RCI secrets they don't tell you

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my door decoration

I SOOOOO want this for our cruise in November! My daughter (age 28) and I are taking a cruise together to celebrate my "20th anniversary of my 30th birthday" ... and I ***KNOW*** we will need this at some point since both of us are big cocktail drinkers!!

With your permission.... I am gonna make my own!!

Michelle

I have an IPhone 4 with an app on it for RCCL. Once out to sea I put my phone on airplane mode and use the deck plans on my phone to get around. On the Majesty someone asked if I knew where a bathroom is, I pulled out my phone and showed them.

I have and I phone 5 and just looked up apps for royal Carribean I can only find 3 one that has find your cruise/view our destinations/view our ships/onboard experience/shore & land excursions/view or webcams/our latest news is that the app you are speaking of?? thanks

I have and I phone 5 and just looked up apps for royal Carribean I can only find 3 one that has find your cruise/view our destinations/view our ships/onboard experience/shore & land excursions/view or webcams/our latest news is that the app you are speaking of?? thanks

The one I have is Ship Mate. I don't know if you have access to it or not. I don't have an IPhone.

I didn't read all posts here, but we found a few things. The snacks by the Starbucks coffee spot are free. You have to pay for Starbucks coffee but not the goodies.

Also, the carpet is different colored on each side of the ship so just remember what color it is by your cabin and you won't be on the wrong side.

The one I have is Ship Mate. I don't know if you have access to it or not. I don't have an IPhone.

I have an Iphone 5 and I have been using Ship Mate for years on all my apple devices. It's a great app!

Best tip ever!!!

I don't care if people cut me in line @ the buffet. If I want to take my time, they are welcome to do so! And, because I don't want to offend, I will just ask if I can bypass someone if I want to do the same.

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If I'm in line, and waiting for something you don't want, you should pass me. I don't think anyone has a problem with that. It's the person who just jumps in front of you, without asking, even if only to grab one item.

I've allowed someone to do this, (grab '1' item), and they stayed there. BALLS, and HELL NO!!!

If I'm in line, and waiting for something you don't want, you should pass me. I don't think anyone has a problem with that. It's the person who just jumps in front of you, without asking, even if only to grab one item.

I've allowed someone to do this, (grab '1' item), and they stayed there. BALLS, and HELL NO!!!

And then invited their half dozen family members to join them!

Tucker in Texas

We used to enjoy decorating our door but as others have stated things, if they were nice, began disappearing. So this is what we did instead. If there is anyone out there who want this they are some strange folk.

This is a tip for the BBQ lunch at Labadee and Coco Cay: there are multiple stations with the same food. There is usually one station that has a line ten times the length of the line at other stations with the same food; people usually see this line and assume that it is the only line for hot dogs, burgers, etc. However, if you walk further into the buffet area, you will see that there are other stations with separate, much shorter lines for the same exact food.

Royal Caribbean doesn't tell you that the dining room table assignments are done using a lottery system except for those who need a specific table assignment.

 

The computer has a list of all guests and will randomly assign the guest to a table. All the Director of Dining has to do is press a key"Assign all unassigned tables" and voila all the tables have been assigned.

 

Another thing they don't tell you is your SeaPass Card has an RFID chip and your name appears on the screen so they can greet you by name even without purchasing anything. Notice how a crewmember from a year ago remembers you from the Serenade. Well what the see is your past cruising history and to make you special if they worked on X ship they would say "Welcome Back Mr. so and so" .

 

One other thing they don't tell you is the Elevators can be programmed using the RFID technology to say Welcome back Mr. so and so. But they don't use it in case someone gets scared. Just look on the back for the small barcode on each side. there is an RFID chip stored there and it can be read without scanning(:.

 

 

Another insider tip they don't tell you is if you want to book a future cruise just pick up your room phone and connect with the Loyalty Ambassador. You can be sitting in your PJ's planning your next cruise. If that doesn't work call down to Guest Services and they will patch your call to Miami for no additional charge.

 

If there is something you crave just tell your waiter or waitress and you may be surprised to find that item maybe not tonight but sometime down the road.

 

Which leads me to my next inside info. You know how they bring your Iced Tea and other beverages every time. They don't remember them. There is a secrete employee who is recording your preferences and uploading it to the computer. Your wait staff checks into their section and sees what you like. All your preferences are being silently recorded and used. In fact preferences from your last cruise are kept on file and shared with the sister ships.

 

Want to know one less reason not to use the ship's computer? Because its running Windows XP and as of today there will be security vulnerabilities.

wouldn't worry about XP on a cruise ship - only about 30% of the XP estate worldwide has been updated. Most large corporations and Financial institutions, and governments, including the Dutch and UK and US governments have paid Microsoft millions to extend support. Royal Caribbean have a strategic partnership with MS.

On the Voyager class ships, when you return to the ship after a port stop, walk on by the first bank of elevators and go to the second bank. It looks like you are going into the crew area but you aren't.

Tucker in Texas

I have 7 kids and we sometimes let some of them bring friends. We have never had a problem with charging to the card.

First: If I don't trust you with the card, you don't get to hold it. That usually means you are young enough that you are never going around the ship by yourself.

Second: If I do trust you and you are old enough, you get the "speech". It does not include anything about college funds. The threat is: if you can't handle the responsibility, then next time you stay home. We'll bring you back a t-shirt. And they know I mean it.

Three cruise lines, 7 of our kids, 5 friends, 1 nephew and 6+ cruises. Not one dime has ever been charged without our permission.

As I grew up in family of 7 children, my hat is off to you!!

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You get the "speech". It does not include anything about college funds. The threat is: if you can't handle the responsibility, then next time you stay home. We'll bring you back a t-shirt.

 

 

 

That's quite brilliant!

