miyanc

So I am on ovation, I booked 2 separate internet packages, 1 for me and 1 for my wife.  The thought occured to me, is there a difference between 2 separate people or 1 person having 2 items.  Specific to my options, it's approximately 150 for 1 person and then another 150 for the other.  Or I could select 1 person 2 devices and it's 230 total.  What are difference if me and my wife are in the same room?

On 4/23/2024 at 3:51 AM, ReneeFLL said:

Why would you think someone deserves a fcc? They/you were willing to take a gamble on a gty in order to save money. Either accept what is given (or change accordingly to their rules) or don’t go the gty route. Expecting a fcc is ridiculous. 🙄

Your right which y I clarified.  The question was how bad could it be.  Meaning if you were assigned a room that turned out to be terrible.  I said if it was terrible for certain reasons you could get fcc and that likely would happen no matter what, but if you were randomly assigned a room in a gty vs picking the room you would add that to the experience of buying a gty.  It would 100% be included in anyone complaining about there gty experience.  If anyone had those experiences including those complaining about me suggesting fcc for a bad experience. Also was not referencing regular room issues and clarified that as well.  

On 4/24/2024 at 4:11 PM, vadersprincess12 said:

I won't do gty because I'm afraid of getting stuck under the galley or other areas where there is a lot of noise to the rooms below.  I always pull up a deck plan pdf of the ship we are booking so I can see the location of the cabins before I book.

Oh I will absolutely do the same when my assignment is assigned.  We have booked gty and thruought the process moved up by waiting for prices to drop and switching to different categories.  On this Alaska cruise we were lucky enough to get a gty when prices were low and it only went up,until the final payment and then dropped.  Just not enough to warrant switching. So we get what we get.  Our rooms are both ok.  If they stay to what the UPC says.  The only complaint would be the inside room is all the way forward, but there are not many inside rooms on newer ships in the middle.  My wife would prefer we be closer to the kids, but it's not to bad.  We are still waiting on low ru bids to see if the kids get a real window or maybe balcony.  Which may not solve the distance or location, but has its own perks.  

13 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Why would you think someone deserves a fcc? They/you were willing to take a gamble on a gty in order to save money. Either accept what is given (or change accordingly to their rules) or don’t go the gty route. Expecting a fcc is ridiculous. 🙄

I was referring to a room nightmare.  Like toilet overflowing, ac not working or various of other items.  Anything standard room selection issues like noise, position on the boat, obstructed would be fair game. 

We book gty. Often it's the difference in going or not.  We are very agreeable with most things. Good room or bad. I should be knocking on wood.  I have had bad luck while picking my room myself and good luck letting them do it.  Maybe you get a bad room and get fcc out of it.  Maybe you only loose if you end up spending more for your room plus royal up compared to what it would have been if you booked the room straight away.  

Try a different browser.  Chrome is hung up for me but Firefox works.  Not sure if it's password related. 

7 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Do you mean the deck numbers are on your set sail passes though you did not notice them previously?

If so….Muster station and deck number often appear on the set sail pass when when a cabin number is discoverable by barcode trick.  I don’t think it suggests your official assignment is or is not imminent.  OTOH, with each passing day  your cruise gets closer and so surely you official assignment does too.  
 

You sail in a few weeks?  Still more than 30 days?

 

 

This.

Yes 43 or so days. 

Sailing on ovation in a few weeks.  We booked a gty.  Used the barcode trick to see the room numbers.  I don't remember seeing the deck number on the sail pass.  So my pass says 7 gty and 6 gty.  I know the rest because of the bar code.  Is that normal?  I am hoping this means the rooms will be assigned soon.  

5 minutes ago, njship3 said:

Hello all - I have a balcony guaranty cabin on Independence 6/6/24 sailing that is still not assigned.  The online check in starts 4/22/24.  Will there be any problem checking in on the app and getting the arrival time set if the cabin has still not been assigned?  Thanks!

It shouldn't be a problem we have done that several times.  When you complete the check-in, in the documents you see the barcode. Like biker said, the trick is to use a upc scanner or Apple wallet to scan the code.  The last numbers are the room. 

10 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

You’ve always been able to book restaurants online if you pay for them individually.

 

But to my knowledge there’s been no movement on the plan to roll out advance booking for people with dining packages.

Good point. I didn't think about that.  I have always booked the 3 night package.  I wouldn't have checked individual.  

6 minutes ago, villagenut said:

Have there been any updates to allowing dining reservations on the app when you purchase a dining package.  in the past, if you had a package, they made you a reservation for the first night and you had to wait until onboard to make any remaining reservations.  At one time i heard they were going to update the app and allow those with dining packages to make reservations ahead of time.  Any word on if/when this might be available.

I am booked on ovation 5-31-24 and rcl emailed me today to tell me I could book entertainment.  When I looked, specialty restaurants were also there to me booked.  Not sure if mine opened because we are 50something days out or if it opened for others further out.  

1 hour ago, Starry Eyes said:

I have started from a gty and had successful RoyalUp bids, though I was not necessarily dissatisfied with my assignment or results bar code trick. Unless my gty assignment was an upgrade (however small), I do not think my feelings about that gty assignment would have had any bearing on the bidding.
 

Knowing my future cabin assignments via the bar code trick or actual assignment does sometimes impact my bidding.  For example, if I find I like my gty cabin enough, I’ll cancel bids for small upgrades.

