pattle66

Hotel Regina just off the Placa Catalunya has rooms that take 4 people and depending on when you book (how far in advance) / when you stay, should come in around or under $1000 for 3 nights including breakfast. It's so convenient for exploring Barcelona. We have stayed there previously and are staying there again for 3 nights shortly before our Med cruise.

Hotel Regina looks lovely and within budget. It is now on our short list. Thank you for your recommendation.

We always stay at Citadines Barcelona Ramblas, a full service apartment hotel right on the Ramblas and also behind the Ramblas. It has been fully renovated. Location very convenient, 5 minutes from Catalunya square, the Boqueria market, Gothic quarter etc. Right in front of a large Carrefour supermarket. Full kitchen facilities and dishwasher, but we always eat out.

Many restaurants nearby. We just booked with 30% discount because of the 30th birthay of the company, by joining their loyalty program. Check the promotions on http://www.citadines.com. Good luck!

Thank you for the reply Celly. I had discounted this apartment because the kids would have to sleep on the sofa bed. Did you use the sofa bed, was it comfortable? I love this for location though.

I should add that I would prefer to pay under $1000 for the 3 nights.

As a family of 4 not many of the hotels can accommodate us in 1 room with a double and 2 single beds so I have started to look at apartments. Some of them look lovely and are reasonably priced.

Can anyone recommend what area we should be basing ourselves in Barcelona for easy access to restaurants and attractions. We will be staying 3 nights.

Any apartment recommendations that are suitable for a family of 4?

Thank you in advance, any help is appreciated.

We will be diamond for our upcoming cruise also :D:D

We have used the balcony discount and look forward to the use of the Diamond Lounge!

We have had blue bags and crayola pencil thingies in the past. We were not diamond on those cruises but we will be o the next cruise!

Our next cruise will be our first as Diamond and I am looking forward to using the perks. I am getting concerned we may not be able to use the DL during happy hour because we are traveling with our children (aged 9).

What time is the happy hour? I hope it overlaps with Adventure Ocean hours if kids can not come with us to the DL. We do not let our kids wander around the ship on their own.

We have travelled on Rhapsody as a family of 4 in an inside cabin. We had bunk style beds, not a double bed. We have also sailed her in a balcony cabin and had double bed, 1 Pullman over the head of the double and the sofa bed. I don't think you can have a double in an inside when traveling with a 3rd and 4th passenger.

Happy cruising!

Thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping that would be the case and I am sure that is what the Loyalty Ambassador onboard had told us too.

We purchased a Next Cruise Certificate while onboard a cruise at the end of last year. Recently we assigned a Pacific Island Cruise to the the booking for early next year. We have now decided to go to the UK this year to visit family and have decided to cruise the Med while we are over that way.:D I asked the RCI rep if I could change the Next Cruise Booking to the Med cruise and I was told that was not possible. I would have to cancel the booking and the deposit would be refunded and I create a new booking for the med cruise.

I have booked b2b cruises for the med and paid full deposit :eek:. I still have my reservation for the Pacific Island cruise which has the OBC attached to it. Am I right in thinking I should be able to amend the Next Cruise Booking if final payment date hasn't passed. I can't find anything on the RCI website. I'm a bit annoyed at losing the OBC but I don't think I could persuade hubby to take the Pacific Island cruise as well...

I agree with RebaccaLouiseagain. We have been on a few longer cruises and these tend not to attract a party crowd. Alcohol is still served but it is rare to see drunken behaviour.

We register for My Time Dining now we have kids. This is great for us as sometimes the kids eat in the Windjammer and then head to Adventure Ocean leaving my husband and I to eat in the MDR at a leisurely pace. If we all eat together we can book for an earlier time in the MDR. We have never had any issues just turning up to the MDR without a booking and not had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table.

We have been on Rhapsody a number of times around Australia and New Zealand and there were never any excursions for kids without parents. Our kids love Adventure Ocean and they have stayed on board while we did an RCI excursion.

