DunkelBierJay

23 hours ago, diesel2512 said:

We are staying in two balcony rooms, which is another thing that bothered me. We have 5 kids. They said they didn't have any rooms on the Allure,  side by side with a conjoining door, that could sleep 4 and 4, or even 3 and 4. Not just not available, but it doesn't exist??????? We had to book a room for 2 and a room for 4. As you can see, the math doesn't add up but he said my three year old can sleep in a pack and play. Ok so that's not going to happen. So I guess we will have to share a bed with our 3 year old for the week, not optimal!!!

This is an area where a good travel agent can help a lot. They may simply be booked up by now. From time to time things open up, and a travel agent can help with that.

23 hours ago, diesel2512 said:

We requested 5:30pm dining and were told it's waitlisted....it's 6 months out from the cruise....he also told me they just do that sometimes to dissuade people from booking early dining???

What they said on the phone is strange...One strategy is to take them to the Windjammer for their dinner and do a late seating with your spouse while your kids are in Adventure Ocean. You may be able to get it nailed down as you get closer, and you can always request it when you board. Just see the head waiter in the dining room.

23 hours ago, diesel2512 said:

I have read,( loosely quoting here) "If you cruise for the food, don't book RC; If you cruise for the entertainment, book RC." So how bad, truly bad, is the food in the main dining rooms? I thought this cruise was such a great deal $$$ but if we have to book speciality dining every night because the food is so terrible I would be looking at a $1,000 extra bump or more.

I have found the food and service in the MDR on my sailings to be really good. Don't believe everything you read -- the comparison may not be apples to apples. There may be some nights when the menu isn't exactly what you like... Feel free to try more than one entree, for example. It's really a matter of what you like. Royal is in the process of changing their menu fleetwide. I recommend going to the home page of this site and searching "menu" to see recent posts about it. You can make a Royal Caribbean cruise "all inclusive" and not buy anything on board and have a great experience.

23 hours ago, diesel2512 said:

 Do you buy the dining packages (like the ultimate for 168) for your kids 12 and under, or just add each kid as you go when you arrive? Is this package really worth it?

The dining package is a great deal compared to on board prices.

23 hours ago, diesel2512 said:

People say the buffet (I am understanding this is the Windjammer) is a hot mess and to avoid it at all costs. We are early risers (6-7am), would we be able to miss the crowds in the morning if we go there? 

I think my felling overwhelmed is because the DCL ships are so small and people obsessively record their trips. There is no guesswork. I can plan our entire vacation from my computer, day by day, meal by meal because everything is online from previous cruisers. I've struggled to figure out what the main dining even serves on the Allure! I can't find a menu for main dining!!

 If you are an early riser, I wouldn't worry about it. On embarkation day check out Park Cafe or the Solarium Bistro for your first meal instead of the Windjammer...the majority of people are just finding their way around, and it can be a little flustering especially herding little ones around. My plan is to go to Giovanni's for lunch when we board in June. It will cost a little, but it will be less crowded than the Windjammer. By the time we are done eating, our cabins will be ready. We have adjoining Central Park balconies with a max of 2 in one and 4 in the other (there may be something to what you wrote earlier about what's available on your sailing).

23 hours ago, diesel2512 said:

1. My 3 year old cannot have milk, do they offer Almond or Soy milk complementary or at all? 2. Can you skip main dining and eat dinner at the Windjammer if you come in late from port or just don't have the energy?3. Can I transfer my resi to a Travel agent at this time? Which travel agency do you recommend?

1. Check with the staff at one of the beverage stations in the Windjammer or Cafe Promenade. They can hook you up.

2. Absolutely! There are lots of complimentary options!

3. If you booked less than 60 days ago, you can transfer to a travel agent. There is an online form on this site's main page to a travel agency that sponsors it, MEI Travel. Pretty much all of us who have been on a group cruise have used them and they are courteous, professional and quick to respond. I have used them for other sailings as well. My agent pulled a rabbit out of a hat a couple times when I didn't expect it. His name is Brock, but I have heard good things about the others too!

4 hours ago, rjac said:

Good luck with that! I tried that yesterday, I felt sorry for the young man I spoke with. He was absolutely clueless. It's a shame that Royal is subjecting their customer service personnel to this kind of abuse!

I figured that would be the case for them, so I kept playing with the website, and was able to log in to my cruise planner from the home page. It prompted a login after I clicked on excursions. I couldn't get there logging in first. I printed My Calendar so I have a printed record of what I purchased in one place.

18 hours ago, rjac said:

So, has anyone called Royal to see what they're going to do about this mess? I tried and the young man I spoke with was absolutely no help at all. 

I tweeted at them requesting a timeline, and they just said to call their toll free number.

I was able to get to the cruise planner from the main login page, but it looks like you have to start from scratch probably because everything has not been moved over. I wish I had screenshots of my calendar for my next cruise. At least I have my email confirmations. Does anyone have fear that previously made reservations will disappear?

