ChiMimi69

Wow!!! This really bums me out. This dining venue was one of my daily stops for lunch...I loved it!!! This is a real killjoy for me. :( Who wants another burger/margarita joint??? They have those elsewhere on the ship already. The Latino food at Flamingo Grill was spot on in my book. Something I've rarely encountered on a cruise ship. I will miss it and now I may have to reconsider my latest reservation. :( Why NCL? :loudcry:

The suggested arrival times have not been enforced by Royal on cruises out of US ports.

Good to know. Thanks Bob!

I haven't cruised Royal in a few years so, I've seen some changes (no surprise). Once thing new to me is that during the on-line check-in process I was given a choice of time for embarkation and the earliest was 1:00p. The problem is that we will actually be in Ft. Lauderdale for a few days pre-cruise. So, my question is do I have to stick to the time I picked or can I arrive a couple of hours earlier? I have to check out of my hotel by 11:00 so, I was hoping to be in in the check-in line by 11:30 not 1:00p. Can I call Royal and have that changed? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!! :)

Looking forward to your review. I will be on the Harmony April 15 with the crowds that I am not looking forward to.

 

 

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I'll be right there with you! :)

Like someone else mentioned on this thread, I too always thought the MDR "no shorts" suggestion was meant for basketball shorts and the like. Athletic stuff. Personally, I've always thought that young boys look handsome in pressed (knee length) shorts and belt, tucked in collared polo shirts, and slip on shoes/sandals with CLOSED toes. After all, it is a cruise but, they look neat and clean. And...IMHO, I actually think they look better than the grown man who wears slacks or jeans with beach flip flops showing gnarly un-kept feet (which I have seen first hand).

Folks, I've always tried to be respectful of others and that is what I teach my boys to be. However, I don't live my life to please everyone because it's an impossible task. My wallet...and patience...just don't stretch that far. It takes me an average of 2-3 years to pay for our vacations. I'm a single mom (my boys are 8 and 13). Those who have boys will know...they can eat!!! :D But, after reading this thread, now I've got to stop and concern myself with the additional expense of formal night/nightly attire for my boys to please the masses? Because if I don't, I'm considered a bad parent, ill-mannered? Really??? :confused: Aesthetics or not--it's an unrealistic expectation these days. And it's unfair to assume that those who don't do it are bad people.

512 days...:eek::eek::(:(

I saw the same thing you did - only one balcony cabin with a pullman. It stinks as the sofa beds are uncomfortable, my kids don't want to share the same bed and the sofa bed takes up so much floor space.:mad:

 

Luckily my kids are getting older are are finally ready and willing (my youngest was not ready to be in a separate cabin, even connecting, until now) to have their own cabin.

It's really stupid, you know. A family of 4 literally couldn't sail on this ship once the ONE room was gone. Unless you shell out extra money for the junior suite (if there are any left to book!). :(

There aren't even inside rooms with Pullmans. I don't get it. :confused:

I took a good long look at ALL of the deck plans. I see ONE ocean view with balcony cabin that is not a mini-suite on this entire ship that has a sofa and a pullman. This just does not make sense to me. Is RC really forcing people to spend more for a mini-suite or connecting cabins in order to accommodate a family of 4 or more??? Or is this something that could change while the ship is still under construction? I would think the room configurations wouldn't change much from ship to ship but, this just doesn't seem right or smart if this is going to be the case.

How unfortunate, you are really missing out. A mega ship and all its bells, whistles, and frills would be totally wasted in Hawaii.

I said this because my kids are really spoiled by all those bells and whistles, you know? I know Hawaii is the real star here and as such, I am hoping my boys will feel the same once we're there as they'll be a little older by then.

Drumroll please...I booked passage today. :D:D:D

If you have an interest in a Hawaii cruise don't hold off waiting for a mega ship with wonderful entertainment. Hawaii is about the scenery off the ship or from the ship :) By the time you do your sightseeing and have dinner with or without drinks you'll probably be ready for relaxation and an earlier bedtime.

 

We really enjoyed our POA cruise and will do it again sometime :)

I'm sure there's plenty to do off the ship considering the overnight stays. :)

And the state won't allow NCL to do the alcohol packages or casino, two huge money makers. Best to stay with the one mid sized ship. It's all about the ports on this cruise not the ship.

