7 Things We HATED Cruising on Royal Caribbean *Plus 3 Things We LOVED*
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 30. 07. 2024
- Are you going on a Royal Caribbean cruise? We recently cruised on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas and share our honest thoughts about some of the things we didn't like, as well as some things we loved! Every cruise has some positive and negative, but when you know what to expect, then it helps to better prepare.
I hope this video can help you as you get ready for your Royal Caribbean cruise. If you're going on Oasis of the Seas, consider this and our other videos as a form of a cruise review. First time cruisers should get some Royal Caribbean cruise tips in here as well.
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ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!
Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travelers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
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Just got mine and have already printed out 3 copies to make binders for our Alaskan cruise in august, and our Caribbean cruise with our niece in April of 2023. So much great information.
@@BanditNLouiesMom thatâs great to hear! So glad youâre finding it useful. Thanks for your purchase đ
I think you did a great job, explaining what things you didnât like. However, after reading these comments, I canât believe how many people think you are insisting on having a formal night you didnât say it should be. You said if they are going to state formal nights mean Black tie then they should enforce it or change the rules so everyone can prepare to be casual or semi-casual.
Yes, there should be enforcement of the dress code. Some of us that don't get to cruise as often find ourselves taking the time to pick out nice clothes.
I like the towels having to be returned, if they didnât return the towels people would be leaving them all over the ship and by returning them and not leaving them on the lounge chairs, you would know when the chairs are open for others to use.
This is the kind of advise cruisers NEED. Thank you for the frank, open, and honest critique. đ
I'm grateful for formal night being optional. I work from home and really didn't want to invest in a formal gown. My husband wears jeans and polo's for the junior college he manages the facilities and maintenance for. So dockers and a nice polo and a typical church dress for me makes us comfortable. I'd love to see formal night be something that's in a specific dining room that you have to sign up for for the people that truly want the dress code enforced and have a fancy schmancy night.
I was think that, too! I WANT to dress up, but I donât want to be the only one at my table. đ and having people in t-shirts in the background spoils the mood a bit. đ€·đ»ââïž so a specific dining room/party/event you sign up if you want to participate sounds like a good alternative!đ
That's a good idea, to have people that want to dress up the formal night maybe go to the specialty restaurants.
.
No one HAS to do formal dining; there are other options on the ships already. Not understanding the problem.
I wear a suit 3 times a week. Last thing I wanna do is wear one on vacation
At 45 days out from my Harmony of the Seas cruise I was able to pre-book all of my shows online, so they mustâve updated their pre-booking procedure. Today I am at my 30 day countdown to embarkation! đ„ł Canât wait!
How did the cruise go?
@@GracemarieJohnson2763 our cruise was amazing! In fact, we booked the Harmony AGAIN for 2024 Western Caribbean this time!
Royal Caribbean used to be a very elegant, romantic and classy cruise line in early 2000s and before. I still think it's a great cruise line, but it has become more casual and a floating theme park.
Muster drill - If only people do what they are supposed to do, no interruptions would happen. Towels - if people did not steal, this wouldnât happen either. Formal night - I agree with you, when it comes to formal night, they should enforce it.
Right? I agree the muster drill, so easy now. Not sure why some people are not doing this early when they get on. Thanks for the thoughts on formal night :)
Agreed! They only continue to announce that the muster drill isn't completed by X number of passengers if X number of passengers hasn't completed the drill. They would be only TOO happy to shut up about it and leave but until they either get everyone confirmed OR get them off the ship, the ship cannot leave the dock. If anyone wants to get annoyed about this, get annoyed at the passengers who think they don't have to do what everyone else does. It's so simple, so easy, and so quick. Just frickin' do it!
Muster drill can actually be watched once you wake the day you get on the ship. So wake at the hotel, grab some breakfast and watch the video on the Royal app. Then, once on ship, just make your way to your Muster Station and get checked off. So easy!
Formal Night, while I did not get my panties in a knot over the trashy jean shorts and torn tees that several groups wore to dine in the MDR we did hear comments all around about them, while hearing one of the tables near us eating it up saying they didnât have to follow any -- rules, was their --vacation, lots of profanity. Those people dressed nicely other nights but that first formal night they were just trashy. Restaurants here at home would have turned them away. Sad. On second formal we had a speciality dining experience and missed the show but heard about it later while waiting for a show to start. Just donât understand why people have to work so hard to ruin someone elseâs holiday.
We know, we have taken 6 cruises since last year, and we always do it early in the day to get it over with!
Carnival lets you make 2 initial purchases on your Sign and Sail card and if you haven't completed the muster they shut down your card. They open it right back up after you do the muster. Sorry if someone already posted this. We were out in June so that was news to us
In regards to dress code, Royal Caribbean definitely needs to change their description of Formal Night on the website. I would have never packed a jacket and tie on a cruise a few months ago if I would have known that it was totally unnecessary in reality. Iâm fine with having a couple nights of dressing up a little but just call it dressy casual nights, or something similar. In todays world, Formal Night should only be reserved for the premium upscale cruise lines
Iâm dressing to the nines for both formal nights o our cruise at the end of this month
@@big.fan.of.justice5754 Formal night is probably the only time my husband can war his tux, which he really likes to do.
I agree! I purchased nice outfits for the entire family in preparation for formal night, based on videos I watched and the Royal Caribbean website. It wasn't really necessary and we felt out of place. I would have preferred to simply have a dressy night.
Karl, you are rightâŠand RCCL is NO upscale cruise line.
We only had one formal night on our 7 day Royal Carribean cruise and folks were still seated in shorts in the main dining room. You can forget the tie and jacket. We were seated with diamond plus members who had done more than 70 RC cruises and they happen to be the ones wearing shorts. LOL
We got off the Harmony of the Seas last week. We absolutely loved it.
Yes, I wasn't happy about not being able to pre book the shows, but we did get to see everthing We wanted to. The crew was amazing and so was Coco Cay and Labadee.
Our balcony had lots of storage and different end tables, much better to store small items.
Thank you for all of your tips. You do a great job.
