Allure of the Seas Western observations, good, bad, and otherwise

[LMaxwell]

Just back from 12/15-12/22 Western itinerary (Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel) on Allure of the Seas. These are some of my observations. Overall our trip was very good. I have never set foot on a ship like this. I really truly believe everyone should experience an Oasis-Class ship at least once. You may or may not love it, but there is no denying that it is unlike any other ship and worth having the experience. Ours was a group of 15, age ranges 5 - mid 70's, spread amongst 6 cabins ranging from an inside handicap room, boardwalk balcony, standard inside, a few D3 balcony rooms, and our D1 room (Snagged as basically a no charge upgrade from an interior L on a price drop weekend 4 months prior to the cruise)

 

Some random observations:

Check-in - From drop off at pier to on-ship in under 15 minutes. Fast, painless. Incredible that they can do it so well.

 

Cabin:

D1 "Hump" Balcony. Spotless and well stocked upon arrival. I am Emerald, my fiancee is "nothing" (We will both be Diamond after this cruise). Robes were waiting in the room. Hump balcony approximately 40% larger than other standard balcony rooms. Two chairs and table on the balcony. Two small ottomans would have been nice to have.

 

Nice flatscreen TV with interactive menu system. Very nice system and easy to use if you have even the slightest hint of tech ability. TV swivels towards bed.

 

Room attendant, Vita, phenomenal. Friendly. Kept room spotless. Introduced herself right away. Ice always delivered multiple times per day. Some days we really did not need anything but ice so we would just grab some from Vita and put in the do not disturb card, hopefully to save a bit of turndown work for her. Whenever we did this she left a note on the door asking we call her if we DID infact need anything. Mentioned her by name on the survey with outstanding comments and one of only two crew to receive additional tips from us.

 

Bathroom had not only shampoo dispenser on the wall but we were also supplied with generous amounts of bottled shampoo, conditioner, and lotions. Size was adequate. Water pressure excellent. Always had hot water. No plumbing issues ever.

 

Received ALL of our luggage (including a 12 pack of water that we package-taped for security) well before muster drill. Closet space/hangars adequate. Safe in closet uses touchpad for code.

 

Yes, there is a mini-fridge. We emptied it out and used it for our own belongings.

 

Bed superbly comfortable, no issue fitting 4 large suitcases and duffel bag underneath. Nightstands nearly useless. Why no drawers??

 

Was on the forward hump in Deck 8; basically behind Chops Grille. Good location, would take the room again in a heartbeat. Would probably opt for the rear hump of the ship though as that is closer to the rear elevator bank as opposed to the forward hump being sort of between the two elevator banks. Room quiet from all noises except occasional door slamming/outside chair dragging.

[LMaxwell]

Ship Cleanliness - Very, very clean. Crew always visible doing maintenance/varnish/painting/cleaning windows. Very little to no evidence of high traffic or wear and tear. Allure is a clean ship and proud to show it. Some paint flaking on chair frames in Aquatheater (that's getting REALLY nitpicky I know...)

[LMaxwell]

MyTimeDining: A mess. A comical screwup every evening. No matter who in the party made the reservations we NEVER, not once, had the same table, had the same serving team, or ever had a table ready for the amount of people on the "confirmed" reservation. One time we were lead in to the dining room to a non-existant table and left to just stand there and I guess figure it out on our own.

 

The waitstaff works hard. Food preparation and presentation was good to very good. It's not the waitstaff's fault. Shipboard management has poor control over MTD and can't seem to keep or properly track reservations. Gave up for the last evening and went to Windjammer for dinner which was, surprisingly (to us) great. It was busy but less chaotic than the dining room, we had a view out of the big windows, and the food was good if not as "fancy" as dining room. Unrushed and unhurried we were out in under an hour as opposed to never being out of the dining room in less than 2.5 hours.

