cruise-y

Thank you!

If I prepay  to have Voom, how do I connect when I board?  I hope I don't have to stand in line at the tech area.  I've done that before when I didn't prepay.

Thanks

I guess people are luckier than me, because I called and was told that because the cruise was already paid for, I could not get the cheaper rate (which is what I thought).  I would have to cancel (losing 75%) and rebook.  I understand that they make betters offers late in the booking to get those last rooms booked and can't be giving everyone refunds.  

I'm just curious about this..... I'm less than 2 months away from cruising so obviously I'm fully paid.  I wanted to see what cabins were still available so I went in as if I was going to book the cruise again and now see that the price has dropped for my category - substantially.   What is the protocol here?  I totally understand prices change for various reasons.  Can I call and switch to another (same category) cabin and get the better rate?  Or is that option over since I have already paid in full?  I have no OBC so have nothing to lose there.  Not complaining, just wondering. Thanks

Thanks for your insight JLMoran.  Very helpful.

I’m thinking the pool deck, though, might not be one of those low-load spots.  Ha!  Maybe they’ll have more access points there though.  I never had trouble before on the pool deck, but much less crowded. That’s really the only time I’m using it.  

I called RC about switching rooms and they told me

 I’m booked on a “code red” cruise which means Overfull+++ Yes, a cruise from England during school holiday.  That’s cool, I love kids.  And I’ll hang out in the Solarium, hopefully.  But I just bought the Voom daily internet package and I’m thinking “was that dumb?”  Will the ship be so full that it really won’t work that well?

I think if you actually sit down to eat you can take a to-go order for someone else back to your room.  We did that once for our son who wasn't feeling well.  But I'm sure the MDR won't box up to-go orders for people waiting at the front.   That's what the Windjammer is for.

If you like lobster, wait until the day after lobster night and head to the Windjammer where the leftovers will be on ice in the salad bar.  Yes, they were previously frozen but I think the frozen ones taste a lot better cold.

It's more like $40 for a package (I don't remember how many in a package - maybe 12).  Be aware these are quart size bottles, not the small water bottles you are used to.  I didn't realize that the first time I ordered them.  

These are almost too big to take on an excursion (they really weigh down a back pack) and they get hot if you have them out by the pool.  It is hard to fit more than one or two in the room fridge (which doesn't cool that well anyway).  I'd rather have the smaller bottles so I can drink directly from them, but this is better than nothing.  And Evian packages well so they are not flimsy.

Order from the cruise planner and have them delivered on Day 1.  They'll be waiting in your room.

The cooking class here is really fabulous.  Truly.  I was surprised at how great it was.  And, of course, you won't eat at the buffet because you eat what you cook - and what you cook is very, very good.  You have a couple hours afterwards to hang out at the beach.  I don't remember the beach being all that spectacular, but I do remember the cooking class and I'd definitely do it again.  In fact, I got the recipes and made the dishes when I got home.  Except I couldn't find chocolate that good anywhere in the U.S.

If the itinerary was different on the second half, I'd stay on the same ship and cabin, but I'm assuming you can leave your stuff in the room and not have to pack and unpack.  If that assumption is wrong, then I change my vote.

I would never do a B2B with the same itinerary.  Why would you do a B2B versus a 2 week cruise to lots of different ports?

Must be a glitch.  I’ll let you know what they say after I call.  Thanks!

36 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

@cruise-y, this may be as much a function of having an 8:30 reservation as having the same table and staff each night. You're at the tail end of the dining window, and while I know assuming is dangerous, I would nevertheless assume that by this point the crowd is smaller and the rush to service everyone lower.

That’s a thought, thanks for the comment!  In our case, though, when we moved around every night, we were still dining late. 

58 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

No, you do not have to do the hibachi.  The sushi side is a completely different area.  There should be a way to book just the sushi side.

Is there no hibachi option on Anthem ?  I just went into my Cruise Planner to look at the reservations options and I don't see anything BUT the sushi side option.  Someone else will have to help you with what to look for in your Cruise Planner as I don't have an O class ship booked right now.

Thank you!  My cruise planner doesn’t give me an option for booking just the sushi.  Only the hibachi!  I guess I’ll have to give them a call.

