Princess Elite going on RCCL for the first time.....help needed!

[lor74]

Hello fine folks of the RCCL forum,

The DW and I will be going on the Allure in January. This will be our 20th cruise over-all, but first on Royal. I have some questions if you could be so kind:

What is the earliest we can board the ship?

Our booking comes with a dinner in a specialty restaurant. Will we have any trouble getting a good reservation for Chops once on board?

Can we order as much as we want at Chops? Is a tip expected in the specialty restaurants?

Will there be formal nights? If so, how many, is a jacket required, is there lobster?

I have read that breakfast is free at Johnny Rockets….is there anything else?

I remember reading at some point that while Starbucks is not free, there are food items that are. Is this accurate?

I have already made all my reservations for the entertainment. Do they scan your cruise card when you get to the venue? How early should you arrive for seats?

Does RCCL do auto-tipping like Princess?

Is it possible to get a chair with shade in the areas of the main pools?

As a first timer, any tips or advice is appreciated.

We will be sailing on the Regal Princess prior to going on the Allure. I am sooo looking forward to exploring both ships and doing comparison reviews/live froms for both sailings. Will the Allure convert me….time will tell J

Thanks in advance!

Lor

 

 

I forgot to ask....we are booked for the late seating. Is it a problem to switch to anytime dinning once on board? Does the anytime dinning work well on the Allure?

Edited November 3, 2014 by lor74

[Clarea]

Can answer some questions:

 

You can usually board the ship between 11am and 11:30am.

 

Royal does daily auto tipping unless you have chosen My Time Dining, in which case all your tips are paid at final payment time.

 

The specialty restuarants include only one entree. I believe extra entrees are $10 each.

 

There will be two formal nights, and lobster is usually served on the second formal night.

 

If there is space, you will be able to switch to My Time Dining once onboard.

Edited November 3, 2014 by clarea

[OCruisers]

Hi Lor!

 

We are also Elite on Princess which is by far our favorite cruise line but do sail on RCCL from time to time and have been on Oasis/Allure. We think of Oasis/Allure as floating resorts (but in a very nice way) and find them fun for a change of pace from normal cruising.

 

You will miss not being able to go directly to your cabin when you board the ship. Until people are allowed to go to their cabins, the public areas are a zoo. Happily, it's the only time we found these ships crowded.

Consider going to Giovanni's for lunch that first day. The $15 pp is well worth it not only because the food is great but also it gets you away from the mob. ;)

 

The specialty restaurants are very good! We normally have dinner at one of them 6 of the 7 nights. We do always leave an extra cash tip.

 

You'll find lots of differences ... but different is not always bad. :)

 

LuLu

[nednrom]

Hello fine folks of the RCCL forum,

 

The DW and I will be going on the Allure in January. This will be our 20th cruise over-all, but first on Royal. I have some questions if you could be so kind:

 

What is the earliest we can board the ship? You can board as early as 11:00 am -- depends on how quickly the past guests disembark.

 

Our booking comes with a dinner in a specialty restaurant. Will we have any trouble getting a good reservation for Chops once on board? There are restaurants times blocked off just for those who decide and reserve specialty restaurants onboard. If you go to Chops when you board, you should be able to get a reservation. I don't know what a "good" reservation is to you -- I usually like to reserve around 8:00pm

Can we order as much as we want at Chops? Is a tip expected in the specialty restaurants? No, it's not all you can eat but if you like something your server may bring you another helping. There is a lot of food though -- we couldn't eat our deserts last time. You are already charged the tip - we usually leave more if the service is excellent.

 

Will there be formal nights? If so, how many, is a jacket required, is there lobster? 2 formal nights, lobster on second night.

 

I have read that breakfast is free at Johnny Rockets….is there anything else?

 

I remember reading at some point that while Starbucks is not free, there are food items that are. Is this accurate? No items in Starbucks is free, there is a cafe that has similar free food items free.

