JezzaC

11 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I agree with you that the price is steep especially considering that everyone in the cabin (other than kids) must buy it.

 

The point I was making though and it’s just my opinion is that I don’t think that Royal ever intended for the no reservations for shows to be a perk.  It was IMO just a screw up in the wording due to one of the trial ships being one that doesn’t take reservations for shows.

 

This unfortunately led to people seeing this as a perk and when they corrected wording to reflect that Oasis and Quantum class ships required reservations then it affected many people who had bought the perk based on what I see as nothing more than incorrect wording.

To be honest I don't really care if Royal screwed up the in the wording or not. I have made the purchase for the Key during the time it was mentioned no reservations are needed for the shows, and it was really clearly stated meaning Aquatheater, Studio B and the Theatre. Now they have changed the text so that reservations are actually needed. So the terms have been changed.

One things which I would expect of getting from Royal Caribbean is an email - telling their new terms and requesting if I still want to keep The Key or not. If they don't send such official notice to me related to terms, I am not going to make any reservations for shows and will want on service on the ship as The Key was sold to me. Royal Caribbean can't expect customers to apply their terms unless the change has been informed to them.

23 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

How do you get priority boarding if you don't prebook?

I meant you don't have to prebook shows any more - you had to when The Key was originally launched.

The Key seems now more appealing when price has been dropped to 19,99 instead of 24,99 - it now also allows priority boarding and shows doesn't have to be pre-booked. Purchased The Key for Oasis TA on April 2019.

14 hours ago, dswallow said:

Wonderland usually lets you go there once as part of a package, and charges a small fee per person ($10 I've heard) if you want to book a second/additional night. I don't recall lunch being an Izumi offering, but I rarely pay much attention to Izumi, and as small as it is on Anthem, could believe that they just wouldn't have the business to support the prep of the food for lunch. 🙂

Had a package on Ovation and went to Wonderland twice - no extra fees. They suggested me to go there only once due to capacity but then I mentioned there isn't any restriction on fine print - so second visit was fine as well.

22 hours ago, sammyreddog said:

 

Thank you!

And I stand corrected, ala carte is 35USD credit, don't know where I remembered 30USD. 🙂

I have had package twice and haven't had issues with the times I wanted for restaurants. I also booked lunches at the same time  - but have to say the restaurants were all pretty empty during lunch so I wouldn't say those are mandatory in that sense. You can book those as well on board if you want to. For a la carte restaurants you receive 30USD credit per meal.

Seems they also selling it after March, since The Key is available in Cruise Planner on Oasis TA April 2019. Not interested in purchasing though. 

can you order anything you want from the menu then?

Yes, however only one main course as mentioned in the SDP terms. You can have as many appetisers and desserts as you want.

It's $10 + 20% gratuity.

 

They will tell you it is 1 app, 1 entree, 1 dessert. Order an extra app if you want. They will probably not charge you (they have never charge us).

 

Recent Getaway information https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2666700

And they are fully wrong on that. Terms and conditions say: "Charges will apply for additional main course orders." - so you can have as many apps and desserts you wish.

Just out of curiousity - where during the online check-in process is it required to put in any "method of payment"? I usually cruise with NCL a couple of times every year, and I have never come across this when checking in online. I am European myself, and some times my cruise is booked through NCL Europe and sometimes through NCL in the USA, but the check-in process is the same in both cases. "Easy-peasy" and done in a couple of minutes, and since I am "registered" all my personal information comes up automatically and the only thing I need to fill out is passport information and emergency contact. I am just wondering if it is more of a "hassle" if it is the first time someone is cruising with NCL and they have chosen to not "register" to MyNCL, and therefore need to put in all information during the check-in process or is it something I am missing here? I have an upcoming cruise next month, and just logged on to check the requested personal information needed to check in online, and I really don't see anywhere where I could (if I wanted to) choose the payment methode for my onboard account.

 

Same when I read about people who have been asked to check a box for expected arriving time at the pier on embarkation day - I have never seen this question on my check-in "form" for NCL.

