Zou Bisou Bisou

You can combine the OBC from booking on board and the C&A balcony discount with the 30/30 saile.

If you use the C & A balcony discount it isn't really 30% off the actual cruise fare. They take the balcony discount off first and then give you the 30% off the remaining fare. Everyone not using that discount gets 30% off the actual fare.

With a cruise priced at a certain price, (no BOGO or sale such as 30%) they take the balcony discount off the actual fare. When they use the BOGO they take the balcony discount off for one fare and give the BOGO to the other fare. In our case using the 30% off one of our cruises reduced our D+ balcony discount by $75 in real value. Just a roundabout way of reducing the value of the Loyalty Balcony discount.

I booked a cruise last week and it is now $95 per person less with the new 30% off sale. Another cruise for spring 2016 we have booked is now $81 per person less with the new sale. I will be calling to get them adjusted.

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There is your answer then. You can forgo the Loyalty Lounge for the Suite Lounge. I myself, as D+ get the drink package and enjoy the ship.

If it's anything like the Oasis/Allure the Suite Lounge will also be open to Pinnacle Club Members. Wouldn't be the first time there is an error with the advance ship maps

 

However, it is still showing a Concierge on Deck 10. Wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't exist after the drydock.

When I look at the new deck plan for deck 10 it shows a Library/Card Room instead of a CL. Looks like two Lounges on the revamped Liberty. One for Suite guests and the other for Loyalty guests (D, D+, Pin). As far as Pin access to Suite lounges only time will tell.

If you have the drink package (premium or ultimate) the bar server in the lounges MAY offer to go out to the nearest bar and get you upgraded liquor for no extra charge. My husband prefers a top shelf gin that they don't serve in the lounge and the server insisted on getting it for him. He did the same for my vodka as well.

From what I can see the new Suite Lounge is for Suite Guests only. Doesn't say anything about Gold cards. The Diamond Lounge is for Loyalty guests who are Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle level.

Makes sense and many figured this was the way things were going. So there will be a Suite concierge and a Diamond concierge. I am D+ but get the drink package so no big deal regarding cocktail hours for me.

We are booked on Liberty for March & April 2016. My big disappointment is no Izumi. Having sailed the Navigator the last couple years from Texas we had Izumi as well as Sabor, Chops and Giovanni's. Liberty is a bigger ship with one less specialty restaurant.

I recently sailed on the Summit, sister ship to the Constellation I believe. First cruise on Celebrity after over 25 on Royal. We were very disappointed. Older ship, age skews much older. Food in the MDR is equivalent to Royal. They say Celebrity is more premium than Royal, we didn't find that to be true. I have been on Navigator 3 times, the last being earlier this year. Hands down I would choose the Navigator.

See what I mean about confusing.

 

One person says they were able to pre-reserve.

 

One person says no tickets, first come, first served.

 

One person says muster stations.

 

Maybe it changes week to week?

And you are surprised by this? Hahaha, it is Royal Caribbean after all.

Are you saying that you cant use the package after midnight on your last night or am I misunderstanding you?

No. I am not saying that. Sorry for the confusion. You can use the drink package until the last bar will serve you on the 7th night. Once the last bar closes, usually the Casino bar, @ 2-3 am depending on traffic, that is it for the drink packages. They don't charge you for the 2-3 hours of the 8th "day". One of the reasons I say people shouldn't complain because a 7 night cruise is actually an 8 day cruise, at least partially. That is why they price the cruise by the "night", it is very specific.

We were handed Champagne by waiters with trays while checking in on the Voyager out of Galveston back in December, 2008. It was a News Years cruise and we were in priority check-in (Diamond at the time) so I don't know if all passengers were offered such. We also had the same treatment on Voyager out of NOLA in December, 2011. It was a cruise that ended Christmas Eve. So it may have been for the holidays, I don't know. It was nice.

Anyone ever notice that C&A points are awarded per NIGHT, but beverage packages are charged per DAY?

 

What's up with that, anyway?

On a 7 "night" cruise you will be charged for a 7 "day" package. Be glad they don't charge by the day for a cruise as you are actually on for part of 8 "days" on a 7 "night" cruise. You are not allowed to use the drink package that 8th "day".

Haha. We look pretty young for our age. My wife still gets carded.

You say you look young for 40. Ok. What 38, maybe 35 maybe 32? Don't kid yourself. My daughter is 22 and is Diamond Plus. In her own right, having done the sailings herself. Did she pay for them no, but she sailed them.

So when she goes into the CL or Diamond lounge do you think people look at her and think, why is she in here. No actually they don't. Most people are enjoying their cruise and not involved in evaluating who belongs or does not belong in the lounges.

Weird that you do though. Being forty and all, lol.

Oh and I still get carded, fairly often and I am older than you. Guess I must look YOUNG!!!