 

Oh, by the way, there is NO dress code enforced in the MDR. At all. In an earlier thread I commented I was not going to bring my suit onboard. At the last minute I decided to bring my suit anyways, on the first formal night a family walked in wearing their finest sweatpants, t-shirts, sandals, and backwards baseball hats. They were suite guests (we all knew because they loudly proclaimed they could do whatever the F they want staying in a suite). Why not stay in the suite and get your MDR food delivered?? Not a big deal, just an observation. Wear whatever you want because RCI's suggestions are handled just like their reservations (i.e.; not at all).

[LMaxwell]

Entertainment - Very Good to Excellent

 

Aquatheater diving show is a jaw dropper. Top notch production, very high entertainment value.

 

Chicago - I had not seen the show on land/did not know anything about it. I thought it was very well done; large orchestra and cast. Entertaining and worth seeing.

 

Comedians - Hysterical. Phil Tag/Kivi Rogers. They did an adult show in the comedy club and a family appropriate show the last night in Amber Theatre.

 

Headliner - Kenny James - Singer/Dancer, lot of motown. High energy. Backed by live band. Again, very entertaining and worth seeing.

 

Ice Games Show - Only stayed a few minutes, had other activities I wanted to attend. The kids in our group loved it. Good for families in any event.

 

Karaoke - Always well attended, lots of fun, cheering, screaming, clapping etc. till very late. On Air club is not an adequate venue for such popular entertainment. Viking Crown lounge always underutilized, perhaps would have been a better venue for this. There was live music by "Those Girlz" up in the Viking Crown, only attended for a few minutes but they were good too.

 

Boleros - Always packed. Band sounded great. Not "my thing" but it seemed lots of people enjoyed dancing the night away.

 

Dazzles - Really nice venue. The house band playing there was very good.

 

Bow n Stern pub - Singer/Guitar player, again, excellent. Kept crowds singing along until very late in the evening.

 

70's show on promenade - Gets jam packed. High energy. Fun but I suspect it's highly scripted and so if you see it once on one ship you've probably seen the whole thing.

 

Pool band - Same old tired tried and true caribbean flavored music on every cruise. Sounds good though. No steel drummer. There IS more than 3 Bob Marley songs ya know...

 

Did not attend Blue Planet show, Glow Party, Solarium Night Deck party, or the Dreamworks Dive show. Suffice it to say, RCI has entertainment booked left, right, and center, always plenty of shows and live music. Reservations suggested but not strictly needed. Never had time to make it to Blazes of Jazz on 4 either. Could probably spend a month on the ship and not see every show or venue/party.

 

Did go to Battle of the Sexes, Wedding Game, Quest. All were great, lots of fun.

[drarill]

Excellent review!! Thanks for sharing your cruise with us!:):)

[LMaxwell]

Excellent review!! Thanks for sharing your cruise with us!:):)

 

You are welcome. So many reviews were helpful to me before I went; everyone has a different perspective and does different things or has different preferences. I do have some things to take care of at home now but will return and touch on other areas including impressions of Royal Promenade, Solarium, and Central Park (three areas it seemed I spent most of my time) as well as impressions on other areas I used such as the gym/jogging track, Boardwalk area, and a few hidden little gems. There are some negatives, which I am sorry to report, but they are what they are...

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for the review. IMHO you missed the best show on the ship with Blue Planet. One of the best I have seen on a ship. :)

[jo24]

Fantastic review and so pleased that you enjoyed your cruise so much. Having spent 3 weeks on Allure now, I can agree, entertainment everywhere and I still haven't managed it all!

 

Vita will get those comments back in the next week or so and they will mean a lot to her I am sure. Those sorts of things are really important in their job.

 

Jo :)

[Ocean Boy]

Thanks for the review. IMHO you missed the best show on the ship with Blue Planet. One of the best I have seen on a ship. :)

 

Thanks. I'll be sure not to miss it.

[Lionesss]

Excellent review.

 

How were the islands?

Did you do any excurions?

Thank you

 

Sea Ya

[mj]

Thanks for the review.

