SplashOfWater

Some of the newer NCL ships have designated their main casino as non-smoking and have created a smaller smoking casino behind glass doors. We've seen this on the Prima, Joy and Encore.

Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships have a separate small non-smoking casino. This is in addition to the main casino which has one side smoking and the other side non-smoking. 

Icon of the Seas has a separate section of the main casino as non-smoking. The ventilation in the smoking side is very good.

Icon and some of the Oasis-class ships have several video poker machines at the bar (which is non-smoking). There are many variations to choose from. I played 25 cent Jacks or Better on Icon last week and it was 7/5.

19 minutes ago, TxGnRnr said:

Can Izumi Hibachi be reserved ahead for lunch? In the Royal app, I can only find dinner times starting at 5pm.

Yes, it's typically open for lunch on sea days. 

6 hours ago, Wombservice said:

Hello All!

I'm on Odyssey next year with a family group of 12 and booked Teppanyaki for all of us the second night - I have 3 questions:

1). Does the price I paid include two proteins (filet & shrimp, chicken & filet, etc), or just one protein?  There’s no choice at checkout, but it seems there’s different pricing on the menu.  

2). Are all sushi offerings in Teppanyaki an up-charge?

3). I booked for 5:30 - will that time interfere with any shows that are normally scheduled for the second night?

 

This is my first time on Royal, so not sure of their scheduling and dining particulars.  Thanks so much!!!

 

Susan

1. The pre-paid price includes your choice of either one or two proteins. Ignore the price difference...it's for people that pay at the time of the meal. The menu has four 2-protein choices, but you can choose the two you want. For example, I had beef tenderloin and sea scallops.

2. The sushi offerings are an upcharge.

3. Allow plenty of time for your meal. The chef won't start until all parties are seated at the table. We were at a table for 8 on Wonder for lunch and two people never showed up. We waited at least 20 minutes before the chef came out and started.

48 minutes ago, Tenderpaw said:

Did they eliminate the live orchestra or just the show?

We were on the June 1st cruise, and I don't recall that particular show being offered. We did, however, see some or all of the orchestra playing during the Wizard of Oz production show.

33 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I have a sail coming up in late August and although advertised this venue does not appear in the listed restaurants. 
 

Also, something that I noticed in looking at the deck plans—I don’t see the Cafe Promenade. Question this was the only venue basically open 24 hours. Where do the early risers get their morning joe. 

It's on the plans, Deck 5 between the pub and guest services.

12 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

We do enjoy the Stowaway Pianist...especially when he's inside the elevator.

We ran into him once last week on Icon. Younger guy, really nice.

14 hours ago, ptf2009 said:

does Icon have a skating rink with ice shows? If so, how many and is it first come first seated...or does one have to make reservations?

There is a main show in the evenings, and a show aimed more for children one afternoon. You need to make a reservation to get into the show, but seating is open. 

We went to the Starburst: Elemental Beauty show one evening. It's a very good show. The rink is an oval rather than square like on the other ships. This allows the skaters to build up more speed. 

Doors open 45 mins before the show. The place really started to fill up about 15-30 mins before the show. There are reserved areas for suite guests. You enter the show from Playmakers on Deck 6 and go down stairs to the rink on Deck 5. There is a lift for disabled passengers. Restrooms are on Deck 6.

Here's the shows schedule from our recent Eastern Caribbean itinerary:

Not available yet for my Jul 22, 2024 cruise. No entertainment to book either.

Ship - Icon of the Seas

Deck - 12

Stateroom # - 12245

Stateroom Category – Central Park Infinite Balcony

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Some rattling sounds on windy days. It might have been the decorative shutter outside the window. Also loud "thuds" at times. Not sure if it was coming from the cabin above or if there was a crew storage area there.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – View of Central Park. There is a decorative shutter outside the window, but it doesn't cause any significant obstruction.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Infinite balcony creates more interior space. 

Was wind a problem? - N/A

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - No

Any other comments? - 1) The bathroom feels small, but the shower is larger than other ships and includes a seat. 2) There is room for a mobility scooter in the cabin, although this cabin seemed narrower than on the Oasis-class ships. We use the Pride GoGo Sport scooter with the armrests removed. We were not able to turn the scooter around in the sofa area. We were able to maneuver the scooter manually around the end of the bed into the infinite balcony area and turn it around there. 3) We weren't sure if we'd like the infinite balcony versus regular balcony, but it turned out we liked it better! It's air conditioned, has a couple of comfy chairs, a table and ottoman, and it keeps out the rain. We used this space much more often than we used a regular balcony.

14 hours ago, Sunseeker810 said:

My biggest issue with CAS is the $20 daily "administrative fee".  I used to think that it covered my free drinks in the casino, but not anymore!

