What's new with Royal since 2019 - New Tips and Tricks?

[jv_nyc]

Hi Everyone - I've been on 10 Royal cruises, and the last one was in 2019. My next one is in October on Liberty of the Seas, and I'm realizing there are a few changes and need-to-knows that have popped up in the last five years. 

 

The one that caught my eye (and prompted this question) was that passengers can book activities, like Ice Skating, in the Royal App as soon as they connect to the ship's wifi. 

 

What else is there to know that has been changed/made easier for passengers in the last five years? What tips and tricks have you found helpful?

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited July 14 by jv_nyc
clarifying words

[firefly333]

Prices that are double and triple pre covid. Find a TA with group prices and I book early with refundable rates. To me higher prices are the biggest thing.

 

Some will say check in for muster on the app big but you still have to find your station and get checked off even if you watch the little movies. 

[cruiseguy1016]

You won't be given your Seapass when you check in.It will be waiting for you in your cabin. If you purchase something (cocktail?) before the rooms are open, you just give them your room number or they scan your Set Sail Pass.

[mom2two2]

I am interested in what people have to say on this as well.  Our last cruise was right before covid hit and we are booked for Feb so I am on the lookout for the newest "need to know"

[PhillyFan33579]

Biggest changes to me are the muster drill is so much better (the ship doesn’t shutdown for an hour or so like pre-Covid) and drink vouchers you can use anywhere instead of a limited happy hour if you are Diamond or higher.  Unless you are in a suite, cabins are only serviced once a day which isn’t a big deal in my book. 

[MtnSeaGirl]

Yes, the MUSTER DRILL IS MUCH MUCH MUCH better.  Once a day service so ask for extra towels if you need them.  Some say the food is worse.  Food is subjective anyway so go enjoy!  I figure I'm not cooking nor washing the dishes.  Oh, almost forgot one of the things DH and I have laughed at yet think that all cruise lines should have.  Before you go into the Windjammer, there are five hand washing stations on either side of the doors with a staff member saying "Washy, washy".  I actually like the idea.  Covid or no Covid, washing hands before touching the serving utensils is a great idea.  

[Scottdalfonso]

Reservations are recommended for shows on the Oasis, Quantum and Icon class ships about 30-60 days before the cruise, not NEEDED, but certainly recommended. 

 

Muster is definitely the number one change, and for the better!

 

Lobster will cost you if you want a 2nd one in MDR

 

Room attendants come once a day, you pick when you want them to come when you see them on day one.  

 

Not sure if the Towel system was the same 5 years ago...check them in and out with your seapass, get charged if you don't turn them all in by the end of the trip.

[island lady]

Changes for the best IMHO:   Drink vouchers, Muster Drill (the best!).   

 

Though many cut backs on various things...that all add up.  Mostly I think Royal was hoping we would not notice them missing.  😉 

[cruiseguy1016]

11 hours ago, MtnSeaGirl said:

 Before you go into the Windjammer, there are five hand washing stations on either side of the doors with a staff member saying "Washy, washy".  I actually like the idea.  Covid or no Covid, washing hands before touching the serving utensils is a great idea.  

 

OP will be on Liberty which has the washing stations. Unfortunately, not all of the shios in the fleet have them.

[mom2two2]

18 hours ago, MtnSeaGirl said:

Yes, the MUSTER DRILL IS MUCH MUCH MUCH better.  Once a day service so ask for extra towels if you need them.  Some say the food is worse.  Food is subjective anyway so go enjoy!  I figure I'm not cooking nor washing the dishes.  Oh, almost forgot one of the things DH and I have laughed at yet think that all cruise lines should have.  Before you go into the Windjammer, there are five hand washing stations on either side of the doors with a staff member saying "Washy, washy".  I actually like the idea.  Covid or no Covid, washing hands before touching the serving utensils is a great idea.  

