95south

As long as the OBC shows up in your cruise planner then you can use it to pay for anything that is available to purchase in the cruise planner.

 

OBC from your travel agent does not show up in your cruise planner.

Excellent point!

Interesting, every one of those was from a cruise May 2018.

Yeah, I was reading these "reviews" and I'm suspicious of most of them, specifically the accounts that were create 2018 with 1 review. They're not reviews but more bitching about "$3.00 water" and things like that that I don't consider a review. Also, the one post that stated " The announcement came on the loudspeaker making emphasis on the fact that you need to give more money (gratuity) for the service you received". I've been cruising since the Old Rotterdam and I've NEVER heard that type of announcement nor any announcement other than an emergency ones in the MDR.

My understanding is that the 18% automatic tips on drinks is pooled. Anything you give to bartender over the 18% is pooled. Anything you give to the bar server over the 18% is kept individually.

OK thanks Bob. So the drink package 18% is pooled for all bar tenders and the guys hustling on deck are part of the 18%. I would be more inclined to then keep a few bucks in my pocket to give to the guy hustling on deck since he's providing me a service and I'm not waiting at the bar which sometimes is 4 deep! Kind of like the room service people, I always tip them in cash.

I would suggest you park at the port. Bayonne is an urban industrial area and frankly I would not park my car ANYWHERE in that area with out it being in a secured lot. The port is way out on a man peninsula that's heavily guarded by port security and police. Just pay the $20.00 a day for a piece of mind that you're car will be present when you get off the ship.

People on CC are generally cool and if you see someone cruising on the ship you need just ask them and maybe they could pick one up for you and you can pay them for it. I was on Freedom in 2010 and picked one up to add to my collection and a guy came in after me and bought up like 20 of them! Apparently this is something people do and resell them on Ebay. I think I paid $45 for the ship but I've seen the exact same one on Ebay going for $300.00!! I would suggest people who want to buy them get them on day one as they do tend to sell out.

(y)

People laugh but no seriously...DO IT! LOL!! It's so nice people put out a fresh towel at 7am for you! I'm sure it would be fun watching them explain to the towel scanning guy "I put out my towel at 7am but when I came back at 1pm to use the chair the towel was gone!?".

RCI is really steering people to use a travel agent. I stopped booking with RCI years ago and go through a TA. I get better room rates as well as stateroom credits to spend on the ship. RCI will absolutely book you the cruise but don't expect anything extra unless they're running some sort of special. I've also never heard of a "cruse consultant". That might be RCI lingo for the person who books your cruise. Kind of like Disney has cast members not employees.

The service charge is the gratuity. No additional tips necessary when ordering drinks when you have a package.

People tend to sometime forget that gratuity is included. You give them your card to charge the drink, it comes back something like "Rum runner...........0.00 Total 0.00, Tip____". I think people (in the US) fell obligated to fill in that tip amount because they're so used to it. If I get the package that 18% built in gratuity is not a bad tip. Drink cost $12.00 Tip is $2.16. This leads me to a question, Does the bar tender who makes your drink get the tip or is it pooled? Or if you get a drink from a pool side steward is that tip split?

The towel scan thing is something they (all) started about 10 years ago. It's a pain but I totally get why they do it! I can't imagine how many nice beach towels went missing on every cruise. Seriously, I bet back then every suite case had at least one stuffed in it.

Your dining room will be assigned, you only have to pick the time. The menu (which changes nightly) is the same in each dining room.

Thanks for the quick reply Bob!

So, on the Anthem if you set your dining time for 5:30 but the MDR's are Grande, Icon,Silk, and Chic.

Do you have to reserve at each and if you do where's that done at? So embarkation you want to eat at Grande, Day 2 Icon, Day 3 Silk, Day 4 Chic.

Thanks for the info!

I know Carnival has a private are on Vista and Horizon called the Havana but does any other cruise line offer a private area like this Where the number of guest are limited to those who book that particular stateroom category?

The Haven is not private. What do you mean by private?