100%. I hated it that dress code wasnât enforced. I was so looking forward to a lovely, glamorous evening. Seeing people in their sandals and shorts while others in formal and cocktail attire was really an atmosphere bummer. Itâs feels like a cross between a costume party and senior prom at a public restaurant. On one cruise, the thing that really bummed me out was that their own staff didnât even know when formal night was and we were misinformed about which night. We totally missed the event and all the photo opportunities. That sucked. Moral of the story⊠not get your information from concierge for stuff like that.
My daughter and I will be on Oasis of the Seas next month and she was able to book all of our shows 2 weeks ago. I think this may have changed since the recording of this video. I agree, being able to book your shows before boarding does ease some of the panic and uncertainty.
Agreed - my daughter and I are going in about a month (ours on Allure of the Seas), and I have our main shows booked. It definitely eases any concerns about getting into the shows!
Great video! I have cruised on many ships and different lines. The things you mention are frustrating, but no enough to make a difference in my holiday. Keep up the good work!
Lana, I agree with you about the people having fun. I love, love the vibe on RCI. We are not ones to go dancing, but I love seeing people happy and enjoying themselves. Oasis class ships allow you to walk through the promenade deck to get a pizza or a hot tea for the evening at the Cafe Promenade and be encouraged that people are carefree and having a good time.
I agree with all of this. We are Disney cheaters, and we saw subtle differences. Regarding formal night: we dressed to the nines, not for anybody else but us. It was fun having people come up to us and telling us we looked great. Honestly, we went sans kiddos on this trip, so got revved up about an adult night out and dressed accordingly. Great video! Living vicariously until our next cruise!
Thatâs great and I love your attitude!!
Can you bring your own beach towels so we don't have to check towels out
@@markrasley8248 you could absolutely. Itâs not a massive deal though, just something I prefer not to see - and itâs not on every cruise line so it can be âsurprisingâ
Love your attitude! Just do you đ
My wife and I have gone on over 60 cruise through out the years and every year the dress codes and becoming more & more relax. This current generation of cruisers do not want to get dressed up formally on the cruise vacations.
Thanks for sharing. I donât really have a problem with that, but I do think the CL should consider changing what is on their website to better reflect it
I'm over 60 and I don't want to over dress for dinner, it's not a generation thing it's a personal thing. It's a show off event for 2 hours which is just stupid !
They don't want to / know how to get dressed up. I call this the casualization of society. Makes me sad.
Hi. Medium millennial here. I LOVE dressing up. Most of the women in my age group love to dress up too. We like to dress up and forget about how poor we are.
That's right, we don't! You do you and I'll do me!
We enjoy dressing up for dinner on the formal nights! It would be nice to see them enforce it. I know not everyone can do the very formal look, but, at least a nice simple dress and pants vs shorts would be great. I have seen people in shorts and very casual wear despite it had been a formal night. So, hereâs to looking your best!
Hello, I just got off Allure of seas, I completely agree on dress code. It seemed as if only a quarter of ship participated in Formal night. I brought 2 teenager girls. They were very excited to wear their homecoming dresses. They felt over dressed on formal night. So either need to enforce it or get rid of it. I also would like to book shows ahead of time. The stress of boarding day is too much for booking shows. I love your channel.
Ironically, Iâve found more cabin storage in some of the smaller/older ships. Went on Oasis once and we didnât love it because we found the ship to be too big, but the cabin storage to be too small. We prefer the smaller ships.
That was one really nice thing about older ships - totally agree
Older ships tend to have larger rooms and more common spaces too.
Susan, I do too! I love the smaller ships!!
@@kevinmsft RCCL is like an airline now: less service, extra charges & cramming more people on in smaller cabins.
I love the new muster drill, so easy and don't have to stand in a crowd, Don't have a problem with towel check in
Thanks for sharing
I loveeee how different we are. I'd have so much storage space to spare in that cabin, ha ha. Great video as always! :-)
Love your channel and it shows that you work so hard to find new content. Keep it up and Thank you, Virginia
I loved the new way they did the muster drill I hope that dosent change.yes the buffet should be open longer some people like to eat after a show.Also older people don't t understand the app so I think you should be able to either call in for a show or be able to go maybe hold offside seats for walk ins,
We just did a Mariner of the Seas in May and Harmony in December cruises. We loved them both. I did not mind signing up for shows because it controls the crowds.
I was on Wonder of the Seas 4/1/22 and I experienced most of the things you mentioned. I did not reserve any show and still got into anyone I wanted to. Wear what makes you happy. I still had a blast.
I appreciate this video. Itâs helpful to know some of the slight inconveniences or irritations. You handled it with class!
Thanks Sara!
Thanks for this video! This was very helpful. I hadn't ever been too inclined to take a cruise on one of those HUGE ships like RC, but hadn't ruled it out. However after watching this video, I've ruled out ever cruising with the bigger lines. I'll stick with cruise lines with smaller ships.
We just got off our Harmony of the Seas cruise today, and your comments are spot on. Especially when it comes to dress code in the Main Dining Room. Iâm totally fine with people dressing down on a cruise. And thereâs a place for that, itâs called the Windjammer. But the MDR has high end service dressed formally, formal place settings on white table cloths. The only thing that brings it down are the informal guests. Itâll only get worse if RCL doesnât enforce the dress code for even those who would like to dress up will no longer do so if the table next to them are in shorts and flip flops. And if it goes totally casual, it might as well be Carnival.
Yes, they need to enforce the dress code. Its a shame they don't. However, this is the world we live in now, nobody dares say something to a individual because they are scared of how the "Karen" or "Ken" will react, possibility of being sued. I miss the days where they would straight up escort you out or not allow you in if you were not dressed accordingly.
The dining rooms are hardly formal. They are chaotic, noisy, and on our last cruise there was loud rock music blaring for most of our seating. They are basic restaurants with tablecloths. The idea of getting several separate sets of clothing just to wear 1.5 hours a night is bonkers to me. Why? Why would anyone care what another person is wearing or how much time and money they spent finding something to wear to sit at a table and eat?