[LMaxwell]

Excellent review.

 

How were the islands?

Did you do any excurions?

Thank you

 

Sea Ya

 

The weather was great for all three stops.

 

At Labadee we selected a nice shaded spot between the lagoon side and the ocean side. There was a great breeze and we were near the splash park for the kids. We swam in the lagoon near the cabanas. There was NO breeze in the lagoon/cabana area and it was loud. I think we lucked out with our free spot.

 

I took the Haiti Coastal Boat Tour. Relatively inexpensive at $48. They sold beer/rum punch on the boat. The boat was a 35-40' Catamaran style boat with bench seating in the shade for about 30-40 people downstairs and maybe another 15 upstairs. We got upclose to a small island, saw a ship wreck, passed by numerous fishermen, got into coves you can't see from the ship...it was about two hours and I chatted with new friends. No one else in my group of 15 was interested in going. It was a great way to spend the morning. Strongly recommend this tour.

 

Labadee never felt overly crowded. I was able to nap in quiet breezy shade after lunch (if you've had the RCI BBQ you know what to expect). Lunch was good. There were various musical artists performing local music which I enjoyed. I like cultural experiences.

 

Next stop was Falmouth. We shared the port with Independence. The port area is clean but it's really a little tourist trap. I've never seen so many people rush to Margaritaville. Why? Why on Earth would you go visit a foreign country to go sit in what amounts to be Applebees or TGIFridays? Just eat on the ship that is docked 50 feet away; it's not like booze is any cheaper at Margaritaville anyway. I actually saw people lined up for Nathans hotdogs. I'll never understand it.

 

We took a tour of 1700's Plantation. This was to a sugar and citrus plantation that still operates. We saw some of the operations and then had a guided tour of the master house. The tour included lunch (Jerk Chicken and Fruit Punch) and the total was $59 per person; a good value IMO. A bit of traffic getting there, so about 30 minutes going, but only 20 minutes ride back. The plantation house is high up and so there are great breezes. I like to see/do things I can't do at home.

 

In Cozumel we took an excursion to Chakanaab park and did the Dolphin Encounter. This is where you touch/kiss the dolphins. You interact for about 30-40 minutes. Lockers are free at the park. There is a little Tequila village with free tastings. There are gardens to walk through, a replica area of Mayan ruins, the beach and beach chairs/hammocks are free to use there as well. There is also a free sea lion show. It is only a 5 minute cab ride from the ships. Good family area. We paid $79 per person for the park access with dolphin encounter. The tour price included the cab ride to and from the park with 4 available return times (1, 2, 3, 4PM). We returned at 2PM and had a nearly empty ship to enjoy lunch and relaxation on.

 

All tours were booked through RCI. Could I have saved some money not booking with RCI? Maybe a few bucks, but I like the security of knowing the tours are backed by the cruiseline. I was able to book the Cozumel tour as soon as I got in to my cabin through the TV; no need to wait on any lines for the excursion desk.

 

I added the Labadee boat tour to my "Wish list" but could not purchase it through the TV for some reason. When we got to Labadee it disappeared from the wish list too. I simply booked it on the pier with my seapass card. I booked the Falmouth tour at the excursion desk because we happened to be walking by and there was NO line.

 

I'll add photos of the three areas at a later time.

[balcony4u]

We were in cabin 6664 because we wanted a balcony without the life boats blocking the view of the ocean. In the hump rooms are you our far enough not to have the life boat block the view to look straight down to the ocean?

[LMaxwell]

We were in cabin 6664 because we wanted a balcony without the life boats blocking the view of the ocean. In the hump rooms are you our far enough not to have the life boat block the view to look straight down to the ocean?

 

If you look straight down you see just a very little bit of the lifeboats. I'd say overall it's a pretty open view to ocean below. Maybe 5% lifeboat/95% water when looking straight down.

