lulutoo

I am a person of limited  technology skills and  with old  equipment.  In trying to  check in on line , I seem to have encountered the requirement that I add our photos to the  document- it seems to not let me  move forward unless I do....I don't have the equipment or skill to do that and  previously we had always printed a boarding pass without it and   they snapped our photo and scanned our passports at the   check in.. is this no longer an option?

Thanks all- lots of helpful ideas!

A neighbor  has offered to  come fetch us when we arrive back at Miami Port ( he'll also bring us down.)   We plan to wait to be among the last off ship around 9 am as we don't have to make  an airline connection or the like, but we wonder how well the plan would work- he will be  in Fort Lauderdale  about 40 min north.   Is there  a designated spot at the  Celebrity terminal for non commercial cars to stop that may have a bench we could sit on?? If we  had him  come there  at 9:30 would  we be likely to be out of customs by then?  We would rather not call him  and have to wait  a long time for him to make the trip. down... can this work?.  I have  a slight medical condition and  have probelms standing on hard surfaces for extended periods....

I'm trying to on line register / print pass and  I don''t know how to add an ID photo , which it now seems  to require- this is  a new development since  our last cruise I guess.. is there a way I can bypass the photo and have that added at port?  I am just not very computer  literate. It keeps telling me I need to complete the  application and that is the only thing I have not done.....any way to print out the Express pass without it?

Have the staff positions for Edge been announced?

I could not book it for our Sept 10 sailing after numerous attempts throughout the summer and called yesterday to inquire. Was told all the pre sailing tickets for my sailing are gone and would not likely have any additions but other sailing dates earlier than that were having the entertainment 'reworked." Was told I would have to try to get them once on board. I was able to book Brat Pack. I am not at all sure the answer I got was correct, but I had been trying since very early June to book with no success.

On our recent RCI cruise I was taken aback when what I thought would be a short thank you and farewell from our waiter on the last night became a rant that was basically- I know I do a good job so I expect the ratings you give to all be 10- I don't want any rating lower- or I will not get my money. But I have done a good job so I know I can expect 10's.There is no excuse for any lower number... so that is what I will expect.

My tablemates and I were aghast at this tone.. then I went to our cabin where the steward we had really loved knocked on our door and said when he came in.. it has been pleasure serving you and I know you liked what I did because you told me ( we had and given him an extra tip mid cruise). So, I know I can ask you to please give me a 10 for my rating. It is very , very important for me to have that... " and as he said it tears filled his eyes.

I have been on more than a dozen cruises and never had staff beg for or demand high ratings... is some reign of terror going on.. is there some contest being held with cash incentives ? I saw our tablemates the next am and asked them if they heard similar from their steward and they had and were equally uncomfortable. I realize that English is not thefirst language of most staff, but it all sounds either abrasive or pathetic to me...

Whatever is prompting this behavior needs to be done away with ...

Are either of these items allowed to be brought on? I saw a list of some prohibited things like extension cords, but did not notice these two things on it. It seems from my vague memory neither were permitted on other cruise lines- and that perhaps hair dryers were already in the cabins but that irons are not available at all - just pressing services.?

Just want to be sure them confiscated.

Thanks

It's a scooter rented for use on the ship through, I think , Special Needs at Sea or a similar company. She doesn't own her own but uses one in grocery stores that they provide and in other situations . So really neither of us is very experienced- this is a 5 day cruise with just 2 ports and we decided to take together so she can see how well she copes. If it is too difficult at any point we will just stay aboard ship at a port- but I'm hopeful we come back more skilled with these issues than we are at present. In Key West, The Conch Train folks have told me they will park her scooter behind her office while she rides their tour tram - but I'm still not really sure what we will encounter in Cozumel- we'll just have to play it by ear. I am an experienced cruiser and seem to see people coping very well on scooters- so hopefully we will 'make it work." too. She can walk short distances and does so at home , but the ports I have seen together with the heat she is not used to , make me think a scooter is our only alternative in Ports and also on the ship to get around in any situation where distance is involved.

Thank you all for this information. I will be cruising with my sister on RCI Brilliance and she will be using a scooter for the first time. We are both inexperienced . Do you think most drivers in Cozumel would be willing to disassemble/reassemble the scooter for us for the extra charge and an addiitonal tip or do you have to ask several before finding one? I feel confident about her using the scooter on ship, but not so confident about how we will do in Port. Is it true that sometimes scooters are not allowed down the gangways for safety reasons depending on the tides at disembarkation?

Any tidbits of wisdom will be really appreciated. My sister can walk short distances but probably not from gangway to taxi area if it is like most I've encountered in other ports.

Thanks for the response Karen! No , sorry, we're on Mar 12- but I do have to head for Roll Call and meet some folks- we've just finalized everything this week- fingers crossed as it is my sister's first ever cruise- she really wants to try it , but she is so worried about so many little details- this will be my 12th cruise!

I'll try to leave Brilliance in nice shape for you- I've cruised her before in Norway and it is a particular favorite of mine- but that was several years ago. Hope it's still as nice!!

