Help - have some questions

[needabreakcanada]

Ok so I have read all 46 pages of the new cruiser section.

 

I am planning my first cruise on Adventure of the Sea with Royal Caribbean (Southern Caribbean).

 

If every drink comes with a 15% gratuity(or is it tax?) do we still tip the bartender?

 

Is there a way to buy beer ahead of time at a cheaper price and have it sent to your room (or any alcohol?) and if so can you drink it outside of your room at dinner or by pool?

 

Can you add money to your onboard account prior to sailing?

 

Do the cabins (balcony) have alarm clocks in the rooms?

 

Can you take water/food from ship into the ports?

 

Can you bring either back from ports to ship for immediate consumption?

 

Can purser on ship cash travelors cheques or give you a cash advance on your credit card?

 

Do they sell Canadian beer on board?

 

THanks,

[seashinesunshine]

Ok so I have read all 46 pages of the new cruiser section.

 

I am planning my first cruise on Adventure of the Sea with Royal Caribbean (Southern Caribbean).

 

If every drink comes with a 15% gratuity(or is it tax?) do we still tip the bartender?

 

Is there a way to buy beer ahead of time at a cheaper price and have it sent to your room (or any alcohol?) and if so can you drink it outside of your room at dinner or by pool?

 

Can you add money to your onboard account prior to sailing?

 

Do the cabins (balcony) have alarm clocks in the rooms?

 

Can you take water/food from ship into the ports?

 

Can you bring either back from ports to ship for immediate consumption?

 

Can purser on ship cash travelors cheques or give you a cash advance on your credit card?

 

Do they sell Canadian beer on board?

 

THanks,

 

You picked a good one, we are booked on the ship next Jan 13th.

Yes you can still tip the bar tender, but it is not needed, some say if they get to know you as a good tipper they make your drinks stronger.

You can put money down on your room card. We give our kids some $$ and that is all they can charge. I think you can only do it on board or when you check in, not sure if you can do it from home.

I think our last RCCL ship we had an alarm clock, but I think now they do wake up calls.

We take water and pop to our rooms from the ports all the time to drink on the ship. We also take food in the form of spices and treats we buy to take home. No fresh fruits or veggies.

They have ATMs that charge a hefty fee to give you cash, not sure if they still cash travelers checks.

Have fun! Which week are you going? Join your roll call, sign up for the meet and mingle and you will meet and make friends for life! :)

[LovesCruising]

Ok so I have read all 46 pages of the new cruiser section.

 

I am planning my first cruise on Adventure of the Sea with Royal Caribbean (Southern Caribbean).

 

If every drink comes with a 15% gratuity(or is it tax?) do we still tip the bartender?

 

Is there a way to buy beer ahead of time at a cheaper price and have it sent to your room (or any alcohol?) and if so can you drink it outside of your room at dinner or by pool?

 

Can you add money to your onboard account prior to sailing?

 

Do the cabins (balcony) have alarm clocks in the rooms?

 

Can you take water/food from ship into the ports?

 

Can you bring either back from ports to ship for immediate consumption?

 

Can purser on ship cash travelors cheques or give you a cash advance on your credit card?

 

Do they sell Canadian beer on board?

 

THanks,

 

I can answer some of your questions

 

No you do not need to tip the bartender additional over your 15% you will automatically be charged

 

You cannot buy beer cheaper ahead of time - you can order wine thru the wine pkg or thru gifts and gear

 

Yes you can add $ to your On board account prior to sailing - I believe you can buy On Board Credit

 

No Alarm clocks - your phone can be set for a wake up call - or better yet - use room service for your wake up call - they normally call prior to delivery - I also believe your phone will display the time of day

 

You can bring water into port - no food unless is pre-packaged such as crackers or boxed cereal

 

I have heard liquids - even water - being confiscated upon return to ship - each ship seems to handle it differently however, liquor will definately be confiscated. Not sure what you mean by food - you can bring back "gifts" such as rum cakes etc. If you wanted food however I would think there would be plenty to eat on board.