LOL yeah they had washy washy before covid too and I liked that myself lol 

I agree with you - I am not planning, shopping for or cooking ANY of the meals so I am happy

 

[taglovestocruise]

4 hours ago, mom2two2 said:

LOL yeah they had washy washy before covid too and I liked that myself lol 

 

 

[lovesthebeach2]

The only post shutdown change we don’t like is the higher prices 😜

[PhillyFan33579]

11 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

The only post shutdown change we don’t like is the higher prices 😜

Good point. Recently I have noticed prices dropping on a lot of cruises to include saving hundreds of dollars on several cruises we have booked in the future. Hopefully this trend will continue. I don’t think it will get back to pre-COVID prices, but I still can’t believe people were paying more to cruise on Icon than several luxury cruise lines. That is crazy in my book. 

[Mum2Mercury]

Cruising is different only in the details -- I'm trying not to be repetitive: 

 

- Yes, reservations are now available for shows; however, October is still low season, and they won't really be necessary.  We only cruise in the fall, and I've never made a reservation -- also never been turned away; if you're cruising with a group, your experience might be different.  

- Yes, in non-suite rooms, cabin steward service is reduced to once a day -- and at the same time gratuities were increased.  This sucks.  

- I'm not sure if Coco Cay was built up into Perfect Day at Coco Cay five years ago, but it's a great island stop now.  Great beach day, food is good, and you don't need to spend a penny.  It's many people's favorite stop.  

- You need to sign up for a boarding time 45 days ahead of your cruise.  This is an improvement because it staggers the crowds /makes for less chaotic boarding.  

- Clothing has become more and more casual, but most people still dress up a bit for dinner.  

- The phone app allows you to see more information ahead of your cruise -- menus, for example.  Many people no longer bother with the paper Compass; if you want one, you can ask at Guest Services or ask your Cabin Steward.   

- We've found the "new" food to be good-to-really-good.  Little is stupendous, but that's my fault for being such a good cook /restaurant food usually pales in comparison.  

[cruiseguy1016]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

- You need to sign up for a boarding time 45 days ahead of your cruise.  This is an improvement because it staggers the crowds /makes for less chaotic boarding.  

 

To be clear - you are not signing up for a boarding time, you are signing up for a check-in time. It's possible that boarding will not start until well after check-in.

[TheBeardedCruiser]

On 7/16/2024 at 11:30 AM, Mum2Mercury said:

- Clothing has become more and more casual, but most people still dress up a bit for dinner.

On my last Royal cruise, we had a guy at our dinner table that thought his job was to be the fashion police. I had not brought a neck tie, and this offended him greatly. I was wearing a collared shirt and khaki pants, but that wasn't enough for him. Thankfully another man at the table, who was also bring harassed, had the courage to tell him to mind his own business! The next night I showed up wearing a cloth napkin as a tie (using rubber bands to hold it). He was even less pleased to see that; mission accomplished!

[island lady]

7 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

On my last Royal cruise, we had a guy at our dinner table that thought his job was to be the fashion police. I had not brought a neck tie, and this offended him greatly. I was wearing a collared shirt and khaki pants, but that wasn't enough for him. Thankfully another man at the table, who was also bring harassed, had the courage to tell him to mind his own business! The next night I showed up wearing a cloth napkin as a tie (using rubber bands to hold it). He was even less pleased to see that; mission accomplished!

 

We see "wife beater" t-shirts, baggy beer can shorts, ball caps, and flip flops during dinner...even at formal night.  Really only a suggestion now on dress code.   

[doghog]

8 hours ago, island lady said:

 

We see "wife beater" t-shirts, baggy beer can shorts, ball caps, and flip flops during dinner...even at formal night.  Really only a suggestion now on dress code.   

I was hoping you would have forgotten what I was wearing that night. 😁🍷

[doghog]

15 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

On my last Royal cruise, we had a guy at our dinner table that thought his job was to be the fashion police. I had not brought a neck tie, and this offended him greatly. I was wearing a collared shirt and khaki pants, but that wasn't enough for him. Thankfully another man at the table, who was also bring harassed, had the courage to tell him to mind his own business! The next night I showed up wearing a cloth napkin as a tie (using rubber bands to hold it). He was even less pleased to see that; mission accomplished!

My remarks back to that dude would probably gotten me thrown overboard. 

