what is included in the cruise?

[rotman253]

hi there ,

first cruise next month with RC and I have some questions :

 

1) I understand that there are food stands who works 24/7 in which I can get snacks etc. free of charge . Is that correct?

 

2) what about drinks? (I'm not talking about alcohol , I'm talking about water , juice etc.) are they free?

 

3) What about alcohol drinks? are they pricy on the ship? (beer ,wine etc.)

 

4) Is there a thread in which I can read common TIPS before cruising? so I'll learn what should I bring with me and what not?

 

 

Thank you very much for your answers.

 

Thank you very much

[megr1125]

hi there ,

first cruise next month with RC and I have some questions :

 

1) I understand that there are food stands who works 24/7 in which I can get snacks etc. free of charge . Is that correct?

 

essentially yes....

 

2) what about drinks? (I'm not talking about alcohol , I'm talking about water , juice etc.) are they free?

 

during breakfast, juice is free, otherwise it is not...you can get free iced tea and lemonade in the windjammer and dining room....soda is charged for, you can buy a soda card (sticker actually)....

3) What about alcohol drinks? are they pricy on the ship? (beer ,wine etc.)

 

depends on your definition of pricey.....IMO no...beer starts at about 4>95, mixed drinks are around $6 and up...drink of the day is 5.95....all will have a 15% gratuity added....

 

4) Is there a thread in which I can read common TIPS before cruising? so I'll learn what should I bring with me and what not?

 

scroll around CC...check out the 1st time cruises section, the ask a cruise question section....

Thank you very much for your answers.

 

Thank you very much

 

see above...

 

as for what to bring...an open mind for starters....try something new (new food, new experience...)

 

see the shows...

 

bring cash for any additional tips (for the porters at the pier, cabs/tour guides...room service)

 

you will not be expected to give more money over the suggested gratuity amounts, but if you think you might, remember to bring extra money with you..there are ATMs on the ship but the fee is between 5-6 bucks :eek:

 

that's a start....i could go on for hours...

 

i've not been on your ship so i'm not sure about 24 hour food options aside from room service...RS is free, except between midnight and 5 AM..then there is a 3.95 surcharge...

[cb at sea]

You can also get soda without the "package"...just buy a can when you want!

 

I think the drinks are on the pricey side, considering there's no place else to "bargain shop"!...but it's comparable to most high-end bars/restaurants. Mixed drinks give you more bang for your buck than wine.....wine is VERY high (IMO..I drink cheap stuff at home!!) and beer....a bit pricey, too...think around $4 or so.

[mamacat3]

If you go to the Royal Caribbean website they have a section telling you all about what not to bring and what to bring on the cruise!! There is a lot of helpful information there - just poke around everywhere and you will know all that you need to know. Stay tuned at CC as well - there is a wealth of information!!

 

Happy cruising!!:)

[negc]

hi there ,

first cruise next month with RC and I have some questions :

 

1) I understand that there are food stands who works 24/7 in which I can get snacks etc. free of charge . Is that correct?

 

2) what about drinks? (I'm not talking about alcohol , I'm talking about water , juice etc.) are they free?

 

3) What about alcohol drinks? are they pricy on the ship? (beer ,wine etc.)

 

4) Is there a thread in which I can read common TIPS before cruising? so I'll learn what should I bring with me and what not?

 

 

Thank you very much for your answers.

 

Thank you very much

Monarch does not have food stands open 24/7 and after midnight there is a modest surcharge for room service. Otherwise your meals and snacks are included in the price of your cruise. Most juices are available at mealtimes free of charge but there may be a charge for them if you order them in a bar or lounge. What one person would consider pricey as far as alcohol drinks, another might consider quite reasonable. It sometimes depends on where you live and where you drink at home - drinks in a fancy lounge or hotel bar at home or at a resort location will be similar to what you can expect to pay on the ship while drinks in a local bar or your veterans' lounge might be much less expensive.

There is much valuable information on the RCI website which will tell you what you need to know before you sail and these boards can be a source of valuable information.

[rotman253]

wow guys , Thanks for all the answers ... I'm new to cruise critic .. looks like a great place to get info and some help from experts.

 

yeah indeed prices are depends on how much you use to pay .. ie where I live pint of beer is average USD 9$ not include gratuity... oh may...

 

about the info in RC site, I'm 27 years old and not used to wearing suits at all ... do I really have to bring a suite to the cruise? what about some nice jeans and buttoned up shirt?

