First ever cruise HELP!!!! DID I MAKE A BIG MISTAKE

[Lazeybear]

Hi

I have just booked a cruise on Allure of the sea for 2014. I have never been on a cruise so im hoping i can get some help here. I have booked a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise with superior ocean view stateroom with balcony. I have no idea what type of room this is but it sounds nice he he. :p Myself and my boyfriend are a little bit worried as we booked the trip in a moment of madness because it was on special offer (still pricey) we had been thinking of taking a cruise. So i booked full board thinking it would be like all inclusive in a hotel but iv now found out i need to arrange a drinks plan ? Can anybody advise me on this? We are late 20s early 30s and will probably have a drink every night not get totally crazy but we normally have one or two every night on our holiday, we both drink spirits and cocktails,my travel agent told me just to pay for my drinks on board as we order them as a drink plan is a waste of money is this right? Also can anybody give me a rough idea of how much money i can expect to need on board,we will definitely take one or two day trips off the ship We wont have a crazy amount to spend so i like to budget. What exactly does full board inc?It all seems so confusing i hope i haven't made a mistake booking this :(.Any other advice would be great.

[Keith1010]

Please do not worry. You will have a great time as do tens of thousands who sail on the ship each year.

 

For all of your questions about RCI and this ship I would post this on the RCI Board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

 

Keith

[Lazeybear]

Please do not worry. You will have a great time as do tens of thousands who sail on the ship each year.

 

For all of your questions about RCI and this ship I would post this on the RCI Board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

 

Keith

 

Thank you so much i will do that now :D

[rwr235]

Hi,

 

First of all...RELAX !!:) You booked a cruise...how could that possibly be a mistake ??!!:D

 

I just watched the Allure enter harbor on the Port Everglades webcam...beautiful HUGE ship !! and although I have not yet been on her, all my friends and family who have...had a spectacular cruise !!

 

Beverage Packages are difficult to comment on...and Royal Carib. just recently released their updated/revised plans...so look them over and decide if you think they might be worthwhile...for one or both of you. I have purchased plans on other lines, and found them to be cost beneficial for me...but at the same time would never be so for my wife.

 

I am sure you will get lots more advice from others...and I also suggest, in addition to above about posting on the RCI Boards, that you join the Roll Call for your specific sailing...where you can meet and discuss everything/anything with your fellow passengers.

 

Enjoy

Woody

Edited November 17, 2013 by rwr235

[Keith1010]

You are very welcome.

 

Keith

[FionaMG]

As Keith said there is no need to worry. You have definitely not made a mistake.

Your travel agent is correct; if you are not big drinkers, the best way is not to buy a drinks plan (or at most, if you drink a lot of soda buy a soda package, but for this you would need to have 3 cans a day for it to be worth the money).

As for excursions, you can look at these on RCI's website by going into the pre-cruise planner. Even if the excursions for your particular sailing are not yet on sale, you will still get an idea of what's on offer and how much it costs.

Relax and have a great first cruise. :)

[nseit1974]

We did the Allure last year. It was fabulous. You will find so many things to do on the ship that won't cost you anything. Unless you drink at least 5 drinks a day, the package is probably not worth it. Be sure to go to the shows and try everything. You will love it.

[sparky-elpaso]

Hi

I have just booked a cruise on Allure of the sea for 2014. I have never been on a cruise so im hoping i can get some help here. I have booked a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise with superior ocean view stateroom with balcony. I have no idea what type of room this is but it sounds nice he he. :p Myself and my boyfriend are a little bit worried as we booked the trip in a moment of madness because it was on special offer (still pricey) we had been thinking of taking a cruise. So i booked full board thinking it would be like all inclusive in a hotel but iv now found out i need to arrange a drinks plan ? Can anybody advise me on this? We are late 20s early 30s and will probably have a drink every night not get totally crazy but we normally have one or two every night on our holiday, we both drink spirits and cocktails,my travel agent told me just to pay for my drinks on board as we order them as a drink plan is a waste of money is this right? Also can anybody give me a rough idea of how much money i can expect to need on board,we will definitely take one or two day trips off the ship We wont have a crazy amount to spend so i like to budget. What exactly does full board inc?It all seems so confusing i hope i haven't made a mistake booking this :(.Any other advice would be great.

 

Took me a minute to figure out "full board" - then I noticed you're in Ireland. :) All cruises include virtually all food (main dining room - a buffet restaurant of some kind - casual places like hamburgers and hot dogs by the pool, pizza, ice cream - room service) and basic drinks (coffee, tea, iced tea, milk, various juices at breakfast).

