kingsgirl

This thread is a perfect example why these boards can be TERRIBLE. Most of the people posting haven't even read all the OP's posts and further explanations and are so fast to blame the OP as being dishonest or a drunk. I get so mad when ppl can't just listen and respond to the question or issue without jumping in and saying "I've cruised 6 billion times and left 6 billion in cash around the room and my cabin attendant has been like a fair godmother who is so deserving of tips that even if she poops on my face I know that she deserves 6 billion dollars in tips - no questions asked."

No one is infallible. A little more respect for an OP who has stuck around to explain the situation, I believe, is warranted. This isn't some one post wonder troll.

There is something special about this ship. Glad you had a good time!!

Another question is if you prebuy the package you get a symbol on your seapass card indicating this as well as the cups.The cups will be in your stateroom once the rooms are opened to passengers.Up to that point you can just go to a bar etc with sea pass card to get your beverage correct?

I can answer half of your post. Yes, you just show your card at a bar or even ask the waitstaff in the WJ.

Last time I sailed, I asked a waitstaff in the WJ "Where can I go to get a coke?" and he just asked to see my card and brought one to me.

We try to find a magnet (brings back fond memories every time we are at the fridge) and a Christmas ornament if possible.

We try to bring some type of gift home for the young kids of the family too. Last time it was a blow up ship.

This is so stupid. What is the CORRECT definition of a guarantee cabin then, since people are posting different definitions?

I'll never book at GTY now.

oooh google shows me this is oct 13! Fun! Do canadians typically get a holiday week to travel during it?

lol - no!

I've been price checking every day since the BOGOHO started, and what you are seeing with the per person price to begin with is the AVERAGE price per person taking into account the HO for the 2nd person.

 

For instance, I have one booked right now.

 

Shows $1,349 per person, but it's really $1,799 plus $899 = $2,698 total, and an average of $1,349. THEN, they add the port taxes and fees.

 

It's still a great price for a 12 night cruise, and including taxes, fees, tips, D+ balcony discount = $2,442 for two people.

12 night cruise? Is it a transatlantic? I was pricing an 11 night Southern @ $3100 total for two people. Not sure it's such a "deal"....

:eek: Sounds like it was a very unpleasant tender ride!

LuLu

It was an adventure, which I'm always up for! I definitely suggest sitting up top though. My worst fear is that we'd sink and be unable to get out of the bottom....

Granted, like the ship, the higher you go the more you move!

You'd be surprised what conditions they will take on to get you to the island. The last time, I was shocked we were able to make it. It was so choppy, people on the bottom were getting soaked....it was crazy - especially for the person strapped into their wheelchair at the front.

No..Royal's system will no longer allow that, or at least that's what a half dozen reps have told me....I tried to book a cabin for myself with TBD as the second person and I was not able to.....wound up just saying to book it as a single....I also called back several times and got the same answer...

 

As long as one name stays the same it should be ok....

So if I book as a single, can I add a person, or will they say no to that too? Bah....I hate calling people.

No..Royal's system will no longer allow that, or at least that's what a half dozen reps have told me....I tried to book a cabin for myself with TBD as the second person and I was not able to.....wound up just saying to book it as a single....I also called back several times and got the same answer...

 

As long as one name stays the same it should be ok....

But then the price would change by adding a person, with the port charges and stuff, so wouldn't that nullify it?

I looked and while your cabin is in the aft part of the ship, the balconies that I described are truly on the back of the ship. Your cabin is facing starboard, so it will have 2 chairs and a table. The obstruction that you mentioned is a ladder that is on the aft end of the balcony.

Anne

Thanks for the clarification! I know it's not the aft people talk about here. It's just labelled as aft because it's closer to the back of the ship.

Okay I see now that this room apparently has an obstruction....according to a really old cruise critic post. It doesn't say obstructed on the RCI website...boo :(

We had 9078 on the Serenade in January and we LOVED it! Yes, there is some noise from the Centrum, but it didn't bother us. We absolutely loved the huge balcony with 2 regular chairs, 2 loungers and a table. The elevator shaft is no more of an obstruction on one side than the normal balcony divider is on the other side, and when you stand at the rail you can see very well both forward and aft because you are out on the hump. I would take that cabin or one of the others like in in a heartbeat if we sail that class of ship again.

