ORV

Is it the same as the one on the PDF in the first post of this thread?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1955045

Continuing this off topic conversation, I was recently on a short Royal Caribbean cruise to get out to the cold and I had a conversation with RC's top cruiser. He told me he had been on an RC ship for 52 weeks a year for the last 14 years and was booked as far as they had cruises announced. It's a good gig if you can do it I guess. I just don't have the discipline for it on the eating, or the pocketbook.

I'll enjoy my 3 or 4 cruises a year.

What is it lately with online TA's? We recently booked a November, 2014 cruise on Reflection through an online TA that offered onboard credit, money back after our cruise and the 123 beverage package. I asked the booking agent a lot of questions, and she couldn't answer many of them and kept putting me on hold while she asked someone. I booked, and when we received our cruise invoice and documents, it didn't list specifically what OBC, etc. we were receiving. When I contacted the booking agent, she said we were receiving the promotions, but it was just not showing on my documents. Weird! We have booked with online TA's every time and always had everything spelled out specifically in our documents. I asked her to send me an email showing exactly which promotions we would be receiving. She said she would have to check with her supervisor, so she put me on hold for a long time. She finally agreed to send the email, and when I received her email, she didn't include all the promotions she quoted. She was repeatedly difficult to reach, and I was out of patience. So I cancelled the booking, and they charged me $125! I was upset. I called to book the cruise through a different online TA and had a similar problem! I did, however, finally find someone there who wanted to provide decent customer service. I'm beginning to think I should find a local TA for next time.

I think you are answering your own questions. It really is hard to expect full service when they give you the moon. These people you are dealing with usually aren't Travel Agents, they're customer service agents, working in a call center.

The biggest issue is working out the times with local tour operators when you book independently. Last year I finally told them to just watch for the ship docking and we would be off as early as we could.

Do we know why it has been taken away :confused:.

There is a search at the very top of the board, but it's not forum or thread specific. You also can't use the "all posts by" feature.

Perhaps there might be a hidden agenda to get people to stop telling new posters to do a search when they ask a question that has been asked a 1000 times. ;)

Bermuda Shorts: knee length, worn with a belt, dress socks and dress shoes. along with a button down shirt, tie and usually a jacket/blazer.

 

only acceptable *IN BERMUDA* at dinner.

We stopped for a couple of days in Bermuda on our TA this last fall. I found it amusing that the only person I saw dressed as described above, in 2 days, was a gentleman from the cruise ship. It was a weekday so there were plenty of workers, we were in the downtown Hamilton area where there were office buildings. Perhaps this is a stereotype that tourists think is the "dress" norm for Bermuda, while in actuality is perhaps a relic of the past.

Or perhaps I just didn't see the locals that dress that way.

We have a Oceania Suite booked for our upcoming cruise on Riviera. A couple questions, probably to be answered by Jim and Stan :D

 

First, what is the "Concierge Level Internet Benefit" listed on our Oceania confirmation? Second, we get a Suite package of 6 bottles of spirits. What are they, can we select our own, and what are we talking about, i.e.: 750ML, 1L?

 

Final question, regarding the Prestige Beverage package. If you wish to have a beverage, say a single malt scotch or XO cognac, not on the list, is there a differential you can pay or do you pay full price? As an example, on Celebrity, if one purchases the Premium beverage package and you find a drink that would cost $10 more than what is allowed, you simply pay the difference.

 

Thanks, in advance for any and all answers.

The Internet benefit is a discount off of an internet package, I think 10 or 20 %. The 6 bottles of spirits is for your in suite use. They give you a menu and you can pick out which ones you want. There are no Single Malt scotches on the list. Johnny Walker Red or Dewars is the best I saw on the list for a scotch. Personally I'll drink something else like rum or vodka before I drink those. There are a lot of different vodka choices on it. Most of the bottles are liters but a few are 750ml. I think we got a Di Saronna that was a 750ml. There are also wines on the list you can choose.