[aubreyc1988]

I didnt have time to do the karaoke when I was on the Allure, how late does it go? I would love to watch it if it went late when my DH is sleeping hehe

[LMaxwell]

I didnt have time to do the karaoke when I was on the Allure, how late does it go? I would love to watch it if it went late when my DH is sleeping hehe

 

Most nights it started around 11:30PM and went to 1:00 - 1:30AM and it was ROCKING. Standing room only. Great times. Really should have been in a larger venue. It was slow the first night but then I guess word got out. Definitely do go.

[mrpayroll]

Thanks for the review. We will be on same itinerary in late January. :)

[LMaxwell]

Food; I know, very subjective, but I'll share my impressions and opinions.

 

Windjammer Breakfast - Good variety but I feel like the quality isn't what it was even a few years ago. It's acceptable for sure and you can always find something but ultimately I chose other venues.

 

Dining room breakfast - Did this one day at sea (one of the Dreamswork Character breakfasts for the kids). Had fresh omelette to order. It was excellent. I was surprised how good it was. Nice assortment of breads/pastries brought to the table without asking. Coffee is STRONG and tastes good. Have never paid for coffee on a ship, never will. The generic rocket fuel does it for me.

 

Park Cafe - This became one of our favorite go to spots. Good for a quick breakfast of a egg/cheese/ham/english muffin sandwich, fresh fruit, granola, yogurt parfait. In the afternoon a small panini and iced tea was good to hold over until dinner. Debarkation we rode up to WJ, saw the line and stayed on the elevator and went right back to Park Cafe.

 

Solarium Bistro - The "healthy" cafe. Had one breakfast here and a lunch. They offer vegan options and lighter fare. Nice selections and salad bar at lunch time. They always had Miso soup on offer as well. Easy to run into if you are hanging out in the Solarium. Really tasty free flavored waters

 

Dining Room lunch - Was excellent; in and out in 40 minutes. Had the salad bar; they did have a small hot buffet too, also ordered the grilled Barramundi fish. Enjoyable.

 

The Boardwalk Dog House - Went two times and got two different hot dogs, neither was remarkable. Not good, not bad. It's a hotdog...

 

Wipeout Cafe - One of 2 places to get soft serve frozen yogurt. Machines always seemed to be too warm; soft serve was always a watery mess in about a minute. They had "Pretzel" dogs that were surpisingly good. Did not sample the other stuff on offer but they had a small salad selection, burgers, plain hot dogs, pizza, etc. Located Deck 15 aft near the sports court; again, a convenient location.

 

Windjammer lunch - Excellent. Really, no kidding. Always a wide selection and food was always fresh. I especially enjoyed Indian dishes like Butter Chicken with Naan bread. One day they had a Tandoori chicken salad that was out of this world.

 

Dining Room Food - Very good. Ignoring the daily MyTime SNAFU's I found the food to be quite good and always prepared just how I asked. I did have a cod loin one night that was overly greasy but I ordered something else and had no other issues. Appetizers seemed to repeat often though (Scallops seemed to be on the menu a lot). A lot of dishes had mushrooms, and a lot of duck dishes. I like both so was pleased.

 

Windjammer Dinner - Finally got fed up with daily MyTimeDining problems and tried 'jammer for dinner. Surprised by wide selection, nice atmosphere, less chaotic than MDR. Not as many fancy appetizers but I think the mains selections stood up. Bigger desert selection than MDR.

 

Giovanni's Table - This was a really good meal and service was good as well. There is no way you will ever find a meal at a land based restaurant comparable for only $20 a person. Unbeatable value here, nice atmosphere.

 

Chops Grille - One of the best experiences I've had anywhere****(yes, four asterisk points; will get to that shortly in my negatives). The appetizers were awesome. The steak was delicious and expertly prepared. The side dishes were a bit weak. I thought they'd be a bit more special. The onion rings you can't convince me weren't just frozen food and the mashed potatoes were bland. I want to give the good an A but overall it was a B+. Our server though, wow. Super wow. A++. Emrah. The "Turkish Delight". Stunning service. Anticipated every desire. Really made the meal a knockout. He earned a super hefty tip for his outstanding service and was, of course, recognized on my comment card.

