Atlantix2000

If you buy in advance, you can only purchase for the entire cruise.  If you wait until you board, you can choose when to purchase the package but it will be for the rest of the cruise.  It will also cost more per day while on the ship so if you want the package for 3 of 4 nights, you probably don't actually save much.  (Example with deluxe package $60*3 = $180 on ship versus $48*4 = $192 in advance with 20% off).  Packages are charged per night (just like the overall cruise).  This makes sense when you consider that bar hours are generally going to be late morning (11AM?) to very early morning (3AM,4AM?).  So if you have the package on Thursday of your cruise, it will work through debarkation.

It depends on the ship, let us know and someone will know the correct answer for you.

27 minutes ago, Birdman325 said:

I have also seen conflicting info about how if one person in a room gets the package then everyone does, but in the small print from what I have read on line for the Soda package it just says no sharing. If I am on a reservation with my 2 boys, I would get it for both of them but would I also have to get the package? 

The rule about everyone in a cabin getting the package only refers to the Deluxe drink package (the one with alcohol).  Too many people bought one package and got drinks for their room so they decided saying "no sharing" wasn't working.  You do not have to get a soda package if your kids do.

6 hours ago, YOLO said:

@Lovetocruise2002  Is this your TA?  Who please?

@Queenbeecruises  Hi and welcome to the RCB forums!

KSF = Kids Sail Free, a promo that Royal runs from time to time.

3 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

Thanks again for all the great feedback!

Question on the ala carte specialty dining.  All 4 of us have 4 nights of specialty dining and we love sushi and are definitely going to Izumi.  So I understand we each get a $35/pp credit... so a total of $140 for the family.  I assume RCL doesn't care if my daughter eats $15 of sushi and the rest of eat $40 of sushi each? 

Also, I got the Deluxe beverage pkg. Not that I expect to down drinks every 5 mins (at least not without forgetting my cruise completely), but is there a limit to how many drinks you can get in a certain time period?  For example, let's say I want an mixed drink and a bottle of water at the same time.  Will they let me get both at the same time, or do I need to wait?

Also, I downloaded the IQ app, but it looks like I can't do much with it until I'm on the ship.  Still very bummed the main RCL app doesn't work for Anthem!

 

To the best of my knowledge, they won't care who actually eats what at Izumi.

There is no time limit on drinks but you can only get one at a time per person with a drink package.  That's the official rule, but in practice, most bartenders only enforce it on alcoholic drinks so yes you should usually be able to get a mixed drink and bottle of water at the same time.  If you want to order mixed drinks for you and your wife at the same time, you would need to bring both cards with you (or go together).

The Royal IQ App was the first app and when it came out, it only supported the newest ships (including Anthem).  They decided they could make a better app and they started by releasing it for the older ships so that every ship would have something.  Eventually, they will retire Royal IQ and convert Anthem to the newer app but not before your cruise.

The cap on cost for the package is set such that whatever ship you are on, the package will cover most drinks.  (Generally, only expensive wines and cocktails with top shelf liquor will cost over the cap.)  No one checks when you bought the package so a hidden advantage is that it protects you from price increases.  In other words, if you buy it when most drinks cost $12 on your ship, but a year later when you actually sail, drinks now cost $13, your package still works without paying the extra dollar.  (And people that bought the package recently probably paid more than you.)

4 hours ago, pezgirl said:

Thank you. I will still be formal but we can just eat somewhere else.  I am the dress code police normally but you know what I am just not going to fight it this time.

No need to fight anything.  There will be people in shorts in the MDR on formal nights.  There will be people in the MDR in fancy clothes on casual nights.  Dress codes are only enforced by some people on the internet not in real life!

Um, the odds of the occupant of a specific room on a specific cruise seeing this post on a website made by and for fans of Royal Caribbean is really really small.  Even if you post this on all of Royal Caribbean's actual social media accounts (facebook, twitter, etc), I would say you have almost no chance of finding the owner.  If you really wanted to return it, the time and place was on the ship.

Perfectly acceptable on any night.

6 hours ago, FManke said:

I don't remember why but I though it was mentioned somewhere that it wasn't supposed to be used for anything but razors. Different voltage maybe?

They give razor as an example but the intention is the outlet in the bathroom can only be used by low power devices.  Hair dryers and flat irons will pop the breaker because they draw too much power.  You have to use the outlets by the desk for those products.

I think I should add that it IS possible to charge nothing to your account over the course of a cruise (as long as you've pre-paid gratuities).  But even if with a zero balance, you'll still have an account, either cash or credit.

"No privilege" is mostly used for children so they can't purchase things on their own.  (This avoids things like $200/day at the arcade, 15 sodas a day at $4 each , etc).  Their SeaPass card is then only an ID and a door key.

