DCPIV

We have the same things with our sons. It's a bit of both, actually. If your child is sailing with you and in your stateroom, she will be included with you and enjoy limited benefits. I say "limited" because, as I understand it, she will not get many of her own perks (coupons, invitations, pin, balcony/suite discounts, etc.) but can share in with yours (e.g., she is welcome to attend the loyalty event). In other words, she can tag along during the cruise on which she is sailing with you.

At the same time, she can get her own C&A number and accumulate her own points for those cruises, so do that. We made sure to get C&A numbers for our sons after their first cruise, some years ago, and we add their numbers to our reservations every time we've all gone. It'll pay off (for them, at least), as they already are Emerald in their own rights and pushing Diamond.

To add about ages, our boys were 1 and 3, respectively, when they got their C&A numbers.

D

We got the email for our Navigator cruise sailing this Sunday, 6/29.

Wa-hoo!

D

I've only rarely had a problem getting drink service aboard any ship in the fleet,

except (as already noted) . . .

in the MDR. The MDR has been miserable aboard every ship we have been on in the last 10 years. You would think we were trying to serve them with court papers, rather than just ordering a drink.

D

It was hinted to me to get one package and share with my hubby and kids. I'm not paying 100 a person

I understand that they are policing that fairly strictly by using the photo on your seapass.

D

Thanks! That was fun!

D

We've been fairly lucky in that our worst really isn't so bad. Back in 2008, the Voyager was getting some work done on her plumbing system. On three of the seven nights, the water to our room was cut off with very little warning (i.e., sent after we had left for dinner). It's no fun having to go down 4 or 5 decks with small children to use the use the public restroom.

On one or two nights, the work led to a great deal of noise just down the hall from our room--lots of yelling and metal banging.

After my brother and I had a little chat with the Hotel Manager, the noise stopped (for the most part) and RCI also made things right in other ways. We all still had a great cruise, despite the problems.

D

Thank you so much for posting all those docs and photos! We're very much looking forward to our upcoming Navigator cruise, now more than ever (if that's possible).

D

Thank you for your excellent and concise review. We are sailing Navigator soon and were wondering about Giovanni's.

D

We also are about to sail the Navigator, and we are quite excited.

I encourage you to do a search for "Navigator" on this forum. You'll find many recent reviews filled with photos and great information. Depending on when you sail, you may very well find one from me before you board, as well.

D

She's cruising Alaska for the summer.

They were showing all the World Cup matches when we cruised Alaska during the last Cup, so I would hope that would be the same this time around. As already mentioned, it will be contingent on the satellite service working well enough, and that can be an issue up there, but it should be no more than an intermittent problem.

D

We had dinner in our suite, one night, and it was wonderful. We did let our butler know a couple of days ahead of time, as we knew that day would involve a long, hot tour (and we would be in no mood to go down to dinner. She seemed to have everything in order and ready to go. It was a great night. Very comfortable.

D

SWMBO and I celebrated our honeymoon aboard the Monarch, and that was my very first cruise. She always will have a special place in our hearts.

If I recall correctly, the first drink I ever had aboard a cruise ship was in the Schooner Bar (and it was hardly the last!)

Thank you for the report. I am very glad to hear that she left RCI on a high note!

D

:confused:But is 1pm going to be too late to board or should we get there earlier

It is not too late. If you want to get there earlier, it won't hurt, but you should be perfectly fine at 1pm.

D

If I were to get the premium package and someone else only gets the select package, would I be able to buy them a liquor drink? Yes I know it's not quite right, but I can see it coming with this group.

I understand they are policing this pretty hard. They still swipe your card when you order a drink, so your photo pops up. If the person in the photo is not the one getting the drink, you risk losing your package with no refund.

Hopefully, your group will understand that and not give you too much grief.

D

We brought very little US cash with us when we cruised the Mediterranean, and nearly all of that was for the casino. We did have the healthy handful of singles for small tips, and another handful of $20s for larger tips.

Other than the casino and the odd tip, there really is no need for cash while onboard.

I wouldn't get many (if any) Euros on this side of The Pond, either. As mentioned, you can hit an ATM at the destination airport and get a much better exchange rate than you can get in the US.

Tipping an excursion operator (whether booked through the ship or not) is entirely up to you, but it is not expected (especially when booked through the ship). We tend to tip only those that we feel go above and beyond the normal call.

D

I'm sure you can match your budget, but you'll need to keep a sharp eye.

As for the length of the cruises, we've been on several 7+ night cruises and have never felt that it was too long of a time. It's quite nice, really (although longer cruises are tougher on the waistline).

