mrBit

Was the staff a regular mix of nationalities? We were on Mariner before it went to the Orient and had a few issues with communication between us and the mostly oriental staff.

There was a mix from many countries, Russia, Costa Rica, Brazil, India, Philippines, Hungry from the staff i met. No communication issues.

When i get to the windjammer part, i had an issue not with communication but with too much and not so good Indian Food. More on that in my windjammer part.

Be sure to read the other parts, some have their own threads as I thought for specific questions that have been asked it would be easier to find when not buried in a Feb 5th review.

So to rehash and where to find the whole review.

Part 1 is the virtual balcony and it also has its own thread here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1988148

Part 2 is on about the Royal Promenade

Part 3 is about the Bars and drink package experience

Part 4 is about the Photo Nightmare i had and has its own thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1988728

Part 5 is about Izumi and the Saketini, mmmm good.. has its own thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1988159

Part 6, coming up will be on the FANTASTIC Ice Dance show! ... on this thread too :P

I used the Premium package on NOS and it is worth it if you drink at least $65 a day in soda, water bottles and alcohol. With the Wine, Martinis, Gin & tonics, scotch and the list goes on that is usually avg $9 with good wine, you can easily hit $65 a day.

See my review Navigator of the Seas Feb 5th thread on the beverage packages

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1988060

Wow! Congrats to all, we just got off RCI NOS (a no kids 15 year anniversary cruise) and saw the Carnival Magic along side in Cozumel and were thinking of taking the kids because my oldest loves Carnival but my 2 youngest have never cruised before. We are definitely hunting and i checked my VIFP but it only has 2 cat upgrade. We have sailed Carnival 5 times, last one being 2007.

Where is that letter???? Come on USPS!

I was on NOS last week and they did have diet tonic water, i prefer it with my gin & tonic. Some bars have it, others go and get it and other do not. It was hit or miss on NOS.

this is accurate http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experiencetypes/category.do?pagename=onboard_cat_dining_options

i was on NOS post drydock cruise.

I see the threads get really long and some topics i think need their own thread, like virtual balconies and such. People ask lots of the same questions and don't find the answers sometimes when the threads are so long, kinda just trying to get to the point quicker. i put the part order at the top though :D

just check out my recent threads, we just got back from it's first cruise post dry dock.

I would say it's your vacation, it should be as such.

I like to dress up so I do so but i also like to see other's ideas of cool looking or fun looking tuxedos. We usually try to book a speciality restaurant on Formal nights, such as when we took carnival, the supper club or RCI' Chops or other restaurant.

I don't get to dress my best normally, I am a programmer by trade so when the occasion presents itself I dive right in.

But it's your vacation and if you are not enjoying it, you will need a vacation from your vacation and that can get expensive :D

From the website "Royal Caribbean's new R Bar is a throwback to the Rat Pack days when a martini was made with gin and everyone dressed to impress! Guests can enjoy the sophisticated ambiance and surprising entertainment of the Centrum while an expert mixologist serves up classic cocktails."

Navigator had one and was one of my favorite bars.

So this is part 4 of my Feb 5th cruise.

Photos... well everything went smoothly, having our pictures taken as we embark and around the ship, portraits, outside and inside the dining room. So the wife and i decided to go check out our photos on day 2.

We get down there and you will find tall carousels with black binders which are coded to your photo# on your seapass. This was new and i being a tech guy got excited... no more with looking through walls of photos, we can scan our card at a kiosk and see our photos or go to our coded binder in the carousel to see actual prints. Well it was for not, the system was not ready via the kiosks, nothing in the binders and the... what i would call large LCD wall units for browsing was a NIGHTMARE!

I talked at length with the IT guys as I enjoy the tech, it was a new system but the photo id dates were off because photographers forgot to change the camera dates and then the network to the iPads where you can buy or the other Kiosks would not work. The iPad card readers would not read and the kiosks had nothing but an empty database.

So these larger wall unit LCDs which are touch based.... aye.... you can search by shore, at sea, port, daytime, night-time, portraits, dining or misc. No one could find anything without help, the system looks nice and when it gets working as it should will be the best photo finder system yet... but ... not there yet.