I can't answer your question, but I will suggest changing the title of your post so people that do know the answer have a better chance of seeing it.

8 hours ago, packercruising said:

If you carry off your own bags, they usually want you to disembark early.

It's more like if you carry off your own bags, they assume YOU want to disembark early.  If you let Royal handle your bags, your bags may not be available in the terminal until your group number is called.  So if you need to catch a plane, you either need an early number or you need to carry off yourself.  If you don't care about disembarking early, you can just join the line to exit the ship whenever you want whether you have your bags with you or not.

10 hours ago, Kelly N said:

Usually at what time is everyone off the ship?  And how chaotic is it to get a taxi or an Uber?  Just wanted to know the time since our flight doesn’t leave until 7:20pm and wanted to see if it’s worth getting a hotel room just to relax if it’s going to be more than 6 hours of waiting around. Thanks!

I agree with the others.  Remember your disembarkation day is embarkation day for the next cruise and no one can board until they have cleared the ship of all the previous passengers.  (Yes, exceptions are possible in Europe)  You will have plenty of hours to kill but you might find someplace to simply store your bags and explore the city rather than getting a hotel room.

Travel agent OBC usually appears in your account on day 2 of the cruise so it can't be used for pre-paying gratuities or booking excursions, specialty dining, etc through the cruise planner.  OBC from Royal should be there immediately upon booking.

41 minutes ago, KJ1231 said:

Is there a link that describes each type -2G, 4G, 4H, etc?

I would do a "guarantee" except I want to be on the starboard (right side heading forward/north) for the great views heading towards Hubbard Glacier.

The number generally indicates desirability with (I believe) lower numbers being "better"/more expensive.  However, you may or may not agree with Royal's opinion of what is desirable.  It's some combination of cabin size (versus the average for it's class), proximity to elevators and stairs (which could also mean more noise/traffic), and features of the room (2 seat vs 3 seat couch, pull out sofa, ability to sleep more people, etc).  It's best to compare the room numbers with the deck plans which show those things and see if you can find what you want at the price you want.

Few of Royal's original ships have actually been scrapped.  They just get sold to smaller cruise lines which want them.  Of course, the names get changed along the way (sometimes multiple times).  There's a wiki on Royal's fleet that lists the current status of all ships.

There are some VERY old ships still in service.  It's more a matter of whether any company can still operate them at profit once they've aged and need more frequent repairs.  I'm sure it will be decades before Oasis leaves Royal.

I'll confirm that each person gets their own list of C&A benefits based on their status.  So, while it's true your one friend won't get any benefits, you and your other friend will each have the same list of gold benefits and you can use those to help your friend with no status.  For instance, if you use your buy one get one half off glass of wine benefit, you'll charge both drinks to your card, but you can hand one of the drinks to your friend (and then settle up later for the cost).

You don't get cruise credit for no reason.  It will either be an advertised part of the current sales promotion you book (example, get the second guest 50% off plus $50-$250 OBC depending on stateroom class) or as a perk from your travel agent (in which case they are most likely giving you a portion of their commission as a thank you).

Of course.  Some bartenders will give you two bottles of water at a time (though technically not allowed).  Many recommend grabbing a water whenever you pass a bar even if you don't need it to build a stock in the cabin.

40 minutes ago, MotleyCruiser said:

It's funny you say that about Evian. We had two people with CPAP machines in a Royal Family Suite in Feb. They gave us a 12 count case of the large Liter size Evian water for free for use in the CPAPs. On Amazon that is worth $60.00!!

Uh, Evian is not an acceptable replacement for distilled water for a CPAP machine!

One of my favorite images: A ship shipping ship shipping shipping ships!

In my opinion, Cruise Critic seems to be the domain of the eternal complainers.  Before my first cruise, I found it useful for searching and finding lots of information.  Now I prefer this site where I can get the same in a much more positive atmosphere.

23 hours ago, ChessE4 said:

Some folks are going to be sensitive to others, some aren't.  It is your choice.  Perhaps think about what your parents or teachers might say -- are you acting like the person you want to become?    When I was a teen and a young man, I accidentally offended people I cared about because I didn't fully understand social conventions.  I choose not to do that now, when I am aware of my surroundings.   That is all I am saying.  On any cruise, some guests will err towards being self-centered and others to being more sensitive of others, knowing they are from diverse backgrounds.  No one is denying anyone rights to dress as they please - that is not the point. 

Everyone who has posted has a valid feeling or perception.  I just ask that you think about others, since we don't always see a lot of that in the social media or certain TV networks.

So, just to check.  Sometime in the future, you walk into the MDR wearing pants and you realize that 75% of people are in shorts.  Do you immediately turn around, return to your cabin, and change into shorts in order to be sensitive to the social convention?  If not, you can't expect that of those that want to wear shorts now.