First time is star class: can we invite people over for in room specialty dining?

[RFerrington]

🥰🥰❤️❤️

[Boz575]

Hi @RFerrington.  If you don’t mind me asking, who was your genie (sorry if I missed it). We are SC on Oasis in July and it sounds like you got a great one. 

[RFerrington]

1 hour ago, Boz575 said:

Hi @RFerrington.  If you don’t mind me asking, who was your genie (sorry if I missed it). We are SC on Oasis in July and it sounds like you got a great one. 

Our most recent Genie (Oasis, Dec 2022) was Alan F.  Actually, he is our least favorite Genie although many SC pax really like him.  I’m not sure who the Genies are on OA currently.  I know you will have a wonderful time whoever your Genie is.  You should be hearing from him/her soon now !

[WarfRatWA]

12 hours ago, RFerrington said:

Our most recent Genie (Oasis, Dec 2022) was Alan F.  Actually, he is our least favorite Genie although many SC pax really like him.  I’m not sure who the Genies are on OA currently.  I know you will have a wonderful time whoever your Genie is.  You should be hearing from him/her soon now !

Hey there RFerrington, We are sailing on the Anthem next month.  This is our first time in SC and our first time aboard Royal.  Thank you for your comments in this thread, as they clear the smoke a bit for a first time SC cruiser.  We will have friends (2 pax) aboard who are not SC.  We understand the need to not cross that line.  That said, we would like to dine together in the specialty restaurants.  The OP made a comment that their Genie on a couple of occasions assisted with reservations that included non-SC cruisers.  Is this something we can routinely request of our genie?  That is to marry our non-SC cruising friends dining reservation to ours so we can sit together?  Or should we just work with the dining venue to make it happen?  Also, do you (or anyone else on this thread) happen to have any experience/insight with the Genie Carlos A.?  Thank you for any input you may have!

[RFerrington]

13 minutes ago, WarfRatWA said:

Genie on a couple of occasions assisted with reservations that included non-SC cruisers.  Is this something we can routinely request of our genie? 

Yes !  This is a very good example of how your Genie can help.  Even if your non-SC friends have no dining package at all, the Genie can (and will) include them in any dining reservations that you want.  They will need to understand that they will pay full price for their meals, but it will not preclude them from dining with you or from having the Genie make their reservations along with yours.

 

A number of years ago, we were traveling with a large group.  We all wanted to eat at Wonderland (something I will never do again, BTW).  4 of us were SC but all of the others were GenPop and had no dining packages.  The non-SC just paid for their meals at the end but the Genie made the reservations for the entire group.

 

18 minutes ago, WarfRatWA said:

do you (or anyone else on this thread) happen to have any experience/insight with the Genie Carlos A.? 

Sorry, but I do not know Carlos.  Sadly, many of the former Genies we have used over the years are no longer with Royal...there are so many new Genies.  I know very few of them anymore.

[WarfRatWA]

5 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

Yes !  This is a very good example of how your Genie can help.  Even if your non-SC friends have no dining package at all, the Genie can (and will) include them in any dining reservations that you want.  They will need to understand that they will pay full price for their meals, but it will not preclude them from dining with you or from having the Genie make their reservations along with yours.

 

A number of years ago, we were traveling with a large group.  We all wanted to eat at Wonderland (something I will never do again, BTW).  4 of us were SC but all of the others were GenPop and had no dining packages.  The non-SC just paid for their meals at the end but the Genie made the reservations for the entire group.

 

Sorry, but I do not know Carlos.  Sadly, many of the former Genies we have used over the years are no longer with Royal...there are so many new Genies.  I know very few of them anymore.

Thank you so much for the swift reply.  This was really the last question we had prior to embarkation.  The only things we have planned are the Chefs table and a couple of shore excursions.  Feel's odd to leave it all up to someone else.  But I guess that is the point.  Thank you again.  Much appreciated.

[topnole]

15 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

 

I just wanted to get back to both of you because you were so kind in your responses to my original post.  We had an amazing time!!! It was, for us, the trip of a lifetime since we don’t anticipate getting that room again. The genie was wonderful! It turned out that we never had dining on the balcony, as most in our group preferred to eat at the specialty restaurants themselves and had reservations, but the genie did arrange for us and the guests with the dining package to sit together at the restaurant a few times. We didn’t ask for anything in the room other than refills on water. But it was all he did, than we hadn’t asked for that made the experience special such as making sure that we had breakfast if we forgot to order, or arranging great seats for the hubby and I at the shows. We made sure to tip him above and beyond, for his kind attention. Now I just have to hit lotto to do it again! Happy cruising everyone!
 

Glad you had a great experience.  Star class is definitely an amazing way to go and I’m glad to hear your expectations were met.   I’m sniffing around for our next star class trip but the sticker shock is a bit to much for now.  Hopefully I find something a little more in line with my past Star class trips.  

[topnole]

2 minutes ago, WarfRatWA said:

Thank you so much for the swift reply.  This was really the last question we had prior to embarkation.  The only things we have planned are the Chefs table and a couple of shore excursions.  Feel's odd to leave it all up to someone else.  But I guess that is the point.  Thank you again.  Much appreciated.

Don’t worry.  They will be in communication with you all the while so you will not worry one bit if all is set up how you want it.   Just tell the Genie when and where you want your friends added for a dinner reservation.  They want you to enjoy your meals and will gladly add friends to your reservations or make changes as needed.   Tell them any special request you have.  

[RFerrington]

14 minutes ago, WarfRatWA said:

Thank you so much for the swift reply. 

