Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[BonTexasNY]

2 hours ago, George C said:

Definitely want to visit Grandscape , since my wife works for a Perot company we attended a very cool pre-opening Christmas party at the Perot museum a few years ago , need to revisit. Should take family to 6th floor museum, we always take visitors there and always find it amazing.

We also bring visitors to 6th Floor Museum.  For those not in the know, it's the Texas Book Depository in Dallas. The two chilling things for me was looking out of the exact window that Oswald supposedly fired on Kennedy's motorcade and seeing the big black X on the road where Kennedy was shot.

 

Grandscape is great place to while away a few hours or just have a meal in a very pleasant spot.

 

 

1 hour ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

We rode the big Grandscape Ferris wheel last Saturday! It was my first time exploring that area even though we live nearby.

Awesome!!  My family are wimps.  Nobody even wanted to go on the ferris wheel inside Sheel's and I didn't want to go on alone.  Was it crowded on Saturday?  Today was perfect.  Easy parking and no crowds but enough people to make it not seem empty.

 

[Ozark_Kid]

5 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

I have a question for you RCI experts. The price on my Ovation Alaska cruise this summer has dropped. Final payment was a couple of days ago. If I request OBC for the price drop (I think that's how it works), will it mess up all of the excursions and other things I've already paid for? I don't want all of that stuff to get canceled.

We would like to that you for posting this.  When I mentioned this to Sharon she looked ours up and noticed ours dropped some.  She just got off the phone and saved us a little.  We have not made our final payment yet.

[Bailey & Sophie]

4 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

As @Ourusualbeach said, no problem.  If you get more OBC than you can use remember you can cash it out in the casino.  We are on Ovation Alaska May 13.  First Alaska cruise for us. 

 

Can someone remind me how to do this? We have LOTS of credit for our Nov cruise and won't come anywhere near using it all.

I've seen it when I didn't need the info....

Thanks.

[Ozark_Kid]

1 minute ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

Can someone remind me how to do this? We have LOTS of credit for our Nov cruise and won't come anywhere near using it all.

I've seen it when I didn't need the info....

Thanks.

I have read that it can make a difference where the OBC comes from but I will tell you my experience.  We had about $1,100 OBC.  When we had about $900. left I went to a slot machine to cash out.  Someone may post a pic of the instructions but basically on the slot you transfer money from your cruise account to a casino account.  On Symphony you were limited to transferring $500 so I made 2 transfers.  I did 1 pull which I didn’t have to do.  I then hit the cash out button. It printed out a slip. I took it to the cashier and they handed me about $900.  Your cruise account will show the charge for the transfer but the OBC will cover the charge.  That is how it worked for me.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

1 hour ago, BonTexasNY said:

Nobody even wanted to go on the ferris wheel inside Sheel's and I didn't want to go on alone.  Was it crowded on Saturday?

Yes, it was super-crowded - we didn’t realize they were celebrating Grandscape’s first birthday that day. We didn’t go inside Scheel’s. Is there a wheel inside? We rode the one outside.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

33 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

We would like to that you for posting this.  When I mentioned this to Sharon she looked ours up and noticed ours dropped some.  She just got off the phone and saved us a little.  We have not made our final payment yet.

Fantastic!! 

[BonTexasNY]

52 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Yes, it was super-crowded - we didn’t realize they were celebrating Grandscape’s first birthday that day. We didn’t go inside Scheel’s. Is there a wheel inside? We rode the one outside.

Yes there is a 65 foot ferris wheel inside Scheel's.  Cost is $1.

Way smaller than the outside one you were on but seems like fun.  It's visible as soon as you enter the store. Scheel's also have a nice cafe with delicious looking homemade fudge.

[Bailey & Sophie]

2 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I have read that it can make a difference where the OBC comes from but I will tell you my experience.  We had about $1,100 OBC.  When we had about $900. left I went to a slot machine to cash out.  Someone may post a pic of the instructions but basically on the slot you transfer money from your cruise account to a casino account.  On Symphony you were limited to transferring $500 so I made 2 transfers.  I did 1 pull which I didn’t have to do.  I then hit the cash out button. It printed out a slip. I took it to the cashier and they handed me about $900.  Your cruise account will show the charge for the transfer but the OBC will cover the charge.  That is how it worked for me.

 

Thanks. I wrote this down.

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

Can someone remind me how to do this? We have LOTS of credit for our Nov cruise and won't come anywhere near using it all.

I've seen it when I didn't need the info....

Thanks.

Here you go:

 

[dani negreanu]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

Here you go:

 

Thank you, that's very helpful.

 

The question is: does it work for non-refundable OBC [i.e., OBC you got from Royal and not from your travel agent] ?

 

I remember when Bob [aka "Clarea"] advised that in order to cash out NR, at the casino, without paying the 5%,  you have to set up a "cash account".... That's what we had done: deposited 300$ into our account [even when we had the NR OBC],and cashed out the OBC at the casino.

 

At the cruise's end, cashed out at GS our 300$ back...

[grapau27]

Good morning.

5°C and cloudy this morning in North East England.

The roofer is finishing putting a new roof on our garage/utility/porch this morning.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Graham.

[A&L_Ont]

7 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

that was a fast flight to Barbados!

Direct from Toronto and about 5 hours long. I watched the movies Euro Trip and a Million Ways to Die in the West. Hadn’t watched either in a long time. I have photos to post but will by the pool later. 

[A&L_Ont]

11 hours ago, George C said:

which Sandals did you stay at? We went to one three years in a row , food was great , loved swim up bars, but they had a piano bar that a few keys didn’t work and it was never fixed. My only other issue was some of the restaurants and bars were about a mile away from others at the one resort we were at (whitehouse which has since been renamed) , plus was there was about6 different restaurants with no extra charge and in some cases if there was another sandals close you could eat and drink at both for no extra money.

