Engineroom Snipe

My emphasis on this word: Now you have done it! Item 7. You placed the word, dare I say it, "free" in that line. Is it "free if you paid for it?" A whole can of worms have been opened up in a thread that was already filled with intrigue and passion. You had to inject the "free" word. I am running for cover as I hear incoming fire in the distance. 🤯

I will never think the same way about buying a milkshake. So much to consider........... It is going to go right-up there with the pizza discussions. 🤔

There were some excellent deals on the smaller ships late November into the first week of December, 2023. Some of them only were available for a few days at the best price and weeks at a slightly higher price. One had to be quick with the credit card and be capable of making a quick analysis. If you were not actively looking everyday, you missed them.

More money! More Money! More Money! Got get as much money per square foot of deck area. Maybe we can construct a second floor with a "balcony" on a few of them so they can be more exclusive (and yes, MORE MONEY!). 😁

Repeat and rinse. RCI will raise the cabin prices $75 per person/double occupancy and then give you $150 OBC. "Kids Sail Free", not quite, taxes and port taxes required, $18 gratuity per day minimum regardless of age. And you will find that three person rooms come with a premium compared to the two person room. All the cruise lines do this just like hotels and airlines. You have to read the fine print and try to compare apples to apples. That is why you see so many long time cruisers booking cruises as soon as they are offered to get the room and itinerary they want. Sometimes the price is cheaper as time goes by but in most cases, if you have very specific desires or needs, the price rarely is less. The only exception is a couple who just enjoys any cruise in general in an inside room. You will see some deals with travel agencies in their "blocked" rooms that are significantly less than what RCI wants at about 120 days out if bookings are lagging. At that point, they are just trying to move inventory and meet quotas, kind of like a car dealership at the end of a month they are behind in sales.

I tend to do 1/2 of my cruises in an interior and 1/2 in balconies. If I am in a balcony, I tend to enjoy the free drinks there with my wife. With the interiors, the Schooner bar on most ships is a peaceful place with softer music we find enjoyable. Even when it sponsored free drinks (before vouchers), I found the Diamond Lounge a bit boisterous as the atmosphere seemed to be "how many free drinks" can one down in the allotted time. I started hearing the same stories time and time again. They were great memories but some stories wear thin after the fifth telling. I wish people enjoyed listening as much as they enjoyed speaking. The mixing and the mingling of new people sometimes seemed like oil and water. Using the vouchers at anytime at any bar allows one to choose their "happy place."

I enjoy the solarium during the first day going to sea. I could understand the disappointment of the OP with being denied access for any reason. Maybe it would not have been so irritating if they knew ahead of time that it was going to be closed. Certainly, anyone with C&A status would agree that RCI is starting to put the brakes on some of the perks due to ever increasing numbers of high point members. I enjoy what perks I can get but I never cruised RCI for C&A status. Like so many things in life, the journeys made while getting the C&A points are more important than the issuance of another tier level. If I talk to cruisers on board, I make it a point to never discuss my C&A status or total days at sea. In most cases, the subject does not even come up. In general, most people would not care, they are busy enjoying their cruise.

Red wine would be the absolute fiasco. Hard cases are a good go-around on this problem.

We normally carry a personnel bag, one small roller suitcase (type that would fit in overhead airplane bin) each and one slightly larger bag (one bag that we share) that would require checked at airport (next size up from overhead bag. When flying, there are many prohibited items in the passenger area that can be approved for checked bags. They attach together and I can easily handle my personal, checked bag, and smaller roller bag as a unit (people always ask me where I got them because they move so well together). We bought them over fifteen years ago and they do not sell them anymore. Still in great shape but I had to replace two wheels on the larger suitcase because it bears the brunt of the weight when they are together as a unit. I never had an issue with security. One of the rare reasons I might not want to allow anyone to handle the bag is if we bring our formal clothing (normally on the longer cruises). There are some cruisers who forget and pack beverages or other items that either break and leak or just leak (did not double wrap items in Zip Lock bags, etc). This can result on their liquids getting into your bag when they are stacked ten high between the loading zone and your room. I have issues with my bags being severely misplaced on ships (not just wrong side of ship but wrong floor). It is unusual but it happens. Depending on the physical fitness of the cruisers, hoofing with a large load of baggage can be tiring on ports like Baltimore. They have a long switchback boarding ramp which can be challenging with a heavy load. You going from sea level to the 5th deck with no escalator or elevator. Many other ports will get you within one deck before you have to go to work.

