Coming back to RCI - six questions

[nbsjcruiser]

So its been a few years since we've cruised RCI. We are Diamond and this will be our Daughter's wedding cruise as she'll be getting married on the ship. We've been doing Princess for a few years but this time we're sailing the 8 day on the Adventure of the Seas. Just a couple of questions since I dont know how much anything has changed over the years.

 

1. We're doing My Time Dining and there are 4 reservations in total in our group - 9 people in total. Can I request a table for 9 each evening by visiting the Maitre'D on the first day and arranging that?

2. I know you can bring a bottle of wine on board per passenger. On Princess this is checked by security in the xray machines as you enter the terminal and they have no idea who is with who if you split up ;-) . Is it the same on RCI? 

3. I know we each get 3 drink coupons because of our Diamond level. Can I order a glass of wine in the MDR for dinner or do I need to order it outside the MDR?

4. If I open a bottle of wine in my room, can I bring the bottle to the MDR without a corkage fee? I know on NCL you can - or at least you could last time I was on it.

5. Do they still offer deals on the first day for specialty dining? As I recall you could book a restaurant on the first day for a reduced fee.

6. As Diamond level, how much free internet do we get? I assume you put their app on your phone and can use the internet from your smart phone, right?

 

About all I can come up with for now. Thanks in advance.

[Clarea]

1: Yes

2: You are allowed two bottles of wine per stateroom, regardless of the number of people in the stateroom.

3: They have been honoring the drink vouchers in the MDR.

4: Corkage fee applies to any bottle of wine not purchased on the ship that is brought to a public venue, whether opened or not.

5: Sometimes there are deals, sometimes not

6: Each Diamond member gets about a  $23 discount per onboard internet purchase OR one free 24-hour period of internet.

 

 

[SRF]

1)  Answered

2)  If you split up, you might get away with it, but some have been caught.

3)  Drink Vouchers have to be used during the happy hour time in the Diamond lounge, so watch the time.

4)  Corkage fee is hit and miss.  So far, I have not been charged, even when the wine is brought corked.  And even when they had to deal with a dried out cork on a 1980  Robert Mondavi Cabernet.   But the rule is, if the bottle comes to the venue, it should be charged.  You can bring glasses of with no corkage fee.

5)  Sometimes.  We have been able to purchase a 3 night package, at a reduced price, each of our last 3 cruises.

 

[twangster]

Is your daughter working with a wedding coordinator from Royal Caribbean?  They have a department set up to handle wedding parties.  They might be able to help with MDR table requests.

 

A friend got married on board and brought dozens of bottles of wine for the reception.  This was handled through the wedding coordinator.  

[shoppergirl10]

On 12/3/2019 at 9:29 AM, Host Clarea said:

1: Yes

2: You are allowed two bottles of wine per stateroom, regardless of the number of people in the stateroom.

3: They have been honoring the drink vouchers in the MDR.

4: Corkage fee applies to any bottle of wine not purchased on the ship that is brought to a public venue, whether opened or not.

5: Sometimes there are deals, sometimes not

6: Each Diamond member gets about a  $23 discount per onboard internet purchase OR one free 24-hour period of internet.

 

 

re #4:  if we are gifted a bottle purchased from the RC website, delivered to our stateroom, will there be a corkage fee if we decide to bring it to the MDR?  

Edited December 16, 2019 by shoppergirl10

[SRF]

Giftted by whom?

 

If by RCI, then no, no corkage fee. By your TA, maybe.

 

But again, most people report not being charged

[shoppergirl10]

1 minute ago, SRF said:

Giftted by whom?

 

If by RCI, then no, no corkage fee. By your TA, maybe.

 

But again, most people report not being charged

we will be on a Christmas cruise and my father wants to gift us a couple bottles

[Ourusualbeach]

15 minutes ago, shoppergirl10 said:

we will be on a Christmas cruise and my father wants to gift us a couple bottles

If it is bought though Royal then there will not be a corkage fee. 

[sjb317]

We’ve probably done 20-30 cruises since Royal announced a corkage fee and we ‘ve never been charged.  On one cruise, a waiter mentioned that he was supposed to charge a fee but would not.  No one has said anything since and we have taken bottles to MDR as well as specialty restaurants.  I wonder how often someone gets charged?

 

Sherri🙂

[FLACRUISER99]

7 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

We’ve probably done 20-30 cruises since Royal announced a corkage fee and we ‘ve never been charged.  On one cruise, a waiter mentioned that he was supposed to charge a fee but would not.  No one has said anything since and we have taken bottles to MDR as well as specialty restaurants.  I wonder how often someone gets charged?

 

Sherri🙂

Serenade charges you.

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, shoppergirl10 said:

re #4:  if we are gifted a bottle purchased from the RC website, delivered to our stateroom, will there be a corkage fee if we decide to bring it to the MDR?  

