SHIP TRAVELER

Thank you for posting this information. We also have a large amount on non refundable OBC with additional refundable OBC from a TA. We see that you were able to get cash directly from Regent the last day for the refundable OBC which answered a big question for us.

On Celebrity you can use OBC (either kind) in the Casino by buying either slot play or table chips. Of course you have to actually gamble through the chips or slot play as the chips/ slot play can't be cashed, only the winnings are cashable. I consider all OBC free money, my accountant DH begs to differ and considers OBC when evaluating the the price of the cruise.

I am new to Regent so this is newbie question. Can OBC be used in the casino on Regent? We usually enjoy playing for "free" in the casino on other cruise lines.

One problem I have seen with HOP ON HOP OFF buses is that when the bus hits its stop by the cruise terminal just after passengers are allowed to disembark the bus is over whelmed. The bus may hold 50 and already be half full while another 50 just off the ship are at the pick up point. I have seen this happen in Palma. If you already have your HOHO ticket either purchased on line direct or through X excursions you are invested and do not have the option of other transportation. This said we have purchased the HOHO ticket for San Francisco on an up coming cruise because it is the cheapest way to get around this hilly city. It is a steep climb from Fisherman's Wharf to Lombard street. I just wanted people to be ready for the bus pick up points to have a crowd so that they will not expect an empty bus to be waiting for their arrival.

I think the trick to click the underlined read more just above the cabin review. That opened the entire review for me but I missed it on my first look. Anyway the full review did open for me.

I think I would agree with you. We are sailing on the Harmony in December so maybe I will get a first hand look then. I am D+ and I do love RCLs drink voucher system, and entertainment. I do not love the smoking casino and all of the kids but it is a trade off between Celebrity and Royal because of the shared loyalty program.

My DH is a retired CPA with a masters in Economics and he still puts up with gambling as an entertainment. I am the one that really gets a kick out of it. He did insist that I learned how to bet smart (conservatively) at craps, how to play basic strategy at Black Jack and how to play Video Poker with the best statistical choices. I don't play slots at all. I am concerned that there will not even be poor payout video poker available in the non smoking casino being proposed. I usually don't play on RCL unless there is a non smoking night. I do play on Celebrity where the entire casino is non smoking and where you can buy credits prior to sailing with a 10% bonus to off set losses. I take advantage of the cancel anytime Blue Chip Casino cruise prices at 60% off. I still don't win but I don't lose any more than it costs to eat in a couple of specialty restaurants.

We loved the Diamond Lounge on the Allure on our cruise is December 2023. It was usually very busy but not packed and this was post voucher. The breakfast and snacks were good and the coffee machine worked. The view off the Aft over the Boardwalk was outstanding. I wish the newer ships had not moved the DL to the basement.

It might. They appear to have made some IT enhancements for buying multiples. I may have just missed it the last time I signed on. But there had been some discussion when it disappeared and I though those people would like to know it was back.

I was surprised when I signed into my cruises and clicked on casino that the slot and table play bonus was available once more. This option has not been available for many months now and suddenly reappeared today. I usually use my OBC prior to sailing to buy some casino credits because i know that I will be doing some gambling in any case. The $5 per $50 helps off set the poor odds on board.

This is an interesting discussion. We were on X Sillie in May. I thought the food in the MDR was good overall. My DH right across the table from me thought it was poor. I ordered chicken, he ordered fish and steak. We both thought the Mast Grill was very disappointing. I love hot dogs and I left this (sausage stick) one on the plate after one bite. I thought the Brit comedian on X was one of the best I have ever seen on a ship. His late night 2nd show was almost packed due the laughs he got on the first show. Craft Social and the expanded Casino bar lounge made it easier to get a drink. We were on the Allure in February. Mama Mia was great. I thought the food was mediocre and we have shown that I am easy to please. The bars in on the Allure were packed, often standing room only. Awful elevator wait time. We have been on a number of cruise since the restart including Princess, RCL and X. They were all better early on even with short staffing because the ships were not jammed with passengers. You could get a seat at the buffet and in the show room. You could get on an elevator easily, often alone. Both the Silhouette and the Allure were full sailings. You could not get a seat in the buffet on either cruise unless you really searched then waited and sat one down to hold the spot before getting your food. The elevators were packed and passed you by many times on both ships. There were long lines to get back on BOTH ships. Passenger space ratio Allure 36%, Silhouette 35% Oceania 46% Seaborne 60% and Regent 60%. Full ships on any main line cruise are now packed. We are looking at the luxury lines with higher space ratios per passenger.

At least that would be a quiet activity that did not disturb everyone else using the area. We have pickle ball in our community and it a loud activity.

Excursion prices are sometimes discounted on line before the cruise but I have never seen them get cheaper on board. We have been sorry we did not book when we tried to get the same price later. That said you can cancel if the price props or if you decide to change your plans (24 hours?). You can use On Board Credit to pay for excursions booked in advance on line if you have any OBC on your account. Enjoy your cruise.

