scopewest
January 4th, 2005, 05:42 PM
Since this was the year of our 20th wedding anniversary, I decided to "surprise" my husband with the ROV ceremony. We also decided to get the Just for Us package as it guaranteed us a table for 2. I did this on our Oosterdam 12/26 cruise:
We arrived at our cabin to find a dozen roses and Mumm champagne in a cooler, along with a letter telling us what to expect in terms of goodies. What the letter didn't say is that you get little gift card vouchers which you turn in to the Pinnacle, photographers, etc. who apply the credit to their charges so your bill balances out. At the end of all this, our bill did balance out and there were no problems with the money end. But those damn vouchers were a PITA, esp. the Pinnacle ones, as they said dinner for ONE and spelled it "dinning." We had to get the front office to change it both times.
Also on our bed was a silver frame that said "dam memories" on the top. Very nice.
That night at dinner, the headwaiter (?) came by and asked when we wanted the high tea and chocolate extravaganza in our stateroom. Being idiots we said both on the same day. The high tea was very elegant and I'm sure it's the same tea the suites get. The problem is the chocolate extravaganza was the exact same items as the high tea minus sandwiches. What chocolate are they talking about?? This was disappointing but both arrived from room service at the appointed time. The chocolates also came with another bottle of champage.
I've already mentioned the massage part of the package in my other review. Not worth the money.
On formal night we got a box of chocolates, the same kind they sell for $7 in the shop. Brought it home unopened, we had enough to eat as it was.
We used the photo credit and had no trouble. In fact the photographers were extremely nice as you'll see by my ROV comments.
Ate at the Pinnacle (also discussed in other review) and found out they'd give you a cake and a glass of champagne if you said it was your birthday or anniversary. They gave us the cake but no champagne.
The two bathrobes were neatly packaged so we could throw them in our suitcase and take them home. We were given robes to use throughout the cruise so we didn't open the new ones.
Now the major problem with this package IMO and that's the guaranteed table. We got to our room and found our table number. We snuck into the dining room and found our table...for four. Luckily they had just started the see the maitre 'd if you have table problems, and we went and saw him. He switched us from 5:45 p.m.to 6:15 p.m. and gave us that great table in the rear. My husband was annoyed that we even had to ask for this since this was guaranteed. He also got the impression the m'd didn't care that we had the package, he just gave us the table because we asked early enough to switch.
We did get our table, we did get everything in the package, but why did we feel like we were pulling teeth to get it??
As for the ROV package, the ceremony with the captain was just as everyone said. I almost cried when repeating the vows. I almost cried too because we almost missed the ceremony due to HAL.
We also had in our stateroom another bottle of champage from the ROV package, plus a photo frame for the picture, and a letter saying we'd be told when the ROV was. Our ROV voucher said this was a gift from the girls who wanted us to remember Haiti. Say WHAT?? This was a gift from me to my husband! I didn't bother to point this out to HAL. Perhaps I should have said something to the other couples at the ceremony.
We never got a letter saying when the ceremony was. I asked the photographer who told me. The night before I asked the front desk and they told me but stupid me, I didn't remind them I was to be a part of it.
We arrived at the ceremony only to find there was no certificate for us and they didn't have us listed as even belonging there. I guess they figured anyone who showed up for this must have bought it because they let us in and the captain did the honors. The asst. cruise director (one of many) talked to us and apologized and said she'd tell the ROV person (who never got back to us).
We were told our photo/certificate album would show up the next night. When we didn't receive anything by 8 p.m. (we're leaving the next day) I asked the front desk who claimed the ROV people were working on it. At 10 p.m. the same asst. cd showed up with our album. I glanced through it very fast and didn't see our photo. At that point I went crazy and ran downstairs to the photo people who told us the photos had all been delivered but there were some "extra" photos over there. The extra photos turned out to be the second photo the guy took of us. I found ours, told the guy I wanted to buy it, and he insisted that I just take it as "it should be a part of the package."
I went back upstairs to put it in the album...and found the captain photo. In my haste I jumped right over it. But I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have known to look for the second photo.
Meanwhile we now had two bottles of champagne left over (we drank one of the three we got) which I really didn't want. I brought them down to the front desk and they credited my account for them. It was interesting to see that one of the bottles was the same champagne they used for NYEve.
Did we get everything that was a part of the package? Yes we did. But again, why did we have to fight for it?
