Hutcha

I agree. Each has their own specialness about them. My first YC will be this year, and I'm looking forward to it. I haven't done The Retreat yet, but I really enjoyed our X cruise last month (1st time). I will definitely do The Haven again, for the right price, but I do not see the value in the more expensive rooms. I think you'll enjoy Star class. It's definitely lacking the "ship within a ship" concept, but the genie makes up for that.

Good question. I'm no expert, but old threads can often have outdated info. People can invest time and research into a topic, only to find that it's no longer valid. While this thread is on the shorter side, you can easily get pages into something, only to realize the info is years old.

@drselPlease don't revive old threads (repeatedly). If you have something to say, and it's been 4 months, or a year, start a new thread. It's kind of the rule of this forum. By kind of, I mean it is 😁

Lol, according to the menu on every ship, for the past few years. Same- Same. I did it last year, and I won't do it this year. Let alone twice in one cruise. It was a fun experience. We had a great group of people, and it took us 4 hours. I just wasn't that impressed with the food. Seemed like they basically took some of the highlight dishes from the specialty restaurants. The wines were all $12-18 bottles, until they got to the last one. That was about a $40 bottle

Your minibar in the room will be restocked daily with soft drinks, beer and water. It is included. You get the wi-fi 2 device plan for each person. Included. You will be hard pressed to find people that prefer the main dining room or buffet to the YC restaurant. You don't have to get dressed up. Just smart casual for dinner. There is a YC buffet that is open for the three meals. The butler can be very useful. From bringing drinks, to daily snacks and so forth. A tip for good service would be appreciated.

Was the self serve wine bar included in the drink package? It is not on other cruise lines. This is worth the watch, no matter what cruise you're going on.

Thanks. I have two balconies booked right now that our TA (through USAA) is having a hard time verifying the discount on. I sent the verification off to MSC, and got the email back saying it was applied, but we've seen no drop in price. I want to upgrade these to YC1.

What is everyone's experience with YC bookings. I've heard it may or may not apply. I'm looking at 2 YC1 cabins. Thanks

Is this an accepted practice? I know it works for Star class, but I have an Icon cruise next year that I was wondering about. I have the UDP on that one.

I want to tip my genie $700 on my next cruise. I hear $100 bills can sometimes be difficult for them to spend in port. I plan on giving 140 $5 bills instead. Gotta make it easy for him!

Not only are they still in "circulation", they are still being printed and shipped to banks.

BS! Royal uses them too. In the last $2 discussion I saw there was someone that reported getting them when they cashed out at the casino. And no, they weren't from crew members turning them in. These were brand new, sequential bills. Fresh out of a new stack

Funny how some are saying that they'll have a hard time exchanging them in their home country. Do you really think that they save up cash tips, for 8 months, and carry it all home with them?? I like giving out $2 bills. It's easier to grab ten $2 bills for the day than twenty $1 bills. They're great for bar tips.

Nice review. Could you include some details on the food? Pictures, menus, experience? Thanks

I would disagree. I'm doing research to find out if RCI's "The Key" is worth the price to me. I'm searching different post to make that decision, but the most useful are the "Is it worth it posts". In these posts, people discuss the pros and cons of having The Key. From there a person can make an educated decision on the product.

As long as we're on the subject, I hate posts where people complain about other people's posts! Don't like a post? Move on! If you've been here long enough to get aggravated about a type of post that comes up often, you've been here long enough to know that it's not going to change. JMO...

Nice review thanks! Sailing on her in June, and from the looks of it, I'm glad I won't be eating in the main diningroom. How has CK and the specialty restaurants been lately?

I'm really not sure that this is true. I would triple check that. If you look at the Harr video review of the RLS, he specifically mentions that the CLS does not get Star benefits. So what rooms do you have? A royal, a star and two crowns?

Like @A&L_Ont asked, are they Royal lofts? We ask, because it seems like a waste of space for 10 people. RLS sleeps 6 each, and the CLS sleeps 4. Even without utilizing the couches, the bedrooms would sleep up to 12. The Genie will take care of all of you as one. I would try not to ask for individual attention for those staying in the crown lofts, but adding them to group activities should not be a problem at all. Like others said, they should have the UDP. Getting drinks for them in suite should not be a problem. I don't think the bar cart made it through covid, but the genie will have whatever drinks you want delivered whenever you want. It's best to put the order in advance, or have a standing order(s). Last minute orders can take an hour or more.

I don't believe beer is stocked in your room. Water, soda and a preset number of full bottles of alcohol are included. To their (and my) point, if you want room service from a specialty restaurant, you have to pay for it. Want a glass of wine or beer delivered with your meal? You have to pay for it. What is the different level of service that you get ? You're correct. The living room area would be quite cramped with 14 people in the room. There are 4 pull down beds to use and a sofa bed. Great if you're traveling with kids. The balcony is a long, but wider than most. It has a hot tub, bar, multiple sun loungers and a table that will seat all 14. At that table you can have any food and alcohol (included in the drink package), that is offered on the ship, delivered for free. Would I put 14 adults in this room? No way.

I'm on Beyond. First time on X. I was just reading your other thread over in their forums. You should give Joy a try. I was on Bliss last year and the Haven was nice. I'll do it again, but only in The Haven. I will not sail NCL outside of The Haven again (except maybe to try out the Prima class). They take so much space away for the haven and paid experiences like the racetrack and laser tag, that the rest of the open areas get compressed.

She should have the non alcoholic package, but no specialty dining. If you like premium alcohol, look at the free at sea plus upgrade. It gives you the plus drink package, internet, and more shore excursion credit and dining. Can't compare the two. My first Celebrity cruise is in 2 weeks. Please check back in after and let us know what you thought.

This scenario is exactly why I put this thread up. You can't really compare a Haven courtyard PH to Star class. But a DOS should have service and amenities that reflect the price you are paying. Yours is a great example. You're paying twice as much for the DOS, but you're saddled with extras that you'll have to pay for. $175 pp for tips, Wifi, specialty dining, racetrack*, laser tag*, bottled water, restaurant upcharges, laundry, etc. No, all of these are not important to some. I get that, but you're still face with have to decide if you want to pay. * RCL doesn't have a racetrack or laser tag, but the things they do charge for (iFly, escape room, etc.), you don't have to pay for.

I'm flying into Hobby, and staying at a hotel there. There are 7 of us. I'll have a private van pick us up in the morning for the ride to Galveston. I did this set up in Orlando last year, and we were the first ones on the ship. Very easy. Hotels are much cheaper in the Houston/airport area. Hobby is closer than IAH, and the shuttles are cheaper.