evitacruiser

We are just back off Brilliance the 19th Aug sailing and we thought the food was ok, not great, not bad. I found a lot of the main courses bland and lacking in "something". I loved the soups and some of the desserts, but overall it didn't wow us. The service was top notch though which made up for what the food lacked. I think it is a volume issue and a problem that is not easy to fix.

We have always tipped, but as I now understand it, room service staff are in the pool paid from pre paid tips.

We did exactly that last year, off Silhouette in Venice. We took two large roller cases off the day before and used the people carrier to get to the hotel, and they stored them for us. As you say, it made for a much easier disembarkation. We didn't tell the ship in advance but no one said anything as we passed through. I imagine it is quite common.

Thanks, so, with our next cruise we will be platinum!

All three with RCI in balconies and all 14 day cruises, ditto Celebrity, one the year Indy was launched the rest post 2011.

How do they work? Our next cruise will be our 3rd with RCI and we have 1 with Celebrity, so what tier will we be? And what does that entitle us to?

MMmm, going hungry is not really going to work!

Does anyone know if Giovannis is open on embarkation day?

Bring something from home so it won't spoil while you're gone! :)

We have older kids at home, so nothing goes uneaten!!

Thanks, what do they serve there at lunch?

Are there any alternatives (paid or otherwise) to WJ on embarking? We did Celebrity last year and loved the calm of lunch in Bistro on 5 when we boarded and we would love to replicate that on Brilliance.

5 days to go!

A cummerbund is only "necessary" if the pleat front stops half way down the shirt, if the pleats continue all the way to the waistband a cummerbund is not necessarily needed, but technically it is the "proper" way to dress.

How much can you put on your sea pass account before they want you to pay it down? Last year I purchased our drink packages before the cruise, this year we are buying on board. If we leave a credit card number (whatever) will they automatically charge the packages to the account immediately? Or does it go on account to pay at the end? Is that too much to "charge" to your account? I'm asking because last time we charged do little to the account that we just paid in cash on the last night but this time it looks like there'll be a large charge and I wasn't sure how it is handled. Thank you!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

The limits being discussed involve an onboard account that does not have a card registered. Royal calls that a cash account.

I think the OP said that was what they did last time and was enquiring if there was a limit after leaving a card. That is how I read it anyway.

We had a large folio on our first cruise and it was simply paid from the registered card on the day of departure. I am not aware that there is a limit.

Yes, we were originally booked with them also, but we have decided to cancel and stay with ship's tours,for some reason in the current climate we feel more comfortable with that.

I could book them now, but I would rather wait till we are onboard. I just wondered if that was actually possible due to visa requirements.

Sorry, we are doing a Baltic cruise with Russia and specifically St Petersburg as a port stop.

There are several sites that you can join which send you emails when the prices change, but unfortunately CC will not allow them to be mentioned on here because two of them are also TA's. I would be happy to email the details.

I think that the hoho buses are great in Malta. Valetta is also very walkable.

Ok, due to the current climate we are uncertain about SPB trips, we have decided to stick with the ship's tours (which is not what we normally do)

I would rather leave it till we are onboard to book but because of the visa issues am not sure if that is viable.

Has anyone left it till they board to book SPB tours?

Are US travellers abe to get the all inclusive offers for 2015 european sailings?

Got off Brilliance yesterday.

 

Yes. Kettles are there.

 

Enjoy :)

 

Pete

Will you be doing a review?:D

Asking someone if they could possibly be pregnant is strange phrasing. I imagine many women of childbearing could reply that it was "possible".....or, at least not "impossible".

I don't think it is typically cheaper via the UK though. Last year we sailed Celebrity and we got an incredible deal off our US TA and with $900 obc on top.

This year with Royal maybe the deal is not as good but was still much cheaper (around £1800 cheaper at the time we booked) than booking via the UK.

Of course you also have to factor in the advantageous booking conditions; no loss of deposit if you cancel before final payment, price drops up to final payment and upgrades after. For those reasons alone I would be loathe to book with a UK agent or direct.

Heck, it isn't a fun job at home doing for your own family, how much worse is it for strangers?

And yes, it is their job, but they are still human and deserving of respect and understanding that, like the rest of us, they may miss something, make a mistake or be having an off day.

Seriously, anyone deliberately putting make up on the underside of a trash can to catch out their steward is taking things way too far.