CP3o

I assume it's no problem if not star class but have the UDP and the UBP to sit down and get a burger and a shake, right?  Or would there be any concern about it being a sea day or not and at lunch time or not?

I wonder if they give the pax an option, in case they do have medical evacuation insurance up to 100k limit.  I buy these sort of health insurance plans but no idea how hard it would be to actually get covered. Would someone from the ship call insurance company and verify coverage?  It's not something easy to put on a charge card and seek reimbursement later.   If seriously sick I'd rather be tended too sooner than later. 

Well, some suite guests smoke so RCCL needs to have an outdoor space for them I'd think.  

Is the solarium on Deck 15 and 16 smoke free?  Or smoking on the port side as well?

Nobody likes to see food go to waste so as long as your friends do order something and pay for that, I don't think anyone cares if you share what you couldn't finish.  Put a little money outside the UDP into RCCL's pockets and tip well and it's probably ok. We did the opposite, only using the UDP once outside of dinners, and it was at Playmakers boarding day, and 6 of us who all bought the package ended up spending less than $35 so it went on one persons account.

Your friends are also allowed to bring in food from other venues to eat and drink with you without needing to eat at Playmakers.  Some in my crew did that even with UDP b/c wanted some healthier options.  

3 hours ago, bboop51 said:

Major disappointment here in their "sale." Our Deluxe Bev Pkg has been $59 for awhile. The cyber Monday sale price is $51.  I do have to admit the regular bev pkg went down to $19, which is a fair amount less than when I looked the other day (I can't drink alcohol, so I have to take this package or hubby can't have the alcohol pkg himself.)

I'll keep looking and hope for a surprise sale... who knows.

My sale price was $57/day which I already had from an earlier sale.  Refreshment and soda package the only decent deals but not interested in either.

On 11/26/2019 at 6:00 PM, shelleymp said:

 

 We would have stayed with the 2 1/2 hr non stop flight they originally assigned us and taken our chances flying out of PHL early the morning of the cruise.  

Exactly my concern about doing a deviation, pay more only to open up the time frame they can use in software looking for cheapest flight.  Could be trading a non stop early flight for flying all day with layover etc.  I would like their software to apply the same "rush" to get you to the city ahead of sailaway that they do for those who don't select a deviation.

UDP on Oasis 2020 sailing went up from 179 to 199, what a black friday.

8 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

We will try it again when on the Oasis, but on the quantum not good   The drinks weren’t nearly as good as those made by a bartender and severed in plastic cups.  Also we noticed the bionic bar broke down frequently   That was a few years ago and I assume has improved 

I haven't even tried it to be honest.  Went a couple times hoping it would be convenient to get a drink maybe in the afternoon but it wasn't open.  Then when it was open it seemed to have a bit of a wait and had some trouble with the ordering pads.  

Either way, the champagne bar is gone, right? not just moved?   They could have removed once last sailing before renovations completed from the Oasis of the Seas "things to do" list.  

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/oasis-of-the-seas/things-to-do

Anyone find it odd they show both the Bionic Bar and Champagne Bar on things to do "Bars" section for Oasis?  As an aside, are there adults that enjoy the Bionic bar?

22 minutes ago, DebJ14 said:

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Promotions/Snapshot_of_CruisePlanner_Offers.pdf

Here is the flyer my TA sent me.

So IF we can believe the flyer dates then it seems like wouldn't want to book tonight just in case the prices seeing now are normal fluctuations and might be slightly better tomorrow on the 27th.  

The counter arguement I guess is to assume sales for "Dates: November 27 - December 3, 2019" have already been loaded b/c soda package is 6.50.

4 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Yes, sale prices are being loaded now. 

How can you tell they are the Black Friday pricing and that it won't be slightly different tomorrow Nov 27?  I'm seeing 57pd for drink package which is what already booked it for.  I was thinking it would at least come down to 55 or lower to even be considered a sale price (I'm familiar with RCCL math and sales tho).

I guess 165M doesn't buy what it used to.  10 years old and doing a lengthy refurb, new carpets seemed like a no brainer.

How is the bedding on Oasis?  A dirty looking sofa would be a buzzkill on a newly remodeled ship.  I get that it's too soon to change much in the way of cabinets and bathrooms but soft stuff................

I've chosen to deviate 2 days and if paying for expensive hotel, would like to explore the city.  If I didn't deviate I'm sure I would get an early morning flight with as short a travel time as possible b/c they'd need to book that to hope I could make 4pm sailaway.

Ideally, I'd like the same sort of flight I'd get if didn't deviate, just 48 hrs earlier.  I'm wondering, tho, if deviations allow them the flexibility to open the constraints on flight selections.  Instead of 'cheapest morning flight' it could be "cheapest flights all day long" in whatever query they use, opening up the possiblity of 8pm departure and very late arrival etc.  

Anyone had experience with less than ideal flights booked when coming in earlier?  I assume there is no way to make a request of any sort?  ie 'early morning flight preferred'  

1 hour ago, Budget Queen said:

What airports?     Some are very simple to arrange your own transportation.   