 

On several occasions my original RoyalUp bids have been cancelled when my gty cabin is assigned.  I have the opportunity to bid again; occasionally I am able to bid on additional categories.  Sometimes my bids are cancelled repeatedly, sometimes once, and other times not at all.

See this is the info I was looking for.  That's kind of what I thought would happen or could happen. 

21 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Yes but the two had nothing to do with one another.

 

We don't care about our cabin much at all and used to book almost nothing but interior GTY's. In 2022, when the bar code trick showed that we would be on deck 3 on Indy (one of the few places we truly prefer not to be) we placed a couple tiny bids on small upgrades to increase our chances of getting off deck 3. At the time, chances were I could have just switched to another available interior for free once officially assigned but when I say small bids, I mean under $25pp. We ended up winning a promenade interior.

Agreed.

3 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

 

I have purchased 3 GTY interior no view cabins in the past three years. I was fortunate on all three to like the cabin placements.

 

I did bid on other rooms in higher categories bud none were successful. My bids were slightly more than minimum.

 

Others have posted you might have a remote chance of switching rooms but the new room must be an identical category to the GTY. With ships filled beyond double capacity in the past year, very few rooms if any are available at 45 days out.

 

I never called my TA to try and change them so I do not know if he could have helped but again, I was happy with the GTY cabin.

I have never been unhappy with a gty, per se.  I always do it to save money. Usually I book a gty early and keep a close eye on prices.  Several times I have been able to upgrade without needing to add money. Because the price dropped.  Years ago ( not sure which cruise lines this worked/works for but also up until sail date, I know rcl cuts you off at 90) I would still be checking prices up until sail date.  On this last cruise I was able to upgrade and switch rooms ( allure ots so several options) from gty to various balcony classes until we got the outside balcony. We had 4 in the same room so I'm the end we wanted the rooms with the pull down bed.  This time we have 2 gty, 1 inside (for my kids) and 1 balcony ( for us).  We already placed a few bids for the kids room to ru.  I was just thinking that if we got room assignments and didn't like the room or just wanted to upgrade we could still put in royal up bids. I was just asking if anyone has started gty, noticed the room via UPC and tried to royal up and succeeded.  

It may be in this now 330 page thread, but has anyone booked a gty, been given a room or noticed after 45 day check in that it was a bad or undesired room and successfully bid a royal up?  If I remember correctly we sailed on allure in 22 ( all got COVID only waved at ports from the balcony) when the 45 day check-in yielded a bar code there was something we didn't like about the room and for a small fee we were able to pay for an upgrade.  But that was by calling cs and switching the booking.  

I don't remember my options for ovation 5-31-24 but I am now 730.  I know I picked late dinner but thought it was 830 or 800.  Maybe it's Alaska or it was like that when I booked it maybe that's a third time. 

Btw the only thing I know about bigelo tea is they advertise at Yankee games.  

Thats about what I figured. I am going to buy a travel tumbler of some sort.  Maybe the fire belly.  It will help me in the am when I brew and go.  Or something like it.  I don't buy store bought tea so maybe the I will play accordingly. 

What about in izumi or cafe? 

Recently had to give up on the love of my life, coffee and also it's addictive soul, caffeine.  I have traded roasted fruit pits for dried weeds/bushes  

So what kinds of dried weeds/bushes does ovation have available.  I am probably going to bring my own loose leaf but I am trying to figure how much to rely on royals selections. Or go full tea geek all day.  

50 minutes ago, CanobieFan said:

For what it's worth, the one you can buy with the polar bear on it is really really nice and super warm. It went on sale prior to my Alaska cruise last May and we got it for like 20$ and having read prior how big it was planned accordingly and brought one of the space saver bags where you squish the air out to make it more compact to get it home easily

That's the plan.

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

Seattle is my home port, and the last time I left from here, there were cordoned off areas with time slots, and they were full with guests.  Of course, it probably all depends how many decide to show up earlier than their check in times, whether they allow guests to go in early. 
And of course, like everywhere else, YMMV on your sailing day…LOL

From the yt videos I have watched, they either show a brief trip thru or discuss the process went quickly.  This may or may not be true, but I can say the Aruba trip had many people with the same experience I did when I went.  So I hope is fine no matter what.  

1 hour ago, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

 

 

This seems to be fairly standard practice for the Alaska cruises now. They were nice to have, but yes, small and fairly lightweight. Nothing like the ones you can buy through the cruise planner, which are quite large and a cozy, thick fleece.

Ty

14 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Nothing in the room. In 2022, we got blankets, but it was on request and we were in a suite. 

Did you keep them and or charged for them?

3 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I apologize if I came off gruff.

 

I have lived a lifetime following "rules."

 

I would not butt in line in front of anyone. I would not try to take advantage of a weak spot in the system.

 

My point only was to say, do not sweat waking up at ten minutes into your 45 day check-in period at midnight over 30 minutes of getting onboard because that 30 minute "window" is just a policy and not law.

 

Please have a great cruise and enjoy. It is not suppose to be stressful just to check in.

 

😁

I don't take anything in a forum acutely.  I do all my stressing before the cruise or vacation. Once it starts, I lean on prep for fun.  I actually like knowing and doing and getting the edge.

Not worried about carrying space.  On none Alaskan cruises I generally hang out in various spots around the ship if not on my balcony.  I wish there were more hammocks on ships, I would love to dangle.  I wanted to mainly get them as gifts for the others in our party.  I am hoping for good weather but wouldn't mind it to be on the colder side of good.  Just less wet.