D

She's a gorgeous ship, as all the Radiance class are. I agree with the others that she is very easy to get around, and the posted photos show you how well the spaces were planned. If you go on that cruise, I think you'll find that five days are not enough!

D

Everyone pretty well covered your questions, so I'll just add a couple things, if I may:

-- You may very well find that your children want to drink more soda over the cruise, just because it's there and because it's fun. Obviously, it's up to you as to how much. Our boys do not drink much soda, either, but they'll do it on the ship (we're typically more lenient about such things on vacation, since it's vacation), and we've always found the package worth it. If nothing else, it's a small expense for a small luxury that can add a great deal to the trip.

-- Since you have time, I highly recommend getting a passport for your kids. You never know when you'll want it, and it just makes things easier all around.

These are just tips, and they are worth exactly what you paid for them. :) We've had a number of great cruises with our boys, and they first sailed at the ripe old age of 1 and 4, respectively. Have fun! :)

D

Any Royal Caribbean / Navigator secrets or tips about the kids program?

I'll be able to tell you more about the Navigator later on this Summer, but there is an excellent review posted up here recently. You'll need to wade through a good amount of chit-chat to get the whole thing (it's CC, after all), but you should find it worth the effort.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2040556

As far as the kids' program goes, our experiences have always been quite positive. Our boys always enjoyed it. Others have remarked that they've found the crew to be a bit flat, but that's never been our impression.

We are about to embark upon our first sailing with a teenager, so I cannot speak to that . . . yet.

D

We were on the Cloud last August with Duct Tape and a great time. I would go on that ship again in a hearbeat.

I am glad to hear that, since my lovely wife and I will be aboard her this Summer.

I am glad that someone has brought up the issues that Silver Cloud may and does have, and I appreciate the candor and balance in the actual reports.

Have fun!

D

Here's another vote for the Vision class ships. We loved Rhapsody the first time we sailed on her, and she still is one of our favorites, having sailed aboard her twice more after that. Splendour also was a lovely ship.

I do agree with the others that the Radiance class ships are the most beautiful in the fleet.

D

That is a non-answer. So they can argue it however they want to.

More likely, it is just as editing error by someone who added the news about the shorter cruise but did not bother to read or think through the rest of the entire response.

D

Thank you very much for your candid and thorough review. My family and I will board Navigator this Summer, and we are more excited than ever about what we will find.

Thank you, especially, for seeking out and reporting your great tips!

D

I cannot find on "my Silversea" where you can pre order drinks for your suite? I know you can ask the butler on arrival but, from past experience it is so slow or never happens? Makes us sound like real hard drinkers, which of course we are! :D

Unless you are looking for something unusual, you really should have no trouble ordering your bottles upon arrival. If you do not happen to see your butler shortly after boarding, feel free to leave a nice note with your requests. In the meantime, enjoy the one of the bars! :)

D

"Relax the first day. They have thousands of pieces of luggage to sort through, and sometimes we've received our bags after dinner."

That is some of the best advice I've ever seen posted on CC. It is very common for passengers to receive their luggage after dinner, so don't fret about that.

I'll do you one better--relax EVERY day. :) We've not been on the Navigator, but we've been on one of her sisters, Voyager of the Seas, and we loved it. We'll be on Navigator later on in the Summer.

It can be somewhat close quarters on a cruise ship, but it rarely feels truly crowded. In fact, except during some of the big events on the Promenade, the Voyager felt least crowded of any RC ship I've been on (and we've been on more than a few). Just roll with whatever happens and have a good time.

As everyone else has mentioned, the rooms are small but functional. You should have no big problems, even with overpacking. You will laugh out loud at the shower, though! Many have joked about just soaping up the walls and spinning around a few times. :)

I strongly encourage you to see as much of the ship as you can, as soon as you can. When we go on a new ship, we usually start off with a deck-by-deck look at all the common areas. Typically, you can go just about any of the common areas on the ship, even if they are not open and operating at the time. At least take a peek at some of the places. You never know what you may find interesting. These are beautiful and fun vessels.

We've always enjoyed the main dining room for dinner, but we also usually (not always) book a specialty restaurant for a time midway through the cruise. Like others mentioned, it's a nice change of pace, but it certainly is not necessary. We have reservations at Chops for our upcoming cruise, but we wonder if we will keep them.

It most certainly is worth going to the MDR for breakfast and lunch. I doubt you'll want to do that all the time, but do try it early on in the cruise. You may be mighty surprised who you like it (and, yes, you do not need to dress up for meals other than dinner).

I saw in another post that you already took care of the upgrade issue. Well done!

Have fun!

D