serialcruiser48

The reason I believe RCCL is the best cruise line for the solo traveler is the Diamond Club and Concierge Lounge. Once you have 80 cruise nights you become Diamond level and your key card will give you access to a private club called the Diamond Club. In the Diamond Club, you have access to specialty coffee 24/7. Also they have a Diamond breakfast if you don't want to go the Windjammmer (Lido deck) and hors d'oeuvres in the evening.

Best of all is the FREE DRINKS for 3 1/2 hours every evening from 430-8pm and this attracts just about everyone who is Diamond and above. This is one of the best ways to meet people because you see the same folks again and again.

As an experienced cruiser with most major lines RCCL has the most to offer frequent cruisers. Also, when you have a cabin by yourself, you will get double points speeding your way to the Diamond level.

If you can afford a Suite, then you will have these benefits and more instantly without needing any cruise nights.

Nathan Osmond has to be one of my favorite guest entertainers so far this year. High energy music from start to finish and received a standing ovation from the audience. If you sailed on the Liberty and was fortunate enough to see his performance, make sure you include his name in your survey.

I was on the Summit for two weeks this past Dec. Fantastic food, had my best Lobster both weeks in a row ever. My big problem with the Summit was the horrible Internet. Bad Internet is a deal breaker for me. But, hey. That's just me.

Given the limited coverage of O3B outside of 45 deg N and S latitudes, some other internet will likely have to be on most ships indefinitely - so the current provider will stay. Given that and that the majority of the cruising public doesn't have detailed knowledge of this issue, RCI will just pass off all versions of internet as VOOM and call it a day. Even a lengthy dry dock is not a sure thing that RCI will install O3B on other ships.

Totally unfair the Freedom and Indy get O3b and the poor Liberty is stuck with high orbit garbage. I doubt if the Liberty is going around the horn or the north pole anytime soon. The person who made this decision would best serve RCL if they worked for Carnival.

When I was on the Liberty in Feb we were allowed in the Suite Lounge, but the furniture in there was SO UNCOMFORTABLE I spent the cruise in the D lounge. No loss in my book, the D lounge has much more comfortable chairs.

I spoke to the Hotel Director in June when I was on the Liberty and he said no plans for the O3b Voom. Most likely this ship is stuck with high orbit garbage until the current contract expires, whenever that is.

I have the universal remote app on my Samsung Note 4 since it has a built in IR blaster. But, you still can't control the TV's. I wanted to use the HDMI input but was only able to turn the TV on, but not off. Somehow the TV's have been modified by the factory so everything is disabled including the panel controls.

Wish they had FOX news. Hate CNN, it's garbage.

I sailed the Liberty many times and have 9 remaining cruises booked this year on this ship. It's a great ship and one of my favorites, fantastic crew, great food and plenty of things to do. My one and only complaint is the Liberty does not have the great Voom Internet I just enjoyed on the Oasis for the last week. If the Liberty had Oasis type Voom I could live on this ship.

The perks from being a Diamond, D+ and hopefully soon Pinnacle. I'm top tier with most cruise lines and none other compares to the private lounges and the great folks you meet because of them. As a solo cruiser the private lounges are a good way to meet your fellow passengers over free drinks.

Currently on the Oasis and love real Voom Internet instead of the pig with lipstick Voom the lesser ships get. Wish Oasis type Voom was fleet wide.

Thank You :D

 

The Wifi on Vision worked pretty good (not great). considering we were in the Atlantic it worked surprisingly good. Nothing like wifi at home. :rolleyes:

I'm sure it has the high orbit garbage like the Liberty. I'm currently on the Oasis and totally spoiled with fantastic wifi. I wish RCL would go real Voom like the Oasis fleet wide. I don't understand why RCL put real Voom and the Indy and Freedom, but left high orbit garbage on the Liberty. Whoever made that DA decision needs to work for Carnival.

Outstanding photos!

Royal Caribbean should cut you a check, this was quite an effort.

The Vision wasn't on my radar until I discovered thru Cruisecritic it was sailing out of Galveston next year. I plan on booking a month or two on this ship unless I discover it has bad Internet. Bad wifi makes me nuts and I'll be ranting on CC the whole time I'm on.

Hey all,

 

I am looking at booking a cruise out of Galveston in the spring next year and am debating between Carnival and RCCL. Will be my dh and I and two kids 10years and 12 years old. Itinerary is the same. I am familiar with Carnival and have never been on RCCL, but the LOS looks like it has more to offer the kids. From what I have read the food is better on Carnival, so I am torn and need some input from people that know more than me.

 

I am also going to post the same question over on the Carnival board.

 

Thanks.

I've sailed both ship several times and can tell you Liberty is much better than Carnival hands down. For one, the Carnival ship packs more people per sq ft than Royal so the Carnival seems crowded. Also, on Carnival I had to wait in line much longer to be seated in the Main Dining Room.

Once you make Diamond (80 cruise nights), you get to drink 3 1/2 hours for FREE every night in the Diamond Lounge. No other cruise line does this.

Freedom's upgraded VOOM just started this spring.

 

Updated numbers from Navigator:

 

1. Ping 767 ms

Download 0.39 Mbps

Upload 0.04 Mbps

Those are pretty bad results. Looks like the poor Nav has the high orbit garbage.

Bummer! I had 4 cruises booked in 2017 on the Legend.

On to plan B.

166 posts later, not much has changed. We know ships built in 2010 or later, plus the Freedom and Enchantment have the real Voom. All others have the old high orbit garbage. Well, at least its a lot cheaper than before so there is one bright spot.

Carol, these look like real O3b VOOM numbers. Enchantment, right? Did you purchase surf only or surf & stream?

Why did RCCL put the good Voom on a small ship stuck forever on 3-4 day cruises and leave a good ship like the Liberty with high orbit garbage?

Currently on Explorer of the Seas at Seattle.

 

 

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Thanks for the post, but looks like the Explorer got the "Pig with lipstick" Voom. The high ping rates means slow loading web pages.

I sailed the Liberty for two weeks in Feb and a week just last week. In two weeks I'll be back on the Liberty for another and several more before the end of the year. Also , I'm top tier with every major cruise line and can only say good luck finding a better cruise line that offers more to its loyal cruisers.

RCL took that slow high orbit satellite pig and just put some lipstick on it. Only their newest ships have the real Voom.

I'm on the Liberty now and there no true Voom, only high orbit satellite garbage. I can't even stay logged in, the Internet is very frushstating and I have the surf and stream package. See other posts on this topic. No true Voom planned for the future.

On Indy

Just upgraded to Surf and Stream for 27.99 for 24hrs

 

Service SES Americom

Current Ping 229

download 23.72

upload 11.72

comparable to Allure Voom we had on our TA

I was on the Allure for the TA and getting similar results. It's awesome!

Attached below, about a day and a half away from southampton at the moment

Those ping rates are low enough for World of Tanks Blitz. The Indy is definitely on my radar as of this report. Thanks

He's definitely incorrect about Indy - three new antennas were installed above the sky bar not long before leaving for the transatlantic to Southampton (hotel director revealed this!) in readiness and it was activated for the start of the t/a. Consistently getting over 20mbs downloads and around 250 ping! (Below 200 in the Caribbean) :)

Are you currently on the Indy and getting thses ping rates? If yes,can you do me a favor and ping console.worldoftanks.com and tell me what you get?

I think we could say that "Voom" is not a technology, platform, or protocol but merely a brand name for what boils down to a wi-fi product they are selling. The brand name "Voom" initially covered the low orbit connections via O3b, but it seems now RCLL is extending the brand name over the rest of their newly created tiered wi-fi products a la surf and surf/stream packages. Perhaps we need a new name for the "true Voom" connection? :D

I think "true Voom" would work. Everything else should be called "Voom lite". These are very distinct terms.

Dana and Sculley of the X-files would tell you the truth is out there and will be uncovered here on cruisecritic. RCL should get in front of this topic and own up to the true offerings.