MKESail

3 hours ago, crzndeb said:

Sorry if I missed it, but I saw you mentioned app. Did they try on the website?

Not yet, but I didn’t think it would make a difference between the app and the website. We will try. 

19 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

This is the case for Europeans under 21 too. The system does not allow under 21s to check in online. 
We are Irish, going on a med cruise. 

WOW! That’s really stupid of RC. 👎

7 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

By calling RC were they at least able to reserve an early check in time for her? 

Nope. They couldn’t do anything really. Just said show up and do it all in person at the pier. 

1 minute ago, Billy Baltic said:

I’ve not been in this exact situation but a similar one. Our son is under 21 and is joining the second week of our b2b. We had the same scenario of him not being able to check in. We could mostly work around it by linking our reservations and then I could check him in. When he arrives at the port on the day there are elements that he will need to do “manually”. 

It’s a stupid situation that only RC IT could create. He’s a grown a## man but RC have designed a system that requires his parents to check him in or else have a below par experience.  
 

Yes. I did have to check her in myself earliet this year when we went on a cruise together. But yeah, at least I was able to check her in because I was also on the reservation/linked reservation. 

31 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Can you not check in on app? Is the app country specific?

It defaults to US, I guess it uses your phone’s location? So for someone under 21 it would not allow them to check in no matter where the sailing is. I don’t know if there is a different Royal app to use in Europe, that’s a good question. Does anyone know? I assumed it was the same app we use here. 

14 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Can you go to a European version of the website and attempt to check in?

We will try that, thank you!

Hello, all.

My daughter is going on a Greek Isles cruise with a friend, they are both 20. They ARE allowed to sail and both be under 21 since the cruise departs from Greece. Online check in is now available for their sailing but the app defaults to US so it won't let them check in since they are both under 21. I am not going with them so I can't check them in myself. We called Royal and were told to check in at the pier in person when they arrive. 

1. I asked what arrival time should they use since I usually pick mine during online check in, the guy was not too sure he said probably no later than an hour before the last time slot. 

2. Their room is guarantee and has not been assigned as of yet. Since they can't check in, they can't get their SetSail pass to do the barcode trick.

3. When dropping off their luggage at the pier, we were told they should give them their reservation number unless they do have their room number by then.

4. If they don't check in online will their cruise documents still be issued? I've never "not" checked in online as soon as I could so I don't really know. 

Has anyone been in this similar situation?

7 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Currently chilling in the Adult Solarium until time for my North Star at 11:30. Kinda wishing I had picked an earlier time, but it is what it is. I *might* walk to the straw market after…last time I was there was the old one in 1982. We’ll see.

 

We have 3 other ships in port (so far) - Carnival Elation and Conquest, Liberty (again), and just watched MSC Merviglia pull in. She seemed to me to be coming in hot, but has now slowed to a creep.

 

Going to work on finishing my second book for the cruise today. I would be on my balcony, but I got a notice that they were doing maintenance today. They did on PC day also, but I honestly can’t tell what was done besides a “Wet Paint” sign taped on the glass. Oh well.

Can you tell more about Northstar please? I guess this is NOT the extended experience since it’s a port day. Was it free? I was under the impression the “Free” experience on port days is first come first served, but it sounds like you were able to reserve your time? Is this the one that only goes up and down? Have fun!!

41 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

The Solarium Bistro is quickly becoming a favorite spot for food!

I may have missed it, did you need to make reservations at Solarium Bistro? For dinner and otherwise?

18 minutes ago, Nabalab said:

 

Same thing happened to me in Anthem in Dec 2022. 

 

Was able to see the stateroom assigned using the "hack".  A decent location, but saw other cabins available (in the same category) that I would have preferred.  Tried calling but they couldn't do anything since it wasn't official.

 

2-3 weeks later when it did become official, no more cabins in that category were available.  Ah well.

Yes, and thats what I feel like I am sitting and waiting for all the cabins to be gone 👎

Update: Just checked and all the balcony rooms (and interior and ocean view) are all sold out for our sailing only suites left.  so I guess too late now aready. 

20 minutes ago, zoepipes said:

What's the apple wallet hack?  Would like to try that to check on my GTY room in April on Wonder - I take it you have to wait until you check in and get a sea pass card you can put in your wallet?

 

Right, once you check in you add your SetSail pass to Apple Wallet and then when you view it in Apple Wallet the barcode actually shows numbers and the last 4 digits after the dash are your “tentative” room number. 

March 2024 sailing on Anthem here. Still do not have our balcony guarantee assigned. I was however, able to see the room number using the Apple Wallet “hack”, not too happy with it but I cant call Royal and ask them to switch until it has been officially assigned 😥. 

I am not sure how accurate this is but I ran into this schedule while researching the same kinda question https://www.portcanaveral.com/getattachment/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules/Port-Canaveral-Cruise-Schedule-Dec23-Jul24.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

I do remember seeing a smaller “waterpark” its for little kids and that was free. Yeah, I just looked it up its called Splashaway Bay and it is complimentary. 

On 12/3/2023 at 3:09 PM, RFerrington said:

On Indy right now and I noticed this morning that the cows were gone.  I wondered if they had removed them temporarily in favor of Christmas decorations but now I wonder if they are gone, permanently.

Sorry, I don't mean to hijack this thread but we are on Indy in a couple of weeks and I couldn't find any recent reviews. Did they end up replacing Sky Pad with.. anything? Thank you! Enjoy your cruise if you are still there!