 

Cafe Promenade - I don't care for cold cuts or tuna salad, etc., but everyone else enjoyed it, and it's a handy location to grab a scone or cookie and one of the few places late night to get some carbs to soak up alcohol.

 

Sorrentos pizza - Always hot and fresh. Better than cruise ship pizza of the past. The other option for late night munchies and for that it was just fine. Certainly not a place to make a meal out of it though.

 

Johnny Rockets - Went for breakfast one morning. It was average diner style/quality food. Nothing too impressive, but it was okay and another option to try.

 

Labadee Lunch BBQ - Burgers, Salads, Ribs, cookies, small cakes; typical fare, nothing out of the ordinary if you have been there before but it was good for a beach day. I didn't rush the place when they started service because I was on an excursion, when I got back there was almost no lines.

 

Kept meaning to try the Vitality Cafe at the entrance to the Spa/Gym. The food is free, but very limited to fruit, and I think yogurt and one or two other items. If you're a gym rat you'd find something here for sure, but it wasn't substantial enough to go out of my way for in the morning.

 

Had room service one morning. They called ahead to inform me my order was ready. Hot food was disappointing. Coffee was great and plentiful. Fruit plate very nice. Plenty of creamers/food condiments. Delivered promptly. I'd get room service again for snacks/fruit but I'd skip it for hot food.

 

Did not eat at Izumi, Chefs Table, Rita's (this place looked dead ALWAYS), CP 150.

Edited December 23, 2013 by LMaxwell

[LMaxwell]

So by this point you're probably thinking to yourself "Sounds like a pretty good cruise. Good entertainment, lots of food selections, hard working and friendly staff, what's the downsides?"

 

1st - Crown and Anchor Benefits - They have absolutely been reduced. As an Emerald there are now less offers, or offers of lower value than before. In addition they NEVER offered to redeem any of my offers unless I asked and in more than one instance I was told "Well, not for THAT." Emerald members get a BOGO on wine/beer/soda. Ordered a beer, asked for my second and was told "Oh, not THAT beer." Went to Casino, put card in the machine, no free spin to win like indicated on voucher sheet. Asked about it and never got an answer. Wasn't going to press the issue over 10 seconds of time at a slot machine. They would not honor the free jackpot cards on win a cruise bingo but don't tell you that upfront. I just found the whole thing a hassle. Eventually I was inclined to avoid doing anything relating to an offer because you had to go through a song and a dance.

 

2nd - Billing at Chops. Made reservation; was told it was $30 PP. Got a receipt; $60 for us as a couple. Signed it. Added a generous tip of $25 (Emrah really did deserve it). Later in the week I saw that they reversed the $60 charge and then charged me $70 instead. I called Guest Services who referred me to Chops. The Chops manager said I was undercharged. What?! Never heard of that in my life. Sorry, you told me a price, I agreed, I signed a receipt. That doesn't give anyone the right to go back and raise the price after and tack it on to my account without so much as a phone call or note. TACKY. Additionally they had charged me TWICE for Emrah's tip. They sorted these issues out promptly and without fuss, but why did it ever get to that?

 

3rd - The biggest issue of the entire cruise and one that almost had me cancel all future cruises, even forfeiting money on a cruise I have made final payment on that sails in 10 weeks...

 

After the evening show let out we went to our stateroom and could not get in. The light flashed red, then green, then nothing. We went to guest services who quickly made both of us new cards (no reason our old ones should have stopped working, but it happens and is NOT a big deal in anyway). We went to try the new cards, red flash, green flash, nothing. I surmised that either the battery for the lock servo died or the lock mechanism itself had broken.

