First time RC cruisers - some detailed questions

[Cz Dad]

First time sailing with RC and Allure on the April 5 western cruise. Been lurking here for several month leading up to our sail date and have gotten almost all of my basic questions answered by browsing around. A few detailed ones that would be great if anyone has any input.

 

• We'd like to book a Cabana at Labadee, but advanced reservations are only available for the suites and club members. Do we have any chance of getting one by trying to book when we get on board? If it's a long shot, I'd like to know now, so we can plan other things that day. If its a pretty good chance, that would be our top choice, and I will book little else. But even if we don't get one, I will be happy sitting on the beach with a drink in my hand. :)
   
  
• We've done 6 Disney cruises and always found the main dining room experience and food on Disney to be great. So much so, that we really did not find it necessary to eat many dinners anywhere else - usually maybe one time in the upgraded restaurant. If we do the same on Allure, will we be missing something special with all the different dinner options? Is it more like our experience with Disney where the main dining room food and experience is very well done? Just trying to figure out if we should do speciality dining at all, once, or maybe 4-5 times (if say the main dining room is uninspiring). At a minimum I'd like to do the party at Rita's Cantina!!! (heard good things about that here).
   
  
• At Couzemel, we are going to do the Dolphin encounter in the morning at Chankanaab booked through RC. Will it be possible to stay at the park after the dolphin encounter and enjoy the beach and perhaps snorkel in the afternoon? Or will RC expect us to get right back on a shuttle back to the ship? I'd have no problem taxing back on my own.
   
  
• At Falmouth, Jamaica, we've booked the Thrill Seeker Pass, which includes an estate tour, carriage rides, pool access, rum tasting, zip lining and a water slide. I have not been able to find much about this excursion. It seems like it has something for everyone, so we were thinking our parents who are cruising with us might enjoy it too - of course not the zip line and slide but the other stuff. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?
   
  
• I've booked the alcohol package for myself. It seems like it is unlimited - do they place any limits on time between drinks or on total amount in a day? I can drink a lot, especially watery beers on a hot day! :D The booking included tips - do the serves expect additional tips on board? (I probably will give some addition tips for spectacular service or to ensure a full glass all day, but it would be great to know expectations from others experience.)
   
  

 

Any insights from the experiences RC cruiser on any of these would be very helpful. Thank you so much in advance. Can't wait to get on the ship!

[Clarea]

...I've booked the alcohol package for myself. It seems like it is unlimited - do they place any limits on time between drinks or on total amount in a day? I can drink a lot, especially watery beers on a hot day! :D The booking included tips - do the serves expect additional tips on board? (I probably will give some addition tips for spectacular service or to ensure a full glass all day, but it would be great to know expectations from others experience.)...

There are no time limits between drinks or maximum number of drinks per day. Tips are included, so the servers do not expect additional tips. However, it's not uncommon for people to tip more.

 

The only exception to the time limit between drinks is on the Freestyle (soda) machine. The special cup cannot be used in a machine more than every 15 minutes.

[Cz Dad]

There are no time limits between drinks or maximum number of drinks per day. Tips are included, so the servers do not expect additional tips. However, it's not uncommon for people to tip more.

 

The only exception to the time limit between drinks is on the Freestyle (soda) machine. The special cup cannot be used in a machine more than every 15 minutes.

 

Awesome. That is what I was hoping / expecting. It is great to have it totally confirmed. Thank you so much!

[PegB87]

[*]We'd like to book a Cabana at Labadee, but advanced reservations are only available for the suites and club members. Do we have any chance of getting one by trying to book when we get on board? If it's a long shot, I'd like to know now, so we can plan other things that day. If its a pretty good chance, that would be our top choice, and I will book little else. But even if we don't get one, I will be happy sitting on the beach with a drink in my hand. :)

 

 

I've never been successful in getting a cabana on Labadee or CocoCay from the waitlist. Granted, I'm not as "experienced" as many others on here, so perhaps some have had better luck, but I'm 0 for 5!:D

I say be prepared to just enjoy your beach day & if you happen to get lucky it'll be a happy surprise!

[Cz Dad]

I've never been successful in getting a cabana on Labadee or CocoCay from the waitlist. Granted, I'm not as "experienced" as many others on here, so perhaps some have had better luck, but I'm 0 for 5!:D

I say be prepared to just enjoy your beach day & if you happen to get lucky it'll be a happy surprise!

 

No doubt. That's is the mentality I will go with. Give me a beach in the Caribbean and a drink and I am happy wherever I am sitting.

[lar888]

I have reserved a cabaña in Labadee numerous times.

In the Labadee excursions there are cabañas at Nellie's Beach and Barefoot Beach.

Nellie's cabanas are open for anyone to book.

Barefoot Beach is only open to suite guests and D+ or above.