Not sure what they'll book me into but its a cruise out of NYC so I assume they may book into JFK or LGA.  It's a long ways off. 

Does having an NCL transfer set up give  you any priority disembarking if they happen to book an earlish departure?

I added a deviation and the transfer fees were automatically halved so it seems all good.  

Wait, you can't just buy one of each package because it's your preference?  Have to say non drinker?  I didn't know that and was advising friends the one that doesn't want a package (b/c has D perks and bringing wine on) and the other one doesn't have D perks and would like the package that they could do the drink package and refreshment combo.  

OK, I see, it's likely not a problem.

17 hours ago, tracyfitzs said:

I called and had them remove transfer all together, they did it no problem.

Thanks.  I was thinking I did want essentially half a transfer but it could be easier to just remove transfers and arrange my own transportation on the back end like I'd be doing on the front end.  

If the transfers are to and from the airport and because of a deviation no longer need the front end, do the halve the transfer fee when you pay the upcharge for the airline deviation?  

11 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

The casitas are not for suites and Pinnacles. I am not either, and I used them on the June and October sailing. They are first come, first serve.

 

There was one on the Navigator that was for Super Mario, but I think he has left the Navigator now. 

Boarding day on a previous Navigator cruise we did see a couple roped off with a reference to a Gold card.  I remember friends with "Gold" C&A status figured they could sit there lol.

4 hours ago, emen822 said:

My sisters and I booked a guarantee inside room for our cruise in February.  While checking the prices today (since final payment is just a few day away😁), I noticed the price for the GTY was now higher than "pick your own".  When I called, they said I wasn't able to switch to the pick my own room option.  She kept putting me on hold and I wasn't sure what the case was since this is our first GTY reservation.  But is that correct?  Just wondering if I should call back to get the additional discount.

 

Thanks for your help!

Mary

Did you click all the way thru and it came up with rooms to select?  Maybe see if there are any you even want from what they are showing.  Sometimes it will show that can pick your room but next screen in and it goes to showing GTY.

OP - nice comparison, thanks for taking the time to post.

I agree that, whatever the statement says, if you have D perks, order a drink with a $1 tip, and want to hand off one of your three to a spouse that wanted 4 or a friend, there is limited harm. It's the lowest cost booze for RCCL and the limit is 3. Completely different than sharing a drinking package.

However, when have drink package, it's gonna seem weird to the bartender seeing UDP on seapass card, to order specifically a diamond drink and share that one. 

The only "perk" related to the 3 voucher drinks for cruisers that purchase the drink package online ahead of time, as far as I can see, is that you should be able to order two drinks at once where normally can't.  This could be handy as heading into dinner if didn't want to trouble the waiter too much and cut down on the time with an empty glass.  

It still might be awkward during ordering.  Anyway, for D+ that do by the drink package ahead of time and get something around $45 off for balcony discount over what a first time cruiser gets.................. it's a bit less exciting to get to that status IMHO.

On 11/10/2019 at 8:31 PM, time4u2go said:

Why do you think that?

Wow, I love when people answer a question with a question but here goes.  It's an RCCL board which has been doing backflips about the RCCL improvements at Coco Cay, which sailing are selling at a big premium to similar cruises w/o Coco Cay.  I also haven't heard much about NCL's island as far as any reviews referinging "CC is great but I prefer Stirrup Cay" but I haven't researched it much so maybe it's a silly reference.

So, restating the question again as I have never been, although it's not imperative to get an answer.  "Can it handle two ships?"  I guess I was looking for answers like, "yes, super efficient with quick tenders" or "nah, one ship is fine but gets a little crowded with two" which might have been more helpful.  Or, "it's a nice beach and NCL similarly includes the drink package like RCCL" or maybe something different.  It was off topic so I apologize for that. 

9 hours ago, countess5 said:

 

There were two NCL ships anchored off their island.

 

Cheers! 

 

 

 

Really OT but I've never been to NCL's island and assume it can't hold a candle to the new CocoCay.  Can it handle two ships?  I was assuming only one ship would visit at a time.

Just now, cliffd64 said:

Most people take the beverage package as a free-at-sea perk... So that cost is fantasy.   It comes out to less than 20 a day after gratuities,..

 

Right, but really the cost is the diffence between the "sail away" rate and the rate that includes the perks.  If the OP got a really cheap sale away cabin, they decided to go wo the perk.  On a port intensive itinerary or if like wine best of all and don't mind $15 corkage fee, the math could work out.

ps the 59/rccl package would be a sale rate.  regular price is higher.  one of the things I really like about rccl tho, and i don't think there is a similar option on ncl, is that one pax can get drink package and the other the refreshment package.  Bc no water or coffee is included, it's really hard on the non drinker to pay the gratuity charge just to have soda.  If you are able to remove it to soda package only for an adult over 21 in the cabin, use perk for one soda package and one drink package, let me know, if anyone happens to know.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/beverage-packages