Happytime22

Are these shows now during the day?  I thought they were in the evenings?

One of the few situations I get away with 'venting' about inlaws so... I don't want to miss.

Also, was voted 'most likely to not make it to the end of the cruise and STILL married' so I do like making jokes there.

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I have a system for checking out towels: 

- I check them out on the first day, and I don't return for the length of the cruise.  

- Instead, I "exchange for fresh" as often as I want. 

- Two reasons:  Every time you check out /return, your number goes in /out of the system.  Every time you do that, the possibility of human error exists.  When you "exchange", you don't create a record.  Also, this means you always have clean towels in your room, so if you want to go to the hot tub early in the morning or late at night (when the towel station is closed), you have towels.  

- The negative is that you have to remember to bring your towels with you.  

- I return the towels on the last day and make sure-sure they're logged in. 

 

How this works on Coco Cay: 

- I don't know for sure where the towel is on Coco Cay, and I'd rather head straight for my lounger, so I like bringing my own already-checked-out towels from the ship.  

- IF I see a towel station on the way back, I'll "exchange" my towels for fresh, so I'm carrying lighter, dry towels.  

I like that idea!!!!

Thanks Rockmom ... or is it the Mom that Rocks?

Thanks orville99!  I was just going to ask about 'drydock' as we are going on Symphony of the seas in Aug 2024 and I saw they went into 'drydock' last March or so.

Hope the ship is all cleaned up!

11 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Yes its once per day per person. Everyone was doing their $20 or whatever the allowance is and then just starting another $20 tab and closing the first tab out. 

Kinda thought they would catch on......

When we had the UDP on Oasis in 2022... they only offered us 'ala carte' at Izumi?  $20 if I recall correctly.

The boys eat once early (spending about $18) then went again later in the day, getting the same.

Has the number of times you can go on the UDP, per day, changed to only once?

Just looked at the Symphony sailing going on right now and the 8-piece Rolls are either $13 or for the chefs type $18 per.

Since that is what they care about, not the soup or desert... better just having them get it on the ship than a prepaid option....Thanks all.

PS:  Just hope the price does not go up in the future

I just noticed that the Dinner or Lunch on the RCL site are the same price ($35.99), and have identical menus, except for one called lunch and one called Dinner.  Each lists the 'Rolls' as having 8 pieces!

Both menus say :

What's Included

• Start off with one (1) small plate, like Miso Soup or Pork Gyoza Dumplings.
• Pick your choice of two (2) large plates from a selection of signature rolls, sushi & sashimi, flavorful bowls of ramen and more.
• Top it all off with one (1) delicious dessert like mochi ice cream offered in a variety of flavors.

So I have to assume that they WILL serve 8 pieces and print and and save the menu when I buy it (as once before RCL changed the ala carte allowance on me and when I showed them what it was when I bought it... they reimbursed me to that level)

16 minutes ago, RCFirstTimer said:

We usually get the dining package (UDP), and when we go for the sushi side, the dining package includes 2 large "items" and 1 small, if I remember correctly.

 

One thing they warned us about up front - with the dining package, a sushi order counts as a "large" item AND they informed us that instead of 8 pieces, the UDP only includes 4 pieces per order - so I think there is something to Happytime22's question.  I didn't look at it is as a punishment, but I did note that it is apparently different than buying a la carte.

Thanks for the info.  We had UDP on Oasis last time and had no reductions.  This time, on Symphony in Aug 2024, plan to buy 3 Dinner-package (will use at 150 and Hibachi) and MAYBE four lunch Izumis for the boys... but not if it's at a penalty.

So if you buy the 'lunch' for Izumi, BEFORE you r onboard... the amount of food is the same amount as if you just walked in and bought the food onboard?  (The only thing my sons appear to care about is the number of slices in the rolls).

I thought I read somewhere that you ONLY get 4 slices in rolls if you buy the Izumi ahead of time in a lunch or dinner package BUT get the normal 8 if you just go and pay while on board?

That helps me too!  Thanks for the info as not setting up the sofabed until evening (for our two boys) make it a hell of a lot easier to get around the room during the day if we come back for showers or ???

We are not Diamond, not .... more like Lead, since we only have 5 cruises.

Our first cruise was on Song of America on our honeymoon almost 40 years ago.  Lots have changed.

Our favorite, and our two boys, was with NCL on Breakaway (2015), and what made that cruise soooo memorable was, as 'Mick B' puts it, we had  '...cruise directors that used to participate in many activities during the day and were always be approachable for a chat instead of some of the newer ones that are nowhere to be seen during the day then turn up on stage at night and pretend to be your best friend.'

