Fat Paul

This is one of the things that has caused us to shift most of our vacation dollars to land based. There are selfish, entitled people everywhere but on a cruise with people (and dogs) in such close quarters the stupidity becomes inescapable.

I have M.S. and walk with forearm crutches. I am perfectly fine with people NOT engaging me in conversation, used to enjoy idle chit chat, not so much now. I have worsening cognitive impairment so talking to strangers can be tough. Rudeness on the other hand upsets me.

formerly (Fat) Paul.

I took a land based vacation two years ago in Costa Rica, every minute of sitting on the beach was constant barrage of people trying to sell you something. Hawaii earlier this year, not once was my peace disturbed. I enjoyed Costa Rica but will not return. Hawaii on the other hand

I walk with forearm crutches so my hands are busy walking. It's difficult to hold a plate and use my "sticks" at the same time. The Windjammer staff is always helpful and I just walk with one hand while juggling the plate and my remaining crutch. My best advice is to maintain a good sense of humour and ALWAYS remember

that most mobility devices can be used to keep fools from cutting in front of you in line😂.

Thank you for your indulgence

(No longer) Fat Paul

If you don't think that the price is a good value then by all means don't avail yourselves to Royals services. Pretty simple really.

We rented one for my mother in law last year, it was delivered to and picked up from our stateroom. It was a very easy transaction. On a side note, I have use a scooter on occasion due to worsening M.S. and I had a ball driving it around the room (Royal suite).

I have been buying a lot of South West art lately to furnish a recently purchased home. I have bought some fairly big name pieces at resale shops, estate sales and antique shops. I usually buy for pennies on the dollar of what the art sold for new. Most art doesn't hold it's value much less appreciate in value. Buy art because it speaks to you. Most is a poor investment.

We had a cabana on coco cay on our last cruise. It was very nice. I can't remember what was included but I think that we got a bottle of champagne and a few hours of an open bar around lunch time. It was a good experience and a reasonable value. If we ever sail to ether of RCI's private islands again I would definitely get a cabana. In fact we are not interested in visiting either without one.

Suite lounge for suite people only

Dinning room for suite people

Good reserve seating for pool like Navigator has not like Liberty

Bring back luggage tags

Laundry

Drink package or at least discount for drink package

This. We have taken our last cruise on Royal Caribbean until they up their game regarding the suite program. We have already started to book land based vacations after ten years of vacationing only with RCI. We recently sailed on one of the smaller ships in a royal suite, everything having to do with the suite was very nice but outside of the suite program was kind of bad ie: main dinning room and windjammer. The cruise ship within a cruise ship model is appealing to us.

My wife and I are absolutely NOT interested in going to either Labidee (barefoot beach) or Coco cay without a cabana. If you don't like the price don't buy the product.

Question: were you provided any champagne in RS first day? Thx

 

Mark

Yup. A nice bottle of champagne and also a bottle of Napa cabernet.

I am presently on the Enchantment looking out at Key West from the balcony of our Royal suite. We have had breakfast in Chops every morning. The service and food has been wonderful. Also, the concierge Alan has been absolutely the best concierge that we have ever experienced. Enjoy your cruise.

Consider the source and move on. Some people think they are funny, just easier to skip the posts.

Good point, thank you for the reminder.

Diabetic fit??????? Please tell us where you recieved your medical training. Amazing how the apologists will justify any and all crew behavior.

Wow a few snarky comments on this subject. I always take a few pairs of chinos, Oxford button down shirts, a few ties and a blazer. This is how I enjoy dressing. In the past I have had table mates dressed in everything from formal to jeans and polo shirts and was never put off by someone else's sartorial expression.

This post WAS written about the flowrider. The lines on a busy day can be 45 min to an hour long for someone to get a 1 min turn. To let someone ride every 4th rider would give the priority rider 12 min of flow time to an average riders 1 min. Imagine if 3 or 4 suites used this perk on a sailing? The lines could be 2 plus hours... totally unacceptable. This will negatively effect many cruisers vacations. If I find this happening on a cruise I am on I will publicly voice my displeasure with said rider. I don't care how much you.pay for a suite. You are negatively effecting my vacation. Said.suite guest would not be very welcomed.after a few days of this. I see problems with this policy coming in very short order

If I pay for the perks and use those perks it's between Royal Caribbean and I. No one had better say ANYTHING to me about it. If you do you will meet some very professional acting security personnel. It will be hard to enjoy the flowrider when you are confined to your cabin.

This would go a long way to bring me back to Royal Caribbean. Compared to some of the other cruise lines RCI'S suite program is starting to fall behind.

More power to you guys. I've seen first hand what this disease can do. My brother was diagnosed 20 years ago. Hopefully they will make some medical breakthroughs soon. Keep you're heads up and live life to the fullest.

Thank you for your kind words. Living to the fullest is my goal.

Just throwing my .02 Cents in ... and that's about all it's worth. We just booked into a Star Suite on Oasis ... and trust me, we aren't rich or snobs and I won't be butting into lines of folks wanting to enjoy their vacation as well.

