Capella Black

Do we know how late allocations happen? For example, what's the latest anyone's been emailed? And do you get an email to say you've been unsuccessful, or only if you have been upgraded?

Thanks everyone. Any further info on the various spa facilities? Alternatively, any recommendations for nice drinks?

Thanks everyone. Re the Glass House - do the tapas plates cost much?

What's a pop up Glass House? Sounds interesting, and we have 2 sea days so lots of opportunity for this. 

And thanks, I'll see if we can get Arman!

Ocean Grill did look good - is the lobster worth the surcharge in your opinion? I'm a big lobster fan!

I'm going to be cruising on Arcadia soon, and have never sailed with P&O at all before, though have done a number of other cruise lines. I've had trouble navigating the P&O website, so thought I'd come here and ask - what are all the best bits of Arcadia? Would love to know what to look out for in a positive way, any tips and tricks to get the best from my cruise. For example - sounds like there's some free spa access, but some paid for - is the paid for good or will I be happy with the free part? How are the bars? 

8 hours ago, skynight said:

 

Vines wine bar, deck 5. Many wines covered by the plus fare. Some wines are over the US$12 menu price limit where you will be charged the difference. Select food items served when ordering beverages.

 

Hi @skynight - re the food items, any details on the mythical sushi? I'm obsessed with sushi, especially when it's free, so curious if this is worth me hunting down?

Would be very interested in how strict and all-over the mask mandate is (update on the FAQs suggests having to wear them everywhere)!

1 minute ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Here you go. The package and room service question should be put to rest with this video of Oleh. I have enjoyed quite a few room service deliveries using my beverage package. Room service times are getting better everyday in my experiences. They added more staff and did some improvements to the technology on board. 
@Capella Blackyes anywhere really. Be a bit careful of the delivery location. There’s a scroll down menu to pick from if it’s off a bit. I’ve included screen shots. Also if you are on your balcony near your neighbors’ you might inadvertently (or intentionally lol) have it delivered to them. 
 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much @HaveDogWillTravel that is incredibly exiciting! I adore a late afternoon cocktail on our balcony before getting ready for dinner, but that's always meant going and finding a bar and bringing them back. No more!

Just now, dog said:

 

I missed this before it was removed. 
I am still confused about the PBP for room service. 
did this change for all future cruises or just this one?

 

sorry for having to ask again. 

To follow on from this, as I think my post got lost in the flood that happened while the cruisers were sleeping

We would love to all know when and how you can currently use Ocean Now to order drinks for free on a Beverage Package? Just when near bars, in room, in corridors, near pool?

1 hour ago, dog said:

 

 

If you have the Premium Plus package is your drink delivery to your cabin included or is there  a charge for it, like it says on Princess website? ( I was confused at an earlier post). 

I am generally confused with this - given drink delivery is to you, wherever you are, does the charge suddenly change when you move from poolside to your room? Do you get charged if you're in the corridor outside your room?

If there is somewhere where the ins and outs of how PBP and OceanNow interact, please do redirect me there - I can't find the info anywhere!

On my third mango meltdown this afternoon. So tasty.

Thanks red212fire212 - that's good to know for the pub crawl I definitely don't have planned. ;)

jodieh12 - thanks for the advice about the app - have it downloaded already, great to know I can use that for booking the shows, as the "over lunch thing" is probably the best time for discussing with a captive audience! Good to know service speed re MDRs, will bear that in mind.

Was thinking O'Sheehans, but thought it would be rammed on day 1 - is it normally quietish? Brilliant if so - likely to appeal to the group.

ighten - thanks for the added info. Quick question - freestyle sun deck? What this? Also, the TVs for booking entertainment - do they list all the options in a vaguely readable way? Sounds weird, but I'm trying to organise a very relaxed group of 8 adults, so ease of viewing will affect whether they bother! Thanks again, this is all really handy! And thanks for the tip about hand luggage packing - have done this having experienced this back on RCI, but will remind the others!