That made such a big difference on the cruise as it kept us all connected.

Maybe its just that it was our first cruise since our honeymoon, maybe it was that it was our first with the boys....but an active Cruise Director was fantastic. 

Now, I get the feeling they are more 'moderators' for a couple of shows per cruise!

34 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Just grab towels off the cart in the hallway, stash them away and they will restock whatever you leave on the floor every day. 

.....Like it!

4 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

We have only sailed in suites since the change to once a day service, so our upcoming cruise in a balcony will be interesting.  We plan to ask the steward to leave us two sets of towels each when they do their daily cleaning.  If we need anything, we plan to ask them when we see them in the cabin corridor, just like we always have.  I will also bring my barrel to them to empty if it is overflowing.  Once a day service is not an issue for us at all and don't expect it to be a problem.  

I was told the last cruise that they could NOT leave two sets of towels... but they said they would replace dirty towels for us.   Maybe the solution now is ask for the two sets of towels and explain that the request is to avoid the need for a second request.... since only once a day cleaning.

I'm ok with that, as it would be easier.

But again.... I use more than one towel if I am sweaty or dirty, outside the towel for shower

6 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

Yep, I shower more on a cruise because of using sunscreen and hitting the gym every day.  I also have very thick hair so and towels don't always dry in time and I don't want to use damp ones either.  I may just start grabbing extra pool towels and using those and swapping them out later if I run into any problem swapping out towels.

Never thought of that....Thank you, as that may be PLAN B if I can't get the replacement towels (if needed) via the ap.  I don't have a pool either and never thought about the chlorine?  I might shower even more now. 

If I can ask for more towels (if needed) via the ap (and get them) and can ask to have the ceiling bed dropped later in the day (or have the sofa bed pulled out and set up later in the day)... I am fine with a once-a-day.

Those that compare 'reusing' a towel on a ship to at home for a few days.... NO WAY!!!!

If I am working around the yard, or if it's an unusually humid day in NJ (like today), I do NOT simply reuse a towel and can just throw it in the washer.  On the ship, if I run or sweat.... I therefore DO need a new one.  That's not being 'entitled' but rather simple wanting to dry off with a clean, not smelly, towel!

1 minute ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Where do I find this on the app? Do I need to be connected to their wifi to use this? 
thanks

Same question as I tried to find it by choosing a ship out now (Main RCL Ap) but didn't see anything under services?

Just now, S.A.M.J.R. said:

I think the suggestion is you and DW keep your balcony cabin and get a SECOND, interior cabin across the hall for the 20 year olds.  There are a LOT of benefits to that, with the only negative (that I can see) is cost.  You'd need to price it out to see what the difference is. 

thks

1 minute ago, elliekate said:

We were on Allure in June and had a balcony with our two 8-year-old grandkids. Our room steward suggested a morning cleaning and then he would come back in the evening to set up the beds. It worked perfectly!

If they are willing to do that it would be great!  As to anything other than Balcony... DW would throw me overboard!

59 minutes ago, sowhat said:

Where do you leave the damp used  towels and bath mats
I would not like them sitting around for hours, does the cabin stewards  remove  them when requested  or just leave them on the balcony  to dry.

Thks, I love the info about the app... where u could request more towels (as I do sweat a lot on ship, especially in August) but on our cruise on Oasis a while back I was told by the Stewart NOT to put the towels on the balcony.  Was that unusual or can you?

I've read the other threads about the RCL move to once-a-day cleaning.... and the one cleaning part doesn't concern me that much but the evening bed setup does, since we will be 4 in a Balcony cabin on Symphony of the Seas on Aug 2024. 

I immediately thought MORNINGS would be the best choice, as we make a mess of the bathroom with towels/etc. but ....

-  If we have just one time, I guess they have to set up the beds for the evening then too, right? 

     If so, and you have the pull from the ceiling or sofa bed, does that make it hard to get to the Balcony for everyone?

-  If you need some assistance at times other than the morning... is anyone around, as if I had to go to the 'mile-long' lines at Guest Services it would be crazy!

Any other things, with two very active 20+ in the cabin we should be concerned with ... in connection with the move to once-a-day? 

toucheeeeeeee

Thks... I worry too much!

Just now, Tree_skier said:

yes just cancel and rebook

If I cancel.... it won't sell out the second I cancel?  Stupid question I know but if I always assume something could go wrong