There are people who just don't care but there are also some that are just not aware. I often think the door slammers just don't realize the little effort it takes to shut the door gently. It is like the difference between a business mans flight in a Monday morning compared to a red eye to Las Vegas. Road warriors are much less likely to exhibit rude behavior than those who only fly once every five years. Maybe consideration should be included on the muster drill video along with hand washing.

This option is no longer available before any of our recent cruises. I will keep an eye out after getting on board but I think they have stopped doing this very good promotion.

We went from the Reflection to the APEX in Feb. 2022. We waited forever (over an hour) out side standing for some open seats on a big bus to the airport that dropped us off at the Apex. That said the entire transfer operation was a mess, no one was in charge, there were no buses to load onto, and everyone who had paid go to the airport also waited a long time. We wished that we had just forgotten the "free" shuttle and taken a ride share for under $10 over to the Apex. There were 4 of us. We also wished that we had waited on board longer relaxing and drinking coffee in El Bacio ( or in our case the suite lounge) instead of standing in mob outside. Keep in mind that the doors at the other terminal will probably not be open and you will be standing in another line even if you are in suite. Just a different opinion of the "free" shuttle.

When we were last in LeHarve on Celebrity the port shuttle into town was 5 Euro per person but it covered local transport within the city. We took trams to the beach and around the city before returning to the ship. It was a day pass and worked out well for us.

We called Blue Chip to change cabins on a recent Sunday morning before noon on their main number and got through almost immediately to a human who was able to help us. Maybe just very lucky but worth a try for those frustrated by the long waits. Many may think they are closed on Sundays.

We were on the Allure in February and used the Diamond lounge nearly every day. It was busy at all hours but it was not overflowing. This evidently is a larger D lounge than on most Oasis class ships. The full window views aft over the Boardwalk and Aqua Theater was great. The ship was full and this was one of the few places our group of friends , all Diamond and D+, could get seats together. None of the other lounges had enough seats together for groups and people had to move furniture for happy hour and trivia to sit together in the Schooner bar, Champagne Bar and other venues we tried. All of the bars felt very over crowded. You could forget listening to the Piano Man unless you sent a chair saver very early. The Diamond lounge was great, you could hear people speaking and many played games there during the day. Card Room was always jammed.

I am digging up this thread for a question about the connecting doors. Some videos appear to show the doors connecting in an alcove off the hall. This may only be the case with some of the connecting doors and not others. To anyone that has been in this type of cabin on the Odyssey, was your connecting door inside your cabin on shared wall like in a hotel or was it via an alcove with outer doors that made a vestibule for the two cabins? Thanks for your reply.

Before the Covid shut down we have rented a car in the DFW area and dropped it at Hobby to take the RCL shuttles to Galveston for a Trans Atlantic cruise. At the time it was cheaper to rent a car than for both of us to fly the short hop flight to Hobby. It was easy to find the RCL representative after entering the luggage area. Good signage etc. We just gave a flight number close to our planned arrival time because requiring a flight is stupid. They still get paid for the transfer and you paid for the cruise, so you are customers. The shuttles were in full sized buses, and since it was a repositioning cruise most people flew in one way to Houston. Our complaint was that RCL (or their contractor) made every one of us wait in a congested area with limited seating for the last person to check in. We waited over two hours in the terminal. Even after they decided to board the buses, there was still a long wait because all the luggage had to be loaded on all the buses. There was a lot of buses (8?) lined up. When they were all filled, they all pulled away at the same time and proceeded to Galveston at the same time like a wagon train. This meant they all hit the terminal and unloaded at the same time. This was so stupid in MHO to make those with early flights wait until those with the latest flights and not fill and dispatch each bus as enough people became available. Hopefully, the situation has improved by now. I am only sharing this so that people will pack their patience if they have one of the first flights of the day. On our upcoming TA from Galveston, we will probably be using Galveston Express unless it is a lot more expensive. We have not tried it and know that it may not be any better. I think the RCL transfer would have to better for a regular cruise than it was for a repo cruise in any case.

Just off the Allure. There was a lot of craps action every night but the open table was on the smoking side so we didn't play. Surprised me that the highest denomination in the rack was black with the amount of money spread. We were sailing out of Galveston and a lot Texans are big gamblers inspite of living in a non casino state.

The Summit does have a Spa Cafe that is open for breakfast and lunch with some healthier options. We enjoyed eating there in the morning because there are great sea views. It is included at no extra charge unless you order special items or smoothies.

Thanks for taking your time to give us this detailed report. We leave on the Allure on Sunday and I appreciate it.

It is sort of worrisome that laundry and internet no longer shows on the list for Diamond Plus perks. I am glad to hear that we are still getting the laundry perk because we are looking at a 15 day Trans Atlantic next year.