Utopia 8/26 & 8/30 - Not live, but will post when I can!

[Another_Critic]

2 hours ago, colesc15 said:

It's been off and on raining today. We spent most of the day in the solarium. We left and caught the end of the plunge pool party. You can definitely tell this ship is geared to attract a different crowd than other royal ships outside of maybe icon. We love music, so we love it. However, if you don't like loud music, you'll hate most areas of this ship. 

 

At the plunge pool party, it's basically night club music, the volume is enough to feel the bass, and people dancing/twerking all over the pool deck. 

 

Like I said, we're younger and and still like that vibe, but if you're used to other oasis class ships etc without loud music, this ship is definitely different. 

 

Even the solarium music volume is higher than usual 

 

1 hour ago, colesc15 said:

Perfect example of the volume at the pool.. We're on our oceanview balcony right now, midship, deck 11, and I can hear every word to the music being played for the sailaway party, and can also hear Ricky the cruise director pretty easily leading the party. 

 

Costco will be selling a lot of hearing aids in a few years.

 

On many RCI ships, the music is too loud for me ... with my hearing aids turned OFF.  😱

 

Edited August 31 by Another_Critic

[BecciBoo]

11 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

n many RCI ships, the music is too loud for me

I bought the blue spongy ear plugs, they work just right, you can still the music but low.  Amazon

[colesc15]

Played a bit in the casino even though I have no space to fit another casino cruise. Only lost $200 after being down a quick $1k so I'll take it. 

[colesc15]

[Vibe]

3 hours ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

I think the Utopia is a beautiful ship and I’m glad people are traveling on her, but my main concern is the party-like atmosphere that Royal Caribbean seems to be promoting. It reminds me of what Carnival is known for. 
 

I’m ok with people having a good time, but I don’t want to be around those who get totally sloshed and act reckless. Are there places on the Utopia (like the Solarium) where it’s a bit more peaceful? 
 

I’m not really interested in Coco Cay, Nassau or the Bahamas in general, as I’ve been several times and it seems to have lost its luster. 
 

I live in the central U.S. and for me, it’s not practical to fly to Florida for a 3 or 4 night cruise (even back to back). I prefer the longer cruises, like the transatlantic or Panama Canal, as they offer more C&A points and greater value for my money. 
 

I’m glad that Royal Caribbean is trying to reach a certain market with the Utopia, but I hope they don’t forget their longer voyages and traditional cruisers. 

I was on the Utopia 4 day, the demographic was the same as it’s been for all of my other Royal Caribbean cruises.  The party atmosphere is there if you want it and are willing to stay up very late. If you are not interested in the party scene, there are plenty of activities and places to go relax.

[RCTransatlanticLover]

2 minutes ago, Vibe said:

I was on the Utopia 4 day, the demographic was the same as it’s been for all of my other Royal Caribbean cruises.  The party atmosphere is there if you want it and are willing to stay up very late. If you are not interested in the party scene, there are plenty of activities and places to go relax.

Makes sense. When I was on the Harmony, there definitely was partying going on, but my stateroom was in the front of the ship and very quiet. So, as a sister ship, the Utopia probably has something similar. 

[Vibe]

5 minutes ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

Makes sense. When I was on the Harmony, there definitely was partying going on, but my stateroom was in the front of the ship and very quiet. So, as a sister ship, the Utopia probably has something similar. 

It does. The party’s on the Utopia seem to be more creative to appeal to the younger generation.  There were many older and/ or quieter people onboard that enjoyed the traditional shows and events. I am one of them.

 

 

Edited September 1 by Vibe

[RCTransatlanticLover]

1 minute ago, Vibe said:

It does. The party’s on the Utopia seem to be more creative to appeal to the younger generation.  There were many older and/ or quieter people onboard that enjoyed the traditional shows and events.

That’s really good to hear. I’m not really interested in the 3/4 night Bahamas itineraries, so I probably won’t be sailing on the Utopia for the foreseeable future. I really appreciate your comments. Thanks. 

[ARandomTraveler]

On 8/29/2024 at 2:38 PM, colesc15 said:

One thing I've never understood at coco cay.. This wooden gate where they check your sea pass before getting to the ship.. Why? Lol. There's no way for anyone not on a ship to get here other than the workers, so I don't get why they always make the line get backed up to make sure you're on a royal ship. 

I said the same thing to the people checking the seapass cards when I was there in July, and he said people from nearby islands have taken boats over to coco cay and tried to get on the ship.

 

I guess it could happen, since the kayak tour takes you all the way over to NCL's island, so it's doable even on a self-powered boat. But security scans you on the ship anyway, so do they really need the extra layer of security? I don't know. I guess they think so. 

[colesc15]

Another night, another night if Mason jar. We slept on this venue on Wonder but it's our go to. Amazing bartenders, great live music, and great drinks you can't get elsewhere. 

