oviedo45

On 1/20/2020 at 12:45 PM, The Grumpus said:

Clearly you were not on the New Year's sailing a couple weeks before yours.  That sailing was packed w/passengers and saving pool chairs was alive and well, and saw no enforcement of the rule.  It was a hot week too so pool use was at a maximum.

I was on Mariner Dec 20 - 23 and deck chair saving was alive and well - and so were the nice beds/popason ? chairs in the solarium.  No one enforced it and people left bags - I watched because I wanted one of those beds - one sat for over 3 hours - I was next to it.  but they had a paperback book, a bag and towels so no one bothered it.  I'm planning to just move stuff or get an RCCL person to do it in March if I don't see anyone coming back after 15 minutes or so....

On 10/5/2018 at 7:01 AM, Slugsta said:

As others have indicated, there is little 'enjoyment' on the last morning of a cruise! Crew who have, hitherto, been only too pleased to help are too busy to care, shops and bars are closed and public areas are packed with passengers - + hand luggage - waiting to disembark.

I agree with this - our last Christmas time cruise on RCCL - we decided to hang back a bit - had a nice breakfast in the MDR - then went up to Windjammer for snacks - our luggage had already been taken.  The lines were ridiculously long - and then one of the boarding vestibules would not hook up so all the passengers had to be routed out to the one that was working.  People were so upset - it was terrible.  I don't like all those lines so when I go in March (same ship) I'm not going to get in line - we are going to go sneak up to the Viking lounge and hang there until the absolute last minute. 

Another thought - you can order liquor to be delivered to your room as a gift.  I have bought drink packages on most of the last 9 RCCL cruises but this next one on Mariner (Friday to Monday) I am going to try this out and bring my wine and see how it goes - probably going to regret it since we are celebrating a 21st bday.  I've done spreadsheets on the last 4 and I have not drank enough to cover the overall costs and also, ended up bringing unopened wine home since I had it for "free" with the package. 

Just now, legaljen1969 said:

I am on Brilliance for Christmas week, and mine has gone up and down at least 4 times in the last 2 weeks.  I last locked in at $52 pp/day.  It has been between $56 and $65 for well over two months now.  I just check in the morning and the evening. If it goes below $52 pp/day I will cancel and rebook. I would LOVE to get it for a little less but I am not too hopeful.  

Your prices will probably go up and down too quite a few times.  It may even change 2-3 times in one day.  They are crazy.

 

It's at $65 with a banner that says buy one get one 50% off which is shown (no discount off of the 65) so I will keep trying - thanks

Just now, legaljen1969 said:

It never really is BOGO.   Just know that whatever the price says for a given day is the price you will pay "per person per night."   Don't pay any attention to what the sale says or the banners say.   The price it says is the price you pay.

Yes, I've learned to just put it in the cart and go from there.  I'm still surprised at the price jump - I'm going on the exact same ship so I guess I will play the waiting game - thanks all

I like the drink package for the bottled water as well as the alcohol.  I'm watching the cruise planner now for packages - they have a buy one get one 50% off on one of my cruises but it's still about $100 more than the buy one get one I booked a few months ago on this years cruise.  I'm also going to check out Black Friday in case there is a deal. 

I booked my RCCL Christmas Cruise (pre-Christmas) for Dec 20, 2019 - Mariner of the Seas - in July - as soon as the drink package had the buy one get one 50% I bought it.  So $185/per person (cabin).

I usually check to see if any new sales come up and was looking at my March 2020 cruise - same ship - and now it is "on sale" at $65/day - advertised as buy one get one free - total price two people $460.  (Note, the same price is now displayed on my December cruise ).  Did I miss an announcement of a price increase?  I've never paid more than $55/day for drinks packages - and have been on 2 cruises the past 3 years. 

Also, my RCCL guy let me know the March cruise dropped in price over $300 and the December 2020 cruise on Harmony went up $700.  Glad I locked them in and appreciate that he checks pricing for me and advises when there has been a drop. 

I just checked my Harmony cruise planner - 2020 cruise - $399 for the cabana.  I thought I saw a thread where the cabana was $125?  That is a lot IMO. 

Just now, goldfish65 said:

Sorry if this has been covered already. We are newbies, my sister and me...questioning the value of unlimited dining on a 14 day T/A cruise,  $279 which works out to $20/day including gratuity, when there are just the three specialty restaurants, and I feel we will want to dine in the main dining room quite a bit as well. Thank you.

