pcur

My experience with the b2b process is when you get to the meeting place on the ship and check-in for the next cruise, you ask the crew member to give you an "in transit" card with your new seapass card. I don't think it's necessary to go to Guest Services for it.

Whoops! I read the title and assumed the OP was going to use the C&A e-coupons for coffee only.

I decided that the OP might have changed their mind after seeing the other (non-snarky) replies, and thought I would (in a friendly tone) suggest the whole evening be special.

Bill: I'M on the Jewel Transatlantic leaving 4/5/24 from Ft Lauderdale to Southampton. You might want to check your info. But, the answers here are very helpful, anyway!!!

I found on the ships I sailed with a CK (Allure, Oasis, Anthem, Odyssey), the quality of food was much better in the CK, as well as the service.

You can reserve at one of the specialty restaurants at 5:30 or 6pm, and make a really special night of it! Loved me my Mama Mia!!

I was on the Vision when they changed the menus in mid-January 2023. It was a nightmare, for sure. I was on the Navi from 12/11 to 12/18/23, and found the food much improved, but I agree it's not up to pre-COVID levels. I don't have a complaint about the portion sizes, because I like to have multiple appetizers. I noticed while cruising in November/December that RCCL has brought back some of the former classic choices: escargot is now available, more salmon entrees during the week's menu rotation, and the reduced-portion fruit and cheese plate is back. These are items I consider my "staples" for dinner with RCCL, so I was happy to have them again. If I find I'm hungry for more than one entree, I ask for the second one "appetizer-sized" and on the same plate as my first entree. This seems to be acceptable. Example: I really like the mushroom risotto entree, so I ask for it as an on-plate side with my other entree.

Just to clarify: per person / PER DAY.

If you are in Aruba again, there is a free trolley that starts at the dock. You'll see the tolley rails in the ground around the shopping huts. It's a 45 minute hop on/off around the local area. Very picturesque open air trolleys, too, that have been refurbished.

OP: You actually say little about the ship itself. I can understand your preferences regarding food and entertainment, but I've sailed on over a dozen RCCL ships since early 2022, and find the Anthem and the Odyssey wonderful to sail on. The look and feel, and decor are quite lovely. The Via is a beautiful area to walk through, IMO. I like the different eating venues tucked away: 270 cafe on deck 5 for chai tea latte has no line as opposed to Starbucks in the Royal Esplanade. El Loco Fresh and the Solarium Bistro, too, are nice stops for eating. Entertainment is a very personal choice, so your opinion is the right one for you. I have enjoyed several of the shows you mention in your post.

They brought the fruit and cheese plate back, and added another two nights with salmon as one of the entrees.

Coralc is correct. Just get on for your 7 night cruise based on where you want to start, and which ports you want to see. One of the greatest cruises we ever went on was one that started in Miami, and we got off in Barbados, stayed a week there at a beach hotel, then the following week on the same day of the week, got back on the same ship, and continued the cruise. It was called "Sail and Stay". Great idea, but it never caught on. It was with Cunard. A two week vacation with a 7 day split cruise, and 7 days at a beach hotel.

OK, I'm going to be pcur-downer here: I had a TERRIBLE experience with BofA over the weekend, and this applies to any credit card with them. I have credit cards with 3 other banks and NONE of them do this: Because I watch all my financial accounts frequently, some daily, I noticed last Thursday that BofA had deducted a payment for my RCCL card from my linked BofA checking account when there had been a ZERO balance on the credit card for about a week before. BofA has a policy if you have auto pay turned on that they take the FULL AMOUNT of the previous billing statement, regardless of the CURRENT balance on the account on the payment due date. The balance included prepaying tips and paying off one or two cruises. It was over $2,500. They deducted the $2,500 for a card that had a zero balance. Why? Because I forgot to turn off auto pay. My bad. I noticed it 2 days after it happened. I pity the poor consumer that doesn't find out until a month later, and BofA has had their multi-thousand dollars in BofA's hands collecting interest that long. I called and asked why I had that deducted when I OWED THEM NOTHING. You didn't turn off the auto pay. Me: it goes against the whole concept of auto PAY when you have nothing to pay, and have to manually intervene to stop the process. Give me back my money. BofA: Yes, it will take up to 10 days (while we have the use of your $2,500). I called the next day to cancel another BofA card. Not going to mess with their credit cards anymore. They asked why. I explained. I got a survey request the next day. I told them my story, and said it seems their policy not only goes against banking industry standards when THREE other US banks I do business with actually LOOK at the balance before grabbing the money. In other words only make the payment for what is actually DUE. Instead BofA took money I did NOT owe them, that was NOT theirs to take, and the words "scam" and "fraud" seemed to be floating through my mind as I am answering your survey. This was on Sunday 12/24. I had my money back on 12/26. IMO, this is a class action lawsuit just waiting to happen.