Under the FAQs on Oceania website, it says that "we request jeans, shorts, tennis shoes, and t shirts not be worn in public areas after 6 pm".

 

The dress code states country club casual. I have belonged to a couple of country clubs over the years, and none allowed jeans, shorts or t shirts in the dining areas.

I've been looking and can't find that, do you have a link for it?

I'm looking under Guest Services FAQ.

Our team came in 1st again yesterday, but none of us can claim to have had much fun. David Peterson insisted after the game that we had to turn in our scratch papers.... separated into used and unused..... and he counted all the pens returned to make sure they matched the number he had given out and he got very hot under the collar yesterday when he found 8 were missing. That team, though, did eventually return their pens! He really is incredibly anal.

And I thought I was picky:)

no but two of the same post seems important to you.:d

lol

I also saw flipflops, shorts, and tshirts on men in the evening in Terraces which are against the dress code I am pretty sure, but no one enforces it there apparently. Things were extremely casual in that venue, though not in the others. Everywhere else people seemed nicely and appropriately dressed.

NO it's not. Double check that. Most people wear nicer clothes than that but it's not against the dress code for the buffet.

And the passengers are much older than in those brochure photos. But no cruise lines I have been on have better food or service. That goes for the O ships and the R ships.

Hmm, I'm younger than most of those people.

Hawaiidan: What an astute observation. We definitely fall into the west coast category in terms of Jacques and Red Ginger.

 

We liked Toscana but did not think it came close to anything on the east coast (especially New York) or the west coast so it makes sense than Canadians and people from the mid-west of the U.S. rate it high while those on the "coasts" don't.

 

The one surprise for me was Polo. We get great steaks on the west coast (not as good as from Texas:-) but I just assumed that the east coast had really good steaks. IMO, the people who enjoy Polo the most are those from places where it is more difficult to get prime beef.

 

In any case, I'd eat in any of the four specialty restaurants every night if I could.

Texas beef is pretty tough compared to what we have here in the Midwest. Oddly enough some of that other stuff has made it here. St Louis has a pretty fair Italian section. There are literally hundreds of Asian eateries in the area where I live, all different styles.

Good food is where you get it, and amazingly enough people on the coasts don't have a lock on it, although many of them think they do.

Of course the whole food discussion is subjective, and after a while becomes pointless.

Quote doesn't seem to be working.

I've taken a back to back where the first leg I had the Premium package and on the second leg had the Classic package. You have nothing to worry about and no real need to upgrade. You can get plenty of good drinks on the Classic. As Lsimon mentioned it's more about the Top Shelf spirits that you can get on the Premium. I have 2 Celebrity cruises coming up in the next year with the Classic package and really don't plan on doing the upgrade. They are both on an M class ship without the Molecular bar. If I were on an S class I would probably upgrade because I like the Molecular bar experience.

I've stayed in that area and experienced no problem at all with noise. I found it a very convenient location.

Sorry, I'd forgotten about that change.

 

You'd still get it by virtue of being a captains' club member, assuming the person asking is one and it's a regular stateroom, not a suite. You could also get this ashore though.

If they book while on a cruise you are going to be a Captain's Club member on your next cruise, whether you were or not starting that cruise so you should be able to get it.

I've never gotten the free upgrade... do you have to specifically tell the TA to do it?

Must be requested at time of original booking.

Hi there - I continue to have issues trying to check-in online - I enter/reenter my personal info/passport info and no matter how many times I try to complete and print my Xpress Pass, the website continues to return an error message saying that my personal information is incomplete.

 

I thought I saw a fix for this in one of the threads a while back, but searching I could not find it again.

 

Appreciate if anyone knows how to fix this.

 

Thanks!

Michelle

When is your cruise? I find the online checkin a bit wonky. There is information they should have stored with your CC # that you always have to reenter.

I can't remember for sure but I think it's not ready until after final payment is made.

The two cruises I had booked before the promo started didn't increase when the promo was introduced, much to the dispute of posters that always think the promo comes with a price increase.

