ace1zoe2

We're on Wonder 1/28 and have booked dining packages but see no way to pre-book reservations yet. Since it's the test ship I'm hoping we get to book early.

These are the itineraries I was waiting for as well.

Yes, in the past as long as you were booked prior to the increase date you got the original gratuity. Now they want it up front. We have cruises booked thru the end of 2024 but I'm not about to give them all the grats up front for the next 8 cruises.

If you want to pre-pay at the current rate you can do so but it has to be before 11.11.2023. After that it will be at the new rate. We have always pre-paid but with the once a day service now, this second increase in 13 months is making me consider otherwise.

Last increase was Sept 2022, before long it will be a bi-annual event.

At one time when My Time Dining first started it was required to pre-pay gratuities. It still says that on their website but they no longer charge upfront.

I agree. Just put it in the total and be done with it.

I wish they would just make it a mandatory service fee so everyone paid the same. If you want to give more give it. I just see all the people that say they take off gratuities... period... and tip nothing. However, there are a lot that say they remove and tip only the people that they see. We do both. Pre-pay tips and tip extra to room steward and anyone that goes above and beyond to help us.

Just received an email that gratuities are increasing $2 per person per day effective 11.11.2023. You can pre-pay prior to that date for any future cruises to avoid the increase. I know tipping is a hot topic but if everyone would just pay their part the ones that do what the cruise line suggests wouldn't take the hit for everyone.

We have 3 different ones, the first was at least 5 years ago. We only ever received 1 total, not one for each person. I don't think this is a new policy.

On a previous cruise the Cruise Director told us in a Q&A session that they hold 20% of all seats back to be booked on board. Even then if you miss out there is a standby line that most everyone gets in. People make plans, forget about them, get busy doing other things, forget to cancel, etc. Plus there are multiple showing. You will get in.

Hubby and a friend who went, both in inside cabins, were upgraded for free to hump balconies about 6 months ago. First time ever, in 35+ cruises, he's received any upgrade with out paying or bidding on Royal Up. No clue as to why. He just noticed his cabin number changed one day when looking at the app. He was mad because he had selected a midship cabin and thought they had moved him to a lower deck at the front. When we looked up the deck plans he was pleasantly surprised to be midship on the hump. I'm sure that was a once in a lifetime thing and it will never happen again for us.

In lieu of the offered itineraries you may apply the "trade in value" to any cruise of your choice. Call Casino Royal booking, tell them the cruise you want, then the offer number. The fare will be reduced by the trade in value.

We were on Navigator in June out of LA. On night 6 about 3-4am it started with one name announced. Then 15 minutes later a more urgent announcement, then 15 minutes later again, and again. Around 60-90 minutes later a new name was announced along with the first and every 15 minutes. The entire ship was awakened, passengers and crew as well. Next day at the Captain's Corner that was the first question asked... what the heck was going on. Captain advised that a parent reported their teen never came back to the cabin. They had searched every where they new to look. Staff was looking in all public spaces. Once the announcements started and woke everyone, another cabin figured out their kid was also not in the cabin. Not sure if the kids were hiding at this point and to scared to report to Guest Services Immediately as instructed or what. The captain apologized and said he understood how everyone felt about being awaken and the non-stop announcements but that kids were involved and they were doing everything they could to find them. He said that we were literally a few minutes away from every single cabin being searched to see if someone was holding them. Another question was how were they punished. Captain said if today had not been a sea day and we would have ported, the entire family of each would have been put off the ship to find their way home. Since it was a sea day he had not choice but to allow them to finish the sailing. It was a miserable night for everyone. Especially the poor crew who were up all night and then still had to report to their jobs for the full time without sleep.

If you use your Sea Pass card in the slot machines it just shows as a room charge. No fee.

This true, however, they can and will reprice the cruise at current pricing. Our friend tried this and her cost was going to increase by about $600 so she chose the no-show with single points.

It's been at least a year or more since they updated the no-show points policy. It is on the FAQ on their website. It specifically states that you only receive double points if you were originally booked as a solo.

We have cruised over Halloween 3 times now. They decorate the night before. On Halloween evening lots of people, and some crew, dress up. They have a costume contest or parade. Twice there was a flash mob who danced to Thriller. The kids made masks during the week at kids club. The next day it was like it never happened... all the decorations were gone.

A friend who is onboard said they heard (couldn't confirm) that one of the ice skaters had a pretty severe broken leg.

Are you meaning Slot Pull that is organized by a fellow cruiser? Or do you mean an actual Slot Tournament put on by the Casino?

Those are the few times that i've had them off, for cleanings & check for needed repairs.

I never take my wedding/engagement rings off. In 43 years I may have removed them 10 times total for various reasons. Otherwise I wear them 24/7/365.

This came up in a FB group and several people posted they had indeed tried this in the past and when they boarded the ship they wouldn't allow the BOGO coupon to be applied to the lesser price booked online. If they wanted to use the offer they had to get refunded for the meal then recharged at onboard pricing.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/how-much-does-perfect-day-at-cococay-cost

Very surprising. We found out at the end of the tour that the women and teenage boy that were sent back to their cabin to change were the wife and son of the 2nd captain who we met on the bridge tour. They sent a total of 3 people back to change into long pants and put on closed toed shoes.