So when you find photos on the wall units, you have to page through page screens of photos, so many people were swiping and swiping the screen going through hundreds of photos and all searches had to go through MISC because of the camera ID issues. Once we found our pictures, you add them to your ID and we were told to come back the next day to see the prints.

Day 3,

We went back and they said all the searching we did on Day 2 was for not and to now go through the Kiosk, oh wow.... so we scan our cards and only 1 picture comes up.... (face palm) where are all the photos we saw yesterday???? "So sorry sir, please comeback later, I am sure they will be in the system"

Day 4,

We gave them all morning and went in the afternoon, but now it is really crowded, lot's of frustrated passengers and something new.... now we have plastic bins with people going through prints like you would dig though s $4.99 DVD bin at Walmart. Oh wow... we almost walked but RC customer service is on the ball, "how can I help you" saved the day... he took us to a kiosk and i had my doubts but WHALLA! Pictures, YEA! Time to order! So we did order and were told to pick up the prints at night and that they will be in our binder.. good to go.

Day 4 at night

Now it's really crowded and the plastic bin digging is in full swing! I did not ask why or what pictures were in the bins... I just let things be but hoped but braced myself that my prints could not possibly be in one of those bins.

We get to our binder and there are PRINTS! Yea! But.... not the ones we ordered.... oh no, I am not going through bins, I am going for a refund.

So we find photo assistant to help us get a refund but he tells us that the photos in the binder are not indeed what we ordered but just for us to view... NO! ... we have already viewed and viewed just give me the refund...."It's ok sir, your order can be picked up at that desk over there."

So we turn around and there is a short line at the desk, so we wait and finally get to the desk and they have our order, FINALLY!

They were in a plastic bag, no presentation folder or anything but at least we got the prints.

If and when they get this system working, it will be awesome, the best... I am sure photo management on a cruise to be.... I just hope none of you have to live through the growing pains.

They had starbucks coffee at the cafe promenade when I was on the 4 day Feb 5th cruise

Second your opinion! Tried it on Grandeur recently and love, love, LOVED it! Ala carte prices are similar to what you would pay in a good sushi place on land;). Friends with us got the hot rocks and were not impressed - kind of bland, no spices for the actual cooking and were given three dipping sauces (terriyaki, ginger and spicy if I remember correctly). It was just okay for that.

 

Now my DH and I stuck to the sushi, sashimi and nigiri offerings - oh yum! We had the Tuna carpacio with a wasabi drizzle, the octopus appetizer and several rolls (couldn't even tell you which ones). For dessert I opted for the sampler while DH had the mochi ice cream. Our waiter tried to warn me away from the sampler because green tea is featured in a few of them and he said 'most people don't enjoy the flavor', but I love green tea so I was like 'Bring it on!' and it was delicious:D.

 

The executive chef for the Izumi brand (corporate level) happened to be on board Grandeur during our sailing, tweaking some of the offerings (I believe they are looking at adding more typical fare - teppanyaki etc. to try and broaden appeal) and we had the pleasure of speaking with him for about 20 minutes after our dinner. Apparently when my DH was over at the sushi prep station he was there and could tell DH knew a bit about sushi (DH is half Japanese) so once we were done he came over to get our opinion as well as the opinions of those traveling with us (good choice on his part - we ran the spectrum from first time trying sushi to DH & I who eat sushi whenever we can:rolleyes:).

 

Another hint - inquire about the sushi making class they offer on a sea day - very limited (like 12-14 people) and runs $20 per person, but you make two rolls of sushi and two pieces of nigiri. Once done, you sit down as a group and eat your creations (plus they give your the soy bean appetizer and miso soup as well). A very fun way to pass about 45 minutes:p

Ha, that sounds like fun, I will have to ask next time. :)

New future question on CC: Do the VBs have jacks for my Xbox or DVD player? :D

LMAO!!! actually yes there is... when the tech took the bottom panel off I saw the inputs, but that would be too cool. :D

Mr Brit- since you are a tech guy,maybe you can answer this? We had a new LCD TV and someone was over zealous with the wii remote and damaged the screen. There was an area that did not show what was in the screen (like a hole). Did you notice how they can prevent that from happening of someone bumps it with say, luggage or something...eventually, the effect will be lessened of there are all these little damaged spots. And if my new tv did with just 2 kids those screens sure will be damaged with thousands of kids a year.