 

I'll go ahead and ask another question, I feel we will want the unlimited drinks package too, for the specialty coffee and better non-alcoholic drinks, as well as cocktails, and we drink beer liberally, but at $700 each plus 18% grat, has it been worth it to other cruisers? I do like the idea of the convenience and not having to think of the balance of our bar tab. Thank you! 

I have never done such a long cruise - mostly 4-5 cruises but my 2020 cruise is 7 nights and I too am considering the dining package but I really enjoy the MDR - and I believe you can order Chops steaks for an upgrade fee so to save that money I probably won't get it.  I have done both the bar tab and unlimited drinks - I prefer the package so I don't have to worry about it and can use my OBC to help cover the cost of the package.  I did a spreadsheet and between bloody mary's/ mimosas at breakfast - beers and frozen drinks by the pool, wine with dinner,  etc I am usually ahead with the package.  Now I am considering ordering the gift liquor on the short cruise I am thinking about in a few months to see how that works out. 

Just now, Host Clarea said:

 

Yes, just a couple of weeks ago.

Thank you ! It will be our first time on this one - we've been on Monarch, Majesty and Enchantment

Did Mariner move to Port Canaveral?  I am showing it's leaving from this port on my December cruise I am contemplating - Thanks

11 minutes ago, mickey16 said:

Walkie talkies! We used them on the last cruise since we had a big family with multiple rooms, and it was awesome! It even worked when part of the group got off the boat and stayed near the port. I was able to chat with them and meet up off the boat when my daughter was done with her nap one  of the days.

I saw many families with walkie talkies - we also set up a designated meeting place (the library) if any of our kids got lost and we couldn't find them - they would go to the library and wait there and we would get them.  You can designate any spot - it is just the point of them knowing if they become separated from you they should to go this point. You will know they are lost because you can't find them.  It always worked for us. 

Just now, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

You'll want to check the pricing periodically....as the Coco Cay cabana prices bounce up and down from time to time...and catching the low pricing is a matter of perseverance.

Thanks I am the queen of low price shopping - waiting for my drinks package to go on sale too. 

On 5/18/2019 at 6:32 AM, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Well said. When the price is $62/person for a cabana of 6 people that includes a full day on a sandy Caribbean island with the Water Park admission (which would be $39 or more in and of itself), unlimited bottled water, access to any towels needed, convenient access to all the water park activities and free food, a cabana attendant, and a base camp for the entire island with shade on a sunny island...it quickly becomes a no-brainer as far making the choice.

That's about the best explanation I have read regarding the cabana's - I may have to consider that for Harmony December 2020 - Thank you.

We did the chefs table June 2018 on Enchantment - we were checking out our table in the MDR and he was standing outside the special area which we assumed was reserved - we snuck in taking pictures and told him how pretty it was and we got it for 50% off (he chose the date) my DD was not 21 so she had a sparkling soda in her champagne glass but they gave me her wine -it was very well done I’m both a foodie and a bit of a wine snob - the chef explanations and the use of native ingredients were a highlight. Also she has a severe nut allergy and they handled this extremely well. I’m not sure I would pay full price as that’s quite a lot and I’ve read some ships don’t have the beautiful space that enchantment has. The specialty wine glasses are nice - not Reidel but a high quality crystal

On 5/13/2019 at 10:19 AM, SRV FAN said:

If you can get the Deluxe Beverage package online at a discount.... (say $49.99)… and the onboard regular price is $63 (which I have seen)..... then you will save a "few" dollars per day, per person. But waiting to buy it onboard, you are talking a chance of it NOT being cheaper (or at least the same price) than you can buy online. I'm the "play it safe" kinda gal... so I'll purchase online. The only way (to me) that it'd be good to wait til onboard is if the package is NOT on sale online pre-cruise.  

I am on Harmony December 2020 - western caribbean and the cruise planner shows $57 so far - I've got to get 2 so is it better to wait until you are onboard and hope they offer buy 1 get second at 50% off or just watch the price for the 20-30% off sales (of the onboard price which I know is more than the cruise planner price).  This is my 9th RCCL cruise and have been purchasing the package for the past 4 years - always online so I can pay up front when I catch the sale.