Royal Caribbean Secrets They Don't Tell You

[skoola]

Don't purchase any Invicta watches the pro diver was going for $250 and you can pick it up on Amazon for $83

 

 

 

 

One tip I could give that I use would be if you are interested in cologne or perfume to price out the different sizes prior to leaving with your local stores. Sometimes the deals are meant to look like a huge savings when in fact they are only a couple of dollars difference. Watches on board as well can be tricky as my FIL once bought a nice Citizen on board and Kohl's had the same watch cheaper on sale. Sometimes it is nice to purchase such items to constantly remind you about the wonderful trip you had when you purchased it. My favorite purchase from cruise would be hands down a painting of the Charlotte Amalie harbour we purchased directly from the artist in the downtown area.

[GenHawk]

Hi flyanfan,

 

Love the Butterfly Farm was just there last month and will keep going back and enjoy photographing the butterflies.

 

 

I know this isn't a 'Ports' thread but I would like to let people know about a real nice tour on St. Maarten. It's part of an island tour, with a stop at a butterfly farm. Yeah, yeah I know, I wasn't to enthused either BUT it turned out to be very interesting. The guide was Australian and quite a comedian, very funny AND informative. Give it a shot.

[jeditden]

I wouldn't call it a secret exactly. But on the Allure and Oasis, the Shuffleboard courts are hidden behind the Aquatheater movie screens on the rear of the ship. They are closed obviously during shows/practice and the occasional deck cleaning. But it was a nice surprise to find them there.

[grand isle joe]

Do you know when pools and hot tubs close on Enchantment of the seas. Really wanted to float around at night and watch the stars.

 

.....they sometimes alternate the closings to drain the urine.....er I mean water in the hot tubs and pools.;)

[cruzilove]

Yeah...I've seen that too. Sigh. The way I look at, if someone has taken the time and effort to dress up and do the whole formal thing, I'm not going to roll into the MDR in jeans. It's their cruise too. The whole dress up is part of the experience. I respect their choice. What goes around, comes around.

 

I agree. I think it is disrespectful to other passengers.

[reefdmain]

I just got home from a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas. My daughter and her family rented a grand suite and so did I, side by side. They'd told me a year ago, February, that we could take down a partition and have a conjoined deck, but in recent talks on the phone, they'd told me that there were new safety regulations that wouldn't allow it. I got on the ship and our tremendous stateroom attendant swiftly did what they said couldn't be done. It was so helpful because they have no grand suites with a door between them. We would have had to go out into the hallway and ring each others' doorbells. Because they did that, we were able to float back and forth into each others' rooms using the now bigger balcony. Perfect with smaller children.

 

I learned many things on this cruise. Last year, I'd learned about the Thermal Suite package. There are 40 per ship, I think. For $99 you can get a week's pass to the spa. You can get a free locker, a free robe and slippers to use while you're there, and you can enjoy the heated lounges (there are four), in the dimmed room with the spa music on, then get into the aroma steam room or the sauna, then use the shower that has a waterfall option and a rainforest setting, too. You can also go into the relaxation room and enjoy a glass of lemon water and look at the cherry blossom tree. You can do that as many times as you want, each day. It lets you get the spa experience without the big bucks. If you have a grand suite or above, go to the Concierge Lounge on the first day and they'll set you up there for it.

 

Also, I was told by a frequent cruiser in the Concierge lounge that he tells the front desk he isn't going to use the dining room. Then he gets them to credit him the tips for the dining room staff, which, he said gives him back $200-$300, which goes a long way toward the specialty dining he prefers.

 

The suites above junior suites all come with Concierge priveleges. This year we got our suites on the 11th floor near the Concierge Lounge. We ate every breakfast there. It was calm and uncrowded. We were served...and their cappachino machine is wonderful. They also serve lunch. From 5:30-8:30 they serve appetizers and drinks. We'd go in there and get beer or wine for our dinner, for free. I only went to the Windjammer once, at 3PM...and I found it still to be a bit crowded. However, I found an area that was wide open - it was reserved for suite guests! Our suite was ideal. Very roomy and comfortable. There was a nice bathtub we could wash the sand off the kids, easily!

 

If you can possibly do it, go for a suite (above the junior ones.) It's so worth it.

 

Wow. Does not sound at all like a RCI plant. Good recommendation.

[chrisby]

It's on the Radiance class ships.

Quantum class has outside WJ seating also

 

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[Riverviewnb]

Just of the Rhapsody Transatlantic. There was no lobster in the MDR on the cruise but the Windjammer had bottomless lobster the last two nights. My theory is the lobster was prepped for Cococay but as we couldn't tender do to weather they served in the buffet. We missed as we were in MDR but friends had 5 lobster and it was rumoured one guest ate 20. They were small canner lobsters.

[Caon74]

On navigator there is a soda fountain in the WJ that anybody can use.Just grab a glass and help yourself to coke , sprite or whatever.Its not behind any counter and you don’t need a microchipped container

[Pstreet12]

On our Mariner cruise out of Civitavecchia, they had individual packets of Nutella at the Windjammer!

 

On the trans-Atlantic on the Navigator, they had the individual packets of Nutella in the main dining room buffet for breakfast.

[Pstreet12]

I repeated it because I found it interesting. I'd never heard of that so I put it here on the tips for people to check into if they didn't eat in the dining room. This man didn't go to the Dining Room except maybe once, he said. He wasn't avoiding tipping for service. He wasn't cheap at all. He ate in the Concierge Lounge and the Specialty Restaurants. The tip is included when you purchase a meal anywhere on the ship.

