schlimazel_traveler

4 hours ago, Lady Hudson said:

Thanks for this review — enjoying it.

 

I have a favor to ask.  My sister thinks she left a large sum of money in her cabin last trip.  Would you mind asking if there is a direct number she could call to talk to guest services?  It would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

I wish you the best of luck. My daughter drove back to Cruise Maryland within an hour of disembarking without her keys and got a stonewall when she asked someone to help her determine if she'd left them in her cabin. The ship was STILL RIGHT THERE.

One caveat: people who are putting their on-board charges on the same charge card may want to board together. When my husband and I checked in for our last cruise, the agent couldn't get the system to accept our card. We finally figured out it was because our daughter had already checked in and that card was linked to her account (this is a credit card we all have cards for). 

(There was a workaround but it ended up causing issues with viewing charges in the app...a minor problem but not ideal.)

Our inside cabin on Enchantment, as on the other Vision class ships, had outlets only on the desk/vanity. If I remember correctly, there were 2 US outlets and a European one. I bring an adapter. We also have a multi-port USB charger and *very* long USB cords that reach across the room.

There was almost always something going on in the Centrum -- music, games, etc. There were also lots of trivia, bingo, karaoke sessions, etc going on in the Schooner & the lounge beyond it (I think that's the South Pacific on that ship?), plus music in Boleros.

I'm sure you'll have a pleasant time 

We got a Bingo T-shirt (one to share amongst the team) for winning regular trivia games on Vision this summer, and a Bingo T-shirt apiece for winning progressive trivia. I actually liked pens, highlighters, key chains, and luggage tags...we used those!

Can I just say, I understand having to book in your legal name/match passport, but would it be so hard for Royal to include a field on the reservation for "preferred name"? My husband is a Middle Name Person. Nothing makes him feel more "welcome" than being heartily greeted by the staff as "Mr. First Name." Or when the wait staff sing "Happy birthday, dear First Name." This has got to be an issue for a lot of people! 

Thanks for this review. I haven't had the patience for the MDR for a long time, and I am very interested in the other complimentary options!

Trying Oasis class for the first time next cruise after half a dozen cruises on Vision-class ships so I'm excited to try the additional venues.

I miss the Grandeur. Wish Royal would bring Lady G back to Baltimore. You'd think Vision would be the same but it's just not. Especially the food.

Apparently the cost of using the canal has increased very significantly (has something to do with drought  & the amount of water needed to fill the locks), to the point that it will affect cost of goods transported by ship. I heard a story about it on a financial news program, and immediately wondered how it would affect canal cruises!

Wait for a sale and, if you're traveling with others, price the multiple device package instead of a separate one for each person.

On Trip Advisor, many tours are reviewed on their "Things to Do in [location]" pages. You can search the reviews for mentions of Royal Caribbean, cruise ship excursion, or similar terms. 

Even if they serve Starbucks coffee, if it's not called Starbucks, you can get your coffee there. Cafe Latte-tudes on Vision class ships serves Starbucks coffee, but it is not considered a Starbucks branded venue. 

I saw a crew member try to explain this to a passenger, who was very confused because the sheet explaining the Diamond drink vouchers said they weren't valid at Starbucks. There is no Starbucks on Vision class ships so the passenger was understandably confused when he was charged a drink vouchers at Cafe Latte-tudes rather than having it go to his onboard account.

I could see all my friends' on board charges on the app throughout the cruise. Like,  "hm, looks like [friend] was up pretty late in the casino last night, based on these bar charges."

Luckily, nothing booked but the cruise fare! Good tip.

Thanks, that's the information I needed!

Yes, we have, and I don't expect any refund of the fare. So does it make any difference to cancel daughter #2 and have daughter #1 officially "solo"?

Or at this point, just show up with daughter #1 and let the cruise line sort it out?

One of my (adult) daughters isn't able to make our cruise next month. She's booked into a cabin with her sister, who will be able to join us. What are the pros and cons of cancelling one passenger in their cabin vs. her just not showing up? 

Would we get port charges back either way?

We didn't pre-pay gratuities--I'm hoping we pay for only one passenger now?

Is there a difference in terms of the C&A points that my daughter will earn for sailing alone if her sister cancels vs. if her sister no-shows?

Thanks for your experience and knowledge!

There were some theme nights on our 12-nighter in January that I'm not seeing on our upcoming 9-nighter, so I think they may have some menus that only get used on the longer cruises. 

I'm a little disappointed! I was looking forward to the Sticky Toffee Pudding!

Having sailed in inside cabins on all three Vision-class ships, I found them to be more than adequate for our needs, and SO MUCH less expensive. We were able to keep things cool in our ice bucket.

We did discover that the ones that are oriented "sideways" (the bed against a side wall rather than the back wall) are less conveniently configured. 

My family tried an all-inclusive in Cancun once. The weather was bad, and there was truly nothing to do but sit in the room. We don't go to many shows in the theater on cruises, but we enjoy listening to the bands and the piano player, watching some of the game shows, or even just people -watching in the lounges. We may have chosen the wrong AI, but there weren't lounges or venues to gather. 

I wish I could find a land vacation that offers the cruise experience with the flexibility of going when and however long we prefer! I have looked at "dude ranch" type options as well and they were very expensive!

(We aren't big drinkers so that aspect of the AI isn't important to me.)

Looks like a great program of sea day activities!

I agree that the twice-daily cabin service was one of the luxuries I loved about cruising. The room always felt neat and uncluttered, the bed magically made while we were at breakfast, dishes spirited away, wastebasket emptied. Knowing the steward was coming in also inspired us to keep all of our stuff neatly out of sight. Getting away from my clutter is the best part of vacation sometimes!

On 6/27/2023 at 4:25 PM, Alamana said:

We thought the food and service was downright bad, so much so that after the second night we relied on specialty dining. The staff was nice, but the ship seemed very understaffed. The food in the MDR was awful and the buffet was cheap hot dogs and hamburgers like in a school cafeteria.

Oh dear. This comports with our prior experience on Vision. I had hoped for a change in Food & Beverage Manager by 4+ years later. 

@Merion_Mom, I am looking forward to your unvarnished impressions. On a scale of "Grandeur before the pandemic" to "middle school lunchroom."

My husband needed an x-ray on our last cruise. We paid the fee (which wasn't insane) on board and were given a bill to submit to insurance for reimbursement. 

On 6/24/2023 at 8:50 AM, KPookey said:

 Breakfast and Lunch in Windjammer are a little lackluster. 

How so? Just trying to adjust my expectations. We were on the Vision once in the before times and found the buffet options very limited, repetitive, and unimaginative. (Essentially, the boring hot dog/hamburger/plain pasta that are typically the kids menu "alternative" options alongside more interesting things, but instead these were the ONLY options!) It was disappointing because I love to try new things, but we didn't starve.

My solution is to pick up some cookies, cheese, or other munchies from the Windjammer to have as a late night snack.