canuckcruiselover

I'm not 100% sure but I think it was 5' 3"

There seem to be some misconceptions about the new casino rules. We were on the Anthem last week. My husband, who plays the minimum on penny machines and played with less than $500 in 6 days, accumulated 2,400 points and a certificate for a free cruise (inside stateroom on Freedom class and below, with a trade-in value of $500). He did spend many hours on just a couple of machines. I played larger denominations and earned a free cruise (balcony stateroom on the Quantum class and below with a trade-in value of $1,000) plus an OBC credit. And, in spite of the casino host telling me that the offers cannot be combined, it states very clearly on the certificates that they can be combined for up to a Junior Suite. And even though the certificate states that cruises must be booked within 30 days of the issue date, our recent cruise was booked 8 months after the last certificate "expired".

We just got off the Anthem and my advice would be to eat dinners in the Windjammer. The quality and selection seemed even better than other ships and it's quick. Toddlers may get restless in the MDR.

We were just on the Anthem and on the first day they take those passengers who do not have reservations. Go there straight after lunch or as soon as they open and you shouldn't have any problem getting on.

Thanks so much for this. It has been helpful. Was this a recent trip?

I was in Israel recently and that is how it works. Israel stopped stamping passports several years ago.

Great photo review! I'll be getting on the ship on the 26th - just wish it was longer than 5 nights. The Solarium Bistro looks great as a breakfast/lunch alternative to the WJ. Do they have lox/smoked salmon?

When I was on Explorer last year, the casino was closed during the overnight in San Francisco.

If you take cash in the casino, it is charged to your credit card as a Royal Caribbean expense not as a cash advance.

If you're travelling in the winter, bear in mind that Galveston is often shrouded in fog and not only can your embarkation be delayed but also debarkation. On the cruise we took from Galveston, we were fortunate that we had booked hotels in Houston before and after the cruise. Due to the fog, we couldn't dock until well after 2 pm which meant a lot of passengers missed their flights home.

I noticed when I did my online check-in for Anthem that there is no longer an option to have onboard charges billed by my credit card company rather than RCI. Is this something that I can arrange when I check in at the terminal?

Just curious, were you using Chrome before?

The issue I had with online check-in, until you mentioned to change browsers, was with Chrome.

The major change they made recently is that to use the certificate for a free room it must be booked within 30 days after that it becomes just a predetermined discount on a cruise which does not come close to the value of the free room certificate. Example a certificate for a free balcony room is only worth $1,000 towards a future cruise if not used within 30 days.

It really depends who you speak to at Club Royale. On my cruise last September, I received a certificate for a free cruise but didn't use it within 30 days. When I booked my upcoming cruise about six weeks ago for a cruise later this month, the free room offer was honoured.

I'm really torn right now.

 

I have the choice of a ship/class I'd love to go on (Oasis - I've never been on an Oasis class before) with an itinerary that I could take or leave (Eastern Caribbean)

or a boat I've been on before (Explorer) with an itinerary I've always wanted to do (Pacific Northwest).

 

What's the deciding factor for you? What's more important? The ship or the stops?

On our Oasis cruise, the ship was definitely the destination and we loved it. On Explorer last year, it was for the itinerary. We hadn't been to San Francisco in over 20 years and staying on the ship overnight, being able to leave and return whenever we chose, was a real plus. We hadn't been to BC either. It really depends what you're looking for.

Haven't heard of that problem specifically. Try using a different browser and/or private browsing mode.

Changing the browser worked! Thank you!

I get as far as "please read and accept credit card terms", I scrolled down the terms but I don't see any "accept" button and I can't save the information. Is anyone else having this problem?

There are quite a few vegetarian dishes in the Windjammer which generally has the same menu items as the MDR . . . and a lot more choices!

We really enjoyed the hop-on hop-off bus which starts in front of the Fairmont Empress Hotel. We stayed on for the entire ride. It was very informative.

Cruise needs to be booked within 30 days of earning the certificate, and valid for one year.

It is at the discretion of the agent you speak to at Club Royale. Last time I sailed was September, 2016 and I received a free cruise certificate. I booked only a month ago for a cruise next month and received a complimentary balcony room.

Definitely Columbus Cove. The water was bathtub warm when I was there last February.

But if u want your account in Euro is this ok, surely then you won't have any currency conversion ???

 

 

 

All onboard charges are in USD. I suspect you would still be better off having your credit card company doing the conversion from USD to Euro.

Just did online check in for our upcoming Anthem cruise on June 8. I skipped over the credit card part and just clicked "cash" and that's what it says on our SetSail passes - I assume we can change that at check in and put down a credit card then? Can anyone confirm? Thanks.

Make sure that you stipulate that you want your onboard account in USD and you want your credit card company to take care of the currency conversion. RCCL's conversion rate will be even worse than your credit card company's!

I have never had a tax form on a cruise (largest single win only 1.5K :o) so I have no experience with tax forms being given out on a cruise. In Las Vegas, I have had 30% deducted from my winnings and a form issued.

 

Could anyone tell me if US Citizens are given tax forms when they win a jackpot? We are Canadian however a friend has asked about it and he is a US citizen.

 

Thanks

Kathy

On my recent Royal Caribbean cruise from Seattle to San Francisco, I won a jackpot while we were sailing from Oregon to SF. For the first time, 30% tax was withheld. When I questioned the host, he told me that as we were in American waters they had to withhold the tax. I would have thought we were in international waters but there was no use arguing with him. Tax has never been deducted when sailing to the Caribbean. The good news is that, as Canadians, we can recover the tax from the IRS.

My DH loved the Willy Wonka pie served in the Promenade Café on the Explorer. I found one recipe which calls for white chocolate but I don't think that's the RCI recipe. Does anyone have the recipe? I prefer the white chocolate cheesecake pops myself - yummy!

Just back from Explorer last week. When I received my bill at the end of the cruise, a few hundred dollars had been deducted because of my casino play. Is that something new? I don't recall ever receiving a deduction before. I also received a certificate for a free balcony room and some cash back in the casino on the last night.

With all the new rules are you still able to get a cash advance without the 5% charge?

Yes.