 

Guest relations can cash travelers checks, I do not think they will give cash advance on CC however someone can correct me if Im wrong. You can cash a check with Amex Card I believe up to $200 - there are ATM's on board and the casino cage will give you cash for 3% charge which will be posted to your set sail account

 

Sorry don't know about Canadian Beer - any special kind in mind - may have seen it?

 

Have a wonderful cruise

[IWORK2CRUISE]

Ok so I have read all 46 pages of the new cruiser section.

 

I am planning my first cruise on Adventure of the Sea with Royal Caribbean (Southern Caribbean).

 

If every drink comes with a 15% gratuity(or is it tax?) do we still tip the bartender? The 15% is gratuity. We find additional to be "as needed." On Caribbean cruises we tend to spend a lot of time on the deck over the pool because we like the bands. The bar servers (not bar tenders) come around frequently and work quite hard. We tend to introduce ourselves and look for the same guy or gal each day.

We then tend to give additional at the end.

Is there a way to buy beer ahead of time at a cheaper price and have it sent to your room (or any alcohol?) and if so can you drink it outside of your room at dinner or by pool? No. This is not an option. Some ships have the "beer bag cooler" where you pay additional upfront because you get to keep the bag but you get a bargain on 8 Bud/Bud Light or Michelob Ultra. When you want more, you still get a bargain price. You can bring those all over the ship, including to your cabin. Sometimes you will find a beer special of the day such as 20% off at a select bar.

 

Can you add money to your onboard account prior to sailing? Yes. You can buy yourself a gift certificate from Gifts and Gear (on royalcaribbean.com) and have it applied. We have done this before.

You can also put cash on when you board, or at any time during your cruise.

 

Do the cabins (balcony) have alarm clocks in the rooms? No clocks. Your phone will display a time (it may not be easy to see) and you can request a wake up call.

 

Can you take water/food from ship into the ports? No food can come off of the ship unless it is a pre-pakaged snack that you brought with you or purchased in the shops on board. Think cookies, chips, etc.

 

Can you bring either back from ports to ship for immediate consumption? No fresh food as above. Water, likely.

 

Can purser on ship cash travelors cheques or give you a cash advance on your credit card? Yes to the TC's. I can't be sure about a credit card advance but I think you mught be able to get one in the casino (for a fee.)

 

Do they sell Canadian beer on board? Sometimes.

 

THanks,

Happy cruising!

[needabreakcanada]

than you all that is great information to add to the list of things to know!

[BBT]

Forget any Canadian beer they might offer & try some of the other choices. You're on vacation and it's meant to be different. :D

 

Have a great trip.

[cb at sea]

You can drink your beer or any drink anywhere on the ship you want. Just buy it at a bar and take it wherever. You can take it to your cabin, to the restaurants, the casino, the pool (no glass at the pool tho...get a plastic cup!)...anywhere.

 

Yes..you can buy packaged food to bring back to the ship and you can eat it, if you want.

 

Travelers checks are easily cashed...no fees. If you use an ATM or take money from your credit card, there is a fee. Best to bring the cash you think you'll need.

[satxdiver]

They sell buckets of beer in the pool bars. You get five for the price of four. That includes any bottled/canned beer they sell. You can drink the beer anywhere on ship at your leisure. I have never seen Canadian beer sold but have not been on a cruise to the NE USA/Canada.

 

The phones are set up so that you can program them to give you a wakeup call anytime. However you have to program them every day you want a wakeup call. It is easy to do and there are instructions in the cabin on how to do it.

 

Only processed and packaged food may be taken off or brought on the ship. Soda pop and water will usually be allowed back on but no alcohol. They will take the alcohol and give it back to you if it is in a sealed container at the end of the cruise generally the night before. I must confess that on occasion returned alcohol the last night does not make it to the next day. :rolleyes:

 

They have an ATM on board but the rate is high. Ships sailing in and out of US ports will give you $US at a not so nice exchange rate. They will cash US travelers checks for free. Currency conversion rates will apply though. Be aware though that traveler's checks are not that well accepted these days so trying to use them off the ship may be a serious problem. The reason is they are easily counterfeited. Some places will not accept a well worn $US bill so bring ones in good shape preferably new or close to it.