island lady

Disembarkation was very simple yesterday. Was home, unpacked, and a first load of laundry in by 9 am. 🙂 Though we still adore Wonder, we are not really a fan of the large ships any longer..... and the Carib is becoming too mundane for us. Way too many uncontrolled children this last week as well. But we loved CK, some of the shows (especially the ice show) and the quiet of our cabin to return to. We have one more large ship to visit, Allure in May....only because it is another local home port ship (about to leave us) and we have never been on board that ship. Plus I really want to see Mamma Mia at least once.

Seeing the birds at the Aviary exhibit is how we spend those short days there. With Wonder needing the rest of the afternoon, that night, the next day, and all the next night to get back to PC...it's always a short day there. Length of visit depends on how long you linger in the various enclosures. We tend to spend a lot of time in them, and I take a lot of pictures. Plan on an average of at least an hour. I am not a fan of the swinging rope bridges...freaks me out...but I just try to time it when I am the only one on each of them. The longest one for me is the one over the Dolphin enclosure. But it has a couple of "rest spots" on that one. The best one is the 2nd one with great viewing of the Dolphin shows.

LOL...We are on a cruise ship (or various land based trips) more than we are home now. And when we are home...we live in Florida...already a tropical state of mind. 😄 🌴 We tend to crave variety! 😉 And sure there are mountains to see in Florida...depending on how high the dump gets. 😁

Obviously you were not around when they kicked the Diamonds out of the Concierge Lounges some years ago. At that time there were only Concierge Lounges...no Suite lounges, no Diamond Lounges. Nothing new with Loyalty changes to the program with RCI.

Sea class on ships as in Oasis and Quantum class is a Junior suite. Junior suites pax, unless Diamond and above..... are not allowed into CL...be it Concierge Lounge or the newly named (former Diamond Lounge) Crown Lounge.

Yup....oh yeah...just awful. 😉

Perfectly stated! Feel the same way. 😄 Just sailing on RCI...a lot...brought us extra perks. Did we love them?...hey if they want to give them to us...yaah! Just a nice side benefit for simply doing what we love to do and would have done it anyway. 😉 But do I want to continue with RCI? No...not really. Too many other lines out there that are offering some true adventures. There are only so many times you can redo the Caribbean.

Definitely agree...those 2 quarter cruises we just invested in on Serenade....ouch. 😉 But indeed we adored our adventure for first quarter and can't wait to rejoin in Barcelona for the fourth quarter. 🙂 Was nice being back on Wonder again last week...but just not even close to the same thing.

Totally agree my friend. The carrot has been dangling a bit too much. When we originally turned Pinnacle, we thought..."Oh Yeah...access to CL/SL and CK on ships that have them"! Nice! Well worth chasing the Pinnacle carrot. Now...... Nope, it is constantly in doubt if we as Pinnacles are allowed in those lounges unless we cruise in a GS and above. In fact when years ago Ds were kicked out of the (at that time) only suites/loyalty lounges (Concierge Lounge)...it was just after we made Diamond. Had to wait to be D+ then to access or be in suite. Though we did love the Diamond Events up until they finally put in the keyed access Diamond Lounges to appease the masses as an alternative. Lets face it...RCI no longer cares about their loyal cruisers. They are after the quick fix of packing in families on mega theme park style ships.

I think the writing is on the wall about the exclusion of Ds from the Crown Lounge....not just during Happy Hour. IMHO...hence the reason for the rush to change all the name plates on the doors. Suites Lounge/Concierge lounges for suites....Crown Lounge for D+ and Pinnies. Like it or not...I think that is the route that is coming...RCI just easing into it a little at a time. Though years ago when they dumped Ds out of the then Concierge Lounges...it was all at once...rip off the bandaid. 😮

Absolutely. And in that same light...the poor crew members that are so scared to enforce rules in place for fear of retribution from the spoiled "me first" pax. It was pretty bad on Wonder last week. Though one couple apparently did not get away with something. Security was waiting for them to pack so he could escort the pair off the ship. The poor guy was there when I went up for coffee, and still there when we went for breakfast this morning. Not sure what the situation was, but the cabin he was standing in front of ....was always the one with half eaten food scattered on the carpeted hallway floor around the door...not always actually in the plate...along with beer cans and drink glasses. I was.... of course, teasing him that the day would get better later...he agreed with a wink. 😉

So true....sigh. And the unfortunate thing is that when they finally realize they are driving off their loyal cruisers...it will be too late.

That ends up being in the same stinky can of worms as limiting the top 30 Pinnies into SL/CK. 😄 LA Maneesh (who is now promoted to GS manager) told us they tried it once recently on Wonder...it was a disaster. They have not done it since according to what he told us last week.

You beat me to it. 😄

I DON'T want to know. 😄 😄

We are also very interested in Silversea.

There were 93 Pinnies on board this last week. Absolutely no problem finding a seat in the SL, or at the bar, or dinner reservations at CK. Not everyone in Suites, or all Pinnies frequent the SL or CK at the same time.

"They" are not. It's just John since LA (where we also disembarked). We rejoin in Barcelona for last quarter. Not sure where or when Laura rejoins.

Of course. It's still a cruise same as any other, but we only had to pay taxes and port fees for cruise fare. Plus dinners in CK and breakfast in Chops and my favorite....free unlimited WIFI. 🙂

Only on a reservation made daily for dinner, as long as time is available. Pretty much JS cabins. The Pinns were directed to Chops for breakfast, which we did all week.

Scotty will be impressed his thread from 2 years ago has resurfaced. 😄 As to current Pinnie situation on Wonder this week... 93 Pinns, all allowed in Suite's Lounge. I think from what the outgoing LA Maneesh told me, is that the allowing of just the top 30 Pinnacles was a total disaster when they tried it. Soooo no Pinnacle event for non-sute Pinnacles this week on Wonder.

Though we have docked port side twice this week...which is unusual. No escalator use those days. Usually it's when they run the life boats on starboard side when they dock up on port side...but though they had drills, they did not launch the life boats. Strange.

Totally agree. Just recently left Serenade after our 63 night first quarter WC. The thing I missed the most? Cooking. 😉 Yeah, better and fresher food at home.

Funny thing is being Pinnacle, with the extra perks...I should stay with RCI. Being an RCI stock holder, I should stay. Having an RCI Visa card with those perks...I should stay. But I am not. 😉 I still have few on the books with RCI, but am booking with other lines as well now. Though my stock sure has gone way up with all these cut backs and price increases. 😄

I love this commercial that Virgin did awhile back. Yes, there were children on the ad....but for a very different reason. 😄 😄