renee1222

That wasn't my experience. We turned Platinum after our last cruise, and as soon as the status changed on the website (last week), I called C&A and had them apply the discount to all 3 bookings we already had in place. They weren't repriced.

Unfortunately, we booked through an online travel agency (not my choosing) and were unable to get the discount applied. I later called C&A to complain and try to get it added, and it was confirmed that what the travel agent told me was correct. I may just call again, as it has been a month or two and see what I can get. Final payment has already been made now, so I'm not sure how that might affect it.

Redeeming BofA points to be used as $500 towards the payment of your cruise has absolutely nothing to do with upgrades or OBC's that you may get from various other places such as TA or RCCL.

 

You earned the points you are redeeming by using your BofA credit card.

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. I meant upgrades and OBC offers through the BofA points program. For example, could I cash in for $500 off the cruise, plus also cash in additional points for $250 OBC for the same cruise.

You will receive Platinum benefits AFTER your Galveston cruise is complete, if I understood your post correctly. I'm assuming if that cruise is 7 nights that you would then be at 36 points. So, if you are booking a cruise after that cruise you will receive the benefits. I have had recent personal experience trying to apply the Platinum balcony discount to a cruise that was previously booked while I was Gold. Bascially, to apply the discount, I would have had to rebook at the current price (which was about $400pp more than we had paid), so we do not have the balcony discount for my 1st Platinum cruise. I will however, receive all other Platinum benefits on this upcoming cruise.

You will not receive any platinum benefits on the cruise you take when you start out with 29 points, but you will for the cruise after that.

I hope that answers your question.

I've asked that question before and never received an answer. That is something I will definitely have to look into. Do you know if I can combine $500 off with an upgrade or OBC?

We are looking to cash in our BofA points for the 1st time for an Oct 2015 cruise. None of our points will expire until 2017, so that is not an issue.

We already have the 2015 cruise booked and paid $200 deposit. The remaining balance is about $1494. We are planning on using 3 $500 off certificates. My question is, what will happen to the remaining $6 since we have already paid the deposit. Will it roll over as OBC or will we lose it? Not a big deal if we lose $6 bucks, just want to know what to expect. Or will they not let us even use a 3rd certificate since our balance would be less than $500 at that point?

Also, when should I redeem the points? How close to the cruise should I do it? I know it needs to be done before final payment, but that is not until next July. We have enough points for 2 of the certificates now, and will have enough for the 3rd by next spring.

Thanks for helping out a newbie!

Wow, just saw the replenish package prices. I don't think I will be drinking four frapps A DAY!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

I agree that it is steep. However, I figure I'll have a glass of OJ in the morning, 1-2 hot chocolates (will be in Alaska), at least 2 bottles of water, a frapp, and maybe a mocktail in the theater at night. It's vacation, so at least this once I am going to order it and decide if it's worth it for future cruises. I prefer to pay for something like this ahead of time so that I don't feel like I'm being "nickled and dimed" everytime I want something to drink.

On all my previous cruises I have been satisfied with ice water in the WJ and MDR, and just the occasional cocktail. I will use this next cruise to determine if splurging for the specialty drinks is really worth it.

And I appreciate your help and pictures regarding the cafe latte-tudes menu. Who knows, by the end of this next cruise, I may be an avid coffee drinker! :D

The sizes are as follows.

Short-8 oz, only hot beverages

Tall-12 oz

Grande-16 oz

Venti-20 oz

Trenta-31 oz

 

And please, do not be a regular Starbucks customer. Once you are there is no going back!!! Since I LOVE Sbux now, I scowl at the suggestion of going to other coffee shops. And what lures me to the Replenish package are the frapps and the ICED CARMEL MACCIATO!!! If you have to come to the dark side, drink one of those bad boys!!!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

I only see the caramel macciato under "Hot" beverages. I do not see an iced version available on this menu. How is a macciato different from a Frapp? #coffeenovice

There was no real Starbucks on Enchantment last week. The venue called Cafe Latte-tudes did serve Starbucks brand coffee.