I was intrigued to hear your candid opinions and insights on RC - and what you hadn't liked! Your honesty & candor is still totally nice, don't worry!! My mother used to work for RC -- great insights and glad you still enjoyed your cruise!
Thanks so much! I appreciate that :). So nice that your mom worked for RC!!
I'm not sure why RCL started requiring guest to wait until they get onboard to book shows. This is very odd since they used to allow you to book most shows ahead of time online prior to sailing. While this is a bit annoying for the guest, I would think it also is harder on the crew, as they don't know what to expect prior to guest coming on board. While this change doesn't put a damper on our fun (we book while having a drink), it is very upsetting if you forget to do it immediately. If you wait too late into the day or wait until day two to book, you may find out that there are no more reservations available for your sailing.
It was odd for me to see the all in one dispenser in the shower. Most RCL ships have three despensers, one for body wash, one for shampoo, and one for conditioner. This being said, we always bring our own as we've never found the products on cruise ships nor hotels to be very great.
The new muster drill is much better than the old way. You can check into your station as soon as you get onboard and watch all of the safety videos ahead of time. It seems that the amount of announcements have not increased from what they were in the past. If everyone followed the rules, they wouldn't have to make the announcements. Also, with the new process, you no longer are required to stand on a hot deck and wait for those whom can't follow directions and show up on time.
The towel check in/out is required due to theft and people generally being stupid. We've seen people take the towels off the ship to use on excursions and throw the towels in the garbage when they decided they didn't want to carry them anymore. Other cruise lines do the same. You can get past this by asking your room steward for pool towels. They will not only provide them for you, but they will also keep bringing you fresh towels once used. Suite guests are also treated as "trusted" and don't require you to check out towels. You will still need to get them from the towel station on the general pool deck, but they don't require your seapass card. Suite only decks will have them readily available to just grab and go.
Dining hours on RCL has always been disappointing at best, especially at night. After 9pm or so, the only option for food on Royal is pizza or cold sandwiches. Most other lines have late night buffet options or a 24-7 bars or cafes with more hot food options. We especially enjoyed O'Sheehan's on NCL for this reason. And the experience is actually worse on Royals older ships that don't have Sorentos Pizza or the Promenade Cafe. For example, the only option on Empress of the Seas after 9pm was room service (for a fee).
The formal night dress code is always optional. On some of our RCL cruises they've actually listed the dress code as "suggested". Since returning Royal has changed the wording from "Formal Night" to "Dress To Impress" or "Dress Your Best" Personally I'm glad that this is not enforced. Sometimes I feel like dressing up and other times I don't. Simply put, I'm on vacation and don't care what others think or wear. If I'm in a suit and others are in shorts, it doesn't bother me (why would it?). Royal offers "Freestyle" without having to have a dumb word associated with it. To be honest, I'd rather Royal list what not to wear to the MDR. But everything aside, you're on vacation, have fun and enjoy your time. As long as everyone is respectful, it's all good!
When it comes to storage space, Oasis is actually pretty good. If you want to see bad, just go on Wonder of the Seas. Wonder had a quarter of the storage space of what your room had. We were shocked and it was the first time we couldn't hang up all of our clothes. Mostly we had to live out of open suitcases placed on the couch for a week. We also used a lot of magnetic hooks.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences! Wow, I definitely wonât be able to âoverpackâ if I go on wonder of the seas đ
What not to wear is a great idea. I wouldnât mind if they revived the old TV show as a game show in the theater! đđđđ€
I do not mind what other people wear but some outfits are totally unacceptable. They are enforcing the menâs dress code. They do not allow them to enter in shorts. I dislike seeing women with super short âshortsâ , bathing suit and broken clothing on a formal night. If you were on land, you would not be allow on a fancy restaurant to dress like that. I love dressing up for just one night where we take our formal picture. Then, I just dress in slacks and nice shirt. Itâs the one time that I love to show off. I have a few dresses that I only wear on cruises, but I do not go and buy new ones because I know I will be wasting my money.
@@mariareyes-ku6194 that's interesting. I've never seen anyone in the MDR turned away due to wearing shorts. I'm sure that some do, but I've never seen it on the main cruise lines I've been on (RCCL, NCL, MSC, or Carnival). In fact my last three cruises (RCCL) had many in shorts in the MDR. I get your point with visiting an upscale restaurant on land, but then again, maybe that's what specialty dining restaurants should be for. You said you love dressing up for just one night; what is stopping you? Just because someone doesn't want to participate shouldn't dictate what you do. Go ahead, dress up, or don't, nobody cares.
I think waiting to book shows online would be even more of an issue for a Royal or cruise newbie. Think about, you get on the ship....probably later because you didn't think to check in early to get the early embarkation time. Then you get on the ship and you are in AWE of this ship...you are swept away with discovery, unpacking, eating and drinking and before you know it you missed out on your booking shows.
Just checked the Royal Caribbean app (cruising in December for my honeymoon) and it actually says to come dressed as your best on those nights and the words "tuxedos" and "cocktail dresses" aren't used! So looks like they need to update their website! Overall, I found this video to be extremely helpful as I plan for my cruise!
I've never sailed Princess or Norwegian, always wanted to though. But I've done many RC, Carnival, and Celebrity cruises and I like them all for different reasons. I've only ever had one truly bad experience and that was an RC cruise. But all others have been great. RC and Carnival are pretty comparable to each other with minor differences. Celebrity is the best relaxation cruise and their spa is bar none!! â€ïžâ€ïž
I agree with you completely on the Dress Code.
There should be alignment between the policy and the practise.
I also bring my own shampoo, conditioner and a moisturizing bodywash. ...with the chlorinated pool, salty ocean wind and sun I definitely require moisturizing products.
True for moisturizer. On my list now too đ
We took our first cruise in Feb as a family of 7 with Royal Caribbean and even though I spent months researching I felt so stupid that we spent so much money on dressy clothes when people were in denim shorts and flip flops in the main dining room even on dressy night
Ugghh thatâs disappointing for sure!
