TinyPinkBug

 

 

 

It has been interesting to both watch and actually participate in these at least three "upscale cruising experiences" as offered by Royal, Celebrity, and NCL.

 

NCL actually BUILT a "ship within a ship" with the Haven and now Royal and "X" have designated eating venues as exclusive to certain types of cabins, reserved show seating, concierges, "genies" and that "suite limo" on Labadee. Celebrity is now building a new vessel that certainly mimics "The Haven" idea and I'm waiting to see what happens next. Private tenders?

It is a very old concept we somehow lost in our society for a while but is making a come back. We just used to call them "1st class passengers", "2nd class passengers" and "3rd Class passengers".

We don't spend money on the extras either. Always amazes me how many people think nothing of paying some of the prices they charge for things, like $20 to rent a single floating beach mat for a few hours. We travel with my mother in law who has been on 30+ cruises in the past 10 yrs or so, our last cruise was the first time she has ever eaten in a specialty restaurant and that was only because we had a free meal from our travel agent. She has never done an excursion, but will this upcoming cruise for the first time. And has never purchased a single drink on-board because she believes they are an overpriced rip off. Moral, you can certainly have a good time over and over without buying all the extras.

It is worth noting as others have that cruises do become less and less inclusive and more a la cart, which is unfortunate because the inclusive ease of a cruise is what has always made cruising appealing to me. Like the recent $7.95 charge for room service. We usually only order room service once per trip so it isn't as if it is going to make or break our vacation. But this year it is a room service charge, next year it could be a sit down meal charge for the MDR or kids club charge. In 10 years time, cruisers like me will be priced out with all the a la cart charges, which is the direction most service industries are going in. Serving less customers with more disposable income is more profitable right now than serving more passengers with an overall less disposable income. This trend has been seen industry wide including airlines and theme parks. In fact it is directly credited to the reason Delta and Disney have been seeing record profits.

I booked an excursion for Jamaica without realizing it was going to be over an hour ride each way to the location. I want to cancel and book a similar excursion in Cozumel. Both are on sale. Anyone know when the sale ends?

We tried walkie talkies on a smaller ship a few years ago. The problem was finding a frequency no one else was using. On the Allure last year, there was a lady yelling into a walkie talkie "Where are you?! " over and over as some other kids responded, she was getting upset that her friend/daughter wasn't answering and others were using the frequency.

I don't know why some people are so bothered by selfie sticks. If you see someone using one.. just look away... I have one that I've used a few times, its the only way DH and I can both be in the picture.

Because people watch the screen while walking with them and don't pay attention to what is directly in front of them outside of the shot. One of those things being my daughter who got knocked pretty hard in the head by one at a fair when a lady using one quickly turned to the side without paying attention to the people around her.

When we sailed on the Allure last year, the boarding lines at about 12:30 filled the queues with lines down the side of the terminal building. It took over an hour to get to the front of the line, then 2 of our party of 5's Sea Pass cards could not be located. It took about 15 minutes for the agent to locate them with no explanation of where the were or why. Then disembarkation was extremely slow. Our time was around 8:30, but we were not off the ship and out to the curb until after 11:30. The workers in the terminal building said it was unusual that people were still trying to get through customs that late, but I remember reading around the same time that others had similar experiences around the same time frame but different sailings.

We are sailing on the Allure again later this month. Is this a typical experience for the Oasis ships? I ask because my MIL recently had knee surgery so she cannot stand for hours at a time, and she refuses to use a wheel chair or any other type of mobility assistance.

I always book late and am wait listed for early dining. Both times on Royal ships we were moved to traditional dining within a few days of booking. This time, I went online and made reservations for each night right away. The next day I got an email that all my dining reservations had been cancelled, I checked and we had been moved to traditional dining.

I also live in the ride-sharing dessert also known as upstate NY. I was going to use Uber from FLL to Port Everglades, we are flying in same day. We are 5 people, will we need 2 cars? is XL that much more expensive? How is Lyft different/better? Is the pick up area at FLL convenient? DH said he has heard some airports restrict pickups from Uber type companies to very inconvenient spots to encourage Taxi use.

No kididng, but there is little denying that their sale tactics are deceptive. When was the last time you saw a cruise that wasn't 30% off?