When I was on the Jewel in November, I took a spa tour. There is no "relaxation room" beyond the facilities that you describe. The only area to cool after the sauna or steam room is the small benches outside of the them. I say they can handle about 4 persons at best or take a shower (three available in the men's room).

So many MDR reviews start with "The service was great but...". Service can blunt bad food preparation or quality of food by quickly offering another entree or appetizer. There is only so much good service can do when the food itself does not meet expectation. You discuss an interesting idea about expecting service to "overcome" all.

This is the problem. Inconsistency. I had the opposite experience of having a great Jewel cruise in November in the MDR. I still always enjoy the cruise. I appreciate the effort that goes into a good food experience.

There are so many variables that go into a cruise decision and a vacation decision in general. After everything is calculated into the decision, then the price point comes in. At what price does that decision satisfy all of the above. A slightly disappointing MDR is not so bad if everything else aligns and you get the cruise at a much lower than average price. That same MDR experience becomes aggravating if you think you are paying a premium price. So many variables..........

According to the "Pirates Code" at sea, the ending of Brunch after 12pm is more of a guideline than code.

No, at this point, if the poster still has a beating heart, they are giving him an IV of Warfarin. But what a way to go!!!! I like his "Can Do" spirit! 🤣

Not only for the OP but I fear for any passengers who might be having a good time around the OP having second guesses about the good time they are having. 🤣

Ironically, you are not one of the posters I thought "of always having perfect dining experiences." That is why I would respond to your questions about dining experiences. I know you will take my opinion as just that, an opinion. You have posted the dining experiences that you prefer and appreciated my input, even when it might have been different than yours. When you post your next cruise dining experience, I will be very attentive. I know you will give the great, the good, the bad, or the ugly without drama. I always look at the source of the information as well as the information itself. Sources matter.

Your idea about RCI "moving on" from their past model of older cruisers into the future of young families is plausible. Many of the Crown & Anchor perks are slowly being whittled away. If RCI was really concerned about losing these older long time cruisers, they would be adding perks, not limiting them. The newer ships are leaning towards theme parks and high end customers which RCI believes is the future of their company: otherwise, they would be building ships without slides, water parks, high-line adventures, etc., etc. While I hope that RCI still wants its older loyal cruisers, your opinion is based on reality. Reality can suck sometimes.

A smart "Doomsday" idea: Always have a bowl of cookies in your cabin at night when you go to sleep. Should there be an emergency and you need space on the lifeboat, show the bowl and fellow passengers will be welcoming you with open arms (and hands for the cookies!). Make sure it is a big bowl. You might have to share it with about 378 of your closest "friends". 🤣

Food is SO subjective. This is the reason I like to read people's opinions on multiple posts and think of my audience before responding to food reviews. I am not sure if some people will ever be satisfied with any food RCI presents. On the other hand, I have a hard time understanding how some people are so fortunate to get a perfect cruise food experience every time for decades. To each their own. Isn't great that we can voice our opinions and be heard? 😊

Patience is a virtue.

This is the quandary of cruisers like us who remember the "good-ole-days" of MDR. We are bias because of our memories of the past and cannot ever relive them in the present situation. I have really loved cruising and RCI is the company I will forever remember. I do not want to let go but maybe it is for the best. We cannot keep looking in the rear view mirror for destinations and experiences which cannot be duplicated in today's environment. You are not alone as many of us must move on and stop yearning for the days that will not happen again. It is a brave new world and we must look for new horizons.

Legal disclaimer: "I believe what the poster intended to say is that the cheese and meats will have a very short period of time before they are being consumed after leaving the Windjammer and as such, they do not require any sort of refrigeration." I give those items a very short life-span on your balcony! 😆

I have been with RCI since 1988 when food was the main focal point. Six cruises since the opening after the pandemic. My last one in November finally reminded me of what I was used to in a good quality experience in the food area. I see myself in your review. Fruit was missing in action for the first three cruises. The braised lamb was either wonderful or awful. Soups were limited and could have come out of a can. Salad bars were severely limited in choice, and all of the chicken and meats seemed to disappear in some sauce that was nondescript. If you got your Icon cruise at good price, I would go just to experience a new ship. I would hope being the new darling of the fleet, it might have the best food and chefs onboard. I have two more reserved this year that I reserved awhile ago. I am hoping for the best.

That's when I move to a different spot and break out the binoculars and security takes them away using the "privacy" clause. 😬