Hi everyone,

 

I would be curious to get your opinions regarding the selection of background music on-board the various cruise lines. This includes the pre-recorded music on your stateroom televisions, in the hallways, at the pool, etc. This does NOT include any form of live music, such as piano bars, bands at the pool, and such.

 

Information that would be specifically helpful:

 

Type of music you've heard around the ship (name ship please!)...frequency of repeats on stateroom TV music channels...too loud, too soft, just right...whether or not the music is appropriate to the environment...general opinions...how important properly selected music is to your cruise/vacation experience.

 

If you'd like to hear any changes to what is currently available, please feel free to jot them down as well.

 

Thanks!

Adam

You sound like someone who works for a cruise line or a company that provides the music and are fishing for free info from the members of cruise critic for your service.

Attached is a photo of the balconies on a cruise ship.

Sunny day, calm seas. Look at all the people enjoying their balconies.

Balcony is absolutely worth it if you use it! We travel with others and have the steward open the dividers and create a mega balcony. I spend more time on the balcony than the sun deck. It's private,relaxing, and quiet. I've been next to people who have a balcony and I swear they never ever used it. If you don't use it you're wasting your $$$$.

Here's a thread topic that people might want to talk about. Do you buy jewelry in the Caribbean, if so where do you go, and "today at 2pm your cruise director will be talking about where Royal Caribbean recommends buying jewelry at (insert Caribbean port here)". I've seen people who say they got good deals and at the other end people with absolute horror stories.Lets here what you got to say!

You go on a cruise to see who is and who isn't on their electronic devices....get a life!

You might want to read the original post to see what this thread is about before you post your childish tantrums. You make your self look ridiculous and uninformed.

Why does the poster have to "back it up" and why to you?

Why? Why not? This is a thread about why would you get the wifi package and what do you use it for not a thread to tell people they're comments are "ridiculous". That (like your comment) contributes noting to the discussion.

This is a ridiculous assumption.:o

If your going to comment like that how about backing it up with why you think it's ridiculous?

THAT was funny!!!!!:D:D:D:'):'):')

 

If you have a copy of it and show them then they will follow it. You just have to know enough were to find it.

Put me in the disconnect completely category. I even bring a wrist watch so I have no need to carry my phone.

 

My manager still thinks there's no Wi-Fi at sea. I tell them I'll be off the grid for the week so don't call, email or text. They're not cruisers so they're clueless. LOL!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Forums mobile app

First and foremost go birds! What you said I believe is very important regarding work.I'll be off the grid for the week so don't call, email or text!!

Though you're likely to see my head buried in my phone while I'm sitting on the sundeck, I'm not using wifi. I preload a bunch of books on my Kindle app before a cruise. A lot more space efficient than stuffing physical books in my suitcase.

 

I'm with you, OP. I avoid the internet like the plague when I'm on a cruise. I'm on vacation to get away from people contacting me - I'm certainly not going to seek that contact out!

I'm all for loading books on a tablet and I do see people reading from kindles which is great.

People are absolutely addicted to social media and the device it's self. With some, no wifi is like a smoker who has a pack of cigarettes but no lighter..

I'm getting that people (today) have an inherent need to be constantly connected. In some cases not being connected in it's self causes stress. Others feel that having an instant connection with family and friends makes them feel good and some just turn it off and forget about it until they depart the ship. There is no wrong answer it's just interesting to see why people get the package.

OK, this is a question I think a lot of people would like to discuss! People now are connected 24x7 to the world. Be it social media or work. It's now too easy to be contacted but in some cases, that's a good thing. I see more and more people on cruises with their face buried in a smart phone or a tablet posting to Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. To me (maybe I'm getting old.. ugh) a cruise is a time to cut off contact from the world and enjoy a relaxing time in a lounge chair with a drink and letting the stress of your real life melt away for a precious few day.

My question is why do you get the WIFI package and what do you do with it?

Just wondering...why can't you just go to Labadee and enjoy the beach, lunch, and sun and leave the wifi on the ship???

The one big reason I go on a cruise is to disconnect from the outside world. Turn phone off, lock it in safe, go get a coconut Mojito and relax. I do take it in port in case of emergency but it's off in my pocket. This would make a great discussion topic!