Can anyone tell me if the Freestyle bev dispensers are on more ships by now? Wondering about the Brilliance in particular.. this would be a godsend fr my diabetic sister I think.. fingers crossed it's there by March '16- anyone have any updates?

Am I reading correctly that there are machines on board that carry all the various coke flavors- like Sprite Zero and Caffeine /sugar Free Diet Coke?? If so that would make it very worthwhile for my sister , who can basically only drink those two sodas and doesn't find them available often as she travels.

Is that what a 'freestyle " machine means?.

We are going on the Briliiance in March and my sister is extremely limited in what she can drink- sodas must be sugar free and caffeine free- does anyone know what soda choices for the beverage card will include?

I hate to think she'll be limited to water and iced tea... but I think Sprite Zero and sugar/caffiene free Coke are hard to find most places we go- hoping someone can save me a phone call to ask.

My disabled sister who is 72 ( diabetes, heart disease, foot issues) is going to accompany me on a short cruise ( her first) with a mobility scooter to see if she is comfortable with that mode of travel. I want to do all I can to make this a success so we have chosen a 5 night cruise that stops in Key West and Cozumel to give her a taste of what it's like

I have observed how people function onboard and feel that it will work well, but i need practical advice about port days. Anyone who has been in these ports who can give me ideas?

For instance , will we be able to park her scooter at the Conch Train pick up and enjoy that? I know there are lots of uneven sidewalks and quaint buildings in Key West. how do disabled tourists generally fare with access? How about Cozumel? Will we be able to sightsee and shop at least a little?

I'm determined to make this as stress free as possible - a cruise has always been on her bucket list.

Thanks all- I guess we will stick it in our checked bag next time- I just wondered if they x rayed those as well and would pull it out before delivering the bag to our stateroom-. We did look for a corkscrew in the gift shop and wine stores on board- I believe they had a fancy one they priced at $20- and the corkscrew that was confiscated from us was actually confiscated at Amsterdam Airport - and it was a cheap plastic one that we brought specifically because it did not have a foil cutter or any sharp part except the actual screw.. the security person would not be swayed and took it away- it had gone everywhere with us for years and never been questioned. I do think our attendant was just not resourceful - but wondered if they truly had none or had a run on them ( they were out of playing cards for three days as well and a Guest Relations person finally brought us some)- maybe we were more of a" wine drinkin, card playin " group than they counted on...We had just brought one bottle of our favorite stuff on board- and we were hesitant to go out to a bar on board and ask them to open it for us though that wold have been our next move, tip in hand. .. never had a problem with getting a wine glass/corkscrew set up before this... we'll see how things go on Connie-I'll pack a cheap one in the checked baggage and ask for one too just to see if we can get a nicer one. I wondered too if people take them with them when they leave- we never would , but maybe that iis why they didn't want us to have one..

We have always requested and gotten wine glassses and a corkscrew in our cabin till our most recent cruise on Equinox. After asking her for 2 days, our attendant insisted there were no corkscrews available and when we insisted she try harder she returned with one that was bent out of shape bit that she claimed was all she could find- we managed to use it with some difficulty.

So , we would like to bring our own on the Connie, but wonder if it will be removed in the hand luggage screening as we had one taken once at the Airport by TSA... can we bring one or will it be confiscated and we have to take our chances on board?

Are the rules on the ships the same as the airport as far as sharp pointed items?

I think we just had an inept ( but sweet) attendant last time as I find it hard to believe you can't get a corkscrew for the wine you are allowed to bring on at embarkation.

Has anyone had experience redeeming those My Vegas loyalty points you earn from playing on line slots for either the free play in the RCI casinos, on board credit or fare reductions on Royal? They are offering these rewards 'for new bookings" and say you will be sent instructions about how they work after redemption- but I'd like to hear from someone who has done it- I have enough points for $300 cabin credit.

I'm wondering for example if you can book through any travel agent or if you must book from the cruise line? And I'm wondering if other types of credits ( like for repeat cruisers) can be used on the same cruise.. any experiences really would be welcomed- I see you can also get a free companion fare if you have enough points...

I have redeemed points in Las Vegas with no problem through MGM"s MLIfe for free buffets and drink credits , but this is a fairly recent set of rewards they have now offered..

Do they ever open Tuscan Grille or any of the specialty restaurants for lunch- perhaps on a sea day? We much prefer to eat a heavier meal for lunch than dinner and I wondered if this might ever happen- is it a definite no or do they do it sometimes? We are on the 7 day cruise in December. Someone also told me they sometimes offer specialty restaurant discounts on certain days- does that happen often?

Our ship ( Constellation) is offering a bottom fishing excursion for snapper, grouper etc which we would prefer over sailfish, but we cannot find out if this would be a good activity at this time of year - and also if there is any non cruise sponsored similar trip more reasonable in price - or someone who has booked a boat they want to share, which we would prefer. We're unclear if the cruise line trip is a large party boat with each person assigned a rail space or a smaller boat- the description seems vague.