There's lots of REALLY good advice here, and I totally get that's overwhelming. I am a relatively new cruiser myself, and have five under my belt with RC. I will be taking my family on Allure for the first time in June and can't wait. I expect to be doing a live blog in the live blog section of this message board. Despite this...I can't help but wonder if you are experiencing any frustration with where to start specifically in the Cruise Planner. With the cruises I have been on and the hundreds of dummy bookings I have done, I remember how non-intuitive the Cruise Planner can be until you get used to navigating it.

So, my first question is...have you associated your reservation ID to your sailing in the Cruise Planner? My second is have you set up a Crown and Anchor membership number yet (so you can get credit after your sailing)? My third is, do you have a good travel agent (not necessary, but it may affect how some responses come your way)?

If you have done those things, that is half the battle. The rest is figuring out what you want to do and when, as well as where to click in the Cruise Planner. It is NOT intuitive, but you found the right place for help! This site and the message boards have been priceless resources to me in figuring out how to plan things out, especially when it comes to making reservations on Oasis class ships.

As soon as it was available for my sailing, I made my reservations for the things I absolutely wanted to do...like the comedy shows and the aqua shows. I also did Izumi Hibatchi, 150 Central Park, Mama Mia and a few other things which now show up in my Calendar in the Cruise Planner. I learned a few things doing it because we are in two staterooms, so if any of this fits your situation, I or a whole bunch of people in this community can give a few tips. You could also do some searches on key words that interest you and Matt's posts may have the answers you are looking for. If you like podcasts, his are the best about cruising I have heard...hands down.

On 1/26/2018 at 11:07 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

My cruise planner for my upcoming Allure sailing has an option for an "insider" view of Mama Mia ! for $79 PER PERSON.  This special "event" includes a cocktail, a photograph. preferred seating (whatever that means) and a meet and greet with the cast members.
 

I have a June sailing on Allure and saw that when I went to make show reservations. Regular bookings are free like before. The way I took it when I saw it was that it is similar to the kitchen tour lunch in the MDR that is offered. I was easily able to book the show for free for everyone in my party.

1 hour ago, Boston Babe said:

Am I overreacting to think about changing my Western Cruise to an Eastern Cruise? I probably am, but thinking about it. I guess shit happens no matter where you are, so need to give this some thought. I cruise primarily for the ship not the ports as I've been to most, but hubby hasn't been to too many.

I don't think you are over-reacting...I think caution is a good thing. I think that RC will have a very good handle on the risks for the ship and passengers in port. I like what  @WAAAYTOOO said about staying on the ship. RC's security will be heightened I am certain especially since these ferries dock in controlled areas. It has me reconsidering renting a car and driving around Coz when I am there in a couple months.

On 2/6/2017 at 8:02 AM, DocLC said:

Suppose and children receive the same benefits as you, but I believe they have to be booked in the same cabin as you. Hopefully, others will chime in to confirm this. As for the group booking number, you shouldn't have one unless you're booked as part of a larger group through a travel agent.

My kids did not receive Gold benefits while booked in a separate cabin from me a few years ago.

Big Binder clips...cross utilization is the key

8 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Wait, I'm confused since you said there are five of you -- so that $7.49 pp per day is based on 5 people, not the 4 devices that can actually log in at one time, correct? So $37.45 per night?

Asking as that would indicate you got an even better rate than I had managed for the four of us on a 4-device plan ($39.17 per night, which if I did per-person with a 5-person group would be $7.83 pp per night) -- in which case I say to you, very well done sir! 

Some might say, "It's just two bucks a night difference, who cares?" To which I reply, "The porters, the room attendant and headwaiter, and the bartenders, as they all get a few extra tip dollars." Or, "Me, because that's $16 over the 8 nights, which means I get that many more up-charge reposada margaritas on my drink package!" 

I'm honestly surprised at some of the numbers I'm seeing from a handful of folks lately with the drink package ($39/night!?!?) and now apparently VOOM. I've gotten close to those numbers, but never once that low.

My wife and I will share a plan. I like to go on and do stuff in the morning, and she likes to do it in the eveningm so it works out well. I'm more addicted than she is, and from time to time I checking at work. I wasn't about to let my kids fight over who had access by having them share a plan, so I made each of them pay for their own using the multi-device discount since they all have jobs.

Since my lowest drink package on a 9 nighter on Navigator this time last year, I haven't seen a drink package as low as what I got on that sailing. It was $38 a day per person. Huge bargain. Since then, the lowest I have seen on my bookings has been $45.

I double checked what I bought for our next sailing with the family...there are five of us in adjoining CP balconies on Allure and I bought a 4 device plan on sale that netted out at $7.49 pp per day on the Cruise Planner.

On 2/20/2018 at 12:38 PM, LadyB said:

Can someone please explain Vroom to me?  How it works, what you can do with it etc. I'd like to be able to text my husband while on our cruise and would like to know if this is the way to do it.

One thing my wife an I do is get one plan and share it. Then we have fun kicking each other off the network!

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Not a macro, simple conditional highlighting.  If value is below cell Y, color green, if value is greater than cell X then red, etc.  

I use Numbers on Mac but Excel can do this too.

 

got it...I should have known that...