You shouldnât feel bad or disappointed. You have class while people in shorts and tank tops do not. I donât care what their excuse is.
I would have been upset by that as well
Another good video; thanks. In recent years, we have only sailed on RC because of our elite status which gets us a few perks along the way. The "downgrading" of dress for formal nights is not a surprise. We've seen the decline with no "enforcement" by RC. Part of it is a more relaxed society and particularly wearing dress up clothes when on vacation. We were surprised by your comments about not being able to make show reservations ahead of time - prior to Covid, we were able to make such reservations. And, we're booked on the Allure of the Seas out of Galveston, Texas this coming December and were prepared to make our show reservations as we got closer - so much for that though I suppose things could change as we get closer - we're still six months out. We also discovered the more narrow time windows on some of the restaurants on board the large ships. Anyway - thanks again for another informative video.
Thanks Lee. I think this may go back to the online booking - I hope itâs still âtemporaryâ
I find with the formal nights (I'm one to not like formal nights) we tend to steer clear from the main dining areas and specialty reasturants and even the theatre those nights and just leave it to those who enjoy dressing up and enjoying the formal nights.
These are all really good points. Thanks for your insight. As always you are fair and balanced in your review of things.
I just came off Oasis of the Seas and, in my opinion, it is my all time favorite ship! Loved the shows, especially the ice show Frozen in Time, the Aqua Show, and I even enjoyed CATS! Central Park is such a unique area on this ship and it was my favorite place to spend time in. Two of my favorite places to eat were Park Cafe and Loco Fresh. The main dining room food was very good and the service there top notch. My least favorite place to eat in was the Windjammer. It was way too crowded and there didn't seem to be enough seating and the seating they had was too close together. Compared to the Anthem of the Seas there was much less variety of food. Also, Oasis does not have and outside eating area in the back of the Windjammer that some of the other RCC ships have. I am not a "spring chicken" but I had fun going down the Ultimate Abyss dry slide many times and riding the carousel. This ship has a great atmosphere with lots of happy, friendly people. The staff is amazing and they go out of there way to please. Also, I really like the fact that the dining room allows for a more relaxed manner of dress.
Thatâs great!! I loved reading about your cruise. Sounds like it was fabulous
I'm so glad you brought up the 3-in-1 toiletries! I'll be on the Brilliance in a couple months and just confirmed in a cabin tour video that it has the same combo. My skin is sensitive and my hair is fine, so the all-in-one thing just won't work for me. I'm loving your channel! Great tips! I didn't even know a luggage handle cupholder existed! (from your other video about cruise tech or something...)
Now I have to go search for the cup holder video! Thanks!
Same!
I first must say that I enjoy watching your very informative videos. We are pretty loyal to Royal. I think that because we are already used to most of your points about the towels, food times and dress codes. We are not bothered at all by those. The shampoo situation for my boys and husband is fine. For me, i have so many allergies that I canât use any of their soaps or shampoos. This year, i will have to bring my own. I am grateful for you to warn us about the show situation. I have been waiting to book them on the app but have not seen them yet.
I have always thought that Carnival is more of a party cruise than Royal; however, on our last cruise in 2019 right when Covid was starting we took the Quantum from Singapore. Our expectations based on past experiences were higher than what we experienced. From that time, our opinion about the ambiance of the cruise is that it depends on were you take the cruise from.
Loved your red dress! The dress code; the first cruises we took we dressed up for that one night, after that, we pass. đ we pack a carry on and dress to enjoy and be comfortable. I like the main dining but my husband prefers the 12 floor đ so the dress code there is not that important.
I totally agree with you about the shampoo & conditioner!! I hate this! I think that would be THE #1 item to bring from home!!
I just got off of the Allure yesterday, and I wasn't terribly bothered by most of the things mentioned. I do wish reservations for shows was better - our family had to divide and conquer and didn't get to attend shows together. What you didn't mention and did actually bother me was the unenforced age restriction in the Solarium. We had a family with three little ones in tow, one of whom was shrieking the entire time, come to the Solarium one morning, and no one said a word to them.
When there are kids in the adult only pool, we
just start kissing and snuggling PG only. The parents usually decide it is time for the kids to get out of the pool. Lol
First things first, loved when you started with saying this is a First World problem. Great perspective and then saying that things could have been better and reasonable solutions. Iâm definitely subscribing to your channel because I take things literally and then in reality itâs not as I assumed. I was denied because of jeans in a particular restaurant and thought others were not dressed any better. My party stayed and I quickly changed to mor dressy trousers not pants lol. Main dining is where everyone should eat all your meals B, L, and D, because of the service. Obviously not if your looking for a special meal. Royal Caribbean is wonderful and Iâm hard of hearing so those annoying announcements are negligible. Hope to see you and yours on board one day
Nice seeing you again. Thanks for sharing your input. I appreciate it. đđđđ
Youâre spot on with the frustrations on RCCL. Weâre Diamond and fully agree. The muster cluster in the app needs accountability. No muster, no booze or stateroom access. Towels are $25 if not returned, Ridiculous! We bring our own bath essentials. Never had those night stands though. Always plenty of storage.
It's kind of famously known that dress code is more of a suggestion than a rule on Royal. They do a fine balance of your old stuffy cruises with bingo and tuxedos while keeping it fresh with the party vibes and beach hats.
I think it's completely silly to enforce a dress code. The argument of "well I went through the trouble of preparing a suit" can easily be countered with a single phone call to a travel agent or the Royal helplines, both of which informed me of their lax nature.
I suppose and can totally understand your perspective, however even as a suggested dress code, why?
I disagree. I actually rarely ever dress up but I do believe if that is what is ASKED for with PRIOR notice then you should respect that by dressing appropriately OR don't go. I get it you may not feel like it but I can remember times when I did go through the "hassle" of getting all dressed up and then seeing just a few people stroll in, in basically shorts and a tank top, like it or not it just detracts from the atmosphere of what everyone else expects to be a more classy occasion.