 

Just saw the "Hot Chocolate" on the menu! I think this just sold me on the Replenish Package for my Alaskan cruise! :D

Also, not being a regular Starbucks customer, can someone please explain "venti"? Is it larger than a grande?

Water bottles in the package are 500ml.

Thank you. That's what I wanted to hear. :)

I am trying to decide whether to purchase the Royal Replenish package. It is my understanding that bottled water is included in this package. The only bottled water I have seen for purchase on cruise ships are the HUGE bottles (over 1 liter I assume) that the crew tries to sell prior to debarking in ports. Can you get standard 16 or 20oz bottles of water at any bar or are the XL bottles the only option? I personally do not want to lug around a huge bottle of water while in port or even around the ship. I usually carry on a few bottles of water myself, so I've never looked into getting any onboard.

I understand that this package also includes sodas, fresh OJ, and "mocktails." Are there any specific "exclusions" I should be aware of? And do all ships offer fresh OJ at breakfast? I think I have always seen it on the ships I've been on, but will be on Radiance for the 1st time later this year.

Thanks for your help.

Although not on Allure, we have stayed in an inside cabin on RC ships. For just 2 people, it was just the right size. The bathroom is small, but does not have the awful shower curtain like on Carnival. If you're not planning on spending lots of time in the room, it's no big deal.

About 60 days (give or take), you will be able to pre-book shows online. This is a must for Allure! The times will be listed, so you can choose the show that best fits with your dinner plans. If you have late dining, your show times will most likely be around 7pm before dinner. We usually dress for dinner prior to the show and plan to go straight to the MDR after the show. The shows were timed perfectly for this. If you are making any specialty restaurant reservations, you can also book those ahead of time, using the show times as a guide.

Several ships departing from FL will visit Labadee. Specifically, Freedom, Oasis, and Allure visit every other week. There are others, but I'm not sure of the frequency. I'm not sure of pricing, but you can purchase an "all day" ticket and ride the coaster over and over again if you wish, or you can purchase a "single" ride.

MTD is usually open from about 6pm to 9pm. You can go without reservations, but it is recommended that you make reservations for your desired time. I believe you can make your reservations online before your cruise as well as once you are onboard. You can eat at a different time each night if you wish, however. Even without reservations, I have not heard of people having to wait more than about 10 minutes for a table.

MTD will have the same dress code as traditional dining. On 7 day cruises there will be 2 formal nights. On shorter cruises there will just be 1 formal night. The other nights are typically Smart Casual. No shorts, ball caps, or flip flops (beach style) are allowed in the MDR for dinner.

Hope that helps!

I'll even help you out a bit.....

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1687739&highlight=new+menus

This thread is a good one to start with. It includes pictures of some items. I have heard that the Alaskan sailings might offer more salmon dishes than what is listed, but I cannot confirm that.

We filled out the form and submitted it on our first cruise, but it did not become "effective" until after the cruise was complete. Sorry, but you will not be eligible for the discounts you mentioned until your 2nd cruise with RC.

Also, if you book the specialty restaurant near the same time as either early or late dining in the MDR you should not miss any of the shows. The shows are coordinated with traditional dining times so that you do not miss them.

It will be tough to book in advance for Alaska based on the info you are requesting. The MDR menus are not always served in the same order from ship to ship. Yes, usually nights 2 and 5 (or 6 in some cases) are formal. I enjoy the MDR on formal nights (beef tenderloin on the 1st and lobster on the 2nd). I also enjoy the menu that I have seen served on embarkation day for every recent cruise I've been on (although all have been in Caribbean). It is the "mojo" menu and has the seafood spaghetti and mojo porkchop.

Personally, my least favorite menu is the "Basil" menu if you are familiar with the menu titles. You can probably search for it here on CC to see the menu. Be forewarned, however, the initial menus posted on CC included a "surf & turf" for the basil night and it has since been removed. All I specifically recall for that night was chicken cordon bleu and cod. We did manage to eat at Chops on "basil" night during our last cruise, but I specifically asked our MDR waiter which night would be basil night and she arranged everything for us after we were onboard. However, food is subjective, so I would recommend reviewing all the menus first.

