Independence of the Seas...... Questions!

[scotbean]

Hi there hoping someone who has been on this boat can maybe answer these questions.

 

Firstly I keep reading about shows particularly ice shows being sold out and people not getting in to see them. How does this work? Is there a point in time they are available to book or something? I havent been with royal carribean before but on previous cruise lines we have travelled with, the shows were simply first come first served on the evening of the performance. Is RCL different?

 

Secondly with regards to tipping, our gratuities have not been prepaid as we are fixed first sitting for dinner. We will probably use the other restaurants some evenings and not always use our fixed sitting. What happens about the tips? Are they added to our onboard account automatically and if so at what rate? Or do we get the chance to use tipping envelopes? If on the account what experiences do people have of getting these changed or adjusted?

 

Thanks so much we are travelling from Southampton on 28th September

Xx

[rogueangel]

On our cruise (6th August) on IOS they announced the night before that they'd be giving out ice show tickets the following morning (I think day 3 of the cruise) at 8.30 and that 1 person from each group who wanted tickets should go down then and get them. I went down about 10 minutes before, there was a queue and it moved very fast and I just picked up the tickets I wanted for the 2 different ice shows. We were never actually asked for our tickets when we went to see them though and for the second show my daughter and I couldn't find seats together and the only seats we could find were obscured by a pole. I believe that any tickets that weren't collected on the day they were given out were available from guest relations.

 

For the shows in the theatre it was simply first come first served, but to get a good seat you'd need to be there at least 20 minutes beforehand, if not more. I did stand at the back one night as I got there only a few minutes before and the seat I'd found also had a pole right in front of it (I must have bad luck lol).

 

I chose to pre-pay my gratuities, despite having the early fixed dinner, but I believe that if you haven't added them to your set sail account during the cruise, you will be left the envelopes to put cash in as you wish. I added a little extra cash to the vouchers I was given for the pre-paid tips, as I felt the service we received deserved it, I think you'd need to have had exceptionally bad service to want to adjust any tips downwards, the crew we encountered all seemed to earn their tips.

[cb at sea]

The Ice Show theater isn't large enough for 1/2 the passengers at a time, so they divide the show into many seatings...pick the one you want to go to. Some ships require tickets (free, and they will tell you when to pick them up), others don't...you just show up and get seated until all seats are filled. All of the time info will be in your Compass.

 

Tipping...ummmmm....even tho you aren't in the MDR everynight, the tips you pay to the waitstaff cover ALL of your meals everywhere on the ship, so you really should pay the recommended amount. That way, you're covered.

You can pre-pay, or put the tips onto your shipboard account, or pay in cash on the last evening. There will be envelopes and a sheet with the "suggested" tip amounts left in your cabin on the last full day of the cruise. If you pre-pay or add the tips to your account, you must pay the suggested amounts. If you tip in cash, you should pay the suggested amounts, but that's up to you. I think once you experience the service, you'll find the suggested amounts to be quite reasonable.

[DonnaK]

Regarding the ice show, tickets are distributed for crowd control purposes because the theater is too small to hold everyone, so they try to divide the people amongst 4 shows or so. If you do not get tickets or a reservation, you can queue up for "stand by" seating. A few minutes before showtime, they will allow stand-by people in to fill the seats of the people who had tickets/reservations and did not show up.

 

Regarding tips, you should pay the recommended amount whether you dine in the MDR every night or not. The waiters work in the buffets at breakfast and lunch too, and other venues around the ship during the day, and presumably you will eat those meals too, so you want to make sure everyone gets their fair share. Once onboard, you can arrange to have the tips placed on your Sea Pass account, or you can choose to pay in cash. You will get tipping envelopes either way. If you pre=paid the tips, you will also get vouchers to insert into the tip envelop, however if you do not have a change to distribute it to the waiters, they will receive their portion of your tip without the vouchers. (It's just nice to have something to hand out on the last night, if you choose). Note: if you eat in the alternative fee-restaurants, the tip is included in the fee, however many people feel the service warrants a bit more, so they add to it.

 

There is really no need to change or adjust tips downward, and it is not recommended to do so.

[heatherb1958]

hello Scotbean, welcome to CC.

 

There is a roll call for the sailing, come over and say "Hi". here is the link

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1309912

 

We have been on Independence several times, everyone will tell you the ice shows are brilliant so don't be put off by the queue for the tickets. There are two shows, Freeze Frame and Strings, between the two Strings is my favourite, the music and costumes are fabulous.

The production shows on board are very good as well.

Look forward to seeing you posting on the roll call:)

 

Heather

[rogueangel]

Both the ice shows were incredible, how they can do the kinds of tricks they do in a space that small is baffling, and they are definitely worth queuing for tickets to make sure you see them.

[scotbean]

Thanks everyone for the responses! Very helpful to get the information.

 

Xx