wallyj

Hello, currently on Navigator and they have introduced the capability of now having the Cruise Compass as a PDF download. I have read many previous threads of wanting this feature and Royal has finally come through. Today, I met the Guest Services Manager in the DL and happen to mention a PDF download is something many passengers would want if the paper Cruise Compass is going bye, bye. He showed me an example and it looked just like the paper compass and you can zoom and magnify, so should easily be able to adjust to any size font for your reading needs. So you still need a smart device to carry around, if you want to keep track of your calendar and events. Yesterday was the first time I encountered they adjusted the late Production show last minute from 9:15 to 9:45.

Try to board as early as possible and you should be able to go to any specialty restaurant to make all of your reservations. I have read often, Chops is very crowded at boarding time as many passengers are familiar with this venue, so if there is another specialty restaurant close by, go there for less wait time, have your restaurants, day and time ready and alternates if needed.

Currently in the Navigator, here is the price for Wash and Press, short sleeve shirt, 3.99, long sleeve shirt 4.99, pants 5.49,t shirt/blouse, 3.49. Shorts are 4.49 for W&P and 6.49 for DC&P. For Dry Clean and Press, short sleeve shirt 5.99, long sleeve shirt 6.99, pants, 6.99, tshirt/blouse 4.99. Obviously these are per item pricing. There is a 50% surcharge if you want same day service.

The trade off of the lower total fare of the UDP is you have to wait till you board to make your specialty restaurant reservations. Priority is given to those willing to buy single individual Specialty Restaurant booking and as you see you can pick date and time. Depending on ship, popular times may be already pre booked by the time you board. Try to be flexible and if the uncertainty is not for you, then do not book the UDP. A few have reported making the bookings precruise and paying upfront to get the times they wanted and asked for refund once on board, but this strategy is not guaranteed to work. If you were granted refund on prebooked reservations , it would most likely be OBC and not a credit back to your credit card, but as I stated, you are not guaranteed the ship will do this with your UDP.

Please review my post #28. The no charge steam room is very small, look at the posted picture, 3 person max is probably right. There are NO lockers, just 3 hooks, a bench, 2 showers and 2 toilets along with the sink and mirror. I assume for those having a treatment, they change in the treatment room in private and keep their belongings in the room as there are no lockers in the SPA on Navigator. There is a cubby hole wall where they have clean towels and basket for you to place used towels. It is a very small space. Assume the women’s side is mirror image of the male side and just as small. Oasis class ship has NO free sauna as you have noted, you must purchase thermal suite to use facilities. If you are interested as I posted, search for the thread which lists the ships that still have the no charge facilities. Princess with their newer and bigger ‘Royal’ class ships also did away with having a complimentary sauna and steam in the changing room. On Princess Royal class ships, to have access to steam and Sauna require purchase of their Thermal suite called the Enclave and it is Co-Ed.

RCL had some sailings were the solo fare was very close to the double occupancy fare so essentially no/zero premium and as long as you were sailing in a double occupancy cabin and not one of the few ‘studio’ cabin made for only 1 passenger you will receive the 2 points per night and if you were fortunate to book with the double points promo you received 4 points per night and possibly more if you book Jr. suite or higher. This would not apply to your 2019 booking, but making reference you do not always have to pay the double premium to get the extra point(s).

I know good friends will do this strategy when one couple does not have shareholders or ‘elite’ status. This way you split the elite and or Shareholder couple on the booking reservation so both cabins will receive the elite minibar and get the shareholders benefit.

No, it depends on class of ship, the Navigator before being ‘AMPED’, had a fairly large changing room and free steam and dry sauna in the changing rooms for each sex. That area was remodeled into staterooms and the fitness center moved to the back of the ship with no showers. For sure, not available on Oasis class ships. Adventure of the Seas was scheduled to be ‘AMPED’ but was delayed because of Covid. I sailed on Adventure last summer with the restart sailings out of the Bahamas. Because of Covid the steam and sauna were closed, but you could still use the nice larger showers with good water pressure. Assume by now on Adventure, the free stream and sauna have reopened? If you are interested in which ships still have a ‘free’ sauna, there is an old thread which is pretty current since RCL had delayed most Amplifications. Do a search.

From what I have read, it is rare for the ‘unofficial’ assignment to be charged. Also you do not need to use Apple wallet, as soon as you see a muster or deck assignment even though cabin still says GTY, you can use any QR scanner app and it will provide the result. I use two devices, pull up the code on my iPad then scan with my phone. Also, since the cabin is still unofficial, you will not be able to move to a more desired cabin till it becomes ‘official’.

The restrictions have always been in the details but Princess did not enforce the shareholders OBC, being restricted to not be used in Casino or for Gratuities. I was on the Grand Princess for 14 days in July 2022 and had no problem using up my shareholder OBC thru charging $ on a slot machine. Maybe more recent reports like yours, means Princess has decided to start enforcing the stated restrictions. Your post is the first I have seen to report Princess is now enforcing their stated policy for Shareholders OBC.

I do not understand your question. You are on a B2B and assume you are elite and on the first segment you will be trading full minibar for 2 cofffee pkgs. Are you traveling solo and having both packages on your one medallion? If so then on day one of the first segment, it will show you have 30 ‘punches’ and any unused ‘punches’ will roll over to the second segment, so if you only used 10 the first segment, your medallion will show you have 20 left on day1 of the second segment, there is no ‘new’ 15 punches, unless you trade your second minibar for coffee packages on the second segment. I do not understand where you think there are ‘new’ punches for 2nd segment? If you are loading the 2 packages on 2 different medallions either in same cabin or otherwise, each medallion will only have 15 punches to use for the entire B2B sailing. So if you use 5 the first sailing, day1 of second segment will show you have 10 left. My experience has been, you will see a charge for the coffee packages on your account, which is how the package is loaded onto your medallion(s) and within a day or two, you will see a credit to zero the charges.

Yes, to use the very small steam as pictured in the previous post, it is ‘free’ . No Spa service required. I used it before they started the Covid rules on Jan-Mar sailings. It is a pretty small space, no lockers, just a bench, 2 toilets and 2 showers and a sink/counter with mirror above. I am currently on Navigator and will check it out again and report back if there are any changes. When I asked a few days ago about access, was only told about the 30 minute rule and 3 persons max. No mention about you need to book a service to use.

Yes, if you book before sailing you will be charged at time of booking. You can use OBC to book shore excursions only , if the OBC is already posted in your account as most OBC from travel agents are not loaded till you actually on board.

The ‘second’ package can be loaded to anyone else on the sailing, does not have to be someone in your ‘cabin’. They are not physical ‘cards’, it is loaded onto your Medallion and if you do not use all 15 specialty coffee by the end of the cruise, your done, no chance to rollover. If you are on a B2B, since you should have the same medallion, the coffee package will roll over and not expire till the end of that sailing.

It is ‘free’/no charge to use in the SPA on Deck 12 forward. Currently because of Covid, I was told there is a 30 minute time limit and max 3 persons at a time. They will keep your SeaPass card at the front check in desk. There are separate Sauna’s for each sex as there is a Female and Male ‘side’, different area so not unisex.

There may be an exception on the last night. My experience on the Navigator last March was I stayed up till about 00:30 and went to a bar and was told the drink vouchers were not reloaded yet. So it could have just been a one time delay or ? Also the Plaza Bar up in WJ, as of early February stopped having alcohol available on disembarkation morning. I am currently on Navigator and had breakfast in the MDR on disembarkation day and could order alcohol with my vouchers.

Thanks Ken @Ourusualbeachfor answering my question. I am not surprised NextCruise gave me incorrect info. I remember reading a thread not too long ago where the OP stated NextCruise gave them a booking with OBC and it was not honored and a subsequent post in that thread stated NextCruise was a third party operation and NOT Royal employees.

Hi Ken @Ourusualbeach, I am currently on the Navigator and talked to NextCruise and they are saying you need to have booked AND pre pay by Sept 7 to lock in the current/old rate. I have a sailing in November that was booked long ago as it is a L&S from 2020. As it was booked prior to Sept 7 2022, your quote leads a person to think they can prepay before sailing date and NOT September 7, 2022 and still be charged the current/old rate? NextCruise is saying you need to prepay by Sept 7, 2022. I believe the earlier mistake cruise docs for August sailings stating the increase in gratuities mentioned a book by date AND a pre pay by date. As a side note, a previous thread alluded to NextCruise is actually a third party company and not Royal employees. The agent at NextCruise said indeed he is a Royal employee and not a third party/contract employee and the only contract employees/third party on Royal is the Shops and the SPA. I was surprised as on most ships I have sailed the Casino and Photography department are third party. Ken, can you confirm?

I believe YGIAGAM, you guess is as good as mine

As of February this year 2022, on Navigator, disembarkation morning, no alcohol available at PlazaBar in Windjammer so no champagne. I do not know if MDR is serving alcohol drinks on disembarkation morning. Coffee drinks and non alcohol drinks are still available. Previously while doing B2B’s, I was able to use D+ vouchers to get canned beers to take back to cabin, but now will have to settle for canned or bottled non alcoholic drinks.

@Braves Sooner girl, I will keep a look out for your group. I am booked on the Navigator for the 8/19 sailing and will make some inquiries on board and report back here and the ‘roll call’

@Ourusualbeach, thank you for your reply. Since they are many passengers not here on Cruise critic to see this discussion , it will be interesting to see what happens when they board on Dec9 and purchased the UDP at the ‘low’ fare not knowing it was a mistake. If the ship honors it, great. I also understand just because Royal honored the Drink package pricing error years ago, it does not matter.

@Ourusualbeach, Thanks Ken, for you quick and educated reply. I am on the Dec9 sailing and saw since early July when I booked the sailing showing the ‘low’ UDP price, but did not know till I saw a roll call where someone posted Dec9 used to be a 3 day sailing and when Royal switched to combine earlier this year, what options were offered to booked passengers. Believe the UDP pricing was ‘updated’ yesterday with the usual 7 day pricing, but was showing the lower price for at least 1 month. Still interested in knowing if anyone has seen written policy regarding ‘pricing error’ on website. A few years ago, I got a really good fare on a Holland America 28 day sailing. A few days after booking, I received an email from HA acknowledging the ‘error’ but they said they would honor it but I needed to pay in full within a few weeks and cruise was 18 months away. Cruise did happen and I had a great cruise.

Pre Covid, the ‘Diamond’ and above drinks were always loaded on your seapass card to be used at any bar during ‘happy hour’ with the limited bar menu, for those who did not want to attend the ‘event’ or would like to drink at a bar with other passengers who did not have access to the DL or not deal with crowd or whatever in DL. Your drinks can now be used at any bar, few exceptions like Bionic Bar, for any drink valued at $13 or less till midnight, when your vouchers expire and get reloaded for the next day, on disembarkation morning, ships used to have alcohol available, but my sailings on Navigator after February 2022, only non alcohol drinks were available disembarkation morning at Plaza Bar in WJ. I do not know if MDR has access to Bloody Mary, Mimosa’s, etc. on disembarkation morning.

I believe Royal’s mistake was originally the Dec9th sailing was a 3 night cruise but earlier this year they combined it with the four night Dec12th cruise to make it a 7 night full Mexico cruise with Cabo, PV and Mazatlan. Royal IT probably missed Dec9 was changed to a 7 night sailing but did not update the pricing for the UDP. What will they do? Yes, your ‘calendar’ entry for day 1 says 3 day Unlimited Dining Package, but pretty sure if you click on order history description it displays ‘Unlimited Dining Package’ not 3 day Unlimited Dining Package’ . I read Royal honored the Beverage package pricing error years ago, but who knows what they will do for this situation? @Ourusualbeach, would this be considered a ‘pricing error’ that Royal usually ‘honors’? Calling C&A desk might get you an answer. Anyone know if there is a written Royal policy on website regarding ‘pricing errors’?