Questions from a 1st Time Cruiser

[Grandeur Cruiser]

1. Can you sleep with your balcony door open (and hear the waves)?

 

2. Is the climbing wall free? How often can you climb?

 

3. Do you have to carry your Sea Pass with you at all times? Or, can you leave it in your room while you're swimming, jogging, etc?

 

4. If you order room service, do you tip then...or are those tips included when you do your major tipping at the end?

 

Thanks!!!

[davidaperryman]

1. Yes you can but you may need something to hold it open, like a bungie coard.

 

2. It was free on the Rhapsody. I am not sure how often you can climb it.

 

3. Your sea pass card is also you room key. Other than that you don't need to carry it with you.

 

4. You tip for room service when it arrives. One or two bucks depending.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Don't forget you can order as many items as you want at dinner. Two entres, etc. And please be on time as a courtesy to your table mates.

[Erie Dave]

The Grandeur has sliding doors, no need for a bungee cord at all.

[dc-snoopy]

1. Although you can hold it open, it is recommended that you don't. There are signs posted in all the cabins asking you not to leave your balcony door open as it affects the climate control settings in your cabin and leaving the balcony door open all night uses up a lot of power since you cannot turn the environment controls off. Best to go and relax on the balcony until you are tired and then come in to turn in.

 

2. Climbing wall is free. They limit you to 2 climbs at a time. If they are not busy, you can come back. If not, then you have to wait while others climb. The wall is always busier during sea days so try to get your climbing in on port days (the wall was open twice for 2 hours after sailing and I would come in, watch sailing from the balcony then go up and climb and virtually no one was there)

 

3. As said, other than the room key, you don't need it. But sometimes you might want to use it for other things like drinks while you're out exercising and might need it.

 

4. Since various wait staff do the room service and it changes throughout the week, you tip when room service is delivered. Usually $1-$2 per person is fine unless you ordered a huge order, then you might want to tip more.

[Grandeur Cruiser]

Thanks so much for your help!:)

Two more questions.... 1) Is there BINGO...and, if so, is there a charge?

2) If we decide not to do the soda cards...is there lemonade/ice tea available throughout the day?

Thanks!

[gambler]

Ice Tea and Lemonade are usually available. You may bring some soda/water on board with you. Bingo is $25 (6 cards) or $35 (9 cards) a pop. It can add up fast if you like to play a lot. If a lot of people play, the winning pots can be pretty good.

[hstrybuf]

Unless there will be someone in your cabin to let you back in, don't leave the cabin without the card. Even on sea days, I never leave without it as DH and I may decide to do different things. Plus if I want a drink, I can't get one without my card.

[Grandeur Cruiser]

Woa...do you mean $25 /6 cards for one game??? Or for the afternoon activity of BINGO? I guess we are used to all-inclusive resorts where the BINGO is free (but the prizes are t-shirts and can coolers!)....$25 sounds crazy!:eek:

[gambler]

They play 5 (I think) games per bingo session. 6 cards for each of the games. The pots can go anywhere from $80 to $300 plus. The last game always is the cover all numbers game. If no one wins it after so many numbers are called during the week, they carry over that pot. The last day of the cruise, someone must win. I have seen the pot be anywhere from $6,000 to 14,000 for that game.

[dc-snoopy]

Re: Bingo. If you participate in various activities early on in the week, they sometimes give away extra Bingo cards. I got one for singing in an early Karaoke session and I heard that some of the people in some of the early pool deck games won them there, too. The extra cards have a barcode on the back and when you participate, they scan it in and it is valid. The one exception is that the extra cards cannot be used in the last day on-board "someone must win" Bingo session.

 

Ice tea and lemonade are available most other times. The Seaview cafe has one or the other most of the time, but since they don't make it there, they can run out. Also, towards closing time, they won't order more, so when they are out, they are out. The Solarium Cafe rarely has it. After the WJ closes, it is virtually impossible to find non-soda, non-alcoholic beverages on board. The bars do not carry them. Other than ordering from room service, they become scarce. As someone who's drink of choice is iced tea, it was rather frustrating. It felt like a gimmick to try and force people to either purchase alcohol or purchase the soda card.