Navigator of the Seas B2B Review, 5/17-31/2015

[aviator1945]

Cruise Review: Navigator of the Seas Western Caribbean B2B 2015-05-17--24

 

Day 1 - Sunday 17 May - Departure from Galveston

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Magic - Total 7487 pax

 

I was part of a group of five persons (DW and three of her friends) living in Europe and from time to time enjoying cruising, this time on a B2B from Galveston to Cozumel, George Town, Falmouth, Belize City and Roatan. I shall attempt to make my review as "Live" as possible within the framework of my budget (wifi ain't cheap on cruise ships). Once back again in Europe I'll scan and post much of the documentation provided by RCI.

 

DW and I left Germany on Friday 15 May and met up with our friends that had left London the day before. We all spent two nights at one of the Best Western hotels near the Houston IAH airport. Saturday we rented a car and drove around Houston, mainly for shopping.

 

Then came Sunday morning and our transfer to Galveston. In order to avoid having to go via the airport terminals, we had decided to transfer with a private van, operated by Galveston Express, a company that had only recently been set up. The driver showed up on time at 8 am, and soon we were on our way to the ship. Being early on a Sunday morning, the drive took only about 75 minutes; at some point during the trip the van's airconditioning decided to go belly up so by the time we reached the pier, it was swelteringly hot.

 

As soon as we arrived, a baggage handler showed up by our van and took care of us. He claimed that our bags would be available on board among the first, although I had my doubts, based on experience from previous cruises. Sure enough, although our bags had been taken care of as early as 9:20 am, it wasn't until after dinner that the last one was available in our cabin, by which time it was 7 pm.

 

The entrance to the cruise terminal was opened at exactly 10 am, and we were among the first dozen passengers or so that entered the check-in area, thanks to our Diamond status. We were taken care of by Bob, who was very efficient in expediting the check-in process. We were assigned seats in a holding area prior to being ushered to the gangway.

 

There now began a 90 minute long wait, seated fortunately. First time we have had to wait that long for boarding on any RCI cruise. After a while it turned out that the delay was not the fault of RCI, but rather due to some kind of safety drill for a substantial number of crew members, initiated by the Coast Guard. Anyway, we boarded by 11.45 am, and went directly to the traditional lunch in the Windjammer. Normally our cabin would have been available by 1 pm, but due to the delay caused by the drill it was almost 2 pm by the time we had access to it, a balcony stateroom on deck 9.

 

Our stateroom attendant Roque (from India) showed up shortly thereafter and offered us his services. Prior to our arrival in the cabin he had placed our usual Diamond perks in the cabin and had also placed a box of pre-ordered water there. We asked for and were given bath robes. Roque also made sure that we were familiar with the Guest Assembly Drill procedure, which took place in the Main Dining Room. Good to be seated, considering my affliction with gout. The Master of the Navigator, Capt. Frank Martinsen (from Norway) and Cruise Director Jeffrey Arpin (from the US) were speakers.

 

In spite of the earlier delays, the ship was ready to go on schedule; however, we remained at the pier another 15 minutes in order to allow for the departure of the Carnival Magic, which incidentally we would accompany on nearly identical itineraries. The weather was partly cloudy to overcast with some very light showers now and then with a temperature around 80 F (27 C).

 

We were on the MyTime Dining plan, preferring early meals on most days. Exact timings had been been arranged via the RCI website, and the table location had been determined as early as possible after our Windjammer lunch. Our waiter was Manny (from the Philippines); Bobie (from Nicaragua) was assistant waiter. Both were very efficient and likeable. I selected smoked fish rillettes as a starter followed by main course steak and spinach salad. My everyday dessert for the entire cruise was the cheese platter, as I'm not too keen on sweets, preferring a LCHF (low carb, medium protein, high fat) lifestyle.

 

As for evening entertainment, I took the opportunity to play bingo, hosted by Alessandro ("The Godfather of Bingo") and his team, but with no luck. As I was rather tired, I decided to retire for the night. DW and friends stayed up for the Welcome Aboard Showtime, presented by CD Jeffrey, and starring comedian Tom McTigue.

 

 

Day 2 - Monday 18 May

 

Sea Day

 

This was our first of altogether three sea days on this first part of the cruise. The weather was sunny with the occasional patch of cloud. Slightly windy, but not enough to spoil the day for anybody. Temperature in the lower 80's F (upper 20's C). Taking advantage of the weather, most of the daytime activities were of the outdoor variety.