I see on the cruise planner that you can book a reservation for the Izumi Hibachi (for $45) but I don't see a way to just book just the Izumi sushi restaurant.  I know the sushi restaurant is ala carte, but shouldn't I still be able to book a reservation?  Surely one doesn't just show up.  Do you have to do the hibachi?   I hope someone can help.  Thank you!

If you reserve a MTD time for around the same time every night, they will seat you with the same staff (usually at the same table or close by).  We have reserved a spot every night from 8 to 8:30 and had the same staff and table.  

If you just show up whenever you want (with no reservations), you will get moved around to different tables and staffs.  We've done this as well.  It is certainly more convenient but sometimes there is a bit of a wait.

My 2 cents: When we had the same table and staff (via MTD reservations) the service was much better and so was the food.  It was hot and fast, they remembered our preferences, they chatted with us about our day, told us about their families back home, etc.  When we moved around, the quality  dropped.  Our food was often slow to arrive and even cold. The same-staff-every-night crew assumes they will get to know you and you will leave them an additional tip at the end of the cruise over the automatic amount  (which we did).   The different-staff-every-night crew knows you won't single them out, so they don't go the extra mile.

On June 19, 2018 at 11:30 AM, Matt said:

Of course, shouldn't be happening in the first place.

You all are being way too nice.   I shouldn't have to go to a blog to figure out how to get the website to work.  We shouldn't have to be having thread discussions about clearing your caches or switching to different browsers in order to come up with solutions.  I shouldn't have to call tech support to get "unlocked."  

I know everybody here is super loyal to RCCL but really, the website is unacceptable.

Wow really makes me appreciate that small room of sea pass operated machines on Oceania.  Such a small thing, with not much footprint, but such a nice amenity.   I’m amazed RCCL doesn’t offer it too. It was $5 a load so brought in revenue too. 

On 6/12/2018 at 7:21 AM, twangster said:

I did 19 nights on Anthem (7+12) and I used the laundry special on the 2nd cruise.  It's a small bag but I only washed small items. 

Most of the time I was in shorts.  Formal wear was used for dinner only then I changed. 

I made a plan before sailing and packed accordingly.  It wasn't too bad.  By not over packing but taking a few extra items it wasn't too bad at all. 

I have several long cruises next year (10, 13, 14 and 16 nights) and will do the same. 

Is the small bag mid-cruise one per person or one per cabin?  We will have already been on the road for a week before the 2 week cruise starts.

Supposedly, I get a 10% discount for a SPA treatment as a Gold member. BUT, Gold discounts are attached to your cruise card so can't be redeemed if you book ahead of time (and prepay) online via the Cruise Compass.  If you wait to book when aboard, everything is full of course (unless you want a shore day or something equally unmanageable).  I emailed RCCL to ask about this and was merely told "sorry for the inconvenience."  OK, I get that Gold people don't really get that much, but don't tell me I'm getting a 10% SPA discount when I'm really not.  It's just a lie.

The "is it worth it" question is relative, in my mind.  If I were dining in my home city,  the specialty restaurants would be quite a bit more expensive than what I would pay at home (after you include the estimated cost of the free MDR meal).  But, you are on a cruise and you are paying more than what you would pay at home anyway.  With that thought, the specialty restaurants are significantly better than the MDR, in service, atmosphere and quality.   Also, if you live in a small city and don't have the opportunity for hibachi or premier steak houses or high-end Italian, then that is another factor.   We usually eat a couple of times in the specialties and know we are paying more but always enjoy it.  (Hope that made sense).

My only gripe is that the MDR quality seems to be going downhill, I guess in an attempt to get people to eat in the specialties.  Honestly, that factor alone is causing me to spurn RCCL in the future.

6 hours ago, KathyC said:

The luggage tags are one page in your cruise documents.  That page was missing?

Yes, that page was missing.  When I called, the person I talked to didn't understand why they were missing.

If you can eat outside - that's a huge plus for me.   Nothing like dinner under the stars.  So many RCCL ships don't have that Windjammer feature.  It's one reason why I sometimes pick Oceania over RCCL.