I also don't understand why the person who reads and understands the description of a "dress code", would need to call and question about the "lax nature" of said dress code, so in other words you've turned it around and made it sound like the person who's just following the rules is the one who needs to be more informed and considerate as oppose to the people who are just like "screw the dress code, I wear whatever I want to wear".
Lastly, This is ultimately Royal Caribbean's fault they should either enforce it to a reasonable standard similar to what many upscale night clubs have been doing forever OR just say exactly to dress your best but its completely optional.
Really enjoy your channel. We recently were on an RCL cruise at the end of March and agree with you 100% that the dress code on formal night was totally lacking. Having recently achieved D+ on Royal we know from years of cruising that they might say they have a dress code but they will not remove anyone from the dining room or make a scene. As far as shampoo and conditioner we always ask the stateroom attendant for the small shampoo and conditioner sample bottles and have never been denied. These come from the spa and our attendant always restocks. Usually donât have problem with show reservations as we sail on the smaller ships (below Oasis class) and they donât require prior reservations. Keep up the great work as we look forward to your videos.
Thanks so much! Great tips to ask for the small toiletries - I never thought of that. To your point, we sailed on Serenade of the Seas for a Med cruise and it was a great ship for this type of itinerary and line ups and reservations were not an issue :)
I completely agree about the shampoo/body wash situation. I wish I would have watched your video before our cruise.
Two weeks back from Radiance of the Seas, am still feeling those good cruise vibes. Was grateful for the muster announcements. In a true emergency it would not be good to have 100 or more people who did not think the safety drill was for them. Safety first. I loved that Captain Marek came over the loud speaker in our stateroom to greet us each day and give us a brief update and helpful tips and insights. As for the dress code, it is hard to pack winter clothes for a 7 day Alaska cruise and fancy dress with fancy shoes when airlines are charging high fees for baggage. Plus there is no room in the small level 3 stateroom closet for the extra suitcases. We opted for warmth and comfort on our daily excursions and skipped the main dining room and specialty dining, choosing the Windjammer buffet for all meals as it was for those in casual attire, only to discover on day 6, the dress code was not enforced in the main dining room. I don't know how it could be enforced. I have no serious complaints and would take this same cruise again just for the experience of sailing to beautiful Alaska.
Spouse and I have our 50th Wedding Anniversary in â23 and we are sailing to Alaska (3rd cruise there) with Radiance of the Seas on May 9th. We opted for a smaller, older ship without all the younger-set preferences. Our love of the cruise itself (and Alaska!) is our mode of enjoyment.
I agree with you on the having to pack for a colder climate (just where are those UGG boots gonna fit!?!) and having to think of âformal attireâ is out of the question. We do eat in the MDR all evenings. On formal night, we Texans are dressed-to-the-hilt in our âSunday Bestâ!
Glad you had a great cruise. Iâm really looking forward to ours!
~ Jeanne
Everyone has a choice when it comes to the MDR dress code. You know ahead of time the dress code for the evening...you have other choices. Just choose not to go to the MDR on dress up night! Problem solved!
True⊠but in reality people donât dress the way it is on the website. Should cruise lines adapt the âofficialâ dress codes or enforce?
@@LifeWellCruised cruise lines need to enforce or do away with the dress code. My cruise in March was overrun with college kids that showed up to the MDR in shorts and t-shirts and allowed in.
Very disappointing.
Weâve been on a couple RCCL (Allure and Odyssey) cruises since the relaunch after Covid, and planning another this summer (Harmony). Appreciate the comment someone left about going to On Air for help/guidance booking show reservations on embarkation day. We didnât have too many issues with not booking shows our first day, though granted, capacity was quite reduced and often found that show times conflicted with other plans we had (dining, events for the group we were traveling through). We may be more purposeful about planning it out on day 1 this time.
The suites still have the better toiletries, so I assume theyâre using this as a means of creating incentive for the suites. My DH doesnât mind it, and I always take my own anyway so itâs not a big deal for us. Where I miss the âtraditionalâ toiletries is the lack of body lotion. I always used to go through our supply like water. đ
We really like the ease and convenience of the e-muster. Itâs definitely an accommodation for Covid, but I hope it stays. The announcements donât bother us, but mostly because we tune them out since you canât really hear them anyway. I do think they need a better solution for really important messages because of that, though. They must have something for hearing impaired guests. đ€·ââïž Perhaps something with the app.
The towel stations are much more common these days. Carnival had it on the one cruise we did with them. Makes sense with how much they get âlostâ (stolen). We never had trouble with a line to get any, and also had our stateroom attendant bring them early & often.
I suspect the reduction in dining location hours is a combo of reduced staffing and increased cleaning/sanitation requirements because of Covid. Itâs simply too hard to do a true deep clean as required with guests on continuous flow through the venue, or change-over meals quickly with reduced staff.
We couldnât care less what other people wear. We choose to dress, but it doesnât impact us if others donât. We also usually choose those nights for specialty dining. Agree they could be clearer in how they advertise it, though.
We were in a suite on the Allure, but had no issues with storage in our Odyssey balcony room.
Wholeheartedly agree with all the positive things you said, except maybe El Loco Fresh (but my DH calls me a Tex-Mex snob so that doesnât count đ)! We used to sail Disney always, but no longer have access to the Cast rates. Royal Caribbean is so much more affordable, without sacrificing terribly on quality/experience.
Thanks for all your tips and including product links. I have some shopping to do, now! đ
Thank you for the comment especially about dinning hours during covid. A true deep clean takes time if done properly so I'm happy to not have many options than maybe no cruising at all. I also don't eat late and only 3 meals a day but if your hungry for a hot meal I could understand the frustration. Maybe save extra money for room service if you like to eat late.
What is a DH??
@@PatrickWagz itâs one of several often used abbreviations for family members. In particular this one is short for âdear husband â.
This was really helpful! Iâm going on the oasis in august (with 4 kids) and needed these tips (especially about the shampoo). Thanks!
I have only ever cruised Disney and just booked my first RC cruise. I am glad you told us about the shampoo thing. That would actually be something that would have aggravated me.