Did it ruin our cruise? No. Just made us think twice about buying another package. And yes I did mention it on the comment card.
We arrived at our cabin to find a dozen roses and Mumm champagne in a cooler, along with a letter telling us what to expect in terms of goodies. What the letter didn't say is that you get little gift card vouchers which you turn in to the Pinnacle, photographers, etc. who apply the credit to their charges so your bill balances out. At the end of all this, our bill did balance out and there were no problems with the money end. But those damn vouchers were a PITA, esp. the Pinnacle ones, as they said dinner for ONE and spelled it "dinning." We had to get the front office to change it both times.
Also on our bed was a silver frame that said "dam memories" on the top. Very nice.
That night at dinner, the headwaiter (?) came by and asked when we wanted the high tea and chocolate extravaganza in our stateroom. Being idiots we said both on the same day. The high tea was very elegant and I'm sure it's the same tea the suites get. The problem is the chocolate extravaganza was the exact same items as the high tea minus sandwiches. What chocolate are they talking about?? This was disappointing but both arrived from room service at the appointed time. The chocolates also came with another bottle of champage.
I've already mentioned the massage part of the package in my other review. Not worth the money.
On formal night we got a box of chocolates, the same kind they sell for $7 in the shop. Brought it home unopened, we had enough to eat as it was.
We used the photo credit and had no trouble. In fact the photographers were extremely nice as you'll see by my ROV comments.
Ate at the Pinnacle (also discussed in other review) and found out they'd give you a cake and a glass of champagne if you said it was your birthday or anniversary. They gave us the cake but no champagne.
The two bathrobes were neatly packaged so we could throw them in our suitcase and take them home. We were given robes to use throughout the cruise so we didn't open the new ones.
Now the major problem with this package IMO and that's the guaranteed table. We got to our room and found our table number. We snuck into the dining room and found our table...for four. Luckily they had just started the see the maitre 'd if you have table problems, and we went and saw him. He switched us from 5:45 p.m.to 6:15 p.m. and gave us that great table in the rear. My husband was annoyed that we even had to ask for this since this was guaranteed. He also got the impression the m'd didn't care that we had the package, he just gave us the table because we asked early enough to switch.
We did get our table, we did get everything in the package, but why did we feel like we were pulling teeth to get it??
As for the ROV package, the ceremony with the captain was just as everyone said. I almost cried when repeating the vows. I almost cried too because we almost missed the ceremony due to HAL.
We also had in our stateroom another bottle of champage from the ROV package, plus a photo frame for the picture, and a letter saying we'd be told when the ROV was. Our ROV voucher said this was a gift from the girls who wanted us to remember Haiti. Say WHAT?? This was a gift from me to my husband! I didn't bother to point this out to HAL. Perhaps I should have said something to the other couples at the ceremony.
We never got a letter saying when the ceremony was. I asked the photographer who told me. The night before I asked the front desk and they told me but stupid me, I didn't remind them I was to be a part of it.
We arrived at the ceremony only to find there was no certificate for us and they didn't have us listed as even belonging there. I guess they figured anyone who showed up for this must have bought it because they let us in and the captain did the honors. The asst. cruise director (one of many) talked to us and apologized and said she'd tell the ROV person (who never got back to us).
We were told our photo/certificate album would show up the next night. When we didn't receive anything by 8 p.m. (we're leaving the next day) I asked the front desk who claimed the ROV people were working on it. At 10 p.m. the same asst. cd showed up with our album. I glanced through it very fast and didn't see our photo. At that point I went crazy and ran downstairs to the photo people who told us the photos had all been delivered but there were some "extra" photos over there. The extra photos turned out to be the second photo the guy took of us. I found ours, told the guy I wanted to buy it, and he insisted that I just take it as "it should be a part of the package."
I went back upstairs to put it in the album...and found the captain photo. In my haste I jumped right over it. But I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have known to look for the second photo.
Meanwhile we now had two bottles of champagne left over (we drank one of the three we got) which I really didn't want. I brought them down to the front desk and they credited my account for them. It was interesting to see that one of the bottles was the same champagne they used for NYEve.
Did we get everything that was a part of the package? Yes we did. But again, why did we have to fight for it?
Did it ruin our cruise? No. Just made us think twice about buying another package. And yes I did mention it on the comment card.