Fall is in full swing and so is the September edition of the “Ask Adam Blog Series.” To see the answers to August’s questions please click here, or if you have a question you would like to ask Adam regarding Royal Caribbean news, what he’s have been up to or just curious about anything Royal related, please follow this link to our Facebook discussion page.
Do you plan on having a ship stay year round in Tampa? Other cruise companies do. Thank you.
- Karol W-W.
Not at this time but we are pleased with the seasonal deployment of Jewel of the Seas which starts November 12, 2011.
My family loves HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and the SHREK movies. Do you have plans to expand the DreamWorks Experience to the Voyager class ships?
- Andrew G
The DreamWorks Experience has been hugely popular and continues to receive rave reviews. As a result we are continually exploring options to roll the programming out to even more ships. Continue to stay tuned.
Hello Adam…I too, have a few questions about the wine package on the Oasis. I would like to know if you purchase a package, can you at anytime, anywhere during your cruise have one of your bottles to drink, let’s say, pool side, in a lounge, in my room (upon arrival in my room and also upon arrival in another room for a couple we are traveling with). If so, how do we go about that? Do we get a certain card to show that we have this package? I enjoy wine other than at dinner time…thank you!
– Jayne A.
The Wine and Dine package is set up primarily as a way to add a level of convenience to your dining period. Depending on which level of wine package you choose, Gold, Platinum or Diamond, there are up to 21 varieties of wines to choose from. These wines are available during any meal period in any restaurant (dining room, specialty restaurants or the Windjammer). However their availability is generally limited to those restaurants and dining venues that have an adequate wine cellar to store them and have them readily available for guests. We can accommodate a special request once onboard the ship, and you are always free to take a bottle with you from any dining venue to enjoy later or in a different location. Generally a sticker is placed on your sea-pass card indicating what package you purchased, but often it is tracked internally by the servers in the dining room / restaurants and reconciled each evening. As an aside, all bars onboard offer a variety of wine by the glass, (about 16 varieties depending on which bar you choose, with ranges from a simple Italian Pinot Grigio, to Caymus Cabernet).
I was wondering why Royal Caribbean removed the cruises sailing through the Panama Canal? And will the older ships receive the interactive TVs and other technological advances found on the bigger ships?
– Nancy S.
We continue to review programs for the Panama Canal and will offer cruises from time to time on a limited basis. Earlier this year Radiance of the Seas had a Canal crossing. However, while the Canal is popular it is also limited due to the exceptionally high costs and size constraints. Regarding the interactive TVs and other technological advances, please stay tuned to our Facebook page or visit our website for updates on all of our ship enhancements and renovations.
You get 1 point per night on a cruise. To get to our next status, we are gold now, how many points do you need to get there? Do you get extra points for booking more than 1 room? Thank you.
- Gary Y.
To reach Platinum status, you need 30 cruise points. You receive one cruise point per night, and double cruise points if you sail in a suite. All information on cruise points and tiers in the Crown & Anchor®Society can be found at www.RoyalCaribbean.com/CrownandAnchor.
Hi Adam, we are planning our first cruise in the Oasis class for March 2012. Both Oasis and Allure look exciting and fun. Since both ships are just spectacular, which do you recommend the most for a family of 6 with 4 adults and 2 kids? Thanks.
- Gustavo R.
Both ships are fabulous. They are nearly identical but Allure has a few features that are unique to her or were changed from Oasis (e.g., Rita’s Cantina vs. Seafood Shack, Chicago the Musical vs. Hairspray, Starbucks). If those differences are not important to you, I would go with the day of departure you prefer (Saturday vs. Sunday) or with the itinerary you prefer on a given week (eastern vs. western Caribbean).
Has Royal Caribbean ever considered on building and operating a hotel near Port Everglades to welcome cruisers and as a place to stay pre and post cruise? I feel that to have the “Wow” start while you’re still on land or after you back would be great plus.
- Christopher B.
Interesting suggestion but no we have not considered a land-based hotel. We’re very focused on guest satisfaction aboard our 22 ships and in the ports of call.
Do you ever run the Walt Disney World Marathon in January? Live in the area and usually go support the runners, just was wondering if you have ever ran by me!
- Christopher B.
I have not run any half marathons yet but probably will try at some point when I’m confident I will run under an hour and a half. I race shorter distances with a focus on 1500 meters on the track.