We've been exclusively RCL after DCL price out so have a LOT of sailings on RCL under our belts and am pretty used to all of this now as we don't cruise other lines. As for the muster, NO, please don't bring back standing like sardines in the heat. In all my sailings I never hit a line at a towel station. I do agree show booking on embarkation can be somewhat stressful but I usually get that out of the way asap.
Thanks for sharing Lorra!
We were never tempted to cruise on RC and now we definitely will not. I'm very glad that I read your comments cause I would have been very disappointed. 1The issues you mentioned make RC seem very Chinzy, especially when you consider that HA gives free Elemis body products.
I also agree with you on the issue of formal nite. Formal nite can and should be an elegant evening and should be enforced.. I've always felt that anyone not wanting to dress up should access to the buffet
I really do agree with you on the things you did not like on your cruise with Royal. We encountered the same things. Add children and adults who do not behave. Lol. We do prefer smaller ships with less action.
I really appreciate this video, being booked on the Oasis for the first time in May! Thanks for so many informative videos. đ
Living in Texas, we sail RCI frequently out of Galveston. I will say, and this is true for any cruise line, things vary from ship to ship. Overall, regardless of the cruise line, we've mostly enjoyed the food and had a great time. The crew on most RCI ships are attentive and happy. You'll find lots that have been with RCI for years and years. Over time, the dress code has loosened up quite a bit. Maybe this is a reflection of what those on RCI ships want? I honestly don't know. My husband and I treat the MDR as a nice restaurant and dress accordingly, although my husband has abandoned ties for open collar shirts. I agree with about Chops. We have never had a bad meal there. The Chef's Table is exceptional as well.
I agree with you Christine and it was really still a very good cruise. Interesting I do think the dress code and how people are actually dressed is what people want. Iâd like to see a change on their website, lol đ
Just got back from Oasis of the Seas. Totally in agreement about the dress code. On formal night , some guests were in basketball shorts, T shirts and flip flops in the main dining room. I too wish they would enforce the dress code. My family and I went to the trouble of taking the proper clothes but it doesn't seem likes it's worth the trouble. Maybe one floor of the main dining room should be reserved for those that want to be super casual. I didn't care for the fact that some guests looked like they had rolled out of bed and into the dining room. The announcements are definitely loud and muffled. Great video.
Thanks Miriam for sharing your thoughts and experiences :)
MIL hated the dress codes, I actually enjoy it. It's an easy opportunity for photos.
That is exactly why we donât do RC anymore. Those folks should be directed to the buffet.
@@KP-xj4xe Good, stay away!
this is typical on a carnival cruise, as are 'domestic disturbances' flip flops and shorts on formal night is pathetic. Totally agree on dress code..if you don't want to do that, then go carnival. UGH
I just got off Oasis of Seas, i throughly enjoyed myself. I travel with my own soap, no problem checkn in towel, and towel station wasn't crowded.
I totally agree on informing the dress code for formal night, itâs one night to dress up and you donât have to wear a tux and ball gown, just maybe a nice button down shirt and jacket with dress slacks for men and a cocktail type dress for women
We just got back from Harmony of the Seas. We had not cruised in many years so really did not know what to expect. I completely agree with you regarding the number of announcements on embarkation day and lack of dress code on "formal" dinner nights (we saw everything). Also, did not like the shampoo/body wash combo even though my husband did not mind. I was glad I brought all my own products. However, I have to say the food was great, the staff was exceptional and we actually had different bedside tables with small cabinets for storage. Our cabin was beautiful with an extra roomy balcony. My husband was not pleased that some of the restaurants, including the buffet, were closed during the day. My favorite thing I brought with my, based on your recommendations, had to be the over the door shoe hanger. We put everything in it - it was great and out of the way.
Maybe just the super new ships have the accent tables as bedside tables. We had a normal bedside table with drawers.
After lugging a tuxedo on 5 prince cruises I gave up on the idea that formal nights are truly formal. I'm going "smart casual" next time and I'm sure I'll still be overdressed.
Lol this is starting to be very true
I so agree with you on all. We took our first RC in February. There were many things we didnât love. We are so Carnival people.
As always, thank you for the information. Your vices are legitimate and will help others prepare for Oasis cruises.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the video and my thoughts on the Oasis :)
We recently went on Harmony of the Seas and although we found some of the same things you did, they did not bother us at all. Booking shows has definitely changed but I totally understand the change with COVID. I hope they bring back booking before you board, it was something that was easy to get done as soon as you board, and then you're done. We went right into On Air and they gave one to one help in getting everything book, as well as advice. We had some changes on our cruise when some of the show leads came down with covid but they substituted in an amazing way and we didn't feel we missed anything! I think such a huge part of cruising right now is realizing that there are many things covid has changed and you really have to go with the flow. We loved our cruise even though we noticed differences. We were just so grateful to be back on a ship there our perspective was different. One of the days we actually got off the elevator early because of the the complaining others were doing. Never once had to line up for towels, just walked right up to the station, and they were available right at the door leaving for excursions. Just like they are not quite full with cruisers, the staff is not full staff either and that demands changes. Most of the time we dress up but this time we didn't go all out and it was nice not to have to shop and spend money on a fancy dress before we came. We dressed up with the dresses, and dress shirts we brought, and had our pictures taken, but were thankful not to have to worry about the formality of it. We did however enjoy watching everyone else. I appreciate the flexibility with this. Hope that helps.
I just got off the Harmony last week and tested positive for COVID the day after getting off! That On-Air place was always the most crowded, therefore I never went in. There were lines to RETURN towels, which was very annoying. I think my cruise was probably the first to be at full capacity. I choose not to dress up for formal nights and I wasn't the only one. That should be a choice not a mandate. This is MY vacation is the way I look at it. People can dress up IF THEY CHOOSE TO, I have no problem with that.
@@iluvutube4886 I just got off Harmony last week also and both my mom and I got Covid the day after we got off.