 

The ship will have some "specialty" restaurants like a steak house, Italian, etc. - usually around $25 per person. Not at all necessary but nice if you want a special night out.

 

Most of the drinks plans are only cost effective if you drink more than 5 or 6 drinks a day. So I'll agree with your TA that just pay as you go.

 

One thing to check with your TA about is whether gratuities are included in your fare. If not, $11.50 per person per day will be added to your account for your cabin steward, all the waiters who wait on you in the dining room (and buffet) and some folks who work behind the scenes that you never see. A 15% tip will be added to any drinks (including sodas) so no need to tip extra there.

 

Other than that you really don't need to spend another dime on the ship.

 

Do you have a cabin number? If so, check out the Royal Caribbean website and check out the Allure deck plans to see where your cabin is.

 

One thing to consider is travel to the ship. It's a good idea to fly in the day before the cruise and stay in a hotel that night. Then you don't have to worry about any delays. Especially since you're coming in from overseas. You have to be on board the ship at least 90 minutes before the ship sails.

 

Welcome aboard. And prepare to be hooked. :D

[Bonnie J.]

And, join your Roll Call here on cruisecritic! This is where other passengers email each other, plan to take tours together and usually have a Meet & Greet to meet each other. When you post here, make sure you scroll down from your post and hit "Instant email replies" before you hit 'post'. Then you will get a copy each time someone posts here.

We have met some great people this way and once 12 of us chartered our own private sunset snorkeling tour in Aruba!

[okgirl]

I've never sailed RCCL, but assume it's like Carnival in that you don't actually spend cash money on the ship. Your onboard account can be established with cash or a credit card, then all onboard purchases are "charged" to your account via your cabin key card. On Carnival it's called a Sail and Sign card.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Don't worry; you will have a fabulous time.

 

Things that cost money: specialty restaurants (but the main dining room and other free venue are fine) photos, any spa services (very pricey) some of the exercise classes, anything in the shops, drinks beyond water, coffee, tea, juice and (usually) lemonade, excursions, tips, bingo, etc.

 

There are more, but basically, if they ask for your room card, then it is costing money. Find out if your daily gratuities are included in your price; they often are on Allure packages.

 

Also, look into shore excursions that are not ship sponsored as they usually cost a lot less. In some ports you can just get off the ship and walk around or even walk to a beach.

 

We spend very little on board except for gratuities and an occasional photo, almost always do private excursions and have a great time.

[Gloria Mundi]

There are plenty of discussions on how to save on the cost of alcohol on board ships; some allow you to bring on a bottle of wine, for example. I agree with the others that drinks packages are probably not cost-effective unless you plan to indulge a lot. You should be able to get a good estimate of what you'll be spending on alcohol given your habits, and for your particular ship, and if the cruise isn't till next year you have some time to save it up. That way you can relax and enjoy the trip.

[Guest maddycat]

On all Royal Caribbean ships you're allowed to bring on 2 bottles of wine to drink in your cabin. Your cabin attendant will supply you with glasses, cork screw and ice. If you want to bring the wine to dinner there will be a corkage fee. If I remember correctly, the corkage fee is $25. You can purchase the wine at a local shop near the port.

 

You might also like to read the Cruise Critic UK Board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=683

[the mistral wind]

Hi

I have just booked a cruise on Allure of the sea for 2014. I have never been on a cruise so im hoping i can get some help here. I have booked a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise with superior ocean view stateroom with balcony. I have no idea what type of room this is but it sounds nice he he. :p Myself and my boyfriend are a little bit worried as we booked the trip in a moment of madness because it was on special offer (still pricey) we had been thinking of taking a cruise. So i booked full board thinking it would be like all inclusive in a hotel but iv now found out i need to arrange a drinks plan ? Can anybody advise me on this? We are late 20s early 30s and will probably have a drink every night not get totally crazy but we normally have one or two every night on our holiday, we both drink spirits and cocktails,my travel agent told me just to pay for my drinks on board as we order them as a drink plan is a waste of money is this right? Also can anybody give me a rough idea of how much money i can expect to need on board,we will definitely take one or two day trips off the ship We wont have a crazy amount to spend so i like to budget. What exactly does full board inc?It all seems so confusing i hope i haven't made a mistake booking this :(.Any other advice would be great.

 

Dear friend,

RCCL always has a great value and wonderful all inclusive cruise expierence can be found.

One thing you will have to plan for is your tips usually 12. a day per person which is charged to your account at the end of the cruise. So this is something that would be extra.

Iced tea is free and water of course and sometimes lemonade in dinning room is free and in the buffets.

