Mardi Gras questions

[lolalow]

Hello  - Have some questions for anyone who can answer?

Is room service free during the day?  My son likes chicken fingers and fries specifically.  Can we tip cash?

Do you need to check out pool towels or is there a towel hut to just grab when need?

Movies still shown outside?  I have not seen this talked about?  Popcorn?

Self serve hot chocolate still at lido?

Do they have all the cakes at the sweet spot like some of the other ships?

Do they still do chocolate buffet?

Do I need to make reservations for BBQ, Cucina, Chi bang or is it walk up?  If I do need to reserve is it before I leave?  Do I need to pay gratuities?

Do I need to reserve shows and activities?

How much is bolt? Do I reserve or just wait in line?   

[Schoifmom]

Wow, that's a lot of questions 🙂 

 

1.  Certain items on the room service menu are free, others have a fee.  Chicken tenders have a charge.  I believe that it is $5.

2.  You can tip anyone anytime in cash.

3.  There will be beach towels in your room or you can grab some at the towel hut.  You do have to check them out and they will charge you for towels not returned.

4.  There are movies under the stars.  Popcorn is available for $3.

5.  On other ships there is hot chocolate available, I don't know why there wouldn't be on the MG.

6.  Again, I don't know why MG would be different than other ships as far as the Sweet Spot.

7.  I can't answer about the chocolate buffet, I normally don't bother.

8.  Specialty restaurants normally require a reservation.  You can make one through the HUB app.  Gratuities are included in the price.  If you make reservations prior to sailing, you will need to pre-pay.

9.  There are no reservations for shows and activities.  FCFS.

10.  I don't know anything about the Bolt.

[MCC retired]

Hello  - Have some questions for anyone who can answer?

Is room service free during the day?  My son likes chicken fingers and fries specifically.  Can we tip cash? Tip with cash , unsure about room service as there are just too many places to eat.

Do you need to check out pool towels or is there a towel hut to just grab when need?

Use your cabin towel or sign for towel at pool

Movies still shown outside?  I have not seen this talked about?  Popcorn?

Yes , not sure of popcorn 

Self serve hot chocolate still at lido?

Not sure ?

Do they have all the cakes at the sweet spot like some of the other ships?

No idea ?

Do they still do chocolate buffet?

Did not see this happen

Do I need to make reservations for BBQ, Cucina, Chi bang or is it walk up?  If I do need to reserve is it before I leave?  Do I need to pay gratuities?

Make reservations on your App onboard only. No need to tip extra , tips coved with the daily charge.

Do I need to reserve shows and activities?

No reservations , get in line early for popular shows.

How much is bolt? Do I reserve or just wait in line?

$15 per ride (twice around) Reservations required.   

[sc4125]

In reference to BBQ, Cucina, and Chi Bang, I believe those venues are still no charge and depending on whether you have a set dining time or your time dining, the "reservations" are a little different.  If you have your time dining, you simply go to the hub and "check in" - you will be notified when your table is ready.  I know it works differently if you have set dining time but not sure since I had YTD.  

 

As for tipping, since they are free venues I do tip, but that's just me.  

[sharon&family]

We did have the chocolate buffet on the buffet during the end of our cruise back in October.  I forgot if it was at lunch or dinner time.  I think lunch.  We did not see any hot chocolate and I did look.  We ordered room service a couple times and paid a couple times but nothing on the menu was any good.  The wings had thick bbq sauce with a wierd/almost no flavor.  The chocolate cake for room service had changed and wasn't as good and neither was the cheesecake.  It didn't have much flavor.  The peanut butter sandwich had little peanut butter.  The chips were good!!

[csm5986142]

Yes, they do have the self-serve hot chocolate machine (but only 1 that we could find).

[Pellaz]

On 2/10/2022 at 1:06 PM, lolalow said:

Hello  - Have some questions for anyone who can answer?

Is room service free during the day?  My son likes chicken fingers and fries specifically.  Can we tip cash?

Please DO tip them in cash.  Gratuities for room-service are not part of pre-paid gratuities. 