Also at night don't hear any ocean sounds, was this the period where the sound wasn't working, or you had turned it off? I def heard the beeping trucks in Galveston tho;)

 

Just curious! Thanks for posting video!

Nothing to protect it, if someone damages the screen it will diminish the quality for sure. I did actually test that too :P

The sound stopped working when the video stream stopped.

Yes, but the chips and Guacamole made tableside is complimentary. The guac was sooo good I might have been happy with a bowl just for myself!

 

At Izumi's miso soup and edimame is complimentary, but you have to shell the peas from the shells...didn't much fancy that.

Sabor sounds great, i wish we would have gone there now. We did Chops and Izumi. LOL at the Peas, i ate half of one with the husk then figured.. nope just the peas. Our waiter suggested just sucking them out, i guess the point of the rock salt on the outer shell. But i broke mine apart too with my hands and just used the warm cloth to wash.

I'm having trouble following you. Did you mean at one point the RedHat OS was displaying on the virtual balcony?

Yes, RedHat Linux desktop was on the screen. We had a Redhat Linux screen most of the cruise going on and off like 3 hours on then 3 hours off.

See my link, i took video of it.

Our remote never worked. But when both the video and sound were on, it was heaven!

I know, it is a awesome feature.

Izumi, wow... it is my favorite restaurant onboard. The ambiance, food, service and most of all saketini are just awesome. Its location just at the top of the ship deck 14 overlooking the sea just adds to its "awesomeness."

Things to know are that it is open for lunch for a couple of hours 12 - 1:30pm and dinner when we tried. The lunch and dinner menus are different where as the lunch menu is much smaller and almost... almost all sushi. They do offer soups and a few other items though but the dinner menu offers much, much more than just sushi.

I ordered from what i remember as the dragon which i ordered with a spice sauce per the waiter's recommendation and the spicy tuna rolls... oh so good... so dang good.

What i like the most is the saketini... holy cow was it good, a special mixture of vodka/sake garnished with cocktail onions. Thing is you can also order it at the cosmo bar but be prepared to wait if the bartender hesitates to give you one with the excuse that it is "special". Izumi okayed mine each time, which was numerous.

You start off with an appetizer we had the peas with rock salt, addicting. You also get warm hand cloths, two chopsticks on what i think is a bamboo place mat. The tables are situated along the curvature of the deck which means there are windows through out the main wall which give wonderful views. You can host large parties there too, we saw a party of 12.

Prices are pretty cheap which is amazing for the taste. They range from $4 to $10 from what i recall with mostly sitting in the $6-$7 range.

Just ask if you have questions.

i have reposted some from my other thread but added much more.

the Virtual Balcony. I read some other reviews but from the internet searching i had done for expectations i got what i expected it to be and a little more as I am a programmer by trade and enjoy new tech. It is a floor to ceiling LCD screen with remote to lower volume or turn it off and on. I have a youtube video if you wish to see a video of it in day and night mode and also when it does not work.

You can skip this part if you are not interested in the tech or issues with it.

First as I said it did work but for only a 1 1/2 days then it was nothing but Redhat Linux (operating system) network pushed home screens of the desktop to then dropping the signal all together to the LCD to then awaking to the same Linux desktop.

I was intrigued by it and love tech so I actually got to work with 3 IT guys from RC helping them debug its behavior. They were pleased with the details i gave and showed me how it worked.

First you have several cameras on deck and that is important because the video server sends the correct live image to your stateroom orientation or if it did not do this, you could experience sea sickness. Then it detects night and day mode which will change the CGI balcony rail and floor image to the appropriate light and shadow effect.

The video server to shorten does the appropriate conversion from outside cameras to the network which then pushes over Linux to your node LCD screen which is a little box inside the the bottom of the LCS behind a panel.

I like how RC pushes the edge with stuff like this no matter how corny it may be to some. To me when it worked, it was very useful, if i woke up at night it helped me gauge the time as when i had window or balcony rooms before. For example going to the bathroom at 6:30 yielded beautiful early morning scenes that then i knew the day was about to start vs having nothing but a clock. It was just really nice.

Next, let's talk about the remote, it is a small fit in your palm black remote with on/off button, mute and volume control. You point it at the balcony, our IR unit was at the top but the tech stated it was not right but i am sure whatever the case pointing at the screen will work.

