Cruise Raider

We never met Roshawn and we went there three times. Jackson was still there although, it looks as though Silvija was in charge. BTW, we looked for you in the port. I kept asking everyone if their name was Allan. One day we will actually meet in person.

It’s funny you mention that as we were just talking about it earlier today. When we were first married and went on cruises, we’d pick the late seating. On some cruises, that was 8:30 PM .. just perfect! Then, anytime dining became the thing and we’d sometimes go to dinner after 9:00 PM, as they were just starting to close things down. Fast forward a couple of decades and we find ourselves eating earlier and earlier. On cruises, we may go anywhere from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM but if it were up to my DH, he’d want to eat at 5:00 PM every evening. I compromise, he compromises and we are both happy. And, if we have a big or late lunch, we usually just skip dinner. It’s actually healthier for us to not eat a large or late dinner.

Was the Executive Chef Fabrizio Fazzini … the one in the middle! If so, tell him that his favorite Italian Santa and his favorite blonde passenger from the last cruise said hi!

Sabatini’s does tend to be quicker than the Crown Grill and two people at a table are quicker than having 4 or more. They reserve seats in the theater for up to 15 minutes right before the production shows only and then they are released. so, I’d make a reservation for 6:30 PM and no later than 6:50 PM to have a nice dinner and still get seats at the 9:30 show for the Crown Grill. You’d probably get away with a 7:00 PM dinner at Sabatini’s.

I am not sure they were even listed on a menu but they were available when we asked for them. We’ve cruised quite a bit since the restart and have noticed the same wines we used to pay a bit more for are now covered. the wine selection on the Royal was great for us but on the Diamond, just terrible. so, I think every ship is also different.

They may be but so there are many promos that Canadians do not qualify for, I feel like they deserve a break on the price now and then.

Wow, I’m kind of shocked they got such a low rating. We enjoy our princess cruises immensely!

We were just on the Royal and yes, your drinks with the Plus Package, regardless of how much you paid for the package, covers all drinks up to $15. the only items you won’t get with the $50 a day rate are the desserts and fitness classes .. maybe one more thing but only the new items are missing if you haven’t paid for the $60 a day rate.

they most certainly do! You can even order it gluten free from the app .. just not cheese free from the app. For that, you’d need to order it in person.

As much as I love cheese, we sometimes just make a cheese free pizza nd top it with home roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. You are right, it’s like sunshine on a plate.

No, breakfast and lunch in the MDR is still first come, first served. It’s reservations for dinner that was in question. No more beepers as far as I know but they do have you just wait in line if you don’t have a reservation. The cruise we were just on was filled to capacity. We always go to the MDR that first full sea day as they have chicken Korma. The line was so long, I don’t think they were actually able to seat everybody. We went to Alfredo’s instead and we’re equally as happy!

Oh yes .. that winemaker’s dinner! Absolutely amazing!

I know, I love this thread! I was on the Royal just a couple of days back. I was on the Ruby back in November when they were just starting to roll this out. We met with the corporate members at that time telling us of the plans to have extra consultants on the ship to assist with your travel planning. On the Diamond earlier this year is when I noticed the full compliment of assistants in the Future Cruise area. They even had a special that you could get 1/2 off your cruise rate if you booked while onboard. So, of course, I took advantage of that! Put that in another win column for things better now! I’ve never seen an offer like that before.

oh yes … 100%! And I almost forgot to mention .. STABILIZERS! One of my first cruises, I was so sea sick, I swore I’d get off that ship and never get back on bother one.

I was just on the Royal and yes, they said I could swap it out for a digital coffee card. I have never gotten one as I always get the package but I’m assuming it is 15 specialty coffees.

Oh yes .. I forgot to mention, I love the On Demand capabilities of the TV now. Remember how you may have missed one little section of the wake show and watch the whole thing over again to get that part you missed? Or when you wanted to watch a certain movie but it was showing at an in opportune time. Now, you can watch half of it at any time you wish, go out and pick back up where you left off. And all the Love Boat seasons are available. Sometimes, they are just fun to watch! Autotips .. so much better for both sides now Photos .. you can get as a digital download or have them printed right from you app ok .. I’m sure there are more things that I can rave about I really think everything is much more to our liking now than ever before

I did get the package for $50 per day pp. And no, everybody with the plus package, regardless of what they paid for it, received drinks with a limit of $15. While the wine prices on most labeled wines went up by $1 or $2 a glass, the cap was raised by $3 a glass. This, wines that may have been slightly over the limit prior to the change fell within the limit now. I am just hoping the wine selection remains as good as we had on this last sailing.

