in a full suite.  

Jewel, yes.  

5 minutes ago, chadmom said:

We’re doing this cruise in 2019. Thanks for your wonderful and detailed review!

See you on board, I'm doing it again...

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

So what is true about the key and as far as shows go on the ship on reserving days and times for the shows.................But what it reads on the info about the key is clearly states that no reservations are needed. So is that true or not?

 

This is what it says on the write up about about the new program?

 

"Reserved priority seating at shows in the Main Theater, AquaTheater and Studio B. No reservations required pre-cruise or onboard. "

 

So is it true? Sounds like you just show up and walk in?

During my review, which was the 1st ever run on Oasis, at that time Key guests did require reservations.  Since that time they have tweaked the benefits, adding priority boarding for example and adding that reservations are NOT required,  among other changes.  At the moment, as of today, it appears reservations are NOT required.

2 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

So--if you are Diamond and, therefore, can use the Diamond Lounge (presently), get a premium drink package and purchase the key, why not just do this instead of booking a suite?  Any estimation of what one would save in money?  Forget the double points since I will never try for Diamond+.  I love the coffee machine in the SL though.

As a D+ who has sailed with Sky Class benefits on multiple occasions from shortly after it was introduced, I can offer that The Key is a solid strategy to take a normal non-suite cabin and crank it up a few notches absent of the huge price jump into Sky Class.  You don't get everything Sky Class gets such as Coastal Kitchen, Suite Lounge, Suite Sun Deck, free room service, larger and nicer room, free pressing service, helipad sail-away party, suite concierge services, etc. but it's much less expensive than Sky Class.  

Some people experience a suite and don't ever go back.  I went from a loft suite on Allure to an interior on Grandeur on my next cruise a few months later.  I don't need a suite to make my cruise.  When I do them I thoroughly enjoy them but depending on who I am cruising with I don't have to have a suite.  The Key is a nice way for folks who don't have to a have a suite to level up and get some suite-like perks. 

2 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

...And if the Diamonds are thrown out of the lounge, how will we use the coffee machine for lattes?

Diamonds have never had access to a suite lounge, there is a separate diamond lounge that typically has some sort of 'fancy' coffee machine.  Diamond coffee has had no impact from The Key.  

39 minutes ago, SteelMagnolia9 said:

Apparently, The Key is already being ‘tweaked’ since the OP’s post. The Key description on my planner adds/modifies:

 

Priority check-in and boarding. Upon your arrival at the terminal, follow The Key check-in signage to your designated waiting area.

 

Priority port of call debarkation. No mention of only applying to tender ports.

 

Reserved priority seating at shows in the Main Theatre, AquaTheatre and Studio B. No reservations required pre-cruise or onboard.

Noticed the same.  Also see it for Vision class bookings which to me would be a complete waste.   

5 minutes ago, Angelsea57 said:

Well , the more money they get the more they want.

It's all about the mighty dollar.

On the flip side of this thought, base cruise fares continue to remain relatively unaffected by time.  They remain affordable despite rising costs across the industry (and life in general)

If a program such as The Key can introduce new revenue while having a relatively low impact to most guests yet keep bare cruise fares low for the masses that may not be a bad thing. 

5 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Here's the timing on Oasis:

 

 

All of the sessions happen on the side normally reserved for boogie boarding - looks like the morning sessions take away from normal public time (boogie boarding is very lightly attended at that time). Don't know if the two afternoon session would have been open to the public. 

Thanks for posting my pics from my first hand experience (in reference to a few posts above).  In my case, albeit the initial run, all of 3 people (of 47) used the Flow Rider.   Staff allowed others on absent of Key guests on this one occasion.  

I'm on Navigator now as I right this with its terrible Voom so I've been following loosely along as time and scuba diving has permitted.  

A few thoughts and comments have entered my head as I've followed along but with the drink package impacting my judgements I chose to follow along instead.  My gut reaction is people are over reacting, but to each their own, everyone can have an opinion. 

Only time will tell.  Don't fret too much about anything until you experience the impact (or lack of) first hand.  

Happy cruising everyone, time for another drink on a glorious sea day as we make our back to Miami.  

1 hour ago, RadioPeri said:

Don't you feel like Royal Caribbean is trolling us at this point??? PLEASE don't sign up for this DREADFUL program. STOP ENCOURAGING extra charges that net you nothing of value!!

It may be that there is no value for you.  That's a perfectly acceptable line of reasoning.  However  there are people who will find value in this.  

If enough do, it stays.  If few dont, it will go.   Much like just about anything on a ship like drink packages, specialty dining, photo packages, etc.  

The truth is I think few cruisers will actually be impacted by this program.  

The 100 capacity number came from a crew member after the departure breakfast while being escorted off.  They seemed to knowledgeable and answered several questions about the program.  

Truth be told, the terminal could handle it.  The terminal isn't the issue.  

Vintages is not considered to be a specialty restaurant.  So it's not included by the UDP but like all things Royal it might vary by ship.   Never hurts to ask.  

1 hour ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

Do you know if the Anthem of the Seas has hot rocks? I would eat there then if they did. 

Thank you in advance.

 

No hot rocks on Anthem.  It tends to be offered on Voyager class and smaller but even that generalization doesn't apply.  Mariner doesn't have hot rocks.