 

The Navigator has an ice skating rink, which caters to amateurs among the passengers as well as professional skaters. We dropped by Studio B to pick up tickets for the ice

show, to be held on Friday afternoon. It was important to secure tickets early, since the venue had only a very limited number of seats available for spectators.

 

Just before lunch the Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle was held, presented by the Activities Manager. And mingle we did, the event had been organized in a way that encouraged interaction among all participants. I was one of the lucky ones to win a t-shirt in the raffle. Unfortunately there was a clash between the M&M and morning bingo; I decided on attending M&M together with DW and friends, thereby most likely saving some money in the process, even though I am very fond of bingo.

 

After the Windjammer lunch I became rather sleepy, and before long I fell asleep in our cabin, awakening just in time to dress up for the formal events of the evening. For dinner I had lobster bisque for a starter followed by chicken and a large serving of various garden vegetables. After dinner was the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception, during which he introduced a number of the senior officers in his management team.

 

Production Showtime for this evening was entitled Ballroom Fever, which featured the Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers plus the Ballroom Dance Couple Uros & Eva. Although ballroom dancing isn't really one of my favorites, I have to admit that the show was impressive. DW and I decided to skip the late night adult comedy show.

 

Day 3 - Tuesday 19 May - Cozumel

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Magic - Carnival Paradise - Total 10115 pax

 

As we would be arriving here early, breakfast was served in the Windjammer already from 6 am.

 

We availed ourselves of one of the Diamond perks: the onetime benefit of free wifi for one portable device (laptop, tablet or smartphone) during 24 consecutive hours. As both DW and I were Diamond members, together we thus had free wifi for two 24-hour periods during each of the weeklong cruises. Diamond Concierge Nadja told us that this had only been in place since a few weeks back. Other Diamond benefits were for example assistance from the concierge during early mornings (8 to 11 am) and late afternoons (4.30 to 8 pm) with practicalities like getting tickets to the ice show without having to wait in a line one hundred people long as well as being escorted to the tender facilities on a priority basis. Continental breakfast was also avaiable daily, in case we wanted to avoid the crowds in the Windjammer, particularly on port days.

 

As for shore activities, I remained on board for the entire duration of the ship's stay in Cozumel, while DW and friends went shopping ashore. It was a sunny and warm day, with temperatures around 90 F (32 C), so they were back on board in time for lunch in Windjammer.

 

After lunch DW and friends enjoyed themselves with line dancing, while I took a nap. At dinner I had insalata misto as starter, followed by slow-roasted pork tenderloin.

 

As Top Tier members of C&A DW and I were invited to a cocktail party in the Star Lounge. Later we attended a concert with ReVoiced, an absolutely fantastic male vocal quintet entertaining us 'a cappella'.

Edited May 20, 2015 by aviator1945
More precise timings

[aviator1945]

Day 4 - Wednesday 20 May - George Town

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Magic - Carnival Breeze - Total 11177 pax

 

We arrived off the port of George Town mid morning on a beautiful day. This was the only place on this first cruise that required tendering. The tenders were busy serving the three cruise ships and since a number of tenders were unserviceable, getting ashore took slightly longer than usual. Diamond members and above were given priority access to the tenders, courtesy of our concierge Nadia. I decided to remain onboard, while DW and friends found a tourbus at the pier and were shown some of the sights of Grand Cayman before going to Seven Mile Beach for some swimming. They returned just in time for some lunch while the WJ was still open.

 

As usual we had our dinner in the MDR; I opted for Cream of Mushroom soup, followed by Chicken Cordon Bleu. Shouldn't have had any fresh pepper with the soup, as I ended up with heartburn..... After dinner it was time for the Crown & Anchor Society Welcome Back party, hosted by the CD and Captain. Thereafter followed the Ice Dancin' Spectacular, a fantastic show put on by a group of professional skaters from Europe and North America, all at the world champion level. We might try to see them again in a repeat performance on Friday. I rounded off the day with an unsuccessful game of bingo; still fun even if I didn't win. DW and I decided to skip the Love & Marriage Game Show; a couple of our friends did attend and reported that it was hilarious.