I hope so for you as well. That’s why I asked three different stewards, because I heard the sales of the digital coffee cards was discontinued.

@HaveDogWillTravel posted all the new drink menus on the Live From the Royal 2/25 - 3/12 thread. The Royal had a very nice wine selection at Vines but not so much at other bars. I was very pleased with their Hartford Chardonnay, in the absence of Rombauer. They also had Mer Soliel in the dining room, though the waiter was trying to push the Canyon Road. My DH found a lot of reds that he liked including Seghesio Zin, Meomi Pinot, Substance cab, etc. in Vines. There was a nice bubbly in Bellinis, but I can’t recall the name of it. They also had a decent Pinot Gris there that went well with the pizza next door at Alfredo’s. I was very pleased with my selections on the Plus Package this trip. The wine selection on the Diamond was horrible but they also don’t have a Vines. Most of the wines went up maybe a $1 or $2, whereas the limit went up by $3 dollars on the packages.

In case I haven’t yet mentioned this on this thread, the coffee grounds package is definitely discontinued. It’s now included as part of the zero alcohol package. You’re probably still better off purchasing the plus package, though, if you purchase WiFi. I asked three different room stewards about what you can swap your minibar out for .. all there said the same thing. We could get a digital coffee card OR swap out non alcohol drinks for other non alcohol drinks, alcohol for other alcohol drinks or non alcohol drinks. None mentioned that you could swap it out for a bottle of wine. You used to call room service for the swap, now you just ask your room steward. BTW, the reason I asked so many room stewards was because they are so new to the policy, I thought I might get different answers, but I didn’t.

I have a whole list of what I believe is better .. The beds and bedding … so very comfy able now! The handheld shower heads .. big yay! Dinner reservations from the app so I can actually go to which dining room and what time I prefer The much expanded room service menu and getting food where I want The smaller portions (that is actually a plus for me because I detest wasting food) The less formal atmosphere in the dining rooms The check in process and disembarkation processes The Plus and Premier Packages Discounts on the excursions The craft sessions Live music options all over the ship, even during the PES happy hour No smoking on the balconies Access to the beverage package from room service Expanded options at the international cafe and the grill by the pool (chicken tacos and even lobster rolls) Officer engagement The medallion class experience from booking to checking your account, easy access to your cabin, locating friends, booking excursions, checking on your personalized schedule, directions around the ship, celebratory messages on the digital screens, bartenders knowing who you are and what you like, etc 3 future cruise consultants onboard each ship now Oh yes, and the coffee Have I forgotten anything? Im sure there is something I’ve failed to mention something …

Oh my goodness, they’ve done it for me several times. I tend to go when it’s not too busy and and when there are two people working. But, here’s the thing, you can order a multitude of sandwiches from the app now. They will deliver them to you wherever you happen to be, even if it’s in the piazza. You can choose which sides you want, type of condiments, and type of bread. Very nice service!

I believe the premium suites are way up front. They are fabulous cabins with full suite perks but you have to also consider the location. You will experience more movement up front, so if you get sea sick, that wouldn’t be a room I would choose. They also have a long but very shallow balcony.

You will not be at the Glaciers at dinner time. I happen to the like dining rooms that are midship on decks 5 or deck 6. Mostly all of the tables for 2 are on a bench seat, so you will most likely have neighbors on both sides of you. Getting a solo table for 2 by the window is extremely limited, although there are a few. Dining for 2 for either 6:00 PM or 6:20 PM are your best bet for getting to the 7:30 PM show in the theater .. depending on how many courses you order. We rarely stay for dessert so, we pick the 6:20 option. But, they are currently filling the ships so, we might even suggest the earlier option if we want to get a seat at the shows.

We just got off the Royal yesterday and the new prices kicked in. Every drink was up to a $15 limit. We also had booked under the previously priced package. There are new menus from several bars posted by @HaveDogWillTravel on the Live From the Royal 2/25 - 3/12 post. Some wines we previously paid an upcharge for were actually now covered, even though several of the wines, but not all, went up by $1 or $2. I was extremely happy with the Plus package. A couple of times, we did order a wine over the package. That was fine as we had a lot of OBC. I am thinking your TA probably repriced the whole cruise with the new package, including the insurance to cover the increased cost. When you get onboard, see if you are pleased with the Plus Package and if you find you are not, there is a place on the app under packages where you can upgrade for $30 a day pp provided you paid $50 for the package when your TA booked it for you. You can just pay using your obc and only upgrade on day one or day two.