3yorkies
-
Posts
203 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by 3yorkies
-
-
-
4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:
In today's newsletter from RCI it states that Allure is finally going to be amped and before it heads to the Med next summer. Very unfortunate for those of us who like the ship the way it is. I guess we can say goodbye to its great DL (Crown Lounge) soon and here comes the slides.
Agree! It is the only nice Crown Lounge left in the fleet. I was hoping they would just leave her alone. Hate those slides. And rumor is that Sabor will be removed, which is a favorite too.
-
3 minutes ago, Denversail said:
Now folks have been cutting line in front of me all morning. It happened at the kiosk at the airport, when I went to hand my bag over at the airport, and again when I went to the table to get luggage tags. I just decided to roll with it. In a moment of weakness I did comment about how some people are aholes at the kiosk but they were pretty brazen about it. I’m not in a hurry and want to enjoy my time so just rolled with it outside of my one slip.
Remember I mentioned I was the first one stopped and told to take a seat. They weren’t exactly organized about it and folks just sat wherever. They left us sitting for about 15 minutes and the area quickly filled up. Then they started letting folks in 30 at a time from the front rows. I was probably sitting about 6 rows back.
At about the 30 minute point people start getting upset. They are bitching at the workers that they letting people in out of order. They’ve been there for 25 minutes and the folks they are letting in got there later. The woman explains she is doing her best. At this point she has let in the 1st 4 rows. I don’t disagree that it is being done out of order but in my mind at most it is maybe a 15 minute delay. So who cares?
The worker then makes the mistake of starting to let in the complainers. This caused her to jump from the 4th row to the back row. This caused an uproar including some racist comments from some folks.
At this point I have to step in and point out that I’ve actually been waiting the longest and I’m managing not to complain. Everyone is going to get on and they should leave the worker alone. I don’t know what is wrong with people.
I sail on Navigator frequently and find the port to be the best organized of all Royal uses. I always go online and get the 10:30 a.m. board time and it is always enforced. If you get another time, it's best to board at that time because the seating area in the room where you board is very limited so they stop people as needed to be sure there is enough room for everyone. That's also likely why the board by the times set. Interesting to hear how it works a bit later in the process, but at 10:30 it is seamless. I am usually on board by 10:45 sitting at the bar in the Bamboo Room by 11:00 after a quick stop to reserve my dining times for the UDP. Love that little bar! Say hi to the parrot for me.
-
1
-
-
On 5/30/2024 at 8:13 AM, Oceansaway17 said:
all this status talk hurts my head. Could care less since I do not drink. I am diamond plus and when I go to the Diamond lounge, it is to get chocolate covered strawberries and then leave.
Otherwise Status is just over rated IMHO
I enjoy my 490 dollars worth of free drinks on each 7 day cruise!!! Would not go on Celebrity again unless I get to Pinnacle (only 386 points right now) as their drink program from 5 to 7 with limited alcohols sucks IMHO.
-
1
-
-
On 5/30/2024 at 2:23 AM, little britain said:
Where you normally type a question in the grey Search box, touch the camera icon and it turns into a … camera… point it at a flower and it will tell you what the flower is.
In this case point it at the barcode and it will translate the bar code into the cabin number
Thank you so much for information!
-
1
-
-
8 hours ago, heatherb1958 said:
Hi there , I back up my photos to Google Photos. There is a tool at bottom of the photos called Google lens , great if you don't know where the subject is or as LB explained what a flower is. I find it simpler to screenshot then use Google lens than her explanation. As a random example here is a photo from yonks ago, if tapped on Google lens it will tell me where the place is 😆. So for finding out cabin number I screen shot set sail pass Google lens reads the barcode.
Thank you so much!!!
-
1
-
-
42 minutes ago, pspercy said:
What's in Luderitz that a cruise ship would want to stop there ? Sure wasn't much when I was there eons ago:)😎
From being there for a week in the 1980s I recall penguins, seals, unique wild horses, and an amazing old diamond mining ghost town. Name was something like Kolcamp, but it was longer than that. It was only about an hour or 90 minutes from Luderitz. The vast desert and vast salt pans are endless and almost otherworldly. Sad that the port was missed.