Searching this forum for "new menus" should help you find the menus and then you can decide for yourself which night you would like to dine in Chops. You can always change your reservation once onboard if you need to (with 24 hours notice, I believe).

Also, if the ship has the interactive displays by the elevators, you can preview each days menu early in the day and then make your reservations. You would then be taking a chance that the specialty restaurant might be booked, depending on the size ship you are sailing.

I would recommend asking on a roll call for the same ship that sails about 3 weeks before yours. The cruise directors usually have the same type parties every cruise. Someone on a previous sailing should be able to give you an idea of what to expect.

FYI - There has been a 70s disco party on every cruise I have sailed (all caribbean itineraries). We have also had a 50s/60s and country/western.

For those of you who always know when/which ships are going in for dry dock and the specific changes being made, where do you get your info?

Specifically, I am curious if Voyager is scheduled for a dry dock anytime soon and if Park Cafe might be added. It appears as though the WJ and Cafe Promenade are really the only places for snacks (other than Johnny Rockets). Just curious if more places like Sorrentos or Park Cafe are in the plans for the future. We're considering a 16 night and a few more options would be nice. Thanks!

It appears that you had Capt Johan for your cruise. We cruised the very 1st weekend in February and had Capt Gus Andersson. Capt Johan was "second in command" (sorry, don't know the exact terminology), but Capt Andersson noted that Johan was a fully credentialed Master and joked that Johan was just waiting for "something to happen to himself" to be promoted. Maybe Capt Andersson was just under the weather during your cruise? I saw on the current Captains thread that Andersson is rotating with McDuff right now, with no mention of Johan. It just makes me curious if Johan was serving temporarily or possibly "orienting" as Master with Andersson supervising in the background. Was anything mentioned about Captain Andersson?

You can't get a BAKED POTATO at a Steakhouse?!?!?!?!?!? Seriously, how expensive can a baked potato be? And by the way, we've had tater tots in the Windjammer for breakfast. Really, Royal Caribbean?

We ate at Chops for the 1st time in January on Serenade. If these new menus go fleetwide, I can guarantee that we will not go back. I ordered the 10oz filet (and ate almost all of it) and my husband ate all of the 18oz Porterhouse. We also both ordered the crab cake appetizer. There really were not any other entrees we were interested in. There is no way we would pay $70 for the new menu. We are just as happy at Outback (with our baked potatoes, thank you very much) for $40.

Someone posted recently that the RC website crashed and has LOTS of problems. Maybe this is why everything is upside down. Call RC direct for verification and prices to be sure. Good luck!

The prices have actually been like this for a few weeks now. I kept expecting either the insides/outsides to drop back down or the balconies/suites to increase, but neither has happened. I just don't understand the reasoning. There are still lots of cabins available in all categories.

That's a very real possibility, as that is one reason we are sailing that weekend. However, these inside and outside prices did not increase to levels above the balcony prices until recently. I'm just surprised that the balconies and suites did not also increase. This weekend was originally very reasonably priced (and the balconies still are!) compared to other sailings in November.

Ok, I just can't wrap my head around this. ALL insides and outsides are more expensive than any balconies right now! What's even crazier is the cat F outside is more expensive than a Junior Suite! Who in their right mind would book an inside or outside for that sailing when they could easily get a balcony or JS for less??!!

And I understand they have the free upgrade promotion right now, but really? Pricing insides and outsides HIGHER than the balconies to begin with? I really hope people do their homework before trying to take advantage of the "sale."

Thankfully, we originally booked when prices were MUCH lower and we were also able to upgrade to a Suite with the Kids Sail Free promo for very little. I'm just amazed with the pricing right now.

Ugh, my TA said that at the Trip and quad occupancy rooms are sold out:mad:

You need a new travel agent! I am seeing lots of triple/quad JS still available, specifically:

7166 (personally, my 1st choice!)

7168

7170

7172

8114

8116

8118

8120

8122

8124

....Shall I go on?

ALL JS on Enchantment have a sofa bed, so they can accomodate up to 4 people.