You can book Nellie's cabanas the same as any other excursion.

You need to book early or they are gone.

When you book or try to book make sire you only book for one person.

The cabanas hold six but if you put more than one in when trying to book it tries to book multiple cabanas. So if you put in six passengers, it tries to book six cabanas and gives you a message that there are none available.

Good luck.

[cruisenfever]

Barefoot Beach is only open to suite guests and D+ or above.

Cabanas at Barefoot Beach are only available to those with a Gold SeaPass Card (those booked in a GS or above and Pinnacle Club C&A Members).

 

If, after making these cabanas available they are not all are booked by those mentioned above, then the remaining cabanas would be available for other guests to reserve on a first come first serve basis.

[LovesCruising]

I have reserved a cabaña in Labadee numerous times.

In the Labadee excursions there are cabañas at Nellie's Beach and Barefoot Beach.

Nellie's cabanas are open for anyone to book.

Barefoot Beach is only open to suite guests and D+ or above.

You can book Nellie's cabanas the same as any other excursion.

You need to book early or they are gone.

When you book or try to book make sire you only book for one person.

The cabanas hold six but if you put more than one in when trying to book it tries to book multiple cabanas. So if you put in six passengers, it tries to book six cabanas and gives you a message that there are none available.

Good luck.

 

Lately Cabana's in any location have not been showing up on the excursion list. The last 2 cruises we took we were not in a suite but in a D2. Immediately upon boarding went directly to the excursion desk and asked if any were available. First thing I was asked was for my room number. I suspect they were checking our C & A status. First time there was a waitlist and the next day tickets were in our cabin for the cabana. Second time we were able to obtain a cabana directly at the excursion desk for Nellies Beach.

 

OP I would definitely give it a try - you never know. :)

[Grandma Dazzles]

Regarding the dolphin encounter in Cozumel, we did it last year through RC on the Oasis. They used cabs, not a shuttle bus, to take people from the pier to the park.

 

Many people said it would have been cheaper and easier to do it independently (and I am not a fan of independent tours; always worry about missing the ship). However, the park was just a short cab ride away, so probably would be just as easy.

 

After the dolphin encounter we were free to return to the ship whenever - our group leader had numerous groups at the park and just told us to go to the main gate and ask for one of the RC chartered cabs.

[Jiffymom]

I think you will enjoy the main dinning room. I found it better than Disney. On Disney's there were way to many kids and tripping over high chairs lol i did enjoy cruise but not again.

You can always decide at the on ship if you want to make reservations some where. Chops is excellent in m opinion so we always book at least one night. I prefer a sea day so I can have plenty of time for a nap and dress up a little.

 

I don't know about Cabanas. But the beach is beautiful.

 

You will be happy with the drink package. No, you don't need to tip. That is included in the price. Fun chance to try new drinks. If you don't like it just toss and try something else.

after dinner drinks are great at the piano/schooner bar lots of fun .

 

ignore all the negatives yes there is good and bad but far more positives. So enjoy the ride and have a ball.

[thrifty99]

We enjoy the specialty dining on our more recent cruises as the main dining room has not been as enjoyable. It does depend on if you have some fun table mates and how attentive your wait staff is. Last November on Allure we were at a larger table for 6 (just the 2 of us on this cruise) and had fun table mates so we ate a few times in the main dining room. Our recent December cruise was not as enjoyable... no one else sat with us at a larger table and the waiter spent very little time at our table.

 

Here is a summary of the dining options for you on Allure:

 

Complimentary:

Windjammer buffet: pretty good buffet food but we try to avoid it as it has the highest chance of spreading germs. We have seen kids licking their fingers and then grabbing serving utensils. Utensils are dropped on the floor and then picked up and put back on the buffet.

 

Main Dining Room for dinner: you could eat here all week and have a great selection of food to choose from. If you can’t decide on a starter, dinner, or dessert don’t hesitate to order a 2nd one. It is okay to do so. On a 7-night cruise there are usually 2 formal nights where you should be dressed appropriately.

 

Boardwalk Dogs: open for lunch and dinner and has a selection of 6+ different types of hot dogs / sausages.

 

Park Cafe (located in Central Park). At breakfast has a bagel bar, egg sandwiches, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, etc. At lunch has a salad bar, roast beef sandwich, panini’s, quesadilla’s, wraps, etc. This is one of our favorite lunch spots.

 

Wipeout Cafe: back of ship near the sports court. At breakfast has a nice small buffet of pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, etc. It also has a made to order omelette station that makes great omelettes (and other eggs). At lunch the buffet is set up with hamburgers, hot dogs, wraps, nachos, etc (a few items may change during the week).

 

Johnny Rockets: made to order breakfast daily.

 

Solarium: at breakfast this has healthier food choices. Eggs, fruit, granola, oatmeal, turkey bacon and sausage, muffins, etc. Lunch also has healthier food and a salad bar.