-
2
-
-
On 5/15/2024 at 2:56 PM, heatherb1958 said:
I don't have an Apple gadget so couldn't do the Apple wallet hack but saw on our social media group another hack which was to screenshot the setsail pass , it was showing deck and muster station but not cabin number , then use Google lens over the bar code which will read it , et voila , cabin number shown.
What is google lens? never heard of this
-
14 hours ago, BecAus said:
Some other photos from the ship:
Had to get my glasses back off the (?) rabbit before we left yesterday
The sunset as we were catching the tender back to the ship
Africa cake the talented staff had done in the WJ
The beautiful moon as we were departing Mossel Bay
Today we are in Cape Town. We are hanging around off the Cape of Good Hope at the moment. Our arrival into CT got pushed back a bit several months ago, perhaps due to port traffic?, and we aren’t due to dock till 11am this morning.
I love Cape Town and pretty much all of Aftica. When I was 18, after high school, I flew to Nairobi and backpacked across Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana for 3 months. Greatest time ever! I would have loved this part of the trip!!!!
-
5
-
-
4 hours ago, nelblu said:
I was told by the landside Casino rep that the free play amount(s) would show up as soon as you enter your seapass in the slot machine, like the small amounts that one gets based on their C&A status.
You used to have to go to the cage to get cashier to load your FP and tell them whether you wanted in on card for slots or match chips for tables. My last 4 cruises this year it has been automatically on my card. If you want chips you then go to the cashier to change it out.
-
I do this ship from LAX several times a year. Uber/Lyft are super easy there and prices range from 40 to 60 each way, depending on day and time. One tip: if you use them to return to LAX at end of cruise, book it the day before with a chosen time. I'm never in a hurry so usually do 9:30 a.m. If you try to book the morning you get off, I have heard others say the price is super high and sometimes you can't even get a ride for a considerable amount of time. You can also go to guest services and book on RC bus for about 35 a person, but it only goes twice a day and takes forever to load and unload. I prefer an uber
-
1
-
-
45 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:
Just curious... (I really don't know), does Unlimited dining also cover your breakfasts and lunch? If not, do you leave tips there?
No, you don't. OK, they might go "in the pocket" of the person you hand it to temporarily, but you have no idea if they share them with anyone else. Claiming "I know who gets my tips", IMO, is just a "feel good" saying people use.
I get up around 10. Never eat breakfast on cruises or at home. I'm usually out until 3 a.m. or later. Lunches are included in the specialty restaurants on sea days. On port days I eat in the various ports, as that's part of the fun of going to the ports. If I want an additional snack late night on a ship with a Playmakers (or even when first get back on ship before my late dinners), that is covered by the UDP up to $20.00 a day. The only other place I may have a snack is in the Crown Lounge where I do tip if there. If I go to the Starbucks and get a cappuccino, I tip there. But I see NO REASON to tip the people in Windjammer and the MDR if I am never there.
I have become friendly with several bartenders and a couple of servers in Chops on Navigator, and they all say they get to keep their cash tips. A few of the bars they share with the ones on the shift. All say they prefer cash tips. If they do share, it is their decision. It is not being used by the cruise line to actually pay part of their salary. Even on land if I charge a meal to a cc, I still leave the tip in cash. I bartended in college and worked as a server in high school, so tips are something I recognize as needed. I always preferred cash tips, as they are immediate and you don't have to wonder if you are going to actually get them. I have also had room stewards say they prefer cash. If it is true that the cruise line has to make up any deficiency from the gratuities on their checks, why would they NOT prefer to get cash tips as their check is still a regular check?
And, yes, you are right that it is also a "feel good" thing in that I have always enjoyed thanking someone directly for good service and handing them a nice tip. I started cruising in the late 1970's and you always got envelopes in your room for your tips, but even then I tended to tip each day and then extra at the end. At some point the lines started changing to the auto-gratuity, and I don't think it was to benefit the employees, rather the cruise line.
-
2
-
-
Great news! I really love Allure compared to Harmony.
-
1
-
-
On 4/18/2024 at 7:00 AM, TwoMisfits said:
Tips are for all meals, whether you eat them in the buffet, sit down, or pay restaurants.