[kimbolimbo]

My hubbie is not a suit guy either. From talking to others and reading on this site you will defiantly want to wear dress pants, jacket & tie. Nothing is worse than being totally under dressed for an occasion, as a matter of fact they can refuse to seat you on formal night if you show up in jeans. I'm not saying they will but they could.

[kimbolimbo]

My hubbie is not a suit guy either. From talking to others and reading on this site you will defiantly want to wear dress pants, jacket & tie. Nothing is worse than being totally under dressed for an occasion, as a matter of fact they can refuse to seat you on formal night if you show up in jeans. I'm not saying they will but they could.

[rotman253]

can I get more info about what is this formal night?

frankly , I'm coming to travel USA for 3.5 weeks and I wouldn't bring dress pants , tie or jacket only for 1 cruising night.

If I were coming USA specially and only for the cruise than I wouldn't ask so much , I would have just bring it with me...

 

Thanks for replaying by the way

[OKC Cruisers]

You don't have to be in a suit. I have seen plenty of people on formal night just wearing dress slacks and a nice shirt...I've even seen people come in to the dining room on formal night wearing jeans and a t-shirt. You also always have the option of not going to the Main Dining Room on formal night and just going to the Windjammer...there you can wear shorts if you wish!

 

Pete

[rotman253]

You don't have to be in a suit. I have seen plenty of people on formal night just wearing dress slacks and a nice shirt...I've even seen people come in to the dining room on formal night wearing jeans and a t-shirt. You also always have the option of not going to the Main Dining Room on formal night and just going to the Windjammer...there you can wear shorts if you wish!

 

Pete

 

cool!

no worries than :D

[MedicKen]

The "rules" of dining have relaxed greatly in the past few years. I can remember feeling out of place with a suit on formal night when the rest of the dining room had tuxes on. NOW, I plan on a pair of casual slacks and maybe an Oxford shirt or Polo shirt. As the previous poster mentioned, there is always the Windjammer. We did a 5 night cruise and never set foot on the dining room.

 

Shalom

Ken

[rotman253]

The "rules" of dining have relaxed greatly in the past few years. I can remember feeling out of place with a suit on formal night when the rest of the dining room had tuxes on. NOW, I plan on a pair of casual slacks and maybe an Oxford shirt or Polo shirt. As the previous poster mentioned, there is always the Windjammer. We did a 5 night cruise and never set foot on the dining room.

 

Shalom

Ken

 

Thanks for relaxing me Hebrew speaker :D:D:D:D

[moknits]

I think the price of drinks is just relative to where you're from. I work in NYC, where $4 for a beer in a bar would be a happy hour bargain. In some part of the USA, that would seem very expensive.

 

Of course, we can buy a 6-pack of beer here in NYC for less than $4 a can, but I think you would have a hard time finding a nice bar where you could sit down and get served a beer for that price.

[jackretired]

This is a little old and was made for Freedom.

 

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks - not free

Basketball Court - free

Ben & Jerry's - not free

Bingo - not free

Casino - not free (Bring cash and a limit)

Excursions - Not free

Flowrider - FREE

Flowrider lessons - not free

Grill (hot dogs, burgers) by Solarium Pool - Free

Gym - Free

Ice Show - free

Ice Skating - free

Main Dining Room - FREE

Mini-golf - free

Photo Purchases - not free

Promenade Cafe - Free

Rock Climbing Wall - free

Room Service - free (unless you order between midnight & 5 am = $3.95)

Soda - not free

Soft serve on pool deck - FREE

Souvenirs - Not free

Spa Treatments - not free

Specialty Restaurants - not free

Windjammer - free

Yoga, Pilates class - Not free

regular/decaf coffee in WJ or MDR with meals - free

Cappuccino or expesso – NOT free

[rotman253]

now that's what I call a good info.

thank you!

[uksimonusa]

Monarch does not have food stands open 24/7 and after midnight there is a modest surcharge for room service. Otherwise your meals and snacks are included in the price of your cruise. Most juices are available at mealtimes free of charge but there may be a charge for them if you order them in a bar or lounge. What one person would consider pricey as far as alcohol drinks, another might consider quite reasonable. It sometimes depends on where you live and where you drink at home - drinks in a fancy lounge or hotel bar at home or at a resort location will be similar to what you can expect to pay on the ship while drinks in a local bar or your veterans' lounge might be much less expensive.

There is much valuable information on the RCI website which will tell you what you need to know before you sail and these boards can be a source of valuable information.

 

Actually Monarch does have a 24 hour food stand, as do all RCI ships since they started charging the delivery fee for RS after midnight, On Monarch it is in the corner or Sorrentos, and normally has small sandwiches, cakes desserts etc, along with Coffee