 

Sorento’s Pizza: Has a selection of 2-3 pre-made pizzas that differ day to day. Also has a “make your own” pizza bar where you can choose ingredients and have them make a pizza for you. If you don’t see an ingredient, ask if they have it in back. For example, some days they may not have sausage at the make your own bar, but can still add it for you.

 

Promenade Cafe: this has some simple sandwiches and a selection of desserts. Good place to stop by for a quick snack.

 

Boardwalk Donuts: this is a “self-serve” cabinet with donuts located across from Boardwalk Dogs.

 

 

Specialty: these have an up-charge per person or additional charges.

 

Chops Grille (Steakhouse): the steaks are okay, but the better steaks cost additional on top of the up-charge. We usually go to Chops but if you were gong to only do one or two specialty restaurants, you could skip this. You can also order the steaks for an addition cost in the Main Dining Room.

 

Samba Grill (in Solarium): this is a Brazilian steak-house style restaurant. 9 different cuts of meat to eat during the meal and a nice salad bar. We enjoy eating here.

 

Giovanni’s Table: this is the Italian restaurant. We see some mixed reviews on this, but it is one of our favorite restaurants. Love the Scallops appetizer.

 

150 Central Park: we have not eaten here. This is the most upscale restaurant.

 

Izumi’s Asian Cuisine: A few complimentary items and then a la carte pricing for everything else. The “hot-rocks” is a fun dinner. They bring out super hot rocks and you cook your own food on it.

 

Vintages: assorted tapas and fine wines. A la carte pricing. We have wanted to try this, but somehow never fit it into our schedule.

 

Chef’s Table: Exclusive, interactive multi-course wine paring dinner hosted by ship Chef.

 

Johnny Rockets. The fast food on the ship… burgers, fries, shakes. Up charge covers your meal but shakes are extra.

 

Rita’s Cantina (Mexican). A la carte pricing. Also has a Fiesta during the week that includes some entertainment like dancing on the boardwalk and 3 drinks. We did the fiesta and it was a good time. I believe this is being changed to Sabor.

 

Starbucks: there is a Starbucks on board for your coffee fix if needed.

Edited February 28, 2015 by thrifty99

[cruisenfever]

Here is a summary of the dining options for you on Allure:

You forgot under Complimentary....

 

Johnny Rockets has made to order breakfast every morning.

Edited February 28, 2015 by cruisenfever

[thrifty99]

You forgot under Complimentary....

 

Johnny Rockets has made to order breakfast every morning.

 

Thanks -- added it to the post.

[Cz Dad]

Outstanding. Thank you so much for all the great replies. These are really amazingly helpful - really appreciate it!

 

On the Nellie's beach cabana's, the excursion booking page says - not available on-line, please check on the ship. I think its been like that the whole time. This leads me to believe (hopefully) that they are not booked out, but just available for booking on the ship only, so we might have a good shot at getting one. Anyone have any experience with this condition on the excursion booking system?

 

One more question - we have 6 in our group, so one cabana will be perfect. The families we are traveling with are 4 each, 8 people total, and they were hoping to split a cabana an Nellies. Will they strictly enforce 6 people, or will they be ok with 8 people coming and going? (4 adults, 4 kids). Thanks!

[Clarea]

Outstanding. Thank you so much for all the great replies. These are really amazingly helpful - really appreciate it!

 

On the Nellie's beach cabana's, the excursion booking page says - not available on-line, please check on the ship. I think its been like that the whole time. This leads me to believe (hopefully) that they are not booked out, but just available for booking on the ship only, so we might have a good shot at getting one. Anyone have any experience with this condition on the excursion booking system?

 

One more question - we have 6 in our group, so one cabana will be perfect. The families we are traveling with are 4 each, 8 people total, and they were hoping to split a cabana an Nellies. Will they strictly enforce 6 people, or will they be ok with 8 people coming and going? (4 adults, 4 kids). Thanks!

At one time, Nellie's cabanas were available on the website. Some time ago, they ceased to be available on the website and could only be reserved onboard. So the current state of the website likely does not have any correlation to availability of cabanas.

 

They will enforce the 6 person limit. You need wristbands to enter the cabana area, and they will only issue 6 per cabana.

[Cz Dad]

At one time, Nellie's cabanas were available on the website. Some time ago, they ceased to be available on the website and could only be reserved onboard. So the current state of the website likely does not have any correlation to availability of cabanas.

 

They will enforce the 6 person limit. You need wristbands to enter the cabana area, and they will only issue 6 per cabana.

 

Excellent. Thank you. It is so nice to know what to expect so we do not get surprised. Sounds like our friends will have to book 2 cabanas, if they can. Maybe they can make friends with some new couples on board and share - who knows. We've done that before and met some good people!