 

I have already made all my reservations for the entertainment. Do they scan your cruise card when you get to the venue? How early should you arrive for seats? They scan your cards to enter the venues to make sure that you have a reservation. To the big shows about 20 minutes ahead of time but for Comedy and ice show 30-45 minutes ahead of time since they are smaller venues.

 

Does RCCL do auto-tipping like Princess? YES..if you have MTD you have already been charged. If you don't, you can request tips to be added.

 

Is it possible to get a chair with shade in the areas of the main pools? In the shade away from the pool yes, under the umbrellas by the beach pool NO

 

As a first timer, any tips or advice is appreciated. Just enjoy, and take in the ship, it's pretty neat

 

We will be sailing on the Regal Princess prior to going on the Allure. I am sooo looking forward to exploring both ships and doing comparison reviews/live froms for both sailings. Will the Allure convert me….time will tell J

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Lor

 

 

I forgot to ask....we are booked for the late seating. Is it a problem to switch to anytime dinning once on board? Does the anytime dinning work well on the Allure? You should be able to switch just ask the Maitre'd or call RC to switch.

 

Gail

[lor74]

Thanks for the responses!

 

Formal nights...is a jacket required?

[OCruisers]

Thanks for the responses!

 

Formal nights...is a jacket required?

 

A jacket is suggested but NOT required.

[lor74]

thanks

 

My final payment was 3 weeks ago....now there is a $600 obc being offered.....it hurts!!! :(

[GSRDPM]

thanks

 

My final payment was 3 weeks ago....now there is a $600 obc being offered.....it hurts!!! :(

 

But look at the price being charged with that OBC and compare to the price you paid. Many of the high OBC offers are paired with ridiculously high fares.

[lor74]

It is the exact same price and offer I had booked with, except for the additional $600 obc

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[hollon]

I know you didn't ask, but please make show reservations as soon as they open. You can call or do this online. You can go online if they're not open and look at the previous shows to get an ideal what is available., Also, Park Cafe is really good, they have ready to make salads, sandwiches, muffins, chips, fruit, etc., also, a show called Quest is really funny, so don't miss that. All the entertainment is wonderful, so book everything.

[lor74]

Thanks, I already booked all the shows

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[critterchick]

It is the exact same price and offer I had booked with, except for the additional $600 obc

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Stop looking at your own category, since it will only bring you pain. But do check out higher categories to see if one of them comes down in price and you can upgrade.:)

[wka_orlando]

Since it does not look like anyone responded to your questions...

 

My wife and I are Elite on Princess and working on Diamond for RCCL so I will try to respond.

 

You can usually get on the ship as early as 11am but RCCL does not allow cabin access until 1:30. Princess really depends on the ship but does not have a blanket lockout policy. They will open a cabin area as soon as the supervisor checks the cabins and we have never been kept out past about 12:30. They are also a lot more cool about letting us drop stuff in the cabin even if not 'ready' yet. RCCL is a hard lockout until 1:30

 

On Princess, the specialty restaurants are more like main dining in that they will give you as much of whatever you want without more than the cover charge. RCCL lost us as specialty dining customers when they adopted the one item from the menu policy like a shore side restaurant. Kinda makes them out as jerks that they are charging more than most shore steak places and more stingy with the food on top it... Princess is much better on the specialty dining front... also harder to get into. reserve asap on the ship for Princess! On RCCL, they have to push to fill the place and we often just get in when we wanted without any attempt to reserve.

 

Lobster is hit an miss. Some rides have and some only go as far as the really big shrimp. Guess based on cost that week. Dress code is about the same between the lines on formal night. Jackets not required but a collared shirt and long pants will get you in. Seems that formal night is slowly dying off... Much to the regret of the photo gallery!

 

Do not know about breakfast in Rockets... We are not fans of the food in that place and don't go in there for anything but our free milkshakes (perks for status)

 

Do not know about the food in Starbucks right now. Last time I went in, some was free and there were charge items as well.