When it was Buy 1 Get Second guest 60% off :')

I have been having the same problem for over a month. Even a travel agency I was trying to book through was having an issue. Customer service insists no one else is reporting this problem, except there have been multiple posts about it for the past month.

Next RCCI will start implementing a $7.95 website access fee for searching cruises to provide guests with a better online searching experience.

This is the cruise I was trying to book but the rates went up today while the inventory went down. Room assignments must be why.

Just want to add my cautionary tale. I spent the last two days trying to figure out how to get the airfare to work for the cruise we picked, in the meantime the price of our cruise went up $500. Which is up $1200 from when I first looked about 2 weeks ago. Now I want to cry because I booked the air last night and now I am not sure if we can swing the price of the cruise.

It is working on and off for me and I have tried two different browsers. I called Expedia yesterday and the representative was having trouble accessing the RCCI site himself.

We have sailed Disney, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Last year, I was between Norwegian Breakaway and RC Allure of the Seas. Based on reviews and comparisons of each ship, we chose the Allure and really liked it. But here I sit this year, deciding between the Escape and the RC Harmony of the Seas.

How is the Splash Academy? Of course nothing is going to compare to Disney, but I was disappointed with the kids club areas on both RCCI ships we sailed, on the Allure they combined ages 6-12 in one group and basically just played Gaga ball all day even though they always had fun activities listed for the clubs. It was fun for the hand full of older kids that kept winning, but boring for the majority of younger kids that kept getting eliminated early on.

Are public spaces too overcrowded? This was a determining factor last year, I remember reading the Breakaway class didn't have enough public space for the passengers, finding space in the pools and sun decks was challenging.

How are the meals? What would you say about the included dining options? We like quick service for lunch and snacks.

Does Norwegian still charge a rooms service fee? Is it all day? I just thought this sounded like they are nickle and diming passengers. Are there other things they charge for that would be unexpected? Someone once insisted all the included dinner dining options were buffet and quick serve, no sit down. I assumed that isn't true, is it?

How does the current pick two promo work? We will need 2 rooms (2 adults/1 child in one, 1adult/1child in the other) could I get say the internet and 3rd guest free in one room, then internet and drinks in the other? Or does everyone with connected reservations all need to purchase a drink package? If we choose free drink packages for both rooms, how does that work for the second guest being a child in one room, and then the third guest in the other. Do I have to purchase my daughter a soda package even though she doesn't drink soda?

What is the difference between the balcony rooms and the mini-suite? The only thing I can see is that the mini-suites pick up some space by having a bathtub? For the same price, I would prefer the extra space, but don't want a tub due to MIL's limited mobility due to recent knee surgery.

Any other insight would be appreciated. And THANKS!

 

It's 6 hours from Lauderdale to Kissimmee, so I wonder if they change trains somewhere. I take Amtrak alot in the NE (once did Fort Lauderdale to NY years ago). I would call Amtrak and ask them your questions.

I was actually planning to pick her up in Winter Haven because it is only 3Hr 18M ride instead of 6 hours. It is only about 30 minutes from where we are going to be staying.

I need to get my mother-in-law from Port Everglades to the Kissimmee area after her cruise. Has anyone taken Amtrak after a cruise? Which Fort Lauderdale station is closest or easiest to get to from port? Any ideas what the cost/time for a taxi would be? There is an 8:50am and a 12:30pm from FTL, I was thinking the 8:50 would be fine, but she is convinced that she would miss it. I have never taken the train, how long before your departure do you need to be at the station?

I looked at flying, but didn't see any flights that would work. Driving isn't an option, we will be vacationing near either Legoland or Universal Studios and to get up super early to drive 3 hours down and back in a rental car doesn't seem to make sense.

Thanks

We sail on Sunday and just got this email. I haven't seen it mentioned before so I was wondering if it was standard.

Dear Valued Guest,

We are writing to provide important health information regarding the Zika virus.

Royal Caribbean International is committed to the safety and health of our guests and crew. We have been closely monitoring the Zika virus situation and are aware that the CDC has issued a travel alert for certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.

Should you be pregnant and not feel comfortable sailing to countries affected with the Zika virus, we will provide you with alternate itinerary options. This may include providing a future cruise credit valid for two years so that you may re-schedule your voyage for a later date, with no penalty.