 

This was a very kind, down to earth man from Canada who just wanted to eat in the specialty restaurants, something I could relate to after this last cruise, and felt it unnecessary to tip servers who didn't serve him. I'd be very surprised if he didn't tip the servers on the one time he went to dine there. I'm going on a cruise in April but not in a suite. My niece has never been on a cruise, so I expect we'll be going to the dining room often.

 

At the end of the cruise, on the last night, I got an envelope for the Concierge Lounge. This was the first time I've gotten one. Does anybody know about that? Did the higher fees for suites cover those tips or do they not, anymore? I sailed last February in a suite and didn't get an envelope. It seems strange that the pre-paid gratuities wouldn't also go out to the concierge lounge. Perhaps that's because not everybody uses it?

 

Also, another man in the concierge lounge told me that he doesn't register for MyTime dining because he feels like it's too much like being chained to the regular dining - you still have to list a time you're going. He said he just shows up when he wants and he gets right in. I'm set for MyTime dining but haven't chosen any times. I don't like how it puts a schedule in my life and I have to work around the entertainment, so I'm considering not listing at all.

 

Any suggestions on that?

 

It appears that tips are no longer included in specialty restaurants--as usual with Royal, it doesn't seem to be happening consistently fleet wide. However, many have reported that the 18% service charge notation that USED to be included when dining at Chops, etc., is now gone. Tips are now on top of the price for the dinner.

 

It has been our experience that one generally tips the concierge in the lounge.

[Pstreet12]

I have an important question to ask since I will be going on the Oasis with my niece in April. We will have a Central Park balcony and, with all the stress life has dealt her recently as a program manager at a fitness club, I thought she might appreciate some room service occasionally, fruit plates, desserts.....

 

Do you tip room service? If so, how much? :confused:

 

Room service now costs $7.95 per delivery. I assume that is a service charge. Does that mean a tip in addition or is that a tip for the server?

[sloanesq]

Room service now costs $7.95 per delivery. I assume that is a service charge. Does that mean a tip in addition or is that a tip for the server?

 

The $7.95 fee for room service includes the gratuity.

[Pstreet12]

How recent are these prices? They seem kind of low from what I remember a few months ago.

 

Our Budweiser was $9.00 a bottle on Navigator a week ago.

[Pstreet12]

Yep that is correct. We even had a very special bar tender at the Sky Bar tell us to not add extra tips on the bills, as they did not get it. If you want to tip someone for extra service, I'd suggest handing over a few dollars to them personally. I don't know if that is still true but that ia what he said.....

 

I'm sure it's true--it's often true in the U.S., why not on a cruise ship? Part of the problem, I suspect, is that there's no easy way for the accountants to get the money back to the bartender/waiter/person who actually was responsible for your adding the tip to the check. Therefore, as always, if you want the person to have the tip, hand it to him/her IN CASH.

[Pstreet12]

The room steward only gets $3.85 out of it (non suite).

The steward helper on turn around day gets $1.00 of it.

Food people get 6.80.

Got a letter on it.

If you add it all up 11.65 plus $0.36 CC charge it's $12.01 per day.

But they raised from suggested $11.65 per day to $12.00. A 3% raise to cover the Credit Card cost.

If you pay your bill with cash who gets the 3%? Great question...

Will have to ask that question sometime....:D

 

Great post, Harp. Worth noting by those who say they don't eat enough/leave the cabin messy enough/etc. to justify the tip. For two people, that means they are paying

the steward $7.70 a day to clean the bathroom, change the linens, etc.

food people $13.60--those same two people pay at least $10.00 each for

breakfast and lunch and more for dinner if they go out on land:

$13.60 is not an outrageous tip for eating out 3 times a day.

 

That breakdown makes those who remove the automatic grat. from their bills look pretty cheap. Don't know how the $13.60 (for two) a day is distributed, but I think it goes to some in the WJ, as well as the MDR.

[Pstreet12]

On navigator there is a soda fountain in the WJ that anybody can use.Just grab a glass and help yourself to coke , sprite or whatever.Its not behind any counter and you don’t need a microchipped container

 

Used to be true. Not any more. It's now wrapped up in plastic and has tape all over it--same with the ice cream machine beside it.

[moopetguy]

Used to be true. Not any more. It's now wrapped up in plastic and has tape all over it--same with the ice cream machine beside it.

 

 

I’m on board Navigator right now. You’re right about the soda fountain machine - it’s currently wrapped in plastic (it wasn’t on Sunday, which was Day 1, but I’m not sure if it was hooked up to dispense soda).

 

The ice cream (technically froyo, I guess) machine has been operational every day this week and it’s been very popular.

 

 

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[moopetguy]

I’m on board Navigator right now. You’re right about the soda fountain machine - it’s currently wrapped in plastic (it wasn’t on Sunday, which was Day 1, but I’m not sure if it was hooked up to dispense soda).

 

The ice cream (technically froyo, I guess) machine has been operational every day this week and it’s been very popular.

 

 

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Update, soda fountain machine operational but with a sign indicating it’s only for people who have the package. Saw people with souvenir cups as well as a crew member with a regular cup taking some soda.

 

 

 

 

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[Kemgstcruise6]

We always bring a gift from our home town for our room steward. We introduce ourselves with the gift and we are never disappointed with the service the whole cruise. Especially since we need ice all the time.

 

If you are cruising with kids. Ask the room steward to empty the mini-bar if your cabin has one. This will save you alot of money or at least the stress of saying no to the candy and soda pop

 

What kind of things do you usually bring? This is a great idea!!

[reefdmain]

Our Budweiser was $9.00 a bottle on Navigator a week ago.

 

Wow. That's out of line on land or sea!

[chrisby]

Wow. That's out of line on land or sea!

That's a typical price at a ballgame or some concerts around here anymore. It's why I don't drink beer and go right for the hard stuff [emoji3]

 

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