WhiteSoxFan

1 hour ago, bootoni3 said:

Hi everyone. I need some help. I've been on one cruise in my life and it was carnival and a very small ship. I was sea sick the entire time

  The staff at RCL told me this ship is sooo big I won't feel any movement.

I just booked two days ago and the rep did a bait and switch. She told me she booked me mid ship but come to find out im in the front. I just spent an hour and half on the phone with them, but they have nothing to switch me to.

How bad is Harmony of the Seas being in the front??? Sail date is May 2019.

 

Thanks!

I sailed Allure once in January and once in May, both Eastern Itineraries and I actually wished the ship had moved more.  I like the rocking and knowing I'm at sea but I could hardly tell we were even moving.  Of course YMMV. 

Definitely Nassau given the choices.

On the first point I completely agree with WAAAYTOOO that 9:00 is too early, Still too much disembarkation insanity going on.  10:45-11:00 is the sweet spot for me.

Secondarily,

4 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said:

Adding to this thread...

We are sailing out of Port Everglades on Allure, and here is my plan...I am looking for critiques or better options:

1. Arriving in FLL day before and renting a car

2. Staying at a Spring Hill Suites in Dania Beach about ten minutes from the port -- will be at Dr Von D Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park on the day before to watch Harmony sail away and to verify that it is really Billy or a hologram every week

3. Embarkation Day -- 9:30 am I make an advance trip in the rental to the port to drop off all luggage. Return to FLL to drop off rental.

Option 1 -- Lyft to hotel to get fam. Approx 10:30 am use hotel shuttle or Lyft if shuttle not available to arrive at port by 11 ish.

Option 2 -- Lyft back to port to meet fam and check-in

Thoughts, critiques?

 

I agree with Matt.  Drop the family and luggage off, return the car, take a Lyft or taxi back.  My experience with the shuttles is they are somewhat irregular.  Plus they make multiple stops at other ships in port.

On 3/28/2018 at 6:52 PM, hoofbeats95 said:

I'm trying to learn all the rules, correct me if I'm wrong. . . but because you had non-refundable deposit you had to pay the $100 pp.  My understanding is that when you actually make the final payment has nothing to do with it.  The final payment "date" is still the same and once you are past that then you start incurring penalties even if you have a refundable deposit.  So I was expecting that it was your rate type (non-refundable) that played into this scenario and not the fact that you actually paid in full. 

This is my understanding also.   I d not think it effects your ability to take advantage of any price drops either.

I seem to recall many years back being charged tax on drinks while in port in Miami.  I never purchase the drink package and I honestly haven't paid attention to the charges on my more recent cruises.  

I love the smokestack one.  

I can confirm that we had the same "royal king" when we sailed in a GrandSuite on the Jewel.

As an FYI, once we were at the airport post-cruise about 6 hours before our flight.  The airline wouldn't let us check our bags because it was more that 4 hours until our flight was scheduled to leave.  Also once out of San Juan we had to wait an hour for them to even man the counter to begin taking bags. 

So the airport drop may not be an option. 

On 2/23/2018 at 11:52 PM, DocLC said:

In all honesty. you're probably better off booking a hotel without a shuttle to the port, but with one that has an airport shuttle. Usually, you can end up with a hotel that's cheaper and the cost to get to the port is usually less than $20 for the taxi and you can go when you want rather than on the hotel shuttle's schedule. Cambria Suites, as mentioned by @Matt, has an airport shuttle and the cost from the hotel to the port shouldn't be more than $20.

Another alternative is to look for a cheap one night rental through Alamo at the airport as they have a shuttle to the port, so you could take that upon returning the car if you have a need for a car. Plus, you'd have more options of places to stay with a car.

Additionally hotel shuttle to the port always seem to leave later than I want to be there.

It is worth noting that you do not have to be a spouse to benefit from this "upgrade" in status.  My daughter linked her boyfriend to her account and now he enjoys Diamond status despite having far less points.

I have been very fortunate when it comes to C & A status.  A few years ago, after a 2013 cruise on the Allure, I was shown as being just a couple points shy of Diamond status.  We booked a 2015 cruise on the Jewel and opted for a suite with my daughter and her friend booked in the same cabin as us.  After that cruise I was well clear of Diamond status.  

Next we book a four night on the Brilliance, get our Diamond balcony discount and enjoy the Diamond lounge.  Then in 2017 we take a 8 nighter on the Freedom and again get our discount and Diamond benefits.  A few weeks after returning home I go to check our point totals to see if they have been updated and they had indeed.  I now stood as a Diamond member with a mere 86 points, not the 104 I was expecting.  