In order to reduce the risk of contracting any number of diseases spread by mosquito bite, including Zika virus, we urge guests to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites by remaining in well screened or air conditioned areas when possible, by wearing light-colored clothing that adequately covers the arms and legs, and by applying insect repellant to both skin and clothing.

Should you have any additional questions about the Zika virus, please visit the CDC's website. For travel-related concerns, please visit the following website or contact us or your travel agent:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentPage.do?pagename=royal_caribbean_security_guide

We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.

Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International.

We have a connecting D4 and D8 on the Allure. I just realized that the D8 only sleeps 2 so I assume the sofa does not turn into a sofa bed. Anyone happen to know why they wouldn't put sofa beds in there like the D4s? Is the space for the sofa somehow smaller? I am just curious. Thanks.

I agree with the posters above, you have a lot of research to do. Disney has unusually specious rooms as far as cruise ships go. It sounds as though the room you booked with RCI is about the same size as a typical family room on Disney, but with an extra set of bunk beds squeezed in. Don't expect the split bathroom and tub like on Disney, expect a single bathroom containing your single sink, toilet and shower. It will be time consuming getting 6 people ready in there in the morning.

While I have only done one RCI cruise with the kids, I can say that the kids clubs are a different setup as on Disney. The space is much smaller and it is more like camp type programing than what they offer on Disney. Unlike Disney, it is not really designed for kids to be there 12+ hours at a time. Having a child myself with asperger's (well, he has autism since aspergers in no longer a diagnosis) I understand where you are coming from with the separate stations that allow the option to not participate in group games. For us, it means we don't send him to the clubs because he ultimately wouldn't enjoy it and it may not end well. Every kid is different and that is your call as a parent. But we found that our social butterfly daughter really enjoys the clubs so we would send her and enjoy the time with our son.

There is no rotational dining, that is a Disney only thing. I think Royal has been trying to implement it but it hasn't been working out, could be wrong there. Don't expect the same dining experience as on Disney, there will be no visits from Mickey, no talking Sea Turtles or magic tricks from your server to keep the kids entertained.

Ditto what previous posters said about drink stations. There are no free for all fountain stations like on Disney. Coffee, tea, lemonade and iced tea are offered at meals in restaurants. Regular juices and milk at breakfast.

Disney has less nickel and diming than any other cruise line, so expect to see more things that cost more.

I go through insuremytrip.com to compare coverage and purchase.

I used this site yesterday and found cheaper, better coverage than from the company we usually buy from. :D

I thought the Sail Away party for the kids with the characters takes place in the Aqua Theater?

I did too. Are there multiple sail away parties?

We are flying into FLL late Saturday night for a Sunday cruise. I have already booked a hotel near a Publix for some Sunday morning shopping. Can you buy wine before noon on Sunday in fort Lauderdale? I searched online, but found nothing more recent than 2011, 5 years is a long time for the possibility of laws to be changed.

Thanks!

I am looking at google maps. It looks like you can walk to the Publix right across the street and through a parking lot. Is that correct? Or is there some sort of barrier or fence that makes you go around?

Thanks

We sail on Allure next month, a couple questions.

Our dining time shows on our reservation as 6:00. Does this mean we are in Silk??

I am looking at my reservation online, but I cannot find any place where it lists our onboard credit. Should it be showing up anywhere?

Can anyone suggest a hotel in fort lauderdale that his a reliable, quick shuttle from the airport. Has a store within a quick, safe walking distance to pick up some wine, bottled water and hair care items. And has rooms that are large enough to fit 3 adults and 2 kids.

Are there alternate means of transportation to the cruise port from a hotel that anyone would recommend? $10 per person seems to be standard for hotels to charge, 5 people adds up quick.

We are arriving late Sat and sail Sunday. Anyone know what the laws are to sell wine at certain hours in Fort Lauderdale?

THANKS!

We are also DCL fans but have been priced out in recent years. I am amazed people are paying their prices now especially considering that I have read that they are slowly removing a lot of the little extras that really set them apart. We have been on all but the Magic and had hoped to sail on her this year, but couldn't swing the price. We sailed on Enchantment two years ago and hated it, the kids were miserably bored. We said we would never do RCI again. We were considering the Norwegian Getaway, but after reading many reviews comparing the Getaway to the Allure, we decided on the Allure at the last minute. I am really hoping we don't regret it.