 

Yes, they scan cards going into the show venues. There is also a standby line that starts to move about 20 min before the show. Suggest you get in before that happens or your seats are up for grabs. Like Princess, the seat grabbing starts about 30min before the show and people are just as rude about sending two people to hold a row... RCCL has started to be more picky about this as people where holding blocks of seats for friends in the standby line...

 

Tipping has been changing lately. Not sure of specifics between the two companies. We always prepay tips so have not paid attention. Looks like the tipping is about to 'go away' as the lines are starting to 'drop tipping' and 'include it in the fare'... Translation, they are going back to the old system of you tipping whatever you want but they company is not going to be involved. The tips are often an organized crime activity with supervisors extorting money from the lower level staff etc. Think the companies are going to get out of it by a token pay scale increase for staff which will make good legal press for people wanting to impose labor laws on them and put the onus of tips back onto passengers at the expense of the employees.

 

As for chairs, depends on the ship but usually there are chairs in the shade and enclosed pool areas. They tend to get very hot like sun rooms but they are there just as on Princess.

 

Tipping is mostly the same recommendation for all of the lines. I usually let the auto tips stand and then give a bit extra if our steward or wait staff really impress or we put them through extra hassles.

 

To be fare, you will like the food on Princess better as a rule (esp the pay venues) but being a new ship, patience will be required. We have sailed a lot of ships in their first 60 days and are on Regal for xmas this year as the price is right and I wanted to give them a good month to get organized). They usually have a lot of shaking out to do and service can be a bit slow as the crew is still getting the hang of a new ship without the benefit of experienced people who have been there for 6-9 months... That said, the entertainment on Allure will be better as RCCL really does a better job on that these days. Princess has good stage shows but they are a bit stale if you sail them often and whoever is producing them in CA needs to find another line of work... Almost like a series of Broadway commercials (3-5 min skits with little theme) They are also trying to be hip with rap insertions and hip hop that most of the audience just hates... Carnival influence obvious... RCCL gives most shows a continuous theme and short form Broadway shows in the main theatre. Allure is a lot of fun. We have sailed her twice. Water and Ice shows are great for everyone but really meant for the kids. Main theatre shows are great. Both lines need help with the other acts though. The comedians and headliners have been rather sad the last few years...

 

Another item of caution is the shopping. Both lines are guilty of this but RCCL especially so. The lines are now being blackmailed by the US gov to surrender reports of what everyone spends on the ship and in shops they control ashore. This is so customs can grab people that owe money... I get it and we do report what we spend! What happens though is the lines do not separate what is duty spending and what is really duty free. US goods are not subject to duty. The shops LIE about what is and is not duty and then when you go to get off the ship, they hold you aside until customs shows up to get you or they escort you in a group to the duty office. Last time we sailed Allure this happened to us. We did spend over allowance but the items were not subject to duty. The line does not explain what was spent so we got held with others for over two hours waiting for customs to say we did not owe anything and let us go. People missed flights and connections because of this so now I warn all of our friends to not spend more than $800 per person in any shops aboard or in those 'International' named stores in the ports. Anything cruise line recommended shops may be reporting. If you do, fill out your customs form correctly and expect to be stuck waiting to clear customs. If you spend in the independent shops, still fill the form out correctly and when you go through customs, they direct you to the pay window and you are out like a shot... It is getting held on the ship and waiting with a group that takes forever. I wish the lines would step up and do this right but when you get off the ship, you are no longer a customer in their eyes and to hell with making you miss a flight because they are too lazy to make correct reports.

 

Hope this helps. If you sail Regal before us, do post how it went. I think the ship looks nice in the pictures but Princess really needs to get some more creative designers... RCCL ships have smaller cabins but you do not care because roaming the ship is always interesting. Princess is still stuck in that 1980s design mode. Classy but uninteresting. We sail Princess when we are tired and want to relax and RCCL when we want to be active and to have fun...

 

Wish you good trips on both!

[lor74]

Wow, thanks for the detailed reply WKA. Others did reply to my questions, but not in so many words. I appreciate the time you took.