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Thanks.  I have it set for conditional formatting so if I adjust the cruise planner price in the lower left it recalculates the sheet and colors change to indicate the best choice (green). 

So, when there's a sale, all you have to do is enter the per unit cost...cool! I bet you would have a market for selling that spreadsheet! Is there a macro that changes the color coding?

52 minutes ago, twangster said:

Here is a comparison of Voom costs for various C&A levels assuming a pre-cruise price of $15.99 per day.  This compares the cost of buying it on board with a C&A discount versus buying it in advance.  $15.99 appears to be a common pre-cruise price for Surf and Stream.  Sales do happen from time to time with a lower price. 

I often use what I call my "Day 2 Strategy".  Since you are in port on the day you board you likely have cell coverage until around 5-6pm.  On each day of the cruise the onboard price is reduced since there are fewer days remaining.  By waiting until day 2 (or midnight on day 1) the onboard full voyage price is reduced by one day.  By going without internet from 6pm to midnight you save ~$20.  If you can wait until day 3, you save even more.

Also attached as a PDF below which is easier to read.

Voom Comparison.pdf

Absolutely brilliant. I may adapt your analysis to include a row for cruise planner sales and perhaps Surf and Stream per device cost when discounted in the Cruise Planner. This would add 12 rows per discount level for comparison if I do 1, 2, 3 and 4 devices. If the Olympics are boring tonight, that's what I will do.

Has anyone seen if the chat feature on the new app is available?

41 minutes ago, hayley_bopp said:

Am I right in thinking this gets me priority boarding this time around and if so, what does that entail?

Also my husband was on my last cruise with me and will be next time. I've added him as a 'guest' on my CA profile and have tried to use the 'enrol a household member' form but for some reason it's not working. Do I/he need to get in touch with them for him to take advantage of priority boarding too? Or do I have to leave him in the terminal while I get on-board early? ? 

All being Gold does is get you some discounts listed on a sheet of paper in your stateroom on embarkation day. I never experienced it getting me on board any quicker than my first cruise. In fact, on a couple of sailings the Gold check-in line was longer than the non-C&A line. I would call the C&A line (866) 562-7625 for assistance in enrolling your husband if it didn't work online the first time.

14 minutes ago, Cruiselife said:

My wife and I usually drive to the port in Galveston when we cruise, so we have never purchased travel insurance. We are about to book a cruise on Harmony out of Florida and so we will be purchasing the insurance this time around. My question is should we book it through Royal Caribbean or go with an outside company? The cost from Royal Caribbean is $118.00 for the two of us. Is this a competitive rate and also competitive coverage?

You can run quotes on various third party sites like Roam Right, Travel Guard and Allianz. They all offer similar products and coverages. Most recently, I bought a policy for a five nighter on Roam Right for $96.00. I am not certain if Royal's insurance covers parts of your trip not booked through them.

22 hours ago, monctonguy said:

I was supposed to cruise in April out of San Juan and cancelled it. Glad I did. Flights are now a nightmare to get in and out(limited options) and pricewise(over $1000 per ticket). I will be there in the future at some point to cruise, but not in 2018 for sure.

Wow...there almost certainly is a US airport you can drive to to save money...fares from my part of the world range $178 to $183 US to San Juan. I have been tracking fares for the month of May for a few weeks, and they have stayed steady.

Ive been tracking Southwest and JetBlue flights from Nashville to San Juan and it has consistently ranged between $178 US and $183 US one way. If you can price out a connection through a second tier airport like Nashville, Fort Lauderdale or Tampa, that takes international flights, you might save a little cost.

I've used Allianz, Travel Guard and Roam Right whether cruising or doing something else. They are all reputable and competitive with each other price wise. I tend to use the company that has the easiest to navigate website at the time I am ready to book. I have never filed a claim. I am just paranoid about facing a horror story medical evac situation from a foreign country, so I think the $200-$300 cost is worth if for a family trip.

Beware though...if you Google travel insurance, and you watch a lot of YouTube videos...you might get nothing but a travel insurance carrier's ads running on what you watch...over and over and over and over....I tried googling "I BOUGHT THE STUPID TRAVEL INSURANCE, QUIT RUNNING THE AD" to no avail.

On 1/25/2018 at 1:47 PM, Razerbkfan said:

However I would think the could build brand loyalty by hosting a "newbie" event to offer insights into the ship and the great variety of items available during the cruise.  Maybe they alrady do,but as a still relative newbie we didn't see it on the cruise compass.

On my first cruise on Enchantment a few years ago, a ship tour was listed in the Cruise Compass, and my wife and I took advantage of it. I haven't seen it since. Now that I have completed five Royal Caribbean cruises, I laugh a little at needing a tour back then, especially on a small ship, but it really helped save some time and get some insider tips from the guy doing the tour.

I was just looking for Mariner's repositioning cruise from Europe to the US, and nothing is there yet either...

@JLMoran I’m curious about your trip insurance choice from your original post. Did you get RC’s or a travel agent’s insurance for the cruise itself? Did you compare it against a third party like Roam Right or Allianz?

@BrandonOwen wouldn't know, but new Platinums get pin envy when they see this...