goldentrio

4 hours ago, kirtihk said:

That happens with any cruise line for any product, and complains don't fly: for us a sauna on a cruise is very important (going there every day and multiple times on sea days); a few years ago, we booked a Royal Caribbean cruise, and after embarkation we decided to go to a sauna - imagine our surprise - we are looking, looking and cannot locate it (we were on the same ship 2 years prior).  We asked where sauna is.  The answer was - "Do you see the wall?  The sauna was behind where the wall is.  After refurbishing, we don't have it anymore."  Should we complain at that point ("Please put it back NOW, so we will enjoy it")?

This is not a lateral comparison. You did not purchase the cruise because it was advertised as having a sauna, with the sauna prominently displayed on the marketing material that convinced you to take the plunge and spend your money. You used the sauna two years prior on the ship and assumed it would still be there.

Do you have to use this cup to get soda, or can you get a fresh soda from a bar or restaurant without the cup? It seems so unsanitary to keep reusing the same cup over and over.

They were ready at 2 pm for the sailing I did recently. 

2 hours ago, acuprulez said:

Icon also has UFS and royal loft which are both star class as well. 

Ah, okay. they're just sold out on the cruise date I'm looking at. 

Very helpful. I don't think it will be the same on Icon with the noise issues. The suite sun deck is forward on decks 18 and 19 on Icon, and the sports deck is on 17 and is aft, so that aspect, noise from the sports deck shouldn't be a concern since I see on Wonder the suite decks are 17 and 18 and overlook the sports court down on 16. As for the soot, I know the Icon ships will use liquified natural gas, and will be the first Royal ship to do so. There are significantly fewer particles released from LNG, according to this research study: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5b02678 

Doesn't resolve the problem for Wonder of the Seas, but looks like future ships using LNG instead of marine fuel oils will no longer have the soot issue since it burns more cleanly with fewer and smaller particles released. Better for the environment and our clothing. 

Curious who has experienced the suite sun deck on Wonder of the Seas and if they liked it. Is this on other ships? I see it will be on the upcoming Icon of the Seas. 

33 minutes ago, acuprulez said:

Personally I don't think RCL suite benefits are worth it below star - they charge a LOT just to give some internet and CK basically.

I went and looked at other ships, and it appears the difference is the big suite deck they've added to some ships like Wonder and the Icon. Sky Class has access to it. On the Icon the grand suites and owner's suite are Sky Class. The only suite that is a higher ranking is the Icon Loft Suite and that is Star Class. There is a class that is below Sky Class called "Sea Class" for junior suites. It looks like that is the same for the ship I looked at for 2024, Harmony of the Seas. But the difference is there is no suite deck listed for Sky Class on Harmony, but ships like Wonder and Icon have it. 

The Star Class benefits are listed as these: 

Has anyone taken a look at the Surfside Family Suite on Icon of the Seas? I'm considering it for a cruise way in the future - 2025 - and would love input on who thinks suite benefits are worth the upcharge even if you don't get to look at over the ocean. It's the cheapest sky class suite and has tons of room and looks like fun. You get access to the suite sundeck and free Zoom internet since it's Sky Class. I'd have to pay $9,900 for this suite vs. $6,300 for an ocean view balcony but that upcharge seems worth it to me for the suite sundeck access and there is the bonus of the internet so that saves a bit, too. The next step up that would give ocean views, but no balcony, is the Ocean View Panoramic suite and that goes up to a steep $13,400. The views are gorgeous, tho. 

Just curious about this particular room overlooking what will be the new Surfside neighborhood. I'm sure it will be noisy like the Boardwalk. There's an infinite balcony, so it's like the ones on Celebrity, with the window that goes up and down to form a balcony of sorts. Seems ideal for this type of interior balcony. I actually like it. 

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Odd my last cabin steward said she was going from 16 to 18 to 25. Ask and get 100 different answers. Sure they can do more cabins a day. Not exactly a surprise. 

That's true - probably lots of answers and might be ship dependent, too. My friend is on Brilliance at the moment. I was on Harmony when I had the frantic steward who was never around. 

3 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Ask around on your next cruise is one way. I didn't book too far from home in case I had to fly home for a emergency but at least i could cruise. Once i move I'll be more free to venture further away. I dont even like leaving my single family home for too long right now. I'd like a safe condo i can lock the door and feel my stuff is safe. 

That makes sense. I hope you find exactly what you need. Thanks for the advice!

My friend is on a Royal Caribbean ship right now and she talked to her room steward and he said he has 24 rooms to clean every day now, once a day. She said that he said before the once a day cleaning rule was put in place he only had 12 rooms to take care of, and he cleaned those twice a day. Obviously, it's easier to take care of 12 rooms twice a day, since they're already clean and just minor things have to be done on the second visit. 

No wonder they seemed so frantic and harried on my recent cruise. I barely had a chance to talk to my own room steward and only saw them a few times, unlike in the past when I was able to get to know them a little better. 

33 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Book refundable. My TA has refundable group rates or I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable. I'm already iffy on my oct 2024 and dec 2024 bookings. My mom died since I booked and now I might move by then. When I booked my plans were to stay here and help my mom. 

 

I thought I knew my future but life changed unexpectedly and having refundable deposits, I can change and move my bookings or keep them.

I'm so sorry about your mom's death. My mom has dementia and is in her 80's, so it's always a possibility in my life, too. How do you find a good TA with refundable group rates?

I fold and put into the plastic holders for cruise lines. I bought mine on Amazon. It was $6.74 for five with the stainless steel wire loops. They worked great. Previously I just folded and taped the luggage tags and stapled them but that meant packing a stapler. Using the plastic holders means one less thing to pack and they're reusable. 

Here's the link to the ones I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q94FLCC

4 hours ago, RoperDK said:

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the phone on the other side of the bed has a USB port.  I know they are that way on other ships.

even better. thanks!

I have only cruised a handful of times, and I'm looking at a cruise for March 2025. Should I consider booking it now, or waiting a while to see if the price drops or just to make sure I don't change my mind? I've never booked a vacation more than 6-7 months in advance. What are the pros and cons of booking this far in advance?

I forgot to take an extra color of lipstick. I only had the one in my purse, which was a lighter shade for daytime wear. Usually I go for something more dramatic in the evenings. Not a huge deal, particularly since they sell makeup on the ship, even Benefit Cosmetics and other high-end brands I favor. But I decided to just use what I had and go with it. 

I haven't cruised much, but I don't mind the prices. Hotels are expensive these days, airfare is expensive, restaurants are expensive, rental cars are expensive. Everything has gone up, so for cruises to have gone up seems fair, too. Paying $4,000 to $5,000 for a cabin for four people seems reasonable for a week-long vacation for my family. 

6 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

No, only on one side in our balcony cabin, as you can see.

Thank you, this is helpful.

Are there charging ports/outlets on each side of the bed on Odyssey of the Seas?