 

March 2017, Jewel Of the Seas, third night, second leg of our B2B cruise. We decided to dress formally on a suggested casual dress evening. Celebrating a special occasion. As we were entering the MDR for MTD reservation I heard a loud mouth lady (I use the term lady loosely) behind us say, "I guess they didn't read that paper thing in our cabin telling us what we have to wear tonight". I spun around look down at both her and her husband (or whoever he was) and said, “no I didn't read the Cruise Compass in your cabin telling us what we had to wear tonight".  They both just stood there like slugs.  I then gave both of them a wise a$#  big smile while shaking my head and turned back around. After my wife and I were seated, ordered our wine and made a toast to each other. My wife also added she was relieved I didn’t drop the F-bomb on them. We both had a good laugh, enjoyed our wine and our meal.

[TheBeardedCruiser]

13 hours ago, doghog said:

... I heard a loud mouth lady (I use the term lady loosely) behind us say, "I guess they didn't read that paper thing in our cabin telling us what we have to wear tonight". I spun around look down at both her and her husband (or whoever he was) and said, “no I didn't read the Cruise Compass in your cabin telling us what we had to wear tonight".  They both just stood there like slugs.  I then gave both of them a wise a$#  big smile while shaking my head and turned back around. After my wife and I were seated, ordered our wine and made a toast to each other. My wife also added she was relieved I didn’t drop the F-bomb on them. We both had a good laugh, enjoyed our wine and our meal.

I'm glad that you didn't let her rudeness alter the course of your dinner! Some people can be so obnoxious! Do they not realize that the way that I dress has zero relation to how their meal will taste?

 

The crazy part is that you were dressed more formally than suggested, so why did she care?

 

The only time I'd care would be if someone came into the dining room dressed in a wet swimsuit, or something else that could mess up the chair for the next passenger. Nobody likes a surprise wet seat!!

[island lady]

14 hours ago, doghog said:

My remarks back to that dude would probably gotten me thrown overboard. 

 

March 2017, Jewel Of the Seas, third night, second leg of our B2B cruise. We decided to dress formally on a suggested casual dress evening. Celebrating a special occasion. As we were entering the MDR for MTD reservation I heard a loud mouth lady (I use the term lady loosely) behind us say, "I guess they didn't read that paper thing in our cabin telling us what we have to wear tonight". I spun around look down at both her and her husband (or whoever he was) and said, “no I didn't read the Cruise Compass in your cabin telling us what we had to wear tonight".  They both just stood there like slugs.  I then gave both of them a wise a$#  big smile while shaking my head and turned back around. After my wife and I were seated, ordered our wine and made a toast to each other. My wife also added she was relieved I didn’t drop the F-bomb on them. We both had a good laugh, enjoyed our wine and our meal.

 

See...just another reason your bro and I love you both!!  😄  🥰

[orville99]

On 7/19/2024 at 2:34 AM, island lady said:

 

We see "wife beater" t-shirts, baggy beer can shorts, ball caps, and flip flops during dinner...even at formal night. 

And spandex stretched to within a millimeter of its explosion point😱

Edited July 20 by orville99

[doghog]

10 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

I'm glad that you didn't let her rudeness alter the course of your dinner! Some people can be so obnoxious! Do they not realize that the way that I dress has zero relation to how their meal will taste?

 

The crazy part is that you were dressed more formally than suggested, so why did she care?

 

The only time I'd care would be if someone came into the dining room dressed in a wet swimsuit, or something else that could mess up the chair for the next passenger. Nobody likes a surprise wet seat!!

I'm a firm believer in turnabout is fair play. 

 

 

[lovesthebeach2]

On 7/19/2024 at 2:34 AM, island lady said:

 

We see "wife beater" t-shirts, baggy beer can shorts, ball caps, and flip flops during dinner...even at formal night.  Really only a suggestion now on dress code.   

I didn’t think they allow “wife beater” shirts. 🤢

 

[island lady]

18 hours ago, orville99 said:

And spandex stretched to within a millimeter of its explosion point😱

 

Oh yeah...ugg...now that image is in my head.  😬