celoplyr

1 hour ago, badattitude said:

THANK YOU, EASY ENOUGH

yeah, they actually make it pretty easy.  When  you print out your set sail pass (or have it on your phone) look for the "DX" which means deluxe drink package. They'll know you have it, so you can use it.  

1 hour ago, karenor said:

I'd like to project content from my phone or computer to the TV in my stateroom. Is there a shop on board, or in port,  that sells cables and possibly converters? Of course I have lots at home, but might splurge on one to enjoy on the cruise if I can track down such a thing. Doubting I can "borrow" one from staff. Or borrow from a fellow cruiser (we're sailing right now, departed on the 26th) (where on here to ask?). Thank you!

We'd all like to do that, it's not as easy at it seems.  You could probably find a cable in a port, but figuring out how to get to the source is a lot trickier than you think, as RCL has purposely shut those buttons out of their remote.  I'd suggest you figure out how to get to the HDMI source before buying a cable.

I can't imagine how devastated I would be in your shoes. I am so very sorry for your loss.

No of course you can't load the money onto the casino (limit of $500 per 24 hours) and use it, or cash it out immediately... Why would you think such a question... /s

I will say that my dad got in trouble because the machine didn't print out the tickets so he was like $1000 in for the day, and he didn't spin the slots at all, and they banned him from the casino because they expect you to play "at least 10% of the money"...However, that's to start, so spin 50 times on a $1 pull and whatever you win can be cashed out as well. And they won't know unless you need their help.

4 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Did you ask the bartenders if they could make them?

 

If they have the ingredients, they will be happy to make them.  Even if they have to run to a kitchen to get something.  I have had the pool bar bartenders run into WJ for real sugar to make caipirinha.

 

They usually make them with simple syrup, which is NOT the same as being made with sugar.

I did and they looked at me funny. I think it's because the original was made with a real kiwi and that's no longer being stocked.

I feel like I've seen Spanish language compasses on itineraries that leave from FL as well, but you had to search for them a bit.  You'll be able to request spanish speaking waiters (I think).  They have people from all different countries so they do handle this frequently.

they used to make a kiwi one before the restart and that was amazing... The number one thing I'm mad at is that they switched their bar menu around during the pause and so everything that I was looking forward to (kiwi caipininhas, my dad's nutty scotchman, raspberry collins) are gone.  So when I got back on board... waa waa.

I like the idea of not allowing people to sit next to each other so the groups get mixed.  I would also only have a "kids" table if the kids were old enough to be able to eat by themselves (like >3? 5? some age like that) and the fear of the meanest parent was instilled in them.  I remember being a pre teen at the kids only table, and we got into some mild trouble, and I was a really good kid.  It might also depend on ratio of kids to adults.

Also, set time dining so you have the same tables each time. Good plan. Good luck- I did a family cruise with 6 and I was ready to never do that again after the week!! And I was the youngest at 38!

If I were you, I'd buy the drink package (as people say, I always have it as 4 drinks per day above the free drinks).

Personally, we drink a LOT of caffeine free, diet soda.  So we only buy the soda package on ships with the Freestyle machine, but as you can't get a freestyle cup without the soda package, we will always get the soda package (at least). 

21 hours ago, Katems75 said:

Please tell me more about the Everglades tour!  Where would I find this?  I am on Harmony in May if that makes any difference.  So the tour stores your bags and then after the tour they take you and the bags to the airport?

I found it as a shore excursion of the last day. They usually have a couple for this exact instance.

21 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

It's not a funicular (i.e. the capsule "hanging" in the air), it is a cable car which runs on tracks.

 

And I'm very curious about the excursion which takes you down with the bus......😕

Actually a cable car wouldn't be as bad as I thought. I thought it was a car on a cable... like a furnicular. So we will ok either way!

2 hours ago, Katems75 said:

Okay, thank you everyone.  This is only my second cruise and I had heard the port was near the airport and so I was hoping there was a chance.

 

Since I will be stuck there until at LEAST 3pm as that's the next flight time possible, is there anything I can do with my luggage so I'm able to at least walk around and explore before heading to the airport?  I'm just not sure what we will DO with all those hours (and luggage).  A cheaper flight leaves at 6pm, but again...what on earth do we do between say 8am and 2pm?

We had a choice between 10:30 and then 5 and 8... We chose the 10:30 and then the schedule went to 10am so we couldn't make it with checking a bag and not moving very fast. Now we are on a 5pm.

We are taking an everglades tour from RCL since we've never done that in all our time in Miami, and I'm excited. They'll take the bags and then drop us off at the airport. We might be at the airport longer than I'd like (I'm guessing they'll drop us off around 1... and I like 30 minutes at the gate only) but at least we won't be there all day.

