steveru621

That's not true at all. You can still be assigned your cabin on boarding day.

You don't need the app or even a phone to check in at the pier. Everything can be done without the app. There are two benefits. 1] the process will go slightly quicker, 2] suites or pinnacles might get through the process quicker with shorter lines.

I see your point, but on RCI there is another POV. RCI bartenders are required to use jiggers. My problem is bartenders rarely fill them, and some are worse than others. As you are aware the top of the jigger flares out so if you don't fill them, you don't get a proper pour. It's especially evident with cognac or a shot. There can be a significant difference when I order a double Grand Marnier, a visible difference. I'm just asking for all that I'm paying for.

If you made your request before sailing, I have zero problem. On this sailing, a good friend of ours was just booted from a table she had for two weeks. I can remember checking our table and finding a table for 6 by the window, only to find our table number had moved to a noisy staging area. We have also witnessed passengers moving the numbers on their own and getting caught. I guess after 51 cruises I should have been aware that other passengers were bribing the head waiters for a different table. Do we now have to bribe them to keep our table?

You do realize someone else loses that table? With traditional dining, you are assigned a table number that appears on your seapass. You are both wrong, the passenger and RCI, RCI has changed tables on us before, and I was very angry. We always check our table location when we board. You aren't assigned a table at a restaurant unless you have a large party. It's totally different.

RCI is experimenting with 7:45 late traditional. The 7 PM show has never ended in 45 minutes. The cruise director takes at least 5 minutes, then it takes 5 minutes (at least) to walk the length of the ship. You will be late for 7:45.

I've been in a few GS on Radiance class. I can only remember once hearing chairs being moved. It's the JS under the Windjammer that are a major noise problem.

Starlink satellites are not stationary, but there may be gaps in the number overhead at any one moment. Theoretically, a world cruise would be no different than the Caribbean. This is my first experience with Starlink on Serenade. It's been great. Now if they can just install more WiFi routers.

All bartenders have to use jiggers for the pour. Some will fill and add a dash. Others don't even fill them.

Yes, it's new. It has me a little concerned, but I suspect it won't be followed.

A simple house vodka and tonic are only $10. Titos vodka and tonic is $10.99 then they add 18%. Most simple drinks are only $10.99. When you order drinks with multiple spirits and mixers, that's when you get to $14.

RCI would not be notified it was a stolen card until they did their $99.75 pre-auth. If that was declined, and RCI did nothing shame on them.

It's been my experience that RCI excursion transfers get you to the airport 3-4 hours before their cutoff. Ask shore excurions. They will have a time.

Crew members join the ship in ports all over the world.

Which is what you are doing. The crew has a vested interest in your viewpoint. I they can convince you they get nothing you will tip them even more. What a crew member gets as a base salary is one thing, what they get in gratuities is quite another.

I agree. I guess I wasn't clear that I was referring to the Diamond Club concierge.

I respectfully disagree and stand by my $8. After 20 years of cruising.

Obligatory Gratuities Waiter: $3.75 per day, per guest. Assistant Waiter: $2.15 per day, per guest. Head Waiter: $0.75 per day, per guest. Stateroom Attendant: $5.00 per day, per guest. Suite Attendant: $7.25 per day, per guest. If you are paying gratuities you may want to know how they are broken down and split between the staff members. What is this? Stateroom attendants receive approximately 25% of cruise gratuities paid by guests. Dining room staff receive 43% and the remaining 32% is split between other hotel services. My $8 is based on the average of two passengers in a cabin. $10, with $2 going to support. Someone mentioned they get only 25% of the cabin attendants' gratuity. I don't believe that's true. It's 25% of the total. In either case, you are paying everyone's salary.

With upwards of 500 D, D+, sometimes Pinnacles, it is very difficult to talk with the concierge.

Our first cruise with one-a-day service, on Serenade. The problem, I was not asked if I wanted morning or evening. Left the cabin attendant a note when I hadn't seen him for 24 hours. My preference is mornings if I have to chose. I'm not for or against it yet. Wait and see how the week goes. It's annoying that we are paying more for gratuities with less service. It's probably not true, but it always seems the cabin attendant wants to clean when we are there. We usually wait on the balcony. RCI got really creative calling this a sustainability issue. Complete B.S. Let's see, $8/cabin/day gratuity, times 25 cabins, times 365 days = $73,000/year?

Cabin attendants are not supposed to remove anything from your cabin that is not in the trash can or on the bathroom floor. If they do remove dishes, they are placed outside in the hallway. The carts have no place for dishes. They are picked up by dining attendants.

There is NO DEFINATIVE ANSWER. If you say you know, you don't.

Cabin #1054 has no balcony. We avoided this cabin.

The ships are the same. Go for the itinerary.

There is no need to walk off your luggage if you are not pressed for time.