RCCL Newbie questions

[cstiv]

I am considering RCCL and was trying to research it a bit online. I find their website difficult to navigate and I still have a lot of questions. I am sure these are redundant for this board but I didn't want to sift through 20+ pages on the FAQ thread.

 

We are family of 5 (my wife and I and our 3 daughters, ages 7, 5, 3). We've only done one cruise and it was on Disney. We are about to do our second Disney cruise in January. Was thinking about trying RCCL as it seems like it is less expensive, though the pricing seems less transparent.

 

• Interested in the bigger, newer boats. I talked to someone on the phone yesterday and she quoted me adjoining rooms, but I can't seem to figure out how to do that on the website. Is there a way in the online booking process to specify that?
  
• If you do do adjoining rooms is there a way to lock out the door to the outside on one of the rooms? Does anyone have experience with this with young children, and the pros / cons compared to the "Ultra-spacious" room that fits up to 6?
  
• Where do you research extras like drink packages, dining packages, etc?
  
• Which restaurants are an extra fee, and which ones are free. Is there somewhere where it breaks that down, and the fees associated with that?
  
• What costs extra (besides the obvious: alcohol, excursions, spa, etc)?
  

Thanks!

[Clarea]

Can help with some questions.

 

Once you have the cruise booked, you will be able to use the Cruise Planner on RC's website. This is where you will find info and pricing on beverage packages, dinng packages, excursions, etc.

 

With regard to restaurants that are free and extra cost, RC no longer publishes a comprehensive list. However, if you mention the ship you are considering, we can help guide you. Restaurant pricing can be dynamic sailing to sailing.

[cstiv]

Can help with some questions.

 

Once you have the cruise booked, you will be able to use the Cruise Planner on RC's website. This is where you will find info and pricing on beverage packages, dinng packages, excursions, etc.

 

With regard to restaurants that are free and extra cost, RC no longer publishes a comprehensive list. However, if you mention the ship you are considering, we can help guide you. Restaurant pricing can be dynamic sailing to sailing.

 

Thanks. I kind of figured that. It is extremely annoying to me that that information is not readily available on their website. It makes me reluctant to go with them. It certainly makes it difficult for me to figure out what the total price it would be before I put down a nonrefundable deposit.

 

So I was looking at the Harmony (or similar), again I don't have a lot of knowledge about this line. From what I was able to glean from this board, the drinks package is $55 per person per day +18% gratuity, so $65 / day? But it also sounds like that number fluctuates? You are also saying that you can't access that until after you book the cruise?

[cb at sea]

I would call and book over the phone, especially if you need CONNECTING cabins. Adjoining simply means side by side....without the connecting doorway. No..there is no way to look the hallway door, but they are heavy and hard to open, and with the connecting door between rooms opened, you will be able to hear an escape attempt! Some folks with kids will attach bells to the door, as an "alarm". If you decide to go with a family suite, you will have to book on the phone. Always have the deck plans in front of you, so you'll know what you're getting!

[Biker19]

What costs extra (besides the obvious: alcohol, excursions, spa, etc)?

Kids can run up a sizable bill in the arcade.

[rukkian]

Thanks. I kind of figured that. It is extremely annoying to me that that information is not readily available on their website. It makes me reluctant to go with them. It certainly makes it difficult for me to figure out what the total price it would be before I put down a nonrefundable deposit.

 

So I was looking at the Harmony (or similar), again I don't have a lot of knowledge about this line. From what I was able to glean from this board, the drinks package is $55 per person per day +18% gratuity, so $65 / day? But it also sounds like that number fluctuates? You are also saying that you can't access that until after you book the cruise?

 

55 to 58 per person per day is the normal price, most times, you should find it for around $45 on oasis class ships (harmony, oasis, allure, symphony). Our Allure of the seas in March has been $45 for about 2 months straight, with different promotions always coming to the same price.

 

As for free dining, If you just google the ship you want, there are plenty of links that will give you what is currently complimentary vs extra. You really don't need to pay for other venues, especially on one of these big ships unless you want something extra special, there are plenty of options.

 

For Harmony:

Complimentary: MDR, Windjammer, Solarium Bistro, Coastal Kitchen (if in a suite), Park Cafe, Cafe Promenade, Sorrentos, Dog House.

Extra Cost: 150 Central Park, Chefs Table, Chops Grille, Jamie's Italian, Sabor, Wonderland, Izumi, Johnny Rockets, Vintages Wine Bar, Starbucks

[Tapi]

If you do do adjoining rooms is there a way to lock out the door to the outside on one of the rooms? Does anyone have experience with this with young children, and the pros / cons compared to the "Ultra-spacious" room that fits up to 6?