On 10/28/2022 at 2:38 PM, vegas7df said:

The excursion we took last week, we took the bus up and back down. We did not have to take the cable car or walk down. 

Oh, what excursion was that? That's perfect (and I think I picked one that would do that, if it's a possibility)

Ah, thanks guys.  Maybe I just don't tell them, right? I can totally play dumb.

They're my parents, so they're older.  Mobility is good, but the walk down would tax that ability in ways that would not be healthy. They're scared of heights, have never done a furnicular, hate waiting, and this is the number one issue we have (so far) on a 2 week cruise. But it's Santorini and we love photography.  We have to get off the ship and see it!

I'm traveling with some people on a Holy Land Cruise next year on the Odyssey and we are going to Santorini- which I'm super excited about.  However, looking at the port of call boards, and everything else, it mentions that you have to take the cable car (or donkey or walk) up and down the mountain.  However, I see buses on google maps. So... for an RCL excursion specifically, do they load up the buses and you can avoid the cable car? Or is it still the cable car up and down the mountain? If it's excursion dependent, can you help me figure out which excursions to look for, or how to tell the difference?

The people I'm going with are threatening to stay on the ship because of everything they've heard about this cable car, so I'd be willing to do a ship excursion (at almost any price) to get them to experience Santorini at least once in their life!

My parents were all like "oh we will never go on that ship", but I think we will hold off true judgement until travel agents and youtube people get on board, and we can really see what it's like.  They emphasized the "new" stuff, and not all of it excites me, but I do like the slides, and I never really spend time at the pool (it's always crowded).

I do love the LNG aspect btw...

16 hours ago, brillohead said:

Screenshot this:

 

Of course not! They would never let you do this...

Be very quiet, don't tell them, it's polite to run through some slot plays (10% is their request), and if you don't get a ticket, don't keep "cashing out" (my father may have not followed all of these rules).  He did get banned from the casino, but all the other times this is the way.

I feel like I have to remind people (because I worked with these guys) that ETL certification is the same as UL certification... UL has a set of guidelines per thing, and they just test to that certification (as does Intertek with the ETL certification... and ETL is cheaper! So much cheaper!!)

Rhapsody already has a schedule up- they're doing full transit and it's basically return and leave from Panama City. I'm already booked- and quite excited!

Interesting, it says you're required to wear a KN95 mask for the entire tour when I saw it (thanks for the heads up btw!).

MAIN DINING ROOM! They have a super special (very yummy) menu on the holidays, and there's nothing exciting in Chops/150 CP to make it worth the extra. I would go to 150CP on a different day.  I always remember the fried brie appetizer in the main dining room, and my mom loves the turkey dinner.  

There's a crab benedict on the last debarkation morning breakfast at the key. Is that acceptable substitute? It would be an expensive breakfast though!

A solo gets 2x points, and then another +1point/night for JS.  Per person. Making diamond is also the best tier (so far) because it comes with the drinks!

On 7/21/2022 at 6:20 AM, mj_holiday said:

Thank you for your reply. 

 

I meant Zambia as the second country we will be in , probably on a tour from Victoria Falls Hotel.  Will USD work there also?

I paid in USD in Zambia in 2016.  Bring nice notes, especially if you're from the US, as the people in Zimbabwe can't get replacement notes- I traded their notes for mine. You'll see how worn out they are!

As a note, Zambian side of the falls felt so much more isolated than the Zimbabwe side. 

My first cruise was a Carnival 4 night cruise in 2009 when you still had assigned seating (and our table mates were a disaster, probably because they didn't like us) and I traveled with my ex husband in the worst room on the ship, no shore excursions, no paying for drinks, etc.

We still went again on a 7 night NCL cruise (dubbed the cruise from hell, don't go on a cruise in an inside room while deciding if you want a divorce).

And then we divorced.

And then I convinced my parents to go on a cruise with me over Xmas.  They had never been.  My father did not want to go.  This was 2015, and I got to pick, so I picked the Jewel out of San Juan doing the Southern Caribbean (I don't like lazy vacations).  My father hated probably every minute until we got on the ship and he went to the Windjammer, and he was hooked! He loves buffets. At the end of the cruise he was willing to go back but "could we do the Jewel again and the same room?" Same room wasn't an option, but one room over was.

Now almost the whole family is diamond, we've done 4 Caribbean cruises, 3 Alaska cruises, 1 Mexico cruise, some of us went to Cuba, and we have 3 cruises planned including a Holy Land 13 day cruise, a 7 night Panama Canal cruise and just another ABC island cruise.  It's become easy for us to all go together. We pack too much, eat too much, and really enjoy it.