4-nighter next week--questions?

[Bruin Steve]

I've got a 4 nighter on Navigator of the Seas--LA-Catalina-Ensenada-LA--embarking a week from Monday.  This will be my first Royal Caribbean cruise in almost 5 years (thanks partly to the pandemic, partly due to RCCL pulling out of the West Coast and partly due to better itineraries on Celebrity).  But, now, I have three RCC cruises coming up in the next 10 month, the first of which is this one fast approaching...

 

And, a lot has changed in almost five years...so I have a few questions...

 

First:  Drinks...  We've been Diamond C&A a long time (just short of D+).  We were very accustomed to the Diamond Lounge and the drinking hours.  But I understand we are now dealing with four anytime vouchers each.  We've also become used to booking with included drink packages--on Celebrity and Princess.  But, on RCCL adding a drink package would be stupid.  It's full price--so, basically, about seven drinks a day each just to break even,,,and that woud be ON TOP OF the four vouchers--So, drinks #5 through 11!!!  Hard to imagine ever getting to 12 drinks a day!  So, here's the question:  If I drink a diet coake at lunch or my wife grabs a bottle of water, do they count that against our vouchers automatically?  Or do they only use a voucher if you specifically instruct them to use one?  It would be tough to use up four vouchers for $8 worth of soda or water and pay full price for drinks later in the day...Also, the vouchers, if unused any specific day don't carry over, correct? Can you apply a voucher retroactively--say you had a soda at lunch but didn't use the voucher and ended up ising only three the rest of the day?  Also does the day start and end with midnight? or is it some other arbitrary time--Say you order a drink at 12:15 am, does that count against the prior day or is it the first of four vouchers the following day?  And do you get any vouchers that last morning onboard--say you want a bloody mary at breakfast (not that I've ever done that)?

 

"Formal Nights":  It's a four night cruise...do they still have a "formal night"?  Doesn't seem worth schlepping formal attire with us on such a short cruise--especially when we can otherwise carry everything we need in a carry-on sized piece.  And, if they have them, do people really get dressed up?  OR is that now a relic of the past?

 

C&A Diamond benefits/lounge:  The Navigator Deck plans still show a Diamond Club on Deck 5.  Any benefit in going?  I guess it MIGHT be easier to get a nice table than in some of the general bars/lounges.  Do they still serve appetizers?  What other perks or benefits are left for Diamond C&A members--I  know much has changed in 5 years...

 

Shows:  The website has the line "We're putting finishing touches on your entertinment lineup..."  The app shows nothing in the way of nightly shows in the showroom.  I assume they wil have them--sort of a staple of the cruise industry.  Two shows a night,  I assume?  Anyone know the typical show times?

 

Anything else I should really know?

Thanks...

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Or do they only use a voucher if you specifically instruct them to use one? 

You better tell them which way you want it charged every time you order something. 

[OCSC Mike]

That's a lot of questions in one post. I'll address the Diamond perks parts...

 

I would go out of your way to say you DO NOT want this soda or water to count as a D drink and ask to be charged just to be safe. Conversely, I always say "as one of my Diamond drinks" after ordering one.

 

They do not roll over and I would never consider trying to retroactively use them like you mentioned. Just sounds like a giant headache.

 

Yes, the day starts at midnight. You actually get 4 more drinks on disembarkation morning and can order mimosas or whatever with them.

 

Yes there are still snacks in the DL as well as the coffee machine for cappuccino, espresso, latte, etc. There is also the breakfast spread just like pre-covid.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited June 18, 2022 by OCSC Mike

[yogimax]

16 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

It would be tough to use up four vouchers for $8 worth of soda or water and pay full price for drinks later in the day...

Soda isn't that cheap.  We were told my wife's ginger ale would cost over $4 if we paid for it.

[flamingos]

Diamond Lounge is great in the morning for free specialty coffee and a few pastries that you might not see in the Windjammer.  I am not impressed by their selection of hors d'oeuvres in the evening, but you might enjoy the company when the people gather there.  

 

If by chance you have not used your 4 at the end of the day, grab a bottle/can of water from a bar, or a canned soda. 

 

Have fun!