 

 

We've done connecting rooms on Royal Caribbean (and our kids were only 2 and 5 years old at the time). I HIGHLY recommend it over one "larger" stateroom or suite. Double the square footage, two TV's and two full bathrooms (not just the one split bathroom like on Disney). It also helps a lot with the clutter. We kept one room as the kids play/chaos room and the other as the quiet, adult room. Sometimes I'd be playing in one room with the kids while my wife took a quiet nap in the other with the connecting doors closed (and vice versa).

 

As far as the outside door goes, there's no child proof lock, but we would leave the connecting doors open at night and then would place the vanity chair against the outside door on the kids room as an extra "obstacle". Kids never attempted to leave the room without permission anyway.

 

We just returned from our first Disney cruise (aboard the Fantasy) on Saturday. It was a great cruise with many superlatives, specially in the service, entertainment, and kids activity department. But even with all of that, we considered the price paid overinflated. There are many things that Royal Caribbean does just as well if not better than Disney, specially on the newest ships, and usually at a fraction of the price.

 

Disney's service was superior, stage entertainment was of the same caliber (just Disney themed), and the kids facilities and hours of operation (uninterrupted) were wonderful. However, our kids said that the preferred the kids club on Royal and MSC more. While the Oceaneer's Club and Lab on Disney are amazing facilities and the kids wanted to spend a lot of time there, they said that the food served during meal hours in there was horrible, and they preferred the way that other cruise lines do kids activities, sometimes taking them from one place to another around the ship, rather than "being held hostage in one place" (the exact words of my 8 year old!)

 

As far as extra expenses go on Royal, we appreciated the free soda on Disney, but besides that, both cruise lines seem to charge extra for pretty much the same things. If you do decide to go with Royal, go with an open mind and be OK without having Disney themed activities, movies, and character appearances as your main source of entertainment.

 

 

 

 

 

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[cstiv]

Thanks for all the great, detailed responses. If nothing else, RCCL has the edge on Disney with the forum!

[vaka08]

As far as extra costs it can be as much or as little as you want to spend. I’ve had many cruises where I spent no money so at the end of the cruise I go shopping for gifts/souvenirs to use up my OBC. Specialty dining is nice but not necessary. Same with drinks- our kids drink the milk and water. We drink the coffee and iced tea and bring on some soda and wine. The only cost beyond the cabin to consider is tips.

 

 

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[cstiv]

As far as extra costs it can be as much or as little as you want to spend. I’ve had many cruises where I spent no money so at the end of the cruise I go shopping for gifts/souvenirs to use up my OBC. Specialty dining is nice but not necessary. Same with drinks- our kids drink the milk and water. We drink the coffee and iced tea and bring on some soda and wine. The only cost beyond the cabin to consider is tips.

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What is the policy with bringing on soda / wine? What is the policy on consuming thing brought on board?

[Clarea]

What is the policy with bringing on soda / wine? What is the policy on consuming thing brought on board?

The official policy is that any beverage except two 750ml bottles of wine per stateroom is prohibited. However, they usually don't enforce that rule in the case of water and soda.

 

 

Wine brought on board is subject to a $15 per bottle corkage fee if consumed in a public venue.

[ToothDoc78]

While I've never sailed Disney, I can give a little insight on cabins. We've done several room types with our kids, ranging from a junior suite, connecting balconies, and the 2 bedroom royal family suite (now called the 2 bedroom grand suite).

The junior suite worked fine when the kids were younger (first cruise they were 5 and 6). There was a pullman bed available but the two of them were small enough and got along well enough just to share the sofa bed for a week. The junior suite gives you a larger room, larger bathroom with tub, and a very nice walk in closet for storage. You also earn double Crown and Anchor status points and get priority suite check in on embarkation, which can be helpful depending on when you're sailing. You do not get any other suite benefits, however.

We did connecting balconies last year (kids were 8 and 9) with DH and I in one and the kids in the other. This was a great setup, especially having 2 bathrooms when my DD got a stomach virus the last night of the cruise.

:( I was not concerned about my kids leaving the room unsupervised, but a little wary of who could enter while we were asleep. With the deadbolt locked, however, this is not an issue. You can get an actual door alarm to bring with you, or as another poster suggested, barricade the door or attach something that would alert you if they tried to open it. Balcony doors are very heavy, and when locked, I doubt a child would be able to open it on their own. We were able to open the balcony partition to make one large balcony, which was very nice. It was great to not have to tiptoe around the kids after they went to bed, or if one wanted a nap. We kept the dividing door open pretty much the entire time and it made it feel like we had our own suite. Disadvantages were the extra cost of 2 rooms (depending on the sailing this may be cheaper than a junior suite though), not getting the double points or priority embarkation, and no bathtub/larger shower.

This past cruise we had a 2 bedroom grand suite (formerly royal family suite). This is a suite with 2 bedrooms (inside room with bathroom for kids, plus master oceanview room with bathroom. It also has a separate living area and very large balcony. This was an amazing setup for our family of 4. It also allowed us full suite benefits, including priority embarkation and debarkation, concierge lounge, reserved pool seating, and more. The main disadvantage here is cost. I was able to get a great deal during a kids sail free promo, otherwise I would not have been able to afford this option (price decreased from over $8,000 to $6,000, still significantly more expensive than previous cruises.