[Ladysilver]

Thank you for taking the time to post your review. :)

[aviator1945]

Day 5 - Wednesday 21 May - Falmouth

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Total 3835 pax

 

We were the only cruise ship in Falmouth, so it was not so crowded as in Cozumel and George Town. Weather was partly cloudy with temperature in the mid 80s.

 

After breakfast DW and friends went ashore and took an excursion organized by RCI. Came back just in time for lunch in the WJ, then back ashore for some shopping. As for myself, I stayed onboard and caught up with some reading and took a nap.

 

Dinner in the MDR for me was seared beef carpaccio as a starter, followed by broiled filllet of Atlantic salmon. Evening entertainment was first a comedian by the name of Darryl Joyce who kept the audience roaring with laughter. After that there was a concert with a review of Big Band Hits, mostly from the 50s and 60s featuring A.J. Stewart and the shop's orchestra. Really good.

[aviator1945]

Sorry folks,

 

Post #4 should have referred to Thursday, 21 May.

[Summerknight]

Following...thank you for your review. Happy to see Love and Marriage is back. They did not have it in our past two cruises. I always find it a fun way to spend some time.

[aviator1945]

Day 6 - Friday 22 May - Sea day

 

This was our second sea day on this first cruise. Beautiful weather and calm seas.

 

After breakfast I took advantage of the $19.99 Watch Set Clearance Sale to get myself a cheap watch to tide myself over until I can get an Apple watch, which is still rather difficult to find without making advance arrangements. My previous watch, purchased in 2008 aboard the Sovereign of the Seas, had finally decided to call it quits. Anyway, this new cheap watch will be OK for a while until our next US visit.

 

Later in the morning I played Snowball Jackpot Royal Bingo, with a purse of over $1000. There was no lucky winner this time, and neither was there any later on during the afternoon session.

 

Dinner was suggested as being formal. My table mates all opted for Lobster Tail. Not being a seafood fan, I selected Double Duck Consommé as a starter with Slow Roasted Prime Rib as my main course.

 

Headliner Showtime featured the outrageously Two Funny Guys Mario & Daniel from Las Vegas, reminiscent of Laurel & Hardy.

 

 

Day 7 - Saturday 23 May - Sea Day

 

The last full day of this cruise was a beautiful one, but with many folks sorry to soon have to leave the ship and face up to reality. After breakfast as well as after lunch DW and I played Bingo. In the first round we did win, but had to split the $140 proceeds four ways, resulting in around $35, less than what we had paid for the tickets. The afternoon round was among other things for the jackpot, nearly $2,200, which a lucky lady managed to win all for herself.

 

Dinner was the usual last night on board event. I chose French Onion Soup as a starter with Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast as the main course. The dinner ended with a chorus of waiters and assistants singing a couple of favorite American songs: Deep in the Heart of Texas and America The Beautiful. We bade farewell of our waitstaff and looked forward to seeing them the following day, on cruise #2.

 

In Production Showtime the RC Singers and Dancers and Orchestra entertained us with a show entitled Now and Forever, featuring a number of contemporary Broadway hit numbers from various shows like for example Mamma Mia! Late Night Adult Comedy, which I skipped in favor of some sleep, featured Comedian Darryl Joyce.

[JamesEM]

Following along, interested in your review because DW will be sailing on the Navigator this Fall and this will be our first cruise as Diamond Members.

[bonvoyagebites]

Following along also. We have a cruise scheduled for October, and are looking forward to our first RCI cruise on the Navigator. We will most definitely have a review on our blog after that. .. .

[cruiseclues]

Thank you for all the good information in your review. :):):):)

[Paulette3028]

If possible can you take a picture of the bar (with its sign) and its seating area that overlooks the pool deck.

 

That would be terrific. Thanks in advance!

[Snyd2]

Looking forward to hearing about your second week!

[aviator1945]

This is the last night of the cruise. Will post review of second half of B2B ASAP, but will also be busy driving to California during the forthcoming week. Might not have many opportunities before arrival back in Europe during week of 8 June. Sorry for this delay, but unavoidable.

[Paulette3028]

This is the last night of the cruise. Will post review of second half of B2B ASAP, but will also be busy driving to California during the forthcoming week. Might not have many opportunities before arrival back in Europe during week of 8 June. Sorry for this delay, but unavoidable.

