3yorkies

Application to renew sent 6/3, arrived 6/6, approved 7/6, arrived in mail 7/11. Not bad!!! I did pay for expedited, but not express mail.

Thanks for sharing your impressions. I actually like the firm mattresses. I have been in hotels where I pull the linens off on the floor and sleep there. I find the food good to excellent when you consider how many are being served. Not a fan of El Loco. If you are ever on a ship with Sabor, pay the small upcharge and try it. It's really good food!! Don't miss the Blue Planet show. It's amazing

Reserve shows online on the app or computer if it is an Oasis class ship

I mailed mine (renewal) regular mail on June 3 and it was received on June 7. I have been checking the website at least once a week and it kept saying received and processing. Last Friday I looked and it shows approved. That was July 7, 30 days total. It says it can take up to 2 more weeks to print and mail. I did pay the extra $30 for expedited service, but not the 2 day mail each way. I have a cruise mid-September, so looks good.

15.99 now on Navigator in September, October, and November, down from 23.99

right now the ones that show up are all 4 and 3 day ones, which is why I was asking if anyone had info on the 7. Will keep checking online.

Internet is down to $15.99 a day right now on 4 of my five bookings.

Actually all my upcoming cruises have pretty good sale through tomorrow on internet and on the Ultimate Dining. Internet is 15.99 a day and UDP is 25% off. I still save on internet by doing my 2 free days once onboard and then the 30% off from the casino on the others. But this sale is close to the same price.

Does anyone who has been on a recent 7 night Navigator cruise please post the handout with all the show times? Trying to decide on times for dinners on different days. I know it may change, but at least this would give me an idea. TIA!

Menu is same for lunch and dinner and cost is the same. You can make reservations for any time open. I really like Sabor. The grilled fish is amazing. And I love the habanero cucumber margaritas. It's a lot of food, so I usually do for dinner.

During the pandemic the casinos here in Tucson went non-smoking to keep people wearing the mask. When the mask mandate ended the casinos, by a vote of their tribe that runs them, decided to KEEP the smoking ban in place. It has been about 2 years now. They are as busy, or more so, than they were when smoking was allowed. People go outside to smoke. And many people who did not go before, or like me would not always stay very long when my eyes started burning, now go more often and stay longer.

Same in ours in Arizona. Where I go is now all non-smoking except a small enclosed room and outside. Busy as ever or maybe more busy.

This has not been my experience, but it may be because the tables I request are 2 tops and are against a wall where there are no adjoining tables. I also do give a description of the location and the reason for the request so if there is any number change they will still know what I want, but so far that has not been the case.

Just got off Allure last Sunday. I cruise every 4 to 7 weeks except June to August when the ships are overrun by children.

I ask for a window, not for the view, but to not have others seated by me. I have found tables I like on each ship that are in the corridor areas to the smaller rooms and always ask for one of those. I have a list of tables for each ship. I send it in about 45 days before the cruise and have always had success. I look at my seapass when I pick it up and if it ever were not the table I request then I can go to the MDR and see what table they have assigned and ask to be moved if needed. So far I have always been accommodated.

I just got off Allure last Sunday. I had prebooked and paid for lunch at Chops at noon on boarding day. I showed up and it was closed, just doing reservations for future times. Fortunately I always print off all my reservations and showed it to the maitre d'. He gave me a reservation at 12:30 at Giovanni's and rebooked my Chops for day 3 lunch. I thought I would be charged for Giovanni's but they gave it to me. Both lunches were great! Wonderful start to the cruise.

You have to be out of cabin by about 8 a.m. And you can't get in cabin until about 1:00 or 1:30 p.m. So they have 5+ hours to clean and ready the cabins. The rest of the ship is being constantly cleaned. It seems there is always someone cleaning handrails and elevator buttons, all the high touch areas. It seems more than adequate to me, probably much cleaner than schools and restaurants and stores, etc.

Not sure why people are saying change in comedian. The same two people still show as onboard for show. They did add a show by the comedians in the main theater because the smaller club was sold out, but they usually do this. I prefer the smaller venue and always reserve it.

I have found specific tables (and an alternate) that I prefer on Allure, Navigator, and Liberty. I email rcldining about 45 days out to request the table and get a reply within a week to contact again two weeks out for confirmation. I do that and get a reply before departure, usually in 7 days. I have always printed out the email just in case I don't get the correct table, but it has worked on about the last 10 cruises.

And there is no instance in which I tip those I don't see. When you go to a hotel, do you tip the laundry person and the person that runs the floor cleaner late at night? I don't. I tip the person who comes in and cleans my shower, brings clean towels, vacuums my room, and makes the bed. I would prefer that the cruise lines pay people behind the scenes as any other business does. These are not people that should be "tipped."

Which is why I remove the gratuity and tip directly. I tip those that I have direct contact with---cabin attendant, bartender, servers, waiter and assistant, and head waiter----not the people who do the laundry, any more than I do when I stay in a hotel. By removing the gratuity and tipping in cash I know exactly who the tips are going to. And I tip based on the service I receive. Once I gave the assistant waiter more than the waiter because he was the better of the two and the one constantly coming and checking and making everything right. If it is not a voluntary payment to someone you deal with directly, then it is not a tip---it is a service charge. Since the once a day service, I have been on two ships. On one I never saw the stateroom attendant, got one towel animal, got only two compasses, and got ice about every other day although I left a note asking for the compass and ice in the evening, not morning. On the other one I had my room cleaned sometime midday, but still got the compass and ice every night while I was out and got 5 towel animals. That second room steward got twice the tip that the other one received. In both cases the room was cleaned adequately, but the second one went above and beyond and I rewarded that extra effort.

I just carry my bag on every time. Got tired of trying to find it as it seems to be far from my door. All I fly with is a roller carry on anyway, so no hassle to just keep with me.

My cruises are all casino comps, so no way would I do it. I would get no refund except taxes and port charges and would lose some on my air. No advantage at all, just lots of hassle. Plus I would wonder if my freeplay would even transfer smoothly. I'm on the May 21st Allure, so expecting they may do the same with this one.

Went 2 months ago on Allure . The branzino was wonderful. Going to try the steak in 2 weeks. Bread was good and so was the mushroom risotto. Dessert was just okay.

I always cruise solo and do at least one or two specialty restaurants each cruise, at least to use my BOGO D+ dinners. I have always had a great time solo and find the staff to be especially welcoming of solo diners. Hard to believe they would not be. And I would never want to be seated with others I don't know. Guess the fact that I traveled for business a lot and went out alone every night makes me very comfortable dining solo. I actually enjoy my own company, lol.