We have stayed at three different ones; Antigua, Bahamas and Barbados now for a second time. Both Antigua and Barbados have 2 resorts side by side. You can walk from each other easily and share the amenities from both. For example we had dinner on our side last night and got ice cream after at the other. 😋

 

Even the singer preforming on the entertainment stage last night was good. We stopped to listen to her sing At Last, by Etta James. It was our first dance at our wedding. We stayed for a few more after but entertainment is simplistic here. 

[Norwich Cruiser]

4 hours ago, brillohead said:

Here you go:

 

Thank you for posting this.

 

Much appreciated.

[Ken at the beach]

2 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Thank you, that's very helpful.

 

The question is: does it work for non-refundable OBC [i.e., OBC you got from Royal and not from your travel agent] ?

 

I remember when Bob [aka "Clarea"] advised that in order to cash out NR, at the casino, without paying the 5%,  you have to set up a "cash account".... That's what we had done: deposited 300$ into our account [even when we had the NR OBC],and cashed out the OBC at the casino.

 

At the cruise's end, cashed out at GS our 300$ back...

Yes this works for non refundable as well.  Things have changed since Bob's advice in the non refundable as you now get the money  through the slots as opposed to getting it at the cashiers cage. 

[A&L_Ont]

A few photo posts to come from yesterday this morning. Was a little dreary when we departed. 

 

@Ocean Boy this one is for you. 

 

 

St Kitts and Nevis were very recognizable from the air.  Captain Lee, are you down there?

 

Amazing how this ship can stay upright at this angle. This ship is unloading g feul for the island and spends a day at a time doing it. A ship is at this location almost all the time. Oh and it’s much warmer on the island. 

 

 

You actually walk the tarmac at this airport. 

 

 

 

[bobmacliberty]

11 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I bet there is a bottle of Pappy there for over $1500 if your interested? Too much for me.

 

They didn't have Pappy on my last visit but even if they did, too rich for my blood also.  Now if they have a Weller 12, I might seriously consider it.

[bobmacliberty]

3 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Thank you, that's very helpful.

 

The question is: does it work for non-refundable OBC [i.e., OBC you got from Royal and not from your travel agent] ?

 

I remember when Bob [aka "Clarea"] advised that in order to cash out NR, at the casino, without paying the 5%,  you have to set up a "cash account".... That's what we had done: deposited 300$ into our account [even when we had the NR OBC],and cashed out the OBC at the casino.

 

At the cruise's end, cashed out at GS our 300$ back...

 

We used the slot machine approach to cash out some OBC on Allure last fall.  We did not have a cash account set up...only a credit card.  There was no convenience fee at the time (i.e., no 5% charge).  I don't know if that was a temporary or permanent thing.

[bobmacliberty]

39 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

You actually walk the tarmac at this airport. 

 

 

That's a great way to start a trip.  It would put me in the Caribbean mood.  Reminds me of the Punta Cana airport years ago.  There was a large, tiki-hut like building with essentially one big waiting area.  When your flight was called, you walked through a door out onto the tarmac to your waiting plane.  I just checked Google and Punta Cana now has a new terminal with 7 jetways and a pool on the roof.  Shows how much that place has grown.

 

Then:

 

Now:

[Ken at the beach]

20 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

There was no convenience fee at the time (i.e., no 5% charge).  I don't know if that was a temporary or permanent thing.

They used to charge a fee when you took out money via the cashier.  Since they switched to getting the money via the slots there has not been a fee either pre or post covid

[Ozark_Kid]

4 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Thank you, that's very helpful.

 

The question is: does it work for non-refundable OBC [i.e., OBC you got from Royal and not from your travel agent] ?

 

I remember when Bob [aka "Clarea"] advised that in order to cash out NR, at the casino, without paying the 5%,  you have to set up a "cash account".... That's what we had done: deposited 300$ into our account [even when we had the NR OBC],and cashed out the OBC at the casino.

 

At the cruise's end, cashed out at GS our 300$ back...

This was our experience.  It was OBC from RC for a price drop after final payment.  We were not charged any fee.

[A&L_Ont]

Going to finish off yesterday’s reports. 

Late afternoon we went to the Jerk Shack (not a euphemism just in case your mind went there) and had some mild pork, chicken, fried dumplings and bread.
 

Jamaican mild sauce which came pre-applied was beyond this Canadian’s taste buds. I tried the extra mustard looking dipping sauce and that was pure heat. @Jimbo I was thinking it must be last dab quality of sauce. I immediately locked the dipping container as it immersed my mouth with a burning favour. 

 

We had dinner at a place called the American Tavern last night, to which I keep wanting to call the American Icon. Food photos are posted sideways thanks to CC. We are lucky it didn’t slide off the table. LOL

 

Apps Meatballs. 

 

Crab cakes for me. 
 

 

Mains, ribs for Lisa. 
 

 

I had the not traditional surf and turf. Brisket and lobster. 
 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[dani negreanu]

A hand-made hamburger is born....

 

Truth is, the family drove the "chef" crazy with their particular demands ... no sauce, hold the onions, no pickles, yes to tomato, including yours truly, who likes just the patty....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

Thank you for posting this.

 

Much appreciated.

You're very welcome! 

I 'stole' this from someone else posting it on CC a while back, and I saved it at that time b/c the question comes up periodically.

[A&L_Ont]

Since dinner wasn’t enough we got some ice cream on the walk back to our cabin. Oops, I mean room. 
 

This resort is going downhill. Clearly this rum has been ruined. 
 

 

 

Lucy, is that you?

 

 

 

 

 

Our butlers left us a note.