[perfect match]

7 hours ago, colesc15 said:

Never been on Disney but I love seeing their ships. They sure are gorgeous. 

Disney ships may not be for you. No casino 🎰! The ships we’ve been on are beautiful, but lots of kids hyped up on sugar and caffeine plus parents who don’t, well, parent! Shows are excellent.

 

6 hours ago, colesc15 said:

Perfect example of the volume at the pool.. We're on our oceanview balcony right now, midship, deck 11, and I can hear every word to the music being played for the sailaway party, and can also hear Ricky the cruise director pretty easily leading the party. 

My DH probably won’t mind the loud music. He will just take off his hearing aids. I do not have that option. 😂

 

I’m starting to wonder with all of the overly loud music I’m hearing people talk about if the powers that be at Royal Caribbean think the young party crowd they’re marketing to are deaf. 🤷‍♀️. I could understand if it was us boomers that they were marketing to. 🤷‍♀️

 

4 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

 

 

Costco will be selling a lot of hearing aids in a few years.

 

On many RCI ships, the music is too loud for me ... with my hearing aids turned OFF.  😱

 

I have already recommended that to my DH! 😂

 

4 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

I bought the blue spongy ear plugs, they work just right, you can still the music but low.  Amazon

Going to order some now so I can test them out on Wonder next week! Maybe I’ll put in my post cruise survey that ear plugs should provided. I know a number of people who have already requested that the music should be played at a lower volume and they haven’t seemed to hear those complaints. Wait! Maybe it’s the powers that be who are deaf and think the decibel level of the music is just fine! 

[colesc15]

Final day before heading home tomorrow. About a month until we board Wonder. 

[colesc15]

I'm going to miss the robes in our cabin. 100% the best ones we've had on a royal ship. Super comfy and soft and even has a hood. Big upgrade from the older ones. 

[perfect match]

1 hour ago, colesc15 said:

I'm going to miss the robes in our cabin. 100% the best ones we've had on a royal ship. Super comfy and soft and even has a hood. Big upgrade from the older ones. 

I’ll bet for the right price you could have one of those robes of your very own to take home with you! 
 

Thank you very much for doing this review!  We are excited to see Utopia for ourselves in January.

[dappledumpling]

Thanks for letting me ride along with ya.. perfect countdown for my Utopia sailing tomorrow.  

 

[colesc15]

You bet we're spending our last night at the Mason Jar. E.H. Taylor old fashion 

[colesc15]

Thanks for following along everyone. At the airport waiting to head home. Rented a car when we got off to explore a little before our flight. 

 

100% loved Utopia. We've sailed the newest Royal ships all in 2024, wonder, icon, and now utopia. I would rank my favorites as:

 

Wonder, then utopia, then Icon. If utopia did week cruises, I'd rank it above wonder, but for the most part, nearly identical ships. 

 

Until next time

[jam19872016]

Thanks for the live! Sadly I missed it live but luckily I caught it eventually!!

 

I know Utopia's marketing isn't for everyone but it is exactly what I am looking for!

 

I watched a Vlog recently from some frequent Carnival cruisers who liked the concept on Utopia, but felt it was missing the mark because the crowd wasn't really into it.  The party was there, they did a great job hyping it up and had good music but the old saying "build it and they will come" just did not apply. I could not tell when they sailed and so perhaps this was one of the first cruises with many Youtubers onboard skewing the crowd.

 

I would be interested to hear your take on the group you sailed with and any differences between the 3 day and 4 day crowd. Did it have a lot of audience participation that was getting into the vibe, or was it mostly a poor turn out?

 

Another thing I wonder, and this is certainly beyond the scope of this trip report but something I do think about, is what happens if they do achieve a more lively demographic? Carnival is a lot of fun, they really go all in with every event they do, but they also attract a crowd that can't handle not crossing the line from having a good time to unacceptable behavior that interferes with others having a good time and hopefully Royal can find a way to keep that from happening on Utopia if they are successful in promoting this concept.

[laumicmah]

Thanks for the TR. I get on her on Monday. We were finally able to book the shows today. 

 

Is it easy to get a table in the specialty dining venues? I have the unlimited dining and we can't pre make reservations. How hard are they to get once I get on the ship? 

[PhillyFan33579]

6 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Thanks for the live! Sadly I missed it live but luckily I caught it eventually!!

 

I know Utopia's marketing isn't for everyone but it is exactly what I am looking for!

 

I watched a Vlog recently from some frequent Carnival cruisers who liked the concept on Utopia, but felt it was missing the mark because the crowd wasn't really into it.  The party was there, they did a great job hyping it up and had good music but the old saying "build it and they will come" just did not apply. I could not tell when they sailed and so perhaps this was one of the first cruises with many Youtubers onboard skewing the crowd.