My kids love the kids club on Royal, but they have nothing else to compare it to. Know that the age groups are divided as under 3, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-11. They will be placed by their age at the time of sailing and they are strict with keeping kids within their age group. Depending on the ship, some do not have a supervised program for kids under 3. They do mainly crafts and sports activities (gagaball and dodgeball seem to be favorites). Older kids in the 9-11 group can sign themselves in and out if you give permission (we did not). I can't comment on kids club meals as my kids always ate with us, but I think they normally take the kids up to the buffet as a group.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

[amcb]

I will give a slightly different perspective with respect to the two rooms vs. one. We have always chosen to travel in a suite with our 3 children. A lot depends on your kids, but there was NO WAY we were going to allow them to have separate access to the outside without us knowing about it. And with my kids (at least the older two), you can be sure they would have tried it, if only so they could say that they got away with it. I completely understand that not everyone is in a position to travel in suites, but for us, one room that would accommodate all of us was non-negotiable.

 

Our children love the kids club. We’ve sailed on smaller ships (Grandeur) up to larger (Independence) and always had a wonderful experience with the kids club.

 

I hope some of this information is helpful.

 

:) amcb

[rukkian]

What is the policy with bringing on soda / wine? What is the policy on consuming thing brought on board?

 

For wine - you are allowed to bring 2x 750 ML per stateroom (not per guest). If you have adjoining, that would be 4 bottles. There is officially a corkage fee if you take the bottle into a public space to be opened (MDR, specialty restaurants, bars), but does not count if you open in your room and take a glass with you. Your room steward will bring some wine glasses. The corkage fee is intermittent whether it will be charged or not.

 

Soda/Bottled water - officially not allowed. Most find that you are able to get bottled water on, haven't heard many talking about getting soda on.

[cstiv]

For wine - you are allowed to bring 2x 750 ML per stateroom (not per guest). If you have adjoining, that would be 4 bottles. There is officially a corkage fee if you take the bottle into a public space to be opened (MDR, specialty restaurants, bars), but does not count if you open in your room and take a glass with you. Your room steward will bring some wine glasses. The corkage fee is intermittent whether it will be charged or not.

 

Soda/Bottled water - officially not allowed. Most find that you are able to get bottled water on, haven't heard many talking about getting soda on.

 

Are you allowed 2 bottles after every port or for the whole cruise? Is beer or liquor allowed on?

[rukkian]

Are you allowed 2 bottles after every port or for the whole cruise? Is beer or liquor allowed on?

Just at initial start, not from each port. Beer and Liquor are not allowed.

[NeedToVacation]

For wine - you are allowed to bring 2x 750 ML per stateroom (not per guest). If you have adjoining, that would be 4 bottles. There is officially a corkage fee if you take the bottle into a public space to be opened (MDR, specialty restaurants, bars), but does not count if you open in your room and take a glass with you. Your room steward will bring some wine glasses. The corkage fee is intermittent whether it will be charged or not.

 

Soda/Bottled water - officially not allowed. Most find that you are able to get bottled water on, haven't heard many talking about getting soda on.

 

** We just packed two 12-packs of soda into a duffle bag and put a luggage tag on it. Handed it to porter in Galveston with our roll-along luggage. All of it arrived at our room - no problems. This was just two weeks ago.

[rukkian]

** We just packed two 12-packs of soda into a duffle bag and put a luggage tag on it. Handed it to porter in Galveston with our roll-along luggage. All of it arrived at our room - no problems. This was just two weeks ago.

 

There you go - just don't hear about as many bragging about smuggling soda, but apparently it can work in some ports with some ships.

[Biker19]

There you go - just don't hear about as many bragging about smuggling soda, but apparently it can work in some ports with some ships.

How would a newbie know that soda is not allowed? Saw folks walk on Indy last week with a 12 pack of soda as a carry on as if going to a BYO party.

[rukkian]

How would a newbie know that soda is not allowed? Saw folks walk on Indy last week with a 12 pack of soda as a carry on as if going to a BYO party.

 

Not sure outside looking at the policy.

[SRF]

Read the Royal FAQs. Things like how much wine, and the no water/soda policy is stated there.

 

But you need to come somewhere like HERE, to find out that they are not enforcing the no water/soda. But that some ports, it is required to be in a bag with handles.

 

For those that don't want their kids to have access to the outside, how to you lock them into their rooms at home? Or into the house?

[Tapi]

For those that don't want their kids to have access to the outside, how do you lock them into their rooms at home? Or into the house?

 

 

When my kids were younger, we installed hotel style locks on all doors leading outside, high enough so that the kids couldn't reach them, even climbing up on a chair. We also have an alarm system that beeps every time that any outside door is open, even when the system is not armed.

 

 

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