The expense is alcohol and all bar drinks. Soda is an added expense. The shore excursions are extra if you chose to take them. but you can usually go on your own and take a cab or walk and shop at most ports if you need to save some money. Its your choice. We usually pick one place where we will splurge and buy an excursion and the other ports we either shop or take a cab and walk through the town on our own.

The ship you chose to cruise on is the newest and the biggest ship in the world. There is so much to do and see on this ship alone, that you probably will be exploring this ship all day long. My sister just got off this ship and she said it was fantastic. During the shows they have those foo foo fun drinks that are something we like to buy$ the frozen drinks. But besides the bar bill the all inclusive cruise is just what you booked. You can enjoy one of the speciality restaurants if you like but the food in the dinning rooms are free and good and so are the buffets. My sister did buy into one of the specality restaurants but she did say that the food that was included in the fare of the cruise was great and didn't leave anything to be desired.

I have cruised on RCCL several times never on the Oasis or the Allure yet but i am sure that the standards i am use to on rccl has not changed and you will get a value even if you don't spend another dime besides your graits. of course.

:D Don't worry be happy spend what you like..:D

[the mistral wind]

Hi

I have just booked a cruise on Allure of the sea for 2014. I have never been on a cruise so im hoping i can get some help here. I have booked a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise with superior ocean view stateroom with balcony. I have no idea what type of room this is but it sounds nice he he. :p Myself and my boyfriend are a little bit worried as we booked the trip in a moment of madness because it was on special offer (still pricey) we had been thinking of taking a cruise. So i booked full board thinking it would be like all inclusive in a hotel but iv now found out i need to arrange a drinks plan ? Can anybody advise me on this? We are late 20s early 30s and will probably have a drink every night not get totally crazy but we normally have one or two every night on our holiday, we both drink spirits and cocktails,my travel agent told me just to pay for my drinks on board as we order them as a drink plan is a waste of money is this right? Also can anybody give me a rough idea of how much money i can expect to need on board,we will definitely take one or two day trips off the ship We wont have a crazy amount to spend so i like to budget. What exactly does full board inc?It all seems so confusing i hope i haven't made a mistake booking this :(.Any other advice would be great.

 

I also want to add a cheap thing that we do to save for drinks.:cool:

I know that sounds crazy but we get a big bank the kind you can't break into and put it in our bedroom. Every night we empty our pockets and purses of the change we have have into the bank and a week before the cruise we head to the bank with this change. By the time our cruise takes place we have a couple hundred dollars worth of change for our drinks. No kidding it really adds up.

[dsrdsrdsr]

What exactly does full board inc?

"Full board" means three meals a day - though on board ship you can stretch that to four or five, with afternoon tea and ther midnight buffet available.

 

(By comparison, half board is breakfast and evening meal, and all-inclusive would be all meals plus alcoholic drinks. Neither of those are generally applicable to cruise travel, though all-inclusive is offered by some lines.)

 

You'll probably find there's free tea and coffee on board all the time, and possibly fruit juice. I've never travelled RCCL so I don't know for sure.

[Bonnie J.]

What ships still have the midnight buffet? I can't think of one that still does. When we started cruising every ship had them EVERY night!

[Tiggertastic]

Have a wonderful time - a fantastic choice of cabin

 

I agree with the TA, purchase as you go along and check your TV account to keep track of what you are spending

 

Give yourself a budget to work with

[cb at sea]

Most 1st timers will spend about 1/2 the cost of the cruise in excursions, alcohol and other "extras".......

 

Cruising is NOT "all inclusive", unless you're on one of the truly AI luxury lines....

 

In order to NOT spend money on excursions, get a guidebook from your library and read up on your ports. There are tons of things you can do on your own, for minimal $$, but you MUST have info on the places you're going! Get a guidebook and do your research...it really can save you alot of money!

 

RCI does have "drink packages"....whether you'll save money depends on how much you drink.

The soda package 'breaks even" if you drink the equivilent of 3+ cans of soda per person, per day...the soda in the package is fountain soda.

There are a couple of different alcohol packages....each adult in the cabin must purchase the package if one does....to keep you from "sharing".

Or...you can buy "by the drink"...you don't NEED a package to get those beverages.

[marco]

Very "Ball Park", most mixed drinks/glass of wine on most ships is around $8. Frequently there is a daily special drink of the day for a couple of $$$ less. Most lines that offer the beverage package charge around $50 a day per guest, and on most lines if you are going to do the drink package all passengers in the cabin have to do it. Depending on how much you think you might imbibe.....do the math and decide