Yeah, I suppose you're right. The star here should just be Hawaii and not the vessel.

Maybe you don't know it, but they (NCL) used to have three ships doing Hawaiian itineraries a few years ago (Pride of Aloha - now renamed Norwegian Sky, Pride of Hawaii - now renamed Norwegian Jade, and Pride of America), but since they were the only cruise line doing only Hawaii on the itinerary, they ended up competing with themselves. Not good for business....

 

And because the ship never leaves the US and sails under American flag, I believe they are only allowed to have Americans (or foreigners with a green card) working on board....

 

So I guess chances are very slim regarding a new ship doing the Hawaii itinerary - especially since the POA is not that old - she started the Hawaii sailings 10 years ago, in 2005. Her last major dry dock was in 2013.

I'm relatively new to NCL so, no, I didn't know there were once 3 ships there and there was so much to consider. I guess, I look at POA and it looks so tiny next to the mega ships. I must now be a mega ship snob :D .

What are the chances that NCL will ever launch a 2nd ship for the Hawaii itinerary or at least replace the POA with a mega ship for that itinerary? After doing the mega ships with so many more choices of dining and activities, I don't know if I could ever go back to a smaller ship. I'm so :confused: and I'm been holding off on Hawaii hoping change will come. :)

What do you savvy CC folks think?

Well, I am now officially booked on both on RCI and NCL. I will continue my research and maintain my list my pros and cons to help mw decide my fate by the time final payment is due. :D However, seeing that I haven't sailed Allure before, that may tip the scale in her favor in the end.

Thank you all for your feedback!!! Much appreciated.

Recent reports on these boards would indicate that Royal is like NCL and fully participating in the nickel and diming. Reports say that the are also instituting room service charges, increasing gratuities, greatly increasing drink prices, etc. Many of them have been implemented since I booked my upcoming cruise.

 

When it comes to squeezing passengers, Royal appears to be fully participating in the race.

From what I continue to read, I agree with you. :confused:

Just to add another question to this thread but, I understand DD has NO set dining times. So, my question is why are My Time Dining as well as 1st & 2nd seating dining options still even available on my reservation? Should I expect to see this change after Allure comes out of dry dock?

Alot can change between now and next spring. Royal is already charging for room service all day on the new Quantum-class ships. Allure goes into dry dock later this year (like Oasis did last year) and the MDRs will be converted to Dynamic Dining restaurants similar to Quantum (& Anthem). When they switch operations from traditional dining to Dynamic Dining later this year on Oasis & Allure, it could be possible they change the room service menu to the Quantum menu and start charging for room service all day.

 

Allure (& Oasis) offer a free cooked to order breakfast at Johnny Rockets. There's also the Park Cafe complimentary for breakfast & lunch. A couple alternatives than the standard fare offered in the Windjammer for breakfast.

 

My advice is to choose the ship and/or itinerary you want to sail. Allure is currently the world's largest ship. Compare Allure to the Norwegian ship you have booked and see what they have to offer.

You are surely right! I didn't think about what could change between now and next spring at all. But, this is my chance to enjoy this ship and it's priced right at the moment. I'm more interested in the ship over the itinerary but, yeah there's a whole lot more option on Allure and they're never disappointed in the past. :D

The Oasis class ships, of which Allure is one, are destinations unto themselves. Everyone should experience an Oasis class ship at least once.

I am guessing you are very right about that. I've been pricing it for years in hopes I could sail one of them one day. Now Harmony is coming out next year. So, I assume that's why the prices are going down on Allure and Oasis maybe?

I've only cruised NCL once, many years ago. I wasn't thrilled so I stuck with Royal (after Carnival and Princess). But Allure is such a great ship that it's well worth the $200. So much to see an do. For that reason alone you should do it and see for yourself.