[tdk]

Rita's ... We didn't do the feast but did pay the upcharge and eat there 1 time and we didn't feel that the food was anything worth paying extra for. If your fan of margaritas they were alright but don't feel we would go back. I have read that sabor is suppose to be better though.

[cruisenfever]

Thanks -- added it to the post.

You're welcome. Thanks for making up such a great list.

[Cz Dad]

Great answers to most of these questions. Thank you so much for the help!

 

The Thrill Seekers Pass at Falmouth Jamaica seems to be the last thing that I am having a hard time finding information about. Has anyone been on this excursion and can share their experience?

[Du vent dans les voiles]

We enjoy the specialty dining on our more recent cruises as the main dining room has not been as enjoyable. It does depend on if you have some fun table mates and how attentive your wait staff is. Last November on Allure we were at a larger table for 6 (just the 2 of us on this cruise) and had fun table mates so we ate a few times in the main dining room. Our recent December cruise was not as enjoyable... no one else sat with us at a larger table and the waiter spent very little time at our table.

 

Here is a summary of the dining options for you on Allure:

 

Complimentary:

Windjammer buffet: pretty good buffet food but we try to avoid it as it has the highest chance of spreading germs. We have seen kids licking their fingers and then grabbing serving utensils. Utensils are dropped on the floor and then picked up and put back on the buffet.

 

Main Dining Room for dinner: you could eat here all week and have a great selection of food to choose from. If you can’t decide on a starter, dinner, or dessert don’t hesitate to order a 2nd one. It is okay to do so. On a 7-night cruise there are usually 2 formal nights where you should be dressed appropriately.

 

Boardwalk Dogs: open for lunch and dinner and has a selection of 6+ different types of hot dogs / sausages.

 

Park Cafe (located in Central Park). At breakfast has a bagel bar, egg sandwiches, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, etc. At lunch has a salad bar, roast beef sandwich, panini’s, quesadilla’s, wraps, etc. This is one of our favorite lunch spots.

 

Wipeout Cafe: back of ship near the sports court. At breakfast has a nice small buffet of pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, etc. It also has a made to order omelette station that makes great omelettes (and other eggs). At lunch the buffet is set up with hamburgers, hot dogs, wraps, nachos, etc (a few items may change during the week).

 

Johnny Rockets: made to order breakfast daily.

 

Solarium: at breakfast this has healthier food choices. Eggs, fruit, granola, oatmeal, turkey bacon and sausage, muffins, etc. Lunch also has healthier food and a salad bar.

 

Sorento’s Pizza: Has a selection of 2-3 pre-made pizzas that differ day to day. Also has a “make your own” pizza bar where you can choose ingredients and have them make a pizza for you. If you don’t see an ingredient, ask if they have it in back. For example, some days they may not have sausage at the make your own bar, but can still add it for you.

 

Promenade Cafe: this has some simple sandwiches and a selection of desserts. Good place to stop by for a quick snack.

 

Boardwalk Donuts: this is a “self-serve” cabinet with donuts located across from Boardwalk Dogs.

 

 

Specialty: these have an up-charge per person or additional charges.

 

Chops Grille (Steakhouse): the steaks are okay, but the better steaks cost additional on top of the up-charge. We usually go to Chops but if you were gong to only do one or two specialty restaurants, you could skip this. You can also order the steaks for an addition cost in the Main Dining Room.

 

Samba Grill (in Solarium): this is a Brazilian steak-house style restaurant. 9 different cuts of meat to eat during the meal and a nice salad bar. We enjoy eating here.

 

Giovanni’s Table: this is the Italian restaurant. We see some mixed reviews on this, but it is one of our favorite restaurants. Love the Scallops appetizer.

 

150 Central Park: we have not eaten here. This is the most upscale restaurant.

 

Izumi’s Asian Cuisine: A few complimentary items and then a la carte pricing for everything else. The “hot-rocks” is a fun dinner. They bring out super hot rocks and you cook your own food on it.

 

Vintages: assorted tapas and fine wines. A la carte pricing. We have wanted to try this, but somehow never fit it into our schedule.

 

Chef’s Table: Exclusive, interactive multi-course wine paring dinner hosted by ship Chef.

 

Johnny Rockets. The fast food on the ship… burgers, fries, shakes. Up charge covers your meal but shakes are extra.

 

Rita’s Cantina (Mexican). A la carte pricing. Also has a Fiesta during the week that includes some entertainment like dancing on the boardwalk and 3 drinks. We did the fiesta and it was a good time. I believe this is being changed to Sabor.

 

Starbucks: there is a Starbucks on board for your coffee fix if needed.

 

Thank you so much for these informations, we are new to Royal and I was trying to figure out which restaurants were complimentary.

 

Josée