Table Of Content
You’ll find many of the restaurants in this area as well as shops, guest services, a shore excursions desk and more. There’s a Royal Promenade on many Royal Caribbean ships, but it’s elevated on the Icon thanks to The Pearl, a massive orb structure that’s just as functional in the ship’s architecture as it is a piece of art. This was my first cruise with Royal Caribbean after cruising a few times with Disney Cruise Lines.The actual cruise experience was good, the surrounding amenities were not so much.
Card Type
We got to enjoy the pool float party, where they threw about 50 inflatables into the pool for people to enjoy while the DJ kicked off the afternoon, as well as the beautiful beach. One of the things that I was most excited for on this sailing, was visiting Virgin’s beach club, the Beach Club at Bimini, Bahamas. This private beach club, while not on a private island, is one of their signature stops on their Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. While at this point we were blown away by the food and the room, we soon found out exactly where Virgin Voyages was lacking. We made our way up to the pool deck to see what it looked like, and were shocked to find just two very small pools for the entire cruise ship.
We felt that the onboard activities and entertainment were lacking
Here, we list our top picks for the best Royal Caribbean cruise ships for five different types of travelers. Most onboard activities, such as rock climbing and zip lining, are included in the fare, as are your lodging, meals (in non-extra-charge restaurants) and entertainment. In general, Royal Caribbean's big, resort-like Icon Class, Oasis Class and Quantum Class ships will be more expensive than the line's older, smaller vessels (Icon Class ships are particularly pricey).
Would just like my money back!!!
You, the reader of this essay, have a story, and yet you’re not inclined to jump on a cruise ship and, like Duck Necklace, tell your story to others at great pitch and volume. Maybe what they’re saying is that everybody on this ship wants to have a bigger, more coherent, more interesting story than the one they’ve been given. Maybe that’s why there’s so much signage on the doors around me attesting to marriages spent on the sea. Maybe that’s why the Royal Caribbean newsletter slipped under my door tells me that “this isn’t a vacation day spent—it’s bragging rights earned.” Maybe that’s why I’m so lonely. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz, an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations.
Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Dress Code
Not once has anyone from the Cruise line called to ask if there was something they could do to help. We are still trying to get our money back as it seems unlikely a cruise is in our future, because of my husbands' health. If you would like to try out some of the specialty restaurants, you can purchase a dining package ahead of time or once you are on board the ship. You’ll be able to choose between a 3-restaurant package or an unlimited package.
Bottom line: Is sailing on Icon of the Seas worth it?
The pricing varies based on room type, dates and availability, but Icon is considered more of a luxury cruise than a budget option. That said, the price covers much of the food, amenities and experiences throughout your week-long vacation. Located in the middle of the ship, this is the indoor entry point when passengers embark, and it serves as a central hub.
BEST Royal Caribbean Cruises to the Western Mediterranean (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
BEST Royal Caribbean Cruises to the Western Mediterranean (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Sun, 21 Apr 2024 04:30:16 GMT [source]
Departure Ports
My wife recommended that I bring one of my many T-shirts featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, as all Americans love the beagle and his friends. But I naively thought that my meatball T-shirt would be more suitable for conversation-starting. While we are lifelong Royal Caribbean fans, we both left this sailing agreeing that we would be happy to cruise Virgin Voyages again.
Sea Class
There are pools, of course — on the bigger ships, oodles of them. The Oasis Class ships have three distinct pool areas, as well as a watery play zone for kids. A growing number of Royal Caribbean ships also have water parks with significant waterslides.
Included with your cruise fare:
The Royal Tots program (for ages 18 months to 3 years) offers 45-minute interactive playground sessions with age-appropriate activities and toys. On many ships, parents can drop off their babies at the nursery for short-term babysitting (this service comes with an extra charge). It's not just families that flock to Royal Caribbean, though. You can enjoy a quiet afternoon reading a book on a bench in the tree-lined Central Park area of Wonder of the Seas while, just a few decks above, thousands of vacationers frolic away at the ship's three distinct pool areas. Royal Caribbean's designers are masters at designing vessels that can carry thousands and thousands of people but still feel relatively uncrowded — at least in some areas.
As a business owner myself I would have never treated a customer like this. I am a major gambler too and always spend a lot in their casinos. When planning a trip and purchasing insurance for this trip with the cruise line; we was told that if we could not go for any reason due to illness our money would be refunded to us. Well a few weeks prior to the cruise my husband's Parkinson's began to cause some problems with his legs really bad and he felt that it would be wise not to take the trip at this time. We contacted the trip planner, who in turn gave us the numbers to call and cancel our trip.
Instead, you were able to order from a small menu featuring island-inspired dishes. While I can admit that these were on par with their food onboard, as a pickier eater I was left with not many choices to eat. I know that most cruisers would prefer this type of food, but personally, I have always been happy with the food at CocoCay, and the wide variety that ensures that everyone can find something suited to their taste buds. I mean, if you wanted a sit down dining experience onboard, these were your only option, and I couldn’t get a reservation before 10 PM for any of the nights. I did a quick search online and found some forums from previous cruisers that they saved a lot of the seating availability for once you were onboard and connected to the WiFi.
In recent years, Royal Caribbean has deployed one or more ships to China for sailings aimed at the Chinese market. One of the line's newest ships, Spectrum of the Seas, has offered trips for Chinese travelers out of Shanghai and Tianjin, China (the port for Beijing). The smaller ships also appeal to a subset of Royal Caribbean fans who like a little more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don't mind giving up some onboard amenities to get it. These ships are also often less expensive for travelers on a per-day basis. Add those in, and Royal Caribbean operates 14 of the world's 35 biggest cruise ships.
No comments:
Post a Comment