 

Back to guest services. They called maintenance. Maintenance advised guest services that they could not open the door for us unless security authorized it and/or was present. That's reasonable sounding. THEY COULD NOT LOCATE SECURITY. The phone kept ringing through to security until it would get a fast busy signal. The two guest services ladies were begging maintenance to just come open the door as my fiancee needed to take her nightly medication. They wouldn't do it. We were sitting in the hall way in front of our room with a guest services staff member who was getting YELLED AT AND HUNG UP ON by maintenance. Eventually having enough of this my fiancee went back to guest services to get a supervisor. I was waiting in the hall way with the first guest services rep in case maintenance/security came when. After another 10-15 minutes with no call I told the guest services rep I was going down to the main desk and wanted a supervisor there NOW, I didn't care if they had to be woken up.

 

My fiancee was in tears at the desk because she coudn't get her medication.

 

Let me be perfectly clear, RCI is extremely lucky that the medication was not an inhalator, or insulin, or some other form of critical medication because we did not finally get in to the room until 2:00AM. The security guard that finally came to let us in advised us he had only first been called less than 5 minutes before. I don't understand this all night drama/production between guest services and maintenance or why security could not be reached by guest services. Not acceptable The next morning she said "You're cancelling all our future bookings, I will not go on this cruise line again" (Remember, this was her first experience with RCI). I assured her that this was a 1 in a million fluke and that I really have no explanation for it but nothing like this has ever happened to me before and that it was not the normal sort of service to expect. I finally got her calmed down.

 

Not being able to redeem a coupon is at worst an annoyance. Not getting in to your cabin until 2AM without access to medicine and shipboard staff seemingly incapable of basic communications is another matter entirely.

 

I went to guest services the next day to chat with a manager about this. The manager relayed to me how upset the guest services girl from the night shift was that was trying to help us and how she was almost in tears herself because she didn't understand why maintenance was hanging up on her. She advised me that this issue had been discussed in the morning meeting and that there was going to be a compensation package offered to us that evening (I had not asked for anything; I just wanted someone higher up to be aware of the issues, and an apology to my fiancee would have been nice). RCI made us a generous offer on a future booking. They advised me I could use this offer and apply it to already held bookings for either onboard credit or price reductions and that they would put it in writing. What I got in writing did not exactly match what I was told but I am due now to receive a certificate in the mail to validate the letter I was given aboard the ship. I am going to hold my breath a little bit on this one and have a wait and see sort of attitude on it. We were really having an absolutely fabulous time the whole vacation until this. Would any of YOU want to see your significant other broken down in tears being that upset at almost 2:00AM? Miami will be receiving a nasty letter about this.

Edited December 23, 2013 by LMaxwell

[LMaxwell]

I must mention two of the signature neighborhoods for Oasis-class ships; Central Park and the Boardwalk. My real life impressions were the opposite of my pre-conceived notions. Thought I would love the Boardwalk and not care for Central Park. Just the opposite! Central Park is a true modern marvel. It's hard to believe this exists on a ship at sea. It is SO well done and kept up incredibly well. Every time you walk through you see something new and unique. Plus at night they would have live music such as a violin player and they used lighting out there to wonderful effect. It is an absolutely unique experience and something everyone should experience at least once.

 

The Boardwalk has some pizazz to it but other than the Aquatheater shows feels like a lot of wasted space. Ritas Cantina was always empty every time I saw it. The Boardwalk kind of "shut down" early in the evenings (understandable given the number of balcony rooms right there). The dog house was the only real fee-free food back there. Yes, they also have a donut case in the morning with free donuts, but it just didn't seem like a good utilization of space. The Merry go-round is also unique, but everything else in the Boardwalk is designed, it seems, to just make kids beg parents to spend money. There's a candy/toy store, Johnny Rockets...I mean heck, you can get popcorn or cotton candy for a fee. You can eat shrimp cocktail in the MDR until you grow a tail for free but you have to pay for cotton candy. Because they know parents will cave in and spend it. It's a unique area when you first see it but it got dull fast for adults because, well, it's not really geared for adults. And despite the open stern area to the ship the Boardwalk still feels very "insular."