Thanks to everyone for submitting questions, and remember if you have a question you would like to ask, please click here. If you have a customer service related issue, the quickest way to obtain a response is to fill out our contact form here: http://bit.ly/c44GkU
Adam, I was wondering if you have any plans of replacing the Explorer Of The Seas anytime soon in Cape Liberty, N.J.? My wife and i have cruised on it several times and we are looking forward to experiencing a newer ship which is within driving distance from our home in Pennsylvania.
we are sailing on allure of the seas october 30,2011.can you tell us who the cruise director will be? (eastern caribbean)
Hi Adam,
My husband and I would like to know which ship/cruise offers the best Ballroom dancing?
Thank You!
Adam, I must start this question by saying that my husband and I won’t cruise with any other Cruiseline except Royal Caribbean…WE LOVE your product! We need to ask this to someone that might honestly answer it and so, the reason for choosing this venue: Why are the desserts so tasteless on Royal Caribbean? They are lovely to look at, we always take pictures but when tasting them they 1) are not sweet and 2) don’t have much flavor? This question/complaint has been asked many times on the Royal Caribbean Board on Cruise Critic and no one knows why this cannot be improved? Thank you in advance for your honest answer of a question that is probably difficult for you to hear. Your “Loyal Royal Fans” !!!!!
I’m beginning to suspect. It is the second consecutive month that I send a question for you Adam, and so far it has not been answered… Is it the theme of her (Brazil), which is not interesting to you? Because I saw far less elaborate or important questions being answered in this important period…
I had Hawaii on my Royal Caribbean wish list. Will there again be Hawaiian cruises roundtrip from the mainland in the future? If not, why not? I love sea days and the long flights from Ohio are offputting.
What drinks are included in the fountain drink packagers and can you add flavoring to the drinks eg chary flavor without being charged extra?
We had a wonderful barmaid and Waiter and assistance waiter. How do we request them in our next year cruise, We already have over 20+ cabins resolve for our family cruise.
Barbie Marrs Travel is our travel agent.
Hi Sammy, There is no formal process to request a waiter pre-cruise. However, special requests to be assigned wait staff that are working onboard can be done on boarding day with the Maitre d’ office which conducts seating assistance throughout the first and second day of the cruise. As a special effort, our dining team shoreside can reach out to a specific ship and call-out the request in advance. Please note, they will accommodate the best they can, based on availability and scheduling.
I am going on the Grandeur of the seas next year. I know it is going in for a refurb can you tell me what is being done to it. Thanks
Hi Adam,
Your drinks prices are too high and most non-U.S. customers deeply resent a compulsory 15% ‘gratuity’ on top of the displayed prices. This is the tip of the iceberg in which there is a glut of customer-facing staff there to hard-sell instead of delivering excellent service.
The trend in the holiday industry is towards all-inclusive, and not just AI but all AI, in that hotels and resorts are designed from the ground up and managed exclusively for AI operation. The days of guests being passively ripped-off are coming to an end with greater awareness by and sharing of solutions between your customers.
With p2p protocols, guests will soon be able to organise a mutiny on any topic they like without even paying the on-board internet charges.
I would have thought going all AI would be a way to increase guest satisfaction and reduce complaints, to RCI and online, by 60-80%.
You need to decide what you are. Do you want to fill the ship up at low headline rates then charge extra to pee? If so, most of your customers will outsmart you. Those who don’t will never come back. Either way you lose. Or do you want to offer an excellent, inclusive product?
Royal Caribbean will have to change to all-inclusive. The slower the change, the greater the harm.
I just wanted to write and ask why my complaint that I mailed in has not received a response? I have tried to send e-mails but have only received generic, even pretyped responses back.
Thank You,
Selena Hayslett
Hello Adam!
I enjoy your blog very much and appreciate that you take time to give us a bit of insight into Royal Caribbean operations, and the cruise industry in general. I passed you in the terminal on Oct. 16th while waiting to board Allure. I regret that I didn’t get a picture with you, but things were pretty hectic that day with all the press. My question to you is this: when will we get more details on the Project Sunshine ship(s)? We are all holding our breath in anticipation!
Please answer Joe O. question regarding Cape Liberty’s ship and or itenerey , as we are in that exact position. We have no interest in the larger ships.
The crew gets an A+++ on the explorer, this Oct especially.
Thank you
Claudia