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What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
Tammy LR and 5 others reacted to Psycho and Barb for a topic
1. This piece of art will be worth double what your paying before the years out. 2. This Invicta watch is a quality timepiece and you can’t find it cheaper anywhere but here. 3. You can only order two lobsters on lobster night.6 points -
What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
CruisingOz and 5 others reacted to AlmondFarmer for a topic
That the ship will wait for passengers to finish their beers at the pier side bar.6 points -
What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
Archchic and 4 others reacted to San Diego Garrett for a topic
That the calories on cruises don't count.5 points -
My neighbor (a Carnival cruiser) advised me to make sure I go to guest services and remove the tips because it makes the cruise too expensive. He also had some great ideas on sneaking alcohol onboard. I smiled and added another reason why I prefer Royal.4 points
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What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
ScottishRobbie and 3 others reacted to smokeybandit for a topic
You have to get the dinner and beverage packages4 points -
What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
CruisingOz and 3 others reacted to Pattycruise for a topic
Just show up and have a good time. There is actually a bit of prep to have a good time, such as reading these boards! Booking excursions ahead of time. Knowing how to handle reservations onboard.4 points -
Radiance of the Seas transited the Panama Canal old locks on 1 April 2022 (this year) so she will probably transit using the old locks (new ones are much more expensive from what I am reading on cruise critic). We are on the 20 October 2022 cruise and are definitely looking forward to this bucket list trip that was cancelled 2 years ago.3 points
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What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
CruisingOz and 2 others reacted to ChessE4 for a topic
Years ago, I asked a travel agent how far in advance I should book a cruise. I was told it didn't really matter, but 6 months was probably good. I have since learned to book early, when deployment schedules are announced.3 points -
I saw a video of the boarding of Harmony of the Seas
Ampurp85 and 2 others reacted to Pattycruise for a topic
If they all followed their check in times there would be no "insane" lines.3 points -
"Don't go! Everybody I have ever spoke with who went on a cruise got seasick."3 points
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What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
CruisingOz and 2 others reacted to Paid4c4 for a topic
Matt, the comment I hear the most is "you don't need a Travel Agent to book a cruise and you will get a better price booking directly through the Cruise Line. I consistently get better deals through Paz my TA. Along with better deals I have an advocate who works for me and behalf not the cruise line should there be a problem. I am glad to say in my 69 cruises with RCCL there hasn't been a problem we couldn't work out. Great question. Bill3 points -
Booking glitch? Who else?
Pooch and 2 others reacted to michaelp1446 for a topic
Coming up on 48 hrs and still no luck...maybe it's my bank hinting I should take a break from booking cruises for a while3 points -
Hiding Something on the Ovation...
Moby Dick and 2 others reacted to bryresangel for a topic
I can't wait to find out what this was!3 points -
Thank you! Had her tested this morning at Walgreens - negative !2 points
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Booking glitch? Who else?
MaryS and one other reacted to michaelp1446 for a topic
Cleared history on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning no luck. After Pattycruise' post tried again and it's working.2 points -
Our terminal experience in March was car to suites waiting area in less than 15 minutes. First check in time, no waiting at any point.2 points
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Captain's Corner
KristiZ and one other reacted to Pattycruise for a topic
Yes! They are truly entertaining and he is sincere in his answers.2 points -
I don’t particularly like asking questions in that forum…but I do enjoy hearing others ask away. I really make the effort to attend and support the event just by being there. Especially depending on the Captain, HD, CD at the time…for example; I love hearing the interaction between Capt. Srecko, CD Joff and HD Tony Curtis on the Anthem. Though they provide good answers to the questions, they add quite a bit of comic relief. I even jokingly suggested to them that they advertise themselves as a comedy trio and perform in the theater. I also believe Capt. Srecko is excellent at understanding and answering the questions.2 points
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That’s a true scientific fact I just made up!2 points
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What's the worst cruise tip you've ever heard?