 

The whole ship has a very insular feel. The deck 5 walking track you get very few glimpses of the water (though there are nice views from the stern and some beautiful teak chairs back there too). It's a narrow track and doesn't have the open feelings found on most other RCI ships though does go fully around. On the Royal Promenade there is not large windows with sea views like on Voyager/Freedom class ships. Other unique areas on other RCI ships that are outdoors, such as the peeka boo bridge and access to the helipad do not exist here either.

 

Some of the best views aft are from the sports deck behind the Flowriders and from the "secret" public balconies. These aft "secret" public balconies are so underutilized and unknown to all but a few that I will not be the least bit surprised if all of them are converted into aft suites during dry-docking. Eliminating six unknown public balconies would generate a lot more $$ per week than cotton candy.

 

Also, as long as it is in my head, we did NOT sail one life boat short. Repairs to the lifeboat davit were made the week prior and a private towing company towed the lifeboat from Nassau to Port Everglades. On 12/15 the ship was docked stern in to the pier to facilitate recovery of lifeboat #1 on the starboard side. The captain was asked about that particular docking positioning at the Captains Corner and he stated that it was for maintenance reasons but did not otherwise expand on the answer, my information came from deck crew that was out performing regular maintenance to lifeboat winches/gear.

[Merion_Mom]

So by this point you're probably thinking to yourself "Sounds like a pretty good cruise. Good entertainment, lots of food selections, hard working and friendly staff, what's the downsides?"

 

1st - Crown and Anchor Benefits - They have absolutely been reduced. As an Emerald there are now less offers, or offers of lower value than before. In addition they NEVER offered to redeem any of my offers unless I asked and in more than one instance I was told "Well, not for THAT." Emerald members get a BOGO on wine/beer/soda. Ordered a beer, asked for my second and was told "Oh, not THAT beer." Went to Casino, put card in the machine, no free spin to win like indicated on voucher sheet. Asked about it and never got an answer. Wasn't going to press the issue over 10 seconds of time at a slot machine. They would not honor the free jackpot cards on win a cruise bingo but don't tell you that upfront. I just found the whole thing a hassle. Eventually I was inclined to avoid doing anything relating to an offer because you had to go through a song and a dance.

 

2nd - Billing at Chops. Made reservation; was told it was $30 PP. Got a receipt; $60 for us as a couple. Signed it. Added a generous tip of $25 (Emrah really did deserve it). Later in the week I saw that they reversed the $60 charge and then charged me $70 instead. I called Guest Services who referred me to Chops. The Chops manager said I was undercharged. What?! Never heard of that in my life. Sorry, you told me a price, I agreed, I signed a receipt. That doesn't give anyone the right to go back and raise the price after and tack it on to my account without so much as a phone call or note. TACKY. Additionally they had charged me TWICE for Emrah's tip. They sorted these issues out promptly and without fuss, but why did it ever get to that?

 

3rd - The biggest issue of the entire cruise and one that almost had me cancel all future cruises, even forfeiting money on a cruise I have made final payment on that sails in 10 weeks...

 

After the evening show let out we went to our stateroom and could not get in. The light flashed red, then green, then nothing. We went to guest services who quickly made both of us new cards (no reason our old ones should have stopped working, but it happens and is NOT a big deal in anyway). We went to try the new cards, red flash, green flash, nothing. I surmised that either the battery for the lock servo died or the lock mechanism itself had broken.

 

Back to guest services. They called maintenance. Maintenance advised guest services that they could not open the door for us unless security authorized it and/or was present. That's reasonable sounding. THEY COULD NOT LOCATE SECURITY. The phone kept ringing through to security until it would get a fast busy signal. The two guest services ladies were begging maintenance to just come open the door as my fiancee needed to take her nightly medication. They wouldn't do it. We were sitting in the hall way in front of our room with a guest services staff member who was getting YELLED AT AND HUNG UP ON by maintenance. Eventually having enough of this my fiancee went back to guest services to get a supervisor. I was waiting in the hall way with the first guest services rep in case maintenance/security came when. After another 10-15 minutes with no call I told the guest services rep I was going down to the main desk and wanted a supervisor there NOW, I didn't care if they had to be woken up.