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, flamingos said:

If by chance you have not used your 4 at the end of the day, grab a bottle/can of water from a bar, or a canned soda.

 

Can also ask for unopened beer or hard seltzer to keep in your fridge if you deem it cold enough and want extra alcohol.

[taglovestocruise]

28 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

I've got a 4 nighter on Navigator of the Seas--LA-Catalina-Ensenada-LA--embarking a week from Monday.  This will be my first Royal Caribbean cruise in almost 5 years (thanks partly to the pandemic, partly due to RCCL pulling out of the West Coast and partly due to better itineraries on Celebrity).  But, now, I have three RCC cruises coming up in the next 10 month, the first of which is this one fast approaching...

 

And, a lot has changed in almost five years...so I have a few questions...

 

First:  Drinks...  We've been Diamond C&A a long time (just short of D+).  We were very accustomed to the Diamond Lounge and the drinking hours.  But I understand we are now dealing with four anytime vouchers each.  We've also become used to booking with included drink packages--on Celebrity and Princess.  But, on RCCL adding a drink package would be stupid.  It's full price--so, basically, about seven drinks a day each just to break even,,,and that woud be ON TOP OF the four vouchers--So, drinks #5 through 11!!!  Hard to imagine ever getting to 12 drinks a day!  So, here's the question:  If I drink a diet coake at lunch or my wife grabs a bottle of water, do they count that against our vouchers automatically?  Or do they only use a voucher if you specifically instruct them to use one?  It would be tough to use up four vouchers for $8 worth of soda or water and pay full price for drinks later in the day...Also, the vouchers, if unused any specific day don't carry over, correct? Can you apply a voucher retroactively--say you had a soda at lunch but didn't use the voucher and ended up ising only three the rest of the day?  Also does the day start and end with midnight? or is it some other arbitrary time--Say you order a drink at 12:15 am, does that count against the prior day or is it the first of four vouchers the following day?  And do you get any vouchers that last morning onboard--say you want a bloody mary at breakfast (not that I've ever done that)?

 

"Formal Nights":  It's a four night cruise...do they still have a "formal night"?  Doesn't seem worth schlepping formal attire with us on such a short cruise--especially when we can otherwise carry everything we need in a carry-on sized piece.  And, if they have them, do people really get dressed up?  OR is that now a relic of the past?

 

C&A Diamond benefits/lounge:  The Navigator Deck plans still show a Diamond Club on Deck 5.  Any benefit in going?  I guess it MIGHT be easier to get a nice table than in some of the general bars/lounges.  Do they still serve appetizers?  What other perks or benefits are left for Diamond C&A members--I  know much has changed in 5 years...

 

Shows:  The website has the line "We're putting finishing touches on your entertinment lineup..."  The app shows nothing in the way of nightly shows in the showroom.  I assume they wil have them--sort of a staple of the cruise industry.  Two shows a night,  I assume?  Anyone know the typical show times?

 

Anything else I should really know?

Thanks...

Off Navigator two months ago, son off navigator two weeks ago,  DL had a pretty decent light breakfast spread, coffee all day was a plus. Tell them if you do not want a voucher used for a beverage.  Used the vouchers at Plaza Bar and Playmakers several times and were not dinged 4 different times.  Some bar tenders seem to be old school and just hand you your card back when they see your diamond or remember you. We always tip a couple bucks for Diamond drinks.  DL was for Pinnacle only during Happy Hour, the cosmopolitan club was open for D and D+ only every night with a pretty good appetizer  layout. Had several drinks up there before dinner and charge against voucher was hit or miss. This is what the D happy hour looked like every night in the Cosmopolitan club. 

[Bruin Steve]

7 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

...Used the vouchers at Plaza Bar and Playmakers several times and were not dinged 4 different times.  Some bar tenders seem to be old school and just hand you your card back when they see your diamond or remember you. ...Had several drinks up there before dinner and charge against voucher was hit or miss...

So...how does one track how many vouchers have been used and how many are left?

[neverbeenhere]

Go to a bar, ask the person standing there. How many do I have left?  Actually, they frequently tell me, you’ve got X left after ordering. 

[neverbeenhere]

yes, I’m hoping that Roman numerals will be used soon on Royal. Then X would mean a lot more to me. 

