wwcruisers

3 minutes ago, hcat said:

yes, but I believe  many more from Royal C are in the potential crossover pool and push to further Royalize X

 

.Some Royal benefits like the  cocktail hr buffet are better than on X,  but we left Royal yrs ago and  have not been tempted back!

 

 

 

 

 

We similarly transitioned from RC to X, nearly 15 years ago. As we grew older, RC's increasing shift toward being a 'family' cruise line did not really work for us. We loved our first Celebrity (Solstice) cruise -- and never looked back. Well -- that is, until we became grandparents.Several years ago (pre-Covid), we had an opportunity to take a cruise with our son and his young family. The larger Royal ships were a much better fit for that one than X would have been. When asked about cruise preferences, I recommend RC for folks with kids, and X for adults.

Hard-side Samsonite (in all of its iterations) has been my go-to luggage, for over 50 years! And, while I do agree with the problems posed by uneven pavement -- it's hard not to fall in love with those spinner wheels! 😎

4 hours ago, gcornell said:

Can’t tell if OP is humble bragging or serious question?

Maybe just celebrating an unexpected windfall?😀 We also were notified that our RC D+ status had moved us up to E+, a couple of cruises earlier than expected. As it is, we already have a b2b booked on X, for next year. But, if we didn't -- this would make it tempting! 😎

Hoping that they replace Labadee with CocoCay -- my preference in private islands. I remember watching Peter White play on that little beach-side stage, back on the '18 SJC. Now THAT was a 'Perfect Day at Coco Cay'!😎

Lots of wonderful tributes to David Sanborn on Watercolors (Sirius) this past weekend. Also, Mr. Lazaroff said that, while nobody in the whole world can replace Sanborn, Eric Marienthal will play sax with the Summit supergroup, on the upcoming SJC's. Oh, and you Patty Austin fans are in for a treat -- she's just been added to the SJC lineup!

Lois -- I was struck by your comment on the crowded elevator situation on Eclipse. For several years now (even before Covid), we have pretty much cruised on Millie Class ships -- mostly on Jazz Cruise charters. This year, we sailed on Silhouette -- and were amazed at the difference one less elevator bank makes! We found ourselves taking the stairs, as much as possible! 😣

Sounds GREAT, Lois -- thanks so much for posting!

Hi Lois! So good to hear from you -- will be following this thread! 😎

(I also let the folks on our chat-thread know that you are posting 'live' from NJ!)

While I do not cruise NCL -- DH and I stick to X & Royal -- I've not seen political discussions be an issue. And, I do recall at least one cruise in early November (election day) where we had to send in absentee ballots, before we left.You'll find that most folks cruise to escape the madness of day-to-day life -- not to bring it with them.

Thanks for posting that treasured memory, NinS! Interestingly enough, the one time that my DH and I saw Mr.Sanborn was in '23 -- on what turned out to be the very last Blue Note at Sea Cruise. As amazing as all of his performances were, my absolute favorite memory was watching Marcus Miller interview David, in one of the smaller forums onboard. It was like sitting in someone's living room, while a couple of old friends swapped tales from bygone years!😎

RIP David Sanborn....🥹🎷🎵

Anyone seriously interested in the Fall '25 (West Coast) Journey of Jazz Cruise should think about booking soon. I was shocked at how fast all of the suites and more desirable cabins booked-up! Rather unusual for a 'new' jazz cruise offering.The very first Botti-at-Sea took much longer to get to the 50-60% (booked cabins) point!

Thanks for the input, you guys! It has been a long time since we've done a B2B on X (or anywhere). Nice to know that they still have a process in place. Yes, looking forward to being one of the few pax on the ship, for an hour or two -- plus, not having to change cabins!!😎

Yep, it you are going to be your own TA (as we do) -- paying attention to details is a must!

We have a unique situation, coming up, next year -- it's a B2B on Summit. We have the same cabin booked for both cruises.The only wrinkle is that the first week of the B2B is a Jazz Cruise Charter -- followed by the first week of Summit's return to regular service (after at least a month of charter cruises). We may very well be the only B2B'ers onboard, and worry a little that we could get lost in the shuffle, so to speak. We are in a SkySuite for both cruises, so we'll talk to the Retreat Concierge, when we first board. Hoping for a seamless transition, on turnaround day!🤞

Thanks for the report, HB -- so glad to hear that you had a great time! 😎

On 4/3/2024 at 5:03 PM, NinS said:

I'm likewise going to call tomorrow and get my presale cabin, @wwcruisers. As for the Ron Carter question, I emailed and got a prompt reply confirming that Ron won't be sailing and that his excursion show will indeed be subject to an additional (unspecified) cost. I don't think it's great advertising, but regardless it's a terrific lineup and I'm excited for my first non-Caribbean cruise.

If you have never done a Pacific Coastal cruise, you are indeed in for a treat!😎 IMHO, this particular fall itinerary is the best! If you like wine, there are nice vineyards in the Cowichan Valley (just outside of Victoria, on Vancouver Island). Being so far north, mid-September is harvest season for these small wineries. And, of course, anytime is a good time to visit Napa/Sonoma! 🍇🍷

We are BOOKED for this one! If you completed the PreSale process, watch your e-mails, Folks! 😁

I would contact Steve Daisos at the tripinsurancestore. He and his staff are very knowledgeable about all things travel insurance related. He has also been featured several times on the Q&A section of this forum!

HB -- thank you for your service! Seriously --- without people who are willing to patiently sacrifice their time, the justice system could not function.

Oh, and after reading Mr.Lazaroff's Weekender (yesterday) description of the cruise, it sounds like there will be plenty of chances to spend lots of $$ on shore excursions/activities, as well.🤑 But, it still sounds like a bargain, compared to trying to see all of those performers in traditional land-based venues. (Well, that's what I'll keep telling myself, anyway!😆)

Thanks for posting that, HB! We tried to sign-up yesterday, but their pre-sale webpage was experiencing technical difficulties.Will go old-school tomorrow morning, and use the telephone! 🤭

Ughh... Now it's 'to be announced', instead of the 29th. 🫤

On 3/7/2024 at 2:44 PM, Honolulu Blue said:

Yes they did. Let's see if they keep this date. 🙏

My DH and I were speculating about possible reasons for the delay in the announcement. Guessing that Mr.Lazaroff is still putting the finishing touches on the line-up?

5 hours ago, Veinless said:

On Silhouette, and no. 

Same here -- when we sailed Silhouette, last month. Supposedly, there was a 'head butler' onboard (Lloyd?) but we never saw him. Instead, our Sky Suite had a 'retreat host' -- who just turned out to be one very overworked cabin steward, covering a bunch of Sky Suites, solo! Fortunately, DH and I are pretty self-sufficient travelers, and we've never fully utilized the butler services anyway. I just see it as another step-down in quality of service -- accompanied by a step-up in prices! 😕