monorailmedic

Not bad looking. I just picked up an SMOVE. Should be here by Thursday at latest.

This varies a lot by sailing. Sometimes we've been bummed that every station is the same few thigns (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, etc). On others we've found curries, various vegetables, etc.

Go into the cruise planner (if you have already purchased something) and click "order history" then see if you have the option to cancel for each item. I'm curious.

Statement from Celebrity Cruises: In regards to Casino Royale, we do not currently offer reciprocal benefits. Guests Celebrity Casino tier and subsequent onboard benefits are solely based on gaming with Celebrity.

Celebrity just announced that they're revamping the Blue Chip club. Not sure if that will impact things but I've reached out to my POC and will let you know what she says.

Not sure on official rules and such, but there are clear coolers with chilled water in various spots (outdoor bars, Promendade Cafe, etc) which you could, at least in theory, use to fill anything you'd like.

The rules in the UK are different, and they do no have the ability (or at least not as easily, I'm not an expert on this) to simply "cancel and rebook" like we do - there are penalties which may or may not negate the value depending the particular case.

That's around the upper limit - but with proper planning they should at least be able to get you at two tables in a somewhat "sectioned" area. You'll want to ensure your reservations are linked, that your dining request is noted, and that as soon as you board you go to the MDR to speak with someone about your request.

The onboard price has consistently been $17.99USD/device if I recall. If you want it, purchase it now and if it goes on sale you should be able to cancel your Cruise Planner purchase and repurchase - I don't think that's any different in the UK.

No reason to wait. If you want Voom, buy it at the current rate and if it goes down you can cancel and repurchase it. If you wait and for some weird reason it goes up...

I used to be a firemedic. I worked for Homestead Miami Speedway Fire, I was a manager for an ambulance company, taught protocol classes...now I'm an IT Product Manager. Logically ;-) I miss it at times, other times not so much - sleeping all night is pretty cool. The monorail part is just a reference to Disney. It's an old screen name, but it stuck.

You should be able to book through MEI for the group regardless of what country you're in. For non-group cruises this is not necessarily the case - but an exception has been worked out for groups. Reach out to MEI by requesting a quote from the RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com homepage (form on the right side) and they'll get you a quote and answer any questions you may have about the process.

Alright, we're always abnormal. I meant that on this sailing we were traveling as guests of employees.

Not as far as I am aware. Just ask your travel agent to annotate your reservation for any special requests. In some cases they can do this throught their portal, in other cases they'll reach out via email to the proper persons. This all varies by which cruise line, the nature of the request, whether you're sailing with a group, etc. Also note that in terms of table requests (location, number of people, etc) this applies to traditional dining. With My Time dining this would be a 'per meal' request when you go in and request a table.

Unless we're on a group cruise Larissa and I always request a table for two. Out of all of our cruises there was one night on one cruise where it could not be accomodated (wasn't on RCL, also, we didn't press the issue as we weren't normal passengers on this one trip). Request ahead of time, have your TA note the request, and mention it again to the MDR staff when boarding on day 1. The same formula follow true for most other special requests.

If speed is your quest then cabs are the way to go. They'll be waiting for you as soon as you walk away from customs. I've not personally used the luggage valet service, but I know they do specify the flight times which they can work with. You can decide on luggage valet once onboard, so no reason to plan this part ahead if walking off with your bags is an option.

I've sailed a dozen or so cruise lines, many of those booked with MEI :-) You can still fill out that form and they'll reach out for details. Alternatively you can reach out to them directly, but do Matt a favor and mention that you found them here, he spends too much time on this site away from his fam to not get credit :-)

I personally use MEI Travel. I have for almost a decade as my MEI agent has always provided me with excellent service. In full disclosure, MEI is also a sponsor of the blog, so if you appreciate the site, it'd be great if you reached out to MEI by requesting a quote via the form on the right side of the RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com homepage. http://imgur.com/a/VwFft

I don't doubt your experience at all, though I do find this surprising and confusing. The bartenders have no incentive at all to short you. Perhaps they were just bad at paying attention?

You can purchase onboard credit for someone as a gift, so I don't see why you can't "gift it" to yourself. If you've booked with an agent just ask them to take care of it. If you're booked directly just call RCI and ask. While you can do this through the online gift section, I think it restrcits you to specific denominations - which may be more flexible via the phone or through an agent.

Details :rolleyes:

Welcome, Paula! I think the artcile linked below will be very helpful to you. I've sailed DCL a number of times, as has Matt, the admin of this site. I personally sail many cruise lines, as they each have areas in which they shine, with great experiences at the ready. That in mind, DCL just got to be too pricey for us in the recent years - I could cruise with a luxury line for the same cost. Royal Caribbean targets a very similar audience to DCL, in that they're looking especially for families, and adjust their offering so that there is truly something for everything. RCI has, depending on the ship, far more activities for high-energy folks, and often more specialty dining venues for those wanted to branch out from the main dining rooms. Take a look below and do reach out if you have any specific questions. I'd be you'll enjoy Liberty. http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/disney-cruise-line

I actually rather like the Scion/Toyota/Lexus comparison as that is a great example of clearly differentiated markets where price is a factor, though not the biggest factor. If you want what a Scion offers than you don't want a Lexus.

This is a big motiviation I have for wanting to sail on Koningsdam.

I always forget Buick is still a thing. Can we find a different brand for this comparisson?