 

I can wait for a few more days, since I don't sail on Navigator until 11/22/15 -- Anyone else cruising on Nav over Thanksgiving Week?

[aviator1945]

First Cruise Day 8 - Sunday 24 May - Galveston

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Magic - Total 7487 pax

 

Galveston met us with a vengeance in terms of weather; in a sizeable thunderstorm with heavy rain during our approach to the port. But by the time we were at the pier, the precipitation had nearly stopped, even though there was no promise that the weather wouldn't again take a turn for the worse. After an early WJ breakfast, we relaxed in our cabin while just about everyone else was preparing to disembark.

 

Guest services offered two options for B2B pax: Either collect our new SeaPass cards in advance together with a transit pass and leave the ship individually with everybody else, being allowed to go sightseeing in Galveston as long as we returned to the ship in plenty of time prior to sailing; or meet with other B2B pax in the Star Lounge at 9:30 am and be escorted ashore by Guest Services as the last ones off the ship through Immigration and then board again as the very first ones. The whole process took less than an hour. In view of the weather, we took the second option. Having read about B2B turnarounds in other ports, it was my understanding that often RCI offers some kind of lunch for B2Bers, but not this time, perhaps because we were less than 20 pax on B2B status. A couple of days before reaching Galveston, Guest Services had provided us with a paper outlining the available procedures, so we were well prepared.

 

Review continues in my next post.

[aviator1945]

Second Cruise Day 1 - Sunday 24 May - Galveston

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Magic - Total 7487 pax

 

Well onboard the ship again, we headed to our cabin. Provided that B2Bers are in the same cabin on both cruises, they are allowed to take possession of their cabins again immediately upon embarkation; if a cabin switch is involved, then the same procedure applies to B2Bers as to all other pax, i.e. access to cabins is around 1 pm (at the earliest). In the latter case, the stateroom attendants will have moved baggage as well as clothing items hanging in the closets from the first to the second cabin.

 

When we tried to enter the corridor of our cabin, we were challenged by a recently hired crew member, who was unaware of the above procedure. We immediately approached Guest Services, where it was confirmed that we were right and the above crew member was wrong, so we went back to her and told her that Guest Services had confirmed that we in fact had immediate access to our cabin, and she let us in.

 

On boarding day the Vitality Spa offers tours of their facilities during which spa credits (for use on port days) are raffled out. One of the ladies in our party was lucky enough to win a credit of $150.

 

As usual, WJ opened for lunch around 11.30 am. The customary Guest Assembly Drill took place at 3.45 pm, with obligatory attendance required even though we were B2Bers and were essentially aware of the procedures in the event of an emergency. Safety first!

 

One of the ladies in our group had been a first time cruiser the previous week, and was thus not a C&A member until completing her first cruise. On this first day of her second cruise, we took her to the Loyalty Ambassador in order to register her C&A membership in Gold status, and her SeaPass card was updated along with an invitation to the Welcome Back party later during her second cruise.

 

During the afternoon we also visited the MyTime Dining staff to check on our table reservation and to make sure that Mihai, Manny and Bobie (headwaiter, waiter and assistanct waiter during the previous week) would be taking care of us during this week as well, as they had really performed in an excellent way.

 

At 10 pm the Welcome Aboard Showtime began with CD Jeffrey Arpin introducing Comedian Darrel Joyce as well as the Navigator of the Seas orchestra.

[aviator1945]

Second Cruise Day 2 - Monday 25 May - At Sea

 

This was US Memorial Day, which was recognized by the observance of a Moment of Silence during the Welcome ceremony in the evening.

 

By Day 2 we had become aware of the difference between cruises 1 and 2 in terms of passenger ages. During the first cruise we noticed very few children and young folks, with a majority being middle aged and older (like us), while there were many more families as well as college students and recent graduates on the second cruise. We were told by some fellow passengers that most of the private schools as well as colleges and universities in Texas had closed for the summer just before the Memorial Day weekend. I guess that the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is high season; the kids were all good natured, even though at lunchtime on sea days the WJ was quite full, as were the elevators at times. We were told by a crew member that they were expecting some 500 kids during the following week.

 

Monday we purchased one way airport bus transfers for disembarkation day ($47 to IAH and $32 to HOU, per person), even though we wouldn't be flying but would instead be renting a car from IAH. One advantage with RCI transfers was that we could disembark relatively early with bagage tag numbers 2 or 3.