 

On 2/10/2022 at 1:06 PM, lolalow said:

Do you need to check out pool towels or is there a towel hut to just grab when need?

You'll have pool towels in your room to start with.  You can easily exchange them at towel huts, or if needed, sign out extras.   But bring those back.  

 

On 2/10/2022 at 1:06 PM, lolalow said:

Do I need to make reservations for BBQ, Cucina, Chi bang or is it walk up?  If I do need to reserve is it before I leave?  Do I need to pay gratuities?

This depends on whether you have YTD or set-time dining.  

For YTD, the Cucina and Chibang are officially part of your evening dining experience and you can make reservations beginning at 5:30 each evening (also for MDR).  

For set-time dining you have to wait until around 7:30 each evening to make reservations.  

Guy's Pig and Anchor BBQ does not require reservations for evening dining.  

All of the above are currently "free" (included), but that may eventually change.  

Note that Chibang and Cucina are NOT open for lunch on embark day.  Their equivalents on other ships are.  

We tipped extra in the Cucina as well as the MDR because we had great service, but it's a personal choice.

 

On 2/10/2022 at 1:06 PM, lolalow said:

How much is bolt? Do I reserve or just wait in line?   

You reserve a slot through the app.  Do so for early in the cruise because weather can affect it.

It's $15, you get two full laps.  You have a throttle and also a 15-second "boost" mode.  I liked it, even though I got stuck on it.  (They gave me an additional ride because of that. 🙂 )  

 

 

[lolalow]

6 hours ago, Pellaz said:

Please DO tip them in cash.  Gratuities for room-service are not part of pre-paid gratuities. 

 

You'll have pool towels in your room to start with.  You can easily exchange them at towel huts, or if needed, sign out extras.   But bring those back.  

 

This depends on whether you have YTD or set-time dining.  

For YTD, the Cucina and Chibang are officially part of your evening dining experience and you can make reservations beginning at 5:30 each evening (also for MDR).  

For set-time dining you have to wait until around 7:30 each evening to make reservations.  

Guy's Pig and Anchor BBQ does not require reservations for evening dining.  

All of the above are currently "free" (included), but that may eventually change.  

Note that Chibang and Cucina are NOT open for lunch on embark day.  Their equivalents on other ships are.  

We tipped extra in the Cucina as well as the MDR because we had great service, but it's a personal choice.

 

You reserve a slot through the app.  Do so for early in the cruise because weather can affect it.

It's $15, you get two full laps.  You have a throttle and also a 15-second "boost" mode.  I liked it, even though I got stuck on it.  (They gave me an additional ride because of that. 🙂 )  

 

 

Thank you for all the info yes we are doing my time dining.  So each day at 5:30pm I go on my phone to reserve a table or do I go to the resteraunt?  Can I just do all reservations for the entire week on app when I get on board?

 

Do you have any idea how muster drill is being handled currently?

Is the lido do buffet dinner still or not anymore?  

[csm5986142]

19 hours ago, lolalow said:

So each day at 5:30pm I go on my phone to reserve a table or do I go to the resteraunt?  Can I just do all reservations for the entire week on app when I get on board?

 

Do you have any idea how muster drill is being handled currently?

Is the lido do buffet dinner still or not anymore?  

 

Yes, you check-in on the app (requesting a table) at 5:30 pm each evening (or later of course) but no, we couldn't check-in earlier than that.  We would usually get a reply immediately saying we'd be notified when our table was ready and an approximate wait time (usually 10 minutes or less).

 

Muster drill was incredibly easy, meet in specified area (I believe ours was theatre), a crew member will check you in on their Ipad, you watch a 3-minute presentation, and that was it.  We were on the Breeze about 2 weeks ago, and it was still being handled that way.

 

Yes, there is still a lido buffet dinner.

[Pellaz]

5 hours ago, csm5986142 said:

 

Yes, you check-in on the app (requesting a table) at 5:30 pm each evening (or later of course) but no, we couldn't check-in earlier than that.  We would usually get a reply immediately saying we'd be notified when our table was ready and an approximate wait time (usually 10 minutes or less).

