First time Fi

Welcome aboard, and stand by to be addicted :).

 

A few heads-up for closer to the time:

 

Travel agents & cruise lines aren't very up-front about expectations for tipping, and that catches out a good few first-timer from the UK, Aus, & other parts of the world.

If you've not been told, a charge of about $12 per day each will be added to your on-board account for cabin attendant & dining staff "tips".

Isn't that a large sum as a tip?

Yes, but these are effectively wages- the crew get their keep & a small monthly sum, and their real income is from those "tips".

Broadly, you have the right to adjust or remove those tips but if you were aware of them when you booked that would quite rightly be regarded as cheap-skating the crew.

(mentioned just so that Fi knows, folks. No heated debate on this thread please :D)

 

There's also a 15% service charge on top of already quite high drinks prices. That's a mandatory charge. Since you probably haven't checked drinks prices, it makes no odds - just remember to do the mental arithmetic when you see a bar menu or wine list.

 

And check out the drinks packages. Like many other cruise lines, RCI offer all-you-can-drink packages.

Do double-check in case I'm out-of-date on this, but RCI are unique in that you can opt into one of those packages at any time during your cruise up to about 3 days from the end, at the same pro-rata daily rate. So if you buy-as-you-go for a day or two to get a reasonably accurate idea of your daily spend, you can then opt into a package if your spend makes it worthwhile.

 

Ship's currency is the US dollar, though you'll not need cash to spend on the ship

When you board you register a debit card (come back & say if using a debit card, cos there's a pitfall) or credit card, & everything you buy on the ship - drinks (& the service charge), spa, speciality dining, ship's shops, ship's shore excursions etc - is charged to your on-board account in dollars, & settled by your debit/credit card in one lump sum at the end of the cruise.

Late into the cruise you'll be asked on a questionnaire whether you'd like RCI to convert the final bill to the currency of your card (sterling) "for your convenience".

Decline their kind :rolleyes: offer, allow your card to be charged in dollars - your card supplier will convert to sterling at the wholesale exchange rate, significantly better than RCI or any other cruise line will give you.

 

Different islands have different currencies, but US dollars are accepted everywhere on your itinerary - it's the only currency you'll need. :)

I suggest you get dollars before your cruise, from the usual suspects - M&S, Tesco, Post Office, on-line etc This is because again ship's exchange rates are very poor andnd you may have trouble finding an ATM ashore that dispenses US dollars rather than local jingle.

If you can get plenty of low-denomination notes $1 & $5, so much the better. If not, ship's casino can probably change down. Tourist shops & stalls & taxis & such will give change in dollars, no problem. But although shops geared to locals accept dollars, their tills are geared to give change in local currency - so a $20 note will get you that bottle of Coke you wanted plus a mountain of local coins.

Any left-over dollars you can pay into your on-board account, reducing the hit on your card.

 

Check out the Ports-of-Call boards on this forum.

Very broadly, shared taxis & minibuses available at the port are your best bet for sight-seeing by road. About 1/3rd the cost of ship's tours , way more flexible, way more fun. Drivers are friendly, trustworthy & reliable, they know their island & they know the importance of back-on-board time. Agree itinerary, broad time-scale & price in US dollars before you board, pay at the end - its the norm. The tour can end back at the ship, or if you prefer at the shops or a nearby beach - take your beach gear with you.

But very broadly travel by boat, 4x4, etc and activities like snorkelling from a catamaran, zip-lining, river-tubing, etc are much more difficult or impossible to fix up on-the-fly. Sharing a private excursion via your RollCall or ship's over-priced excursions are your best bet for these things.

 

All this, & doubtless up-coming posts by others, are for much closer to the time. So don't lose this thread!!

 

Have a great time

 

JB :)

Hi all

Our honeymoon is just over a month away now, i have reread the tips and yes they were so useful.

We are wondering about sun loungers on board. Is it the same issue as on holiday abroad with towel on beds with no bodies in sight?

We were thinking of bringing our lilo's to lay on if this is the case.

Please can someone advise us.

Thanks again

Fi

Someone posted this link on my thread:

http://deckplangenius.com/Home.aspx

And it's packed with good info on choosing a cabin!

Phew, had a mini panic after seeing the link.

Thankfully my cabin in okay, sheer dumb luck on my part. Thanks for the heads up though.

Cheers

Fi :)

Just one or two plugs (by the desk) and sometimes they're positioned so as to make it diffiicult to plug in a power brick. Or so I hear.

 

I got one of these at amazon for not a lot of money.

 

I am going to be on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, will this work? I am also from the UK so different pins etc.

Thanks

Fi

Wow,

Thanks so much for this information, I have booked and paid for the gratuities, does this mean I don't have to worry about tipping throughout the cruise?

I hope so, the thought of offending staff members is a concern for us.

Also if we book a drinks package, does that mean we don't have to pay the 15% extra on the drinks prices??

Cheers for all your help so far.

I have now registered for the Meet & Mingle, well I think I have lol.

Fi

Thank you for the lovely welcome, we are so looking forward to researching and planning.

Aquahound they must have changed the stops, those places are not on the list now.

Will be back soon with tons of questions im sure :)

P.s I have found my roll call and joined. Thanks for the heads up.

Fi

Hi there

I thought I should introduce myself and my husband.

My name is Fiona (Fi)- 47 and my husband is Tom-57, we are from Hertfordshire UK.

We have been married just shy of 2 months :) and have booked our very first cruise as our honeymoon.

I am currently studying an MSc degree so we were unable to take a proper honeymoon in February due to university commitments.

Looking forward to our honeymoon and to meeting lots of lovely people plus exploring the Caribbean.

We are sailing with Royal Caribbean on the Serenade of the Seas on 23rd November 2015, we are very exited.

Please feel free to share your advice and tips, we want this trip to be perfect.

Thanks for reading

Fi :)