AussieCoasterKing

I didn't know you could eat at Chops for breakfast! Is this on all ships? What kind of food do they offer??

1) Chops Grille 2) Giovanni's Table 3) Rita's Crabshack 4) Samba Grill 5) Rita's Cabtina I suspect that will change when I get to try sable! Highlight was eating with the captain in the MDR 😊

From there website FAQ Your friends and family can contact the ship by calling (888) 724-7447. Or from outside the U.S. they can call (321) 953-9003. The cost is $7.95 USD a minute and can be charged to their MasterCard® or Visa®. From outside the U.S. additional long distance charges will also apply. You can make ship-to-shore calls from your stateroom, 24 hours a day. The cost is $7.95 USD per minute and will be automatically charged to your SeaPass account.

Hey Guys! Going on Explorer in December and I was hoping somebody can tell me if there is a thermal suite onboard or not? I LOVE the heated beds! Thanks! Luke

I've booked Ovation in Jan 2017 and Explorer for December this year both with Ozcruising. Thanks for the suggestion I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Sorry to be OT but I'd like to ask a few questions about the NextCruise bookings. First, do I have to book through RCL or can I use the Nextcruise with a TA. Currently it isn't associated with a TA. Second, I want to book two cruises right now, 1 for this Christmas this year and the other Jan 2017. Can I apply my current Nextcruise booking to my Christmas cruise then purchase another Nextcruise certificate on that cruise and attach it to my Jan 2017 cruise that I've already booked? Thanks Luke

Might do that Rekkie thanks! Do you have anyone specific you deal with?

Thanks for your advice Matt but thats what lead me to ask the question.. Apparently customer service for TA in Australia is non-existent. I have to admit it isn't much fun trying to deal with RCCL over the phone here either. The VOIP lines they use sound like your trying to talk through two tin cans and some string!

HI Rekkie How do you go with exchange rates? I assumed it would cost you more?? Luke

Can anybody recommend an agent in Australia??

Hi Everyone! Taking Matts advice I've been trying to find a travel agent located in Australia. So far, they either don't reply to emails or don't actually read the email before replying. I really want to book Ovation through an agent but I'm running out of time. I live in Melbourne but I'm happy to use email and phone so any recommendations around Australia would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Luke.

Michelle would you have thoughts about when I'll be able to book Ovation of the Seas for its 2016/17 season in Australia? Thanks Luke.

I've met a lot of people who didn't know which causes problems (in Australia it would add 20-25% to your bill). I think where the confusion comes from is, you pay for the cruise and anything prepaid in local currency. I have no doubt it effects the onboard spending as a lot of people can't or don't want to work out the actual cost. Our first cruise it worked out well as our dollar was higher then US$ at the time :)

We've cruised in Asia and Australia and everything is charged in US$. As far as what's a better deal, I think it depends if your credit card company charges an exchange fee. Mine doesn't, so it's always a better deal. The best way to go is to pay with US$ cash. If you have to use credit card some exchange services (in Australia) lets you buy foreign currancy on your credit card (no it's not considered a cash advance). Luke.

Thanks everyone. Thats what I thought. Somebody should tell RCCL to change it on the website as it clearly states Voyager class ships have a retractable roof which is what confused me! Luke

Hi Guys I've been looking all over the internet and keep finding a different answer so i thought I'd ask the experts. Does the Solarium on the voyager class (specifically the Voyager) have a roof over it like the Oasis and Radiance class ships? I'm reluctant to book a New Zealand cruise without one, it made all the difference on our last cruise. Thanks Luke.

Same! Currently looking for videos on Freedom after listening to your podcast made after its dry-dock! :)

Hi Guys Like everybody I really want to book our next cruise! Only thing is we have a lot of personal obstacles which will mean we may not be able to go. So, should I just book anyway? What are the limitations to changing the booking later and how soon before the cruise can I change it without penalties? Also, we don't know if both our children will be able to cruise with us, if it's only one of them she will share a cabin with us. What would happen to the booking for the second cabin? Can we simply alter the booking so she's in our cabin or will we loose the deposit made on the second cabin? Any advice greatly appreciated. Luke

If you have your cabin number you can even look it up on the Internet to ensure your happy with it. You will find a lot of information on locations to avoid on every ship. My must is to have cabins above and below us. This ensures noise is kept to a minimum. Welcome to cruising! Hopefully you find it as enjoyable as the rest of us!

Did you find anything out Michelle?

Glad to hear it's most likely a one off. We had three mattress toppers on our bed before we called so I don't think we were the first to complain! Do you know if they changed the bedding on Voyager? The guy who head laundry on Radiance said it wasn't touched on Radiance when it went into dry dock in 2011

Sounds fantastic! We did 5 weeks when we went to USA. People thought we were nuts going that long but I think if your going to travel that far make it worthwhile. Makes me laugh when people complain about flights that are 4 or 5 hours long though! Make sure you tell us all about it when you get back! Throw Washington in there and thats what I plan to do but we'll have to go back to Disney World again!

Unfortunately we don't have any family or friends who cruise but the emails are a great idea thanks Matt!

I would LOVE to find a TA in Australia that knows anything about cruising. On our last cruise a group of travel agents were getting a tour of the ship. I told them to give me there business cards and they thought I was joking! ^_^ :lol: ANY suggestions would be appreciated! I've met two american TAs (including Michelle on here) I'd love to use but I don't think thats practical.

Hi All I find myself in turmoil and hope you can all help me out. We recently cruised on the Radiance and almost left the ship after the first night because the bed was SO bad! Firm would not begin to describe it. On top of this my wife has a bad back. When I was talking to management. Somebody in charge of Laundry. He explained that I should expect a harder (older) bed on a ship of this age. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After a lot of arguments they were able to improve the situation but it was still the worse bed I've ever slept on and I've done a lot of camping. My question is. What experience do other people have on RCCL ships? Our first cruise was on Allure and that was one of the best beds I've slept on. We even looked at trying to buy one of those mattresses! They don't ship to Australia. http://www.royalcaribbeanbeddingcollection.com I was planning a Christmas cruise on Voyager but thats older ship then the Radiance. Can anyone tell me what the beds are like on the Voyager?? Any help would be appreciated. I'm trying to follow Master Matt's advice about booking my next cruise but unfortunately in Australia we only have older RCCL ships. Thanks