 

My fiancee was in tears at the desk because she coudn't get her medication.

 

Let me be perfectly clear, RCI is extremely lucky that the medication was not an inhalator, or insulin, or some other form of critical medication because we did not finally get in to the room until 2:00AM. The security guard that finally came to let us in advised us he had only first been called less than 5 minutes before. I don't understand this all night drama/production between guest services and maintenance or why security could not be reached by guest services. Not acceptable The next morning she said "You're cancelling all our future bookings, I will not go on this cruise line again" (Remember, this was her first experience with RCI). I assured her that this was a 1 in a million fluke and that I really have no explanation for it but nothing like this has ever happened to me before and that it was not the normal sort of service to expect. I finally got her calmed down.

 

Not being able to redeem a coupon is at worst an annoyance. Not getting in to your cabin until 2AM without access to medicine and shipboard staff seemingly incapable of basic communications is another matter entirely.

 

I went to guest services the next day to chat with a manager about this. The manager relayed to me how upset the guest services girl from the night shift was that was trying to help us and how she was almost in tears herself because she didn't understand why maintenance was hanging up on her. She advised me that this issue had been discussed in the morning meeting and that there was going to be a compensation package offered to us that evening (I had not asked for anything; I just wanted someone higher up to be aware of the issues, and an apology to my fiancee would have been nice). RCI made us a generous offer on a future booking. They advised me I could use this offer and apply it to already held bookings for either onboard credit or price reductions and that they would put it in writing. What I got in writing did not exactly match what I was told but I am due now to receive a certificate in the mail to validate the letter I was given aboard the ship. I am going to hold my breath a little bit on this one and have a wait and see sort of attitude on it. We were really having an absolutely fabulous time the whole vacation until this. Would any of YOU want to see your significant other broken down in tears being that upset at almost 2:00AM? Miami will be receiving a nasty letter about this.

 

I was enjoying your review. Then I got to this post. I steeled myself. What could go wrong that would annoy you so much that you needed a huge post for it/them?

 

Wow.

 

Then I read this.

 

If I were you, I would STILL be steaming. I am glad that RC at least stepped up with some compensation, but REALLY? This sounds like you both were put through the wringer. (and the "coupons" not working and being "upcharged" on Chops are just unacceptable.)

 

You have my full, devoted sympathy.

 

Aren't you two getting married soon and planning that your honeymoon will be an RC cruise?!?!? :eek:

Edited December 23, 2013 by Merion_Mom

[JamesEM]

Thanks for your review, we will be sailing on her this Fall.

[jo24]

The cabin issue that you have mentioned, along with the Chops incident, is completely unacceptable. No wonder you are furious and no, nobody should be made that upset from something that should have been relatively easy to resolve and with minimal stress.

 

I did the Haiti boat tour in May of this year and can second you on it - fantastic trip, lovely guides and a brilliant way to see the coast. The island that you pull up alongside looks idyllic doesn't it?! Just what you would imagine from a deserted tropical island! I was almost tempted to jump ship and stay there!

 

Jo :)

[bchalker]

Great job on the review. We havent been on Oasis class ship but really like the Freedom class and may stick to those. I would suggest your fiancee might want to keep her medication with her if its that time critical. The situation with security is totally unacceptable but being reduced to tears is a little much. Glad you enjoyed the trip overall and made the best of it.

[balcony4u]

If you look straight down you see just a very little bit of the lifeboats. I'd say overall it's a pretty open view to ocean below. Maybe 5% lifeboat/95% water when looking straight down.

 

Thank you so much...I know it is silly, but I really do like to look down and see ocean:)