There are curtains just as if you were to have a balcony that you can fully cover the LCD or leave them a little open as there will be light at night from the balcony railing which emits a white color (color of the railing) if you see my video (link above) this may be annoying for some so just FYI, if it is annoying you can turn it off along with the sound. However the curtains block a lot of the light so it may never be an issue.

The location was on the corner/side wall behind the chair a few feet past the foot of the bed which is located opposite of the TV/Desk. To be more specific, if as you walk in the stateroom and if the bathroom is on the right, it would be just past the bathroom on your right using the side wall.

For any other questions, just ask.

But Ronnie said it was working pretty well and that they were turning these on and off, in other words they were controlling the times of no video feed and no sound. And that after tweaking they would turn it on full. He mentioned just some problems with the remote and that after tweaking this he'd be leaving Navigator.

 

I will ask him about this when I email him. I'm supposed to talk to him about my beta test for it.

Yea there were quite a few with issues according to the tech i spoke to and RCI apologized as they comped us, the tech i spoke to said cameras were not correct per the vendor but that turning them off was to correct a bug because remotes were not working for those that could not turn them off like mine but i would have left it on, i had blinds and like the scenes. Most of the time we had a Linux home screen and that the IR unit was not correct according to the tech.

Last week I was looking for a cruise - we only cruise out of Texas and I have been on the Magic 2 or 3 times (I don't even remember!). I read something about the virtual balconies and then found your OCD thread and then I became obsessed. I booked us on Navigator in May and we are super excited. It has been awhile since I actually became excited about a cruise - but I am now! After cruising on Carnival these past few years, I forgot all about RCI and how pretty the ships are. To us, the ports don't matter that much, as we have been just about everywhere the Texas boats go. This upcoming cruise we just plan on relaxing and enjoying the ship. Your pictures are amazing and made us decide to get the Ultimate Drink package so that we can spend lots of time in all those amazing bars.

 

Some questions about Navigator- if you please. What is Izumi? Are there specialty restaurants on board and if so, what kind and how much. I looked on RCI website and it doesn't look like Navigator has any. Is there an ice skating rink? Is the Sapphire one of the main dining rooms? The Sapphire is so gorgeous - before the cruise can you request assignment to a particular dining room? If so, how would I do that?

 

General questions about RCI - can you prepay your tips? Does RCI have personal vacation planners like Carnival? On the drink package, does that start as soon as you get on the boat - or do you have to wait until the boat is in open water? When I order the drink package, can I prepay? I like to prepay for as many things possible - no surprises at the end of the cruise!

 

Thanks again for a great report. I am really excited about our next cruise.

I have a thread on the Virtual Balcony on my review just posted as to not spam the info.

Next you asked about Izumi, I plan on posting all about it later tonight.

There are 5 speciality restaurants that i know of onboard Sabor (Modern Mexican) don't know the cost Chops (steak house) $30 per Izumi (Japanese) works just like an actual restaurant with each item priced Giovanni's Table (Italian) don't know price maybe $20 and Johnny Rockets (50's burger and shake diner)

yes there is an ice skating rink and the show is top notch out of this world. There is also time to skate yourself.

Sapphire is the only main dining room which has 3 floors, the top floor was used for my time dining which allows you to make reservations as to when you want to eat usually before you cruise through your travel agent or RCI. However many were able to make reservation plans onboard. Call RCI and they can usually put you where you want. Heck onboard RCI allowed our friends we made onboard to eat with us and moved the existing couple whom never came to eat to another table if they ever showed up.

Yes you can prepay tips, yes RCI has vacation planners.

As for drinks you can prepay the drink package or purchase one on day 1 onboard. As for when it starts, you can drink right away, the only thing is that some bars are closed. Texas charges a license/tax which is pricey so the alcohol is bonded with what is served in Texas waters. This info came from a bartender when i asked the same thing.

Part 3.

Bars and Beverage Packages....

I went with Premium, i like to drink and definitely got my money's worth. However, not all bars are created equally and neither is the opinion of each bartender's perspective on how the beverage purchases work or what is/is not covered.