They don't enforce the dress code. That does not bother me. And I do dress up on Celebrity although no more tux for me, either a suit or a sports jacket on the formal evenings. It doesn't upset me what other people are wearing, a jacket or not. I don't even care if they are wearing shorts to dinner which I won't do on Celebrity. I have not worn shorts to dinner on Royal Caribbean either but I probably would not feel out of place doing that on Royal because it has become pretty common on that line. I think that on Celebrity passengers tend to dress more to the suggestions than on Royal Caribbean but that might not be the case in five years. As some have noted, dress evolves. The trend has been toward casualness.

I went on my first Celebrity cruise last month. I have been on several lines, mainly Royal Caribbean (over 25 RCL cruises). I was surprised because I had been led to believe Celebrity was more upscale and premium. I did not see a difference from Royal Caribbean. The food was not better and people were not more dressed up. My DH and I dress very nice each evening, dresses and heels for me and slacks with dress shirt for DH. On formal nights we dress even nicer.

They are both mass market cruise lines.

Anyone can order a cheese plate (and many other things) from room service and have it delivered to your room, no charge.

Sure we have been in there but generally steer clear of the mortuary. Prefer the suite lounge/concierge any day. The difference in people between the diamond lounge and suite lounge is night and day. It's not that all diamonds are old bags or walk with the sense of entitlement but when you see on more than one occasion on more than one cruise someone ordering drink after drink and pouring the contents into a container and leave then come back 30 minutes later and do it again you have to wonder who you are surrounded with. We just don't care to go there anymore. We are younger and usually gets looks as to why we are in there and have been asked directly and indirectly by fellow rocks if we actually belong in there. I don't really care who you are or what cruise status you have...I even had someone in the lounge ask how I had a gold card and they said wow this must be a nice treat from your parents..I laughed and said I sold my 4th company by the time I was 36, I'm 40 and I actually brought my parents on the cruise. Their look was priceless.

40 is not exactly "young".

While I feel for you OP, think about the people that booked at a much HIGHER rate than you paid. Did they say when they booked, if only I had booked 6 months ago I would have saved $1,200.00. Maybe they are saying it but they know they have no claim to it. Be happy with what you have and enjoy your cruise.

No bathrobe unless you are in a JS or better; or you are Platinum level Crown & Anchor or higher.

 

You will have a hair dryer, two bars of soap, and a combo shampoo/conditioner dispenser in the shower.

Not true about the bathrobes. People on here have said that for years. We got bathrobes on our first cruise back in early 2000"s without asking and we were in a D1 balcony. If you don't have a bathrobe, just ask your stateroom attendant. He/She will be glad to bring one for each guest. No big deal.

Enjoy your cruise.

Offering a discount to those currently getting free liquor might increase pkg sales, but having a sliding scale based on loyalty would be counter productive to the beverage dept. That additional cost would need to come from C&A or marketing. And would that do anything to relieve crowding in the lounges. They probably need to start booting everyone except suite guests from the CL or just rename it suite lounge like Oasis

Many of us think that is exactly what they are about to do.

I just want a few opinions about how something will be perceived. I know what the official suggested attire is, but I want to know if this is acceptable in most folks opinion.

 

I am planning on wearing a nice pair of slacks with dress shoes and a button down "Hawaiian" style shirt, that is not tucked in. do you think anyone will take issue with an untucked shirt. I just think they look odd when they are tucked in.

 

Also, I assume that the idea of "Hawaiian" shirts is not frowned upon (they are not too loud).

 

Thanks, for your assistance.

-F-

You will see a lot of the men dressed exactly like that. And you are correct, never tuck in a Hawaiian type shirt. Perfect for cruising! Have a great time on Jewel!

Whenever we have gotten off a cruise in Barcelona our flight home was always before 11:30 am and we always had plenty of time to eat or shop at the duty free at the airport. Taxis are plentiful at the port and lined up waiting for you. Short and inexpensive ride to the airport. No need to book and pay for anything in advance.

Wow! I have been on these boards for a long time reading and learning. The complaints are unbelievable! Is it a glimpse at our entitlement society? What is going on? I enjoy the honest reviews of pros and cons, because I learn so much from them. But the overall mentality of everything stinks, is a bit over the top. Perhaps an all inclusive luxury resort would be better for you. Or perhaps a luxury cruise line would be better for you.

 

We were on the Adventure in December with 2 of our closest friends. We enjoyed the Windjammer and no one went hungry. In fact, I thought the food was fresh and just fine for a buffet. I also went on the Reflection in November and the food in their buffet was very good. If the food was as poor as everyone says, then why are people still gaining weight on cruiseships?

 

I am a capitalist. I believe that money talks. If you do not like the product, do not spend the money on it. If you prefer another cruise line based on any number of reasons, then use them. If you have a legitimate complaint, take it to customer service. But I am sick and tired of seeing people go over the top with complaints on the ship and act like fools about the dumbest things. How do you manage to treat others so disrespectfully and sleep well at night? As I am reading all the complaints, I feel that these are the people who have the most cruises booked in the future.

