alaskawdw12

Can anyone verify what time the mister drill is from Civi? Trying to plan the day out?

It’s at 4:45 PM in the theater. They want you to start heading over there at 4:30 (we were in our room and our room attendant knocked on the door and told us we needed to go). After it’s over in the theater, they walk you over to your muster station so that you’ll know where it is and then you’re done. Very easy and fast.

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Just wanted to add that the 220v was for two pins, not three.

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We’re also not beach people, so last summer when we were on the Dream we stayed onboard for most of CC day. The slide is open, there are characters to meet and some activities going on, plus movies. We had a great time onboard! We did get off the ship for about two hours just because we love riding bikes on CC and we went to eat. But you can eat onboard with no problem.

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good to know. Our flight arrives at 7:30, our docs say our transfer will be available at 9:30 but our boarding time says 2:30. We will just show up early and hope to get on.

We were on the same cruise as DrD and also boarded before 11 AM, despite our boarding time being 12:30.

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Hygiene is always on high priority to avoid norovirus. I actually thought it wasn’t as good on the Symphony as on other ships because I saw many many many people bypass the hand washing stations, whereas on other ships they basically don’t let you in without putting Purel on your hands.

We’ve always found the staff to be excellent and friendly :).

Glad the cruise bug bit you! It really was a great cruise on the Symphony.

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I’d like to add that thanks to this review I was well aware of the different issues with boarding in Civitavecchia and so I wasn’t surprised when, for instance, there was no sail away party, as my expectations were adjusted before boarding. Thank you, OP, for the heads up, it definitely helped my cruise experience :). While I absolutely loved boarding in Civitavecchia, I think it’s problematic and even deceptive that Royal doesn’t make it clear that there is a “main cruise” and a “secondary” cruise and instead sells them as equals.

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We booked out of Rome as well and did’t realize it wasn’t the start of the cruise either. We go in September.

I wrote a thread about why we absolutely loved embarking in Civitavecchia. You can read it to get a second opinion :). It’s called

“Why Civitavecchia embarkation is totally awesome”. I apologize, I just don’t know how to link it in the app.

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I am trying to print my set sale passes, all of the steps are complete and checked-off with a green check-mark, but I am unable to print my documents. Is says:

 

You're almost finished with the Online Check-in process! At this time, your SetSail Pass is not ready to be printed. Please verify that you have completed the required fields in each section and confirm with your Travel Agent or Certified Vacation Planner that your reservation has been finalized.

 

 

 

Please provide your e-mail address and we will inform you once it is ready. We welcome you to return to the site periodically to check.

 

 

 

I've been waiting for 2 months for them to be ready with no luck. Now, I am sailing next week and I'm getting nervous that I won't be able to print them.

 

Like I said, everything is filled out and I don't understand why there is an issue. My travel agency is not responding and Royal Caribbean wont answer my question because I did not book through them.

I couldn’t print our Set Sail passes for our cruise two weeks ago either. In my case, there just was no print button on the screen and all buttons to access he online check in had disappeared. So we went without the Set Sail passes and it was no problem. What I did do was print our vacation summery and charging information from the cruise documents RCCL emailed me. So don’t worry about it, it’s ok if you show up without your Set Sail passes [emoji4].

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Our honeymoon was on the Radiance in Alaska, followed by Disney World (hence my name here [emoji16]).

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Thanks, we never watch the morning show (or TV in general.) Maybe we should. We definitely didn't get that paper as I carefully look at everything left in cabin.

 

 

 

I'd have guessed more Spanish based on how many people I heard speaking Spanish, it seemed about half to me. Also all the announcements etc were in English and Spanish.

When we were talking with the Loyalty Ambassador she said there were over 4,000 Spanish as it was the start of their holidays.

Annoying that you didn’t get the paper!! Then there really was no way for you to know. I’m glad you didn’t miss your tour!

Thinking about it now, I’m guessing the captain was missing a zero for the number of Spanish cruisers, that would make it 4,000 and something instead of four hundred and something and would make more sense in terms of how many people cheered whenever a question was asked in Spanish [emoji16]

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There was a taxi strike in Barcelona and I feel RCCL should have told us ahead of time, as happened on NCL Epic per some folks on our tour. It's possible they did and I missed it but unlikely. Since we did not know we were almost late for our tour.

 

 

 

This was a very European crowd, mostly Spanish (as one would expect.)

 

Thanks for your review! As you know, we were onboard with you [emoji16] and it’s just so interesting how people can have such different experiences and different opinions on the same things, though we too loved the cruise and had an amazing time [emoji4].

They did announce the taxi strike on the morning show a couple of days before Barcelona and they put a piece of paper informing about it in our state room the day before Barcelona with all of the options available, including a free shuttle bus they were providing to Las Ramblas. They also went over all of the options on the morning show the day before Barcelona.