Thanks for this Keith Jenner - MDR it is for lunch then! Sadly, our show got cancelled by NCL (Priscilla, it's a whole drama and we've been told to rebook onboard), and I also wanted to book the comedians, who aren't advertised online.

Hi! Wondering about a number of things re: Epic, which I'll be boarding on Thursday!

1) Is there any difference between Taste and the Manhattan Room other than dress code and decor?

2) On embarkation day, where is the quietest place for lunch, and what kind of fare can we expect there?

3) Where can we find info about all the bookable shows ASAP? Want to get entertainment booked before it fills up!

4) What times are quietest for evening dining typically (complimentary restaurants)?

5) What are the best/can't be missed activities currently on Epic?

6) How do I get to the secret sun deck? Been reading, and I'm a bit confused!

7) Humidor cigar lounge - does this actually have it's own bar or is it just a smoking room next to another bar?

8) What else do I need to know to maximise the holiday?!

Hoping to find this out also - mostly does it still exist and how tasty is it (ideally what land-based pizza would you compare it to?)

Have always previously cruised just as a couple (oh, and one with my parents and grandmother - that was problematic for other reasons!) On our last cruise, we made friends with two other couples on the 4th day, and it really added to the experience. As a result, we've now planned our next as a group cruise with six of our closest friends. All the group (other than me perhaps) are incredibly relaxed, and there are no kids. Hoping we'll manage the "not attached at the hip" thing, and it doesn't turn into a herding cats event.

Mainly, the appeal was people to meet up with for dinner and pubbing in the evening, plus to go out in the days as groups of 2-4.

I am a terribly picky eater, but use cruises as a "safe" place to try new things. As such, I do as many above have suggested - order at least 1 course I'm sure to love, 1 course I'm likely to love, and the occasional course I really don't know about. Even if I don't like it, odds are my husband will, and after both of us have tried it, enough is eaten that I don't feel bad about the remaining going to waste!

 

Couple questions. How much does one tip per drink? We don't tip bartenders here?

Also does anyone from Ireland/England know how I would get my hands on small $ bills - 1s and 5s - since I am pretty sure when you get currence from the bank you don't get something that small (you might get 5s, but I doubt 1s)

I get my travel money from Tesco, and they will give me a full $80 in singles.

Lots of mine have already been mentioned (using balconies, pre-breakfast room service, daily bar visits etc). Another is our cruise driving music, including rocking up to Lonely Island's "I'm on a boat"! Also doing a DIY wine tasting using our drinks package - basically ordering one glass of wine at a time between us (we both have the package, that's just to reduce the quantity drunk), and spending an afternoon working through all the whites-by-the-glass.

I love complimentary dining! Admittedly, only done one night on NCL (Escape one-nighter, they served lobster!) but have always loved MDR on RCI, and am fully expecting to feel the same about NCL. Yes, some of the speciality dining options are even better, but I always seem to find something I deeply enjoy at the MDR - it may help that I'm quite simple in my preferences, and the simpler dishes often seem to be done well.

Photos please from anyone whose got them - love looking at it in anticipation!

I have a weird solution. If there is a good chair unused, but with a small amount of stuff (and especially if there are several next to each other), I pile the stuff up carefully on a table or one chair, and then used the empty chair. If people come back and ask what I've done, I explain I was using the unused chair while it wasn't needed. I immediately ask if they wanted to use it again, and if so, move onto another set. I have great mobility, and only want somewhere sunny, so moving about isn't an issue for me. The extreme politeness tends to quickly kill any aggression.

The added bonus - I maximize chair usage!

Also from the UK, also going on Epic in April! I always tip in Dollars, because they have $1 bills, whereas the smallest notes we have is £5, and that's very generous for most things!

I also take both sets of adapters, to maximise the number of appliances I can have plugged in at the same time!

We also just left the Epic. If you want coffee from Atrium Cafe which is better than the free coffee and have UBP , you can go to Atrium Cafe and get the coffee with alcohol such as Baileys on the side.

Can I check - does this mean Baileys coffees are free on the UBP? Happy to have all my coffees that way if it's free!!!