Manisha

Hi there:

Has anyone gone on a Royal Caribbean cruise since they started up in August? What is the deal with outdoor dining options? I cannot tell from the pictures/website info if there are a lot of outdoor options available. We are going on a Liberty of the Seas cruise in December and I would really like to find out what outdoor dining options there are. I will keep looking on the website and will call them up and ask at some point. But I think they just started up operations again so probably still evolving. Anyone here had personal experience on a recent RCL cruise?

janisj

Have you checked on CruiseCritic?

mlgb

Yikes, doesn't sound like the refurbs will make for a peaceful outdoor experience:


PS: No one has cruised post-refurb yet.

Manisha

Oh great idea! Let me do that now. Thank you!

Manisha

Thanks for this video. Yeah seems like it would be pretty loud. Fortunately (unfortunately?) we are a group of 9 kids and 10 adults. So the kids would love these refurbs

mlgb

Sounds like you picked the right ship!

Sassafrass

[QUOTE=mlgb;17278835]Yikes, doesn't sound like the refurbs will make for a peaceful outdoor experience:

We did a cruise on Norwegian Escape just before COVID struck. The noise was so bad! They placed all of the water activities, pools, etc. together with some walls enclosing parts. The design is a big fail. It was like a giant sound tunnel with different music in different places all coming together in one big vibration. It was impossible to enjoy a pool or hot tub, too loud for any conversation. There were some great things about the ship, like the Supper Club, but we like being with Granddaughter and friends around a pool, and instead we ended up in a small outdoor area, the Waterfront, for some peace. We are highly unlikely to take that ship, or one like it, again. By contrast, we are not fans of Carnival, but when they have added water slides to older ships, it is a smaller area, more dedicated to kids and parents watching them, very nice for both.

mlgb

I was on a similar ship, the Bliss in November 2019. I don't like spending time around noisy pools anyways but I did like the upstairs Observation lounge (which I think both ships have) . Bliss has a separate outdoor area on Deck 19, which is public, not paid. Escape doesn't have that. It's all Vibe and Haven.

I think both of those ships are just too big, we had service issues in the main dining rooms, although enjoyed the specialty restaurants and Jersey Boys.

My first NCL cruise was on a much smaller ship, Sun, which still has some outdoor decks but not all of the hoopla of the big ships.

Manisha

Thanks to all of you. I realized I might have done a bad job articulating my question. So basically because so many in the group are unvaxxed kids, we are thinking the safest place to eat would be outdoor dining (COVID safety). Trying to get a sense of how many restaurants have outdoor dining options on board. Does any one know? I looked on cruisecritics and there was no mention. But I will ask a question there too. Thanks all!

mlgb

It's hard to tell from the deck plans, but I don't see that as an option.

Sassafrass

I did a bit of research and it does not look as if Liberty has any real outside dining options, perhaps just quick stuff around the pool. Even Windjammer looks to be totally enclosed on this ship. They have so many activities like the wave rider and climbing wall that require outdoor space and the larger ships have more balcony cabins, so a lot less free outdoor space.
when is your cruise? Please gives us a report afterwards. We take a Granddaughter on trips and she loves cruises, but it will soon be two years since our last with her. I hope it is safe to do it again soon. Thank you

mlgb

Be sure to factor in a possibly shortenend time frame for pre-cruise COVID Testing. One of the vloggers said it is going to 48 hours (from 72). Could make it difficult for those needing to fly in. Especially if the cruise llines cannot get testing set up at the ports, as a backup option for delayed test results.

Manisha

Thanks so much for all your help! Sorry haven't reverted back in a while.

Yes, no real outdoor dining options I think. Our group discussed and we are going to try and pick a later time in the main dining room so we can try and avoid the crowds (Windjammer closed for dinner).

mlgb - thanks so much! Yes I saw that they changed that from 72 to 48 hours. The good news is that for vaxxed folks they are accepting rapid tests. For unvaxxed kids they need the PCR that takes 2-3 days but they have extended the 3 day timeline to them.

sassafrass - our cruise is in December. Wish us luck! Yes, will post back here!

Manisha

Hi folks:

Its been a while since I returned but have not had an opportunity to post how our trip went. I am not doing a full blown trip report because there is not much to write about - which is actually a good thing! As in, no major drama, incidents, issues, complications. Our group had a very nice time.

• Crew was friendly, attentive, helpful, and adhered to protocols which was good for me.
• Ship was clean and I felt very safe.
• Shows were great - Saturday Night Fever, the Ice Skating show, Fire and Ice.
• The kids had a GREAT time!
• Food was alright, which I guess is to be expected in buffets. Nothing to knock your socks off even at the specialty dining restaurants or the chef's tasting menu. Perhaps we are spoilt because we are from the Bay Area.

Would definitely go again. Please write back if you have any questions. Thanks again for all your help!

KathyandBay

Just got back (5/26/22) from a
cruise to Bermuda on the Adventure of the Seas. Spouse picked up Covid 😩 and drinks were “very watered down” at $13. a pop.
Food and service was very good.