What free food and drink do you get pls

[heatherbelle]

Hi

 

Newbie here. I have trawling through the various threads to try and work out, what I will need to pay for when I get on board the ship (still deciding between Disney and RCL Allure).

 

I have worked out I ca buy a soda package for my DS. That we can get free tea/coffee/lemonade and water on board.

 

That I can eat at Jonny Rockets and pay 4.95 coverage.

 

We don't drink alcohol, so nothing to pay for that.

 

What other things do we need to pay for on board please, food and drink wise.

 

If we do a RCL cruise, it will cost us over £3,000.00 stirling, so its very expensive and I don't want to have to pay loads of extras once I get on board. I'm looking at a balcony cabin, hence the cost.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Jo and Rob]

Hi

 

Newbie here. I have trawling through the various threads to try and work out, what I will need to pay for when I get on board the ship (still deciding between Disney and RCL Allure).

 

I have worked out I ca buy a soda package for my DS. That we can get free tea/coffee/lemonade and water on board.

 

That I can eat at Jonny Rockets and pay 4.95 coverage.

 

We don't drink alcohol, so nothing to pay for that.

 

What other things do we need to pay for on board please, food and drink wise.

 

If we do a RCL cruise, it will cost us over £3,000.00 stirling, so its very expensive and I don't want to have to pay loads of extras once I get on board. I'm looking at a balcony cabin, hence the cost.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

You do not have to pay for any extras at all if you don't want, we are just back from 3 days on Indy and our on board account for 3 people was $0!

 

At WJ there was lemonade, iced water, fruit drink plus coffee etc. You can get drinks from there during the day and then enjoy them by the pool if you want. You can also get iced water from the bar at any time. If you want to avoid the Jonny Rockets cover charge the WJ has burgers, hot dogs, pizza and chips every day.

 

Sprinkles, the soft serve icecream machine was a real hit with the children. They could get chocolate, vanilla or a combination of the two from 11am to 9pm.

 

Promenade cafe has a self serve coffee and tea making station, with milk for children or for the coffee/tea and then it serves snacks that change through out the day. (pastries in the morning, cakes, cookies and sandwiches pm)

 

Sorrentos also has a similar drinks station to the promenade cafe. It also has pizza, garlic bread and desserts.

 

The MDR is open for breakfast and dinner everyday (lunch on sea days) There is a kids menu but my two (8 and 6) ordered from the main menu, Oliver loved the sirloin steak and Emily enjoyed the salmon, mixed grill and the duck. At breakfast there is an a la carte menu and a buffet option in the middle if you want something fast but don't want the chaos of WJ.

 

Room service, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juices at breakfast (plus a breakfast menu) then sandwiches, hot snacks, desserts, cookies etc.

 

There is no need to pay to eat in the speciality restaurant if you don't want to. You could eat and drink for free 24 hours a day if you want.

 

You are also allowed to bring on soft drinks although alcohol is not permitted. We got our steward to empty our fridge and then filled it with our coke, water and capri suns. Perfect!

[PattyG12]

Iced Tea is also available 24 hours per day. Please figure in a couple dollars tip to room service if you are planning to use that.

 

You also will want to figure in the tips on board (for either line you choose). RCI suggests $9.75 per person, per day. This is for the waiters in the dining room and for the room steward that cleans up your room twice a day. I don't know what Disneys extras are.

[Col1874]

You do not have to pay for any extras at all if you don't want, we are just back from 3 days on Indy and our on board account for 3 people was $0!

 

At WJ there was lemonade, iced water, fruit drink plus coffee etc. You can get drinks from there during the day and then enjoy them by the pool if you want. You can also get iced water from the bar at any time. If you want to avoid the Jonny Rockets cover charge the WJ has burgers, hot dogs, pizza and chips every day.

 

Sprinkles, the soft serve icecream machine was a real hit with the children. They could get chocolate, vanilla or a combination of the two from 11am to 9pm.

 

Promenade cafe has a self serve coffee and tea making station, with milk for children or for the coffee/tea and then it serves snacks that change through out the day. (pastries in the morning, cakes, cookies and sandwiches pm)

 

Sorrentos also has a similar drinks station to the promenade cafe. It also has pizza, garlic bread and desserts.

 

The MDR is open for breakfast and dinner everyday (lunch on sea days) There is a kids menu but my two (8 and 6) ordered from the main menu, Oliver loved the sirloin steak and Emily enjoyed the salmon, mixed grill and the duck. At breakfast there is an a la carte menu and a buffet option in the middle if you want something fast but don't want the chaos of WJ.