I don't expect them to go down in March either, they are both fairly popular so I expect them to either go up or stay the same as final payment gets closer.

Thanks, I did reserve an alcove for 2 of our at sea days and will chance the other day! Hopefully we will like it!

You do know the alcoves are not anywhere near the pool?

So here are my cruise experience expectations for my June 2014 Reflection Med cruise.

 

1. Cold Beer

2. Daily spot at the Mast Bar and cold beer

3. Good food in Blu. Just bring me a steak or seafood and cold beer and a glass of wine.

4. A spot in the smoking area of the Mast Bar for an occasional cigar and cold beer or glass of scotch.

5. A regular spot at the Mast bar for cold beer and a good hamburger

6. A regular spot at the pool bar and cold beer

7. Nice comfy bead with a working shower and cold beer

8. Spot at Michaels and cold foo-foo beer.

9. Coffee early in the AM followed by an Bloody Mary then cold beer.

 

If X can deliver on these marks I'll be living the dream for 11 nights this summer. Are my expectations for X to high?

As Wine-O pointed out, cigars are not allowed at the Mast bar. The port side of the Sunset bar is more peaceful anyway, especially in the evenings, and you pretty much have a private bartender.

Other than adjusting that one expectation looks like you're good to go.

Just another dress code question. I saw the word muscle shirt. Would that be acceptable in the terrace grill with shorts for a man or is it only waves grill?

This is only personal opinion but I feel a muscle shirt, or what is vulgarly known as a wife beater has no place in any restaurant at any time. I truly don't care for open hairy armpits around food.

As far as what the dress code say about it I'm not sure. Good taste and common sense says no.

I'm going on the Riviera later this year. What was the internet like on the ship? Decent speeds or slow at times

 

thanks

 

Graham

Are you old enough to remember dial up? There you go.

I haven't booked with them before but have booked several with another online TA, and this is a large one also.

 

We were going to do Allure this week, but it was double the price for the cruise AND the air...so we cancelled & were going to do Vegas.

 

Then this promo comes across my email--free drink pkg & gratuities if we book a balcony. AND since it is only 5 days, flights are more reasonable. SOLD.

 

I called Celebrity directly & upgraded the drink pkg to premium--we both love the idea of ordering virtually whatever drinks we like & no tickets to sign!

 

After researching here & checking the website frequently, I called the TA & upgraded from C3 to C1 with the large AFT balcony.

 

Then this week I checked & saw the AQ had come down a lot from $100 more pp to $10 more pp & discussed it w/ DH & he was sold. Called again.

(the prices were more on Celebrity's site)

 

These were all after final payment.

 

So that was my process--we travel frequently, and I am constantly checking & rechecking prices of air & hotel, changing as often as necessary to get the best deal for the best product.

 

5 weeks from Saturday!!! WOO HOO!

Which airline can you get price reductions on?

Just off Eclipse. I still do not understand what Team Earth does. It has a big table and chairs. Never see anyone in it. Is there a purpose for its existence?

I think it's one of the Celebrity Life experiences that are part of Modern Luxury.

Either that or a part of the ship with a globe in it. I can't remember which.

Definitely agree that this is in a bad place, especially on the Riviera. My experience is that you smelled the smoke in the starboard hallway and the stairwell even though there were doors leading to the outside. The biggest issue is that it is in an enclosed space backed up to the artist loft area and no wind comes through there. People that are sensitive or just don't like smoke have a legitimate complaint. There are better places for it, (a deck up comes to mind, or outside Barristas on starboard side) but there is always someone that would not be happy no matter where it's at.

I felt the enclosed area and the public areas leading up to it in Horizons were the absolute worst though. You could start smelling the cigarette smell on the steps on deck 14 and it permeated the whole Horizons lounge. I've noticed people mention before that they didn't smell it in Horizons on the other side. I noticed it every time I was in Horizons, on either side. It didn't bother me, I just find stale cigarette smell unpleasant smelling.

I think Oceania should be like Celebrity and not allow any indoor smoking.