Noobie questions

[ianb69]

With apologies if these questions have been asked/ answered lots of times before:

 

My wife and I along with another couple are due to cruise next February for our first cruise :D We can't wait

We have booked the cruise through a travel agent in the UK - one holiday reference with travel agent, two separate reservation numbers with RC. When I log into our reservation on the RC website, I can see the other couple's reservation as being linked.

 

We have started thinking about which excursions we might want to book through RC

 

My question is, if we book excursions online before we sail, is it easy to link them, so that we will be on the same coach for instance? Do we go ahead and book the excursions and speak to someone when we get onto the ship?

 

My second question is:

 

In just over a month we will be able to do the online check-in for the cruise. After we do this, are our accounts locked ie we will no longer be able to book excursions, or make dining reservations, or am I being stupid :p. I am aware that when you check-in to airlines, you can no longer amend seat requests etc. I know they are completely different, I just didn't want to check-in too early and lock myself out of doing any more amends:rolleyes:

 

My third question:

 

I am thinking of hiring a tuxedo through RC for formal nights (I know it's not compulsory like the idea of dressing up for a couple of nights and hey, it's Valentine's on our first formal night ;) )

I think I read somewhere here, but for the life of me I cannot find it, if you hire through RC prior to sailing, the cost of it is added to your on board account to be paid at the end of the cruise, or am i mistaken?

 

Many thanks in advance

[Clarea]

Completing the online check-in will not affect your ability to make additional reservations such as excursions, restaurants, etc.

[BaumD]

1. just show up together and make sure you get on the same coach.

 

2. After online checkin you can still buy excursions, drink packages, etc. You will be locked out about 72 hours before sailing.

 

3. ???

[cb at sea]

Anything you book PRIOR to getting ON the ship, you will have to pay for at the time you book it...whether it's tux, or excursions or packages...whatever.

[ianb69]

Many thanks for your responses, most useful

[blackshirt]

Anything you book PRIOR to getting ON the ship, you will have to pay for at the time you book it...whether it's tux, or excursions or packages...whatever.

 

Not true for tux rental. Your tux is not pre-paid, the rental is charged to your sea pass account.

[Grandma Dazzles]

1. just show up together and make sure you get on the same coach.

 

2. After online checkin you can still buy excursions, drink packages, etc. You will be locked out about 72 hours before sailing.

 

3. ???

 

Sometimes showing up together works, but it can depend on the excursion. Some do give you a bus/boat number/group number, especially for a large excursion with lots of people. It's worth checking with the shore excursion desk just to confirm that you will be together.

[Desert Cruizers]

I recommend, once you have booked your excursion and go to your meeting location prior to going on the Tour Bus/Van, arrive at the meeting location together, then 1 person go down to where they hand out the Tour #'s and ask for 4. They will call out the Tour by #, then all proceed out as a group along with the Tour leader once your Tour # is called. .

[Grandma Dazzles]

I recommend, once you have booked your excursion and go to your meeting location prior to going on the Tour Bus/Van, arrive at the meeting location together, then 1 person go down to where they hand out the Tour #'s and ask for 4. They will call out the Tour by #, then all proceed out as a group along with the Tour leader once your Tour # is called. .

 

Still recommend checking at shore excursion desk. Did a ship's tour in Portugal that had four or five full-size motor coaches. We were assigned coach numbers with our shore excursion tickets. It works to show up together for smaller excursions, but depending on what excursion you are talking about would still check.

[dlbaqua]

We did the same excursions as my mom and her husband on Princess in March in different groups twice. We never saw each other because they were put in a group that did the excursion itinerary in reverse order to ours both times. I'd contact the shore excursion desk just to be sure.

[rukkian]

Not trying to hijack, just had followup on the tux question, cause I was interested as well. If you do not pay up front for the tux rental, do they typically already have your size, or do they bring them in for you? Do you pay once for the cruise (IE 2 formal nights equal 1 or 2 rentals)? I was debating as well, as it would allow me to not have to worry about bringing formal clothes at all.

[Clarea]

You pay once per cruise. They give you enough shirts to wear a clean one each formal night.

Edited October 10, 2016 by clarea

[rukkian]

You pay once per cruise. They give you enough shirts to wear a clean one each formal night.

 

Thank your for the quick response.

[Desert Cruizers]

We booked our tours online and the daughter and her Aunt picked the same tours and we were all on the same coach. I agree if they are running multiple buses, then you do need to make sure your group are all together or you can end up on different buses for the same tour. We compare our tickets left in our room to make sure of the times, then when we go into the theater to await the tour, one of us gets the bus tickets for all of us. In fact we have been asked that 1 person gets all the bus tickets for their group. I believe also if there are 2 to 3 buses for one tour, they will be colored coded and numbered.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Desert Cruizers

[ianb69]

Thank you everyone for all your input, it has been most useful as always:cool: