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If you use Next Cruise to book your next Casino comp cruise using a Casino certificate earned while on your cruise, you just need to fill out the paperwork and drop the slip off to Next Cruise. They will enter your information, charge your $200 deposit to the card you indicate on the form and send you a confirmation number to use when you call the Casino number to book. You get OBC based on the level of cabin you book. Also a new incentive they have for Casino cruise bookings with the earned certificate is if you now choose a GTY cabin you will receive an additional $200 free play for the listed person on the cruise certificate.

And Grease on Harmony, although it is a shortened version. It was good and the other show Columbus is a great comedy with terrific props specific to Harmony.

Since we do not pay any gratuity on our vouchers we always tip the waiter/bartender for our drinks. This has become second nature to us and would not even think now of not tipping. Our nightly trip includes a stop by guest services or the casino cashier for $1 bills for the next day. Makes the waiters look for you for future drinks.

Do not count on the glass in the cabins on Quantum to have any UV protection. We have had to close the blinds to keep the heat out during warm sunny cruises. Was great for cold sunny days.

They may put your checked bag into "time out" with an attached corded USB hub but once they see it they will let it go (had that happen). We now carry our hubs in our carry-on as they generally are more lenient on seeing and passing it through. I pack mine in with my laptop with its power supply and cords and have not had any issues. My wife has hers in a bag with all her charging cords and it passes right through.

If you have booked all the other entertainment activities and the comedy show is now booked then you will have to wait until on the ship. We start checking for the activities about 45 days out several times a day until they appear and the comedy show is one of the first we book, even before we book the others, as the venue is much smaller compared to the others. On Harmony last week the comedy show was booked solid and very few standby.

1 hour ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Pina Colada is perfection w/ Kraken!

This is our go-to drink at Windjammer as soon as we walk onto the ship. Have to get this so we can stroll to our muster station.

I have been on cruises where they close the doors at showtime and if you are late you do not get in. You can leave once it starts but no reentry. I think that would be fine by me if they all instituted that rule.

The ships have a laundry service onboard that is usually $35 per bag. We have used them on undergarments and more compact clothing. They are not large bags but we have found they suffice in our case. We do not use them for delicate, non-color fast clothing but that is us.

There is no way to really tell until the day of sailing. You can look at the ships total capacity and figure it will be about 90% if it is not a typical week of kids sailing and 98% if it is a week of kids sailing. Pretty much normal now days.

You can book and then transfer it to an agent within a couple of weeks. It would make more sense to use the website to determine which cruise you would like to take, what cabin you like and dining time you like without booking it and then contact the agent with the information. They may be able to give you a better price and some OBC.

The people taking the photos have no idea who is and is not in your cabin. They will snap the picture of whomever stands in front of them. They only ask the cabin number when they are through. I have seen many "group" photos taken on our cruises and have not heard one person tell them they have unauthorized people in the picture. Get your group together and have your pictures taken. The cabin number is for the one who will pay for the pic.

In Galveston they never look at the boarding time. So far they have not had an issue with excessive people overwhelming the new terminal. They board by tier status, after the Suites and Pinnacles, and I have never seen the the terminal even half full at 11:00am.

1 hour ago, tonyfsu21 said:

I am quite puzzled why someone wouldn’t?? What keeps us loyal is the D+ benefits which happen to be the best in the business IMHO. 

Agreed. With our C&A status we save hundreds of dollars on each cruise which allows more savings towards another. We have friends who only sail on Carnival due to their reward status and we mostly (95%) sail on Royal due to ours.

We will be on this cruise for our June trip. Texas City is better pricing than anything in Galveston, especially in June vacation time. Also if you are driving to the port, the Sam's Club or Murphy gas stations in La Marque (Hancock exit) are the least expensive around. It is also only 14 miles from the port and we fill up there the morning of the cruise so we do not have to get gas when we leave and head back North on 45.

Second half of our B2B cruise. Don't do these very often and should be interesting where they put us on a B2B double GTY. The RCCL representative said she would tag both dates to hopefully get the same cabin but I won't hold my breath on that.

Sounds great. It will be the start of a B2B on Harmony and cannot wait.

The wife's monthly cruise in March. Think I will tag along just to make sure she has fun and doesn't get into trouble.

The wife found this Valentines Day cruise that she wanted. Perfect time for a romantic getaway (and my favorite snorkeling spot).

They are coolers but we have found that you can prop the cabinet door (not the refrigerator door) open a little and the cooler works much better. It needs some air flow to work properly and the closed cabinet does not cut it. It keeps our drinks cold for us. If you do need a proper refrigerator for medical storage then use the form and request one. Follow up with your room steward when you get there and they can expedite for you if it is not already in place.

Central Park in the evenings is great to sit and listen to the musicians when they are playing.

Boardwalk is fun for people watching and you have Johnny Rockets, Sabor and the Dog House for refreshments. I would sit in the evenings across from the Dog House, listen to the Carousel and read.

We start our cruises at Schooner Bar until the cabins open and have met a lot of great folks there over the times.

Also, there is seating above the Solarium Grill that we like to go to in the mornings. Grab breakfast and take the stairs up in front of the Grill. They have tables and chairs and is a lot quieter and you can see out in front of the ship.

2 hours ago, AandD said:

We are going to be up there next summer and are thinking about taking a late flight. 5:30. Has anyone ever used Port Valet ? 

 

Agree with @HeWhoWaits on the Port Valet. It could not be easier. You can sign up on the ship but we signed up earlier on-line https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free and we wish every port had this option. It is so much easier putting the bags out and being able to disembark the ship without going and lugging the bags from the shuttle to the terminal and checking them in.

15 hours ago, deep1 said:

That worked. Now ... If C+A ever got their act together and come up with a more accurate way to keep their records straight...

That's why we keep a spreadsheet on all our sailings and points. Have only had to call them twice on all the sailings we have done. It also gives us an indication of how close (or far) away we are from Pinnacle. Maybe in a few more years.....

On 11/20/2023 at 10:32 AM, Ampurp85 said:

They actually do. I made it to D+ on comped cruises.

All our cruises are casino comp through the wife's Signature status. My Prime status gives me free drinks but since I do not play much (only enough to maintain Prime for the next year) the best offers, when they come, are only for $100 off a cruise. We do combine our yearly offers to get a Jr Suite once a year but the rest of the time we are in lower cabins.

22 hours ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Yep very strange.   People constantly asking Barb for a light…Good thing she brought 5 lighters with her.   Could sell her spares and make a killing

The wife buys the "mini" Bic lighters and gives them away, but only to folks who are nice to her and ask politely for a light. I want her to sell them as a side business as she is constantly being asked.