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I misread the intent of your statement and for that I apologize. Thanks for clarifying.

You had written: "This comment/furtherance of a discussion does not directly involve what @LobsterStalker stated." That is what I disagreed with. Not with your other comments/opinions.

Roger that. Thank you for the clarification. DW and I have a series of B2Bs coming up on Anthem, so I shall pay closer attention to the announcements.

I disagree. LobsterStalker stated he (she) heard an announcement specifically requesting that guests award a 10. How much more directly involved could my comment/question have been? It's one thing to be solicited personally at the table, and quite another to be solicited over the ship's PA system. I have never heard the latter in my 20+ Royal cruises. I have also heard similar requests to "remember us" and/or "we live and die by passenger comments." To your point, those statements in my experience have always been personal, at the table. Not over the ship's PA system. Nothing wrong with that. That was why I posted the original comment that staff covet those positive reviews, maybe even more than tips.

So the announcement you heard directly addressed the service and food in the Windjammer? Are you sure you heard that correctly? I've cruised 19 years on Royal and have never heard such an announcement.

I agree, but the staff are not supposed to ask. I know they do anyway and I mostly ignore it.

NightOne, could I trouble you to elaborate on the "everything else?"

What the staff really want is for you to gush about their excellent service on the post-cruise evaluations. They love the cash tips, but they seem to covet those reviews more.

We'll be on Anthem in December 2023. Anyone know who the concierge is in the suite lounge? Thank you!

Okay, so it's one specific cabin. Wow, what a deal! There must be a lot of competition for it.

I have been cruising Royal for 19 years and must admit I am unfamiliar with this cabin class and the perks that apply. DW and I book Grand Suites so it's not surprising, but please fill me in. If I'm reading these posts correctly, they come with gold cards and access to the suite lounge? How big are they, what is the general cost, etc.? How many are available and on which ships? Thank you kindly.

Good point. I agree.

I have looked at MSC cruises, Yacht Club in particular, and it does look like a pretty good deal. Some of the comments on CruiseCritic complain about crowding, food, and long waits, but I'll admit one can find similar complaints about Royal as well. We are, however, moving closer to Pinnacle, which is arguably one of the better top tier levels in the industry, so it seems more sensible for us to book Royal over others. Joeyancho, could I trouble you for a few more details on that $3100 price you quoted? Did you book a Yacht Club cabin? May I ask how you were able to get all those perks for that price (premium drink package, private lounge, private pool, private dining room with upgraded offerings, unlimited access to thermal spa, 24 hr concierge, personal butler, etc.)? $9K for 9 days in a Grand Suite is not a crazy price, considering what is included. I was only making the point in my original post that the discounts were not applied. But even had they applied them, the price would not have been reduced by that much. That price is generally competitive with other similar suites on mass market ships. As everybody on these Boards knows, pricing depends on length, time of year, cabin size, etc. Again, I appreciate all your replies. Thank you for taking the time.

Good replies, folks, thank you. To HicksRA: yes, the price is for two. I would spend $9K in a GS on Liberty, or most any other ship, but the sailing would need to be longer than 9 days. For that length, I agree.

Good day all, I was investigating a Liberty of the Seas sailing, August 29-Sept 7, 2024, Canada/New England in a Grand Suite. There seems to be no difference between the regular pricing and the discounted pricing when factoring in C&A, state (PA), military, and senior discounts. For the aforementioned sailing, total price listed without discounts is $9085.46. WITH discounts the price is $9085.46. I thought maybe the discounts would be subtracted at the payment step, but it does not appear that's the case. What is your take on this? Am I not reading the pricing correctly?

This makes no sense. Please clarify. I asked about the Vision out of Baltimore. Are you saying Vision is doing a Bayonne-Southampton run between April 20 and May 25?

OK, but the dates are crystal clear on the site. Still, your theory makes sense.

Thank you, Jimbo, but on Gangwaze.com it is showing an itinerary between April 20 and May 2. Lots of islands and 6 sea days. https://gangwaze.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean/vision-of-the-seas/2024-04-20/12-nights

Does any of you know where the Vision will be between May 2 and May 25, 2024? Can't find anything on the Royal web site. A charter maybe? or a dry dock? Thank you!

Indeed. Self-serve buffets are among the worst. I always try and get there when it opens before the crowd pounces. Think of all the hands that touch the spoons and tongs. The Buffet on Summit and other ships have gone back to self-serve, but at least they still dish out the ice cream (I once caught a little kid about to place his mouth directly on the ice cream dispenser).

Can't tell you how many times I observed an individual in the bathroom whose idea of washing hands was to place 3 fingers of each hand under running water for 2 seconds. No soap.

Is this a serious question or are you being sarcastic?

All good (and accurate) information, R,D,W. Just an alert to add, if I may. When you pop onto the Viking Ocean site to look up current pricing for the cabin you wish to upgrade to, be aware the prices you see may not be the same prices you will get with an upgrade. The prices on the consumer site are current promotional rates for new bookings and likely will not apply to your upgrade. The chat agent will be consulting a different price in the system that will be considerably higher. Your TA will run into this issue as well.

Thank you, Linda and SantaFe. We do have the Silver Spirit package, so that's good to know!

We'll be on the Neptune in July and were also interested in booking a Chef's Table. Really appreciate those of you who provided information... VERY helpful. My question... On one of the videos I watched, the lady mentioned that wine pairings cost an extra $25. Is this correct? Is there an upcharge for wine pairings at a Chef's Table?