 

Day 2 evening entertainment was pretty much the same as during the previous week, except with a different comedian (Darrell Joyce) doing the late night show. I skipped both events in favor of early bedtime, as I had already seen the Ballroom Fever show previously and I'm not particularly enthusiastic about this genre of show business.

[BillOh]

Here is a photo of Navigator in Fallmouth taken from Freedom. Loved seeing her again. (This was a month ago)

 

[aviator1945]

Second Cruise Day 3 - Tuesday 26 May - Cozumel

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Triumph - Carnival Magic - Total 10914 pax

 

DW and friends took an all-day RCI shore excursion to see the Mayan ruins on the Mexican mainland. The tour involved getting to Playa del Carmen by a rather noisy hydrofoil ship, after which the group was transferred to a bus for the journey to the ruins. Wasn't long before they met a problem in the form of a flat tire, which resulted in a half hour delay until the tire was changed. This in turn resulted in virtually no time for shopping; perhaps this was just as well. The ruins were well worth seeing. I myself didn't join the tour because I suffer from gout in my feet, and often on these tours there is walking on uneven surfaces as well as climbing of stairs involved, which I try to avoid. Instead I spent the day on the ship, reading books from Kindle on my iPad. DW and friends arrived back from their tour just before final boarding time. I might have been somewhat nervous if they had been on a locally organized excursion, but knowing that the ships await passengers from RCI-organized tours gave me peace of mind, well worth the extra cost compared to excursions with local companies.

 

The evening Headliner Showtime featured Mario & Daniel, a couple of comedians normally based in Las Vegas. They have given shows exclusively on RCI ships for over fifteen years. The show was reasonably entertaining to watch.

[PamJack]

Love hearing all about your cruises. We will be on Navigator in April, so I appreciate reading this.

[aviator1945]

Second Cruise Day 4 - Wednesday 27 May - Belize

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Magic - Total 7487 pax

 

Bright and early DW and friends left the ship by tender for a brief RCI shore excursion followed by some time at the beach. They had a wonderful day. Returned just in time to partake of lunch offered in the WJ.

 

Evening entertainment was the Ice Dancin' Spectacular, a repeat of last week's performance, but nevertheless well worth seeing again. Thereafter, the late night Love & Marriage Game Show.

[sg1phileshipper]

Really enjoying your review. Great job! Can't wait for the rest of it.

Cindy

 

 

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPad met Tapatalk

[aviator1945]

Second Cruise Day 5 - Thursday 28 May - Roatan

 

Ships, with port load:

Navigator of the Seas - Carnival Magic - Total 7487 pax

 

This was a "normal" port, i.e. with regular access to a pier rather than tendering. DW and friends went ashore and took an RCI shuttle tour to one of the nearby beaches for a wonderful day. I stayed aboard and enjoyed reading on my iPad as well as discovering various parts of the ship that I hadn't yet been around to.

 

In the evening, Headliner Showtime offered a performance of Jerome Bell, entitled An Idol Experience. He was a Season 10 American Idol semi-finalist, with his shows featuring Top 40 hits, Motown classics and music from his newest album Electric Soul. At the end of the show he mingled with the audience in the theater entrance. Although now living in New York, having grown up in Texas made him immensely popular among a majority of Texans onboard.

[aviator1945]

Second Cruise Days 6 and 7 - Friday 29 and Saturday 30 May - At Sea

 

These last two days were for us as well as our fellow cruisers increasingly notable for the "disembarkation blues". At least we had been fortunate enough to enjoy the Navigator for two weeks on a B2B basis. Now followed the usual packing of suitcases and last minute purchase of souvenirs and memorabilia from the cruise, for ourselves and our shorebound friends and relatives.

 

In terms of entertainment, Day 6 offered daytime performances of Ice Dancin' Spectacular; the venue (Studio B) is not very large, so at least four performances over the course of each cruise week are offered. I couldn't see enough of these enormously talented skaters, from several countries including the United States, Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. In particular Katia, the International Hula Hoop Artist, impressed. Incidentally, Studio B was also on several occasions during the cruise weeks offered to guests for their personal skating enjoyment. During the evening, in Headliner Showtime Finish Henderson, "The Ultimate Entertainer", offered two performances. Personally I wasn't particularly impressed, but lots of other people were. Late in the evening was the Quest Game Show (for adults only), traditionally offered near the end of cruises on most RC ships with Studio B facilities. It's a show where the outcome is never really certain until after the end.