The make up of the cruisers was quite interesting! The captain said who were the top six countries onboard. The majority were Americans, with a thousand and something. Second place were Brits, also a thousand and something. Third were Spanish, with four hundred and something. Fourth were Israelis!! (That’s us [emoji28], we were shocked!!) at 395. Fifth were Canadians, with two hundred and something, and sixth were Norwegians, with I don’t remember how many, I think also in the two hundreds.

Is Michele still the cruise director?

Yes, I think he’s leaving in September. He’s fantastic!!!!!!

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Thank you for that information. I will have to change plans so. What did you do with your luggage on your time in Rome before going to the airport?

We booked a day room through dayuse.com at hotel Baberini for 59 Euros. It’s a great website! We’ve used it twice now. Booking is free, you don’t have to give them your credit card information and you can cancel right up to the hour of your check in.

Since Rome was unbearably hot, it was nice to have an air conditioned room to go back to to rest and take a shower before heading out to the airport.

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When I enquired about the "stay awhile" program in Civitavecchia I was told that you had to leave the ship 90 mins before she sailed. As sail away is 8pm that means you could stay till 6.30 pm. Can anyone clarify this for me please as I have arranged pick up to the airport and might have to change my plans.

As DrD said, the Stay Awhile is only until 3 PM. I had read the same info as you, but then I found out it was actually until 3 PM and our flight was at 10 PM, so we decided to spend the day in Rome instead so as not to be stuck in the airport for a long time. It is definitely annoying that RCL doesn’t provide accurate information.

Hi..thanks for your post...Could you give me a little info about the terminal building in Civitavecchia? I heard that there is a new one,rather than the tent...Does it have a shop that sells wine,please?

I didn’t see any shop, just a bar where you can buy coffee and snacks while you wait, but maybe they also sell wine? I don’t know because check in was so quick that I barely had time to go to the bathroom [emoji23].

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thanks for a different perspective. Most reviews about this I have seen have been negative but I think Rome is a place you need way more time in than Barcelona so it would be great to start there. I am planning my Med cruise so this is very helpful!

I’m so happy I could help! [emoji16] Have fun planing your cruise!

Thanks so much for posting this! We are on the 9/27 sailing from Civitavecchia. We are spending 3 nights previous in Rome and we're really looking forward to it.

 

 

 

We decided to embark in Rome with a pre-cruise stay since there is so much to see! It's a second Italy trip for us, and the first for our traveling companions. We spent 5 days in Barcelona a few years ago, and while it's a lovely city, we felt we could hit some major highlights in the one day stop.

 

 

 

We have a driver picking us up on embarkation day, with plans to arrive at the port around10:30AM. Glad to know it will be so easy, and that we may be able to take carry-ons to the cabin.

 

 

 

I'm looking forward to your review, thanks again.

 

Barb

You’re very welcome [emoji4] I’m so excited for you! You’ll have an amazing time!!

Thanks for sharing your experience, as what you shared will have us consider a Civitavecchia departure for a future Med cruise that also departs from Barcelona.

Yay! That’s great [emoji16] I’m happy I could help!

I also boarded that day and agree 100%. We spent 3 nights in Rome before cruise and 2 nights after. Lots to do!

 

 

 

I also enjoyed staying at pool with drink on Sunday when everyone else went to muster.

 

 

 

We did the stay awhile option and that also was great. We stayed on until 2. I finally got to win a prize in a game show as my boys and I were the only ones playing on last day. We were able to store luggage in card room. When we left we were off in 2 minutes.

We must have run in to each other onboard! DH and I were at every trivia and we too won many prizes by going to games where we were the only ones playing [emoji23].

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We just finished our amazing vacation on the Symphony on Thursday. I plan on writing a review, but I wanted to first post separately about boarding in Civitavecchia because I searched for as much info on the subject as I could before we went on this cruise.

 

 

 

Anyone who noticed my previous threads on the subject knows I was pretty anxious and worried. I would like to take this opportunity to calm anyone else’s nerves - boarding in Civitavecchia is totally awesome and (IMOHP) the way to go.

 

 

 

There were 1,200 passengers who boarded in Civitavecchia out of a total of 6,700 passengers onboard. So we were very much in the minority. Here is what makes this so awesome:

 

 

 

1. Boarding is the easiest thing ever! We arrived at the port at 10:35. There were about 15 people there. Boarding began at 10:45 for top tiers. At 10:50 everyone was invited to check in. We were onboard, drink (juice [emoji56]) in hand, at 11:00. Thanks to recommendations I had read here we went up to our room to ask if we could leave our carry ons on the balcony. Our amazing stateroom attendant Keisha said we were welcomed to go into the room since it was already ready. So already at 11:10 we were off to enjoy the ship, luggage free.