 

I would be interested to hear your take on the group you sailed with and any differences between the 3 day and 4 day crowd. Did it have a lot of audience participation that was getting into the vibe, or was it mostly a poor turn out?

 

Another thing I wonder, and this is certainly beyond the scope of this trip report but something I do think about, is what happens if they do achieve a more lively demographic? Carnival is a lot of fun, they really go all in with every event they do, but they also attract a crowd that can't handle not crossing the line from having a good time to unacceptable behavior that interferes with others having a good time and hopefully Royal can find a way to keep that from happening on Utopia if they are successful in promoting this concept.

 

I just got off Utopia yesterday. The biggest thing that jumped out to me was how different the ship atmosphere was on Utopia compared to Icon. Icon was very family oriented and at times it felt like kids were taking over the ship. Utopia was a party atmosphere from the moment we boarded the ship on the Promenade, in the bars and on the pool decks, when it wasn’t raining. Like previously mentioned there were parts of the cruise that felt like a normal RCI cruise like the aqua show and ice skating show.

 

We are doing a 4 day cruise on Utopia next  month. I am curious to see if the ship will have a different vibe. I have done a lot of 3 and 4 day cruises on Navigator, Mariner, Freedom, Independence and Liberty. There was definitely a different vibe between the 3 day weekend cruises and the 4 days Monday to Friday cruises. 

[colesc15]

7 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Thanks for the live! Sadly I missed it live but luckily I caught it eventually!!

 

I know Utopia's marketing isn't for everyone but it is exactly what I am looking for!

 

I watched a Vlog recently from some frequent Carnival cruisers who liked the concept on Utopia, but felt it was missing the mark because the crowd wasn't really into it.  The party was there, they did a great job hyping it up and had good music but the old saying "build it and they will come" just did not apply. I could not tell when they sailed and so perhaps this was one of the first cruises with many Youtubers onboard skewing the crowd.

 

I would be interested to hear your take on the group you sailed with and any differences between the 3 day and 4 day crowd. Did it have a lot of audience participation that was getting into the vibe, or was it mostly a poor turn out?

 

Another thing I wonder, and this is certainly beyond the scope of this trip report but something I do think about, is what happens if they do achieve a more lively demographic? Carnival is a lot of fun, they really go all in with every event they do, but they also attract a crowd that can't handle not crossing the line from having a good time to unacceptable behavior that interferes with others having a good time and hopefully Royal can find a way to keep that from happening on Utopia if they are successful in promoting this concept.

Good question.. I should have included a little comparison since I had a first hand seeing the 4 day crowd followed by the 3.

 

Perfect example of the 3 day crowd being a lot more "wild" was in the Mason jar. During the 4 nighter, there was rarely anyone on the dance floor in front of the band. On the 3 nighter, there was always at least 25 people on the floor dancing, yelling, participating with the band. It was night and day difference. Could be coincidence, but I have to think that would play the same with each 3 night. 

 

The age demographic seemed to be about the same for each sailing, maybe a little younger on the 3 nighter. 

 

The weather didn't cooperate on the 3 nighter, so it's hard to compare the sail away party between the two because we had sunshine and a huge party for sailaway for the 4 dayer, but it poured rain for sailaway on the 3 nighter, so not really Apples to apples. 

 

Casino was packed on both sailings, by far the most packed I've ever seen a casino. This was the first cruise I didn't get a single "prime drink" on either leg because you could never get near the bar. Once I earned enough points for the 7 night cruise on symphony for superbowl, we spent very little time in the casino. Most times you could barely get on a machine. This is likely because it's a short cruise and utopia has been on a LOT of casino offers/rewards certificates. 

 

Schooner was fairly empty most nights. One Night we walked through at like 11:30 while the piano guy was playing and there was only 1 couple. Everyone was in the club or casino. The night club, whether it was the red party or toga party, were packed to the brim for both sailings. 

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, colesc15 said:

Casino was packed on both sailings, by far the most packed I've ever seen a casino. This was the first cruise I didn't get a single "prime drink" on either leg because you could never get near the bar. Once I earned enough points for the 7 night cruise on symphony for superbowl, we spent very little time in the casino. Most times you could barely get on a machine. This is likely because it's a short cruise and utopia has been on a LOT of casino offers/rewards certificates. 

What time were you in the casino? I didn’t spend too much time in the casino (roughly 8-10 PM all three nights), but there were plenty of slot machines available when I was there. I also didn’t have any issues getting drinks at the casino bar. I assume the casino got crowded later at night. 

[colesc15]

14 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

What time were you in the casino? I didn’t spend too much time in the casino (roughly 8-10 PM all three nights), but there were plenty of slot machines available when I was there. I also didn’t have any issues getting drinks at the casino bar. I assume the casino got crowded later at night. 

Yeah many times it was after 1030 or later. Also right after dinner time.