question221

I just got the royal up offer for our cruise which sails late September. If I put in a solid bid on the 1 bedroom and the junior suite, but a weak bid on the 2 bedroom and the owner's suite, will the weak bids impact the other bids? In other words, is it better to just bid on the ones that are more reasonably priced and do a solid bid rather than bid on all options? Also, I gather one of the perks of the GS is the concierge who contacts you about a week before the cruise and schedules entertainment and reservations. Would I even find out about the upgrade that far in advance? At this point, there are both junior suites and 1 bedrooms available. Would love to hear about strategy and experience with this program. Thanks

I just got the royal up offer. We would love to be in a suite so I am going to bid on the junior suite and also the 1 bedroom It is about 30 days before the cruise and there are 11 junior suites unassigned and 3 owners suites unassigned. There is also a 2 bedroom suite available and an owner's suite available. If we put in a good offer for the junior suite and a decent offer for the 1 bedroom, and then do a weak offer for the owner's suite and the 2 bedroom suite, are we lessening our chances for the junior suite and the 1 bedroom? Our first choice would be the 1 bedroom. Anyone have any idea what the chances might be? We were in an "unassigned cabin - as it they pick the ocean front balcony - so I have no idea if our location will be good or bad if we don't do this. Thanks in advance.

Has anyone rented a car from the RC dock in Rome - Civitavecchia - and used the rental car to do a bit of sightseeing and going to the Rome Airport. We have a late night flight and we will have luggage. My concern is getting to the rental car agency with the bags. Not sure if it is easy to get a cab from the cruise port. Don't want to walk with bags. Would love to hear any experiences. I think Avis and Hertz might both have a rental agency there.

Thanks for the tips. I bought one of the Klymet sleeping pads and tried it yesterday when it arrived. I think it will do the trick and it is easy to pack both directions. I am hoping it works for a 14 night trip, but I am sure it is better than nothing. Fingers crossed. Many people have recommended it and you might try if. It was 104 dollars on Amazon.

It is funny because I can swear I bought a heating pad on at least 2 cruises in the US - and don't remember knowing that it could be a problem. But now I am reading that it is a problem. Seems silly if you get an auto shut off and it is UL listed. I bought a klymet and I think it is going to work. Just laid it out on the floor for testing and I was surprised that it was so comfortable. We will see how it goes, but I am going to bring that this time and we have also requested additional mattress padding. Thanks so much for the tip about bringing it as a carry on on the plane.

Well - I bought a Klymet Static V extra wide from Amazon and it arrived today. I put it on the floor and laid on it and it a remarkably comfortable. So, we are bringing 2 of those and with the extra mattress pad, we think it will be OK. Perhaps not ideal - but OK. We might try it on a weekend trip before going on the cruise, but this would be so much easier than getting a mattress pad and leaving it on the cruise. Fingers crossed.

Sometimes that works and sometimes not. If it hits in the middle of the night, I would want something on it right away before it gets irritated.

HI - I am curious - they allowed your heating pad? I have been told that they confiscate heating pads, and the special needs department told me that you may of may not get it onboard if it is in original package and has a auto shut off. I have ordered one of the klymit mattress pads that inflate, and I will return it if I don't like how it feels. But that would be the easiest. I am not sure the size of the eggshell mattress pad compressed, but that is another option. I wish RCCL would just provide the foam pad for a fee - basically sell them to you and you could order in advance just like the drink package. We have already requested the padding through the special needs so hopefully they will put the extra pad there. This is 14 days and it is international, stopping in all international ports, so I am nervous that I would not be able to get something after the fact during the cruise.

It drives me crazy. If they said NO you cannot bring, then I would just not bring. So now, I have to get a new heating pad in the box and bring it and it may be confiscated and then I have to pick it up. Certainty is golden.

I am thinking that if i take the hot hand packets and spread them throughout the luggage they will not take that much room as they will go into "spacers". I really don't like the uncertainty and wish that RCCL would say - we allow this without a surge protector and we allow this with an automatic shut off - and those are the rules and you can take that to the bank. Instead - well we get answers like sometimes they allow this and that. Leaving us in a situation where we just don't know. I don't want to waste any time in port worrying about getting supplies of this sort.

I am getting the impression that the same issues exist on all the cruise ships. I don't think we had a problem on a river boat - but they did not go through security is my recollection.

no microwaves is my understanding. I am not sure why they don't have one in the common areas - where they could monitor them for safety.

Yes - we have talked with them. They suggested a hot water bottle. They did say that - no guarantees - depends on who is inspecting - they sometimes allow a heating pad that is certified and has an automatic shut off and that it should be left in the box to document that. But sometimes that gets confiscated. Leaving us in a situation where we feel we need a backup.