I have a $75 obc for my cruise on 1/6/24. I'll come back and post more details then.

I cashed out obc on two different ships last month and this month. I did not put my card in the machine either time. You can still access your account with the machine's small screen, select Personal Banker, and transfer to room, etc. Your PIN identifies you.

Login to BofA Then click on View MyCruise Points Then click on Redeem MyCruise Points:

I use generic meclizine, non drowsy. I take 1/2 tablet when I fly the day before (helps with air sickness, too), then 1/2 tab at bedtime, then another 1/2 tab sometime the first day of the cruise. This puts 1.5 doses into my system before the ship starts getting any motion. Also, 1/2 tab of the non-drowsy doesn't make me sleepy. I've known people that do this a week in advance of a cruise. Once the medication is in your system in PREVENTATIVE doses, you should be OK. It's when you take the med REACTIVELY that it's already too late. I also get the dissolving meclizine, so it dissolves before you even swallow it.

I have used the UDP for lunch in a specialty restaurant, and then dinner in another restaurant in the same day. The a la carte restaurants are where the UDP is limited, where you are given an "allowance" toward the food.

Glad to hear this. I imagine they might have realized there were a LOT of passengers avoiding the casino early in the cruise after cashing out obc, and then being locked out of getting points for 24 hours. I sometimes have this mental image of RCCL decisionmakers walking through a yard they had just raked for leaves, and stepping on the rake, banging themselves in the head. Like a knock on the head clears their thinking, and it's all: "what was I THINKING?????"

I forgot to mention that I also constantly check my pricing on both airlines AFTER I've booked. I have stretched my "air dollars" considerably over the last year by getting credits.

COOL.................

The protocol is whatever you think is necessary for you. I got off the Freedom on 9/30 and tested positive for COVID 1-2 days later. I was sick and quarantining for 10 days total. So, when I got back on the Liberty, Anthem, and Navigator from mid-November to mid-December, I decided to go back to wearing masks everywhere, ESPECIALLY in elevators. I have different colored masks I wear to match my clothes, and I downsize an N-95 mask to fit inside my regular masks. (Actually, this was my cruise companion's "request", since she thought I was an idiot for wearing a non N-95 mask if I was concerned. She was right. I then combined my more attractive masks and the N-95.) Do what you gotta do. I did notice on all of these cruises that people were definitely hacking the last few days. I happens when thousands of people are confined to one place for days on end. Just part and parcel of crowds. 'Tis the season.................................

I prefer to cash out obc WITHOUT registering my seapass card in the machine. If your card is registered, they put a hold on it if you don't gamble at least a percentage of the transfer. They will know which account to charge the transfer to with your PIN. Press "Account", then "Personal Banker". Enter PIN. Press "Transfer", then "Room Charge". Enter the amount of your obc. When it registers on the machine, cash it out and go to the Cashier for the money. The amount is charged to your shipboard account, and offset by the obc, therefore zero-ing out the obc. This works for non-refundable and refundable obc, since it's considered a charge to your onboard account.

Two things: Look to see after 1/1/24 if they allow advance booking for specialty dining with the UDP. I read another thread recently that RCCL announced this was going to be available. You can book the lunch (look for Jamie's under specialty lunch in your Cruise Planner) for everyone if you have their reservation number. Then, when you get on board get refunded for the payment when you show all of you have the UDP. I have done this several times this past year.

I fly from the West Coast. I use Southwest as my go-to airline, and Alaska for flights to EWR. I've found a one way fare on Alaska from SFO to EWR that can be as low as $129, depending on the time of year I'm flying. I got an Alaska credit card last year, and stretched those points as far as I could. I'm flying SFO-EWR the first week of January, and used some Alaska points for a hotel near SFO so I can grab the earliest (and lowest cost) fare to EWR, arriving around 2:30pm. I also have a Chase Sapphire credit card that I can transfer points to Southwest. I use it for everything, and get double points for travel. So, I will pay for a cruise, and then transfer the double points to pay for airfare at some point. I have found over the last 2 years, since January 2022, I have paid a lot less using these two airlines.