So now I start doing the math.  First thing I had to figure out was how many points I should have had for my sailings prior to them changing the point structure (back when you got 1 point per cruise). I knew there was a formula involved which took some googling to find.  Bottom line is that when I figured it all out I did indeed have 86 points.  So I managed to get two cruises as a Diamond member prior to technically being one.  Thank you RC mystery math.

So I figure I have to reason to complain that we never received our Diamond pins.  The bummer is I thought I was so much closer to D+, lol.

While we're pontificating on the virtues of elevators, I will say RC's elevator "logic" baffles my mind.  The classic example is there is an elevator one floor away, but the "system" decides to send an elevator 10 floors away to pick you up.  

I've often wondered who did the programming, testing and validation of that system.  Perhaps it is an evil plot to discourage elevator use in an attempt to make us all exercise more by using the stairs. ;)

Not really a tip bit more of a comment/plea.  Please people, if you are able, use the stairs (especially going down) and leave the elevators for those that truly require them.  Besides keeping the elevators less crowded, you can burn off that third dessert you had at dinner.  ;)

Got mine entered a couple days ago.  "Only" 600 days to go.  ;)

a lady of mature years in a thong suit at the Solarium pool on Freedom - like we heard many years back the first time the tour went by a clothing optional beach - "don't expect to see Bo Derek"

I've always promoted that they need a minimum butt to swimsuit ratio.  The bigger the one, the bigger the other needs to be.  ;) 

You may remember the Costa Concordia had similar itineraries. Several passengers boarded in Rome. While a muster drill had been held for those who boarded at the prior embarkation point, no muster drill was held before sailing for those who embarked in Rome.

Yes they provided towels in the bathrooms, hand towels and face cloths too. They even give you a special towel to use as a floor mat. I learned about that one when my wife said I was drying myself off with a floor mat, it looks like a towel! Since then I've been noticing them in hotels so I guess she was right.

That would be one small towel, lol.  Try wrapping that around you.

One note on Freedom in January you could not get towels on deck one on port days, you still had to go to the pool deck.

 

Go about 15 minutes early for a good seat in the theater.

 

 

Unless your cruise is like the last one I took in January.  The demographic definitely skewed on the older side and you had to be in the theater 30 minutes before a show to get a good seat.

When we were on the Freedom in January the sound was different when they scanned your card.

How good? I live outside Chicago, so I'm pretty picky, as I believe we have some of the best in the country! Those on the East Coast especially NY, might say otherwise though! ;)

Matt will debate you on this one for sure.  Being from the NW surburbs I agree with you that we have some of the best pizza, I'm more of a crispy thin-crust (cut into squares of course) guy than deep dish, but a nice Lou Malnati's Is good also.

What I miss, and this is a weird one, is the old "bong" sound that was made when they swiped your Seapass getting on and off the ship.

A short clip showing construction of cabins:

Does anyone know if the new ships are built using pre-fabricated cabins that are just attached together, like they do with a lot of new hotels these days?

Yes, for typical cabins.  I believe at least some of the suites are constructed on the ship.

 

 

Alcohol: Can we bring any alcohol on the ship or is that not allowed?

 

You can take 2 - 750ml bottles of wine per cabin.  These should be carried on with you in your carry on luggage.   

Any bag that they suspect may have alcohol in it will not be delivered to you room and you will have to retrieve it.  If it contains alcohol they will confiscate it.

To be clear, the 30% off sale runs through the end of March.  It's just the bonus OBC offer that expires.

The OBC that is not combinable with your C & A discounts.   If you book a balcony and are Diamond or above take the discount, If you're Emerald or below take the OBC. (under the current promotion)

But Emerald get's a discount of $125.00 so isn't that better you ask?  Not the way RC applies the 30% off sale price.  They apply your C & A discount before applying the 30% off so in reality your $125.00 discount becomes a net $87.50 discount.  Something I discovered when booking the Symphony.

I broke down and booked the inaugural cruise on Symphony for 21 April 2018.  Gotta fly to Barcelona for it but hey - It's a Cruise!

 

When I try to go into the "My Cruises", Symphony isn't even listed so I cannot yet add my reservation to get a countdown.  Google tells me that I have 404 days to wait.

 

Excited is not the word for it.

I had the same issue when trying to add the cruise.  No Symphony in the drop down list yet.  Only 614 for me, LOL. :)