DevonianCruiser

We've just booked my mother in law on a cruise:

Two people total price = £2,200

One person total price = £3,300.

It was £1,100 more for 1 person to go than two in total, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The travel agent says it's because of the particular offer on at the moment. I checked direct with RC as well.

RC clearly don't want solo travellers on this particular cruise - whether it's to do with spending on drinks, or in the casino and shops, who knows!

Hi there, we'll I've cruised numerous times with my babies - they are now 18 and 16 and I'm sure things have changed a lot over the years. I now have a 9 month old baby who will be just 1 when we cruise on the Navigator in July.

I don't think we cruised on RC when they were young and I've kind of forgotten how it all works.

Can babies go on RC excursions with us? Do they pay if sitting on a lap?

Do they have baby food on board? She's starting to eat bits of food but most of it is still baby food.

Does anyone have any experience of the daytime baby sitting service and night time? I know it's chargeable but wonder if you would recommend it or not? My two eldest only went in the kids clubs from 2 onwards (P &O allowed this back then) and 3 onwards with RC, Celebrity etc.

Generally any tips that we would find helpful?

We've booked a couple of suites between myself and parents so am I right in thinking we can have breakfast in a specific restaurant? I like the buffet myself but just wondering if somewhere quieter might be better.

Any ideas much appreciated :)

I still have a £25 chip from a P & O cruise from 1999. When I went back onboard there casinos were then being run by their sister company Princess Cruises so I could cash the chip :eek:

Oh well I've lived without that cash :D

No he is OK to Drink at 18 From the UK :)

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/pdf/Booking-Terms-and-Conditions-UK-May-2016.pdf

 

See Paragraph 18.

Looking at the link Arachnid put up its 18 as it's out of Europe.

I'm guessing that applies to the casino as well?

Thanks all, good to hear :cool:

I think I know the answer to this (and that's no) but thought I'd ask just to check.

My son will be 18 when we go on our two week cruise from Southampton around the med, can he drink alcohol on a RC cruise or is it 21 as per US law?

I've already told him it's a no :eek:

I was looking at booking a cabin for my MIL on the Navigator this summer. A solo cruiser price was £3,000, a room for two people was just under £2,500!

RC and NCL are both great cruise lines, quite different and like everything they have good and bad points, but overall they I'm very happy on either.

Only comment on NCL I would say is I never think the main dining is that good. They gear you up for the speciality restaurants so may be worth getting a package if you can.

Excuse my lack of knowledge here but do these statuses give you much onboard? Diamond, pinnacle etc.

I'm the top one on NCL and we get a few things like a bottle of sparkling, dinner for two etc but not that great.

We've two weeks on Navigator next July in an Owners Suite and a Grand Suite with drinks included, is there much we'll miss out on?

I have been on four lines, which is three more than the majority of RCCL cruisers. That gives me sufficient experience to know that RCCL is a poor product compared to the other three lines I have sailed.

You haven't cruised with them for over a decade but come here to knock them? Seems strange to be honest. I wouldn't value a post from someone whose information was that out of date compared to others who have relevant experience.

Oh and for reference I've tried the odd cruise line or two and very often in suites

I didn't mean to open a can of worms here. I was told that if one a cruise you visit a non eu country then vat isn't applied in the shops and it seems from the responses that the case. It was the shop manager on a cruise ship that told me. Since then I seem to recall a cruise out of Southampton years ago to the canaries and I'm sure that was vat free. Anyway thanks for all the responses :)

If leaving from an EU port the following should apply:

 

If visiting a territory exempt from VAT (Gibraltar, Canaries, non-EU country, etc.) VAT should not be applied to the whole cruise (the ship normally manages this by closing certain facilities in ports where this general rule would not otherwise apply).

 

If not visiting a territory exempt from VAT then life is more complicated. Generally the port of departure sets over-riding rates. If leaving Spain the general rate is 21%, drinks are 10%, if leaving UK, the general rate is 20% but drinks and food are (usually) considered as incidentals to the travel component of the cruise, which is zero rated. However, certain countries also have rules for ships entering their territories where their rates can start to apply in certain circumstances (Italy is one such country).

 

This is a complicated area, so most people work to the generally accurate rule of thumb that Spanish rates will apply for cruises departing Barcelona and not visiting a non-EU country (the 7 day loops to Italy and back). Most other European and Med cruises visit a VAT exempt or non-EU country at some point in their itinerary so end up being free of VAT.

Exactly the answer i was hoping for so thank you. That's what I was told on the ship but good to see it clarified separately :)

I need an example! a $ 12 cocktail will cost how much with taxes. Which much taxes will be added (VAT, 18%, ???). ??? :confused:

Onboard shops I asked about, not drinks. Watches, jewellery and the like. In the Caribbean on ships they are always tax free but not in Europe unless you visit a non eu port. It has nothing to do with drinks.

