RCCL Secrets they don't tell you about

[disneygal65]

For those of you that have carried your luggage off the ship...can you leave when you want or do you still have to wait in a designated area until called? We are driving and have a long drive home so we would like to get on the road asap.

Karen:p

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

I'd like to revisit something said on a couple posts from earlier. It has been my experience that the "virgin" version of drinks such as a pina colada are a buck or two cheaper than the regular versions... is this no longer the case? I would be very disappointed if this is true...

 

Well, as of two weeks ago, a virgin Pina Colada on the Sovereign was $2 cheaper than the less-liver-friendly version. :p

 

A couple of tips that haven't shown up yet:

 

1) Most ships have very nice, large showers in the locker area of the gym/spa (I'm only aware of one ship that doesn't, but there may be more). If you're not in a suite, these showers are probably considerably larger than the one in your cabin, therefore much more convenient for shaving legs etc. Also nice if you have more than two people in your cabin --everybody trying to get ready for formal night can be a bit tricky!

 

2) Many of the evening's dining room selections are also available in the Windjammer. When we have late seating, we often head to the Windjammer as soon as it opens for dinner and sample a dish or two, to see which ones we really like and which sound better than they taste. Just enough to help us make up our minds about what to order, and to tide us over until a dinner time that's later than what we usually do at home.

 

3) On the evenings when you've tried more than one entree or several appetizers (yes, you can have as many as you want!), you may be too full for dessert. No problem, you can get them to go! On our last cruise, my sister was recovering from abdominal surgery and could only eat very small amounts at a time. So every single night, she ordered a dessert to go. By the third night, our waiter was expecting it. :)

 

4) Something I just recently discovered: if you're in a GS, OS or RS, there are Royal Caribbean slippers in your closet that you get to take home! Very comfy, too. Unfortunately, the robes still have to stay. ;)

 

5) One way to get spa treatments without the sticker shock is to volunteer to be a "model" for the spa tours on the first day. You have to get there pretty quick, but they need 3-4 models for the different treatments so you don't have to be the very first one there. Of course, that does mean that you'll be "on display" for the people on the tours. Another cost-cutting measure is to book treatments during port days -- they almost always have better specials. Also, any appointments still available on the last day will be substantially reduced (often half price, in fact). The downside is that availability is spotty.

 

6) Still on the spa theme: this doesn't always work, but definitely worth asking. They usually offer a massage class for couples (loosely defined -- I've seen sisters go together), which is great but not much individual attention. If you can't make the assigned time, sometimes they will let you do it individually. For us it was the same price ($50 I think), and absolutely HEAVENLY. We actually preferred it to the standard couples' massage itself, which was over twice as much. Plus, you learn how to recreate the experience at home. One of my favorite cruise experiences yet!

 

 

[memphismimi]

on the 8/7 Enchantment, you "applied" a few days before the end of the cruise for early debarkation - based on amount of luggage you had and your "flight' home - since we were dropping dh and dd at airport and then ds and I were driving Philly to Mephis, we had a 10:30 AM flight listed...we were told the nioght beofre to be ready to leave at 7:30 AM and we were called then to go...

[barbyma]

For those of you that have carried your luggage off the ship...can you leave when you want or do you still have to wait in a designated area until called? We are driving and have a long drive home so we would like to get on the road asap.

Karen:p

 

While "express" passengers are the first ones called, you still have to wait until you are called. Customs requires that all the luggage be offloaded before any passengers.

 

B. Drescher

[natish3000]

Not really a secret but we had an early flight out of Miami on Majesty cruise last May. We just went down to Pursers desk and asked for earlier off tags (they call you by color) and they had no problem giving them to us.

If you carry off your own luggage it helps also.

But PLEASE use your head. Don't just change so you get off first if you don't have to.

Obviously, not everyone can get off at once and using the colored tags makes debarkation much more smooth.

[dogsandmountains]

Check out the men's room on deck 11 (by Chops Grill). If it's anything like VOS, it's a definite room with a view!

[dfgf]

The frozen drinks on the waiters' trays that they push all day long don't already have rum mixed with them. So, when you buy one and they start pouring rum on top they're not giving you a double - they're adding the alcohol that you may have assumed was already there!

[karcruiser]

I was thinking someone told me that the shipshape center is more than meets the eye. There's a sauna, whirlpool, and steamroom all for free. True? How does the steam room or sauna differ from the thermal suites which I assume are not free? Anybody have more details on the shipshape center attractions?

 

When I sailed on the Navigator last April, we used the steamroom, sauna and HUGE showers in the shipshape center every night. As a matter of fact, we never used the showers in our room. It was just really nice to be able to shower in such a "roomy space", and there was seldom anyone else in there. Thanks for all the positive attitude shining through on this post! I'm on the Explorer next April and just can't wait.

[DONNALAKA]

i believe meclizine .

[DONNALAKA]

woops just remembered those little 2 pre packaged packets were on shhhhhhhhh carnival LOL !

 

the ones on royal r in a little envelope and i forget what they were .... so sry !

[bbnbama]

When I sailed on the Navigator last April, we used the steamroom, sauna and HUGE showers in the shipshape center every night. As a matter of fact, we never used the showers in our room. It was just really nice to be able to shower in such a "roomy space", and there was seldom anyone else in there. Thanks for all the positive attitude shining through on this post! I'm on the Explorer next April and just can't wait.

 

To use the steamroom, sauna and huge showers...was this free???:confused: