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Empress of the Seas questions (alcohol, fridge, safe, upgrades?)


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I've just confirmed for a late cruise on the Empress of the Seas in a few weeks.

 

How strict is RCI about sneaking alcohol in your checked baggage upon boarding? Do they x-ray your baggage? Was thinking about bringing some rum or vodka in a plastic fifth-style bottle to mix with some of the free fruit drinks on-board. Should I transfer them to a different bottle (shampoo, water, etc.)? From what I can tell, the room stewards are OK with it - as long as you can get on board with it.

 

Also, was wondering if the Empress interior staterooms have a fridge and/or a safe?

 

Final question - Upgrades at check-in? Free? Or pay (if available)? Is this possible? I assume our boat isn't full because I was able to reserve a room this late in the game. Do they ever offer you a better room at a cheaper price? Can you sweet talk your way into a better room with a $10 vegas handshake? :D

 

Thanks.

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i was in an obstructed view on deck 7. i pre-requested a refrig. in advance through my agent and it was there when i boarded. no safe though i believe they are in the process of adding them. as of 4/29 some decks had them, others-not! :(

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We cruise the Biggest Little Ship Empress in Oct 05. I have been reading and posting for a couple of months now. What I have learned is that the lower decks may not have safe's. I never asked about the fridge, so I don't know.

As far as the upgrades, I was advised by RCCL to check upon boarding for possible upgrades and if there is any rooms not taken you can swap them at no extra charge. Be aware, you aren't the only one looking to do this, so it's first come first served. I'm hoping with the smaller ship and many folks want a large ship, that we will have the opportunity to also upgrade. We are in a inside on deck 3...I think we need to stoke the furnace on our off time besides. lol.

 

Have fun on your cruise!!!!

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I'm on the Empress on September 3 and I plan on putting vodka in a mouthwash bottle (or two) and putting them in a zip lock in my checked luggage. Did that on Carnival last year with absolutely no problem. Just mixed it with the free lemonade and it was wonderful. Still bought my share of the tuity-fruity-umbrella drinks onboard but having a drink in the room before heading out with my own vodka helped save a bunch of cash - which I then spent in the casino. :p

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We just got off the Empress almost 2 weeks ago....we were in an inside on deck 3 (cabin 3243). We checked at the port, and were told the ship was full and there were no cabins available. Certainly didn't look that way to us in the dining room! Anyway, it was a great cabin - we actually prefer the inside, lower mid-ship cabins, on these shorter cruises. Gets us to sleep in a little later in the morning, you don't feel the movement of the sea as much if it gets a little rough, and it's easy to take the stairs to lots of things - dining rooms, casino, disembarkation at the ports (deck 2), etc., and not have to deal with elevators. On mid-level decks, you'd probably have to take elevators either up or down more often to get where you want (at least we would - 5 decks up is too much for us, but a couple decks up or down are okay!). There was no safe.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

 

Michele

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Hi,

 

I'm sailing October 10th, on the Empress.

 

It's my understanding that all rooms have safes. I travel with a lot jewelry as well as cash, and wouldn't want to leave my property out, nor would I like to have to bring it down to the desk either

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland America, ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, 11 Day Southern Carribean

Holland America, ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, 7 Night Eastern Carribean

 

Soon To Sail on RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, 7 Nightt Eastern Carribean

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We just got off the Empress almost 2 weeks ago....we were in an inside on deck 3 (cabin 3243). We checked at the port, and were told the ship was full and there were no cabins available. Certainly didn't look that way to us in the dining room! Anyway, it was a great cabin - we actually prefer the inside, lower mid-ship cabins, on these shorter cruises. Gets us to sleep in a little later in the morning, you don't feel the movement of the sea as much if it gets a little rough, and it's easy to take the stairs to lots of things - dining rooms, casino, disembarkation at the ports (deck 2), etc., and not have to deal with elevators. On mid-level decks, you'd probably have to take elevators either up or down more often to get where you want (at least we would - 5 decks up is too much for us, but a couple decks up or down are okay!). There was no safe.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

 

Michele

 

 

Michele,

 

We're in cabin #3233 for our cruise, did you think your cabin was quiet? On the Sovereign we could just barely hear people in the cabins surrounding us, I'm imagining that the Empress will be the same. Can't wait to go! Hopefully we'll be able to out run the hurricanes. :)

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BAS7 -- Sorry to disappoint you, but all rooms do not have safes. The majority do not, (unless you're on one of the upper decks or a suite, maybe?). I've been on every deck on the ship and did not have a safe on decks 3, 4, or 7. Had one on 9, but can't remember about deck 8.

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We were in a js on 9 in Empress, had a safe. My sister and brother in law were in a js on 7, no safe. My mom had an ocean view on 8, so did my uncle and aunt, both had safes. I should note that ours wasn't attached to anything, it just sat on the floor of our closet, and could have been moved to another room if necessary. Perhaps if you request a safe (through your TA, perhaps), they'll put one of the movable ones in for you. There are safe deposit boxes available at the customer relations desk. None of our cabins had refrigerators, and none of us brought anything but pop aboard, so I can't address that one!

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CruizinJoan,

 

Thanks for your post, and no, I'm certainly not disappointed. In fact, I'm happy that you posted, because as I stated in my post, I travel with a lot of jewelry, and money, and wanted the security of a safe in my cabin, and to not have to go to the front desk to check my belongings each night. This will be my first voyage with RCCL, and what better place to call to ask a question than the source. Hmmmm.

 

Well, not only did I call RCCL once this evening after reading the questions that the OP presented, but called six (6) times, and each and each time I was told by a Customer Service Rep., that all rooms have safes. I'm not going to name names, as I don't feel this would serve any worthwhile purpose at this point. If six agents gave me the same information re: safes in the cabins, and all were wrong, it's time for RCCL to revamp their staff, sadly to say. Their agents don't know their a**es from their elbows.

 

I've worked in the Travel industry for some forty years. I've worked for Air France Airlines at Kennedy Airport, Olympic Airlines, on Fifth Avenue, Arthur Frommer International, on Fifth Avenue, among other travel related companies. One thing I learned from Arthur Frommer was, that it was more than appropriate to relay to a passenger, that you didn't have the answer to their question, and was ALWAYS told by him to tell the passesnger the truth. You didn't have the answer to their question, but you would be happy to research it for them, and get back with them with a definitive answer, if at all possible.

 

I just got off the phone with RCCL, hopefully for the last time tonight, and spoke with a great Customer Service Rep, who informed me that only some of the rooms have safes. She actually went through the ship on my Deck, (8) oceanview, F category, and looked to see if there were safes. I'm really sorry that I relayed incorrect information, given me by RCCL, as so many people read this site, and depend on accurate answers. I know I sure do. Without this site, I don't know where I would have stood before my first cruise.

 

Leilah, the Customer Service Rep, that I spoke with was kind, an active listener, and even went as far as trying to change my cabin so I would have a safe. In addition, she contacted her supervisor, for proper protocol

 

So many people call with their complaints of one kind or another, and rarely call when they do receive good service. I thanked Leilah for her efficiency, and asked to speak with her supervisor, so I could let her supervisor know how well she handled the call, and also asked that it be made a permanant part of her employment record. Leilah said that an AVO (Avoid Verbal Order) was going to be requested to find out whether or not my cabin was equipped with a safe.

 

I've tried to send this post twice, and each time, it was erased. I know that there have been problems with the site recently. Hopefully this time it goes through, as I'm tired and want to hit the sack.

 

To the OP, hope you have a blast on your cruise, and as the young ones say, "It's The Bomb."

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland America, ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, 11 Day Southern Carribean

Holland America, ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, 7 Night Eastern Carribean

 

Soon To Sail on RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, 7 Night Eastern Carribean, Hopefully with a Safe in my Cabin.

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We cruise the Biggest Little Ship Empress in Oct 05. I have been reading and posting for a couple of months now. What I have learned is that the lower decks may not have safe's. I never asked about the fridge, so I don't know.

As far as the upgrades, I was advised by RCCL to check upon boarding for possible upgrades and if there is any rooms not taken you can swap them at no extra charge. Be aware, you aren't the only one looking to do this, so it's first come first served. I'm hoping with the smaller ship and many folks want a large ship, that we will have the opportunity to also upgrade. We are in a inside on deck 3...I think we need to stoke the furnace on our off time besides. lol.

 

Have fun on your cruise!!!!

 

I don't know whom you spoke with at RCI, but this is absolutely not standard RCI practice. If there are cabins available at the pier, you can typically pay (usually a quite reduced rate) for an upgrade, but they don't just let you upgrade for free. You really need to check on this because I fear you will be disappointed at the pier. And remember that just because an RCI Customer Service rep says so doesn't mean that that's how it really is. RCI CS is notoriously bad for giving out inaccurate information.

 

Don't mean to be a downer, but free upgrades of any kind are rare with RCI, and pier upgrades cost money.

 

beachchick

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Emmabelle, the location was perfect! It was in the middle - it wasn't opposite the oceanview cabins, but inside...you had to walk around a corner, and it was in a long hallway (does that make sense?) If you pass 3243 on your way, take a deep breath as you walk around the corner and tell me if the chocolate peppermint aroma is still there. Don't know what it was, or where it came from, but it was delightful....

 

To answer another's question, there IS a chocolate buffet - decadent!!

 

Michele

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Don't mean to be a downer, but free upgrades of any kind are rare with RCI, and pier upgrades cost money.

 

Understood.

 

BUT if they have excess capacity (i.e. unsold cabins), do they let them go at the pier cheaper then if you would have originally booked the higher level room from day one? What I'm asking -- Are the (potential) pier upgrades cheaper then difference in the cost between the two types of rooms at original booking?

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sonnylax: Yes, usually it is substantially cheaper than if you had upgraded ahead of time. It's a pretty standard rate. I know there are threads that list the pier upgrade prices. They are per cabin, not per person, and vary from $1500 or so to upgrade from inside to Royal Suite, to $100 to upgrade within type (oceanview to higher category oceanview), etc. Except that suite to suite is usually $400 (except RS, which is about $700).

 

Do a search for "pier upgrade" and I'm sure you'll find one of the threads that list the average price. BTW, the prices I just listed are for 7 day and are to the best of my recollection. I'd say $400 to go from a D1 to a GS is an outstanding deal. For a 7 day the difference could easily be $800 per person or more if booked ahead of time. Now, the caveats are (1) cabins may not be available (especially now that RCI is sometimes upgrading C&A Diamond Plus members) and (2) the locations can be (not always) the ones that most people don't like--such as completely forward, etc.

 

Just check with the Pier Coordinator after you check in and see if anything is available.

 

beachchick

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beachchick,

 

Thanks so much for your information on the upgrade situation. This is our first cruise on RCCL and I had been reading threads from others, (who knows what cruise line they were talking about, it could have been Peg Leg Pete's Float a Boat) ha ha, anyway, I guess you can always ask and then decide if it is worth the extra cash. Like I always say, I won't see that room much on the cruise anyway. We did have a balcony on our Alaskan cruise, and even though it rained most of the days, it was nice to have morning coffee outside as you watched the rain come down.

 

One thing for sure, since we are on an inside cabin on deck #3, they surely can't downgrade us. ha ha ha.

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