springfire

On 2/12/2024 at 4:39 PM, birdofsong said:

I'm sailing the same itinerary on 3/12, and they told us we are also skipping Dunedin.

We are sailing on 3/2 and they still have Dunedin listed on our itinerary.   

10 hours ago, SpainAlien said:

It was good yesterday but today is dark clouds and a bit windy. Tonight's show has been postponed due to the movement of the ship.  The forecast isn't too bad for this week in NZ though so fingers crossed

We will be on the March 2 Ovation cruise, hopefully the wind won't be too bad and doesn't cause us to miss any ports.   Enjoy your cruise!

1 minute ago, Mikew0805 said:

Tip how you want. The cruise line has a suggested amount to make it easier for you, but you should feel free to add to it, remove it and tip on your own, or remove it and not tip at all. Those are your options, and what you decide to do is up to you. 

Exactly 💯 

1 hour ago, ShipDawg said:

The CK menu is available on the app for March 2nd cruise on Ovation. 

Thanks!  We are also on this cruise and the CK menu is indeed available 😋 

We are arriving in Sydney at 730am on a Tuesday and will need to go to Rydges Sydney Harbour. We were thinking of using Uber but if might be easier with a Taxi. Will traffic be crazy at that time?  Wait times can add up in a taxi.

Good thing Royal has given us a choice on gratuity.  It is nice that cruisers have the option to prepay their gratuities and not worry about it during their cruise.  Many other cruisers prefer to allow Royal to have daily automatic gratuities deducted from their credit cards while on their cruise.   Many cruisers contact guest services and request automatic gratuities be removed and give gratuities directly to those that they feel deserve.   Some cruisers may not even give gratuities to anyone. Cruisers have many different reasons for making their gratuity decisions.  All of these options are acceptable to Royal.

The decision on allocating your gratuity is up to you.  Many on here get upset if you don't tip their way.   Tip what makes you feel good and don't worry how others decide to tip! 

Happy Cruising 

Received my Australian and New Zealand Visa online today.   Found it to be a simple process completing the applications online, we received our confirmationin of approved visas in minutes after submitting.  Taking the pictures took a few attempts but ended up working perfectly.  Reading these posts and making sure we used the proper government websites was very helpful.  Thank you!

11 hours ago, MichaelCMTX said:

True, but a-la "Pulp Fiction"/Amsterdam it may be legal but you're not allowed to just spark one up in the casino.

That is true but we have noticed some people in the casino vaping thc while playing on the slots. 

46 minutes ago, yogimax said:

So $14 per week for a seven night cruise “broke the camel’s back for many.”  
 

If that’s true, it seems like “many” should find a cheaper form of vacation.

Or continue to cruise as usual, remove the automatic gratuities and tip those that you feel deserve your gratuities!  

18 minutes ago, TYMAN said:

Or, you can leave them in place, enjoy your cruise, and not think about it again. 😉

Agreed!  It's great to have a choice!

We will continue to opt out!

We will continue to opt out!

We had a wonderful stay at the Tremont House and took a $6.00 Uber ride to the ship.

Nothing 

The Nordic Prince way back in 1981, I wasn't a paying guest but a Norwegian deck hand.  The ship had just been stretched the year before.  Michael Bayley also worked on the Nordic Prince at that time but I didn't know him at the time.  My first Royal cruise I paid for was the Majesty of the Seas.  It really is amazing how big the new ships have grown over the years.

6 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I’ve got a similar time of departure and mine is at Bush Intl. Airport.  Originally I had a 12 pm flight and changed it when I discovered that it’s a 2 hour drive in a good day. 😀

We just came back from a cruise on the Voyager and used Uber from Bush Intl. to the cruise port,  each way the rides took only about 65 minutes.  We had a 12pm flight and we arrived at the airport by 9am. 

13 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

All auto tips are pooled, a few hundred less crew in the tip pool gives everyone left a bigger slice. 

Maybe,  but the cruise lines will still need to monitor to see if more people start removing auto gratuities as service continues to decrease!

6 hours ago, Ryder101 said:

If you don't pre pay it will be charge to your account daily. This is the way to go because if you have bad service, you can remove the automatic gratuity at guest services at any time up until the morning of departure for any reason by going to guest services or calling guest services from your cabin and requesting they be removed. If you pre pay, this no longer is an option.

Agreed!

5 hours ago, dunrobbin said:

Just noticed in the app, under need to know, it says

"Please note that guests using My Time Dining, may NOT opt out of gratuities"

I did not know that.

Doesn't say that on our app!  

40 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Why?  If the money from the auto tips all goes to the crew, why would the company care?  They're not out money.

 

If you are really that concerned over this, stop booking.  THATs what will get "The company's" attention.

None of us know which crew members actually share in the auto tips. We will continue to remove auto tips and tip those in cash who actually serve us. Royal makes this option very simple and crew members always seem to enjoy receiving cash in hand. 

8 minutes ago, Carnival Cheerleader said:

Tipping is all on you. No need to ask anyone else what they think. Adjust your gratuities as you see fit.

Well said!

Is the beer waiting for you in the room or do you pick the beer up at a bar?  

4 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

If you tip using envelopes, you give every person you want to tip an envelope. There is no "breakdown" necessary.

Exactly 💯 

Thanks for the wonderful responses!  We are now torn between by taking a taxi to Malecon, exploring the boardwalk and surrounding area or spending the day in Las Caletas. Decisions,Decisions 

Times have changed, and so has dining in the Main Dining Room.  Putting on a clean shirt is now my dress code.  Your on vacation,  enjoy and be comfortable 😉