 

I do feel that the marketing department at RCCL is off base a bit with all of their "sales" and gimmicks, and I have written a respectful letter to them. They are depending on the public being dumb enough to fall for this tactic and think they are getting a good deal. But have you seen any of news shows take to the streets and ask simple questions about current events and how truly ignorant the average citizen is? Since they continue these pricing tactics, RCCL must have the data by now and they must be working. I have never received a response to my email. But guess what? I have 2 more cruises booked with RCCL and I am using my money to speak my opinion. I still like their product and I am willing to pay the going rate for it. I am smart enough to realize that if sales start to fall, they will find another gimmick. Think of JC Penney during the last few tumultuous years and their marketing strategies of no sales and how it plummeted their performance.

 

Thank you for allowing me to voice my opinion.

You are sick of everyone complaining and you rant about how OTHER people are so stupid and complain all the time and yet.....drum roll please....all you are doing is complaining!!!!

I agree with the original poster in that people complain for effect. After having read the entire thread this morning, I believe that the complaints are simply a matter of opinion.

 

We just came off of Adventure of the Seas from Feb 8-15. It was out second RCCL cruise. 3 years ago, we were on the same ship and had a great time. This time, we were able to compare it with with their slight upgrades (panels in the hallways directing you to certain venues, etc). Sure that made a difference in moving about this ship, however, didn't really enhance the overall experience.

 

I listened and overheard many complaints over the 7 days - One person constantly complained that he had absolutely terrible food in the Windjammer cafe for dinner. He went on to say that he ate there every night. Well, had I interjected in on his rant, I would have asked if it was so terrible, why the hell did you choose to eat there EVERY night? he went on to say that the MDR for breakfast was equally as terrible. Again, every morning he was there. CHANGE IT UP! I'm convinced that people complain to be heard and for effect.

 

Same goes for people congregating at the persers desk moaning about their bar bill on the last night of the cruise. It was YOUR sail and sign card you kept handing over for drink after drink. You thought their were free? that is YOUR signature on the bar bill.

 

It's a vacation, however people MUST complain. Some aren't happy unless theyre complaining and being heard.

 

As for me, I thought the experience was fine. I'm not a picky eater but like to cook with spice. Not HOT, but flavour. The MDR didn't offer this, however, to counter that, there was variety. Steak is my favorite which was always there. I had a steak each night, accompanied with another entree. I suppose my point is that the majority of complaints were surrounding the MDR and the food choices. If on that menu you were unable to find SOMETHING to your liking, then get off at the next port and DO NOT reboard. Find a McDonalds that will safisfy your pallet. (to the guy who liked the hockey puck burgers).

 

I ordered a martini at the Champaign bar. B The first one was great, after the second, third and fourth and even the fifth before dinner. ut after that, went to the show and ordered another and it was absolutely horrible. I came to the conclusion that the place fo Martinis was in fact the Champaign bar. I related that to the 2 outstanding gentlemen who ran that bar and they appreciated it (along with the $20 I gave them).

 

Anyway, long winded......I'll write a review tonight regarding my AoS experience. It will indicate that I had a good time.

 

One last point - Rust on the ship. It's 15 years old (AoS), sailing in Salt water. You don't think it's gonna show some rust? I always saw gentlmen wandering aorund with a can of paint touching up things... it's STEEL!!!

 

Come on people!!! Enjoy your vacation! it's a vacation. not a forum to moan and complain!!!!

 

Vijay

Markham, Ontario

I agree the Champagne Bar makes the best Martini's. But if I had 5 before dinner I doubt I would even remember the 6th ;)

As far as carrying the wine on board, we have 5 cabins on our upcoming Navigator cruise so that means 10 bottles of wine. We use those 6 pack cloth wine carriers you get in the stores. Just put them in a carry on an you are good to go. We all checked in at the same time anyway (we are family) so we go through the security scanners and they see we have 5 cabins, hence 10 bottles. No Problem, Mon.

We all do the drink package but like the bottles for in cabin consumption. The bottles we don't open? Gifts to our cabin Steward.

The easiest thing is just to hop in a cab and it will easily cost you at least $85. If you are a party of more than two people you may want to book something in advance and it will cost you more than that. But for one or two people, just get a cab. No worries.

Thanks. I will tell you that when traveling with my young grandchildren they will pretty much bring you what you want for your young ones. The menus are a starting point. We all know kids are sometimes picky and the staff will work with this. One of the reasons we cruise with Royal caribbean.

I know some say...why would you bring young children on a cruise?...and I say...for the experience.

Oh and my grandchildren pay full fare..not 3rd or 4th passenger rate. (I pay of course). So they tip at the same rate and pay as much as anyone else.