I don't have kids, but I'll try it with the DW. :D

 

Second: If I do trust you and you are old enough, you get the "speech". It does not include anything about college funds. The threat is: if you can't handle the responsibility, then next time you stay home. We'll bring you back a t-shirt. And they know I mean it.

 

Same threat we gave our kids. Pointed out that the widow lady down the street would love to pick up some baby sitting money and we would save a whole lot of money not taking them and, also, paying to board the dog. They called me to see if they could eat the candy on their pillows the first night. Never had a problem.

One thing we/they learned real early in life. If we make statement about actions and resulting consequences, they know that it will happen even if we think in hindsight it was a little harsh, we still won't back down.

Tucker in Texas

As a non-parent, it really makes me feel a whole lot better about society when I hear about parents actually parenting... instead of finding a way to look cool to their kids or become "besties" with them.

The job of a parent is to teach, guide, and instill values into kids. That isn't always a popular, cool, or glamorous job.

My DD is now 26 and married we have cruised with her since she was 9?? I have never had a problem with her over spending when she was a child traveling with us. She knew her limits and was pleased all the time. I know everyone thinks their child is perfect but she actually was. She knew limits was very happy that we were able to travel as we did and was just content. We traveled with family a few times other cousins they had issues w their kids taking off running around not meeting at set check in times we never had these worries. I am thankful for that. I rem telling her that it wasn't her we didn't trust but other people and some people are unsafe to be around. They couldn't get over the fact that out meeting times were exact. 1 my daughter didn't want us to worry and she knew that her father would turn over the ship to find her( now she was in like her earlier teens not when she was 9) 2 she knew if she didn't show up on time her night was over. There would not be any time extension. We sat late at night had a snack as a family and turned in together. I'm very grateful she was like this. And before any one smacks me with well you only have one child, she wasn't a one child she was a single child to us an only was a negative. I feel if we had several nothing would have been different. Ok that's my soap box. Nothing meant to insult anyone that's just how things worked for us.

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People who decorate their doors look like they are having fun to me. We are going to take something next time too! Maybe a couple of cheap magnets or something. We have seen quite a few different things, but hubby likes the birthday banners with the fringe along the bottom. He likes flicking along them!

 

We sometimes reference a picture on the wall or something, but after a couple of cruises back to back in different rooms, remembering your room number is not always easy! Luckily last time they were in similar positions just a few decks different. A few times our room attendant was close by and opened our door for us. The hardest thing is remembering which way to go when you get off the elevators! But yes, we read the signs they put up.

It looks quite geeky to me

It looks quite geeky to me

Ah and that is the very reason God made us all different. The whole different strokes thing, ya know.

You don't have to put your life story, name or photo... You can put anything on your door!

OR if you are like the two guys next door to us on our last DCL cruise... you can put photos of yourself with crew members who treated you extra special.

Not a horrible concept... you are simply celebrating previous crew members you enjoyed being served by.

HOWEVER, they added catch phrases like "Will YOU be next?" and "How good is YOUR service?"

Which just completely pushed into "We're giant tools trying to bribe you into working harder for us" waters.

Wasn't the teens but the two 11 year olds. Arcade is right outside the kids club and they were watching and it was a staff member that told them they could play the games. They told him that they could not charge anything and he told them that all cards could be used in the arcade they just have a limit on them and they just won't be able to play after they hit their limit.

1. Since missing the ship is about 99.9% avoidable, I'm not overly concerned about the need to find my own way to the next port.

2. If you were foolish enough to miss the ship, the items you mentioned would not help you get to the next port. A notarized seal on a color copy isn't going to get you on a plane or a boat.

I have teens, and they still listen to me, so don't assume you'll have to eat that crow![

 

MrsPete you are missing the point, but then again you go ahead and believe what you want, as I can see no one can enlighten you as to the importance of at least bringing a copy of your passport with you when you leave the ship. I thought this was a great piece of advice and that is what this board is all about.

99.9% avoidable....I think not! What if one of your traveling companions has an accident...heart attack/breaks leg/car accident or other such issue. If you only have a sea pass you are out of luck! Should you have a credit card, sea pass, and copy of passport, you can go to the US embassy and get cleared to leave the foreign country. But if you prefer to be known by the locals as "Big fatty face" then go ahead and lock that passport in you safe.]

I was commenting to the poster who thinks that notarized copy was going to be useful ashore. This is 2014; if you were forced to go to the embassy, they could pull up your information in about 30 seconds. A copy -- whether it's a color copy, laminated, notarized, or whatever -- isn't going to be helpful. What would be helpful would be a state ID and a credit card -- things that would let the embassy people know that the items they can pull up on their computer screens are actually YOU.

 

Yes, making it back to the ship is very, very easy -- even if an accident occurs. The ship is within walking distance of many beaches and other touristy spots, and taxis are everywhere. If you're injured, you'd be better off returning to the ship rather than putting yourself into the hands of island medical personnel -- and unless you've waited 'til the last minute, you'll have no trouble doing it.

 

As for the insult at the end, well, it makes no sense.

Do you guys decorate your room door in hotels aswell?

Hotel rooms don't tend to have looooong narrow corridors with 40, 50 or more rooms all in one long row. It's in no way a need, but it means you don't have to pay attention to numbers as you walk back to your room, and it's fun to see other people's decorations.

Hotel rooms don't tend to have looooong narrow corridors with 40, 50 or more rooms all in one long row. It's in no way a need, but it means you don't have to pay attention to numbers as you walk back to your room, and it's fun to see other people's decorations.

I totally agree with the... it's fun to see other people's decorations.

Eat more Shrimp

Don't forget lip balm (the good, medicated stuff AND the waxy stuff that provides a protective layer) and lotion. You are going to be exposed to a lot more wind than you are used to on land.