Exactly - since they will not allow heating pads. Someone else suggested that they use hot hands. I need to have something "in case". I don't always need but I would not want to find myself without. I know people bring hot water bottles - but I am picturing water leaks - not good. I may bring one in case as a back up.

We have been told that they will not provide a foam mattress topper, but will provide an additional mattress pad which is quite different. The hot hands were suggested to bring because the cruise ships will not allow a heating pad, and sometimes I need that. We have been on RCCL before and I do not remember the beds as being bad, but this is a longer cruise and I don't want to find out on day 2 that the bed is causing back pain. Then it is too late to do anything. I quite normally bring a heating pad because I have a bad back - and usually it is no big deal - certainly for hotels. I suspect if you had a problem back you would deal with it and still travel assuming you wanted to travel in the first place. Someone said aging is not for the timid. The odd thing to me, I never cruised when young and always thought it would be something to do at my current age. But the cruise ships do not make it easy by not allowing things that people my age may well need.

Good story. I like the fact that you said you "were" an older lady:)

Well - I just looked up how much it would cost me to just replace the items for the next trip. Several years ago I bought a European heating pad that works only in Europe - it is gently used. Same for a European power strip - does not work in the US. It comes to about $50 to replace these items - so annoying and unnecessary but not worth paying for left luggage at the airport. We are planning on taking the shuttle back from the ship to the Rome airport and I am confused about the logistics of picking up confiscated items. One other item - has anyone taken a small hand held vacuum that is used to deflate vacuum sealed bags? It is not a heating element, but it will have a cord and not sure if that is the trigger to take things.

We are on the cruise until mid October, so not sure if we will have the result before you go. We are also checking with our pre-cruise hotel to see if they will just keep a bag for us at no cost. We are staying at the airport so that would probably be the easiest route.

I am not sure. I know one time we had to go and explain why we needed scissors, so somehow they must screen the bags. I would be happy to declare these items as they are European items that I am not sure would even work on the RCCL ships. I just hate to lose them permanently.

We are returning to the airport and flying home after cruise. We are using the RCCL shuttle back to the airport so not sure if they allow you time to reclaim any confiscated items.

Hi - If we know before the cruise that we have prohibited items likely to be confiscated, can we put those in a duffle bag and give it to RC with the understanding that we will get it back at the end of the cruise? We are having a hard time working out a plan to store a small duffle bag that has a heating pad and extension cord meant for European use and not allowed on the cruise. We hate to throw them out. What exactly happens when RC confiscates items? Thanks in advance.

I am taking a cruise departing from Rome in late September on the RCCL Odyssey. I have read that the mattresses are uncomfortable and some people bring a foam topper. I have also read that heating pads are prohibited. So, it has been suggested that people bring "hot hands "- which are a one time use thing. The cruise is 14 days. If I wanted to bring a mattress topper, AND also bring the hot hands, these things are too bulky and/or heavy to pack for an international flight. I looked on Amazon and it appears that I can buy the hot hands and have it shipped to our pre cruise hotel in Rome, and I am guessing that I can do the same thing with the topper. Since we are staying at the Rome Airport, I can catch the RCCL shuttle to the ship after just wheeling this thing over to the bus. Amazon is asking for passport information so that the items can clear customs. Obviously, dependability and timing is an issue. We would need to arrange with the Rome hotel to hold this for us as I would have it delivered a few days before. I have a bad back, and I really don't want back pain to ruin the cruise and the entire trip. Has anyone used Amazon in the US to ship goods overseas so that they are ready to take on the cruise? I don't want to spend a lot of time in Rome looking for these items for purchase. Alternatively, has anyone purchased these types of items in/near Rome Italy. And one other option might be to use Amazon Italy website - which is all in Italian but might be a better option. Any information on this with a cruise starting outside the US is helpful. In the US I would not worry about being able to buy what I need near the port.

I am now considering buying a foam topper here and packing it while it is vacuum packed and then leaving it. But, all of the reviews say it takes about 2 days for the mattress pad to expand and also that it has a strong odor so should be left outside for a couple of days. Obviously - that would be a problem. I am looking at one that is lavender infused hoping that it takes off the odor. Now I am wondering if any of the vacuum bags meant for travel would allow me to let it expand and off gas here, then vacuum pack the mattress for the trip. And then I wonder if the steward would be willing to vacuum pack the bag for the return trip. Has anyone tried this? Thanks in advance. Does seem crazy we have to somehow bring our own pillows and mattress toppers. I have also asked RC to provide a wedge for the bed - which they say they will. Has anyone tried that?

Renza - that is amazing that you can get the king size foam mattress topper into duffel bag. I have one twin one at the house and I don't think I could get that into a anything but a huge duffel bag. We are flying to the cruise and it starts in Italy - so don't see how to do that. Could you provide more information on the kind of foam topper you use?