 

Yep, just check in a little before the time you want to eat.  Our longest wait was 20 minutes at "peak time" (around 6:30 or 7 pm) on Cruise Elegant night in the MDR.   Otherwise it was ten minutes tops...basically just enough time for us (three groups in three staterooms) to saunter downstairs and meet up.  

I don't think you can specify a that-evening dining time way in advance on the app, but I could be misremembering.

 

5 hours ago, csm5986142 said:

 

Muster drill was incredibly easy, meet in specified area (I believe ours was theatre), a crew member will check you in on their Ipad, you watch a 3-minute presentation, and that was it.  We were on the Breeze about 2 weeks ago, and it was still being handled that way.

 

That is something I hope they can continue, and one of the few "good" results of the pandemic. 

 

It's a far cry from my last muster experience on Royal in early 2020 (pre-COVID), where a crew member would meet you when you arrived, look up your stateroom in a sheaf of papers, and cross you off.  I couldn't believe it.  

 

5 hours ago, csm5986142 said:

 

Yes, there is still a lido buffet dinner.

 

While some people have complained about the Lido buffet, we thought it looked fine, although some "sides" of the buffet were closed, no doubt due to the pandemic and reduced passenger numbers.  

 

[jimbo5544]

While it was 15 on our 1/22 cruise, I have seen posts that now say $19

[kicia]

There are two hot chocolate machines on Lido on Mardi Gras but they are not 24 hour like other ships.  There is a hot chocolate machine in Pig and Anchor that is open all the time.  You didn't ask, but there are 3 places for ice cream.  One by Guys Burgers on 17; one by the aft bar on Lido deck 16.  These are not 24 hours.  The ice cream machine in the Hero's bar is open 24 hours.

[lolalow]

20 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

Yep, just check in a little before the time you want to eat.  Our longest wait was 20 minutes at "peak time" (around 6:30 or 7 pm) on Cruise Elegant night in the MDR.   Otherwise it was ten minutes tops...basically just enough time for us (three groups in three staterooms) to saunter downstairs and meet up.  

I don't think you can specify a that-evening dining time way in advance on the app, but I could be misremembering.

 

 

That is something I hope they can continue, and one of the few "good" results of the pandemic. 

 

It's a far cry from my last muster experience on Royal in early 2020 (pre-COVID), where a crew member would meet you when you arrived, look up your stateroom in a sheaf of papers, and cross you off.  I couldn't believe it.  

 

 

While some people have complained about the Lido buffet, we thought it looked fine, although some "sides" of the buffet were closed, no doubt due to the pandemic and reduced passenger numbers.  

 

We dont plan on eating main dining room - mainly Cucina, Pig and anchor and Chi bang.  Maybe steakhouse we never tried it.   We have done mdr for all cruises and thought we would try something different with so many food options.  So wait time usually 10 min for those places also?

 

I was wondering about lido because for dinner as I thought it was closed for the time being I read couple months back.  I could have that confused with RCCL ship though.  

[Pellaz]

1 hour ago, lolalow said:

We dont plan on eating main dining room - mainly Cucina, Pig and anchor and Chi bang.  Maybe steakhouse we never tried it.

 

Me either.  I might treat myself to the steakhouse on this journey.  Not the wisest choice since I have gout, but hey....it's vacation!  🙂  

 

I'd try to get to the MDR at least once, BTW.  I'd normally go on cruise elegant night, even if at no other time, just so I can get my prime rib.  🙂  

 

1 hour ago, lolalow said:

   We have done mdr for all cruises and thought we would try something different with so many food options.  So wait time usually 10 min for those places also?

 

Yes, it was no more than ten minutes at Cucina and Chibang (although we never ate dinner at Chibang, due to all the mixed reviews).   Guy's Smokehouse doesn't do reservations; you just show up there.   A word of caution:  our group experience there was decidedly sub-par.  

 

1 hour ago, lolalow said:

I was wondering about lido because for dinner as I thought it was closed for the time being I read couple months back.  I could have that confused with RCCL ship though.  

 

No, it should be open for dinner; it was open during our sailing.  However, some areas (where they repeated on both sides) were closed on one side due to the reduced number of passengers.