I am not a conspiracy theorist like too many on this forum. All the cruise lines have added charges for many things now. Like the airlines, as one cruise line adds a new fee or charge, so will the others. So be it. It's the price of cruising. But if you compare the price of the cruise to what it was 15 years ago, it's significantly cheaper to get on board. Then you simply pay for what you want. Sure, Royal Caribbean could raise the price of the cruise an lower the price of drinks, but what about those who don't drink? Sure they could raise the price of the cruise and make all specialty restaurants free, but what about those who don't care for the specialty restaurants? Sure they could raise the price of the cruise and get rid of all room service charges, but what about those who don't use room service in the middle of the night? Do you want to pay a higher price to subsidize someone else's drinking or room service? My point is that the cruise lines need to make money to stay in business. The current "business plan" for cruise lines is to keep the cabin price lower and charge individual for the services they choose to use. No conspiracy there.

Just look at Seaborne or the other all inclusive lines. The cheapest cabin will cost the price of a nice suite on Royal Caribbean.

So, if I were you, I'd grab the $200 more for Allure and find out for yourself if it fits your cruising style. For sure you'll be more than impressed by the ship.

I'm totally leaning toward Allure papaflamingo!!! This may be my only chance... :D

You have "premium" dining experiences, if you don't want to deal with MDR's or other free options. You are a heavy drinker, there's an alcoholic bev package for you, but if you don't you can do just fine with no package and buying spare drinks if you feel the need to drink alcohol. Same goes with sodas and other soft drinks/coffee. Extra charge for after-hours room service charge is perfectly reasonable as well. So after having all these facts, I booked our cruise. What most people around here call nickel and dime are in fact premium, optional value-added offerings.

 

I guess it depends on what you define as "premium". I remember having what felt like premium meals in the MDR and it was paid for with my cruise fare. The MDR is just not what it used to be in the early 90s. :)

Be sure to compare drink prices. Royal has recently raised drink prices significantly. Virtually all cocktails are between $10 and $12.

Thanks for the tip! Luckily, I'm not a heavy drinker. :D

A cruise on Allure for $200???? or did you mean a $200 difference between the two cruise lines.....

 

 

Also, I am one of those that if people are worrying about nickel-dimes, and $200 price differences, then maybe a cruise vacation is not something they should be doing?

Yes, I did mean a $200 difference. And, I was merely comparing ships here...like apples to oranges when I mentioned it. :)

I've been on several cruises and once upon a time, all I had to budget for was for were excursions, tips and my 2-3 alcoholic beverages a day. I call it nickel and diming because it seems that more and more of what was once very attractive about the cruising industry you can now get for an additional fee on top of your cruise fare. So, for a better meal, I have to pay more, for a better cup of coffee, I have to pay more, for room service, I have to pay more. I know logically that rates go up at some point. But, there's no harm in wanting a little more information about a line I haven't sailed on for over 5 years. I was just hoping to get some more info of what I can expect in addition to my cruise fare. I'm not as you say "worrying" over it.... :cool:

Hi! Looking for some insight re: fees and added charges on RCCL that have been implemented over the last few years. Last time I sailed on RCCL was back in 2007. I LOVE RCCL but, wanted to see what else was out there. Anyway, I sailed NCL last year for the 1st time and loved it so much that I recently booked again for next spring. Problem is that I found out about some of the increases AFTER I booked. It appears that since Feb 2015, NCL has implemented increases everywhere. Most recently...a $7.95 convenience fee per room service order :mad:!!! I was like...maybe this is a good time to switch back...let me see what Royal's got going on. So, I was hoping that RCCL hasn't started been nickel and diming their customers too bad. For a little under $200 I can get on the Allure instead of sailing on NCL. That alone is worth switching for but, I don't want to cancel that one and end up paying more with Royal for the same reasons that I am avoiding NCL to begin with. Ca-ching...ca-chaing...ca-ching :D:D:D

Thank you all!!!

So very happy for you both!!! Yay!!! Have a great time! :D

Thank you! I have a good feeling about it. I think she will say yes, unless she is reluctant to leave her 92 year old mother for a week. Her mom is in a nursing home, but she goes there quite often. Her husband is a great guy and he may be fine with checking on the mother while we are gone. We shall see. I am going to ask her tomorrow.

My thought was for you to check with her hubby first to see if he would be fine with checking in on her mom. I've had my best friend for 40 years (since kindergarten!). She is more like my sister after all these years and I hope I could do the same for her one day. I don't see why she would be insulted for you doing what comes naturally after all these years. You are showing her how much you value of her friendship and you want to make her happy. It's a wonderful gesture on your part and I hope it works out!!! :D