[OCSC Mike]

18 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

So...how does one track how many vouchers have been used and how many are left?

 

You can also check your charges in the app. Diamond drinks show up with the bar's name and $0.00.

 

If you get additional free drinks from the suite lounge or the casino, then it can get a little confusing but you just have to separate those out.

[wallyj]

Hi @Bruin Steve, I see some posts seem to being using the Diamond Club and Diamond lounge for Happy hour snacks as if they are the same venue. The Diamond Club on deck 5 is where the coffee machine is located and they have a breakfast ‘spread’. On my Navigator sailings earlier this year, in the evening the Diamond Club on deck 5 was used for a Pinnicle Lounge and the D, D+ place for happy hour snacks was the Cosmo/Viking crown lounge  .

 

Before February 2022, I was able to get alcohol drinks at Plaza bar in WJ, on disembarkation morning. Believe now, no alcohol is available in bars on disembarkation morning, did not check if you can get Bloody Mary or mimosa’s in MDR that morning, but you will have 4 voucher to use. 
 

In one of my sailings I decided to stay up late on last night of cruise and went to a bar at 12:30am. and bartender told me the ‘new’ vouchers had not reloaded yet. So when I eventually went to breakfast, got a few can soda’s to take home or back to my cabin if I was on B2B.

 

Yes, they will have a dress your best night for those who want to take pictures, but they will have photo backdrops probably everyday.

 

As far as entertainment, the production show is Showgirl, Past, Present, Future and should appear on APP just before sailing or when you board. Might need reservation but probably not. The other show is the Ice Show in Studio B which will require reservation so make sure to do once you board. My nephew was on for a 3 day last month and the shows(both)were not done because some staff were ‘sick’. They will probably have other guest entertainers like comedian, juggler or singer. They did a quickie Ice show ‘skills’ presentation in lieu of the normal ‘Ice Show’

 

The pool heaters are out but were supposed to be fixed by end of May and last reports are  they are still not fixed. 
 

I enjoyed the Navigator and am booked to be back for 11 nights doing B3B in August.

Edited June 18, 2022 by wallyj

[pcur]

1 hour ago, Bruin Steve said:

I've got a 4 nighter on Navigator of the Seas--LA-Catalina-Ensenada-LA--embarking a week from Monday.  This will be my first Royal Caribbean cruise in almost 5 years (thanks partly to the pandemic, partly due to RCCL pulling out of the West Coast and partly due to better itineraries on Celebrity).  But, now, I have three RCC cruises coming up in the next 10 month, the first of which is this one fast approaching...

 

And, a lot has changed in almost five years...so I have a few questions...

 

First:  Drinks...  We've been Diamond C&A a long time (just short of D+).  We were very accustomed to the Diamond Lounge and the drinking hours.  But I understand we are now dealing with four anytime vouchers each.  We've also become used to booking with included drink packages--on Celebrity and Princess.  But, on RCCL adding a drink package would be stupid.  It's full price--so, basically, about seven drinks a day each just to break even,,,and that woud be ON TOP OF the four vouchers--So, drinks #5 through 11!!!  Hard to imagine ever getting to 12 drinks a day!  So, here's the question:  If I drink a diet coake at lunch or my wife grabs a bottle of water, do they count that against our vouchers automatically?  Or do they only use a voucher if you specifically instruct them to use one?  It would be tough to use up four vouchers for $8 worth of soda or water and pay full price for drinks later in the day...Also, the vouchers, if unused any specific day don't carry over, correct? Can you apply a voucher retroactively--say you had a soda at lunch but didn't use the voucher and ended up ising only three the rest of the day?  Also does the day start and end with midnight? or is it some other arbitrary time--Say you order a drink at 12:15 am, does that count against the prior day or is it the first of four vouchers the following day?  And do you get any vouchers that last morning onboard--say you want a bloody mary at breakfast (not that I've ever done that)?

ANY drink you would normally pay for can be vouchered with your 4 free drinks.  If you don't want to use it, say, for the bottle of water, then just tell them to charge it.

