twangster

Royal agents are notorious for getting things wrong. I recently had Royal cancel 3 cruises when they redeployed Ovation. I waited 5 days before calling because I know it takes time for agents to get the notices of changes like this. Despite that the agent I reached insisted full penalty for me canceling the cruises. I could not convince them I had an email offering me full refund for Royal cancelling the cruises. Asked them to do nothing and called back. Next agent was right on top of it. No problem, refunds coming. Call back and try again.

Did you receive an email from A2S when you booked air? You can always call A2S and ask for it.

I find a low carb diet easier to follow by eating dinner's in the Windjammer. Lot's of salads with a protein of the day as a side. Light dressing application and you can have a very diet friendly dinner compared to the MDR where they may preload a sugar rich dressing or sauce on an entree. The MDR menu generally has some low carb options but it helps to understand how to navigate this concept in general with life. In a few months that will be easier to understand and with that knowledge navigating the MDR menu will become easier. Flying long haul on an airplane is a lot harder to manage the intake of carbs with often little or few choices compared to the MDR on a ship. Skip the breads and make sure he understands he doesn't have to eat everything on the plate that is presented to him. It's okay to leave something on the plate untouched if it isn't friendly to his dietary needs. Skipping dessert can avoid a lot of sugar but again, once more comfortable with this new lifestyle a small bite of a dessert while leaving the bulk of it untouched is perfectly fine on a ship, he won't hurt the cook's feelings, if that satisfies his needs while not spiking his body with sugar. Vodka with soda water is a popular drink for those with a focus on minimizing sugar intake until he can more fully understand the impact of various beverages on his sugar levels but double check medication guidelines for alcohol use. Still, it can be a safe drink for some that provides an opportunity to participate in moderation so not completely out of the game if that would impact his overall enjoyment of the cruise experience.

Seems about right. As you already noted Oasis class is a logical next step. Voyager was first in its class but now over 25 years old it's an old ship. Way back in the day it was mind blowing. Now? Not so much but from a core cruise ship experience the basic bones and layout make it an easy ship to sail. Royal has never been into the comfort food that Carnival includes on a complimentary basis but food is personal and my doctor doesn't like me eating all that comfort food anymore so while I recognize that Carnival excels in this area, it's not something I can indulge in anymore. Oasis class is in a league of its own. Something everyone should try at least once. Thanks for your review and comparison.

I doubt it. The bilingual nature of Quantum is an asset allowing them freedom to redeploy her in the future.

Yes. Already sailed twice with SilverSea for a much better suite experience and have another booked with them for the fall. I won't book suites on Royal anymore. For the money I now know Royal delivers a lesser suite experience. Having said that I have one Star class booking left on Utopia for my last Royal Suite experience. However since it's a shortie I don't have a lot of deposit money at risk if I change my mind. I've booked one luxury train experience that will provide more days in true luxury than Royal can provide in a Star class suite for the same money. I have several more train trips in the planning stages were I am putting more effort right now. These are high end trips with high end prices so my planning is going out beyond 2025, one per year. Not sure I'll go back to Carnival but I have shopped them and looked at mock bookings for short Florida weekend cruises. The dozen or so Royal bookings I have are older, booked before the price insanity. I'm losing some of those as Royal cancels them with redeployments so my dwindling future cruise count with Royal is due to Royal canceling cruises, not me.

The NV rates for the same time that QN operates from San Pedro don't look at all appealing to me. Are you seeing cheaper rates for west coast residents?

I am booked on Jewel's "unicorn" B2B cruises as you call them for 2024, Iceland and Arctic Circle. I am paying $216 USD per night and $217 per night for balcony cabins as a Florida based Pinnacle. Those are prevailing rates as of this week. Contrast that that two Allure 3 night short Florida cruises off season at $240 per night and $241per night for interior cabins. These were "cheap" short Florida getaway cruises which Is why I booked them, cheapest I could find all season. Jewel's has an off season "cheap" cruise for 3 night on Oct. 3, 2025. It is currently $275 per night for an interior and $336 per night for a balcony as a Florida based Pinnacle. The cheapest short Florida Jewel 2025 cruises are well above the rates for Iceland and Norway on Jewel in 2024. I can see why they are moving Jewel to Florida, assuming these rates hold fast. They make more money in Florida.

Once ships reach 20 years old they dry dock every 2.5 years. Summer 2018 - Spring 2023 - Winter 2026 fits that timeline.

How many consecutive cruisers in LA are typical?

That's proven to be a winning strategy so far. Yet they also bring the old and tired ships here too, and they fill them too. Their cup runneth over (in Florida at least). Seriously - they are putting Jewel into Florida doing 3 & 4 which means they must be able to make more money in Florida with this asset than they can in Europe doing cruises that cruisers like me want. It's not about appeasing frequent cruisers. They are a business making business decisions to maximize profit.

Looking at CAS numbers on a typical cruise the number of frequent repeat cruisers is relatively small, even in Florida. B2B guest counts are typically in the double digits. Sometimes an Oasis class consecutive cruiser count will break into trip digits but for smaller ships it's often low double digits. You can't sustain a ship in any home port with a relatively small percentage of the total guest count cruising consecutively. The bread and butter is new to cruise, or new to Royal, which often accounts for >50% of guest count. This is followed by Gold CAS with a solid #2 of guest counts. That is who they need booking a ship, anywhere. In Florida there is an abundance of new to Royal guests booking ships and that is where they make bank. The consecutive cruiser isn't where the high margin profit comes from.

Yep. That's California cruising for you. It's hard to make anything out of LA exciting.

What transatlantics? There is one August 2024 when she comes to the US from Europe. The transatlantic ends in Boston. She stays in Boston until October 2024. Then she moves to Galveston, Texas through April 2025. Then she moves to Fort Lauderdale though November 2025. Then she moves to San Juan, Puerto Rico through April 2026. No other transatlantics are planned for Jewel right now. She doesn't go back to Europe in the future that is known through 2026.

Most of her trips from Port Canaveral aren't that exciting either. Yet it's a great ship to spend a few days on.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/oasis-of-the-seas/things-to-do/coastal-kitchen Officially it's "Smart Casual" which leaves it open for interpretation. CK does not follow the daily ship dress suggestions i.e. - Dress Your Best or "formal" nights. It's always smart casual. CRAVINGS FROM THE COAST Exclusively for suite guests, Coastal Kitchen fuses Mediterranean influences with farm-fresh flavors from California. Filled with Pacific Coast favorites and Med-inspired entrees, the menu here rotates to spotlight delicious, seasonal ingredients. And you can pair every bite with a glass or bottle of wine off a list that includes vintages from the sun-kissed valleys of Napa to the golden-green hills of Tuscany. ATTIRE Smart Casual RESTRICTIONS Access to Coastal Kitchen is reserved exclusively for guests staying in qualifying Suites. Pinnacle Club members may enjoy meals in Coastal Kitchen, subject to availability. NOTE Reservation Recommended MENU HIGHLIGHTS Start your day with one of the delicious offerings from Coastal Kitchen’s breakfast menu — like a filling frittata with feta cheese and spinach, decadent French toast with syrup and caramelized bananas, or a light Mediterranean plate of pan tomàquet, hummus, prosciutto and Manchego cheese. During lunch, try the signature Margherita flatbread, heaped with Buffalo mozzarella, vine-ripe tomato and fresh basil, or a tender herb-crusted chicken breast paired with roasted squash, Provencal tomatoes and tangy lemon essence. And at dinnertime, start with an order of Escargots a la bourguignonne in simmering butter with garlic and parsley. Then try the Roasted veal tenderloin, served in a vin jaune sauce with green pea puree, sweet caramelize onions, and fava beans. End your meal on a sweet note with fresh hand-cut seasonal fruit or an airy rosewater Panna cotta with kiwi coulis and almond tuile. PRO TIP The menu at Coastal Kitchen rotates frequently; allowing you to try different delights throughout your cruise.

Sorry to see Mariner my backyard. Enjoy her Texas, she is a great ship.

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Deployment/2025_2026/Short_Caribbean/JW_2025-2026_Short_Caribbean_Deployment

That was long before Liberty. On ships without the Royal Suite program those white 340 tubes have been around for a long time.

Quantum and Navigator from LA also available in the TA portal now.

Apparently Wonder, Utopia, Liberty, Mariner, Jewel and Freedom are available to book in the TA portal. Not yet on the public website.

I suspect they may have modified plans for Wonder, at least once she switches to 3/4. It looks like Utopia stays in PCN doing 3/4 on Mondays and Fridays which will occupy terminal one. I don't see Wonder doing the same Mondays and Fridays from PCN beyond August especially with evidence that Utopia will be. Looks like Wonder goes to Miami in September of 2025. But it's all speculation and subject to change.

Keep in mind that all shipping is under global pressure to slow down. The days of high speeds legs reach a far flung port are being reduced in name of reduced emissions. Not all forms of shipping are playing ball but there is mounting pressure to do so and cruise lines are under more pressure due to the social media focus on cruise ships while most other forms of shipping sail well outside the limelight. This is playing a factor in route planning.

Looks like at the moment she stays in PCN until the end of August. She is staying on 7 night, finishing with a 6 night to land near the end of August, then has a one night deadhead repo before starting with a 5 night to get her lined up for a Friday-Monday-Friday 3/4 schedule. Subject to change.

It may depend on your Sat phone provider but when I Iast used one it was sensitive to having a clear sky visible in all directions. From the side of a ship while on the balcony you have limited line of sight toward the sky losing 180° "behind" you.. Standing on the top deck would yield a better outcome. I had GlobalStar service using a GSP-1600 handset and it was very particular about line of sight to the sky. So much so I would need to go clear into the middle of my backyard to get reliable service. Standing on my patio next to my house would yield poor results. Standing near a tree would at times reduce operational service. Given the use of Starlink internet now on ships if my GSP-1600 experience is similar to what you experience I'd much rather just go with Starlink and buy a Voom plan using Wi-Fi calling on my cell phone.