We hit Diamond on the second leg of a B2B and did not see any additional benefits. We are looking forward to our first cruise as Diamond members in November this year. :D:D

I hope they do not do away with any of the perks before we set sail :eek:

My husband and I have left our children on the ship while we have been on an excursion. The children are checked in to AO and do not have sign out privileges. It is a family holiday and if the kids want to stay and play with their friends instead of coming with us then we consider it. We only consent if we are booked on an RCI excursion and we do not think the excursion would be of benefit to the kids.

I trust the Adventure Ocean staff will look after my children much in the same way I expect school staff to look after my children during school hours.

Thank you so much for your information. It has been a great help.

Thanks for posting.

We will be staying a night in Singapore in November on our way to Venice and again on our way back home.

We will arrive in Singapore at 3.05pm and leaving 11.10pm the next day. The number one on our list to do will be the Gardens by the bay and the skywalk. Do you think it is possible to do this the afternoon/evening of our arrival. I've heard it is spectacular at night. Do you know the cost?

We thought of using the hoho bus the following day and just have a look around.

No eggs benedict on menu on the day of debarkation...:(

I am sure we had eggs benedict on day of debarkation. I usually order it without looking at the menu.

We never had an issue getting checking my mum in with us in the C&A line so I don't think you will have an issue.

We have been on a few Caribbean cruises so I would choose Alaska. Alaska is on my bucket list but I want to combine it with a land based tour and I think the kids (aged 9) are still a bit young to enjoy a land based tour and not get bored sitting on a train. And we need a bit more time to save up for the air fares!

If you haven't been to either destination I would chose based on price and itinerary for the time of year you plan on travelling.

thank you!

 

We are not C&A members yet, as this is going to be our first RCCL cruise.

Should we enroll to C&A on board before we can purchase the NCC on board?

Yes, enrol in C&A while on board. There will be a Loyalty Ambassador on board who will be able to set you up with membership and your FCC.

Enjoy your first RCCL cruise but beware - it is addictive!

We circumnavigated Australia and New Zealand in October last year on Radiance. For that trip it was about the itinerary. Our next cruise has been chosen for the ship and we will be doing Fiji on Voyager.

We have completed many cruises including Hawaii, Caribbean, Baltic and Australia but have never been on a ship larger than a Radiance class and we decided the next cruise will be on a Voyager class ship. Given we live in Australia we have chosen Voyager out of Sydney. The downside to Voyager is it does not do as many ports as Rhapsody or Radiance but it will allow us to experience the Promenade!

FYI cruising Australia in October was a great time to cruise. We never had any rough seas at all!

Thank for your response.

I'm going to add my wife and my 2 children to my booking.

Do we need to add only 300$ for the deposit?

Yes. We had a FCC for my husband only at $100. We have just used it to book a balcony cabin on voyager for my husband, myself and 2 children. We had to pay an extra $300 for the deposit for the other 3 passengers.

Brilliance is a Radiance class ship and I feel the same way about Radiance. I am 40 and I found it was geared for the older generations. The entertainment is what you would get at your local RSL or club. On Voyager the entertainment was spectacular.

On Radiance everything closes early. You couldn't even have a nightly swim because they closed the pools. This is my opinion and I have kids and believe me I'm not a party animal.I think it's a boring granny ship.

Our next cruise will be on Voyager and I can't wait! Is the pool in the solarium closed at night too? I know on Radiance I went for a midnight swim and spa. I had the place to myself, except for the man at the Park cafe. Very peaceful, but it was open.

I am under 40 and I love Radiance. I guess it just depends what you are into. We are not party animals anymore (having young kids can do that to you).

We have a family so we love having the kids pool and slide, playing mini golf and climbing the rock wall. In the evening the kids go to kids club (which they love) and we frequently enjoyed sitting by the pool watching the evening movie with a cocktail. I agree it was frustrating to have to go to the centrum bar to get it but hubby did that while I snagged the loungers. Some nights we did the main dining room, followed by the show or the pub. Our last cruise was an Australian circumnavigation so the crowd was predominately older so the night club was not packed. The centrum had entertainment on until around midnight and it was always packed.