We moved over to Royal Caribbean, and only pay port fees and taxes on casino comp cruises.

22 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

Are you Prime or higher ?  We are both just Prime.

We are both Signature, but we had a least a dozen casino cruises booked before Jan 2024 when we were both still Prime.

Most of the comp cruises are from the onboard Instant Reward certificates. A few from direct Club Royale offers.

55 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

I completely agree.  I suspect, but don't know for sure, that we aren't getting offers b/c we have sooo many casino comps booked.  I read somewhere that if you use too many they stop sending them.  That's probably why....but who knows...

We have 17 upcoming casino comp cruises booked with Royal and are still getting offers from Club Royale every week or two.

Ship - Wonder of the Seas

Deck - 11

Stateroom # - 11651

Stateroom Category – Central Park View Balcony

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Very quiet at night. During sea days though the sound from the band on the pool deck was very loud.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – View of Central Park. Could see a bit of Chops Grille and the structure of the Rising Tide Bar.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal

Was wind a problem? - No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - No

Any other comments? - Plenty of room for the mobility scooter in the cabin. Typically we store it alongside the sofa, but the bathroom is designed differently on Wonder allowing us to park it at an angle by the desk.

21 hours ago, spunks said:

At long last RCCL has announced the Signature event Cruises as September 1...8..15 ..23 out of BAYONNE! On the Symphony. We like that ship, but the air fare to Newark is just too much. We would have done it anyway, but we would have to change so many cruises that it simply is not worth the trouble.

We left our fall cruising schedule open in anticipation of this cruise, with fingers crossed that it would be out of Florida. Sigh. Now we'll have to price out flights and one night pre-cruise hotel, and see if it's worth it.

We sailed on Adventure twice in April. The ship is in good shape and easy to get around because it's not too big. We found the crew to be very friendly. 

The casino, however, has the most machines per square foot than I've ever seen on a cruise ship. During peak times some of the aisles are impossible to go through. There is a path through the casino that's wide enough for a wheelchair or scooter, but it's not marked. The good news is that your wife will be able to play slots in the casino as long as she sticks to the ones that are easier to get to.

We were on Adventure for the 8-day before you. More relaxed vibe with an older crowd.

21 minutes ago, doghog said:

We never received anything from the LA when we hit the 140 mark.

We hit 140 pts about halfway through our last cruise...on Adventure. Our crystal block appeared in our cabin the day after we achieved 140 pts. 

Ship - Adventure of the Seas

Deck - 12

Stateroom # - 1880

Stateroom Category – Spacious Panoramic Ocean View

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Yes

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – N/A

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - N/A

Was wind a problem? - N/A

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - No

Any other comments? - This is a large ocean view cabin with floor to ceiling windows that let in lots of light. The cabin also has a table and two chairs by the window. We were able to comfortably store a mobility scooter in the cabin.

Ship - Adventure of the Seas

Deck - 7

Stateroom # - 7382

Stateroom Category – Spacious Ocean View

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – This is the last cabin on the starboard side just before the aft balcony cabins. The hallway was very quiet. There was some noise from the rear thrusters when docking.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – N/A

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - N/A

Was wind a problem? - N/A

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - No, but it is located quite a distance from the mid elevators. If you have mobility issues this may not be a good location for you.

Any other comments? - This is a large ocean view cabin with a large round window that lets in lots of light. We were able to comfortably store a mobility scooter in the cabin. There is also plenty of room in the hallway to maneuver the scooter into and out of the cabin.

On 3/11/2024 at 9:03 AM, Georgeny said:

 

Their lasagna has always been yuck. The meat in it is more like dogfood than good beef.

I totally agree. My husband ordered it on Italian night. I tried a bit of it and we both agreed it tasted terrible. They should just make a meat, cheese and marinara sauce lasagna.

Yes, you have $750 FP for your cruise. Congrats! It should be automatically loaded into your account when you board the ship. If it's not there, go to the cashier and tell them your FP is missing. Bring the docs from your screenshot in case you need to prove you have FP.

Your FP can be accessed when you insert (or tap on some ships) your SeaPass card in the machine. The host or cashier should have a small card explaining how to access it. You can transfer as much as you want. If you transfer $100 but only play $20 and cash out, your actual winnings (if any) will be paid out on the slip and the rest of the FP ($80) goes back to the FP in your account.

The price dropped on two of our cruises to $87 pp. Grabbed those. The other cruises are all above $100 pp.

31 minutes ago, cruisegal40 said:

Still not able on my laptop. And I'd rather not change the PW in case that doesn't work. Of course I want to get into my cruise since Hideaway Beach just dropped in price!

Both of us had to change our passwords before we could get in on the laptop and app.