The reason I asked his question was because I was told that if you visit just one non eu country on your cruise that the cruise company didn't have to charge vat in the onboard shops. I thought it was when I was on a RC cruise out of Southampton last year but I've just remembered it was when I was on the Epic from Barcelona.

I'm sure that's correct but now I realise I've got the wrong embarkation port, don't know if it will be applicable from Southampton :confused:

Vat will still be charged in shops onboard. We stopped at Gibraltar last year and only difference was that the shop selling alcohol and cigarettes was open which normally remains closed if all EU ports.

Thanks that makes sense. Was hoping it would be like the canaries or Arica so whole cruise was vat free. Never mind :)

Last year we did a 4 day on Anthem from Southampton and VAT or some form of tax was added on all onboard purchases as it was just EU stops. This is what the shop staff and managers said.

I know if you cruise to the Canaries for example it means they don't have to charge it. Next year we stop in Gibraltar, does that null and void the tax so it's not charged?

The rake is pretty bad on all the ships I've played on regardless of the cruise line to be honest. They have a captive audience and capitalise on that.

Far worse is if you enter the poker tournaments (usually when there's a few sea days) the rake is normally 25% at least and once you've had all your rebuys in the first hour and then the add on they up the blinds so it's all over in half an hour as everyone quickly has to start going on all. On the plus side I won a cruise on Oasis of the Seas for a week 3 years ago and a few months back won another with NCL.

I look at it that I'm on holiday and it's a bit of fun :)

Nothing against any butler (our last one was great), but I just wouldn't want them to take my child around the ship full stop. In the kids club it's different as they are trained to do that specific job. That said to the OP ask away, you have nothing to lose :-)

I'll second that. Played last year :-)

Congratulations on the baby:)

 

You can have MDR breakfast delivered to both the GS and OS

You will have an in room suite folder with the menus.

 

You can also order dinner off the MDR menu delivered to your room, it says as soon as MDR is open, from recent experience you can order ahead of time to be delivered of such time that MDR is open.

 

Enjoy the suite perks.

Happy Days!

Thanks Graham that's what I was after. Had a similar thing on NCL in their steakhouse where you could have breakfast and lunch and it was lovely :-)

The RS is not available.

Yes baby due to be born soon.

Does anyone know about breakfast and lunch dining arrangements? Thank you.

We've booked to go on a two week trip on Navigator from Southampton next year. Myself partner and about to be newborn baby in a GS, my parents and my two teenagers in an OS. Apart from the obvious of size, is there anything different like in a service or anything.

Also suite perks, is there many? Did a JS once and in all honestly there were practically none. Also is there a separate restaurant for breakfast and lunch?

Many thanks.

This is now gone. Thanks for your interest :)

Hiya

I recently won a trip for two on the NCL Poker Cruise for 10th December this year out of Port Canaveral on the Epic for a week. Prize is an inside cabin for two and entry for 1 to the tournament which costs around $1,250 entrance fee.

In short my partner and I are expecting in July and even though she's happy with me going, I don't want to be away from her or our baby so I'm putting this up for sale (hope it okay to post here). I spoke to NCL and they've emailed me a change of person form. I got offered $1,300 on the ship at the time but unfortunately our paths never crossed again, so I'd like $1,000 or if UK £700.

Anyone interested email me on gtbideford@fsmail.net . Thanks.

Got back a few days ago after a week on the Epic.

First things first, I entered a poker tournament and amazingly I won a cruise for next December out of Florida. It's a free cruise and entry into their Grand Final Poker Tournament. It's worth around $2,000 but I can't go so looking to put on eBay or a forum of some kind to see what I can get. . . . . . . . . Reason I can't go is my a girlfriend is expecting in July. I've two older boys but it's our first together :D

The cruise was out of Barcelona, so we had a couple of days there first. Stops were Naples, Rome, Florence, Cannes and Palma (though weather was too rough to dock in Palma). For a weeks cruise the itinerary was amazing and apart from the last day the weather was great.

Barcelona is a brilliant port for boarding, all very a straight forward and easy. I'd certainly recommend it.

The Epic - I liked it and if the destinations were what I was looking for, I'd do it again. The meals were very good, as were all the staff. The ship was clean and tidy and has excellent facilities.

We had a mini suite. My girlfriends dad passed away 6 months ago and we took her with us. She didn't want her own cabin and shared with us. Have to say it wasn't ideal. I understand it wouldn't be but the bathroom arrangements aren't exactly ideal (if you've been on you'll know what I mean). It was doable but not one of my favourite cabins.

As for the ship, there isn't anything really to fault, however she's not as pretty or as inviting as others. It kind of felt enclosed which may seem odd for a big ship.

Overall we had a fantastic trip apart from a couple of days of morning sickness but hey we've had to have IVF to make this little dream come true so it's worth it :)