 

"Formal Nights":  It's a four night cruise...do they still have a "formal night"?  Doesn't seem worth schlepping formal attire with us on such a short cruise--especially when we can otherwise carry everything we need in a carry-on sized piece.  And, if they have them, do people really get dressed up?  OR is that now a relic of the past?

Just take something nice to wear, but not formal.  I was on the Navi for 4 consecutive cruises, including the 4-nighter, and there were formal clothes.  However, I observed these were people who wanted pictures to commemorate the cruise for their own reasons.

C&A Diamond benefits/lounge:  The Navigator Deck plans still show a Diamond Club on Deck 5.  Any benefit in going?  I guess it MIGHT be easier to get a nice table than in some of the general bars/lounges.  Do they still serve appetizers?  What other perks or benefits are left for Diamond C&A members--I  know much has changed in 5 years...

I liked to go into the DL because I usually eat between 7:30 - 8:15pm, and having a protein snack (cheese, chicken, fish) helped me with the alcohol and get through until dinner.  Plus, I met some great people there, two of whom I am now cruising with!!

Shows:  The website has the line "We're putting finishing touches on your entertinment lineup..."  The app shows nothing in the way of nightly shows in the showroom.  I assume they wil have them--sort of a staple of the cruise industry.  Two shows a night,  I assume?  Anyone know the typical show times?

Usually 7-ish and 9pm

 

Anything else I should really know? Go to the upper level C&A get-together.  The Captain and the Hotel Director are pretty funny, alone and with each other.

Thanks...

 

[Bleueyes44]

The drinks question were pretty much answered so I'll answer dome of the others.

Yes they still have formal or as they call it dress you best. I found on the Navigator there was everything from formal wear to shorts and t-shirt.  If you enjoy dressing dress up. I do but not like the old days mostly dress pants and bling type top.

As far as entertainment there is the must see Ice Show its really good .  Then the Showgirls production which is good also, I quit going to it cause it's the same show thats on several ships.  The other production show hasn't  come back yet that I  know of.  As far as everything else I  found it lacking . This is where the CD falls short at keeping people entertained. Of all my cruises she is the only one I  didn't  care for.

One last thing they do not provide a paper compass not even at guest services. You have to use your RCCL app for everything.  If you want a paper compass ask your cabin steward to provide one every day. Hope this helps, happy sailing.....

[pcur]

31 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

So...how does one track how many vouchers have been used and how many are left?

You can ask them to check.  Your "non" charges don't show up until the next day.  I take just enough cash tip money for my freebies, and when it's gone, my vouchers on the card are gone, too.

[OCSC Mike]

8 minutes ago, pcur said:

Your "non" charges don't show up until the next day.

 

This must vary by ship. Mine showed up very quickly on Harmony recently.

[Biker19]

10 minutes ago, pcur said:

Your "non" charges don't show up until the next day. 

Unless the system is down it shows up right away after they process it through the point of sale terminal. 

[pcur]

Just now, Biker19 said:

Unless the system is down it shows up right away after they process it through the point of sale terminal. 

So, I guess my "regulars" getting my vouchered drinks were slooooooooooooow.  HA!

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, pcur said:

So, I guess my "regulars" getting my vouchered drinks were slooooooooooooow. 

And sometimes, like on CocoCay, they may never process them. 

[smokeybandit]

My voucher drinks tend to show up pretty fast on my folio.

[pcur]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

And sometimes, like on CocoCay, they may never process them. 

I guess that's a nice thing, but I seriously will have a hard time keeping up with my now 6 vouchers.  I get two ginormous bottles of Pellegrino, so there's only so many little bottles I can drink during the day. Maybe I can try virgin drink or two, if there are any that won't put me in a sugar coma.......................................

[OCSC Mike]

27 minutes ago, pcur said:

Maybe I can try virgin drink or two, if there are any that won't put me in a sugar coma.....

If there are, my young nieces certainly weren’t using their vouchers on them, lol.

[bonsai3s]

50 minutes ago, pcur said:

I guess that's a nice thing, but I seriously will have a hard time keeping up with my now 6 vouchers.  I get two ginormous bottles of Pellegrino, so there's only so many little bottles I can drink during the day. Maybe I can try virgin drink or two, if there are any that won't put me in a sugar coma.......................................

pcur...Congratulations! 🙂