 

 

 

2. Since so few people are boarding with you you never have that hectic boarding day ambiance. Your first day onboard is super chill and relaxed, especially since most people are off exploring Rome.

 

 

 

3. Your sea day is in the beginning-middle of your cruise instead of at the end. So you get a down day in the middle of your vacation that rejuvenates you for the rest of it. Also, on sea days for some reason there are fewer activities onboard. If you’re like us and you enjoy all of the trivias and dance classes, ending your cruise with an activity-lacking slow day like that kind of ends the cruise on a sour note (this happened to us on the Allure). But if it happened in the middle of your cruise - it’s just a day to relax a little before you get back to running from activity to activity.

 

 

 

4. Barcelona embarkation day is nuts! So many people boarding at once...us Civi people definitely felt good about not being part of that craziness. It’s also pretty cool to get to walk around freely while everyone has to be at the Muster Drill.

 

 

 

5. The exciting night celebrations happen later in your cruise so they help bring hype and excitement in after you’ve already grown accustomed to the ship. The first few nights onboard you don’t need much to get excited - you’re on the biggest cruise ship in the world with shows like Hiro and Skate 2.0 going on. Then come the excitement of the balloon drop, the captain’s speech and 80’s night to give more shots of excitement as your cruise moves on.

 

 

 

6. Your last day onboard is just a regular day full of activities. There’s no “pending doom” feeling, no sadness all around, no long lines at guest services or hallways full of luggage.

 

 

 

7. Disembarkation day is so relaxed it’s crazy!! We had a lovely regular breakfast at the Slorium Bistro and then straight off the ship. No line, no nothing.

 

 

 

We never felt like second class passengers. We actually felt special! As far as we’re concerned this is the way to go. We absolutely loved it!!!!

 

 

 

A few minuses to take into account:

 

 

 

1. The website and app and other technical aspects really only recognize the Barcelona cruises. As far as the app is concerned, the Civi embarkations do not exist, so you cannot use the app at all. Also, for instance, we only received the page that listed the BW balcony perks when we were in Barcelona. I’ve also read that this affects specialty restaurant reservations. This is quite irritating considering how easy it should be to fix this.

 

 

 

2. Barcelona day is embarkation day for the vast majority of the ship. This means that, unlike Civi day, there are much fewer activities throughout the day and this comes right after a sea day with few activities, so it’s a slow day that the Barcelona people don’t experience.

 

 

 

3. Since the vast majority of the ship embarks in Barcelona most of the people you meet are going to be leaving in three days and replaced by new people. This is something to take into account especially if your kids like making friends at the kids clubs.

 

 

 

That’s all I can think of. If you have any questions I’m happy to help!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Do you know if the dining package was available to purchase onboard? I've read and was told when I called RCI that it will be available onboard. I'm concerned that it will only be available the first day or so from the boarding in Barcelona. The woman I spoke to on the telephone didn't even seem to understand that there was a separate boarding in Civi. Thanks for any info you may be able to provide!

 

 

Yeah, the phone reps are really bad...I called to ask about the Stay Awhile option. He had no idea what I was talking about and then was confused about the interporting, so he just said it wasn’t being offered (it was...).

 

I’m sorry, I can’t help with the dining package because we weren’t interested so I wasn’t paying attention. I know they had guys set up on the first day (in Civi) selling drink packages, so I assume they were selling dining packages as well. But you can post a thread to ask, I’m sure others will be more helpful [emoji4].

 

 

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Hi Barb!

 

We are on this same cruise. Our roll call has been so quiet.Can you tell me who you are using to get to Civi from Rome? We are hoping to go early as well. Thanks! And thanks to the original poster about your experience.

We used Civitavecchia Cab Service. They were absolutely fantastic! We chose the shared shuttle option. It was a total of 65 Euros for both of us (DH and I). We ended up having our own private shuttle to the port and then a shared shuttle with two women going to the same hotel as us on the way back. Both drivers arrived early, were very friendly and spoke English.

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So glad you had the same lovely experience as we did when boarding at "Civi" :D

Thanks! Your positive posts about boarding in Civi kept me optimistic before our cruise.

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Nice shorts/jeans and t-shirts are fine for the MDR.

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We just finished our amazing vacation on the Symphony on Thursday. I plan on writing a review, but I wanted to first post separately about boarding in Civitavecchia because I searched for as much info on the subject as I could before we went on this cruise.

Anyone who noticed my previous threads on the subject knows I was pretty anxious and worried. I would like to take this opportunity to calm anyone else’s nerves - boarding in Civitavecchia is totally awesome and (IMOHP) the way to go.