I am looking into this "hack" for March. I know we won't have enough points so looking to just book with money. The room fee is $413 which is good for the 4 of us but then there's also the 21% (!) tax + the $178 Hotel Service Fee which brings the total to $678 making it a little better than getting it through cruise line/Atlantis website but not half the price I've seen people post about. What am I missing?

I am looking into this "hack" for March and I saw people say how it's great savings etc. so I am looking for a room for 4 (we need 4 passes into Atlantis) for that day. Yes, the room fee is $413 which is good but then there's also the 21% (!) tax + the $178 Hotel Service Fee which brings the total to $678 for the 4 of us making it a little better than getting it through cruise line/Atlantis website but not half the price I've seen people post about. What am I missing?

On 4/23/2023 at 1:39 PM, hallux said:

I got one.

 

Curious - how did you like it?

Well... I really do not want to bash Norwegian here so the short answer is: while Royal could definitely learn a thing or two from Norwegian, we still think Royal wins in most categories. I know many Norwegian fans so to each his own I guess.

We were in Bermuda as part of a cruise last week. On our first day we did Glass Bottom boat tour which we booked through NCL. After we were done with that we walked around the pier area and went into Island Tour Centre to see what else we could do while in Bermuda in the next days. The lady pointed me at the big screen where they had all the tours listed for the next couple of days. We picked BERMUDA TRIANGLE TWILIGHT CRUISE (yes, there is a reason I am spelling it this way) - for the next day. Paid right there got my receipt. All good. The next day we show up, we are told to wait outside by the picnic tables so we wait, a bunch of other people sit there with us also waiting for the tour. Then the captain/tour guide shows up says "Is everyone here for the Glass Bottom boat tour?" I jumped and said "NO!" He says something like well that you will need to figure out inside so we quickly run inside. The lady sitting in there and I told her "We booked BERMUDA TRIANGLE TWILIGHT CRUISE yet the guide says he is doing GLASS BOTTOM BOAT TOUR?" She said "Oh it's the same thing" 😮 In the meantime the guide is taking everyone on to the boat and getting ready to leave. So here I have a choice to stay and argue with her which seeing her attitude didn't look like it would get me anywhere OR go take the tour we literally took the day before. So we ran to the boat and took the GLASS BOTTOM BOAT TOUR again. I must say the guide was very apologetic but it was literally the same tour we took the day before and he wasn't the one who sold us that tour under a different name. I do have my receipt which has no mention of Glass bottom boat anywhere of course - see attached. Anyways, BUYER BEWARE. Island Tour Centre is the light blue colored building, I think it's the very first building when you come off the ship. 

So now that we are back, a post-cruise question - does NCL send an email with a link to survey like Royal does?

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

 

you can bring all your luggage on board, but it has to be able to pass through the x-ray machine at the pier, so you can do this with carry on size luggage only. and you (and/or your companions) have to be able to carry and maneuver whatever you bring on by yourselves. i bring a single carryon bag (on wheels) on board myself, along with a laptop bag/briefcase. but i check a larger bag. Wheeling a single carryon bag with briefcase is relatively easy, much the same as going to the airport. Anything larger you can't bring on board. and more bags than that becomes unwieldy. You don't really want to spend the first few hours of your vacation dragging your luggage all over the ship.

 

one exception: if you're in a suite or in the haven, you can typically drop your bags in the room, even if the room hasn't been completely made up yet.

 

as for your bag being misdirected on board, even though you may have tipped... the porter you tipped at the pier has nothing to do with on board delivery of your bag. his or her responsibility is only to load your luggage on a cart and get that cart to the ship, whereupon the ship's staff immediately takes over and is responsible for delivering your bag(s) to your cabin.

This is exactly the info I was looking for thank you! I do usually bring along only the stuff I am comfortable carrying for several hours but this “drop off at the MDR” was never an option or at least I didnt know about it so it got me all wondering if I should do it. Having to go through xray machine with it and all… yeah I’ll pass. 

So I was reading more and had another question. I've always gave my luggage to the porters and had it delivered to my room later that day. I did end up fishing my luggage by some random room on the other side of the ship more times than I care to remember (regardless of how much I tipped) 😞 but I just saw someone say that I could bring all of my luggage with me when I board, instead of giving it to the porters, then drop it off in the MDR or somewhere and pick it up myself once my room is available. Experienced NCL cruisers, what do you usually do, which way do you prefer and why?

52 minutes ago, styles27 said:

We’re on Pearl to Bermuda the week after you. 
We did this cruise last year on 04/15 and the weather was gorgeous…mid 70’s to 80 degrees every day. 
All weather apps and the ship’s daily program all predicted temps in the 60’s. 
We were very happy they were wrong as we went to the beach and in the water 2 of our 3 days there. 
 

Hoping for similar weather this year. 
FWIW April is our favorite time of the year to visit Bermuda. We’ve done it many times and had great weather. 

… and I am on Pearl yet another week later 👍  We were to Bermuda same time in mid April 4 years ago - it was perfect we went to the beach and the forecast kept saying rain but it never rained. 

It’s working for me now everywhere - the site and the app 👍

6 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Ooooo... 

 

During the pandemic shutdown, that was the message you got when your cruise was being cancelled. Brings back bad memories. 

She said she did see my reservation on my account so… fingers crossed 😊