@@iluvutube4886 I think her point is that Royal Caribbean sets in writing the protocol for appropriate dress and then does not enforce its own rules. That is frustrating for people who dress up when they are sitting next to someone who is wearing shorts and t-shirts on a formal night that, again, has been designated by the cruise line. I agree with someone who said they would have different sections on formal night -- one for folks who appreciate an opportunity to dress nicely and one for others who are more comfortable in shorts and t-shirts.
@@rseymour1295 If you get âfrustratedâ over what other people are wearing than you have issues. Mind your own damn business and if it bothers you that much donât look!
@@iluvutube4886 AGREE 100 % go on a Cunard Cruise or any other fancy dress up ones.
I have cruised 7 times on RCCL and enjoy every moment. Went on the Oasis in 2019 and it was one of the best weeks of my life. Planning to return to cruising next spring provided there is no new covid disasters coming and RCCL will be my choice.
Thank you so much for your honest feedback. I am looking into a RC cruise. Its good to know pros & cons. Would love to hear your favorite ships, destinations & even bucket list items..
I agree with everything you talked about!
This was a really useful video. Biggest surprise is the toiletry situation, especially as Royal would be considered as a 'more expensive' cruise line as a solo traveller. I actually think I'd be really unhappy paying full double fare (more than most other cruise lines) to then find that you don't even have separate toiletries.
First world problem, I know!
My wife and I just came back from Oasis and agree with you about the towel check outs, having to choose your shows early. The muster check in thing wasnât a big deal to me and I found being able to do it on your time was easier. We didnât find the storage thing an issue but was just two of us. One thing we didnât like was the casino was very close to our main dining on deck 4. You could smell the smoke even several feet into the dining room. Wish they had a better smoke evac system in place. Central Park was our favorite area. Solarium probably 2nd. We ate at chops, Izumi and hooked. great aqua theater show!
Completely agree about the towel check in0/out; it make them look cheap. You're spot on about the dress up night, either enforce it or do away with it.
Very thoughtful analysis and review. Much appreciated.
We too were bugged by the lack of enforcement of the dress code. Wearing a suit and dress next to a guy wearing a basketball jersey bothered us a little. However, to me the casual dressed should have been embarrassed not us. I also believe it has a lot to do with where this cruise leaves out of. Love your vids. Great job
Was he just wearing the jersey? Like, a tank top? Ew. đ
Formal night is a theme not a rule mind your own business and let people enjoy their vacation.
Yes! Totally agree with your comments. We were disappointed on how casually dressed some of the passengers were on formal nights, let alone how many younger passengers were in their pj's and slippers in the Windjammer. Really?? We look forward to dressing up on cruises because we don't go anywhere else to wear our "fancy" clothes. Another observation was how narrow the cabins are now on the newer ships. I understand from the cruise line's business perspective (more cabins, more $$) but we were used to the wider cabins on older Carnival ships with a bit more elbow room. Even if RC rearranged where the bed and sofa are in the cabin, that would have made a difference to at least be able to get stuff in and out of the closet easily. Our bed was about 1 ft away from the closet doors. Luckily it was just the two of us, I can't imagine how cramped it would be with a family of 4. Thank you so much for sharing. It wasn't just us who noticed these things!!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Itâs true newer ships seem to have very narrow cabins
I love the E Muster now. It's so much better. I had a wonderful steward who would change out our towels so we kept them until the last day when we turned them in. I do love Royal Caribbean.
We prepare a note and pretip for our room attendant the 1st day. Shampoo, conditioner and soap are on the list. The muster reminders stop as soon as everyone has completed the process. Better to put up with the announcements than be delayed departing. I agree with the show reservations and muffled announcements. Thanks.
Agree about Formal night. I feel there should only be one per sailing and the dress code strictly enforced. If someone comes to the MDR or a specialty restaurant, out of dress code, they should be turned away and referred to the buffet or room service.
Or Johnny Rockets....Playmakers....Sorrentos....Cafe Promenade....plenty of alternatives for a casual meal.
As someone who loves RC and went from Gold to Diamond since the restart. Sailing almost every ship. Sailed on Oasis 3 times (favorite ship next to the Wonder). These are little problems that don't always happen.
1)They wait for everyone to get on aboard before they unlock the shows. It's just to make sure everyone has a fair chance at booking entertainment.
2) They don't go overboard with announcement unless everyone hasn't finished their online muster drill before embarking. They can't leave til everyone is done. Have you ever been on MSC? They do their announcements in English, them Spanish, then Itlaian, then French then Chinese. We're talking 20 minutes
3 They aren't really stringent on towel return. They just want to scare you into not taking them home or left off the boat. There were several times my towels were picked up amd I just talked to the station guy says "Youre good" đ
4 Never had problem with hours at the buffet. Read your cruise planner so you aren't disappointed.
5 they've gone "dress your best" since 2015. I don't think you should be turned away at the main dining room and resort to pizza just because you can't afford to bring a tux. Go to Giavanis or somthing If you want an enforced dress code.
6) my balcony cabin was amazing both times. Suit case under the bed. Cloths in the wardrobe. Not sure what else your bringing for 7 nights.
7 ) ypu only gave 6 negatives.
Royal Caribbean should get more credit for their private island. I know you stoped there. I've been to Disney's, Norweigians and MSCs and they're all bare basic. Beach, pool, bathroom, bar. There's no comparison.
The complaint about dress was the athletic shorts and tank tops. Putting on a pair of slacks and a shirt with a collar is hardly a challenge for anybody.
RCL is/was my favorite...these days floating theme parks...like more cruislines seems to be. Doing one this august from Ravenna Italy. For us we like the smaller ships.
I'm loving your videos, Iliana...thanks so much!
Thanks for watching and for your kind words đ
I sailed on RCCL one time and their room service was always late and usually got the order wrong.we had to decide if we had to run down somewhere to grab some food and scarf it down before our shore excursion because room service was late AGAIN! I thought the basic beverage pkg (non-alcohol)was outrageously overpriced. The MDR food tasted like TV dinners heated up. I went right back to Princess and ONLY Princess.