Ok, no souvenir cup in cabin day 1, on day 2 i found out i could ask for one and did get one. But what was frustrating is not everyone is on the same page. The Cafe wanted to charge me for a bottle of water while others did not. Later found out it was part of the package. One Bar wanted to charge me for the coke portion of my Rum and coke.... huh? They said soda was not part of Premium that is was only alcohol..... later found out that yes soda was included. Each time they said, just go to customer service and they will refund you... huh?

Anyway it is so nice to just order and get drinks without signing for a charge.... very nice feeling.

Not all bars are equal, the Schooner Bar, Cosmopolitan are good to go with the Brands i wanted like Mount Gay Rum. But the friendliest where the R Bar, Schooner and the Bar in the theater, those bar tenders rocked even if they did not have what i wanted. Finding Diet tonic water was a chore but like i said the theater bartender knew where some was and brought a few bottles to his location knowing i liked it for each night we went. Kudos Kudos.

Next "special drinks" oh so dang frustrating!!!!!! Let me explain, Sabor a specialty restaurant and Izumi first Izumi ROCKS!!!!!! holy cow was it good, the best restaurant on the ship. Anyway more on that later, Sabor we did not try but our friends did and they have a spicy margarita OHHHHHH SOOOO GOOOOD! Izumi has a Sakitini which is vodka/sake special mix with cocktail onions.... OHHHH SOOOO GOOOD :P I drank so many of those that I cant count em. lol Ok here is the frustrating part.... my friends introduced me to the Sabor drink at the schooner bar as they assist the restaurant in making them. Sabor said we could order them outside the restaurant but when you ask the schooner bar they were hesitant... then they would make them but said it was not covered by our packages even though they were in the actual restaurant. They stated they had to charge us because it is a "special drink" however when rung up it was $9... huh my package covers up to $10 value and my friends $12.. customer service fixed it and we did our best to get the message through.

Sakitini was harder, the Cosmo bar tender gave me a super hard time, it was not about charging this time but simply being able to order one from the Cosmo bar. I mean ..... eh... Izumi said it was ok and he had to go each and every time to ask them.... really? Anyway, i waited patiently each and every time because that drink is well worth it.

We loved the Salsa bar for its dancing music, the drinks and bartenders were good too. The wife and I love to dance so we frequented that place a lot.

Schooner is so much fun with trivia and live music, always a fun time to be had there.

My man in the R Bar, he was a joy to talk to, he got a promotion with RC so he was happy and knew how to serve a scotch.

Part 2.

The Royal Promenade, let me start with that. It feels very much like one of my local malls, restaurants, stores and etc... I think pictures make it look bigger than in real life, but it was very cool. The last day Circus Parade was something i enjoyed, they put a lot of work into it.

Cafe Promenade, this is like a little La Madeleine to me, the cakes/pastries and complimentary coffee/tea were nice with the addition of StarBucks but I am not a Starbucks fan, now if they had Duncan Donut's coffee... different story. Nice ambiance there and the outside tables are a nice touch when it's not too crowded.

Some negatives, don't sell alcohol there or simply just have a line just for alcohol/soda/water, the lines get too long for Coffee that takes longer in my opinion to make because everyone wants some sort of "frapa or late something or other" vs a simple gin & tonic but no matter, one line for it all. There is another bar at the other end and a pub in the middle but i found not all bars are equal, some have specific brands of alcohol while others did not. I will get more into bars later though.

We hung out at the pub twice with the old whisky barrels and stools, nice touch. I had a couple of good single malt scotch there.

Vintages, we went once as it had quite a few private parties there during the cruise. It is a nice wine bar, good ambiance.

My wife enjoyed the shops, but wow does it get crowded and hard to navigate through the promenade when the sales are going on. With booths in the middle and sides and all the customers...the promenade reminded me of my own malls during black friday.

Next up Bars and the new Beverage Packages

having the virtual balcony NOT work may be problematic. I've booked one on Quantum's inaugural and I'll be highly upset if it doesn't work. I had to pay a premium for this type of cabin. I could have booked a cheaper cabin but wanted to see what it was all about. I may squawk at Guest Services to comp me if the darn thing doesn't work for most of my cruise. They sold me a virtual balcony, not working means I have a regular interior cabin and am not getting what I paid for.

We did get comped for our next cruise, Guest services did this voluntarily too which I thought was a nice gesture.