ChessE4 and one other reacted to CruisingNewb for a topic
I know that Matt might take offense, but…. For first time cruisers, don’t book a short cruise. I have personally given this advice, and more often than not, I found that cruising wasn’t for everyone and those people complained that they wanted off after 2-3 days. I say go in a 3 night cruise and if it left you wanting more, spend the money you would have spent on a long cruise and go on another. Don’t hate on the answer, hate on the people who don’t like cruising.2 points -
Use the gym or running track.2 points
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Yep... I had a 1/2 hour to hour on edge that I had it yesterday... Not since on Edge, Safari, Chrome, 6 devices no love... Monmouth County...2 points
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Hiding Something on the Ovation...
FireFishII and one other reacted to Moby Dick for a topic
Okay Okay Okay. Keeping in mind that I really wasn't at all sure how successful this would be and it is the first time, I didn't go to the "extreme value" side of it, I kept to the "or not" side. And I wasn't too sure how much the crew would follow thru or be honest about it but I did try to make sure that it was only available to those that read this forum. And I honestly don't know what went wrong with this experiment so I won't throw stones at anybody. But, the item was an item I picked up in Sitka, an Alaska Beer Can Koozie in the shape of a cowboy boot. Only a few bucks. So, stay tuned for my next cruise and hopefully for others to get involved in what could be a very fun activity for this small group of cruisers.2 points -
Star Class in the Mediterranean: Wonder of the Seas - 6/5/22
CravingaCruise and one other reacted to VoidoftheSeas for a topic
2 points -
The JR on Anthem had the adult milk shakes when I was on in December. I had a few vanilla with Malibu rum shakes yum.2 points
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In CT here, white screen for 3 days now. I like the file change idea. Whenever our IT dept said we were getting an update that would have “no effect” on our user programs, we all cringed at how much would not work for days/weeks while they fixed what the update screwed up. Wasn’t supposed to do that!! And yet…2 points
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Wifi package?
RCIfan1912 and one other reacted to OCSC Mike for a topic
Yes. You can buy a "rest of cruise" package on any day. It will just be prorated for however many days are left.2 points -
Quest does not do rapid antigen test
Pattycruise and one other reacted to OCSC Mike for a topic
Focus on the mention of "local pharmacies" and forget Quest. Endless reports of good experiences at Walgreens and CVS for starters. My family of 8 used both yesterday and all had positive experiences... but fortunately negative results.2 points -
Liberty of the Sea
KristiZ and one other reacted to Temeculaguy for a topic
We were in Liberty in January twice, I think it was $30 to start but for $60 or $90 or whatever the special was, that was all than two people could manage. I think that was 3 ipads and a bunch of sheets for 60 or 90. The increase was warranted, spend twice as much get 4x the cards, I can't remember specifically but going cheap was a serious reduction in the odds, so we split a package, my BIL won much more than his investment, we didn't win anything but had fun. Considering how fast we can lose at the casino, it seemed like a bargain to only lose $45 each over the course of an hour or two as a worse case scenario. Jackpots rose as the days wore on, so later in the week had better payouts at the same cost but it seemed to happen most days we just only went when convenient. Those were the mask indoors days so I spent as little time indoors as possible.2 points -
It's possible that the points have actually updated but are just not showing on the front page of your account (this happened to my SIL). There is a way to manually force updated points to show. 1. Log into your account 2. Click on your initials at top right and then on "profile" 3. With your profile open, click on my loyalty, which opens up a page showing your loyalty numbers for the different brands 4. Delete your C+A number and re-enter it and save. If the points have been updated in Royal's system, this should make them appear on the front page of your account.2 points
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Booking glitch? Who else?
Ampurp85 and one other reacted to smokeybandit for a topic
One of two things. They made a change to one of their files that I believe caused the error. If you had the old version of the file cached on your browser, you may still have been able to use the site. Second reason could be due to how some websites deliver content regionally to make things load faster. You in Minneapolis would connect to a server closer to Minneapolis than say someone in Miami. If RC fixed their issue and put it out to the new servers there can be a lag in how long it takes for users to see the new version of the site. While it really shouldn't take that long that person in Miami could see the updated site before you in Minnesota would because the server closest to Miami already got the update, but the one close to you didn't yet.2 points -
I typically avoid Royal Excursions - Generally, you can get a better excursion for less money on your own. A few exceptions: 1. Tendered Ports- In these ports, there can be severe delays in getting off the ship depending on the tender setup and size of the ship. The Royal excusions will always get off first. Sometimes the time difference can be enough to strongly consider the Royal excursion. 2. Long/ complicated excusions - I would not, as an example, attempt to do the Tulum Mayan ruins excursion on my own from Cozumel. There is a ferry/bus involved and the timing is difficult. The ship will wait for the late arriving Royal excursions, they will not wait if you self-booked excursion is late. Because of the distance involved in travelling from La Spezia to Florence, as an example, I think a good argument could be made for doing one of the ship excursions. There are also multiple tour operators that have private tours that will do the same thing. These are reputable companies that would not operate for long if they were bringing passengers back after the ship has left. I am on Wonder of the Seas leaving next Thursday leaving from Rome and I have a mix of both excursions planned.2 points
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Welcome amenity selection
RWDW1204 and one other reacted to SpeedNoodles for a topic
wait ... THERE ARE COOKIES????????????????????????????????????/2 points -
Pier Damage in Sitka
JC Pats and one other reacted to smokeybandit for a topic
FrHoffard giveth, FrHoffard taketh away too?2 points -
Hiding Something on the Ovation...
FireFishII and one other reacted to Moby Dick for a topic
This little excursion into a fun activity seems to have failed or at least something went wrong. HOWEVER, I'm going to turn this into a cruising custom for, at least, me. Every cruise now, I'm going to purchase something of extreme value, or not, from local sources and hide it on the ship. I would also like to involve a crew member or two (I did give the crew on this sailing a healthy tip to follow through with this) with instructions of what to do. I'll also make up a clue that will take, at least a little, thought to cypher and locate the extreme value, or not, item. It's kinda like Geocaching or Ducking but with a take home prize of extreme value, or not. I invite anyone else to do the same on their next cruises. My next booking isn't until Jan 2024. BUT, my wife is already getting the bug to cruise again, soon. What the hell, we just got off the Ovation a week ago today. She needs an intervention. Oh, we're only 3 points away from Diamond status and she wants it so badly. I keep telling her that we cruise Star and we don't need a status other than that. But, I guess she likes diamonds In a day or two, I'll post what the item of extreme value, or not, is/was. Unless someone posts that they got it.2 points -
Celebrity Reflection
cruisellama reacted to rtread for a topic
We are about to pull the trigger on booking a Christmas cruise (this year) on Celebrity Reflection. We've never done Celebrity, but this cruise satisfies our wants and needs. Has anyone had experiences with this ship? How about Celebrity? I know Celebrity is a subsidiary of RCL and I know it is a little pricier ($50 a day for balcony) than a comparable RCL cruise. Any info would be appreciated!1 point -
The shuttle bus is a ~10 minute ride. I suppose you could walk it but there isn't a lot to see on the road. It's 5.5 miles. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&mid=14wMpL7D-1JbSoYZt6jr5FfOwpuE&ll=57.091431313510576%2C-135.36448000000001&z=13 The trails around the National Historical Park are easy with minor elevation changes. I just did them a few weeks ago. I took the free shuttle and walked the 10 minutes from the shuttle bus stop to the Park. If you are going to look for more hiking in the area outside of downtown come prepared with bear spray and a cowbell or something that makes noise. Definite bear country.1 point
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Booking glitch? Who else?