I have started doing the Unlimited dining in the specialty restaurants. Those tips are NOT part of the auto-gratuity, but you are charged 18% on the plan when booked. I never eat in the MDR or WJ on a cruise, only specialty restaurants. For that reason I remove the auto-tips and just add the money to my specialty dining tips where the service is almost 100% great and the tip that is in the 18% is not adequate in my opinion, so I prefer it go to the people who actually serve me. I just use cash at each meal. And I tip the room steward at the start of the cruise and add more at the end. Works for me and I feel it allows the tips to actually go to those who have earned it. Since my drinks are free with D+, I tip in cash on those too. I bring a large stack of 1's and 5's on my cruises. By tipping in cash I also know that the funds are actually going in the pocket of the intended person.
-
4
-
-
There are limited tables in the specialty restaurants. No such limit in bars
-
I cancel them, as I never eat breakfast and don't go to MDR if I have the dining plan. I never ever go to the buffet whether I have the dining plan or not. I eat on shore for lunches on port days and use the UDP for sea day lunches and all dinners. I use that money to then tip the servers in the specialty restaurants more since I don't feel the share of the 18% on the UDP is enough, so I usually add $5.00 for lunch and $10 for dinners.
-
4 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:
At least these folks were stranded in the Caribbean. Norwegian recently left 9 people behind in Angola. Were on a late returning non-ships tour. Tour operator said they notified ship but when they returned despite ship still being tied up at pier captain wouldn't allow them to board. When Angolan Coast Guard later tried to ferry them to ship they were turned away.
São Tomé and Príncipe is an independent country and not part of Angola. And the ship was never docked there. It was anchored and people had to take tenders. The anchor was up as was the floating entry to the ship. They failed to return before the last tender. That's a risk you take when you don't use a ship tour.
-
5
-
-
On 3/26/2024 at 4:37 AM, not-enough-cruising said:
Lately I have not seen enough cost savings in the UDP to even fool with it. I book and pay for individual reservations in the CP, and then relax and don't worry about it.
It was 40% off!!! 235 on Navigator 7 day.
-
3
-
-
2 hours ago, Coralc said:
No. they haven't rolled it out. And unfortunately, everyone will probably complain when they do. Because people will then want to change them after they have already reserved. And just an FYI, obtaining reservations for UDP dining on Navigator is not pleasant. You are in a line, the woman in front of you is yelling at the reservation person.
My best suggestion would be....type out a list of the restaurants, dates and times that you would like to request. (in advance of the sailing). Then you can just hand it to them, and they will do their best to accommodate you. Then you won't be one of THOSE people, going on about how that "won't work, and B can't come, and It has to be on this night and blah, blah, blah." 🙄 And holding everyone else up in the line, while we would like to get back to vacationing.
All your reservations will then show up in the app onboard. ☺️ And plan on putting Playmakers and Johnny Rockets Express somewhere in your dining plans, so you don't even need to worry about reservations.
Yes, I always type up a list with first and second choices and a time "range" that works. I was just looking forward to doing in advance, but your suggestions are exactly how I have done the other times I have gotten the dining plan. I only get when it's a really great deal. Otherwise I just do some lunches and use my BOGO for 2 dinners. Since I'm a solo it makes it a little easier because I am pretty flexible.
-
2
-
-
I read that soon we would be able to reserve dining with the UDP. Has anyone heard any updates on this including when it will be rolled out? Have it on Navigator on May 10th cruise so hoping we can do before then.
-
St Thomas, I wouldn't since part of US, but otherwise I do. Some worry about losing it. I prefer to have it if needed, especially since I am always solo
-
1
-
-
On 3/22/2024 at 7:41 PM, Merion_Mom said:
I walk around the town of Falmouth by myself. I never feel unsafe. The people are lovely, helpful, warm, and caring.
100% agree. Falmouth is one of my favorites! Great people, fun shops, food is very good everywhere including street vendors. Erie mon!!
-
I just tear off a piece of paper the approximate sizr and cram it in there. Never had a problem
-
Love the Radiance class!!! I'll take a classic ship any day, even with some age on her, over the mega ships with theme parks onboard
-
4
-
Best oasis class shows
in Royal Caribbean International
Posted
Grease is my favorite, Cats second, and Hairspray third. Hate, hate, hate Momma Mia, but then I never did like Abba's music. But Allure is my favorite of the Oasis class ships until they ruin her in 2025 with the refurb. I will so miss the best Crown Lounge in the entire fleet.