 

During Day 7, Production Showtime offered two evening performances by the RC Singers & Dancers of Now & Forever, featuring contemporary Broadway numbers from shows like The Producers, Fosse and Mamma Mia!, the latter being my favorite. Finally, the very late night comedy featured Tome McTigue with his hilarious show.

[aviator1945]

Second Cruise Day 8 - Sunday 31 May - Galveston

 

Up as early risers for our final WJ breakfast, observing the ship's arrival in the port of Galveston. Then back to our cabin to collect our hand bagage (the checked in bags had been placed in the corridor late in the evening prior to disembarkation). Actually leaving the ship was delayed by a few minutes, but nothing serious, at least not for us with bus transfers to IAH awaiting.

 

I have read a number of reviews with negative comments related to disembarkation, particularly with regard to cruises having called in Belize and Roatan, but to me there appeared to be no problem. It's not as fast as in FLL, but then again that facility caters to arrivals almost every day of the week, while Galveston is only once weekly. Our Immigration Officer (in the queue for foreigners) was friendly and efficient, and soon we exited the Terminal. On exiting, a couple of officials asked whether we were bringing in any duty free alcohol, which we were not. Airport buses were lined up across the street from the Terminal; no actual tickets had been issued, the dispatcher identified us by the bagage tags (Group 2) which had only been issued to persons having purchased transfers from Guest Services. The bus driver loaded our bags into the hold, and shortly after 10:30 am we were on our merry way to IAH, arriving there just before Noon. RCI offers transfers to pax with (domestic) flights from IAH after 12:30 pm; in my view that might be cutting it a bit short; I would certainly not have been comfortable with a flight leaving before 1:30 pm. In any case, we weren't flying, but rather renting a van for a drive to San Francisco.

 

We did a three day drive to Las Vegas, with overnight stops in Clarendon, TX and Flagstaff, AZ, as well as a third day visit to the Grand Canyon National Park as well as the Hoover Dam. Two nights in Vegas (= one full day) and on to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, followed by an overnight stop in Fresno, CA. On to Yosemite National Park, followed by three nights in Hayward CA, for shopping and sightseeing in the SFO area. Finally, off to the airport to return our rental van and board our Lufthansa Airbus A380 flight to Frankfurt.

 

Driving in the USA is less stressful than on most European highways, provided that you have GPS guidance; we use an iPhone app entitled TomTom for North America, which worked perfectly. However, eight hours of daily driving is a bit much, so I would recommend our solution of having two of us take turns driving, at least for people of our age (70+). And by the way, at each state border there was a tourist information facility providing maps and useful guidance (as well as free coffee in several cases).

 

Looking back at our whole experience, did we consider the cruise and land trip worthwhile?

Absolutely! A few tips on the cruise that might be helpful for some folks:

 

1. If you have previously cruised with RCI, make sure that you are a member of the Crown & Anchor Society. This will ensure that you receive the perks that you are entitled to in accordance with your C&A seniority.

 

2. If during the initial voyage on a B2B cruise you pass any of the membership thresholds (like e.g. 30, 55 or 80 cruise nights), make sure that you inform the ship's Loyalty Ambassador of this during the first voyage, so that your membership can be upgraded at the beginning of the second one. C&A will normally upgrade your membership anyway, but not until a week or two after the completion of a cruise, so if you don't take the initiative of seeing the Loyalty Ambassador, you might miss out on some of your C&A privileges during the second voyage.

 

3. If you have opted for MyTime Dining, visit the MTD staff early on Day 1 in case you have special wishes regarding table location or serving staff.

 

4. If you plan to avail yourself of RCI airport bus transfers at the end of the cruise, make sure to purchase tickets already on Day 2, since capacity is limited. (Can't be done prior to departure from Galveston or while in US territorial waters because of TX sales tax rules, according to Guest Services.)

 

5. If you are doing B2B, try to get the same stateroom on both cruises, since this will allow you immediate access upon embarkation of cruise #2, rather than having to wait until the customary 1 pm availability of cabins.

 

I 'll try to scan and upload various material (incl Compasses) later in a separate thread.