Thanks for sharing your experience and feedback Kelly :)
Iâve had similar experiences and always return to Princess!
@@karenhenderson5726 Princess is just the best!
You made me so happy to know that dress code isnât strictly enforced. I was stressed out about this. I would have been annoyed to over do it needlessly. And to answer your question no I donât think it should be enforced. Itâs vacation. I donât wanna stress out about my outfits and my whole families
Exactly how I feel! I'm on a vacation so if I don't want to dress up I shouldn't have to.
I took my entire family on the Oasis and it was before Covid . It was amazing and we had no complaints. We went on the Symphony of the Seas 3 months before the shut down and it was the worst of my 14 cruises. We found each cruise is a different experience⊠large or smaller ships. I can understand you points of concern though .
Well, that's why we have different vacation choices. What is good for me, not necessary is good for you. Thanks for the video.
Absolutely! Thanks for taking time to watch and comment:)
If there were that many things I did not like I probably would not cruise with them anymore đ
Lol, if the issues were âbiggerâ like service was awful or food was inedible, then absolutely. However weâre all human beings and sometimes less important things are still noticed. Judging from some of the comments, many others also feel the same way about some issues, and I guess in some cases they do look elsewhere
I blame the people for not doing the muster drill. Shame on them. It's not difficult to do it as you board! We have been on both Royal and NCL and they instructed us to do it and we did. Just consider of as part of boarding.
Youâre right
This is one of your better videos and most informative. I love watching you all the time but this one was super helpful as we leave for our first Royal Caribbean in 19 days
We cruised on the Alure a few years back, before the App was used to book shows and events. I would look on the RC website every day for show openings. On the day that the comedy show was available, it was sold out before I could get home and book it. They ended up doing three extra shows that week, and we ended up missing them because they conflicted with other events. We just sailed on a much smaller ship (Raidence) and using the app after we got onboard worked just fine. We spent the two nights before the cruise writing down what we wanted to see and do. Having that list made it quick and easy to make reservations for the shows.
Radiance of the Seas did have soap and shampoo in our Jr Suite shower.
We really love RC for the shows, activities and dining. We really donât like to pack suits, dress shoes etc. because we pack light. I loved your second restaurant style outfit! We usually went to the MDR dressed nicely but not formal. I agree that announcements are hard to hear from the cabin, but we didnât have incessant interruptions on our Odyssey cruise in April. We love the ease of the e-muster and hated the old fashioned lining up on the deck crowded and sweltering until the last slowpoke showed up. Oasis cabins do seem small, we were on Allure years ago and donât remember feeling that there wasnât enough storage. Again, we pack light. Anyway we were so thankful to be cruising again especially on the fabulous odyssey that we werenât going to spoil our experience.
Hi Myriam, We also travel light because we usually are going on land trips before or after a cruise. On formal nights, we just wear something nice but definitely not formal. We are also glad to be able to travel again. Happy Travels.
Going on Mariner in Aug. Our first time with RC. My wife appreciated the tip on bringing shampoo and conditioner. On our last cruise on Celebrity, our son was turned away for wearing shorts to the MDR; something that should be enforced everywhere. Lastly, I may be in the minority here, I much prefer the old style muster drill. It's really not that inconvenient
Agree with all of them you listed. We also were on Oasis of Seas and absolutely did not like having to book ahead for shows. Also we love comedy and we could only book one family friendly and one R rated for the 7 day cruise.
The repeated reminders to do the muster check in is worth it to me. I HATED being claustrophobic doing it all at the same time.
I was so stressed about formal night because I hate dresses and formal clothes đ I always pack light and stress free for vacation...r Personally it works perfectly fine for me that the do no enforce it! 7 more days to go!! Firs time here â€ïž
Lol I get it. Have an amazing cruise, and yes, no stress đłđđ
Iâm so glad someone else caught onto the non enforcement of âFormalâ nightsâŠ.I wish I wouldâve known before our March cruise that it really is optional. Iâd be happy if they went freestyle on this. Great video as always đ love following along đ xo
It is not mandatory and shouldn't be!
My wife and I noticed exactly what you describe about "looking for food" all the time. If you eat breakfast at exactly 8am, lunch at exactly 12 noon and dinner at exactly 5pm, then you are all set. But, we are on vacation. If you head to the buffet for a late lunch, forget it. Closed. Late breakfast, nope, closed. No problem, we will hit that sandwich place we saw yesterday.....you walk down there and.....closed. Like you said, we were ALWAYS having to look at a freaking guide to try and find some place serving food. Every place opens for an hour or so then closes. It had been exactly like that on every Royal Caribbean cruise we have taken going back to 2006. It sucks.
We never had any issues with the towels. The first day we grabbed 2 towels at the towel station and each day after the pool we would walk to the room with the towels and our room attendants would swap them for 2 fresh pool towels so we had them ready for the jext day. We officially turned them in on the last day of the cruise. And while at the pool if they ever got too wet, we just swapped them for dry ones at the towel station. There was never a line. We literally gave them the towels and would grab 2 dry ones. You don't have to turn in the towels daily. You just have to make sure you turn them in on the last night.
You are so right on everything! The reason for the repeated announcements about the muster drills is that it's REQUIRED that you attend them. If you don't show up, they WILL hunt you down. I agree with you about the shampoo/body wash. They need to do the shampoo, body wash & conditioner all separate. It's hard to take a nap with all the announcements. If you are in your room, as you stated, you can't really understand what's being said. Near the pool, they could always have closed captioning for announcements. The limited hours for buffets & casual restaurants are very annoying. However, the food was excellent!
As for dress code, with the high costs of check-in luggage now, many people can't afford to take extra luggage just for formal dining. I take a sundress that I can wear to formal dining, or on the deck. Hubby just takes 1 pair of dress paints. Most people do something similar now. You shouldn't have to dress up much to get the best food--that you've already paid for! Most people on the cruise felt the same.
I agree with you. Cruising on a mega ship is not a relaxing experience.
Yes youâre right. There are definitely differences between ships of different sizes in experience
Very informative Thanks!