 

No, anything that came from the ship will normally have some sort of sticker or other indicator that makes it exempt from the corkage fee.

[sjb317]

9 minutes ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

Serenade charges you.

We just got off Serenade on Dec. 9. We had 4 bottles, one we took to Giovanni’s, the others went to the MDR.  Not even a mention of a corkage fee.

 

Sherri🙂

[shoppergirl10]

Excellent, thank you all!!  
Let the liquid Xmas gifts flood my room!  

[FLACRUISER99]

5 hours ago, sjb317 said:

We just got off Serenade on Dec. 9. We had 4 bottles, one we took to Giovanni’s, the others went to the MDR.  Not even a mention of a corkage fee.

 

Sherri🙂

 I sat with a couple in the DL the week before and they were embarrassed by the waiter in the MDR who loudly announced I am going to have to charge you corkage.Disclaimer, I did not witness the event but I don't think they made it up. BTW our3 free C&A bottled of  champagne each had a corkage sticker on it

[sjb317]

30 minutes ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

 I sat with a couple in the DL the week before and they were embarrassed by the waiter in the MDR who loudly announced I am going to have to charge you corkage.Disclaimer, I did not witness the event but I don't think they made it up. BTW our3 free C&A bottled of  champagne each had a corkage sticker on it

Our free bottles had stickers, too.  But no one said anything about our sticker less bottles.😂  We did a TA on Serenade last year and no one said anything then, either.

 

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

[Tulsacoker]

46 minutes ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

 I sat with a couple in the DL the week before and they were embarrassed by the waiter in the MDR who loudly announced I am going to have to charge you corkage.

Why embarrassed? I would have looked at the waiter and say calmly "are  you not supposed to" 

[FLACRUISER99]

14 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

Our free bottles had stickers, too.  But no one said anything about our sticker less bottles.😂  We did a TA on Serenade last year and no one said anything then, either.

 

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

It's probably another example of RCI being consistently inconsistent.

[Bobal]

8 hours ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

Serenade charges you.

 

When was this?

 

We were on Serenade for 12 nights at the end of October and took bottles of wine which we'd brought onboard into MDR and Specialties on 4 different occasions and didn't get charged corkage at any time 

[LeeW]

On Adventure a week ago.  MyTime works well on this ship.  If you all have dining reservations for the same time they will seat you together and mark your reservations for that table for the whole cruise.  Several tables near us had 8-10 people.  It is hard to talk with a large table so you might want a 6 and 4 top beside each other.  We dined early, and Diamond drinks worked fine in the dining room (asst waiter takes order, another waiter brings drinks).  No restriction on who got the drinks - I think they used only my account for both of us.

 

The wine table in Security wasn't run by the ship.  They did hold more than two bottles per cabin and gave us a receipt.  Bottles were stored on ship and delivered last day.  We didn't use any of the 4 bottles on the ship - we brought them for the following Princess cruise.

 

They did run discounts on internet on first and about 4th day.  We used one 24 hour day 2-3 and bought full cruise with discount on day 4.  No need to go to desk - login.com or connect on phone will bring up the right page to buy a package.

 

They were pushing specialty dining the whole cruise but discounts will depend on how well they are selling.

[Milwaukee Eight]

11 hours ago, sjb317 said:

We just got off Serenade on Dec. 9. We had 4 bottles, one we took to Giovanni’s, the others went to the MDR.  Not even a mention of a corkage fee.

 

Sherri🙂

How did you get 4 bottles?

[chrismch]

On our November cruise, they were offering discounts for the internet on the first day that also worked with the Diamond discount. You can choose it for all your tech gadgets or one source as the price varies.  We did it only for a computer and I think the price was $64 for the week.

 

As to the Diamond Lounge, our hours there were from 4:30 - 8:00 but that time is decided by each ship. MDR or bars will honor that time and for their basic list. However,  on my 2 RCI cruises this year, champagne, martinis (traditional and lemon drop and others) and rum punches could be had in the lounge. Most evenings it was busiest 4:30 -5:30. The last night it was overflowing out to the main lounge. We'd usually have a drink in the lounge and then take one with us.

 

Definitely talk to the maitre d' in the MDR the first day. We had a table for 8 each night with the same staff with only one exception as we changed the time for that night. 

 

I've attached the current diamond benefits. Make sure you each get a free 8 x 10 photo of your choosing!

[sjb317]

10 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

How did you get 4 bottles?

😉

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by sjb317

[Milwaukee Eight]

21 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

😉

 

Well, it’s two bottles per cabin. 

[sjb317]

2 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Well, it’s two bottles per cabin. 

👍 😂

 

Sherri🙂

[Milwaukee Eight]

51 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

👍 😂

 

Sherri🙂

Would you be the first to complain if Royal stopped allowing cruisers bring onboard 2 bottles?