 

Free milkshakes for status? Please explain

 

Our sailings are in Jan.

 

Thanks again

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Grandma Dazzles]

A few comments relative to other postings.

 

All the RC ships we have been on have had cabins opened at 1:00 p.m. that included Oasis earlier this year and also Allure last year.

 

Food is subjective, so I won't comment on that. However, never had a really bad meal - some better than others, but for the most part always pretty good.

 

Shows: Agree with making reservations. Your card is scanned as you enter. I think being there 20 minutes before show is fine. There is a line for people with no reservations - they open that up 10 minutes before show time.

 

Comedy Club is a small venue - definitely need a reservation. Never seen too many people get in from "the line" - would get to that one early. Note I am referring to the comedy club, not a comedian in the main theater show. Comedy Club is definitely for adults.

 

Ice Show - Usually pretty full. Do not think it is for kids, as one poster commented. The costumes, skating, show, etc. are really good. There is also usually a "specialty entertainer" again very good.

 

Aqua Show - Also don't think it is just for kids. Diving is really good to watch, plus all the other acrobatics.

 

Seats by pool - adult pool - called solarium - has a lot of mixed seating, sun, shade, loungers, chairs with foot stools, etc. Main pool is more crowded, but there is also the sports pool. I think you will find a seat without any major problems.

 

On formal nights there is a "suggested" dress code of tux, suit, jacket - I think for the most part it is adhered to, especially if you have second seating. Again, dress codes are only suggested, and very controversial on cruise critic. My thought is that the majority of passengers adhere to the suggested dress code each evening.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited November 10, 2014 by PMcC1998

[wka_orlando]

Not a problem. By status I referred to frequent cruiser status. As you move through the levels, they used to give coupon books on RCCL. Now you get a sheet telling you what your perks are. One perk, not sure when we started getting it... is a couple of free milkshakes.

 

RCCL changed their program awhile back to make more levels and the levels harder to reach while cutting back the perks rather significantly. We made Diamond a couple of rides back and to get to the next level, we have to double our sailing days. Where they improved the perks is with a Diamond Club on each ship. If you have Diamond status, you basically drink for free for a few hours each night in that club only. If you want to go elsewhere, there is a four drink per night limit I think. We are not power drinkers (maybe two glasses of wine in a night at most usually none...) so we never hit the limit and the perk is of limited value to us. I usually just save my soda drinking for that window... for drinkers, I can see this has value, but I would prefer internet as I have to use it. Princess still offers the internet and some other perks we find more useful... Now that we are hitting elite level, looking forward to free laundry service on the longer trips! My biggest gripe with RCCL has been the lack of laundry rooms and the crazy high prices for getting stuff washed. This has always kept us off them for anything longer than 7 days as I do not like to pack large bags. Over the years, my wife and I have it down to an art to pack just what we can carry off ourselves without throwing out a back.... She even warms up my undershirts by sleeping in them the night before. :-) On Princess, we can pack for 4-5 days worth and just do laundry on a sea day.

 

As for the post that followed mine, agree the shows are fun for all. My comment was to the effect that they designed them to keep the kids engaged. I think the main stage shows on Princess tend to lose the kids interest and they really do not have anything else to watch besides the really big TV up on deck. A lot of bands/music playing around the ship but there are def a LOT more entertainment options on RCCL these days. Our last Princess ride was beyond disappointing on activities. Bingo and a few trivias where it... An entire daily calendar full of marketing, sales, and almost devoid of activities. That was Caribbean Princess I am hoping that was a one off and not a new trend. Rumor had it most of the cruise director staff was about to rotate off which may have been the real issue.

 

As I said... :-) For us, Princess trips are for rest/relaxation and RCCL trips are for more active 'fun'. Both have their advantages which is why we have status on both. We just take which ever line we are in the mood for and has a decent deal when we want it. Most of our trips are purchased less than two months out and many less than two weeks in advance. One of those living in Florida perks - NO AIRLINES BETWEEN ME AND A DECK CHAIR!!!!