Random questions: 12-day Mediterranean on Island

[tulips*n*truffles]

After missing the ship last weekend (learn from my mistakes, seriously: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118691), I'm working hard to find perfection on our 12-day Med cruise this coming summer! :-) I'm treating my parents for their 38th wedding anniversary and bringing a friend along...counting the days (249 in case you're wondering)!!

 

1) With 3 sea days, 2 of them back-to-back and the first just after an overnight in Venice, where will our formal nights land? I'm assuming the 2nd and 3rd sea days? Is that how it works?

 

2) I've read great things about Ultimate Balcony Dinner and know you can't book it until you board. Are you ever denied? As in it's that popular? Also I keep reading about the "romantic" dinner and it being priced "per couple." Will it be awkward for my friend and I joining my parents? I'm assuming the dinner is what you make of it?

 

3) Can someone tell me how the casinos work on European cruises? On our British Isles cruise last summer, the casino was closed almost the entire cruise except the first and last nights. My parents love gambling time and I'm trying to determine how many evenings they'll actually get to partake?!

 

4) We have a good amount of OBC and will be using my credit card for all 4 of our shipboard accounts. Will we need to "evenly distribute" our spending per person or per stateroom? Or does it matter how it's being spent? Or if I have more OBC than someone else, do I have to personally spend it? Does that make sense?

 

I think that's it! Thanks everyone!

Natalie

[paul929207]

2. No problem for you to join your parents for the balcony dinner assuming you all fit.

 

4. Check with the front desk about the OBC. If everything is going on your card you should be able to have the 4 accounts roll together and eliminate any worries about not using the OBC on one account and having a bill on an other

[Pam in CA]

The casino can't open unless the ship is in international waters. On a British Isles cruise, the ship is mostly sailing between countries in the UK and this not in international waters. That's why the casino wasn't open. That won't be the case on a Med cruise.

[Princess Patches]

You should have two formal nights. They are not always on sea days. They often choose port days when the ship leaves port early. I have never seen two formal nights back-to-back on any cruise, so your formal nights will not be on the second and third nights b2b. The first formal night will probably be on the second or third night and the second formal night will be later during the cruise.

 

On our Med cruises the casino was open every night. As long as your balcony will accommodate four people, you can all have the balcony dinner together. I have not heard of anyone being denied the balcony dinner.

[tulips*n*truffles]

Thanks for the quick replies! We're both on Caribe balconies so I think space will be alright for 4 for balcony dinner?

 

I didn't realize formal nights wouldn't be on sea days - that's great information! I didn't think they'd be back to back...our sea days are days #3, 4, and 8, so I assumed they would be on days 4 and 8, but it sounds like they really could be any of the 12!! I'll just be surprised!

 

Thanks again!

[Princess Patches]

Thanks for the quick replies! We're both on Caribe balconies so I think space will be alright for 4 for balcony dinner?

 

I didn't realize formal nights wouldn't be on sea days - that's great information! I didn't think they'd be back to back...our sea days are days #3, 4, and 8, so I assumed they would be on days 4 and 8, but it sounds like they really could be any of the 12!! I'll just be surprised!

 

Thanks again!

 

Your Caribe balcony will accommodate four people very nicely. Formal nights are more often on sea days, but they are not necessarily on sea days. They are sometimes on port days when the ship leaves port early. Formal night will never be the very first night or the very last night of the cruise. They could be on any of the other 10 days.

[KBS1607]

I'm so sorry about you missing your cruise. You've had a great attitude and I hope you enjoy the Mediterranean one. It was one of our favorites.

Edited November 2, 2014 by KBS1607

[paul929207]

Thanks for the quick replies! We're both on Caribe balconies so I think space will be alright for 4 for balcony dinner?

 

I didn't realize formal nights wouldn't be on sea days - that's great information! I didn't think they'd be back to back...our sea days are days #3, 4, and 8, so I assumed they would be on days 4 and 8, but it sounds like they really could be any of the 12!! I'll just be surprised!

 

Thanks again!

If 3, 4 & 8 are the sea days, then the formal nights will probably be 3 and 8.