 

Room service, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juices at breakfast (plus a breakfast menu) then sandwiches, hot snacks, desserts, cookies etc.

 

There is no need to pay to eat in the speciality restaurant if you don't want to. You could eat and drink for free 24 hours a day if you want.

 

You are also allowed to bring on soft drinks although alcohol is not permitted. We got our steward to empty our fridge and then filled it with our coke, water and capri suns. Perfect!

 

I know it wasn't me who asked the original question... but thanks a lot :)

 

Thanks to the Tories we're a bit less well-off than we thought we would be - Knowing that we have 5 sea days and 5 land days, we shouldn't need too much spending money :)

 

.....And people wonder why us Scots voted for other parties! :rolleyes:

[nicolen1101]

My husband and I don't dine in the specialty restaurants at all, not even Johnny Rockets in the past. We also don't do room service usually, but if I had a balcony I might. Still free food and rink you just pay a tip to the server. There is more then enough different kinds of free food and drink to please even the pickiest eatter (my husband). Save your money for the fun stuff.

[cb at sea]

Just so you are aware: nothing is actually "free"..it's "included" in the fare you've paid!

 

Excursions, photos, spa treatments, souveniers etc...can run up your bill, too.

[Havingfun2010]

Outside of tips, you do not need to spend a dime. However, adult drinks, soda, casino, specialty restaruants, and of course tacky gifts, will cost. Those are easily controlled.

[PSCruiser]

If you are looking to save money, don't bother with the J Rocket's unless your DS really wants that in particular - much better free food elsewhere. For a free treat (except a smll delivery tip), order room service, the chicken drumettes/ honey stung chicken, and chocolate chip cookies are great. Very nice bistro burger on room service also.

 

BTW - Welcome to Cruise Critic!

[Never_Been_Cruising]

Great question OP. Having just booked our first cruise last week, I was being asked these exact same questions by DH on the weekend and whilst I could say in some certainty what I thought was included, I couldn't remember how I knew to double check.

 

Must have been my months of lurking on CC. :rolleyes:

[morgan1312]

I think in addition to the $4.95 for Johnny Rockets there is also a charge if you want milkshakes. The burgers, fries and onion rings are included for the $4.95 but I think at least shakes are extra.

[Jo and Rob]

there is a fee for the gameroom ? can anyone expand on how this works ? may have to inactivate seapasses for my boys :(

 

Yes, I went to guess services and deactivated the children's seapasses. They still work to get into the room or collect and return towels just you can charge things on them. In order to get to the explorer kids room (6-8) you have to walk through the arcade. As long as your children know the score before you go there is no problem. They had great fun pretending to play on guitar hero and it didn't matter that the INSERT COINS info was flashing on the screen.

 

The children knew if something was included that was fine, otherwise don't ask and they didn't! They couldn't get over the free ice cream, this was a real bonus.

[bamelin]

I want to eat at Johny Rockets at least once. Aside from the fact that I love their Smokehouse burger, on Explorer I think Johny Rockets has one of the only open air dining areas on the ship.

[InsideCruiser]

You are also allowed to bring on soft drinks although alcohol is not permitted. We got our steward to empty our fridge and then filled it with our coke, water and capri suns. Perfect!

 

Interested in your experience regarding bringing your drinks on board? Apparently, RCI no longer allows this as of Jun 1st. But I see that you departed after Jun 1.

 

Also, how cold did the fridge keep the drinks? I like cold drinks. :)

[AWOL]

By the way, Johnny's place is free for breakfast. It is good.

The arcades cost but that is the only entertainment that costs unless you count the Casino

 

Regards

Roger

[Sugar*Magnolia]

there is a fee for the gameroom ? can anyone expand on how this works ? may have to inactivate seapasses for my boys :(

 

Yes, there is a fee for each game. It can get very expensive if your kids are video game kids!

[deban42]

Interested in your experience regarding bringing your drinks on board? Apparently, RCI no longer allows this as of Jun 1st. But I see that you departed after Jun 1.

 

Also, how cold did the fridge keep the drinks? I like cold drinks. :)

 

 

Where did you hear this? Haven't seen or heard it.:(

[Jo and Rob]

Interested in your experience regarding bringing your drinks on board? Apparently, RCI no longer allows this as of Jun 1st. But I see that you departed after Jun 1.

 

Also, how cold did the fridge keep the drinks? I like cold drinks. :)

 

No problem at all. I had them in a rucksack with a luggage label just like the suitcase and it was just about only filled with soft drinks. Certainly no attempt to hide the fact.

The fridge kept the drinks nice and cold and the room steward provides daily ice in your cabin. If you want to take a drink up to the pool, just ask for a glass of ice from the bar, I did with no problem. :)

[Marty_Mc_Fly]

I think in addition to the $4.95 for Johnny Rockets there is also a charge if you want milkshakes. The burgers, fries and onion rings are included for the $4.95 but I think at least shakes are extra.

 

Ive seen the cover cost for Johnny Rockets but just wondering what the cost is for shakes? Thanks

[ccruisequeen]

 

At WJ there was lemonade, iced water, fruit drink plus coffee etc. You can get drinks from there during the day and then enjoy them by the pool if you want. You can also get iced water from the bar at any time. If you want to avoid the Jonny Rockets cover charge the WJ has burgers, hot dogs, pizza and chips every day.

 

Sprinkles, the soft serve icecream machine was a real hit with the children. They could get chocolate, vanilla or a combination of the two from 11am to 9pm.

 

Promenade cafe has a self serve coffee and tea making station, with milk for children or for the coffee/tea and then it serves snacks that change through out the day. (pastries in the morning, cakes, cookies and sandwiches pm)

 

Sorrentos also has a similar drinks station to the promenade cafe. It also has pizza, garlic bread and desserts.

 

Are there charges for Pastries at the Cafe at the Promenade? How about Sorrentos?

[digital_curator]

Are there charges for Pastries at the Cafe at the Promenade? How about Sorrentos?

 

No charge!

 

On the Allure you have a lot of free dining options. If it is set up like the Oasis, you will have:

 

Breakfast- Main Dining Room, Windjammer Buffet, Central Park Cafe, Solarium Cafe, Wipeout Cafe

 

Lunch- Main Dining Room, Windjammer Buffet, Central Park Cafe, Solarium Cafe, Boardwalk Bar, Wipeout Cafe

 

Snacks- Donuts, Mondo Cafe, Promenade Cafe, Sorrentos

 

I'm sure I have missed something and I'm not sure if there is a charge for the Vitality Cafe.

 

There are a lot of temptations on this ship (Ice Cream Parlour, Cupcake Store, Candy Store) so if you want to save money, I would deactivate your kids' cards! But there should be more than enough to enjoy without spending more than the initial cruise price. And where else can you play mini-golf, zip-line, rock climb, "surf", ride a carousel, and see all those fantastic shows. It's expensive but it really can be an all-inclusive vacation!

 

Cheers,

[dreamcruiser525]

I have not been on RCI since last year. I heard they charge for steaks in the dining room? Is that correct?

Does anyone have a copy of the current menu's? We are on the Monarch in November.

 

Also, where can I find out for sure about taking water and soda and wine.

We just returned from the Carnival Dream and took a case of soda, 6 pk of bottled water and two bottles of wine. (all allowed)

 

thanks for any help..

 

one more thing, do they really charge for room service delivery?

[heatherbelle]

Thank you everyone for your replies, especially the first poster after me, ver informative.

 

What really appeals to me about a crusie, is that everything is more of less included food and drink wise, so we only have to budget for normal spends, trips and gifts etc.

 

We like to do Disney dining plan for the same reasons, we don't have to watch how much we spend on food, as it is paid for in advance, and when we go to Europe, we usally go all inculsive for the same reason.

 

If I do go on RCL, I'm sure we will be trying Johny Rockets, as that's all my DS eats when on holiday burgers!! When we went to LA last year, we discoverd In and Out, much nicer than McDonalds.

 

Now I know I can pay all my tips in advance does this include a tip for room service, or do I tip when room service is delivered. We don't tip much in the UK, so I want to get it right, when I'm on American soil so to speak, albeit a ship.:)

[InsideCruiser]

I have not been on RCI since last year. I heard they charge for steaks in the dining room? Is that correct?

Does anyone have a copy of the current menu's? We are on the Monarch in November.

 

Also, where can I find out for sure about taking water and soda and wine.

We just returned from the Carnival Dream and took a case of soda, 6 pk of bottled water and two bottles of wine. (all allowed)

 

thanks for any help..

 

one more thing, do they really charge for room service delivery?

 

No charge for food in the MDR.

 

Service fee for room service between midnight and 5 am (I think it was $3.95).

 

No alcohol from home. If you purchase at a port, they hold it for you until you disembark.

 

As of Jun 1st, no soda or water, although I have seen posts about doing this openly since the policy went into effect.

[fw2020]

By the way, Johnny's place is free for breakfast. It is good.

The arcades cost but that is the only entertainment that costs unless you count the Casino

 

Regards

Roger

 

What is on the menu at JR during breakfast time?

[ccruisequeen]

Just wondering if Sorrennos is also available on Mariner (I know Johnny Rocket's is):confused: