1st timer, made my reservations, now what!!

[camptalcott]

Ok, we took the plunge!! Am I an offical cruiser or should I wait until I actually plant my feet on the boat. LOL :D

 

First, thanks to all who answered my myraid of questions.

 

I am booked for next May 18th on RC freedom of the Seas with an Eastern Itinerary. I have My time dining in a Jr suite with balcony.

 

So now for my next wave of questions.

 

1) when should I be looking to book excursions?

2) I was charged my gratutites but should I expect to leave an extra buck or two?

3) If royal caribbean came out with an upgrade promotion closer to my cruise, would I be eligable for the upgrades?

4) I was reading another thread and some one recommended arriving a day early. Is this a good idea?

[Clarea]

It might be too early for the cruise line excursions to be posted, but you can start checking the ports of call boards right now for ideas.

[Toddcan]

Awesome! You will have a blast!

 

There is so much for you to learn about your cruise. My suggestion is to keep reading Cruise Critic.

 

BUT!!!! You will see people post negative stuff.. there are cranky people everywhere :) Ignore them.

[cruiseguy1016]

Ok, we took the plunge!! Am I an offical cruiser or should I wait until I actually plant my feet on the boat. LOL :D

 

First, thanks to all who answered my myraid of questions.

 

I am booked for next May 18th on RC freedom of the Seas with an Eastern Itinerary. I have My time dining in a Jr suite with balcony.

 

So now for my next wave of questions.

 

1) when should I be looking to book excursions? Shore excursions might not even be available to look at yet. Give it a few months.

2) I was charged my gratutites but should I expect to leave an extra buck or two? We always tip extra if we feel service was above and beyond expectations, which it usually is.

3) If royal caribbean came out with an upgrade promotion closer to my cruise, would I be eligable for the upgrades? You will be eligible for a refund if the price drops before final payment day which is usually about 70 days prior to departure. After that, you could upgrade to a higher category that may be cheaper but you will not be eligible for any refund.

 

Enjoy your first cruise!

[janetz]

Here is a link to the roll call for your sailing. :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1859249

[sparky-elpaso]

Welcome aboard. :D

 

Not sure about the timing of excursions - just keep checking your reservation to see when they become available (assuming you're talking about excursions thru the cruise line).

 

You might want to have some singles to tip room service if you order - anything from $1 for coffee to $5 for a full meal.

 

Upgrades or price drops depend. Sometimes they're just for new bookings but not always. If a better price comes along (I tend to check once or twice a week) call the cruise line and ask - all they can do is say no. Once you get to your final payment date you usually can't get the better price - but you might be able to upgrade your cabin.

 

If you qualify it's a good idea to check the "over 55" price - we got a huge price drop on our Australia/NZ cruise a couple of years ago. It's not offered on all cruises but well worth the time it takes to check.

[camptalcott]

Hey, how do I get those cute cruise counters I see on the bottom of folks post?

 

Can you tell we are super excited!!

[gjc1111]

Hey, how do I get those cute cruise counters I see on the bottom of folks post?

 

Can you tell we are super excited!!

 

Click on the "Countdown Clocks" link in the menu at the top of the page (in the middle). It will give you a URL to paste into your signature block which you access in the "User CP" on the far left of that same menu.

 

Congrats on your first booking!!:D

[Buckeye State Cruisers]

Now starts the not so fun part......WAITING. A countdown clock is a nice distraction, although it does remind you how long you have to wait. Happy Cruising

[PattyG12]

Now also starts your FUN part .... planning!! Definitely fly in the day before so you start your vacation relaxed!! We love the Freedom, hope you do too!

[cruizers]

It's a good idea to arrive a day early. One can never tell when travel delays or weather can make you late for embarkation!

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[pkexton]

The shore excursions may be posted already - we are going on 4/12/15 on the Quantum & already booked a cabana and there were other excursions shown for the other Islands we were visiting. I just looked at them but did not want to book anything else - it's too far out & who knows if they will be around the time we sail.

 

Pat

[novicetraveller]

I would recommend getting to a hotel near the port at least 1 day early. If there are things to do in the area that interest you, get there at least 2 days and enjoy.

 

Sign up to your Roll call and the meet and mingle. If the Roll call are doing a pre cruise dinner, unless they are all murderers, attend it, as this would give you some familiar faces you will see during the cruise.

 

Get to the port early, and explore the ship (as soon as you board) before your stateroom becomes available.

 

Make sure you have some spare clothes in your carry on bag, just in case your luggage is delayed.

 

And most importantly (apart from enjoy your cruise), write a review of your cruise and let us know what you thought of your first trip.

[gkrebs]

You say your in Southern NJ, so Im guessing you fly from Philly or Atlantic City. Mid May, the weather is not an issue from where you are, but can be if you have to fly through ATL, but not so much on an early morning flight. Spirit has direct flights, but get you into Orlando at 9:42am. Then figure either renting a car or shuttle to the ship and that adds at least 2 hours from when you get off the plane.

 

There are plenty of Hotels in Coco Beach for you to get cheaply. Start looking. Having lived in NJ before and having traveled from those airports, I would say spend the $100.00 for the hotel and a meal and go the day before. Your cheapest and direct flight from AC is on Spirit for 230.00, gets you into MCO early enough to get over to Coco Beach and enjoy the day there, but the flight back is at 9:30 at night. Start looking at the flight schedules and costs, and then make your pick as to what you want to do. Pricing this far out, out of EWR is outrageous. But considering exactly where you are in South Jersey, Southwest and BWI could be an option. I know that was a 2.5 hour drive from Central Jersey, might be less for you, check into it when pricing for your dates opens up. Also check AirTran (SW) out of Philly when that becomes available.

 

Look at the port of call boards to plan your own excursions. These ports are so tourist friendly that not really a lot to worry about and you can book a heck of a lot cheaper on your own by not booking with the cruise line.