 

But .... for thoses who are wondering why people book these suites. For me ... it's pretty much going to be the last time I cruise and will still be able to participate in everything. I was diagnosed with MS ... and while that's isn't the end of the world by any means ... realistically I'm not likely to be zip lining or flow riding anytime in this lifetime ... Although i'd really LOVE to do both. I'm in a wheelchair ... and it's simply easier on me, my husband ... and actually the other passengers for me to "be a Star".

 

Star suites get perks ... we are escorted onto the ship. Great for me ... but i'm also not tying your elevator up with my wheelchair and crap that travels with me. Having a Genie to make shore excursion reservations gets me half a chance of finding one of the very few wheelchair accessible tours on a tropical island. It's beautiful ... and I want to see it too. Asking for a reservation at a speciality restaurant thru our Genie let's the staff in those restaurants know i'm coming in a wheelchair and they rearrange the furniture to accommodate me. But that also means your waiter won't be dumping your dinner in your lap because he tripped over my chair that is sticking in an aisle. My Genie takes me past lines, into the very few spots in shows that are wheelchair accessible ... and finds my husband a chair so he can sit next to me. So yea ... am I gonna use the Genie service ... yes sir. I sure am ... but considering there are 3,500+ people on Oasis, there are 40 people with Purple Cards. How bad could it be? If you see me, say hey, let's have a drink and you can come watch the water show from my Aqua Theater Suite.

 

Speaking of etiquette ... just a few notes .... climbing over my wheelchair to get in the elevator, dropping your kid in my lap so there is room for you to squeeze in or fart in my face (think about it ... being at butt level isn't a perk) and laugh is pretty poor etiquette as well.

 

Let's all be kind to each other ... it's not hard and you're mom would be proud of you.

Good points. I, like you have this wonderful disease. I am diagnosed secondary progressive M.S. I am not in a wheelchair (yet?) but I walk with forearm crutches and am flirting with a scooter. One of the reasons that I like a suite is that on a bad M.S. day I can hang around the cabin and still be able to enjoy the cruise. If I don't feel up to going to the dinning room for dinner I can still get a decent meal delivered to the room. Also, you remind me of an early mentor of mine when I was first diagnosed. She used a scooter at times and a chair at others. She told me that the butt level view was at times enjoyable but the smells could be less than enjoyable. Thanks for sharing your experiences, stay well and humorous.

If you haven't tried MSC Yacht Club you should give it a go. You really feel like you are on a separate cruise than the rest of the folks with the private lounge, private pool, private pool, private restaurant, private pool bar, butlers etc. The butler even escorted us all the way to the bus for our tour and made sure we had seats and a bottle of water. I especially was impressed with the Yacht Club drop off at the pier. That butler insisted on carrying our carry on bags onto the ship in Miami. Our butler escorted us all the way to the gangway (front of the line) at the time we selected to debark. You are treated royally from beginning to end, and it was about the same price as a GS on the ships without the Star service. Oh, and all the booze in the YC and YC restaurant was included too.

I have become interested in taking an MSC cruise since they are matching loyalty program. I believe that it was Mr. Maxwell that did a review of his MSC cruise and seemed very happy with the overall product. We are booked in a Royal suite on one of the smaller ships next month, we will see if Royal has stepped up their game regarding the suite program. If not then we are considering switching to mostly land based vacations or moving to a more upscale cruise line. Royal Caribbean has been very good to us in the past but we are starting to see some downgrades to the service they provide. We are hoping that the suite experience is enhanced to keep up with what other cruise lines are doing.

I couldn't agree with you more - if these are things that are important to you and you are willing to pay for them then go for it and enjoy! I certainly don't have any problems with the perks you receive. I'm not interested in private tours, meals with officers, private parties, or most of the perks associated with suites - I don't require a lot of service and don't go on cruises to socialize, (that would be my husband.) I'm a bargain chaser, so I'm thrilled with what I get for the price I pay - generally my expectations are met or exceeded because I do what is important to me on vacation and I don't worry about what others do or get.

This is what I mean, we can each get what is important to us. I'm not envious of others and I sure as hell don't want others to be envious of me. We should each live in accord with our desires.

My retirement cruise was on Royal Caribbean from Vancouver to Hawaii. I had just retired do to a disability and was somewhat uncertain about our economic future. It was a great cruise and everything has worked out well with the exception of my disability worsening.

I think RCCL is promoting a separation of the classes just as in the early days of travel by ship.

Upper class has priority boarding, priority dining, reserved seating by the pool, reserved seating at the shows, their own separate lounges so they don't have to mingle with the riff raff, etc.. Doesn't seem to end.

 

While the steerage class gets to wait in line to pick at the left over scraps.

I personally don't think that RCI is going far enough regarding the cruise within a cruise model. I would like to see it extended to every ship in the cruise line. We always book suites because we like the extra room and a bit more luxury. You would really be upset if you knew some of the unadvertised perks that we have received. Things like private tours, meals with Sr. Officers, private parties, etc. It's NOT about separating ourselves from "steerage" or the masses, we just enjoy a certain level of luxury and service. Buy the cruise that meets your expectations and fits your budget and I will do the same.

It's a simple thing really. If you pay more, you get more. I book suites for the perks as well as the larger room.

Have never "ordered" luggage tags. They just come in the mail if we are in a GS or above.....K.O.:)

No longer the case. After April 30 2016 luggage tags are no longer available.