 

PS: I totally agree with the other posters who say that filling in your credit card information in advance would save you absolutely no time on embarkation day, as the card you choose to use will be on file with all information needed just by them swiping it (which they have to do in either case anyway).

Noticed the same things. I have payment information part on my Bliss cruise check-in but no arrival time request. On Getaway check-in I have option to select arrival time but don't have a part to enter my payment information. Logical. :)

Are you not able to check the box that indicates "Is your billing address same as contact address"?

I am Canadian (we don't have States either) and didn't have trouble entering a credit card

It was faster in Miami because I had entered Credit Card information (not sure what was wrong in Southampton, our checkin was WAY faster than the guests around us)

Yes I am able to select it - however contact information doesn't contain such attribute as State at all. So when it is copied, it doesn't fill anything to the field and information can't be saved. Same issue when not ticking the box - nothing can be selected to the field. I don't know how difficult those forms are to create correctly for NCL.

Have you had an issue with performing check-in online (and being not US customer). Am from Finland and we don't have states. When trying to perform check-in and set payment option, only chance is selecting cash since card payments require state being set and nothing (not even not applicable) can be selected on the website and information has been set as mandatory.

How have you bypassed the issue? Or is the only chance to wait for the actual check in at port and providing card information?

Solarium breakfast is like a mini Windjammer, both hot and cold items.

Thanks - sounds a good option since Windjammer has been quite chaotic when had breakfast there.

 

1. Breakfast was pretty good. My wife said the omelettes in the dining room were amazing. We stuck to Solarium Bistro the rest of the breakfasts.
   

What was the selection for breakfast in Solarium Bistro? Did they have also hot items available?

Thanks for your review! Cruising solo on Getaway on December. Been 3 times solo on Epic and liked it a lot so hopefully Getaway will deliver as well.

Did you check out the thermal spa? Am considering either pass for Vibe or thermal spa and probably will purchase the latter on.

One of my friends was on the new Symphony, and was not allowed to eat in Wonderland as a solo.

Sounds really weird since they take single bookings to all restaurants and even have single supplement and cabins for singles. If that happened to me I would ask manager right away.

I went to Wonderland as a solo. They adjust the portion size based on how many eaters are on the table so I just got smaller portions.

No USB, only 3 closely spaced outlets in the desk. Nothing by the bedside.

 

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Thanks for the information.

Are there USB outlets in the cabin or only the regular power sockets? I assume 2 US sockets and 1 EU socket?

Sailed on Ovation and Jamie's, Chops and Izumi were included for the lunch. Pub wasn't since it was counted as a drinking venue, not dining even though it is under specialty dining in their website.

Was the cost the same?

No, the price for lunch was cheaper.

That might differ based on ships. I was on Ovation and Chops and Jamie's both had exactly same menu for dinner and lunch.

Related to this send a question to RCCL Norway office and they responded that RCCL will follow the credit which was applied when package was booked. So I will get 50 dollars credit in ala carte restaurants. Will print the response with me to the cruise just in case. :)

Taking a screenshot or saving the page as a pdf seems to be the best bet for me in the future as well.

That surely is. I don't know how difficult it can be to add the conditions as well to the Cruise Planner confirmation they send to email anyway after purchase. Would be most easiest thing for everyone.

cruiserke;54331287']I'm in the same boat' date=' as it were, in that back in August I purchased our ultimate dining package for our Ovation o/t Seas cruise in January 2018.

 

The package was purchased when the T&C still stated a $50 credit would be given in à la carte restaurants so to get clarification whether the new updated $35 would apply to us even though we booked under previous, better T&C I sent a question via Royal's website at https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/contactUsOnline.do

 

The reply I received, in writing stated that:

 

This reply came from the Australian Cruise Administration department, to which I guess my question was forwarded because my cruise is in Australia and booked on the .com.au site. I've left out in the quote above the contact details of the person who replied but it's a confirmation by Royal Caribbean and I plan to print this reply and take it with me on our cruise, so I can show it when we are dining à la carte and get the $50 credit each we are entitled to.

Also going Ovation from Australia. Luckily have taken screenshot when I made the booking. Seems that thing is clear and will also get 50USD worth credit in ala carte.