Pattycruise reacted to Pooch for a topic
Been trying on my iPhone, no luck. Emailed my TA & dumped it on her.1 point -
The Celebrity loyalty program - the Captain's Club - is set up a little differently than Royals but corporate's intent - having a live person available on board for Captain's Club members to reach out to in the event of a concern or general question. Of course, Guest Services is always available for that but this is just an extra layer of services available to guests - it is my understanding that on Celebrity, Concierge reps (for Concierge class guests who booked in that category of cabin) and the Captains' Club host are personnel within Guest Services and answer to a supervisor there. In 20+ years of cruising and at the start up last June, we encountered our first issue with dining room seating that I felt should be brought to the attention of applicable department managers - one that had nothing to do with a Matre' D's duties. Because of it's nature, I requested a meeting with the Guest Services Director and the Captain's Club host. We had a nice sit down, including the Restaurant Manager and the issue was fully resolved. One the next day, the Captain's Club host called me to follow-up with him personally at his desk on deck 4. We had booked a Concierge stateroom and the Concierge host joined us. Both wanted to make sure we were happy with the resolution and wanted to offer compensations in the form of FCCs. Of course, we graciously accepted. So, yes, these aboard ship Loyalty Program personnel serve a function and a good one mostly in keeping you informed of your benefits and exclusive ship board events for Loyalty Program members. They also seem to be good smoothing things over on multiple levels. Royal and it's brands are highly customer satisfaction oriented. I find this especially true on Celebrity. Having these folks aboard ship is an extension of that corporate philosophy.1 point
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Air to Sea Sucks
FireFishII reacted to JeffB for a topic
Iv'e used Air2Sea extensively pre-COVID to and from Europe. It worked best when I did the research, found the connections that worked best, then presented those to the Air2Sea agent. Most of the time it was available, I booked it and off we went. Right now, I'd be very reluctant to book with Air2Sea. First of all, they obtain seats at group rated, reduced fares, at least that was the case pre-COVID. I would assume reduced fare seats are, these days, mostly unavailable so, your choice of bookings is going to be limited, probably severely. Air travel in general is going to be costly no matter. Commercial flying is hard in the present circumstance and it's going to remain that way for a while. My advice is to book airline travel either directly with the airline or through an agency/agent you trust, e.g., MEI. There are skilled travel agents out there who are adroit and finding the best connections and if things get messed up prior to your travel, unscrewing things - without you spending hours on the phone waiting for the airline's CSR. Pick airlines carefully. There are lots of tools to find out whihc lines do the most cancellation and/or changes of flights. Next, buy the best travel protection you can find that covers trip delays and trip cancellation. Finally, prepare yourself to be delayed, inconveniently rerouted, your flight cancelled or, worst case, you don't get to cruise at all. Have a back-up plan. It sucks but it is what it is. Keep all your receipts, document, document, document and bring credit cards with lots of remaining credit. You may need it.1 point -
I second the travel agent comment above. While some agencies do charge fees for things like changes (like Costco Travel for example) a good TA does not. They will be able to see cabins that you cannot from the regular booking website, plus have access to other cabins that you can only reserve by calling Royal (which the TA will do). They can also help with answering questions about entry visas and if they don't know will get the answer for you. Some agencies will also price check your reservation and secure you lower prices (which in turn lowers their commission but they do it anyway) so you pay the lowest price. If you book yourself, you have to do that check every single time on your own, and call Royal for a re-price yourself. The good TA will sit on hold for you, once again for no charge.1 point
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Personally the water and cookies are good enough for me, not worth calling in for anything different1 point
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Pier Damage in Sitka
ScottishRobbie reacted to Vancity Cruiser for a topic
So this is all your fault then1 point -
When do you think Royal Caribbean will drop covid vaccine requirements?
Moby Dick reacted to jticarruthers for a topic
Consensus seems to be sometime next year, my personal opinion, the sooner the better.1 point -
To be fair, the airline industry today is not what it was pre-pandemic. Most of the issues air passengers face are due to airlines making significant changes to flights or substituting different equipment with entirely different classes of services such as no comfort plus or business class options. If booked through Air2Sea or if you booked the same flights direct, you'd have the same significant impact forced on you by the airline. Some airlines are better at notifying Air2Sea or direct booked passengers. Other airlines are pretty weak in the notification department. The nightmare isn't because you booked through Air2Sea. Airlines are causing these nightmares.1 point
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Deck 5 on the day you embark from the terminal Deck 3 when you get on/off at ports1 point
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Hiding Something on the Ovation...
bryresangel reacted to FireFishII for a topic
I wished I was on that ship. The suspense is killing me!1 point -
I'm going to stick my neck out and say, "Deck 5" as it is the Promenade deck where the retail and fast food shops (generally speaking) are located, Every Royal Ship I've entered was on the Promenade deck.1 point
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It would definitely be 5 in the US. The terminals may be different in Europe but 5 is the most likely answer.1 point