You are most welcome.  Have a GREAT time.

[WarfRatWA]

21 minutes ago, topnole said:

Don’t worry.  They will be in communication with you all the while so you will not worry one bit if all is set up how you want it.   Just tell the Genie when and where you want your friends added for a dinner reservation.  They want you to enjoy your meals and will gladly add friends to your reservations or make changes as needed.   Tell them any special request you have.  

Thanks Topnole....Appreciate the confirmation.  

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

On 5/3/2023 at 11:50 AM, gkbiiii said:

All 14 get Star Benefits!

I've got the Royal Loft plus both Star Lofts on Harmony so that 1. My family gets same inclusives and 2. We have our own spaces so as not to be all up in each others' space.

 

One stateroom (4 bedrooms even) does not sound appealing to me. 😅

[Boz575]

Hi @dleahy4444, who was your genie. Do you know what other genie’s are on Oasis right now?

[dleahy4444]

2 minutes ago, Boz575 said:

Hi @dleahy4444, who was your genie. Do you know what other genie’s are on Oasis right now?

I didn’t meet the other genies but my genie was Derick M. He was incredible!!

[Boz575]

5 minutes ago, dleahy4444 said:

I didn’t meet the other genies but my genie was Derick M. He was incredible!!

Thanks so much. We have heard great things about Derick and Shane. We’ve just received our SC survey which we’re not sure it is really useful but we’ve also read you can request a genie here so we are going to give it a shot. 

[Ret MP]

On 5/2/2023 at 8:52 AM, topnole said:

As far as drinks.  If you request drinks, the genie will organize them being delivered.  How the charges work, I have no idea.  But if your friends have the drinks package I’m sure the genie doesn’t care.  Again, the genies just pass on the info. They aren’t delivering.  You will likely text them your order so 8?drinks for 2 people will likely raise an eyebrow.  A couple extra likely no big deal.  Now if it many complicated drinks every day, that might get you a NO.  If it is a bottle of wine and a few mixed drinks, I’m sure it is no big deal.  

My experience, and my experience only:

 

On Symphony a few years ago, in the 4 bedroom family villa, we could only order one drink/cocktail, at a time, via the Genie or Room Service, per SC, of age, people in the Suite.  I couldn't even get a bottle of wine.  As explained by the Genie, I could order a glass of wine, one at a time.  If I wanted a bottle delivered, I'd have to order it from the wine menu and pay full price or whatever the deal was at the time.  However, with a little drunken whining, he did send "ONE" bottle gratis, the Genie was involved and explained that for Star Class the only courtesy Alcohol was the Champaign or Wine bottle that was in our Suite when we embarked on the first day, everything else, by the bottle was extra.  But, because I said I didn't know that, I really didn't, he had a bottle sent up, gratis, except for the tip.   I switched to drinking an unlimited supply of beer in the Suite after that.  I wasn't going to order a glass of wine or cocktail, one at a time, and wait.  

[topnole]

6 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

My experience, and my experience only:

 

On Symphony a few years ago, in the 4 bedroom family villa, we could only order one drink/cocktail, at a time, via the Genie or Room Service, per SC, of age, people in the Suite.  I couldn't even get a bottle of wine.  As explained by the Genie, I could order a glass of wine, one at a time.  If I wanted a bottle delivered, I'd have to order it from the wine menu and pay full price or whatever the deal was at the time.  However, with a little drunken whining, he did send "ONE" bottle gratis, the Genie was involved and explained that for Star Class the only courtesy Alcohol was the Champaign or Wine bottle that was in our Suite when we embarked on the first day, everything else, by the bottle was extra.  But, because I said I didn't know that, I really didn't, he had a bottle sent up, gratis, except for the tip.   I switched to drinking an unlimited supply of beer in the Suite after that.  I wasn't going to order a glass of wine or cocktail, one at a time, and wait.  

Yeah. That is pretty standard.  But, I think being able to order a few drinks at a time is not uncommon.   Everyone’s experiences can vary.  I drink beer, so I’m all set when I’m Star class.  

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, topnole said:

Yeah. That is pretty standard.  But, I think being able to order a few drinks at a time is not uncommon.   Everyone’s experiences can vary.  I drink beer, so I’m all set when I’m Star class.  

Well, this was actually back during the time that a crew member would wheel a bar cart from Suite to Suite and pour everyone a drink from the cart.  But, it wasn't dependable and fast enough LOL.  Yes, I don't doubt that, depending on the ship and/or who you talk to, you may be able to get more than one drink per person.  That's why I really enjoyed Marla, on the Allure, as our Genie, our first Genie and one who knew how to treat a customer.  Our Genie on the Symphony wasn't the best, good, but not the best.  I'll not name names though.  

[topnole]

2 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Well, this was actually back during the time that a crew member would wheel a bar cart from Suite to Suite and pour everyone a drink from the cart.  But, it wasn't dependable and fast enough LOL.  Yes, I don't doubt that, depending on the ship and/or who you talk to, you may be able to get more than one drink per person.  That's why I really enjoyed Marla, on the Allure, as our Genie, our first Genie and one who knew how to treat a customer.  Our Genie on the Symphony wasn't the best, good, but not the best.  I'll not name names though.  

I remember that cart.  And they used to have a set menu.  Two workers with the bar cart one cruise.  We asked for an off menu drink and they said they couldn’t do it.  I’m m thinking why the heck not.  They were like robots.  We said no thanks, we don’t like anything on the menu.   They still stopped by every day just to hear our no thank you.  😂😂