There were 1,200 passengers who boarded in Civitavecchia out of a total of 6,700 passengers onboard. So we were very much in the minority. Here is what makes this so awesome:

1. Boarding is the easiest thing ever! We arrived at the port at 10:35. There were about 15 people there. Boarding began at 10:45 for top tiers. At 10:50 everyone was invited to check in. We were onboard, drink (juice [emoji56]) in hand, at 11:00. Thanks to recommendations I had read here we went up to our room to ask if we could leave our carry ons on the balcony. Our amazing stateroom attendant Keisha said we were welcomed to go into the room since it was already ready. So already at 11:10 we were off to enjoy the ship, luggage free.

2. Since so few people are boarding with you you never have that hectic boarding day ambiance. Your first day onboard is super chill and relaxed, especially since most people are off exploring Rome.

3. Your sea day is in the beginning-middle of your cruise instead of at the end. So you get a down day in the middle of your vacation that rejuvenates you for the rest of it. Also, on sea days for some reason there are fewer activities onboard. If you’re like us and you enjoy all of the trivias and dance classes, ending your cruise with an activity-lacking slow day like that kind of ends the cruise on a sour note (this happened to us on the Allure). But if it happened in the middle of your cruise - it’s just a day to relax a little before you get back to running from activity to activity.

4. Barcelona embarkation day is nuts! So many people boarding at once...us Civi people definitely felt good about not being part of that craziness. It’s also pretty cool to get to walk around freely while everyone has to be at the Muster Drill.

5. The exciting night celebrations happen later in your cruise so they help bring hype and excitement in after you’ve already grown accustomed to the ship. The first few nights onboard you don’t need much to get excited - you’re on the biggest cruise ship in the world with shows like Hiro and Skate 2.0 going on. Then come the excitement of the balloon drop, the captain’s speech and 80’s night to give more shots of excitement as your cruise moves on.

6. Your last day onboard is just a regular day full of activities. There’s no “pending doom” feeling, no sadness all around, no long lines at guest services or hallways full of luggage.

7. Disembarkation day is so relaxed it’s crazy!! We had a lovely regular breakfast at the Slorium Bistro and then straight off the ship. No line, no nothing.

We never felt like second class passengers. We actually felt special! As far as we’re concerned this is the way to go. We absolutely loved it!!!!

A few minuses to take into account:

1. The website and app and other technical aspects really only recognize the Barcelona cruises. As far as the app is concerned, the Civi embarkations do not exist, so you cannot use the app at all. Also, for instance, we only received the page that listed the BW balcony perks when we were in Barcelona. I’ve also read that this affects specialty restaurant reservations. This is quite irritating considering how easy it should be to fix this.

2. Barcelona day is embarkation day for the vast majority of the ship. This means that, unlike Civi day, there are much fewer activities throughout the day and this comes right after a sea day with few activities, so it’s a slow day that the Barcelona people don’t experience.

3. Since the vast majority of the ship embarks in Barcelona most of the people you meet are going to be leaving in three days and replaced by new people. This is something to take into account especially if your kids like making friends at the kids clubs.

That’s all I can think of. If you have any questions I’m happy to help!

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Update: there isn’t anyone to tip...there’s a table where you drop off your bags. So no porter at all.

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Were currently onboard. We arrived at the port at 10:30. Check in started at 10:45 for top tiers. But since there were only about twenty people there we checked in already at 10:50. We were standing in the Promenade with a drink in hand at 11:00. We went to our room to ask our room attendant if we could leave our carry on on the balcony (as I’d read people had done). She said our room was ready and we were welcomed to go in. So we were in our room at 11:07 and off to enjoy the ship.

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So, then, you tip the guy at the end of the jetway at the airport who does the same thing with gate checked luggage?

No one is tipping that guy...When I board a ship in the US I’m aware of the fact that locals are tipping the porter, wether I think it’s necessary or not. It’s my choice what to do with that knowledge. I choose to spend the extra money so as not to tick off the guy handling my luggage. Now, clearly from the answers here there’s a split between Americans and Brits. I don’t know what the porters are expecting and would rather be a cautious fool than make the dude angry.

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Re-read the "no need to tip" comments in posts #2, #4, #7 and #9...???:confused:

I think the problem in this thread is that there’s an argument between Americans and Brits (of which I am neither) based on their own culture’s habits and perspectives, which are completely opposite and clear. However, when I was in Spain I couldn’t get a clear answer from locals: No tips. Yes, just round up, yes, ten percent. Everyone said something else and it was irritating. Same for Italy - while researching Italian website ms they say tipping isn’t customary, but sometimes it’s expected. So how am I supposed to know? As I said, locals haven’t provided me with a clear cut answer.

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Thank you everyone for your input! Tipping is something I definitely find confusing and unclear. Can’t seem to get a clear cut answer in Italy or in Spain... We’re going to tip the porter just in case...he’s the guy making sure our suitcases get onboard [emoji28]

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We are 82 days until we board. Any guess when entertainment will hit the CP?

 

 

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Did you check? It might already be available.

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