ventigirl

Thank you!  I was hoping that was going to be the answer. 👏🏼😊

We just booked an 18 day Caribbean and the ship stops back in Ft Lauderdale to embark for a 7 day itinerary. Do we have to get off that day or can we just stay on while some leave and others join? 

We are currently on NS and ended up asking the manager Ari if tips were pooled or not. He and the entire staff have been fabulous and work together as a team so it would be difficult to give individual tips. They all go above and beyond, remember our preferences/habits, are always so welcoming and pleasant. They are generally quite busy/full so being sat in the same section each time is almost impossible. We have a preference and they try to make that happen but it isn’t always possible. Ari said they pool tips so we plan to hand him an envelope on the last night. It’s helpful to know that isn’t always the case so will be aware of that for future cruises. 

I appreciate everyone chiming in because we have felt the same as you have stated….they all do a great job and it’s so hard to know who, how and when!  We will probably go the route of handing it to the main host on our last night. Thanks so much for the input!  

14 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

It will be really hard to get a definitive answer on any tipping thread.  

 

On our last cruise on the Koningsdam we dined in the CO dining room.  During one dinner I was seated at a table where I had a clear view of the kitchen and the drop zone where the waiters bring out the trays and remove the plate covers prior to serving the meals.  This drop zone has a drawer in it with various cubbies.  Several times I saw a waiter return to the drop zone with a closed bill folder in their hands.  I watched as they opened the drawer, opened the folder and placed a sign receipt in one cubby and cash in another, quickly close the drawer, place the bill folder in its designated spot and then moved on to other duties.  Based on the fact that cash tips were not personally pocketed by the waiter and placed in an open and shared drawer I guess that tips are shared.  

Thank you. This is very helpful!  I realize tipping is subjective and often controversial but wanted to see if anyone had a personal experience…like you shared….that helped answer if tips were shared by all or kept by the person who received it. Appreciate your response! 

We are currently on a cruise and wondering about tipping in Club Orange. We have had various wait staff depending on where we’ve been seated and they are all amazing. The host/hostess are equally great. Does anyone know if they share tips or we should try to figure out who to tip individually and how much?  We’re thinking of giving one tip to the main host and ask him to make sure all are compensated…that feels the most appropriate but wanted some others experiences who have done it previously. Thanks!

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

There is no sound-proofing between cabanas. So I would pick a two-person cabin well away from the "family cabana" where there may be four persons talking since two person cabanas tend to carry on quieter conversations.  If you are looking for quiet and some degree of  privacy.

 

But If you are looking for a livelier experience and getting to know your cabana neighbors, avoiding being near the four person cabana may not matter. Do try to avoid being next to the two-person cabana, where HAL allows the addition of six small children to join their parents. (Grumble)

Are they now allowed to bring children into the retreat?  I have read a few comments about that maybe happening.......it defeats the entire purpose in my opinion!  The written information I can find from HAL still states two adults only, with four adults in the "family" cabanas.

11 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

Preferred location for the Family Cabana, for me, is port side.  Preferred location for the 2-person cabana is port side ocean view as opposed to aft view.  

 

Port side: because it’s furthest from the entrance to The Retreat, so there is less traffic.

Ocean view: because I prefer to look at the sea as opposed to the Lido Pool and jogging track.

 

The family cabana's look amazing with the best of both worlds for view and breezes.  Thanks for the reasons for the 2 person cabana.....those make total sense!

10 hours ago, kirkc said:

We like #12 on the Rotterdam. Aft view.

I was thinking that or #11 would be good ones - with no cabana on the one side of you and the aft breezes.  Thanks for the feedback!

I recognize that a lot of this would be subjective and different for almost everyone based on personal preferences, etc.  However, for those who have sailed and had the retreat cabanas before do you have a preferred location?  We are cruising later this month on Nieuw Statendam and have one booked and again in February 2025.  I selected what I thought would be a good location, but am curious to hear what others who have done it have to say.

The mid-week bag of laundry was helpful, but the biggest reason we book this category of room is the larger bathroom.  We do also take advantage of the early access to dinner reservations, but that is still second to the larger bathroom.  We didn't get the sparkling wine on our last trip and the snacks were just normal cookies, which we didn't even touch.

We’re on board right now and wanted to share a little feedback. If you have specific questions I’d be happy to try to answer them. 
This is our NCL cruise but we’ve done Royal Caribbean and Carnival. We are mid to late 50s looking mostly to relax and appreciate good food and service. 

I was really concerned after reading many many negative reviews about the food and service. We have found both to be very good. We have been eating breakfast and lunch in the buffet and have always found a good variety, plenty of fresh fruit and veggie options, etc. Tables are cleared and cleaned immediately. It is busy at meal times but we’ve gotten a window seat every time by walking all the way to the rear of the ship. 
we had dinner at Moderno and had excellent service. The salad bar isn’t really a salad bar….it’s mostly a variety of things including sushi, lettuce, rolls, etc. The meat they bring around was delicious and plentiful!  They also bring a handful of shared sides that include mushrooms, mashed potatoes, rice, etc. I don’t know if we would go again just due to personal preference but it was a great experience and the meat was incredible. 
We had dinner last night in Cagneys and it was incredible. I had a shrimp skewer and my husband had the prime rib. The appetizers and salads were also very good. Service was excellent and we almost received our food sooner than we were ready. We would definitely go back and felt like the food was worth the price compared to similar experiences on land. 
The main dining rooms have also been excellent. Service is attentive and food has been good and I can’t complain about the variety. 
We purchased vibe passes and they are well worth it to us!  We want quiet, relaxing and it delivers big!  It is quiet so if you want the more high energy pool vibe this wouldn’t be for you. I would say if it’s a warm destination bit getting vibe passes would be a deal breaker for us. The main pool area is absolutely packed although there are seats on the upper decks away from the pool. There are misters and hot tubs in those areas as well. Spice H20 is very crowded too. 
We have enjoyed our cabin and the room steward has taken good care of us. We put our light on for cleaning when we leave for the pool mid morning and it’s generally cleaned by mid afternoon. We asked for a coffee pot and he has kept that stocked. We did receive the complimentary laundry bag and last night there was a dessert sampler. We are in the club balcony and love the larger bathroom. 

We did not upgrade to the drink package and we’ve been more than pleased. I drink mostly wine and vodka and grey goose/Belvedere is included. I’m also a wine drinker and no issues with getting a nice glass whenever I want it. My husband hasn’t had any issues with beer brands or whiskeys. Tobacco Road has an old fashioned with Woodford Reserve that is part of the drink package. Any other bar would be an $8 up charge. We’re huge Starbucks coffee drinkers but have found coffee in the restaurants and buffet to be excellent. Water is readily available so bring a travel cup and fill it up. We haven’t touched the boxes water at all.