Did you get sun on your balcony? Did your room seem dark from the larger/deeper balcony?

Can you just book it TBD?

I don't know. Can I?

I've read the terms and conditions, but I'm unclear about one thing. If I book it with my Mom as the second guest, can I ever change my second guest if my Mom can't go or would that result in losing the deal?

Has anyone had the sort of a corner aft room on Serenade in room 9654?

I haven't seen any pictures of this room online but it looks like a huge balcony.

If you look at this website, it shows the room near the bottom right.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/serenade-of-the-seas-deck-plans/dp/?ShipID=282&deck=9

Is that really the whole balcony? Seems a little too good to be true....

Sorry, I knew what I meant but didn't explain it well. :) The starboard side of Serenade is smoking (not balconies, but the pool deck). We simply prefer to take a balcony on the other side. That's all I meant. :)

Thanks!!

Hi, regular balconies on Serenade have two chairs and the small round table (I like Jewel's chairs and table better, just for comparison). We enjoyed a D2 balcony on Deck 9 toward the aft because it was only 2 flights up the stairs to WJ in the morning, and to the gym. Let's see - we had cabin 9240 on Serenade and 9214 on Jewel - both were wonderful. We choose the port side of the ship as it is the "non-smoking side" (don't anyone get upset! It actually is the non-smoking deck side. :) ) and we feel there is less chance for smoke to drift our way on that side. We also like to be between two decks of cabins, and far enough away from the Centrum so as not to be bothered by noise. The Centrum is the hub on Radiance-class ships and the first few cabins off the Centrum can expect some music and noise.

 

Additionally, if you look at cabins 9078 and 9092 on the hump, you will see they have larger balconies but they are also, in my opinion, somewhat obstructed as you cannot see all the way around them due to the elevators. See what I mean? Although some people love these cabins for the larger balconies, which I do believe have a lounger.

 

Enjoy your cruise and all the planning leading up to it. :D

.

Thank you for your thoughts. I am not a smoker and do not know all of the new rules. Am I wrong or isn't smoking on balconies banned? I know there are certain places on each ship where you can smoke, but it's not like one whole side of the ship, is it?

I'm looking at some Serenade sailings for next year. What type of balcony room would you suggest? No afts are available, but there are a few centre hump rooms. Are they really any better? Do they get wind/breezes?

Do they just have chairs or would there be a lounger?

We have had the same experience. We've had our servers tell us before the formal night that we can come and don't need to dress up. They really don't like you to miss coming to the MDR!

I've never seen anyone turned away from the MDR or any other venue.

I would have been so embarrassed by the other couples' remarks. I'm sorry you felt you needed to leave. Perhaps next time, one of you go could go to the "bathroom" and ask to be reseated, if it's possible. They are very flexible about this.

I know this thread is really old, but I thought I would post a comment anyways.

A lot of the initial conversation was about US citizens with records getting into Canada. I wanted to tell you the Canadians who even have so much as a police report filed about a mental health check or suicide attempt, etc. can be and HAVE been denied entry into the US.

Sometimes I think things have just gotten way out of hand in the name of "protection".

No codes are needed. Should be automatic for cruises in 2015 and 2016.

I had to click on the link from RCI in the email they sent about the BOGOHO. Otherwise, the site wasn't showing the deal.

Toffee crunch cookies are yummy!

We had english toffee cookies (are they the same thing?) on our Alaskan cruise several years ago. We put them over our mugs of hot chocolate on sea days as we watched the scenery pass by. They got all warm and soft.....SO YUMMY.

I haven't seen them since. The double chocolate ones are pretty tasty though!

I read a review of someone who did a B2B on a southern route (I think it was a longer cruise from Florida - not from San Juan) and they made every day a beach day basically by finding either a good beach or hotel to camp out at for the day on land.

You can choose to do excursions or just do what they did. You can make it as relaxing or adventurous as you want!